Latest news with #Cameroon
The Sun
an hour ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Bryan Mbeumo tells Tottenham he only wants Man Utd move with Brentford star set to complete transfer next week
BRYAN MBEUMO should be a Manchester United player by the end of next week. Despite Brentford rejecting a second bid of £62.5million on Friday, the transfer is still expected be approved after Tuesday as United enter a new financial year when PSR resets on June 30. 3 3 That allows the Cameroon international's fee to be included in the club's accounts at the end of next season. Mbeumo, 25, will sign a five-year contract worth around £180,000 a week. But, contrary to reports, the Red Devils have not set a date for his medical just yet. Mbeumo has informed Brentford and Tottenham of his decision to join United, according to The Athletic. The winger enjoyed a standout season, scoring a career-best 20 Premier League goals and providing seven assists to help Brentford secure a top-half finish - only Mo Salah, Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland notched more. To compare, United's highest goalscorers Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo scored just eight goals in the league last season. Additionally, only two Prem players covered more distance or attempted more sprints last term, making Mbeumo one of the hardest grafters in the league. Boss Ruben Amorim wants him signed in time for the start of pre-season training on July 7. Mbeumo is under contract at Brentford until June 2026 and they have an option to extend the deal by a further 12 months, with likes of Arsenal, Newcastle and Spurs previously linked. An opening low-ball offer from United worth £45million plus £10m in add-ons fell some way short of Brentford's valuation. Bryan Mbeumo to Man Utd LATEST as Reds bid £60million | Transfers Exposed A second proposal at £55m and £7.5m of bonuses was also rejected — but talks continue as the 20-time English champions attempt to find a compromise. Admiration for Mbeumo at Spurs increased after Thomas Frank moved from Brentford to replaced sacked Ange Postecoglou. But the talented winger notified Frank and Brentford that should he depart the Gtech Community Stadium now, it will be for Old Trafford. Reports of Spurs submitting a bid have been denied in North London and they are no longer pursuing the situation SunSport has reached out to Tottenham for comment. This comes weeks after reports claimed Mbeumo chose United over title challengers and Champions League qualifiers Arsenal. The Brentford ace returned from a lengthy injury he sustained in the 2023-24 and proved his fitness, featuring in all 38 league games. An international colleague of United goalkeeper Andre Onana, Mbeumo is likely to miss four weeks of the 2025-26 campaign because of Cameroon's participation in the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Mbeumo joined Brentford from French club Troyes in 2019, when the Bees were still in the Championship. He has scored 70 goals in 242 appearances in all competitions, helping the West London club earn promotion to the top flight in 2021. Funds are said to be available for United to secure the Mbeumo without requiring sales in advance. Nonetheless, United hope to sell Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Antony over the coming weeks. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Tom Heaton, 39, has signed a new one-year deal at United, taking him into his 20th pro season. Amorim 's side have already announced the £62.5million signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolves.
Reuters
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Cameroon leader's ally quits, launches challenge in political shake-up
YAOUNDE, June 27 (Reuters) - A long-time ally of Cameroon's leader has quit the government to run for president in October elections - a defection that could reshape the West African nation's politics after more than four decades of Paul Biya's rule. Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who served as spokesperson for Biya's government from 2009 to 2018, said this week he had resigned as employment minister in response to what he said were widespread calls for change. "As a political leader, I felt called upon to respond to this solicitation from our compatriots from north to south, from east to west," Tchiroma said in an interview with a social media influencer Ben Oumar on YouTube and Facebook on Thursday. Cameroon's communication ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Biya, the world's oldest serving head of state at 92, has not confirmed whether he plans to stand again in the vote. There has been widespread speculation in Cameroon about a possible succession battle in the ruling coalition. Tchiroma's challenge could shake the ruling party's confidence ahead of what many anticipate will be a historic election — possibly the first without Biya since 1982. Cameroon has had just two presidents since independence from France and Britain in the early 1960s. It would also mark a major political realignment in the northern regions – Tchiroma's home base – which has traditionally delivered strong support for Biya's Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM). Tchiroma is the leader of the Cameroon National Salvation Front, a CPDM-allied party, and has previously also served as transport and communication minister. He announced his plans in an open letter on Wednesday, in which he said that Biya's administration had stifled progress and paralysed institutions. Tchiroma said on Thursday his goals include a referendum on federalism, which would grant more power to provinces. He also vowed to prioritize youth employment, education and agricultural modernization. Tchiroma could still face an uphill battle in a political system where incumbency, patronage and party machinery wield enormous influence. But he is now arguably the most influential northern opposition figure, and his defection signals a potential realignment of elites, Munjah Vitalis Fagha, a political scientist at the University of Buea, told Reuters. Tchiroma's candidacy may open the door for other northern figures like Bello Bouba Maigari of the National Union for Democracy and Progress to declare bids, Fagha and other analysts said.
