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Zanzibar named number one summer destination in Africa

admin — Sat, 10 Jun 2023 22:00:01 +0000

Zanzibar named number one summer destination in Africa

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admin Sat, 06/10/2023 - 22:00

Thursday, May 25, 2023

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The Citizen

Original Article

Zanzibar named number one summer destination in Africa

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Unguja. Zanzibar has been named a top destination for those seeking relaxation and pleasure during the 2023 summer by ‘The Travel’.

Tourists who are looking for the most memorable summer experience are spoiled for choice when they explore Africa's natural beauty.

The magazine also names other myriads of natural wonders and hidden gems in Africa, which are the most beautiful places to visit, each destination offering a unique blend of relaxation, adventure, and beauty.

These include Cape Town (South Africa), the Masai Mara National Reserve (Kenya), Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River, the Pyramids of Giza (Egypt), the Blue Nile Falls (Ethiopia), Kruger National Park (South Africa), Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Marrakesh (Morocco), and Lake Malawi.

Speaking on the ranking as summer kicks off, Zanzibar’s tourism and heritage minister Simai Mohammed Said, noted that it is a great boost for the tourism sector.

“Zanzibar has its own charm due to its historical background, but with the combination of history and white sandy beaches, the demand of people wanting to visit Zanzibar has continued to grow by the year,” he said.

Recent statistics have shown that the industry has since rebound from the shock waves of the pandemic with January and February hitting record numbers that had never been reached before.

Zanzibar had a total of 701,189 bed-spaces in January 2023 of which 578,719 beds were sold representing a bed occupancy rate of 82.5 percent.

According to the magazine, for centuries, Zanzibar has been one of the most beautiful summer destinations in Africa which consists of gorgeous islands, the most beautiful of which is named after the archipelago itself.

“With pristine white sand and clear beaches, Zanzibar is a refreshing spot worth exploring during the summer,” writes the magazine.

While in Zanzibar, tourists can explore breathtaking African tourist spots such as the winding streets of Stone Town, the historic capital of Zanzibar, and they can even catch a glimpse of the archipelago’s cultural heritage.

The magazine says, Zanzibar is one of the most rewarding tropical beach destinations in all of Africa to visit comparing it to the Maldives or Tahiti.

Three of the hotspots to stay on the island are the northern coastal paradise of Nungwi, the historical bustling town of Stonetown, and the kite-surfing and party-dominated coastal resort of Paje.

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News

Kenya defaults on Sh5bn Arror, Kimwarer dams loans

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 08:40:02 +0000

Kenya defaults on Sh5bn Arror, Kimwarer dams loans

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admin Sun, 06/19/2022 - 08:40

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

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Politics

Original Article

Kenya defaults on Sh5bn Arror, Kimwarer dams loans

Kenya’s inability to honour its debt obligations has been exposed in the latest report of the auditor-general that revealed the government had defaulted on servicing Sh5.11 billion.

The default on debt repayment exposes the government to risks of legal suits that may lead to penalties and subsequent loss of public resources.

The defaulted amount relates to three loans advanced by an international bank towards the construction of three dams – Arror and Kimwarer multipurpose dams in Elgeyo Marakwet County and Itare dam in Nakuru County.

The audit report on the accounts of the National Treasury for the 2020/21 financial year shows that Sh790.7 million was to be paid for the Arror dam loan, Sh3.1 billion for Itare and Sh1.26 billion for Kimwarer.

“The credit agreements for these loans were not provided for audit review to confirm the terms of the loans and if the termination of the credit was conducted in accordance with the provisions in the respective agreements,” the audit report says.

Debt stock

The country’s debt stock currently stands over Sh8.6 trillion.

Recently, the National Assembly approved a proposal to increase the country’s debt ceiling from Sh9 trillion to Sh10 trillion to allow the government room to borrow more to finance the Sh846 billion deficit in the Sh3.33 trillion budget for the 2022/23 financial year.

Read: Italian firm contracted to build Itare dam fights tax demand

The construction of Arror and Kimwarer dams was to cost Sh63 billion, while Itare dam whose construction was scheduled to start in 2016 and end in 2022, was to cost Sh30 billion, to yield 100,000 cubic metres of water a day. It was expected to serve more than 800,000 people in Molo, Njoro, Rongai, Kuresoi and Nakuru town.

