Chile Votes For Body To Rewrite Dictatorship-Era Constitution

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May 16, 2021

Chileans on Sunday headed to the polls in a second day of voting to elect 155 people who will rewrite the country’s dictatorship-era constitution.

Some 14 million people were eligible to vote this weekend in what many consider to be Chile’s most important election since its return to democracy 31 years ago.

According to the country’s Electoral Service over three million people, or approximately 20.4 percent of the electorate, cast their ballot Saturday,

After casting his ballot in the capital Santiago, President Sebastian Pinera expressed hope that they would have a constitution that captures the soul of the nation.

Many are reportedly voting for a system that “works for everyone, allowing all voices to be heard” and ensuring “that rights and duties are really fair for all human beings.”

Chile’s constitution dates from 1980, enacted at the height of dictator Augusto Pinochet’s 1973-1990 rule, and is widely blamed for blocking equitable progress in the country.

Analysts say the election will be a battle between candidates from parties on the left and the right, with independents not expected to draw any meaningful support.

Parties on the left broadly seek greater state control of mineral and other natural resources and more public spending on education, health, pensions and social welfare.

Those on the right, with a nod to the need to boost social support, largely defend the capitalist, free-market system they thank for Chile’s decades of economic growth.

Fighting Resumes In Afghanistan As Eid Ceasefire Ends

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Zoe Maven

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May 16, 2021

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Fighting between the Taliban and Afghan government forces resumed Sunday in the restive southern province of Helmand, ending a three-day ceasefire agreed by the warring sides.

An Afghan military spokesman and a local official said there were clashes on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand, which has seen intense fighting since the United States began its final troop withdrawal from Afghanistan earlier this month,

Head of the Helmand provincial council, Attaullah Afghan told newsmen that fighting started early today and was still ongoing, adding that Taliban fighters attacked security checkpoints on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah and other districts.

The three-day truce initiated by the Taliban and swiftly agreed to by the Afghan government had largely held during the Eid holidays that ended on Saturday.

The calm was broken on Friday by a blast at a mosque on the outskirts of the Afghan capital, which killed 12 people including the imam leading Friday prayers.

The Taliban denied it was behind the attack which has been claimed by the Islamic State group, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist groups.

The truce was only the fourth agreed pause in fighting in the two-decades-long conflict.

It comes after negotiators from the Afghan government and Taliban said they had met in Doha on Friday to discuss speeding up peace talks, which opened in September but have made little headway.

Thousands Evacuated From India’s West Coast Ahead Of Cyclone

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Zoe Maven

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May 16, 2021

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India is evacuating thousands of people from low-lying areas along its western coast as a powerful cyclone that has killed at least six people is expected to make landfall on Tuesday morning in the state of Gujarat.

Cyclone Tauktae, which formed in the Arabian sea, has already brought lashing rain and winds, damaging houses and uprooting trees to parts of western and southern India.

India Meteorological Department said in a statement that the conditions were likely to intensify further during the 24 hours, and move north-northwestwards and reach Gujarat coast in the evening of 17th (May).

According to officials and statements as the cyclone has moved north at least six people have been killed in the western states of Goa and Karnataka.

Further south, 31 boats registered with the state of Tamil Nadu were missing and the cyclone is expected to cross Gujarat with wind gusts of up to 175 kmph

Nearly 150,000 people will be moved from villages and low-lying areas near the coast and directions have been issued to complete the evacuation process by Sunday evening, the Gujarat government said in a statement.

The meteorological agency also warned that there could be flooding of escape routes. Disruption to railway services was also expected until May 21.

Rescue and relief teams from the army, navy and coastguard, along with ships and aircraft, have also been deployed.

African Countries Hope To Secure Badly Needed Lending In Paris

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Zoe Maven

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May 16, 2021

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African and European leaders, as well as heads of multilateral lenders and institutions, are set to meet in Paris on Tuesday to try to find new solutions to financing Africa’s development needs.

The meet tagged “Summit on Financing African Economies” will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron who is calling for a “New Deal for financing Africa”.

The International Monetary Fund has projected that Africa was likely to face a financing gap of 290 billion dollars by 2023.

Although the continent experienced its first recession in half a century last year (-2.1%), growth is expected to rebound by 3.4% in 2021 and 4% in 2022.

He made the statement at the end of April saying Africa should not be abandoned to solutions that date back to the 1960s”, warning against the risk of a boomerang effect, between “reduced economic opportunities”, “forced migration” and “expansion of terrorism”.

A pause on public debt servicing introduced in April 2020 at the initiative of the Paris Club and the G20 after the stress caused by the pandemic has also provided some breathing space for developing countries, by suspending some 5.7 billion euros in interest payments.

China, Africa’s largest bilateral creditor, has provided at least $10.7 billion in global debt relief in 2020 and 2021.

