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guest column:Admire Dube The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was established in 2018 with the aim to create a single market for goods and services, facilitated by movement of people to deepen the economic integration of the continent, under the Pan African Vision of “An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa.” Consolidating Africa into one trade area provides great opportunities for entrepreneurs, businesses and consumers across the continent and ultimately countries, which boosts chances to support sustainable development in the world’s least developed region. With the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic exponentially increasing the challenges of a continent already ravaged by socio-economic ills, AfCFTA offers great potential to not only offer economic mitigations against the pandemic, but also speedily extricate African nations from regression and to a path of self-betterment. 2019 statistics show that Africa’s population stood at 1,3 billion with a combined nominal GDP of US$2,58 trillion and a healthy 3,7% growth rate. This stood firmly abreast of fellow rising economies like India with the exact same population count and a GDP of US$3,2 trillion and Brazil with its nominal GDP of US$2 trillion. However, in 2020 the pandemic took a toll on African lives and economies as economic activity declined by a projected 3,3%, confirming the region’s first recession in 25 years. The substantial downturn in economic activity cost the region at least US$115 billion this year, in part caused by depressed domestic consumption and competition as investments were divested to measures for mitigating the spread of the coronavirus. This situation could also push up to approximately 40 million people into extreme poverty erasing at least five years of progress in fighting poverty. Similarly, COVID-19 could set back progress in building human capital, as school closures continue to affect nearly 253 million students, potentially causing losses in learning which does not bode well for the continent’s future. The full implementation of the AfCFTA will certainly stem a downward trajectory by progressively eliminating tariffs on intra-African trade, making it easier for African businesses to trade within the continent and benefit from the growing African market. Africa, being a diverse continent fragmented into 54 States which are organised into trade blocs and associations under the African Union as members, will necessarily morph into a single business entity, or as close to one as anyone can hope for such a heterogeneous cocktail of diverse people. COVID-19 aside, the continent already faced a myriad of social, economic, and political challenges weakening current African trading blocs and their ability to promote integration and intra-trade among each other. The share of intra-African exports among constituent countries (trade among each other) as a percentage of total exports out of the African continent was still a miniscule 17% as at 2017, which remains low compared to levels in Europe (69%), Asia (59%), and North A
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.
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told The Associated Press that officials are conscious of the potential threat, and he warned commanders to be on the lookout for any problems within their ranks as the inauguration approaches. “We’re continually going through the process, and taking second, third looks at every one of the individuals assigned to this operation,” McCarthy said in an interview after he and other military leaders went through an exhaustive, three-hour security drill in preparation for Wednesday’s inauguration.
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Desmond McKenzie, says that drive-in cinemas will be monitored to ensure that they operate in adherence to the coronavirus protocols. “We are going to be engaging the operators to ensure that the...
By Marva J. SneedColumnist We recently talked to Chef Rasheeda Duke, the owner of Dreamerz Café. Chef Duke said Dallas College (formerly Dallas County Community College District) changed her life and belief in herself. “I learned so much about striving for a college education and career and pushing through in spite of my family history.” MS: Tell us about your journey to own and be the Chef of Dreamerz Café. RD: Wow, the fact that you said “journey” is confirmation that you’re speaking my language. I had a lot of disappointment. I got my culinary degree as an adult. I was a full-time mom with three children. I was previously married. During that time I got my degree, I had some business owners who wanted to invest in me. When I graduated college I had an offer to work with a franchise in Canada, but I had a teenage daughter and I wasn’t able to embark on that opportunity. The biggest disappointment was a job offer I got to open an American concept in Australia. That hurt me so bad. I had to change my perception of how I handle things... I started teaching culinary at Cedar Hill High School and those young people changed my perception and gave me the will to go ahead. I opened Dreamerz Café right here in the hood. MS: What was it about the children that allowed you to dream bigger? RD: Here’s the thing. I have a different kind of work ethic. I understand the business perspective and I understand a lot of things. When I came to Cedar Hill High School they had changed what used to be home economics to a new state-of-the-art professional kitchen. I was able to expose the students to things that they had not been exposed to before. I enlightened them on things in culinary. They thought I was there to cook for them and I told them I was there to teach them to cook for me and to see if it was worth paying for. I had to showcase my skills to the school. My test was Thanksgiving dinner. The students did an amazing job. When I came they had only had two catering jobs, but by the end of the semester, we had catered 27 events. Chef Duke talked about so much more, describing her journey including her education at El Centro College. She describes Dreamers Café as a build-your-own concept kitchen. To hear the full interview, go here. Dreamerz Cafe’ is Located at 4417 S. Lancaster Rd. Suite 2289. across from the VA Hospital. 972-863- 7372.