Three international firms- Cooperativa Muratori and Cementisti - CMC Di Ravenna Societa Cooperativa (Italy), Itinera SPA and CMC Di Ravanna - Itinera JV SCPA were contracted to build Arror and Kimwarer.

Projects cancelled

However, the projects were cancelled over irregularities in the tendering, with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) taking up the matter.

The three companies are already in court seeking Sh11.4 billion in breach of agreement against the government. They also want the court to establish that the cancellation was illegal.

The Itare dam project had been awarded to CMC Di Ravenna, but the Italian firm deserted the site and filed bankruptcy proceedings in its home country, even before work on the two projects could start, but was not declared bankrupt.

Three years ago, President Uhuru Kenyatta formed a technical committee to establish the viability of the Arror and Kimwarer projects.

The technical committee, chaired by Infrastructure Principal Secretary Paul Maringa, presented the report on the findings of the two dams to the President on September 18, 2019, at state house, Nairobi.

Report disappeared

Surprisingly, the report disappeared without a trace. This is notwithstanding that the report’s handover was a public event covered by the media.

What is now emerging is that the State House and the ministries of National Treasury and Water, Sanitation and Irrigation that were critical in the conceptualisation and development of the two projects, do not have a copy of the document.

Parliament has been requesting to have the report tabled in the House for more than a year now.

Regional and Northern Corridor Development Principal Secretary Bellio Kipsang, whose department is in charge of implementing the two projects, recently added mystery on the whereabouts of the report after he claimed that he did not have it and that he has never had it.

At a past meeting with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly, Dr Kipsang’s revelations surprised MPs.

“A task force is set up by the President. It puts together a report, hands it over to the President in the full glare of the cameras. But now we can’t lay our hands on that report, not just as citizens but as Parliament,” said Mr Opiyo Wandayi, the chairperson of PAC.

Recommended cancellation

The technical committee, in a press release to the media at State House, had recommended cancellation of the two projects for being overpriced, with the Kimwarer dam that was to cost Sh22.2 billion cited as not viable.

Prof Maringa’s committee in the press release at State House, however, recommended that Arror dam should progress but be scaled down to Sh15 billion.

At the time of the cancellation, the government had already pumped in Sh7.5 billion in two separate advance payment guarantees to the projects.

The advance payment guarantees to the contractor behind the two dams were financed by a commercial loan from a bank in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

It was the first time a Brazilian bank was being linked to the two projects but it remains unclear whether the amount was paid directly to CMC Di Ravenna, the Italian company that was contracted to build the two dams, or through intermediaries.

Africa

Politics

FG: We Are Studying Malabu Oil Deal Court Judgement

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 04:40:01 +0000

FG: We Are Studying Malabu Oil Deal Court Judgement

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admin Sun, 06/19/2022 - 04:40

Thursday, June 16, 2022

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THISDAYLIVE

Original Article

FG: We Are Studying Malabu Oil Deal Court Judgement

•Adoke: court verdict vindicates me yet again

Deji Elumoye and Alex Enumah in Abuja

The federal government yesterday reacted to the United Kingdom Commercial Court judgement that ruled that there was no evidence of fraud in the OPL 245 transaction between Nigeria and JP Morgan Chase Bank, saying it was studying the judgement.

However, former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke said the judgment once again vindicated him of any wrong doing in the Operating Oil License 245 otherwise known as Malabu Oil.

The Commercial Court of England and Wales had on Tuesday June 14, 2022, ruled on the matter in Case No CL-2017-000730 as contained in its 137-paged judgement.

An Italian court in 2021 also dismissed all corruption charges in the OPL 245 deal, discharging and acquitting all the defendants.

The Nigerian government in the judgement lost $1.7 billion claims against JP Morgan Chase Bank over the transfer of proceeds from the sale of OPL 245 in 2011.

Reacting to the judgement on behalf of the Federal Government, Minister of information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who spoke with newsmen at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, said the government’s lawyers would study the ruling and decide whether to appeal or not.

