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The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), confirmed on Tuesday the next AFCON match due to take place at Yaounde's Olembe Stadium will now take place at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Cameroon's capital.
Abiy's government and the regional one run by the Tigray People's Liberation Front each consider the other illegitimate.
\t There was no immediate word from the three AU envoys, former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Mozambique President Joaquim Chissano and former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe. AU spokeswoman Ebba Kalondo did not say whether they can meet with TPLF leaders, something Abiy's office has rejected.
\"``Not possible,'' senior Ethiopian official Redwan Hussein said in a message to the AP. ``\"Above all, TPLF leadership is still at large.'' He called reports that the TPLF had appointed an envoy to discuss an immediate cease-fire with the international community ``masquerading.''
\t Fighting reportedly remained well outside the Tigray capital of Mekele, a densely populated city of a half-million people who have been warned by the Ethiopian government that they will be shown ``no mercy'' if they don't distance themselves from the region's leaders.
\t Tigray has been almost entirely cut off from the outside world since Nov. 4, when Abiy announced a military offensive in response to a TPLF attack on a federal army base.
That makes it difficult to verify claims about the fighting, but humanitarians have said at least hundreds of people have been killed.
\t The fighting threatens to destabilize Ethiopia, which has been described as the linchpin of the strategic Horn of Africa.
\t With transport links cut, food and other supplies are running out in Tigray, home to 6 million people, and the United Nations has asked for immediate and unimpeded access for aid.
AP
A two-week lockdown has been instituted at Orealla and its satellite village, Siparuta, in Region Six, after they recorded multiple cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in less than two weeks.
The article Lockdown imposed on Orealla, Siparuta after COVID-19 cases detected appeared first on Stabroek News.
WHEN a fire gutted her house a few years ago, 36-year-old Tendai Chamboko was badly injured.She lost her sight in the inferno.However, she had no insurance cover to help her cope with the huge costs that come with injuries of this nature. BY FIDELITY MHLANGA Chamboko’s predicament was compounded by the fact that Zimbabwe has no disability insurance schemes, excerpt for a fund that is administered by the National Social Security Authority, which caters for injured workers. Chamboko, who has never been formally employed, soon found herself in a quagmire. “The fire accident taught me about the importance of insurance,” she told Weekly Digest. “We lost everything and I was left disabled. I lack access to information, especially in brail language, which is compatible with my condition.” Chamboko’s problem is also shared by many people living with disabilities (PWDs), who struggle to access specialised insurance cover to take care of their needs in time of poor health. But, it does not end with PWDs. The Insurance and Pensions Commission of Zimbabwe (IPEC) says generally, medical insurance coverage is extremely low. This means the majority of people are confronted by frightening experiences once they get ill because they cannot access appropriate health care, which is expensive in Zimbabwe. Over 70% of working age people are jobless. Those who are still in formal jobs are not paid enough to afford medical cover. “I think the fact that our coverage ratio is only 10% means that medical cover is not working for the majority of Zimbabwe,” says Grace Muradzikwa, the IPEC commissioner. “If it was working our coverage and penetration ratio would be higher than the 10%. My observation is that most of the people who are covered are actually those employed in the formal sector. If you are a non-standard worker you cannot afford medical aid so I think this is probably the time we need to look at some kind of national health insurance. I think the need is there,” she says. The IPEC chief added that she is worried that even vulnerable groups like pensioners cannot afford medical cover. “You are covered for the 30 years that you are working because your employer is paying. The day that you leave your employment you cannot afford medical aid anymore. In fact, I think that your pension benefit is less than the cost of medical contribution so from day one when you are a pensioner you cannot be covered by medical aid,” she says. It is a bigger crisis. Many PWDs have bemoaned a plethora of challenges that hinder them access to insurance products and services. They say this level of exclusion from a key service turns them into second class citizens. In Zimbabwe there is life assurance, pensions and funeral assurance. Life assurance guarantees a normal life after retirement. Funeral assurance helps people prepare for a decent burial whereas a pension is a fund into which a sum of money is accumulated during an employee's employment to support them on retirement. The products are vital in the event of death, disability, serious illnesses and ot
… L. Fudge of Ohio, an African-American Democrat from Ohio.
