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A fishing community living on an island off the coast of Kenya is restoring seagrass meadows to try to improve fish stocks. Seagrass meadows cover less than 0.2% of the world’s oceans, but they store twice as much carbon in a given area as temperate and tropical forests
South Africa is one of the hardest-hit countries in Africa with over 740,000 infections.
The country recorded 60 more virus-related deaths on Wednesday, bringing the death toll to 20,011.
By Associated Press Associated NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Lucille Bridges, the mother of civil rights activist Ruby Bridges, who walked with her then-6-year-old daughter past crowds screaming racist slurs as she became the first Black student at her all-white New Orleans elementary school, has died at the age of 86. On her Instagram account Tuesday evening, Ruby Bridges said, 'Today our country lost a hero. Brave, progressive, a champion for change. She helped alter the course of so many lives by setting me out on my path as a six year old little girl. Our nation lost a Mother of […]
The post Lucille Bridges, mother of activist Ruby Bridges, dies at 86 appeared first on Black News Channel.
In Africa, there have been varied reactions to news of Joe Biden's election as US president, with many expressing hope that the US will stick or return to its international commitments under the new administration.
Many are also hoping for increased African engagement with the US on matters of trade, security, human rights, and democracy.
But no one knows what Biden's policy on Africa will look like.
He is faced with lots of domestic issues such as the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed over 240,000 people in the US.
With so much to do at home, some are skeptical that there will be drastic changes in US-Africa relations.
Watch our report:
THERE is much debate about the 2020 US elections. However, there are neither cogent arguments nor consistent scientific analysis that explain what is going on. This article seeks to cut through the noise and bring rationality and reason to the discourse. GUEST COLUMNIST: AUTHOR. G. O. MUTAMBARA A new electoral system In their national efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the November 2020 electoral process, the United States, through its various States, introduced a new electoral system with the following provisions: Postal ballot voting for anyone who wants to use it; Early in-person voting for anyone who wants to do so; Election day, in-person voting. This contrasts with the old system: Election day, in-person voting (as the primary electoral method); Postal ballot voting for a few who apply and justify; Early in-person voting; only for a few exceptional cases. Although the new electoral system was put in place to mitigate COVID-19, it presents different and better voting opportunities to citizens than the old system. It is not equivalent to the old system. Why do we say this? The new system makes it easier and less onerous for a citizen to cast a vote. The new system leads to a higher turnout for every candidate who embraces it. For purposes of illustration, if a candidate has 100 supporters, under the old system, we can assume 60 will vote, whereas under the new system the number will increase say to 80. There are various reasons why supporters do not cast their votes. Under the new system, those reasons are reduced, hence the increased turnout. Another impact of the new electoral system was to remove voting logistical constraints experienced in some constituencies such as few polling stations, prohibitive documentation requirements, and other voter suppression shenanigans. The new system radically enabled the voter. Trump’s strategic error Donald Trump did not embrace the new system, while Joe Biden did. Trump's wrong assumption was that all his supporters would show up on election day, November 3, 2020. He did not understand that the new system has the potential to affect the turnout for every candidate. Biden and the Democrats whole-heartedly embraced the new system and mobilised their supporters to take advantage of postal votes and early in-person voting. In some cases, Trump did the opposite by casting aspersion about the new system, thus discouraging his supporters from utilising postal voting and early in-person voting. This was disastrous. Trump practised voter suppression against himself. If he did not like the new system, he had two options: Launch legal challenges at the state level to stop the new system in all the states, way before the election date. Of course, this was not going to succeed because the states have the power to run elections in the United States. The Federal Government has no role. Having failed to stop the new system, Trump should have embraced it and encouraged his supporters to utilise it maximally. He did not exercise either of these two opti
Presidential inaugurations can be challenging in even the best conditions. Taking place in late January, the weather in DC is often numbingly cold. Large crowds of people clamoring to get near a stage isn't always fun. And this year, with a surge of Covid-19 cases, requirements for testing, and possible quarantines, will people even come? Judging by hotel bookings, the […]
New Zealands central financial institution will start providing low cost loans to lenders inside weeks to additional scale back borrowing prices and stimulate the financial system because it recovers from…
[Monitor] Despite the presidential directive to lift the suspension on sports, some of the guidelines to manage the Covid-19 outbreak have proven a hindrance to the return of some of sports activities, especially swimming.
