7, March 2018

Serena Williams wants top tennis tournament in Africa ⁰

Tennis star Serena Williams has spoken about plans to set up a WTA Tour event in Africa, in what is believed would be a first for the continent.

She told BBC Sport that it is something that that she has “thought about”:

It is something I have thought about and I would like to keep thinking about it. I’m glad you brought it up because I think it would be amazing. It would be so fun – the help that we could do, and the awareness and the athletes and the amazing players that would come out of Africa would just be unbelievable.”

The WTA Tour is an elite professional tennis circuit organised by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).

She said Kenya is where she would want the event to take place, adding “it’s one of my favourite places to go, so why not?” Ms Williams said she is preparing to return to the WTA Tour six months after giving birth. She is a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion.

Source: BBC

7, March 2018

Nigerian man elected as Italy’s first black senator ⁰

A Nigerian man, Toni Iwobi, who has been living in Italy since the 1970s, has been elected as the country’s first black senator. Iwobi, who was born in Gusau in Northern Nigeria, is the chief immigration spokesman for the far-right League party in Italy, a party which has been accused of stirring up xenophobia.

He announced on his Facebook page that he had been elected to the senate in Italy’s general election, The Local reports. NAIJ.com gathered that Iwobi’s party was elected in the industrial city of Brescia in Northern Italy – a major immigration hub.

Source: www.naija.ng

7, March 2018

Clueless Biya cabinet unlikely to resolve the crisis in Southern Cameroons ⁰

This week’s Cabinet reshuffle in Cameroon appears unlikely to herald change in the government’s approach to the crisis in the anglophone regions. The crisis began nearly a year-and-a-half ago and has grown more violent. Stabilizing the anglophone regions is seen as a priority ahead of nationwide elections later this year.

There are two notable firsts in the new Cabinet of President Paul Biya.

Nalova Lyonga from Cameroon’s English-speaking southwest region becomes the minister of secondary education. Paul Atanga Nji from the English-speaking northwest region assumes the job of minister of territorial administration.

Neither of those posts has ever been held by a member of the country’s anglophone minority.

The government remains under the charge of Prime Minister Philomen Yang, who also hails from the English-speaking northwest.

FILE - Teachers strike in front of the Ministry of Finance in Yaounde, Cameroon, March 28, 2017. (M.E. Kindzeka/VOA) — FILE – Teachers strike in front of the Ministry of Finance in Yaounde, Cameroon, March 28, 2017. (M.E. Kindzeka/VOA)

Some see the new appointments as an effort to curb tensions in the English-speaking regions. However, teachers involved in the 2016 strike that kicked off the crisis say they are unconvinced.

“The anglophone populace say they are asking for a system of governance that will allow them run their own things apart, separate from what they see, from the general super-structure of anglophones and francophones, and we have talked a lot about dialogue,” said Valentine Tame, a leader of the Teachers Association of Cameroon. “We have talked a lot about forgiving people, talk together and see how things can go ahead.”

Cameroon has two official languages — English and French. Strikers say the anglophone minority has been marginalized. Demands range from reforms to school curriculum to a return to federalism.

Over the past year, amid deadly unrest and waves of arrests, armed separatist groups have emerged demanding all-out independence for the two English-speaking regions. The government says at least 30 and police have been killed.

President Biya has announced some reforms — for example, official documents are now more available in both languages. However, the president has ruled out any dialogue on the form of the state.

Local analysts told VOA they do not expect the new Cabinet to mark a change in the government’s approach.

Nji, the new minister of territorial administration, has been a close aide to Biya for some time. Soon after the strike began in 2016 in his home region, the northwest, Njj told state TV that there was no such thing as problems specific to anglophones in Cameroon, a position he tells VOA he maintains.

“President Paul Biya, as I have always said it, whenever he has to take any important decision, anglophones have always been in the center of those decisions,” he said. “President Paul Biya has proven beyond all reasonable doubts that he has total confidence in English-speaking Cameroonians.”

The Cabinet appointments this month followed reports of fresh arrests in the English-speaking regions, which remain under a curfew.

Culled from the VOA

7, March 2018

U.S. pledges $533 million in aid to Africa ⁰

The United States will give more than $533 million in humanitarian aid for victims of conflicts and drought in Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and the West and Central African countries bordering Lake Chad, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Tuesday.

Tillerson made the announcement at a speech in Virginia before departing for a week-long trip to several African countries. He also said the United States supported the creation of a development finance institution for Africa.

Tillerson contrasted the United States’ work on the African continent, which he said promoted “sustainable growth,” with that of China, which recently pledged $124 billion for its Silk Road plan to expand links between Asia, Africa, Europe and other places.

Tillerson said China’s investment in Africa “encouraged dependency”.

“Chinese investment does have the potential to address Africa’s infrastructure gap, but its approach has led to mounting debt and few, if any, jobs in most countries,” said Tillerson.

“When coupled with the political and fiscal pressure, this endangers Africa’s natural resources and its long-term economic and political stability,” Tillerson added.

Tillerson added that the US would continue to help fight corruption and promote transparent institutions across the continent.

