Nowadays, many Liberians witness cultural dance dramas just for entertainment. However, these dances have symbolic meanings that are meant to maintain the nation’s cultural heritage, promote its folklore, foster unity, and much more.These dances were choreographed to educate Liberians on diverse issues, including promoting cultural values, norms and moralities, as well as educating them that regardless of any situation, unity is sacrosanct. To the trained eye, the dance dramas, usually performed in traditional acrobatic dance and other styles, relay messages for one to ponder at home.Consider the meaning of the following traditional dances to drive the message home:1. “The Moonlight Dance’’ – commonly performed during the celebration of a great or successful harvest, signals the idea that Liberians have one thing in common, their cultural heritage, and that each person should be treated as a brother or sister.2. The ‘’Leopard Dance’’ – the dance signifies a greedy and brutal chief, who do not take advice from the people he governs.As the dance drama unfolds, energetic young warriors are then sent to kill the leopard that was terrorizing the villagers; right after it was killed, each person cuts a piece as evidence that he was the one that killed the leopard.After they retuned, the king decided to reward the rightful person that killed the leopard by giving him his daughter’s hand in marriage. He was, however, unable to reward any of the warriors as each has a part of the leopard.After a while, the king called traditional medicine men who used sassywood to find the real person that killed the leopard. As they drink the sassywood, they all fall dead for lying, except for a single person. The theme behind the dance drama is that Liberia’s traditional practices have for centuries been able to govern its people, maintaining peace and finding justice. 3. The “Harvest Dance” – is usually done through dancing and singing at the different agricultural sites where men and women are seen clearing fields, cutting down trees, burning, brush and planting crops.This is followed by the period of chasing after birds and other animals, and then the harvest. The idea of this dance is to promote agriculture and the policy that agriculture is the key to Liberia being food sufficient.We will look at other dances in subsequent editions. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Police have intensified their investigations into the incident where 18-year-old Kareema Mary Cholmondeley allegedly jumped off her lover’s pedal cycle and into the path of a moving car at Turkeyen Railway Embankment, Greater Georgetown.Commander of C Division (East Coast Demerara), Calvin Brutus told Guyana Times that the file is expected to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for direction on the way forward, while adding the driver of the motorcar and the teen’s 42-year-old lover were both released on station bail.The teenager of Lot 10 BB GEC Scheme, Hugh Ghanie Park, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara, was killed on Wednesday last.It was reported that the teen and her lover were engaged in a heated argument and it was at this time she made the deadly jump, landing in the path of a motorcar bearing registration number PJJ 5884 which was proceeding along the roadway.The driver of that vehicle reportedly told the traffic ranks that as he drove along the roadway, he saw a male pushing a bicycle and as he was about to pass him, he realised someone was lying in his path. However, due to the short distance between the car and the person on the roadway, he could not avoid hitting the person on the ground.The injured woman, who was rendered unconscious, was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.Police said the driver of the car had passed a breathalyser test.Last June, 19-year-old Sasia Adams of Pomeroon, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) who resided at East Street, Georgetown, died after also reportedly jumping from her boyfriend’s moving car.Reports are Adams’s 21-year-old boyfriend, Rick Sewcharran, of Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) rushed her to the Dr Balwant Singh Hospital. He reportedly told nurses that she jumped from his moving car while they were proceeding along Lamaha Street.In March of this year, the manslaughter charge against Sewcharran was discharged by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on the grounds of lack of evidence.
