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Global backpack and influential streetwear brand, Sprayground, announced it would be dropping on its limited edition bag called “Weed Island” for 4/20, the stoner holiday celebrated across the globe. The bag features a cannabis leaf on a beach canvas background allowing stoners to showcase their love for marijuana.
Abiy's government and the regional one run by the Tigray People's Liberation Front each consider the other illegitimate.
\t There was no immediate word from the three AU envoys, former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Mozambique President Joaquim Chissano and former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe. AU spokeswoman Ebba Kalondo did not say whether they can meet with TPLF leaders, something Abiy's office has rejected.
\"``Not possible,'' senior Ethiopian official Redwan Hussein said in a message to the AP. ``\"Above all, TPLF leadership is still at large.'' He called reports that the TPLF had appointed an envoy to discuss an immediate cease-fire with the international community ``masquerading.''
\t Fighting reportedly remained well outside the Tigray capital of Mekele, a densely populated city of a half-million people who have been warned by the Ethiopian government that they will be shown ``no mercy'' if they don't distance themselves from the region's leaders.
\t Tigray has been almost entirely cut off from the outside world since Nov. 4, when Abiy announced a military offensive in response to a TPLF attack on a federal army base.
That makes it difficult to verify claims about the fighting, but humanitarians have said at least hundreds of people have been killed.
\t The fighting threatens to destabilize Ethiopia, which has been described as the linchpin of the strategic Horn of Africa.
\t With transport links cut, food and other supplies are running out in Tigray, home to 6 million people, and the United Nations has asked for immediate and unimpeded access for aid.
AP
By Vernon A. Williams Nobody saw 2020 coming. Nobody. It started with a beloved Hall of Fame athlete dying in a helicopter accident with his teenage daughter and others, and it went down badly from there. But with all that went wrong, if you’re reading this column, you’re still here and prayerfully will eventually see […]
BY CHARLES LAITON HIGH Court judge Justice Pisirayi Kwenda today ruled in favour of the late fitness trainer, video vixen and model Michelle “Moana” Amuli’s father, Ishmael and allowed him to bury his daughter at Warren Hills cemetery as opposed to Zororo cemetery. The ruling by Justice Kwenda came about after Moana’s mother, Yolanda Kuvaoga had petitioned the court seeking an order to cancel the burial order which the deceased father, had obtained to lay his daughter to rest two weeks ago. Moana who died in a horrific accident three weeks ago that also claimed the lives of socialite Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure, Malawian businessman Limumba Karim and Mozambican model Alicha Adams will be buried tomorrow, according to a family spokesperson, Yussuf Binali. “The validity of the burial order in first respondent’s (Ishmael Amuli) possession designating Warren Hills as the deceased’s final resting place has been confirmed by this court and the second respondent (Registrar of Births and Deaths) cannot validly issue another burial order,” Justice Kwenda said. In his detailed judgment Justice Kwenda also castigated Moana’s mother, Yolanda Kuvaoga, for over emphasising her late daughter’s secular habits on a mistaken belief that it gave her an elevated social standing in her last days. Follow Charles on twitter @LaitonCharles
Seniors also are finding themselves at a growing rate of homelessness. The coronavirus outbreak has only exacerbated the housing problem in unprecedented ways.
Source
Prime Minister Andrew Holness says that the Government is examining measures to facilitate funerals with restrictive protocols.Ceremonies are prohibited as part of measures to contain transmission of the novel coronavirus. However, burials are allowed with strict observation and enforcement of the 15-person rule.
Madagascar has affirmed its decision not to participate in the Covax global initiative for the access to Covid-19 vaccine once they have been approved and licensed.
The government spokesperson confirmed the island will resort to its traditions concoction that its own scientist discovered earlier this year to stem out the virus.
He further said that they were waiting to see the effectiveness of the vaccine first in the countries that will first use it.
The tonic, based on the plant Artemisia annua which has anti-malarial properties, was not proven by the World Health Organization but had put it on sale to several African countries.
Vaccines in Madagascar have never been popular among the general population. The island in 2018 was among the last four countries in the world registering polio cases from its stance on vaccines.
At the Martyrs' School near Tripoli, teachers and parents are using the limited means at hand to repair buildings devastated by a year-long battle for the Libyan capital.
Some of the walls have been repainted, furniture has been installed and ageing computer screens dusted off. But the roofs and other walls, pockmarked by gunfire and mortar blasts, remain grim reminders of the recent fighting.