Source: Africa News

7, March 2018

US: Trump’s top economic adviser Cohn resigns over tariff plan ⁰

Top White House economic adviser Gary Cohn has announced his resignation following US President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to impose hefty tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

Cohn,the director of the National Economic Council, handed in his notice on Tuesday after a little more than a year on the job.

His resignation came after Trump announced plans last week to impose a 25-percent tariff on steel imports and a 10-percent one on aluminum, a move that Cohn had firmly opposed.

“It has been an honor to serve my country and enact pro-growth economic policies to benefit the American people,” the adviser said in a statement about his resignation, refusing to provide further details. “I am grateful to the President for giving me this opportunity and wish him and the Administration great success in the future.”

Trump’s plans to impose the tariffs has reportedly triggered an intense debate within the oval office between Cohn and other advocates of free trade, on one side, and protectionist advisers on the other.

In response to Cohn’s resignation, Trump said in a statement that “Gary has been my chief economic adviser and did a superb job in driving our agenda … He is a rare talent, and I thank him for his dedicated service to the American people.”

The president also said in a tweet that he would make a decision soon on appointing a new chief economic adviser after Cohn’s resignation from the post.

“Will be making a decision soon on the appointment of new Chief Economic Advisor. Many people wanting the job – will choose wisely!” Trump wrote.

Unveiled on Thursday, the plan sparked a flurry of criticism both at home and aboard.

Trump believes the tariffs will safeguard US jobs, but economists say the measures will destroy more jobs than they create and will hurt the very US companies and workers that Trump has said he aims to protect.

Top US energy industry trade groups, which rely on imported steel for drilling equipment, pipelines, liquefied natural gas terminals, and refineries, have issued statements, calling on Trump to scrap the plan.

The decision also drew complaints and counter-threats from the European Commission, Canada, Mexico, Australia and the world’s biggest steel producer, China.

Beijing said it was ready to “take necessary measures” against Washington if it aimed to harm China’s economic interests following the imposed tariffs.

During his presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly blamed what he called unfair trade deals and allegedly abusive practices by countries such as China and Mexico for the massive US trade deficit and the loss of high-paying American factory jobs.

Trump lashes out at EU trade rules

Also on Tuesday, the US president criticized the European Union’s trade rules as the 28-member bloc threatened to take retaliatory measures against Washington’s new trade tariffs.

“The United States has been taken advantage of by other countries, both friendly and not so friendly, for many, many decades, and we have a trade deficit of $800bn per year, and that’s not going to happen with me,” Trump said at a press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven at the White House.

US President Donald Trump and Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven hold a joint press conference at the White House on March 6, 2018, in Washington, DC. (Photo by AFP)

“The European Union has been particularly tough on the United States. They make it almost impossible to do business with them, and yet they send their cars and everything else back into the United States. They can do whatever they like but if they do that, then we put a big tax of 25 percent on their cars and believe me, they won’t be doing it very long,” he added.

Trump had earlier warned to impose more tariffs on car imports from the European Union despite the new tariff plan, with member states being concerned about the impact of the new tariffs on their economies.

Following Trump’s announcement, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker complained that the proposed tariffs were a blatant intervention that amounted to protectionism, vowing to act “firmly” against the plan.

“We will not sit idly while our industry is hit with unfair measures that put thousands of European jobs at risk,” Juncker said.

EU’s response matches similar measures during a 2003 “steel war” unleashed by George W. Bush’s administration that eventually prompted the US to back down before the EU carried out its threat.

Source: Presstv

6, March 2018

Russian cargo plane crashes in eastern Syria, 39 killed ⁰

Russia’s Defense Ministry says a cargo plane operated by the Russian military has crashed in Syria, killing at least 32 people on board.

The ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that 33 passengers and six crew members were on board the plane when it crashed while landing in Hmeimim airbase in the western Syrian province of Latakia.

“On March 6, Russia’s Antonov-26 transport plane crashed at about 15:00 Moscow time as it was about to land at Hmeimim airdrome. According to preliminary data, there were 33 passengers and six crew members on board. Nobody survived,” the ministry’s statement said.

Russia has maintained military presence in Syria since late 2015, when Damascus asked Moscow to intervene in the war on terror in the country.

The assistance has proven very essential for Syria as it has managed to retake many areas from militants, relying on Russia’s air cover.

Hmeimim is the main base used by the Russian military in Syria while it also accommodates flights carrying Russia’s humanitarian aid and other cargos.

The Russian Defense Ministry said later that it had launched an investigation into the incident, which it said was caused by a technical malfunction. It said preliminary data received from the site of the crash, about 500 from the runway, proved that there was no terrorist incentive involved.

This is the second time an An-26, a military transport aircraft capable of carrying up to 38 passengers and some 5,500 kilograms in cargo, crashes in Syria. A Syria-operated one crashed while landing at the besieged Abu al-Duhur military airport in Idlib in January 2015.

Source: Presstv

6, March 2018

The internet, slow and sketchy, is back in Southern Cameroons—for now ⁰

The internet, still slow and inaccessible to many, has been restored in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions, sources and digital rights groups say.

