Mai Fatty has announced the passing of his younger brother Muhammed Fatty.
The younger Fatty passed away a few hours ago, GMC leader Mai Fatty announced on his official Facebook page on Thursday.
“Unto Allah we originate from and unto Him we shall return. I seek prayers for my younger brother Muhammad Fatty, my Mom’s last, who passed away few hours ago, after a brief illness. May Allah admit him into Jannatul Firdaws. Ameen,” Mai Fatty wrote.
The Scorpions were thrashed 7-2 on Thursday by Morocco in the first of three friendly international matches.
Morocco’s El Karti scored a hat-trick and Azaro scored twice in a game that saw Morocco field their B team.
Gambia was 6-nil down when Modou Barrow pulled one back in the 68th minute. The striker grabbed a second in the 90th minute after a blunder by Morocco’s keeper.
The Gambia will assume the presidency of the ECOWAS Commission, for the first time in the country’s history.
State House announced on Wednesday The Gambia will assume the position of President of the ECOWAS Commission for the period 2022-2026. The decision was arrived at unanimously by the ECOWAS Council
The Gambia’s candidate is Dr Omar A Touray but who is the man?
Dr Touray served as foreign minister of The Gambia as well as Gambia’s permanent representative at the United Nations. He also worked with the Islamic Development Bank.
A website has said anti-FGM campaigner Jaha Dukureh is slated to become the world’s youngest female president.
Mrs Dukureh joined PDOIS in March this year, one of only a few famous women leaders to publicly declare their support for a party.
Mrs Dukureh made a name for herself a few years ago when she was tapped by The Guardian to lead a campaign against female genital mutilation in Africa.
A quote attributed to Mrs Dukureh on the www.jahadukureh.com website said: “Together we hold the future of The Gambia in our hands. We must walk forward together, with intention and focus. Moving as one, we can we protect the country we love.”
The Fatu Network understands Mrs Dukureh launched her campaign for president virtually on Wednesday attended by people close to her. Another launch with PDOIS leader Halifa Sallah is set to take place.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Mrs Dukureh will run in the December presidential election.
The Police Anti Crime Unit (ACU) and Police Intervention Unit (PIU) conducted intensive patrols last night within KM and WCR resulting in the arrest of 13 people.
“Three of the suspects were caught on the act of breaking into a shop at Bundung with intention to steal. They are currently helping police with investigations,” police said today.
“Members of the public are encouraged to volunteer information about unusual criminal activities within their communities,” police added.
The Police Anti Crime Unit (ACU) and Police Intervention Unit (PIU) conducted intensive patrols last night within KM and WCR resulting in the arrest of 13 people.
Police said today a total of 13 suspects were arrested in connection with allegations of burglary, breaking and stealing, possession of suspected stolen properties among other offenses.
“Three of the suspects were caught on the act of breaking into a shop at Bundung with intention to steal. They are currently helping police with investigations
“Members of the public are encouraged to volunteer information about unusual criminal activities within their communities,” police said.
By Reuters
Guinea’s military junta on Wednesday named Mohamed Beavogui, a former civil servant and expert in agricultural finance, as prime minister to preside over a promised transition back to democratic rule following a coup in September.
Beavogui, 68, is also the nephew of Diallo Telli, a celebrated Guinean diplomat who served as the first secretary-general of the Organisation of African Unity, the predecessor to the African Union, and was killed by the regime of dictator Sekou Touré in 1977.
Beavogui, whose nomination was announced in a decree read on national television, will oversee a transition whose precise contours have yet to be defined.
In the 1980s, Beavogui worked as a civil servant and at the Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinee (CBG), one of the country’s leading producers of bauxite. Guinea possesses the world’s largest reserves of aluminum ore.
He later worked for the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and, more recently, as director-general of African Risk Capacity, an African Union agency that helps governments plan for natural disasters.
Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, who led the ouster of former President Alpha Conde, was inaugurated as interim president last Friday. He promised to organize free and transparent elections but did not say when.
By AFP
Sixteen soldiers were killed and 10 wounded in an attack in central Mali on Wednesday, security and health officials in the war-torn Sahel state said.
In a statement, Mali’s army said the troops had been the target of a “complex IED attack”, referring to an improvised explosive device, and then came under heavy gunfire shortly before 11:30 am.
The army blamed the attack on suspected militants and said that after pursuit, 15 of the assailants were killed and 20 motorcycles seized.