BBC News
9 hours ago
- BBC News
Bedford drug dealer who killed customer gets 12-year jail term
A drug dealer convicted of killing a customer after an early-hours cocaine sale went wrong has been given a 12-year jail Che, 26, died in hospital after being stabbed in the abdomen with a kitchen knife at a house in Brereton Road in Bedford in November Kamau, 25, of Rutland Road, Bedford, claimed he was under threat and acted in found him not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter after a trial at Luton Crown Court. Kamau had previous convictions for drug dealing offences and possessing offensive weapons."You do present a significant risk of serious harm to members of the public," said the judge, Mr Justice Mr Justice Swift said he was starting to take "responsibility for your actions". Kamau must serve at least eight years in prison before parole is considered. Jurors heard that Mr Che, who was born in Cameroon and lived in Bedford, met Kamau in the early hours of 5 November in a street and wanted barrister Neil Moore, who led the prosecution team, said Kamau had feared a "set up" and "got aggressive".He said evidence showed that Kamau attacked Mr Che with a knife and scissors. Mr Che died after suffering a 13cm (5in) wound. The prosecution said Kamau behaved with "jaw-dropping calmness" after the posed with the blood-stained knife and took a "trophy" photograph of himself, they Kamau said he took the photograph with the intention of showing it to were told officers found the knife, which was 4cm-wide (1.6in) and 18cm-long (7.1in), after Kamau threw it down a rubbish chute. 'Swinging' Kamau told jurors that two other men were with Mr Che and that he decided to leave the property because the situation became "dodgy".He said Mr Che was holding scissors and stood in his said he was "terrified" and picked up a knife from the kitchen."I am just trying not to get stabbed, not get injured," he told jurors. "In that process, I have lunged."He said Mr Che "started coming at me swinging" and told jurors: "I swung once with the kitchen knife. I didn't want to stab him." In a victim impact statement read at the sentencing hearing, Mr Che's family explained how he moved to the UK to study computer science at the University of Westminster."There is nothing to fill the void," said their statement."Not even the harshest sentence will bring Patrice back." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Independent
10 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Tech founder and engineers among the latest class of Catholic priests
Under the Gothic arches of a cathedral, a dozen men prepared for their ordination Mass, marking a significant moment for the Catholic Church. On a balmy June afternoon, they rehearsed the intricate rituals of their impending priesthood, a culmination of six years of seminary and a lifetime of spiritual discernment. Their sheer number, the largest group ordained by the diocese in nearly three decades, presented a logistical challenge, barely fitting before the altar. Dubbed "the 12" by their bishop, a reference to Jesus's apostles, their collective presence has become a symbol of hope and renewal for a Church grappling with deep divisions, crises, and abuse. The diverse cohort includes engineers, a tech company founder, and two future military chaplains, with ages spanning from 28 to 56. While most are US-born, their origins also stretch to nations with strong Catholic traditions, such as Cameroon, Mexico, Peru, and Haiti. They are entering the priesthood at an exciting time, just as the first US-born pope begins his papacy. Yet, there remains an acute shortage of clergy like them. In the US, the number of priests has declined by more than 40 per cent since 1970, according to CARA, a research center affiliated with Georgetown University. During their final year of seminary, these 12 men have served as transitional deacons, offering baptisms, homilies and promising to live in obedience and celibacy. 'We've already made the promises that are, I guess, 'the scariest,'' said the Rev. Ricky Malebranche, one of the ordinands. Soon they will be entrusted with more sacraments. As ordained priests, they will work at parishes around northern Virginia, with the ability to consecrate the Eucharist, hear confessions and anoint the sick. For now, they shuffle side to side until they can fit in a row. Carefully they lie down to practice the act of prostration — arguably the most dramatic moment during an ordination ceremony. Elbows bent, hands cradling their heads, the men press their faces to the cold, marble floor. It's a position of vulnerability that signals absolute surrender. 'We're laying before the Lord,' the Rev. Mike Sampson, an ordinand, explained before the rehearsal. 