Monthly Archives: January 2024

British Royals hit by double health scare as King and Kate need hospital treatment

17, January 2024

British Royals hit by double health scare as King and Kate need hospital treatment 0

King Charles III is set to attend hospital next week for treatment for an enlarged prostate.

Buckingham Palace said the King’s condition is benign but he will undergo a “corrective procedure”.

The 75 year old’s public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation, the Palace said.

The announcement comes shortly after it was revealed the Princess of Wales is in hospital after undergoing abdominal surgery.

It is unusual for medical updates about two senior royals to be released on the same day, but it is understood it was necessary because the King had to cancel engagements scheduled for Thursday.

He had been due to meet foreign dignitaries and cabinet members in Scotland on Thursday, but those meetings have been cancelled on medical grounds.

It is also thought the King was keen to share his diagnosis with the public to encourage other men who may be experiencing symptoms to get checked.

“In common with thousands of men each year, the King has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate,” the statement said.

Benign prostate enlargement – which is non-cancerous – is common in men over 50 and is not usually a serious condition, according to the NHS website.

Around one in three men over the age of 50 will have some symptoms of an enlarged prostate, which is a gland that sits just below the bladder.

While it is not usually a serious threat to health, it can cause symptoms and problems, including difficulty passing urine or emptying the bladder.

The condition does not mean the patient has an increased risk of developing prostate cancer. The NHS has published guidance on how it is treated.

Source: BBC

One Cameroonian peacekeeper killed, five wounded in Central African Republic

17, January 2024

One Cameroonian peacekeeper killed, five wounded in Central African Republic 0

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the attack perpetrated on 15 January against the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) in Mbindale through an explosive device, following which one peacekeeper from Cameroon was killed and five wounded.

The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest condolences and sympathy to the family of the peacekeeper killed, as well as to Cameroon. They also expressed their condolences to the United Nations. They wished a speedy and full recovery to the peacekeepers injured.

The members of the Security Council reiterated that attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes and reminded all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law. They called on the Government of the Central African Republic to swiftly investigate this attack with the support of MINUSCA, promote accountability for such acts by bringing perpetrators to justice, and keep the relevant troop-contributing country informed of the progress consistent with Security Council resolutions 2518 (2020) and 2589 (2021). They stressed that involvement in planning, directing, sponsoring or conducting attacks against MINUSCA peacekeepers constitutes a basis for sanctions designations pursuant to United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The members of the Security Council expressed particular concern about reports of illicit transnational trafficking networks which continue to fund and supply armed groups in the Central African Republic, noted in particular the increasing use of explosive ordnances, including improvised explosive devices and landmines, which account for a growing number of civilian casualties, as well as the destruction of civilian properties and continue to disrupt humanitarian access. They stressed the need to further investigate and combat this threat.

The members of the Security Council reiterated their full support for MINUSCA and expressed their deep appreciation to MINUSCA’s troop- and police-contributing countries.

The members of the Security Council further stressed the importance of MINUSCA having the necessary capacities to fulfil its mandate and promote the safety and security of the United Nations peacekeepers, pursuant to Security Council resolution 2709 (2023).

The members of the Security Council reiterated their strong support for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Central African Republic, Valentine Rugwabiza, and for MINUSCA to assist the Central African Republic authorities and the people of the Central African Republic in their efforts to bring lasting peace and stability, as mandated by the Security Council in resolution 2709 (2023).

Source: Miragenews

Indomitable Lions: Onana already becoming big distraction

17, January 2024

Indomitable Lions: Onana already becoming big distraction 0

Cameroon’s biggest star, Andre Onana, is already becoming a distraction to the Indomitable Lions less than one week into the Cote 20243 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Manchester United goalkeeper opted to stay and play with the Red Devils against Tottenham at the weekend instead of joining Rigobert Song’s team as was the case with other members of the squad ahead of their opening game against Guinea. And then there was the anxiety caused by news of the issues his chartered plane had with Ivoirian authorities, which kept everybody, including Cameroon team officials, scampering for a positive resolution of matters.

After that, Onana got angry with Cameroonian officials when he realised that he would not be used in the game against Guinea. He had to be restrained by Senegal legend, El Hadji Diouf, when he became agitated with Song for keeping him out of the team. He was supposedly heard shouting: “If I wasn’t going to play or make the team, then why did I come here on a private jet?”

According to reports, poor weather conditions meant he was unable to land in Yamoussoukro – where Cameroon were playing on Monday – and had to divert to Abidjan.