Access Now, a global advocacy group that has been pushing leaders to stop disrupting the internet under the #KeepItOn campaign, confirmed the internet was back as of Thursday (Mar. 1). While social media sites were back, users continued to complain about pages uploading slowly while some websites still couldn’t be accessed without a virtual private network.

Otto Akama, who runs the Makonjo media startup in Buea the capital of the Southwest region, also said the network was “very unstable.” This was especially true, he added, for the national telecommunications service Camtel. Since it operates the country’s fiber-optic backbone, the company has a monopoly on the nation’s internet infrastructure—making it easy for them to shut down the internet or pressure other telecom operators to do so.

“It is several times slower than it used to be,” Akama, whose company uses the Camtel service and was contemplating switching to other operators, said. “We lose several hours per day waiting for pages to load.”

For over a year now, the internet in the two Southwest and Northwest Anglophone regions has either been completely off or slowed down for more than 240 days as of Feb. 28 this year. As the blackout dragged on, the country recorded one of the longest shutdowns ever on the African continent. The internet was back on for 48 hours in January for a diplomatic visit, but otherwise, it’s been off for the entire period. There are strong doubts about the permanency of the current restoration.

With mounting international pressure, Access Now and Internet Sans Frontières joined a lawsuit along with a consortium of local and regional civil society organizations, which cited violations of freedom of expression, access to information, and discrimination based on language.

But that wasn’t before businesses like internet cafes, microfinance institutions, money transfer agencies and many of the digital startups in the Silicon Mountain were deeply affected. Akama said his company lost 3,000 euros ($3,700) every month. Ayuk Etta, whose company Skylabase provides software to financial institutions, was forced to relocate some of his operations to The Gambia.

The political crisis that kickstarted the shutdown is still flaring on too, as the central government continued repressing dissent over the perceived marginalization of the English-speaking minority. Last October, Anglophone separatists declared independence for a region they called Ambazonia, leading authorities to kickstart a military crackdown. The fallout from that violent clampdown is now spiraling, leading to a refugee emergency, and escalating tensions with neighboring Nigeria.

Source: Quartz Media

6, March 2018

Nigeria: Medecins Sans Frontieres suspends work in Rann ⁰

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said it had suspended work in the Nigerian town Rann and evacuated national and international staff after a deadly raid.

Suspected Boko Haram militants killed at least 11 people including three aid workers in an attack on a military barracks in north-eastern Borno state on Thursday, according to two security reports.

“Following a violent attack in Rann, Borno state, on Thursday March 1, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) suspended medical activities in the town and evacuated 22 national and international staff,” MSF said in a statement.

“It is unclear how many people were killed and injured but before leaving, MSF medical staff treated nine wounded patients,” it added.

Source: Reuters

6, March 2018

Minister Atanga Nji angers Ambazonians says Biya has greatly favored Anglophone Cameroon, deserves credit ⁰

Cameroon’s Interior Minister has averred that English-speaking regions cannot claim that President Paul Biya has been a discriminatory leader.

Atanga Nji Paul was one of two Anglophones appointed in a cabinet reshuffle. he was named Minister of Territorial Administration which translates to the Interior Ministry portfolio.

An investigative journalist posted a short video of Atanga’s reaction to the cabinet shakeup. “The president is an extraordinary statesman. I have insisted that since 1982, the head of state Paul Biya has given Anglophones preferential treatment.

“He has done that for the Anglophones. And I believe that this is the proof (his appointment as Interior Minister) and Anglophones cannot say ever that he hasn’t given them their due,” he stressed. His views come at a time when peaceful protests over marginalization in English-speaking regions have escalated into a push for secession by the so-called Ambazonia Republic.

Most Anglophone Cameroonians have expressed disgust over his view and slammed him for saying that because he had secured a position in the Biya-government.

Separatist activities have led to deadly confrontation between security forces and the Ambazonia Defence Force (ADF) and other armed groups.

The two regions – North West and South West – have been placed under curfews in the light of the security situation.

A humanitarian crisis has been created as thousands of people in the region have fled into Nigeria. Despite these challenges, the central government maintains that there is relative peace across the region.

Source: African News

6, March 2018

Buhari to visit Yobe state where 110 schoolgirls abducted ⁰

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will visit Yobe, the northeastern state where 110 schoolgirls were abducted by suspected members of Islamist militant group Boko Haram last month, the presidency said on its official Twitter feed on Monday.

The presidency said Buhari would visit areas affected by criminality in the last few weeks to meet and console communities affected from Mar. 5. It said he will visit Yobe, Taraba, Benue and Rivers States.The tweet did not say whether he would visit the town of Dapchi, where the girls were taken on Feb. 19.

It however mentioned that he had received the Liberian president, George Weah, before starting the regional tour in Taraba state. Buhari is later expected to travel to Ghana for the country’s 61st independence celebrations.

Buhari urged Nigerians to cooperate with security agencies in order to arrest the latest wave of crime and atrocities by Boko Haram.

Source: Africa News