More from Africanews | Latest breaking news, daily news and African news from Africa

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.

","ShowFullContent":false,"FactText":null,"FactUrl":null,"RelatedIds":null,"OGImageUrl":null,"OGImageWidth":null,"OGImageHeight":null,"FavIconUrl":null,"FavIconWidth":null,"FavIconHeight":null,"IsLocal":false,"Type":null,"SummaryText":"Ethiopia on Friday appointed a new head of Tigray region, one week after parliament voted to remove the executive Addis Ababa deems rebellious. \n\nMulu Nega's appointment was announced by PM Abiy Ahmed via Twitter. \n\nOn the basis of the decision of the House of Federation and the Council of Ministers Regulation "Concerning the Provisional Administration of the Tigray National Regional State", Dr. Mulu Nega has been appointed as the Chief Executive of the Tigray Regional State. 1/2\r\n— Abiy Ahmed Ali 🇪🇹 (@AbiyAhmedAli) November 13, 2020 \n\n\nHe replaces Debretsion Gebremichael, whose immunity from prosecution was removed Thursday.  \n\nMeanwhile, 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. \n\nThe \"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. \n\n\"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. \n\nAmnesty said it had \"digitally verified gruesome photographs and videos of bodies strewn across the town or being carried away on stretchers.\" \n\nThe dead \"had gaping wounds that appear to have been inflicted by sharp weapons such as knives and machetes,\" Amnesty said, citing witness accounts. \n\nWitnesses 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\". \n\nIt 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\". \n\nAbiy 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. \n\nThe region has been under a communications blackout ever since, making it difficult to verify competing claims on the ground. \n\nAbiy said Thursday his army had made major gains in western Tigray. \n\nThousands of Ethiopians have fled across the border into neighboring Sudan, and the UN is sounding the alarm about a humanitarian crisis in Tigray.","MaxDetailCharacters":300,"ImageUrl":"https://cdn.blackfacts.net/uploads/blackfacts/facts/2020/11/7a80f706-fe54-49d6-8c13-d4b2073a5e52.jpg","ImageHeight":538,"ImageWidth":1024,"ImageOrientation":"landscape","HasImage":true,"CssClass":"","Layout":"","Rowspan":1,"Colspan":1,"Likes":0,"Shares":0,"ContentSourceId":"42C8FAC1-E2C7-4A09-8CA5-16C843DEC99E","SourceName":"Africanews | Latest breaking news, daily news and African news from Africa","ContentSourceRootUrl":"https://www.africanews.com","ContentSourceIcon":null,"SponsorId":null,"IsSponsored":false,"SponsorName":null,"SmallSponsorLogoUrl":null,"SponsorUrl":null,"HasSmallSponsorLogo":false,"EffectiveDate":"2020-11-13T00:00:00","HasEffectiveDate":true,"MonthAbbrevName":"Nov","FormattedDate":"November 13, 2020","Year":2020,"Month":11,"Day":13,"LastUpdatedDate":"2023-11-25T05:14:39.027","LastUpdatedBy":null,"IsEditable":false,"InsertAd":false,"JSONFactData":"{\"date\":\"2020-11-13T10:51:11Z\"}","JsonExtData":{"date":{"ValueKind":3}},"Html":null,"Css":null,"Script":null,"ScriptHash":null,"Id":191203,"FactUId":"4341C812-FCDC-466A-8748-98BC92AE7D2C","Slug":"ethiopia-names-new-leader-of-tigray-region-africanews","FactType":"News","VirtualSiteSlug":"blackfacts","Title":"Ethiopia names new leader of Tigray region | Africanews","LocalFactUrl":"/fact/ethiopia-names-new-leader-of-tigray-region-africanews","ResultCount":200,"SearchType":"OmniSearch.RelatedId"},{"FadeSummary":false,"SponsorRedirectUrl":null,"SourceRedirectUrl":"https://ai.blackfacts.com/redirect/ContentSource/fb1ea788-61e4-4962-aeb0-5a482a961051/d85f7760-ede2-4fb7-ae82-b28ba2730807/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.npr.org%2Ftags%2F125955816%2Fblack-history","DisplayText":"

Doctors who helped stop Ebola call on Joe Biden's transition team to address COVID-19's racial and economic inequities. The evidence shows a safety net under the most vulnerable protects us all.