However, Economic Experts in Africa continue to warn on Africa’s rising Debt profile and the Debt-trap Diplomacy of Lender Nations which continue to use the loans to gain leverage over the borrower.

Sudan Army Men Held For Killing Demonstrators

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Zoe Maven

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May 16, 2021

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Sudan’s military says it has presented findings of an investigation into the killing of two demonstrators at a recent rally that called for justice for victims of violence against protesters in 2019.

In a statement, the army said the results of an armed forces investigation into the events had been handed over to the Attorney General Tagelsir al-Hebr.

It added that the results include a list of soldiers suspected of involvement in Tuesday’s events and an order to lift their immunity in order to allow the General Prosecutor’s Office to initiate legal proceedings and reach final results.

In separate Media reports said that seven army personnel had been arrested and were due to be handed to prosecutors for interrogation, citing the Attorney General.

On Tuesday, several hundred protesters gathered outside the army headquarters in Khartoum to mark two years since the violent dispersal at the same location of a sit-in by the popular protest movement calling for the departure of former president Omar al-Bashir.

Tuesday’s rally was dispersed by security forces, leaving two dead and dozens injured.

In a prior incident which occurred in June of 2019, a sit-in was held in a large camp set up in front of the army headquarters which was violently dispersed by armed men in military fatigues.

This is according to doctors linked to the protest movement who said the days-long crackdown left at least 128 people dead. The generals in power at the time denied ordering the bloody dispersal and ordered an investigation into the events.

Zimbabwe Minister Rebukes Judiciary After Chief Justice Ruling

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Zoe Maven

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May 16, 2021

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Zimbabwe’s justice minister has accused the country’s judiciary of being captured by foreign forces seeking to destabilise the government after the High Court ruled it was illegal to extend the tenure of the chief justice by five more years.

Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said in a strongly worded statement late on Saturday that the ruling was a typical case of overreach and that this was unacceptable to government.

Ziyambi stressed they would not accept the decision of the High Court stating that government would appeal the baseless and meaningless decision as early as Monday.

Ziyambi also said a certain group of judges always passed judgments that sought to tarnish the image of the government. He however did not name any names.

Three judges of the High Court said in a judgment on Saturday that Luke Malaba had ceased being a judge and chief justice after he turned 70 years old.

The ruling was a rare setback for President Emmerson Mnangagwa who has consistently denied opposition claims that he was seeking to influence the judiciary.

The timing of Ziyambi’s comments ahead of the appeal hearing by the Supreme Court could be viewed as a threat to judges.

Furthermore, critics say a rise in the arrest and prosecution of government opponents, is a sign that Mnangagwa is reverting to the authoritarian tendencies seen under his predecessor Mugabe.

VeeKay Wins IndyCar Indianapolis Grand Prix

By

Angel Gimalo

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May 16, 2021

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Rinus VeeKay used some bold moves to win the IndyCar Indianapolis Grand Prix on Saturday, capturing his first win in the US open-wheel series ahead of pole-sitter Romain Grosjean.

The 20-year-old from the Netherlands became the third first-time winner in the series this season and the fourth driver under the age of 25 to win in five races in 2021 after Colton Herta, Pato O’Ward and Alex Palou.

He started in seventh and powered his way up with speed and determination, making a big move on lap 42 when he split the Chip Ganassi Racing cars of Palou and Jimmy Johnson to overtake them both.

He passed Grosjean — who held a comfortable early lead — with 37 laps remaining and won by 4.951sec.

VeeKay, who gave Ed Carpenter Racing a first victory since 2016, surrendered the lead briefly through a pit stop cycle, but led the final 20 laps of the 85-lap race on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — where the Indianapolis 500 will be run on the famed oval course in two weeks.

“We had an awesome start to the weekend, best start I’ve ever had,” VeeKay said. “I knew we had the car, and we were so fast. Just the perfect day. It’s amazing.”

Palou was third, with Josef Newgarden and Graham Rahal rounding out the top-five.

The signs were good for VeeKay when he was fastest in the morning warm-up. He had some success before on the Indianapolis road course with a pole position and third-placed finish last October.

He crashed heavily on the Indy oval in Indianapolis 500 testing to start 2021, breaking a finger. But he still finished in the top 10 of three of the next four races.

For Grosjean, a first IndyCar podium marked a stunning return from his horrifying fiery crash in Bahrain last November that ended his Formula One career.

“That’s really a good day,” said the 35-year-old Frenchman, who received massive cheers from the limited crowd as he was interviewed post race.

“Bahrain, it was horrible, but for my life it’s been a great experience — the people are behind me.”

22,000 Spectators Descend Home Of English Football

By

Angel Gimalo

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May 15, 2021

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Wembley Stadium came alive with the largest sports crowd in England since the coronavirus pandemic hit on Saturday as 22,000 spectators descended on the home of English football to witness Leicester lift the FA Cup for the first time.

