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Followers of Afro-Brazilian religions took to Copacabana beach, marking the upcoming New Year by paying hommage to sea goddess Yemanjá. Among those who participated were followers of the Candomble religion.
He replaces Debretsion Gebremichael, whose immunity from prosecution was removed Thursday.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International said Thursday that scores of civilians were killed in a \"massacre\" in the Tigray region, that witnesses blamed on forces backing the local ruling party.
The \"massacre\" is the first reported incident of large-scale civilian fatalities in a week-old conflict between the regional ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, winner of last year's Nobel Peace Prize.
\"Amnesty International can today confirm... that scores, and likely hundreds, of people were stabbed or hacked to death in Mai-Kadra (May Cadera) town in the southwest of Ethiopia's Tigray Region on the night of 9 November,\" the rights group said in a report.
Amnesty said it had \"digitally verified gruesome photographs and videos of bodies strewn across the town or being carried away on stretchers.\"
The dead \"had gaping wounds that appear to have been inflicted by sharp weapons such as knives and machetes,\" Amnesty said, citing witness accounts.
Witnesses said the attack was carried out by TPLF-aligned forces after a defeat at the hands of the Ethiopian military, though Amnesty said it \"has not been able to confirm who was responsible for the killings\".
It nonetheless called on TPLF commanders and officials to \"make clear to their forces and their supporters that deliberate attacks on civilians are absolutely prohibited and constitute war crimes\".
Abiy ordered military operations in Tigray on November 4, saying they were prompted by a TPLF attack on federal military camps -- a claim the party denies.
The region has been under a communications blackout ever since, making it difficult to verify competing claims on the ground.
Abiy said Thursday his army had made major gains in western Tigray.
Thousands of Ethiopians have fled across the border into neighboring Sudan, and the UN is sounding the alarm about a humanitarian crisis in Tigray.
By Trinity Collins Special to the AFRO Morgan State University’s student-athletes are faced with one of their toughest challenges: a semester without sports. “Life is definitely different,” said Mykaela Ross, a senior volleyball outside hitter. “As athletes, we were always on the go, so we always had food in our stomachs. So now it’s like, […]
The post Morgan athletes in campus ‘bubble appeared first on Afro.
Watch BET UK on Sky 173, Virgin 184 Freesat 140
THE ability of Zimbabwean families to take care of children has been compromised by a collapsing economy, compounded by COVID-19. BY GUEST COLUMNIST: GETRUDE DADIRAI GWENZI About 4,3 million people in rural communities, including children, are food insecure this year. The World Food Programme indicates that at least 60% of the population of Zimbabwe needs food aid. The Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation in Zimbabwe has estimated that over 20 000 children have turned to vending as a means of survival since the COVID-19 lockdown. According to reports, child vendors in the City of Bulawayo are mostly selling fruit and vegetables. And in the capital, Harare, they sell a variety of goods from vegetables to used clothes and shoes. The phenomenon of child vendors in Zimbabwe has been topical for some time. But the situation appears to be worsening. There are no statistics about how much income vendors make due to the informal nature of this business and a lack of centralised co-ordination of their activities. Nevertheless, it’s clear that poverty is the reason children are on the streets. But in their efforts to help their families, they are exposed to risks such as exploitation, abuse and missing school. The situation calls for critical conversation about the capacity of families to protect and care for their children and the role of the social protection policy in the country. A national action plan for orphans and vulnerable children has been in place since 2004. The policy guides the provision of care for these children. My prior experience and observations as a social researcher suggest that the plan isn’t being put to practice. Firstly, there is no clear definition of what the term “orphans and vulnerable children” means, especially in the current economic climate and increasing vulnerability of children in the country. There is a danger that children will fall through the cracks and go unnoticed without any government support. Secondly, there is a lack of good data. The actual number of children at risk is not known due to a dearth of research on child deprivation and government response in Zimbabwe. Thirdly, government interventions aren’t reaching those in need. The government’s national action plan for orphans and vulnerable children is meant to be overseen by a multi-sectoral committee to mobilise resources. Under it poor households were to receive grants varying from US$10 (one-person household) to US$25 (four-person household) per month (paid bimonthly) through a cash transfer. The funds for this come from the Child Protection Fund. The first phase of the plan was between 2005-2010 and the second phase between 2011-2015. The evaluations of these two phases showed several gaps in service provision and targeting of orphans and vulnerable children in the country. By 2017 only 23 000 beneficiaries in eight districts had received the cash transfers. However, the number of families in need way surpasses the number that received assistance. According to social policy experts, the unconditional s
Smalls alleges Amazon subjected a group of African American and Hispanic workers to inferior working conditions compared to its mostly white managers.
