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Storm strengthens to category 4
The US Hurricanne Center said that the powerful storm that had threaten south-eastern coast of The US has grown to category 4.
Hurricane Dorian has maximum sustained winds of nearly 145mph (225km/h). The Storm is expected to grow even stronger, its center potentially crossing the Bahamas before skirting Florida’s east coast early next week. Reports show that a florida has declared a state of emergency and residence have been asked to stock enough food, water and medication which can last at least a week.
Tourist are said scrambling to leave the Bahamas before the international airport is closed.
Forecasters warn Dorian could be the region’s worst storm since category five Hurricane Andrew killed 65 people and destroyed 63,000 homes in 1992.
By the middle of next week, forecasters expect Dorian to shift eastwards, putting the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina at risk.
“Dorian is anticipated to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane while it moves near the north-western Bahamas and approaches the Florida peninsula into early next week,” the NHC said.
The NHC warned that Dorian could cause “incredibly catastrophic damage”.
Residents of Georgia and South Carolina have been told to keep an eye on the forecast as Dorian churns towards the US coast.
Dorian is expected to drop up to 12in (30cm) of rain on the coastal US, with some areas getting as much as 18in. Tides in the region are already at some of their highest levels of the year, owing to a naturally occurring event.
Rain destroy the Lamsar road living it’s people stranded
Lamsar is a small community in Tanjai Kombo South. The people off this community earn their living through farming and fish business. Tanji is a town in Gambia, along the Atlantic coast. It is primarily a fishing town with a population of 14,531 according to the 2013 population census. The population of the town has been growing dramatically due to both urban and rural migration. This is because of its attractive fishing industry and suitable location.
people travel from Madiana, Lamsar, Tujereng, Sanyang, Gunjur, Serekunda to Tanjai for different business. some are fisher men, some push wheelbarrow to carry people’s load from the seaside to the garage or garage to seaside, some have small shops selling food stuffs, farmers bring their harvest to also sell at the seaside. fish which is the main product of the town has given employment to 1000s of youth who are mainly from Senegal, Guinea, and few from rural Gambia.
the Lamsar road has been a bad road for years. According to residence the community leaders have been on the money given by government to build the road for easy transportation of people. during every rainy season people of the community suffer from lack of good road.
many young men who are public transport drivers are left jobless for the next 5 months of the season as they are afraid to journey the bad road which may cause serious damage to their vehicles. residence who have their own private vehicles find it hard to travel as the roads are inconvenient for their cars.
About 80% of the residence travel by public transport. because These transport drivers are not journeying into the community the people are left stranded. They walk from their various home to the seaside in the morning and walk back home in the evening. This has been inconvenient to many people.
“we get very tired from walking. when we go to the sea we move up and down for our daily sales, trying to get fishing from the boats, freezing the fish and then selling. After all these ups and downs you have to walk for 30 minutes or more to reach your house” Said Mariama, a fishmonger at the fishing centre.
“Sometimes we wonder if the government has forgotten this town, development is very slow here and the roads have been the biggest problem for years. Some say that our leaders are sitting on the money given to them by government to construct the road”. Said Neneh who is also a fishmonger.
However; there are still some public transports who journey into the small community from Tippa Garage which they call “Satehkonoh motto” which means the town car. These are bigger vehicles call “Gele Gele”. this helps the people who live the community to go to serekunda to sell. but again those doing their business at Tanjai itself are less privilege because only few of these “Gele Gele” come there and they increase the transport fee from D8 to D10. These cars are normally overloaded to the extend that people are made to sit on the top of the car and still pay D10. Is this safe?
“we have no choice but to park our cars during the raining season. Our taxis are so small to enter the big stagnant waters on the way. these water are very unsafe as it may cause serious damage to the engine of the car, this will cost lots of money to fix”. said Madi a Taxi driver at Tanji.
The lamsar community calls out to the government for help construct the roads.
