Breaking News

28, October 2016

Camrail agrees to pay 1.5 million FCFA to families of victims of the Eseka train accident ⁰

The Cameroon Railway Company and its insurer have agreed to provide assistance to the families of victims of the Eseka train tragedy. Under the agreement, Camrail and its insurance company will contribute up to 1.5million FCFA for each victim family. The money will be used finance funeral arrangements. The beneficiaries must obtain the necessary documents including the death certificate and national identity card.

As tension continues to mount in the country ever since the train crash occurred, senior administrators of Camrail have been shuttling between hospital units in Douala and Yaoundé visiting the wounded. 120 injured are still in hospitals in Douala, Yaounde and Edea.

By Fru James

28, October 2016

President Idriss Deby of Chad expected in Yaounde ⁰

The President of the Republic of Chad and current Chairman of the African Union, Idriss Deby Itno will begin a two day state visit to Cameroon today Friday the 28^th of October 2016.The Chadian dictator is expected in Yaounde at about 3:00pm local time.

President Idriss Deby will be received at the Nsimalen International airport by his Cameroonian counterpart Paul Biya. The two men will have a brief discussion at the Hilton Hotel in Yaounde.

Idriss Deby Itno and Biya will have a tete a tete at the Unity Palace at 5:00pm.Chad and Cameroon are neighbouring countries that share strong bilateral ties. Both countries are currently combating the terrorist group Boko Haram. The Chad – Cameroon pipeline project remains concrete example of the brotherly ties that both countries share. The Idriss Deby visit ends on Saturday.

CRTV

27, October 2016

Biya offers 20 million FCFA to the finalists of the Cup of Cameroon ⁰

President Paul Biya has handed over the sum of 20 million francs CFA in small bags via the Minister of Sports, Bidouang Mkpatt to the representatives of Bamboutos Mbouda FC and Apejes of Mfou. State radio and television that covered the ceremony on October the 26^th in Yaounde reported that the money was given to the two finalists of the Cup of Cameroon as a motivation package from the President of the Republic.

The major event which closes the sport season in Cameroon has been scheduled for Sunday the 30^th of October 2016 at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde. The final ceremony of the Cup of Cameroon will be chaired by the Head of State Paul Biya. Aimé Léon Zang, President of Ajepes Mfou and François Bikoro of Bamboutos showered praises on the 83 year old leader for the money received.

By Ebong Kingsley

27, October 2016

2 babies who survived the Eseka train crash reunited with their Dad ⁰

Two babies who survived the Eseka Train crash have been reunited with their biological dad. Mamadou Apraw, the father of the kids came and duly presented authentic documentation that linked him to the children but according to administrative procedures, he had to wait a little longer.

Apraw was surprise to find out that the two children were alive and that gave him a reason to smile even in pain and sorrow following the death of his wife who unfortunately was among the over 76 deaths.

The native of the Far North Region based in Douala, has been authorized to reunite with his children at the Regional Delegation of Social Affairs in the Littoral Region. His emotional testimony on National television on Wednesday the 26^th of October 2016 was a kind of good news to Cameroonians even as the nation is still in a state of shock and disbelief.

CRTV

27, October 2016

Disgraced former general manager of SIC, Giles Roger Belinga in hospital ⁰

Cameroon-info.net has reported that the former general manager of the Cameroon Real Estate Company, SIC was rushed to the Yaounde General Hospital after he suffered a stroke. The disgraced Giles Roger Belinga has been in intensive care at the Yaounde General Hospital for almost a week.

Ever since he was imprisoned, family sources say his health has deteriorated. He was arrested by agents of Operation Sparrow hawk and was sentenced to 35 years in prison and ordered to pay the sum of 3 billion FCFA to the State of Cameroon, on the 27^th of September 2007.

After an appeal, his sentence and fine were reduced to 20 years in prison and 233 million FCFA respectively. He again lodged another appeal with the Supreme Court which was subsequently referred back to the Special Criminal Court.

Arrested on February the 26th, 2006, Giles Roger Belinga is being held in a cell at the Secretariat for Defence in the gendarmerie headquarters in Yaoundé. He was charged with embezzlement of public funds.

By Chi Prudence Asong

27, October 2016

Cardinal Tumi honoured in Yaounde ⁰

Cardinal Christian Tumi, the former Archbishop Emeritus of Douala, age 86, has been made doctor honoris causa of the Catholic University of Yaoundé Central Africa (AFU).

The ceremony was held on Wednesday October the 26^th 2016 at the campus of the institution located in Nkolbisson neighbourhood in Yaounde.

The honorary doctorate is the third award for the famous retired Roman Catholic Cardinal, after the Integrity Award five years ago by Transparency International and the Cardinal Von Galen prize received in 2008 from Human Life International in recognition of nearly half a century of pastoral care for the family.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

27, October 2016

UK: May facing growing criticism over her comments about Brexit ⁰

British Prime Minister Theresa May is facing growing criticism over her comments about Brexit at a leaked private speech to Goldman Sachs. The premier, who has publicly made the case for a hard Brexit following a June referendum, speaks of the “benefits” of being an EU member in the hour-long session, whose audio file was leaked to the Guardian on Tuesday night, drawing harsh criticism on Wednesday.

