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"Should the parties fail to observe the 24-hour ceasefire, facilitators will be compelled to consider adjourning" talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah which have been suspended since late last month, the mediators said.
South Africa is one of the hardest-hit countries in Africa with over 740,000 infections.
The country recorded 60 more virus-related deaths on Wednesday, bringing the death toll to 20,011.
It all started in a church choir in Birmingham, Alabama for Rekeshia Bennett There, she honed her skills and fulfilled her spirit, becoming proficient at her craft at an early age. Church choirs have produced [...]
In the Republic of Congo, women are using sports betting to cope with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
This is the case of Geordine Bikindou based in Pointe-Noire, the commercial city of this Central African nation. Having gone bankrupt in trading bananas, Geordine took up betting. Thanks to a friend's advice and it's going well.
''I thought I could do something else. And I have a sister who plays sports betting who advised me to play as well. And the first time I played, I won an 89 euro ticket and since that day I've had a nack for it'', she told our Erika Jocia Macket.
The single mother of one, Geordine, an unemployed pharmacy graduate, has an ambition to operate her own pharmacy.
Charlène Matongo, another bettor has also succeeded to relaunch the business, having bet one day for just 0.92 cents. Today, her situation is better than before.
''This game helps me a lot in these times of pandemic. In spite of the difficult situation, I had taken the risk of betting 0.92 cents and I had won 230 euros. This money enabled me to advance my work and to make some provisions\", Charlene said.
But in Congolese society where sports betting is dominated by men, women here have to deal with preconceived ideas, and to some extent ridicule.
''I am not ashamed of what I do. On the contrary, I am proud to play among men and I encourage other women to do so'', she added.
Reporting from Pointe Noire, Erika Jocia Macket noted that '' In these times of health crisis, sports betting has become a real activity for the benefit of all social classes. While some women take responsibility for themselves, others prefer to bet in secret away from prejudices.''
According to a recent survey, women currently make up 15% of registered bettors in Congo.
We have decided to extend the national state of disaster to 15 December, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his address to the nation on Wednesday night. Read his full speech.
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Researchers at Oxford University in Great Britain noted that first-time diagnosis of anxiety, depression, and insomnia increased two-fold in patients after they’ve recovered from COVID. Further, they discovered that COVID survivors also found significantly higher risks of dementia.
Econet has partnered with Alphabet, Google’s parent company to provide new high speed broadband technology which uses beams instead of fibre, Alphabet’s subsidiary, X “Moonshot Factory” said on Tuesday. BY PRIMROSE HAISA “Our ‘Project Taara’ high-speed optical wireless broadband endeavour is working with internet provider Econet and its subsidiaries to begin rolling out its tech across Sub-Saharan Africa,” X said in a statement. “This deployment follows a series of small pilots in Kenya specifically, but now Taara and Econet are ready to start adding high-speed wireless optical links to supplement and enhance Econet service reach more broadly, starting with Liquid Telecom customers in Kenya.” X added: “Taara is yet another approach to extending the reach of broadband networks to parts of the Earth that have typically not had access or high-speed connections, due primarily to infrastructure challenges.” According to X, in a substitute of digging about two weeks to lay fibre cables, the new technology will be organized to connect two points 20 km apart and it currently delivers up to 10 Gbits of internet capacity. X’s Taara is essentially a fibre optic network cable without the cable which uses a narrow, invisible beam of light to transmit data between two terminals that can span up to nearly 12.5 miles, while providing transfer speeds of up to 20 Gbps. This, X said, means thousands of customers or households can be connected while still providing speeds high enough for streaming high-quality video. “Taara’s technology can essentially be used to patch gaps in traditional fibre optic networks, spanning rivers or crossing terrain that would be hard or impossible to span using either under or aboveground cable.” X has been piloting Taara in a number of deployments around the world and is moving towards commercialising the project.
Past years have seen the likes of Hip-Hop superstars like Lil Wayne, Young Thug and Migos amongst many others, so it should be interesting to see what lineup Travis Scott has in mind for next year's installment.
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President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned the nation that, although the country has endured a lot, the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over.