Commenting on the Court judgement, Mohammed said: “I also read the judgement. Malabu oil and I think strangely enough, the judge said we were not able to establish that we lost $1.7 billion.

“But I also read further that the lawyer said that they are studying the judgement and they will take the appropriate step on whether to appeal or not.”

Adoke said the judgement has once again vindicated him of any wrong doing in the Operating Oil License 245 otherwise known as Malabu Oil.

Reacting to the judgment, Adoke said, “it is very gratifying that foreign courts have declared over and over again that there were no fraudulent or corrupt practices involved in the OPL 245 Settlement Resolution.”

Although, he had maintained that he was not expecting a contrary judgment knowing well that he did no wrong and had served Nigeria with all honesty and every sense of duty and patriotism.

He observed that although he was not a party in the suit, the federal government through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, had, “caused all manner of false depositions to be made against me to paint the transaction with the tar of corruption to justify the spurious criminal proceedings instituted against me in Nigeria.”

In a statement dated June 14, the former AGF said he was particularly pleased with the outcome of the suit because if it were to be Nigerian courts, he would have been accused of buying justice by those who he claimed are hell-bent on tarnishing his name and destroying him for political reasons.

According to him all he did was to advise former President Goodluck Jonathan on the outcome of a consent judgment of a Federal High Court, Abuja, which was implemented.

“President Jonathan asked me, as the Chief Law Officer of the Federation, to give him legal advice on the validity and enforceability of the Out-of-Court Settlement entered by the Obasanjo Administration. After reviewing all the documents related to the oil block, I advised him that the Settlement Agreement dated 30th November 2006 had already been reduced into a subsisting Consent Judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

“My involvement in the entire OPL 245 saga was carrying out the lawful directives/approvals of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, to the effect that the Settlement Agreement was implemented.

“However, when President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015, some influential figures in his government deceived him into believing that Nigeria could get back the $1.1 billion that Shell/ENI paid to Malabu for OPL 245. They thought that by impugning the transaction and painting me with the tar of corruption, they would have a great chance in court,” he said.

Adoke claimed that part of the scheme, involved eliciting some activists and anti-corruption crusaders at home and abroad to scandalise his name by forging all kinds of documents to be used against him in local and foreign jurisdictions where the OPL 245 transaction was undergoing judicial scrutiny.

He expressed joy that in all the cases where he was a party and others where his name was severally mentioned had been dismissed by the respective courts.

“God is so good that in March 2021, an Italian court dismissed all corruption charges in the OPL 245 deal, discharging and acquitting all the defendants. Although I was not on trial, my name was frequently mentioned, but I came out unscathed. The court findings exonerated me of any blame or corrupt act.

“Not satisfied, the current Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami, engaged lawyers to make all kinds of mindless and libellous allegations against me in Commercial Court in the UK in an attempt to make JP Morgan refund the $1.1bn paid to Malabu, along with supposed interests totaling $1.7 billion.

“The UK court has now dismissed the allegations of fraud. My name is cleared yet again. It is also worthy of note that the US Department of Justice (DoJ) investigated the OPL 245 deal and brought it to a close in October 2019 without any charges.

“Also, in April 2020, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said it could not prove any allegations of fraud or corruption and decided to close the investigation into the transaction.

Africa

News

Caribbean preps for monkeypox

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 04:20:02 +0000

Caribbean preps for monkeypox

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admin Sun, 06/19/2022 - 04:20

Friday, June 3, 2022

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Local News - The BVI Beacon

Original Article

Caribbean preps for monkeypox

Monkeypox hasn’t yet been reported in the Caribbean, but with cases spreading to countries where it is typically not found, including the United States, regional health officials are taking precautions.

Health and Social Development Minister Marlon Penn said last Thursday in the House of Assembly that his ministry has been monitoring the spread of the virus abroad.

“Monkeypox is not a new virus, with the first case having been identified in 1970,” Mr. Penn noted. “It has been found regularly in several central and west African countries. This particular outbreak has gained international attention because cases have been confirmed in several different countries at the same time and in persons with no reported travel history to countries where the virus is usually found.”

