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Minister Fast Leads Trade Mission to Africa
OTTAWA — Ten-day, four-country trade mission to boost Canada’s trade and investment ties in Burkina Faso, Madagascar, South Africa and Tanzania
The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, today travelled to Burkina Faso for his first visit as part of a trade mission to Africa—his third since being appointed trade minister—to strengthen Canada’s economic ties with the continent.
Minister Fast will be in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from June 18 to 19; in Antananarivo, Madagascar, from June 20 to 21; in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa, from June 22 to 25; and in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from June 25 to 27, 2014.
Joining the trade mission to South Africa and Tanzania are 26 delegates from 19 organizations. The mission will focus on the extractives (mining, oil and gas) and energy (power, renewables) sectors.
Minister Fast also welcomed the recent formation of the Canada Africa Power Alliance (CAPA). CAPA will be represented at the Africa Energy Summit in Istanbul this week. CAPA aims to help African countries meet their growing power needs while increasing the presence of Canadian companies in the African power sector.
Burkina Faso, Madagascar, South Africa and Tanzania are all priority markets under Canada’s Global Markets Action Plan.
Canada is the largest foreign investor in Burkina Faso and recently concluded the Canada-Burkina Faso Foreign Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (FIPA).Canada concluded, signed or brought into force FIPAs with 10 countries in 2013—a record for a single year. Seven of these were with African countries: Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zambia.
In Africa, Canada has FIPAs in force with Benin, Egypt and Tanzania and is currently engaged in FIPA negotiations with Ghana, Kenya and Tunisia. Canada currently has 27 FIPAs in force around the world.
South Africa is Canada’s largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, with two-way merchandise trade totalling $1.2 billion in 2013. Also in 2013, Canada’s merchandise exports to Burkina Faso were worth $50.7 million; to Madagascar, $22 million; to South Africa, $468 million; and to Tanzania, $76.1 million.
Minister Fast previously led trade missions in Africa to Libya, Nigeria and Ghana.
According to Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade “Strengthening trade and investment ties and opening new markets to boost our exports in Africa and around the world are part of our government’s ambitious pro-trade plan to create jobs and opportunities for hardworking Canadians as well as businesses. Through sector-focused trade missions and with the support of our Trade Commissioner Service, Export Development Canada and the Canadian Commercial Corporation, we are helping Canadian companies, especially SMEs, explore new opportunities, diversify their markets and compete and win on the global stage.”
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Painkillers Damaged My Kidney, Says Ufoma McDermott[VIDEO]
Nollywood actress, Ufoma McDermott has shared how her long-term painkiller use led to kidney disease.
In a recent interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, she opened up about her 12-year struggle with the illness and urged the public to prioritize their health.
While revealing that her condition was a side effect of long-term painkiller abuse, McDermott said; “I really wish everyone would understand the importance of health. My brother was diagnosed late on stage 4 of kidney disease and he goes straight into dialysis and has complications.
“I was diagnosed earlier, so I have lived on medication for almost 12 years now. When my brother I ran to my cardiologist. My parents were scared, thinking if this is genetic? We had to trace the kidney disease and we learned it was from drug abuse.
“I grew up with migraines, headaches and eyeaches, and I never wore my glasses because they made me look like a geek. I’d take painkillers for my migraine. I took strong painkillers and not the ordinary painkillers because I wanted the pain to go away.”
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Music Icon Quincy Jones Passes Away At 91
Quincy Jones, the legendary music producer, composer, and cultural icon whose career spanned over seven decades, has passed away at the age of 91.
Jones died peacefully on Sunday night at his Bel Air home, surrounded by family, according to his publicist, Arnold Robinson.
“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” his family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”
Renowned for his unmatched versatility, Jones collaborated with some of the greatest musical talents of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, and Will Smith. He played an integral role in producing Jackson’s groundbreaking albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad, which catapulted the pop star to global superstardom and earned Jones worldwide acclaim.
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Born in Chicago in 1933, Jones’ journey into music began early. His childhood introduction came from a neighbor’s piano playing and his mother’s singing. After moving to Washington state following his parents’ divorce, he honed his skills in his high school band and began playing with a young Ray Charles in Seattle’s vibrant club scene.
Jones’ career took off in New York, where he played trumpet in Elvis Presley’s early TV performances and worked with bebop legends like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. By 1958, he was working with Frank Sinatra, arranging for the singer’s band at the request of Princess Grace Kelly. Their partnership flourished, spanning several projects including Sinatra’s final album LA Is My Lady in 1984.
Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Jones’ talents extended into film and television scores, composing music for films such as The Italian Job, In the Heat of the Night, and the acclaimed The Color Purple, for which he earned three Oscar nominations. He also scored hit TV shows including The Bill Cosby Show and Roots.
In 1985, Jones produced and co-conducted the charity anthem “We Are the World” alongside Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, raising millions for Ethiopian famine relief. Despite personal and professional challenges—including surviving a near-fatal brain aneurysm in 1974—Jones’s career continued to thrive.
Jones’ influence wasn’t limited to music. In 1990, he founded Quincy Jones Entertainment, the company behind the popular sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which launched the career of Will Smith. His media ventures also included the creation of Qwest TV, an on-demand music streaming service, and the magazine Vibe, which celebrated Black music and culture.
Over his career, Jones earned 80 Grammy nominations, winning 28—making him one of the most decorated artists in the award’s history. Tributes poured in following news of his death. Actor Michael Caine, who shared Jones’ birthdate, called him “a wonderful and unique human being.” Music artists such as LL Cool J expressed gratitude, saying, “You were a father and example at a time when I truly needed one. Music would not be music without you.”
Jones is survived by his seven children, leaving behind an indelible legacy that will resonate through generations to come. His life’s work transformed music, television, and culture, proving that there truly was no limit to what Quincy Jones could accomplish.
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Prayers Won’t Build Roads, Fund Children’s Education – Jesse Jagz To Nigerians
Singer and rapper Jesse Jagz has called on Nigerians to rethink their approach to religion.
Jagz suggested that African traditional religious gods have become ineffective, attributing this to the excessive alcohol given to them during rituals, which, according to him, has made them obese, diabetic, and unable to aid their worshipers.
Speaking on the ‘Big Talk’ podcast, the rapper also criticized followers of foreign religions for relying solely on prayer and expecting miracles without putting in the necessary effort. He stressed that prayers alone cannot provide essential social services or infrastructure.
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“When you go to a shrine and you see the priest pouring gin on the gods, Google how much a bottle of gin was in slavery. 40 slaves.
“Our gods are drunk on alcohol and meat. They are obese and diabetic.
“They can’t help us do anything. Prayers do not build roads or buy books for children. We have forgotten humanity,” he said.