Headline News

24, October 2022

French President Macron meets Pope Francis for the third time ⁰

French President Emmanuel Macron and Pope Francis held nearly an hour of private talks on Monday, part of Macron’s trip to Italy to attend an international conference.

Macron, accompanied by his wife Brigitte, arrived at the Vatican and was greeted with an honour guard of Swiss Guards in the San Damaso courtyard before taking an elevator to the official papal study in the Apostolic Palace.

Francis, 85, was using a walking stick due to a painful knee, but looked cheerful as he chatted with Macron and posed for photographs with the French leader and his wife.

The two leaders then discussed “the conflict in Ukraine, with special attention to the humanitarian situation”, the Vatican said in a statement. “Particular consideration was given to the region of the Caucasus, the Middle East, and Africa,” it said. The Vatican said their private talks lasted 55 minutes.

Macron was escorted through ornate papal palace corridors by Swiss Guards, on his third visit to the Vatican since becoming president.

He gave Francis a 1796 first edition French-language copy of German philosopher Immanuel Kant’s “Perpetual Peace”.

He previously met Francis at the Vatican in June 2018 and less than a year ago, in November 2021.

Macron is in Italy to attend an international conference organised by Italy’s Sant’Egidio Community, a worldwide peace and charity group.

He and the pope will jointly close the conference at a special ceremony at the Colosseum in Rome on Tuesday.

Opening the conference on Rome’s outskirts on Sunday, Macron said he believed there was a chance for peace in Ukraine, even as Russia warned the conflict could escalate.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)

24, October 2022

UK: Rishi Sunak chosen to replace Liz Truss as prime minister ⁰

Rishi Sunak has won the race to be leader of the Conservative Party and will become Britain’s next prime minister — the third this year.

The former Treasury chief will be Britain’s first leader of colour, and faces the task of stabilising the party and country at a time of economic and political turbulence.

His only rival, Penny Mordaunt, conceded and withdrew on Monday.

As leader of the governing party, he will take over as prime minister from Liz Truss, who quit last week after 45 tumultuous days in office.

Source: AP

24, October 2022

Yaoundé: Arrest warrant for Minister Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh ⁰

An arrest warrant has been reportedly issued against the powerful Minister-Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, Cameroon Intelligence Report has gathered from a well placed source at the Special Criminal Court in Yaoundé.

Our source revealed that the arrest order was made following Minister Ngoh Ngoh’s refusal to appear before the court on Tuesday, October 18, 2022.

The so-called powerful Secretary General at the presidency is under investigation over his management of Covid 19 funds and Cameroon Intelligence Report understands several government cabinet ministers auditioned at the Special Criminal Court in Yaounde have all stated that they simply carried out standing instructions that were given by Minister Ngoh Ngoh.

A renowned French Cameroun political commentator BORIS BERTOLT who confirmed the news on social media said Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh blatantly refused to answer 16 questions that were given to him by state prosecutors.

After a closed door meeting with the president of the special criminal court, Justice Annie Noëlle Bahounoui with the consent of Justice Minister Laurent Esso issued the arrest warrant against Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh.

This item is still developing

By Rita Akana in Yaoundé

24, October 2022

Sunak favourite to be UK PM after Johnson drops out ⁰

Rishi Sunak looked set to become Britain’s next prime minister after Boris Johnson withdrew from the contest on Sunday, saying that although he had enough support to make the final ballot he realised the country and the Conservative Party needed unity.

Johnson had raced home from a holiday in the Caribbean to try and secure the backing of 100 lawmakers to enter Monday’s contest to replace Liz Truss, the woman who succeeded him in September after he was forced to quit over a string of scandals.

He said he had secured the backing of 102 lawmakers and could have been “back in Downing Street”, but that he had failed to persuade either Sunak, or the other contender Penny Mordaunt, to come together “in the national interest”.

“I believe I have much to offer but I am afraid that this is simply not the right time,” Johnson said late on Sunday.

The former prime minister had secured the public backing of just under 60 Conservative lawmakers by Sunday, well under half of the nearly 150 endorsements Sunak had received.

