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FIFA boss Infantino to seek re-election

6, September 2026

FIFA boss Infantino to seek re-election 0

Gianni Infantino will stand in next March’s FIFA presidential election football’s global governing body announced Sunday.

“The FIFA President announced in April that he will stand for re-election in 2027,” a FIFA spokesperson said. “Of course, nothing has changed. Mr Infantino will be standing for re-election.”

The 56-year-old Swiss has taken a pummelling since the announcement in late July of his short-lived FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan to bring private investment into FIFA events.

But now for the first time since the plan became public, FIFA has reiterated Infantino’s intention to run for a fourth and final term in next year’s elections.

Should he be re-elected, he will continue to serve as head of world football until 2031.

Infantino is in Poland for the Women’s Under-20 World Cup, but refused to answer queries about his future when questioned by journalists on Saturday.

Only candidate

European body UEFA has accused Infantino of “criminal mismanagement” over the scheme and was the ringleader of the initial fightback to the announcement, including threatening to boycott all FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, if it was not shelved.

If UEFA withdrew its threat to boycott FIFA tournaments on August 27 – ahead of the Women’s Under-20 World Cup in Poland – it remains absolute in its conviction that Infantino must depart his role.

The European body has filed requests in the USA for the disclosure of documents related to the plan from FIFA and partners.

If successful in gaining access to the documents, UEFA had said it intends to lodge a legal complaint in Switzerland, saying it has been assured the case would meet the requirements to be heard in a Swiss court.

It has also found solid support from North American body CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in its actions against Infantino.

The three confederations have kept up the pressure and collaborated on a no-holds-barred joint letter issued last month.

Montagliani, a FIFA vice-president, had long been regarded as a close ally of Infantino, but there were signs, even before he distanced himself over the now-scrapped plan to allow private investment into World Cups, that he viewed FIFA’s purpose somewhat differently to the Swiss.

But Infantino is not without friends – 2034 World Cup hosts Saudi Arabia came out in support last month, with African football’s governing body CAF and South America’s CONMEBOL supportive, too.

Earlier in September, FIFA also accused UEFA of a “smear campaign” and a “fishing expedition” against Infantino.

As the only declared candidate so far for the election due to take place in Rabat, Infantino will need a simple majority of votes from the 211 federations affiliated to FIFA to extend his term of office, which began in 2016 and was renewed in 2023.

Candidate nominations for next year’s election must be submitted by November 18.

Source:  AFP

Bishop Attakruh honoured for inspiring homily at African Catholic Cultural Celebration in Belgium

5, September 2026

Bishop Attakruh honoured for inspiring homily at African Catholic Cultural Celebration in Belgium 0

The Catholic Diocese of Sekondi-Takoradi in Ghana was proudly represented in Antwerpen, Belgium, as His Lordship Bishop John Baptist Attakruh joined the Anglophone African Catholic Community for a special celebration of cultural diversity, heritage, faith and unity.

The celebration, held on Sunday, 30 August, brought together a mammoth gathering of Africans and friends of the community from different countries, united by their common Catholic faith and shared cultural heritage. Bishop Attakruh was in Belgium at the special invitation of the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Callistus Uzoma Okponenwu, whose pastoral ministry has continued to play an important role in helping Africans in Belgium remain connected to their faith and the Roman Catholic Church.

In a rich and inspiring homily, Bishop Attakruh called on Africans in the diaspora to remain united and to see themselves as one people, regardless of their different nationalities, languages and cultural backgrounds.

He also encouraged the faithful to remain steadfast in their Catholic faith and to continue to uphold the values of the Holy Roman Catholic Church wherever they find themselves.

The Bishop’s message resonated strongly with the congregation, particularly at a time when African communities across Europe are increasingly seeking ways to preserve their cultural identity while remaining firmly rooted in their Christian faith.