Mali has been struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency that first erupted in the north in 2012 and has since claimed thousands of military and civilian lives.
By AFP
The bodies of 17 migrants were found washed up on a Libyan beach after their boat capsized during a bid to reach Europe by sea, the coast guard said on Wednesday.
Libya is a major departure point for desperate migrants, tens of thousands of whom board unseaworthy boats every year in attempts to reach Italian shores 300 kilometers (190 miles) away.
The voyages often turn deadly.
“Over the past 24 hours, the bodies of 17 migrants were found on the coast between the cities of Zawiya and Sorman, by Red Crescent teams,” a coast guard official told AFP.
The victims drowned after their boat overturned, he said.
The Red Crescent in Zawiya, 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of the capital Tripoli, published images of corpses covered in shrouds.
The Scorpions have Wednesday morning held another training session in El Jadida. This is ahead of the first of three international friendlies this week starting with tomorrow’s match against FIFA Arab World Cup champions Morocco in Mohammedia. Tom Saintfiet put his players through their paces with a 90 minutes’ workout in the day’s only session.
The headline news is that all 26 players are now in camp after the arrival of Ablie Jallow and Dembo Darboe last evening.
Darboe pulled out in previous selections due to different circumstances, but finally, the Shakhtyor Soligorsk striker is here and ready for his debut.
Born in Brikama on 17th August 1998, the 23-year-old began his career with Real de Banjul at 17. He moved to ASEC Ndiambour in Senegal after just one season in the summer of 2017. Two years later, he moved to North Macedonian club FC Shkupi. He made his breakthrough in his second season scoring 17 goals in 19 league matches. He secured a move to Shakhtyor in January this year for an undisclosed fee.
He is currently one of the most in-form players in Europe having scored a monstrous 16 goals this season, to lead his Belarusian Premier League side to the top of the table with 59 points, four ahead of second-place BATE Borisov, even though they played two games less. Darboe is hoping to see a similar form with Scorpions and has promised to give everything in him for his country.
Since 2019, Darboe has scored 34 times, with the highlight being the one he scored towards the end of August. He collected the ball in his own half and ran through the entire length of the field before rounding the keeper to score his side’s third in a 4-0 win. He’s currently scoring at a rate that has never been seen in his entire career.
He has gone, he has seen and has conquered. His addition to the Scorpions set-up has added a killer instinct with a Scorpion whose sting is as deadly as top mask man Assan Ceesay. This is another youthful addition to an already youthful side. Gambians can only dream that it has the team that has the potential to be at the peak of their prowess for at least the next decade.
Baboucarr Camara
Supporters of UDP leader Ousainou Darboe chanted, ‘Darboe who made Barrow president will remove him’ as the UDP leader entered Badibou on Day 3 of his nationwide tour.
Mr Darboe completed Nuimi and Jokadu on Wednesday holding a key meeting in Ndungu Kebbeh.
The UDP leader has just arrived in Kerewan to much fanfare.
The crowd welcoming him is massive, one person in Kerewan said.
Citizens’ Alliance’s Ansu Mboge has issued a statement blasting as false reports by Essa Faal’s campaign that he flipped to the Turnaround campaign.
A photo of Mboge and Essa Faal was shared by Mr Faal’s supporters claiming Mboge has joined Faal’s campaign.
But in a statement, Mr Mboge blasted: “I want to openly declare that the information is false, inaccurate and very misleading. I am still and will continue to be a staunch member of Citizens’ Alliance under the leadership of Dr Ceesay.
“Taking a picture with Mr Faal does not mean I have crossed carpets or throwing my weight behind Essa Mbye Faal. I have high regards for him as an individual and wish him the very best but that does not mean I am leaving my party for his party.
“We preach peace and tolerance but when it comes to practicing it, the people who talk about it the most are the ones coming up with false claims.
“I feel used by his media team for putting up that picture alongside a very misleading caption.”
The Gambia will assume the position of President of the ECOWAS Commission for the period 2022-2026.
The decision was arrived at unanimously by the ECOWAS Council, State House said in a statement on Wednesday.
The statement added: “The Gambia’s candidate to occupy this high profile position is Dr. Omar Touray. It is the first time in the history of the ECOWAS Commission that The Gambia will occupy the presidency. The position rotates among the member states of the organisation.