In a voice bordering on hysteria, a chauffeur was heard on tape in court Wednesday, first summoning Phil Spector’s secretary and then telling a 911 operator: “I think my boss killed somebody.” “And why do you believe he may have killed somebody?” asked the operator. “Because … he, he have a lady on the, on the floor and he have a gun in, in his hand,” the chauffeur stammered. The Brazilian chauffeur, Adriano De Souza, the star prosecution witness in Spector’s murder trial, was breathless, halting and spoke in accented English on the two recordings made about 5 a.m. on Feb. 3, 2003. Parts of the calls were difficult to hear and transcripts were given to the jury. He told jurors he was scared after he peered into Spector’s home and saw actress Lana Clarkson’s dead body with blood smeared on her face and heard a gun-toting Spector declare: “I think I killed somebody.” “I didn’t know what to do,” he said. “I tried to run.” Seconds later, he said, he realized he could drive the car out of the property, which he did. “I tried to escape from that place,” he said. “He could shoot me.” At the bottom of the driveway, he said, he stopped and used his cell phone to call Spector’s assistant, Michelle Blaine, left a message and then called 911. In the message to Blaine, the excited chauffeur said, “Michelle, Michelle … You have to come to Mr. Phillip’s house. I think he killed some – a lady.” He said he was calling the police. De Souza explained that he called the secretary first because her number was in his cell phone and although he knew where Spector lived, he didn’t know the actual address. He said he stopped outside the estate because the address was on a sign there. In his first words to the operator, he identified himself as Spector’s driver and said, “I think my boss killed somebody.” During lengthy questioning, the California Highway Patrol 911 operator asked De Souza whether he heard the shooting and he said, “Yeah. I hear … like a noise.” Asked where the man with the gun was, De Souza answered, “Oh, inside the castle because I’m outside. I’m afraid to (go) inside again.” Twice he spoke of his fear, saying, “I’m not inside anymore. I’m afraid to go inside,” to which the officer responded, “I don’t want you to, OK?” It was several minutes before the officer said that a car was on the way.160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set!
“You calculate the amount of federal property in the district, look at neighboring privately owned property around the federal property and estimate … what the value would have been if it had not been federal property,” Summerbell said. “You send the information in and get money based on the land value.” Muroc has had budget deficits for the last five years, a not uncommon fiscal condition because 522 districts, more than half of the districts in the state, are deficit spending, Summerbell said. Muroc stays afloat by using money from a reserve fund to balance its budgets. This year, the district moved more than $486,000 from the fund to cover the deficit, dropping the fund to about $1 million. Muroc is looking at ways to cut costs, including charging students for bus transportation, charging fees for playing sports, and having a different lunch program that would offer a more limited a la carte selection, like sandwiches, Summerbell said. email@example.com (661) 267-5744160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! NORTH EDWARDS – Faced with continued deficit spending and declining federal aid, Muroc Joint Unified School District officials are trying to get more government money based on the amount of federal land in the district, which is home to Edwards Air Force Base. The federal impact aid the district receives now is based on the number of students whose active-duty parents live on base, but the district has lost about 250 of those students in the last couple of years as Edwards’ military work force decreased. “One reason is the base privatizes a lot of operations. When they changed 1,000 jobs to civilian jobs, we lose 250 to 300 active-duty families that have kids in our schools,” Superintendent Mike Summerbell said. Another factor is an increase in military families who live in Lancaster, Rosamond or elsewhere rather than on the base. AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREOregon Ducks football players get stuck on Disney ride during Rose Bowl event“It used to be that they would try to house as many as they can. Now they do a study of available housing in the surrounding communities, and if they say there’s enough housing in the surrounding communities for 35 percent of the military people, they downsize the housing on the base,” Summerbell said. Nearly a quarter of Muroc’s operating revenue comes from the federal impact aid: $4.8 million annually, but officials estimate it could soon drop to $4 million. Muroc has 2,300 students and a operating budget this year of $21 million. The purpose of impact aid is to provide a source of revenue because the 301,000-acre base and its residents are exempt from local taxes, Summerbell said. Since Muroc is not getting the full amount it is eligible for under the student-count formula, it is applying to qualify for a second source of federal impact aid based on land value.
