Most Recent Blog Posts
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madam
- From: KofiJohn
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Description:
what's up? um.....about me. i am not hear very well, but there was problem with ears since i was 5 or 6 year old. i don't speak english or any languages. i speak, but not prefect. when i speak to you, you will understand what i say.i do tall to my friends and family. i always call things or name little mistake. i am kofi john and i am 19 year old. i was born in cameroon and i have grown up nigeria. so i was raising by parents and siblings. i am in u.s.a now. i go high school and i may or may not go to college. i am not late kids of my family, but i am the...... i like my family and friends somewhere in African. no matter who are my friends. i was grew up without see people or trees. i like my fans and rest of africans. ever since i was small, i used to have a dream about my dogs who someone had killed him because thay were hungry and ther was no food for them. anyway, i am kofi john, but you better know my name madam. i am skill in playing soccer and football.
- Blog post
- 2 months ago
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Mandela foundation leads South
- From: TheAfrican
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Description:
The foundation of South Africa's anti-apartheid icon, former president Nelson Mandela, on Friday joined music fans worldwide in expressed its sadness at US popstar Michael Jackson's death at the age of 50.
"The Nelson Mandela Foundation regrets the untimely passing of Michael Jackson. His loss will be felt by his fans worldwide," the statement read.
Jackson met Mandela in 1999 and made a donation to the Nelson Mandela Fund for Children.
Two years earlier, during his "HIStory" tour, he played a concert in South Africa's port city of Durban.
Radio stations in South Africa played Jackson's songs throughout the morning as fans phoned in to express their shock at the death of the singer and philanthropist, who co-wrote the charity song We are the World with fellow singer Lionel Richie in aid of Africa.
One radio presenter noted a South African woman had sung backing vocals on the star's Liberian Girl hit.
"The world has lost one of its greats," South Africa's Independent Newspapers lamented.
- Blog post
- 4 months ago
- Views: 71
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Bob Marley's Plaque Unveiled I
- From: TheAfrican
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Description:
Nana Rita Marley, widow of reggae icon, Bob Marley, has unveiled a plaque in honour of her husband on the Sankofa Wall at the Diaspora African Forum (DAF) Mission based at the Dubois Centre in Accra.
It was a solemn reverential ceremony and Nana Rita said after unveiling the plaque, that the event and the fact that it happened in Ghana, bore a special significance not only to her but to black people everywhere.
“This honour means a lot to me and my family. It is something we have lived for. The unity of Africa is very important and Bob always chanted ‘One Love, One Africa.’ Long live Africa.”
The Head of the DAF Mission, Ambassador Dr Erieka Bennet also remarked that Rastafarians have contributed significantly to enlightening the world about Pan-Africanism.
She praised Bob Marley for his contribution towards uplifting the consciousness of Africans on the continent as well as those in the Diaspora.
The Sankofa Wall symbolises the hopes and dreams of Africans in the Diaspora who always wanted to return and link up with their motherland but died before they could come back.
Families of such persons who happen to be Ghana, therefore place marble plaques in honour and reverence of their ancestors who have passed on in the West.
Bob Marley’s name has been etched in marble on the plaque as Robert Nesta Marley O.M. Behane Selassie. His name is among over forty others of distinguished blacks whose plaques had been laid on the Sankofa Wall at the DAF Mission by direct relatives to mark the return of their spirits to the land of their ancestors.
Among the names are Harriet Ross Tubman Davis, a freed slave who helped to free many others and Hon. Marcus Mosiah Garvey who championed a back-to-Africa movement in the New World.
A Living Legend Award which was conferred on Nana Rita at this year’s African International Media Summit (AIM) in Adiss Ababa, was officially presented to her by Dr Desta Meghoo at the unveiling ceremony.
The Diaspora African Forum Mission is an African Union initiative to facilitate the smooth return of African descendants in the West who wish to return to their motherland.Source: DailyGraphic
- Blog post
- 4 months ago
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Obama Discusses Africa Ahead o
- From: TheAfrican
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Description:
Washington, DC — "Lifting up successful models" of democracy in Africa encourages more democracy on the continent, President Barack Obama told AllAfrica Thursday, explaining why he chose the West African nation of Ghana as the first sub-Saharan African country he would visit next week as President of the United States.
"Countries that are governed well…where leadership recognizes that they are accountable to the people and that institutions are stronger than any one person have a track record of producing results for the people", the president said. Ghana's new president, John Atta Mills, has demonstrated "the kinds of democratic commitments that ensure stability in a country. And we want to highlight that."
The pace of progress to good governance is uneven, Mr. Obama acknowledged. "In my father's own country of Kenya, I'm concerned about how political parties do not seem to be moving into a permanent reconciliation that would allow the country to move forward. And Kenya is not alone."
Africa is a place of "extraordinary promise," Obama told AllAfrica, but is "not going to to be able to fulfill those promises unless we see better governance."
"I think part of what's hampered African development is that for many years we've made excuses about corruption or poor governance," the president said.
The conversation with AllAfrica - the only pre-trip presidential interview devoted to Africa - was conducted in the Blue Room at the White House, with Charles Cobb posing the questions.
