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The World Health Organization approved a landmark Pandemic Agreement on Tuesday, aimed at better coordination, monitoring and vaccine sharing in the event of future pandemics.
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.
In a fight to revive a rare cultural heritage and heal a nation scarred by conflict a Central African Republic band and dancers are trying to revamp the country's traditional music and dance style - known as \"Motenguene\".
Its name translates into \"the dance of the caterpillars,\" and was handed down by the Pygmies, who gathered for food in ancestral forests in the southwest.
In the capital Bangui, the band Zokela gets the audience on its feet with its jangle of guitars.
It is one of four such traditions in the CAR, along with the \"bird dance\" from the north, the \"fish dance\" of the southeast and the \"savannah dance\" of central regions.
Zokela have been trying to revamp Motenguene's image for nearly 30 years.
In their shows, traditional bead necklaces and antelope skins are usually swapped for city-slicker clothes, while the kora -- a delicate, long-necked harp lute favoured in much of West Africa -- has given way to the electric guitar.
Social fabric
\"We are using this dance to distinguish ourselves a bit from our brothers in Congo, Ivory Coast and Cameroon,\" Saint-Pierre Dibaba Alagomme, the founder of Zokela, tells AFP.
Keeping the sound alive is also vital to the country's social fabric,
The CAR has been ravaged by decades of violence, corruption and nepotism.
In 2013, a coalition of armed groups from the Muslim minority ousted president Francois Bozize, plunging the country into a maelstrom of communal bloodshed.
But the musicians have another battle to fight.
For all the lively rhythms, it's difficult for the music to survive as concerts are poorly paid.
The CAR has no professional record industry and musicians must make do with the meagre fees from playing clubs and private functions such as weddings.
These events bring an average income equivalent to 75 euros (about $90) to be shared by 12 to 15 people.
Royalties
Recordings made in local studios are also considered too amateur for export. To make matters worse, professional musicians are also owed copyright fees dating back over 30 years.
\"It is our duty to promote this sector of activity, but there is one thing that must also be recognised, and that is that artists and cultural actors as a whole, are not receiving their royalties,\" says cultural promoter Yvon Eka.
\"Culture is the identity of a country. The crisis that the Central African Republic is going through today is cultural.\"
This year, The government drew up a national cultural policy to help.
\"We started with the realisation that the public consumes a lot more products from abroad, because there is no promotion of Central African culture as such,\" says Philippe Bokoula, director general of the ministry of arts and culture.
In July, a law was passed to make the Bucada operational.
\"The major part of the finance will come from the state, while we spread awareness among the radio stations and consumers and draw up charts with a scale of tariffs,\" Bokoula says.
Yet, the initiative -- awaited for decades -- remains in limbo, pending the publication of a
A suspected financier of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Felicien Kabuga, made his first appearance at a UN court in The Hague on Wednesday after decades on the run.
Felicien Kabuga's a suspected financier of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, which saw 800,000 people murdered, according to the UN.
Kabuga, now in his 80s, is accused of crimes against humanity including genocide.
UN prosecutors also accuse Kabuga of helping create a Hutu militia group and urging the killing of Tutsis through his media company.
He is also accused of helping to buy machetes in 1993 that were distributed to genocidal groups.
He denies the charges.
He is \"very tired,\" said his lawyer, Emmanuel Altit.
Kabuga, one of Rwanda's richest men was first indicted by the now-closed International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) two decades ago.
On the run
But he was not arrested until this year in May, near Paris.
He was transferred from France to The Hague in October.
The initial hearing before a pre-trial judge took place at the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which has taken on cases left over from the ICTR.
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.
His lawyers argue he should be tried in France but France's top court ruled he should be moved to UN custody.
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 judge ruled he should first be taken to The Hague for a medical examination, and it was not immediately known when or if Kabuga might be transferred to Arusha.
Several regional and international experts have stepped up their call for the implementation of front-of-package labelling (FOPL) as a right to health for citizens of the region.The regional and international experts came together in a virtual webinar on Monday to discuss the need for FOPL and noted that the logical choice of system should be based on the extensive scientific research already conducted on the topic.
