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[Egypt Online] The Health Ministry said 491 new coronavirus cases were detected in Egypt over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 293,448.
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
By Jessica Dortch AFRO News Editor In a statement released on Dec. 3, Mayor-Elect Brandon Scott notified the public of his possible exposure to COVID-19 over the weekend. Since becoming aware of the risk of contracting the virus, the mayor-elect has followed CDC guidelines to avoid the public by self-quarantining. According to the statement, he […]
The post Baltimore Mayor-elect exposed to COVID-19, tests negative appeared first on Afro.
[FAO] Rome -- Dialogue examines tremendous the potential but also the risks that digital innovations present for farmers and rural populations
To some, they're a flying nuisance but pigeons are a big business in Senegal.
From his roof in a suburb of the capital Dakar, shopkeeper and pigeon racer Moustapha Gueye releases dozens of birds from the loft, who quickly fly out of sight.
\"Here it's a factory, I'm creating athletes,\" he says.
He takes care of his winged friends every morning by training them and developing crossbreeds suitable for flying in hot weather.
\"It is a sport created by Europeans, it was imported here. We discovered pigeon racing through the internet. But before we use to be pigeon breeders only,\" Gueye says.
Though more popular across the continent, it is a growing sport in the West African country.
Today, there are some 350 pigeon racing enthusiasts in Senegal, who spend a lot of money. A pigeon can cost over 800 US dollars in the country.
\"Currently I'm doing business with pigeons. I've earned several million CFA francs selling pigeons, I even bought a car through those pigeons,\" he says.
\"But the most important thing for me is the passion.
\"It's exciting to have pigeons, when you start participating in races, releasing a pigeon 400 km from its loft and it comes back, that's something you can't explain, it's great!\"
Taking flight
Pigeon racing has clearly taken flight in Senegal and continues to spread its wings.
Senegalese pigeon-racing enthusiasts are keen to turn others on to the sport, and some hope to ultimately turn professional.
But breeder and pigeon racer Oumar Johnson says some people take their dedication too far.
\"When you're too busy with pigeons, things risk going badly,\" he says, adding that the pigeon-fanciers' federation is considering less time-consuming races for youngsters.
Young people are nonetheless the future of the sport, Johnson says, adding that their devotion will make Senegal \"one of the greatest pigeon-racing nations\" one day.
\"In Europe, you have to motivate young people to get involved,\" he says.
\"Here, young people are rushing into it.\"
The recent COVID-19 death in Region Ten has signalled to regional officials that many persons infected with the virus are refusing to seek medical treatment until it is too late.
The article Recent COVID-19 death points to delay in seeking treatment, Region Ten Chairman says appeared first on Stabroek News.
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...
All of Southern California could soon be under much tighter coronavirus restrictions, after Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday, Dec. 3, announced a new stay-at-home order that will go into effect in areas where local intensive care bed availability is low — as coronavirus hospitalizations continue surging statewide. The order, once it goes into effect, would […]
By Sabir Muhammad (Photos by Nassar Madyun) ATLANTA, Ga. – Much has been made about the devastation and detrimental changes in the normal everyday lives of people all over the world, as a result of the continuing infections bought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. While we must acknowledge the impact of the virus on our […]
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.
… ranking Black lawmaker, want more African-Americans named to senior positions.
A …
By Victor Omondi Five years after Patti LaBelle‘s sweet potato pies went viral on the internet, consumers still have a soft spot for the singer’s signature desserts, and a surge in the sale of these sweet potato pies was experienced during the most recent Thanksgiving holiday, according to Walmart. According to Fox Business, Walmart sells […]
CONFEDERATION of Zimbabwe Miners (CZM) president Rangani Chauke has called on government to urgently regularise the operations of artisanal miners to avoid disasters and integrate the sector into the mainstream economy. By Stephen Chadenga Chauke’s call came in the wake of a rise in the number of fatal accidents involving gold panners in disused mines shafts. Cases of trapped artisanal miners were on the rise with 30 illegal miners feared dead after a shaft from which they were panning gave in at Ran Mine in Bindura recently. “As miners’ bodies, we have always reiterated that the formalisation of artisanal miners is a matter of urgency to avoid the unnecessary loss of lives,” Chauke said in an interview yesterday. “Regularisation of the sector would not only improve safety of miners, but would decriminalise the activity. “That is why we have always said the Mines and Minerals Bill should address the formalisation of the sector.” He said, despite contributing immensely to gold production in the country, artisanal mining continued to be a dangerous enterprise claiming many lives every year. Chauke said there was need to bring legality and stability to the sector to avoid negative consequences associated with artisanal mining. “There is need for laws and support from government on the legal and policy frameworks that ensure safety and good standards in the formalisation process,” he said. CZM is an association of small-scale-miners. In recent years, artisanal miners have resorted to mining in decommissioned mine shafts. Government continues to dither on plans to regularise artisanal mining.