The celebration attracted participants from beyond Belgium. Among those present were members of the Swords Centre African Chaplaincy of the Archdiocese of Dublin, Ireland, as well as members of the Cameroon Catholic Community in Mülheim, Germany. Their presence added an international dimension to an occasion that demonstrated the strength and unity of the African Catholic family in Europe.

The gathering was not only a celebration of culture and heritage but also a powerful expression of Christian fellowship. Africans from different countries came together as brothers and sisters, demonstrating that the Catholic faith can serve as a strong bridge across national and cultural boundaries.

The Chairman of the Organising Committee, Alhaji Moses Nji Ndeh, expressed profound appreciation to Bishop Attakruh for honouring the invitation and for contributing so meaningfully to the success of the celebration.

He praised the Bishop for his inspiring presence, his powerful homily and his message of unity, faith and solidarity among Africans in the diaspora. He also extended his gratitude to everyone who contributed to making the event a memorable occasion.

Special commendation was also given to Rev. Fr. Callistus Uzoma Okponenwu, whose dedication to the pastoral needs of Africans in Belgium continues to provide an important source of spiritual support and encouragement.

Through his ministry, Fr. Callistus has helped create opportunities for Africans to come together, celebrate their cultures and, most importantly, strengthen their relationship with the Roman Catholic Church. His commitment to keeping the African faithful connected to the Church and to one another deserves recognition and appreciation.

The Anglophone African Catholic Community in Antwerpen therefore extends its heartfelt gratitude to Bishop John Baptist Attakruh for being part of this great celebration. His presence, fatherly guidance and rich homily left a lasting impression on the faithful and gave renewed meaning to the celebration of African unity, heritage and faith.

The community also expresses sincere appreciation to Rev. Fr. Callistus Uzoma Okponenwu for his tireless efforts in supporting Africans in Belgium and helping them remain strong in their Catholic faith.

The celebration ultimately stood as a reminder that, despite geographical distances and differences in nationality, faith, culture and unity can bring Africans together as one family in Christ.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai on special assignment in Antwerpen

Qatar confirms Iran’s defensive strikes targeted only US military facilities

4, September 2026

Qatar confirms Iran’s defensive strikes targeted only US military facilities 0

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has pointed to an official Qatari document submitted to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) confirming that the Islamic Republic’s lawful defensive operations against American forces stationed on Qatari soil were directed solely at US military facilities.

In a post on X on Thursday, Baghaei quoted the Qatari contribution to an ITU Council extraordinary session, which stated that Iran’s strikes “were directed towards US military facilities. […] No civilian areas have been targeted.”

The document, prepared as a safety and security risk assessment, noted that “almost all of the attacks were directed towards US military facilities, with the one exception of an attack against the gas facilities at Ras Laffan on 18th March.”

It added that no civilian areas had been targeted and assessed the current risk to Qatar’s security from ongoing operations as low.

Baghaei stated that the sole exception cited by Qatar involved facilities that were serving US military aggression against Iran. “It should be recalled, however, that the facilities struck that day were serving US military aggression against Iran,” he wrote.

Keep Yaoundé Clean: Governor Bea sets CFA 25,000 fine for illegal dumping

3, September 2026

Keep Yaoundé Clean: Governor Bea sets CFA 25,000 fine for illegal dumping 0

Authorities in Yaoundé have announced a CFA25,000 fine for illegal dumping in the capital, but key details on how the penalty will be enforced have yet to be made public.

Centre Region Governor Naseri Paul Bea announced the measure on September 1, 2026, after a tour with Mfoundi Senior Divisional Officer Emmanuel Mariel Djikdent through several neighborhoods in Yaoundé III and VI. The fine applies to anyone caught dumping household waste on public roads.

The officials visited areas from Nsimeyong to Maison Blanche in Biyem-Assi, as well as Montée de la Chapelle and Etoug-Ebe. The tour was intended to assess compliance with measures adopted after an August 28 meeting on sanitation in the capital, chaired by Territorial Administration Minister Paul Atanga Nji.

