The White House has suspended CNN correspondent Jim Acosta of his press credentials following his tense exchange with President Donald Trump during a press conference.

During Wednesday’s press conference at the White House, a combative Trump allowed Acosta, CNN’s chief White House correspondent, to ask his question only to cut him off shortly after and branding the journalist an “enemy of the people.”

A visibly angry Trump called Acosta a “rude, terrible person,” after he refused the president’s orders to sit down and give up the microphone during the conference one day after the US midterm congressional elections.

“CNN must be ashamed of itself having you working for them,” the president told Acosta. “You are a rude terrible person.”

Trump then asked another reporter to speak but Acosta refused to sit down. That prompted a White House aide to try to to pull the microphone from Acosta’s hands but the CNN reporter pushed her away and kept talking until Trump walked away from the podium as if he was going to leave the room.

Shortly after the heated moment, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced on Twitter that Acosta was suspended for “placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern.”

“This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporter’s colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history,” she added.

“This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better. Jim Acosta has our full support,” the network said in a statement.

Acosta also accused the White House of making up lies and said the real reason behind the decision was that Trump didn’t want “to be called out on his falsehoods.”

During the press conference, Acosta asked Trump why during his midterm congressional rallies he falsely called a migrant caravan moving towards the US an “invasion” while they were hundreds of miles away in Mexico and “posed no threat to the US.”

Trump insisted in response that the caravan was indeed a threat and he would do all in his power to stop it.

Acosta then tried to slip in another question about the ongoing investigation into Trump’s alleged ties with Russia and whether he was concerned about indictments now that Democrats were in control of the House of Representatives.

“I’m not concerned about anything with the Russian investigation because it a hoax… that’s enough! Put down the mic!” Trump said in response.

It was not Trump’s only scrap with the media during the press conference as he shut down several other reporters in the same manner and proceeded to once again accuse some media of being the “enemy” of American people.

Source: Presstv

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The Cameroon Concord News Group Board wishes to inform its faithful readers that for more than a decade, it has been providing world-class reports of the situation in Southern Cameroons.  The Board has been priding itself on its reports which have helped the world to gain a greater understanding of the crisis playing out in Southern Cameroons. It hails its reporters who have also helped the readers to have a broader perspective of the political situation in Cameroon.

The Board wishes to thank its readers who have continued to trust Southern Cameroon’s leading news platform. It is therefore using this opportunity to state that its reporters are willing to provide more quality information to the readers.    However, due to the changing global financial context, the Board is urging its readers to play a significant role in the financing of the news organization.  It is therefore calling on its faithful readers to make whatever financial contribution they can to ensure they get the latest developments in their native Southern Cameroons, in particular, and Cameroon in general.

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The Luxe, Bliss, & Surreal Black and White Gala 2018 Welcomes You. The unique and dynamic annual Black & White Gala in Atlanta is here to truly exceed you hopes and expectations. The gala has now become an annual spectacle in Atlanta, and we hear that bigger and better is yet to come. It’s your Lifestyle – Enjoy It!

We sat down with the CEO of Orphan Kids Help Foundation/ Black & White Party, Egr. Eyong Eyong Ebot in Hot Atlanta to find out what keeps the Party rolling for the last 9 years.

Cameroon Concord News: What is the main message and idea behind the Atlanta Black & White Party 2018?

Eyong Ebot: The message has been consistent over the last 9 years – we want our patrons to enjoy the moment in life, meeting new people, and sharing of love with contentment and fulfilment. The Black & White Luxury Lifestyle Gala 2018 will provide a unique Gourmet Experience, as we will go to every extent to make our partners, patrons, and friends feel special in exclusive, but affordable surroundings. In principle, the first message is enjoyment in life with friends and loved ones – a celebration of life combined with fine wines and gourmet cocktails.

Cameroon Concord News: What was your inspiration behind the creating of the Atlanta Black & White Gala almost a decade ago?

Eyong Ebot: My inspiration is tied to the fact that we must give back to our community – that is what this is all about. We donate to many local cultural groups who are carrying projects back home in Cameroon to help the needy. We also give to groups on the ground in Africa, because they are in the best position to help needy kids. My inspiration also comes from seeing my friends, patrons, and members enjoying themselves while we put the show around them. Finally, my inspiration comes from others, and the pleasure of the attendees is my greatest challenge, and we will make sure everyone is happy and content in every way possible.

Cameroon Concord News: Almost fully booked already in 2018. Obviously, it is a bold message to Atlanta regarding the quality you represent. What does this mean for you, especially as we have multiple of events in Atlanta?