[Ethiopian Herald] Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) said that the country has made significant preparations to make the upcoming election free, fair and credible and its postponement would jeopardize the public's constitutionally guaranteed right to be administrated by an elected government.
WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - The top U.S. envoy on Venezuela called on the incoming Biden administration yesterday to use the leverage he believes has been gained from years of tough sanctions aimed at ousting socialist President Nicolas Maduro and urged against offering him any “giveaways.”
The article Biden must use sanctions as leverage against Venezuela’s Maduro, U.S. envoy says appeared first on Stabroek News.
Ghana, reputed to be a democratic example in West Africa, is preparing to elect its president on Monday in what promises to be a particularly close election between two long-time political adversaries.
President Nana Akufo-Addo, 76, a candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is seeking a second term against his predecessor John Mahama, 62, leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In 2012 and 2016, they had already competed for the highest office. Each narrowly won one of the two ballots.
So Monday's election looks like déjà vu, even though 11 other candidates, including three women, are in the running.
The contenders will have to convince Ghana's 17 million voters, more than half of whom are under 35, who will also elect their 275 deputies.
Unemployment, infrastructure and roads, education, and health are the main issues, according to pre-election surveys.
Since the early 2000s, this country, rich in gold, cocoa, and more recently oil, has experienced strong growth. And the rate of extreme poverty has been halved in less than 25 years.
But some regions, particularly in the North, continue to live in extreme poverty, without drinking water or electricity.
Above all, the crisis caused by the coronavirus has hit the country hard, with growth this year expected to fall to 0.9 percent, according to the IMF, the lowest rate in more than 30 years, compared to 6.5 percent in 2019.
The outgoing president was praised for his management of this crisis, and he kept some of his campaign promises for 2016, including on education and access to electricity, but he disappointed on his main commitment: to actively fight corruption, after the mandate of John Mahama, tainted by scandals.
According to an Afrobarometer survey conducted in 2019, 53% of Ghanaians believe that the level of corruption has increased in the country. In addition, the special anti-corruption prosecutor, appointed after Akufo-Addo's election, resigned in November, accusing the president of obstructing his work.
No election fever
For his part, Mr. Mahama will have to make people forget the accusations of economic mismanagement that prevented his re-election in 2016.
This year, however, he can count on his running mate, Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, a former Minister of Education with a reputation for integrity and from the Centre, one of the key regions to win the election.
In the polls, Mr. Akufo-Addo is ahead of Mr. Mahama, but many analysts predict that his party's majority in Parliament could erode.
With the coronavirus - which has officially affected more than 50,000 people and killed 300 since March - election fever has not taken hold of the country.
\"There are indeed some parties and activities organized by the militants and political slogans that are played over and over again on the radio, but there is no big meeting,\" Kojo Asante, of the Ghanaian Center for Democratic Development, told AFP.
So far, Ghana has always escaped post-election violence and political transitions have been largely peaceful, unlike m
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — America's employers sharply scaled back their hiring last month as the viral pandemic accelerated across the country, adding 245,000 jobs, the fewest since April and the fifth straight monthly slowdown. At the same time, the unemployment rate fell to a still-high 6.7%, from 6.9% in October as many people stopped looking for work and were no longer counted as unemployed, the Labor Department said. November's job gain was down from 610,000 in October. Friday's report of another hiring slowdown provided the latest evidence that the job market and the economy are […]
The post US hiring slows sharply to 245,000 jobs as virus intensifies appeared first on Black News Channel.