","ShowFullContent":false,"FactText":null,"FactUrl":null,"RelatedIds":null,"OGImageUrl":null,"OGImageWidth":null,"OGImageHeight":null,"FavIconUrl":null,"FavIconWidth":null,"FavIconHeight":null,"IsLocal":false,"Type":null,"SummaryText":"Doctors who helped stop Ebola call on Joe Biden's transition team to address COVID-19's racial and economic inequities. The evidence shows a safety net under the most vulnerable protects us all.","MaxDetailCharacters":300,"ImageUrl":"https://cdn.blackfacts.net/uploads/blackfacts/facts/2020/11/62308a1c-bdca-42c6-93df-5eaf46edd2cc.jpg","ImageHeight":675,"ImageWidth":1200,"ImageOrientation":"landscape","HasImage":true,"CssClass":"","Layout":"","Rowspan":1,"Colspan":1,"Likes":0,"Shares":0,"ContentSourceId":"FB1EA788-61E4-4962-AEB0-5A482A961051","SourceName":"Stories About Black History","ContentSourceRootUrl":"https://www.npr.org/tags/125955816/black-history","ContentSourceIcon":null,"SponsorId":null,"IsSponsored":false,"SponsorName":null,"SmallSponsorLogoUrl":null,"SponsorUrl":null,"HasSmallSponsorLogo":false,"EffectiveDate":"2020-11-13T00:00:00","HasEffectiveDate":true,"MonthAbbrevName":"Nov","FormattedDate":"November 13, 2020","Year":2020,"Month":11,"Day":13,"LastUpdatedDate":"2023-11-25T05:14:39.027","LastUpdatedBy":null,"IsEditable":false,"InsertAd":false,"JSONFactData":"{\"date\":\"2020-11-13T14:11:23Z\"}","JsonExtData":{"date":{"ValueKind":3}},"Html":null,"Css":null,"Script":null,"ScriptHash":null,"Id":191428,"FactUId":"8DDFCDDD-7B0D-4E40-A328-0357BE9F9F10","Slug":"opinion-to-solve-the-pandemic-biden-must-focus-on-equity","FactType":"News","VirtualSiteSlug":"blackfacts","Title":"OPINION: To Solve The Pandemic, Biden Must Focus On Equity","LocalFactUrl":"/fact/opinion-to-solve-the-pandemic-biden-must-focus-on-equity","ResultCount":200,"SearchType":"OmniSearch.RelatedId"},{"FadeSummary":false,"SponsorRedirectUrl":null,"SourceRedirectUrl":"https://ai.blackfacts.com/redirect/ContentSource/8329f4a7-47c7-4b10-b866-913acdcf5ba6/d85f7760-ede2-4fb7-ae82-b28ba2730807/https%3A%2F%2Ftpinsights.com","DisplayText":"

One Philadelphia tech nonprofit’s latest initiative has big plans to fight such inequity, and with a recent round of funding, it just might succeed.

Source

","ShowFullContent":false,"FactText":null,"FactUrl":null,"RelatedIds":null,"OGImageUrl":null,"OGImageWidth":null,"OGImageHeight":null,"FavIconUrl":null,"FavIconWidth":null,"FavIconHeight":null,"IsLocal":false,"Type":null,"SummaryText":"One Philadelphia tech nonprofit’s latest initiative has big plans to fight such inequity, and with a recent round of funding, it just might succeed.\nSource\r\n","MaxDetailCharacters":300,"ImageUrl":"https://cdn.blackfacts.net/uploads/blackfacts/facts/2020/11/c8db3ce5-a43a-46f8-b780-a92c1c56c4b3.jpg","ImageHeight":1400,"ImageWidth":1200,"ImageOrientation":"portrait","HasImage":true,"CssClass":"","Layout":"","Rowspan":1,"Colspan":1,"Likes":0,"Shares":0,"ContentSourceId":"8329F4A7-47C7-4B10-B866-913ACDCF5BA6","SourceName":"The Plug","ContentSourceRootUrl":"https://tpinsights.com","ContentSourceIcon":null,"SponsorId":null,"IsSponsored":false,"SponsorName":null,"SmallSponsorLogoUrl":null,"SponsorUrl":null,"HasSmallSponsorLogo":false,"EffectiveDate":"2020-11-13T00:00:00","HasEffectiveDate":true,"MonthAbbrevName":"Nov","FormattedDate":"November 13, 2020","Year":2020,"Month":11,"Day":13,"LastUpdatedDate":"2023-11-25T05:14:39.027","LastUpdatedBy":null,"IsEditable":false,"InsertAd":false,"JSONFactData":"{\"date\":\"2020-11-13T20:11:45Z\"}","JsonExtData":{"date":{"ValueKind":3}},"Html":null,"Css":null,"Script":null,"ScriptHash":null,"Id":191824,"FactUId":"1F2C271F-16D5-4416-92BE-F493EE4741B7","Slug":"what-does-it-take-to-diversify-philadelphia-s-tech-community-this-nonprofit-thinks-it-has-the-answer-the-plug","FactType":"News","VirtualSiteSlug":"blackfacts","Title":"What Does It Take To Diversify Philadelphia’s Tech Community? This Nonprofit Thinks It Has The Answer | The Plug","LocalFactUrl":"/fact/what-does-it-take-to-diversify-philadelphia-s-tech-community-this-nonprofit-thinks-it-has-the-answer-the-plug","ResultCount":200,"SearchType":"OmniSearch.RelatedId"},{"FadeSummary":false,"SponsorRedirectUrl":"https://ai.blackfacts.com/redirect/Sponsor/e1937d8b-561e-4826-8d6e-da76009d44da/d85f7760-ede2-4fb7-ae82-b28ba2730807/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cristoreyny.org","SourceRedirectUrl":"https://ai.blackfacts.com/redirect/ContentSource/e00aab25-8364-4338-82f2-e8bab2a18c68/d85f7760-ede2-4fb7-ae82-b28ba2730807/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news24.com","DisplayText":"

Gauteng matrics who have tested positive for Covid-19 will now write their exams at Nasrec, the provincial health department says.

