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Nine people, including one police officer, have died in the West African state of Guinea, the security ministry said Wednesday, following days of unrest after a tense weekend presidential election.
In a statement, the ministry pointed to shootings and stabbings in the capital Conakry and elsewhere in the country since Sunday's presidential vote.
"This strategy of chaos (was) orchestrated to jeopardise the elections of October 18, " the ministry said, adding that many people had been injured and property was damaged.
Clashes were ongoing in Conakry on Wednesday, where a security officer, Mamadou Keganan Doumbouya, told the press that at least three people had died.
And a local doctor, who declined to be named, said he had received two dead bodies, and nine injured people, at his clinic.
The violence follows the high-stakes election in which President Alpha Conde ran for a third term in a controversial bid that had already sparked mass protests.
With tensions already running high, Guinea's main opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo on Monday declared victory in the election -- before the announcement of the official results, which are expected this week.
Opposition supporters are deeply suspicious about the fairness of the poll, although the government insists that it was fair.
Much of the tension in Guinea centres on Conde's candidacy.
In March, the 82-year-old president pushed through a new constitution which he argued would modernise the country. It also allowed him to bypass a two-term limit for presidents, however.
Security forces repressed mass protests against the move from October last year, killing dozens of people.
On Wednesday, plumes of black smoke rose over an opposition stronghold in the capital Conakry, where protesters erected barricades and lit fires, an AFP journalist saw.
Youths in alleyways also hurled stones at police officers stationed along a main artery who fired back tear gas canisters.
The security ministry stated that "a police officer was lynched to death" in a Conakry suburb, without specifying when the attack occurred.
In a social media post earlier on Wednesday, Conde appealed for "calm and serenity while awaiting the outcome of the electoral process".
- Clashes and barricades -
Ten candidates are in the race besides alongside frontrunners Conde and Diallo, old political rivals who traded barbs in a bitter campaign.
Despite fears of violence after the pre-vote clashes, polling day was mostly calm.
Then Diallo's self-proclaimed election victory ratcheted up tensions, and celebrations by his supporters descended into violent clashes with security forces on Monday.
The opposition politician said that security forces killed three youngsters that night, although AFP was unable to confirm the details.
Security forces also barricaded Diallo inside his house, the politician said on Tuesday.
Monitors from the African Union and the 15-nation West African bloc ECOWAS both said that Guinea's election was mostly fair, despite insistence from Diallo's camp tha
Many people have been killed since clashes began on Monday. Scores too had been killed in the run up to the vote as protestors marched against Conde's bid for a third term.
The Lagos State Government says its final decision on the possibility of another lockdown will not be based solely on the outcome of the online public polls on the issue.
The state government, through three of its social media platforms, namely; Twitter: @followlasg, Facebook: Lagos State Government and Instagram: @lagosstategovt, on May 12, instituted a poll to determine the perspective of the public on the possibility of another lockdown of Lagos.
\"Yes, we agree that the decision of the government on another statewide lockdown should not be solely based on the outcome of the polls, but criticisms that had trailed the issue will make the government feel the pulse of the masses being governed.
\"As evident on the three social media platforms, some of the online users voted in favour of another lockdown while some voted against it and a few others remain neutral.
On social media influencers on the polls, Thorpe called for patience with the state government, assuring that whatever decision taken by the government would represent the views of the majority, especially the vulnerable.
Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church began its ministry to the black community of Tucson, Arizona in 1900 when Baptist missionary Rev. John B. Bell arrived, conducted services, and with ten other devoted men and women organized the Baptist Mission. Rev. Bell was part of a longstanding effort by the Baptists to organize African American churches throughout the nation.
Originally using space downtown near the railroad depot, by 1910 the church adopted its present name and built an edifice at 10th Avenue and Fourth Street. By 1933 Tucson’s black population was about 1,000, or 3.3% of the city’s residents, and Mt. Calvary’s congregation of 200 represented 20% of the total African American community. Through the first half of the 20th century when Tucson was racially segregated, Mt. Calvary played a key role in the community, proving not only religious services and organizational leadership for black Tucsonians but also activities for youth and civic engagement around local social issues for adults.
By 1946 there were ten African American churches in Tucson, with a total membership of 1,700 or over 60% of the black population. Mt. Calvary remained the largest. In 1956 Mount Calvary relocated to a new and larger building at 210 E. Lester Street, where it remains today.
Beginning in the 1960s the local civil rights movement challenged religious and education segregation in Tucson. As a consequence Mt. Calvary lost some of its members to other churches. By the early 1990s the church transformed itself. While still serving its core members, it began an outreach ministry to maintain its youth and attract more young people.