“President Adama Barrow received the news today with delight, saying it is a sign of the country’s recognition within the sub-region. He noted that The Gambia had gained more respect among its peers in the sub-region since he came to office in 2017.
“Since assuming office, the Barrow administration has strengthened the country’s democratic credentials and respect for the rule of law and the independence of the institutions of the state.”
Police have announced arresting 25 people during patrols in the past days amid their Operation Zero Crime programme.
In a statement, police said: “Personnel of the Police Anti Crime Unit (ACU) and Police Intervention Unit (PIU) conducted robust patrols during the past days under the Patrols and Response Initiative within KM and WCR.
“Twenty-five suspects were arrested in connection to allegations of burglary, breaking and stealing, possession of suspected drugs, stealing from a motor vehicle, possession of breaking implements, going armed in public, among others. They are being processed for prosecution at courts.”
Members of the public are encouraged to volunteer information about unusual activities within their communities.
President Adama Barrow today presented two new buses to the Council of the University of the Gambia Students’ Union during a brief ceremony at the State House in Banjul.
Handing over the keys to the student representatives, President Barrow who is the Chancellor of the UTG called on them to maintain peace and stability for the country’s development. “If there was no peace in the country, we could not have been standing here to do this presentation,” said President Barrow.
President Barrow urged the students to focus on their education to prepare themselves better as future leaders. He assured them of his government’s commitment to education as a top priority. Highlighting his confidence in the country’s youths, President Barrow is hopeful that the next president after him will come from among the young. He cited former President Jawara’s address to school children during the Independence Day celebration at McCarthy Square in 1979, calling on young people to prepare for the country’s future leaders.
President Barrow said he was among those students, but little did he know that “a poor boy from Mangkamang Kunda” would be one of the country’s future Presidents.
President Adama Barrow will officially inaugurate the newly built Roads and Bridges in URR om Saturday October 9.
This fulfills NDP Strategic Priority 5; Building our infrastructure and restoring energy service to power our economy.
The URR infrastructure project is a flagship initiative to connect the north and south of the region to support socio-economic growth.
As part of his engagements, President Barrow will also lay the foundation for Phase 2 of the TVET project in Ndemban on 7th October and Sunday grace the inauguration ceremony of the Koba Kunda School, which now accommodates a Senior Secondary School.
By Batou Saidy
Barely few months after the Euro 2020 was done and dusted, the UEFA Nations League resumes in style. The first semifinal match that will feature Italy and Spain will be underway tonight at San Siro, a famous stadium in Milan, Italy. This tie will reignite the footballing rivalry between the Azzurri and the La Roja.
Italy are the European champions after their heroics at the Euro 2020 finals. This was their maiden success at a European championship. They have won the Wembley final and taken the trophy to Rome. The Three Lions were disappointed that it didn’t go home.
Spain have also gone far in the tournament, all the way to the semis, only to eventually lose to vintage Italy in the shootouts. Many people might not expect them to go that far after their gaffer, Luis Enrique called their squad ahead of the tournament, omitting notable names. But they’ve went on to refute those thoughts of underperformance and expectations of early exit.
The second semifinal clash will be Belgium versus France at the Allianz Stadium on Thursday, with the final to feature victors from either clash at San Siro on Sunday. The Red Devils suffered a shocking exit at the hands of the Azzurri, thanks to goals from Lorenzo Insigne and Nicolo Barella. Romelu Lukaku pulled one back from the penalty spot, but that wasn’t enough to salvage them from shocking exit.
For France, it was a disappointing tournament. Their early exit from the hands of Switzerland was not what many expected. But their problems were also apparent: from the overconfidence of their coach to the premium selfishness of some of their players, and even internal conflict within the squad. That made it so early for France. Les Bleus.
Running a quick analysis on this tournament, here are few points to take home:
Home advantage for Italy
The Azzurri will be locking horns with Spain today in Milan. That is a great home advantage for them to capitalize on. Putting icing on the cake, Italy are still on their unbeaten streak, a 37-match unbeaten run that stretches as far back as 2018.
It’s now or never for Belgium’s golden generation
Belgium are number one in world football ranking. They have a golden generation of players but it’s largely insane how they haven’t managed to win any honor so far. Now that the squad is running out of muscle – with Hazard, De Bruyne, Mertens, Lukaku, Vertonghen and Witsel all aging; for them to win an honor, it’s now or never. If they throw this one away, 2022 World Cup could be their only chance for glory.