By Victor Omondi On Thursday, Walmart and Sam’s Club announced that they’re selling Covid-19 test collection kits online, both nasal swab and saliva testing kits. Though saliva tests have not been formally approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the agency did accept them for emergency use during the pandemic. According to experts, and as […]
From hotel rooms for people who are homeless to restaurant meals for seniors isolating for their lives, California has rapidly expanded its safety net in an attempt to catch millions of residents impacted by the coronavirus and its economic aftershocks. In daily press conferences during the pandemic’s first months, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced new “first-in-the-nation” []
The post Where to get financial help during coronavirus in California — and is it enough? appeared first on Black Voice News.
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Source: UGC
"The first African-American President of the U.S … reasonably sure that the first African-American female Vice President-Elect of …
Amrica Mvil, the most important telecom participant in Latin America, invested 91bn Mexican pesos (US$4.36bn) within the third quarter of this yr, down 9% from the quantity invested in the…
The package, though far less than the CARES Act, includes much-needed relief for businesses and individuals, as well as resources for COVID-19 vaccination.
Source
AT the time of going to print last night, indications were that United States’ Democratic party candidate John Biden would edge his Republican counterpart and incumbent President Donald Trump in the highly-charged presidential poll. While the election outcome could be more significant to the American citizens, it will somehow have a strong bearing for a tiny southern African country called Zimbabwe given the frosty relations the two countries have had over the past two decades. Most Zimbabweans were obviously keenly following the elections with the hope that a Biden win would see the US soften its stance on Zimbabwe and possibly lift the sanctions imposed on Harare. However, that hope could be far-fetched since Biden was one of the four senators who sponsored the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (Zidera), a targeted sanctions law that was enacted in 2001. It will be worth noting that even the administration of former President Barack Obama, another Democrat, issued a number of executive orders between 2008 and 2016 to perpetuate Zidera and even toughen the law. Under the circumstances, it would be naïve for Zimbabwe to expect a change of stance under the new leader. This is because Zidera demands that the Zanu PF regime guarantees free and fair elections, mineral revenue transparency, commits to economic recovery, and respects the rule of law. All of these benchmarks are yet to be fully met under the Emmerson Mnangagwa administration. Mnangagwa blew the golden opportunity to win the US to his side and effectively lobby for thawing of relations when he toppled his former boss Robert Mugabe in November 2017 after he failed to implement the anticipated reforms. Another factor which militates against Mnangagwa’s bid for the lifting of sanctions is that the corporate wing of Biden’s Democratic party is a powerful amplifier of opposition and civil society voices in Zimbabwe. With this in mind, the Mnangagwa administration should seriously introspect and move towards addressing the gray areas highlighted under Zidera to improve relations with the US. Unless that happens, it’s most likely that under Biden, the bipartisan agreement to financially isolate Zimbabwe will remain in force. To please his supporters, Biden might even be tempted to reset the US foreign policy and champion an imperial global order, which uses human rights speak to coerce the conformity of the global south by threatening economic consequences for countries that dare challenge the orthodoxy of wealth retention by monopoly white capital. The onus is now on Mnangagwa to reform on his own or be reformed by more punitive sanctions under Biden’s administration. Sanctions hurt, Zimbabweans deserve better.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Monday highlighted LGBTQ rights abuses in Poland and Honduras during a speech at the opening of the U.N. Human Rights Council's latest session in Geneva.
Access Denied
International football star, Didier Drogba, received some bad news on Thursday when the Electoral Commission of the Ivorian Soccer Federation (FIF) rejected his candidacy for the presidency of the federation. \"The electoral commission (...) rejects the candidacy of Mr. Drogba Tébily Didier Yves Tébily,\" reads a section of Article 5 of the negative decision of the commission. This rejection was based on criticisms of the former striker for several eligibility requirement breaches and highlights the challenges the star faced in trying to establish himself within the Ivorian football industry in spite of his international status, athletic track record and personal wealth — and beyond just being a player on the field.
Eligibility Requirements
Drogba, who was partly trained in France and once played for European clubs, Chelsea and Marseille, only managed to obtain sponsorship of two first division clubs — one short of the three required.
Although he does, in fact, have three club sponsors on file, the third technically did not count as it came by way of the vice-president and not the president himself who gave his support to the president of the League, Sory Diabaté (who boasts the support of six Division 1 clubs). Interest groups also must follow the same rules as each candidate is required to obtain sponsorship of at least one of five in particular. Drogba was unable to garner support from neither the Alumni Association nor the Ivorian Players Association.