Mr. Clyburn … owes a special debt to African-American voters, and that he wants …
(CALMATTERS) - California is in the throes of another COVID-19 surge — cases are skyrocketing and hospital beds are filling up quickly. On Tuesday, hospitals had 3,300 more COVID patients than at the beginning of this month, state health officials said. But a glimmer of hope has emerged in the last leg of 2020: The […]
Press Release - Malawi coach Patrick Mabedi is closing in on his final squad for the 2020 COSAFA Men's Under-20 Championship after releasing more players from his provisional selection on Thursday.
By MITCH STACY AP Sports Writer COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State officials say they are unsure when the team can practice again, let alone play next week at Michigan State, after an outbreak of COVID-19 put the third-ranked Buckeyes' Big Ten title hopes in danger. 'I have no clue what this afternoon or tomorrow will bring or next week will bring,' athletic director Gene Smith said Saturday. Three more college football games across the country were canceled or postponed Saturday, including Florida State hosting Virginia. For the second straight week, the Seminoles had their home game called off hours […]
The post COVID outbreak may put season in jeopardy for No. 3 Ohio St appeared first on Black News Channel.
[Cameroon Tribune] National Coordinator, Fai Yengo Francis sizes up work progress during a working visit in Bamenda on November 24 and 25, 2020.
National Assembly Speaker Jacob Mudenda has revealed that Parliament is contemplating crafting a law that will regulate DNA testing in the country amid revelations that there is no such law. BY SILAS NKALA Mudenda said this during a stakeholders meeting with Matabeleland-based civic society organisations and journalists in Bulawayo. He was responding to concerns raised by the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) officials that the country had no law regulating DNA testing. “I was at Nust and the university raised questions on the issue of secrecy of the DNA results with major focus on how they are handled or publicised. “They said a law must be there to pave way for such a process. “I agree with the university. We shall have a process of coming up with that law,” Mudenda said. “They did not write a petition, but they presented an oral petition during my visit there.” The Speakers’ remarks come at a time the government is working on a law that will guide the process of exhumations of the remains of Gukurahundi victims in Matabeleland and Midlands. Nust is expected to conduct the genetic studies. President Emmerson Mnangagwa tasked traditional leaders to oversee the exhumations and reburial of Gukurahundi victims. The genetic studies will assist in exhumations of Gukurahundi victims buried at undignified places across the country. The Speaker said Parliament would soon have a 24-hour television station dedicated to parliamentary proceedings.
Gauteng Premier David Makhura has warned residents to be wary of a possible second Covid-19 surge in January, when people return home from the festive season.
It was late on the first Tuesday in November, and Captain Hussen Besheir, an Ethiopian federal soldier, was on duty at a guard post outside the military camp in Dansha.
It was close to midnight when he saw headlights approaching.
Ten armed members of the Tigrayan special forces got out of the vehicle and demanded to see the camp's commander.
\"'We're not here for you',\" Hussen recalled them saying. \"'We want to talk to the leaders.'\"
Hussen refused. An argument ensued and gunfire rang out.
They were the first shots in a conflict that has since engulfed northern Ethiopia's Tigray region, killing many hundreds of people and forcing tens of thousands from their homes.
This week AFP visited the Dansha barracks, home to the Fifth Battalion of the Northern Command of the Ethiopian military, after gaining rare access to Tigray, where a near-complete communications blackout has been in place since the fighting began.
Shell casings littered the camp's grounds, and bullet holes were punched in the walls of buildings and sides of military trucks.
A metal sign at the entrance reading, \"We need to protect the constitution from anti-development forces and lead our country to renaissance,\" was so perforated with gunfire as to be almost illegible.
'Betrayal'
Hussen and others described hours-long rifle and grenade battles against fighters loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), including special forces and militiamen, joined by some federal soldiers of Tigrayan ethnicity who turned against their comrades.
Echoing a statement from Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Hussen said soldiers \"were killed in their pyjamas\", adding, \"What happened here is even worse than that.\"
\"Betrayal alone wouldn't describe the feeling that I have. These are soldiers who have been eating and drinking with us,\" he said of those former federal troops who allegedly turned their guns against them.
The government in Addis Ababa has claimed the attack on Dansha - and a simultaneous assault on another barracks in the regional capital Mekele - as justification for its military offensive in Tigray since November 4.