\"We didn't want to sit and wait for help,\" said Najah al-Kabir, a teaching coordinator in a patterned jallaba gown and a hijab.
She is taking part in a refurbishment campaign launched by staff and joined by enthusiastic parents of students from the surrounding Ain Zara district.
\"We're one family,\" Kabir said, standing in the playground of the primary school, damaged by weeks of artillery fire.
\"This school was our second home.\"
When eastern Libyan military chief Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive in April 2019 to seize the capital from the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), Ain Zara found itself on the front line.
The fighting degenerated into a long battle of attrition on the outskirts of Tripoli and lasted until June this year, when pro-GNA forces ended the stalemate by pushing Haftar's forces back eastwards.
By the time the fighting ended, the school had been reduced to \"ruins\", Kabir said.
\"It needed to be rebuilt quickly,\" she added.
'A terrible state'
The UN children's agency UNICEF warned earlier this year that \"attacks against schools and the threat of violence have led to (school) closures and left almost 200,000 children out of the classroom\".
The Martyrs' School is one of around 100 schools fully or partly destroyed during the offensive by Haftar, backed by Russia and the United Arab Emirates.
Pro-GNA armed groups, whose counter-offensive was spurred by Turkey, used some schools to stock arms or as observation posts.
By the end of the fighting, the Martyrs' School was \"in a terrible state\", said headteacher Saleh al-Badri.
The establishment caters for 1,500 students in an area three kilometres from the next school, making it \"important to reopen it as soon as possible,\" he said.
Mahmoud Abdelkhalek, who lives nearby and sends his three sons to the school, was keen to get involved.
\"It seemed important that everyone get involved to fix it,\" he said. \"A collective effort has brought it back to life.\"
NBA Champion and Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan isn’t showing any signs of slowing down with his philanthropic endeavors as he recently donated $2 million in proceeds from his The Last Dance documentary to Feeding America. In a Tweet on Wednesday, the nonprofit hunger-relief organization, which provides food to needy Americans through its nationwide network...
The post Michael Jordan donates $2M from ‘The Last Dance’ doc to Feeding America appeared first on Face2Face Africa.
In Uganda, police have launched investigations into their violent crackdown on protesters last week leading to the death of dozens, a local newspaper reports quoting police spokesperson.
Fred Enanga, the police spokesperson said the probe will \"identify mistakes\" that led to the collateral damage.\"
There have been calls by European Union envoys for a full and independent investigation to ensure justice for victims.
Last week, operatives in plain clothes were recorded by locals holding guns in the streets during protest over the arrest of presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine.
Bobi Wine was charged with flouting covid-19 restrictions and granted bail. He has returned to campaigning.
On Friday, security Minister General Elly Tumwiine told the media that police and other security forces have a right to shoot and kill if protesters \"reach a certain level of violence\".
By Joséphine Li Thanksgiving is certainly a time for giving thanks and reflection — especially during these unprecedented times. HBO’s special event 'Between the World and Me' from Ta-Nehisi Coates debuted on Thanksgiving weekend. The film tells a powerful and impactful story of resilience and […]
The post 'Between the World and Me' turns Ta-Nehisi Coates' book into an impactful special appeared first on The New York Beacon.
By Associated Press Undefined BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union has fined two pharmaceutical companies for colluding to keep a cheap alternative to a sleep disorder medicine off the market for their profit and at the expense of patients. EU antitrust commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, said that Teva pharmaceuticals and Cephalon, a company it later acquired, must pay 60.5 million euros ($72 million) for agreeing between themselves to delay for years the launch of Teva's cheaper version of Cephalon's blockbuster Modafinil. In return for the delay, Teva got beneficial side deals and some payments. Vestager said that 'Teva's and Cephalon's pay-for-delay […]
The post EU fines drug makers for keeping cheap medicine off market appeared first on Black News Channel.