Onana was then forced to drive the final 150 miles and eventually arrived three hours before kickoff and knew that he wouldn’t be starting the game but was shocked to see that Devis Epassy and Simon Ngapandouetnbu had been named ahead of him on the bench.

Song has had a fractured relationship with Onana in the past and the 27-year-old only returned to the international scene towards the end of last year after he retired in response to being sent home from the World Cup early.

Song meanwhile played down the significance of Onana’s absence, saying: “‘It’s logical, he arrived at 4 o’clock in the morning. How do you want him to play?”Their opening game saw them held to a 1-1 draw against Guinea.

Source: The Guardian.ng

Nigeria: Ibadan blast blamed on illegal miners in Oyo

17, January 2024

Nigeria: Ibadan blast blamed on illegal miners in Oyo 0

A deadly blast that rocked the Nigerian city of Ibadan overnight was caused by explosives stored by illegal mingers, the Oyo state governor has said.

Two people were killed and 77 others injured in the explosion that has affected seven suburbs of Nigeria’s third most-populous city.

Crowds have thronged the site of the blast as rescue efforts continue.

A man whose mother’s home was destroyed says she was in bed at the time of the blast and is now in hospital.

“The roof and everything went down. She was inside in her bed when it happened. She was rushed to the hospital naked and I’m going there now,” he told the BBC as he was rushing to see her.

Buildings have been reduced to near rubble at the site of the blast and vehicles destroyed. Further away from the blast zone, windows have been blown out of houses and rooftops damaged.

Eyewitnesses say the explosion happened at around 19:45 local time (18:45 GMT) in Bodija, a residential district of district of the city.

It was heard across the city of Ibadan, the capital of south-western Oyo state.

One of the onlookers at the scene is a painter who had been working at one of the buildings that collapsed. He turned up to work in the morning and is unable to find his boss.

“I have been calling him but the number is not connecting and I saw that his vehicle has been destroyed,” he told the BBC.

Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde posted a statement on Facebook promising that those responsible would be “brought to book”.

“I have directed that the medical bills of all victims be covered by the government,” he said.

“We will also be providing temporary accommodation for those whose houses were affected and ensuring that they are supported to rebuild their lives.”

Source: BBC

Danish monarch publishes a book three days into reign

17, January 2024

Danish monarch publishes a book three days into reign 0

Three days after becoming the king of Denmark, Frederik X has published a book seemingly out of nowhere.

The book has come as a surprise to Danes, and media outlets have been hastily live-blogging lines from it.

“The King’s Word” promises Frederik’s thoughts on topics including Denmark’s place in the world and his relationship with his wife, Queen Mary.

Frederik was crowned king on Sunday after his mother, Margrethe II, abdicated on New Year’s Eve.

The book costs up to 250 Danish Krone (£29; €33.50) and is around 110 pages long.

The book was based on interviews conducted over the past year-and-a-half

It was written with Jens Andersen, who authored Frederik’s 2017 biography, and is based on interviews conducted over the last year-and-a-half.

In one section, Frederik says that, as a child, he had difficulty accepting he would become King of Denmark, saying he “just wanted to be like all other boys of my age”.

“I remember my 18th birthday as something similar to the end of the world. It was the feeling that now everything that was fun and exciting was coming to an end. Fortunately, it didn’t,” Frederik says.

Later in the book, the king also reportedly discusses his faith, saying that he and his Australian-born wife say prayers with their children every evening.

He also talks about family life, saying that his father – the late Prince Henrik of Denmark, who died in 2018 – was “very patriarchal” and “tried to pass that pattern on to his two sons”.

Frederik says: “I have learned a lot from having a wife who, from time to time, reminds me that of course I am not always right, and that my words are not automatically believed, just because I am a man in the house.”

Tens of thousands of people turned out to watch King Frederik X succeed his mother as the monarch of Denmark on Sunday.

Blinking back tears, Frederik told a cheering crowd outside Christiansborg Castle in Copenhagen that he hoped to become “a unifying king” for the future.

His mother, Margarethe II, abdicated after 52 years on the throne.

Source: BBC

Song says Onana’s absence from Guinea game is logical

16, January 2024

Song says Onana’s absence from Guinea game is logical 0

After a grueling effort to reach the Africa Cup of Nations on time, Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana failed to make the Cameroon squad for the five-time champions’ opening game.

Onana was omitted from Coach Rigobert Song’s squad for the 1-1 draw against Guinea on Monday, despite the player’s rush from England to reach the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Yamoussoukro on time.

“It’s logical. He arrived at 4 o’clock in the morning. How do you want him to play?” Song said after the game. The coach added: “He’s part of the group.”