In 2000, Mount Calvary celebrated its centennial year. Five years later it had over 500 members coming from across Tucson, not just the immediate area as in previous years. Tucson’s military and engineering facilities attracted people of various races from across the nation and Mt. Calvary welcomed them into its congregation.
In 2010 Mt. Calvary choose Pastor LaBryant Friend as their new
X Factor alumni Simone Battle was found deceased in the bedroom of her Los Angeles home this past Friday morning.
While the 25-year-old’s death is still under investigation, law enforcement suspects it was a suicide. However, no cause of death has been formally announced yet.
Battle was a contestant on the first season of X Factor and was mentored by Simon Cowell; unfortunately she was quickly eliminated from the show.
Even after the rejection, she still made her mark. She soon later landed a spot in the pop group G.R.L., which is a reboot of the Pussycat Dolls.
Many friends, family and members of the music community took to social media to express their emotions after discovering the news.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Simone Battle of G.R.L,” said Robin Antin, founder of Reign Deer Entertainment RCA Records and the Pussycat Dolls.
Friend and fellow music artist Derek Butler was the initial person to confirm the news on Instagram, posting a photo of Battle with the caption: “I’m still in shock and in disbelief to have confirmed the death of my childhood friend.”
The remaining members of G.R.L. also issued a statement on Twitter that stated, “Words cannot express the depth of our loss. Simone’s incredible talent was only surpassed by the size of her heart.”
David J. Albritton is Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at Exelis Inc., a $5.5 billion global aerospace, defense and information solutions company. In his current role, he is responsible for global reputation management, shareholder communications, executive communications, public relations, employee communications, crisis communications, corporate advertising, digital and social media, corporate philanthropy and special events.
Prior to joining Exelis, Albritton was Director, Media Relations on the Corporate Public Relations team at Raytheon Company, responsible for strategic communications.Early in his career, Albritton spent 10 years as an officer in the U.S. Navy, which included service aboard USS PORTLAND (LSD 37) during Operations Desert Shield & Desert Storm. He also served in the Pentagon as an official Naval spokesman on the Navy News Desk.Albritton serves on the Board of the Institute for Public Relations and Points of Light as well as a member of the, Arthur W. Page Society.
President Nkurunziza ran for a second term in 2010. He ran unopposed as the opposition boycotted the race, claiming there were irregularities in earlier local elections. The opposition formed a new party, the Alliance of Democrats for Change (ADC-Ikibiri). Nkurunziza announced in June 2014 that he would seek a third term in 2015. The opposition cried foul, saying the 2005 Constitution established a two-term limit for the president. Nevertheless, Nkurunziza went ahead and announced his candidacy in April 2015. Protests broke out throughout the country, and dozens of people were killed in the violence. About 170,000 fled the country. Burundis Constitutional Court ruled in Nkurunzizas favor in May. Nkurunziza said since Parliament, not the poeple, elected him in 2005, his first term did not fall under the term limit clause in the Constitution. Maj. Gen. Godefroid Niyombare attempted to oust Nkurunziza in a coup in May, but failed. The protests continued for several weeks. In late May opposition leader Zedi Feruzi was shot and killed in the capital Bujumbura.
The ruling party, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy, took 77 out of 100 contested seats in June 2015s parliamentary elections. The opposition largely boycotted the election, which was held amid ongoing violence and protests against President Nkurunziza. About 125,000 residents fled the country to escape the instability.
The presidential election was held in July 2015, and Nkurunziza won nearly 79% of the vote. Nearly every opposition party boycotted the election.
See also Encyclopedia: Burundi .
U.S. State Dept. Country Notes: Burundi
Students swamp new online theatre classes
Friday, May 15, 2020 0:01
By MARGARETTA WA GACHERU
Fanuel Mulwa and Sheila Munyiva in a past performance.
The course, says NPAS’s founder and artistic director Stuart Nash, is specially designed for secondary school students to “help parents through these difficult times.”
Created in partnership with the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage, the course has multiplied into more than eight online classes in order to meet the immense response from the public, specifically Form One through Form Four students (plus a number of persistent pre- and post- high schoolers).
Those students who had the good fortune to see NPAS’s poster which was circulated all over social media, (from Facebook and Twitter to What’s App and various other online chat groups) since late April have been getting crash courses in the basic elements of performance.
And since NPAS first opened in 2017, both have been in all the studio’s musicals, including Jesus Christ Superstar, Grease, Caucasian Chalk Circle and most recently Sarafina where Fanuel played Crocodile and Hellen was the mother of Sarafina (played by Sheila Munyiva)
Both have also taught at NPAS so Stuart felt secure putting secondary students in their hands.
