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16, July 2018

Roger Milla tried to persuade Umtiti to play for Cameroon ⁰

Before having picked France as his national team, Samuel Umtiti was approached by Roger Milla, who tried to persuade the player to don Cameroon’s colours.

The African legend even travelled to France in 2015 to convince the current Barcelona defender to join his national team.

“The president of the French Federation told us that Umtiti will have to wait four years to make his way up the ladder because there are many players in his position,” Milla said at the time.

“If he wants to play in a World Cup, he has to decide for Cameroon, now or never.”

Three years later, Umtiti scored France’s first goal in the semi-final against Belgium, to lead Les Bleus to Sunday’s final against Croatia.

The 24-year-old defender already won the U20 World Cup in 2013, having been part of a team that also consisted of players such as Paul Pogba, Alphonse Areola and Florian Thauvin.

Umtiti, who was born in Cameroon but moved to France at the age of two, has explained his decision to play for Les Bleus.

“I have family [in Cameroon], but I’ve only been there twice,” he told ESPN. “It’s part of my roots, but I don’t remember what it was like to live there and my decision has been thought through.

“I wanted to defend French colours from the beginning and it’s logical and natural, as I grew up here. “I had my training here and I played with Les Bleus in all the lower categories.”

Source: Marca.com

16, July 2018

Russia 2018: A United Nations of football talent led France to glory ⁰

Antoine Griezmann’s father emigrated from Germany and the France forward’s mother is of Portuguese descent. Paul Pogba’s parents arrived from Guinea. Kylian Mbappe’s dad is from Cameroon, his mum Algerian.

Immigrants, sons of immigrants and grandsons of immigrants bonded together with scions of families that have been French for generations, all for the rouge, blanc et bleu. And for only the second time, France is the World Cup champion.

About two-thirds of Les Bleus’ roster included players with immigrant backgrounds, a mini-United Nations of soccer talent. “That is the France that we love,” Griezmann said through a translator after Sunday’s 4-2 victory over Croatia ended the most exciting World Cup final in decades. “It’s beautiful to see it.”

Griezmann’s free kick was headed in by Mario Manduzkic for an own-goal in the 18th minute, and then Griezmann converted a penalty kick for a 2-1 lead in the 38th after video review spotted a handball by Ivan Perisic.

Mbappe’s speed led to the third goal in the 59th. He added a goal of his own in the 65th, at 19 becoming the second-youngest scorer in a World Cup final behind 17-year-old Pele in 1958.

Vive la diversite!

A day after Bastille Day, the party was on.

“The diversity of the squad is in the image of this beautiful country that is France,” midfielder Blaise Matuidi, whose parents are from Angola and Congo, said through a translator ahead of the match.

France won on a humid night in Russia, with thunderclaps during play and a downpour during the trophy presentation. Quite different from that indelible summer evening at Stade de France in 1998, when fans in the arena and throughout Paris sang “La Marseillaise” until dawn and young teenagers drove cars while their intoxicated parents sat in passenger seats.

People called that team “Black, Blanc, Beur,” noting how black, white and North African players came together.

Zinedine Zidane, a son of Algerians, headed in a pair of first-half corner kicks against heavily favored Brazil. Patrick Vieira, born in Senegal, fed Normandy-born Emmanuel Petit for the third in the 3-0 win.

This year’s team was perhaps even more diverse.

Defender Samuel Umtiti was born in Cameroon and backup goalkeeper Steve Mandanda in Zaire. Others descended from Algeria, Mali, Mauritania, Mococco and Senegal, plus Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

“There may be players who come from different origins, but we do have the same state of mind,” Griezmann said. “We all play for the same jersey, the cockerel. For our country, we give everything we have. As soon as you wear the jersey, we do everything for each other.”

He scored the go-ahead goal after the first video review-created penalty kick in a World Cup final. During a delay of about four minutes that might have unnerved less-composed players, Griezmann told himself to pretend it was a league match.

“Carry on and do the same thing as I normally do,” he remembered thinking.

At 27, he is in his prime but in the penumbra of Spanish soccer powers at Atletico Madrid, toiling in a league that Barcelona and Real Madrid dominate. He led the 2016 European Championship with six goals and tied for second with four at this World Cup, three on penalty kicks, earning the Bronze Ball as third-best player behind Croatia midfielder Luka Modric and Belgium forward Eden Hazard.