","ShowFullContent":false,"FactText":null,"FactUrl":null,"RelatedIds":null,"OGImageUrl":null,"OGImageWidth":null,"OGImageHeight":null,"FavIconUrl":null,"FavIconWidth":null,"FavIconHeight":null,"IsLocal":false,"Type":null,"SummaryText":"Gauteng matrics who have tested positive for Covid-19 will now write their exams at Nasrec, the provincial health department says.","MaxDetailCharacters":300,"ImageUrl":"https://cdn.blackfacts.net/uploads/blackfacts/facts/2020/11/23880bbf-66b1-43cc-8e1d-6df5a3225711.jpg","ImageHeight":683,"ImageWidth":1024,"ImageOrientation":"landscape","HasImage":true,"CssClass":"","Layout":"","Rowspan":1,"Colspan":1,"Likes":0,"Shares":0,"ContentSourceId":"E00AAB25-8364-4338-82F2-E8BAB2A18C68","SourceName":"https://www.news24.com","ContentSourceRootUrl":"https://www.news24.com","ContentSourceIcon":null,"SponsorId":"E1937D8B-561E-4826-8D6E-DA76009D44DA","IsSponsored":true,"SponsorName":"Christo Rey New York High School","SmallSponsorLogoUrl":"24x24/christorey-logo.jpg","SponsorUrl":"https://www.cristoreyny.org","HasSmallSponsorLogo":true,"EffectiveDate":"2020-11-14T00:00:00","HasEffectiveDate":true,"MonthAbbrevName":"Nov","FormattedDate":"November 14, 2020","Year":2020,"Month":11,"Day":14,"LastUpdatedDate":"2023-11-25T05:14:39.027","LastUpdatedBy":null,"IsEditable":false,"InsertAd":false,"JSONFactData":"{\"date\":\"2020-11-14T08:40:06Z\"}","JsonExtData":{"date":{"ValueKind":3}},"Html":null,"Css":null,"Script":null,"ScriptHash":null,"Id":193270,"FactUId":"DA07B312-3C52-431B-9103-72161D99A65F","Slug":"covid-19-positive-matrics-in-gauteng-to-write-exams-under-quarantine-at-nasrec-news24","FactType":"News","VirtualSiteSlug":"blackfacts","Title":"Covid-19-positive matrics in Gauteng to write exams under quarantine at Nasrec | News24","LocalFactUrl":"/fact/covid-19-positive-matrics-in-gauteng-to-write-exams-under-quarantine-at-nasrec-news24","ResultCount":200,"SearchType":"OmniSearch.RelatedId"},{"FadeSummary":true,"SponsorRedirectUrl":null,"SourceRedirectUrl":"https://ai.blackfacts.com/redirect/ContentSource/42c8fac1-e2c7-4a09-8ca5-16c843dec99e/d85f7760-ede2-4fb7-ae82-b28ba2730807/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.africanews.com","DisplayText":"

The global pandemic has triggered a boom in reading, according to the president of the International Publishers Association.

Online sales of educational, fictional & children’s books have done particularly well in the past six months.

A sign of the times, many scheduled book events around the world have turned over a new leaf due to the global pandemic.

As in the emirate of Sharjah, which split its popular annual literary showcase, the Sharjah International Book Festival , into virtual and socially distanced activations this November.

As one of the world's largest book fairs, it featured 80,000 titles and a host of local writers, as well as international authors like Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin.

“Our slogan this year, ‘The World Reads from Sharjah’, means there is no border between us and the world,” His Excellency Ahmed Al Ameri, Chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority told Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham of Inspire Middle East. “It is the first, physical book fair, to take place this year and seventy-three countries around the world are putting their trust in Sharjah, and the United Arab Emirates.”

Homegrown tomes

Dr. Rehab Alkilani speaks to Inspire Middle East

Zayed University lecturer and writer, Dr. Rehab Alkilani, who explores cultural issues through novels, children’s books & TV scripts, says her students are writing more than ever in lockdown.

“The crisis has helped many people,” the Emirati told Euronews. “It gave us time for ourselves, to sit & rethink what we want to do with projects. Time to think about the books that have been in our bookcases for a long time. And it’s given us time to read, research, write and rewrite.”

The published author & academic has clear advice for aspiring writers during this time:

“Read, read, read,\" she says. \"In fact, read a hundred books before you even write one. And read a ‘real’ book, not social media.”

Tasty leaves

With home-cooking on the rise around the world during the pandemic, recipe books have resurged in popularity.

One launch creating a buzz on social media is called, ‘ Craving Palestine ’, featuring more than 100 dishes by famous Palestinians.

Reality TV star & real estate mogul Mohamed Hadid, who is father of the models Bella, Gigi & Anwar Hadid, leapt at the chance to contribute to the charitable initiative.

Mohamed Hadid enjoys a Palestinian meal

His favourite dish is ‘kibbeh’, made up of bulgur wheat, pine nuts, beef mince and spices.

Despite it being much-loved and cooked a variety of ways across the Middle East region, Hadid is convinced the dish was “perfected” in his hometown.

“Especially in Palestine, they know that us Nazarethans have the best kibbeh. They know it,” he told Inspire.

As one of 8 children, Hadid inherited his passion for cooking from the matriarchs of his family, namely his mother & grandmother.

“What I love about our culture, is that my Mum, in her kitchen, she glued the whole family together.\" he reflected. \"That’s where we all came together, and everything happened.”

