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Biya is set to serve his eighth term in Cameroon despite calls for him to step down.
Paul Biya announced his bid for an eight-term in July. He said that he heeded "numerous, insistent" requests to remain in office. However, this year's elections have also seen a number of striking calls for him to step down. The first was Catholic Archbishop Samuel Kleda who, on French radio at Christmas last year, said that it wasn't "realistic" for Biya continue in his job. Two cabinet members, from Cameroon’s northern regions with a high voter turnout, openly questioned Biya’s leadership ability. Brenda Biya (27), the daughter of the president, stated on TikTok that her father had "made too many people suffer". She urged Cameroonians, therefore, to vote him out. The post has been widely circulated among Biya detractors. The world's oldest leader of state, despite these criticisms and a number of economic and security challenges, stands a good chance of winning when the country that produces cocoa and oil in Central Africa goes to polls on 12 October. Analysts claim that he has been supported by factors which have kept him in power for over four decades. These include a patronage system entrenched, flawed electoral institutions and a loyal military. "The President has been able to enforce loyalty towards him and to the system... "Very few people within the system are willing" to challenge him. Arrey Ntui is a senior analyst at International Crisis Group. "When it's about the president, independent thinking is gone." It's just a single-line story. The president is in office, he can run again. That's all. Health Fears Overshadow Campaign Since he took over the presidency in 1982, he has maintained a tight hold on power. He replaced his former mentor Ahmadou Ahidjo who he forced into exile. He was able to survive a coup in 1984, and the first multi-party election in 1992 when he only won 3 points over the second-place candidate. Biya signed in 2008 a constitutional change that removed the two-term limitation for the presidency. In 2011, he won by large margins, and in 2018, he did the same. He dismissed his opponents' claims of intimidation and ballot stuffing. Biya could face a major obstacle in his health this time, as it has been for years. Last year, he was absent from the public eye for 42 days. Last year, the government banned the public discussion on the subject. Cameroonians are still struggling to access basic services, from water and roads to electricity and waste management. DOUBTS RAISED ABOUT THE FAIRNESS OF VOTES The ability of his government to influence the outcome of the elections could offset these vulnerabilities. A court declared ineligible in July the candidature of Maurice Kamto - Biya's main opponent who came second in 2018 - stating that the party he was registered to represent already supported another candidate. Human Rights Watch stated that the move "raises concern about the credibility of electoral processes." Kamto, who had denounced the results of the 2018 elections as fraudulent, was arrested by security forces in January 2019, after leading protests that were dispersed using live bullets. He was charged with insurrection before a military tribunal, which according to his lawyers could have resulted in the death penalty. However, he was freed in October 2019. The threat or actual arrest of an opposition member has been used to keep them weak for a long time. Officials in Cameroon claim they are only enforcing laws. Raoul Sumo Tayo is a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria. He says that the fear of being sued for speaking up goes beyond the political classes. "When you get into a taxi in Cameroon you never know who the driver is." He said that people are afraid to talk because of the perception that intelligence agents are everywhere. The regime is empowered by the fact that many people in Cameroon want to see their kids grow. Reporting by Robbie Corey Boulet in Dakar, and Amindeh Atabong in Yaounde
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Auckland Airport welcomes regulator’s decision that an airport investigation was not necessary
Auckland International Airport welcomed on Monday the New Zealand Commerce Commission’s decision to not launch an official inquiry into airport regulations as Air New Zealand requested. In 2024, the country's flagship airline had called for an investigation, expressing concerns about Auckland Airport's plans to redevelop and its proposal that it partially fund the project by increasing airline charges. It also argued that the airport's price framework was not subject to sufficient regulatory oversight. The competition regulator announced on Monday that it concluded such a move would be unnecessary and add to costs for the sector. The airport operator has launched a 10-year NZ$5.7bn ($3.31bn) infrastructure programme to boost capacity and improve customer experience. Air New Zealand's claims regarding the future cost of infrastructure are speculative. Carrie Hurihanganui, Chief Executive Officer of Auckland Airport, said that they have relied on conjecture in order to place a price on our draft Master Plan. ($1 = 1.7245 New Zealand dollars) Reporting by Roshan Thomsen in Bengaluru, Editing by Cynthia Osterman & Diane Craft
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Rescue of hundreds of trekkers from the Tibetan side of Mount Everest
