Headlines

British police have conducted raids in London and Birmingham linked to Wednesday's attack in London, arresting seven people. Lawmakers were due to return to parliament one day after the deadly assault.

Authorities also revised the death toll, saying that four people are dead - including the attacker - and that 29 people are currently being treated in hospital for their injuries. Seven of those wounded are in critical condition:

Officers searched six addresses and made seven arrests in "Birmingham, London and other parts of the country," Mark Rowley, Britain's top anti-terrorism officer told reporters on Thursday. The raid was part of an investigation into the assailant in Wednesday's deadly attack in London, he confirmed. 

Rowley added that authorities believe the attacker "acted alone" and was "inspired by international terrorism."

Police have said they know the identity of the attacker but have not yet named him as investigations into his "motivation and associates" are ongoing. The senior counter-terrorism officer added that police have "no specific information about further threats to the public."

Rowley also revised the death toll, saying that four people are dead - including the attacker - and that 29 people are currently being treated in hospital for their injuries. Seven of those wounded are in critical condition.

A knife-wielding man first plowed a car into a crowd of pedestrian-son London's Westminster Bridge and stabbed a policeman outside the British Parliament on Wednesday.

Parliament is due to convene later in what Prime Minister Theresa May said was a signal that the attack would not disrupt British democracy or normal daily life.

Several Londoners appeared to echo the prime minister's sentiment to defiantly carry on with their lives. The Tower Hill Underground station, known for writing a quote of the day for busy travellers to ponder as they rush through the city, posted a picture of today's quote on Twitter: "The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of them all."

They added the hashtags "London is open" and "we are not afraid." 

Details

Rita Akana

23.Mar.2017

Hits: 1275

Write comment (0 Comments)

An assailant stabbed a policeman and was shot by police just outside Britain's parliament building in London on Wednesday in what police described as a "terrorist incident".

Amid confusing scenes, it appeared the incident may have unfolded in several locations, including on the nearby Westminster bridge where eyewitnesses said a car had crashed into pedestrians.

Two people died in the incident, according to Sky News, but the total number of casualties was unclear.

"Officers - including firearms officers - remain on the scene and we are treating this as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise," London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

The incident took place on the first anniversary of attacks by Islamist militants that killed 32 people in Brussels.

Reuters reporters inside the parliament building heard loud bangs and shortly afterwards saw two people lying on the ground in a courtyard just outside, within the perimeter of the parliamentary estate.

A Reuters photographer said he saw at least a dozen people injured on Westminster Bridge, next to parliament.

His photographs showed people lying on the ground, some of them bleeding heavily and one apparently under a bus.

"I just saw a car go out of control, and just go into pedestrians on the bridge," a woman who gave her name as Bernadette told Sky News. She was on a tour bus on the bridge at the time.

"As we were going across the bridge, we saw people lying on the floor, they were obviously injured. I saw about 10 people maybe. And then the emergency services started to arrive. Everyone was just running everywhere."

 

"HORRIBLE TO WATCH"

Some people suffered catastrophic injuries in the incident, British news agency the Press Association reported, citing a doctor at St Thomas's Hospital which is located directly across the River Thames from parliament.

Officials said an assailant had stabbed a policeman and then been shot.

Witness reports suggested the assailant and the stabbed policeman were the people seen lying on the ground just outside the parliamentary building by Reuters reporters.

The House of Commons, which was in session at the time, was immediately suspended and lawmakers were asked to stay inside.

Prime Minister Theresa May was safe after the incident, a spokesman for her office said. He declined to say where May was when the attack took place.

Journalist Quentin Letts of the Daily Mail newspaper told LBC radio that he had witnessed the stabbing of the policeman and the shooting of the assailant from his office in the parliament building.

"He (the assailant) ran in through the open gates ... He set about one of the policemen with what looked like a stick," Letts said.

"The policeman fell over on the ground and it was quite horrible to watch and then having done that, he disengaged and ran toward the House of Commons entrance used by MPs (members of parliament) and got about 20 yards or so when two plain-clothed guys with guns shot him."

Reuters reporters inside parliament saw a large number of armed police, some carrying shields, pouring into the building.

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House he had been briefed on events in London but gave no details.

In Edinburgh, the Scottish parliament suspended a planned debate and vote on independence as news of events in London came in.

Britain is on its second-highest alert level of "severe" meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely.

In May 2013, two British Islamists stabbed to death soldier Lee Rigby on a street in southeast London.

In July 2005, four British Islamists killed 52 commuters and themselves in suicide bombings on the British capital's transport system in what was London's worst peacetime attack.

 

 

Details

Rita Akana

22.Mar.2017

Hits: 1507

Write comment (0 Comments)

The Lieutenant-Colonel who is the Head of the Central Judicial Research Department at the Yaounde National Gendarmerie  has  summoned the former President of the Cameroon Bar Association, Barrister Akéré Muna.

Akéré Muna who hails from Mbengwi, Momo Disivion in Southern Cameroons is expected to report to the central judicial investigation service at the national Gendarmerie, on Wednesday, March 22 March at 9 am.a “source at the Yaounde National Gendarmerie” tells Cameroon Concord  through a phone conversation that the convocation follows an investigation which has been opened against him on the current anglophone crisis, but the reasons for which he has been summoned have not been put in their department records.

Barrister Akere Muna is presently in South Africa  where he is taking part at an International conference. He has however promised to answer the summon on Friday March 24, 2017.

The summoning of Maître Akéré Muna, son of former  Prime Minister and speaker of the National assembly, Late Salomon Tandeng Muna has shocked many as the ongoing crackdown on Anglophone activist continues. He is undoubtedly one of the most influential Cameroonians at the moment and has been against the government since the beginning of the current crisis in the English speaking regions of the country.

