2, May 2017

French PM warns of EU death if Le Pen wins presidency ⁰

French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has warned that the European Union will not survive if far-right leader Marine Le Pen becomes president.

“The European Union, weakened by Brexit, would not be able to withstand the new shock that would be constituted by the arrival in power in France of a government that is openly europhobic,” wrote Cazeneuve in a column in the Liberation newspaper on Tuesday.

He further called on the country to vote for front-runner Emmanuel Macron in the decisive May 7 presidential run-off.

Macron, 39, and Le Pen, 48, won the first round of voting in the presidential election on April 23. Macron finished first on 24 percent, ahead of Le Pen with 21.3 percent.

2, May 2017

French speaking Cameroonians celebrate Labour Day in style ⁰

French speaking Cameroonians joined the International Community and commemorated the International Labour Day on the 1st May 2017. Commemorative activities held under the theme, “Securing Decent Work for Sustainable Social Economic Development.”

The major highlight of the day was their usual march past organized in the regions. Also on the program was the award of labour medals to so-called meritorious workers. Activities in Yaounde the nation’s capital were chaired by the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Gregoire Owona, while those at the regional headquarters were supervised by the Biya appointed Governors.

Some regional Governors called on the workers to be committed to hard work. In the Mezam Division in Southern Cameroons, some 16 pro CPDM workers received medals. The economic metropolis of Douala recorded the participation of a 150 enterprises.

In Mbalmayo and Mfou in the Centre Region, workers were exhorted to be punctual, assiduous and duty conscious. Over in Ngaoundere, the workers’ trade union presented complaints including the review of their salary schemes. It was also an intriguing celebration in Ngaoundere as camels and donkeys took part in the march past. In all, the celebration of the 2017 International Labour Day was remarkable in French Cameroon whose political elites control the nation.

CRTV

2, May 2017

Nigeria navy arrests ten suspects on ship of stolen oil ⁰

The Nigerian navy has arrested 10 suspects after intercepting a vessel carrying stolen crude oil off the coast of the Niger Delta, a senior military official said on Wednesday. The suspects – a Nigerian, two Pakistanis, three Ghanaians, one Indonesian, one Beninois and two Ukrainians – had siphoned about two thousand metric tonnes of crude oil from a loading facility belonging to Shell Petroleum, the official said.

“The suspects were caught in the early hours of Tuesday while siphoning crude oil into the vessel from Afremo A platform, a loading jacket belonging to the Shell Petroleum and Development Company in Forcados River,” Navy Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, commander of the NNS Delta, said in a statement.

Nigeria is the world’s eighth biggest exporter of crude oil, but a sizeable proportion of its output is stolen by thieves who either drill into pipelines or hijack barges loaded with oil, theft that is known locally as “bunkering”.

Bunkering and attacks on oil pipelines in the Niger Delta can cut Nigeria’s output, which also affects world oil prices. Militant attacks on production facilities last year slashed output by as much as a third. Output has started to recover, and the government aims to pump an average of 2.2 million barrels per day this year.

Reuters

1, May 2017

Thousands of Southern Cameroon workers have boycotted celebrations to mark the International Workers’ Day ⁰

Thousands of Southern Cameroon workers have boycotted celebrations to mark the International Workers’ Day. Labor unions in Anglophone Cameroon have often demand better working conditions from La Republique du Cameroun and are presently seeking an independent state of West Cameroon. The International Workers’ Day, also known as the May Day, is marked on May 1 every year.

The rallies around the globe have sometimes turned violent as clashes erupt between people and police forces. The Bamenda city of Southern Cameroons was the scene of such rallies today Monday, when a group of pro La Republique workers attempted to defy a ban by the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium and march to celebrate the day. The Consortium authorities have banned labour day celebrations in Southern Cameroons.

In Buea, CPDM workers assisted by security forces from French Cameroun made their way into the ceremonial ground backed by the controversial mayor and governor of the South West region and staged a pro government event. Kumba was also the scene of boycott, with a handful of civil servants gathering at the BICIC junction pretending to be celebrating.

Manyus and Moghamos including the Balis also held rallies in their respective administrative units carrying banners that read, “For an Independent Southern Cameroon State.”

By Rita Akana

Camcordnews

1, May 2017

Storms in US South and Midwest kill at least 14 people ⁰

Deadly weekend storms have left at least 14 dead in the Midwestern and Southern United States, according to officials, as eastern regions faced potential damaging winds and isolated tornadoes into Monday. Severe weather devastated homes, overturned cars and felled trees, with the National Weather Service confirming at least four tornadoes in Texas.

The mayor of Canton, Texas — a city some 60 miles (95 kilometers) east of Dallas — said the death toll there stood at four. It is heartbreaking and upsetting to say the least,” Mayor Lou Ann Everett told journalists Sunday.

A spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management told AFP severe weather had caused at least five fatalities in that state. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency had confirmed two deaths, one of them a child who was killed by electric shock in floodwater.

Heavy rains also lashed the Midwestern state of Missouri, with at least two reported casualties. According to CNN one of those killed was a 72-year-old woman who was stranded in her car as it was swept away by floodwaters.

In Tennessee, a two-year-old girl was pronounced dead at a hospital in Nashville after she was struck by a heavy metal soccer goal blown over by heavy winds, according to the city’s police department. As of late Sunday the NWS was projecting major flooding to continue in parts of eastern Oklahoma, northern Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.

Authorities warned that severe storms potentially packing heavy winds, large hail and tornadoes could hit parts of the mid-Atlantic and northeastern US by Monday afternoon.

Source: AFP

1, May 2017

Blair to ‘get his hands dirty’ with UK politics again ⁰

Former British prime minister Tony Blair has announced his plan to “get his hands dirty” with domestic politics again, 20 years after beating John Major to enter Downing Street.

In an interview with the Daily Mirror newspaper published on Monday, Blair said he is returning to politics in order to fight against the UK leaving the European Union (EU).

Blair led the Labour Party to a landslide victory on May 1, 1997 – two decades ago today — ending its 18 years in opposition and winning 418 seats, the most the party has ever held. He led Labour from 1994 to 2007.

Blair said he will not be standing in the June general elections, but added that he wanted to launch a political movement to formulate the policy debate as Britain begins its two-year-long complex negotiations to leave the EU.

The 63-year-old, whose ten-year tenure as the British PM was marred by his controversial decision to join the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, admitted that he would face intense criticism for returning to politics.

Source: Presstv