mercredi 30 décembre 2020
The Real Story of Thanksgiving: Story of a Massacre 1637 15TH - 18TH CENTURY | HISTORICAL EVENTS The REAL story of thanksgiving explained by Susan Bates doesn’t have quite the same fuzzy feelings associated with it as the one where the Indians and Pilgrims are all sitting down together at the big feast. We ALL need to learn the painful history of Thanksgiving so we do not live in lies. Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving in 1863. The federal government declared the last Thursday in November as the legal holiday of Thanksgiving in 1898. However, the meaning of Thanksgiving for Native Americans is filled with painful history which has been covered up with the Pilgrims and Indians story… Most of us associate the holiday with happy Pilgrims and Indians sitting down to a big feast. And that did happen – once. The story began in 1614 when a band of English explorers sailed home to England with a ship full of Patuxet Indians bound for slavery. FIRST NAME EMAIL SUBSCRIBE They left behind smallpox which virtually wiped out those who had escaped. By the time the Pilgrims arrived in Massachusetts Bay, they found only one living Patuxet Indian, a man named Squanto who had survived slavery in England and knew their language. Angelina Jolie Thanksgiving He taught them to grow corn and to fish and negotiated a peace treaty between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Nation. At the end of their first year, the Pilgrims held a great feast honoring Squanto and the Wampanoags. But as word spread in England about the paradise to be found in the new world, religious zealots called Puritans began arriving by the boatload. Finding no fences around the land, they considered it to be in the public domain. Joined by other British settlers, they seized land, capturing strong young Natives for slaves and killing the rest. But the Pequot Nation had not agreed to the peace treaty Squanto had negotiated and they fought back. The Pequot War was one of the bloodiest Indian wars ever fought. In 1637 near present day Groton, Connecticut, over 700 men, women and children of the Pequot Tribe had gathered for their annual Green Corn Festival which is our Thanksgiving celebration. In the predawn hours, the sleeping Indians were surrounded by English and Dutch mercenaries who ordered them to come outside. Those who came out were shot or clubbed to death while the terrified women and children who huddled inside the longhouse were burned alive. The next day, John Winthrop (1588-1649), the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony declared “A Day Of Thanksgiving” because 700 unarmed men, women and children had been murdered. Cheered by their “victory”, the brave colonists and their Indian allies attacked village after village. Women and children over 14 were sold into slavery while the rest were murdered. Boats loaded with a many as 500 slaves regularly left the ports of New England. Bounties were paid for Indian scalps to encourage as many deaths as possible. Following an especially successful raid against the Pequot in what is now Stamford, Connecticut, the churches announced a second day of Thanksgiving to celebrate victory over the heathen savages. During the feasting, the hacked off heads of Natives were kicked through the streets like soccer balls. Even the friendly Wampanoag did not escape the madness. Their chief was beheaded, and his head impaled on a pole in Plymouth, Massachusetts — where it remained on display for 24 years. The killings became more and more frenzied, with days of thanksgiving feasts being held after each successful massacre. George Washington finally suggested that only one day of Thanksgiving per year be set aside instead of celebrating each and every massacre. Later Abraham Lincoln decreed Thanksgiving Day to be a legal national holiday during the Civil War — on the same day he ordered troops to march against the starving Sioux in Minnesota. This story doesn’t have quite the same fuzzy feelings associated with it as the one where the Indians and Pilgrims are all sitting down together at the big feast. But we need to learn our true history so it won’t ever be repeated. The Real Story of “thanksgiving” By Susan Bates Next Thanksgiving, when you gather with your loved ones to Thank God for all your blessings, think about those people who only wanted to live their lives and raise their families. They also took time out to say “thank you” to Creator for all their blessings
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Singer Albert Griffiths of the Gladiators dies at 74 THE GLEANER Pioneering reggae singer and musician Albert Griffiths of roots band The Gladiators has died, his former manager, Cabel ‘Jeffrey’ Stephenson, told The Gleaner. Griffiths, who had been ailing for some time, passed away on Wednesday morning at his home in St Elizabeth. Born on New Year’s Day, Griffiths was two weeks shy of his 75th birthday. “Albert stopped touring about 14 years owing to illness and has been at his home in Aberdeen, where he was being cared for very well,” Stephenson said of the vocalist, who recorded blockbuster hit Hello Carol in the late sixties. “It is sad that an entire era of singers is passing away. The Gladiators were one of the first acts signed to Virgin Records and took their career on an international level.” Stephenson, who also managed Toots Hibbert, said there were many similarities between the two. “Those men were totally dedicated to the music [and] left enduring legacies that must be cherished. Albert always said that when he goes on stage, he is there to minister. I am very honoured to have worked among these great men, and they have taught me to be humble,” Stephenson said in tribute. Griffiths started The Gladiators in 1967 while a session guitarist at Coxsone Dodd’s famous Studio One. He recruited his childhood friends David Webber and Errol Grandison to form the original Gladiators vocal group, and soon after, added Gallimore Sutherland and Clinton Fearon. According to their bio, during the early 1970s, the Gladiators cut numerous records for various producers, but it was their Studio One recordings such as Bongo Red, Jah Jah Go Before Us, Mr Baldwin, and Roots Natty that became their biggest hits. This success attracted the attention of Britain-based Virgin Records, which gave the group their first major recording contract in 1976. Their debut full-length album for Virgin was Trenchtown Mix Up, followed by Proverbial Reggae (1978). Notably, at the time, The Gladiators was a full band and also included musicians such as Sly Dunbar on drums. Lloyd Parks on bass, Uziah “Sticky” Thompson on percussion, Ansel Collins on keyboards, and Earl ‘Wire’ Lindo on synthesizer. Errol Thompson and Joe Gibbs were their engineer and mixer. Relentless touring throughout Europe, the United States, South America, and the Pacific made The Gladiators a top draw. Booking agent and producer Michel Jovanovic of Mediaone, based in France, told The Gleaner that he has worked with Albert Griffiths and The Gladiators — which at one point also included his sons Anthony and Al — since 1997. Jovanovic remembered Griffiths as a great artiste who gave everything on his shows whether he was performing for 45,000 people or 400. “It’s very sad. Albert had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and he stopped touring entirely, but before that, there were several tours throughout Europe, the US, and Australia, where his music was in demand. His last tour was in 2006, and it was always a really great moment when Albert was on stage. He was a great artiste and a good man,” Jovanovic said
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lundi 30 novembre 2020
BBC Former Senegal, Fulham and Portsmouth midfielder Papa Bouba Diop has died aged 42. Diop made 129 appearances in the Premier League and also had spells in England with West Ham United and Birmingham City. ADVERTISEMENT He played for Senegal at the 2002 World Cup, scoring the winner in the tournament's opening game as his country beat France 1-0. "Once a World Cup hero, always a World Cup hero," Fifa posted on social media. A post on Fulham's Twitter account said the club was "devastated" and, using Diop's nickname, added: "Rest well, Wardrobe." Senegal reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup, with Diop going on to score twice more in the 3-3 group-stage draw with Uruguay. He also featured at four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, including when Senegal were runners-up in 2002. He retired in 2013. Diop helped Portsmouth, who were managed by Harry Redknapp at the time, win the FA Cup in 2008. "He was such a wonderful character," Redknapp told BBC Radio 5 Live. "He was fantastic for me, a great character, always happy and always had a smile on his face. He was a giant of a man. "He had no aggression in him. He looked aggressive on the pitch because he was so big, but there was nothing nasty about him. "My thoughts are with all his family." Macky Sall, the president of Senegal, called Diop's death "a great loss for Senegal" while Liverpool's Senegal midfielder Sadio Mane wrote on his Instagram: "Pape Bouba, it was
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Kenyan university beats Oxford in law competition Kenyatta University Martin Kioko Munyoto (L) and Sidney Tambasi Netya (R) led Kenyatta University to victory Kenya's Kenyatta University has beaten the UK's Oxford University in the semi-finals of a competition for aspiring lawyers. Oxford - one of the most prestigious universities in the world - were the defending champions in the Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition. It sees students being given a hypothetical human rights case to argue, with teams from around the world participating in the annual event. It was held virtually this year. Kenyatta University was represented by third-year and second-year students Sidney Tambasi Netya and Martin Kioko Munyoto respectively, who are both studying law. “We went into this competition with the determination to elevate the voice against violation of human rights, and to that extent, we are proud of achieving this level of success,” Mr Netya said. At the same time, Kenya's Strathmore University beat Bolivia’s Universidad Catolica, setting the scene for an all-Kenyan final. For the first time since 2009, an African team - two from Kenya in this case - has made it to the finals of the competition. The four students who will take part in the finals are all below the age of 23
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Will Wearing a Mask be the New Normal? By Dora Mekouar November 15, 2020 01:04 PM Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via Email Print this page In this March 19, 2020 photo, a commuter wears a face mask while riding the subway in New York. In this March 19, 2020 photo, a commuter wears a face mask while riding the subway in New York. A year ago, if you saw someone wearing a mask, you might assume they were sick or maybe even a little weird or paranoid. Today, thanks to the pandemic, wearing a mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is the new normal for many Americans. Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia require people to wear face coverings in public. But is it a habit that might outlast the pandemic? “I do expect there to be somewhat of a lingering effect of habits that we picked up like wearing a mask as you leave your apartment or house,” says Dr. Barun Mathema, assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University in New York. “But, perhaps as the memory of the pandemic itself fades, so will these habits.” Not all Americans have adopted mask-wearing, especially not those who view masks through a political lens. But pandemics have changed public habits in the past. Wearing a face covering is much more common in East Asia since the outbreak of SARS, a viral respiratory illness, in 2003. Barbers Johnny "Geo" Sanchez, left, and Alberto Sagentin, rear, cut hair in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, May 21, 2020. Barbers Johnny "Geo" Sanchez, left, and Alberto Sagentin, rear, cut hair in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, May 21, 2020. However, the experts VOA talked to are doubtful many Americans will continue a mask habit post-pandemic. “I assume that every time we have a flu and cold season, more people will be doing it [wearing masks], but I don't see this as a nationwide, brand-new custom, that we've learned our ways,” says Dr. Boris Lushniak, dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland. “It's been hard enough to get people to do it in the midst of all the data and all the information of this pandemic,” he adds. “I think we'll see more of it, but I don't think it's going to be widely prevalent.” However, Lushniak, who was the U.S. deputy surgeon general from November 2010 to September 2015, does expect handshakes to become less common. “I can see how, in the future, especially during the cold and flu seasons, people are going to step away from it saying, ‘Hey, listen, let’s just wave, let’s bow to each other, let's do a namaste. Let's do something different,” he says. “So yeah, I think there's going to be a cultural shift with the handshake.” Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, left, bumps elbows at Sergio's Restaurant in Doral, Florida, July 23, 2020. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, left, bumps elbows at Sergio's Restaurant in Doral, Florida, July 23, 2020. Overall, Americans might be less touchy-feely, according to Dr. Aaron Glatt, spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). “I think that the ease with which we grabbed each other, hugged each other, touched each other, shook hands, I do think there will be changes in social practices, what's considered an acceptable way to greet, maybe you know, the elbow bump, as opposed to a firm handshake, and that maybe people won't be you know hugging and kissing strangers as much,” says Glatt, who is also a professor and chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside, New York. Other lingering impacts could be an expectation of higher levels of cleanliness. “When you go through something like a pandemic, regardless of how you feel politically, it is a fairly scary and unpredictable event. And I do feel like certain habits that we've picked up, like hygiene habits, are likely to stick on some level of moving forward,” says Mathema of Columbia University. “Some of these habits that we've learned, like washing our hands, including mask-wearing, for that matter, disinfecting surfaces, some of these habits will likely sort of continue on,” he adds. Hand sanitizer sits on a cart as Des Moines Public Schools custodian Tracy Harris cleans a chair at Brubaker Elementary School, July 8, 2020, in Des Moines, Iowa. Hand sanitizer sits on a cart as Des Moines Public Schools custodian Tracy Harris cleans a chair at Brubaker Elementary School, July 8, 2020, in Des Moines, Iowa. And that could be one of the pandemic’s silver linings. “I think there's a heightened sense of awareness of how certain illnesses can be spread,” says Glatt of IDSA. “People won’t accept … uncleanliness or poor hygiene, and they may wipe things down where in the past they would have not thought to do so. They may be a little bit more careful washing their hands.” Industries might also change. More businesses have gone paperless and contactless during the pandemic; there are fewer receipts to sign, restaurants have dropped paper menus, and airlines have new cleaning and air filtration standards. “I see that being the more important component, where the service side of the world is basically going to say, ‘We learned that cleanliness is important, that disinfection is important, and we'll continue doing that in the workplace,’” says Lushniak of the University of Maryland. “It's those types of practices that I think people will be looking for and, in fact, specific industries may be advertising, saying, ‘Hey, we do it this way, why don't you come into our place versus some other place?’” A shopper wears a mask and gloves to protect against coronavirus, as he shops at a grocery store in Mount Prospect, Illinois, May 13, 2020. A shopper wears a mask and gloves to protect against coronavirus, as he shops at a grocery store in Mount Prospect, Illinois, May 13, 2020. Another long-term impact of the pandemic could be more people staying at home when they are sick. “What we've learned about here is the beauty of, not in everybody's circumstance, but the world of telework has really opened up new opportunities for us to say, ‘Listen, you know, right now I'm not feeling well.’ It used to be that that was always a sign of weakness,” Lushniak says. In a post-pandemic world, staying home might be more likely to be viewed as a courtesy to fellow commuters and coworkers, and an effort to stop the spread of disease.
