Over Eight Million Children In Mozambique Begin 2021 School Year

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March 23, 2021

Millions of children are returning to schools in Mozambique, after a year in which the schools were closed because of the Covid-19 fiasco.

More than eight million children will be attending school, from first to 12th grade, and about two million of them will be entering school for the first time.

In the past primary school classes frequently contained 60 or more pupils but with the new reality, pupils will find that the learning experience has changed radically since classes can no longer contain large numbers of pupils.

However, spokesperson for the Education Ministry, Gina Mabunda, said the number of pupils in any classroom must not exceed 25 adding that schools could now be obliged to hold classes on Saturdays.

Some subjects have been dropped from the primary school curriculum this year, including physical education, music and English language.

Also, secondary education curriculum has seen some subjects dropped from the vocational subjects such as business studies, agriculture and livestock, tourism, and information and communication technologies.

The school day has been shortened by half an hour, from a maximum of five hours teaching time a day to four and a half.

Guibunda admitted that an unspecified number of schools will not be able to resume classes on Monday, because they still do not have adequate washing and sanitation facilities as is required and schools without an appropriate water supply cannot re-open.

Guibunda stressed that measures are being taken to ensure that all schools can overcome such problems adding that 30 per cent of the budget of each school is earmarked for improving water and sanitation conditions.

The 2021 school year has been divided into three terms, each of 12 weeks.

The first term began this Monday and runs until 11 June and then schools will proceed on a weeklong break after which the second term will begin and run from 21 June to 3 September.

The final term starts on 13 September and ends on 19 November.

South Korea’s Number Of Active Stock Brokerage Accounts, Rises

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Angel Gimalo

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March 23, 2021

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The extraordinary rise in stock markets since the crash a year ago, combined with low interest rates, has drawn in huge numbers of new investors.

And as of last Friday, the number of active stock brokerage accounts in South Korea had risen to more than 40, 000, 000 for the first time.

That’s according to the Korea Financial Investment Association, which put the figure at 40, 7000, 000

In fact, that’s almost equal to the number of adults in the entire country, which is around 43, 000, 000.

And it’s an increase of 10, 000, 000 from last March and more than 5, 000, 000 just this year.

Hollywood Actor Jamie Foxx To Play Mike Tyson In Biopic Series

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Koko Lawrence

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March 23, 2021

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Jamie Foxx won an Oscar for his portrayal of singing legend Ray Charles. Now, he looks set to take on the life story of another iconic American, controversial boxing great Mike Tyson.

The television limited series about “Iron Mike” is in development, the boxer announced, with Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day”) to direct and Martin Scorsese on the production team.

Tyson said in a statement, “I have been looking to tell my story for quite some time. I look forward to collaborating with Martin, Antoine, Jamie, and the entire creative team to bring audiences a series that not only captures my professional and personal journey but also inspires and entertains”.

Tyson said his recent comeback to the ring, he fought to a draw with Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition in November 2020, at age 54, made this the perfect time for his story to be told.

The former world heavyweight champion is one of boxing’s most successful, and most controversial, figures. Considered one of the best heavyweights of all time, he went 50-6 with 44 knockouts, retiring in 2005 with a loss to Kevin McBride.

However, he is also known for his erratic behaviour, biting off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear before losing their infamous 1997 bout, and his brushes with the law, including a conviction for rape and cocaine addiction.

Tyson bounced back, playing himself in “The Hangover” (2009) and then taking a one-man show to Broadway.

In late February, streaming platform Hulu announced it was making a limited series about the boxer called “Iron Mike.”

Tyson said that the project did not have his blessing and that he was not going to earn anything from the “tone-deaf cultural misappropriation” of his life story. He urged viewers to boycott Hulu.

Rural Schools Teachers In Zimbabwe Confront Government Over Poor Salaries

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Precious Obazee

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March 23, 2021

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Following teachers’ disgruntlement with the government over its failure to address their welfare concerns, some schools in rural areas of Zimbabwe have failed to effectively reopen this month.

The rural teachers’ union in collaboration with Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), issued a statement Monday, stating that a high number of rural schools had failed to smoothly reopen as teachers threatened to confront the government over poor salaries.

