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President Irfaan Ali today expressed sadness at the passing of Lennox Canterbury, Former Director of the Mash Secretariat.
The article President sympathises on passing of Lennox Canterbury appeared first on Stabroek News.
Announcement of the death of former President Rawlings pic.twitter.com/7ext0fp4sd
— Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) November 12, 2020
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French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped Tuesday in the face by a man during a visit to a small town... View Article
The post French President Macron slapped during visit to small town in viral video appeared first on TheGrio.
He was known as one of Trinidad and Tobago’s best and most prolific songwriters. It was no surprise then that news of Winsford “Joker” Devine’s death on Tuesday drew widespread mourning and sadness.
Devine gave TT some of its most memorable calypsoes including Sparrow’s Marajhin, Saltfish, Phillip My Dear, Baron’s Feeling It and King Austin’s Progress.
Devine died on Tuesday at 77, leaving to mourn his wife Theresa and seven children.
He was awarded the Humming Bird Medal Silver (for music and the arts) in 1988 and an honorary degree in 2017 from the UWI, St Augustine Campus.
Musician and producer Carl \"Beaver\" Henderson said on a personal level, he connected with Devine from working on the 1979 classic Progress, sung by the late King Austin. Henderson said besides writing it, Devine had a big say in the arrangement of the classic calypso.
He said Devine was the most influential and biggest shaper in the history of calypso in terms of melodies and lyrics.
The best way to honour what Devine had done, he said, was not just to lean on Government but generally to support the craft.
“Keep that part of our culture alive,” he said.
Calypsonian Edwin “Crazy” Ayoung said he had cried for the entire morning since 4 am, when Devine’s widow had called him.
“We did about 200 songs together. He used to do the lyrics and I do the melody,” he said.
He said he and Devine had two new songs together, one called Philanthropy and the other Eternal Love.
He said Devine was one of TT’s greatest writers.
“The writers that they have now are good. But he...he was special. He was a gift from God,” Crazy said.
The Trinbago Unified Calypsonians’ Organisation (TUCO) issued a release on Tuesday on Devine, saying he had composed more than 500 calypsoes during a career that spanned over 40 years.
TUCO said it was saddened to learn of the passing of the prolific songwriter and giant in the art form.
The release said Devine was born on August 15, 1943.
“Originally from Morne Diablo, south Trinidad, Devine was exposed to steelband music at a very young age when he played in the village steelband.
“The leader of the steelband was a cousin of his and he introduced him to reading and writing music,” the release said.
As Devine grew older, he developed into a self-taught musician.
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts said in a release its line minister Randall Mitchell was deeply saddened by the news of Devine's death.
“One of his most popular songs, Progress, which was sung by King Austin, was declared by TUCO as the song of the last millennium,” the release added.
It added that Devine served as a mentor in the former Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts’ Mentoring by the Masters programme.
Mitchell was quoted in the release as saying, \"his contribution exemplified his commitment to TT's culture through calypso.
“His iconic contribution has advanced calypso over the past decades. Many of his songs will continue to inspire and uplift us today and in the future.\"
His daughter Al
As you are aware, following the outbreak of the pandemic in our country, a Special National Solidarity Fund to Fight the Coronavirus has been set up, in addition to the protective measures I have already mentioned.
However, in view of developments in the health situation and the effects of COVID-19 on our economic and social life, it was necessary to make some readjustments.
The encouraging lessons learnt from our COVID-19 response strategy enabled us to take relief and support measures for the economic sectors and persons most affected by the pandemic.
These measures seek, among other things, to:
- ease social life and the movement of persons;
- suspend the payment of some taxes, dues and contributions;
- increase the amount of family allowances and some retirement benefits.
It goes without saying that these relief measures do not exempt us from complying with \"barrier gestures\", particularly the wearing of face masks in public places as well as the ban on public gatherings, aimed at checking the spread of the pandemic.
In the last financial year, the Ministry of Housing assisted 183 families with more than $60 million in an effort to alleviate housing vulnerability in Jamaica.\tThe Ministry, through its Social Housing Programme, seeks, as best as possible, to...
