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The anti-terrorism conference was attended by more than 250 participants including presidents of national assemblies, representatives of African parliaments, youth NGOs and representatives from UN agencies
The president also stressed the importance of keeping the economy open after months of stifling movement restrictions.
He urged citizens not to drop their guard and continue adhering to the health rules, such as wearing face masks and respecting curfew times.
South Africa has recorded just over 800,000 coronavirus infections - more than a third of the cases reported across the African continent - and over 20,000 deaths.
AFP
WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden said Thursday that he will ask Americans to commit to 100 days of wearing masks as one of his first acts as president, stopping just short of the nationwide mandate he's pushed before to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The move marks a notable shift from President Donald Trump, […]
THE drama that unfolded at Waddilove High School in Marondera was informative of the confusion in those that are superintending over the education system in the country. After the outbreak of COVID-19 at the school, with 45 pupils affected, authorities at the Methodist Church of Zimbabwe institution wanted to close it down and remove all pupils from the premises. Clearly panicked government officials, who were more worried about saving face, ordered the school to remain open, because it had made a determination without consulting them. When the school asked parents to pick up their children, they were treated to the sight of 15 government vehicles determined to block them from doing so, despite the obvious threat to the pupils of an outbreak in a closed and crowded environment. Eventually, common sense prevailed and government officials gave in, allowing parents to drive away with their children. The number of schools hit by the coronavirus is rising every week, John Tallach in Ntabazinduna, Matabeleland North, Goromonzi High School in Mashonaland East, Chinhoyi High School in Mashonaland East and Mtshabezi High School in Matabeleland South are among the most affected. This covers the length and breadth of the country, and yet government remains adamant that schools must remain open. It is not surprising that Parliament, has been harping that the government immediately shuts down schools. The MPs correctly blame the rising COVID-19 cases on government’s failure to adequately prepare for the reopening of schools. In fact, government’s lack of preparation or the absence of a strategy to deal with possible outbreaks at school is evident in the blundering response to the situation at Waddilove: rush in, make noise, be seen to be active but offer no solution and then slink away and let the schools and parents bear the burden of dealing with the situation. It has been evident that Zimbabwe is on a wing and a prayer since its reported its first casualty in March, journalist Zororo Makamba. While some facilities have improved since then, the lack of a clear plan of action is evident, nine months later. And parents are being forced to keep their children in schools, which have become new mini-epicentres in spite of the dangers. Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa this week said instead government would intensify monitoring and implementation of COVID-19 regulations as opposed to shutting down the institutions. This is basic, and government should have been doing this well before ordering schools to reopen. Why should we trust that government will finally do this after failing for the last nine months? Children are our future, and government’s intransigence will cost the country dearly. Close the schools until it is safe to reopen.
While Megan Fox has turned down numerous military films, she accepted 'Rogue' partly because of the attraction of coming to Africa.
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) - Asking someone to put on a mask is a touchy subject, so one shop in Japan has enlisted a robot to make sure its customers wear them during the pandemic.'I'm sorry to bother you, but please wear a mask,' says the small humanoid machine after wheeling up to a bare-faced shopper, in a demonstration video released by its developers.
WHEN a fire gutted her house a few years ago, 36-year-old Tendai Chamboko was badly injured. BY FIDELITY MHLANGA 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. Chamboko’s predicament was compounded by the fact that Zimbabwe has no disability insurance schemes, except 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 made me aware of the importance of insurance,” she told Weekly Digest. “We lost everything and I was left disabled. I lack access to information, especially in braill language, which is compatible with my condition.” Chamboko’s problem is experienced 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 healthcare, 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, 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 said she was worried that vulnerable groups like pensioners could not afford medical cover. “You are covered for the 30 years that you are working because your employer is paying. The day 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 from accessing insurance products and services. They say exclusion from such a key service turns them into second-class citizens. In Zimbabwe there is life assurance, pension 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 the time an employee is in employment to support them on retirement. The products are vital in the event of death, disability, serious illness and other situatio
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service against the United States (a neutral country at the tim
On Friday, the music was blaring from one of those handcarts offering CD’s for sale.
The article Doesn’t it feel like Christmas? appeared first on Stabroek News.
[ANGOP] Luanda -- Angola was elected Monday to the rotating presidency of the Conference of Ministers of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), for the mandate of the year (2021).