WASHINGTON, DC - The Food and Drug Administration is facing mounting calls to stop making pharmaceutical companies test drugs on dogs while the world waits for an effective coronavirus vaccine. The agency has for decades forced some drugmakers to perform dog experiments, which is not required by law, according to taxpayer watchdog White Coat Waste Project. While the FDA is […]
The U.S. hit a record number of coronavirus hospitalizations Tuesday and surpassed 1 million new confirmed cases in just the first 10 days of November amid a nationwide surge of infections that shows no signs of slowing. The new wave appears bigger and more widespread than the surges that happened in the spring and summer […]
The post US hits record COVID-19 hospitalizations amid virus surge appeared first on DefenderNetwork.com.
By BLESSED MHLANGA ELECTORAL management body, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has washed its hands over the by-elections which Vice-President and Health minister Constantino Chiwenga embargoed citing the novel coronavirus, saying it cannot override an Executive decree. Speaking in Darwendale yesterday at a training workshop for journalists organised by Zec, the electoral body chairperson Justice Priscila Chigumba said the commission was just an administrative body with no power whatsoever to make policy or challenge the Executive. “The role of Zec is persuasive, when I say persuasive, from the Constitution to the Electoral Act, to the regulations our role is only to make recommendations to the Executive, there is no where we are given a mandate, firstly to make regulations on our own behalf. Secondly to make law, we make recommendations to government to the executive, to the line ministry which is the Ministry of Justice that’s the first very, very important point,” she said. Zec announced in October that it was ready to run all by-elections, adding that it would have run all by-elections by December 5, but in less than a week, through a statutory instrument, Chiwenga blocked all by elections. The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission quickly moved in and issued a statement saying Zec’s actions could compromise its integrity and independence. Chigumba, however, said Zec had done its part in terms of the law and the rest was in the hands of Mnangagwa, who is a major player in the elections. “We are a commission which administers electoral law which emanates from Parliament, now if our stakeholders are unhappy with our mandate; it is up to them to buttonhole those in Parliament to change our mandate. “In terms of our current mandate, we recommend the Executive, His Excellency the President to say we believe by such and such a time, in terms of administrative processes, we will be ready to conduct by-elections,” Justice Chigumba said. “Having put this date in the public arena we made our recommendations to the President, he took our recommendations into account, he consulted other stakeholders including the Ministry of Health, I was not privy to the discussions between him and the Minister of Health, but I would like to assume that His Excellency using his executive powers and in his wisdom saw it fit to say by-elections cannot and should not be held during the course of this year.” She said her role did not go beyond making recommendations. “My role starts and ends will making recommendations. I made my recommendations, they were taken into consideration, I have no further role in terms of the Constitution to call upon the Executive and say on what basis did you disregard our recommendations, there is no provision for that in the Constitution,” she said. Justice Chigumba said if people felt that her body should be given more power than it already had, then they should approach Parliament. “When you go and look at the Constitution and the Electoral Act, only His Excellency, the President, can announce the date of by-elec
The Apple emblem is seen at an organization retailer in an upscale shopping center in Bangkok on November 10, … [+] 2020. (Picture by Mladen ANTONOV / AFP) (Picture by…
Statement of Common Council President Cavalier Johnson November 11, 2020 In a year with so much uncertainty and confusion, there are very few things that we can know for certain. We do not know exactly when this pandemic will end, when things will return to normal, or when we can see some of our […]
The post Sacrifice and service of veterans resonates more deeply this year appeared first on Milwaukee Community Journal.