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Alphonse de Lamartine regarding the Prophet Muhammad SWS Posted on August 10, 2012 Alphonse de Lamartine (d. 1869) was a French poet, politician, and writer who was influential in the foundation of the Second Republic. He was a central figure who led the campaign to abolish slavery and the death penalty and was a strong advocate of democracy. The following is the way he described the Prophet Muhammad: “Never has a man proposed for himself, voluntarily or involuntarily, a goal more sublime, since this goal was beyond measure: undermine the superstitions placed between the creature and the Creator, give back God to man and man to God, reinstate the rational and saintly idea of divinity in the midst of this prevailing chaos of material and disfigured gods of idolatry. Never has a man accomplished in such a short time such an immense and long lasting revolution in the world, since less than two centuries after his predication, Islam, preaching and armed, ruled over three Arabias, and conquered to God’s unity Persia, the Khorasan, Transoxania, Western India, Syria, Egypt, Ethiopia, and all the known continent of Southern Africa, many islands of the Mediterranean, Spain and part of Gaul. If the grandeur of the aim, the smallness of the means, the immensity of the results are the three measures of a man’s genius, who would dare humanly compare a great man of modern history with Muhammad? The most famous have only moved weapons, laws, empires; they founded, when they founded anything, only material powers, often crumbling before them. This man not only moved armies, legislation, empires, peoples, dynasties, millions of men over a third of the inhabited globe; but he also moved ideas, beliefs, souls. He founded upon a book, of which each letter has become a law, a spiritual nationality embracing people of all languages and races; and made an indelible imprint upon this Muslim nation, for the hatred of false gods and the passion for the God, One and Immaterial. Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of a rational dogma for a cult without imagery, founder of twenty earthly empires and of one spiritual empire, this is Muhammad. Of all the scales by which one measures human grandeur, which man has been greater…” (Extract from Alphonse de Lamartine’s Histoire de la Turquie Paris, 1854, vol. II, pp. 276-277
lundi 2 novembre 2020
Iba Der Thiam Senegalese writer Iba Der Thiam, also known as I. D. Thiam, was a Senegalese writer, historian, and politician. He served in the government of Senegal as Minister of Education from 1983 to 1988; later, he was First Vice-President of the National Assembly of Senegal... Wikipedia Born: February 26, 1937, Kaffrine Died: October 31, 2020 Nationality: Senegalese Graduation date: 1972
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https://www.bbc.com/news/world/africa/live?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=5f89c9768baf0c02d0e790c3%26%27Monolingualism%20is%20the%20carbon%20monoxide%20of%20culture%27%262020-10-16T16%3A32%3A35.841Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:b7dc7b42-8473-4f24-b52b-6fc7f553deca&pinned_post_asset_id=5f89c9768baf0c02d0e790c3&pinned_post_type=share
'Monolingualism is the carbon monoxide of culture' Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o is well known for his promotion of the use of mother tongue languages, but he caused a bit of a stir recently when he gave an acceptance speech for an international award in his preferred Gikuyu language. He spoke out in favour of writers adopting their own tongue instead of colonial languages nearly six decades ago and now writes exclusively in Gikuyu. “I’m really a believer in the equality of languages and I believe that every language even if spoken by five people has a right to be,” Ngugi told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme. He added that "the challenge we have is how people from one language community can have conversations with members of another language community” without there being the assumption that there is a dominant language. He also said that the dominance of some languages is destroying cultures and hindering communication. “Monolingualism is the carbon monoxide of culture and multilingualism is the oxygen of culture.” Listen to the interview with Focus on Africa radio:
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bbc.com Africa LIVE Africa Live: Nigeria to investigate ‘rogue’ police force BBC World Service Africa Summary Some have responded that there have been investigations into Sars before Ethiopia bans flights over Nile Dam Weah blasts Liberian youth for asking him for money Lesotho Twitter users could be classed as 'broadcasters' Three Kenyan lions die in bushmeat traps Eight migrants dead and 12 missing off Djibouti coast Ex-top police woman in South African court Kenya mall attack verdict postponed US lauds Mali's transitional government Live Reporting Related Stories Live Reporting Damian Zane 10:15 Discovering a new self in the diaspora BBC Focus on Africa radio What's it like to walk the tightrope between life at home in Africa and life in the diaspora? Award-winning Ugandan writer Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi has been exploring this in her book Manchester Happened, which has just come out in paperback. Famous for the acclaimed novel Kintu, Makumbi turned her hand to writing short stories weaving tales between Uganda and the UK. She told the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme that through the diaspora experience people "discover pieces of themselves they may never have know". Listen to the interview: 05:35 The award-winning Ugandan novelist talks to Focus on Africa about telling diaspora stories 9:57 Mediation talks with South African miners' union fail Russell Padmore Business correspondent, BBC News Three of South Africa's big mining companies are still hoping to avoid strikes by their workforces, after one of the country's biggest trade unions said talks with the official mediation service about wage increases had ended without agreement. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has threatened to call strikes at De Beers, Exxaro and Petra Diamonds. The NUM, which is one of the biggest mining unions in South Africa, has secured a certificate to strike, after talks on a wage settlement with the companies, at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, came to no agreement. The union wants a pay increase of up to 8.5% while the mining companies are offering about 4%. The NUM said: “De Beers can afford to pay the wage increases and other benefits that the NUM members are demanding, after the company recently recorded a 176% jump in rough diamond sales.” The trade union says a significant increase in pay is needed for miners because prices of food and fuel have skyrocketed. The three companies say they will continue to engage with the NUM. 9:17 South Sudan re-opens schools after Covid-19 closure Nichola Mandil Juba BBC Schools in South Sudan have officially reopened today after more than six months since they were closed in March as a measure to curb the spread of Covid-19. Two weeks ago, President Salva Kiir ordered the resumption of schools and universities as the country continues to experience a significant reduction in coronavirus infections. The re-opening of schools was backed by a “Back to Learning Campaign” under the theme: “Safe learning during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.” Addressing students and teachers on Monday, Education Minister Awut Deng Achuil said the resumption of learning is to be carried out in two phases. First will be the primary school pupils and the oldest secondary school students due to sit final exams. Phase two will see the re-opening of all schools in April 2021. 8:52 Authorities to investigate 'rogue' Nigerian force Nigeria's police affairs minister says that there will be an investigation into alleged infractions by a notorious unit in the police force that has been accused of atrocities against innocent civilians and routine harassment. twitter Report On Sunday, Nigeria's inspector general of police Mohammed Adamu banned the Special Anti Robbery Squad (Sars) from carrying out stop and search duties and setting up roadblocks. The hashtag #EndSARS had been trending on Twitter, triggered by the alleged killing of a young man by officers from the unit in the city of Lagos on Saturday. But there have been investigations in the past, the results of which have not been released, the BBC's Nduka Orjinmo reports from the capital, Abuja. People want that information rather than more investigations, he added. 8:21 Lesotho Twitter users could be classed as 'broadcasters' If you have more than 100 followers on Twitter in Lesotho then you could be classed as an internet broadcaster and have to register with the authorities, according to a proposal being considered. The Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA) is currently asking for comments on the proposal. It defines internet broadcasting as “internet posts accessible to at least 100 internet users in Lesotho… and internet posts by users who have more than 100 followers in Lesotho”. By registering with the LCA, social media users will then have to comply with broadcasting rules, which could then mean that they would be subject to investigation if they are thought to have broken the rules. Twitter users in Lesotho - inevitably - are not impressed. This one questioned whether the authorities could even manage to get it together to investigate: twitter Report Another called the idea "ridiculous": twitter Report 7:45 Ethiopia's Nile dam 'to produce power in 12 months' Ethiopia's dam on the Blue Nile will produce electricity within the next 12 months, the Reuters news agency quotes President Sahle-Work Zewde as saying. She was echoing comments from other officials earlier in the year. There are already 4.9 billion cubic metres in the reservoir sitting behind the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd) after the first year of filling. This means that the water level has reached the height of the first two turbines. When completed in the next few years, Gerd will be the largest hydro-electric plant on the continent. But its development has been a source of tension with Egypt downstream. Ethiopia's aviation authority has announced a ban on aircraft flying over the dam site for security reasons. 6:40 Ugandan judge injured in road accident A Ugandan judge was injured in a road accident on Monday morning while travelling to a court in the western part of the country, according to the Uganda Red Cross. The Daily Monitor newspaper has identified the judge as Paul Gadenya. He was previously the chief registrar of the judiciary. The newspaper quotes a police spokesperson as saying the cause of the accident is still under investigation. A hospital official is quoted as saying the judge was in a life-threatening condition and will be air-lifted to the capital, Kampala, for further treatment. The Uganda Red Cross has tweeted photos of the wreckage of the judge's car: twitter Report 6:24 Mali target Traore arrives for Spain duty Wolverhampton Wanderers' Adama Traore arrives for Spain's training camp rather than Mali's, after being named in both squads. Read more 6:11 Three Kenyan lions die in bushmeat traps Three lions have died in Kenya’s Masai Mara national park after being trapped in snares laid by hunters try to catch bushmeat, the authorities say. Four hyenas and one eland were also killed. “It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the tragic death of Rafiki, Lenkume [and] one of Lenkume’s sons,” the Mara Predator Conservation Programme said on its Facebook page, referring to the lions. All the animals “fell victim to a cluster of deadly bushmeat snares”, it added. It said that the eland must have been trapped in a snare “and we assume that this is what attracted the lions and hyenas to the site, where they also got trapped in snares”. The authorities are now clearing the site of other traps and investigating what exactly happened. The Mara Predator Conservation Programme also posted a series of grim pictures showing the dead animals but said: “Let's remember these beautiful lions when they were roaming the Mara.” Following years of poaching and a decline in their natural habitat, there were just 2,000 lions left in Kenya at the last count, in 2017. Report 5:22 Ethiopia bans flights over mega-dam for security Quoting the head of Ethiopia's civil aviation authority, the Reuters news agency has confirmed that the country has banned aircraft from flying over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd) in the north of the country for security reasons. We had published a post earlier on this story based on details from Ethiopia's Reporter newspaper. "All flights have been banned to secure the dam," Wesenyeleh Hunegnaw told Reuters without giving any more information. The Gerd dams the Blue Nile, the Nile's main tributary. Egypt, which is downstream, has called it "a threat of potentially existential proportions". The country almost totally relies on the river for its water supply. There have been increased tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia over the dam, but the two countries, along with Sudan, are part of an African Union process to try and resolve the differences. 