The World Health Organization reported 92 confirmed cases and 28 suspected cases in 12 member states where the virus is not endemic as of May 21. The United Kingdom Health Security Agency announced the first case in the outbreak in the UK on May 7, and Mr. Penn said the initial patient is thought to have contracted it during recent travel to Nigeria.

He added that the WHO recognises “that further spread is likely, and countries should take precautions.”

Though no cases have been confirmed in the Caribbean, they have been reported in England, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the US, Mr. Penn said.

Caribbean response

“There is risk of spread to the Caribbean region due to travel,” he said. “Therefore, awareness is being raised among health care workers and port health authorities across the region to ensure that adequate prevention and control measures are in place.”

Symptoms can last two to four weeks and include exhaustion, fever, headaches, backache, muscle ache, chills and swollen lymph glands. Within the first three days of fever, rashes can develop on the face, hands, feet and other parts of the body.

“Testing for monkeypox is currently not available in the Caribbean, and the Caribbean Public Health Agency is reportedly in discussion with the [Pan American Health Organisation] and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to assess its capacity to develop this testing capability,” Mr. Penn said.

He added that the Ministry of Health and Social Development will coordinate with health care workers and agencies working on port health and animal quarantine moving forward.

“Many of the specific recommended actions from CARPHA are in place in the BVI, and strengthened in response to Covid-19,” he said. “Although the likelihood of monkeypox spread in our community is currently low, the chief medical officer and other officials will continue to monitor the situation and ensure that the territory is prepared to detect and respond to any cases as needed, and will keep the community informed of any change in the situation.”

How it spreads

Mr. Penn said initial information about the outbreak has identified the virus within sexual networks, but he noted it is not considered to be a sexually transmitted disease.

The WHO says on its website that the virus is transmitted through close contact with an infected person or animal, typically through lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated material such as bedding.

Vaccines against smallpox have provided some protection against monkeypox, and a newer vaccine has been specifically approved for prevention, according to WHO.

Though severe cases can occur, especially among children, WHO stated that the case fatality ratio has been about three to six percent.

The post Caribbean preps for monkeypox first appeared on The BVI Beacon.

The post Caribbean preps for monkeypox appeared first on The BVI Beacon.

Caribbean

Catholics Celebrate Corpus Christi Day Today

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 21:40:01 +0000

Catholics Celebrate Corpus Christi Day Today

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 21:40

Thursday, June 16, 2022

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Local – Dominican Today

Original Article

Catholics Celebrate Corpus Christi Day Today

Santo Domingo – Catholics celebrate today Corpus Christi Day, also known as the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. Formerly called Corpus Domini (Body of the Lord), it is a feast of the Catholic Church to celebrate the Eucharist.

Its primary purpose is to proclaim and increase the faith of Catholics in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, publicly giving him the cult of adoration (latria).

This day commemorates the institution of the Eucharist that took place on Holy Thursday during the Last Supper when Jesus turned the bread and wine into his Body and Blood.

The celebration takes place on the Thursday following the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity, which takes place on the Sunday following Pentecost (i.e., Corpus Christi is celebrated 60 days after Easter Sunday).

Specifically, Corpus Christi is the Thursday following the ninth Sunday after the first full spring moon in the northern hemisphere. In some countries, this holiday has been moved to the following Sunday to accommodate the work calendar.

History

The feast arose in the Middle Ages when in 1208, the nun Juliana de Cornillon promoted the idea of celebrating a feast in honor of the body and blood of Christ present in the Eucharist. Thus, it was observed for the first time in 1246 in the Diocese of Liège (Belgium).

In the year 1263, while a priest was celebrating Mass in the church of the town of Bolsena (Italy), blood gushed out when he broke the consecrated host.[1] This miraculous event, widely spread and celebrated, gave a definitive impulse to the establishment of Corpus Christi as a liturgical feast. It was instituted on September 8, 1264, by Pope Urban IV through the bull Transiturus hoc Mundo. St. Thomas Aquinas was commissioned to spread it with his work Office and Mass of Corpus Christi, in addition to composing Eucharistic hymns for the feast, such as the Pange Lingua.

