Headline News

27, May 2024

More than 2,000 people buried in Papua New Guinea landslide ⁰

More than 2,000 people were buried by a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea, the national disaster centre said on Monday, as the government officially asked for international help to reach communities trapped in remote villages where rescue efforts have been hampered by treacherous conditions.

The numbers of those buried around Yambali village in Enga province in the country’s north are based on estimates from local authorities which have been rising steadily since Friday’s landslide.

A UN agency put the estimated death toll at more than 670 people on Sunday.

The National Disaster Centre raised the toll again to 2,000 in a letter to the UN on Sunday that was released publicly on Monday. The landslide also caused major destruction to buildings and food gardens, it said.

“The situation remains unstable as the landslip continues to shift slowly, posing ongoing danger to both the rescue teams and survivors alike,” according to the letter.

About 4,000 people were living near the affected area, CARE International Papua New Guinea (PNG) country director Justine McMahon told ABC television on Monday.

But it is difficult to get an accurate estimate of the local population as PNG’s last credible census was in 2000 and many people live in remote mountainous villages. The country recently announced a census would be conducted in 2024.

The unstable terrain, remote location and nearby tribal warfare are hampering relief efforts in Papua New Guinea.

Source: France 24

27, May 2024

Bamenda: bar explosion kills 2, death toll could rise ⁰

At least two persons were killed late Saturday when a makeshift bomb exploded in a crowded bar in Bamenda, according to local and security sources.

An army official said that the improvised explosive device detonated in a neighborhood just meters away from a police station.

“People were gathered to watch an important final match when the explosion occurred. The perpetrators of this terrorist act will be pursued and punished according to our laws,” the official, who requested anonymity, said.

Several people were injured, and the death toll could rise, the official said, adding that security forces often frequented the bar.

Although it remains unclear who planted the explosive device, local authorities have attributed the attack to separatist fighters active in the region since 2017. The separatists aim to establish an independent nation in Cameroon’s two Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest.

By Fon Lawrence with files

24, May 2024

CPDM Crime Syndicate: Aluminum Export Revenues Rise 11% in 2023 ⁰

The revenues from Cameroon’s aluminum exports, managed by the Cameroon Aluminum Company (Alucam), reached CFA54.2 billion in 2023, marking an 11% increase from CFA48.9 billion in 2022, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

Despite the revenue increase, the volume of aluminum exports remained nearly stagnant. Cameroon exported 43,916 tons of raw aluminum in 2023, a slight rise of just CFA36.7 tons compared to 43,879 tons in 2022.

This boost in revenue is a positive development for Alucam, which has faced financial difficulties since 2014 after the withdrawal of Canadian firm Rio Tinto, which held a 46.7% stake. Since becoming fully state-owned in 2015, Alucam has struggled with cash flow issues and remains the largest debtor to Cameroon’s electricity provider.

Source: Business in Cameroon

24, May 2024

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Nigerian army says it burst syndicate supplying fuel to Amba fighters ⁰

Troops of Nigerian Army have intercepted and arrested eight members of a syndicate smuggling fuel from Nigeria to the Ambazonian rebels in the Republic of Cameroon to facilitate terrorists’ activities.

A statement by the Nigerian Army on its official X handle (formerly Twitter) said the suspects were arrested during a sting operation on Friday May 25, 2024 along the Abong-Kurmi Baissa Road in Taraba State, between Nigeria and Cameroon border.

The suspects identified as Jafaru Adamu, 32; Auwal Haruna, 34; Umar Dahiru; Mubarak Abdullahi, 20; Saidu Musa, 26; Bashiru Ibrahim, 18; Danlami Yahuaza, 19, and 19-year-old Abubakar Abdullahi were caught on their way to the border with large quantity of fuel.

The Army also revealed that the culprits confessed to smuggling and selling fuel to the Cameroonian Ambazonian rebels who are prohibited from entering Nigeria to purchase the product directly following preliminary investigation.

“The suspects revealed that they have previously bought fuel from Gassol and Bali local government areas at the rate of ₦950 per litre.