Eyong Ebot: The fact that we have sold out our VIP Lounges, with only a few VIP Tables remaining,a month from the event is a big achievement. It shows that we are doing the right thing, the organization is moving in the right direction, and that we have great supporters in Atlanta.

Cameroon Concord News: Are you excited?

Eyong Ebot: Absolutely! and in a remarkably positive way as we have worked hard to build the brand of the Black & White Party in the Atlanta Principality in the last nine years. We see the 2018 Gala going forward as a moment of payback to everyone who has supported us during this period. That is why we are committed to continuously improve the satisfaction our patrons derive from the event with no additional costs.

Cameroon Concord News: You are a full-time Engineer, so many people wonder how you find time to manage your Foundation. On the one hand, you are a role model for young and new organizational Leaders in Atlanta, showing that hard work pays off in life. However, it must be very exhausting for you. What makes you move forward on a daily base? What motivates you?

Eyong Ebot: That’s a great question and something that many people ask me. I think I am driven to do the best I can in everything I do. I do not have to be the best; it is not a competitive issue, I just try to do the job right, knowing that the end product is joy and satisfaction. However, before any reward, it takes pain and sacrifices, including a battle against yourself and all the issues that challenge you. One quotation I do enjoy evoking is from Winston Churchill, “When you are going through hell, keep going!”. Not that I’m going through hell; however, life and work put difficulties in our way allthe time, and we just have to keep going.

Cameroon Concord News: Finally, with many events organized by cultural organizations and alumina groups, as well as multiple events organized by other groups and members of the Atlanta community, how do the Black & White Party stay ahead of the game?

Eyong Ebot: Atlanta is the Número 1 Party City of the United States. Some Johnny came lately group leaders might see such environment as a competition and a zero-sum game. However, for the Black & White Organization, we cherish the complements and collaboration we receive from all groups in the community. That is why we are also very active in our community, supporting other groups and events as much we can. Atlanta Black & White looks forward to hosting everyone again at its 9th edition gala in 2018.

American rapper Kanye West and socialite wife Kim Kardashian are visiting Uganda and bringing some much-wanted, positive attention to the East African country. Deadly election-related violence in August caused many tour groups to cancel trips, dealing a blow to the economy. Uganda’s tourism body is hoping the couple’s stay will attract more visitors.

A cartoon in a Ugandan newspaper depicts Kanye West sipping a local beer and thinking “Uganda is gold,” while wife Kim Kardashian, in a red bikini, takes a selfie under the sunset.

Meanwhile, in a reversed Safari, wild African animals compete to get a good look at the celebrity couple.

The sketch underscores the attention West and Kardashian’s visit is bringing to Uganda, where the rapper says he will record a new album.

Amos Wekesa of Great Lakes Safari said the couple’s superstar presence can be used to boost tourist numbers.

“So we need to be able to exploit that. If 100,000 people came here because of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, we would probably expect over $200 million and that would probably create not less than 2,000 jobs in the country. Whatever they are filming right now will stay online for a very long time and it will continue to market Uganda as a key destination.”

Tourism groups canceled planned visits to Uganda after violence erupted in August in relation to a local election.

Clashes broke out between security forces and youth supporters of the musician-turned-politician known as Bobi Wine. Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, was arrested and charged with treason for allegedly throwing rocks at President Yoweri Museveni’s car.

West on Monday met Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for three decades, and gave the president a new pair of white sneakers.

Social media posts made fun of the gift, noting the president is known for wearing odd-looking shoes.

Echoing opposition calls for Museveni to step down, one post read, “We hope that this pair of sneakers can inspire him to sneak out of power.”

It was not clear if West would meet fellow musician Wine, who is trying to get permission from authorities to hold a concert while on bail.

West made headlines last Thursday when he met with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House Oval Office. The rapper stunned reporters by giving Trump a big hug, pounding the president’s desk, and using profanity.

On the streets of Kampala, not everyone was aware of the celebrity couple’s visit to Uganda, but, Leah Kahunde voiced excitement.

“Kim Kardashian herself has a following bigger than Uganda’s population. So imagine a whole country’s population is eyes on Uganda. That means a lot for my country. And also the tax base and maybe more revenue, that way they might stop milking us and trying to tax us just to make up for expenditure. So it’s a plus for our tourism industry.”

While in Uganda, West and Kardashian are staying in the country’s largest national park, Murchison Falls.