In the Council of Vienne of 1311, Clement V gave the norms to regulate the processional procession inside the temples and will even indicate the place to be occupied by the authorities who wanted to join the parade.

In 1316, John XXII introduced the Octave with an exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. But the great accolade was given by Pope Nicholas V when on the feast of Corpus Christi in the year 1447, he left in procession with the Holy Host through the streets of Rome.

In many places, it is a feast of particular relevance. For example, in Spain, there is a popular saying: There are three Thursdays in the year that shine brighter than the sun: Holy Thursday, Corpus Christi, and Ascension Day, which gives an idea of how deeply rooted this feast is.

Corpus Christi celebrations usually include a procession in which the Body of Christ is displayed in a monstrance.

Caribbean

News

Ooni of Ife, Oba Elegushi, Patoranking others grace 106 art exhibition

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 17:30:01 +0000

Ooni of Ife, Oba Elegushi, Patoranking others grace 106 art exhibition

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 17:30

Thursday, June 16, 2022

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Arts & Entertainment - Premium Times Nigeria

Original Article

Ooni of Ife, Oba Elegushi, Patoranking others grace 106 art exhibition

Royalty met arts at the 106 art exhibition, the first of its kind in Nigeria, as the show was held at a construction site in Eko Atlantic City, Lagos State, over the weekend.

The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the Elegushi of Ikate Saheed Elegushi were among the guests who graced the glamourous solo art exhibition of a contemporary artist and architect Olubukola Bolarinde.

Art, glamour, and entertainment were packed in one at the 106 art exhibition as Ms Bolarinde fused art and architecture.

The exhibition, tagged ‘106 Expressions’, marked the debut of Ms Bolarinde as a solo artist.

The dignitaries’ studded event blended culture, arts, entertainment, business and networking.

The event featured more than 80 paintings by the self-taught artist and architect and a fashion exhibition of 20 curated pieces by prominent fashion designers.

Guests

While the event started with music and dance performances at the entrance of a construction site of Arkland Construction, Eko Atlantic City, guests could not wait to experience all the artist had in store at her solo exhibition.

Some of the guests at the exhibition were the famed most prominent private art collector Yemisi Shyllon; founder of Elizade Group of Companies, Michael Ade-Ojo; Managing Director James Cubitt Architects, Alan Davies; Managing Director Arkland Group, Jide Olumodimu, former Minister of Health, Abimbola Ogunkelu; General Manager Corporate Affairs, MTN Nigeria, Omasan Ogisi; and Managing Director VFD Group, Nonso Okpala.

Nollywood actors Judith Audu and Omowunmi Dada, who attended the event, also viewed the over 80 pieces of art paintings Ms Bolarinde displayed at the event.

The host’s parents, elder statesman and foremost industrialist Samuel Bolarinde and his wife, Olufunke, were also present at the event.

Exhibition

The art exhibition, curated by foremost culture and art custodian Nike Davies-Okundaye, had over 80 works of art on display.

The auditorium was split into sections, and one part was a walkway through over 80 paintings lined successively in a meandering space, which welcomed guests into the main hall.

The images depicted different stories of traditions, history and humanities, such as the Wusasa painting, an artistic tribute to the Christian community nestled in Zaria, Kaduna.

Another artwork was a painting of the Ooni, while a portrait of the kerosene lantern titled ‘Atupa’ reflected Ms Bolarinde’s childhood memories.

The other part of the show showcased 20 dresses that infused Ms Bolarinde’s artistic insight through the help of two creatives, Vonnemac Couture and Isi Atagamen.

Models showcased the costumes on a makeshift runway flanked by guests.

Each fabric on the runway was made in Nigeria by Nigerians.

Remarks

Commending her efforts in promoting and drawing awareness to the art and culture space, the Ooni said: “Bolarinde is formidable to give back to society. She brings a wealth of knowledge in the arts and uses that to connect everyone. She has so much passion for many things.”

Representing the prolific art and culture custodian Nike Okundaye, the exhibition curator, Yinka Paramole, lauded Ms Bolarinde’s approach to her art.

She said: “Bukola’s approach towards her art is using it to tell African stories. Her point of reference usually shows the challenges and difficulties encountered by Africans daily. Each piece exhibited today has a unique story to tell.”