By Demetrius Dillard Special to the AFRO #AFROCoversCOVID Following cornerback Marlon Humphrey’s positive coronavirus test earlier this week, seven other Baltimore Ravens players were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Nov. 3. The list includes outside linebackers Matthew Judon and Tyus Bowser, inside linebackers Patrick Queen, L.J. Fort and Malik Harrison, safety DeShon Elliott and […]
The post Baltimore Ravens COVID Update: Seven players quarantined, team enters intensive protocol appeared first on Afro.
Over 500 million dollars is likely to be pledged Thursday for a device to ensure that all countries have equitable access to covid-19 tests, treatments and vaccines.
That's according to organizers of the Paris Peace Forum at the Elysee palace Thursday.
Several world leaders, including French president Emmanuel Macron, Senegalese Macky Sall and Canada's Justin Trudeau are attending the two day event which ends Friday.
The leaders called for universal access to future covid-19 vaccines and treatments.
Macron said \"We will not win against the virus by abandoning a part of humanity.\"
He recalled the launch of the \"ACT Accelerator\" with the WHO, the G20 and NGO’s such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as the international Covax vaccine procurement and distribution system.
\"But how can we be sure that everyone is playing the game, that there will be no stowaway behavior and that enough doses will be produced for the poorest countries, who need them the most? Otherwise it would further reinforce inequalities\", the French president queried.
The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also agreed.\"The international community must ensure that fair and equitable access will be guaranteed to provide everyone with a vaccine,\" he said.
Senegalese President Macky Sall also spoke of a \"necessary solidarity between states\" in the face of \" a common pandemic\".
Other international leaders, such as Secretary General of the Francophonie, Rwanda’s Louise Mushikiwabo, have also supported this willingness to make the vaccine a common good.
\"As the race for the Covid-19 vaccine continues, I join the call to make it a global public good, accessible to all, without any restrictions,\" she said.
I know, I really should be objective, but as I watch him continue to shout “I won!” like an old man in a nursing home mad over his missing jello, I can’t help but think that something is seriously wrong with this man. And what’s even more sad are the formerly sane members of the […]
The post Message: ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Defender Managing Editor appeared first on DefenderNetwork.com.
AP reports that Texas is the first state to reach over one million confirmed cases of COVID-19 according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Texas has now surpassed California, the most populous state, and reportedly has the 10th most cases in the world.
School systems in Detroit, Indianapolis, Philadelphia and suburban Minneapolis are giving up on in-person classes, and some governors are reimposing restrictions on bars and restaurants or getting more serious about masks, as the coast-to-coast resurgence of the coronavirus sends deaths, hospitalizations and new infections soaring. The crisis deepened at hospitals, with the situation so bad […]
The post Virus surge: Schools abandon classes, states retreat appeared first on DefenderNetwork.com.
By Isi Frank Ativie It is common for any successful Black business owner to want his associates to attain and sustain financial stability. And it helps even more when one successful individual pays it forward and reaches out to help others. Since the 20th century, Blacks have created and sustained hundreds of businesses, which has […]
[African Arguments] From plane crashes to COVID complications, over twenty of President Tshisekedi's allies died in the course of just one year.
Although the majority of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in St.
The article Ministry considering COVID isolation facility in St Cuthbert’s appeared first on Stabroek News.
Longtime California Congresswoman Maxine Waters successfully defended her seat in a contentious race against Republican challenger Joe Collins. After her... View Article
The post Maxine Waters: Biden win 'dawn of a new progressive America' appeared first on TheGrio.