“However, they discovered that in Takum LGA the fuel was sold at ₦800 per liter, prompting them to source for the product in Takum.

“At the time of their arrest, the suspects were traveling in three J5 vehicles, carrying 605 jerry cans, each with a capacity of 40 liters, totaling 24,200 liters of fuel. The fuel, valued at ₦800 per liter, amounts to a total worth of Nineteen Million Three Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira (₦19,360,000) only,” the Army said.

It said further investigation led to the identification of other members of the smuggling syndicate, including Alhaji Abdulmumini, Jafaru Adamu, Babilu Zubairu, Sule Abong, and Mark Akawu, who is reportedly the chairman of the syndicate based in Abong, a border community between Kurmi LGA of Taraba State and the Republic of Cameroon.

Source: Leadership.ng

24, May 2024

Andre Onana says it took him six months to feel good at Manchester United ⁰

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana says it took him six months “to feel good” at Old Trafford.

United paid £47.2m to sign Onana from Inter Milan in July as replacement for four-time club player of the year David de Gea.

However, despite lofty expectations on his arrival, the Cameroon international was chipped from 50 yards on his Old Trafford debut against Lens and then made a series of errors that contributed to the club’s poor Premier League form and Champions League group-stage elimination.

Onana’s performances didn’t improve significantly until after he returned from the Africa Cup of Nations in February and while he has made the odd mistake, he is now regarded as one of the more reliable members of manager Erik ten Hag’s squad as they head into Saturday’s FA Cup final against rivals Manchester City (15:00 BST).

“I arrived as the best goalkeeper in the world and ‘boom’ it went down. It was like ‘what happened?’,” said the 28-year-old.

“But that is how difficult football is sometimes. It depends if you want to stay down there or stand up and fight. I know what I did to arrive here. I know who I am. I decided to stand up and fight.”

Manchester United keeper, Andre Onana reflects on season and career

Onana cites the example of team-mate Marcus Rashford for why players need to avoid the extremes of judgement.

Rashford scored a career-high 30 goals last season. This term, he has managed eight and didn’t even make England boss Gareth Southgate’s provisional 33-man European Championship squad, let alone the final cut.

“We are talking about the same player,” said Onana. “So now he’s a bad player? No. You can have a bad season or a bad start but the most important thing is how you end.

“Rashy, for me, is one of the best players in the world. But he is facing difficulty. It’s not only him and me but the whole club.

“But he will come back. I know my killer will score some important goals for us. Hopefully against City he will score two and we win the FA Cup.”

‘I don’t mind facing 20 or 30 shots’

Man United keeper Andre Onana — Image caption,United faced the second-highest number of shots of any Premier League team this season (667) – and Onana’s 149 saves in 38 games was the highest in the league. His saves to shots ratio of 71.6% was the sixth highest in the division.

The wariness among some United fans about a second consecutive FA Cup final showdown with Manchester City comes from the sheer number of chances their side allows.

There was a seven-game streak between March and April where the opposition had a minimum of 20 shots per match on Onana’s goal.

When they last played City in March, they had three shots to their opponents’ 27 in a 3-1 defeat.

Onana feels this is purely as a consequence of the changes Ten Hag has had to make to his defence.

The partnership between Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez that started at Brighton on 19 May was the 15th different central defensive combination United have deployed this term. No partnership has started more than four consecutive games.

“I don’t mind facing 20 or 30 shots,” said Onana. “I am very happy with what my team-mates are doing because a lot of them make sacrifices for the team.

“It would be nice to have everyone back but what can we do? Hide? We are a big club. We have to go on the front foot and deal with difficulties. I am positive. I know things will get better. If not today, tomorrow.”

‘Ten Hag big enough to back himself’

Onana does not take too much notice of the overwhelming odds in favour of City repeating their triumph of 12 months ago, when United conceded after 12 seconds, the fastest goal in FA Cup final history.

He was part of the Inter Milan side who made life exceptionally difficult for City in last season’s Champions League final and were the better team in periods before eventually losing to Rodri’s decisive strike.

