Month: April 2019

Awards

Egyptian AP journalists Maggie Michael and Nariman El-Mofty win Pulitzer for Yemen coverage

Egyptian investigative journalist Maggie Michael, Egyptian photojournalist Nariman El-Mofty, and Yemeni video journalist Maad Al-Zikry, all of whom work for the Associated Press (AP), have won a Pulitzer in international reporting for their coverage of abuses in Yemen’s civil war.

According to AP, Michael, El-Mofty and Al-Zikry spent a year uncovering atrocities and suffering in Yemen, shining a light on “a conflict largely ignored by the American public.”

Continue reading “Egyptian AP journalists Maggie Michael and Nariman El-Mofty win Pulitzer for Yemen coverage” →
Music

Discover Sons Of Sonix, the British-Nigerian duo looking to spread Afropop to the world

By Adewojumi Aderemi

Just last week, Kida Kudz released another infectious single, “Jiggy Bop”, which saw him unveil even more of his rap range than we had heard on his previous hits, “Issa Vibe” and “Again”.

While Kid Kudz’s melodic delivery certainly made the song extra catchy, it’s the fantastic production work, particularly its mystical beat, that pushed the track over the edge, and that’s all thanks to British-Nigerian production duo, Sons of Sonix.

Continue reading “Discover Sons Of Sonix, the British-Nigerian duo looking to spread Afropop to the world” →
Music

Nigerian-Born musician Alex Boyé releases two singles for Mental Health Awareness Month

By Socrates Mbamalu
Alex Boyé has become known for his uplifting music. Now his support of mental health campaigns has seen him being honoured for adding his voice to suicide prevention efforts.

Three years ago, Nigerian-born Alex Boyé appeared on one of America’s best-known talent shows, America’s Got Talent. He was 44 years old at the time and had been singing for 25 years. With his signature white mark under his right eye, a boisterous spirit and great charisma, he took to the stage and blew away the judges with his energy and music. Boyé has gone on to become an important voice in music.

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Uncategorized

Kenya Airways inks deal with Delta Air Lines to expand operations in U.S.

Kenya’s flag carrier airline Kenya Airways said Friday it has reached an agreement with American airline Delta Air Lines to activate its codeshare with Delta in the United States and Canada.

Kenya Airways chief executive officer Sebastian Mikosz said the partnership will enable both the business and leisure travelers to enjoy greater connectivity and efficiency in 11 U.S. cities and four Canadian cities.

Read more from source

Diplomacy

Ivanka Trump concludes visit to Ethiopia

By Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

Senior White House advisor and daughter of United States president, Ivanka Trump, concluded her visit to Ethiopia describing the two-day experience as an “incredible trip.” She arrived in the country on Sunday hailing Addis Ababa as the “diplomatic capital of Africa and the continent’s highest city.”

The period of her stay has been packed since arrival through to departure.

In between the period, she savored the acclaimed Ethiopian coffee, signed deals aimed at women empowerment – the reason she embarked on the trip, paid tribute to victims of Boeing 737 MAX accident and met Lucy.

Continue reading “Ivanka Trump concludes visit to Ethiopia” →
The Americas

Hundreds of Africans tried to reach the United States. Now they’re stuck in Mexico

By Maya Averbuch and Kevin Sieff

TAPACHULA, Mexico — By the time Cédric De Jesus reached Mexico’s southern border, he had already traveled 9,000 miles from his home in the Congo. He had crossed the Atlantic Ocean by boat and come up through South America on foot and by bus.

The journey had taken him six months, leaving him only one more country to traverse. But just as he arrived in Mexico in March, President Trump threatened to close the U.S. border, and the Mexican government was under pressure to stop migrants from passing through its territory.

So now De Jesus waits here in southern Mexico with thousands of fellow migrants.