PLANS by three of the country’s biggest foreign-controlled firms to invest fresh capital into their local operations represent the earliest pointers to a potential bounce back next year following a turmoil-filled 2020, researchers at IH Securities said on Monday. BY SHAME MAKOSHORI Swiss-headquartered foods and beverages giant, Nestle and Jersey-based Caledonia Mining Corporation have announced combined investments totalling US$62,5 million into Zimbabwe in the past week. Caledonia operates Blanket gold mine, one of the country’s biggest bullion extraction outfits. Platinum miner, Zimplats has also been making aggressive expansion moves at its Ngezi operation. Foreign firms hold the key to the development of frontier markets and the attitude of those already invested shapes perceptions across fund managers and individual investors seeking opportunities in a given destination. In a two-page paper titled Macro-Economic Update, Zimbabwe 2021 National Budget Review, IH said the optimism demonstrated by the three firms received a boost when Finance minister Mthuli Ncube attempted in next year’s fiscal plan to make interventions that may steer industries back to improved production. The past two years have been difficult for Zimbabwe, which has battled acute foreign currency, fuel and power shortages. These were compounded by inflationary surges in the past 12 months, together with exchange rate volatilities that only cooled off after the central bank introduced the forex auction system in June. At the beginning of the year, Zimbabwe’s fragile economy was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced government to shut down businesses, as authorities tried to prevent contagion. However, IH’s paper said stability would only be sustained if the exchange rate continued on a positive trajectory. “The 2021 budget attempts to solve the underlying problem of productivity through several measures, the main lever of which is stabilisation of the local currency,” IH said. “Trading updates for 3Q20 (third quarter 2020) have consistently shown recovering retail volumes from the sharp decline in 1H2020 (first half 2020) implying some recovery in consumer demand. Interestingly, companies servicing the infrastructure industry such as Proplastics and Lafarge have also shown improved order books implying growth in capital spend. We also note signs that some foreign-based parent companies, including Nestle, Caledonia and Zimplats, have indicated intent to increase investment in their local subsidiaries. The relatively stable environment in H2 set up by a surprisingly stable forex auction market and a resultantly stable Zimbabwe dollar has improved business and consumer confidence,” the paper said. Last week, Caledonia said it had spent US$60 million developing its flagship central shaft project, which is due to be commissioned in 2021. “We have invested approximately US$60 million in this project since we first announced it in 2015 and it has been owner-built and fully funded through internal cashflow and has been completed at a cost that is w
In the latest news in South Africa on Friday 4 December, Nelson Mandela Bay has officially been declared a Covid-19 hot spot.
A yellow fever outbreak in Nigeria has killed 172 people so far, the World Health Organisation says.
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.
The focus is to educate and inform our community.
He’s the middle brother of Lonzo Ball and LaMelo Ball.
By CARA ANNA Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Several thousand combatants have been killed in Ethiopia's embattled Tigray region, an official with the fugitive regional government is asserting, although claims remain difficult to verify after a month of fighting between Ethiopian and regional forces. Getachew Reda, a senior adviser to the Tigray leader, in an interview with Tigray TV aired Thursday urged young people and others in the region to 'rise and deploy to battle in tens of thousands.' His call came days after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed over the weekend declared victory in a power struggle that […]
The post Thousands killed in Ethiopia's conflict, Tigray side asserts appeared first on Black News Channel.
As the U.S. COVID-19 death toll hit a single-day, record-breaking high, Shelby County’s surge this week follows that alarming trend, according to the Shelby County COVID-19 Joint Task Force. Thursday, around the nation, 3,156 deaths from the virus were reported, the deadliest day this year. Shelby County’s new cases Thursday totaled 368, with 11 deaths. […]
We must change our behaviour now to prevent a resurgence of the virus and manage outbreaks wherever they occur, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his address on Thursday night.
Election materials on Thursday arrived at the Bangui M'poko International Airport in Central African Republic. The materials include ballot boxes, voting booths and voter cards for the first round in presidential and parliamentary elections on December 27.
Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, MINUSCA peacekeeping force, Denise Brown is satisfied with progress thus far.
\"We are extremely satisfied with the progress, in view of the electoral preparation. There was the mapping in May, June, then the implementation of the enumeration, then the arrival of the tablets, the training of tablet agents. The electoral list was compiled despite the Covid, despite the rainy season\", she said.
On Thursday, the Constitutional Court of the Central African Republic rejected ex-president Francois Bozize's candidacy in the elections. Bozize is being sought for alleged murder and torture and is under UN sanctions.
The court also rejected four other bids for the December 27 polls. This leaves 17 candidates, including incumbent president Faustin-Archange Touadera as contenders of the country’s top job. His chances look bright for a second term.
Bozize, 74, has played a major part in CAR's decades-long troubles, and some have feared he could try to stage a violent comeback. He seized power in 2003 before being overthrown a decade later by the Seleka, a rebel coalition drawn largely from the Muslim minority. The 2013 coup sparked brutal violence between the Seleka and so-called \"anti-Balaka\" self-defence forces, mainly Christian and animist.