Before visiting Ghana, Obama will travel to Russia and then to L'Aquila, Italy for a series of summit meetings, beginning with the G8 industrialized countries. Joining the discussions on the second day (June 9) will be the 'Group of Five' largest emerging economies, which include South Africa, as well as China, Brazil, India and Mexico. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been invited by Italian President Berlusconi to join that session.
Obama will have a bilateral meeting with the South African president, Jacob Zuma, who will also participate in the Major Economies Forum, which President Obama will co-chair Thursday evening. African countries who have been invited to participate in a working breakfast Friday morning with G8 leaders and the heads of five large international organizations include Angola, Algeria, Nigeria, Senegal, Ethiopia and Libya, each of whom .currently chairs a pan African body.
Obama told AllAfrica that the meetings with African presidents during the G8 Summit, plus the decision to include Ghana in next week's travel, "show that Africa is directly connected to our entire foreign policy approach, that it's not some isolated thing where every once in a while you go visit Africa for a while to check that box."
The president "looks forward to traveling more widely in Africa," Michelle Gavin, senior director for Africa at the National Security Council, told a press briefing Wednesday. But the "intentional" choice of an African stopover at this time underscores that "African voices are an important part of global discussions on key global issues," she said.
The president is scheduled to land in Accra late Friday evening, accompanied by First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia. He will deliver a major address to the Ghanaian Parliament on Saturday, followed by a tour of the Cape Coast Castle, an ancient fort that was used to detain slaves bound for trans-Atlantic shipping.
The Ghanaian address will focus on development and democracy, according to Denis McDonough, deputy national security advisor and a long-time Obama aide. It will be the last in a four-speech series on foreign policy, following a nuclear non-proliferation address in Prague in April, a June 4 speech in Cairo to the Muslim world., and a scheduled talk on Tuesday in Moscow.
In the interview, the president called for "opening up better trade opportunities" for Africa. He said less economic development assistance should be spent on western consultants and administrative costs and more for the people it is intended to benefit. He said technology tools should be used to streamline and track aid and improve delivery, saying "our aid policies have been splintered." And he said "low-tech" approaches could prompt an African "green revolution."
He advocated "a practical, hardheaded approach" to improve daily lives of Africans, based on effective governance. "You're not going to get investment without good governance," he said. He also said strategic planning for industrial development, "great emphasis on education" to develop a skilled workforce and technology transfers that nurture "homegrown industries" are components of sound policies, citing South Korea's economic success.
Asked whether U.S. policies or African governments have failed Africa, Obama said colonialism had spurred conflict and imposed inequitable terms of trade. But, he said, "the fact is we're in 2009, and neither the western world nor the United States is responsible for some of the "disastrous policies" in Zimbabwe and elsewhere. Africa's people, he said, understand that but haven't always had the opportunity to "organize and voice their opinions in ways that create better results."
Obama said that at the end of his term in office, "I would like to be able to say that the United States was an effective partner" with African countries in building political, civil and economic institutions that led to "improving standards of living and greater security." He would like, he said, to assist Africa on the path of integration into the global economy, where young people will be able to say, "I can stay in my country and succeed, and, through my success, my county and my people will get stronger. That would be a good legacy."
Source: allafrica.com
- Blog post
- 4 months ago
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18 July - International Mandel
- From: TheAfrican
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Description:
A mention of his name is like a big wave to the history of the the world, and as his birthday approaches it is already guaranteed that a vast amount of celebrations will take place all accross the world, as this year marks the launch of the “International Mandela Day” which will be held on his birthday, July 18.
As the legend turns 91 a lot of celebrities are preparing for the big day and its events, and one of the big event that will be taking place on that day is the “Tribute to Mandela” dinner which is scheduled to take place at the Madison Sqaure Gardens, New York.
Where Queen Latifah, Josh Groban, The Soweto Gospel Choir, Aretha Franklin, Dave Stewart, Wyclef Jean and Jesse McCartney are some of the entertainers scheduled to perform. Long live Madiba!
Source: Jamati.com
- Blog post
- 4 months ago
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From bush to bike - a bamboo r
- From: TheAfrican
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Description:
On the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia, next year's crop of bicycles is being watered by Benjamin Banda.
"We planted this bamboo last year," he says, "and now the stems are taller than me. When it's ready we'll cut it, cure it and then turn it into frames."
Mr Banda, is the caretaker for Zambikes, a company set up by two Californians and two Zambians which aimed to build bikes tough enough to handle the local terrain.
Co-founder Vaughn Spethmann, 24, recalls how it all started with a game of football.
Bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant in the world"We were here on a university field trip and we organized a match against some locals. Afterwards we asked them what they did, and they said: 'Nothing'. They didn't have jobs.
"So we decided to come up with a business which would be a source of employment and provide a useful product."
That product was the rugged, bright yellow Zambike, assembled at the firm's smart red-brick workshop set in sun-browned farmland.
Other projects followed as the mechanics' skills improved: a sturdy cargo bike, a bike trailer and a bike-drawn "zambulance", now in use at 10 clinics around Lusaka.
Good vibrations
Meanwhile Santa Cruz-based bike designer Craig Calfee was experimenting with bamboo as a material for bike frames.