Sterling rose more than half a cent against the dollar in early trading in Asia.

Johnson’s statement likely paves the way for his arch rival, the 42-year-old former finance minister Sunak, to become prime minister, possibly as soon as Monday.

If confirmed, he would replace Truss who was forced to resign after she launched an economic programme that triggered turmoil on financial markets.

According to the rules, if only one candidate secures the backing of 100 Conservative lawmakers, they will be named prime minister on Monday.

If two candidates pass the threshold, they will go forward to a vote of the party membership, with the winner announced on Friday, just days before new finance minister Jeremy Hunt lays bare the state of the country’s finances in a budget plan due to be released on Oct. 31.

That had raised concerns that Johnson would return to Downing Street with the backing of the party members, and not a majority of lawmakers in parliament, leaving the party badly divided. Hunt declared his backing for Sunak late on Sunday.

Some Johnson supporters could switch to Mordaunt, who announced on Monday she had more than 90 nominations, who has presented herself as the unity candidate, but many immediately switched to Sunak.

Torn itself apart

Johnson has loomed large over British politics ever since he became mayor of London in 2008 and went on to become the face of the Brexit vote in 2016. While he led the Conservative Party to a landslide election in 2019, he was forced out just three years later by a rebellion of his ministers.

Sunak said he hoped Johnson would continue to contribute to public life “at home and abroad”.

One Sunak supporter, who asked not to be named, said his main reaction was relief because if Johnson had won the “party would have torn itself apart”.

Another Conservative lawmaker Lucy Allan said on Twitter: “I backed Boris for PM, but I think he has done the right thing for the country.”

Other Johnson backers immediately jumped ship.

Cabinet office minister Nadhim Zahawi, who minutes earlier had published an article on the Daily Telegraph website praising Johnson, said “a day is a long time in politics”.

“Rishi is immensely talented, will command a strong majority in the parliamentary Conservative Party, and will have my full support and loyalty,” he said.

Earlier, many of the Conservative lawmakers who normally back Johnson switched their support to Sunak, saying the country needed a period of stability after months of turmoil that has sparked headlines – and raised alarm – around the world.

Johnson is also still facing a privileges committee investigation into whether he misled parliament over Downing Street parties during Covid-19 lockdowns. He could be forced to resign or be suspended from office if found guilty.

Sunak first came to national attention when, aged 39, he became finance minister under Johnson just as the Covid-19 pandemic arrived in Britain, developing a furlough scheme to support millions of people through multiple lockdowns.

“I served as your chancellor, helping to steer our economy through the toughest of times,” Sunak said in a statement on Sunday. “The challenges we face now are even greater. But the opportunities – if we make the right choice – are phenomenal.”

If chosen, Sunak would be the first prime minister of Indian origin in the United Kingdom.

His family migrated to Britain in the 1960s, a period when many people from Britain’s former colonies arrived to help rebuild the country after the Second World War.

After graduating from Oxford University, he later went to Stanford University where he met his wife Akshata Murthy, whose father is Indian billionaire N. R. Narayana Murthy, founder of outsourcing giant Infosys Ltd.

Source: FRANCE 24 with REUTERS

23, October 2022

Lions Road to Qatar: Choupo-Moting has scored four goals in his last three games ⁰

Choupo-Moting, who played as a backup striker for Lewandowski for two seasons at Bayern, has scored four goals in his last three games.

Speaking after Bayern’s dominant 2-0 win away against Hoffenheim, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Stoke City striker said he and his Munich team were ready to see their former teammate again.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing Lewi again – he is a world-class player,” Choupo-Moting told Sky.

The Hamburg-born forward appears to have allayed some of the fears that Bayern may struggle during the post-Lewandowski era, after Munich won only one game from six from late August to early October.

Choupo-Moting thanked his teammates for his uptick in form.

“There is no secret really – we put pressure (on other sides) very well,” the 33-year-old said.

“I trust in my qualities and in those of the team.”

Bayern take on Barcelona on Wednesday night, having won the home leg 2-0.