Likewise, on file, he did have the support of the association of referees (AMAF). However, it was a similar situation of falling short by a technicality as \"the sponsorship\" was from a person \"who does not have the capacity to legally commit the AMAF,\" according to the electoral commission.
Public and Peer Opinion
One of the most famous and celebrated public Ivorian personalities, Didier Drogba, has been a treasure to the country's national football team and has received from many of his former teammates and peers such as Eugène Diomande, the Yaya and Kolo Touré brothers, Aruna Dindane and many others. On the other hand, some of his other industry colleagues have shown support for Idriss Diallo, the former 3rd vice-president of the Fif (supported in particular by the current vice-president of the Fif), such as Cyril Domoraud, Bonaventure Kalou or Ahmed Ouattara.
Still more colleagues such as Didier Zokora, Youssouf Fofana and Abdoulaye Traore (known as Ben Badi) supported the president of the League, Sory Diabaté.
The Ivorian football icon has five days to make an appeal to the governing commission.
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the Court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896, which allowed state-sponsored segregation, insofar as it applied to public education. Handed down on May 17, 1954, the Warren Courts unanimous (9–0) decision stated that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. As a result, de jure racial segregation was ruled a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. This ruling paved the way for integration and was a major victory of the Civil Rights Movement,[1] and a model for many future impact litigation cases.[2] However, the decisions fourteen pages did not spell out any sort of method for ending racial segregation in schools, and the Courts second decision in Brown II, 349 U.S. 294 (1955) only ordered states to desegregate with all deliberate speed.
For much of the sixty years preceding the Brown case, race relations in the United States had been dominated by racial segregation. This policy had been endorsed in 1896 by the United States Supreme Court case of Plessy v. Ferguson, which held that as long as the separate facilities for the separate races were equal, segregation did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment (no State shall ... deny to any person ... the equal protection of the laws).
The plaintiffs in Brown asserted that this system of racial separation, while masquerading as providing separate but equal treatment of both white and black Americans, instead perpetuated inferior accommodations, services, and treatment for black Americans. Racial segregation in education varied widely from the 17 states that required racial segregation to the 16 in which it was prohibited. Brown was influenced by UNESCOs 1950 Statement, signed by a wide variety of internationally renowned scholars,
A Republican senator who criticized Obama's handling of the Ebola virus says President Trump is \"stepping forward\" with how he is handling coronavirus
COVID-19 didn’t stop her from being fashionable.
Black Leadership Matters Dr. David E. Jackson @dejacksonii Black lives matter – shout it from the housetops! But merely asserting the value of African-American lives is not enough to get our people to the promised land; nor is any party, politician, or program. Black lives matter most when they have purpose, and purpose comes from … Continued
The post Black Leadership Matters appeared first on Chicago Defender.
May 8: Govt to foot quarantine bills, cases at 607
\tGovernment on Thursday confirmed that it will foot bills of suspected persons quarantined for COVID-19.
May 7: 582 cases, lockdown in Eastleigh, Mombasa City
\tThe government on Wednesday announced a partial lockdown on two virus hotspots, Eastleigh in Nairobi and Mombasa City.
“All passengers must undergo a mandatory quarantine of 14-28 days at their own cost as per government of Kenya guidelines,” it added with respect to the London and Guangzhou flights.
In the case of the Mumbai flight, passengers are: “required to present a copy of covid-19 medical results at the check in counter and the results must be negative.
May 2: Case count at 435, mass testing starts
\tKenya recorded 24 new coronavirus cases bringing the total tally to 435.
By Charlene Crowell, Senior Fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending New CFPB Rule Leaves Room for State Actions As the final days of the 2020 election season drew to a close, major media across the nation focused on polls and prospects for the presidential candidates. At the same time, scant news coverage reported on a development affecting 68 million consumers: debt collection regulation. On October 30, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released its 653- page regulatory revision for enforcement of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), originally enacted in 1977. Since that time, the debt collection industry has […]
The post COVID-19 Worsens Debt Collector Harassment appeared first on Black News Channel.
After U.S. House Passes Bill, Ossoff Calls on Sen. Perdue to Immediately Support $2,000 Stimulus Checks After the U.S. House passed a bill on Monday to send direct $2,000 stimulus checks to American families, investigative journalist and Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Jon Ossoff called on his opponent, Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.), to support the legislation … Continued
The post Ossoff Calls on Sen. Perdue to Immediately Support $2,000 Stimulus Checks appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.