Speaking with UFC's Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance, Jeff Novitzky, Tyson revealed that he used a prosthetic penis called the \"Whizzinator\" to pass his drug tests. The device has a built-in bag where he stored his \"baby's urine.\"
BY SILAS NKALA FORMER Botswana President Festus Mogae and Choppies managing director Ottapathu Ramachandran have been sucked into the legal battle between former Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko and retail group, Choppies Enterprises. Mogae and Ramachandran are expected to explain their role in allegedly helping Choppies bypass provisions of Zimbabwe’s Indigenisation Act. The developments came after Mphoko and his son, Siqokoqela, recently sued Nanavac Investments in Bulawayo, Choppies Enterprises and Choppies Distribution Centre (Proprietary) Limited both in Gaborone, Botswana, demanding payment of their 51% shares which they held before they were “unlawfully” divested of their entire shareholding by the company. Latest revelations are that, in a letter addressed to Mphoko when the fallout started, Mogae who is former Choppies chairperson, had informed the Mphokos that they entered into partnership “with a clear understanding of the shareholding of 93% shares to Choppies Enterprise and 7% to the Mphoko family, free of charge”. The Mphoko family has since denied the 7% shares prescribed to them by Mogae indicating that they were the majority shareholders in terms of Zimbabwean laws. In their application filed at the Bulawayo High Court, the Mphokos claimed that at all material times, they were majority shareholders in Choppies, holding an aggregate of 51% shares therein. Mphoko and his son reportedly owned 25,5% each in a joint venture trading as Nanavac Investments, while Choppies Enterprises held the remaining 49%. Through their lawyer Zibusiso Ncube, the Mphokos said in or about 2018, a dispute arose between Siqokoqela and Choppies, which resulted in Choppies instituting legal proceedings against the former Vice-President’s son, his wife and Choppies in the High Court. Siqokoqela and his wife were immediately arrested for fraud. In order to secure their freedom, Siqokoqela on January 9, 2019 signed a deed of settlement with Choppies Enterprises in terms of which the Mphokos disposed of their shareholding to the company. The lawyers said as per the deed of settlement, the Mphokos were to be paid US$2 900 000 by Choppies for the acquisition of the Mphokos full rights and title to the first defendant’s shareholding. The lawyers said that deed of settlement was void because the Mphokos signed it under duress after the arrest and detention of Siqokoqela and his wife on malicious and false charges. The Mphokos are seeking an order declaring as unlawful the deed of settlement in terms of which they were divested of their entire shareholding in Choppies. They are also claiming US$22 585 714, representing the value of the 51% shareholding which they claim control in the retail group.
Burkina Faso's president vowed to defeat a militant insurgency in his country's north if re-elected.
Roc Marc Christian Kabore was campaigning ahead of an election slated for November 22.
Burkina Faso is one of 3 Sahel countries swept up in militant violence.
''Terrorism has caused much damage in our country - human and material damage as well as administrative damage, with schools closed. Yet despite all this, the people of Burkina Faso have chosen to stand firm because we will never bow before the terrorists\".
The opposition has routinely criticized Kabore's government for failing to stop attacks which have killed many and driven over half a million people from their homes.
13 people in total are seeking the presidency.
Because of the violence affecting a large part of the Burkinabe territory, nearly 1,500 villages will not participate in the vote.
THE ADAPTATION Fund Board recently concluded its second virtual meeting, having established new funding windows for large innovation grants and Enhanced Direct Access to provide vulnerable countries, including from the Caribbean, with further...
Lastassija White and Quincy Drone’s daughter, Tagan Drone, a kindergarten student at the Amarillo Independent School District in Amarillo, Texas,... View Article
The post Parents mourn the loss of daughter, 5, after she dies from COVID-19 appeared first on TheGrio.
South African prosecutors on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for Ace Magashule, the secretary-general of the ruling African National Congress party.
It’s alleged that Magashule benefitted from a contract to audit how many houses in the province still had asbestos roofs, which was given to his close associates.
The contract was for $15 million, but only $1.2 million was spent on the audit, according to testimony at a government inquiry into corruption during former president Jacob Zuma’s time in power from 2009 to 2018.
Magashule’s pending arrest follows that of other co-accused, currently out on bail, and the seizure of assets including luxury properties and vehicles believed to be purchased from the proceeds of the contract.