“we were very happy when we saw sands poured on the road side few months before the rainy season. we thought this time we wouldn’t suffer from the damage of the rain this time around. but since those sands were poured there nothing was done again. they just pour a little bit and go their way. these were mud and have no use on the road because it is still as bad as ever.” lamin told the Afrinity TV yesterday and a discus.
Over 1 million people sign a petition opposing Boris Johnson’s plans to suspend Parliament
Boris Johnson’s plans to cancel parliament has ignited protest across the nation and over 1.3 million have signed an online petition urging the prime minister to cancel the plan of suspending or proroguing parliament.
This petition was posted on the UK Government and Parliament Petitions page after the announcement of the prorogation on Wednesday morning.
First President of the Gambia is buried
The Gambia’s first President Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, who passed away on Tuesday was buried on Thursday 29th August 2019 at the capital Banjul. .
The burial was attended by The current president, His Excellency Adama Barrow, many political party leaders, former ministers and cabinet members of his regime were also in attendance.
Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, ruled The Gambia for more than 30 years as Prime Minister and then as its first President after independence from Great Britain, until he was removed from power in a bloodless coup by Ex President Yahya Jammeh.
He sought refuge in the U.K. where he lived with his family up to 2002, when he returned home after President Yahya Jammeh granted him amnesty and returned his assets, which were seized by a Commission of Inquiry established by the military junta to investigate cabinet members and officials of the previous regime.
Mariam Jack Denton,Speaker of The Gambia National Assembly said he was known for his integrity, kindness and sense of humor.
“Our hearts are heavy with this lost. He was an ardent promoter of human rights. He was a patriot and a true son of this country.”
Sedia Jatta, one of the opposition leaders who contested 1987 elections against Dawda Jawara, described his former opponent as a democrat and a tolerant person.
“We are not only here to pay homage to who brought independence to this country, but to learn from the challenges he faced as a leader. We have to learn tolerance from him.”
Gambia President Adama Barrow said: “It is with deep regret that I deliver this statement on this solemn occasion. The entire Gambian nation is in a state of mourning. We are mourning because our nation has lost its first premier, prime minister and president for over 30 years.”
The Gambia is in a 7 days state morning which was declared by the president his excellency Adama Barrow. he has also ordered that the flag should be lowered to half-mast at all state institutions in respect of the former president.
President Barrow calls on all Gambians to use these trying moments to reflect and emulate the virtues Sir Dawda left as his legacy: peace-loving, tolerant, and democratic.
The president kindly urges all and sundry to pray to God to grant the departed soul eternal peace.
The EU Ambassador affirms that the Gambian government can always count on the EU for support as long as it keeps its democratic transition
H.E. Atila Lajos , The European Union Ambassador to The Gambia has given assurances to The President of the republic of The Gambia, His Excellency, President Adama Barrow that his government can count on the support of the European Union as long as it remains on this democratic and the transition path.
The Ambassador of EU was at the State House on Monday 26th, August, 2019 to hold a “very constructive and very friendly meeting with President Barrow” according to him. The EU has strongly supported The Gambian transition and it made and fulfilled various promises, which were subject of review during the meeting.
The envoy said he has no doubt that The Gambia remains committed to democracy and the transition process. The meeting availed the two leaders to review the processes and achievements that Gambia achieved in the past two-and-a-half years as part of the transition process. Other national issues and interests to the EU-Gambia partnership agenda were also put on the table.
“The Gambia has embarked on a journey that was not known in advance how it will look like. I think successes achieved in areas such as TRRC that is to facilitate national reconciliation, the Constitutional Review to draft a new constitution, or the establishment of a National Human Rights Commission are very good examples of achievements the government and the country can be very proud of,” Mr. Lajos told the press corps.
They went on discuss issues related to overall fiscal situation in the country, the budgetary discipline, the indebtedness of the country and issues of potential future bottlenecks in national development. These discussions also include what can be done individually by each, individual and jointly.