His prototypes proved that the strength and lightness of the plant made it a great substitute for metal.
As a bonus it had excellent vibration-dampening properties, making it comfortable for riding over long distances.
It was eye-catching too - Mr Calfee's stand was besieged when he unveiled his first bamboo frame at a bike show.
The bicycles are being targeted at the American marketMr Calfee hatched a plan to manufacture the frames in developing countries, distribute them in the US and share the profits.
He had already set up a workshop in Accra, Ghana, and started looking for more bike producers, nicknamed "bambooseros".
The industry telegraph started humming and soon he was talking to Zambikes.
"We were so excited," says Mr Spethmann. "The thought of Zambian-made products being sold in the USA. That just doesn't happen."
There are many reasons why it's so unusual: capital is difficult to raise in Zambia; tools and raw materials - if available - are expensive; skilled labour is in short supply; and bureaucracy isn't.
In this context having a low-cost raw material on the doorstep is a godsend.
"And of course there's very little impact on the environment," says Dustin McBride, the other American on the Zambikes management team.
Growth market
Inside the workshop, bike mechanic Elastus Lemba is setting up treated bamboo pieces on a jig made from plumber's pipes and bicycle parts.
The bicycle-making process has little impact on the environmentIt looks low-tech, but that's intentional.
Mr Calfee wanted a production process that did not require sophisticated machinery.
With wood glue holding the frame in place, Mr Lemba binds the joints using sisal - tough cord made from plant fibre soaked in epoxy.
Hand-making the frames in this way takes at least a week.
After a final sanding and coat of varnish, each batch of bamboosero bikes will be shipped to the USA, tested, fitted with wheels, pedals, handlebars and brakes, and put on sale.
So will the bike be a success?
Mr Calfee thinks so, based on all the enquiries and advance orders he has received.
"Hundreds of people have asked when they can buy one. From a bike messenger who wants an affordable fixie to a wealthy collector who wants one from each bamboosero location."
It was never just about bikes. We want to change lives 
Mwewa Chikamba, Zambikes co-founderHe is convinced the price tag - $475 (£290) for road or mountain bike frames, and more than $900 (£550) for a finished bike - won't put people off.
"The only criticism I've had is that they might be too cheap.
"After all, buyers are helping to get self-sustaining businesses off the ground in developing economies, and they're getting a unique bike into the bargain."
The mood is optimistic at Zambikes too.
Operations co-ordinator Divilance Machilika, watches company cook Fabian Mumba taking a finished bamboo bike for a spin around the yard.
"I can see these selling well in America. They'll like them because they're natural," he says.
Mr Machilika lived in a tent on the site for a year while the workshop was being built.
A quick learner, he soon mastered construction skills and bike mechanics. Now he oversees day-to-day running of the workshop.
Benefit to the community
One of the founders, Mwewa Chikamba, says Mr Machilika is an example of what Zambikes wanted to achieve.
"It was never just about bikes. We wanted to give our workers practical skills and reward their dedication. We want to change lives," he says.
Sisal is another plant used in the bamboo bike which is grown locallyAssistance is also offered in the form of business coaching or discretionary loans - Mr Machilika used one such loan to buy a plot of land.
"I want to build three houses there. I'll use the rent money to start other businesses and employ people myself."
Instead of charging interest, Zambikes asks staff to demonstrate that the investment made in them is benefiting their community.
Perseverance and an innovative approach to product design and working practices have helped Zambikes put down strong roots.
But in a business environment that leaves much to be desired, it is no surprise that they have not yet seen a profit.
If the bamboo bike shoots out of the shops as fast as Mr Calfee predicts, that may be about to change too.
Source: bbc news Africa
- Blog post
- 4 months ago
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WB approves $3.5 million clima
- From: TheAfrican
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Description:
The World Bank has approved US$3.5 million for Liberia for its Costal Defense programme which will target three cities including Monrovia, the capital City of Liberia and two other major cities in the country, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) communiqué has said.
According to the EPA communiqué, the fund is also targeted to reduce the impact of climate change and build capacity for Liberians on the magnitude of funds needed to tackle climate change.
Addressing the inter ministerial dialogue meeting, EPA acting director, Jerome Nyenkan, said discussions will focus on the impacts of climate change on the key sector of agriculture approaches for more efficient energy uses and ways in which forests can be used to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions causing the global warning.
He said the dialogue will also raise awareness about important international climate talks that are currently underway that could have implications for national policies.
He said climate change is steering up serious issue which makes it very challenging and needs to be looked at keenly in Liberia before it is too late. "At this programme, we must try to solve the threat of climate change in Liberia and globally," he said.
Liberia like the rest of the world continues to experience climate related problems, which continue to devastate human lives through destructions of infrastructure and experiencing a number of water-born diseases.Source: afrol.com
- Blog post
- 5 months ago
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The Brazil players celebrate w
- From: TheAfrican
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Description:
Brazil denied the USA another shock victory by coming back from two goals down to win the Confederations Cup.
A Clint Dempsey flick and a Landon Donovan strike on the counter put the USA into a surprise 2-0 half-time lead.
Luis Fabiano pulled one back for Brazil before Kaka was denied an equaliser when his header was wrongly judged not to have crossed the line.