Rescuers guided hundreds of trekkers trapped by a blizzard in Tibet near the eastern face Mount Everest to safety, Chinese state-run media reported Sunday. The Himalayas were pounded by unusually heavy rain and precipitation. China Central Television (CCTV), reported that 350 trekkers reached Qudang on Sunday. Contact was made with the other 200 trekkers. This week, China's National Day holiday allowed hundreds of people to visit the remote valley of Karma that leads to the eastern Kangshung Face of Everest. The snowfall began in the valley on Friday night and continued throughout Saturday. CCTV reported that the remaining trekkers would arrive in Qudang over a period of time, with the help and guidance of rescuers arranged by the local authorities. According to a report earlier by the state-backed Jimu News, hundreds of local villagers had been deployed and teams of rescuers to remove snow that was blocking access to this area. Jimu News reported that almost 1,000 people were trapped. The CCTV report didn't mention if the local guides and staff who supported the trekking groups had been found. Also, it was unclear whether or not trekkers in Tibet near the north face Everest had also been affected. Due to its easy accessibility by paved roads, the north face of Everest regularly attracts large numbers of tourists. The peak season is October, when the skies clear after the Indian monsoon. According to announcements posted on the official WeChat account of Tingri County Tourism Company, the sale of tickets and entry into the Everest Scenic Area was suspended as of late Saturday. Heavy rains in Nepal's south have triggered flash floods and landslides that have washed out bridges, blocked roads and killed 47 people. 35 people were killed in separate landslides that occurred in the eastern Ilam District, which borders India. Nine people are reported missing, after they were swept away in floodwaters. Three others died in lightning strikes in other parts of the country. (Reporting from Casey Hall in Shanghai, and Ryan Woo at Beijing; Editing and Lincoln Feast by Louise Heavens and Lincoln Feast)
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Russia condemns U.S. strike on alleged drug vessel near Venezuela
Russia condemned the U.S. attack on a vessel suspected of carrying illegal drugs near the Venezuelan coast and warned of the dangers of escalation by the U.S. in the Caribbean region. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Sergei Lavrov's, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs under Vladimir Putin, spoke by phone with his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil on Sunday. The ministry reported that "Sergei Lavrov stated that Russia strongly condemned the new strike of the U.S. military on a vessel in international waters near Venezuela on October 3," The ministers "expressed serious concern over Washington's escalating action in the Caribbean Sea, which is fraught with grave consequences for the entire region," the statement said. The October 3 attack on the vessel that Washington accused of carrying "substantial quantities of narcotics" to America in order to poison its people killed four people. Moscow stated that "there is no certainty" that the United States would not link their declared war on drug cartels to the situation in Haiti. Russia has also warned against attempts to interpret a UN resolution in a broad way. Security Council Resolution to More than Double The size of a 15-month old underfunded and understaffed mission to combat armed gangs on Haiti. Russia, China, and Pakistan did not vote in favor of the measure proposed by the United States and Panama. The 13 remaining council members voted for the measure. The Russian Ministry said that "the Russian side has confirmed their full support and solidarity with the leadership of Venezuela and the people in this current context." Louise Heavens/Guy Faulconbridge edited the report by Louise Heavens.
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German Defence Minister: Build defences but avoid Putin's "escalation trap"
Germany's defence minister has said that it must improve its antidrone defences. However, he warned against an impulsive response to Russian airspace incursions as this could lead the country into "Putin’s escalationtrap". Boris Pistorius made his remarks in a Handelsblatt interview after drone sightings caused dozens of flights to be cancelled and over 10,000 passengers to be stranded at the Munich Airport this weekend. The authorities have not yet assigned blame but they have stated that Russia is responsible for the recent incursions of aircraft and sightings of these aircraft in Ukraine's European Allies airspace. "Putin is very familiar with Germany," Pistorius, who worked as a KGB agent for the Soviet Union in East Germany during the 1980s, said. "We must not fall into Putin's trap of escalation," he said. He told Handelsblatt that if we shot down an aeroplane, he'd claim it was a pilot error. The role of the state in defence companies He said that Germany must take a comprehensive view of all threats and not just drone incursions in order to make connections between events which may seem unrelated. He said: "Say that there are many forest fires in multiple regions or power outages at the same time." "All data relevant for assessing Germany’s security situation should flow into a single location." Germany should take a similar approach to France and actively manage important defense companies. He said that "firms with key technology need to be preserved." "I'm convinced that we need state shares: to keep jobs and know-how in Germany." FCAS DECISION NEEDS TO BE MADE SOON Pistorius also warned that without a clear commitment by all three governments to the joint Franco-German-Spanish warplane project FCAS, Germany would withdraw. He said: "I will talk to my counterparts once there is a French Government." "The Chancellor is in complete agreement with me that a decision must be made by the end the year... We will cut the cord if we don't." He warned Washington about rumours that its F-35 aircraft would have a "kill button" to control the way customers use it. He said: "If such limitations existed - which they do not - U.S. Industry would look unreliable and no one would buy from them." (Reporting and Editing by Ros Russel)
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Russia launches drones and missiles at western Ukraine. Poland scrambles its aircraft