The statement issued after the inspection did not identify the legal instrument that establishes the fine or specify which officials can record violations. It also provided no details on how penalties will be issued and collected, when enforcement will begin or how sanctioned residents can challenge a fine.

For now, CFA25,000 therefore remains an announced penalty whose enforcement procedures have yet to be defined.

Sanctions were already announced in January

The use of penalties to tackle illegal dumping is not new. On January 21, 2026, Atanga Nji had already announced legal action against people who left waste outside authorized disposal sites. He also instructed municipal authorities to clearly identify locations where dumping was prohibited.

The governor’s latest announcement adds a specific monetary penalty, although no public assessment of the earlier measures is available.

Authorities have not disclosed the number of violations recorded, citations issued or fines actually collected. Nor are there public data that would allow a comparison of illegal dumping before and after the previous warnings. Without those indicators, their effect on residents’ behavior cannot be measured.

The size of the fine alone will not determine whether it deters illegal dumping. Its impact will also depend on the frequency of inspections, the likelihood that offenders are penalized and whether authorities actually collect the fines. A penalty that is rarely enforced can have limited effect regardless of its amount.

Regular waste collection remains critical

A ban on dumping waste on public roads also requires accessible disposal points and a predictable collection service. Cameroon’s General Code of Decentralized Local Authorities assigns household waste collection, removal and treatment to the city council. Municipal police officers from the city council or district councils are responsible for enforcing public sanitation rules.

Authorities have also announced waste collection days every Friday. Public information, however, does not yet specify which neighborhoods will be covered, collection times or where households should leave their waste.

A clear schedule will be necessary to distinguish illegal dumping from waste placed near a collection point while residents wait for it to be removed.

Assessing the measure will therefore require information that is not yet available, including the number of inspections, penalties issued and collected, neighborhood coverage, collection frequency and changes in the prevalence of illegal dumping.

Source: Business in Cameroon

Southern Cameroons Crisis: rising violence threatens school reopening

3, September 2026

Southern Cameroons Crisis: rising violence threatens school reopening 0

Four days before Cameroon’s 2026-27 school year begins on Sept. 7, International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned that violence recorded in August could disrupt the reopening of schools in the country’s two Anglophone regions.

“Rising violence in the Anglophone regions could affect school reopening in September,” the organization warned in its monthly conflict monitoring report published Sept. 2, 2026. ICG based its warning on several incidents recorded during August. In the Northwest region, the organization reported that separatists attacked the Nkor gendarmerie brigade on Aug. 5 in an attempt to free fighters detained there. Security forces responded to the attack.

On Aug. 11, armed men also intercepted passengers along the Batibo-Mamfe road. ICG reported the abduction of about 20 civilians. That figure differs from a report by Xinhua, which cited residents and security sources and said at least 13 people were taken into the bush by the attackers. The assailants later demanded a ransom, according to the report.

In the Southwest region, ICG reported an ambush on a military convoy along the Buea-Muyuka road on Aug. 8, followed by clashes between separatists and defense forces near Buea on Aug. 15.

The increase in violence comes just before the start of the school year, a period that has repeatedly felt the effects of the conflict in the two Anglophone regions.

Since the sociopolitical crisis began in 2016 and later developed into an armed conflict, schools, teachers and students have faced violence, restrictions on movement and school boycott campaigns.

More than 88 attacks on education reported in first half

The education sector remains directly exposed to the conflict. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 88 attacks on education were reported between January and June 2026.

Schools have been targeted, while teachers have faced threats that include intimidation and abductions. Movement restrictions, hostage-taking and illegal checkpoints have also complicated access to schools and other essential services in areas affected by the violence.

Government steps up security ahead of school reopening

The Cameroonian government reviewed security arrangements for the new school year at an Aug. 26 meeting at the Ministry of Defense. The meeting, chaired by Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defense Joseph Beti Assomo, brought together representatives from the Ministry of Territorial Administration, the national police, the national gendarmerie, intelligence services and the military high command.