It points to an interview on Tigrayan media in which a prominent TPLF supporter, said a pre-emptive strike was \"imperative\".
\"Should we be waiting for them to launch attacks first? No,\" said Sekuture Getachew, in the interview, which Abiy's office has called a \"confession\".
Confrontation between Abiy and the TPLF was a long time coming. The TPLF dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades until anti-government protests swept Abiy to power in 2018.
Since then the TPLF has complained of being sidelined and scapegoated for the country's woes.
The rift widened after Ethiopia postponed national elections because of the coronavirus pandemic. Tigray went ahead with its own vote, then branded Abiy an illegitimate ruler.
Ethnic forces
Tadilo Tamiru, a sergeant in the government-aligned Amhara special forces, was 50 kilometres to the south with his 170-strong unit, in a small town along the bo
GOVERNMENT and stakeholders must collaborate in adopting the recently launched International Telecommunications union (ITU) child online protection guidelines to guarantee child online protection as children become more vulnerable in the use of digital media. BY HARRIET CHIKANDIWA Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) director-general Gift Machengete made the call in his speech read on his behalf by the regulatory authority’s head of consumer affairs and publicity, George Manyaya, at the Childline Online Safety Guidelines launch yesterday. Machengete said children had become exposed to digital media due to circumstances including the COVID-19 induced lockdown that has necessitated e-learning, hence the need for parents and stakeholders to be vigilant in ensuring their safety. “How can we ensure an effective child protection system in Zimbabwe? “It is now the right time Zimbabwe starts reflecting on the need to come up with standalone legislation on child online protection,” Machengete said. “As the regulator of the telecommunications sector, we will be leading all stakeholders in adopting the comprehensive ITU child online protection guidelines and an aggressive campaign will be conducted in schools and communities across the country.” He added: “The internet has transformed how we live. “It is entirely integrated into the lives of children and young people, making it impossible to consider the physical and digital worlds separately.” At least one-third of all internet users today are children and young people with Unicef estimating that 71% of young people are already online. Machengete said as a result of the COVID-19 induced lockdown, most children are spending time online where there encounter all sorts of challenges including cyberbullying and pornography that needs a hands-on approach by parents to overcome. “While the internet has brought about convenience owing to rapid digital transformation, it has also brought about a plethora of challenges. “Children are exposed to various vulnerabilities and there has been an increase in the misuse of technology. “Several children are accessing various sites even without their parents’ consent. “We are providing these gadgets to children but they are accessing sites like Tinder, house party, Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok without their parents’ or guardians’ consent.” He said issues of cyberbullying were also rampant while most children were also engaging in sexting and pornography despite glaring effects to their lives. “Some are sending too many pictures online for example on Tik Tok and Facebook, exposing themselves and their families.” The International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Machengete said, was in the process of adopting the Child Online Protection Guidelines as part of its quest to ensure maximum protection of children online. He said the issue of children online protection was a collective responsibility hence parents; guardians, government non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders should play a part as chil
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor has condemned the assassination and called for calm in the region.
THE 2021 budget presented by the finance minister Mthuli Ncube to Parliament shows that the minister was living in a ‘fantasy world,’ according to academic, Professor Austin Chakaodza. “Some of the major challenges facing our society are issues of poverty and unemployment. Ninety percent of the people of Zimbabwe were already unemployed before the eruption of COVID-19. The majority of the people continue to lack certain basic capabilities which are encapsulated in the socio - economic rights guaranteed in the constitution,” he said. “They continue to be deprived of basic capabilities - such as the capability to be free from hunger, to live in good health, to be literate and access to a social security safety net. This budget does not fulfil a number of human rights such as the right to food, health, education and training,” Chakaodza said. A big part of Mthuli 2021 budget is a range of new tax measures to fund the ambitious $421,6 billion budget. The highlight of this plan is how the taxman plans to go after the informal sector, which is the bulk of the economy but pays little tax. From new and higher taxes to a new tax unit targeting SMEs, it is a budget that gives away very little, but takes a lot. Here is how some of Mthuli’s measures will affect you. If you are a low-income earner There is not much tax relief for you. The tax-free threshold has only been raised slightly from $5 000 per month to $10 000 per month. Tax bands will begin at $10 001 and end at $250 000 per month. This does little for the poorest workers. For perspective; in October, a Zimbabwean family of five needed $18 750 just to stay above the poverty line. If you earn more than $250 000, you pay the highest marginal tax rate of 40%. If you are expecting a bonus, the bonus tax-free threshold has gone up from $5 000 to $25 000, with effect from 1 November 2020. If you were tired of the 2% tax, sorry The 2% tax on mobile money and other electronic transfers stays. The tax has been unpopular since it came in 2018, but Mthuli says it has “generated substantial resources that have enabled Government to support various infrastructure projects”, including the COVID-19 response. So, the Minister isn’t giving much of this cash-cow away. You will no longer pay the 2% for transactions of up to $500, which is just a small increase from the current $300. For forex transactions, this tax will apply above US$5. The maximum of this tax that your business can pay has been raised from $25 000 to $800 000 on transactions with values exceeding $40 million, with effect from 1 January 2021. If you were planning to import a car Government will now control the importation of cars that are 10 years or older. Owning a car has just slid further from the reach of the majority, who cannot afford new vehicles. According to Mthuli, Zimbabwe has spent around US$1,3 billion importing buses and used cars over the past five years. Cars older than 10 years are now off the Open General Import Licence. This means that, from 2021, you will need a special import licence for older cars.