A trained architect from the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL), Ms Bolarinde explained that her vision for the exhibition was to bring her two passions, art and architecture, in their most accurate form. Thus, her choice of venue.

She said: “I wanted to do something that nobody has ever done before,” Ms Bolarinde revealed. “There has never been an art exhibition staged on a construction site nestled in a safe, clean environment with a rustic feel. I wanted to bring those two worlds together that represent who I am.”

Business, networking

An art auction was also held, with the first art piece set at $10,000.

Another artwork, titled Olugbode, an oil painting of a lamp on canvas, was billed N 1.8 million. In contrast, another beautiful piece named Aduke, an image of the face of a lovely lady with a tribal mark, was billed for N1.5 million.

However, the corporate professional with over 20 years of experience gleaned from industries like oil and gas, banking, and telecommunications, confirmed they had already purchased most of the art pieces before the exhibition.

Entertainment

Away from the art exhibition, the guests were also thrilled by entertainment from various cultural dance groups who ushered in guests at the event’s entrance.

However, at the after-party, dancehall superstars Patoranking, Oritsefemi and Goya Menor thrilled the audience with their performances as they enjoyed the refreshments of the evening.

Ms Bolarinde also noted that a follow-up art exhibition would be held in Venice, Italy, later this year.

Prominent brands at the exhibition included Coca-Cola Nigeria with their premium spirit brand, Macallan, Schweppes Nigeria, Billecart Salmon Champagne and Artsplit, who were the preferred platform for the online auction.

Africa

Entertainment

Flow of exports between January and April totaled US$4.1 billion

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 15:20:01 +0000

Flow of exports between January and April totaled US$4.1 billion

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 15:20

Thursday, June 16, 2022

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Economy – Dominican Today

Original Article

Flow of exports between January and April totaled US$4.1 billion

Santo Domingo, DR.
The Dominican Association of Exporters (Adoexpo), celebrating yesterday the 50th anniversary of its founding, highlighted the potential of the sector, citing that the export volume in this last four-month period of the year totaled US$4.1 billion, a growth of 9.87% compared to January-April 2021 and 31.69% compared to 2019, year.

Regarding the regime with the highest exports, Adoexpo pointed to the free zones with an amount of US$2.5 billion, a growth of 2.66% year-on-year and 33.49% compared to 2019, while the National regime of US$1.5 billion was exported, growing by 5.86% compared to January-April 2021 and 32.53% compared to 2019.

The president of Adoexpo, Elizabeth Mena, highlighted that this entity reached its half-century leading the promotion of this productive sector, improving conditions for the sector, promoting changes in public policies and playing a leading role in the generation of foreign exchange and formal employment.

She stated that gold is the main exported item, with US$470.74 million, for the first four months of the year, representing 11.40% of total exports.

In the second place, medical instruments and apparatuses stand out with an exported value of US$465.46 million, representing 11.27% of exports for this period, growing 37.12% year-on-year and 101.91% compared to 2019. In third place are cigars, with US$320.55 million representing 7.76% of total exports.

Destinations
Mena expressed that the “top 10” destination countries for Dominican exports comprise 86.55% of total exports in the first four months of 2022, composed of the United States, which remains our largest trading partner comprising 51% of total exports; followed by Haiti, (9. 60%), Switzerland (8.50%), Puerto Rico (5.38%), the Netherlands (3.22%), China (2.99%), India (2.88%), Germany (1.08%), Italy (0.95%) and Spain (0.88%).

Caribbean

Business

Ray Liotta and the story of the struggle with bodyguards that earned him his role in “Goodfellas”

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 07:40:01 +0000

Ray Liotta and the story of the struggle with bodyguards that earned him his role in “Goodfellas”

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 07:40

Thursday, May 26, 2022

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People – Dominican Today

Original Article

Ray Liotta and the story of the struggle with bodyguards that earned him his ro…

Santo Domingo, DR

The American actor Ray Liotta, who died in Santo Domingo, had his most important breakthrough moment when, under the orders of the prestigious director Martin Scorsese, he got into the skin of the charming mobster Henry Hill in ” Goodfellas, “a film in which he shared the screen with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci.

