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Nigerian students on Monday protested the strike deadlock that has shut the country's public universities for seven months, causing frustration for an estimated 2.5 million students.
In May, Burundi held a presidential election which was won by Evariste Ndayishimiye, candidate of the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) party.
Ndayishimiye was hurriedly sworn in after the untimely death of president Pierre Nkurunziza in June.
Rights violations continue
The Council encouraged donor countries which had suspended aid to Burundi to continue dialogue towards resumption of development assistance.
A report by a UN watchdog in September said human rights violations were still being committed in Burundi, including sexual violence and murder.
The country was plunged into a crisis in April 2015 when Ndayishimiye’s predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run for a controversial third term, which he ultimately won in July 2015.
His candidature, which was opposed by the opposition and civil society groups, resulted in a wave of protests, violence and even a failed coup in May 2015.
Hundreds of people were killed and over 300,000 fled to neighboring countries.
From 'Rogue' and 'Her Mask', here are eight African highlights to stream on Showmax this December.
[allAfrica] As of December 8, the confirmed cases of Covid-19 from 55 African countries have reached 2,273,762. Reported deaths in Africa have reached 54,118 and recoveries 1,936,835.
THE family of a minor who was allegedly raped by suspended MDC-T spokesperson Khaliphani Phugeni has announced that it will appeal his acquittal at the High Court. BY NQOBANI NDLOVU Phugeni yesterday celebrated his acquittal for rape charges saying the charges were fabricated. He said he was a good man and not a rapist. Phugeni was acquitted at the Western Commonage Court in Bulawayo by magistrate Sibongile Msipa-Marondeze on Monday. The crime was allegedly committed between June and November 2018 when the alleged victim was 14 years. However, the case came to light this year when the victim started exhibiting a change in behaviour. In an interview yesterday, Phugeni said the charges were fabricated and were meant to “damage” his political career. “The charges were fabricated, and that is what the magistrate said. “It’s a great day for the Judiciary. “As a country, we must hang our heads in shame for allowing a good man to be charged based on false claims, with clear impunity and without any shred of evidence provided. “This was meant to tarnish my image, vandalise my political career beyond resuscitation but the people of Zimbabwe kept coming to my inbox to tell me how much they loved me. “There are rapists out there going for our children, and I hope that no child will be disbelieved when they report a genuine rape because of this sham accusation,” Phugeni said. While Phugeni is celebrating his acquittal, the family yesterday revealed plans to appeal against the judgment at the High Court. “We have met as a family and resolved to appeal at the High Court. “We hold no beef against Phugeni, it’s nothing personal against him as alleged. “In any case, Phugeni has been a family friend for years. “Why would I want to fight Phugeni over a Senate seat? “It’s disturbing that there are some people trivialising rape claiming that we want to tarnish his political image,” the mother of the victim said. Last week, Phugeni’s lawyer Kholwani Ngwenya filed an application for discharge at the close of the State’s case in terms of section 198(3) of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act (Chapter 9:07). Ngwenya cited the fact that a police report was made 28 months after the alleged violation and “moreover the report was not voluntarily made as it was made after she had been threatened to be beaten by her mother.” He argued that the evidence seriously fell short of establishing a prima facie case against Phugeni.
(Jamaica Observer) APPROXIMATELY 450,000 Jamaicans are to be immunised against the novel coronavirus next year, when the first batch of vaccines are expected to be shipped to the island, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has reported.
The article Some 450,000 Jamaicans to get COVID-19 vaccine next year appeared first on Stabroek News.
President-elect Joe Biden has announced a three-point plan to combat the coronavirus pandemic within the first 100 days of his administration. READ MORE: Biden... View Article
The post Biden lays out three-point plan to combat coronavirus appeared first on TheGrio.
South African referee Deon Dwarte will take charge of the Joshua vs Pulev heavyweight title fight in London this weekend.
To read Donald Trump's Twitter feed is to see a man seemingly obsessed with finding some way, any way, to hold onto the presidency. To watch what he does (or, more accurately, doesn't do) in his waning days in the White House suggests that Trump has already folded his tent - effectively not even trying to do the job that […]
A homeless count typically conducted in the Los Angeles area that relies on the help of thousands of volunteers during the month of January could be canceled amid concerns that it would be unsafe and impractical in the middle of a pandemic. In recent years, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) has been conducting […]
The Gauteng Department of Health said contact tracing of Gauteng students who attended the matric rage event in KZN is currently underway.
