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"I was taken to the ICC with tons of accusations: crimes against humanity, war crimes, rape. but I was there. So I defended myself and I won, I was acquitted. Here they're hiding in secret and they're pinning an accusation on me. No. It's too political, it's not worthy of being called a trial" Laure
He replaces Debretsion Gebremichael, whose immunity from prosecution was removed Thursday.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International said Thursday that scores of civilians were killed in a \"massacre\" in the Tigray region, that witnesses blamed on forces backing the local ruling party.
The \"massacre\" is the first reported incident of large-scale civilian fatalities in a week-old conflict between the regional ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, winner of last year's Nobel Peace Prize.
\"Amnesty International can today confirm... that scores, and likely hundreds, of people were stabbed or hacked to death in Mai-Kadra (May Cadera) town in the southwest of Ethiopia's Tigray Region on the night of 9 November,\" the rights group said in a report.
Amnesty said it had \"digitally verified gruesome photographs and videos of bodies strewn across the town or being carried away on stretchers.\"
The dead \"had gaping wounds that appear to have been inflicted by sharp weapons such as knives and machetes,\" Amnesty said, citing witness accounts.
Witnesses said the attack was carried out by TPLF-aligned forces after a defeat at the hands of the Ethiopian military, though Amnesty said it \"has not been able to confirm who was responsible for the killings\".
It nonetheless called on TPLF commanders and officials to \"make clear to their forces and their supporters that deliberate attacks on civilians are absolutely prohibited and constitute war crimes\".
Abiy ordered military operations in Tigray on November 4, saying they were prompted by a TPLF attack on federal military camps -- a claim the party denies.
The region has been under a communications blackout ever since, making it difficult to verify competing claims on the ground.
Abiy said Thursday his army had made major gains in western Tigray.
Thousands of Ethiopians have fled across the border into neighboring Sudan, and the UN is sounding the alarm about a humanitarian crisis in Tigray.
By MICHAEL R. BLOOD AP Political Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Election Day is over but California already is consumed with its next high-profile political contest — the competition to fill Kamala Harris' soon-to-be-vacant U.S. Senate seat. In this race only one vote matters, because there is only one vote. The selection falls to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is being pressured by rival interest groups, fellow Democrats and even friends intent on swaying his decision. Harris will be sworn in as President-elect Joe Biden's vice president on Jan. 20 and it's not yet clear how soon before then she […]
The post California Senate sweepstakes: Who gets Kamala Harris' job? appeared first on Black News Channel.
BELIZE CITY, (Reuters) - Belize resoundingly voted to elect opposition leader Johnny Briceno to replace longtime Prime Minister Dean Barrow in Wednesday’s general election as the Central American nation seeks to revive an economy battered by the coronavirus pandemic.
The article Belize elects opposition leader to succeed retiring prime minister appeared first on Stabroek News.
President-elect Joe Biden has promised to fight the student loan debt crisis plaguing 37 million Americans, and some are divided on if he can pull it off
TWO UNITED Nations agencies have warned that the labour market in Latin America and the...
The post COVID 19: 'It will take a lot of time to return to the levels seen before health crisis' appeared first on Voice Online.
Joe Biden should recognize that the results of the election do not confer a mandate to veer too far from the political center.