NATO member Poland scrambled its aircraft early Sunday morning to ensure the safety of the air after Russia launched airstrikes against Ukraine. Ukrainian officials reported missiles and drones falling on the Lviv area near the Polish border. In a recent post, Poland's operational control said that "Polish aircraft and allied aircraft operate in our airspace while ground-based radar reconnaissance and air defence systems have been brought up to the highest level of readiness." After Poland shot down suspected Russian aircraft in its airspace, in September, eastern-flank NATO member countries are on high alert. Drone sightings and air incursions have caused chaos in European aviation, including in Copenhagen, Munich and elsewhere. Lithuania's Vilnius airport was closed overnight for several hours after reports that a series of balloons may have been heading toward the airport on Saturday evening. Flightradar24 reports that early Sunday morning, commercial flights used routes typically used during the closure of Poland's Lublin airport and Rzeszow near the Ukrainian border. Flightradar24's report could not be independently verified. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration website did not immediately post any notices about possible disruptions to flights in Rzeszow or Lublin. Eurocontrol, the European air traffic controller, has warned that delays are likely to be high in airspace controlled by Poland because of the "Ukraine Situation". All of Ukraine is under threat Ukraine's Air Force warned that all of the country is under threat from new Russian missiles at 0300 GMT. This follows hours of warnings about drones and missiles, as well as air raid alerts. Andriy Sadovyi is the mayor of Lviv, a city in western Ukraine about 70 km from the Polish border. He said that missiles were heading towards the city, after the air defence systems had already been heavily engaged to repel a Russian drone strike. Witnesses reported hearing the sound of air defence systems operating from all directions. Russia has not yet commented on the potential damage. Both sides have launched air attacks to destroy infrastructure that is deemed vital to the war effort, such as energy and transport facilities. Reporting by Lidia Kelley in Melbourne and Andriy Parun in Lviv, editing by Jamie Freed
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Vilnius Airport suspends all traffic due to possible balloons in the airspace
Lithuania suspended air traffic on Vilnius Airport because balloons may have flown in its airspace. Flights were diverted to other countries, said the airport operator late Saturday. In recent weeks, drone sightings have caused havoc in European aviation. This has happened at airports such as Copenhagen and Munich. "Attention: the airspace above Vilnius Airport has been closed," the airport stated in a website statement. The closure is expected to last up until 2:30 am local time (2330 GMT). Flights diverted to Poland and Latvia The airport website and airline announcements are the best places to check for updates, according to the statement. According to our information the decision was taken due to an alleged series of balloons headed toward Vilnius Airport. Flights have been impacted as a result," the airport announced on social media. The operator reported that most incoming flights had been redirected towards neighbouring Latvia and Poland while departures had been cancelled. One flight from Copenhagen was diverted to Denmark. In August, NATO member Lithuania said that it had declared an 90-km-long (56-mile-long) no-fly-zone parallel to its border with Belarus in response to drones coming from there. This would allow the armed forces of Lithuania to respond to violations. Lithuania, which is a staunch supporter of Ukraine shares a border of 679 km (422 miles) with Belarus, an ally of Russia. Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, is located about 30 km away from the border. Reporting by Nerijus Adomiaitis in Oslo and Terje Solsvik Editing by Matthew Lewis, Rod Nickel
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China cancels some flights when Typhoon Matmo approaches Hainan during high holiday travel
Chinese authorities have cancelled flights and ferries on Hainan Saturday night, before Typhoon Matmo strikes the province in the south. This is likely to disrupt a busy holiday travel season for the island resort. The official Xinhua agency reported that all flights from and to the international airport of the provincial capital Haikou are expected to be canceled at 11 p.m. Sanya's Maritime Safety Bureau, the resort city of Hainan, has also announced that all tourist ferries and ships will be banned in its jurisdiction as of 6 p.m. Sunday is expected to be a landfall day Matmo is expected to land around noon Sunday, after it has approached east of Hainan. Its maximum wind speed will be between 42 and 48 meters per second. Haikou will stop all schooling, work, and transport on Sunday afternoon, Xinhua reported, while Zhanjiang, a port city in Guangdong, is also planning to do this. Xinhua reported on Wednesday that during the eight-day holiday, which begins with China's National Day, on October 1, the average daily trip is expected to increase by 3.2% compared to the same period in the previous year. According to Hainan official social media, Haikou planned more than 150 cultural events, including sports competitions, and Sanya planned 170 arts and tourism activities during the holiday season. Citing meteorological experts, the state media CCTV asked the public to be vigilant, as Matmo would have a severe impact on tourism and transport during a busy travel period. At noon, the Hong Kong Observatory upgraded its Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal to Strong Wind No. 3 and said it would assess whether higher signals are needed later on Saturday. The Hong Kong Observatory raised its tropical cyclone warning signal to Strong Wind Signal No. 3 at 12 noon and said that it would evaluate the need for higher signs later on Saturday. The observatory reported on Friday that the financial hub had issued 12 tropical-cyclone warnings this year. This is the highest number since 1946. Clare Jim is the reporter. (Editing by William Mallard, Mark Potter and Clare Jim)
The once-acquisitive Chinese Oil giant is looking to revive global deals
CNPC is Asia's largest oil producer and it has reviewed its global strategy to revitalize dealmaking. It will focus on gas liquefaction, deepsea drilling, as well as improving its track record in producing more from aging fields.