John Ssempebwa is the deputy executive director for Uganda’s Tourism Board. He offered an explanation as to why he thought the couple chose Uganda.

“The Murchison Falls National Park is where the River Nile squeezes into the narrowest of rocks. And makes this thundering sound that can be heard kilometers away. It’s the only place in the world, where it’s actually raining fish. Fishes coming in pushed by this speed of water, so huge, falling. And guess what’s down there waiting for them? The fattest crocodiles in the world.”

Posting on her snapchat, Kardashian wrote, “Dear world, there is another heaven in Uganda.”

Culled from the VOA

What did you think of those shoes Minister Fame Ndongo wore with his CPDM regalia recently when he participated in a CPDM rally? Cameroonians on social media could not get enough of the Higher Education Minister’s shoes when he went our canvassing for votes for the 85 year old President Biya.

Some thought he had been given a role in Yaoundé wood with Onkle Ochama and Tazibi while others believe it was simply a joke. Some people thought he rocked the look while others thought he’d worn a CPDM “gandula” with his Biya CPDM shoes.

Many pro Biya comedians, however, were impressed by his “shoe code” and expressed pride in the Higher Education anti-Anglophone Minister and his commitment to President Paul Biya. But this is why Southern Cameroonians want to leave the Cameroonian federation.

By Chi Prudence Asong

During our editorial meeting today in Dublin, we got a bit curious as to what happens behind the scenes at a red carpet event like President Biya’s anticipated trip to Buea, capital of Southern Cameroons. Sure, we have plenty of Chantal Biya celebrity selfies to show our readers how the French Cameroun presidential couple enjoys tax payer’s money round the world.

But our senior political man, Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai was interested to know what happens before Biya arrives Buea. In other words: the getting ready part. Like, how long does it take to arrange the red carpet, how involved is the presidency of the republic, and what happens if there’s a major drama like Biya and Cavaye Djibril turning up at the same time(a coup d’état)? So many questions!!

Our intelligence officer visited the venue in Buea and discovered that it was Minister Paul Elung and Mayor Ekema who were actually doing the mean job of setting up the so-called Red Carpet. The photo attached to this flat report actually shows Paul Elung at work in Buea. To be sure, this is part of the job description for a Southern Cameroons Minister and Assistant Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic in French Cameroun.

By Chi Prudence Asong

Bill Cosby was marched out of court in handcuffs on Tuesday after being sentenced to between three and 10 years in prison for sexual assault, capping the downfall of the once-beloved comedian known as “America’s Dad.”

Cosby, 81, was found guilty in April of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for the drugging and sexual assault of his one-time friend Andrea Constand, a former Temple University administrator, at his Philadelphia home in 2004.

The sentence ensures that Cosby will spend no less than three years in a Pennsylvania prison before he becomes eligible for supervised release, though he could end up staying behind bars for as much as a decade.

Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Steven O’Neill ordered Cosby, who had been out on bail since his conviction, to be jailed immediately. He was escorted out a back door of the courtroom with his hands and feet shackled and driven away in a black sport utility vehicle.

Minutes earlier, Constand left court with her arms folded, a smile spreading across her face as other women who have accused Cosby came to hug her.

Several of those women spoke to reporters in the rain outside the courtroom. “I wanted 30 years, but I’m very happy to know Mr. Cosby will do time in prison,” Chelan Lasha said.

Cosby was the first celebrity to be convicted of sexual abuse since the start of the #MeToo movement, the national reckoning with misconduct that has brought down dozens of powerful men in entertainment, politics and other fields.

O’Neill also fined Cosby $25,000 and ordered him to pay the costs of the prosecution, calling Cosby’s crime “very serious.” There was no visible reaction from the disgraced entertainer.

“Equal justice under the law does not allow different treatment because of who he is or who he was,” O’Neill said.

After the sentencing, Andrew Wyatt, Cosby’s spokesman, read a statement in which he said the entertainer had been subjected to “the most racist and sexist trial in the history of the United States.”

Before handing down the prison sentence, O’Neill also decided to designate Cosby a “sexually violent predator” under Pennsylvania law.

Under that designation, Cosby will have to undergo monthly counseling and register as a sex offender with police for the rest of his life. Neighbors and schools will be notified of his address and crimes.

Cosby’s lawyers have already said they planned to appeal his conviction, and he has denied any wrongdoing. Asked if he wanted to address the court with a statement before sentencing, Cosby declined through his lawyers.

More than 50 other women also have accused Cosby of sexual abuse going back decades, with most complaints too old to prosecute. The Constand case was the only allegation that led to criminal charges.