The NFL was not expected to be immune from the ratings declines that have hit all sports this year due to the coronavirus pandemic and presidential election. But the declines are not as bad as feared at the beginning of the season. Games are averaging 15.1 million television and digital viewers, according to the league and Nielsen, a 6% decline […]
THE majority of residents in Zimbabwe’s major urban areas are drinking sewage-contaminated water due to poor management systems by local authorities, Auditor-General Mildred Chiri has revealed in her latest audit report. BY MIRIAM MANGWAYA An assessment by the Auditor-General on six major cities in the country showed that urban local authorities were failing to attend to sewer blockages within 24 hours, resulting in raw sewage mixing with drinking water. This ultimately gives rise to outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as typhoid, dysentery and cholera, among others. Unattended sewer blockages also result in sewage back-flowing, which further weakens the pipes, according to the audit findings for the period 2013 to 2017 following a public outcry over sewer bursts. “The assessment of the urban local authorities’ management of sewerage system revealed a number of weaknesses which contributed to the increase in the number of sewer blockage complaints from consumers,” Chiri said. “If local authorities fail to attend to blockages within the stipulated eight to 24 hours, raw sewage is lost into the environment before reaching the treatment plants, thereby contaminating water bodies. “According to interviews conducted, engineers cited that they were doing more of reactive maintenance rather than planned maintenance.” Results of the assessment also showed that Harare, with the highest population of over 1,5 million people, records the highest number of sewer blockages on average each year, which places residents in the capital city at high risk of contracting waterborne diseases. The United Nations Environment report of 2013 ranked Lake Chivero, Harare’s main water source, as one of the most 10 polluted lakes in the world. Statistics from the audit show that Harare discharges about 4 000 megalitres of raw or partially-treated water into water systems. In responding to the audit, city fathers blamed residents over sewer blockages, citing dumping of kitchen utensils and other items in sewage pipes as the major contributor to infrastructure damages. Although with a higher population, the audit report said Bulawayo had a better sewer system compared to other councils. In 2013 alone, 560 people died of waterborne diseases, while close to 600 000 others contracted the diseases countrywide. In 2008, five years before the audit, Zimbabwe recorded its worst cholera outbreak, which claimed over 5 000 lives, with Harare’s Budiriro and Glen View high-density suburbs the worst hit. Harare and Bulawayo are staring another crisis due to recurrent water shortages, with Harare declaring incapacitation to buy water treatment chemicals. Last week, Harare City Council confirmed four cases of typhoid, a bacterial infection that can be transmitted through contaminated water. The local authorities do not have modern equipment and technologies for sewer system inspection and maintenance and Chiri stated that the government was losing about US$194 million annually owing to poor sanitation practices. The Auditor-General also noted that poor service
Additionally, only five ICU beds remain in Gulfport and none in Biloxi. There are also zero ICU beds available in Southaven.
By COLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Harvard does not discriminate against Asian American applicants, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday in a decision that offers relief to other colleges that consider race in admissions, but also sets the stage for a potential review by an increasingly conservative U.S. Supreme Court. The decision came from two judges on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston who rejected claims from an anti-affirmative action group that accused the Ivy League University of imposing a 'racial penalty' on Asian Americans. The judges upheld a previous ruling clearing Harvard of discrimination […]
The post Appeals court clears Harvard of racial bias in admissions appeared first on Black News Channel.
BY FREEMAN MAKOPA Zimbabwe’s netball team captain Felisitus Kwanga has broken boundaries after being signed by an English netball team, Surrey Storm which is based at the University of Surrey, United Kingdom. Commenting on the club’s website Director of Netball Head Coach/Player of Surrey Storm Mikki Austin expressed satisfaction over the signing of Kwanga who is expected to add up to their defensive end. “New to Surrey Storm for this season, we are so excited to have an athlete of Felisitus’ calibre joining our defensive end. “As an athlete who has stood out head and shoulders for her ability to win the ball for Zimbabwe at Netball World Cup 2019, we cannot wait to see her compete again in duck egg blue,” she said. The 25-year-old goal defender was brilliant during the recent 2019 Vitality Netball World Cup in Liverpool staged in July, scooping Most Valuable Player award against Northern Ireland and Barbados. Her brilliance grabbed the attention of international clubs.. Kwanga led the competition in deflections and was sixth for intercepts as Zimbabwe were named team of the tournament and will now make the move to the Superleague, where she will join Mikki Austin’s impressive side for the new season. She will link up with Aussie Leah Middleton and Northern Ireland international Niamh Cooper in the Storm defence. Kwanga became part of the senior netball team in 2014 and a year later she was named the vice-captain and proceeded to shine at the 2017 Tri-Nations Tournament and at the 2019 Telkom Tournament in SA held in May where she was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) a feat that, with so much ease. Kwanga is Surrey Storm’s final signing of the signing window.