FINANCE minister Mthuli Ncube yesterday dampened the hopes for a merry Christmas for the majority Zimbabweans after he reviewed the tax-free threshold to $10 000, about half the cost of a monthly basket for an average family of five estimated at $20 000 and made it effective January 1 2021. BY TATIRA ZWINOIRA The tax-free threshold was doubled from $5 000 announced in the 2020 Mid-Term Budget and Economic Review last July. Expectations were high that the national budget presented yesterday would give consumers relief after a difficult year, through the review of the tax-free tax bands in line with the poverty line. The $10 000 tax-free bracket means that the majority of Zimbabweans will have a difficulty 2021 because their earnings will not be enough to buy basic commodities, let alone clothing. To make matters worse, the new thresholds will only apply in January instead of November as has been the tradition. Families also budget their year-end salaries to cater for the following year, such as school fees, which have rocketed in the past few months, as schools tried to cushion themselves against rampaging inflation and price hikes. “Government remains committed to improving workers’ disposable income as part of the broader agenda to increase aggregate demand and savings,” Ncube said. “The recent salary and wage adjustments for public and some private sector employees necessitate a corresponding review in the personal income tax framework,” Ncube said. “I, therefore, propose to review the tax-free threshold from $5 000 to $10 000 per month. I further propose to adjust the tax bands to begin at $10 001 and end at $250 000 per month, above which the highest marginal tax rate of 40% will apply. The above measures are effective from January 1 2021. “In addition, I propose to review upwards, the bonus tax-free threshold from $5 000 to $25 000, with effect from November 1 2020.” However, many companies are in distress and very few will afford to pay bonuses. The review of the tax-free threshold comes as the annual inflation rate still remains high at 471% in September which was, however, down from 761% in August and 836% in July. The cost of living for a family of five has risen to over $20 000 and $4 000 per person as at the end of last month from $15 570 in July, according to official statistics. The recent 40% rise in government wages, referred to by Ncube would see the least paid civil servant earning $14 528 while the basic pay for a teacher would be $18 237 a month. As the Zimdollar has continued to depreciate, individuals and families have to prioritise expenditure which has led to a fall in consumer spending and thus lowering economic activity. Treasury has also increased the tax-free threshold for the intermediated money transfer tax (IMTT). “I, therefore, propose to review the tax-free threshold from the current $300 to $500 and the maximum tax payable per transaction by corporates from the current $25 000 to $800 000 on transactions with values exceeding $40 million, with effect from January 1 2021. For transacti
By KANTELE FRANKO Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The infection of a single cafeteria worker was all it took to close classrooms in the small Lowellville school district in northeastern Ohio, forcing at least two weeks of remote learning. Not only did the worker who tested positive for the coronavirus need to quarantine, but so did the entire cafeteria staff and most of the transportation crew, because some employees work on both. The district of about 500 students sharing one building had resumed in-person instruction with masks and social distancing and avoided any student infections. But without enough substitute […]
The post Schools struggle to stay open as quarantines sideline staff appeared first on Black News Channel.
Giving Thanks During These Days Of Change 2020 has been one for the books. No one could foreseen the year Tulsa and the world has experienced in the last year. While the argument could be made for us being stronger than we thought, there is evidence there are still pockets of stubborn ignorance to the […]
Caribbean children yesterday gave the world a window into their experience with the novel coronavirus pandemic, branding it an 'unwelcome stranger' which has severely curtailed their activities and rights, causing them to fear their deaths and that of loved ones as millions around the world succumb to the virus.