By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer NEW YORK (AP) — In the most seismic shift by a Hollywood studio yet during the pandemic, Warner Bros. Pictures on Thursday announced that all of its 2021 film slate — including a new 'Matrix' movie, 'Godzilla vs. Kong' and the Lin-Manuel Miranda adaptation 'In the Heights' — will stream on HBO Max at the same time they play in theaters. Among the myriad release plan changes wrought by the pandemic, no studio has so fully embraced streaming as a lifeline. But after disappointing domestic ticket sales for 'Tenet,' and with the majority of […]
The post In seismic shift, Warner Bros. to stream all 2021 films appeared first on Black News Channel.
A significant number of black Americans are skeptical about the coronavirus … trial to try to change Black Americans’ minds. https://t … overcome high vaccine hesitancy among Black Americans, @HarvardChanDean says “the best messengers …
[African Arguments] Amid shifting dynamics in the Horn of Africa, South Sudan finds itself caught in the middle of regional rivalries.
By CARLA K. JOHNSON and NICKY FORSTER Associated Press Getting a COVID-19 vaccine to the right people could change the course of the pandemic in the United States. But who are the right people? As the decision looms for President-elect Joe Biden's incoming administration, a new analysis argues for targeting the first vaccines to the same low-income Black, Hispanic and Native American households that have disproportionately suffered from the coronavirus. But no one at the federal level has committed to the idea, which would be a significant shift from the current population-based method adopted by Operation Warp Speed. 'It's not […]
The post Vaccine rollout barrels on with health disparity in backseat appeared first on Black News Channel.
The decision to impose slightly stricter lockdown regulations in Nelson Mandela Bay may lead to more relaxed conditions come Christmas, says Acting Mayor Tshonono Buyeye.
Coinciding the NBA's City Edition jerseys announcement, ISlide announced its NBA City Series Collection collection of slides to help you comfortably show your allegiance for your favorite NBA squad.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Dec 4, CMC – Caribbean countries were on Friday reporting increased cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) while reiterating the need for their nationals to follow the various measures and protocols aimed at curbing the...
America’s employers sharply scaled back their hiring last month as the viral pandemic accelerated across the country, adding 245,000 jobs,... View Article
The post US hiring slows sharply to 245,000 jobs as virus intensifies appeared first on TheGrio.
Vibrant, diverse, and plentiful are a few words that describe the UAE’s culture and art scene, which also serves as a hub for regional creatives stemming from the Middle East and North Africa to share their work, before the pandemic.
To maintain this active community during the COVID-19 pandemic, the country supported residing artists across 25 fields of innovation in the creative sector by giving out about 140 financial grants.
Leading these efforts is the country’s Minister of Culture and Youth, Noura Al Kaabi.
The young minister is a staunch advocate of cultivating the arts locally and globally, seeing the culture and innovation industry as a way to promote UAE culture and innovation across the globe, in addition to contributing the emirate’s economic sustainability and growth.
Creative access
Noura Al Kaabi speaks to Inspire Middle East
Despite facing the challenges of empty cinemas and previously locked down art venues, Al Kaabi believes culture is never on hold, with the UAE’s response to the pandemic being proof of cultural resilience.
Looking at a post-COVID art scene the minister believes it will be reconstructed in a better way, taking advantage of practices developed during the pandemic.
“The advantage of getting your content or getting your work [to] transcend beyond a gallery border ... is how can we utilize such a platform,” Al Kaabi told Inspire Middle East, speaking about digitisation. “Isn't the role of culture for it to be accessible to everyone? Not make [it] just [for] the ones who are privileged to be able to travel or be able to enjoy visiting a museum?”
Intellectual property protection
With many artists sharing their work online, the question of intellectual property has been a heated topic of debate. Al Kaabi says the Ministry of Culture and Youth is working closely with its economic counterpart to develop IP protection and other policies to secure the original ideas of artists.
The minister also highlighted the importance of spreading awareness to artists about how they can protect their own artwork, which she hopes will encourage them to share their work more frequently.
“Nowadays it’s a sector that is very vibrant, and it’s a sector that is even ahead of other sectors that are contributing to the GDP,” says the minister.
When asked about how the creative industry collaborates with the economy, Al Kaabi cited the job of licenses for freelancers and microbusinesses which include filmmakers, editors, make-up artists, etc.
“The license is a business license, therefore it's a business environment,” Al Kaabi explained. “Therefore, there are job creations that are happening in that sector, yet having the right measurements for the sector and identifying the creative jobs that the sector will provide. There are the institutions and there are the thousands of media and creative agencies that are within the UAE that require us to look very closely and focus on the sector.”