Model behaviour

T

","ShowFullContent":false,"FactText":null,"FactUrl":null,"RelatedIds":null,"OGImageUrl":null,"OGImageWidth":null,"OGImageHeight":null,"FavIconUrl":null,"FavIconWidth":null,"FavIconHeight":null,"IsLocal":false,"Type":null,"SummaryText":"The global pandemic has triggered a boom in reading, according to the president of the International Publishers Association. \n\nOnline sales of educational, fictional & children’s books have done particularly well in the past six months. \n\nA sign of the times, many scheduled book events around the world have turned over a new leaf due to the global pandemic. \n\nAs in the emirate of Sharjah, which split its popular annual literary showcase, the Sharjah International Book Festival , into virtual and socially distanced activations this November. \n\nAs one of the world's largest book fairs, it featured 80,000 titles and a host of local writers, as well as international authors like Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin. \n\n“Our slogan this year, ‘The World Reads from Sharjah’, means there is no border between us and the world,” His Excellency Ahmed Al Ameri, Chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority told Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham of Inspire Middle East. “It is the first, physical book fair, to take place this year and seventy-three countries around the world are putting their trust in Sharjah, and the United Arab Emirates.” \n\nHomegrown tomes \n\nDr. Rehab Alkilani speaks to Inspire Middle East \n\nZayed University lecturer and writer, Dr. Rehab Alkilani, who explores cultural issues through novels, children’s books & TV scripts, says her students are writing more than ever in lockdown. \n\n“The crisis has helped many people,” the Emirati told Euronews. “It gave us time for ourselves, to sit & rethink what we want to do with projects. Time to think about the books that have been in our bookcases for a long time. And it’s given us time to read, research, write and rewrite.” \n\nThe published author & academic has clear advice for aspiring writers during this time: \n\n“Read, read, read,\" she says. \"In fact, read a hundred books before you even write one. And read a ‘real’ book, not social media.” \n\nTasty leaves \n\nWith home-cooking on the rise around the world during the pandemic, recipe books have resurged in popularity. \n\nOne launch creating a buzz on social media is called, ‘ Craving Palestine ’, featuring more than 100 dishes by famous Palestinians. \n\nReality TV star & real estate mogul Mohamed Hadid, who is father of the models Bella, Gigi & Anwar Hadid, leapt at the chance to contribute to the charitable initiative. \n\nMohamed Hadid enjoys a Palestinian meal \n\nHis favourite dish is ‘kibbeh’, made up of bulgur wheat, pine nuts, beef mince and spices. \n\nDespite it being much-loved and cooked a variety of ways across the Middle East region, Hadid is convinced the dish was “perfected” in his hometown. \n\n“Especially in Palestine, they know that us Nazarethans have the best kibbeh. They know it,” he told Inspire. \n\nAs one of 8 children, Hadid inherited his passion for cooking from the matriarchs of his family, namely his mother & grandmother. \n\n“What I love about our culture, is that my Mum, in her kitchen, she glued the whole family together.\" he reflected. \"That’s where we all came together, and everything happened.” \n\nModel behaviour \n\nT","MaxDetailCharacters":300,"ImageUrl":"https://cdn.blackfacts.net/uploads/blackfacts/facts/2020/11/a4770cfe-392d-433c-a0d8-238359366de8.jpg","ImageHeight":538,"ImageWidth":1024,"ImageOrientation":"landscape","HasImage":true,"CssClass":"","Layout":"","Rowspan":1,"Colspan":1,"Likes":0,"Shares":0,"ContentSourceId":"42C8FAC1-E2C7-4A09-8CA5-16C843DEC99E","SourceName":"Africanews | Latest breaking news, daily news and African news from Africa","ContentSourceRootUrl":"https://www.africanews.com","ContentSourceIcon":null,"SponsorId":null,"IsSponsored":false,"SponsorName":null,"SmallSponsorLogoUrl":null,"SponsorUrl":null,"HasSmallSponsorLogo":false,"EffectiveDate":"2020-11-13T00:00:00","HasEffectiveDate":true,"MonthAbbrevName":"Nov","FormattedDate":"November 13, 2020","Year":2020,"Month":11,"Day":13,"LastUpdatedDate":"2023-11-25T05:14:39.027","LastUpdatedBy":null,"IsEditable":false,"InsertAd":false,"JSONFactData":"{\"date\":\"2020-11-13T17:00:05Z\"}","JsonExtData":{"date":{"ValueKind":3}},"Html":null,"Css":null,"Script":null,"ScriptHash":null,"Id":191579,"FactUId":"7E75FCEE-BE09-4EAB-BAA5-2907A3211610","Slug":"property-mogul-amp-reality-tv-star-mohamed-hadid-talks-cookbooks-amp-kibbeh-in-lockdown-africanews","FactType":"News","VirtualSiteSlug":"blackfacts","Title":"Property mogul & reality TV star Mohamed Hadid talks cookbooks & kibbeh in lockdown | Africanews","LocalFactUrl":"/fact/property-mogul-amp-reality-tv-star-mohamed-hadid-talks-cookbooks-amp-kibbeh-in-lockdown-africanews","ResultCount":200,"SearchType":"OmniSearch.RelatedId"},{"FadeSummary":true,"SponsorRedirectUrl":"https://ai.blackfacts.com/redirect/Sponsor/aa57795e-8800-46a7-89eb-a946cfbd4ad8/d85f7760-ede2-4fb7-ae82-b28ba2730807/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apexmuseum.org%20","SourceRedirectUrl":"https://ai.blackfacts.com/redirect/ContentSource/42c8fac1-e2c7-4a09-8ca5-16c843dec99e/d85f7760-ede2-4fb7-ae82-b28ba2730807/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.africanews.com","DisplayText":"