Continue reading “Hundreds of Africans tried to reach the United States. Now they’re stuck in Mexico” →
Ancestry

For African Americans, DNA tests reveal just a small part of a complicated ancestry

By Eli Chen

African Americans often have scant knowledge about where their ancestors are from, so many are using DNA test kits, like 23andMe and Ancestry, to trace their roots. The transatlantic slave trade erased a lot of information about family history and countries of origin for many people descended from African slaves.

It took nearly 30 minutes for Eric Depradine to extract a saliva sample from his dying grandmother. Depradine, 35, of Kansas City, wanted to have his grandmother’s DNA tested to confirm his suspicions that her ancestors came from Madagascar.

Continue reading “For African Americans, DNA tests reveal just a small part of a complicated ancestry” →
Education

Senegalese sports leaders visit University of Arkansas to learn about teaching youth sports

A group of 17 sports leaders from the West African nation of Senegal will visit the University of Arkansas for two weeks to learn an innovative method for teaching sports that integrates physical and mental health education.

The two-week workshop will run from April 15-28, and was developed by College of Education and Health Professions students in a class that combines the disciplines of recreation management, public health, and counselor education. The students have also been learning specifically about Senegal, in order to prepare the workshop.

Continue reading “Senegalese sports leaders visit University of Arkansas to learn about teaching youth sports” →
Sports

Kenya’s Cherono Wins Boston Marathon in Sprint to Tape

By Jimmy Golen

The two-time Boston Marathon champion turned onto Boylston Street with a sliver of a lead, leaning in front of two others with the finish line in sight.

But one of them was Lawrence Cherono, the fastest man in the field.

And he needed every bit of his speed.

Cherono outkicked Lelisa Desisa and passed him just steps away from the tape, winning the 123rd Boston Marathon in 2 hours, 7 minutes 57 seconds on Monday to claim his first major victory.

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Enterpreneurship

This New Women-Owned Site Curates the Coolest Home Decor from Africa

By Emily Bihl

In this age of Amazon Prime, same-day home deliveries, and global online shopping marketplaces, we tend to think we can get anything from anywhere (and fast). But as Nana Quagrain discovered after moving from South Africa to New York, that’s not *truly* the case.

Commuting back and forth between Brooklyn and Johannesburg for years while working in infrastructure finance, Quagraine realized that the contemporary African design she loved was conspicuously absent in retail-obsessed New York. Creating 54kibo was a way to fill the gap.

Continue reading “This New Women-Owned Site Curates the Coolest Home Decor from Africa” →

Uncategorized

Ghanaian Vice President speaks on digital convergence at University of Chicago

Says Ghana is using technological innovation to solve local problems in governance.

Ghana is showing the way in using technological innovation to solve local problems in governance on the continent, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has said.

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Uncategorized

Nigerian embassy settles rift between diaspora groups in U.S

The Nigerian Missions in the United States and Nigerian diaspora on Saturday converged on the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington DC to reconcile factional groups in the Nigerians In Diaspora Organisation Americas (NIDOA).

The reconciliation followed earlier separate meetings with NIDOA Board of Trustees (BoT) and NIDOA USA Board of Directors (BoD) at the Consulate General of Nigeria in New York.

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Uncategorized

Ivanka Trump In Africa For Women’s Economic Summit

Ivanka Trump arrived in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, Sunday for a summit on African women’s economic inclusion and anka Trump arrived in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, Sunday for a summit on African women\’s economic inclusion and empowerment.

In addition to attending the summit, the daughter of the U.S. president, who is also an advisor to her father, will meet with female workers in the coffee industry, and tour a female-run textile facility.

Read more from source

Uncategorized

Ghanaian Vice President Visits New York

Government to introduce e-visa

Ghanaian Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has indicated government’s effort to introduce electronic visa to ease the acquisition of Ghanaian visas.

He made this known, when he met with members of Ghana Chamber of Commerce in New York, as part of his official visit to the United States of America.