Political Ombudsman Donna Parchment Brown has indicated that she is about to seek intervention from Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Opposition Leader Mark Golding to have political candidates and supporters remove campaign paraphernalia still on display over three months after the September 3, 2020 General Elections, which is a breach of the political code of conduct.
Nigeria is Blacklisted by the USA
On Monday, the United States placed Nigeria - for the first time, on a religious freedom blacklist; A core issue for the outgoing administration which often counted on strong evangelical Christian support while playing down other human rights concerns among allies. Mixed Reactions
Frank Tietie, a local human rights lawyer, shares his reaction to the news, \"I think it's coming quite a bit late because we are looking at facts that have been on the ground for many years, a situation where religious minorities in this country suffered helplessly, persecuted and the most painful part of it is there hasn’t been that kind of strong commitment on the part of the government.\" Nigeria is the base of Boko Haram, Islamist extremists whose 11-year insurgency has taken over 36,000 lives and spread to neighbouring countries.
Anegbe Gideon, a civil servant, takes a defiant stance - believing that national issues should be resolved internally, \"Nigeria cannot lay low to the US whatsoever because what binds them is different from what binds us together. We are Africans, they are out there on their own and they cannot force us to dance to their own tune, it is not possible.\"
A Religious Melting Pot
Isaac Akpegi, a trader, wants more visibility and respect for all Nigerians found within the country's borders, \" The sentiment that is in this country is the same one religion, they ((Referring to President Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim) didn't even put any other religion. It is only one religion that is ruling and the ruling that they are doing now is bondage to indigenous (tradition) of Nigerians.\" As a multi-religious society, Nigeria navigates a delicate balance between Muslims, Christians and others in between. However, the Nigerian people's rising concerns require action for a truly harmonious co-existence.
Last week, when the governor announced the impending shutdown, he said health officials had carved the state into five regions. Their goal is to coordinate a broad emergency response that would reach across county lines and consider the proximity and capacity of health services within each area based on population and density. Those regions are: Northern California; Greater Sacramento; Bay Area; San Joaquin; and Southern California.
RESIDENTS in Westmoreland may face stricter COVID-19 regulations as the surging number of novel coronavirus infections there threaten to wipe out months of gains against the scourge on the island.
SPECULATION is rife over the whereabouts of Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga amid reports that he was recently airlifted out of the country for medical attention. BY MOSES MATENGA But presidential spokesperson George Charamba yesterday dismissed allegations that Chiwenga, who doubles up as Health minister, was out of the country on health grounds, saying that he was on a “State assignment”. “I have responded to that authoritatively and stated that he is out of the country on a State assignment,” Charamba told NewsDay. Since Chiwenga was admitted at a South African hospital last year for alleged poisoning, government has always denied that he is out of the country for treatment. Chiwenga, however, has not been seen in public for weeks now and Higher and Tertiary Education minister Amon Murwira is the acting Health minister. “He was very unwell at the end of November and he cut back on his public appearances. A decision was taken to fly him out to seek treatment,” a source told NewsDay. Claims that Chiwenga was flown to China for medical treatment came under heavy scrutiny on social media platforms with observers and opposition parties saying that it was not fair for government officials to continue frequenting foreign hospitals while the local health system was in the doldrums. MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said: “They systematically destroy our public health system through chronic under-funding and poor treatment of healthcare workers then they run to better managed places for their own care. The people are left at home to bear the brunt of the man-made mess.” Ironically, Chiwenga’s estranged wife Marry Mubaiwa, who is also suffering from a serious ailment after the 2018 White City bombing incident in Bulawayo, is grounded as authorities have refused to release her passport to undergo emergency medical care outside the country. Follow Moses on Twitter @mmatenga
MSNBC has named Rashida Jones its next president, making her the first Black executive to run a major general news cable network, The Wall Street Journal reported. Jones, who currently serves as the senior vice president of NBC News and MSNBC, will replace longtime president […]
The post MSNBC Names Rashida Jones President, Making History For Major Cable News Networks appeared first on The New York Beacon.