[Citizen] Dar es Salaam -- The government is working on a comprehensive strategy aimed at addressing youth's unemployment in the country, a matter labelled as a time bomb.
Dear Editor,
Francis Ferreira, a distinguished Guyanese Artist has passed away.
The article Artist Francis Ferreira has passed away appeared first on Stabroek News.
[Daily News] ..Directs security organs to produce uniforms domestically
This week’s replacement of Dr Ruto’s allies in the Senate was the culmination of a strategy to cut the publicly known political ties between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy.
When the DP started his countrywide tours, the president was not amused, according to insider accounts, and he reached out and sent trusted friends to plead with Dr Ruto to stop the tours.
Further, when the president sacked Cabinet secretaries Rashid Echesa (Sports) and Mwangi Kiunjuri (Agriculture), the DP was caught flat-footed, like any ordinary citizen, according to State House sources.
Sources indicated Dr Ruto was informed the president would be visiting Canada and it was impractical for them to visit the same country around the same period.
Since then, President Kenyatta has been dispatching Cabinet secretaries to meet with foreign Heads of State, or to represent him to international meetings, a tradition reserved for the vice-president in case the president cannot make it.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has said the government is determined to execute all strategic development projects using profits gained from international trade and income generated from various local sources. The Head of State made the statement on Thursday at Tegeta, Dar es Salaam while on trip to Bagamoyo, saying that…
President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered a cessation of movement of persons and passenger vehicles into and out of Kenya through her borders with Tanzania and Somalia for the next 30 days.
In a live address from State House, Nairobi, Kenyatta said from Saturday midnight only cargo trucks will be allowed into and out of the country via the said borders.
He added: \"I am today directing as follows that there will be a cessation of movement of persons and passenger ferrying automobiles into and out of the territory of the republic of Kenya, through the Kenya Tanzania international border.\"
\"There shall also be a cessation of movement of persons ferrying automobiles and vehicles into and out of the territory of the republic of Kenya through the Kenya - Somali international border, except for cargo vehicles,\" the president said.
Similarly, he announcd that the cessation of movement into and out of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale and Mandera counties is also extended until June 6.
Even as Jamaica presses ahead with the reopening of the island to tourists on June 15, most of the industry’s workers are viewing the decision with concern, an islandwide Tourism Worker Sentiment Survey has shown.
While empathising with the workers, Omar Robinson, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), said that the implementation of the protocols would go a long way in allaying the fears through the consistent use of the training and sensitisation of the new procedures, along with the required personal protective equipment, which will have to be provided by the companies.
A total of 73 per cent of staff recommended mandatory COVID-19 testing for both staff and tourists, while 63 per cent also recommended mandatory masks for staff and tourists.
The concerns of the workers about testing have been echoed by the Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ), which expressed consternation in a media statement on Friday about the Government’s decision to allow non-nationals to enter the country without being tested for SARS-CoV-2.
The JHTA, in its response, insisted that its members were ready to safely open the tourism sector in keeping with Jamaica’s COVID Resilient Protocols and that it welcomes “the mandatory use of masks by both staff and visitors and sees this as an important barrier against possible infection”.
[Tunis Afrique Presse] Tunis/Tunisia -- President of the Republic Kaïs Saïed met Thursday evening at the Interior Ministry seat, with the department's directors and officers.
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has urged Jamaica’s hotel staff and other hospitality stakeholders not to lose their good-naturedness in trying to mitigate against the spread of COVID-19.
“While implementing these health and safety protocols, we are being mindful not to overshadow the ‘heart and soul of Jamaica’, which has made us such an attractive destination for locals and visitors alike,” Bartlett said.
Bartlett was explaining the inner workings of the World Travel & Tourism Council ‘Safe Travels’ stamp, which Jamaica received recently and which allows travellers to recognise governments and companies around the world that have adopted health and hygiene global standardised protocols.
In the meantime, Bartlett said that beyond COVID-19, the Jamaica Tourist Board’s ‘Heartbeat of the World’ campaign was leveraging the island’s natural assets to reinforce its position as a global leader among travel destinations, including promoting the island as a wellness destination.