Source: AFP

23, October 2022

Bundes Liga: Leaders Union Berlin lose to bottom side Bochum ⁰

Union Berlin missed a chance at reinstating their four-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga, going down 2-1 away at bottom side Bochum on Sunday.

Union came into the weekend with a four-point lead, but the gap was cut to just one after Bayern Munich defeated Hoffenheim 2-0 on Saturday.

Bochum took the lead in the final minute of the first half when Philipp Hofmann headed in a corner.

Looking to ignite a tired-looking side exhausted by frequent midweek matches as a result of their first Europa League campaign, coach Urs Fischer made three changes in the 63rd minute.

However it was the home side which continued to look fresher, scoring a second on the counter in the 71st minute when Christopher Antwi-Adjei crossed for Gerrit Holtmann to score.

Union had a chance to mount a comeback when awarded a penalty in the 77th minute, but Bochum goalkeeper Manuel Riemann saved Milos Pantovic’s tentative spot-kick.

Pantovic got on the board in the last minute of injury time, but it was not enough as Union failed to secure three points for just the fourth time this season.

The win was just Bochum’s second of the season, lifting them from last spot in the table ahead of Schalke.

Schalke have a chance lifting themselves off the foot of the ladder when they take on Hertha in Berlin in Sunday’s late game.

Source: AFP

23, October 2022

China: Xi Jinping secures historic third term as leader ⁰

Xi Jinping secured a historic third term as China’s leader on Sunday and promoted some of his closest Communist Party allies, cementing his position as the nation’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.

The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party elected Xi as its general secretary for another five-year term, Xinhua reported, tilting the country decisively back towards one-man rule after decades of power-sharing among its elite.

“I wish to thank the whole party sincerely for the trust you have placed in us,” Xi told journalists at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People after the closed-door vote was announced.

He promised to “work diligently in the performance of our duties to prove worthy of the great trust of our party and our people.”

Xi was also reappointed head of China’s Central Military Commission.

The 69-year-old is now all but certain to sail through to a third term as China’s president, due to be formally announced during the government’s annual legislative sessions in March.

His anointment came after a week-long Congress of 2,300 hand-picked party delegates during which they endorsed Xi’s “core position” in the leadership and approved a sweeping reshuffle that saw former rivals step down.

The 20th Congress elected the new Central Committee of around 200 senior party officials, who then gathered on Sunday to elect Xi and the other members of Standing Committee — the apex of Chinese political power.

Some of Xi’s closest allies were announced in the seven-man committee.

Former Shanghai party chief Li Qiang, a confidante of Xi’s, was promoted to number two, making him likely to be named premier at the government’s annual legislative sessions next March.

Since becoming the country’s leader a decade ago, Xi has achieved a concentration of power like no modern Chinese ruler other than Mao.

He abolished the presidential two-term limit in 2018, paving the way for him to govern indefinitely.

Xi has also overseen China’s rise as the world’s second-biggest economy, a huge military expansion and a far more aggressive global posture that has drawn strong opposition from the United States.

Despite nearly unchecked power, Xi faces huge challenges over the next five years, including managing the nation’s debt-ridden economy and the growing US rivalry.

Contemporary China

Sunday’s vote brought to an end a triumphant week at which China’s top brass hailed their leadership of the country over the last five years.

In his opening speech to its 20th Congress last Sunday, Xi lauded the party’s achievements while glossing over domestic problems such as the stalling economy and the damage inflicted by his harsh zero-Covid policy.

Heavy on ideological rhetoric and light on policy, a defiant Xi also urged party members to steel themselves against numerous challenges including a hardening geopolitical climate.

Analysts had closely watched for whether the party charter would be amended to enshrine “Xi Jinping Thought” as a guiding philosophy, a move that would put Xi on a par with Mao.

That did not take place, though a resolution did call the creed “the Marxism of contemporary China and of the 21st century”, adding that it “embodies the best Chinese culture and ethos of this era”.

Hu led away

In an unexpected move that punctured the proceedings at Saturday’s Congress closing ceremony, former leader Hu Jintao was led out of the hall.