Continue reading “Ghanaian Vice President Visits New York” →

Uncategorized

Tunisia’s AfricInvest partners with Cathay Innovation launch $170 million fund to invest in African startups

By Zubair Naeem Paracha

Tunisian private equity firm AfricInvest that has $1.5 billion in assets under its management, is partnering with San Francisco-based Cathay Innovation, a global VC fund created by French PE firm Cathay Capital, to launch Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund, the two organization announced in a joint statement earlier this week.

The fund, with a projected size of about $170 million (€150 million) which could make it one of the largest VC funds in Africa, will invest in technology startups all across Africa.

Continue reading “Tunisia’s AfricInvest partners with Cathay Innovation launch $170 million fund to invest in African startups” →

Uncategorized

Dhat Gyal To Perform @ Chicago Ghanafest

Afro-pop artiste Ernestina Afari, known in the showbiz scene as Dhat Gyal, has been invited to perform at an event dubbed ‘Chicago Ghanafest’ in Chicago, United States of America.

The two-day event, which is expected to attract Ghanaians living in the United States of America and Canada, will take place on Saturday, July 27 and Sunday, July 28 at the Washington Park, Chicago in USA.

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Uncategorized

Jumia Surges on U.S. Debut as Africa’s Amazon Goes Public
By John Bowker
  • Online retailer valued at over $1.9 billion in Friday tradingBerlin-based company is looking to raise profile, boost growth
  • Berlin-based company is lookig to raise profile, boost growth
 

Jumia Technologies AG shares soared by 75 percent on their first day of trading in New York, as investors rushed to buy into the company’s plans to extend online shopping services across Africa.

The stock traded at $25.46 as of 4:34 p.m. local time on Friday, valuing the company at more than $1.9 billion. Jumia earlier raised $196 million with the sale of 13.5 million American depositary receipts at $14.50 each.

The listing caps seven years of growth for Jumia, which was founded by 38-year-old French entrepreneurs Sacha Poignonnec and Jeremy Hodara in 2012 and now has more than 4 million customers in 14 African countries. While the retail platform isn’t profitable, sales jumped by almost 40 percent last year to 130.6 million euros ($147.3 million)

Continue reading “Jumia Surges on U.S. Debut as Africa’s Amazon Goes Public” →

Uncategorized

How Delta Could Help Kenya Airways Launch an Atlanta-Nairobi Flight

By Trevor Williams

Atlanta is in the flight plan for Kenya Airways, a SkyTeam partner of Delta Air Lines Inc. which could eventually fulfill the latter’s decade-old effort to link its hometown and Nairobi, Kenya’s capital.

Kenyan Ambassador to the U.S. Robinson Njeru Githae told Global Atlanta that his country’s the flag carrier is eyeing links with Washington, then Atlanta, following the opening of a nonstop route to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport last October.

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Music

Thutmose experiments with genres while honoring his Nigerian roots

By Christina Cala

Thutmose is the name of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, but it’s also the stage name of Nigerian-born rapper and songwriter Umar Ibrahim. After immigrating with his family to Brooklyn, N.Y. at the age of 8, Thutmose grew up caught between the America he was experiencing and the America he imagined.

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Uncategorized

Former CNN ‘Inside Africa’ host Soni Methu dies at 34
By Aanu Adeoye, CNN
  • Soni Methu was in Diani, Kenya, Thursday when she collapsed in front of family members and died on her way to the hospital
  • Her younger sister Faith said it appeared Methu suffered a seizure
  • Methu hosted the show Inside African on CNN International between 2014 and 2015
  • At the time of her death, Methu worked as a reporter for the Chinese-owned news network CGTN

Kenyan journalist Soni Methu, the former host of CNN’s “Inside Africa,” has died at the age of 34.

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Movies

Akon Advises Eddie Murphy & Arsenio Hall To Cast African Actors In “Coming To America 2”

By Chantilly Post

Coming To America 2 is in the works and Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall have already begun their fittings for the anticipated film. While fans are looking forward to the resurgence of McDowell’s, Akon included, the “Right Now” music maker advises the lead actors to make sure they cast real African stars.

