Login to BlackFacts.com using your favorite Social Media Login. Click the appropriate button below and you will be redirected to your Social Media Website for confirmation and then back to Blackfacts.com once successful.
Enter the email address and password you used to join BlackFacts.com. If you cannot remember your login information, click the “Forgot Password” link to reset your password.
By The Associated Press undefined NEW YORK (AP) — 'Jeopardy!' record-holder Ken Jennings will be the first in a series of interim hosts replacing Alex Trebek when the show resumes production next Monday. Producers announced Monday that Jennings, who won 74 games in a row and claimed the show's 'Greatest of All Time' title in a competition last year, will host episodes that air in January. A long-term host to replace Trebek, who died of cancer on Nov. 8, will be named later. 'By bringing in familiar guest hosts for the foreseeable future, our goal is to create a sense […]
The post Champion Ken Jennings will be first interim 'Jeopardy!' host appeared first on Black News Channel.
\t While no one claimed responsibility for the attack, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif pointed the finger at Israel, calling the killing an act of ``\"state terror.''
\t ``Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientist today. This cowardice _ with serious indications of Israeli role _ shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators,'' Zarif wrote on Twitter.
… make history: the first African-American to be picked as … of and respect for the African-American community” (AFP/ … of and respect for the African-American community” — and comes … as the first recognised African-American priest, Augustus Tolton, is …
HIGH Court has dismissed an application by Yolanda Kuvaoga seeking cancellation of a burial order for her late daughter, fitness trainer and model Michell “Moana” Amuli, paving way for the father, Ishmael, to proceed and bury her daughter at Warren Hills cemetery today. BY CHARLES LAITON Family spokesperson, Yussuf Binali has confirmed the late model will now be buried today. Moana 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. While Ginimbi was buried two weeks ago, Moana’s burial has been delayed by endless feuds between her parents who are on separation. Kuvaoga had approached the High Court seeking to bar Ishmael the right to bury Moana according to his Muslim religion, claiming she raised the model and wanted her to be buried against the father’s religion. She wanted to host the funeral on the basis that Moana’s father is Muslim and would not allow mourners to imbibe and consume pork at a funeral. But Justice Pisirayi Kwenda, in his detailed judgment, castigated 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. “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. “…A court of law may not be called upon to determine a dispute about whether or not mourners should be allowed to imbibe and consume pork at a funeral. “The relevance of what the applicant (Yolanda Kuvaoga) says was the deceased’s worldly lifestyle and her alleged celebrity status to the rites to be followed at her burial is difficult to fathom. I do not have evidence before me of what the applicant says was the deceased’s celebrity status.” The judge added: “It appears to me that the applicant does not appreciate the possible implications of over emphasising the deceased’s secular habits which she believes gave her an elevated social standing in her last days because she could be basking in the grandeur of the perceived status.” The judge further said Kuvaoga’s oral evidence before the court had no relevance to the relief she was seeking before the court adding she submitted that, because her former husband did not pay lobola for her, according to custom and tradition, mourners should gather at her parents’ home in Highfield for the funeral. “That is not the relief she seeks,” the judge said. “In any event that has not been resisted by the first respondent. He paid a customary price to his in-laws for the funeral wake at applicants’ parents’ house. “On the other hand, it is correct that the deceased was born to the Amuli family. The right to family is fundamental and protected in our Chapter 4 Bill of Rights. It is a constitutional value that may not be taken lightly. “It is to
By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ Associated Press HAVANA (AP) — A group of Cuban artists and intellectuals say they won an unusual government vow of greater tolerance for independent art on Saturday after a demonstration in front of the Culture Ministry. About 20 artists had gathered Friday and the crowd grew to 200 by late night, when Vice Minister Fernando Rojas and the directors of several associations affiliated with the governing Communist Party met with delegates of the demonstrators until after midnight. The officials agreed to talks on 'an agenda of multiple topics with proposals by both sides,' said writer Katherine Bisquet. […]
The post Artists say Cuba government agrees to dialogue, tolerance appeared first on Black News Channel.
Western Cape Safety MEC Albert Fritz confirmed that he tested positive for COVID-19 and \"have immediately begun self-isolating\".
[IPS] Rome -- The recent meeting of the G20 - scheduled to take place in Riyadh but held virtually due to the Coronavirus pandemic - has been an eloquent example of how the world is drifting, in a crisis of leadership.
After more than six months without a local case of Covid-19, Mauritius recorded two new local cases.
The popular tourism destination has been marketing itself as Covid-safe to attract tourists in Europe particularly.
Mid-November a 29-year-old man was tested positive after being infected by his father, who returned from Australia via Dubai on October 24.
The contact tracing exercise initiated found another case of local transmission of Covid-19 yesterday.
