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☆ Africa's film industry is ripe to boom. Idris Elba wants to be there for it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-27 | by ( Eve Crosbie | Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Idris Elba has shared more on his plans to help build the entertainment industry in Africa. The Golden Globe winner has said he planned to build film studios in Ghana and Tanzania. A 2021 UNESCO report said that the film industry could help add $20 billion to Africa's combined GDP. "I would certainly consider settling down here; not even consider, it's going to happen," he continued, adding: "I'm going to live in Accra, I'm going to live in Freetown, I'm going to live in Zanzibar. Africa's film industry is growing rapidly, and certain major streaming successes, such as Netflix's Nigerian crime thriller "The Black Book," offer increasing optimism for the sector.

Persons: Idris Elba, —, Luther, We've Organizations: Golden Globe, UNESCO, Service, BBC, Tanzania —, West African Studios, Research, CNN Locations: Africa, Ghana, Tanzania, Accra, I'm, Freetown, Zanzibar, Elba, London, Sierra Leonean, Ghanaian, Tanzanian, Nigerian

☆ Michaela DePrince, a Sierra Leonean American ballerina for Boston ballet, dies at 29
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES — Sierra Leonean ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, who starred in TV show “Dancing with the Stars” and Beyonce’s “Lemonade” music video album, died on Friday at the age of 29, her family said. “It is with profound sadness we announce the sudden passing of our beautiful sister, Michaela Mabinty DePrince. She was an unforgettable inspiration to everyone who knew her or heard her story,” her family said in its statement. She was adopted in 1999 at the age of four by New Jersey couple Elaine and Charles DePrince, who enrolled her in ballet classes. Aged 14, DePrince was awarded a scholarship to attend the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School to study ballet.

Persons: Michaela Mabinty DePrince, Michaela, ”, DePrince, Misty Copeland, ” Copeland, Mabinty, Elaine, Charles DePrince, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Organizations: ANGELES, Sierra Leonean, Facebook, New, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, Boston Ballet Locations: Sierra, American, ’, Kenema, Sierra Leone, malnourishment, New Jersey

☆ Sierra Leone outlaws child marriage with new bill
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-03 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Sierra Leone officially banned child marriage on Tuesday with President Julius Maada Bio signing into law a bill to end the practice that remains widespread. Advocates hope the new legislation will better protect girls in Sierra Leone, around a third of whom are married before they turn 18, increasing the maternal death rate due to the physical risks they face from pregnancy, according to the health ministry. Parents or those attending such marriage ceremonies could also face fines. The legislation should “break the cycle of early marriage and its devastating consequences,” said Human Rights Watch researcher Betty Kabari. “It also sets a pathway forward for other African nations, such as Tanzania and Zambia, to revoke laws that permit child marriage.”

Persons: Julius Maada, ”, Betty Kabari Organizations: Sierra, U.S . Bureau, African Affairs, UNICEF, Sierra Leonean, Reuters, Rights Locations: Sierra Leone, Central Africa, Tanzania, Zambia

☆ Sierra Leone: Fresh gunfire rings out after more than 13 killed during attacks on military barracks and prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Residents of Freetown said on social media that a fresh round of gunshots was heard on Tuesday afternoon in the Murray Town suburb. “Thirteen soldiers were killed in action,” Sierra Leone’s army spokesman Colonel Issa Bangura told CNN Tuesday of the botched attack on the army base. Prison officials estimate that the number of fleeing inmates could be above 1,800. A cash reward has been offered for tip-offs leading to the arrest of either the assailants or prison escapees. A nationwide curfew was imposed following the series of attacks on Sunday, leading to widespread flight disruption at the Freetown International Airport.

Persons: “, Umaru Fofana, …, Sierra, Issa Bangura, ” Bangura, ”, Maada Organizations: CNN, Sierra, Facebook, Manhunt, Police, Airport, Authorities, European Union, Ecowas Locations: Sierra Leonean, Freetown, Murray Town, Sierra, Murray, Kingtom, West, West African, United States, European

☆ Sheryl Sandberg says rape should never be a tool of war and the horrors of the Hamas terror attacks can't be swept under the rug
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Israeli authorities are building cases against Hamas militants accused of rape and sexual assault. "The silence on these war crimes is deafening," Sheryl Sandberg wrote in an opinion essay. Rape and sexual violence have long been tragic elements of war and conflict throughout history, from World War II to the Rwandan genocide and Sierra Leonean Civil War of the 1990s. "In many contexts, sexual violence is not merely the action of rogue soldiers, but a deliberate tactic of warfare. "We can each 'be a witness' and together call out this unacceptable horror and unimaginable suffering," Sandberg wrote in her op-ed.

Persons: Sheryl Sandberg, —, Sheryl Sandberg Dominic Lipinski, " Sandberg, Sandberg Organizations: Service, Meta, CNN, Sierra Leonean, United Nations Women, UN Locations: Sierra Leonean Civil, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Sudan, Israel

☆ Ben Shelton vs. Frances Tiafoe: 2 Black men will face off in a US Open quarterfinal for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Chandelis Duster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —No matter who wins Tuesday’s US Open quarterfinals match between Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton, history will be made: For the first time, two Black men will face off in the match. It’s also the first time since 2008 that two Black men play each other at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Tiafoe, 25, and Shelton, 20, will face each other at a stadium christened after the Black tennis legend who broke barriers in the game. He was also the first Black American to play on the United States Davis Cup team. Earlier this year, Shelton’s father resigned from coaching at the University of Florida to coach his son in professional tennis.