Luis Fabiano's headed second levelled matters before, five minutes from time, Lucio nodded in a corner to win it.
After upsetting the odds so spectacularly with their 2-0 semi-final victory over Spain, the USA almost tore up the script again, against opponents who had beaten them 3-0 in the group stage of the competition.
Predictably, favourites Brazil had the lion's share of possession, but the incisive football was played by the American underdogs throughout the first half.
Indeed, with their first attack the USA scored.
Jonathan Spector launched a cross from deep at Dempsey, whose swinging volley made the faintest of touches to direct the ball past Julio Cesar.
Even at such an early stage, it was clear that Brazil were waiting for one of their leading lights to create something from nothing as opposed to taking collective responsibility.
Three times their star-turn Kaka created chances for others, firstly Robinho, then Felipe Melo and finally Maicon, but each time American goalkeeper Tim Howard was equal to the final shot.
After 25 minutes, Brazil were made to pay for their profligacy as the USA launched a superb counter-attack which resulted in a superb second goal.
Donovan found Charlie Davies on the left wing, whose incisive return pass found Donovan in space and bearing down on goal but still with plenty to do.
The striker's touch took him away from the covering Ramires and his next touch was a perfectly placed side-foot shot past Cesar.
With seconds remaining in the half Brazil almost clawed back what would have been a barely merited goal when Maicon got round the back of the American defence, but his cross was deflected away from the lurking Fabiano by Carlos Bocanegra.
Barely a minute into the second half, the dynamic of the game changed as Felipe Melo fed Luis Fabiano, who swivelled sharply and shot past Howard.
With the momentum now in their favour, Brazil attacked with regularity and were mistakenly denied parity on the hour as Kaka's far post header from an Andre Santos cross was pushed clear by Howard, but replays showed that the ball had crossed the line.
Luis Fabiano had a chance to equalise when he was played in on goal by substitute Elano - and played onside by Oguchi Onyewu - but Howard was quick off his line to smother the ball before the striker could shoot.
With 15 minutes to go Luis Fabiano did pull his side level.
Kaka drove in from the left and crossed for Robinho whose shot hit the underside of the bar but bounced nicely for Luis Fabiano who made no mistake in nodding the ball past the diving Howard.
With Brazil now in the ascendancy, the USA were unable to hold out, and five minutes from time the turnaround was complete.
Elano's outswinging corner was met by the unmarked Lucio and his powerful header struck the inside of Howard's right-hand post on its way in to break American hearts.
- Blog post
- 5 months ago
- Views: 62
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USA 2-3 Brazil win confederati
- From: TheAfrican
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Description:
Brazil denied the USA another shock victory by coming back from two goals down to win the Confederations Cup.
A Clint Dempsey flick and a Landon Donovan goal on the counter put the USA into a suprise 2-0 first half lead.
Luis Fabiano pulled one back for Brazil before Kaka was denied an equaliser when his header was wrongly decreed not to have crossed the line.
Luis Fabiano's headed second levelled matters before, five minutes from time, Lucio nodded in a corner to win it.
Source: Bbc/BeeAfrican Sport Report
- Blog post
- 5 months ago
- Views: 61
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Eto'o has Manchester City offe
- From: TheAfrican
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Description:
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed Manchester City have made a "stratospheric offer" to striker Samuel Eto'o.
The 28-year-old Cameroon international superstar has just one-year left on his contract with the European champions and is being tipped to leave Camp Nou. Big-spending City have been linked with virtually ever player going this summer,
although they recently recruited Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn. However, manager Mark Hughes is far from finished his summer spending and it appears he is determined as ever to add Eto'o to his talented squad.
Highest paid:
Laporta claims City's offer would make Eto'o the highest paid player in world football, a deal which may even eclipse the staggering six-year deal Cristiano Ronaldo recently penned with Real Madrid.
The Barca supremo claims Eto'o wants to stay, but concedes the offer may be too good to reject. He also confirmed the Catalan giants would seek a replacement if the striker departed.
"Eto'o has a stratospheric offer from City, which would convert him into the best paid player in the world," he told Catalan radio station iCat FM.
"It's starting to become clear that he has this monster offer. He wants to stay but an offer like this is very difficult to refuse.
"If Eto'o accepts this stratospheric offer we will have to bring in someone."
Source: skp.com
- Blog post
- 5 months ago
- Views: 70
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Spain beats South Africa 3-2 i
- From: TheAfrican
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Description:
Spain restored some pride by claiming third place in the Confederations Cup thanks to an extra time winner from Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, after some late drama saw the teams locked at 2-2 at the end of regulation time.
After having dominated the possession against hosts South Africa, Spain fell behind in the 73rd minute to a goal from substitute Katlego Mphela. With the match seemingly heading for a home win, Spain showed tremendous resolve to launch wave after wave of attack, which finally bore fruition as another substitute Daniel Guiza scored twice for the European champions in the space of a couple of minutes.
However there was to be a twist in the tale as South Africa won a free kick in David Beckham territory deep into injury time. Katlego Mphela stepped up to whiz a right-footed shot the legendary England midfield man would have been proud of, past the outstretched palms of Iker Casillas to send the home crowd ballistic, and the match into extra time.