Youri Tielemans’s stunning strike that beat Chelsea 1-0 was met with a wave of noise from the 6,000 Foxes fans behind the goal where the ball had nestled in the top corner.

There were just as jubilant scenes when Chelsea saw a late equaliser ruled out after a VAR review and the final whistle went.

“It’s fantastic for the club,” said Leicester fan Alan Edwards. “To have fans at the game as well. It’s a shame we can’t have 40,000 here, but it’s brilliant to have so many here. You can hear the atmosphere.”

Just under 4,000 saw Leicester’s semi-final victory over Southampton last month.

That attendance was doubled for Manchester City’s 1-0 win over Tottenham in the League Cup final on April 25.

Later this week, crowds of up to 10,000 will return to Premier League grounds for the final two matchdays of the season, including another vital clash between Chelsea and Leicester for a place in next season’s Champions League.

Wembley will host eight matches at Euro 2020 with at least 25 percent of its 90,000 capacity.

There are even hopes that both semi-finals and the final could be played out in front of more than 22,500.

“You can see the difference the fans make for us,” said Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers.

“The energy they gave us, it felt like there was 30,000 of them in here today. With the noise they made, we felt that energy and that really pushed us over the line.

“That is what football is about. That connection between the players and the fans.”

Of the 22,000 tickets, 12,000 were distributed to the two clubs with another 10,000 divided between locals, frontline workers from across London and English Football Association (FA) stakeholders.

Even for a very different cup final, tradition was maintained as the hymn “Abide with Me” was sung by a choir before kick-off, while Prince William was introduced to both teams in his role as president of the FA.

Iheanacho, Ndidi Join Nigeria Football Legends As Fa Cup Winners

By

Emenike Agu

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May 15, 2021

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Super Eagles duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi have joined legion of Nigerian football star players to have won the prestigious English FA Cup as their club, Leicester City beat Chelsea 1-0 in the final at the Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday.

On record, Daniel Amokachi, Nwankwo Kanu and Mikel Obi are some former Super Eagles players that have won the cup before in with Everton, Arsenal and Chelsea respectively.

Pinnick Congratulates Ndidi, Iheanacho On Fa Cup Win

President of the Nigeria Football Federation and FIFA Council Member, Amaju Melvin Pinnick has sent a message of congratulations to Super Eagles’ midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and forward Kelechi Iheanacho on the duo’s triumph with Leicester City over much –fancied Chelsea FC in Saturday’s FA Cup final in England.

Both players featured in the encounter at Wembley and at the end celebrated enthusiastically with a Nigeria flag as they joined a list of only seven other Nigerian players to have lifted England’s most glamorous diadem.

“I am very happy for both Ndidi and Iheanacho. They worked very hard for Leicester City throughout the campaign and themselves and the Club deserve the honour.

“I believe this triumph will serve as a major psychological boost for the two players ahead of our friendly games this summer and FIFA World Cup qualifiers starting in September.

“I am also very happy seeing the two players celebrating with the Nigerian flag at the end of it all. That was awesome.”

Ndidi and Iheanacho became only the second pair of Nigerians to have celebrated The FA Cup win in England, after Nwankwo Kanu and John Utaka triumphed with Portsmouth against Cardiff in 2008.

Before then, Daniel Amokachi had won with Everton in 1995; Celestine Babayaro with Chelsea in 2000; Kanu with Arsenal in 2002 and 2003 and John Mikel Obi with Chelsea in 2007.

After the Kanu/Utaka feat in 2008, John Mikel Obi won again with Chelsea in 2009, 2010 and 2012; Alex Iwobi won with Arsenal in 2017 and; Victor Moses won with Chelsea in 2018.

Algerian Police Block Pro-Democracy Demonstration

By

Zoe Maven

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May 15, 2021

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Algerian police prevented a pro-democracy protest rally from taking place in the capital Algiers, detaining several people including journalists.

Eye witnesses say Demonstrators were preparing to take part in the weekly Hirak movement protest when they were jostled and taken into custody by police in the city centre.

Around ten other journalists and photographers were also detained, among them Khaled Drareni, correspondent for French-language TV5 Monde and press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), according to the CNLD prisoners’ rights group.

Some of those detained were released later in the day, including Drareni, according to online media.

Drareni, also the founder of the Casbah Tribune online news site, became a symbol of the struggle for press freedom in Algeria after being incarcerated for almost a year.

Marches went ahead in other Algerian cities, including Oran, and in Bejaia and Tizi Ouzou in the northern Kabylia region.

The CNLD reported numerous people taken into custody across the country, from Hirak activists to opposition figures including Mohcine Belabbas, head of the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD).

The interior ministry this week said that Hirak protest organisers would have to advise authorities of protests in advance, and that failing to respect these rules renders the march illegal and will lead to punishment.