THIS conveniently situated three bedroom bungalow of (c1340 sq ft) stands at a private and mature 0.37 acre site in a cluster of residential houses on the outskirts of the town of Moville in the townland of Carrownaffe.The property overlooking Moville Bay stands with mature trees, gardens and shrubs will suit as a beautifully situated residence or a holiday residence close to the town.There is a sun room at front giving scenic front facing views It is situated off the main Moville/Derry road at outskirts of town, drive up tarmac drive,enter into site over gravel drive.Room dimensions:Sunroom 10’9” (3.28m) x 9’9” (2.97m)Front and side facing with tiled floor. Enter intoHallway 6’0” (1.83m) x 18’4” (5.59m)Spacious with carpet floor. Enter intoLiving room 19’2” (5.84m) x 14’0” (4.27m)Front and side facing with sea and mountain views, carpet floor, fireplace withblack granite hearth, ornate cast iron surround, stained oak carved mantel andcoving in ceiling. Kitchen/dining 19’9” (6.02m) x 11’0” (3.35m)Rear and side facing with tiled floor, oak country style kitchen units, beige, brownand black speckled worktop, 4 ring electric hob, electric grill and oven, integratedfridge-freezer, built-in hot press shelved, integrated dishwasher, sink and covingin ceiling.DIRECTIONSLeaving Moville towards Derry, pass Centra Filling Station & Seamus KellyDrapers shop, Turn right into tarmac driveway (across from Bay Field footballpitch), pass 2 houses on left, this house is straight ahead with sun roomFeatures:Convenient to town centre3 bedroomsLarge front facing accommodation and sun roomMature private gardensIdeal residential or holiday houseFor sale for €150,000 through McCauley Properties: 074 93 82110Sell your home on Donegal Daily: Email firstname.lastname@example.org DD PROPERTY: LOVELY MOVILLE HOME OVERLOOKING THE SEA was last modified: April 21st, 2016 by John2Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Tags:Donegal Daily Propertydonegal houses for salemoville
Solskjaer gives Pogba fitness update and calls him world’s best all-round midfielder REVEALED Pogba/Mourinho relations appear to have hit a new low And Mourinho confirmed the news after United’s defeat to Derby County in the third round of the Carabao Cup, although he stressed that a dispute between the two was not the reason behind the decision.He told Sky Sports: “The only truth is that I made the decision of Paul not to be the second captain any more but no fall-out, no problems at all.“The same person that decides that Paul is not the second captain anymore is the same person who decides that Paul was the second captain. Myself. I am the manager, I can make these decisions.“No fall-out at all, no problems at all, just one decision that I don’t have to explain.” Where Ancelotti ranks with every Premier League boss for trophies won deals England’s most successful clubs of the past decade, according to trophies won Phil Jones missed the decisive spot-kick as the problems pile up for Mourinho and United IN DEMAND “I can’t tell you [who was to blame for the result] because I’m a player. It’s not me.”And according to The Times, the United players were happy with Mourinho’s decision to take leadership duties away from the World Cup winner.A Carrington source said: “José Mourinho told the players that Paul Pogba will not be the captain because he doesn’t represent what a captain is and Manchester United is bigger than anyone.“The players were happy with that decision and the reasons behind the manager’s decision.” 5 Pogba claimed his words after the Wolves game were twisted Man United transfer news live: Haaland ‘wants a change’, two players off in January Pogba and Mourinho’s difficult relationship has been well documented but it seems Pogba’s comments after United’s disappointing 1-1 draw against Wolves at the weekend was the final straw in the wake of the dramatic declaration.The midfielder insisted that as United were the home team they needed to attack a lot more.Referencing a song United fans sing when they urge their team to get forward, Pogba said: “When we are at home we should attack, attack, attack.“That’s Old Trafford. We are here to attack. I think teams are scared when they see Man United attacking and attacking. That was our mistake today. The £89million player was dropped from the squad list for their Carabao Cup defeat to Derby.This will cast even more doubt over Pogba’s future at the club with Barcelona and Juventus reportedly showing interest in his services during the summer.However, United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward – who is also at loggerheads with Mourinho – has vowed to keep the 25-year-old. Boxing Day fixtures: All nine Premier League games live on talkSPORT silverware 5 RANKED gameday cracker Top nine Premier League free transfers of the decade Pogba was standing in for club captain Antonio Valencia, who was injured at the start of the season boost REVEALED 5 Latest Manchester United News 5 Man United joined by three other clubs in race for Erling Haaland Which teams do the best on Boxing Day in the Premier League era? Pogba could only look on after being left out of United’s squad 5 Jose Mourinho has confirmed Paul Pogba is no longer Manchester United’s vice-captain, but insisted there has been no fall-out between the pair.Reports emerged ahead of United’s shock defeat to Derby in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night that Pogba had been informed in front of teammates that would not skipper the team again.
