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Zimbabwe Prisoners Released Amidst Pandemic And Overcrowding

By
Zoe Maven
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Zimbabwe has started releasing about 3,000 prisoners under a presidential amnesty to ease congestion and thereby reduce the threat of COVID-19 in the country’s overcrowded jails.

According to reports, about 400 prisoners were released from Chikurubi prison and other jails in the capital, Harare, on Saturday with more coming from other prisons countrywide.

A former prisoner Kudakwashe Maoneka, said they were crowded in the cells despite the Covid scare with sometimes up to twenty-five persons in a single cell

Those to be released had been convicted of non-violent crimes while those convicted of crimes such as murder, treason, human trafficking, and sexual offenses will not benefit.

Also, all females imprisoned for non-violent crimes and who served a third of their sentences are to be released, as will all disabled persons convicted of non-violent crimes.

The commander for prisons in Harare said Alvord Gapare noted that the amnesty will go a long way to reduce expenditure and the threat of the spread of the virus in prisons.

Authorities have also suspended visits to prisons while plans are made to vaccinate inmates as part of measures to combat the spread of the virus, said Gapare.

Zimbabwe’s prisons have a capacity of 17,000 prisoners but held about 22,000 before the amnesty declared by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The country has also canceled the Independence Day celebrations planned for April 18 to combat the so-called spread of COVID-19.

Three Astronauts Return From International Space Station

By
Zoe Maven
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Three members of the International Space Station-Kate Rubins, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, on Saturday returned safely to Earth on a Russian Soyuz craft.

According to an official press release by NASA, the crew departed the station in their Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft at 9:34 p.m. EDT on Friday, 16th April and landed safely under parachutes at 12:55 a.m. on Saturday, 17th April 17.

The three had been at the space station since mid-October 2020 and it was the second spaceflight for Rubins and Ryzhikov and the first for Kud-Sverchkov.

Their mission was the last scheduled Russian flight carrying a U.S. crew member, marking an end to a long dependency as the U.S. revives its own crew launch capability.

According to a report by NASA, astronaut Kate Rubins is the first person to sequence DNA in space. She holds a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from the University of California, San Diego.

She also holds a doctorate in cancer biology from Stanford University’s Medical School Biochemistry Department and Microbiology and Immunology Department, Palo Alto, California.

The NASA astronaut has been to space before in 2016. As per the report, 241 people from 19 countries have visited the unique microgravity destination that has hosted more than 3,000 research and educational investigations from researchers in 108 countries and areas.

Rubins will be discussing her experience in a news conference from NASA’s Johnson Space Center on Wednesday, April 21 which will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.

Prince Philip Laid To Rest In Royal Vault At Windsor Castle

By
Zoe Maven
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Queen Elizabeth II has bid farewell to her late husband, Prince Philip, at a royal funeral restricted by coronavirus rules but reflecting his long life of military and public service.

After a 50-minute service on Saturday, attended by just 30 guests, the Duke of Edinburgh, who died on April 9 at age 99, was interred in the Royal Vault at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle

The Queen, seen for the first time since his death, was dressed in mourning black, with a white-trimmed, black face mask while close family, also masked, sat socially distanced in the historic 15th-century Gothic chapel.

The religious service was a simple affair, In keeping with his wishes, there was no sermon, but the service reflected his love of the sea, and long association with the Royal Navy, including hymns and Bible readings.

The Queen, who had been escorted to the chapel by a lady-in-waiting in the royal Bentley, watched from the chapel choir as her husband’s was lowered steadily into the Royal Vault by electric motor.

Members of the British armed forces, in formal dress, lined the procession route, heads bowed, as the cortege passed, as a minute gun rang out across the grounds and a bell tolled.

Philip’s grandsons William and Harry joined the procession, in their first public meeting since a reported falling out about Harry’s shock move to California.

The last high-profile funeral of a senior royal was for the Queen’s mother, who died in 2002, aged 101.

But unlike then, when more than one million people thronged outside Westminster Abbey in central London to watch the sombre pageant, the public was noticeably absent from Saturday’s ceremony.