Onana had played for United on Sunday, in a 2-2 draw with visiting Tottenham in the Premier League, then flew to Abidjan in Ivory Coast. From there the player had reported difficulties getting another flight to Yamoussoukro, forcing him to make the journey by road instead.

Such a trip would normally take 2½ hours, but heavy traffic in Abidjan and traffic restrictions imposed by police for Africa Cup security measures mean most journeys during the tournament face delays.

Onana quit the national team after he was sent home from the 2022 World Cup following a dispute with Song, but returned after apparently winning back the coach’s favor.

Source: AP

Indomitable Lions: Rigobert Song vows to amend mistakes after ‘difficult’ start

16, January 2024

Indomitable Lions: Rigobert Song vows to amend mistakes after ‘difficult’ start 0

Rigobert Song has vowed to amend his team’s mistakes in Monday’s African Cup of Nations opener against Guinea, describing the start of the continental tournament as a “difficult” one.

The Indomitable Lions were held to a 1-1 draw against Guinea in their opening match of the group stage campaign.

“The start of the match was difficult for us, especially in the first 30 minutes. You know how it has been at the start of this tournament; it has always been difficult. We saw how some teams started this tournament,” the Cameroonian coach was quoted as saying by CAF’s official website after the match.

“We controlled the flow of the match, but we were not able to score the second goal of the match to take the victory. I hope to do it in the next match,” Song added.

The five-time champions Cameroon are waiting for a heavyweight clash with defending champions Senegal on 19 January, before facing Gambia four days later in their final Group C match.

Song promised to amend his team’s mistakes before the next game, with his eye on turning the team’s campaign toward its first African title since 2002 into a successful one.

“We all saw the match; there is a positive part,” he said.

“We will correct the mistakes, and in the next four days, the players will know their mission,” he added.

“For my part, I will work with my assistants on the technical team to correct the problems we encountered,” Song concluded.

Source: Ahram online

US-owned cargo ship targeted with anti-ship ballistic missile off Yemen coast

15, January 2024

US-owned cargo ship targeted with anti-ship ballistic missile off Yemen coast 0

Houthi rebels have hit a US-owned container ship with a ballistic missile off the coast of Yemen, the US says.

The vessel, Gibraltar Eagle, reported “no injuries or significant damage”, according to the United States military command for the Middle East (Centcom).

The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel is continuing on its journey in the Gulf of Aden.

Iranian-backed Houthis have been attacking ships since November, in protest at Israel’s war against Hamas.

Shipping company Eagle Bulk Shipping said its vessel was carrying steel products and was about 160km (100 miles) offshore in the Gulf of Aden when it was hit.

It said the container “suffered limited damage to a cargo hold but is stable and is heading out of the area”.

Hours earlier Centcom said that another missile, fired in the direction of a US destroyer in the Red Sea, had been intercepted and shot down by a US fighter jet.

The Houthis have been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea that the group says are linked to Israel, or bound for Israeli ports. It says the attacks are a show of support for the Palestinians and Hamas in Gaza, as Israel continues its military campaign there.

The British maritime security firm, Ambrey, says the Gibraltar Eagle was “assessed to not be Israel-affiliated”.

But a senior Houthi official said on Monday that American vessels were also considered targets. “It is enough for ships to be American for us to target them”, Nasr al-Din Amer said.

The Houthi attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea have led many of the world’s biggest shipping companies to change course, thus causing major disruption to global commerce.

In reaction to Monday’s strike, the US Department of Transportation issued a maritime alert, recommending “that US flag and US-owned commercial vessels” remain clear of specified areas in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

On Monday, the world’s second largest oil company, QatarEnergy, announced its decision to pause shipping via the route while it sought security advice.

Last week, US and the UK forces struck Houthi targets in Yemen in retaliation for attacks on shipping. The joint forces, in coordination with allies, carried out dozens of air and sea strikes on Houthi missile launch sites and air defence systems inside Yemen.

Source: BBC

Another AFCON surprise:  Brave 10-man Guinea hold Cameroon

15, January 2024

Another AFCON surprise:  Brave 10-man Guinea hold Cameroon 0

Guinea joined a growing list of surprise sides at the Africa Cup of Nations by drawing 1-1 against five-time champions Cameroon in Group C on Monday despite playing the second half with 10 men.

Mohamed Bayo gave Guinea the lead before captain Francois Kamano was sent off just before half-time. Frank Magri equalised early in the second half, but a winning goal eluded Cameroon.

The brave Guinean showing on day three followed a string of unexpected results on Sunday with Cape Verde defeating Ghana, Mozambique holding Egypt and Equatorial Guinea drawing with Nigeria.