This has left most students who spent the better part of 2020 without attending class due to Covid-19, stranded.

In its statement ARTUZ said it was angered by the government’s failure to resolve the teacher incapacitation crisis.

The teachers and other civil servants are demanding the government should also facilitate the schools to enable them adhere to the June 2020 government produced Standard Operating Procedures in the face of Covid-19.

ARTUZ added it was concerned the government has repeatedly ignored petitions from the educators.

Hollywood Actress April Hernandez Castillo Embraces Identity In Christ, Tells Story In Memoir

By

Koko Lawrence

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March 23, 2021

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After escaping a life of domestic violence and suicidal thoughts following an abortion, Hollywood actress April Hernandez Castillo said she ultimately reclaimed her voice and found forgiveness when she accepted her true identity in Jesus Christ.

Best known for her captivating role alongside Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank in the movie “Freedom Writers,” Hernandez Castillo is now telling her story in the memoir, Embracing Me.

The book came about after discussing a potential rewrite of her debut book, Your Voice, Your Choice (2015), with her publisher last year when COVID-19 lockdowns began.

“I figured, I think it’s time I fully embraced all of me, and now I’m ready to let the world know and not be ashamed of anything,” the author and public speaker told The Christian Post.

The 41-year-old New York native is bold about her passions and her faith and credits her personality to a combination of growing up in the Bronx and being a survivor of intimate partner violence. She knows what it’s like to have one’s voice silenced and then to get it back.

“So many women feel like what they have to say doesn’t matter,” she said. “But now you see this revolution of women happening … but I still know that there are thousands of women who struggle with understanding the power of their voice.”

Hernandez has starred in episodes of “Law and Order,” “Dexter” and “Person of Interest,” among other mainstream programs.

Hernandez Castillo would come to know Jesus while already a Hollywood actress but noted that God was always seeking her out.

“I grew up Catholic, but I’ve always known that God was calling me. I remember being a teenager walking through the streets, and I would hear a whisper, and it would just be my name. It would just say, ‘April.’ I didn’t really share it with anyone. … In hindsight now, I realized that God has always been calling me.” she detailed. “I just had to make that step and say, ‘OK, I’m going to accept You, and I don’t know what that looks like.’”

Hernandez Castillo embraced God and then came to realize that He had been with her “throughout everything.”

In her book Embracing Me, the actress shares past suicidal thoughts, the power of forgiveness and times she’s wrestled with her faith.

Chinese Automaker Geely Plans New EV Unit After Profit Fell By A Third In 2020

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Koko Lawrence

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March 23, 2021

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China’s Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd said on Tuesday it and its parent Zhejiang Geely Holding Group will form a joint venture for electric vehicles (EV) and launch a new brand called Zeekr, after its profit fell 32% last year.

In a stock exchange filing, Geely Automobile said the venture will work on research and development, purchase and sale of smart electric vehicles under Zeekr brand.

In two earlier reports, people familiar with the matter exclusively told Reuters about Geely’s plans for the new company and brand.

Hangzhou-based Geely Automobile, highest-profile Chinese automaker in the world due to parent group’s investments in Volvo Cars and Daimler AG, posted 2020 profit of 5.53 billion yuan ($850 million), versus 8.19 billion yuan in 2019, as auto sales in the world’s biggest market was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Geely Automobile sold 1.32 million cars last year, down from 1.36 million units in 2019. It expects to sell 1.53 million cars this year.

Geely Automobile’s parent group announced a flurry of tie-ups by Geely earlier this year as the automaker pursues its goal of becoming a leading EV contract manufacturer and engineering service provider.

Geely Automobile and Volvo Cars last month abandoned their merger plans but launched a new entity to combine their powertrain operations and expand cooperation on electric vehicles.

Geely Automobile’s parent group announced a flurry of tie-ups by Geely earlier this year as the automaker pursues its goal of becoming a leading EV contract manufacturer and engineering service provider.

Microsoft In Talks To Acquire Discord For More Than $10 Billion

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Koko Lawrence

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March 23, 2021

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Microsoft Corp is in talks to buy messaging platform Discord Inc for more than $10 billion, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Discord has reached out to potential buyers and Microsoft is one of them, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. One person said it was more likely to go public than sell itself.