The Beautiful City Of Akure In Nigeria’s South-west (Photos)

By
Angel Gimalo
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Akure is a city in south-western Nigeria, and is the largest city and capital of Ondo State.

The city has a population of 484,798.

The residents of the City are primarily of the Yoruba ethnic group.

It lies in the southern part of the forested Yoruba Hills and at the intersection of roads from Ondo, Ilesha, Ado-Ekiti, Benin and Owo.

Akure is an agricultural trade centre for the yams, cassava, corn (maize), bananas, rice, palm oil and kernels, okra, and pumpkins grown by the Ondo branch of the Yoruba people.

Although cocoa is by far the most important local commercial crop, cotton, teak, and palm produce are also cultivated for export.

The town’s industries include electronics manufacturing, soft drink, bottling among others.

Akure is the site of a federal university of technology (founded in 1981), Federal College of Agriculture and School of Health Technology.

Long Restoration Process Continues, Two years After Horrific Fire Engulfed Notre-Dame

By
Angel Gimalo
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The world watched on as the church’s spire fell on April 15, 2019, after a fire destroyed the centuries-old landmark.

Now, two years later, the church is still going through a massive restoration.

This jewel of Gothic architecture is being rebuilt with oak trees from local forests, as 200 construction workers operate on-site every day.

The goal, according to French president Emmanuel Macron, is to have the church repaired before the city hosts the 2024 Summer Olympics, which is slated to begin on July 26, 2024, in Paris. But is that a realistic goal?

“It’s a delicate question,” says Michel Picaud, the president of Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris, the charity fundraising to rebuild the church. “Opening the cathedral in 2024 won’t necessarily be the last step in the restoration,” he continues. “There’s more work to do. Everyone expects to enter the cathedral by 2024, but then it will continue after that date towards a full restoration.”

The first step for Notre-Dame’s roof and spire reconstruction was the safety phase, which started in the summer of 2019 and lasted until November 2020.

Scaffolding was built around the cathedral to restore the spire, tarp was installed above the vaults, gargoyles were wrapped, and the flying buttresses were reinforced.

There was a three-month pause of the reconstruction in early 2020, but construction resumed June 8, 2020, with workers removing more than 300 tons of burned scaffolding that surrounded the spire, which took until December 2020.

Beautiful Greece Gives Tourists Hope, To Re-open May

By
Angel Gimalo
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A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, most of Europe remains closed to Americans, but a recent announcement by the Greek Minister of Tourism Harry Theocharis has given hope.

“We aspire to open by the 14th of May. Until then, we will gradually lift restrictions as health considerations allow it,” he said in a video that aired as part of ITB Berlin’s virtual trade show.

The announcement stirred up a frenzy of excitement among travelers starved of the sun, sea, and glamorous lifestyle of the Mediterranean, especially as more Americans are becoming vaccinated.

And with no news on when Italy, France, and Spain might reopen their borders, travel advisers like Jack Ezon, founder and managing partner of Embark Beyond, are advising their clients to book trips to Greece and Turkey—which has been open since mid-2020—now or risk losing out.

Mercedes-Benz Debuts First All-Electric Luxury Sedan

By
Angel Gimalo
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The all-new Mercedes-Benz EQS will go on sale in the United States this fall.

On April 15, in a star-studded livestream featuring Alicia Keys and James Cameron, Mercedes-Benz unveiled its first dedicated all-electric vehicle for the U.S. market.

The 2022 EQS is a full-size, five-door car meant to compete directly against the Tesla Model S in the six-figure luxury electric sedan market.

Two versions of the EQS will be available at launch: The EQS450 makes 329 horsepower and will start at an estimated price of under $100,000; the up-powered EQS580 will make 516 horsepower and will start at around $115,000.

Both models will be available with either rear wheel drive or Mercedes’s 4Matic all-wheel-drive system.

The most powerful of these models will be able to accelerate from zero to 60 in just over four seconds, and will have a range of around 350 miles.

Mercedes has also made a point of integrating whimsy and delight into the EQS.

When a driver approaches the car, the EQS senses their presence and the flush-mounted door handles emerge and the door powers open.