“We talked in detail the reform processes to be continued in the country, and especially those in the security sector. We touched on other areas of importance for both sides such as migration, which is linked to The Gambia needing all its boys and girls to build up this country,” he added, noting that these are areas of national interest and of great importance to the European Union.
Indonesia’s capital city Jakarta is sinking
Jakarta is sinking scientist say the capital is dropping below sea level at alarming rates.
The president of Indonesia announced the government plans to relocate the capital city on the east of Borneo Island as concerns grow over the sustainability of the congested and rapidly sinking Jakarta.
Putting forward his reasons for moving the capital he said: “First, it has fewer earthquakes, floods and forest fires. Second, it is strategically located as it lies right in the center of the country. Third, it is located near developed cities including Balikpapan and Samarinda. Fourth, it has sufficient infrastructure and fifth, some 180,000 hectares of government land is available.”
Some residence believe that the government should concentrate on fixing the problem with Jakarta than movie the capital.
Relocating the country’s administrative and political heart could spell the death knell for the megacity of Jakarta, which has a population of 10 million, but swells to three times that size when the greater metropolitan area is included.
Local environmental NGO leader Hafidz Prasetyo told Channel News Asia that, “as a conservation area, [Bukit Suharto] should be a home for sun bears, local birds and other kinds of animals as well as teak woods, bengkirai woods and those should be preserved. “The development of hotels and shopping centres will need extensive land clearing. We actually reject the plan.”
The northern part of the city is disappearing into Jakarta Bay. Flooding is endemic in the rainy season because 13 rivers run through the city and are unable to drain uphill into the bay. Sea walls have been constructed to try to prevent inundation but they too are subsiding into the mud. About 40 per cent of Jakarta now lies below sea level.
First president of the republic of The Gambia Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara has passed away.
Born in 1924 in a village called Barajally, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara aged 95, on Tuesday Afternoon answered to the call of the almighty. Sir Dawda led The Gambia to Independence in 1965 and to becoming a Republic in 1970, serving as president from 1970 to 1994.
He led The Gambia through a smooth transition from colonial to self-rule. Throughout his life, he directed his efforts towards promoting peace and togetherness.
As the Nation mourns the death of former head of state Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara who is widely regarded as the father of the nation, The President of The Republic his excellency Adama Barrow, religious leaders, senior government officials, heads of political parties, members of the diplomatic corps, family members, loved ones and members of the public earlier today converge at his residence in Fajara to sympathize with the his Family.
The current president His excellency Adama Barrow visits the late presidents residence
President Adama Barrow led a cabinet delegation to the residence of the former president in Fajara, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, to personally pay condolences to the Jawara family. The flags at the presidency are also lowered to half-mast, in respect to the elderly statesman.
“The public is herby informed that the state funeral for the former President, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara is scheduled for Thursday, 29th August, 4: 00 pm, at the National Assembly,” an announcement from the presidency added. The president described the demise as a loss to the country and humanity in general.
BREAKING NEWS!!!! The demise of the first President of the Republic of The Gambia.
It is with great sadness and heartbreak that we announced to you the demise of The first President of the Republic of the Gambia; Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara. he died at the age of 95 on Tuesday 27th August, 2019, causes of his death is yet to be related to the public.
Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, was born in 16 May 1924 in Barajally, MacCarthy Island Division. He was educated at the Methodist Boys’ School in Bathurst and then attended Achimota College in Ghana. He trained as a veterinary surgeon at the University of Glasgow‘s School of Veterinary Medicine and then completed his training at the University of Liverpool. He returned to The Gambia in 1953 and married Augusta Mahoney, beginning work as a veterinary officer. He decided to enter politics and became secretary of the new People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and was elected to the House of Representatives in the 1960 election. He became the leader of the PPP and then the country’s first Prime Minister in 1962.