Communicating cultures
A bird’s-eye view of Hagia Sophia
Last year, the UAE became o
[Thomson Reuters Foundation] Lockdown school closures fuel sharp rise in the number of children working at diamond mines in the war-torn country, researchers say
Ethiopian forces blocked people from the country's embattled Tigray region from crossing into Sudan on Thursday at the busiest crossing point for refugees, Sudanese forces said.
Their account follows allegations by refugees in previous days of Ethiopian forces stopping people from fleeing the month-old deadly conflict in Tigray.
The Sudanese forces, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the events, said people tried to cross from Ethiopia around 6 a.m. to Hamdayet in Sudan but were stopped, and refugees waiting on the Sudan side became upset and began throwing rocks.
The Sudanese forces then cleared the area, and on Thursday evening they confirmed that the border crossing remained closed.
Tensions have been rising at the border in recent days as the flow of Ethiopians crossing has slowed to hundreds per day from several thousands.
A senior Ethiopian government official who has served as spokesman during the conflict did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
End fighting
The European Union's crisis management commissioner Thursday urged the Ethiopian government to restore communications in its northern Tigray region and called on both sides to cease hostilities.
\"I urge... the Ethiopian authorities to lift the communication blockade,\" Janez Lenarcic said at Um Raquba camp in neighboring Sudan, where he spoke with Ethiopian refugees who had fled their homeland over the last month.
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed last month ordered military operations against the northern Ethiopian region's ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), in response to what he said were attacks on Ethiopian federal army camps.
Tens of thousands of refugees have since poured into eastern Sudan, with many complaining that they have not been able to re-establish contact with those left behind or lost on the scramble to leave due to a communications blackout.
\"I spoke with a number of refugees in this camp today and what is perhaps most painful to hear is that they have zero information... about their relatives and friends who stayed behind,\" Lenarcic said.
Abiy on Saturday claimed the conflict was over after federal troops took control of the Tigrayan capital, Mekele, but the TPLF threatened a full-scale counter-offensive on Wednesday.
Lenarcic also urged Ethiopia's government to provide access for humanitarian workers and goods, while calling on both sides to \"cease the hostilities\".
Ethiopia has formally granted the United Nations access to deliver aid to Tigray.
Seventy- nine new COVID-19 cases were yesterday recorded and the majority were reported in Region Four.
The article Seventy-nine new COVID cases recorded appeared first on Stabroek News.
A TREATMENT and support centre for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) has been launched in Bindura First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa has called for a multi-sectoral response in the fight against GBV. BY PHYLLIS MBANJE Speaking during the launch of the treatment and support centre, Mnangagwa acknowledged that individual efforts would not yield much in the face of the rising social scourge. “Gender-based violence requires multi-sectoral stakeholders to respond with various services that complete the package for essential services,” the First Lady said, adding that GBV requires specialised services. Also known as a “one-stop centre” where services will be provided under one roof, the centre is located at Bindura General Hospital and was conveniently launched to coincide with the commemoration of 16 Days of Activism Against GBV. United Nations Population Fund Zimbabwe country representative, Esther Muia said violence against women and girls had increased since the beginning of March with the COVID-19 crisis creating a “shadow pandemic” of GBV. “As we are officially opening this one-stop centre, we are grateful to the European Union’s Spotlight Initiative for allowing us to expand access to services for survivors at our time of greatest need as a country,” she said. GBV remains a huge problem in the country with at least one in every three women aged 15 and 49 having experienced physical violence since the age of 15 while 27% of women aged between 15 and 49 have experienced sexual violence at some point in their lives. The European Union ambassador to Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonen said: “One-stop centres are essential assets in the fight against GBV because they ensure that survivors have access to all the necessary services in one location, provided by appropriately trained and sensitive personnel.” Olkonnen called on the government and other stakeholders to dedicate more resources to tackling this scourge. Women Affairs minister Sithembiso Nyoni said the one-stop centre model was one of the promising models for GBV response which had been implemented since 2009. The theme for this year’s commemorations of the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV is: End Gender Based Violence: Fund, Respond, Prevent and Collect.
Stephen Oduntan, Staff Activists from Black Lives Matter- Los Angeles and other groups chanted and banged drums outside Mayor Eric Garcetti’s home Thursday to protest the Mayor’s potential cabinet position to President-elect Joe Biden’s administration. The demonstration marked the 10th day in a row, the protesters have gathered outside Garcetti’s residence in Windsor Square marching […]
Vice President-0elect Kamala Harris has selected Tina Flournoy as her chief of staff joining two other women of color in senior roles.