Earlier on Monday, Lamine Camara scored twice as title-holders Senegal outplayed Gambia 3-0 with the losers also having a player sent off late in the first half.

Cameroon did not include Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana in the matchday 23 after he arrived in the Ivorian capital just a few hours before the kick-off.

Onana delayed his arrival so that he could play for United in a 2-2 Premier League draw against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Coach Rigobert Song chose Fabrice Ondoa as his starting goalkeeper with two other shot-stoppers, Devis Epassy and Simon Ngapandouetnbu, on the bench.

Cameroon, seeking a sixth title and second in four editions, were also missing star forward and leading 2022 Cup of Nations scorer Vincent Aboubakar, who was ruled out by a thigh injury.

Guinea suffered a huge pre-match blow when Serhou Guirassy, scorer of 17 goals for Stuttgart in the Bundesliga this season, was ruled out by a knee injury.

Shock lead

In the absence of Guirassy, Bayo was the attacking spearhead and he give the Syli National (national elephants) a shock lead on 10 minutes.

His first goal attempt was parried by Ondoa, but Cameroon failed to clear the ball and when it came back to Bayo, he slammed it into the net.

Subsequently, Cameroon won plenty of possession but were unable to seriously trouble Guinea goalkeeper Ibrahima Kone.

In a Guinea counterattack, audacious Sekou Sylla came close to scoring with a long-range shot that had Ondoa frantically back-tracking before it landed on the roof of the net.

Guinea suffered a huge blow in first half added time when Kamano was sent off after the Egyptian referee changed his initial yellow card to a red for a foul on Magri.

The match official altered his decision after going to the touchline VAR monitor and seeing Kamano stamp from behind on the heel of his opponent.

Cameroon applied pressure from the start of the second half and Magri levelled on 51 minutes with a far-post header across Kone after a pin-point cross by Georges-Kevin Nkoudou.

Kone rescued Guinea as the end of regular time approached, first parrying, then grasping the ball after a close-range shot from Karl Toko Ekambi.

There were water breaks in both halves to assist the players, who had to contend with 36 Celsius (97 Fahrenheit) heat when the match kicked off in the central city.

In the second series of group matches on Friday, Cameroon tackle Senegal and Guinea face Gambia in a Yamoussoukro double-header.

Source: AFP

Senegal start AFCON defence with win over Gambia

15, January 2024

Senegal start AFCON defence with win over Gambia 0

Lamine Camara scored twice as Senegal kicked off their Africa Cup of Nations title defence with a 3-0 victory over 10-man Gambia in Yamoussoukro on Monday.

Senegal moved top of the early Group C table ahead of Cameroon’s game against Guinea later Monday.

Aliou Cisse’s showed enough quality in the Ivorian heat to suggest they could become the first team to win back-to-back AFCON titles since Egypt reeled off three in a row in 2006, 2008 and 2010.

Senegal’s XI featured just five of the starting team which beat Egypt on penalties in the final two years ago and it was youngster Camara who stole the show.

Gambia already face an uphill task to reach the knockout stage two years after a shock run to the quarter-finals on debut.

The holders wasted little time in piling the pressure on their West African neighbours and took the lead in the fourth minute.

Sadio Mane was left in plenty of space at the back post and his lay-off was swept home left-footed by the unmarked Pape Gueye from inside the area.

Gambia endured a troubled build-up to the tournament, boycotting a training session over an unpaid qualification bonus before their flight to the Ivory Coast was forced to turn around just nine minutes after take-off due to technical problems.

But they grew into the game after the early setback, going close to an equaliser when Musa Barrow curled a free-kick into the side-netting.

Gambia were dealt a blow shortly before half-time though when Cardiff City midfielder Ebou Adams was dismissed for a studs-up challenge.

The underdogs continued to threaten after the restart however, as Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was forced to dive to his right to palm away Barrow’s long-range drive, with Ali Sowe slicing the rebound wide.

Senegal effectively killed off the game just moments later, though, as a slick passing move ended with 20-year-old Camara collecting Ismailia Sarr’s pass and drilling a low shot into the far corner.

The Lions of Teranga rounded off the scoring with an early contender for goal of the tournament in the 86th minute.

Clever trickery from Iliman Ndiaye took him away from two defenders and his pass was expertly bent into the top corner from the edge of the ‘D’ by Metz midfielder Camara.

Mohamed Badamosi came close to grabbing an injury-time consolation for the Gambians when he headed wide, but they were ultimately outclassed and will now turn their attentions to their second game against Guinea on Friday.

Senegal will likely face a tougher assignment when they face five-time winners Cameroon.

Source: AFP

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