Griezmann kissed the trophy, knowing his generation will be revered in the same way Zidane, Petit, Thierry Henry, Lilian Thuram and Fabien Barthez remain renowned from Calais to Cannes.

“From tonight on, I’m sorry for them, but they are going to be different,” coach Didier Deschamps said. “Those 23 players will be linked forever, forever. Whatever happens – they might follow different paths, but they will be marked forever and they will be together thanks to this event.”

Griezmann, man of the match in a World Cup final, will be on posters throughout the republic, asked for endorsements, a mainstay of commercials. He will be pestered for autographs for the rest of his life.

“I’m going to be in the history of French football with my team,” Griezmann said. “We don’t quite realize it yet. Our children will be very proud to have our names.”

(AP)

16, July 2018

Trump and Putin meet at closely watched Helsinki summit ⁰

US President Donald Trump is sitting down with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, in Helsinki, Finland on Monday for a meeting that comes amid heightened tensions with Europe and an ongoing inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

The US and Russian leaders opened the historic summit on Monday with Trump promising an “extraordinary relationship” and Putin saying it was high time they thrashed out disputes around the world.

Looking sombre, they exchanged opening remarks in front of reporters before their closed-door meeting. Trump underlined his sentiment that getting along with Russia would be “a good thing, not a bad thing”. Putin, for his part, said, “The time has come to talk in a substantive way about our relations and problem areas of the world.”

Hours before his first ever summit with Putin, Trump had said that “US foolishness” was responsible for Washington’s poor relationship with Moscow.

“Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse,” he tweeted from Helsinki on Monday morning, blaming “many years of US foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!”

Trump’s comments showed how much domestic political pressure he is under over the summit. Critics and his own advisers have urged him to use the meeting to pressure Putin over his country’s role in the 2016 election and other “malign” activities.

On Friday, the special counsel investigating Russian meddling indicted 12 Russian military intelligence officers for hacking the Democratic National Committee and the campaign of Trump’s rival, Hillary Clinton.

Yet Trump has refused to criticise Putin, instead focusing his frustration over US-Russian ties on his own country. His stance has raised questions back at home, with Clinton tweeting: “Great World Cup. Question for President Trump as he meets Putin: Do you know which team you play for?”

Despite the criticism, Trump appeared upbeat during a breakfast with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö just hours before his meeting with Putin. Asked what he would say to Putin, Trump said: “We’ll do just fine, thank you.”

The two leaders were expected to first meet one-on-one with only their interpreters, followed by a working lunch accompanied by advisers, and a joint news conference.

A win for Russia

Neither side expects major breakthroughs from the talks and the outcome is uncertain given sharp differences between Washington and Moscow over everything from Syria to Ukraine.

For Putin, the fact that the summit is even happening despite Russia’s semi-pariah status among some Americans and US allies is a geopolitical win because, in Russian eyes, it shows that Washington recognises Moscow as a great power that cannot be isolated or ignored.

The Kremlin made clear beforehand it did not expect an easy meeting, taking Trump to task over his criticism of a planned Russian gas pipeline to Germany and suggesting it would be hard to find common ground on Syria because of differences over Iran.

Russia hoped however that the summit would be “the first step” in overcoming a crisis in relations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s RT TV station. “Presidents Trump and Putin respect each other and they get along well,” said Peskov. “There is no clear agenda. It will be determined by the heads of state themselves as they go along.”

Trump wants Russia to use its influence in Syria, where it is backing President Bashar al-Assad militarily, to push Iranian and Iranian-allied forces out.

“Of course Syria will be discussed by the two presidents,” said Peskov. “We all know what Washington thinks of Iran. But at the same time Iran is a good partner to us in terms of trade, economic cooperation and political dialogue. So this will not be an easy exchange of views.”

Trump has predicted he will be accused of being too soft on Putin no matter how the summit goes. “If I was given the great city of Moscow as retribution for all of the sins and evils committed by Russia…I would return to criticism that it wasn’t good enough – that I should have gotten Saint Petersburg in addition!” he tweeted on Sunday.

He has said he will raise the issue of Russian election meddling, but does not expect to get anywhere.