A 57-year-old woman who had prolonged and close contact with the 2 initially positive cases.
The patient is asymptomatic and was transferred, from isolation to hospital, the ministry of Health told.
Two cases imported from COVID-19 were also detected friday from persons in quarantine.
They are a man and a woman from France and have a stable state of health.
Mauritius has so far registered 501 cases of Covid-19, the country has 10 deaths, 443 persons have been cured of the disease while the number of active cases is 48.
1,629 people are currently in quarantine as the country has opened its borders with compulsory 14 days quarantine.
Across the grounds of a south Georgia courthouse, scores of masked and socially distanced voters bowed their heads in prayer for the 260,000-plus Americans who have died from the coronavirus. Then Democratic Senate hopeful Raphael Warnock took the microphone, promising to push for more economic aid for businesses and people affected by the pandemic and touting Democratic plans to combat […]
Europe News: VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis created 13 new cardinals on Saturday — including the first African-American — putting his personal stamp on the body that w.
[Thomson Reuters Foundation] Many transgender women employed in hospitality and as sex workers have struggled during the coronavirus pandemic
Policy inconsistencies Statutory instruments and judgments have been passed to favour policies that support political agendas. This selective application of law means that there is disregard for the rule of law and this hinders investor confidence. The inconsistencies around mining laws (EPOs, permits and licences), land tenure and property rights has inhibited foreign investment in Zimbabwe. The farm invasions and land seizures discourage investors from investing in an uncertain business environment for fear or arbitrary acquisition of land without compensation. The red tape and bureaucracy in government There is over-regulation around trade policies particularly the importation of goods. There is no independent oversight to avoid corrupt and biased negotiations regarding which investors are approved. For instance the renewal of import and export licences must be done every three months and there are a lot of agencies which must be consulted before a business can begin operating. The corruption, delay and frustration behind establishing a business becomes a determinant in whether a company decides to invest. The cost of doing business in comparison to regional peers will fare much higher. This will push the potential investors to more favourable climates. Conclusion and recommendations There must clear regulatory and policy changes that shift to a decentralized system away from an overregulated, centralised state-system, to allow for private contractors and competitors. Long-term economic policies (i.e. 10-20 years) are required, which are fair, favourable and transparent and not subject to change as based on the political leader governing the country. This must be overseen by an independent judiciary and legal framework that protects investors’ returns over a long stretch and period of time such as the Zimbabwe Investment Authority established to oversee licensing in terms of Section 7 of the Zimbabwe Investment Authority Act and the Zimbabwe Investment code sections 25 and 39. This will guarantee the security of foreign investment and allow for investor confidence, predictability and certainty. An open, transparent and accountable regulatory system is required to create an attractive business climate. The factors responsible for low foreign direct investment inflows in Zimbabwe are inflation, a lack of trade openness, and gross capital formation. Policies reducing the impact of institutional factors like corruption, weak governance and perceived political risk need to be implemented. Policy inconsistencies and credibility must be considered in policy formulation. Zimbabwe should create a “hospitable investment climate by reducing corruption, uncertainties, poor governance and policy inconsistencies.” These variables affect foreign investment and make Zimbabwe risky to foreign investors. Zimbabwe should vigorously pursue further opening of its economy in order to create global linkages and synergies that are a prerequisite for foreign direct investment attraction. Its policies and regulatory framework should foster
As it seeks to ensure that a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine can be properly stored here at the required temperatures, Ministry of Health (MoH) has invited bids for the construction of a cold storage bond at Kingston.
“There are a number of [COVID-19] vaccines now that will become available….
The article Ministry invites bids for construction of COVID vaccine cold storage bond appeared first on Stabroek News.
The remains of Sudan’s former Prime Minister and top opposition figure arrived in Khartoum on Friday.
Sadiq al-Madhi died from the novel coronavirus, his moderate Islamist National Umma party said on Thursday, while offering condolences to the Sudanese people.
Madhi was transferred to the United Arab Emirates for treatment three weeks ago after being hospitalized in Sudan and testing positive for the virus.
\"The deceased Imam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi is one of the people who called for democracy in Sudan, despite the obstacles they faced in Sudan, and he is one of the people who persevered until Sudan reached a democracy that would be accepted by the world in general’’, said Badr Abdel Aziz, a Sudanese citizen.
On Friday, the government declared three days of national mourning for the former premier.
He was a staunch opposition figure during Bashir's long rule and threw his weight behind a mass protest movement that eventually prompted the military to overthrow the president last year.
Mahdi was toppled in 1989 by now-ousted president Omar al-Bashir in an Islamist-backed military coup.
Sudan has recorded nearly 17,000 coronavirus cases including more than 1,200 deaths.