“Being in a movie in which people are talking about her 25 years later, it’s magnificent,” he said in 2016 on the Spanish program “Late Motiv,” hosted by the Catalan Andreu Buenafuente.

He explained how he managed to be part of “Goodfellas” in that television space. He was at the Venice Festival, presenting a film, and Scorsese was also at that edition, with his movie, “The Last Temptation of Christ.”

While in the hotel’s lobby in the aforementioned Italian city, Liotta managed to see the filmmaker, with whom he said he had met a couple of months before and wanted to talk to him. Only a couple of bodyguards stopped him, and when Scorsese saw him struggle with them to talk to him, he understood that he could play the role of a tough guy, something he had not done until then. “That’s why I got that role,” Liotta added.

Candidate for the Golden Globes, for his role in “Something Wild”; at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor on Television – Miniseries or Movie, for “The Rat Pack” (Rob Cohen, 1990); and Emmy winner for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for “ER” in 2005.

His most important works for the big screen are, apart from the aforementioned “Goodfellas,” “Something Wild” (Jonathan Demme, 1986); “Unlawful Entry” (Jonathan Kaplan, 1992), “Cop Land” (James Mangold, 1997); and “Hannibal” (Ridley Scott, 2001) or “Identity” (James Mangold, 2003).

Born in Newark, New Jersey, on December 18, 1954, he died early this Thursday in Santo Domingo, the city where “Dangerous Waters” was filmed, the second feature film directed by the filmmaker John Barr.

Caribbean

Living Standard

Deny K releases single “Saona Island”

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 07:40:01 +0000

Deny K releases single “Saona Island”

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 07:40

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

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People – Dominican Today

Original Article

Deny K releases single “Saona Island”

The urban artist Deny K has just released his latest single called “Isla Saona”, through which he seeks to promote tourism in the Dominican Republic, highlighting the beauty that the island contains. The artist born in Colombia and raised in Italy, is living in the Dominican Republic which he considers his new home.

“The Dominican Republic is a country full of musical diversity, cradle of urban music is for me something very great to be able to develop my music and at the same time contribute to the cultural and tourist development of an island that has me so in love,” said Deny K.

“Saona Island” is a fusion of rhythms with clean lyrics and content for all audiences, the single invites you to know the summer landscapes of Saona, its beaches and its splendor.

“The song was born from a visit I made with some friends to the island, being there I just started humming a lyric about the island and out of nowhere it became a song, together with the producer we added the music, and it was just incredible,” says Deny about his single.

The musical production was in charge of the genius of the music in Santiago DF Beatz, while the video was in charge of Victor Rangell and Carlos Spinelly, both creators of many artistic films for leaders of the genre such as Zion and Lenox, Chimbala, Mark B, J Quiles, Chimbala, Zion and Lenox, Yomel Meloso, among others.

Jhon Daniel Amorocho, stage name Deny K describes himself as mysterious, versatile, creative and daring, born in Colombia, since childhood he was cultivated music and singing, and has always liked to create new things, compose and learn.

“I want to send a message not only of composition but also of audiovisual concept, I always like to experiment with new things and that people enjoy what I like, that the public listens to what I cook in the studio with my team together with Joe my manager and that they capture the message behind each project” Deny K.

Caribbean

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Switch to gas to slash fuel bill, government urged

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 04:50:01 +0000

Switch to gas to slash fuel bill, government urged

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 04:50

Friday, June 17, 2022

Original Publisher

The Citizen

Original Article

Switch to gas to slash fuel bill, government urged

Dar es Salaam. Parliament’s Budget Committee wants all government vehicles to be converted to use compressed natural gas as part of efforts to cut massive spending on fuel.

The advice comes at a time when fuel prices are rising due to disruptions in the global supply chain, fuelled by Western nations’ sanctions on key producer Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

Locally, Dar es Salaam residents are currently paying Sh2,994 and Sh3,131 for a litre of petrol and diesel respectively. The current prices for petrol are, however, Sh745, or 33 percent, more than they were in June last year when a litre fetched Sh2,249. They are also Sh1,058, or 51 percent, higher than they were in June 2021 when a litre of diesel fetched Sh2,073.

