15, April 2019

World’s largest aircraft completes historic first flight ⁰

The Stratolaunch, the world’s largest aircraft by wingspan, completed its successful first flight over the Mojave Desert, California, on Saturday.

The Stratolaunch has six engines and has a wingspan of 117m (384ft), bigger than the length of an American football field.

According to official information from Stratolaunch, the aircraft reached a maximum speed of more than 300 kilometres per hour (189 mph), during its 2.5 hour long flight at altitudes up to 17,000 feet (5,181m) over the desert.

According to reports, the Stratolaunch will enable convenient and affordable access to space, as its centre wing is designed to carry as many as three satellite-laden rockets and can support multiple launch vehicles, weighing up to a total of 500,000 pounds (over 226 tons).

15, April 2019

UK police invading migrant couples’ privacy over sham marriage suspicion ⁰

A new report shows genuine couples in the UK have been subjected to numerous cases of insult and harassment by police and other authorities, who suspect such marriages provide a cover for immigration fraud.

The Guardian newspaper said on Sunday that more and more registered couples across the UK had been subject to “insulting” searches by Home Office officials investigating whether their relationship was real and not one that allows the parties to remain in the country as a migrant.

The newspaper cited shocking cases of ministry officials raiding houses of couples or gatecrashing their wedding ceremonies only because they suspected they were involved in a sham marriage.

The couples are often forced to detail their sexual relationship, something many of them find deeply troublesome and insulting.

In one case, ministry officials had told a couple inside their house that their marriage could be declared sham because they were wearing pajamas in bed.

In another case, four ministry officials raided the home of a Pakistani man, identified only as Qasim, and his Portuguese wife three years ago. They interrogated the couple about their sexual behavior and then arrested the man for four months until authorities were convinced that the relationship was genuine.

“I was in a state of shock and trauma all the time I was in detention. It was very insulting that the Home Office came inside our home to check that everything was joined,” said Qasim.

Lawyers and rights activists have protested against the Home Office practice, saying it is part of the UK government’s hostile policy toward the refugees.

“You may be detained after your marriage ceremony is gatecrashed by Home Office officials. It’s very degrading,” said Poppy Firmin, an employee of a UK law agency.

“Home Office officials may come to your home early in the morning and check up on the number of toothbrushes,” said Elizabeth Ruddick, a solicitor working for major law agency.

The UK government has repeatedly been accused of violating the rights of refugees as authorities eye a drastic reduction in the number of arrivals in the country. That comes as many migrants from the European Union countries have already left the UK fearing that the country’s withdrawal from the EU could make their lives more difficult.

Presstv

14, April 2019

‘I did not run for Congress to be silent,’ Ilhan Omar tells Trump ⁰

In the face of violent attacks from US President Donald Trump and other Republicans, Muslim Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has said nobody could silence her.

“I did not run for Congress to be silent,” Omar wrote on Twitter on Saturday, hours after Trump shared a video suggesting that Omar, a Democratic member of the House of Representatives from Minnesota, was dismissive of the attacks on September 11, 2001.

Ilhan Omar✔@IlhanMN · 14h Replying to @IlhanMN

An administration that would rather give billionaires tax breaks than provide a little cushion for working people. An administration that would rather attack fellow Americans who are transgender and wear our country’s uniform than fight for equality and opportunity for all.

Ilhan Omar✔@IlhanMN

I did not run for Congress to be silent. I did not run for Congress to sit on the sidelines. I ran because I believed it was time to restore moral clarity and courage to Congress. To fight and to defend our democracy.39K 7:22 PM – Apr 13, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 11K people are talking about this

The video spliced news footage of 9/11 with a clip from a speech Omar gave last month in which she described the terror attack as “some people did something.”

Omar, who came to the US from Somalia as a refugee and became one of the first Muslim women in Congress, thanked supporters for standing “against an administration that ran on banning Muslims from this country.”

“No one person – no matter how corrupt, inept, or vicious – can threaten my unwavering love for America,” she wrote on Twitter. “I stand undeterred to continue fighting for equal opportunity in our pursuit of happiness for all Americans.”