… the May 25 killing of African-American George Floyd by the white … these is the father of African-American Michael Brown Jr., who was …
THE 2021 national budget due to be presented this afternoon presents one of the toughest challenges for Finance minister, Mthuli Ncube. BY TAURAI MANGUDHLA/TATIRA ZWINOIRA He is expected to roll out strategies that will help the economy recover, without hurting it through high taxes and tough policies. For instance, the mining industry waits anxiously for major tax reforms in respect of foreign currency taxes and retention thresholds. The mining industry has for a while been battling government for timeous gold and chrome payments as well as a review of foreign currency retention thresholds. Players prefer to keep their entire earnings in foreign currency and utilise their funds as they wish instead of having to queue for allocations at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) auction. Last month RBZ governor, John Mangudya hinted at key tax reforms in respect of foreign currency retention and liquidation of free funds, coupled with maintaining the foreign currency auction system as part of measures to uphold monetary policy stability in the country. Mangudya said there were deliberations to increase the time exporters can keep their 70% forex portion before liquidation from the current 60 days. This was said after his presentation at the launch of the State of the Mining Industry of Zimbabwe report by the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe. Although he did not specify how much time was being considered, the move is expected to allow miners and other exporters to utilise their foreign currency earnings and relieve pressure on the auction system. Furthermore, he said, discussions were also underway for 70% of the miners’ receipts to be taxed in foreign currency and 30% in local currency in line with foreign currency retention thresholds given that 30% of their forex is liquidated on the interbank. He also said there was need for policy consistency and predictability to sustain the sector. The central bank chief said some of the measures could be incorporated in the 2021 National Budget. Economic and mining expert Albert Makochekanwa said Zimbabwe risked missing its National Development Strategy targets if key reforms necessary to drive growth in the extractive sector are not implemented. Makochekanwa, who is a university professor, said the problems in the sector were known and had been raised before. The problems facing Zimbabwe include a depreciating currency, high inflation, unemployment, huge a housing backlog, water shortages, wage erosion, low consumer spending, company closures and food insecurity. Last week, government ministries and departments submitted total requests for the 2021 National Budget amounting to $1,1 trillion to tackle these challenges. Economist, Tony Hawkins asked: “How can the government achieve its expected growth targets? If you look at the numbers and the real situation we are living with, there is a gap.” He said when looking at the 2020 National Budget, the government did not account for rising inflation which was an indication they would miss their targets. “We cannot believe any of the numbers th
Muhammad Mohibullah, a 21-year-old student of literature at Kabul University in the capital of Afghanistan, entered campus from the north gate on Nov. 2 and was walking toward his classroom when he heard gunfire.
'The Minnesota Twins will advance social equity by leveraging our resources to ensure every child has the same opportunity for success.'
Black people find ourselves inadequately included or represented in the government we’ve worked so tirelessly to support and protect. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is no exception.
There is an increasing number of cases showing law enforcement's intolerance towards journalists, South African National Editor's Forum (Sanef) Chair Sbu Ngalwa said.
Speaking shortly after the electoral commission's announcement, Kabore offered an olive branch to the opposition, which has criticized re-election as flawed.
\"I will deploy all my efforts so that through continuous consultation, through dialogue... we can work together for peace and development,\" he said at his party's headquarters in the capital Ouagadougou.
\"We are all Burkinabe, seeking to build a better Burkina Faso together,\" he said.
\"It is a victory... we do have joy in our hearts, but there is also a major responsibility - that of being the president of all Burkinabe, without exception.\"
Preliminary results on Thursday showed Kabore winning nearly 58% of the vote.
Opponents Eddie Komboigo, head of the Congress for Democracy and Progress, received 15 percent, and the other main challenger, Zephirin Diabre, from the Progress and Change Party, who lost to Kabore in 2015, garnered approximately 12 percent.
Kabore has come under fire for what critics say has been a lackluster response to a five-year-old militant insurgency that has rolled in from Mali.
Despite his record, he was the favorite in what commentators said was one of the country's most open elections in years.
By winning an overall majority in the first round he avoids a runoff vote in which he would have had to stand against a single candidate backed by a united opposition.
THE Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) board last night suspended Zifa chief executive Joseph Mamutse from all football activities amid reports that the Under-17 boys and girls teams travelled to South Africa for international assignments without clearance from the supreme sports governing body. BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA SRC director-general Prince Mupazviriho was also placed under suspension to pave way for an investigation into the circumstances under which “authority” was purportedly granted, in retrospect, for the teams to travel to South Africa. Sports and recreation development director Sebastian Garikai was redeployed to act in Mupazviriho’s stead pending the outcome of the investigations. The SRC, which had initially refused to clear the Under-20 soccer team which is also set to travel to South Africa, capitulated and advised Zifa that it will grant exemption to enable the team to make the trip for the Cosafa tournament. The supreme sports governing body, however, clarified that