On Monday, the first day of the sentencing hearing, Constand said in a written statement submitted to the court that the attack had turned her into a woman who was “stuck in a holding pattern for most of her adult life, unable to heal fully or to move forward.”

“Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it,” she wrote. Prosecutors had asked for the maximum prison sentence of between five and 10 years, citing the nature of Cosby’s crime as well as his alleged history of misconduct.

Citing Cosby’s frailty and blindness, Cosby’s lawyers had asked for house arrest rather than prison time.

Cosby’s first trial in 2017 ended in a mistrial when jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict. Soon after that proceeding, a series of women began leveling sexual misconduct allegations against influential men, launching the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements that have encouraged victims to speak up about their experiences.

Prison officials will process Cosby at the nearby state prison in Schwenksville before determining in which of Pennsylvania’s 22 male prisons he will serve his sentence, prison spokeswoman Amy Worden wrote in an email.

He will be one of 86 inmates over age 80 held by Pennsylvania’s Department of Corrections, where the two oldest inmates are both 91, Worden said.

(REUTERS)

A Kenyan court on Friday overturned a ban on Wanuri Kahiu’s “Rafiki” – though for seven days only – allowing the film about a lesbian romance to be considered for the Academy Awards.

Kahiu brought the court action after the Kenya Film Classification Board banned Rafiki for “promoting lesbianism”, effectively barring it from the Oscars competition.

Judge Wlfrida Okwany ruled that Rafiki could now be shown to “willing adults only” for seven days, a minimum requirement for submitting feature films for the Academy Awards.

Okwany said that to maintain the ban would deprive Kahiu of “the fame, glory, exposure and opportunity that the Oscar nomination brings a film maker.

“The matter is not for determination on whether homosexuality is right or wrong, moral or immoral, but whether an artist or filmmaker can, in exercising his or her right to freedom of expression and artistic creativity, make a film depicting a gay theme.”

Rafiki made history this year by becoming the first Kenyan movie to be selected for the Cannes Film Festival. It featured in the “Un Certain Regard” category, earmarked for emerging directors or unexpected or marginal themes.

Kahiu now wants her film to have a shot at the Oscars in February. However, the award rules state that a film must “be first publicly exhibited for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theatre for the profit of the producer and exhibitor” to enter the competition.

With the deadline of 30 September approaching Kahiu sought – and won – a court order in her favour.

Many applauded the court ruling allowing Rafiki to be shown in theatres, but some on social media noted that LGBT Kenyans continue to face harassment in an intensely homophobic culture.

Kenya has retained British colonial-era laws that make homosexuality illegal. The ruling comes as Kenyans await another potentially landmark ruling on the constitutionality of a law that punishes same-sex intercourse with up to 14 years in prison.

Ezekiel Mutua, the censorship board’s head and a self-described “fervent moral crusader”, banned the film “due to its homosexual theme and clear intent to promote lesbianism in Kenya contrary to the law.”

Mutua denounced Friday’s ruling, asking on Twitter: “What pleasure, pray, does a person of a sane mind find in watching girls having sex with other girls?”

It would be a tragedy and a shame to have homosexual films defining the Kenyan culture. That’s not who we are and homosexuality is not our way of life

The film does not include sex scenes, but the censorship board accused producers of changing the original script that was licensed for production, which they say didn’t have romantic scenes between the female actors.

The board released a statement saying that “it is a sad moment, not only to the film industry, but to all Kenyans who stand for morality, that a film that glorifies homosexuality is allowed to be the country’s new branding tool abroad.”

“Rafiki” – meaning “friend” in Kiswahili – is adapted from an award-winning story called “Jambula Tree” by Ugandan writer Monica Arac Nyeko. It tells the tale of two young women, daughters of rival politicians, who fall in love.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Nigeria’s Afropop sensation, Davido is causing political shockwaves in home state of Osun where he is campaigning for the candidate of the opposition People’s Development Party (PDP) in the race to be governor.

The multi-millionaire singer-songwriter and record producer, has been posting pictures and videos on his social media, endorsing his uncle, Ademola Adeleke who is running on the PDP ticket.

Billboards in the state also show pictures of the singer in traditional dress, leaning on an empty black leather chair next to the Nigerian flag.

“I, Davido, support Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke as governor of Osun State,” the roadside advertisements read.

Adeleke, dubbed “the dancing senator” because of his penchant for dancing in public, must be hoping his high-profile nephew can win him as many voters as he has music fans.