The frail-looking 79-year-old seemed reluctant to leave the front row where he was sitting next to Xi.

State media reported late Saturday that Hu had insisted on attending the session despite being unwell.

“When he was not feeling well during the session, his staff, for his health, accompanied him to a room next to the meeting venue for a rest. Now, he is much better,” Xinhua said on Twitter, a social media platform that is blocked in China.

Source: AFP

23, October 2022

Vatican: The Holy Father Pope Francis signs up for Lisbon World Youth Day ⁰

Pope Francis on Sunday made official his participation at World Youth Day in Lisbon next year, the largest gathering of young Catholics that had been postponed because of coronavirus.

The event, begun by pope Jean Paul II in 1986, usually takes place every three years but was moved from this year to 2023 due to the pandemic.

“There, I have registered,” the pope said, tablet in hand, standing with two young people from Portugal at the window overlooking St Peter’s Square, where he delivered his weekly Angelus prayer.

The pontiff said he had registered “as a pilgrim” for the event.

Around one million people are expected in Lisbon for World Youth Day next year, which runs from August 1 to 6.

“Dear young people, I invite you to register for this meeting in which, after a long period of staying at a distance, we will rediscover the joy of the fraternal embrace between peoples and between generations, which we need so much!” the pope said on Sunday.

Source: AFP

21, October 2022

World Bank Delivers Record US$31.7 Billion in Climate Finance in Fiscal Year 2022 ⁰

In fiscal 2022, the World Bank Group delivered a record US$31.7 billion in fiscal year 2022 (FY22) to help countries address climate change, a 19% increase from the US$26.6 billion all-time high in financing reached in the previous fiscal year. The Bank Group continues to be the largest multilateral financier of climate action in developing countries.

“In our last fiscal year ending June 2022, we provided a record US$31.7 billion to countries to identify and enable high-priority climate-related projects as part of their development plans.” said David Malpass, President of the World Bank Group. “We will continue providing solutions to pool funding from the global community for impactful and scalable projects that reduce GHG emissions, improve resilience, and enable the private sector.”

Financing for climate action in FY22—which covers July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022—reached 36% of total Bank Group financing. This exceeds the target set in the Group’s Climate Change Action Plan for 2021-2025 to deploy an average of 35% of the institution’s financing in support of climate action.

IBRD and IDA together delivered $26.2 billion in FY22 in climate finance. Nearly half of that—$12.9 billion—specifically supported investments in adaptation and resilience. IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, delivered an unprecedented $4.4 billion in climate finance and mobilized an additional $3.3 billion from other sources. MIGA, the World Bank Group’s political risk insurance and credit enhancement arm, delivered $1.1 billion in climate finance.

As part of its ongoing effort to help countries integrate climate and development objectives, the Bank Group recently launched a number of Country Climate and Development Reports (CCDRs). CCDRs are a new core diagnostic to help countries prioritize the most impactful actions that can reduce GHG emissions and boost adaptation. A summary of the preliminary findings of these reports will be published in coming months to foster action-oriented discussion in the global community.

By Atem Thomas Ashu

Environmental Affairs editor

21, October 2022

IMF Update: Estimating Financial and Fiscal Costs of the Global Food Crisis ⁰

As the global food prices continue to escalate, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been updating the world on the crisis playing out in every nook and cranny of the world. Here below is an update of the situation published by the global monetary fund.

Estimating Financial and Fiscal Costs of the Global Food Crisis Against the backdrop of rising global food insecurity, a recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) paper estimated that higher food and fertilizer import prices will add $9 billion in 2022 and 2023 to the balance of payments of the 48 most affected countries.

The war in Ukraine continues to affect food production and distribution amidst a worldwide food crisis already stressed by regional conflicts, climate shocks, and the pandemic. The IMF paper identifies 48 countries, primarily low-income countries in the Sahel and other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, that are most affected because they face significant import price pressures or have portions of their populations experiencing acute food insecurity, as defined by the World Food Programme (WFP). From a fiscal perspective, the analysis suggests that $5 billion to $7 billion in further spending is needed to assist vulnerable households in these countries.