Persons: Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, It’s, Arthur Ashe, Art Carrington, Shelton, Carrington, ”, Venus, Serena Williams, Tiafoe, Ashe, Bryan, Shelton’s, “ Organizations: CNN, Wimbledon, United States Davis, Sierra Leonean, Association of Tennis, University of Florida, Black Locations: American, Sierra

☆ Sierra Leone's President Bio leads presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FREETOWN, June 26 (Reuters) - Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio is leading the presidential election count, the West African country's electoral commission said on Monday after 60% of votes have been counted. His biggest rival is All People's Congress' (APC) candidate Samura Kamara, who narrowly lost to Bio in the last election in 2018. A provisional results sheet showed Bio had received over 1 million votes so far, compared with just under 800,000 for Kamara. The election commission on Sunday outlined several instances where officials were beaten or intimidated. Bio addressed the nation after the publication of provisional results on Monday evening and called on citizens to keep the peace.

Persons: Julius Maada, Samura Kamara, Kamara, Sierra, Augustine Sorie, hasn't, Marrah, Cooper Inveen, Anait Miridzhanian, Estelle Shirbon, Bate Felix, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Sierra, African, APC, Electoral Commission Sierra, Reuters, Thomson Locations: FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, Electoral Commission Sierra Leone

[1/6] Ballots are displayed at a polling station, after polls closed, on the day of the national election, in Freetown, Sierra Leone, June 24, 2023. The race is expected to be close between the incumbent and the All People's Congress' (APC) Samura Kamara, who narrowly lost to Bio in the last election in 2018. The main opposition APC also said their election representatives were attacked and intimidated in three districts, highlighting the tense backdrop to the vote. Inflation soared to its highest level in over 20 years in 2022, while the national Leone currency slumped 60% in value. Bio and Kamara reported small-scale attacks on their supporters ahead of election day, while the APC's recent questioning of the independence of election officials has raised tensions.

Persons: Cooper Inveen, Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio's, Samura Kamara, Abu Koroma, We've, Kandeh Yumkella, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, Kamara, Alessandra Prentice, Angus MacSwan, Ros Russell, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Provisional, APC, World Bank, Thomson Locations: Freetown, Sierra Leone, FREETOWN, Sierra, Leone, Ukraine

☆ Sierra Leone : Tensions mount ahead of high-stakes elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Stephanie Busari | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Sierra Leone is gearing up for crucial presidential elections on Saturday amid growing discontent and calls for change from its citizens. Sierra Leone has also faced devastating epidemics, including Ebola in 2014 and the Covid pandemic. President of Sierra Leone and Leader of Sierra Leone People's party (SLPP), Julius Maada Bio, addresses his supporters during his final campaign rally in Freetown John Wessels/AFP/Getty ImagesTwelve candidates are challenging Maada Bio, 59, in the general election, including the leader of the opposition ‘All People Congress’ (APC) party, Samura Kamara. ‘The people are tired’The mood in the country is tense as the country prepares for the high-stakes elections. Sierra Leoneans are concerned about several issues, including economic management, food shortages, healthcare services, infrastructure development, and education.

Persons: Julius Maada, Freetown John Wessels, Samura Kamara, Kamara, ‘, Mohamed Konneh, John Wessels, Sierra Leoneans, ”, Aminata Fanta Koroma, Kadira Rodhe Kamara, Bio, Ishmael Beah, ” Beah Organizations: CNN —, Getty, Congress, Police, European Union, International Monetary Fund, CNN Locations: CNN — Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone, Freetown John, Freetown, United Kingdom, United States, Ireland, Germany, France, Sierra

☆ Sierra Leone opposition leader decries lack of access ahead of Saturday's vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Supporters of Sierra Leone's opposition leader and presidential candidate for the All People's Congress (APC) party, Dr. Samura Kamara, wipe rain drops from his campaign poster in Freetown, Sierra Leone June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Cooper InveenFREETOWN, June 23 (Reuters) - Sierra Leone's main opposition candidate said on Friday the lack of election campaign access to some strongholds of the ruling party and unsupervised distribution of ballots could open the door to rigging. "Our biggest concern going into this election is the lack of access of the opposition party to the southeastern part of the country, and we're talking about seven districts," Kamara said in an interview on Friday. "So that makes a worrying situation where you're opening a door, you're opening a window, even if you're not doing so, you're opening a window for great suspicions of rigging," Kamara said. Asked if he'll accept the outcome of Saturday's vote, Kamara said, "It's not me.

Persons: Sierra, Samura Kamara, Cooper Inveen, Julius Maada, Kamara, he'll, Bate Felix, Richard Chang Organizations: All, Congress, REUTERS, People's Congress, Thomson Locations: Freetown, Sierra Leone, Cooper Inveen FREETOWN, West

☆ Best rice dishes: 20 delicious specialties from around the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Terry Ward | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

And while famous rice dishes such as sushi, fried rice and paella are among the most prominent in the global spotlight, there are so many more rice recipes out there to put on your radar – and seek out on your travels. Wali wa kukaanga, KenyaWali wa kukaanga is Kenya’s answer to fried rice, and translates to just that in Swahili. So it’s no surprise that the Polynesian island country’s most popular rice dish, alaisa fa’apopo, has ties to the coconut, too. Thai fried rice (Khao Pad), ThailandThai fried rice uses the layering of flavors that's characteristic of the country's cuisine. ArenaCreative/Adobe StockWhen it comes to fried rice, the Chinese version tends to steal the spotlight.

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