Father Divine (c. 1876 – September 10, 1965), also known as Reverend M. J. Divine, was an African American spiritual leader[2] from about 1907 until his death. His full self-given name was Reverend Major Jealous Divine, and he was also known as the Messenger early in his life. He founded the International Peace Mission movement, formulated its doctrine, and oversaw its growth from a small and predominantly black congregation into a multiracial and international church.
Father Divine claimed to be God.[3] He made numerous contributions toward his followers economic independence and racial equality. He was a contemporary of other religious leaders such as Daddy Grace, Charles Harrison Mason, Noble Drew Ali and James F. Jones (also known as Prophet Jones).
Little is known about Father Divines early life, or even his real given name. Father Divine and the Peace Movement he started did not keep many records. Father Divine himself declined several offers to write his biography, saying that the history of God would not be useful in mortal terms. He also refused to acknowledge relationship to any family. Newspapers in the 1930s had to dig up his probable given name: George Baker. (This name is not recognized by the Library of Congress, and from 1979, there is no further use of that name as a heading for Father Divine in libraries catalogs.)[4] Federal Bureau of Investigation files record his name as George Baker alias God.[5]
In 1936 Eliza Mayfield claimed to be Father Divines mother. She stated that his real name was Frederick Edwards from Hendersonville, North Carolina, and had abandoned a wife and five children, although Mayfield offered no proof and claimed to not remember his fathers name. (Father Divine replied that God has no Mother.)[3]
Father Divines childhood remains a contentious point. Some, especially earlier researchers, suppose that he was born in the Deep South, most likely in Georgia, as the son of sharecroppers. Newer research by Jill Watts, based on census data, finds evidence for a
The Tanzanian government's tepid response to COVID-19 and seeming lack of transparency over coronavirus cases is fuelling concern that it is covering up the true extent of the pandemic, according to doctors and health experts in the East African country.
Since Tanzania's first known case of COVID-19 was detected in the northern city of Arusha in March, the government has officially registered 509 positive cases and 21 deaths.
President John Magufuli is chairman of the regional Southern African Development Community bloc, yet it was South Africa that called a SADC meeting this month to discuss COVID-19, and Tanzania did not participate.
The alleged politicisation of the response is reminiscent of the government's approach to Ebola last year, when it withheld information from the World Health Organisation over potential cases in the country.
The unusual COVID-19 response, which makes Tanzania something of a regional outlier, has led to much speculation, even the idea that the government could be attempting a herd immunity strategy.
Dr. Dre is an American rap singer and producer who is sometimes referred to as the most influential rap producer of all time. Dre was born Andre Romelle Young on February 18, 1965 in Compton, California to Theodore and Verna Young, who were both singers. His parents separated when Dre was 3 years old and divorced when he was 8. Dre attended several high schools, including Vanguard Junior High School, Roosevelt Junior High School and Fremont High School, but could never keep up his grades. He was a diver on his school swim team and participated in social events. His mother remarried several times and frequently moved around. In 1984, he was gifted a music mixer for Christmas, which strengthened his musical interests and encouraged him to produce his own sounds at home.
He started frequenting a nightclub called Eve After Dark where he worked as a DJ and worked the turntables. He then joined a group called World Class Wreckin’ Cru in 1984 which gained prominence on local radio shows. In 1986, he met the rapper Ice Cube and joined his band N.W.A. along with fellow band members Arabian Prince, DJ Yella and Eazy-E. The band were the pioneers of gangster rap, which profane lyrics about violence, drugs and life on the streets. They gained prominence with their first album, “Straight Outta Compton” which became a major success. However, the violent nature of their music attracted public attention, including a warning letter sent by the FBI. After Ice Cube left the group, Dre followed in 1991 and with the help of his bodyguard Suge Knight, founded Death Row Records.
He released his first single at Death Row for the soundtrack of the film “Deep Cover” in which he collaborated with rapper Snoop Dogg, whom he met through his stepbrother, the rapper Warren G. He also released his first solo album titled “The Chronic” in 1992 which became triple platinum. He pioneered the sound known as G-funk which was a fusion of funk and gangster rap. Dre’s second solo album was released in 1999, titled “2001” which sold millions of
Alassane Ouattara , in full Alassane Dramane Ouattara, byname Ado (born January 1, 1942, Dimbokro, Côte d’Ivoire, French West Africa), Ivoirian economist and politician who was elected president of Côte d’Ivoire in 2010. Despite Ouattara’s victory, the incumbent, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to step down, and the two established parallel administrations that both claimed legitimacy—until Gbagbo’s arrest in April 2011 effectively removed him from power.