A LOCAL non-governmental organisation, Practical Action, has urged peasant farmers to integrate traditional farming methods with modern technologies in adapting to climate changes for continued productivity. BY MIRIAM MANGWAYA/ SIZALOKUHLE NCUBE Speaking during a workshop for journalists on sustainable development reporting in Harare yesterday, Practical Action agriculture systems and innovation leader Maria Goss said the organisation was encouraging farmers to make use of renewable power sources so that they continue producing despite the adverse climatic changes. She said the organisation was educating farmers on agro-ecology, a sustainable scientific farming method focused on conserving the ecosystem to attain high yields. “Three quarters of the world’s poorest people are farmers,” she said. “In the face of the changing climate, their traditional approaches to agriculture are not working for them. Small holder farmers are further being marginalised due to the effects global warming.” She said agro-ecology is important in reducing the risk of drought-related farming problems such as enabling moisture conservation, since the natural systems of preserving water had been disturbed over the years. Goss also encouraged policy makers to ensure that they provide the necessary information and early warnings to marginalised communal farmers on climate changes and hazards. Over four million Zimbabweans are in desperate need of food aid, according to the World Food Programme, mainly as a result of successive droughts.
[The Herald] zimbabwe teenage football sensation, Isaac Mabaya is billed to follow in the footsteps of Trent Alexander-Arnold after making considerable progress in the age-group sides of Liverpool.
The Vatican’s Santa Marta hotel was built to sequester cardinals during papal elections. It's now sequestering soon-to-be cardinals in town for this weekend’s ceremony to get their red hats: A handful are in protective coronavirus quarantine, confined to their rooms on Vatican orders and getting meals delivered to their doors.
[IPS] Rome -- The recent meeting of the G20 - scheduled to take place in Riyadh but held virtually due to the Coronavirus pandemic - has been an eloquent example of how the world is drifting, in a crisis of leadership.
The United Nations said Friday it had flown 32 tons of emergency aid to Khartoum, Sudan to quickly assist the thousands of refugees fleeing fighting and violence in Ethiopia.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR said a second shipment is expected to arrive by plane from Dubai on Monday.
More than 43,300 refugees have crossed the border to Sudan so far. The number of refugees could reach 200,000 in the next six months according to humanitarian agencies.
Visiting Khartoum to oversee operations, UNHCR boss Filipo Grandi expressed his solidarity and gratitude to Sudan for opening its borders to refugees.
According to a UNHCR spokesman in Geneva half of them are children.
Friday's flight brought 5,000 blankets, 4,500 solar lamps, 2,900 mosquito nets, 200 tarpaulins and 200 rolls of plastic.
Monday's flight is expected to carry 1,275 family tents and 10 prefabricated warehouses to accommodate 16,000 people. Two more flights are planned.
Opinion - They say a man must do what a man must do.
WESTERN BUREAU: The annual Montego Bay Christmas Grand Market, one of the city’s stellar attractions at Christmas, will not be staged this year as the St James Municipal Corporation tries to blunt the spread of the coronavirus in the western...