France to avoid complacency
Les Bleus have a lot of problems to fix. Internal conflict. Mbappe’s ego. Overconfidence.
Amongst many other things of relevance. They can’t afford to rubbish their superiority and deny themselves of titles they can easily win en masse. However, when they play Belgium on Thursday, the Red Devils may seek to revenge. That will make the match quite interesting. And which ever side is to win this tournament has to play really hard.
The Government of UK will stop advising Britons to avoid non-essential travel to a country not on the red list solely because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Travel advice has been relaxed for 32 countries including Bangladesh, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana and Malaysia, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said.
This will make it easier for people visiting those locations to obtain travel insurance.
Advice is expected to be lifted for more countries in the coming days.
This comes amid an easing of the Government’s rules for travellers entering the UK.
From Monday, fully vaccinated residents – and unvaccinated under 18s – from more than 50 countries and territories have been able to arrive without taking a pre-departure lateral flow test, a day-eight post-arrival PCR test, or self-isolating.
The Government is also expected to announce tomorrow it will slash the number of countries on the red list.
The full list of countries for which the FCDO has eased its travel advice is: Algeria; Armenia; Bangladesh; Belarus; Benin; Comoros; Tokelau and Niue; Djibouti; Equatorial Guinea; Fiji; Gambia; Guinea; Kazakhstan; Kiribati; Kosovo; Liberia; Madagascar; Malaysia; Marshall Islands; Micronesia; Nauru; Sao Tome and Príncipe; Senegal; Solomon Islands; Togo; Tonga; Tuvalu; Vanuatu; Congo; America Samoa; French Polynesia; and Ghana. (Belfast Telegraph)
UDP leader Ousainou Darboe has vowed that a UDP government will end the menace of irregular migration among Gambian youth.
Mr Darboe made the promise on Wednesday while addressing supporters in Ndungu Kebbeh.
“UDP will stop it [back way]. We don’t want any Gambian youth to leave the country to go outside to hustle. If companies in Europe wants to hire Gambians that have the knowledge that’s okay but it will not be ‘back way’,” Mr Darboe told supporters.
UDP’s tour of the nation entered the third day on Wednesday and the party held a meeting in Ndungu Kebbeh.
The tour continues.
By: Christian Alpha Conte
Farmers from the Eastern District of Kono in Sierra Leone have reported the invasion of their farms by buffalos from neighbouring Guinea, a situation which they say has the potential of adversely affecting this year’s crop yield in that part of the country.
Mrs. Finda Satta Komba, the wife of Paramount Chief Sahr Edward Mbawa III, is one of the affected farmers. She said the buffalos have trampled on and eaten a large stretch of her 53-acre rice plantation.
“The animals are huge, they are twice the size of a full-grown cow, and they are very dangerous,” said Mrs. Satta Komba.
She appealed for the intervention of the government to help permanently address what she described as a worrying situation.
“These animals destroy our crops and eat the rice plants so we want to appeal to the government to provide us with specialised security. I have personally employed two specialised hunters who have licensed guns and are knowledgeable about traps to catch the buffalos,” Mrs. Satta Komba said.
Buffalos are large ox-like animals with horns and shaggy fur. In other countries, this huge beast (Buffalo) plays a pivotal role in the agricultural economy. Among farm livestock, the animal is increasingly recognised as an animal for milk and meat. It is also considered one of the best draught animals for field operations.
Despite its significant contribution as a multipurpose animal its wild nature has affected its domestication in Sierra Leone.
In other countries, buffalos play a pivotal role in the agricultural economy.
Sahr Charles is Chairman Gbane Kandor Chiefdom Youth Council. Speaking from the Chiefdom Youth Farm he confirmed that they have also been affected by the Buffalo invasion. He, however, noted that there is nothing they can do about it but appeal to the government to help before things get out of hand.
The farmers who work on the farm on a daily basic lamented that despite their efforts to seek help from stakeholders in the district no meaningful help has been forthcoming. They said residents within the vicinity are sometimes scared to go about their activities freely, for fear of having an encounter with the buffalos.
One of the farmers revealed that not long ago the trap set by the hunters caught one of the buffalos. When the meat was sold he confirmed that the revenue raised was about six million Leones, which is about $650.
Meanwhile, lack of adequate seeds, fertilisers, and herbicides are among key challenges farmers in that part of the country continue to struggle with.