Ouattara was born to a Muslim family of the Dioula people. There were claims that at least one of his parents hailed from neighbouring Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso); this would prove to be a contentious issue during his political career. Ouattara received his primary education in Côte d’Ivoire and his secondary education in Upper Volta. He then continued his studies in the United States, earning a B.Sc. (1965) in business administration from Drexel Institute of Technology, Philadelphia, and an M.A. (1967) and a Ph.D. (1972) in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Ouattara was employed as an economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1968. He left the IMF in 1973 to begin working at the Central Bank of West African States (Banque Centrale des États de l’Afrique de l’Ouest; BCEAO), where he held various positions, including that of vice-governor, before returning to the IMF in 1984 to serve as director of the African department. In 1987 Ouattara also assumed the title of counsellor to the managing director of the IMF. He left the IMF in 1988 to become governor of the BCEAO, a position he held until December 1993, when he was made honorary governor.
In April 1990, as Côte d’Ivoire was in the grips of an economic crisis, Pres. Félix Houphouët-Boigny appointed Ouattara to chair a special commission on economic recovery. Ouattara accepted this appointment while maintaining his position as governor at BCEAO. That November Ouattara also assumed the newly created post of prime minister under Houphouët-Boigny, although economic recovery still remained
Nairobi is the largest city and capital of the modern state of Kenya as well as the former capital of British East Africa. Nairobi was originally a camp for the engineers constructing the Uganda railway from Mombasa to Lake Victoria in 1899. Later that year, the railway headquarters was moved there and the settlement began to take on the responsibilities of a territorial capital. Soon afterwards European-owned businesses sprang up and by 1900 there was a significant Indian community and bazaar. As a consequence of the growth, the Masai peoples occupying the site were removed by British colonial officials. The suitability of the town’s swampy location was called into question by plague outbreaks in 1901 and 1904 but Nairobi’s prominence with Kenya was assured when plans to construct a new capital were deemed unrealistic and Nairobi was officially made capital of the territory.
Nairobi’s colonial years were marked by racial inequality. Legislation limited the ability of native Africans to own property and created a “pass system” by which their movements in the capital were tightly controlled. Both Indians and native Africans, with the exception of domestics, were confined to certain neighborhoods by both restrictive covenants and the placement of facilities, such as hospitals, which catered to specific ethnic groups. Segregation, with natives excluded from many hotels, restaurants and the like, was also common. Natives were also forced to endure British paternalism which ranged from lectures on etiquette to the state discouraging native owned businesses ostensibly to prevent them from duping one another. The tension created by these policies frequently triggered unrest in the city including most notably the Mau Mau movement of the 1950s.
In 1963, the nation of Kenya, with Nairobi as its capital, gained independence from Great Britain. The newly independent Nairobi continued to grow at a breakneck pace, more than doubling its population from about 340,000 in 1963 to over 800,000 by the 1980s. Post-independence
The German Bundeswehr is currently involved in two missions in the Sahel: the European Union's training mission (EUTM) and the UN's MINUSMA peacekeeping mission, both based in Mali.
The German government has proposed extending the two mandates by one year, to May 2021, as well as expanding the Bundeswehr's participation in the EU's training mission.
Failure to stop terrorism and advance the economic development of countries in the region will result in significant upheavals in the region if the governments there fail to work together,\" Jürgen Hardt, the parliamentary spokesman on foreign policy for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Merkel's conservative party, told DW in an interview.
The German government also has suggested expanding the advisory role that German troops play in Mali to include the other Sahel states of Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Niger and Chad.
'Half-hearted commitment'
Christoph Hoffmann, a development policy spokesman for the business-friendly Free Democratic Party (FDP) parliamentary group in the Bundestag, criticized the government's current level involvement in the Sahel.
Whereas 10 years ago when the majority of the companies were still having doubts whether to actually have an advertizing budget on these platforms (some were saying social media is bad due to the addicting nature and how we constantly compare our lifes with eachother), nowadays we see that most of these same companies have their own social media department, fully focused on providing content.
Abdi's formal studies however was something very different then media or business.
This type of businessmodel allows the affiliate to sell other people's products on their own platform, while gaining a margin of the profit.Abdi would mainly use Instagram in order to promote such products.
He would use follow/unfollow method, buying/selling shoutouts and creating authentic unique viral content in order to grow his account exponentially.However due to affiliate vendors at the end of the actually being the product owner, Abdi felt more of a salesman that is selling products than an actual entrepreneur with his own business.