Saturday is clearly a game of huge significance for Ten Hag, whose United future remains open to question.

Onana knows the Dutchman well, having worked with him at Ajax for five years before both left in the same summer, with Ten Hag joining United as he left for Italy.

“I’m not here to back him because he’s big enough to back himself,” said Onana. “But he’s a really good guy, a positive coach and tactically he is good.

“If he had all his squad together, it would probably be different for him, for us, the club and the fans.

“We know how good City are. They are the best team at the moment and we lost twice to them already.

“But we are motivated. Beating them wouldn’t make it a successful season. Playing for this club, I don’t think winning the FA Cup is enough.

“But it would make things look better. We go there to win.”

Source: BBC

24, May 2024

Football: Ranieri bids tearful farewell to Cagliari with last-gasp Fiorentina defeat ⁰

Claudio Ranieri waved goodbye to Cagliari and brought the curtain down on a near four-decade club coaching career with Thursday’s 3-2 defeat to Fiorentina cruelly inflicted in the 13th minute of added time.

Arthur stroked home Fiorentina’s winning goal from the penalty spot after Luca Beltran earned the away side, who trailed 2-1 in the 85th minute, a soft spot-kick given after a long VAR check.

Fiorentina won and ensured European football with the last kick of Ranieri’s last match in charge of Cagliari, ahead of next week’s Europa Conference League final with Olympiakos.

Former Premier League winner Ranieri has now effectively retired even if he admitted in an interview with Sky in Italy that he would be interested in a national team job.

However Thursday’s defeat made little difference to Ranieri or Cagliari as last weekend he saved from relegation the same club he brought up from Serie B last season and with whom he rose to prominence in the late 1980s.

Ranieri began his managerial career in amateur football in 1986 but turned heads by guiding Cagliari to Serie A with two successive promotions in 1989 and 1990.

“What we managed to do, we did together,” said Ranieri in a short post-match speech on the pitch.

“I asked for your help a year and a half ago because only with you could we do what we did.”

Ranieri welled up on the sidelines ahead of kick-off as fans chanted his name and a standing ovation rolled around the stands, while a banner was unfurled which read “Eternal gratitude to a great man”.

And afterwards he hugged his players and family in front of a crowd which roared in appreciation of one of Italian football’s most beloved figures.

The 72-year-old said that his decision to quit had been made with a “heavy heart”, worrying that he would tarnish two brilliant spells nearly 40 years apart with Cagliari by staying on.

Ranieri had offered to quit following just three points from the first nine matches of the season.

Life lessons

But the club and players convinced him to stay and survival was dedicated to Ranieri, who has been frequently hailed by his team as an inspiration.

“He’s taught us things that are valuable not just on the pitch, but in life in general,” said Gianluca Lapadula to DAZN pre-match.

“If you don’t fight for your teammate, the man next to you, you’ll never go anywhere.”

Ranieri is most famous for winning the Premier League with Leicester City in 2016 but is a popular figure at a host of clubs even if he has only won a handful of major honours in his career.

An Italian Cup with Fiorentina and three trophies with Valencia go alongside his heart-warming English championship win eight years ago.

Ranieri brought Gianfranco Zola through to replace Diego Maradona at Napoli in the early 1990s and then coached the Sardinia native, by that time an Italy international, a decade later at Chelsea.

He managed Chelsea with the London outfit on the verge of bankruptcy and took them to the Champions League in 2003, after which the Blues were taken over by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

Ranieri then reached the semi-finals of Europe’s top club competition the following year before being replaced by Jose Mourinho.

He did battle with Mourinho while in charge of his boyhood team Roma in 2009/2010, at the helm as the capital club came close to snatching the Serie A title from eventual treble-winners Inter Milan on the final day of the season.

And Cagliari will stay in Serie A for at least one more season thanks to Ranieri who ended an eventful career back where it really started 36 years ago.

Source: AFP

24, May 2024

International mining convention opens in Yaoundé ⁰

The Cameroon International Mining and Exhibition Convention opened on Thursday in the Cameroonian capital of Yaoundé.