A sacred tree in the heart of the Kenyan capital Nairobi has been spared by a presidential decree. On Thursday, President Uhuru Kenyatta spared the century road fig tree, locally called the 'Mugumo', as part of the nation’s national heritage.

The tree had been marked for cutting down to make way for a highway to ease congestion in the city, but environmentalists and tree lovers protested.

It was then due to be uprooted and later translocated to a safer environment, but the public outcry continued until the presidential decree to spare it was ordered on Thursday.

Elizabeth Wathuti is Head of Campaigns and Daima Consortium Coordinator at the Wangari Maathai Foundation.

\"This fig tree is very significant because, number one, it represents a culture, it represents our cultural heritage as a country. And the second thing is that it's symbolic of all our green spaces because this particular fig tree is valued in our communities right now because number one there are some superstitions around the fig tree that when the fig tree is cut, something bad is going to happen. So, as a country right now, we should be focusing on protecting and preserving our green spaces right now'', she said.

Kenya's largest tribe, the Kikuyu, believe the tree has sacred powers.

Wilson Ireri, a Nairobi resident and member of the Kikuyu tribe, said prayers at the base of the tree often provided rain during dry spells.

Kenyan environmental activists have welcomed President Kenyatta's decision as a \"beacon of Kenya's cultural and ecological heritage\"

","ShowFullContent":false,"FactText":null,"FactUrl":null,"RelatedIds":null,"OGImageUrl":null,"OGImageWidth":null,"OGImageHeight":null,"FavIconUrl":null,"FavIconWidth":null,"FavIconHeight":null,"IsLocal":false,"Type":null,"SummaryText":"A sacred tree in the heart of the Kenyan capital Nairobi has been spared by a presidential decree. On Thursday, President Uhuru Kenyatta spared the century road fig tree, locally called the 'Mugumo', as part of the nation’s national heritage. \n\nThe tree had been marked for cutting down to make way for a highway to ease congestion in the city, but environmentalists and tree lovers protested. \n\nIt was then due to be uprooted and later translocated to a safer environment, but the public outcry continued until the presidential decree to spare it was ordered on Thursday. \n\nElizabeth Wathuti is Head of Campaigns and Daima Consortium Coordinator at the Wangari Maathai Foundation. \n\n\"This fig tree is very significant because, number one, it represents a culture, it represents our cultural heritage as a country. And the second thing is that it's symbolic of all our green spaces because this particular fig tree is valued in our communities right now because number one there are some superstitions around the fig tree that when the fig tree is cut, something bad is going to happen. So, as a country right now, we should be focusing on protecting and preserving our green spaces right now'', she said. \n\nKenya's largest tribe, the Kikuyu, believe the tree has sacred powers. \n\nWilson Ireri, a Nairobi resident and member of the Kikuyu tribe, said prayers at the base of the tree often provided rain during dry spells. \n\nKenyan environmental activists have welcomed President Kenyatta's decision as a \"beacon of Kenya's cultural and ecological heritage\"","MaxDetailCharacters":300,"ImageUrl":"https://cdn.blackfacts.net/uploads/blackfacts/facts/2020/11/5de2a8c3-6f5f-47a6-9bbf-11dbf03a2603.jpg","ImageHeight":538,"ImageWidth":1024,"ImageOrientation":"landscape","HasImage":true,"CssClass":"","Layout":"","Rowspan":1,"Colspan":1,"Likes":0,"Shares":0,"ContentSourceId":"42C8FAC1-E2C7-4A09-8CA5-16C843DEC99E","SourceName":"Africanews | Latest breaking news, daily news and African news from Africa","ContentSourceRootUrl":"https://www.africanews.com","ContentSourceIcon":null,"SponsorId":"AA57795E-8800-46A7-89EB-A946CFBD4AD8","IsSponsored":true,"SponsorName":"APEX Museum","SmallSponsorLogoUrl":"24x24/apex-logo.jpg","SponsorUrl":"https://www.apexmuseum.org ","HasSmallSponsorLogo":true,"EffectiveDate":"2020-11-13T00:00:00","HasEffectiveDate":true,"MonthAbbrevName":"Nov","FormattedDate":"November 13, 2020","Year":2020,"Month":11,"Day":13,"LastUpdatedDate":"2023-11-25T05:14:39.027","LastUpdatedBy":null,"IsEditable":false,"InsertAd":false,"JSONFactData":"{\"date\":\"2020-11-13T21:00:10Z\"}","JsonExtData":{"date":{"ValueKind":3}},"Html":null,"Css":null,"Script":null,"ScriptHash":null,"Id":191903,"FactUId":"111B2A9A-7FAF-4931-BB38-C3547C358A9D","Slug":"kenya-spares-sacred-fig-tree-from-destruction-africanews","FactType":"News","VirtualSiteSlug":"blackfacts","Title":"Kenya spares sacred fig tree from destruction | Africanews","LocalFactUrl":"/fact/kenya-spares-sacred-fig-tree-from-destruction-africanews","ResultCount":200,"SearchType":"OmniSearch.RelatedId"},{"FadeSummary":false,"SponsorRedirectUrl":null,"SourceRedirectUrl":"https://ai.blackfacts.com/redirect/ContentSource/ba8cd304-6b2c-4c96-b969-a837090ad7f7/d85f7760-ede2-4fb7-ae82-b28ba2730807/https%3A%2F%2Fallafrica.com","DisplayText":"