any final authorisation would be at the instance of the Sport and Health ministries in light of the COVID-19 regulations. “Notwithstanding the clear provisions of the law and related guidelines, policies and directives relating to the undertaking of external tours by football teams representing Zimbabwe at various age and gender groups under the auspices of the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa), the SRC board notes the persistent flouting of the aforesaid framework in place, with the attendant controversies and embarrassments to the country,” SRC board chairperson Gerald Mhlotshwa said in a statement. “Noting the need to balance the interests of athletes against the need to hold accountable those administrators responsible for these shortcomings, the board of commissioners of the SRC has resolved as follows:- “1. The placement of the general-secretary/CEO of Zifa, Joseph Mamutse, under immediate suspension from all forms of football administration pending an investigation into the circumstances under which:- “1.1 The Zimbabwe national women’s football team left Zimbabwe to participate in a tournament in South Africa without the necessary approval from the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation (Sports ministry) in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (‘Health ministry’) in light of the COVID-19 regulations and attendant directives thereto; “1.2 The Zimbabwe national Under-17 girls’ football team left Zimbabwe to participate in a tournament in South Africa without the necessary approval from the Sports ministry in conjunction with the Health ministry in light of the COVID-19 regulations and attendant directives thereto; “1.3 The circumstances under which the Zimbabwe national Under-17 boys’ football team left Zimbabwe to participate in a tournament in South Africa without the necessary approval from the Sports ministry in conjunction with the Health ministry in light of the COVID-19 regulations and attendant directives thereto; “1.4 The circumstances under which the Zimbabwe national Under-17 boy’s football
FC PLATINUM coach Norman Mapeza officially makes a grand return to the miners’ technical bench looking to pick up from where he left. BY TERRY MADYAUTA On his first arrival, the main brief was to win a league title that had eluded the club since promotion despite huge investment. He accomplished the mission and to make a bold statement, repeated the feat before he sought new pastures. The club added another championship silverware under Lizwe Sweswe and as Mapeza returns, the brief and ambition has since shifted from success on home soil as the Zvishavane-based side looks to improve on an otherwise dismal record in the group stages of the Caf Champions League, where they have never progressed beyond the group stages. In his first media engagement on return, Mapeza refused to be drawn into discussing what the set targets were. In fact, he claimed there were no targets as he attempted to bat away pressure, but let that not fool anyone. Everyone knows that FC Platinum now want to at least reach the knockout stages of the premier continental competition and would have made it clear to the former Warriors captain. But he comes back under some of the most difficult conditions following the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic. He leads a side that only started training together a few weeks ago since March. Yesterday, he announced a predictable 22-man squad for their preliminary round first leg match against Mozambican opponents CD Costa do Sol, with the bulk of the new signings finding their places in the team. The Zvishavane side takes on the Maputo-based side at Zimpeto National Stadium. Mapeza returned to the Zvishavane side last week, taking over from Hiendrikus Pieter De Jongh who was pushed out since he was not qualified to lead the platinum miners in the continental sojourn. The former Warriors gaffer will hope to navigate past Costa do Sol and has assembled a squad that looks formidable on paper. Captain Petros Mhari leads the squad and his recent experience will be needed as they face Costa Do Sol, whose players boast vast international experience. Winger Silas Songani is also expected to play a key role in the FC Platinum forward line. Songani gave a glimmer of what he could offer to the club when he notched a brace that helped FC Platinum retain the Castle Challenge Cup early this year. Tanzanian centre-forward Elias Maguri is also expected to be a vital cog in the team’s strike force, and although he has not really shown his quality, Mapeza and his lieutenants felt the lofty forward would help his side bamboozle defenders with his big frame. Veteran defender Gift Bello, who has enjoyed every bit of FC Platinum’s success in recent times, has been included in the travelling squad together with steely former Triangle defender Donald Dzvinyai, and could form a impenetrable backline, with Tawanda Chikore and Raphael Muduviwa operating as left and right full-backs, respectively. Ralph Kawondera, an impressive midfielder, is expected to add more impetus with his creativity and pace to Mapeza’s forward line. Former Highlan
Ben Harding/iStockBy MEREDITH DELISO, ABC News (NEW YORK) - The head of one of the largest regional health systems in the Midwest announced his retirement this week, following a controversy…
In the latest news on Friday 27 November, we keep a watch on Black Friday, and examine the Covid-19 surge warning for the Eastern Cape.
… L. Fudge of Ohio, an African-American Democrat from Ohio.
“Mr. Clyburn … Kamala Harris’ Senate seat”: “Prominent African Americans officials would like California Gov …
Biden, 77, is all set to become the 46th President of the United States, while Senator Kamala Harris, 56, who is of Indian and African-American origin, will become the first-ever woman vice-president.
As the sense of emergency and worsening crisis in poor countries arising out of the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic becomes increasingly clear, World Bank Group President David Malpass has called for a refashioning of the arrangements governing the management of the debt burden of those countries in order to further accentuate an already critical situation.
The article Reform debt repayment regime for poor countries - World Bank Group President appeared first on Stabroek News.