The Helsinki summit is the capstone to a nearly week-long trip for Trump, during which he has sown doubts over his commitment to the NATO military alliance, undermined the US’s so-called special relationship with Britain, and denigrated the European Union as a trade “foe”.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AFP)

16, July 2018

President Paul Biya’s War time election is a farce ⁰

The 86 year autocratic, dictator and ruler of la République du Cameroun in his typical Machiavelli way of doing things announced a couple of weeks ago, despite the escalating war that he declared on the people of the English speaking region in Cameroon that the presidential elections would hold on the 07 of October. Prior to this announcement, two other elections (municipal and parliamentary) that were supposed to take place this year were postponed and members of parliament and mayors had their mandate extended to 2019. Political pundits and observers have been wondering aloud if it makes any sense to organize presidential elections in a country caught up in a senseless war that has produced some 200.000 internally displaced persons with over 50.000 as refugees in Nigeria? A lot of tongues have indeed been wagging on how the Biya regime intends to stage the elections in the Southern Cameroons, where citizens are gunned down indiscriminately by Francophone soldiers and where Southern Cameroonians are not allowed to communion in groups, as the military continues to kill indiscriminately.

The robust resistance of the restoration forces, who have basically taken over authority in Anglophone Cameroon, and who enjoy the support of the communities is definitely an insurmountable challenge to the infamous electoral project. The restoration forces have vowed that no such election is going to take place in Africa’s newest state-The Federal Republic of Ambazonia. The restoration forces are in total control of the communities and have reportedly intensified ghost town operations. Attempts by the Yaoundé government and the mayor of Buea to disrupt the idea of ghost town recently led to deadly clashes with state authority ending up with a bloodied nose, and the restoration forces having the last word.

This week, the minister for defense Joseph Beti Asomo on a special mission ordered by the head of state of la Republic visited the affected regions to meet and congratulate the soldiers for their bravery and courage in killing their fellow citizens. What was thought to be a robust and security tight convoy of 30 armoured vehicles ferrying the minister and several army generals including colonels came under attack. Beti Assomo and his entourage met what has been described as the most audacious attempt by the restoration forces to make an emphatic statement to the Yaoundé regime.

One of the journalists traveling with the minister got injured in the attack. He narrated the ordeal to the world and in his statement, he compared the restoration forces to Boko Haram, and pointed out that although the Nigerian Islamic sect uses sophisticated weapons; the restoration forces were in possession of locally manufactured weaponry. He further pointed out that Ambazonian forces are more organized and intelligent than Boko Haram fighters. He said if the restoration forces had modern assault weapons, the damage on the convoy would have been unimaginable as the minister would have been captured. In the midst of this insecurity and uncertainty, and the attack on the defense minister’s convoy, it is abundantly clear that elections will not take place in the former British Southern Cameroons. The restoration forces have instructed Ambazonians not to part of the upcoming counterfeit presidential elections, which they described as provocative and illegal. How the 86 year old dictator intends to make such a precarious election to take place remains a mystery, wrapped in a puzzle inside an enigma.

By Ntam Charles Ngeh

Bonn, Germany

16, July 2018

UK minister quits over lewd messages to women ⁰

A British government minister has stepped down after being exposed for sending lewd social media messages to a number of women.

After the Sunday Mirror newspaper published details of his chats with two barmaids, Small business minister Andrew Griffiths, Tory Prime Minister Theresa May’s former chief of staff, said he felt “deeply ashamed” and had already handed in his resignation letter on Friday.

“I am deeply ashamed at my behavior which has caused untold distress to my wife and family, to whom I owe everything, and deep embarrassment to the prime minister and the government,” the disgraced MP said in a statement.

“I tendered my resignation as parliamentary under secretary of state for small business on Friday,” he added.

Barmaid Imogen Treharne, 28, told the Mirror in detail how the married minister and member of parliament, whose first child was born in April, sent her over 2,000 offensive messages in just three weeks.

“I wanted him to be a nice guy, but by the end I felt dirty. I felt like I was being used for this wealthy man’s gratification,” she was quoted as saying.

The 47-year-old minister even sent the Treharne £717 in return for some explicit pictures and videos of the things she did with the other woman at his request.

“I do not seek to excuse my behavior and will be seeking professional help to ensure it never happens again,” Griffiths said. “In time I hope to earn the forgiveness of all those who put their trust in me and that I have let down so terribly.”