[Thomson Reuters Foundation] Women bear the brunt of digital abuse - threatened with rape and exploited for porn - as the coronavirus pandemic drives ever more people online, media experts said on Wednesday.

","ShowFullContent":false,"FactText":null,"FactUrl":null,"RelatedIds":null,"OGImageUrl":null,"OGImageWidth":null,"OGImageHeight":null,"FavIconUrl":null,"FavIconWidth":null,"FavIconHeight":null,"IsLocal":false,"Type":null,"SummaryText":"[Thomson Reuters Foundation] Women bear the brunt of digital abuse - threatened with rape and exploited for porn - as the coronavirus pandemic drives ever more people online, media experts said on Wednesday.","MaxDetailCharacters":300,"ImageUrl":"https://cdn.blackfacts.net/uploads/blackfacts/facts/2020/11/d7371a87-9416-4c01-bd6a-eecf2ced3d8c.jpg","ImageHeight":664,"ImageWidth":664,"ImageOrientation":"portrait","HasImage":true,"CssClass":"","Layout":"","Rowspan":1,"Colspan":1,"Likes":0,"Shares":0,"ContentSourceId":"BA8CD304-6B2C-4C96-B969-A837090AD7F7","SourceName":"allAfrica.com","ContentSourceRootUrl":"https://allafrica.com","ContentSourceIcon":null,"SponsorId":null,"IsSponsored":false,"SponsorName":null,"SmallSponsorLogoUrl":null,"SponsorUrl":null,"HasSmallSponsorLogo":false,"EffectiveDate":"2020-11-13T00:00:00","HasEffectiveDate":true,"MonthAbbrevName":"Nov","FormattedDate":"November 13, 2020","Year":2020,"Month":11,"Day":13,"LastUpdatedDate":"2023-11-25T05:14:39.027","LastUpdatedBy":null,"IsEditable":false,"InsertAd":false,"JSONFactData":"{\"date\":\"2020-11-13T12:56:55Z\"}","JsonExtData":{"date":{"ValueKind":3}},"Html":null,"Css":null,"Script":null,"ScriptHash":null,"Id":191708,"FactUId":"FAD8B1F6-D778-43F3-8A24-6D090759D82D","Slug":"africa-women-bear-brunt-of-online-abuse-as-world-goes-digital-in-pandemic","FactType":"News","VirtualSiteSlug":"blackfacts","Title":"Africa: Women Bear Brunt of Online Abuse As World Goes Digital in Pandemic","LocalFactUrl":"/fact/africa-women-bear-brunt-of-online-abuse-as-world-goes-digital-in-pandemic","ResultCount":200,"SearchType":"OmniSearch.RelatedId"},{"FadeSummary":false,"SponsorRedirectUrl":"https://ai.blackfacts.com/redirect/Sponsor/db639b42-2581-4fb8-aa10-144471738a50/d85f7760-ede2-4fb7-ae82-b28ba2730807/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alpfa.org%2Fpage%2Fboston","SourceRedirectUrl":"https://ai.blackfacts.com/redirect/ContentSource/dccea86a-d09a-4d86-9aab-5dc9f8bc88f7/d85f7760-ede2-4fb7-ae82-b28ba2730807/https%3A%2F%2Fblackchronicle.com","DisplayText":"

getty Markets have surged to start November. The election is lastly over, and traders are euphoric about Pfizer and BioNTechs COVID vaccine candidate. Moreover, the week started with unloved cyclical…