Magashule has been implicated in other corruption scandals, including one where more than $19 million to help poor black farmers in the Free State province establish a large dairy business was instead funneled to Zuma’s associates.
The dairy fund was allegedly looted when Magashule was the leader of the Free State province.
Magashule’s prosecution will be the most high-profile since President Cyril Ramaphosa became president in 2018. Having put the fight against corruption high up on his list of priorities during his campaign for the presidency of the country, Ramaphosa is under pressure to show that he can effectively fight graft.
The judicial inquiry, known as the Zondo Commission, is receiving testimony describing significant corruption during former president Jacob Zuma’s tenure, from 2009 to 2018. Zuma, already facing corruption charges, has publicly lambasted the commission.
Magashule said Tuesday that he was not aware of his pending arrest and he would consult his lawyers. He spoke to reporters while campaigning for local elections in Soweto township.
Rescue teams out in force on Wednesday in the Mediterranean as they tried to save some 88 people, including children and babies, who have been shipwrecked on a flimsy boat that gave way.
The Open arms vessel said it recovered five bodies and that the rickety boat collapsed and tipped them into the sea.
The Spanish NGO managed to distribute waistcoats and masks in the moments before the ground sank.
It is the second migrant boat that the organisation's vessel has rescued in less than 24 hours.
Several miles away it was a similar situation but on a different boat. Some 13 people drowned off the Libyan coast while it managed to save 85 who were adrift and in danger of sinking in international waters.
Their boat was badly damaged, with water and gasoline spilled inside.
The NGO has criticised the fact that the countries of the Mediterranean have abandoned these people and have not moved government relief teams.
Since the start of the year, more than 575 migrants have died while trying to reach Europe, according to the UN's Migration body the IOM.
The rescue ship set sail from the port of Barcelona (northeast Spain) on November 4 bound for the central Mediterranean, where in recent days it was waiting to receive a request for help.
On the heels of Pfizer announcing its coronavirus vaccine is more than 90% effective in fighting the virus, Ticketmaster is already working on a new plan to allow fans to attend concerts safely while stopping the spread of COVID-19.
A Texas couple insists their 5-year-old daughter was perfectly healthy before she suddenly died after a short battle with COVID-19 in late October. Amarillo resident […]
BY MOSES MATENGA INFIGHTING at Town House has grounded operations within the City of Harare with suspended town clerk Hosea Chisango pleading with Local Government minister July Moyo to intervene and allow him back at work. The infighting has led to the arrest of several council officials, including Chisango, who now alleges his woes were a creation of his subordinates working with elected officials. Human resources director Matthew Marara, housing director Admore Nhekairo and several others have been arrested for alleged corruption amid accusations and counter-accusations from different camps. Chisango conceded that the chaos had grounded council operations, hence the need for Moyo to intervene. In a letter dated October 29, 2020 addressed to Moyo, Chisango’s lawyers Mtombeni, Mukwesha and Muzawazi Legal Practitioners claimed that the town clerk was a victim of machinations by some elected officials working with his subordinates. “We humbly plead for your intervention to stop this paralysis within council,” the letter read in part. “Our client’s arrest and subsequent suspension from work was not done according to law, but was sponsored by subordinates one of whom he was disciplining for incompetence. This was all done with a view to destroy evidence as our client, as the chief executive officer of council, is the main witness and complainant,” the letter added. Chisango said the Urban Councils Act clearly outlined conditions of service of a town clerk and how disciplinary action could be taken against him, but in his case, council never considered any report nor did it report to the police. Chisango was arrested on September 10 for alleged corruption involving illegal parcelling out of land in Kuwadzana. He is out on bail. “Our client’s bail conditions restricted him from reporting for work until October 5, 2020 and this was not breached. He was released from that condition by the lapsing of the period and the council cannot impose further restrictions without cause as is now happening,” the lawyers said. “On the day his bail restrictions lapsed, the mayor (Jacob Mafume) advised him that Collin Tongoona, the chief security officer submitted a report to him with recommendations that he be hauled before a disciplinary tribunal. This was unprocedural as there was no audit report neither was he given an opportunity to respond to the allegations. What is also malicious is that he only saw the report circulating on social media.” The lawyers said the council should have appointed a special committee in terms of the law to investigate any misconduct if such was assumed to have taken place. “These processes were not done, but the council want to rely on a report from municipal police and (Engineer) Isaiah Chawatama whom he was disciplining for various acts of misconduct,” the lawyers added in the letter to Moyo. Chisango claimed he commissioned the city’s internal audit to investigate Chawatama for various acts of misconduct which include alleged abuse of fuel, general lethargy in execution of projects and his propensity to
Ramaphosa will provide the public with an update on lockdown and government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic at 20:00 on Wednesday.