4:58 BREAKING Kenya mall attack verdict postponed The verdict in the trial of three men charged with helping the militants who attacked the Westgate shopping mall in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, has now been postponed until tomorrow. Magistrate Francis Andayi said that there were some sections in his ruling that had loose ends that needed to be tied up. 4:33 Defendants in Kenya shopping mall attack case in court The three men charged with helping armed militants launch an attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, in 2013 have arrived in court, according to a journalist covering the trial. twitter Report Here are some key points about the attack: The siege in September 2013 lasted for four days Sixty-two civilians, five security officers and the four attackers died Initially the authorities said there had been 10 attackers, but then revised the figure down to four. They said all of them had been killed but forensic tests on their remains have never been released Rivalry between police and military forces was pointed out as a factor that hindered the response Since the attack there has been better coordination and response This helped in the response to the Dusit hotel and office complex attack in January 2019 when 21 people died In April 2015 four gunmen stormed Garissa University College and killed 148 people, most of them students 3:56 Ex-top police woman in South African court The former head of police in South Africa's KwaZulu Natal province has appeared in court in connection with a corruption case. A warrant for the arrest of Mmamonnye Ngobeni had been issued on Friday after she failed to appear at the Durban Magistrate’s Court, but she did show up on Monday. She faces corruption charges relating to bribes that were allegedly paid to her to try and get an inquiry into a tender issued for the 2010 Fifa World Cup stopped, local outlet EWN reports. A journalist tweeting from the court says Ms Ngobeni's lawyer said that she was "confident" that she will be exonerated. twitter Report 3:27 Malawi leader marks 100 days in office Reuters President Lazarus Chakwera vowed to unite the country and fight poverty An event presenting an audit of the first 100 days in office of Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera is under way in the capital, Lilongwe. The secretary to the cabinet, Zangazanga Chikhosi, has outlined the initiatives approved by the cabinet to ease the cost of production for farmers. Vice-President Saulos Chilima said the new administration is in the process of reforming public service to ensure improved service delivery. President Chakwera is expected to address the nation during the event and highlight the policies his administration will undertake. He vowed to unite the country and fight poverty during his inauguration in June. 2:51 Weah blasts Liberian youth for asking him for money Jonathan Paye-Layleh BBC News, Monrovia EPA George Weah became Liberian president in January 2018 Liberia’s President George Weah has revealed in a church sermon that he receives a barrage of insults via text message from people claiming to be his supporters who are angry that he is not helping them. The 54-year-old ex-footballer is approaching the half-way point of his term in office and some are complaining that his government has failed to create the job opportunities that Mr Weah had promised when running for president. In a sermon transcribed by the FrontPage Africa newspaper, the president is quoted as telling worshippers that out of every 1,000 messages he receives, 999 are insults. The president declared that he will not offer any help or assistance to people who continuously show him disrespect through text messages. “You are arrogant and you’re asking me for something small; I will not do it. You can’t be asking for help and disrespecting the president,” Mr Weah is quoted as saying. He blasted young people 19-20 years old who desire to live on their own instead of remaining with their parents. “You know I was 18 years sleeping on the floor? Why are you rushing life?” he asked. The president was raised by his grandmother in a slum in the capital, Monrovia, from where he rose to stardom and went on to become one of the greatest African soccer players of all time, winning the Fifa Player of the Year title in 1995. He said young people should be thinking about going into business and not living on their own. “Some of you telling me to pay your rent; you get your ma and pa and you asking me to pay your rent; “why you can’t go live with your ma. The money you want to pay your rent [with]; you can use it with your mother to do business.” 2:18 Ex-Burundi MP held for 'attempt to overthrow government' Samba Cyuzuzo BBC Great Lakes Former Burundian MP Fabien Banciryanino is in police detention for what the authorities said was an attempt to overthrow the government, according to his family. Mr Banciryanino was arrested on Friday after a press conference that he had called for that day was cancelled, a close family member told the BBC. He was taken by police from his home in the commercial capital, Bujumbura, the family member added. Police have not commented on the claims. The former lawmaker was a critic of ex-President Pierre Nkurunziza, who died in June. He opposed a law that created a number of retirement perks for Mr Nkurunziza, including giving him the title of "supreme guide to patriotism". His press conference on Friday was to comment on accusations carried by a local YouTube channel that he had insulted the new President, Evariste Ndayishimiye, according to the family member. 1:35 Schools re-open in Cameroon AFP Some final year students had resumed school in June Schools in Cameroon are re-opening with students expected to learn in shifts in overcrowded schools so as to ensure social distancing. Some students will learn in the morning while others will report to school in the afternoon. Only primary and secondary school students are expected to resume on Monday with universities set to reopen on 15 October. The government has released guidelines to be followed to prevent the spread of coronavirus. All students except those in classes one to three and expected to wear masks. Handwashing points are to be provided around the school premises. Schools closed in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. Final year students returned to sit for their examinations, but those in Anglophone regions have been experiencing difficulties because of the separatist rebellion. 0:55 Zambian miners 'quarantined by Chinese employer freed' A group of Zambian miners held by their Chinese employer for five months as a safety measure against coronavirus have been released, the Lusaka Times website reports. Their release on Sunday followed the intervention of a local MP. They had been held within the mine complex to prevent them from contracting the virus and infecting their Chinese supervisors. The vice-president told parliament two weeks ago that the government was not aware of the workers' detention, the website reports. The Chinese managers are reported to have left the mine when a delegation of government officials arrived to release the miners. Zambia has to date confirmed more than 15,000 coronavirus cases and 333 deaths. 0:16 Kenyan MPs face arrest over deadly political clash The head of Kenya's police force has ordered the arrest of two MPs in connection with an outbreak of violence between rival political supporters that left two people dead and several injured. Ndindi Nyoro and Alice Wahome are accused of hiring people to instigate clashes between supporters of President Uhuru Kenyatta and those backing his deputy, William Ruto. Police chief Hillary Mutyambai has also ordered that vehicles hired to "ferry goons" be tracked and detained to assist in Investigation. Supporters of President Kenyatta, and those backing his deputy, Mr Ruto, pelted each other with stones and burnt tyres outside a church in central Kenya. The police fired tear gas - some of which went into the church. The two leaders have fallen out, largely due to Mr Ruto's intention to run for president in two years time when Mr Kenyatta steps down. 23:45 4 Oct Ramaphosa backs women farmers in new land reforms South Africa will give priority to women and youth in a new programme to lease idle state land. President Cyril Ramaphosa said women who were allocated farms under the existing Pro-Active Land Acquisition Strategy had run them successfully and moved into commercial production. He said it was important to ensure land leased for farming is used for that purpose and that farmers are supported to boost production. The new reforms will see 700,000 hectares of under-utilised or vacant state land given to farmers. The president tweeted his full statement
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BBC AFRICA. Anger over Nigerian 'rogue' police unit Videos shared on social media appear to show officers extorting money and even shooting people. Read more 16:31 3 Oct Nigeria's mentally ill chained up for years on end By Nduka Orjinmo & Salihu Adamu BBC News, Abuja Maltreatment of adults with mental illness and children living with relatives has shocked Nigerians. Read more 5:54 3 Oct 'Stuck in London due to Mauritius quarantine fee' By Nora Fakim BBC News One holidaymaker stuck in London says her government's fees to return home are too high. Read more 16:25 2 Oct The Nigeria-born man who fought the Nazis in Warsaw By Nicholas Boston City University of New York August Agboola Browne is thought to have been the only black person in the Polish resistance. Read more 10:02 2 Oct Scroll down for this week's stories We'll be back after the weekend That's all from the BBC Africa Live team for this week - there will be an automated service until Monday morning. Keep up-to-date with what's happening across the continent by listening to the Africa Today podcast or check the BBC News website. A reminder of our wise words of the day: Those married to thunder are never afraid of lightning." A Chichewa proverb sent by Joseph James Awali in Blantyre, Malawi Click here to send in your African proverbs. And we leave you with an image from our selection of some of the best pictures of the week from Africa. It is of a guitar maker in Ivory Coast's main city, Abidjan: EPA 10:01 2 Oct Breaking the glass ceiling for black designers British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye this week became the first black recipient of the highest honour bestowed upon someone in his profession in the UK - the Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects. His work includes the Museum of African American History in the US, a high-end retail space in Nigeria and a memorial in South Africa. He is currently involved in several projects in Ghana, which is where his parents are from - including the design of a national cathedral. Sir David said that he hoped that his winning the award would "break a glass ceiling". "That was very important for not just me but all the black designers around the world who have been excluded from awards," he told the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme. "I hope this... allows more and more black designers to be celebrated." Listen to his interview with presenter Audrey Brown: Sir David Adjaye awarded the Royal Gold Medal for architecture 9:24 2 Oct Tanzania opposition leader suspended from campaign BBC Tundu Lissu returned to Tanzania in July after moving to Belgium following an attempt on his life in 2017 Tanzania's National Electoral Commission (NEC) has barred the main opposition presidential candidate, Tundu Lissu, from campaigning for a week. It comes at a critical time with the elections at the end of the month. The NEC said its ethics committee had taken the decision following complaints from the ruling CCM party and the opposition NRA party. The parties accused Mr Lissu of falsely claiming that President John Magufuli had held a secret meeting with district bosses with the intention of influencing the outcome of the polls. Mr Lissu was also accused of calling on the public not to accept any vote rigging, urging them to take to the streets in protest, the BBC's Aboubakar Famau reports. Mr Lissu denies the accusations and has the right to appeal against the suspension of his campaign. 