WESTERN BUREAU: Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton all but declared the parish of Westmoreland Jamaica’s new COVID-19 epicentre, telling the nation’s Parliament on Tuesday that with more than 100 new confirmed cases, including 12 deaths in the...
POLICE officers have been implicated in the Zanu PF district co-ordinating committees (DCC) election rigging scandals in Mutoko East with allegations that they were paid to vote as party members. BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA In a WhatsApp audio circulating on social media, a female candidate narrated how some police officers were busted and they eventually admitted that they were ordered to cast a number of ballot papers in favour of Richard Musiyiwa (Mutoko East MP) who is eyeing the Mutoko district chairmanship post. Musiyiwa’s rival for the post is businessman Zano Kahuni. NewsDay was reliably informed that chaos erupted on Monday afternoon as members demanded transparency on how the elections were conducted. “I asked Musiyiwa how the ballot papers totalled 120 while each polling station was allocated 92 of them. A police officer has agreed that he was ordered to manipulate the results. There is need for the Mutoko East DCC election to be declared null and void,” the candidate can be heard saying in the audio. “Zanu PF is being dragged to the dustbin. If President Emmerson Mnangagwa loves us, he must send someone to put order in this area, otherwise in 2023 it will be chaos. About 40 youths were expected to vote in this election, but we are having results of the winner having 77 votes. Moreover, a total of 40 women were expected to vote in the women’s league, but the winner is emerging with 66 votes. This is chaotic.” Mashonaland East provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza said he could not comment as he was not on duty yesterday. In Goromonzi, some party officials reportedly fled with ballot boxes while some disgruntled members inscribed the name of their candidate Bornface Mutize on the ballot papers as it was missing. In Wedza district, Zarnet boss Casper Chigwedere, who is the son of party stalwart Aeneas Chigwedere, made it into the DCC team. lFollow Jairos on Twitter @JaySaunyama
HARARE – Zimbabwe’s largest mobile network operator, Econet Wireless, has revised its voice, data and SMS bundle prices upwards, by an average 20 percent increment, in an effort to recover value eroded due to currency devaluation and other rising costs of key network inputs. The new tariffs are effective 10 December 2020. The mobile operator incurred exchange losses of ZW$10,3 billion in the half-year to August 2020 as a result of exposure in foreign currency denominated obligations. “The business continuously reviews its pricing in line with changes in the operating environment to ensure it remains viable, while retaining good quality of service and offering affordable products,” Econet said. The listed telecommunications company earlier said it was transforming itself into a digital service provider, and remained “committed to innovative approaches to deliver these (digital) services and ensure our customers get the best quality voice, data and SMS-based products”. Econet last adjusted its voice and data tariffs in September, but since that time, the price of many goods and services that constitute critical costs to the business, have skyrocketed, putting pressure on the company’s bottom line. In particular, the price of electricity has doubled (gone up 100%) while diesel has gone up by 32% since September. Econet and other telecommunication companies rely on electricity and diesel-generated power to keep their network services up and running. According to the latest schedule, Econet has reviewed its Bundle of Joy voice bundles from ZW$4,04 to ZW$4,25 per two minutes, while a 20 megabyte (MB) daily data bundle now costs ZW$17, up from ZW$13. A monthly 100MB data bundle has been reviewed upwards from ZW$67 to ZW$84, while the 8GB Private Wifi bundle has been adjusted from ZW$960 to ZW$1 500. At the same time, subscribers are now be required to pay ZW$0.36 to send an SMS, up from ZW$0.32. Although Econet service delivery has been affected by electricity load shedding like many Zimbabwean companies, stimming its revenue generation capacity, the group has however devised methods of continuing to provide quality services to its subscribers. “We maintained quality of service despite the numerous challenges facing businesses in Zimbabwe. In particular, limited foreign currency and disruptions in power supply continue to put a significant strain on our ability to provide uninterrupted excellent service,” said the company Chairman James Myers in a statement accompanying Econet’s half-year results to August 2020. “Our mitigation strategies, which include moving to remote monitoring and operation of our network, as well as reducing our reliance on power from the grid through DPA, were critical to our success,” he said, adding that the company expected at least an additional 18 MW of power to be availed by DPA (an Econet group Solar power company) by the end of the financial year.