In 2020 he also started to create content for himself, which led to his notoriety and succesful rise as a Tik Tok star, gaining more then 1.2 million worldwide views in total.Currently, Abdi most well known work is being a social media influencer and consultant for high end influencers/brands/ambassadors and he also still provides physical therapy related courses at offices throughout the Netherlands for the prevention of physical neck/shoulder/back complaints.Hejar Abdi can be followed on:Tiktok: @imhejarInstagram: @hejarabdi
Eric Himpton Holder, Jr. was the first African American Attorney General of the United States. He was born on January 2, 1951, to Eric and Miriam Holder in New York City. Eric and Miriam had both migrated from Barbados. Eric worked as a real estate agent and Miriam worked as a telephone operator. Holder initially attended a public school in Queens, but later got selected to attend a school for intellectually advanced children. This was mainly a white majority school, which was very different from what Holder had been used to. He then qualified to attend an elite private school called Stuyvesant High School, which was an hour and a half away from his neighborhood in Queens.
Not only was Holder academically gifted, he was also an active sportsman, serving as the captain of the basketball team at school. He graduated from high school in 1969, after which he received a Regents Scholarship. He chose to attend Columbia University. He was very active in college, where he played basketball, was interested in theatre and drama, and also coached youth programs. He graduated from Columbia in 1973 with a degree in American History, and then attended Columbia Law School. During law school, Holder also served as a clerk at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Legal Defense Fund, as well as the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice. He graduated from Columbia Law School in 1976.
As part of the Honors program, Eric Holder was offered a job at the attorney general’s office. He was placed in the Public Integrity Section, which was a division set up to prosecute criminal activity at official levels. In 1988, he was nominated to be an associate judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia by then U.S. President Ronald Reagan. He tried hundreds of criminal and civil cases in that capacity. In 1993, President Bill Clinton nominated him for the post of U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., making him the first African American to hold that position. In that capacity, he worked to reduce
Libya stretches along the northeast coast of Africa between Tunisia and Algeria on the west and Egypt on the east; to the south are the Sudan, Chad, and Niger. It is one-sixth larger than Alaska. Much of the country lies within the Sahara. Along the Mediterranean coast and farther inland is arable plateau land.
Military dictatorship.
The first inhabitants of Libya were Berber tribes. In the 7th century B.C., Phoenicians colonized the eastern section of Libya, called Cyrenaica, and Greeks colonized the western portion, called Tripolitania. Tripolitania was for a time under Carthaginian control. It became part of the Roman Empire from 46 B.C. to A.D. 436, after which it was sacked by the Vandals. Cyrenaica belonged to the Roman Empire from the 1st century B.C. until its decline, after which it was invaded by Arab forces in 642. Beginning in the 16th century, both Tripolitania and Cyrenaica nominally became part of the Ottoman Empire.
Tripolitania was one of the outposts for the Barbary pirates who raided Mediterranean merchant ships or required them to pay tribute. In 1801, the pasha of Tripoli raised the price of tribute, which led to the Tripolitan war with the United States. When the peace treaty was signed on June 4, 1805, U.S. ships no longer had to pay tribute to Tripoli.
Following the outbreak of hostilities between Italy and Turkey in 1911, Italian troops occupied Tripoli. Libyans continued to fight the Italians until 1914, by which time Italy controlled most of the land. Italy formally united Tripolitania and Cyrenaica in 1934 as the colony of Libya.
Libya was the scene of much desert fighting during World War II. After the fall of Tripoli on Jan. 23, 1943, it came under Allied administration. In 1949, the UN voted that Libya should become independent, and in 1951 it became the United Kingdom of Libya. Oil was discovered in the impoverished country in 1958 and eventually transformed its economy.
On Sept. 1, 1969, 27-year-old Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi deposed the king and revolutionized the country, making
In recent days, Trump and his allies have aggressively pushed conspiracy theories about Obama designed to fire up the president’s conservative base, taint Biden by association and distract from the glut of grim health and economic news from the coronavirus pandemic.
Flynn had a short-lived stint as Trump’s national security adviser before being fired for lying to Vice President Mike Pence about his interactions with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S.
Trump’s own administration acknowledged on Wednesday that Obama advisers followed proper procedures in privately “unmasking” Flynn’s name, which was redacted in the intelligence reports for privacy reasons.
Despite there being no evidence of wrongdoing by Obama, Biden or other administration officials, Trump is eagerly pushing the notion of an unspecified crime against the former president, branding it “Obamagate.”