Ilhan Omar✔@IlhanMN · 14h Replying to @IlhanMN

Ilhan Omar✔@IlhanMN

No one person – no matter how corrupt, inept, or vicious – can threaten my unwavering love for America. I stand undeterred to continue fighting for equal opportunity in our pursuit of happiness for all Americans.54.9K 7:25 PM – Apr 13, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 12.3K people are talking about this

In an other tweet, Omar slammed Trump’s immigration policy.

Ilhan Omar✔@IlhanMN

This country was founded on the ideas of justice, of liberty, of the pursuit of happiness. But these core beliefs are under threat. Each and every day. We are under threat by an administration that would rather cage children than pass comprehensive immigration reform.108K 7:18 PM – Apr 13, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 30.7K people are talking about this

In the hours after Trump attacked Omar, top Democrats in the US Congress strongly condemned Trump and other Republicans for attacking Omar over comments she made that seemingly minimized the 9/11 attacks, which were a series of strikes in the US that killed nearly 3,000 people and caused about $10 billion worth of property and infrastructure damage.

US officials assert that the attacks were carried out by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists but many experts have raised questions about the official account.

They believe that rogue elements within the US government, such as former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, orchestrated or at least encouraged the 9/11 attacks in order to accelerate the US war machine and advance the Zionist agenda.

In Omar’s speech, given to a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, she said Muslims had “lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen and, frankly, I’m tired of it, and every single Muslim in this country should be tired of it.”

“CAIR was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties,” Omar said.

Lawmakers from Trump’s Republican Party have accused Omar of minimizing the 9/11 attacks, while critics of the president say he took Omar’s words out of context in order to stoke anti-Muslim sentiment.

US Senator Bernie Sanders, who is running for president again in the 2020 elections after he lost in 2016, described Omar as a leader with “strength and courage.”

“She won’t back down to Trump’s racism and hate, and neither will we. The disgusting and dangerous attacks against her must end,” Sanders tweeted Friday.

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren condemned the attacks against Omar as not only dangerous for the congresswoman, but Muslims in the US in general.

“President Trump’s inflammatory and dangerous rhetoric towards Ilhan Omar is jeopardizing her safety. He is deliberately putting her and all Muslim Americans in harm’s way,” Inslee tweeted Friday.

Jay Inslee✔@JayInslee

President Trump’s inflammatory and dangerous rhetoric towards Ilhan Omar is jeopardizing her safety. He is deliberately putting her and all Muslim Americans in harm’s way.49.6K 1:41 AM – Apr 13, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 16.2K people are talking about this

Warren also tweeted a similar message on Friday: “The President is inciting violence against a sitting Congresswoman—and an entire group of Americans based on their religion. It’s disgusting. It’s shameful. And any elected leader who refuses to condemn it shares responsibility for it.”

Rashida Tlaib, the other Muslim American woman in Congress, was the first on Friday who urged Democrats to “speak up” for Omar.

“Enough is enough,” she wrote. “No more silence, with NY Post and now Trump taking Ilhan’s words out of context to incite violence toward her, it’s time for more Dems to speak up. Clearly the GOP is fine with this shameful stunt, but we cannot stand by.”

Source: Presstv

14, April 2019

European football struggles with racism as French team Amiens halts Ligue 1 game ⁰

The interruption of the Dijon-Amiens Ligue 1 match on Friday after visiting captain Prince Gouano was the target of monkey chants adds to a string of recent racist incidents across Europe.ADVERTISING

It comes after rising Italy star Moise Kean was targeted by racist abuse in Cagliari in Serie A earlier in the month.

Monkey chants were aimed at England players during a Euro 2020 qualifier in Montenegro and there have been a series of episodes involving London clubs.

“Racism exists in the stadiums in France, but we cannot put the situation on the same level as in Eastern European countries or Italy,” football sociologist Nicolas Hourcade, a professor at the Central School of Lyon, told AFP.

The goalless draw in Dijon was halted in the 78th minute as players from both sides stopped playing and headed towards the touchline after Gouano said he heard insults.

“It’s over,” Gouano said. “We’re not playing on. I’m taking off my team-mates.”

Players, including Gouano went to remonstrate with fans.

Referee Karim Abed also asked the stadium announcer to “get the message across, if it happens again, we stop.”

Following discussions between players, coaches and officials, play then resumed.