Live Stats Drake Game Notes ESPN3 Cincinnati opened its season with a 64-56 loss at No. 18 Ohio State Wednesday evening in first-year head coach John Brannen’s debut on the bench. Jarron Cumberland and Keith Williams paced the Bearcats with 13 points apiece in the loss. Cumberland earned All-America honors last season and was the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year. The Bulldogs and Bearcats meet for the first time since 1974. The pair were both members of the Missouri Valley Conference for 13 seasons from 1958-70 and the Bearcats hold a 22-8 all-time lead in the series. Print Friendly Version The Drake University men’s basketball team hits the road for the first time this season when it visits Cincinnati Monday evening for a 6 p.m. CST tipoff against the Bearcats. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Ohio and on ESPN3 outside of the broadcast footprint. Story Links Live Audio Drake makes the trip after opening its 2019-20 season with a convincing 86-55 victory over Kennesaw State Thursday evening. The Bulldogs sank a school-record 17 three-pointers in the win and shot 58.6 percent from three-point range to defeather the Owls. Newcomer Jonah Jackson led that barrage by going 5-of-8 from the arc for 15 points while preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference selection D.J. Wilkins poured in 19 points with four three-pointers. Roman Penn made his much anticipated debut in the Blue & White and posted a game-high seven assists along with 10 points.
A construction worker at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, North West, which is being upgraded for the 2010 Fifa World Cup. South African government policy dictates that women must be employed in public infrastructure projects. (Image: Hannelie Coetzee, MediaClubSouthAfrica.com. For more free photos, visit the image library.)Susan de BruinSouth Africa’s national Women’s Day on 9 August every year pays tribute to a defiant throng of 20 000 women who, in 1956, marched against unjust apartheid legislation. The country has undergone dramatic change since that demonstration, but as a woman I can’t help but wonder whether today we actually are truly free and equal players in the government and economy. When Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first democratically elected president in 1994, he set the tone for gender equality in the country by declaring there would be no freedom without the total liberation of women in society. “It is vitally important that all structures of government, including the president himself, should understand this fully that freedom cannot be achieved unless women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression,” he said.Most South African women would agree that in the last two decades they have enjoyed more equality with men – and statistics back this up. According to the 2007 Social Watch Gender Equity Index, which focuses on economic activity, empowerment and education, South Africa came 42nd out of 154 countries and was placed second in Africa after Rwanda, which ranked third in the world.Mixed bag for women in governmentSince the advent of democracy, South Africa has made great strides in gender equity in government. According to a United Nations Human Development (UNHD) 2005 report, 41% of the South African government’s ministers and deputy ministers are women. This compares well to Sweden (52%), Spain (50%), Finland (47%), Germany (46%) and Norway (44%).What makes the UNHD figure more significant is that female Cabinet members occupy non-stereotypical positions: the minister of foreign affairs and minister of minerals and energy are women and the deputy president, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, is also female.Like his predecessor, current South African President Thabo Mbeki feels strongly about the role of women in government. “No government in South Africa could ever claim to represent the will of the people if it failed to address the central task of emancipation of women in all its elements, and that includes the government we are privileged to lead,” he said.However, the UNHD report also reveals the percentage of women in parliament could improve, as only 33% of seats in the national legislature are occupied by females.With the large number of female ministers and deputy ministers, it comes as no surprise that in total the South African government employs more women than men. According to the Businesswomen’s Association (BWA) 2008 Census, the number of women in government across all salary levels is 649 718, or 55% of the total, compared to 536 688 men (45%).However, the number of women at senior level is less satisfying at 34%, falling short of Cabinet’s goal to have 50% of management posts in the public service allocated to women. But the percentage grew by 2% from March 2007 to March 2008, edging slightly closer to the target.Although things are looking up, a point of concern highlighted by Yvette Montalbano, chief executive of the BWA, is the disparity in salary levels between men and women in government.