164-1. The United States stands alone as the U.N. votes to back a new way of mapping the world.
The General Assembly approves a resolution supporting the Equal Earth projection, which depicts continents in their true relative sizes and makes Africa appear significantly larger than on traditional Mercator maps.
The U.S. casts the only “no” vote, with Deputy U.S. Representative Yaryna Ferencevych calling the effort part of a “radical ideological project.”
Six countries abstain, including Ukraine.
Rest in Heaven Cissy Houston, a gospel legend. 💛🌼🌺🌸. She birthed the voice, Whitney Houston. Cissy displayed the true essence of a mothers love for their child. Despite all, she love her daughter and we love her for that and love her daughter. Nippy. 💛💛💛
JAMES EARL JONES ON CUBA
We celebrate the life of the renowned US-born African actor James Earl Jones (1931-2024) who joined the ancestors this week with a throwback to 1988, when he collaborated with filmmaker David Hoffman in documenting Cuba’s then-30 years of revolutionary socialism.
Jones’ trademark baritone narration beautifully captured the emotion of Cuban troops returning from their 13-year mission in Angola, where they had gone to fight for the revolutionary ruling party, People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), against the US- and South Africa-backed the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and the National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA). About 10,000 Cuban troops reportedly gave their lives in the struggle for African liberation in Angola.
Many of the Cubans who served in Angola were descendants of enslaved Africans shipped to Cuba between the 16th and 19th centuries. Cuban leader Fidel Castro alluded to this in a December 1975 speech, ‘African blood flows freely through our veins.’ He also warned US and South African imperialists, ‘We are part of the world revolutionary movement, and in Africa’s struggle against racists and imperialists, we’ll stand, without any hesitation, side by side with the peoples of Africa.’
During a 1988 speech to South Africa’s parliament, Castro said 381,432 Cuban soldiers and officers fought in Africa against imperialist intervention. As part of Castro’s policy of internationalism, Cuba sent tens of thousands of Cuban doctors, dentists, nurses, academics, teachers, and engineers to Africa and elsewhere, despite bearing the weight of US-imposed sanctions since 1960.
Do you agree with Jones’ verdict that Cuba is ‘a nation to be reckoned with, a major player on the world stage?’
Video credit: ‘The Portrait of Cuba,’ David Hoffman (@davidhoffmanca on X and @davidhoffmanfilmmaker on IG), @CNN (1989)
Former miss SA Contestant Chidima Adetshina has been crowned Miss Universe Nigeria and will represent her country in Miss Universe (Mexico)
#MissUniverseNigeria
Chidimma Adetshina Announces Her Participation in Miss Universe Nigeria 2024"
“I have decided to participate in the Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 beauty pageant” Chidimma Adetshina
Biden: “I’m proud to be, as I said, the first vice president, first black woman, to serve with a black president”
Biden identifies as a black woman. This could be a game changer, folks.
Lt Col Zenele Vayeke, a highly experienced helicopter pilot from Bloemfontein, has been selected to lead a formation of four helicopters in President-elect Cyril Ramaphosa's upcoming Inauguration As the lead pilot
Lt Col Vayeke will command the aircraft formation
#PresidentialInauguration2024
There was and will be only one Marian Robinson. In our sadness, we are lifted up by the extraordinary gift of her life. And we will spend the rest of ours trying to live up to her example. https://t.co/2gH0DPQYVb
THE CONGO COULD BE AFRICA'S ENGINE
Echoing revolutionary Ghanaian leader Kwame Nkrumah's dream of the Congo's pivotal role in transforming Africa, our recent ‘Pan-African Attitude’ podcast guest Kambale Musavuli laid out statistics on his country's vast economic potential.
Musavuli, one of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's leading journalistic voices, argued that Africa's stalled potential is partly caused by our failure to see that the Congo's sorry state is by design. Using proxies Rwanda and Uganda, Western powers have been able to extract the country's vast natural wealth, estimated to generate $16 trillion from four key minerals—copper, nickel, cobalt, and lithium—in the next 25 years, according to the IMF.
European Union admits to "difficult situation" after a report revealed that Tunisia, Morocco and Mauritania have been dumping irregular asylum seekers in the desert with direct help from EU funds
https://t.co/ofQaPym4yz
The first phase of the #China-built electric-powered light rail project, Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Red Line project, was officially opened for traffic in #Nigeria on Thursday, with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in attendance. The project, undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), is the second light rail line constructed by a Chinese company in the area.