The MP is pending an investigation by the ruling Conservative Party and will sit in parliament as an independent.

A spokeswoman for the ministry told AFP earlier that Griffiths had stepped down “for personal reasons.”

Source: Presstv

16, July 2018

Boko Haram overruns Nigerian military base ⁰

Boko Haram Takfiri terrorists have overrun a military base following a ferocious gun fight with Nigerian troops in the country’s troubled northeast.

The militants invaded the base holding hundreds of soldiers in Yobe state in an hours-long onslaught Saturday night.

“Boko Haram terrorists attacked troops of the 81st Division Forward Brigade at Jilli village in Geidam district. The terrorists came in huge numbers around 7:30 pm (1830 GMT) and overran the base after a fierce battle that lasted till 9:10 pm,” AFP quoted a military source as saying.

“The base had 734 troops. Currently the commander of the base and 63 soldiers have made it to Geidam (60 kilometers away) while the remaining 670 are being expected,” he said.

“We don’t know if there were any casualties among the troops. That will be known later.”

A leader of a local anti-militant militia attributed the attack to the Abu-Mus’ab Al-Barnawi faction of Boko Haram, which is known for targeting Nigerian forces.

“We learned that they drove from Lake Chad through Gubio (in nearby Borno state) and attacked the base.”

Geidam resident Fannami Gana said that Boko Haram militants “overwhelmed” the troops. “We don’t know the details of what happened but we learnt they were overwhelmed by hundreds of Boko Haram gunmen.”

The latest attack was carried out after Boko Haram terrorists ambushed a military convoy in neighboring Borno state. On Friday, nearly two dozen Nigerian soldiers went missing after militants ambushed a convoy outside Bama, leading to the loss of several military vehicles. According to a military officer, “around 100 terrorists” attacked the convoy.

Yan St-Pierre, the counter-terrorism advisor and head of the Berlin-based Modern Security Consulting Group, said that the militant raids showed the persistent threat of Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region.

Officials of Borno State Emergency Management Agency carry the body of a victim of multiple attacks to an ambulance in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria, May 4, 2018. (AFP photo)

“The supply of Boko Haram fighters is always there, either through kidnapping or economic reasons, they tap into a wide pool of personnel, they find a way to replenish their strength,” St-Pierre said.

The security expert also suggested that the attacks could have been carried out due to the fact that Boko Haram was vying for the control of the faction led by Abubakar Shekau, the long-time militant leader who is reportedly ill. “When a near-mythical leader is on his way out there’s always a battle to establish who could be next,” said St-Pierre.

Since 2009, Boko Haram militancy has left at least 20,000 dead and made over 2.6 million others homeless.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, a former general, came to power in 2015 on a platform of stamping out Boko Haram, but despite retaking swathes of territory from the group, it continues to stage attacks targeting both civilians and military targets.

Source: Presstv

16, July 2018

France beats Croatia to win second World Cup title ⁰

France has won its second World Cup in history by overcoming Croatia in an entertaining final of the 2018 version of the games in Russia.

A Mario Mandzukic own goal, a penalty by Antoine Griezmann that came from the VAR, and superb efforts by Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe in the second half of the game in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday sealed France’s victory in one of the most action-packed finals of the World Cup.

Ivan Perisic and Mandzukic scored in either half of the game but the goals were not enough for a spirited Croatia to claim their first ever title in the prestigious games.

France’s forward Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring the 4-1 goal with his teammates during the Russia 2018 World Cup final football match between France and Croatia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on July 15, 2018. (Photo by AFP)

France lifted the trophy 20 years after they won the world Cup on home soil with captain by Didier Deschamps, the man who coached the current French team. Deschamps becomes the third man in the World Cup history after Brazil’s Mario Zagallo and Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer to win the games both as player and coach.

France’s forward Kylian Mbappe shoots to score his team’s fourth goal during their Russia 2018 World Cup final football match between France and Croatia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on July 15, 2018. (Photo by AFP)

The 1998 French title also came at the expense of Croatia as the hosts had defeated the newcomers in the semi-finals.

