Ghana’s president receives Tulsa Race Massacre survivors at the

Mother Fletcher and Uncle Redd take their "We Are One Tour" of Ghana to the seat of the government

JUBILEE HOUSE, ACCRA – Ghana’s president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo this afternoon hosted two of the three survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre Viola Fletcher (107) and his “baby brother” Hughes Van Ellis (100) at an emotional ceremony.

Proclaiming “We Are One” that has now become an anthemic slogan of Uncle Redd’s, the centenarians expressed profound gratitude to the president for extending the arm of the whole nation to people of African descent to come home.

“I think that Uncle Redd said it all that we are one”, said the President in response. That, he said was because it was the idea of being one that had influenced some of his government’s policies, especially that of the ‘Year of Return’.

“We want to make it clear that this country is your country and anyone who wants to come to re-establish, connect with us here, is welcome. We are all part and parcel of this great African family and the sooner all of us recognize it and work towards the strength of this family, the better for each one of us,” the president continued

Nana Addo has always believed that all people of African descent are indeed one, but he promised that henceforth, every time he makes that statemen, he will have Uncle Redd in his thoughts.

The president went on to offer Ghanaian citizenship to the two famous visitors. He also referred to the 1921 Race Massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma as one of America’s most infamous acts.

A white mob which included county law enforcement officials went on a rampage killing black people and destroying their thriving businesses in a 35 square block district called Greenwood, also know as “Black Wall Street.”

Viola Fletcher saw the destruction and testified at the United States Congress that the sights and sounds have hunted here for all of the 100 years since the massacre.

“Baby brother” Hugh Van Ellis was five months old at the time of the massacre. at a tour of the Osu dungeon, he wondered why “anyone would do such things (referring to the massacre and the horrible dehumanization that slaves were subjected to) to other human beings?”

The duo along with their delegation will depart Ghana on Saturday, but not until addressing a press conference on Friday to cap what has now become the “We Are One Tour” of Ghana.

DNT News with correspondence reporting from the Jubilee House, Accra

 

……………………………………………………

Media Practitioners in Volta advocate deeper relations with Togo

Ho, Aug. 19, GNA- Media practitioners in the Volta Region are calling on stakeholders to address factors hindering correlation and coexistence with neighbouring Togo.

At a press engagement with Colonel Awoki Panassa, the Togolese Ambassador to Ghana on Tuesday, some journalists were of the view that language continued to block socialization and integration despite common ancestry, and called for initiatives that would enhance communication between the two nations.

They also complained about difficulties in crossing the border, which included what was said to be excessive use of force by Togolese border security.

The border closure was tabled at the meeting, and the effects on cross trade activity and livelihoods were pointed out.

Col. Panassa responded that complaints over border crossing difficulties had been registered and would work with the relevant stakeholders to have them addressed.

He said the border closure had been caught in the coronavirus pandemic, and therefore adherence to the requirements of protocols including inoculation remained the way out.

“The decision of closing borders was taken by all countries for common good of Africa during the onset of the coronavirus and so I cannot tell when the border is to be opened.

“The process is ongoing, and the authorities are handling the problem to fix the pandemic so things could go back to normal. We are all involved in the mission of ending the pandemic,” Col. Panasa said, appealing to all to get vaccinated.

The Ambassador promised to engage authorities on increasing learning exchange programs between the two nations in pursuance of shared economic dreams under the Africa Continental Free Trade Area agreement.

He bemoaned the diversion of trade into countries outside the African continent, and said Africa’s political leaders deserved commendation for establishing the free trade area.

Col. Panassa also praised the AGI and other stakeholders in interregional trade promotion, and called for the formulation of policies and programs “that will work well for us”.

“We will work together. We will share friendship and work with the various partners to achieve our objectives,” he said.

Mr. Dela Gadzanku, Chair of the AGI in the Eastern, Volta and Oti Regions, said the media in the Volta Region held its place in industrial development, and urged practitioners to consider indigenous industries for support.

He said the AGI is working with the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC), to grow the private sector in the Region and position it to catch the waves of the continental free trade agreement.