8:45 2 Oct Nigeria's president praying for Donald Trump Ishaq Khalid BBC News, Abuja Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has joined other leaders around the world in wishing the US President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, a quick and full recovery from Covid-19. Report According to a statement from the Nigerian presidency, Mr Buhari expressed sympathy for Mr Trump and his family, adding that ‘’the incident of Covid-19 in the White House manifests the challenge posed by the pandemic across the world, and difficulty in containing the spread”. The statement says the Nigerian leader joins American citizens in praying for the US president and his wife who tested positive for the virus. President Buhari also took the opportunity to urge more compliance with the Covid-19 guidelines among Nigerians. Earlier in the day, Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa also wished the US leader well. 8:20 2 Oct Hachalu killing: Suspects 'charged with terrorism' BBC Hachalu Hundessa's murder at the end of June sparked trouble in which at least 150 people died The Ethiopian authorities have charged the four people accused of killing popular musician Hachalu Hundeasa with terrorism, the Reuters news agency reports, quoting a spokesman for the attorney general. Hachalu’s death in late June led to a wave of protests during which more than 150 people died. Thousands have been arrested in relation to the trouble, including politician and former media mogul Jawar Mohammed, who himself has been charged with terrorism. Reuters quotes the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation as saying that the suspects who are accused of killing Hachalu are believed to have been colluding with others to kill several prominent people. 7:46 2 Oct Rusesabagina case: Hotel Rwanda 'hero' denied bail Samba Cyuzuzo BBC Great Lakes BBC Paul Rusesabagina was photographed in court last week A court in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, has denied bail to Paul Rusesabagina, the man who inspired Hollywood film Hotel Rwanda about the 1994 genocide. It depicted his efforts to save hundreds of Tutsis at his hotel during the 1994 genocide. He is now facing 13 charges including terrorism and murder, in connection with his alleged support of deadly attacks by a rebel group. He has made no comment on the charges. Last week, he said that though he was part of a group that formed the National Liberation Front rebel movement it was “not for terrorism activities”. Mr Rusesabagina had appealed for bail on the basis of his health and the lack of evidence. But the judge said that he represented a flight risk, according to an independent journalist who was allowed into the court. His family allege he was kidnapped in Dubai and taken to Rwanda. The authorities have not said where he was arrested. His five children told a virtual press conference on Thursday that he had been denied an independent team of lawyers. “And we know that he was tortured to say what they want and have prepared,” said his daughter Anaise Kanimba. 7:16 2 Oct Deaths at Saudi migrant detention centre - report Thousands of Ethiopian detainees are facing "unimaginable cruelty", Amnesty International says. Read more 7:01 2 Oct Gandhi bust put up in Malawi despite previous protests Peter Jegwa Lilongwe, Malawi Indian High Commission Malawi Malawi's Foreign Minister Eisenhower Mkaka called Gandhi an "icon" A bust of renowned Indian independence hero Mahatma Gandhi has been unveiled in the Malawian capital, Lilongwe, two years after critics prevented a Gandhi statue from being erected in the southern city of Blantyre. The Indian high commission's original plans in 2018 met stiff resistance from some locals who formed the Gandhi Must Fall movement. They accused the Indian leader of having used racial slurs against black Africans and took the matter to court. This time, in Lilongwe, the intention to unveil the bust was not announced in advance and the Indian diplomats got around any possible objections by siting it within the grounds of their offices. Friday marks the birthday of Gandhi, who was assassinated in 1948 at the age of 78. The unveiling ceremony was attended by Malawi's Foreign Minister Eisenhower Mkaka who praised Gandhi. "Mahatma Gandhi, who led India's freedom movement through non-violent struggle, is not only an icon for India but also a global icon that set the ball rolling for emancipation from the colonial struggle," he said. There's been no immediate reaction from the Gandhi Must Fall Movement. 6:44 2 Oct Traore set to choose between Spain and Mali Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traore has been named in both the Spain and Mali squads this week. Read more 6:22 2 Oct Amnesty: Egypt used excessive force at rare protests BBC World Service Amnesty International says that the security forces in Egypt used teargas, batons and birdshot - as well as live ammunition on at least one occasion - to quell rare anti-government protests last month. The human rights group says that its sources have told it that the security forces killed two men - and subjected hundreds more to arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances. Amnesty says that its report is based on interviews with eyewitnesses, lawyers and the review of videos of the protests, which took place in a number of poor districts in both rural and urban areas in the middle of last month. 5:46 2 Oct Nigeria schools to reopen in a week's time Chris Ewokor BBC News, Abuja EPA Some states had reopened schools The Nigerian government has ordered the reopening of all schools in the country. Education Minister Adamu Adamu made the announcement on Friday morning. The minister's spokesperson Bem Goong clarified to the BBC that post-primary schools owned by the federal government - locally known as unity schools - would reopen on 12 October. State and private schools will determine their own modalities of reopening, according to Mr Goong. He said the bodies regulating the various tertiary institutions including universities, colleges and polytechnic in the country will come up with their own resumption schedules after putting in place structures for adherence to the Covid-19 guidelines. Some states reopened primary and secondary schools last month. 5:45 2 Oct Meningitis outbreak in parts of Nigeria The number of deaths is now over 260 Over 260 people have now died from meningitis in northern Nigeria. 5:10 2 Oct Kenya's deputy leader banned from ruling party's office Emmanuel Igunza BBC News, Nairobi Getty Images President Uhuru Kenyatta (L) and his deputy William Ruto formed a coalition in 2012 Kenya’s ruling party - Jubilee - has banned Deputy President William Ruto from accessing the party’s headquarters as the rift between the president and his deputy widens. The Secretary General of Jubilee, Raphael Tuju, claimed the deputy president ceased being a member of the party after he launched "his own headquarters" to bolster his bid to become president in 2022. Publicly, the president and his deputy have dismissed reports about a rift between them but their top aides have issued statements that confirm their differences. This week, the deputy president snubbed a national conference attended by the president - with his seat was left vacant throughout the event. Their differences have raised concerns about a repeat of the 2007 post-election violence that claimed more than 1,000 lives. This is President Uhuru Kenyatta’s last term in office but Mr Ruto has already declared an intention to run for the top office in the elections in two years' time. 4:28 2 Oct Judges named for Rwanda genocide suspect's trial Samba Cyuzuzo BBC Great Lakes EPA Félicien Kabuga was once one of Rwanda's richest men The UN tribunal in Arusha, Tanzania, has appointed three judges to conduct the trial of Rwandan genocide suspect Félicien Kabuga. Scottish Judge Iain Bonomy will preside the chamber assisted by Uruguayan Judge Graciela Susana Gatti Santana and Ugandan Judge Elizabeth Ibanda-Nahamya, the UN court said in a statement. On Wednesday French top court backed Mr Kabuga extradition to the UN court. But his lawyer wants him to be tried in The Hague, citing the coronavirus pandemic and his client's health and age. France's extradition law says that Mr Kabuga needs to be transferred to Arusha within a month. Mr Kabuga is alleged to have backed and armed ethnic Hutu militias who slaughtered about 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus. In May, he described the accusations as "lies". He was arrested near Paris in May after evading capture for 26 years Read more: Félicien Kabuga: French court backs extradition of Rwanda genocide suspect 3:39 2 Oct Zimbabwe leader wishes Trump full recovery Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has sent his best wishes to US President Donald Trump and his wife after they tested positive for Covid-19. Mr Trump and First Lady Melania Trump announced on Friday that they are self-isolating, with their physician saying they will "remain within the White House during their convalescence". President Mnangagwa tweeted his message: Report Relations between the two countries have been tense since the US imposed financial and travel restrictions on individuals and companies it accuses of gross violations of human rights. Some of the restrictions started 20 years ago. President Mnangagwa is among those sanctioned. 3:06 2 Oct Uganda to discharge Covid-19 patients without testing Getty Images Covid-19 patients had complained over long wait for negative test results Uganda's health ministry has revised its protocol for discharging Covid-19 patients that will see asymptomatic patients leave hospitals without a retest. Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng said patients who have been in isolation for 10 days will be discharged without testing if they do not show symptoms. "If PCR [Polymerase Chain Reaction test] is positive at day 10, a repeat after five days will be done and discharged if PCR is negative. If PCR is still positive at day 15, discharge at day 20 without further PCR testing will be done," she said. This will reduce the number of days that patients wait to be discharged after the first test. Previously patients could only be discharged after having two negative tests. But some patients had complained about the time spent waiting for the confirmatory test despite not showing symptoms. Uganda has to date confirmed 8,287 coronavirus cases including 4,430 recoveries and 75 deaths.
