France's President Emmanuel Macron, right, arrives in Cameroon's capital Yaounde on July 25, where he is welcomed by Cameroon Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute. AFP
France's President Emmanuel Macron, right, arrives in Cameroon's capital Yaounde on July 25, where he is welcomed by Cameroon Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute. AFP

France committed to Africa's security, Macron says



President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday promised that France remains resolutely committed to the security of Africa amid a militant campaign in the Sahel.

Mr Macron made his pledge while in Cameroon, the first stop of his three-nation tour of West Africa.

He arrived in the Cameroonian capital Yaounde late on Monday night, when he was greeted at the airport by Prime Minister

"France remains resolutely committed to the security of the continent, acting in support and at the request of our African partners,” Mr Macron told a gathering of French people in Yaounde.

France is reconfiguring its position in the Sahel after falling out with the military junta in Mali, the epicentre of a bloody 10-year-old militant campaign in the region.

Mr Macron held talks on Tuesday morning with President Paul Biya, 89, who has ruled Cameroon with an iron fist for nearly 40 years.

They discussed security in Cameroon, which has been riven by ethnic violence and an insurgency by anglophone separatists who have been fighting for independence for two English-speaking provinces since 2017. Northern Cameroon has also suffered attacks by Boko Haram militants.

Mr Macron had provoked Mr Biya’s indignation in 2020 after declaring he would apply “maximum pressure” on the president over “intolerable” violence in the West African country.

Mr Macron’s first trip outside Europe since being re-elected will also take him to Benin and Guinea-Bissau. It should allow him to “show the commitment of the president in the process of renewing the relationship with the African continent”, said a French presidential official, who asked not to be named.

His visit comes at a time when former colonial power France has had its influence decline in the face of China, India and Germany, particularly in the economic and commercial sectors.

After lunch with Mr Biya and his wife Chantal, Mr Macron met representatives of youth and civil societies.

He ended the day in “Noah Village”. This is hosted by the 1983 French Open tennis champion Yannick Noah, who is developing a leisure and education centre in a popular district of Yaounde, where he lives for several months a year.

Mr Macron will on Wednesday head to Benin, which has faced deadly attacks from militants, who have spread from the Sahel to the Gulf of Guinea nations.

Benin was long praised for its thriving multi-party democracy. But critics say its democracy has steadily eroded under President Patrice Talon over the past five years.

On Thursday, Mr Macron will finish his tour in Guinea-Bissau, which has been divided by political crises at a time when its president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, is preparing to take the helm of the Economic Community of West African States.

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Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

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How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The%20Roundup
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ODI squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Twenty20 squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands

The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands

50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias

Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura

Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe

United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal

SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos

Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt

Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho

Singles match John Cena v Triple H

Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba

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Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

THE SPECS

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Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

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How the bonus system works

The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.

The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.

There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).

All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.

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Updated: July 26, 2022, 6:05 PM