Mr. Gadzanku said the Region was booming with young people excelling in industry, and that the AGI would continue to expose them to international partnerships and opportunities.

The Chairman further promised more collaborative economic initiatives with Togo, saying “we must promote inter regional trade, and the best place to start is with Togo our own neighbours.

“There are lots of opportunities between us and we need to work closely with Togo and seek a lasting relationship,” he added.

The Togolese envoy had been viewing major industries in the Volta Region and met with the Regional Minister, and some key industry players.
GNA

……………………………………………………

Russia names Golos monitor as ‘foreign agent’ ahead of election

Independent Russian vote monitor Golos has been labelled a foreign agent a month ahead of parliamentary elections.

Golos detailed cases of fraud across Russia in the 2011 parliamentary vote and its head has vowed it will continue its work in the September vote.

President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia has declined in popularity but is aiming to maintain its majority.

Opposition figures have been targeted, with Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny in jail and allies barred from running.

Formed in 2000 as a non-government organisation, Golos (which means “voice” and “vote”) was declared a foreign agent in 2013 but then became an unregistered civil movement.

It has now become the first group on a new list of foreign agents that covers unregistered groups, apparently because of funding from an Armenian citizen.

“This is an attempt to prevent Russian citizens from exercising their right,” said Golos co-chair Grigory Melkonyants, who pledged to continue as normal.

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said recently it would not send observers for next month’s elections due to restrictions imposed by the Russian authorities.

Separately, Russia’s foreign ministry has accused Western countries of trying to influence the election campaign by focusing on the poisoning of leading opposition figure Alexei Navalny.

Mr Navalny was attacked with a nerve agent in Siberia on 20 August last year, and only survived after treatment in Germany. He was jailed immediately on his return to Russia in January, amid protests in many Russian cities.

In a lengthy statement to mark the anniversary of the attack, Russia’s foreign ministry accused the West of “hype” and an “aggressive propaganda campaign” around the case.

Earlier this month Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is himself a top United Russia candidate, accused the West of using “international organisations to make it difficult to hold elections in every possible way”.

Police this week visited the homes of at least 30 people who signed up as Navalny supporters, according to human rights activists.

Independent monitor OVD-Info said police had demanded to know why their names were on a Navalny database, which was recently leaked.

Navalny has tried to push a strategy of “smart voting” to target candidates from the ruling United Russia party.

In June a Moscow court banned his Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) as well as its regional network as “extremist”. That meant that anyone publicly supporting Mr Navalny’s political network could be barred from running for public office.

According to latest opinion polls, United Russia’s support has fallen to around 27% before the three-day vote from 17-19 September, well ahead of other parties that have been authorised to run. United Russia is due to hold a party congress on 24 August.

…………………………………………………………

Chip shortage: Toyota to cut global production by 40%

Toyota is to slash worldwide vehicle production by 40% in September because of the global microchip shortage.

The world’s biggest carmaker had planned to make almost 900,000 cars next month, but has now reduced that to 540,000 vehicles.

Volkswagen, the world’s second-biggest car producer, has warned it may also be forced to cut output further.

The Covid pandemic boosted demand for appliances that use chips, such as phones, TVs and games consoles.

On Thursday, German firm Volkswagen, which cut output earlier in the year, told Reuters: “We currently expect supply of chips in the third quarter to be very volatile and tight.

“We can’t rule out further changes to production.”

Toyota’s other rivals, including General Motors, Ford, Nissan, Daimler, BMW and Renault, have already scaled back production in the face of the global chip shortage.

Until now, Toyota had managed to avoid doing the same, with the exception of extending summer shutdowns by a week in France the Czech Republic and Turkey.

New cars often include dozens of microchips but Toyota benefited from having built a larger stockpile of chips – also called semiconductors – as part of a revamp to its business continuity plan, developed in the wake of the Fukushima earthquake and tsunami a decade ago.

The decision to cut production now has been precipitated by the resurgence of coronavirus cases across Asia hitting supplies.

Toyota factories, including those in continental Europe, will be affected.