Is it safe yet to fly during the pandemic? Public health experts say staying home is best to keep yourself and others safe from infection. But if you're thinking about flying for the holidays, you should know what to expect. Flights are getting more crowded and more airlines plan to stop blocking seats to accommodate […]
BY LORRAINE MUROMO The Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) has condemned the brutal murder of four children in Chivhu by their biological mother following a dispute. On Wednesday, 29-year-old Emelda Marazani slit her four children’s throats and set the family house on fire following a dispute with her husband over infidelity. She attempted to commit suicide after callously killing her daughters aged nine, five, three and one. In a statement, ZGC chairperson for social, cultural and religious issues, Sibongile Mauye, said: “We are saddened by the sad loss of innocent children who are victims of potential marital conflict between the mother of the children and the father,” Mauye said. “We condemn criminal behaviour exhibited by the mother of the children and we are concerned that she took an option to murder innocent children for reasons still unknown. “We implore families to resolve marital disputes in amicable ways recognising that both traditional and legal means of recourse are available.” She added: “As Gender Commission, we stand for equal rights for men women and children. “We are bound by the Bill of Rights; we therefore condemn the brutal killing of innocent children by their biological mother.” Shamwari YeMwanasikana research, advocacy and communications co-ordinator Louis Tatswareyi encouraged couples to resolve disputes amicably. “We feel saddened by the loss of innocent lives as a result of failure by the couple to resolve their infidelity issues. Since the beginning of the lockdown, such cases of murder due to infidelity have been on the increase. It is sad that the killings happened as we approach the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence,” he said. “We continue urging men and women to find amicable ways to solve their issues and most importantly, leave children out of their problems. The parents should be havens of safety for their children no matter what the circumstance should be.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment benefits fell last week to 709,000, a still-high level but the lowest figure since March and a further sign that the job market might be slowly healing. Yet the improvement will be put at risk by the sharp resurgence in confirmed viral infections to an […]
Grace Moore, a seventh-grader, was one of the chosen students who was given the opportunity to have her piece \"Summer\" performed by the Philharmonic orchestra during a world-premiere event in October.
A sub-committee of Cabinet will today be meeting to discuss the COVID-19 containment protocols which will govern the fast approaching Christmas season, even as the coronavirus spread continues to trend down nationally.
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Senior National Correspondent The Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as “Obamacare,” is on the line, and so is health insurance for millions of Americans as the U.S. Supreme Court will review the law on Tuesday, November 10. With a 6-3 conservative super-majority, thanks to outgoing President Donald Trump and […]
The post Supreme Court scheduled to hear arguments that will determine the fate of the Affordable Care Act appeared first on North Dallas Gazette.
BY TIM DARNELL THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION/TNS ATLANTA — The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its Thanks giving coronavirus guidelines on Monday and Tuesday, warning against travel and recommending much smaller gatherings during the annual American tradition. Thanksgiving travel is typically the nation’s busiest transportation day of the year. “Staying home is the […]
The post CDC warns against Thanksgiving travel; urges small gatherings appeared first on Florida Courier.
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Three of the Trump’s appointees, Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, and Neil Gorsuch are viewed as more likely than their colleagues to support the now lame-duck President’s long-stated desire to kill Obamacare. “Severability is designed to say, well, would Congress still want the statute to stand even with the provision gone?” […]
The post Supreme Court Scheduled to Hear Arguments That Will Determine the Fate of the Affordable Care Act appeared first on The Orlando Advocate.
Taking Up Arms
A military operation has been launched by Morocco in the buffer zone of Guerguerat near Mauritania, as announced Friday.
The North African nation also denounced \"the provocations of the Polisario\" in Western Sahara — once a colony of Spain with a still undefined status. Classified as a \"non-autonomous territory\" by the United Nations (UN).
The aim of the ongoing operation is to \"put an end to the blockade situation\" and \"restore free civil and commercial movement\" on the road leading to Mauritania — whose existence is denounced by the Sahrawi independence fighters and which Rabat considers essential for its trade with sub-Saharan Africa.
For about three weeks, local sources claim militias of some 70 armed men have been \"attacking truckers, banning traffic and racketeering.\"
All this in spite of UN settlement efforts — as the organisation-led negotiations involving Morocco, the Polisario, Algeria and Mauritania have been suspended for several months.
Polisario in response has stated its Sahrawi troops will retaliate in self-defence in light of what it perceives as Morocco being \"aggressive\" and liquidating the 1991 cease-fire.
Background
The region of Guerguerat has already been at the centre of strong tensions between the Polisario and Morocco, particularly in early 2017. Morocco controls more than two-thirds of this vast desert territory in its western part, along the Atlantic Ocean and has seen friction for decades with the pro-independence Polisario Front supported by Algeria.
In summary As the pandemic drags on into the winter, EDD blunders and slim unemployment benefits have left jobless Californians virtually fending for themselves. As coronavirus resurges 10 months into a devastating pandemic, many jobless Californians have exhausted their options and are hanging on to what little government support remains. Once padded by an extra […]
The post Expired unemployment boost, EDD debacles sink jobless Californians appeared first on Black Voice News.