Among the security concerns identified was the continued enforcement of Monday “ghost town” orders in some communities in the Northwest and Southwest regions.

At the end of the meeting, Beti Assomo ordered an intensification of security operations in coordination with administrative authorities and local stakeholders ahead of the planned Sept. 7 return to school.

Source: Sbbc

Iran begin series of combined retaliatory operations against US bases, interests

1, September 2026

Iran begin series of combined retaliatory operations against US bases, interests 0

Iran’s Armed Forces begin staging a series of combined retaliatory operations featuring missile and drone strikes targeting regional American bases and interests following the United States’ latest acts of deadly unprovoked aggression against the Islamic Republic.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced the launch of the operations in a statement on Tuesday.

“Decisive operations by the Iranian Armed Forces in response to the American terrorist enemy began minutes ago,” the Corps said. “US bases and interests across the region are now coming under attack by Iranian missiles and drones,” it added.

The operations follow multiple instance of unwarranted aggression against targets inside the Islamic Republic, especially the country’s southern areas.

Reprisal follows civilian casualties

The latest instance of the aggression featured a missile attack targeting the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan’s Sirik County, where shrapnel hit a residential structure in the city of Kouhestak as the building was hosting a wedding ceremony.

So far, as many as four people have been martyred, including a child, and 50 others wounded.

Earlier attacks had also hit Chabahar and Konarak Counties in Sistan and Baluchestan, another southern Iranian province, and the Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Iranian servicemen to stage a reprisal against US forces stationed in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

US Department of War faces scrutiny

31, August 2026

US Department of War faces scrutiny 0

The US Department of War is facing mounting scrutiny over the growing presence of military influencers inside the department, a report says.

According to Monday reporting by The Washington Post, the department has “secretly” installed several conservative military veterans with large social-media followings in government roles without disclosing their assignments.

Among those identified are retired Air Force Col. Rob Maness and retired Army Col. Kurt Schlichter, who department records show had active official government email addresses during the past week and were assigned to the office of Anthony Tata, undersecretary for personnel and readiness. Their addresses carried a “.civ” suffix, indicating civilian employment.

A third retired Army colonel and online commentator, Thomas Anderson, was also previously listed with a “.civ” address in Tata’s office, according to people familiar with the matter and records reviewed by The Post. Anderson, who writes under the name Cynical Publius, has more than 323,000 followers on X.

Spokesman Joel Valdez declined to tell the paper whether the three were receiving taxpayer-funded salaries, what their roles were or how long their assignments would last.

The people familiar with the matter said the individuals were assigned either as “special government employees” or “highly qualified experts.” Schlichter appears in a government database with an “HQE” designation.

The appointments have drawn attention because of the men’s public political commentary.

Maness has more than 135,000 followers on X and has publicly supported Pete Hegseth’s agenda, including by arguing that the secretary of war’s team should remove “disloyal” career employees. This is while dismissal over the past months of several department of war officials by Hegseth following reported disagreement over the United States’ unsuccessful campaign of military aggression against Iran has attracted far-and-wide criticism.

Schlichter, who has nearly 620,000 X followers, has likewise dismissed the abortive nature of the aggression, describing President Donald Trump on August 6 as a “hero for finally fighting back against Iran.” On August 14, he wrote of Hegseth, “We are lucky to have @PeteHegseth.”

The three also appeared on behalf of the department’s Senior Service College Task Force at the Army War College in May. The task force was established to examine ideology considered “toxic” or “woke” at senior service colleges.

Separately, The Post reported that senior commanders have warned Hegseth that prolonging aggression against Iran could weaken US capabilities elsewhere.

A classified assessment in the August 14 Secretary of War Orders Book reportedly found that forces diverted to the aggression were limiting other missions and training. Several commanders issued a “non-concur” over extended deployments.