Continue reading “Akon Advises Eddie Murphy & Arsenio Hall To Cast African Actors In “Coming To America 2”” →

Uncategorized

Trump hails ‘Great President’ Al-Sisi during White House meeting
By Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

President Donald Trump of the United States has described his Eygyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi as a ‘great president … doing a great job” in the north African country.

The two leaders met at the White House on Tuesday during an official visit by the Egyptian leader. This trip is his second meeting with Trump in a space of two years.

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African Politics

They Fled Sudan for the U.S. Now They’re Worried about What Comes Next
By Jack Healy and Ann Klein

Sudan’s diaspora in the United States stayed up all night, sipping coffee and sweet tea to stay awake as people waited for a revolution in the country their families had fled.

But when the news finally came on Thursday morning that the military had ousted and arrested President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, dissolved the government and suspended the country’s Constitution, Sudanese-Americans said their hopes for a democratic transformation had been shattered.

Continue reading “They Fled Sudan for the U.S. Now They’re Worried about What Comes Next” →

Uncategorized

AfDB urges US businesses to “take advantage of opportunities” in Africa

African Development Bank President Adesina said it is time that the United States “scale up and take advantage of opportunities that other global players are already investing in.” APA learned on Friday.

Speaking at a high-level dialogue in Washington D.C., Akinwumi Adesina noted that “it is time to turn around the declining investments of the U.S. in Africa.

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Uncategorized

This American is helping Kenyan Students study In US universities
By Steven Withrow

Many things surprised Connor J. Cobb in his first months working with high school graduates in Kenya—an East African country of nearly 50 million people—and one thing he did not expect to find was that some Kenyan runners he met in his travels would already know of his hometown of Falmouth and the Falmouth Road Race.

The 24-year-old member of the Falmouth Track Club, who graduated from Falmouth High School in 2013 and graduated last May from Wesleyan University with a degree in European history, has been working for the Kenya Scholar-Athlete Project, or KenSAP, since September.

He recently returned home for a month of college admissions visits for the nonprofit, including at his alma mater, before returning to Kenya.

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Uncategorized

Delaware State U. working with African Union to connect African Americans to Africa  

By Ryanne Persinger

Delaware State University has partnered with the African Peer Review Mechanism to help bridge the gap between Africa and its “Sixth Region” — people of African heritage who live outside the continent.

Continue reading “Delaware State U. working with African Union to connect African Americans to Africa  “ →

Sports

Nigeria remains undeterred by Canada defeat

By Samuel Ahmadu

The Super Falcons suffered their first defeat to the North Americans in a friendly but their gaffer is unfazed by the latest setback.

Thomas Dennerby is untroubled by Nigeriawomen’s setback following a 2-1 defeat to Canada in a friendly at Pinatar Arena.

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Uncategorized

Africa’s Amazon Is set for a New York IPO as online retail takes off

By John Bowker

When Christophe Fofana, a 29-year-old taxi driver and student in Ivory Coast, needed a birthday present for his daughter last year, he did something he hadn’t done before. He went shopping online.

“It was a specific toy, an electric car, that I either couldn’t find in stores or was very expensive,” he said in Abidjan, the commercial capital. He found a gift for the big day on Jumia, the online retailer and market place active in 14 African countries.

Continue reading “Africa’s Amazon Is set for a New York IPO as online retail takes off” →
Sports

Ghanaians celebrate Kofi Kingstons, WWE victory

Ghanaian-American wrestler Kofi Kingston made history at WWE’s biggest annual calendar event Wrestlemania 35 which took place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday.

Squaring off against Daniel Bryan in a very feisty, entertaining and roller-coaster encounter, the veteran came up tops after finishing off Bryan with his signature Trouble in Paradise move to clinch the highly coveted WWE Championship.

Continue reading “Ghanaians celebrate Kofi Kingstons, WWE victory” →