BY MOSES MATENGA /HARRIET CHIKANDIWA HIGH Court judge Justice Erica Ndewere has asked President Emmerson Mnangagwa to probe the conduct of Chief Justice Luke Malaba, arguing his interference with judges’ independence was a danger to the judicial system. This came as the hearing to interdict Mnangagwa from suspending her will be heard before Justice Benjamin Chikowero today after Judge President Justice George Chiweshe ignored her request to have a retired judge for her case. In August, Justice Chikowero dismissed former Supreme Court judge Justice Francis Bere’s application challenging the legality of a tribunal set to determine his fitness for office. Yesterday, Justice Ndewere’s lawyers Mtetwa and Nyambirai also wrote to Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Misheck Sibanda, asking him to restore the judge’s salary and benefits as the action was unlawful. In a letter dated November 5, 2020 addressed to Mnangagwa and copied to Malaba, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Judge President George Chiweshe and Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, Ndewere said the Chief Justice’s continued threats on judges and interfering with their duties was “destabilising” operations of the High Court. “I do so with hope and expectancy that your office will seriously look into what I consider the worst form of judicial interference in the work of the High Court by the Chief Justice,” Ndewere’s letter read in part. Ndewere was last week suspended by Mnangagwa and a tribunal was set up to inquire into her suitability to hold the “esteemed office of a judge”. A three-member tribunal chaired by retired Judge Justice Simbi Mubako has been set up and includes lawyer Charles Warara and Yvonne Masvora. Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs permanent secretary Virginia Mabhiza is its secretary. Ndewere is being accused of conduct inconsistent with a judicial officer, reportedly for slipshod work and a batch of delayed judgments. Police besieged her Mandara house at the weekend and removed security as per the JSC request following her suspension. Added Ndewere in her letter: “The interference by the Chief Justice affects the independence and impartiality of judicial officers when they make decisions in cases before them. “A failure to investigate the conduct of the Chief Justice will adversely affect the entire justice delivery system which will in turn negatively impact on Your Excellency’s attempts at attracting foreign investors into Zimbabwe. “I also mention that there have been instances where judges exercised their independence and rendered decisions which accorded with their understanding of the law and the facts, only for the Chief Justice to react negatively against the decisions, resulting in late appeals or reviews designed to secure the decision favoured by the Chief Justice. “It appears the Chief Justice wants all judges to reason and decide as he would have done had he been the one seized with the matter. It appears the Chief Justice doesn’t appreciate the diverse backgrounds and experi
The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in Zimbabwe (ICSAZ) has been admitted to the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) as an associate member, only the second Professional Accountancy Organisation in Zimbabwe to become a member. IFAC is the global organisation for the accountancy profession. It has more than 175 member and associate member organisations in 130 countries and jurisdictions, together representing nearly three million professional accountants. The decision to admit ICSAZ as an associate member was announced following a virtual meeting of the IFAC Council today (Wednesday), which accepted an IFAC board recommendation, made in September, that ICSAZ be admitted as an associate member. Previously the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe was the only local institute belonging to IFAC IFAC membership is a globally recognised hallmark of a high quality professional accountancy organisation. Its requirements for membership include the adoption of international standards and support for their implementation, thereby demonstrating a member organisation’s expertise in and commitment to international standards, best practice and serving the public interest. Commenting on the institute’s admission to IFAC, ICSAZ chief executive Dr.Lovemore Gomera said he was delighted that the institute’s application for membership had been accepted. “ICSAZ as a division is unique within the global Chartered Governance Institute (CGI) in producing chartered governance professionals who are also professional accountants. Our members are able to register as public accountants with the Public Accountants and Auditors Board (PAAB), a body on which ICSAZ is also represented. “It has long been our wish to become members of IFAC, the international accountancy body. Our admission as a member of IFAC is a significant milestone for ICSAZ and confirms our place within the accountancy profession,” Dr Gomera said. Issued on behalf of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in Zimbabwe by MHPR Public Relations Consultants, 59 Van Praagh Avenue, Milton Park, Harare. Tel. 2251538-40. 2798761 E-mail: mhamilton@mhpr.co.zw Contact Person: Mike Hamilton (Mobile: 0772 469 801)
After George Floyd’s death, many athletes and sports leagues pushed back more forcefully against the president’s demand for standing during the national anthem, and he shifted away from the issue.
