Month: March 2019

Politics

Somali-American Congresswoman ignites controversy in diverse Minneapolis
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By Katherine Gypson

Representative Ilhan Omar has a way of attracting attention. Four months ago, the Democrat became the first Somali-American — and one of the first two Muslim women — to serve in the U.S. Congress.

Just weeks into her first congressional term, Omar ignited a controversy with a tweet invoking an offensive trope suggesting U.S. lawmakers’ support for Israel was swayed by money from the powerful lobbying group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Continue reading “Somali-American Congresswoman ignites controversy in diverse Minneapolis” →

Opinion

The U.S and Canada need immigration
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By Don Thompson

I didn’t immigrate to Canada to escape murderous gangs, an oppressive government or religious persecution. I chose to come here…freely. I am not a person of colour, a woman, a member of the LGBTQ community. I had no children with an ache for a better life. I am, in fact, a member of the most privileged group in the world…an educated white man of means…from the United States.

That said, I have a deep and abiding empathy for refugees and immigrants who come to Canada and the United States…two countries I call home…for a better life.

Continue reading “The U.S and Canada need immigration” →

Uncategorized

Egypt speaks from amongst its ancient ruins
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By Ray Chatelin

Egypt not only capitalizes on its culture and history, it revels in it.

The old and the new live side by side here, a physical and spiritual culture of pharaohs and kings, and a contemporary population whose past is tightly linked to its economic future.

For in this arid country of blowing sand and vast cities, you can’t escape the past. It clings to you at every corner of its ancient temples, stares at you from every doorway of its tombs and monuments.

Read more from source.

Uncategorized

American company claims to have obtained license to grow marijuana in Kenya
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An American company based in New York claims that it has obtained a license to cultivate marijuana in Kenya.

The company indicates that it intends to cultivate the product in large scale on a 500 acres piece of land.

Currently, marijuana remains an illegal product in the Kenya. GoIP Global Inc, however, communicated to its shareholders via a notice that it had secured a permit to grow the stimulant on a 500-acre plot in Kenya.

Read more from source

Uncategorized

African and US ICT actors to meet in Washington for the future of fintech
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The future of the African fintech sector will be discussed during the Africa Fintech Summit to be held on April 11, 2019, at the US Institute of Peace in Washington.

The main subjects to be discussed during the summit will be the future of banks and venture capital in the digital era, regulations, blockchain, digital identity, fund transfers and financial inclusion.

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Uncategorized

Minnesota man among those killed in Ethiopian Airlines crash
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By Christina Palladino

A Minnesota man was among the Americans killed on an Ethiopian Airlines flight, which crashed shortly after takeoff Sunday, according to family and friends.

They told FOX 9 Mucaad Hussein, an Ethiopian, also known as Siraaj Mu’aad, of St. Cloud was on his way to visit relatives in Kenya when the plane went down.

Continue reading “Minnesota man among those killed in Ethiopian Airlines crash” →

Achievements, Education

Kenyan wins $1 Million prize as best teacher in the world
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Peter Tabichi who teaches at a school with just one computer and gives most of his money to the poor took home the Global Teacher Prize.

A Kenyan science teacher from a remote village who gave away most of his earnings to the poor and tutored students on the weekends won a $1 million prize that honors one exceptional educators from around the world.

Continue reading “Kenyan wins $1 Million prize as best teacher in the world” →

Music

The Queens Rapper Connecting American Hip-Hop to African Audiences
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Bas, raised in New York, wants to bring his music to his Sudanese parents’ homeland and to the broader continent. And so do his fans.
By Hannah Giorgis

It all started one night in Lagos, Nigeria. The first time that Bas, the Queens-bred rapper signed to J. Cole’s Dreamville label, performed in front of an African audience was surreal. He’d accompanied Cole on tour following the release of KOD, the North Carolina rapper’s 2018 album.

Bas, the son of two Sudanese immigrants, had gone to Nigeria just to kick it with his labelmate and longtime friend from Fayetteville.
But when Cole asked him to come perform a few songs, Bas planned to play two from his March 2016 album, Too High to Riot.

Continue reading “The Queens Rapper Connecting American Hip-Hop to African Audiences” →

Sports

Barno of Kenya, Merachi of Ethiopia win Los Angeles Marathon
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John Korir thought he was going to join his brother as a winner of the Los Angeles Marathon. But the Kenyan saw his chances of victory on Sunday pass him by within view of the finish line.

Elisha Barno of Kenya passed his countryman with 150 meters to go for the closest finish in the race’s 34-year history. Barno — who won the race for the second time in three years — crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 11 minutes, 46 seconds and beat Korir by seven seconds.

Continue reading “Barno of Kenya, Merachi of Ethiopia win Los Angeles Marathon” →

Entertainment

Davido loses out to Taylor Swift at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award.
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Nigerian-American music star, Davido, lost to singer Taylor Swift (North America) in the “Favourite Global Music Star” category of the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award which was held at a lavish ceremony at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, March 23.