“I believe that in our current COVID-19 world, health will be the new wealth.
[Tunis Afrique Presse] Tunis/Tunisia -- President Kaïs Saïed received Tuesday, Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias.
Nairobi — Outgoing Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza succumbed to a heart attack in Bujumbura while his wife, Denise Bucumi Nkurunziza, is still receiving treatment at the Aga Khan University Hospital, in Kenya's capital Nairobi.
She received a message on Tuesday from President Uhuru Kenyatta, who sent a message of condolence and comfort to the people of the Republic of Burundi following the demise of President Nkurunziza.
In his message, President Kenyatta termed the outgoing Burundi leader as an outstanding regional counterpart who served his country with distinction as Head of State and Government, and worked tirelessly for the peace and stability of his country and the Great Lakes Region.
Mr Nkurunziza died at a hospital in Karuzi, eastern Burundi.
Ms Nkurunziza was airlifted to Nairobi on Thursday morning following a government-to-government agreement using Amref's acquired portable isolation chamber, which is an innovative medical unit and transportation system designed for optimal safety during patient loading and transport.
[Capital FM] Nairobi -- President Uhuru Kenyatta has asked Kenyan youth to stop shying away from pertinent national issues saying the time had come for them to take charge of the affairs of the nation.
… . Ruth Altrac Tomlin, the first African American teacher at Killeen High School … Tomlin '67, the first African American graduate of Mary Hardin-Baylor …
President Irfaan Ali yesterday announced plans to establish teams in every region to coordinate the response of government agencies to solve issues faced by citizens on the ground.
The article Ali announces plan for rapid response teams for all regions appeared first on Stabroek News.
The Kenyan Rugby fraternity is mourning following the demise of former Kenya 7s winger Allan Makaka in a tragic road accident along Mombasa Road in the wee hours of Saturday morning.
We are deeply saddened by the death of former #Kenya7s International player Allan Makaka who passed away today in a tragic road accident.
He was part of the Kenya Sevens squad to the 2005 Rugby Word Cup Sevens in Hong Kong and the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
He had 57 appearances for Kenya Sevens on the Sevens World Series, 28 tries and ranked 142 points.
He is 21st on the Kenya Sevens all-time try scorer chart for the World Series.
LATE JAMAICA Labour Party Councillor Milton Brown has been praised as a committed community activist and a voice of fairness who sought to achieve bipartisanship amid fierce political rivalry.
Brown, councillor for the Mineral Heights division and a former mayor of May Pen, died yesterday morning at hospital.
Newly installed member of parliament for Clarendon South East, Pearnel Charles Jr, in paying tribute, said that Brown was one of the first leaders to express confidence and support in his candidacy.
People’s National Party councillor for the Hayes division, Scean Barnswell, remembers challenging Brown in 1998 for the newly created Mineral Heights division.
First time in the history of Jamaica we had a council with a tie and shared responsibility,” Barnswell recalled of Brown’s mayoralty.
President Felix Tshisekedi visited Gomacit within the territory of Nyiragongo on Monday to see first-hand the damage caused by the volcanic eruption.
They would later meet in England where Kenyatta had taken the fight for Kenya’s independence, and Koinange, the first Kenyan to get a master’s degree, had gone for further education.
At independence, President Kenyatta appointed Koinange minister for State in his office.
“Kenyatta was fully in charge of his government and hardly sought Koinange’s help to execute his mandate,” he said, adding that close as the latter was to the Head of State, his role was largely confined to something of a court jester.
“Kenyatta wanted Koinange by his side not to help him run the country, but just to keep him in good humour,” the topmost civil servant corrected the popular assumption, and disclosed that on most occasions when he went to consult the President on weighty state matters, Koinange would be asked to leave the room.
Kareithi recalled a day the President had to rebuke Koinange for insisting that a high-powered government delegation that had returned from shopping for arms abroad take an oath never to disclose what they had come back with, something that offended everybody in the room as it cast doubts on their allegiance to the state and loyalty to the President.
[Africa In Fact] COVID-19: an African overview
The President was accompanied to the launch by NMS Director-General Mohammed Badi, several senior Government officials and journalists.
