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Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, dead at 76

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Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin, the music icon, Queen of Soul who influenced generations of singers with unforgettable hits such as Respect (1967), Natural Woman (1968) and I Say a Little Prayer (1968), was surrounded by family and friends when she died at 9.50am on Thursday local time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZULpxWcUZyE

It is with deep and profound sadness that we announce the passing of Aretha Louise Franklin, the Queen of Soul,” her family said in a statement issued by her publicist.

In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart.

We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins knew no bounds.

Aretha Franklin

An early photo of Franklin

Her death from advanced pancreatic cancer was followed by an outpouring of grief, with celebrities flocking to pay their respects to the iconic singer.

John Legend tweeted: “Salute to the Queen. The greatest vocalist I’ve ever known.”

Diana Ross said she was “sitting in prayer for the wonderful golden spirit Aretha Franklin.”

Barbra Streisand shared a photo of herself performing with Franklin in 2012, adding: It’s difficult to conceive of a world without her. Not only was she a uniquely brilliant singer, but her commitment to civil rights made an indelible impact on the world.

Tributes flowed for the remarkable woman, with everyone from Apple CEO Tim Cook to Hillary Clinton expressing their admiration for Franklin and sadness at her death.

Aretha Franklin

Franklin during her last public performance for the Elton John AIDS Foundation

Stars offered tributes and prayers for their idol earlier this week after news about her worsening condition emerged.

“My prayers are with Aretha Franklin and her family during this difficult time,” tweeted rapper Missy Elliott.

“We MUST CELEBRATE the Living Legends while they are here to see it. So many have given us decades of Timeless music.”

Boy George said: “This is sad news. Aretha Franklin, what a voice.”

Pop diva Mariah Carey, who was heavily influenced by Franklin, tweeted: “Praying for the Queen of Soul.”

Franklin has cemented her place in American music history with her powerful, bell-clear voice that stretched over four octaves. In her decades-long career, her hits spanned the genres, from soul to R&B, to gospel and pop.

She was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2010, Rolling Stone magazine put her at the top of its list of the 100 greatest singers of all time, male or female.

The Hall of Fame issued a statement titled “Lady Soul”, which read: “The first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Aretha Franklin was an artist of passion, sophistication and command, whose recordings remain anthems that defined soul music. Long live the Queen.”

Franklin’s declining health was first disclosed on the Showbiz 411 website late Monday by Roger Friedman, a reporter and family friend. He wrote that she was “gravely ill in Detroit. The family is asking for prayers and privacy.”

Franklin, who is widely known by only her first name, in true diva style, rose from singing gospel in her father’s church to regularly topping rhythm and blues and pop charts in the 1960s and 1970s.

Beyond Respect, her powerful cover of the Otis Redding tune that became her calling card, Franklin had dozens of Top 40 singles, according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Other hits include Day Dreaming (1972), Jump to It (1982), Freeway of Love (1985) and A Rose Is Still A Rose (1998).

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She won 18 Grammy Awards, including one for lifetime achievement, and sang at the inaugurations of two presidents: Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

Aretha Franklin

The singer pumps up the crowd in Detroit for President Barack Obama

In 2005, Franklin was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award for an American civilian, by then-president George W. Bush.
In 2010, she suffered serious health problems, but continued to perform until late last year, singing last in November 2017 for the Elton John AIDS Foundation in New York. That same year, Detroit named a street after her.

Standing outside the Motown Museum in Detroit on Tuesday, Linda Laura-Culbreath told AFP that Franklin had influenced a generation of women who were empowered by her songs.

We all were blessed with pure talent,” the 53-year-old musician, who was visiting from Milwaukee, said.

She made sure that women in general knew that they were not under a man, that they were supposed to walk next to them.

 

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Foreign

Joe Biden Sworn in as 46th U.S President

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Joe Biden Sworn in As 46th US President

Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46th United States president as Harris becomes the Vice President.

She is America’s first female and first black Asian-American person to hold the office.

Biden took his oath of office on Wednesday at the capitol in Washington D.C.

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Chief Justice, John Roberts junior, administered the pledge at exactly 11:48am eastern time.

In his Inaugural address, Mr. Biden said it was a day of “history and hope”.

“my whole soul is in putting America back together again”.

Outgoing President, Donald Trump, did not attend the ceremony.

Meanwhile, former presidents, Bill Clinton, George Bush junior, Barack Obama and their wives were in attendance.

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Foreign

Turkish Court Sentences Kurdish Former Member of Parliament to Jail

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Turkish court sentences Kurdish former MP to 22 years in jail

A Turkish court has sentenced Kurdish former lawmaker, Leyla Guven to more than 22 years in jail on terror-related charges.

Leyla Guven, who was stripped of her parliamentary immunity in June, was convicted of membership of a “terror group” and disseminating “terror propaganda” for outlawed Kurdish armed groups.

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On Monday, Guven was given 14 years and three months in jail on a charge of membership of a “terrorist organization” and an additional eight years for two separate charges of disseminating “terrorist propaganda”.

Guven was not present at the court hearing in the predominantly Kurdish southeastern city of Diyarbakir, and her whereabouts were not immediately clear.

The court however, ordered Guven’s immediate arrest.

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International (Global)

Burundi’s Former President Pierre Buyoya, Dies at 71.

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Pierre-Buyoya Burundi

Burundi’s Former President Pierre Buyoya, has died at age 71.

Buyoya served as President twice, from 1987-1993 and then 1996-2003.

His death comes three weeks after his resignation from the position of the high representative of the African Union for Mali and the Sahel region.

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Announcing his resignation, Buyoya said he needed time to focus on legal battles back home, following his trial in absentia and sentencing to life in prison.

Burundi’s top court sentenced Buyoya to life imprisonment in late October 2020, for alleged assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye who had won the 1993 elections.

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