The first half of e.t. resembled the opening 70 minutes of the match, with Spain stroking the football around beautifully, and South Africa bundling after it with terrific desire. However Alonso's free kick from an acute angle on the Spanish left soon changed that as he whipped in a delightful ball straight into the far corner of the net.
Despite the defeat, the Bafana Bafana can be very proud of their performance not just in this match, but in the tournament as a whole, showing that they will be more than ready to compete with the best in the world in 12 months time.
Source: Thecampussports
- Blog post
- 5 months ago
- Views: 67
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my boobs are the sexiest part
- From: TheAfrican
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Description:
Despite the constant resistance and opposition from her strict dad, an opportunity to hit the klieg lights had always been on the mind of Yvonne Jegede, and this, dates back to when she was even a child.
And as fate would have it, her long awaited dream of becoming a screen star, finally came in 2004, when she got her first movie role in Missing Angel, which further opened the floodgate for other movies and TV soaps in quick successions.
Aside acting, pretty Jegede, from Edo State, who turns 26, this August, is also a model and music performer with many music videos to her credit. In fact, her scintillating appearance in Tuface Idibia’s monster hit, African Queen, alongside two other beauties, is still being talked about.
In this heart-warming encounter with http://nigeriafilms.com , Jegede, who quietly disappeared from the industry’s radar for over two years, is not only back with a bang, but also wants to furthe expand her horizon by veering into movie production.
The boisterous entertainer also told us where she’s been, the stuffs that kept her busy, why she’s back, the big project and many more.
We would like to know what led to your almost two years absence from the movie industry?
I left Nollywood when I got admission to study in a Cyprus university in Europe. I’m in my second year studying international relations, that’s where I have been all these days.
Many of your fast growing fans are also sad that you left Nollywood at the peak of your career; do you feel the same way?
I thought about school first of all, because school is very vital. A couple of good friends spoke to me about going to school and getting a degree. But the truth is that, even if I go for ten years and come back, I’ll still meet the industry, and that was why I had to leave the time I did and I’m glad I’d left then. No regrets also, but I’m back and will apologize to my fans through your medium and my subsequent movies.
Source: Nigeriafilms.com
- Blog post
- 5 months ago
- Views: 91
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Africa cries for Michael Jacks
- From: TheAfrican
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Description:
News of pop star Michael Jackson's death has been greeted with a mixture of disbelief and sadness across Africa.
In Nigeria, a presenter on Radio Continental broke down live on air and could not continue her programme.
A woman in Ghana burst into tears in the capital, Accra, when told by a BBC reporter about the musician's death.
In 1999, he was presented with a lifetime achievement award by South African icon Nelson Mandela at the Kora All Africa Music Awards.
Michael Jackson first visited the continent at the age of 14 as the lead singer of the Jackson Five.
Emerging from the plane in Senegal, he responded to a welcome of drummers and dancers by screaming: ''This is where I come from."
'Spectacular disappointment'
He returned for an African tour 19 years later, when the king of pop was crowned chief of several African villages.
But the trip quickly turned into a public relations nightmare amid allegations that police had beaten the crowds who went to see him and complaints in the local media that the pop star had been seen holding his nose, as if to keep out a bad smell.
It's not true, no it's not true
Ghanaian fan
Ghanaian journalist Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, who says she was a huge Jackson Five fan as a girl, covered the visit.
She said he spent most of his time locked away in his plush hotel or hidden in his limousine when out.
When his car window wound down for a brief minute for him to greet fans, she asked him about his trip to Africa, and he replied limply: "Beautiful, I love it."
It was "a spectacular disappointment in many ways", Ms Quist-Arcton told the BBC's Network Africa programme.
But the crowds who lined Abidjan's streets during his visit were testament to his huge popularity across the continent where fans have been expressing their shock at his death.
The BBC's Tom Oladipo in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos said the Radio Continental presenter broke down sobbing live on air after hearing the news and her co-presenter had to take over.
The Jackson Five first visited Africa in the 1970sOne of Michael Jackson's brothers, Marlon, is planning to develop a controversial luxury resort, a mixture of a slave history theme park and a museum dedicated to the Jackson Five in Nigeria.
He also had passionate fans in Ghana.
"It's not true, no it's not true," a woman in Accra wailed as her companion accused our correspondent of lying about the news of Jackson's death.
"He's a legend, he's not supposed to die," a woman in the Kenyan capital told the BBC.But others expressed concern about his obsession with his appearance.
"He was not proud to a black American, he wasn't, he wanted very much to be white," a man in Nairobi said.
The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Johannesburg says Michael Jackson's most tangible contribution to Africa came at the peak of his career in the mid-1980s, when he co-wrote the charity song We are the World with Lionel Ritchie.
Sung by a group of leading artists, the single topped charts around the world raising awareness and more than $50m for famine relief in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa.
Source: bbc news Africa
- Blog post
- 5 months ago
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Singer Michael Jackson dead at
- From: TheAfrican
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Description:
Michael Jackson has died at age 50 after being rushed to UCLA Medical Center, NBC News has confirmed.
Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda told the L.A. Times that Jackson was not breathing when paramedics arrived at his home and CPR was performed. TMZ.com reported that he may have suffered cardiac arrest. Jackson had been due to start a series of comeback concerts in London on July 13 running until March 2010. The singer, whose hits included “Thriller” and “Billie Jean,” had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months.
The shows for the 50 London concerts sold out within minutes of going on sale in March.
His lifetime record sales tally is believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he received, makes him one of the most successful entertainers of all time.
He lived as a virtual recluse since his acquittal in 2005 on charges of child molestation.
There were concerns about Jackson’s health in recent years but the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors.
A life in music
Jackson was born on Aug. 29, 1958, in Gary, Ind., the seventh of nine children. Five Jackson boys — Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael — first performed together at a talent show when Michael was 6. They walked off with first prize and went on to become a best-selling band, The Jackson Five, and then The Jackson 5.Jackson made his first solo album in 1972, and released “Thriller” in 1982, which became a smash hit that yielded seven top-10 singles. The album sold 21 million copies in the United States and at least 27 million worldwide.
The next year, he unveiled his signature “moonwalk” dance move while performing “Billie Jean” during an NBC special.
In 1994, Jackson married Elvis Presley’s only child, Lisa Marie, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1996. Jackson married Debbie Rowe the same year and had two children before splitting in 1999. The couple never lived together.
Jackson has three children named Prince Michael I, Paris Michael and Prince Michael II, who was known for his brief public appearance when his father held him over the railing of a hotel balcony, causing widespread criticism.
Source: msnbc: California
- Blog post
- 5 months ago
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Brazil 1-0 South Africa: Confe
- From: TheAfrican
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Description:
An 88th minute free-kick from defender Daniel Alves sent an uncovincing Brazil into the Confederations Cup final and left hosts South Africa heartbroken.
Alves came on late in the game and powered a strike into the far corner after Aaron Mokoena conceded the set piece with a foul on Ramirez.
Mokoena had earlier sent a far post header from close range over.
Steven Pienaar also came close for the hosts when his 25-yard shot was palmed wide by keeper Julio Cesar.
Brazil had struggled to produce their fluent passing game and, until the winner from Alves, gave South Africa the scent of creating a similar upset to the other semi-final which saw the United States beat Spain.
A mixture of Brazil's own lethargy and South Africa's industry and passion saw the South American team fail to create any concerted pressure on the hosts.
When they did produce a threat, Ramirez had a shot easily saved while the forward's control let him down when Kaka tried to put him through.
South Africa should have punished Brazil for a lacklustre display but Mokoena put a free header over from six yards.
A Siphiwe Tshabalala left-foot free-kick was blocked away by keeper Cesar before Brazil briefly raised themselves from their stupor to almost punish South Africa.
Andre Santos chested down a ball and his half-volley was saved, while Kaka cut inside and curled an 18-yard shot just wide.
South Africa midfielder Pienaar's energy and determination is vital to his side and he would have added the vital ingredient of goal if a full-stretch Cesar had not tipped his long range strike wide.
Cesar again saved his side when Teko Modise's deflected strike looked set to spin into goal only for the keeper to plam the effort wide.
The vuvuzela's were getting louder with each minute as the potential for a huge upset grew stronger as South Africa's work-rate stifled Brazil.
But Alves and Brazil had the final say as a display more a a battling nature than samba style booked the South American side's place in Sunday's final against the United States.
Source: bbc sport Africa
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Liberia star Sebwe calls it a
- From: TheAfrican
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Liberian midfielder Kelvin Sebwe hangs up his boots this week, ending a career spanning more than two decades.
An array of football icons are expected to grace his testimonial match in Monrovia on Thursday.
They include Ghanaian stars Michael Essien and Abedi Pele, and the Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba.
Liberian legend George Weah is also in Monrovia for the match to honour the 37-year-old who made his international debut against Mali in 1986.
Sebwe's 73 international caps yielded 17 goals, making him the Lone Star's most prolific midfielder.
"I'm proud of Kelvin's career in Europe and with the Lone Star. He was wonderful in midfield and got some crucial goals for us," Weah said.
He spent 13 seasons playing at various clubs across Europe, having launched his career at AS Monaco in 1990.
One of Sebwe's proudest moments came in 1994 when he was voted the best African player in the Belgian League.
Source: bbc sport Africa
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Fifa will stage memorial for M
- From: TheAfrican
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Football's world governing body Fifa will commemorate the death of Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe at the Confederations Cup final on Sunday.
Foe collapsed on the field and lost consciousness during a Confederations Cup semi-final in France in 2003 and died soon after arriving in hospital.
He was later found to have suffered from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart-related disease. He was 28.
Fifa president Sepp Blatter said it was a "very sad and tragic event".
Blatter added: "Just before the kick-off when the teams are assembled in the middle of the field, we will have a message to the world about what happened.
"What has come out of it is that football learnt about cardiological diseases.
"One of the legacies of Marc-Vivien Foe's unfortunate death and having the World Cup in Africa is that Fifa is providing medical care and aid where we possibly can."
Foe died when he was making his 64th international appearance.