“I think the economic arguments are clear. I think being part of a 500 million [population] trading bloc is significant for us. I think, as I was saying to you a little earlier, that one of the issues is that a lot of people will invest here in the UK because it is the UK in Europe,” she is heard saying. “If we were not in Europe, I think there would be firms and companies who would be looking to say, do they need to develop a mainland Europe presence rather than a UK presence? So I think there are definite benefits for us in economic terms.”

The leader of the rival Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, attacked the prime minister for having failed to address her own concerns about leaving the European Union. Corbyn has previously been calling on the Tory-held government for a clear plan to exit the bloc.

A video grab from footage broadcast by the UK Parliament’s Parliamentary Recording Unit (PRU) shows British opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn (R) as he responds during Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons in London on October 12, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

“The prime minister has given her private views on Brexit to Goldman Sachs bankers, but refuses to give the British people a clear plan for negotiations,” said the Labour leader. “It shouldn’t take a leaked tape for the public to find out what she really thinks.”

The former Labour leader and leading member of the Open Britain campaign group, Ed Miliband, also reacted to the comments, saying, the leaked comments prove that May shares the concerns of all the Britons on Brexit. “If private warnings are to be matched by proper public debate, it is essential that the government is not allowed to hoard vital analysis of the impact on our economy of leaving the single market. This work is being done in government and it must now be published,” he said, asserting that May’s comments “demonstrated that the prime minister was just as worried privately as the rest of us are publicly about the economic impact of the hard, destructive Brexit her government seems set on.”

According to the Guardian, the audio file was leaked as May was “prioritizing cutting immigration over staying in the single market, while refusing to elaborate any further on her plans for taking the UK out of the EU.”

British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson leaves the weekly cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in London on October 25, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

In an unpublished newspaper column written before the June 23 referendum for the Telegraph, UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson, who is another Leave campaigner in the public, also defended remaining an EU member.

“This is a market on our doorstep, ready for further exploitation by British firms. The membership fee seems rather small for all that access. Why are we so determined to turn our back on it?” he wrote, calling the EU a “boon for the world and for Europe.”

Presstv

27, October 2016

Eseka train disaster: Protest held against keeping dead bodies of Muslims in mortuaries ⁰

The Eseka train accident almost took a religious twist following protest from some Muslims families that according to Islam, a corpse should not be kept in a mortuary. Some of the families were heard raising their voices in the morgue at the Yaounde Central Hospital.

One of the Muslim family head violently attacked some of the staffs that were on duty referring to the prohibition of Islam. However, Imam Hamed Bashir of the Biyem-Assi mosque condemned the Muslim families who created the noisy scenes at the Yaounde Central Hospital. The Imam observed that “if the Muslim victims had drowned, died in a plane crash or a natural disaster where it is almost impossible to find traces of the victims, who will they be attacking?”

Imam Bachir Hamed advised that since Cameroon is a secular state, the citizens and the government must first find a compromise with the team that handles any disaster. Imam Bachir Hamed added that in times like this, Muslim families should remain close to the government in order to dialogue and to assist in the identification of victims with dignity and to organize the funerals.

It should be noted Islamic rules stipulates that a deceased person be buried as soon as possible. If the death occurred in the night, the individual is buried before sunrise. If it’s in the morning it is done before sunset.

By Sonne Peter

26, October 2016

Earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale hits Italy ⁰

An earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale has hit central Italy, including the capital Rome. Italy’s national geophysics institute said the quake struck at a depth of nine kilometers in the Macerata area of the central region of Marche on Wednesday.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed the magnitude, saying the epicenter was seven kilometers south-southwest of Visso village in Macerata. There was no information immediately available about potential casualties or damage caused by the quake, which was felt in the towns of Pescara, Ancone and L’Aquila, which was jolted by a 6.3-magnitude quake in 2009 that killed over 300 people.

Wednesday’s quake rattled windows and doors in the capital of Rome. The quake comes about two months after nearly 300 people were killed as a strong earthquake hit central Italy. On August 24, a powerful earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale hit Italy, and almost flattened scores of towns and villages in the central parts. The quake was followed by a series of aftershocks, the strongest of which measured 4.2, rattling the already hit areas.

Presstv

26, October 2016

Biya to chair the 2016 edition of the Cup of Cameroon ⁰

The Cameroon Football Federation has announced that the 2016 edition of the Cup of Cameroon will be played on October the 30^that the Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium in Yaounde. The FECAFOOT press release also stated that the match will kick off at exactly 3 pm and will be chaired by the Head of State President Biya.

The match will be staged by Apejes Mfou- a club in the Central Region and Bamboutos Mbouda in the West. For the records, the final of the Women’s Football Cup played on the 23^rd of October was won by Les Louves on penalties.

By Ebong Kingsley