Croatia’s forward Ivan Perisic celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the Russia 2018 World Cup final football match between France and Croatia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on July 15, 2018. (Photo by AFP)

The 2018 final was the most goal-packed in normal time in 60 years, only second in history to Brazil’s 5-2 win over Sweden in 1958. It was also the highest-scoring final since the 1966 final between England and West Germany, which ended with a similar score in favor of the hosts England.

15, July 2018

French Cameroun attacks continue on Southern Cameroons despite announcement of Biya’s humanitarian plan ⁰

Cameroon government forces have continued to attack Southern Cameroons towns and villages even with the announcement of President Biya so-called humanitarian plan for victims of the war. On Saturday, the Francophone dominated military announced that its operations in the city of Kumba in the Meme County were in response to gun fire from Ambazonian militants.

Earlier on Saturday, a Southern Cameroons resistance movement spokesman said that the group had carried out an attack on Defense Minister Beti Assomo’s convoy. Separately a spokesman for the Ambazonia Restoration Forces said that his group is moving from Ndian into Meme. He noted that despite the superiority of French Cameroun military weapons Ambazonians will clear the Meme County in the coming days.

The Ambazonian Interim Government (IG) noted recently that Buea will fall to restoration forces earlier than expected. Communication Secretary, Hon. Chris Anu observed that the protection and the defense of Southern Cameroons is a national duty and a strategic choice. The IG says the attack on Minister Beti Assomo’s entourage seeks to stop the occupying regime from killing innocent Southern Cameroonians.

Additionally, troops loyal to the regime in Yaoundé have targeted restoration forces station in Muea, Bomaka and Mile 17 in the Fako County. According to Cameroon Intelligence Report sources, at least 30 Southern Cameroons teens lost their lives in the attacks on Kumba, Muyuka and Muea and 22 elderly people sustained injuries.

By Sama Ernest in Buea

15, July 2018

Cuba to recognize private ownership ⁰

Communist-run Cuba is to officially recognize the ownership of private property in an effort to boost its economy.

Private property has long been officially rejected in the Communist state as a sign of decadent capitalism.

Ruling Communist Party newspaper Granma reported on Saturday, however, that a new constitution, to be put to a referendum, recognizes free market policies and private property.

The new constitution also creates the position of prime minister alongside the president, according to Granma.

The document, by creating the position of prime minister, divides the roles of the head of state and the head of government.

The new constitution also imposes a term limit on the presidency of two consecutive five-year periods.

However, Granma said the constitution reaffirmed that central planning and state enterprise remained as the pillars of Cuban economy.

It said the government commission reforming the constitution will present its draft to the national assembly when it meets next week. It will then be put to a national referendum, expected later this year.

The commission is headed by former president Raul Castro, 87, who remains the head of the Communist Party.

Castro’s market reforms have prompted hundreds of thousands of Cubans to join the ranks of the island’s self-employed since 2010, in new privately-owned businesses ranging from restaurants to beauty salons.

This 1963 handout file picture shows Argentine-born legendary revolutionary figure Ernesto “Che” Guevara (L) with Cuban leader Fidel Castro in Havana’s famous “1830” restaurant four years after he and Fidel led the revolution that toppled Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. (Via AFP)

Castro, who together with his older, the late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, ruled over Cuba for nearly six decades, had proposed the reforms in 2011, as part of a bid to modernize the political system.

Fidel led the revolution that toppled Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959. He died in November 2016.

Source: Presstv

14, July 2018

South Africa launches notes and coins for 100th anniversary of Mandela’s birth ⁰

South Africa on Friday launched a set of limited edition bank notes and gold coins to mark the 100th anniversary on July 18 of the birth of Nelson Mandela.

The South African Reserve Bank said the notes depict Mandela’s life including his upbringing in rural Eastern Cape as the son of a chief, his 27-year incarceration and the end of apartheid in 1994 when he became president. Mandela died in 2013 aged 95.

The launch forms part of events across the world, culminating locally in an annual Mandela Day lecture by former U.S. president Barack Obama next week.

The etching on the 1-ounce gold coin of a smiling middle-aged Mandela with his hair parted down the middle was designed by Zimbabwe-born Sindiso Nyoni, whose work includes stinging rebukes of former Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe.

“Growing up and living most of my life under a dictatorship, we were not able to experience this feeling of democracy that South Africans have,” Nyoni said. Mandela’s face already graces all South Africa’s banknotes.

Source: Africa News