Navy Chief Adm. Daryl Caudle told Hegseth that the Navy could not sustain its present level of support because there was no anticipated end date. Barely one-fourth of the Navy’s destroyer fleet was ready to deploy, according to people familiar with the assessment.

European and Southern commands also warned that diverted ships and surveillance aircraft had degraded their homeland-defense capabilities, while Pacific Command objected to the level of support it was ordered to provide.

The aggression, which has prompted uncompromising Iranian retaliation, has also consumed Patriot and THAAD interceptors, Tomahawk missiles, and Reaper drones. Many Air Force units are also expected to remain in the West Asia region into 2027 amid continued lack of an exit strategy on the part of Washington.

Hegseth’s spokesman Sean Parnell, meanwhile, appeared dismissive by saying the department does not discuss specific internal risk assessments or “non-concurrences.”

CDC seeks government action over palm tree destruction at Esuke

29, August 2026

CDC seeks government action over palm tree destruction at Esuke 0

The Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) has appealed to the government to intervene after more than 100 palm trees were reportedly destroyed at Esuke in Mutengene, South West region, despite efforts to stop illegal crop destruction and encroachment on its land.

The latest incident occurred on Wednesday 26 August 2026, when CDC workers discovered extensive damage to oil palms in the area. The development follows the felling of 52 palm trees at Esuke, according to the corporation.

Workers say the continued destruction is threatening their livelihoods and could undermine recent investments in the corporation’s operations. They called on the government to take urgent action to protect CDC land and crops from what they described as encroachment by individuals and interest groups.

“We depend on the CDC to feed our families and take care of our needs. They recently brought a new oil mill, and now they are felling the palm trees, which means the mill will be useless. The CDC needs more land, not less,” said Akafor Jackline, a CDC worker.

CDC management said more than 100 palm trees have been reportedly destroyed at Esuke in Mutengene, South West region

The Cameroon Development Corporation is Cameroon’s second-largest employer after the state and has major agricultural operations across the South-West region. Its general manager, Franklin Ngoni Njie, says the dispute over the Esuke land dates back to an application made in 2023 by a group seeking control of the area.

He added the corporation had made clear during the commissioning of a signboard that the land could not be recommended for surrender. “First of all, the palms you see here were planted in 2016. They are at their prime, and this is a very high-yielding area. The yield per hectare here is extremely high,” Njie said.

According to the general manager, CDC had also received several disclaimers from the recognised chief of the Muslim community in Mutengene, who disputed the authority of the person claiming leadership of the group seeking the land.

CDC also said the group had misinterpreted correspondence from the presidency as authorisation to proceed with the land claim, adding that the government had suspended land transactions in Fako and on CDC land. “The Head of State has suspended all land transactions in Fako and on CDC land. For any surrender…” he said.

The dispute comes as CDC seeks to protect its agricultural holdings and sustain production following years of difficulties affecting the corporation. Workers said losing productive plantations could have consequences beyond the immediate destruction of the trees, particularly given the corporation’s role in providing employment and supporting households in the region.

But the Muslim community in Mutengene says its plans for the disputed area are also intended to deliver significant social and economic benefits. Chief Hanasani Iya, leader of the Muslim community in Mutengene, said the proposed development would include a large central mosque, a hospital and a centre for internally displaced people.

“We intend to build a central mosque of 3000 to 3500 capacity, a hospital and also build an IDP centre for our community,” he said as relayed by the Sun Newspaper, adding that the community had potential financial backing from partners in Arab countries in the Middle East who were willing to support the proposed projects.

CDC workers are thus urging the government to intervene before further palm plantations are destroyed and more CDC land is encroached upon.

Source: Panafricanvisions

Top footballer hits out over Cameroon femicides

29, August 2026

Top footballer hits out over Cameroon femicides 0

The killing of at least eight women in a week has sparked outrage in Cameroon, with many calling on the government to do more to protect women and girls.