After months of delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic, this week a new Miss USA was crowned. And while many were pleased that she is Black, some viewers were stunned to discover that she may also be a supporter of PresidentDonald Trump. Monday, Asya Branch was crowned Miss USA 2020 in a competition that aired live […]
SUSPENDED High Court judge Justice Erica Ndewere filed an application seeking the recusal of fellow High Court judge Justice Benjamini Chikowero from hearing her urgent chamber application and challenging Chief Justice Luke Malaba’s move to have her investigated over allegations of gross misconduct. BY CHARLES LAITON Justice Ndewere appeared before Justice Chikowero seeking to have President Emmerson Mnangagwa set aside the tribunal that he appointed last week to investigate her suitability to hold office. A week ago, Justice Moses Foroma was forced to recuse himself from the matter after Justice Ndewere’s lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, questioned the impartiality of a sitting judge to preside over a matter involving a colleague. Justice Ndewere is challenging the setting up of the tribunal on the basis that Chief Justice Malaba must first appoint an internal disciplinary hearing committee to which she intends to present evidence to exonerate herself. She is denying the charge of incompetence and is alleging victimisation by the Chief Justice. Justice Ndewere yesterday asked Justice Chikowero to recuse himself from hearing her case, with Mtetwa telling the judge that he could be a witness to the tribunal because he was one of the two judges that Justice Ndewere confided in after she had been threatened by Chief Justice Malaba. Mtetwa told the court that in 2019, Justice Ndewere informed Justice Chikowero in the presence of another judge at a conference in Vumba that Chief Justice Malaba had threatened to “investigate” her after she refused to accept his instruction to deny former Public Service minister Priscah Mupfumira bail. Mtetwa also told the court that Justice Chikowero’s name appeared on the memorandum from Chief Justice Malaba to Judge President George Chiweshe dated February 6 2019 which listed 10 judges the Chief Justice alleged were not doing their work. Justice Ndewere said Justice Chikowero was aware that the “facts” in that memorandum were disputed by the judges and were later withdrawn and that he may also be called as a witness to the tribunal in that regard. Mtetwa argued that the application before Justice Chikowero was challenging the discrimination against her client because Justice Ndewere was singled out for investigation and dismissal from a list of 10 judges and Justice Chikowero was a beneficiary of the discrimination against her. “Justice Chikowero cannot adjudicate on the matter because he is grossly conflicted,” Mtetwa argued, adding that he was Justice Ndewere’s pair judge for the urgent roll in the High Court where they worked together during evenings and weekends. She said Justice Chikowero should not hear her case because of collegiality. However, she said she would not insist on this point if collegiality was not important to the judge. Mtetwa told Justice Chikowero that she had asked the Judge President to provide a retired judge to hear her case as most judges had either an interest in this matter or were conflicted by virtue of their outstanding judgments or reviews. Justice Chikowore re
MORON De La FRONTERA, Spain-Police in Spain have arrested five people after discovering a state-of-the-art cannabis laboratory hidden underneath tennis courts. More than 551 pounds of marijuana were recently seized from the 2,153-square-foot, underground plantation [...]
As confirmed coronavirus cases continue to rise throughout Maryland and the D.C. region, Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks announced an executive order Thursday her jurisdiction will reinstitute certain restrictions.
Analysis - Disputed elections in the Ivory Coast and Guinea, violence in Nigeria: many West Africans hope for foreign support, but the European Union has kept itself at a distance. Publicly, at least.
THE Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) is facing viability challenges, including acute transport problems to carry out its mandate. BY REX MPHISA ZETDC acting managing director Lovemore Chinaka said the problems were affecting the daily running of the country's power utility currently heavily reliant on hired vehicles at most of its stations. In a interview yesterday, Chinaka said some projects had been put on hold because of shortage of materials, but was optimistic his organisation would be on the rebound because it was mobilising resources. Chinaka could, however, not say off-hand the amount ZETDC needed to meet its power supply obligations. “We have serious challenges in transport that have affected our operations. We also need raw materials to carry out our work. I cannot say off-hand how much we need. We are mobilising resources required to meet demand,” he said. “Electrification of sections of Beitbridge is among our three major projects on plans. We have the transformers, but are still here in Harare. We should be moving to the ground, but we still need material for that project,” he said. The power utility has been struggling to supply the country with power, forcing people to destroy forests for firewood. ZETDC has in the recent past increased its tariffs attracting public outcry, but it maintains its charges were the lowest in the region. In September this year, Chinaka said the existing rate was approximately US0,02 per kilowatt hour instead of US0,10 cents per kWh at which the power utility can break even. Mobility in the exchange rates resulted in recurrent increases in imported electricity prices threatening Zesa’s viability. ZETDC blamed vandalism for its failure to power 100 000 households in the past five years. In 2017, ZETDC recorded 736 cases of theft and vandalism which in 2018 climbed to 766 and jumped to 1 178 last year. This year in July 498 cases had already been recorded.