“In our studies we’ve seen that particularly in government, unfortunately, although the equitable representation of women is there, it doesn’t translate into the salary representation. Men by far are earning more than women are,” she said.Gender and the judiciaryJudge Navanethem Pillay may be South Africa’s best case of gender equity in the judiciary – her name hit the headlines recently when she was appointed as the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights – but her female counterparts aren’t faring too badly either.Before 1994, only one woman had served as a judge in the country. By 2005, women constituted about 28 of 207 of the judges, one of whom was a deputy judge president.Corporate catch-upAccording to the 2008 BWA report, women make up 51% of South Africa’s total population aged between 15 and 65, but only 43% of the employed population is female. A 2006 South African labour force survey recorded an official unemployment rate of 21% for men, and 31% for women. “The fight that the women marchers of 1956 embarked on is in many ways still relevant to the situation today. Those women were not only fighting for political emancipation but economic emancipation as well,” said Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.The BWA Census shows that although there has been a steady increase in the percentage of women employed in top executive positions, females are still outnumbered in corporate South Africa. That said, it must be noted the report reveals a significant increase in the number of corporate businesses employing 25% or more women directors and executive managers, from 31 companies in 2007 to 58 companies in 2008. It also reveals that the percentage of females in executive management increased from 14.7% in 2004 to 25.3% in 2008. So, in real terms this number has grown from 739 to 1 227 women.But the BWA says this is far from satisfying. In a group of 5.3-million working women, only 419 are directors, 13 have made it to the position of CEO and the same number are chairs of a board. Consider that the country’s 7.3-million working males produce 3 618 executive managers and 2 505 male directors, and these figures appear all the more grim.“Over a five-year period we vacillate between 11 and 15 and 13 women chairs of boards, and we go from four to seven chief executives and we shout ‘hooray’. That’s in a sample group of over 300 companies – it’s just not acceptable,” said Montalbano.Women as a global workforceSouth African women, however, are not alone in their fight for gender equality in the workplace. Surveys show that unequal salary scales, a small number of women in senior positions and a higher unemployment rate among women are global problems. The 2007 Grant Thornton International Business Owners Survey (IBR) revealed that internationally, 38% of businesses do not have any women in senior management positions. The survey, which covers the opinions of 7 200 privately owned businesses in 32 countries, represents 81% of global gross domestic product.According to the IBR survey, South Africa is performing well at 77% of businesses employing women in senior management roles, in contrast to the global average of 65%. Additionally, South Africa’s women are better represented than those in developed countries such as the US (69%), Canada (66%) and the UK (64%), where gender equality is generally perceived as being well established.The survey also showed that 29% of total senior management posts in South Africa are filled by women, beating the global average of 24%. So although South African women have come a long way in their struggle for economic liberation, together with other women on a global scale, they still have a long battle ahead.Do you have queries or comments about this article? Email email@example.com.Related articlesCelebrating the power of womenSA judge UN Human Rights headSouth Africa’s Constitution South African banker soars in Australia Useful linksBusinesswomen’s AssociationCommission on Gender Equality