The three-day event, now in its fourth edition, aims to promote sustainable investment in the mining sector in Central Africa with Cameroon as the hub, according to the country’s Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, the organizer of the event. The gathering attracted mining professionals and officials from Africa, Europe and Asia.

While presiding over the opening ceremony, Cameroonian Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute said Cameroon has significant mineral resources that are largely underexploited.

Cameroon is seeking to transition from a country with mining potential to a mining-producing country, and is initiating reforms to attract investment, Ngute added. “Measures have been taken to encourage semi-mechanized artisanal mining at the expense of inactive exploration licenses. By 2023, Cameroon had launched four industrial mining projects. In 2024, this approach will continue with four additional projects.”

In 2019, Cameroon announced that it had discovered 300 new mineral mines across the 10 regions of the country.

Source: Xinhuanet

23, May 2024

British PM Rishi Sunak calls snap general election for July 4 ⁰

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a national election on Wednesday, naming July 4 as the date for a vote his governing Conservatives are widely expected to lose to the opposition Labour Party after 14 years in power.

Ending months of speculation as to when he would call a new poll, Sunak, 44, stood outside his Downing Street office and announced he was calling the election earlier than some had expected, a risky strategy with his party behind in the polls.

“Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future,” he said, listing what he considers to be the highlights of his time in government, including the introduction of the so-called furlough scheme that helped businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic. “We will have a general election on July 4.”

Sunak heads into the election not only far behind the Labour Party in the polls but also somewhat isolated from some in his party, increasingly dependent on a small team of advisers to steer him through what is set to be an ugly campaign.

But he seems to have decided with some economic gains, such as inflation falling and the economy growing at its fastest pace in almost three years, now was the time to take a risk and present his agenda for a new term formally to voters.

The former investment banker and finance minister took office less than two years ago, and since then has struggled to define what he stands for, becoming increasingly frustrated that what he sees as his successes have failed to be appreciated.

Both parties have all but kicked off campaigning for an election, with the attack lines on the economy and on defence already firmly drawn.

Sunak and his government accuse Labour of being poised to increase taxes if in government and that the party would not be a safe pair of hands for Britain in an increasingly dangerous world as it lacks a plan, charges the opposition denies.

Labour accuses the government of 14 years of economic mismanagement, leaving people worse off, with a series of chaotic administrations that have failed to give the stability businesses have craved to spur economic growth.

If Labour win the election, Britain, once known for its political stability, will have had six prime ministers in eight years for the first time since the 1830s.

‘Ready to go’

Labour said before the announcement it was more than ready for an election.

“We are fully ready to go whenever the prime minister calls an election. We have a fully organised and operational campaign ready to go and we think the country is crying out for a general election,” Labour leader Starmer’s spokesperson told reporters.

Starmer kicked off his party’s election campaign last week by pledging to “rebuild Britain”, setting out the first steps he said Labour would take if it forms the next government.

Labour is running about 20 percentage points ahead of Sunak’s Conservatives in the opinion polls but some party officials are concerned their advantage is not as solid as it appears, fearing many voters remain undecided.

Sunak might be aiming to capitalise on that uncertainty and also to wrongfoot Labour, which has still to complete the selection of all its parliamentary candidates, a party veteran said.

Sunak will also hope that some economic gains and the first flights in his centrepiece immigration plan of sending illegal asylum seekers to Rwanda might also boost his party’s fortunes. The earliest possible date for those flights is June 24, 10 days before the election.

While some Conservatives welcomed the move to call an election, not all were happy.

“Death wish 2024,” said one Conservative lawmaker on condition of anonymity.

Source: Reuters

23, May 2024

Football: Bayern Munich on verge of naming Kompany as coach ⁰

Bayern Munich are close to completing a shock move for Burnley boss Vincent Kompany to replace Thomas Tuchel as coach, German and English media reported on Wednesday.

According to German tabloid Bild and network Sky, along with English newspaper The Guardian, the Belgian has reached an agreement in principle with Bayern.

As a result, the German club is now working on a compensation package for Burnley, where Kompany still has four years on his contract.