He played at club level for Manchester City and Racing Lens, among other sides. City retired the number 23 shirt he wore, while at their new Eastlands stadium there is a small memorial garden for him.
Racing Lens renamed an avenue near their Felix Bollaert Stadium after him and he was given a state funeral in Cameroon.
Source: bbc sport Africa
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Egypt 0-3 USA: Egypt thrashed
- From: TheAfrican
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RUSTENBURG, June 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. came from a near impossible position to claim a Confederations Cup semi-final berth on Sunday, hammering Egypt 3-0 and profiting from an equally heavy defeat for Italy at the end of the group matches.
In a dramatic finale to Group B, the U.S. went through in second place on more goals scored than world champions Italy, who lost 3-0 to Brazil in Pretoria.The U.S. finished with a goal difference of minus two along with the Italians but scored four goals in the group to Italy's three.The Americans now play Spain in the first semi-final on Wednesday. Egypt were last in the standings with a goal difference of minus three.It was an amazing comeback by the U.S., made almost surreal by a crowd seemingly oblivious of the unfolding permutations.The U.S. had started the day in last place after two defeats in their first round matches, scoring a single goal and conceding six, and only a fervent fan would have given them a chance to making the final four.A scrambled goal by Charlie Davies in the 21st minute gave the U.S. a deserved half-time lead after a busy opening period but they entered the field for the second half with extra vigour, having learnt that Brazil were 3-0 up on Italy.The Americans, who suffered two harsh dismissals in their two previous matches, must have thought their hard luck was continuing when the New Zealand referee Michael Hester waved away appeals after a shot from Jozy Altidore was clearly handled off the line by Hani Said six minutes into the second half.But they continued to press forward and captain Landon Donovan dragged a square pass into the path of Michael Bradley for the second goal, at the culmination of a move that the Americans had started in their half.The 63rd-minute strike was followed eight minutes later by a third and decisive goal as Clint Dempsey got his head to a cross from Jonathan Spector.Egypt threatened rarely after that and looked a pale shadow of the team that had beaten Italy on Thursday and narrowly lost to Brazil in a seven-goal thriller last Monday.The absence of injured striker Mohamed Zidan proved costly although the African champions did have the early initiative, including a bizarre goalmouth scramble in the 13th minute when the ball ricocheted around as if in a pinball machine.Source: Guardian Sport - Blog post
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ARISE AFRICA FASHION WEEK - A
- From: TheAfrican
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African Fashion International (AFI), organisers of the Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban Fashion Weeks, is proud to announce ARISE Africa Fashion Week, a showcase of the continent’s leading fashion designers at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, from the 12 to 20 June 2009.
ARISE Africa Fashion Week is five-year sponsorship agreement with ARISE Magazine, the acclaimed magazine of African style and culture. ARISE launched in February 2009 and is produced in the United Kingdom and distributed internationally.
Nduka Obaigbena, group chairman and editor-in-chief of ARISE, said "ARISE recently presented the African Fashion Collective at New York Fashion Week. The partnership with African Fashion International (AFI) is a continued celebration of African achievement and an extension of our commitment to recognize and showcase the very best of African creative talent. I firmly believe that ARISE Africa Fashion Week will attract an international audience and markets beyond the global African Diaspora. The world’s eyes will be firmly focused on Joburg".
ARISE is published by THISDAY, Nigeria's premier newspaper of record, with some 700 staff members in 38 offices across the country. THISDAY has a daily circulation of 100,000 copies (120,000 on Sundays) and a daily readership of 4 million.
THISDAY entertainment division, THISDAY LIVE, is internationally renowned for the music and fashion festivals it has hosted since 2006. Some of the biggest names in music and fashion have participated, many for the first time in Africa, including Jay-Z, Beyoncé, John Legend, Rihanna, Usher, Christina Aguilera, Shakira, Seal, P. Diddy, Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown, Tyson Beckford, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, Alek Wek, Liya Kebede and many more.
For the past 14 years, THISDAY LIVE has produced the THISDAY Awards, which celebrates good governance in Nigerian business and politics, recognizing outstanding leadership in banking, oil, government and other categories. Many of the world’s greatest leaders in business and politics have come to Nigeria to speak and participate in these awards, including Bill Clinton, Former US Secretaries of State, Dr Henry Kissinger and General Colin Powell, Former German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, Kofi Annan, Jeb Bush, Howard Dean, former Prime Minister of France, Dominic De Villepin, former Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, Donna Brazile, Karl Rove, Steve Forbes, Larry Summers and many more.
Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, chairperson of African Fashion International, says "Our goal is to promote African talent, both locally and on a global scale and ARISE Africa Fashion Week is a further step towards fulfilment of this goal. We are delighted and privileged to partner with ARISE Magazine and Nduka Obaigbena, who shares in this common objective. ARISE Africa Fashion Week will afford the continent’s top fashion design talent the opportunity to capitalise on this unprecedented world attention".
Dr Moloi-Motsepe continues "The fashion business has been a significant contributor to the GDP of most African countries. In South Africa, the clothing and textile sector generated sales of over R18.4 billion in 2006 and this sector represents 1.8 percent of overall employment in this country.