“In Dijon, we saw that it was an isolated supporter who could be identified and arrested,” Hourcade said. “In other countries, there are collective demonstrations where a whole section of the ground, or a good part of one, can shout monkey chants or racist slogans.”

After the game, the French league (LFP) said it would investigate and also announced that Dijon had identified the culprit. The club said they intended to press charges.

“These disgusting shouts are contrary to the values conveyed by sport, they insult our Republic, and I welcome the rapid reaction of the LFP: racism will never have a place in France,” responded Interior Minister Christophe Castaner.

Anti-racism campaigners urge abandoning matches.

“We do not tackle the subject of racism as we should,” former France captain Lilian Thuram told AFP in 2018, after Blaise Matuidi suffered abuse when Juventus played at Cagliari.

“Why didn’t the referee stop the match, why didn’t the white players leave the field?”

“If there is no deal with the problem, it will be the same thing in 20 years,” he said.

Yet the same thing did happen when Juventus played at Cagliari on April 2. Kean, along with Matuidi and Brazilian Alex Sandro, were targeted by monkey noises and jeers throughout the match.

‘Openly fascist’

Instead of denouncing their fans, Cagliari’s leadership blamed Kean for celebrating his late winner by standing motionless and silent with arms spread in front of the hostile stand.

“Italy is a case apart for two reasons,” Hourcade said. “The historical strength of the extreme right, and the presence of openly fascist fan organisations.”

But in England too, there have been numerous recent incidents at all levels of football.

On Thursday, half a dozen Chelsea fans posted a video on social media in which they sang that Liverpool’s Egyptian star, Mohamed Salah, was a “bomber”. Chelsea identified and barred three of the fans.

Arsenal are attempting to identify a fan who was caught on video shouting racist abuse at Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli in a Europa League game on Thursday.

In December, Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling was the target of insults at Chelsea and a Tottenham fan threw a banana in the direction of Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

One of the major issues is “to identify the perpetrators of these acts to punish them,” said Hourcade.

Spurs’ England defender Danny Rose has blasted the game’s rulers for failing to rein in racism, calling their efforts “a farce”.

(AFP)

14, April 2019

France: Could Macron and Brexit make Paris the capital of European tech? ⁰

Shortly after his election in May 2017, President Macron said he wanted France itself “to think and move like a start-up” – a vision of the country’s digital future that is gaining traction as Britain wrestles with Brexit.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s vow to make France a ‘start-up nation’ amid the uncertainty over Brexit is raising the question of whether Paris could supplant London as the capital of European tech.

Since his election, Macron has wooed tech entrepreneurs with a string of initiatives in the form of lavish tax breaks, subsides, and credits for research. In March 2018, he promised to invest €1.5 billion into artificial intelligence research through 2022.

Some of these initiatives, in addition to Macron’s dynamism, have lured British tech companies who are looking to gain a foothold in Europe.

“It made sense to have a European base,” said Cedric Jones*, a Briton who recently launched a start-up at Station F, the cavernous old train station that is now home to the world’s largest start-up campus. “If I’m going to make waves in continental Europe… I wanted to get here before Brexit happened.”

Jones is among dozens of foreign entrepreneurs who have recently launched their start-up at Station F, whose 3,000 desk hub has seen spiralling applications from English-speaking nationals in the last two years.

Some cite political woes back home, the burgeoning French tech sector, or are inspired by Macron’s bid to make Paris the innovation heart of Europe.

“There’s an air of optimism and a can-do spirit in France that I feel we’ve lost somewhat in the US,” said Mark Heath, a New Yorker, who stayed on in France to launch a start-up after studying at INSEAD in 2017.

The Macron effect

Much of the investment in French tech predates Macron’s reforms. The state investment bank Bpifrance, launched by former French president François Hollande in 2013, has been widely credited with developing the sector. Hollande also set up new foreign visas for start-up entrepreneurs.

But Zahir Bouchaary, a Briton who works out of Station F, credits Macron with injecting dynamism into the sector.

“Macron has installed a [start-up] mentality within the French ecosystem itself,” said Bouchaary, adding that it has become much easier to do business in France in the last few years.