ACCRA — When it comes to food security, the challenge is not always about producing more – it’s also about quality: producing food that is wholesome and preserved safely. About 690 million people go hungry each year. The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to add between 83-132 million people to this number based on socio-economic factors. Even before the pandemic, about half of Africa’s citizens were food insecure. And much of Africa’s food is of low quality or lost before it even reaches the consumer. Africa has made some great strides in food production over the last decade even though it continues to be a huge net food importer to the tune of US$47 billion in 2018. But this pandemic has halted successes chalked in fighting poverty and disease and progress towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). COVID-19 is not the only challenge. In the past year, Africa has grappled with locust swarms, droughts, flooding and conflicts which have slashed livelihoods and brought hunger to many in the region. Restrictions on movement during lockdown also impact on commodities like seeds, fertilizers and farming implements which has, in turn, led to decreased food production. Many crops were not readily accessible and farmers struggled to get their produce to markets. And then, adding to the crisis, the continent’s poor storage facilities were not up to scratch. COVID-19 showed the fault lines in our food production systems and this has compromised the livelihoods of millions of farmers. Food systems on the continent — including production, storage and processing, distribution and transportation, retailing and promotion — are dominated by traditional methods which are vulnerable to unexpected crises. The Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme, one of African Union’s continental frameworks under Agenda 2063, urges African governments to increase investment for agriculture by allocating at least 10% of national budgets to achieve agricultural growth rates of at least 6% per annum. Also in the declaration on Food security and Nutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic, African ministers of agriculture committed to putting in place measures that will reduce food post-harvest losses and make more food available in the markets. Now, as countries struggle to recover from the impact of the pandemic, there is the need for an action plan to consolidate efforts at these policies. Past interventions for Africa have focused on food production through improvement on crop varieties and yield. But we are not living in normal times. We must do more than simply look at production. Resilient systems need efficient storage and production processes. Post-COVID-19 Africa must invest in appropriate storage technology which is lacking in most developing nations and this causes unnecessary waste and considerable loss to their economies. For example, it is estimated that 60%–70% of food grains produced in developing nations are stored in traditional structures either in threshed or unthreshed at the home. However, most traditional
President Donald Trump is not planning to go softly into that great goodnight. He is reportedly preparing to announce a... View Article
The post Trump considering announcing 2024 bid after certification of Biden win appeared first on TheGrio.
… among other issues, the first Black American President has talked about political … .
Mr. Obama was the first African-American president of the United States …
School systems in Detroit, Indianapolis, Philadelphia and suburban Minneapolis are giving up on in-person classes, and some governors are reimposing restrictions on bars and restaurants or getting more serious about masks, as the coast-to-coast resurgence of the coronavirus sends deaths, hospitalizations and new infections soaring. The crisis deepened at hospitals, with the situation so bad […]
The post Virus surge: Schools abandon classes, states retreat appeared first on DefenderNetwork.com.
Approximately 80 percent of all Texas inmates who died from COVID-19 were in pre-trial detention and had not yet been... View Article
The post 80 percent of Texas inmates who died from coronavirus were not convicted of crime appeared first on TheGrio.
Police in Dema, Mashonaland East province, have launched a manhunt for four armed robbers who pounced on a businessman before stealing a cashbox with US$30 000, among other valuables. BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA The businessman, Hazvinei Mutasa (43) also lost his pistol to the armed robbers who besieged his homestead. Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza confirmed the incident and urged people not to keep large sums of money at home. “The public is warned against keeping large sums of cash at home,” Mwanza said. “This is a security risk which results in the money being easily stolen through robberies. We also take this opportunity to appeal to anyone who might have information on the whereabouts of the suspects to report at any nearest police station.” On November 10 at around 8pm, Mutasa was in company of his two workersoutside his home when armed men approached them and ordered them to lie on the ground. One of the suspects allegedly fired shots in the air and disarmed Mutasa of his FN Browning pistol. It is reported that three of the suspects remained outside, while others dragged Mutasa inside demanding money. The suspects disabled the alarm at the premises and threatened to kill the businessman’s child if he refused to surrender the money. He reportedly surrendered the cashbox which was in his bedroom containing US$30 000. The suspects also dismantled a CCTV server. They also got away with a Samsung S10 cellphone, Itel P33 cellphone and two small Itel cellphones before speeding off in a vehicle belonging to one of Mutasa’s workers. The vehicle was recovered in Vera village, Seke. The matter was reported at Dema Police Station and no arrests have been made. Follow Jairos onTwitter @jairossaunyama