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BBC newa A reminder of our African proverb of the day: That which disturbs your sleep is of your own making." A Nuer proverb sent by Moses Ruai in Juba, South Sudan. And we leave you with this image from our selection of some of the best pictures from the continent this week of Maasai men in Kenya attending a ceremony: Reuters 17:22 25 Sep 'I have received death threats' DJ Edu This Is Africa Nex Studios After nearly 20 years in the game, activist and self-proclaimed voice of Sierra Leone, Emmerson Bockarie, is not mellowing with age. “We are slowly getting to that point where Sierra Leoneans are losing their freedom of speech and expression. It feels like everything is political and we are politicising everything,” he told This is Africa. The 39-year-old’s latest album, 9 Lives, picks up many of the threads he has previously woven through his work: politics, tribalism, corruption and a general antipathy for those in power. Since independence, Sierra Leone has been longing for strong leadership. What I do is ask tough questions and speak truth to power. I want a Sierra Leone that is inclusive, where women and youth contribute to matters that affect their lives.” One track in particular stands out on the new album as an attack on those who don’t share Emmerson’s views: a 14-minute finale-come-monologue entitled Kokonat Ed. “I feel like we have made our decision as a people, putting our political parties and our tribes and our region ahead of our country. So I’m calling us again to action by calling us coconut heads.” But Emmerson has paid a price for speaking out so bluntly. I have received death threats in the past. I’ve never been attacked physically but I have had text messages, in my social media, they’ve sent messages to my phone.” With a loyal following in his home country, would it not be more productive for Emmerson to try to instigate change from inside the halls of power? “If you ask me if I have that ambition to be a politician…? No, I do not have it. I do not have a bit of it.” “I just want to contribute towards nation building and play my own part, and I expect the same from every Sierra Leonean.” You can hear more from Emmerson Bockarie on This is Africa this Saturday, on BBC World Service radio and partner stations across Africa. 17:05 25 Sep Winning top prize would 'make the world take me seriously' Award-winning Zimbabwean author Tsitsi Dangarembga says winning the Booker Prize would "cause the world to take me more seriously than it had done up until I came on to the Booker scene". Her latest book, This Mournable Body, is on the Booker Prize shortlist, which was unveiled earlier this month. "It will make me feel better about myself," she told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme. "And I would hope it will come with some financial benefits so that I wouldn't be scraping from hand to mouth all the time as I am most of the time now, which has been exhausting." Here is the full interview: Zimbabwean author Tsitsi Dangarembga talks about her shortlisted novel 16:38 25 Sep Sierra Leone president: We cannot be this corrupt Will Ross Africa editor, BBC World Service Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio has said an investigation into allegations of corruption into the administration of his predecessor, President Ernest Bai Koroma, will lead to a large amount of property being confiscated and stolen money being returned to the state. President Maada Bio said the commission of inquiry, led by foreign judges, was as a major breakthrough that would help make corruption unfashionable and risky. "We have to draw the line... we cannot be this corrupt as a nation and expect to develop," he told the BBC's Umaru Fofana in Freetown. A lawyer for Mr Koroma's opposition APC party has dismissed the allegations and said the party would challenge the findings in court. Listen to the interview with the president: Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio talks about anti-corruption measures 16:15 25 Sep Migrants rescued by fishing boats near Libya BBC World Service The bodies of three migrants have been recovered after a vessel sank off the coast of western Libya. The International Organization for Migration said another 13 people were unaccounted for. Twenty-two survivors were rescued and brought back to Libya by fishing boats. Many migrants set out from Libya, from where they try to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe - often aboard dangerously overcrowded and unseaworthy boats. 15:43 25 Sep 'We pray the tourists come back soon' Ferdinand Omondi BBC News, Nairobi BBC Communities in private wildlife conservancies in Kenya are finding it hard to feed their families as the tourism industry continues to struggle from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In the Maasai Mara National Reserve, communities lease their land to investors in exchange for an annual fee. But many will not receive payment this year because of the absence of tourists, which has seen the income of luxury lodges cut dramatically. The unique economic model has encouraged wildlife conservation and the preservation of Maasai culture. Jewellery maker Kijolo Kasale told the BBC she was missing the money she got from European tourists. “When the Europeans used to come, we would sell necklaces, bracelets, men’s ornaments… we would use the money to educate our children… we pray they come back soon.“ This was a sentiment repeated by a number of people working in the area. BBC But the luxury camps are also suffering, meaning they are not passing money on. “For every guest that stays in this camp, there is a portion of money the tourist pays that goes directly to the land owners,” Rimoine Ole Kararei, who runs the Entumoto Safari Camp, said. “Last year this camp alone contributed $35,000 (£28,000) towards the community. This year it will be zero.” Despite Kenya reopening its airspace for international flights, it will be some time before visitor numbers return to what the area used to see. Until then, communities will have to scrape by to survive. 15:13 25 Sep Tanzania striker Samatta leaves Aston Villa BBC Sport Africa Aston Villa's Tanzanian striker Mbwana Samatta has joined Turkish side Fenerbahce on an initial loan deal until the end of the season. Fenerbanhce also said they had agreed a four-year deal with the 27-year-old, to be signed at the end of the loan. Samatta joined Villa in January from Belgian side Genk. He said: "I thank Villa for giving me the opportunity to fulfil my dream of playing in the Premier League." He scored on his Premier League debut against Bournemouth and also in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City in March. But those were his only two goals for the club and he struggled for form when the Premier League restarted in June. View more on Twitter Samatta has a huge fanbase in Tanzania and in response to the announcement about the move on Twitter, some have been joking that they are "unfollowing" Aston Villa. 14:40 25 Sep Ecowas: Mali sanctions will not be lifted Will Ross Africa editor, BBC World Service West African regional group Ecowas says it will not lift the sanctions it imposed on Mali after the military coup there five weeks ago until a civilian prime minister has been nominated. The announcement came shortly after Mali's new president was sworn in. Bah Ndaw, a former defence minister, was picked by the coup leader, Colonel Assimi Goita, to head a transitional government until elections are held. At a ceremony in the capital Bamako Col Goita was sworn in as the vice-president. Correspondents say the new president's main challenges include reversing an economic slump and ending the jihadist and inter communal violence in north and central Mali. 14:20 25 Sep Nigerian musician preserving the art of the talking drum Nigerian artist Ayan De First promotes Yoruba culture by continuing a family legacy of the talking drum which was passed on from generations before him. The instrument is carved from wood and covered on both ends by animal skin. Strings are used to hold together the skin and for tuning. [The] "talking drum is a musical instrument that mimics the language or interprets human voices. This is a magical instrument, very valuable and useful because we use it to speak different languages, to appreciate people, to call names, to do whatever you want to do with it," he told the BBC's Gbolahan Macjob. He said he played the instrument to the British royal family during the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebration in 2002. "Yoruba culture is being much more appreciated and embraced. My message to everyone and our Yoruba people is that our culture - we have to preserve it, protect it and value it more." Here is the full interview: Ayan De First wants to preserve the art of the talking drum in the Western world 14:06 25 Sep Nigeria plans survey to see how many had Covid-19 Will Ross Africa editor, BBC World Service The United States and Nigeria’s Centres for Disease Control are to conduct a household survey to determine the extent of coronavirus infections in Nigeria. People in four states including the biggest city, Lagos, will be asked if they wish to volunteer in the research which will include an antibody blood test to find out who has had the virus. The exercise aims to help health professionals understand the transmission patterns and to find out how many people with the virus have shown no symptoms. 13:25 25 Sep Nandi Tshabalala: Why I took the Jerusalema Challenge A South African song has inspired people from around the world to 'dance it out' A South African song has inspired people from around the world to 'dance it out' 13:06 25 Sep US mulls two-year limit for many African student visas Getty Images Proposed new US immigration measures could leave many African students in the country having to reapply for visas in the middle of their degree courses. A plan issued by the Department for Homeland Security (DHS), that is now up for discussion, outlines changes to student visas that have previously been issued for the duration of a course. But whereas students from many countries will be allowed to get a four-year visa, there are others who will be limited to two years "due to heightened concerns related to fraud, abuse, and national security", the DHS says. People from countries, including Sudan, listed by the US as state sponsors of terror will be affected. But by far the largest group are those from countries who have had more than 10% of their citizens overstay their visas. This includes Nigeria, which in 2019 had an overstay rate of 13% according to government data. Other countries affected include: Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Democratic Republic of Congo Gabon The Gambia Liberia Malawi Uganda 12:36 25 Sep Ten migrants drown trying to reach Mayotte BBC World Service BBC Ten migrants from the Comoros, including a seven-year-old child, have drowned while trying to make their way to the island of Mayotte - a French territory in the Indian Ocean. Police said their bodies were found washed up on the beach, with their boat appearing to have capsized in a strong swell. Rescuers picked up survivors perched on coral reefs. Mayotte has seen an influx of migrants from neighbouring countries. 12:24 25 Sep 'I want to teach Congolese people what art is' 'I want to teach Congolese people what art is' Dina Ekanga is a Congolese 'nail' artist who was inspired by the Nkisi Nkondi sculptures of the Kongo people. 11:55 25 Sep Mali's interim president sworn in ORTM1 Mali's new president has been sworn into office, five weeks after the overthrow of Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta. Former Defence Minister Bah Ndaw, 70, was picked by the coup leader, Colonel Assimi Goita, to head a transitional government until elections, which are expected in 18 months. Col Goita will be his vice-president. The appointment of a civilian president was a condition for the West African regional group, Ecowas, to lift the sanctions it imposed after the coup. Read more on this story. 11:49 25 Sep Rusesabagina: We formed rebel group but ‘not for terror’ Samba Cyuzuzo BBC Great Lakes BBC At a court hearing in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, Paul Rusesabagina, the man portrayed as a hero in Hollywood movie Hotel Rwanda about the genocide, said that though he was part of a group that formed the National Liberation Front (FLN) rebel movement it was “not for terrorism activities”. The FLN is the military wing of the foreign-based opposition Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change (MRCD) and Mr Rusesabagina is its vice-president. It launched deadly attacks in south-west Rwanda between 2018 and 2019. Mr Rusesabagina is facing 13 charges relating to terrorism and has been detained since he was brought to the country under mysterious circumstances at the end of August. He has made no comment on the charges. This was the first time he had appeared in court in a prison uniform. He said he helped create the rebel group to “attract attention of the Rwandan government on issues of Rwandan refugees”. But he added that he "wouldn’t downplay the crimes done by the FLN". The prosecutor said that Mr Rusesabagina could in no way distance himself from the rebel atrocities as he was a top leader. Mr Rusesabagina responded by saying he was in charge of political activities and the military group was independent. The court hearing was related to his application for bail. 11:01 25 Sep Nigerian hotel workers stripped over alleged theft Chris Ewokor BBC News, Abuja A group of human rights lawyers in Warri, southern Nigeria, is seeking compensation for four hotel workers who were allegedly stripped naked by their employer. They had been accused of stealing some money, but local media are reporting that they had been tipped by some guests. The four, three women and a man, were allegedly ordered to undress and were left wearing only their knickers or underpants as others, including the police, looked on. Photos and videos of the victims standing nearly naked were taken and shared widely on social media. The lawyers have written to the hotel owner - a former Nigerian minister - threatening legal action over the violation of the privacy and dehumanisation of their clients. They are asking for compensation and a public apology. The victims said that the photos and videos were shared on the internet to humiliate them. 10:11 25 Sep 'Vast areas under water' in South Sudan IOM 2020/Liatile Putsoa "Vast areas of [South Sudan] along the River Nile are now under water" according to the UN's humanitarian coordinator for the country Alain Noudéhou. The UN estimates that 600,000 people in the country have been forced to leave their homes. Returning from a visit to some of the flooded areas, Mr Noudéhou said that the number of people needing help "will continue to grow in the coming weeks, and many women and children who had earlier been displaced by sub-national violence are now displaced again". IOM 2020/Liatile Putsoa One of the worst hit areas is Jonglei state where the "situation is dire", Mutya Masku, from the International Organization for Migration said. Aid agencies are appealing for more help in dealing with the situation. Further upstream, in Sudan, flooding has has also affected hundreds of thousands of people. Experts said the Nile had reached levels not seen for a century. BBC 9:47 25 Sep Experts explain Africa's coronavirus infection drop Rhoda Odhiambo BBC Africa Health, Nairobi AFP Initial responses to the pandemic by African governments have been praised A panel of experts gathered by the World Health Organization (WHO) has listed a number of factors that may be pushing the spread of coronavirus in Africa down. Expertise in epidemic control, a young population and a possible effect of pre-existing immunity were cited as possible factors. The panel of experts, that included the WHO’s regional director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, offered several explanations to the different behaviour of the pandemic in the continent, when compared to the rest of the world. The swift application of lockdowns that came at a high cost for many economies was mentioned. The structure of the African society of caring for the elderly at home was also cited. But new explanations also emerged in the conference, such as the possible impact of smaller urban areas in many African countries, which means that the virus could travel less fast in more remote populations in rural areas. The continent's transport system was also mentioned, as cities and regions are not as interconnected as in other parts of the world. Dr Moeti said that previous experiences in handling pandemics, such as Ebola, have also proven crucial when dealing with this pandemic. But she warned that more research needs to be done to establish the true extent of Covid-19 on the continent. More than 1.4 million confirmed cases have been reported in Africa with over 34,000 deaths. About one million people have already recovered. 