","ShowFullContent":false,"FactText":null,"FactUrl":null,"RelatedIds":null,"OGImageUrl":null,"OGImageWidth":null,"OGImageHeight":null,"FavIconUrl":null,"FavIconWidth":null,"FavIconHeight":null,"IsLocal":false,"Type":null,"SummaryText":"getty Markets have surged to start November. The election is lastly over, and traders are euphoric about Pfizer and BioNTechs COVID vaccine candidate. Moreover, the week started with unloved cyclical…","MaxDetailCharacters":300,"ImageUrl":"https://cdn.blackfacts.net/uploads/blackfacts/facts/2020/11/5937b918-e6c4-4211-8c5b-f37fe057ee1a.jpg","ImageHeight":560,"ImageWidth":960,"ImageOrientation":"landscape","HasImage":true,"CssClass":"","Layout":"","Rowspan":1,"Colspan":1,"Likes":0,"Shares":0,"ContentSourceId":"DCCEA86A-D09A-4D86-9AAB-5DC9F8BC88F7","SourceName":"The Black Chronicle","ContentSourceRootUrl":"https://blackchronicle.com","ContentSourceIcon":null,"SponsorId":"DB639B42-2581-4FB8-AA10-144471738A50","IsSponsored":true,"SponsorName":"Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA) Boston Professional Chapter","SmallSponsorLogoUrl":"24x24/alpfa-logo.png","SponsorUrl":"https://www.alpfa.org/page/boston","HasSmallSponsorLogo":true,"EffectiveDate":"2020-11-13T00:00:00","HasEffectiveDate":true,"MonthAbbrevName":"Nov","FormattedDate":"November 13, 2020","Year":2020,"Month":11,"Day":13,"LastUpdatedDate":"2023-11-25T05:14:39.027","LastUpdatedBy":null,"IsEditable":false,"InsertAd":false,"JSONFactData":"{\"date\":\"2020-11-13T21:57:00Z\"}","JsonExtData":{"date":{"ValueKind":3}},"Html":null,"Css":null,"Script":null,"ScriptHash":null,"Id":191797,"FactUId":"81D72354-8A4B-48AE-A5DD-5B972EE39BD0","Slug":"top-dividend-stocks-for-november","FactType":"News","VirtualSiteSlug":"blackfacts","Title":"Top Dividend Stocks For November","LocalFactUrl":"/fact/top-dividend-stocks-for-november","ResultCount":200,"SearchType":"OmniSearch.RelatedId"}],"virtualSiteSlug":"blackfacts","clientParm":null,"totalItemCount":200,"pageSize":20,"template":"\r\n
\r\n {{#HasImage}}\r\n \r\n
\r\n
\r\n \r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n {{/HasImage}}\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n {{#IsSponsored}}\r\n \r\n {{/IsSponsored}}\r\n {{#HasEffectiveDate}}\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
{{MonthAbbrevName}}
\r\n
{{Day}}
\r\n
\r\n
{{Year}}
\r\n
\r\n {{/HasEffectiveDate}}\r\n
\r\n ","ajaxUrl":"/api/omnisearch/blackfacts/relatedid/1078537/","initItem":function (item, index) { var opts = this.options, summary = (item.SummaryText || '').substring(0, opts.summaryMaxLength), path = item.FactType === 'News' ? '/news/article/' : '/fact/'; if (summary.length === opts.summaryMaxLength) { var summaryMatch = summary.match(/(^.*\w{2,})\s/); if (summaryMatch) { summary = summaryMatch[1]; } } item.siteFactUrl = 'https://' + opts.siteRoot + path + item.Slug; item.SummaryText = summary; item.fadeText = summary.length > opts.summaryFadeLength; },"columnWidth":"auto","columns":8,"resolutions":[{"maxWidth":2560,"horizontalSpaceBetweenBoxes":10,"verticalSpaceBetweenBoxes":10,"columnWidth":"auto","columns":8},{"maxWidth":2048,"horizontalSpaceBetweenBoxes":10,"verticalSpaceBetweenBoxes":10,"columnWidth":"auto","columns":6},{"maxWidth":1680,"horizontalSpaceBetweenBoxes":10,"verticalSpaceBetweenBoxes":10,"columnWidth":"auto","columns":5},{"maxWidth":1440,"horizontalSpaceBetweenBoxes":10,"verticalSpaceBetweenBoxes":10,"columnWidth":"auto","columns":4},{"maxWidth":1152,"horizontalSpaceBetweenBoxes":10,"verticalSpaceBetweenBoxes":10,"columnWidth":"auto","columns":3},{"maxWidth":800,"horizontalSpaceBetweenBoxes":10,"verticalSpaceBetweenBoxes":10,"columnWidth":"auto","columns":2},{"maxWidth":450,"horizontalSpaceBetweenBoxes":10,"verticalSpaceBetweenBoxes":10,"columnWidth":"auto","columns":1}],"horizontalSpaceBetweenBoxes":10,"verticalSpaceBetweenBoxes":10,"deepLinkingOnPopup":false,"deepLinkingOnFilter":false,"noMoreEntriesWord":"","viewport":"#contents_secondaryView_secondaryfacts"}); var context = {"requestId":"7a876104-a482-4ff8-85a8-13179fcb21a3","userId":"d85f7760-ede2-4fb7-ae82-b28ba2730807","deviceId":"6b1ec3a8-4e92-478f-b6e4-fdd3586e6689","snapshotInterval":0,"anonymousId":"d85f7760-ede2-4fb7-ae82-b28ba2730807","user":{"id":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","userName":"","displayName":"","homeSiteSlug":"","firstName":"","lastName":"","sex":"","preferredLocaleId":"","timeZone":"","avatar":"","streetAddress":"","city":"","region":"","country":"","initials":"","IsAuthenticated":false,"roles":[],"appClaims":[],"Name":"","NameClaimType":"http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/05/identity/claims/name","RoleClaimType":"role"},"session":{"sessionId":"B6F40B2D-77F2-4696-94CE-A1DDF1385A1A","deviceId":"6B1EC3A8-4E92-478F-B6E4-FDD3586E6689"},"site":{"ApiAccount":"BBDC06F9-FC7A-442C-9A2D-979344C312F1","Palette":"BlackFacts","SiteTypeId":"Root","Theme":"BlackFacts","Active":true,"ApplicationSlug":"blackfacts","ESRBRating":"E","Host":"web3.blackfacts.com","Name":"Blackfacts.com","SiteRoot":"web3.blackfacts.com","Slug":"blackfacts"},"idpUrl":"https://blackfacts.com","isMobile":false,"modalActive":false,"featureHelp":{},"wakandaAPIUrl":"https://api.blackfacts.com","analyticsApiUrl":"https://ai.blackfacts.com","analyticsApiInitialDelay":10000,"viewData":{"z":{"FactDetail":{"w":[{"w":"db4e7729-48f0-4966-a797-f64711b7c594","t":"News"}],"x":0.0,"y":0.0},"RelatedStream":{"w":[{"w":"7da17a13-9d3d-42ab-a69b-0320ac29a319","t":"News"},{"w":"953fc005-5832-40b8-92b1-6bf2e7c8a5d3","t":"News"},{"w":"712de02f-4fd8-4d4d-b2a1-3629d31d5d5d","t":"News"},{"w":"a8aa3d23-75fa-4206-9321-4f54498d94ff","t":"News"},{"w":"dea05351-2da3-486e-9215-03e63ef8d6bb","t":"News"},{"w":"77cba11c-0430-42b6-81bf-fdd8426bdc6e","t":"News"},{"w":"e0fd0b64-6fb2-41bf-929e-d807ce429d5e","t":"News"},{"w":"0610fcfb-a85f-463c-a9ab-83b71bc77ad9","t":"News"},{"w":"559cac86-03a1-4ffa-bcec-e52a2871995b","t":"News"},{"w":"a0c4d576-5b4a-4cee-9865-b28ace17dc46","t":"News"},{"w":"deb4ba83-093a-4cf0-afeb-b16404be75cb","t":"News"},{"w":"857e1519-9257-4f77-82c8-f82e0bf9a6d5","t":"News"},{"w":"2fc1b90f-0552-4fa9-a3e6-ca894aaff8d5","t":"News"},{"w":"24e8b018-485e-46d3-bc00-01777b79dbf2","t":"News"},{"w":"97392944-a8ca-43e7-bba3-8c5e3b6cc089","t":"News"},{"w":"2632077e-18f7-4666-9b30-650142d323d9","t":"News"},{"w":"c393f641-caf3-4db4-8c87-d661a4e83892","t":"News"},{"w":"6f3f97eb-0505-47d3-ab96-25e870229567","t":"News"},{"w":"56430d54-1966-4e46-b371-3260da0ce78f","t":"News"},{"w":"c11a3544-5a66-4346-a182-c7dd8aea1381","t":"News"},{"w":"c42689a8-89d5-421f-bb27-213034accdbd","t":"News"},{"w":"30656a93-2df1-4f09-b6ee-46c8ac2b15cb","t":"News"},{"w":"4341c812-fcdc-466a-8748-98bc92ae7d2c","t":"News"},{"w":"8ddfcddd-7b0d-4e40-a328-0357be9f9f10","t":"News"},{"w":"1f2c271f-16d5-4416-92be-f493ee4741b7","t":"News"},{"w":"da07b312-3c52-431b-9103-72161d99a65f","t":"News"},{"w":"7e75fcee-be09-4eab-baa5-2907a3211610","t":"News"},{"w":"111b2a9a-7faf-4931-bb38-c3547c358a9d","t":"News"},{"w":"fad8b1f6-d778-43f3-8a24-6d090759d82d","t":"News"},{"w":"81d72354-8a4b-48ae-a5dd-5b972ee39bd0","t":"News"}],"x":0.0,"y":0.0},"RightSidebar":{"w":[{"w":"34d9df1e-b044-42f5-8aab-08ea49ef56f8","t":"Recent Facts Widget"},{"w":"7a000a16-e896-4238-94bb-87301c317525","t":"Amazon Widget"},{"w":"31f20814-2716-4d31-bb76-829e666dc576","t":"Channels Widget"},{"w":"20410483-7501-4f3b-8ebd-362f62ba0cb3","t":"Social Icons Widget"},{"w":"4b7bb36e-0bf2-4b16-86ad-bee157eead63","t":"Topic List Widget"},{"w":"90511b62-8050-4ed6-b3ba-b7772a50d75e","t":"Topic List Widget"},{"w":"55fdd816-abb9-457e-a422-c22e283dd86d","t":"Sponsor Ad Widget"},{"w":"a9ec1561-3322-47c0-bd38-780051919130","t":"Channels Widget"}],"x":0.0,"y":0.0},"Footer":{"w":[{"w":"1d000d3b-8d9b-4ea0-944c-12b26192f437","t":"Amazon Widget"}],"x":0.0,"y":0.0}},"u":"https://web3.blackfacts.com/news/article/authorities-warn-that-fake-hiv-drugs-are-found-in-kenya-despite-a-crackdown-on-counterfeits-africanews","q":"7a876104-a482-4ff8-85a8-13179fcb21a3","i":"d85f7760-ede2-4fb7-ae82-b28ba2730807","d":"2026-11-13T05:17:33.145217Z"},"userActions":[],"searches":[],"refreshTokenName":"blackfacts_refresh","refreshTokenDomain":".blackfacts.com","refreshTokenTimeoutMinutes":20160}; //]]>