It is a battle that started off during school days and tomorrow, it culminates in a historic moment in France.Warriors stars Tino Kadewere of Olympic Lyon and Marshall Munetsi at Stade de Reims come head-to-head as their respective clubs clash in a league match tomorrow. BY TERRY MADYAUTA Their confrontation has taken centre stage in France, with Kadewere who, is in top form, having scored five goals in his last five matches for his club, being the talk of the town. It should be a memorable moment for the Zimbabwean duo who become the first to play each other on different sides in the French elite league. Both players have plausibly established themselves well at their respective clubs. Munetsi, who moved to Reims from Orlando Pirates last year, has managed to command a regular place in the team, with his physic and agility helping him become a vital cog in Reims midfield. Kadewere, on the other hand, joined Lyon in January from Ligue 2 side Le Havre, where he had a trailblazing stint, winning the golden boot last season. What makes this battle interesting is the fact that these two players are renewing their rivalry at a grand stage, having previously clashed in high school football. Munetsi played for Mabvuku High School, while Kadewere was in the Prince Edward set-up. However, the spotlight is thrust on Kadewere, who has been the man of the moment for Lyon, having scored four goals in the clubs last five matches. Munetsi, though has not scored for Reims, but is fancying this clash against his high school adversary. “For our country, it is historic because it has never happened before in France. The only time something like this happened was in England when Peter Ndlovu and Bruce Grobbelaar played against each other, so for me and him to be able to make history for our country in the French League is important,” Munetsi said of his clash with Kadewere. Munetsi recalled how Kadewere was a pain in the flesh for his former school. However, he is hoping to stop him from repeating the same when the meet tomorrow. “He was playing for Prince Edward and that time, I was playing for Mabvuku High, so Tino was always a top player. He was dangerous. When we played them, I remember our coach telling me that I must do my best to stop Tino because I was the team captain. “He believed that if we manage to stop Tino, then we could win the match. Unfortunately, the first time we met, he scored a penalty and we lost 1-0,” Munetsi recalled. Kadewere is looking to maintain his sterling form for Lyon. The impressive forward delivered a kind message to his compatriot ahead of their clash. “My friend, I know it is going to be a tough game for both teams, but I know you work hard and I want you to do well in the game. I will do my best also and may the best team win. I want you to keep working hard because you are a good player. We meet on Sunday,” Kadewere said. The odds are heavily staked in favour of Lyon, who remain unbeaten after eight rounds of matches and Kadewere will be hoping to continue with his rich vein of form against Stade R
[Ethiopian Herald] HEWANE - After trekking long distances by enduring rough terrains, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces has arrived at Hewane, said Raya Front Commander Gen. Bacha Debele, underscoring that the Junta would be dismantled in a two-three days.
By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — With many small businesses struggling to hold on during the coronavirus pandemic, Issa Rae believes now is the time to support independent stores more than ever. The creator and star of HBO series 'Insecure' strongly encourages people to shop locally as part of Small Business Saturday, a couple days after Thanksgiving. She said the initiative created by American Express, for which she is a compensated endorser, can help give an extra push during the holidays to small businesses who have gone into survival mode. Rae said using 'word of […]
The post Issa Rae urges participation in Small Business Saturday appeared first on Black News Channel.
Opinion - Message from Dr. Julitta Onabanjo, UNFPA Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
An additional 89 deaths have been reported in South Africa, bringing the total recorded death toll to 21 378.
[Nation] After a week of uncertainty characterised by go-slows, record Kenyan champions Gor Mahia will finally jet out of the country on Friday morning for Kigali, Rwanda where they face APR in the preliminary stage of the prestigious Caf Champions League on Saturday.
[Nation] Dressed in light-blue overalls and black gumboots, Nimrod Mwenda carries four strawberry punnets and puts them in a container, ready for delivery to a customer.
WESTERN BUREAU: The annual Montego Bay Christmas Grand Market, one of the city’s stellar attractions at Christmas, will not be staged this year as the St James Municipal Corporation tries to blunt the spread of the coronavirus in the western...
Music producerHitmakalearned that even if a drunken mind does speak sober thoughts, it's probably always best to stay quiet. Recently the former 'Love and Hip […]
Tyler Perry’s 'Ruthless' has returned to BET+ with a midseason premiere, new cast members and plenty of excitement.The show aired three one-hour episodes on Thanksgiving […]
It was late on the first Tuesday in November, and Captain Hussen Besheir, an Ethiopian federal soldier, was on duty at a guard post outside the military camp in Dansha.
It was close to midnight when he saw headlights approaching.
Ten armed members of the Tigrayan special forces got out of the vehicle and demanded to see the camp's commander.