9:14 25 Sep Arsenal players name baby gorillas in Rwanda Samba Cyuzuzo BBC Great Lakes Visit Rwanda Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has named a baby gorilla Igitego, meaning Goal in Kinyarwanda, in Rwanda's first virtual naming ceremony for baby mountain gorillas. The name is a rallying call for "collective goals" in wildlife conservation, Aubameyang said. His teammate, Hector Bellerin, named another as Iriza - meaning first born, while goalkeeper Bernd Leno named another Myugariro - meaning defender. The club signed a three-year £30m ($38m) sleeve sponsorship deal in May 2018 with Rwanda's tourism agency. Twenty-four baby gorillas (nine female and 15 male) were on Thursday given names by park rangers, veterinarians, tour guides and the three Arsenal players. One of them was named Amabwiriza - meaning guidelines - as a call on park visitors to abide to coronavirus guidelines. Other names given to the baby gorillas were Amarembo - gateway, Nkomezamihigo - keep it up, Kazeneza - welcome, Umuyobozi - leader and Umuganga - vet. Some 300 gorillas have been given names since 2005 in efforts to monitor their life and protect them from poachers
vendredi 25 septembre 2020
samedi 19 septembre 2020
Posted at 7:3211 Sep Torrential rain brings devastating floods to parts of Africa 01:33 African floods Millions of people have been affected by floods in sub-Saharan Africa; in Senegal a year's worth of rain fell in just 24 hours. Posted at 4:2311 Sep Scores of Senegalese troops test positive for Covid-19 afp The peacekeeping mission in The Gambia, deployed by regional bloc Ecowas in 2012, mainly consists of Senegalese soldiers. The Senegalese army says about 100 of its soldiers from the peacekeeping mission in The Gambia have tested positive for coronavirus. The military contingent composed of 600 soldiers was returning home. They have been quarantined in Toubacouta, on Senegalese territory near the border with The Gambia, as a precautionary measure. Those who tested positive are asymptomatic. More tests are being done. The peacekeeping mission in The Gambia, deployed by regional bloc Ecowas in 2012, mainly consists of Senegalese soldiers. It was deployed to force former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh to hand over power to his elected successor Adama Barrow and to assist the new Gambian administration to address security challenges. The mission's mandate was extended during the last Ecowas meeting at the request of President Barrow. Posted at 4:187 Sep 'Rainfall of three months' hits Senegal in a day 00:48 'Rainfall of three months' hits Senegal in a day Senegal's President Macky Sall has launched an emergency aid plan after a seven-hour downpour caused widespread flooding. The water minister said there had been more rain in a single day than the total amount that usually falls during the three-month rainy season. There has been widespread damage and most parts of the country are flooded. Posted at 9:461 Sep Akon moves ahead with 'Akon City' in Senegal Getty Images US R&B singer Akon, who has been talking since 2018 about building a new city in Senegal, said at a press conference on Monday that construction work will start next year. He said that the identities of the investors cannot be revealed but that a third of the $6bn (£5bn) funding had been secured. The architect behind the city, Hussein Bakri, said the city's population would eventually reach 300,000. Akon, whose real name is Alioune Badara Thiam, marketed the city directly to African Americans. He explained he had "ran into a lot of African-Americans that didn’t really understand their culture... So I wanted to build a city or a project like this that will give them the motivation to know that there is a home back home," AFP news agency quotes the singer, who was born in the US to Senegalese parents, as saying. "As you come in from America, or Europe or anywhere in the diaspora, and you feel like you want to visit Africa, we want Senegal to be your first stop," he said. Posted at 3:451 Sep Senegal reopens universities for in-person learning Seydina Alioune Djigo BBC News, Dakar Getty Images Cheikh Anta Diop University, pictured, has more than 71,000 students The authorities in Senegal have started to gradually reopen the country's eight universities for in-person learning after they were closed for more than five months because of the coronavirus pandemic. Reopening will depend on the capacities of respective institutions to comply with Covid- 19 safety protocols. Online courses will continue for students still waiting to be recalled. At Cheikh Anta Diop University in the capital Dakar - the largest in the country with more than 71,000 students - departments will reopen depending on their capacities to enforce safety measures. Most undergraduate students are expected to resume learning there this week. Senegal has more than 190,000 students in institutions of higher education, 65% of whom are in public universities. The country continues to register about 100 new Covid-19 cases daily. Posted at 1:161 Sep Senegal's first female professional surfer Khadjou Sambe, 25, defied social expectations to ride the Atlantic waves. Read more Posted at 7:5921 Aug Senegal seeks to move huge ammonium nitrate stock Peter Mwai BBC Reality Check The Dakar stockpile is almost as big as that which exploded in Beirut, causing massive destruction. Read more Posted at 4:0414 Aug Challenges of working on Senegal's Covid-19 frontline 02:45 Coronavirus: Challenges of working on Senegal's Covid-19 frontline Professor Ndeye Coumba Touré Kane is advocating for a greater use of face masks in Senegal. Posted at 0:545 Aug Bringing Covid-19 news to Senegal's deaf community 01:40 Coronavirus: Bringing Covid-19 news to Senegal's deaf community Student Naomie Koffie's summaries of the news in sign language have won praise from the president
Posted at 7:3211 Sep Torrential rain brings devastating floods to parts of Africa 01:33 African floods Millions of people have been affected by floods in sub-Saharan Africa; in Senegal a year's worth of rain fell in just 24 hours. Posted at 4:2311 Sep Scores of Senegalese troops test positive for Covid-19 afp The peacekeeping mission in The Gambia, deployed by regional bloc Ecowas in 2012, mainly consists of Senegalese soldiers. The Senegalese army says about 100 of its soldiers from the peacekeeping mission in The Gambia have tested positive for coronavirus. The military contingent composed of 600 soldiers was returning home. They have been quarantined in Toubacouta, on Senegalese territory near the border with The Gambia, as a precautionary measure. Those who tested positive are asymptomatic. More tests are being done. The peacekeeping mission in The Gambia, deployed by regional bloc Ecowas in 2012, mainly consists of Senegalese soldiers. It was deployed to force former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh to hand over power to his elected successor Adama Barrow and to assist the new Gambian administration to address security challenges. The mission's mandate was extended during the last Ecowas meeting at the request of President Barrow. Posted at 4:187 Sep 'Rainfall of three months' hits Senegal in a day 00:48 'Rainfall of three months' hits Senegal in a day Senegal's President Macky Sall has launched an emergency aid plan after a seven-hour downpour caused widespread flooding. The water minister said there had been more rain in a single day than the total amount that usually falls during the three-month rainy season. There has been widespread damage and most parts of the country are flooded. Posted at 9:461 Sep Akon moves ahead with 'Akon City' in Senegal Getty Images US R&B singer Akon, who has been talking since 2018 about building a new city in Senegal, said at a press conference on Monday that construction work will start next year. He said that the identities of the investors cannot be revealed but that a third of the $6bn (£5bn) funding had been secured. The architect behind the city, Hussein Bakri, said the city's population would eventually reach 300,000. Akon, whose real name is Alioune Badara Thiam, marketed the city directly to African Americans. He explained he had "ran into a lot of African-Americans that didn’t really understand their culture... So I wanted to build a city or a project like this that will give them the motivation to know that there is a home back home," AFP news agency quotes the singer, who was born in the US to Senegalese parents, as saying. "As you come in from America, or Europe or anywhere in the diaspora, and you feel like you want to visit Africa, we want Senegal to be your first stop," he said. Posted at 3:451 Sep Senegal reopens universities for in-person learning Seydina Alioune Djigo BBC News, Dakar Getty Images Cheikh Anta Diop University, pictured, has more than 71,000 students The authorities in Senegal have started to gradually reopen the country's eight universities for in-person learning after they were closed for more than five months because of the coronavirus pandemic. Reopening will depend on the capacities of respective institutions to comply with Covid- 19 safety protocols. Online courses will continue for students still waiting to be recalled. At Cheikh Anta Diop University in the capital Dakar - the largest in the country with more than 71,000 students - departments will reopen depending on their capacities to enforce safety measures. Most undergraduate students are expected to resume learning there this week. Senegal has more than 190,000 students in institutions of higher education, 65% of whom are in public universities. The country continues to register about 100 new Covid-19 cases daily. Posted at 1:161 Sep Senegal's first female professional surfer Khadjou Sambe, 25, defied social expectations to ride the Atlantic waves. Read more Posted at 7:5921 Aug Senegal seeks to move huge ammonium nitrate stock Peter Mwai BBC Reality Check The Dakar stockpile is almost as big as that which exploded in Beirut, causing massive destruction. Read more Posted at 4:0414 Aug Challenges of working on Senegal's Covid-19 frontline 02:45 Coronavirus: Challenges of working on Senegal's Covid-19 frontline Professor Ndeye Coumba Touré Kane is advocating for a greater use of face masks in Senegal. Posted at 0:545 Aug Bringing Covid-19 news to Senegal's deaf community 01:40 Coronavirus: Bringing Covid-19 news to Senegal's deaf community Student Naomie Koffie's summaries of the news in sign language have won praise from the president
samedi 12 septembre 2020
vendredi 11 septembre 2020
dimanche 30 août 2020
BBC news
West Africa leaders call for 12-month transition in Mali
Chi Chi Izundu
BBC News
Reuters
Nigeria's former President, Goodluck Jonathan (l), led the Ecowas mission to Mali
Mali’s West African neighbours have once again agreed that the country should immediately return to civilian rule.
The decision comes after last week’s military coup overthrowing President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.
In a virtual summit held on Friday, the 15-nation regional group Ecowas called for the “troops to return to their barracks” and for an election to be held in 12 months.
The West African heads of state said that the transition should be overseen by a civilian.
But the military junta - known as the National Committee for the People’s Salvation - has talked about a transition lasting up to two years.
The soldiers have released President Keïta, which was one of Ecowas' demands when envoys met with the military rebels earlier this week.
But the regional bloc says that action alone is not enough.
It had imposed sanctions on Mali after the coup, including closing borders, suspending its membership and disrupting trade.
During Friday's summit, the heads of state said they would gradually lift those sanctions as the country returned to civilian rule.
Read more:
Mali's coup is cheered at home but upsets neighbours
8:15 28 Aug
Large mosques in Egypt re-open for prayers
BBC World Service
EPA
Large mosques in Egypt have held Friday prayers for the first time since they were suspended in March over the coronavirus outbreak.
Worshippers followed precautionary measures including wearing face masks and social distancing.
They also had to bring their own prayer mats to mosques which had been disinfected. Sermons were limited to a maximum of 10 minutes.
There have been so far 98,000 coronavirus infections in Egypt and just over 5,300 deaths
Chadwick Boseman: Tributes pour in for Black Panther actor
BBC
Chadwick Boseman: Tributes pour in for Black Panther actor
5 hours ago
Chadwick Boseman: Five things to know
Big names from the world of entertainment, sport and politics are paying tribute to American actor Chadwick Boseman, who has died aged 43.
The Black Panther star was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016 but had never spoken about it publicly.
His family said he had filmed many of his recent movies while undergoing "countless surgeries".
Among those celebrating his life was former US President Barack Obama, who said the actor was "blessed".
"Chadwick came to the White House to work with kids when he was playing Jackie Robinson," Mr Obama tweeted, referring to the 2013 film 42.
"You could tell right away that he was blessed. To be young, gifted, and Black; to use that power to give them heroes to look up to; to do it all while in pain - what a use of his years."
Racing driver Lewis Hamilton dedicated his pole position at the Belgian Grand Prix to the actor.
"He's inspired a whole generation of young black men and women and provided them with a true superhero to look up to. Rest in power my friend," he wrote on Twitter.
I want to dedicate this pole to Chadwick. What he accomplished and the legacy he left is so incredible to me. He’s inspired a whole generation of young black men and women and provided them with a true superhero to look up to. Rest in power my friend.#WakandaForever#blackpanther pic.twitter.com/M7EgGess9p
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) August 29, 2020
Report
Boseman was born in South Carolina and began his acting career in television roles.
He rose to prominence playing real-life figures, such as baseball great Jackie Robinson and soul singer James Brown in 2014's Get on Up. But it is his performance as superhero Black Panther for which he is best remembered.
In the 2018 blockbuster of the same name, Boseman stars as the ruler of Wakanda, a fictional African nation with the most advanced technology on Earth.
Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman dies of cancer
'What Black Panther means to black people like me'
Boseman on being 'young, gifted and black'
It was a box office hit and earned Boseman critical acclaim, becoming the first superhero film to get a nomination for best picture at the Oscars.
Boseman also played the role in the Marvel films Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Fellow Marvel stars were among those paying tribute to him on Saturday.
Mark Ruffalo, who plays the Hulk, said the "tragedies amassing this year have only been made more profound" by his death.
Tom Holland, who is currently playing Spiderman, called Boseman a role model for millions around the world, while Captain America star Chris Evans and Thor actor Chris Hemsworth said they were heartbroken by his death.
Black Panther was widely seen as a cultural milestone for having a largely black cast and a black director.
Black Panther: Why this film is a moment
Boseman said last year that the film had changed what it means to be "young, gifted and black".
The eldest son of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr praised Boseman for his range of roles, saying he "brought history to life" in his depictions of real black men and was "a superhero to many" as Black Panther.
Award-winning musician John Legend called Boseman "a bright light" who "always seemed to carry our ancestors with him".
LISTEN: Black Panther reviewed by Mark Kermode
Black Panther star Lupita Nyong'o on 'reimagining Africa'
Ava DuVernay, who has directed a string of powerful films and documentaries including Selma, about the fight for civil rights in the 1960s, also paid tribute.
May you have a beautiful return, King. We will miss you so. pic.twitter.com/jdip3RHoXb
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) August 29, 2020
Report
Others lauded the strength he showed in acting through his cancer treatment.
"Showing us all that greatness between surgeries and chemotherapy. This is what dignity looks like," tweeted TV star and author Oprah Winfrey.
Actress Halle Berry described him as an "incredible man with immeasurable talent, who leaned into life regardless of his personal battles".
Marvel Studios, which created Black Panther, said the actor's legacy would "live on forever".
The final tweet posted to Boseman's Twitter account announcing that he had died is now the most 'liked' tweet of all time.
Caged Congolese teen: Why a zoo took 114 years to apologise
BBC
Caged Congolese teen: Why a zoo took 114 years to apologise
3 days ago
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Ota Benga was kidnapped from what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1904 and taken to the US to be exhibited. Journalist Pamela Newkirk, who has written extensively about the subject, looks at the attempts over the decades to cover up what happened to him.
More than a century after it drew international headlines for exhibiting a young African man in the monkey house, the Bronx Zoo in New York has finally expressed regret.
The Wildlife Conservation Society's apology for its 1906 exhibition of Ota Benga, a native of Congo, comes in the wake of global protests prompted by the videotaped police killing of George Floyd that again shone a bright light on racism in the United States.
During a national moment of reckoning, Cristian Samper, the Wildlife Conservation Society's president and CEO, said it was important "to reflect on WCS's own history, and the persistence of racism in our institution".
He vowed that the society, which runs the Bronx Zoo, would commit itself to full transparency about the episode which inspired breathless headlines across Europe and the United States from 9 September 1906 - a day after Ota Benga was first exhibited - until he was released from the zoo on 28 September 1906.
But the belated apology follows years of stonewalling.
'He was a zoo employee'
Instead of capitalising on the episode as a teachable moment, the Wildlife Conservation Society engaged in a century-long cover-up during which it actively perpetuated or failed to correct misleading stories about what had actually occurred.
As early as 1906 a letter in the zoo archives reveals that officials, in the wake of growing criticism, discussed concocting a story that Ota Benga had actually been a zoo employee. Remarkably, for decades, the ruse worked.
Who was Ota Benga?
Captured in March 1904 by US trader Samuel Verner from what was then Belgian Congo. His age is not known, he may have been 12 or 13
Taken by ship to New Orleans to be shown later that year at World's Fair in St Louis with eight other young males
The fair continued into the winter months where the group was kept without adequate clothing or shelter
In September 1906 he was exhibited for 20 days in New York's Bronx Zoo, attracting huge crowds
Outrage from Christian ministers ended his incarceration and he was moved to New York's Howard Coloured Orphan Asylum run by African American Reverend James H Gordon
In January 1910 he went to live at the Lynchburg Theological Seminary and College for black students in Virginia
There he taught neighbourhood boys how to hunt and fish and told stories of his adventures back home
He later reportedly became depressed with his longing for home and in March 1916 shot himself with a gun he had hidden. He was thought to be aged around 25.
Source: Spectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga
In 1916, following Ota Benga's death, a New York Times article dismissed as urban legend tales of his exhibition.
"It was this employment that gave rise to the unfounded report that he was being held in the park as one of the exhibits in the monkey cage," the article said.
MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Ota Benga (R) pictured at the World's Fair in 1904 where he and others were exhibited as "pygmies"
The account, of course, contradicted the numerous articles that a decade earlier had appeared in newspapers across the country and in Europe.
The New York Times alone had published a dozen articles on the affair, the first under the 9 September 1906 headline: "Bushman Shares A Cage With Bronx Park Apes".
Then, in 1974, William Bridges, the zoo's curator emeritus claimed that what actually occurred could not be known.
In his book The Gathering of Animals, he rhetorically asked: "Was Ota Benga 'exhibited' - like some strange, rare animal?" a question that he, as the man who presided over the zoo archives, would know best how to answer.
"That he was locked behind bars in a bare cage to be stared at during certain hours seems unlikely," he continued, patently ignoring mountains of evidence in the zoological society archives that reveal just that.
An article about the exhibition, written by the zoo director, had in fact appeared in the zoological society's own publication.
Nonetheless, Bridges wrote: "At this distance in time that is about all that can be said for sure, except that it was all done with the best of intentions, for Ota Benga was interesting to the New York public."
'Friendship between captor and captive'
Compounding these deceptive narratives was a book published in 1992 and co-authored by the grandson of Samuel Verner, the man who went to Congo heavily armed to capture Ota Benga and others to exhibit at the 1904 St Louis World's Fair.
The book was absurdly characterised as the story of friendship between Verner and Ota Benga.
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In at least one newspaper account since the book's publication, the younger Verner also claimed that Ota Benga - who had vigorously resisted his captivity - had enjoyed performing for New Yorkers.
So for more than a century, the very institution and men who had so ruthlessly exploited Ota Benga, and their descendants, contaminated the historical record with untrue narratives that circulated around the world.
Even now, Mr Samper has apologised for exhibiting Ota Benga for "several days", and not for the three weeks he was held captive in the monkey house.
GETTY IMAGES
The Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs Bronx Zoo, said it condemned certain dishonourable chapters in its history
The zoo has now posted online digitised documents it holds of the episode, among them letters that detail the daily activities of Ota Benga and the men who caged him.
Many of those letters are already cited in my book, Spectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga, published in 2015.
In the five years since its publication, zoo officials had inexplicably refused to express regret or even respond to media inquiries.
And while I had the opportunity to visit the primate house where Ota Benga was exhibited and housed, the building has since been shuttered to the public.
'Best room in the monkey house'
Now, Mr Samper says: "We deeply regret that many people and generations have been hurt by these actions or by our failure previously to publicly condemn and denounce them."
He also denounced founding members Madison Grant and Henry Fairfield Osborn, both ardent eugenicists who played a direct role in Ota Benga's exhibition.
Grant went on to write The Passing of The Great Race, a book steeped in racist pseudo-science that was praised by Osborn and hailed by Adolf Hitler.
MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY
A return to Congo would have been prohibitively expensive for Ota Benga
Osborn went on to lead for 25 years the American Museum of Natural History where in 1921 he hosted the second International Eugenics Congress.
Curiously, Mr Samper did not mention William Hornaday, the zoo's founding director who was also the nation's foremost zoologist and founding director of the National Zoo in Washington, DC.
Hornaday had littered the cage housing Ota Benga with bones to suggest cannibalism and had brazenly boasted that Ota Benga had "the best room in the monkey house".
Some feel the conservation society now needs to follow its incomplete apology with rigorous truth-telling befitting a leading educational institution.
The episode offers the zoological society the opportunity to educate the public about the history of the conservation movement and its ties to eugenics.
The Bronx Zoo's founding principals were among the most influential disseminators of specious racial inferiority theories that resonate still.
One suggestion has been that the society might also consider naming its education centre for Ota Benga, whose tragic life and legacy is inextricably bound to the Bronx Zoo'
jeudi 27 août 2020
Send me that love
https://m.ok.ru/dk;jsessionid=aa5940e3248617921bb3b5efd084de9cc0098f737024edf.9f3b07e0?st.cmd=newRegEnterPhone&_prevCmd=movieLayer&tkn=6880&__dp=y
samedi 22 août 2020
Wild Faith (2018) | Full Movie | Lana Wood | Trace Adkins | Darby Hinton
https://youtu.be/g0LCdlq-BK0
mercredi 19 août 2020
HAPPY NEW MUSLIM YEAR 1442
Best wishes!
Muḥarram (Arabic: ٱلْمُحَرَّم) is the first month of the Islamic calendar. The general meaning of the adjective muharram means "banned, barred, forbidden, illegal, illicit, impermissible, prohibited, unlawful, unauthorised, unpermitted".[1]
It is one of the four sacred months of the year during which warfare is forbidden. It is held to be the second holiest month, after Ramaḍān. The Tenth day of Muharram is known as the Day of Ashura. Sometimes, as part of the Mourning of Muharram, Shia Muslims practice partial fasting, and Sunni Muslims practice fasting on Ashura.
Shia Muslims mourn the martyrdom of Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī and his family, honouring the martyrs by prayer and abstinence from joyous events. Shia Muslims do not fast on the 10th of Muharram, but some will not eat or drink until Zawal (afternoon) to show their sympathy with Husayn.[2] In addition there is an important ziyarat book, the Ziyarat Ashura about Husayn ibn Ali. In the Shia sect, it is popular to read this ziyarat on this date
mardi 18 août 2020
lundi 10 août 2020
1500 phrases courtes et utiles en anglais pour la conversation (for French speakers)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YSNl2N3-bDM
mardi 28 juillet 2020
samedi 25 juillet 2020
dimanche 19 juillet 2020
mercredi 8 juillet 2020
samedi 4 juillet 2020
My Family Has Mild Coronavirus. Here's Our Home Covid-19 Treatment Plan
https://youtu.be/udprEtDVmIY
jeudi 2 juillet 2020
samedi 27 juin 2020
Proverb
A log lying on the water can never become a crocodile."
A Bambara proverb from Mali sent to bbc by Charles Bird, in Washington State, US.
Coronavirus in Ethiopia: 'Incredible recovery of man aged over 100
BBC NEWS
26 June's 2020
HANA ATSBEHA
The recovery from coronavirus of an Ethiopian man who is believed to be at least 100 years old was "incredible", one of the doctors who treated him told the BBC.
Aba Tilahun Woldemichael's family says he is 114, which would make him the world's oldest man, but there is no birth certificate to confirm his age.
People over the age of 80 are considered to be among the most vulnerable if they catch the virus.
The centenarian, who is an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian monk, is now being looked after at home by his grandson.
"When I was in the hospital I was praying to God asking for my health. I was crying and praying for the whole country to be healthy again," he told the BBC.
Aba Tilahun tested positive for the virus when a random screening process took place in his neighbourhood in the capital, Addis Ababa, and was admitted to hospital before the symptoms showed, Dr Hiluf Abate told the BBC's Newsday programme.
This allowed the medical team to be pro-active with its treatment and closely monitor the old man, he added.