Islamist militants in Mozambique have beheaded more than 50 people at a village in the northern part of the country, local media reports.
The attack was carried out by an Isis-linked group in the village of Muatide in conflict-ridden Cabo Delgado province, spanning several days.
A local news agency said the attackers set fire to several villages and gathered together people they had captured from nearby forests on a single football pitch. The victims were then decapitated and their bodies chopped to pieces, while women from the villages were abducted.
The gas-rich northern Mozambique region has witnessed several brutal attacks.
This involves killings by the Isis-affiliated local group Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jamo, or simply al-Shabaab locally, though they have no relation to the better-known Somali group.
Since the launch, cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology has expanded. They are expected to grow more in the near future. With time many improvements have been made and together they are making cryptocurrency more lucrative. The year 2020 was a rollercoaster ride for the world. It made the world stagnant for some time and that caused the unemployment of millions of people globally. Governments were left with a public crisis during this pandemic. The public crises emerging from the COVID-19 is no more a problem because cryptocurrency and blockchain technology aided in solving them. The technology that was launched in 2009 has now grown up into a more advanced form. This article will tell you how? Acceptance of cryptocurrency in 2020 will likely nurture the governments and financial institutions to look upon digital money as a way to distribute aid. Those times were a critical phase for everyone so the government had to take steps to help people. The government made use of these virtual currencies in helping people with their daily expenses. Everything was ordered online because of the lockdown. So the bills were paid online as well. People could easily pay those bills with the bitcoin aid they got from the government. The outlook for 2020. By taking the help of these latest innovations people became aware of these. The awareness created further implementations in the post coronavirus world. Here is how. Tracking system. Blockchain is a brilliant technology that has been used in tracking records of various corona patients. In Asia however, the records for the financial aids were saved on this master ledger helping the government in distributing properly. Many insurance companies in the future have decided to use this technology in order to keep track of financial claims. In the future, the governments of different countries will use this leverage blockchain system to track other data as well. In the coming year, there will be a globally distributed ledger database for all the coronavirus patients that will help in all research purposes. It will promote data accuracy and transparency between all countries to conclude better results. Increase in financial services by the institutes. During the pandemic, many people used cryptocurrency for the sake of their health. However, very soon people will use them more because of the feasibility. Banks would jump to provide digital currency services because people want more contactless payments. Digital wallets will emerge to facilitate people during payments that do not include their names. Improvements for frauds. The blockchain keeps the records of people safe and secure. However last year some fraud cases were reported. The competent people in the crypto world have started making modifications to make this system secure. It is comparatively more easy and safe to use. So many people will implement cryptocurrencies as a means of payment so that they can be protected from fraudsters. Advancement in public banking. There are many people with low income and some even do not have
President-elect Joe Biden hasn’t even taken office yet but he's hiring. Read More: Lies that Biden ‘lost’ Penn. take hold... View Article
The post Three MSNBC contributors leaving network to join Biden administration appeared first on TheGrio.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned the nation that, although the country has endured a lot, the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over.
The Oklahoma Eagle Newswire Situation Update To date, the Tulsa Health Department (THD) has confirmed 25,024 positive COVID-19 cases in Tulsa County. 21,744 residents have recovered and 228 have died. Test results are updated daily at www.tulsa-health.org/COVID19. For the most up-to-date news, information and business resources in Tulsa, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/COVID19. It’s more important than ever to […]
Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma has a simple formula for the team's domination of the Indian Premier League: "Sheer brilliance".