Continue reading “Davido loses out to Taylor Swift at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award.” →

Uncategorized

US firm partners with Ooni of Ife to bring water treatment solutions to Africa
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US firm, AXEON Water Technologies, a world-leader in the engineering and manufacturing of water treatment solutions, has announced the appointment of ADEKHA, a firm co-owned by the Ooni of Ife, as an authorized distributor and strategic partner for the Middle East and African regions.

AXEON and ADEKHA will help provide economical solutions for solving the growing water quality challenges in the Middle East and Africa and alleviate the shortage of potable water through the latest membrane and filtration technologies.

His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, Ooni of Ife

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Entertainment

Trevor Noah’s tells viewers to stop AT&T-Direct TV from canning “The Daily Show”
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South Africans have sent messages of support to Trevor Noah, with some telling him to come back home.

The comedian and The Daily Show host found himself on top of the trends list on Saturday morning after South Africans caught news of the possibility of his show being cancelled.

Noah announced on Thursday that American direct broadcast satellite service provider, AT&T-Direct TV, was planning to drop Comedy Central and 22 other channels, a move that would directly affect his show.

Continue reading “Trevor Noah’s tells viewers to stop AT&T-Direct TV from canning “The Daily Show”” →

Music

America, by way of Nairobi: Singer-songwriter J.S. Ondara welcomes you to his American dream
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By A.D. Amorosi.

It’s good to be J.S. Ondara right now.

The Kenyan-born singer-songwriter just wrapped a successful show at SXSW in Austin, Texas in a victory lap promoting his newly released debut album, Tales of America.

His next stop on a nationwide tour is right here in Philadelphia as the headliner at World Cafe Live on March 22.

Read more from source

Music

African music gaining in popularity in America
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By Owen Fairclough

African music has been influencing Western music for generations. Now, a new wave of musicians are becoming huge stars in their own countries, partly due to the growth of music streaming services. And they’re determined to show the rest of the world a diversity of sound that in the past has been lumped together as simply world music.

Owen Fairclough of CGTN AMERICA reported from the South by Southwest music festival.

Continue reading “African music gaining in popularity in America” →

Appointments

Bill and Melinda Gates appoint Senegalese to head foundation in Africa
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Cheikh Oumar Seydi, former Regional Director of the sub-Sahara Africa office of the International Finance Corporation has been announced as the Africa Director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Seydi, who hails from Senegal, will now be in charge of the foundation’s work as it seeks to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in many African countries.

Continue reading “Bill and Melinda Gates appoint Senegalese to head foundation in Africa” →

Uncategorized

African Union Ambassador to the U.S. speaks in Pittsburgh
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By Diane I. Daniels

Staying in line with their vision to have a well-informed, empowered and united African community in Southwestern Pennsylvania, the United States and the African continent, the Union of African Communities in Southwestern PA hosted a conversation with Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao, African Union Ambassador to the U.S., at the Department of Human Services Building, Downtown.

The theme of the 2018 event was, “African Union A to Z: A Conversation with the African Diaspora.”

Continue reading “African Union Ambassador to the U.S. speaks in Pittsburgh” →

Uncategorized

Ethiopian Airlines Hits Back at Washington Post over report
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Ethiopian Airlines has hit back at the Washington Post, for stating that the pilot of the ill-fated flight had not practiced on a new simulator for the Boeing 737 MAX 8 that killed 157 people, among them 36 Kenyans.

“Ethiopian airline strongly refutes all the baseless and the factually incorrect allegations written by the Washington Post on March 21, 2019” part of the statement read.

Read the statement below

Continue reading “Ethiopian Airlines Hits Back at Washington Post over report” →

Music

US navy band performs at Nigerian University
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The United States Navy brass band on Wednesday thrilled students of the Department of Arts in the University of Lagos. Nigeria.

The band, which is based in Italy, is involved in efforts to strengthen ties with partner nations throughout Europe and Africa.

Read more from source

Uncategorized

SAA warns of new restrictions for South Africans travelling to the US
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South African Airways (SAA) has advised its customers of additional restrictions when travelling to the United States.

“In terms of the United States’ Transportation Security Administration (TSA), there will be additional security requirements for flights to the United States of America (USA) and these will be in the form of restrictions to carry certain specified items in the cabin under specified circumstances,” said SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali.

Continue reading “SAA warns of new restrictions for South Africans travelling to the US” →

Book review

In The Other Americans, Laila Lalami reveals what unites and divides us
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By David Canfield

Late on a spring night in the Mojave’s Yucca Valley, Driss Guerraoui is killed in a brutal hit-and-run. We meet the man as a helpless victim, but over the course of The Other Americans, he emerges with complexity: a loving grandfather, a flawed husband, a diner operator, a philosophy scholar, a native of Morocco. His death sets into motion a reckoning over 9/11’s long shadow for Muslim Americans, and the treacherous place immigrants occupy in the current climate.