Trump’s zeal has sparked fears among some former Obama and Biden advisers about how far he may be willing to go in using the levers of government to push his case against them in an election year.
Trump’s emphasis on Obama also comes as the former president begins to emerge from a three-year period of political restraint as he prepares to embrace his role as leading surrogate for Biden.
I’m honored to be selected by Savoy Magazine as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America” along with many other distinguished leaders who represent some of the world’s most successful organizations.
As Chief Marketing Officer at IBM Global Financing, I help customers understand how delivering integrated technology solutions yields significant business value and helps solve complex company problems.
With experience working directly with many C-suite executives – including CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CTOs, CIOs, and CMOs – I know that top of mind challenges now include driving profitable growth through innovation and improving competitiveness.
But meeting these challenges is highly dependent on the close collaboration of all C-suite executives. One of the most important relationships is between the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Marketing Officer, who need to work closely together to align customer engagement initiatives with the company’s overall ROI objectives.
Transforming your organization for growth
Today’s business landscape is constantly evolving as technology is fundamentally shifting the relationship between customers and suppliers.
Traditional sales and marketing tools and processes are quickly becoming irrelevant as up to 67 percent of a buyer’s journey is now along digital channels1. Before they contact you, your customers are nearly 60 percent of the way through their decision-making cycle2.
That’s why new disruptive technologies – such as cloud, analytics, mobile, and social – have become vital for your organization’s ability to compete.
In fact, mobile may be the most significant technology for new strategic investments. A recent IDC report points out that while mobile now accounts for 25 percent of IT budgets at large enterprises, that’s expected to grow to 40 percent by 20183.
But technology itself can’t drive success. It takes a strong commitment to effective collaboration within the C-suite to accelerate your transformation and to assure growth in the years ahead.
New C-suite
Of all the couples who have been featured on Married at First Sight, there haven’t been many who have been more intriguing to follow than Shawniece Jackson and Jephte Pierre.
They appeared on the 2018 spin-off Married at First Sight: Happily Ever After preparing for a baby, not wearing their rings and attempting to fight for their marriage after depression, outside sexual relationships and heartache.
Despite the ups and downs, Shawniece and Jephte haven’t shied away from stepping in front of the camera and revealing the raw ups and downs of their relationship, critics be damned.
We caught up with them to see how they’ve navigated the struggles of working on their marriage in the public eye and how they don’t allow the outside opinions, including the many on social media, to keep them from doing things their way.
Shawniece, would you say keeping Laura’s best interests in mind and your shared love for her played a part in you sticking with your marriage after Jephte’s infidelity?
In Dec. 2003 President Conté was reelected to a third term. In April 2004, after two months on the job, Prime Minister Lonseny Fall resigned and went into exile, claiming that the president would not allow him to govern effectively. President Conté is in poor health, and many fear a power struggle should he die or be deposed. Anti-government demonstrators took to the streets in January and February 2007, demanding that Conté step down. In addition, labor unions went on strike, paralyzing the country. Conté, who has been criticized as being corrupt, responded by declaring martial law. The strike ended in late February when President Conté agreed to name diplomat Lansana Kouyaté as prime minister. More than 100 people died in battles with security officials during the strike.
Kouyaté was sacked in May 2008 and replaced by Ahmed Tidiane Souaré, a member of President Contés Party of Unity and Progress. Conte died in December 2008 after 24 years in power. Junior army leaders launched a bloodless coup shortly after his death. Many citizens, fed up with years of authoritarian rule, backed the coup. Army captain Moussa Camara took over as president of the republic. The junta established a 32-member National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) that replaced the government. The council said its priorities would be to wipe out corruption and improve the quality of life in Guinea. In August 2009, Camara called for presidential elections to be held in January 2010, with parliamentary elections to follow in March, thus fulfilling a pledge to call elections within two years of assuming power.
A month later, security forces opened fire at a pro-democracy demonstration at a Conakry stadium, killing nearly 160 people. The victims were among thousands protesting reports that Camara planned to run in the upcoming presidential election. The African Union, European Union, and the U.S. imposed sanctions on Guinea following the massacre, and Humans Rights Watch issued a report that said the crackdown was intended to stifle
Despite the political turmoil and uncertainty, millions of Egyptians voted in the first round of parliamentary elections on Nov. 28, 2011. The Muslim Brotherhood fared better than expected, winning about 40% of the vote. Even more of a shock was the second place finish of the ultraconservative Islamist Salafists, who took about 25%. The Muslim Brotherhood, however, said it did not plan to form a coalition with the Salafis—an apparent attempt to calm fears that it would assemble an Islamist government. In fact, it said that it planned to form a unity government with secularists and would respect the rights of women and religious minorities.