The 58-year-old politician is running for the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against Gboyega Oyetola of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Candidates from no fewer than 48 parties are vying to replace APC Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who is stepping down after a maximum of two four-year terms.

Saturday’s poll is the final major electoral test before Nigerians vote for a new president, parliament, governors and state legislatures in February and March next year.

Davido the politician?

Davido, real name David Adedeji Adeleke, recently signed up for the yearlong compulsory national service, and entertained his colleagues at the swearing-in event.

While Davido may be better known as one of Nigeria’s most successful musical exports, Davido also comes from a well-known political dynasty.

His grandfather, Raji Ayoola Adeleke,was a senator between 1979 and 1983 while another uncle, Isiaka Adeleke, was Osun’s first civilian governor from January 1992 to November 1993.

The performer’s father, Adedeji Adeleke, is a wealthy businessman with interests in banking, property, education, shipping, haulage and oil and gas.

Some people see a political future for Davido.

Source: Africa News

Sandra Made and Zou Qianshun are, in many ways, like millions of newly married couples around the world. Made, 27, is a housewife who looks after their 10-month-old baby, while Zou, 43, is a fishing captain and the family breadwinner. But in China, they have become an online sensation.

Weddings and engagements

The couple began live-streaming funny skits of their home life on Chinese social media platform, Kuaishou, in February. They now have 120,000 followers. Made says their videos are popular because people are not used to seeing an African woman with a Chinese man.

“Everyone loves Sandra and thinks she’s outgoing,” says Zou. The couple makes about 5,000 yuan ($727) a month through virtual gifts donated by fans on the site, which can be exchanged for money, he adds.

They met three years ago when Zou was working in Cameroon, where Made ran a hair salon. A year later, Zou proposed and the couple married in March 2017. Soon after, they relocated to Zou’s hometown near Dandong, Liaoning province, in northeast China.

In 2016, there were just 1,700 mixed marriages in Liaoning, which is home to 43.7 million people, according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics. But Zou says there are five other Chinese men in his town with African wives. “They all met in Africa,” he adds.

A love affair

Earlier this month, Chinese president Xi Jinping pledged to invest $60 billion in Africa over the next three years at the triennial Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing. It was symbolic of how China’s ties with the continent have deepened over the past two decades.

About 10,000 Chinese-owned firms operate in Africa today, according to American research firm McKinsey, and a significant number of Africans have moved to China. Their main base is the southern manufacturing city of Guangzhou, where about 20,000 African migrants live, according to Gordon Matthews, a professor of anthropology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and author of “The World in Guangzhou: Africans and Other Foreigners in South China.”

In Guangzhou, romances between Africans and Chinese people are not uncommon. But they mostly involve a Chinese woman and an African man, according to Matthews. That’s partly because there are more male African traders in Guangzhou than female, he says.

“But Chinese women are also more socially adept, socially skilled and speak better English (than Chinese men),” he adds. “So they are more likely to marry foreigners than Chinese men.”

Racism in China

The most-viewed video on Made’s feed is a comedy sketch of her pretending to feed her baby, Daniel, but instead putting all the food into her mouth.

Reactions on Kuaishou to the couple’s humorous skits include “666,” which means cool, and “Sandra! You’re so beautiful,” “Pretty eyes,” and “You speak good Dandong dialect!” Made says she improves her Putonghua by talking with fans online.

But not everyone’s reaction has been so positive. Initially, Zou’s mother, Zhao Fu Qing, was against their union. “How can a Chinese marry a black woman? She can leave at any time. That’s why at the beginning, both my husband and I said NO to this marriage,” she told Al Jazeera. The couple say Zhao has since become fond of her daughter-in-law.

Chinese racism towards Africans, however, is a sensitive issue. Last year, a skit on China’s biggest Lunar New Year TV show sparked outrage when an Asian actress appeared with blackface and enlarged bottom. Meanwhile, earlier this month a Chinese man was deported from Kenya for posting a video making racist remarks about Kenyans online.

“We haven’t encountered any racist prejudices yet, apart from people’s concerns about cultural differences,” says Qianshun. “But I always tell those people that love has no boundaries.” Matthews says that while racism in China “undoubtedly exists,” extreme cases such as people rubbing Africans’ skin to see if their color will come off are no longer an “everyday thing.”

As the China-Africa economic relationship yields more unions like that of Made and Zou, Matthews hopes the public will gain a better understanding of race. “The more international marriages we have the quicker we can end racism,” he says.

Source: Action News Now