Akéré has been outspoken about the  anglophone struggle, he is a member of the Muna  Associates which has been hired by the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium to defend its leaders arrested on 17th January 2017 and taken to the Yaounde State Secretary of Defence.

Akéré Muna is also the African Development Bank’s sanctions commissioner and president of the International Anti-Corruption Conference.On February 24th, 2017, the former president of the anti-corruption NGO Transparency International  for Cameroon  was one of the three people appointed to lead the first panel of verification of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)lamation of the independence of the

Akéré Muna is also the African Development Bank’s sanctions commissioner and president of the International Anti-Corruption Conference.On February 24, 2017, the former president for Cameroon of the anti-corruption NGO Transparency International was one of the three people appointed to lead the first panel of verification of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)

 

Details

Rita Akana

21.Mar.2017

Hits: 1846

Write comment (0 Comments)

Passengers on some U.S.-bound foreign airline flights will have to check electronic devices larger than a cell phone once U.S. authorities formalize a new ban in response to an unspecified terrorism threat, U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday.

The new rule is expected to be announced Tuesday by the Department of Homeland Security, the officials said, adding that it had been under consideration since the U.S. government learned of a threat several weeks ago.

A source said the rule would cover around eight to 10 foreign airlines. A separate government official confirmed an Associated Press report that the ban will affect 10 airports in eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

Reuters reported earlier the ban would include airlines based in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The officials did not name the other countries.

No American carriers were affected by the ban, the officials said. Passengers would be allowed to carry larger devices such as tablets, portable DVD players, laptops and cameras in their checked luggage.

CNN, citing an unnamed U.S. official, said the ban on electronics on certain airlines was related to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and that some information came from a recent U.S. special forces raid in Yemen. Reuters could not immediately confirm the CNN report, but Reuters has reported the group has planned several foiled bombing attempts on Western-bound airlines.

Royal Jordanian Airlines said in a tweet on Monday that U.S.-bound passengers would be barred from carrying most electronic devices aboard aircraft starting Tuesday at the request of U.S. officials, including those that transit through Canada. Passengers can still carry cell phones and approved medical devices.

Al Riyadh newspaper, which is close to the Saudi government, reported that the civil aviation authority had informed "airlines flying from the kingdom's (Saudi) airports to U.S. airports of the latest measures from U.S. security agencies in which passengers must store laptops and tablets" in checked-in baggage.

Al Riyadh quoted a civil aviation authority source as saying that these measures from senior U.S. authorities were relayed to the Saudi interior ministry.

Saudia Airlines confirmed in a tweet that U.S. transportation authorities had banned carrying larger electronic devices in cabin luggage.

United Arab Emirates carriers Emirates and Etihad Airways told Reuters on Tuesday they had not been advised of any new restrictions on carrying electronic devices on U.S. flights.

The White House declined to comment.

A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, David Lapan, said the agency has "no comment on potential security precautions" and would provide an update when appropriate.

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly called congressional lawmakers this weekend to notify them of the plan, congressional aides said.

In July 2014, the Homeland Security Department stepped up security of U.S.-bound flights, requiring tougher screening of mobile phones and other electronic devices and requiring them to be powered up before passengers could board flights to the United States.

Reuters

 

Details

Rita Akana

21.Mar.2017

Hits: 1409

Write comment (0 Comments)

President Biya will be received at the presidential palace of Italy. Biya and wife are currently in Italy at the invitation of H.E. Sergio MATTARELLA, President of the Italian Republic.

Predident Biya will hold a meeting with President Sergio MATARELLA at the Palais du Quirinale later today.  

According to the official program, a state dinner will be organized today Monday in honor of the Cameroonian President.

It should be recalled that the President of the Italian Republic, H.E. Sergio MATARELLA, paid a State visit to Cameroon from 17 to 20 March 2016.

On this occasion the two Heads of State welcomed the excellent ties that existed between the two countries and agreed to explore ways that could lead these relations to higher heights.

Details

Rita Akana

20.Mar.2017

Hits: 1662

Write comment (0 Comments)

The President of the Republic of Cameroon, His Excellency Paul BIYA, and First Lady Chantal BIYA, have travelled to Italy. The Presidential Couple left the Yaounde-Nsimalen International Airport on 18 March 2017.

 This is in prelude to President Paul BIYA’s State visit to Italy from 20 to 22 March 2017, following an invitation by H.E. Sergio MATTARELLA, President of the Italian Republic. Cameroon was host to the Italian leader one year ago (17 to 20 March 2016). 

Present at the airport to bid farewell to H.E. Paul BIYA and Mrs. Chantal BIYA were top personalities. Amongst them were the following: Senator Victor MUKETE ESEMINGSONGO and Honourable ENOW TANJONG (the Deans of the Senate and the National Assembly respectively); Prime Minister Head of Government, Philemon YANG; the Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand NGOH NGOH, and the Chargé d’Affaires at the Italian Embassy to Cameroon.

Before boarding the flight for Europe, the Head of State gave last minute instructions to the Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic during a brief audience in the Presidential Lodge. In the meantime, the First Lady Madam Chantal BIYA, in the company of Madam Solange LE and Rosalie NGAK, exchanged pleasantries and a convivial conversation.

The plane of the Presidential Couple took off shortly after 11 a.m. local time for Italy.

PeterLejeune Mbela Mbela, Minister of external relations

 

Details

Rita Akana

18.Mar.2017

Hits: 2746

Write comment (0 Comments)