The second round of parliamentary elections in mid-December were marred by violence. Protesters demonstrating against military rule were beat up and troops assaulted civilians who assembled outside parliament and judges who were enlisted to supervise the vote counting. In response, the civilian advisory council, formed to help the military council gain acceptance with the populace, ceased operations. The move was an embarrassment to the military council. The reputation of the military was further tarnished in late December, when it beat, kicked, and stripped several women who were participating in a womens demonstration against military rule.
After the third and final round of voting, the Muslim Brotherhood emerged as the clear winner, taking 47% of the seats in parliament. The Salafis won 25%, giving Islamists more than 70% of the seats. The first democratically elected parliament in more than 60 years convened in January 2012. Parliament, however, will remain secondary to the military council until the military hands power to a civilian government, which is expected after Mays presidential election. The legislative body was charged with forming a committee to write a new constitution. The Muslim Brotherhood named as many as 70 Islamists, including 50 members of parliament, to the 100-person committee. Given its dominance in parliament and control over the new
Key statistics as at May 12, data from National Institute For Communicable Diseases, NICD
\t
\t\tThe total number of confirmed cases = 11,350
\t\tThe total number of tests so far = 369,697
\t\tTotal death toll = 206
\t\tTotal recoveries = 4,357
\t\tMost impacted provinces = Guateng, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Kwa Zulu-Natal
May 12: US donates ventilators
\tThe U.S. government is donating “up to 1,000” ventilators to South Africa to help the country respond to COVID-19 as the Trump administration addresses criticism that it hasn’t done enough for countries in need.
“South Africa is the first country in the world to receive this state-of-the-art equipment” from the National Security Council and USAID, the U.S. Embassy said in a tweet.
The donation brings the total U.S. government financial support to South Africa’s COVID-19 response to more than $41 million, according to the statement.
Meanwhile, president Ramaphosa has had a busy last 24 hours with a phone call with President Donald Trump during which the American leader pledged support for South Africa in the fight against the virus.
READ MORE: Mboweni on Ramaphosa’s new tax measures
April 23: SA scores WHO praise
\tA top World Health Organization official has hailed steps taken by South Africa to curb spread of the virus despite being the second most impacted country on the countinent – only behind Egypt as of April 23.
The death of 76ers great Moses Malone rocked the sports world Sunday.
A ferocious rebounder, the Hall of Famer known as the Chairman of the Boards was mourned far and wide.
Former and current NBA players took to social media, released statements, and expressed grief over losing the three-time MVP who led the Sixers to their last NBA title in 1983.
“I am extremely saddened to hear of Moses’ passing this morning. This is extremely tough for me. I am completely in shock and words can’t express the pain and loss I am feeling right now,” Dominique Wilkins said in a statement.
Malone played alongside Wilkins in Atlanta from 1988-91 and made the same impression on the Hawks’ legend as he did on so many who spent time with him.
“He was one of the first greats who truly mentored me and showed me how to be a professional. I never saw anyone work harder than Moses, and away from basketball he was just as kind and thoughtful,” Wilkins said.
The news quickly spread through the Sixers community and a flood of posts on Twitter and Instagram followed from those who knew him personally, and those who only knew him as an icon of unyielding aggression in the paint.
Allen Iverson said on Twitter, “My condolences to the family and friends of Moses Malone. You will truly be missed. Rest in peace Big Mo!”
Malone’s former Sixers teammate Charles Barkley said in a statement, “The man I called ‘Dad’ passed today. Words can’t explain my sadness. I will never know why a Hall of Famer took a fat, lazy kid from Auburn and treated him like a son.”
Current Sixers big man Jahlil Okafor tweeted a photo of Malone in a sea of fans with the words, “You had the whole city of Philly on your back. Rest in Paradise.”
76ers CEO Scott O’Neil and NBA commissioner Adam Silver released statements as the void left by the 60-year-old’s passing was felt in all corners of the NBA.
“I have fond memories of when Moses and Dr. J led their Sixers to a 4-0 sweep in the 1983 NBA Finals against my Lakers,” Magic Johnson said in a tweet.
The passing of Malone came
Johnnie Cochran was a lawyer, who handled several high profile celebrity cases. He was born on October 2, 1937 in Shreveport, Louisiana. He received his Bachelors’ degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1959. Initially selling insurance policies for a living, Cochran soon began to pursue a degree in law at the Loyola Marymount University School of Law. He passed the California Bar exam in 1963, and took his first job as a deputy city attorney in the criminal division. A few years later, he joined the private practice of a local criminal lawyer named Gerald Lenoir. Shortly after he began working with Lenoir, Cochran decided to establish his own law firm by the name of Cochran, Atkins & Evans.