By comparison, the British creative industry brings in £21 billion. Africa can compete in the global fashion industry by focusing on our abundance of creative talent and our unique African signature. ARISE Africa Fashion Week will benefit the local textile industry, inter-African trade as well as capitalise on global interest in the continent as a creative source."
African influences have abounded in European and American collections; a trend which global fashion consultant, Claire Hamilton of WGSN New York, believes is only going to grow. "Tribal or ethnic prints have been popular on the runways for several seasons and right now the African aesthetic—defined especially by textile patterns or beadwork—is very appealing."
Renowned US fashion critic, Suzy Menkes, detailed in a recent New York Times article entitled "The Bright Continent," how African inspirations are a dominant theme in current fashion trends and how there is now a new focus on diversity, from model selection to accessories and design. ARISE Africa Fashion Week has already confirmed the participation of 50 of the best African fashion designers from 20 countries, from all regions of the continent. ARISE Africa Fashion Week is set to become an annual event and it is envisaged that it will be hosted by different countries on the continent each year following 2010, with Nigeria being hotly tipped to host the event in 2011. Organisers are confident that it will become one of the world’s major perennial, must-attend fashion events.
Joburg Tourism Company CEO, Lindiwe Mahlangu, commented "that by hosting 'Joburg-Africa at its best experience' during this exciting time of our history and more importantly with a flagship project like ARISE Africa Fashion Week as core element of the experience, Joburg would once again be reinforcing its status as a World-Class FCC host City". "This initiative will have a major business and cultural impact, creating a legacy project for the continent."
"For the duration of ARISE Africa Fashion Week, the Sandton Convention centre will be the hub of fashion collections, exhibitions, trade and entertainment. Guests to Joburg during this time will be spoilt for choices in the city with the golden touch-come & feel the golden touch" says Mahlangu.Source: AfricanFashionWeek
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Do Barack Obama's Roots Inhibi
- From: TheAfrican
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The 44th President of the United States has a triple ancestral heritage. Obama is descended from Africans, from Muslims and from mainstream Americans. In the bid to be elected President of the US, Barack Obama emphasised his affinity with mainstream Americans, and underplayed his African and his Muslim ancestry.
Yet, there are great expectations of his presidency among Muslims and people of African descent, both within the United States and worldwide. The basis of such expectations rely on three kinds of credentials.
One set of credentials are existential concerning Obama's own identity and his personal attributes. Obama's intelligence, his social and political skills and his personal style of leadership are, of course, part and parcel of the man.
Also existential is Obama's African and Muslim ancestry. He is the first United States' president whose father was born a Muslim and whose grandfather was, by all accounts, devout in the faith.
Obama is the first president none of whose names were either European or Jewish. His first name was based on the Swahili name Baraka (blessing), his second name Hussein is Arab-Muslim, and his family name Obama is Luo from Kenya. It is to his credit that Obama never tried to suppress his middle name Hussein, which was politically risky in the United States.
He is also the first US President whose childhood education was partly in a Muslim country, Indonesia. Obama's childhood was also in Hawaii, arguably the most multicultural part of the US.
His school in Indonesia was secular and not a traditional madrasa. But his fellow students were overwhelmingly Muslim, as were indeed the majority of his instructors. He was exposed to Islam in the human composition of the school if not necessarily in the syllabi and curriculum.
Next to the existential criteria for basing our expectations of the Obama presidency are the credentials of performance itself. Within his first 100 days Obama made no spectacular move to either Africa or Black America other than expressing concern over the crisis of Darfur in the Sudan and offering to assist in the quest for solving the problem.
But although his Afro-oriented gestures in his first 100 days were modest, Obama's moves in the Muslim world were more substantial. His first major television interview for foreign audiences was with Arabiya television network targeting the Arab world. He also addressed the people of Iran on their national day, extending America's hand of goodwill if Iran would "unclench its own fist."
For the Arab-Israeli conflict President Obama appointed as his envoy the former majority leader in the US Senate, George Mitchell, an experienced mediator and negotiator who had successfully mediated the Good Friday Agreement for Northern Ireland in 1998. Senator Mitchell has Lebanese, as well as Irish ancestry.
Obama also appointed Richard Holbrook, another experienced and distinguished mediator, as special envoy for both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Obama also invited the Presidents of both Afghanistan and Pakistan to join him at the White House early in May for more fundamental evaluation of their joint policies towards the Taliban insurgents in both countries and towards general struggle against Muslim extremists.
Although the government of Israel which came to power early this year was at best lukewarm about a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian problem, the Obama administration has emphasised to both the Israelis and the Arabs that a two-state solution is still the policy of the US. Vice-President Joseph Biden has also emphasised the two-state approach to Jewish audiences within the US.
Obama's policy towards Africa has been less noteworthy than his moves towards the Muslim world. The President may feel inhibited precisely because his father was not only an African but also a citizen of an African country.
Obama may be cautious not to betray either racial nepotism or a manifest bias towards Africa. When faced with a dilemma between helping Kenya and helping Bangladesh, Obama may feel compelled to help Bangladesh as a poorer and more deserving supplicant for American aid.
Given such considerations as these, would Africa have been better off if Hillary Clinton had been elected President of the United States instead of Barack Obama?.
Source: allafrica.com
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