But a spokesman for Toyota UK at Burnaston, in Derbyshire, said: “As far a we know don’t see any impact on UK production” as a result of the cuts announced in Japan on Thursday.

A wide range of businesses from car makers to small appliance manufacturers have been hit by the chip shortage.

Issues started to emerge last year when Apple had to stagger the release of its iPhones, while the latest Xbox and PlayStation consoles failed to meet demand.

Since then, one technology company after another has warned of the effects.

And last month, the boss of chipmaker Intel, Pat Gelsinger, said the worst of the global chip crisis was yet to come.

Mr Gelsinger predicted the shortage would get worse in the “second half of this year” and it would be “a year or two” before supplies returned to normal.

The shortage prompted US President Joe Biden to sign an executive order to address the issue. He vowed to seek $37bn in funding for legislation to increase chip manufacturing in the US.

Shares in Toyota fell by 4.4% on Thursday, their biggest daily drop since December 2018.

How the shortage is affecting firms:

• Renault forecasts its car production could be down by about 100,000 this year
• Sony says it is difficult for it to bump up production of the PS5 consoles
• Apple expects the impact of the shortage to worsen and extend to iPhone production
• Tesla says it is using alternative chips and rewriting software
• Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing plans to build new factories in the US and Japan

…………………………………………………

COVID-19: ANGOLA REGISTERS 233 INFECTIONS AND 208 RECOVERIES

According to the data, the province of Luanda notified 138 new infections, Cuanza Sul 22, Cunene 14, Moxico 11, Lunda Norte 10, Lunda Sul 9, Benguela 8, Cabinda and Huambo 6, Bié 5 and Zaire 4 records.

 

With ages ranging from 4 months to 95 years, the list includes 149 male and 84 female patients.

 

The deaths, according to the daily bulletin, were registered 9 in the provinces of Huíla, 2 in Lunda Sul and Cunene, 1 in Luanda and Malanje.

 

Among those recovered, 111 reside in Luanda, 31 in Huíla, 20 in Cunene, 14 in Lunda Sul, 8 in Moxico, 7 in Lunda Norte, 6 in Huambo, 5 in Bié, 4 in Zaire, 1 in Cuanza Sul and Namibe.

 

Labs processed 5,069 samples.

 

There are 121 inpatients at the treatment centers, while 230 people are in institutional quarantine.

 

Authorities track 694 positive case contacts.

 

The overall picture presents 44,964 positive cases, with 1,118 deaths, 41,781 recovered and 2,065 active. Of the current diseased, 14 are critical, 25 severe, 83 moderate, 29 mild and 1,944 asymptomatic.

LULA DA SILVA SAYS HE NEVER WANTED TO BE PRESIDENT OF BRAZIL AS MUCH AS HE DOES NOW

 

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Former Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said Tuesday (17) that he never wanted to be president of Brazil much as he does now.

"I am not a candidate yet. But I am in line. I'm going to confess to you that I never had as much desire to be president as I have now at 75 years old," assured the socialist leader in a message on his social networks.

 

"I have no right to retire or to stand still or to carry hatred. And the PT (Workers' Party) has an obligation to . . .

 

To read the full NEWS and much more, Subscribe to our Premium Membership Plan. Already Subscribed?

 

Source: The Rio Times

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA CONGRATULATES ZAMBIA'S NEW PRESIDENT HICHILEMA

  

President Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated Zambia's new president, Hakainde Hichilema.

The Presidency issued a statement on Tuesday to congratulate Hichilema on behalf of South Africa.

In the statement, Ramaphosa said: "The success of the recent presidential election provides the basis for continued stability and development in the Republic of Zambia and, through this, in the Southern African region."

He also sent his "appreciation" to the outgoing president, Edgar Lungu, for his work in the region, as well as Zambia's electoral commission for its diligence amid "the danger of the Covid-19 pandemic".

Hichilema was announced the winner of Zambia's 12 August elections, with 2 810 757 votes, nearly a million more than the incumbent candidate Lungu.

The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of Hanns Seidel Foundation.