After days of counting in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Arizona, President Obama’s former Vice President, Joe Biden, and California Senator, Kamala Harris, won the 2020 race for the White House. News of their victory sparked spontaneous celebrations around the country. In Washington, DC, Philadelphia, New York and Atlanta people took to the streets on foot and in cars in celebration … Continue reading \"Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Defeat Trump and Change History\"
DEAR President Emmerson Mnangagwa, BY JASMINE OPPERMAN I write this article addressing you as the immediate past chairperson of the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security. Your Excellency, I also am addressing you as a neighbour to a country which has been troubled by terrorism, wherein your country Zimbabwe has interests. This year, as the insurgency in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province has intensified, calls for regional intervention have grown louder. This is more than just talk: the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) is actively exploring ways to intervene, including some kind of military response. A virtual meeting of relevant Sadc committees on June 25-26 resulted in some progress. This included, according to sources, commitment from some countries for boots on the ground, but an overall strategy has not been locked down. Your Excellency, the process of doing so is frustrated by the reluctance of some countries to get involved; practical realities, such as who will fund an intervention; and Mozambique’s determination to remain “in charge” of the situation. There is no doubt that some kind of intervention is necessary, to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control. But caution is required. Walking in blindly — without understanding the complexities at play, and without addressing some of the socio-economic factors that underpin and exacerbate the violence — could make the situation even worse. A complex insurgency Your Excellency, the insurgency in Cabo Delgado, a coastal province in northern Mozambique, began in 2017 with an attack on a police station in the town of Mocimboa da Praia. Since then, the insurgency has gone from strength to strength, even though little is known about its motivations or intent. The insurgents go by the name Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama, and have reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. This year, both the frequency and intensity of attacks have increased, and the insurgents have gained access to more sophisticated weaponry. They are yet to attempt to set up any kind of parallel governance structure, but are showing sufficient sophistication to take on Mozambique’s security forces directly. They have also demonstrated the ability to briefly occupy towns such as Mocimboa da Praia and Macomia. Your Excellency, the response from Mozambique’s security forces has been characterised by coercive tactics and human rights abuses, which risks entrenching local grievances against the State. This is a challenge for any potential regional intervention: a close alignment with the Mozambican State could make it difficult to earn trust among affected communities, which is essential for any kind of peacekeeping effort. A recent MediaFax report noted that the Mozambican government’s hardline response had left young men in Cabo Delgado feeling sympathetic to the insurgents; they are more likely to support the insurgency in response to human rights violations by the State than out of any ideological conviction. Your Excellency, Sadc and member countries risk implicating th
Jon Ossoff took the stage in Columbus and looked out over a parking lot filled with cars, with supporters blaring their horns in approval as he declared that “change has come to Georgia.” Hours earlier, Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler stepped to a microphone in suburban Atlanta and addressed hundreds of eager supporters packed into the Cobb County GOP headquarters. The […]
The alleged financier of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Felicien Kabuga, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday as he made his first appearance at a UN court after a quarter of a century on the run.
Once one of Rwanda's richest men, Kabuga allegedly helped set up hate media that urged ethnic Hutus to \"kill the Tutsi cockroaches\" and funded militia groups.
Now in his 80s, he was arrested in France in May and transferred to the court in The Hague in October to face charges of a key role in the killing of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
The frail Kabuga sat in a wheelchair behind a glass screen in the courtroom, wearing a coronavirus mask. A court official helped him adjust his headphones.
His defense lawyer Emmanuel Altit said Kabuga was \"very tired\" and \"preferred not to speak\" when asked by judge Iain Bonomy if the former businessman wanted to enter a plea.
\"Given the situation, I would be grateful if you could consider this lack of response as a plea of not guilty on all the counts, under the rules and procedures,\" Altit told the court.
Kabuga, who until his arrest near Paris was one of the world's most wanted men, had already denied the charges in his court appearances in France.
The Rwandan faces seven counts including genocide, incitement to genocide, extermination, and persecution.
The UN court will later decide if he will be transferred to its branch in Tanzania for trial.
'Contributed to deaths'
The UN says 800,000 people were murdered in a 100-day rampage that began in April 1994 in Rwanda, in scenes of horror that shocked the world.
An ally of Rwanda's then-ruling party, Kabuga allegedly helped create the Interahamwe Hutu militia group and the Radio-Television Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM), whose broadcasts incited people to murder.
The lengthy indictment, read out by a court official, said that \"RTLM broadcasts contributed to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of persons identified as Tutsi civilians.\"
The radio station also identified the hiding places of Tutsis where they were later killed, it said.
Kabuga controlled and encouraged the station's content, failed to stop the broadcasts, and defended it when the minister of information criticized the broadcasts, the indictment said.
He is also accused of helping to buy machetes that were distributed to militias and ordering them to kill Tutsis.
Kabuga spent years on the run using a succession of false passports, with investigators saying that he had been helped by a network of former Rwandan allies to evade justice.
Following his arrest in a small apartment near Paris, his lawyers argued that Kabuga -- who says he is aged 87 but according to the arrest warrant is 84 - should face trial in France for health reasons.
But France's top court ruled he should be moved to UN custody on a warrant issued in 1997 by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).
Kabuga was initially to be transferred to the UN court's facility in Arusha, Tanzania, which took over the ICTR's duties when it formally closed in 2015.
But a UN
U.S. retail sales were expected to reach $5.94 trillion by 2024, but new coronavirus estimates anticipate retail sales to decline by $4.89 trillion, leaving many retail service employees jobless.
He was their anti-science standard-bearer. He made it seem to be blamingimmigrants and minoritieshad no penalties.He emboldened falsehoods of a grand conspiracy focusing on nationalistsand championedthe usage of police andthe…