“French customers are a lot more willing to work with start-ups than they were before,” said Bouchaary. “France was a very conservative country and our clients were used to working with big old-fashioned companies that have been around for a while. For the past few years they’ve opened up a lot more to working with younger companies and seem to take more risks than they did before.”

Jones agreed that Macron was “the single variable”. “When he [Macron] goes, the dynamism will go too. I absolutely would not expect that to remain the case if he’s not president.”

However, although Macron has moved to ease labour laws, Jones said that navigating the country’s labyrinthine bureaucracy in French remained “very burdensome”, and that it was far easier to build a business in the UK. “Whether it’s from a tax perspective or from a legal perspective it’s just so much more complicated.”

UK tech ‘resilient’

The tech scene in London appears to be just as vibrant as ever, explained Albin Serviant, president of Frenchtech in London, who said many UK-based tech entrepreneurs are adopting a “wait and see” approach to Brexit.

“The UK ecosystem is quite resilient,” said Serviant.

“In the first quarter of 2019, there were about €2 billion invested in tech in London. That’s compared to 1.5 billion last year, which is plus 30 percent. And that’s twice as much as France – which invested 1 billion. France is catching up very fast but the investment money is still flowing in the UK,” he added.

Serviant cited London’s business-friendly ecosystem and international talent pool as reasons for why London remains the capital of the European tech sector.

Nonetheless Serviant cautioned against the effects that a hard Brexit would have on the tech sector in the UK.

“‘If Brexit happens in a bad way and if people like me and other entrepreneurs have to leave, obviously that’s very bad for the UK because what makes it very different is the international DNA of London.”

Hard Brexit would not just damage the UK tech sector but would also pose challenges for British developers, who post-Brexit may need a carte de séjour to work in the country, looking to find work in France.

Sarah Pedroza, co managing director of Hello Tomorrow technologies, a Paris-based startup NGO, said that if she had to choose between hiring a British national and an EU citizen with the same skillset, she would opt for an EU citizen because there would be less paperwork involved.

Brexit aside, others suggest that France is snapping at the UK’s technological heels.

“I do think France has the potential under Macron to close the gap with the UK,” said Jones.

“The single biggest factor in what’s going on for France is that France is developing a sense of confidence in itself, in its start-up scene, as a tech hub, that’s being helped by France and that’s also being helped by Brexit.”

Source: France 24

13, April 2019

AFCON 2019: Ghana drawn against Cameroon ⁰

The Black Stars will be up for revenge against the Indomitable Lions, who ended their hopes of winning the 2017 tournament in the semi-finals. Guinea-Bissau and Benin are the other teams, making it an all West African group.

Kwesi Appiah’s men will be based in Ismailia and will begin their tournament against Benin on Monday, 25 June. They will then face Cameroon on 29 June before playing Guinea-Bissau four days later. Ghana have been crowned champions of Africa four times but haven’t lifted the trophy in 37 years.

Hosts nation Egypt will face Zimbabwe, DR Congo and Uganda in Group A while two-time champions Ivory Coast are in Group D alongside Morocco, South Africa and Namibia. Two of the three tournament debutants – Madagascar and Burundi – are in Group B with Nigeria and Guinea.

The other new team, Mauritania, are in Group E with Tunisia, Mali and Angola. Senegal and Algeria are alongside Kenya and Tanzania, who have only qualified once before – in 1980 – in Group C.

The first game of the tournament will be at the Cairo International Stadium between Egypt and on Friday, 21 June. The tournament takes place in six stadiums across Egypt between 21 June and 19 July.

This year’s tournament is the largest Africa Cup of Nations ever, with 24 teams. The top two from each group will go through to the last 16, while the best four third-placed teams also progress – meaning only eight teams are eliminated in the group stages. The draw was held next to the pyramids in Egypt.

DRAW IN FULL

Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe

Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi

Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania

Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia

Group E: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Angola

Group F: Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau

Source: Joy Sports/EFF

13, April 2019

Cameroon cement industry reaches sales of XAF191.9bn in 2018 ⁰

Cameroon’s four cement producers achieved a total turnover of XAF191.9bn (US$330.4m) in 2018, according to sources in the country’s tax administration.

Market leader Dangote Cement Cameroon sold 1.2Mta of cement, resulting in a sales figure of XAF86.4bn.