Burnley have just been relegated from the Premier League after only one season in the English top flight.

Bayern agreed to part ways with Tuchel in February after falling behind eventual champions Bayer Leverkusen in the title race.

Kompany is the latest candidate in a long list linked to Bayern.

Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso, Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann and Austria manager Ralf Rangnick all reportedly turned down Bayern’s interest.

Bayern then attempted to hold onto Tuchel, who led them to a Champions League semi-final loss to Real Madrid. Tuchel, however, said the parties “could not reach an agreement” on him staying in the Bavarian capital.

Kompany has Bundesliga experience, having played at Hamburg before joining Manchester City.

He took the reins of Burnley in 2022, taking them to the Premier League as second-division champions a season later.

Kompany however could not keep Burnley in the top division, with the club relegated in 19th place in the 20-team league.

Source: AFP

23, May 2024

Football: Atalanta wins UEFA Europa League after beating Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 ⁰

Ademola Lookman scored a stunning hat-trick as Atalanta ended Bayer Leverkusen’s 51-match unbeaten run to win the Europa League final 3-0 on Wednesday and claim their first trophy for 61 years.

Lookman became the first player to score a hat-trick in a European final since 1975 to secure Atalanta’s first ever continental trophy.

“One of the best nights of my life. Amazing performance from the team,” said Lookman.

“We’ve got to celebrate, we made history tonight.”

The side from Bergamo have long lived in the shadow of nearby giants AC and Inter Milan.

However, they have enjoyed a golden era under Gian Piero Gasperini, reaching the Champions League on four occasions, and now have silverware to show for it.

Leverkusen have made a habit of late fightbacks in their remarkable run to winning a first ever Bundesliga title without tasting defeat.

But this time they failed to dig themselves out of a hole created by a slow start.

“It’s a shame that the time it didn’t work out for us was in a final,” said Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka.

“It’s bitter, definitely, we lost a final today but we go on and we’ll make up for it on Saturday (in the German Cup final).

Atalanta’s more purposeful play in the opening stages was rewarded after just 12 minutes.

Davide Zappacosta got to the by-line and Lookman caught Exequiel Palacios napping to fire into the top corner at the back post.

The Nigerian has at times endured a nomadic career, bouncing around the lower reaches of the Premier League on loan spells at Fulham and Leicester after being discarded by RB Leipzig.

But Lookman has found a home in Bergamo, where he will now forever be a hero.

Drained Leverkusen

The 26-year-old’s second goal was fit to win any final as he nutmegged Xhaka before curling a powerful shot into the far corner.

Leverkusen’s flying full-backs have been at the heart of their stunning season and should have got them back in the game either side of half-time.

Alex Grimaldo fired tamely into the arms of Juan Musso before Jeremie Frimpong blazed over with the goal gaping.

Leverkusen were also denied a lifeline when Gianluca Scamacca was lucky to escape with a yellow card for wild challenge on Florian Wirtz.

For the fourth time in seven Europa League knockout matches, Xabi Alonso’s men found themselves 2-0 down.

Alonso has enjoyed a rapid rise to become one of Europe’s hottest coaching properties.

The Spaniard has rejected the advances of former clubs Liverpool and Bayern Munich to remain at the BayArena next season.

However, Alonso’s decision to start without a recognised striker did not work and he threw on Victor Boniface at half-time to give his side a focal point up front.

The damage, though, was already done as the German champions looked a side drained by their record run across three competitions.

Atalanta were happy to soak up the Leverkusen pressure after the break and hit on the counter-attack.

The final blow was another fabulous finish from Lookman as he skipped past Edmond Tapsoba and this time blasted into the top corner on his weaker left foot.

Atalanta had lost all three of their previous finals under Gasperini, most recently in last week’s Coppa Italia defeat to Juventus.

But this time they were not to be denied their shot at history as they were roared across the finishing line by the thousands clad in blue and black that had made the trip from northern Italy to the Irish capital.

In doing so they became the first Italian side to win the competition since Parma lifted the UEFA Cup in 1999.

Source: AFP