Multicolored ambient lighting is used inside to set a mood but also illuminates to demonstrate who is speaking to the MBUX system and how the heating and air-conditioning system is being adjusted.

It can even warn an occupant of an impending crash.

Beautiful Seaside Towns In Italy

By
Angel Gimalo
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Portofino
This photogenic fishing village is known for its historic charm, candy-colored houses, and panoramic views of the Ligurian Sea. It’s also home to luxury resorts and high-end shopping.

Ponza
A popular vacation destination among Romans, this Italian island is located between Rome and Naples and is best explored by boat.

Vernazza
This centuries-old Ligurian coast village—part of Cinque Terra—offers visitors a history lesson with a view. In addition to swimming and hiking, visitors can experience Santa Margherita d’Antiochia, a waterfront church built in 1318, and the medieval Doria Castle.

Manarola
The second Cinque Terra village to make our list, Manarola is known for its colorful homes, fresh-seafood restaurants, and light-filled nativity scene that’s on view during the month of December.

Positano
This cliff-side village on the Amalfi Coast is famous for its magnificent views, charming cafes, and small boutiques.

Lido di Camaiore
Many travelers venture to Lido di Camaiore with one goal in mind: to relax at the beach. The city is home to a number of beaches, beach clubs, and water parks, and its most recognizable landmark is its lengthy pier Pontile Bellavista Vittoria.

Ravello
Also located along the Amalfi Coast, this resort town is best known for its lush, impeccably maintained gardens and historic villas.

Where would you love to spend that vacation?

Nollywood Contributes 2.3% To Nigeria’s GDP- Gbajabiamila

By
Koko Lawrence
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Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said the film industry contributes 2.3 per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Gbajabiamila said this at a two-day leadership masterclass training for Nollywood Actors organised by the House Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, on Friday in Abuja.

With over 2,500 movies produced annually, the speaker said it was expedient to acknowledge and celebrate Nollywood actors and actresses as well as others who made up the Nollywood entertainment industry.

He added that ”with talent, fortitude, and extraordinary resilience, Nigerian filmmakers built a globally competitive entertainment industry in spite of the challenges and constraints in the nation’s environment”.

“With adequate investment, a supportive regulatory environment, better training and capacity development, Nollywood will grow beyond our present dream and surpass our highest ambitions.

“It falls on all of us in government, the private sector and across the society to identify ways we can help the industry reach the heights and we all know is possible,” he said.

He said that beyond the questions of economics and profit, there was the issue of the critical role of Nollywood in influencing culture, defining national character, and promoting national identity.

“As actors and entertainers, you directly exert tremendous influence on the lives of hundreds of millions of Nigerians, they are impacted by the roles you play, the stories you tell and the realities you explore in your movies,” he said.

Gbajabiamila said this comes with a responsibility to tell stories that inspire goodness, motivate thoughtful acts and uplift the human condition.

U.S Pulls Back On Charge Switzerland, Vietnam Manipulate Currency

By
Elizabeth Williams
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Bank notes of different currencies, including Euro, U.S. Dollar, Turkish Lira or Brazilian Reais, are photographed in Frankfurt, Germany, in this illustration picture taken May 7, 2017. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/Illustration

Stock markets rose around the world on Friday as strong economic data out of China fuelled optimism over the global economic recovery.

London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index climbed above 7,000 points for the first time since February 2020, or just before the coronavirus pandemic took hold worldwide.

“This represents a massive milestone in recovering from the terrible pandemic and shows how investors’ confidence hascompletely changed since just over a year ago,” noted Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

“The market was understandably shocked as the coronavirus gripped the world but… it has quickly focused on the future and the ability for corporate earnings to recover.”

Shares in miners and oil producers were scooped up Friday on news that China’s economy — the world’s second biggest after the US — expanded at a record pace in the first quarter.

China saw expansion of 18.3 percent in the first quarter, boosted by a sharper-than-expected increase in retail sales.

The economic growth figure was the highest since records began three decades ago, enhanced by its chronically weak comparison figure from last year, though the reading was slightly below forecasts in a survey.

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