The Gambia has surely lost a hero today, we pray for his soul to rest in peace.
National synergy on money laundering, terrorist financing risk assessment underway
SOURCES POINT NEWSPAPER
Financial institutions and designated non-financial institutions are participating in a three-day national synergy on money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessment which kicked-off Wednesday at a local hotel in Kololi.
Organised by the Inter-Governmental Action Group against money laundering (GIABA), the synergy targets to strengthen the capacity of reporting entities to be able to undertake robust ML/TF assessment in line with the FATF standards.
Muazu Umar, director of policy and research at GIABA, said the specific objectives of the three day synergy includes developing a shared understanding of the concept, approach and methodology for conducting ML/TF risk assessment. “It will enhance the capacity of financial institutions in conducting comprehensive ML/TF risk assessment in order to build a robust AML/CFT risk assessment within their compliance framework,” he added.
Mr. Umar said the financial sector and DNFBPS play important roles in the economic development of any country, stating that they are the catalysts of socio-economic development and the international financial system thrives as a result of their financial intermediation.
“Money laundering and terrorist financing undermine the stability and integrity of the financial system and subjects DNFBPs to being used as gateways for the conversion of illicit proceeds. This could lead to reputational damage and exposure to legal risks and reduce business risk appetite thereby undermining economic growth,” he stated.
Dr. Saikou Jabbie, first deputy governor of Central Bank of The Gambia, defined money laundering as a process of making the proceeds of criminal activity appear to be legally obtained. “Introducing illegally obtained funds into the stream of legitimate commerce and finance allows criminals to profit from their illegal activity, taints the international financial system and erodes public trust in the integrity system,” he said.
Dr. Jabbie cited the IMF and World Bank, saying criminals launder an estimated three to nearly four trillion US Dollars each year. “Money laundering and terrorist financing are morally and ethically inappropriate, illegitimate and punishable by law.”
Director of Financial Intelligence Unit of The Gambia, Alagie Darboe said such capacity building programs are crucial for the establishment and fortification of systems aimed at combating Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing (ML/TF), both in the country and within the sub-region.
He said money laundering and terrorism financing are crimes that have significant negative economic impacts and have the ability to misallocate resources and income distribution to distort asset and commodity prices and to breed social ills, crime and corruption. “The Government of The Gambia on its part has taken giant steps to put in place legal, institutional and other measures to fight Money Laundering and Terrorism in the country,” he said.
In the same vein, a similar event will be held for religious leaders commencing on Friday 16 August 2019.
“Malaria has affected over 5 million people in Burundi so far this year”
Malaria has already affected approximately 5 million people in Burundi this year; The population of Burundi is 10.86 million in 2017. That’s to say about half its population are suffering from malaria. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). By July 21, 1,801 people have died of the virus, according to Burundi’s Ministry of Public Health.
According to Global Voice; Malaria, is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite, has long afflicted Burundians and the entire East African region, but this is a marked increase since earlier this year and a 97 percent increase compared to the same period in 2018.
Those afflicted experience high fever, body aches and pains, chills, nausea and sometimes dehydration and delirium.
WHO monitors outbreaks regularly. It said the number of malaria cases had reached epidemic proportions in May — then at about 3 million. OCHA reported large parts of the country had reached epidemic status – 34 of 46 health districts – particularly toward the north.
“Authorities in #Burundi must swallow their pride and declare malaria as a national disaster. People are dying and no one seems to care. When will wake up, it will be late. Mark this tweet.” said a commenter on Tweeter.
Another commenter added with a rethorical question and bringing forward the death of a online star who suffered from malaria too. “Does it have to take tragedy to drive change? The death of 6 year old YouTube star Kacaman draws attention to #Burundi, where more than 1,800+ people have died from #malaria this year according to #WHO #EndMalaria” He said.
#PictureReference: reliefweb.int
#PictureReference: dw.com
#SOURCE: Global voice
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