Presenting the Sh41.48 trillion Budget for the financial year 2022/23, the Finance and Planning Minister, Dr Mwigulu Nchemba outlined a number of cost-cutting measures that the government seeks to undertake during the coming year.

And responding to the Budget yesterday, the Budget Committee said by converting government vehicles to the use of natural gas, the government will see the resource [natural gas] being put to effective use before it become obsolete as the world was increasingly shifting to other renewable resources.

“The committee recommends that all government vehicles be converted to use natural gas just like the way it is for trucks operated by Dangote Cement. This will reduce importation of petroleum products and improve the country’s balance of payment,” the committee said.

Mr Shamsi Vuai Nahodha (Nominated-CCM) shared similar sentiments, noting that the Mtwara-Dar es Salaam natural gas pipeline was under-utilised at less than 10 percent of its capacity, suggesting maximising utilisation in order to reduce dependence on oil imports that adversely affect the lives of citizens.

“We should build the natural gas economy through increased use in transport and transportation and accelerating commencement of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project in Lindi,” he said.

In its views, the Budget Committee also wants the government to undertake a re-evaluation of its Double Taxation Agreements with Canada, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, India, South Africa and Zambia in a deliberate move to align the agreements with Tanzania’s current development needs and ensure that they [the agreements] do not leave loopholes for tax evasion.

“Though these treaties are beneficial to the country, the challenge we see is that they could be used as conduits for tax evasion whereby a businessman or an investor may use them in an attempt to access indirectly the benefits of a tax agreement between two jurisdictions without being a resident of one of those jurisdictions (treaty shopping), said the committee’s chairman, Mr Daniel Sillo.

The Committee is also advising the government to make necessary amendments to the law that formed the Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation (Tasac) with a view to streamlining the agency’s tasks so that it does not get into a conflict of interest with clearing and forwarding agencies.

As things stand, Tasac, which is a regulator for marine transportation, also engages in activities of clearing and forwarding thereby creating a public outcry from private operators. “We need to amend the law to limit Tasac’s clearing and forwarding role to only sensitive cargo of the government, including arms, government documents, minerals and mining equipment. Issues pertaining to clearing and forwarding must remain a preserve of the private sector, he said.

It is the view of the committee that the government will issue a tax amnesty to companies in the tourism sector after their operations were adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic during the period between 2019 and 2020.

The Committee believes that if the government makes a critical analysis of the buildings that have been built across the country’s major urban centres, it could potentially collect up to Sh100 billion per year in property tax.

Some MPs like Mr Jerry Silaa (Ukonga-CCM), said the government is a business partner contributing no capital in businesses, urging that it should prepare friendly tax procedures, educate taxpayers and stop fighting with the businesspeople.

“Small scale businesses tax regime has been given a 3.5 percent turnover which is not a small amount. These are those with Sh500,000 to one million capital, hence telling them to buy Electronic Fiscal Device (EFD) machines spending Sh500,000 could be hardly executed,” he said.

“When is the government going to see that it is its responsibility to provide EFD machines to traders for free in order to enable the country to make tax records that will ultimately benefit the government,” he added.

According to him, putting the two percent withholding tax to small scale miners will increase the 6.1 percent royalties and inspections fees to eight percent, something that will increase smuggling and benefit some of the smuggling destination countries.

But Ms Zulfa Mmaka Omar (Special Seats-CCM) commended the government for scrapping the 40 percent tax chargeable for procurement of EFD machines.

“This has been the center of complaints among traders who will now be encouraged to purchase and use machines for strengthening their businesses,” she said.

Mr Twaha Mpembenwe (Kibiti-CCM) said Ngorongoro residents are fellow citizens who shouldn’t live in troubles as the government is determined to amicably address their concerns.

“A similar controversy was staged by a neighbouring country between 1977 and 1978 in its efforts to grab our land. Without mentioning the country’s name, I would like to warn neighboring countries trying to interfere with Tanzania’s internal affairs to stop doing that with immediate effect,” he said.

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Switch to gas to slash fuel bill, government urged