Hiluf Abate
It's really incredible that he survived being so old and we are happy that he has been discharged"
Dr Hiluf Abate
Yeka Kotebe hospital
Yeka Kotebe hospital
Within four days of his admission to the severe coronavirus ward in Yeka Kotebe hospital, Aba Tilahun's condition deteriorated as the virus took hold and he was put on oxygen, Dr Hiluf said.
In all he spent 14 days at the hospital, and was treated with oxygen for more than a week.
He also was given anti-biotics and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone, which has been hailed as a ground-breaking treatment for hospital patients seriously ill with Covid-19.
Ethiopia, which has strict coronavirus restrictions, has recorded more than 5,000 confirmed cases and 81 deaths.
Tumultuous times
Although the hospital cannot confirm that its patient is 114 years old, the medical team says that he is definitely older than 100 and estimates that he is 109.
In his youth, he moved to Addis Ababa from southern Ethiopia when he was young and has lived through tumultuous times in his country.
He witnessed the Italian occupation between 1935 and 1941, the overthrow of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974, the collapse of the Marxist Derg regime in 1991 and now he has survived Covid-19.
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For years he has lived a simple life as a monk; "Aba" is a title meaning "Father".
But when he was younger he worked as an electrician, house painter and general handyman, his 24-year-old grandson Binyam Lulseged Tilahun told the BBC.
BINYAM LULSEGED TILAHUN
Aba Tilahun's grandson, seen here with his grandfather several years ago, is now looking after him at home
His grandfather was doing well and looked healthy despite his age, however the after-effects of the virus had weakened his voice, Mr Binyam added.
In order to curb the spread of coronavirus, Ethiopia introduced a state of emergency in April that closed schools and playgrounds, banned large gatherings and sporting events, and reduced passenger numbers on public transport. But businesses have remained open.
"We don't touch the queen's bag":
: the day when the head of American protocol came close to the incident
In his book Protocol: The Power of Diplomacy and How to Make It Work for You, the former head of the American protocol Capricia Penavic Marshall recalls his meetings with Elizabeth II.Events subject to ultra-strict rules.
We do not touch the bag of Queen Elizabeth II. Never.Under any circumstances.This was learned by Capricia Penavic Marshall, former chief of protocol for the US government, in 2011. In a book published Tuesday, May 23, Protocol: The Power of Diplomacy and How to Make It Work for You (Protocol: the power of diplomacy and how to use it for yourself, editor's note, published by Ecco editions, she tells this time where she accompanied Barack and Michelle Obama on an official visit to Buckingham Palace.
Used to holding the bags of first ladies, presidents and other high-ranking female personalities during summit meetings, she is about to take that of Elizabeth II when the latter advances towards the presidential couple. "When I saw Her Majesty arrive," she tells People magazine, "I made a quick comment to my British counterpart," Oh my God, the Queen is carrying her bag. " And I barely had time to sketch a movement of the left foot when he pressed me against a wall with his two hands, and warned: "We don't touch the queen's bag". ”
Confused, Capricia Penavic Marshall apologizes. The English protocol officer repeated to him: "We don't touch the queen's bag". "I replied" Ok, I will never do it again. But do we at least know what is in it? "" Response from the person concerned: "We do not know what is in this bag. But you never touch that bag. ”
Recognized for her sense of color, her impressive hats and impeccable outfits, Elizabeth II masters the strict rules of royal dress code as much as style.
Coded signals and small gifts
Message received. It was only later that the diplomat expert understood the capital issues at stake around the Queen's favorite accessory: “I learned that it was possible that she was using the bag as a signal.If he is on the top of her arm, that means that the event in which she is participating is going well, and that we must leave her alone. But if it lowers it, it means "let's finish it, I want to leave". It is also said that inside, there would be a cell phone with which she calls her grandchildren: an idea that I love. ”
Lipstick ? Smartphone?Nuclear codes? What is in Elizabeth's bag will remain a mystery. But Capricia Penavic Marshall reveals, in her book, the few privileged moments that she was able to spend with the sovereign. In her capacity as chief of protocol (a position she held for twelve years at the White House), she is the one who oversees the exchange of small gifts between great people of this world. Still in 2011, she must find an idea of present for the Queen of England - who, according to Capricia Penavic Marshall, does not need anyone. "She acts like she is the head of her own protocol.It must be said that she has been doing this for a long time. ” After long discussions with the Obama couple (who will also offer him an iPod), the choice is made on a leather-bound portfolio, in which will be gathered notes, photos or other invitations related to the visit of George V, the father of the Queen, in the United States: “President Obama and his wife have a great affection for Elizabeth II. By doing research, we learned that she cherished her relationship with her father, and that she collected everything related to him. ”
When the moment comes to offer the portfolio to the queen, Capricia Penavic Marshall holds her breath: “While she was turning the pages, I looked at her hoping that she liked it. And I want to say that I saw a little tear in his eyes. She turned to the president and said "Thank you very much for all this."
The Obamas also gave the Queen a flower brooch, which she wore during Donald Trump's official visit to Buckingham in 2019: "I like to think that she was proud to wear this presidential gift and that it thus underlined the unity between the two nations, believes Capricia Penavic Marshall. (…) But only she knows. ” Just as she alone knows the secrets of her handbag
jeudi 25 juin 2020
'Our time is now': I’m running for office because of George Floyd
BBC NEWS
25 June 2020
GETTY IMAGES
George Floyd's death one month ago has prompted global outrage
The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers has sparked a movement to close racial divides worldwide.
But for Zina Fizer, who lives and works in the city where Mr Floyd was killed, the flashpoint for what is now a global movement is acutely personal. Watching Mr Floyd's death, "I saw my 24-year-old black son under that man's knee and my heart broke," Ms Fizer said. "I knew I had to do something."
Now, Ms Fizer is joined by a wave of African-American women motivated by the death of Mr Floyd to seek public office this year. If she is successful in her bid for state Senate, she will be Minnesota's first black female state senator.
One month after George Floyd's death, Ms Fizer and three other candidates tell the BBC why they're running, and how they see black women leading this next chapter in American history.
Marquita Stephens, candidate for Minnesota State Senate, District 53
MARQUITTA STEPHENS
"I think this is a movement that has been building over time," Marquita Stephens says
I've been politically active for years, starting in electoral politics straight out of college. I've been asked several times to run for public office myself and in a moment of prayer, I told my God that the next time I was asked, I would say yes.
I knew I had to come forward when I saw the video of the murder of George Floyd and the knee pressing on his neck as he uttered in his last breaths a call to his mother. During those eight minutes and forty six seconds, I knew that I had to come forward.
I think that this is a moment that has been building over time. The moment that we are all in, I think we have seen it before. But this time it was the callousness that was undeniable. And for whatever reasons that this society has made excuses for its behaviour in the past, it could no longer stand on those excuses.
Together, people of goodwill and of good conscience came out in protest in various ways. I came to make a difference in the laws that govern these moments. The structure that was built on systemic racism in this country was built intentionally. And it has to be dismantled intentionally. It has to be rebuilt, taking into account the needs of the people it actually serves.
My major policy aims would be to craft a constitutional amendment that redefines policing in the state of Minnesota. The focus has been on protecting private property over public safety. And secondly, to take full advantage of the exposure Covid-19 has made on the fact that we don't have healthcare coverage for everyone. This pandemic, I think, lifts that issue to the forefront.
I bring a vision that includes all of us. And I'm hopeful that I'm not alone in that. The vision I can't get out of my mind is with Gianna Floyd, with her arms outstretched saying 'my Daddy changed the world'. And I want to say to her 'yes he did', because he changed me.
Zina Fizer, candidate for Minnesota State Senate, District 44
ZINA FIZER
"Minnesota has never had a black woman that's been in the Senate," Zina Fizer says. "It wasn't a time Minnesota was ready. I believe that the time is now."
The moment I decided to run was when George Floyd called out to his mom. I saw my 24-year-old black son under that man's knee and my heart broke. And at that moment I knew I had to do something. Something in me broke. No longer can we just sit here and wait for other people to make changes in our community.
Minnesota has never had a black woman that's been in the Senate. We have four different black women running for Senate. It would be monumental if all four of us were elected to our seats. I think that that's what Minnesota needs to do, just to begin the healing process in our communities. Minnesota is the template. I think the rest of the country will follow suit.
We're in this perfect storm, we're in the middle of a pandemic. We have protests worldwide, civil unrest and it's wind underneath my wings right now.
Why is it such an important time for black women? Because we have supported you. We have encouraged you. So it's like we can be a support, but never the lead. And we haven't gotten any results. It's important for us to take the lead at this point because we actually know what we're doing. We literally and figuratively have birthed the nation. So I think it's time. People are tired and we're tired of the status quo. America needs to be ready.
Laverne McCartney Knighton, candidate for Minnesota State Senate, District 65
LAVERNE MCCARTNEY KNIGHTON
Laverne McCartney initially thought the concept of running for Senate was "far-fetched".
I decided to run for office because of the unfortunate circumstances surrounding George's Floyd's murder for all of eight minutes and forty six seconds. I wanted to know that his call to his mother did not go unanswered.
I was asked to consider running for the state Senate and I initially thought 'that's pretty far-fetched' but when I realized that as George was calling for his mother, that I had a responsibility to answer that call. I decided that it was time for me to step up. As a black woman living in America I realized that my voice needed to be heard. Policy and change can only happen when you're at the table.
I feel so empowered to be among 10 to 20 black women who are taking a stand to be a part of the election process. The status quo can no longer continue. We've just got to change things. I feel this is a key moment in time. Black women are rising. And I mean, in order to really get things done in this country, I think women are the ones who can get it done. And black women in particular because we've been asked to wait our turn. We've been asked to sit this one out.
You know what's stuck in my mind through all of this? The fact that so many people have come together from all races, all walks of life. And the young people who are are rising up and standing in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and with all of the injustices that have just gone on for far too long. And it feels good because we now know that people see us, you know our struggle, you know our challenges and our heartbreaks.
I really believe what has happened here in Minnesota will be a model for the world to see. I really believe Minnesota will work hard to make this right. All eyes are on us.
Alberder Gillespie, candidate for US Congress, District 4, co-founder Black Women Rising
ALBERTER GILLESPIE
Alberder Gillespie has helped other women get elected for years. George Floyd's death made her realise it was her turn.
We have more black women running this year than usual. We put out a call as Black Women Rising to African-American women to say our time is now. We have worked with women for years who've been interested in running for office, had planned on running for office, but probably wouldn't have done it this year, myself included.
But with the pandemic revealing the disparities in healthcare and then we have George Floyd who was killed in our state and, for many of us, in our city. And when George cried out for his mother, I don't think there's a mother anywhere who didn't feel something, but particularly as a black mother. That was the thing that pushed us to this next level. The time is now, we can't wait.
We bring a different perspective to politics as black women. We have the ability and the tendency to look out for everyone. We're connected with people who are closest to the pain in ways that other politicians probably are not.
I feel like we have lived a lifetime in this last month. But the one thing that gives me hope is that when I look out at the protesters, I see a multi-ethnic and multi-generational group of people. And particularly to see the young people show up and protest, that gave me hope because I feel like this current generation will have a different set of expectations for what America should look like.
I don't know if America is ready for the rise of black women but they have to get ready. We can't wait for people to get ready. We know our time is now.
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