China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) & its listed subsidiary PetroChina are facing stagnant oil production at home, a lack of new projects worldwide to boost reserves and a slowing economy and a surge in EV use eroding domestic demand. However, mounting geopolitical obstacles limit their room for manoeuvre.
Lu Ruquan is the director of CNPC’s Economics and Technology Research Institute and is actively involved in discussions about strategy. He said that CNPC could rekindle its investment in large oil and natural gas assets, just as it did 20 years ago when it bought Canada’s PetroKazakhstan for $4 billion and took over Devon Energy’s operations in Indonesia.
The Asian oil giant's new strategy would return it to its more acquisitive 1990s-2000s, when they moved into Sudan and Chad as well as completed the Kazakh and Indonesian agreements.
Lu compared the company's 30 years of overseas investments to a "ship sailing towards midstream" as he explained the need for CNPC embarking on more global acquisitions.
Lu, who was the former head for strategy and development of CNPC International, before moving to ETRI's headquarters, said: "One must paddle harder or else the boat will go backward." This rare insight into the strategic thinking at one of China's largest state-owned enterprises is a fascinating look at how the company thinks.
PetroChina alone holds $37.5 billion cash equivalents by 2023, which is enough to give CNPC the power to impact the oil and gas deal landscape.
Lu said that CNPC could expand its LNG investments in Qatar. This follows the deal last year, which ties a small share in QatarEnergy’s massive gas liquefaction facilities to a multiyear offtake contract.
He said that CNPC would also scout out opportunities on deep-sea acreage in South America adjacent to the fields in Guyana, where China's CNOOC Ltd, part of an Exxon Mobil led consortium, made massive discoveries.
PetroChina is a more productive company than Exxon Mobil, but according to data from the company, its output share from global operations has shrunk to 11% in 2018 from nearly 14% a year earlier. Chinese companies have limited their global acquisitions since the 2014/15 oil prices collapse.
Lu warned that due to the sanctions restrictions in hydrocarbon-rich countries such as Venezuela and Iran, it is more practical to extend existing contracts, such as those with Kazakhstan and Indonesia which are about expire.
PetroChina's greatest strength is the ability to extract oil from aging fields, said he. This capability was developed over many decades in the Daqing field of northeast China.
Wood Mackenzie analysts predict that national oil companies will resume international acquisitions after a two-decade low last year as the industry refocuses its attention on oil and natural gas in response to a slowdown of energy transition activities.
Woodmac stated that "International business development is a top priority for China's biggest NOCs. However, they have taken a cautious approach in recent years to deal-making."
Lu said that CNPC is likely to face the greatest geopolitical challenges since its first overseas venture in 1993.
Chinese firms have not made new investments in Russia, as many global companies left the country after Russia's conflict with Ukraine. China is still one of Russia’s largest oil customers and its natural gas market is growing rapidly.
The strained relations with the United States has hindered business opportunities in this country, where 250 billion dollars worth of deals were made last year during industry consolidation.
CNPC, PetroChina and other Chinese companies do not have any assets in the United States. PetroChina was delisted by the New York Stock Exchange due to auditing concerns.
Lu warned that alliances combining CNPC’s engineering and construction expertise with the commercial and legal knowledge of oil majors, like Kashagan, Kazakhstan, with Chevron have limitations as a model.
As a small-scale investor, it's difficult to protect your interests and gain access to sufficient operational information. He said that we would need to have strong commercial and legal abilities, which are our weakest links.
(source: Reuters)