An additional $50 billion is required to end acute food insecurity over the next 12 months. Although estimating the cost of the food crisis is difficult in terms of data availability and the multiple factors driving price hikes, the report attempts to quantify costs using three approaches: the impact of the terms-of-trade shock on countries facing higher staple and fertilizer prices, the budgetary cost of supporting the poorest households, and the financial cost of eradicating acute food insecurity.

The first approach—approximating $9 billion in foreign exchange needs over 2022/23 for the 48 most affected countries—employs international price changes for five essential cereals and three fertilizers. The price differentials are applied to the latest (September) import volumes assumed to grow proportionately with real gross domestic product and compared to IMF end-of-2021 price forecasts as a baseline scenario. The analysis offers a few caveats, including that it is not assumed that import volumes respond to price changes in the short term but will react over time.

Furthermore, the $9 million in financing linked with higher food and fertilizer prices does not account for other balance-of-payments pressures such as commodity (particularly energy) price changes and rising interest rates on borrowing abroad. The second approach uses the most recent food inflation data to estimate the $5 billion to $7 billion needed to compensate households living on less than $1.90 per capita per day in the 48 countries identified. The methodology assumes 6-month compensation and unchanged household budget allocation for food. The range of total fiscal costs reflects cross-country variation in inflation and represents 0.15 percent to 0.30 percent of gross domestic product. Estimates do not include how other price hikes, such as for fuel for transport and cooking, would need to be factored into increases in social spending.

The third approach applies the WFP’s total annual operational cost of $22.2 billion to support 151.6 million people to the 345 million people now suffering from acute malnutrition or worse to arrive at the $50 billion figure associated with lifting people out of acute food insecurity for 12 months. The IMF report and accompanying blogs highlight that many of the 48 countries affected by the food crisis face several overlapping vulnerabilities and must receive further humanitarian assistance and concessional financing from development partners. Other policy responses include implementing effective public expenditure for emergency relief, facilitating regional trade and reducing food export bans, improving input access for food production and distribution, and investing in climate-smart agriculture.

In South Sudan, the high levels of acute food insecurity are causing a high level of hunger-related deaths as food insecurity reaches emergency (IPC Phase 4) outcomes, with famine (IPC Phase 5) outcomes likely by January 2023, driven by prolonged conflict and recurrent flooding (FEWS NET). A fourth consecutive year of flooding is expected to result in another year of livestock and crop losses as flooding continues based on forecasts for above-average rainfall amid already high river levels and highly saturated soils. Humanitarian food assistance deliveries continue to reach areas of great concern across South Sudan to mitigate widespread acute food insecurity, although they are reaching only 20 percent of people in need.

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network continues to assess a credible famine (IPC Phase 5) scenario given the high proportion of the population likely to face significant food consumption gaps and their vulnerability to new shocks. Fangak and Canal/Pigi are among the areas of most significant concern for this risk of famine (IPC Phase 5). If flood severity exceeds that of 2021 or if conflict intensifies, restricting household movement and humanitarian access, famine could occur. Emergency (IPC Phase 4) reflects an already high level of hunger-related mortality in South Sudan (FEWS NET).

Higher fertilizer prices could decrease cereal production by 16 percent during the 2022 cropping season (WFP). Fertilizer prices more than doubled from their levels a year ago in East Africa within 2 months of the onset of the war in Ukraine. This coincided with the 2022 primary season crop planting, disrupting farming operations. There have also been fertilizer price hikes region-wide, with fuel prices 17 percent to 75 percent higher in April 2022 than a year earlier.

The steepest increases have been observed in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan and have limited farmers’ ability to use farm machinery and transport and will further reduce their ability to grow sufficient crops this year. The WFP estimates that cereal production during the 2022 cropping year could be 16 percent lower than in 2021 because of high fertilizer and fuel prices. Total 2022 cereal production will be about 37.8 million tonnes, down from 45.2 million in 2021. The most significant declines in cereal production will be in Ethiopia (21 percent), Kenya (12 percent), and Sudan (12 percent).

Compiled by Alain Agbor Ebot