The first case handled by this young firm was a high profile one, involving the murder of a black man named Leonard Deadwyler. Deadwyler was taking his wife to the delivery room, when he was accosted by the police and shot. The police officers claimed that they had acted in self-defense, but the Deadwyler family pressed charges against the LA Police Department for brutality and racial injustice. Cochran represented the family but lost the case. However, he firmly believed in the cause and a few years later, he took on a similar case. This time, the defendant was Geronimo Pratt, a former member of the Black Panther party, who was accused of murder. Cochran lost this case too, but insisted that the F.B.I. and L.A.P.D. were racially discriminating against and framing Pratt.
By this time, Johnnie Cochran had established himself as a champion for the African Americans. He fought and won a number of notable cases of police brutality and other criminal cases during the 1970s and 1980s. He then decided to rejoin public service, and joined the district attorney’s office at Los Angeles County. He did this in order to enhance his reputation and broaden his political contacts. During his time as a public servant, he had a run in with the police, when his Rolls Royce was stopped by some Los Angeles police officers,
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to plague the area without flattening of the curve, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was pleased to showcase the alternative care site to support the nation’s capital’s battle against the novel coronavirus at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest, D.C.
“Patients who come here will be treated by MedStar nurses and doctors and staff, and the site, of course, is stocked with necessary medical equipment to treat and care for patients,” Bowser said.
Those residents who will be treated at the alternate care site will be considered “low acuity COVID patients,” according to the mayor.
“Patients who come here will be treated by MedStar nurses and doctors and staff, and the site, of course, is stocked with necessary medical equipment to treat and care for patients,” Bowser said confidently.
While the mayor is excited about the alternate site, some residents used social media to tell the city’s leader that the COVID care support location is an unnecessary use of resources.
Our forever president, Barack Obama, will join a star-studded lineup and speakers in a live broadcast commencement event for graduating high school seniors this evening.
Presented by XQ Institute, the LeBron James Family Foundation, and the Entertainment Industry Foundation, Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 will feature Mr. Obama and a host of other stars such as King James, Pharrell Williams, H.E.R., Lena Waithe, and more.
The event will be simulcast across various social media platforms and major broadcast networks, including YouTube, NBC, ABC, FOX, CBS, Instagram, and over 20 digital streaming venues.
Obama joined JPMorgan Chase’s “Show Me Your Walk” HBCU commencement event, hosted by Kevin Hart and featuring Sen. Kamala Harris and others who shared their words of encouragement for this important cog of the American education system.
Check out @GraduateTogether to connect with all social media connected with the Barack Obama To Address High School Class Of 2020 Students
\t\t\t\t\t\twas originally published On The Urban Daily:
Music mogul, Russell Simmons first made his debut with Def Jam Records, he then launched his clothing line Phat Farm. Now, Russell Simmons is presenting his latest venture in the advertising world.
Simmons recently launched Narrative, a digital marketing, entertainment and technology company, with his longtime business partner Tricia Clarke-Stone.
While many might label this latest venture as an advertisement agency, both Clarke-Stone and Simmons are quick to avoid referring to it as such.
“We want to make sure agencies don’t view us as a competitor,” said Ms. Clarke-Stone. “We’re not trying to be agency of record for different brands and clients. We believe we have a level of expertise that’s really rooted in creating immersive brand experiences across platforms.”
Narrative is a company that touts itself on providing marketing solutions for publishers, agencies and brands.
“We work for agencies, we’re not an agency,” Simmons added. “We’re a digital solutions [company]. We think our future is working for agencies, not working around them.”
The company’s purpose is to create digital campaigns driven by social media, branded entertainment and celebrity-driven content, using techniques such as crowd-sourcing, gamification and rewards.
These campaigns are also distributed through pop-culture, entertainment, music and lifestyle websites. Equipped with behavioral-data analytics and a custom ad-serving platform, among other technologies, the company is launching with high hopes of being just as successful as Simmons other businesses.
“We’re creating unique experiences that we’re producing, and then we have the technology to be able to scale it across platforms and then deliver really highly robust analytics,” said Ms. Clarke-Stone.
Narrative is launching with about 9 employees, and by end of year Mr. Simmons and Ms. Clarke-Stone expect to have close to 20, mostly based in New York, with some key people in Los Angeles.