Continue reading “In The Other Americans, Laila Lalami reveals what unites and divides us” →

Military

U.S. military may join Mozambique cyclone rescue, aid agencies told
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U.S. military teams could join the cyclone rescue effort in Mozambique, a representative of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) said, according to the minutes of a humanitarian meeting published on Thursday.

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Africa

Rescue, Relief Efforts Underway in Cyclone-Hit Southern Africa
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The Red Cross says it its deploying two major emergency response units to the port city of Beira in Mozambique to provide services for thousands of people affected by last week’s Cyclone Idai, one of the most destructive storms to hit southern Africa in decades.

Continue reading “Rescue, Relief Efforts Underway in Cyclone-Hit Southern Africa” →

Uncategorized

New York City to pay $1.9 million to family of Guinean immigrant killed by NYPD
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The city of New York has agreed to pay $1.9 million to the family of an emotionally disturbed cabbie who police shot dead in his Harlem apartment in 2012.

The settlement ends a long-running, contentious lawsuit over the fatal encounter that resulted in an examination of NYPD protocol.

A jury held the city liable for Bah’s wrongful death and awarded Bah’s mother $2.2 million in 2017. The city appealed that verdict, which did not include attorneys’ fees estimated to exceed $1 million.

Continue reading “New York City to pay $1.9 million to family of Guinean immigrant killed by NYPD” →

African Politics, Diplomacy

US Embassy in Nigeria gives verdict on 2019 elections
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The US Embassy in Nigeria has expressed disappointment in the quality of the 2019 elections in Nigeria.

The US Embassy said in a statement on Thursday that low turnout of voters, voter intimidation, interference by security forces, vote buying and violence reportedly marred the conduct of the elections in some locations.

Read more from source

Movies

US Online course jumpstarts Kenyan film-making
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By Margaetta wa Gacheru

Interest in film-making has exploded among young Kenyans, hundreds of whom responded to the call that went out from an international film team called “Stories Found” in mid-2018.

The team was offering aspiring young filmmakers a chance to take an online documentary film-making course run by Atlanta-based filmmakers Bud Simpson and James Martin. Kenyans selected for the course would then take part in making a film short or two that highlighted elements of contemporary Kenyan culture.

“More than 300 Kenyans applied to take the course,” says Evie Maina, the former anchorwoman of local TV shows like KBC’s Art-itude and Arts and Culture as well as KTN’s Artistic Thursday.

Continue reading “US Online course jumpstarts Kenyan film-making” →

Uncategorized

Bill Clinton invites eight-year-old Nigerian chess champion, Tanitoluwa
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Former US president, Bill Clinton, has invited eight-year-old Nigerian chess champion, Tanitoluwa Adewumi and his parents to his office in Harlem.

Quoting a tweet by media personality, Kyle Griffin, Clinton said, “Refugees enrich our nation and talent is universal, even if opportunity is not.” This story made me smile.

Continue reading “Bill Clinton invites eight-year-old Nigerian chess champion, Tanitoluwa” →

News

Meet The 8-Year-Old Refugee Who Won New York State’s Chess Championship (Video)
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Tanitoluwa Adewumi, an 8-year-old Nigerian refugee, won the New York state chess championship for his age group.

He and his family have been living in a shelter for the past two years, so one of his chess coaches launched a GoFundMe page for them.

By Tuesday evening, the page had raised more than $180,000. Tani and his family have since moved out of the shelter and into an apartment.

Entertainment

Ida Odinga & MPs Showcase Rhumba Dance Moves in US 
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By Stephanie wangari

ODM leader Raila Odinga’s wife, Idah Odinga, MPs Rosa Buyu and Gladys Wanga are known for being political leaders and addressing various issues in the country.

In a two and a half minute video doing rounds on social media, the leaders shared a light moment, dancing to music in the United States. The four showcased their dance moves to the Lingala song by a Congolese musician, Moses Fanfan.

Continue reading “Ida Odinga & MPs Showcase Rhumba Dance Moves in US “ →

Health, News

Kenyan Senate probes state of Kenyan doctors in Cuba after one dies
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By David Mwere

Kenya’s Senate has launched investigations into the welfare of 49 Kenyan doctors on an exchange programme in Cuba amid complaints that deplorable conditions led to the death of Dr Ali Juma.

Dr Juma, a postgraduate diploma student in family medicine, died by suicide after he was denied clearance to visit his family in Kenya.

Continue reading “Kenyan Senate probes state of Kenyan doctors in Cuba after one dies” →

Education

Egyptian student’s parents like Cape Breton so much they stayed
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By Sharon Montgomery-Dupe

When Rahaf Geisa arrived in Cape Breton in September of 2017, what surprised her most was the people.

Geisa, 19, of Egypt, is in her second year of studies for a bachelor of science (chemistry) degree at Cape Breton University.

“People say Canadians are friendly, but I didn’t expect that friendly,” she says. “A stranger will smile and say, ‘Hi, how’s it going?’ They treat me the same, not like a different person.

“I like that very much.”

Continue reading “Egyptian student’s parents like Cape Breton so much they stayed” →