Earlier in the day, VentureBeat reported that Discord was exploring a sale and it was in final talks with a party.

Discord, which is valued at around $7 billion as of last December, is a platform on which users coordinate group activities such as games, discussions and even virtual parties.

The Xbox maker has been seeking to strengthen its video game offerings with $7.5 billion acquisition of ZeniMax Media last year, its biggest gaming acquisition ever.

The COVID-19 pandemic has boosted the prospects of gaming companies as people stayed at home and turned to video games for entertainment during lockdowns.

With its strong gaming business, Microsoft has also been looking to own mass social media platforms. Its last big social media deal was the $26.2 billion acquisition of LinkedIn in 2016, while it failed in its bid for short video app TikTok’s U.S. assets in September last year.

Recently, the Financial Times reported about Microsoft’s interest in buying social media platform Pinterest Inc.

Seoul Fashion Week Returns After Pandemic

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Angel Gimalo

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March 23, 2021

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It’s one of Korea’s most anticipated events of the year Seoul Fashion Week.

Last year this time, as the pandemic began, the fashion shows were completely canceled. Then last fall, it was all held online.

For this edition, the designs on the show were filmed at museums and landmarks throughout the capital and can be seen on YouTube. Models walk alongside a thousand-year-old treasure.

This year’s fall and winter Seoul Fashion Week took the catwalk to somewhere completely new.

This is the first time that the state-run museum has opened its doors to provide runways for models.

A designer of one of the brands participating in the fashion week says she was even able to shoot the video with live-performed Korean traditional music and traditional dance.

The shows were also filmed at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and at parks near the Han river.

For other retailers over 60 brands will take part in a show on the country’s largest live commerce platform, ‘Naver Shopping Live’.

Bankers’ Committee Commits N25 Billion For Development Of Nigeria Creative Centre

By

Angel Gimalo

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March 23, 2021

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In recognition of the strategic role that the entertainment and creative sector would play in growing the Nigerian economy, the Buhari administration has in the past few years introduced several initiatives to harness the abundant potentials in the country.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo stated this over the weekend in a message delivered at the opening of the Ogidi Studios, a Lagos-based world-class creative complex, hosting recording, film production, animation, and writing studios, owned by the Temple Company.

Osinbajo, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, said, “Last year, the Federal Government handed over the control of the National Theatre to the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Bankers’ Committee.

The Bankers’ Committee has committed to an investment of N25 billion as initial funding for the development of the Nigeria Creative Centre at the National Theatre, Lagos.

Speaking about the gains of consistent and deliberate efforts by the Buhari administration over the years, the Vice President noted that the sector and the country are now better positioned to benefit from the entire value chain.

Osinbajo further explained that “the world knows it and the smart money is already going after the trail.

Last year, Netflix, opened its first African office here in Lagos and is investing millions of dollars to buy and generate authentic African content on its platform.

Three Stray Dogs Get Star Roles In Turkish Documentary.

By

faith Jegede

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March 23, 2021

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Three stray dogs in the bustling city of Istanbul have gotten prominent roles in a documentary that aims to show life in the capital city through the eyes of strays that roam its streets in search of food and companions.

Zeytin, Nazar and Kartal caught the eye of Hong Kong-born director Elizabeth Lo, who inspired by her grief for her childhood pet, decided to make a film simply about dogs and was captivated by Turkey’s law that protects strays and requires that they receive good treatment.

A group of young Syrian refugees would also feature prominently because of their relationship with Zeytin and other strays.

Speaking to Reuters Lo said, “I remember when I went to Istanbul and saw the way the dogs were living, where it felt like they were communally cared for and they could have these transitory friendships with all the people who were around them, I was really amazed by that,” I wanted to document that and capture that for the rest of the world to see, to sort of ask us to reconsider our relationships with other species and in particular dogs.”

The documentary was shot between 2017 and 2019 and Lo would attach her camera to a vest and follow the dogs around, watching them play, eat and form bonds with complete strangers whose conversations they eavesdropped on.

Speaking on what she learned while shooting, Lo said “I had assumed cities with large stray animals are inhumane or not taking care of their animals but I found that it’s actually the exact opposite.”