\"'We're not here for you',\" Hussen recalled them saying. \"'We want to talk to the leaders.'\"
Hussen refused. An argument ensued and gunfire rang out.
They were the first shots in a conflict that has since engulfed northern Ethiopia's Tigray region, killing many hundreds of people and forcing tens of thousands from their homes.
This week AFP visited the Dansha barracks, home to the Fifth Battalion of the Northern Command of the Ethiopian military, after gaining rare access to Tigray, where a near-complete communications blackout has been in place since the fighting began.
Shell casings littered the camp's grounds, and bullet holes were punched in the walls of buildings and sides of military trucks.
A metal sign at the entrance reading, \"We need to protect the constitution from anti-development forces and lead our country to renaissance,\" was so perforated with gunfire as to be almost illegible.
'Betrayal'
Hussen and others described hours-long rifle and grenade battles against fighters loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), including special forces and militiamen, joined by some federal soldiers of Tigrayan ethnicity who turned against their comrades.
Echoing a statement from Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Hussen said soldiers \"were killed in their pyjamas\", adding, \"What happened here is even worse than that.\"
\"Betrayal alone wouldn't describe the feeling that I have. These are soldiers who have been eating and drinking with us,\" he said of those former federal troops who allegedly turned their guns against them.
The government in Addis Ababa has claimed the attack on Dansha - and a simultaneous assault on another barracks in the regional capital Mekele - as justification for its military offensive in Tigray since November 4.
It points to an interview on Tigrayan media in which a prominent TPLF supporter, said a pre-emptive strike was \"imperative\".
\"Should we be waiting for them to launch attacks first? No,\" said Sekuture Getachew, in the interview, which Abiy's office has called a \"confession\".
Confrontation between Abiy and the TPLF was a long time coming. The TPLF dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades until anti-government protests swept Abiy to power in 2018.
Since then the TPLF has complained of being sidelined and scapegoated for the country's woes.
The rift widened after Ethiopia postponed national elections because of the coronavirus pandemic. Tigray went ahead with its own vote, then branded Abiy an illegitimate ruler.
Ethnic forces
Tadilo Tamiru, a sergeant in the government-aligned Amhara special forces, was 50 kilometres to the south with his 170-strong unit, in a small town along the bo
Tyra Banks signed on to host 'Dancing With the Stars' and wasn't welcomed with open arms.
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.\"
The Ethiopian military has seized control of the town of Wikro, 50 km north of the Tigrayan capital, a senior official said on Friday, a day after the government said it was beginning the \"final phase\" of an offensive in the northern region.
ZIMBABWE is risking sanctions from the football governing body, Fifa if it deems that the government is interfering in Zifa’s affairs following the suspension of the association’s secretary-general Joseph Mamutse by the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) over unauthorised foreign trips by national teams. BY HENRY MHARA A Fifa suspension would mean all national teams and local clubs would be banned from playing in international competitions, and funding would cease until government actions are reversed. SRC, a government body that regulates sports in the country, on Thursday announced that it had suspended its director-general Prince Mupazviriho and Mamutse “from all forms of football administration pending an investigation”. Zifa yesterday said they have not received any correspondence from SRC and will only act when they get communication. “We have not received any correspondence from SRC. We have read about it (the suspension) in the media,” Zifa spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela said. The duo, according to a SRC statement, is being accused of violating guidelines relating to the trips by Mighty Warriors and Young Warriors to South Africa for Cosafa tournaments this year. However, Fifa does not take lightly to government interference and is very vigilant in enforcing its statutes. Article 14 of the Fifa statutes oblige all member association to manage their affairs independently and without undue influence from any third party. Failure to meet the obligations may lead to sanctions, even if the third party influence was not the fault of the member association concerned. A number of countries have previously either got themselves banned or suspended for violating this statute, including Sierra Leone who were two years ago suspended after the country’s anti-corruption commission barred two officials from the governing body’s offices. This is not the first time that SRC has run into trouble with Fifa. They were last year cautioned by the world football governing body after they tried to remove the current Zifa executive. The same SRC last year also got their fingers burnt when they tried unsuccessfully to remove the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) board. SRC suspended the Tavengwa Mukuhlani-led ZC board and replaced it with an interim committee with Dave Ellman Brown as the chairman. However, they were left with an egg on their face when the International Cricket Council demanded that the government should unconditionally reinstate the ZC board or face a permanent exile from international competitions. Below are some examples of countries that have come under scrutiny by Fifa for perceived governmental interference: Spain Back in late 2017, the Euro giants were threatened with being booted out of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Fifa warned their footballing body that the government’s involvement in the election of the federation’s new president could cause their expulsion. The threat arose after the Spanish Sport ministry called for the election of a new association president. The call came after long-time president Angel Maria Vi