Drink Up: These Are The 50 Best Bars In The World For 2020
Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio has formally announced her candidacy for Congressional Black Caucus Chair in order to “build on... View Article
The post Ohio Rep. Beatty runs for CBC Chair to ‘build on the successes that we already have’ appeared first on TheGrio.
Statement of Common Council President Cavalier Johnson November 11, 2020 In a year with so much uncertainty and confusion, there are very few things that we can know for certain. We do not know exactly when this pandemic will end, when things will return to normal, or when we can see some of our […]
The post Sacrifice and service of veterans resonates more deeply this year appeared first on Milwaukee Community Journal.
In summary The measure would have brought billions to California’s cash-strapped schools and community colleges, though not in time to help deal with immediate financial crises. Voters narrowly defeated Proposition 15, the tax measure that aimed to eliminate decades-long protections for commercial properties – dashing hopes of billions of dollars flowing into California’s cash-strapped public […]
The post What Prop. 15’s defeat means for California schools appeared first on Black Voice News.
THE Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says it is now seeking to drum up funding to assist countries in the Americas with central warehouses and cold storage units for COVID-19 vaccines.PAHO Assistant Director Dr Jarbas Barbosa said yesterday that no country within or outside the region is ready to deal with the storage conditions for these vaccines, as there are no other vaccines with the same characteristics as those for COVID-19.
By Julianne Malveaux It took five days for the 2020 election to be called for former Vice President Joe Biden. Five days with me peeled to the television and the internet. Five days holding my breath. Five days, meditating and praying for strength. I could not imagine four more years of Trump. I actually started […]
The dangerous information simply acquired worse on Wall RoadThursday. Propelled by fears of the coronavirus, inventory losses steepened.The Customary & Poor’s 500 entered a bear marketplace for the primary time…
By SEAN MURPHY and REBECCA BOONE Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Celebrations marking Veterans Day gave way to somber virtual gatherings Wednesday, with many of the nation’s veterans homes barring visitors to protect their residents from the surging coronavirus that has killed thousands of former members of the U.S. military. Cemeteries decorated with American […]
Implementation of another month-long lockdown in the UK has forced several airlines to cancel flights to South Africa.
President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Wednesday 11 November 2020. Here are the main points you need to be aware of.
This One’s for the Ladies and the Fellas. If You’re Single, You Need This Book on Your Nightstand! All Good Just A Week Ago: Funny Dating Stories to Help You Keep Your Head in the Game is full of funny, outrageous, relatable dating stories and teachable moments shared by a cross section of interviewed men […]
The post 2 Bold Women, 50 Candid Interviews, 1 Game Changing Dating Book appeared first on Milwaukee Community Journal.
… has always been integral to African Americans' campaigns for … Voting Rights Act.
African American women were the backbone … lead the charge
African-American women were the backbone … Leah Millis)Not all African-American voters favoured Democratic candidates …
Even before the anti-government protests were set to start in Angola, police had their guard up and were searching pedestrians and setting up roadblocks in the capital Luanda.
Authorities have banned Wednesday's protest.
Demonstrators are demanding authorities layout concrete plans for decent living conditions and the cost of living in one of the most expensive cities in the world.
Angola is a haven for oil sector expats with large pay packages and purchasing power, which is far from the reality locals live with.
Protesters are also asking for the revision of electoral legislation to guarantee free and fair elections.
Rights groups are urging Angola's authorities to respect the youth’s right to protest.
\"Angolan authorities must guarantee that protesters can exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, which are protected by the Angolan constitution and international treaties ratified by the country,\" said Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for Southern Africa.
“Past peaceful protests in Angola have been met with appalling brutality by the police, with demonstrators assaulted and arrested for no other reason than demanding accountability from the authorities.\"
The Affordable Care Act is taking on its third challenge in the Supreme Court and two of the court's conservative justices signaled the law will win again