Prasa’s focus was currently on capacity expansion to meet future demand, including modernising its signaling and communications systems and upgrading its rolling stock and train operating systems, Montana said. Once an agreement is reached, a formal contract will be signed. If the two parties fail to reach an agreement, Prasa will commence negotiations with the reserve bidder, Actom. Montana said the first phase of installation was expected to commence in January 2011, along with the construction of a new central Train Control Nerve Centre for Gauteng province. “Approximately 80% of the signaling installations have become obsolete, and the remainder not able to fully support modern and safe railway operations.” Source: BuaNews Prasa is still negotiating with Siemens South Africa on the finer details of the tender, with a view to finalising negotiations by late December. Prasa will prioritise the introduction of the new signaling system in its high-volume corridors, including Naledi in Soweto; Pretoria to Johannesburg; Mabopane to Pretoria; Mamelodi to Pretoria; KwaMashu to Durban to Umlazi; Khayelitsha to MitchellsPlain to Phillipi to Cape Town; Kraaifontein to Bellville to Cape Town; and Simonstown to Cape Town. Meeting future demands According to Montana, Prasa had initially set aside R1.9-billion for the upgrade, but Siemens had presented an attractive solution at a cost of R961-million, which was accepted. The new signaling system, along with the Train Control Nerve Centre, will enhance operational capacity and allow greater flexibility and improved safety, reducing train delays and cutting down on room for error in the operation of the country’s commuter trains. The current railway signaling system consists of a mixture of technologies from the 1930s to the 1980s. Upgrading the system will see manual changing of signals being replaced by automated signal changes. High-volume priority corridors The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa has named Siemens SA as the preferred bidder to install a R961-million state-of-the-art signaling and communication system on the country’s commuter rail network from January 2011. 1 November 2010 Making the announcement last week, Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) chief executive Lucky Montana said the current signaling system could no longer be considered sufficiently safe or reliable. “This massive investment is in line with Prasa’s critical priorities over the next three to five years of upgrading the existing passenger railway system and championing the adoption of new railway technology best practices.” The signaling upgrade will also pave the way for the introduction of new, modern rolling stock.
11 June 2015The Junior Springboks scored their third consecutive bonus-point win yesterday at the World Rugby Under-20 Championship when they overpowered Australia under- 20 by 46-13 to qualify for the semi-finals of the world event.The South Africans, who led 20-3 at half-time, finished first overall on the combined points table and will play fourth-placed England on 15 June in the semi-finals. New Zealand will play France in the other semi-final.South Africa started the match in dominant fashion when they overpowered Australia in two early scrums. After having worked their way towards the Aussie tryline, flank Jacques Vermeulen broke through untouched to give his team a 7-0 lead in the third minute.Australia got their first points on the board through an Andrew Deegan penalty after Leolin Zas was penalised for an illegal tackle (7-3).Flyhalf Brandon Thomson hit the mark in the 12th minute with a penalty after the Aussies were caught on the wrong side of a ruck (10-3) as South Africa piled on the pressure and their accurate kicking game gaining good ground deep into Australian territory.In the 18th minute prop Ox Nche was on hand to take a final pass and dive over for the second try of the evening. Thomson kicked the two points on offer from an acute angle to stretch the South African lead to 17-3.The two teams enjoyed the water break at the 20-minute mark with South Africa well in control.With just four minutes left on the clock Thomson kicked his second penalty of the evening to put South Africa 20-3 ahead.After the restart, right wing Khanyo Ngcukana ran in to score from 30m out after prop Nche had executed a brilliant hit on Deegan. Thomson converted and South Africa was now 27-3 in the lead after 49 minutes.With Cameron Orr (prop) yellow-carded for a repeated offence in the scrum, Thomson scored South Africa’s bonus point try after 61 minutes to take the score to 34-3.Jason Jenkins, the No 4 lock, showed a mean burst of speed to outflank the cover defence and slide over in the left hand corner and score try number five (39-3). Australia hit back with their first try through inside centre Duncan Paia’uau to cut the deficit to 39-8.A cancelled Zas try, adjudged from a forward pass, did not dampen the attacking effort and Zas was rewarded when he scored under the posts (46-8).The Aussie captain, Andrew Kellaway (left wing) scored out wide after Dan du Preez was yellow-carded for illegal play, leaving South Africa with only 13 players until the end of the match.Scorers:Junior SpringboksTries: Jacques Vermeulen, Ox Nche, Khanyo Ngcukana, Brandon Tomson, Jason Jenkins, Leolin ZasConversions: Thomson (4), Tinus de BeerPenalties: Thomson (2)Australia Under-20Tries: Duncan Paia’uau, Andrew KellawayPenalty: Andrew DeeganSource: News24Wire