Among those who have spoken out is renowned footballer Nchout Njoya Ajara, who has called for an end to the “tragic wave” of targeting women, saying “silence is complicity”.

The government has also raised concern about the rise in attacks. At least 50 women have been killed between January and April this year, compared to 77 last year, according to official figures.

In the latest case on Tuesday, a 44-year-old woman was killed in a hotel room in the capital, Yaoundé. She was allegedly stabbed to death by a 22-year-old who was later arrested.

“Being a woman in Cameroon should never be a risk,” said Ajara, who is one of Cameroon’s greatest female footballers.

The 33-year-old striker has played professionally in Russia, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Italy and Saudi Arabia for clubs including Atlético Madrid and Inter Milan.

“In the face of the tragic wave of femicides that has hit our country in recent days, silence is complicity,” Ajara said.

‘We are the friend’ – inspiring those fleeing terror

In a statement, the opposition Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) party said it was outraged by the “tragic recurrence of domestic femicides” and accused the government of being passive about the issue.

The femicide cases, most of which are attributed to domestic violence, have been reported in different parts of the country.

In a video published by state media, the minister for Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa, condemned the “worrying” rise in the number of the killings, and said the government was working to address the problem.

She mentioned a bill to protect women against gender-based violence, which she said was being reviewed by the prime minister.

But civil society and women’s rights groups have denounced what they perceive as the government’s delay in turning the bill into law.

A parliamentary session, the last one for the year, is due to be held in November. However, Viviane Tathi, whose organisation documents cases of femicide in the country, told the BBC she was not sure that the bill would be passed at the session.

“We are worried because the November parliamentary session focuses on budgetary debates…So, we don’t know by what magic this bill will be passed,” she said.

She has called for the creation of a special court to handle family disputes, which lead to domestic violence.

According to the latest UN data, Africa had both the highest total number of femicide victims and the highest rate relative to its population in 2024 – with an estimated 22,600 cases.

The numbers are an estimate as some cases of femicide are believed to go unreported and many governments do not consistently record the information.

Culled from BBC

Hundreds evacuate after Russian strike on warehouse near Kyiv kills at least 27

29, August 2026

Hundreds evacuate after Russian strike on warehouse near Kyiv kills at least 27 0

A Russian drone strike triggered a major fire and explosions at a warehouse on the outskirts of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, killing at least 27 people and forcing hundreds to evacuate, ⁠regional governor Tymur Tkachenko said on Saturday.

Writing ​on ‌the Telegram messaging app, he ‌added that ​42 people were also wounded and that ​more than ​380 ​were being evacuated from ​the strike area in the Bucha ⁠district.

A fire broke out and was “accompanied by explosions”, Tkachenko said.

“More than 200 people have already been evacuated from the scene, including children.”

Russia and Ukraine have for several months been intensifying their long-range strikes, increasingly targeting civilian infrastructure such as logistics warehouses and oil and port facilities.

These attacks are causing a growing number of civilian casualties.

The prosecutor’s office opened an investigation for “negligence” regarding storage conditions at the premises after the attack, which took place shortly after 8pm (1700 GMT) Friday in the village of Myla in the Bucha district.

The prosecutor’s office specified that its investigation would focus on “the legality of the … storage of explosive objects and materials on the enterprise’s grounds”, as well as whether the company, which was not named, had the “necessary permits and approvals”

Prime Minister Sergiy Koretsky expressed regret that a “lesson” had not been learned after a previous deadly attack in July in Vyshneve near Kyiv on a munitions depot.

That investigation revealed serious failings on the part of the state-owned company, which did not comply with standards despite the proximity of residential buildings.

“In the fifth year of the full-scale invasion, making the same mistakes over and over is criminal negligence,” he said on Telegram.

“Everyone responsible, without exception, must face severe punishment so that such situations never happen again.”

Source: AFP

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