LafargeHolcim-owned Cimencam increased its revenues to XAF70.7bn following the inauguration of its new 0.5Mta Nomayos plant in Yaoundé suburb on 2 April 2019.

Cimaf Cameroon, part of the Morocco-based Adoha group, achieved a turnover of XAF28.5bn, ahead by Medcem Cameroon (owned by the Turkey-headquartered Eren Holding), which had sales of XAF6.3bn.

Published under Cement News

13, April 2019

African Union criticises Sudan’s military for coup, calling it ‘inappropriate’ ⁰

The African Union (AU) has criticised the military take over in the Northern-African country of Sudan following the ousting of Omar al-Bashir.

Bashir was toppled out of power by the military on Thursday following months of civilian protests against his 30-year-old rule.

The AU said that it is inappropriate. The AU in the past 10 years has red-carded unconstitutional changes of government and that is exactly what has happened here.

Omar al-Bashir has been in power for over 30 years and is not the longest serving African president. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea has been serving for 39 years.

Paul Biya from Cameroon has been in power for 38 years. They have been in power for a long time but moving them is not allowed. There have been five coups in Sudan since independence in 1996. To be accurate, five coups, two civil wars, genocide in Darfur; it is no wonder that people have taken to the streets.

Source: 702.co.za

13, April 2019

Cameroon unrest intensifies as civil liberties crackdown sparks protests ⁰

Anti-government protests are expected across Cameroon today, where protestors will call for the release of 150 jailed opposition supporters, including leader Maurice Kanto. Mr Kanto of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement claims to have defeated President Paul Biya in elections last October.

Cameroon’s government has banned protests until April 13, citing threats from Boko Haram along the northern border, violence along the border with the Central African Republic and a separatist movement occurring in English-speaking regions as reasons for the repressive measures. Although Cameroon is indeed facing serious security risks, the decision to ban opposition protests will likely exasperate these security risks and the opposition’s discontent.

Last week, the government increased the presence of security personnel nationwide. This has heightened the risk of confrontation with protestors, which could spark small to medium-scale violence. Demonstrators are also demanding the resignation of President Biya—and are threatening to remove him themselves if he does not willingly resign.

While Mr Biya is unlikely to resign, the government may provide some concessions to the protestors by way of prison releases, possibly including Mr Kanto. While this could potentially mollify protestors and motivate them to turn to political solutions, such concessions are unlikely to completely stifle opposition to the regime.

Source: Foreign Brief

12, April 2019

Berlin: Acting President Sako, Hundreds of Ambazonians bring traffic to a standstill as they protest outside Nigerian embassy ⁰

Hundreds of Southern Cameroons demonstrators brought traffic to a standstill in Berlin today after turning out in their droves to call for an end to cooperation between Abuja and Yaounde and the immediate implementation of the Nigerian High Court decision that ordered the return of President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and his top aides back to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Ambazonians led by Acting President Ikome Sako crowded the streets outside the Nigerian Embassy in Berlin and some took it even further by blocking the entrance to the main building. Waving the Southern Cameroons flag with placards which read ‘Freedom for Southern Cameroons”, demonstrators chanted the Ambazonia National anthem as they protested against the ongoing genocide in Southern Cameroons.

Several of the Southern Cameroons protesters held banners which read: ‘Human Rights rejects the French Cameroun regime and condemns its criminal siege and occupation of Southern Cameroons. However, despite the large crowds, Bundes Polizei said the protest was largely peaceful as a whole.

In a statement delivered in front of the Nigerian embassy, Southern Cameroons Acting President Dr Ikome Sako said: ‘This isn’t about Southern Cameroons Self-Defense and Restoration Forces. It’s about the French Cameroun government and army fighting to maintain its control over Ambazonian lives, and Ambazonian land.

Prominent among the Southern Cameroons delegation that attended the rally in Berlin were Ambazonia Communications Secretary, Hon. Chris Anu, Dr Elad K. Logan Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Ambroise Etenjeh, Secretary for Home Affairs. It is vital to include in this report that Acting President Sako handed over a copy of the Abuja verdict to the Nigerian ambassador to Germany.

By Sessekou Asu Isong in Berlin on Special Assignment