[IPS] Nairobi -- 'A hungry man is not a free man. He cannot focus on anything else but securing his next meal.' So proclaimed the late Kofi Annan.
A Customs and Excise official in Beitbridge was nabbed for attempting to illegally move out of a State warehouse goods worth $6 million or US$8 483. BY REX MPHISA Nelson Chinguwa, 31, faces a charge of criminal abuse of office. Chinguwa was arraigned before Beitbridge magistrate Annia Chiweta and was released on $30 000 bail. He is denying the charge. According to State papers, on December 3, Chinguwa, of 103 Limpopo View went to Manica Transit Shed, which houses a State warehouse in contravention of his assigned duties. He then tried to remove the goods in question, which had been seized on June 30 pending payment of $2, 7 million or US$4 241, 56 duty equivalent to a level seven fine for importing goods without a licence. Chinguwa had taken the goods but was intercepted at the Malala Tollgate on the Beitbridge- Bulawayo Highway. He is expected again in court on December 21 this year. Lawyer Jabulani Mzinyathi appeared for Chinguwa.
(Gainesville/Jacksonville/Lake City, FL,) – Three Rivers Legal Services is launching a public education campaign to help Floridians who are facing eviction because they have fallen behind on their rent. On September 4, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a nationwide eviction moratorium to stop the spread of COVID-19. However, many renters have still not taken advantage […]
The post Three Rivers Legal Services Launches Public Education Campaign To Assist Renters Facing Evictions As Coronavirus Cases Surge first appeared on The Florida Star | The Georgia Star.
The office of the Zambian President Edgar Lungu has released this photo showing Mr Lungu (centre) meeting the Africa head of the International Monetary Fund, Abebe Aemro Selassie (second from right). Mr Lungu did not release any statement but the meeting comes after Zambia became the first African country during the coronavirus pandemic to default on its debt repayments. A default makes it harder for the country to borrow more funds. In October, it missed a repayment of $40m (£30m) - the country was given a month's grace period but failed to come up with the money. Coronavirus has aggravated pre-existing financial pressures in Zambia. Last month, the IMF said it was in talks with the Zambian authorities about how best to support the country, but its help would depend on the country taking steps to make sure its debt was sustainable.- BBC
By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — There were no clear signs that an attack last year on two New Zealand mosques was imminent, but police should have done a better job vetting the lone gunman when he applied for a gun license, and intelligence agencies should have focused more on threats such as white supremacism, according to a new report. Among 44 recommendations, the report released Tuesday says the government should establish a new national intelligence agency. The report details how the attacker, white supremacist Brenton Tarrant, was able to live a solitary, almost ghostlike existence […]
The post Report finds lapses ahead of New Zealand mosque attack appeared first on Black News Channel.
… "extremely problematic for the African-American community” in a recent interview …
[Monitor] Government has cleared Chinese Community of Liao Shen Industrial Park to import 4,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine (Vero Cell) into the country for their own use.
Military sales by the arms industry’s 25 largest companies totaled US$ 361 billion in 2019, 8.5 per cent more than in 2018, according to a new study released Tuesday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The top five positions are occupied by US defence giants. Together with seven other US companies, they represent 61 per cent of global sales.
After the USA, China accounted for the second largest share of 2019 arms sales by the top 25 arms companies, at 16 percent. The six West European companies together accounted for 18 percent.
The two Russian companies in the ranking accounted for 3.9 percent.
For the first time, a Middle East company has become a top arms supplier in the world.
Edge, based in the United Arab Emirates, occupies the 22nd position, and accounts for 1.3 percent of total arms sales of the top 25 firms.
For senior SIPRI researcher Pieter Wezeman, the high demand for weapons from local governments and the will of the countries in Middle East to become independent from foreign manufacturers are favouring the growth of Middle Eastern companies.
A 90-year-old woman in the United Kingdom on Tuesday became the first person in the world to receive a coronavirus vaccination outside of clinical trials, marking a watershed moment in the fight against the crippling worldwide pandemic.
Outgoing President Donald Trump is considering a final, dramatic White House event to in an effort to outshine President-elect Joe Biden's Inauguration