'We're laying our lives down.' Searching for something more While neighboring dioceses have shuttered parishes and face dire budget shortfalls, the Diocese of Arlington is opening new churches. Its finances are solid. This year's class of new priests is the second largest in the diocese's 50-year history. The reasons behind that success 'are a little bit mysterious,' said the Rev. Michael Isenberg, the diocese's outgoing vocations director. He points to one factor helping the recruiting pool: vibrant parishes, full of young professionals drawn to jobs around Washington, D.C. Sampson, 42, was a government lawyer and raised a Protestant before he was baptized as a Catholic in 2013. Six years later, he enrolled in seminary to become a priest. The Rev. Tim Banach, 31, worked as a consultant in the same office complex as Sampson. 'I enjoyed the work I was doing, but there was something more that I desired." 'I had the dream job,' said the Rev. Alfredo Tuesta, 40, who earned a doctorate in engineering and was working at the US Naval Research Laboratory when he felt called to the priesthood. 'I had the job that I had trained many years to achieve — and it wasn't enough.' At a Sunday family dinner two weeks before ordination, Malebranche's father, Jacques, talked up these '12 great guys.' 'This kid already had two master's degrees,' he said, pointing to his son Ricky, 37, who worked as a counselor and coach at a Catholic high school before seminary. 'They had good lives. When they say they received a call, they mean it,' he said. 'They gave up a lot, and this is not easy.' A higher barrier to entry Prospective priests undergo a rigorous screening process. 'This is going to sound crazy, but they're normal,' said the Rev. Donald J. Planty Jr., who mentored several of this year's ordinands. 'They can talk to anyone.' In the wake of the clergy sex-abuse crisis, there is a greater emphasis on applicants' psychological health and emotional well-being. They go before an admissions board that includes women and laypeople, and as ordinands, meet with abuse survivors. They ultimately answer to Bishop Michael Burbidge, the diocese's avuncular prelate. 'A thing that has changed for the positive in the church is that bishops really know their men,' said Burbidge, who calls, texts and meets with seminarians regularly. 'When I was in seminary, there was no expectation that you would know the bishop.' Politically and theologically, young US priests are more likely to identify as conservative or moderate than their clerical elders who came of age in the 1960s and 1970s, according to a 2023 report from the Catholic Project at Catholic University. For these men in Virginia, the rightward tilt of the US Catholic Church is not a deciding factor in their priesthoods. They have pledged, though, to uphold the church's teachings, which remain conservative on issues such as gender identity, sexual orientation, contraception and abortion. 'I look at the young adults in our parishes, growing up in a world where in many ways the sacred has been removed,' Burbidge said. 'They're looking for something more. 'Give me beauty. Give me truth. Give me clarity.' I see that in young adults in our church, and these men are products of that.' The sacrifices of priestly life For many of the men, priesthood means forgoing dreams of an ordinary family life. 'I thought I was going to be a great dad and have a wonderful family,' Malebranche recalled. 'And I was like, 'Lord, why would you not want that for me?'' For many, there's a grieving process in letting go of that vision, even for deeply Catholic families. 'Every parent wants grandkids,' said Banach, whose career change initially surprised his supportive Catholic parents. Priests give up biological children, he said, but are privileged to raise 'spiritual children.' His fellow ordinand Malebranche ministers to families out of what he calls a 'deep love of my own for a family.' Two weeks before ordination, Malebranche channeled that love into a baptism conducted in Spanish, the parents' native tongue. He was nervous beforehand. A gregarious, gifted speaker, he is less confident in Spanish — though it's necessary in a diocese where nearly half the parishioners are Latino. 'It was a beautiful ceremony,' Gloria Marquez told him after, beaming and holding her 9-month-old. She said she and her husband had tried for nearly 20 years to have a baby. Malebranche teared up, grateful to be part of the longed-for moment. He wants the Catholic Church to be welcoming, especially for those who have been hurt. 'I really just want to make Catholicism warm,' he said. Like all the ordinands, he is very aware that in his clerical garb, he represents the church and the presence of Jesus. 'I have to be on every time I'm in this collar,' Malebranche said. 'That is a fitting weight for the gift of the priesthood, but it is a weight nonetheless.' A new chapter Ordination-day morning had the nervous energy of a wedding, an apt parallel for the impending commitment and pageantry. Anxious parents took their places in pews alongside friends and family who traveled from around the world to witness the ceremony. The evening would bring receptions in honor of the new priests, who would then have two weeks off before their new ministry assignments began. Sampson was going to Italy with a priest friend. Banach was hiking part of the Appalachian Trail with a small kit for the Eucharist in his pack. Tuesta was flying to Lima, Peru, his birthplace, to celebrate with family. Malebranche planned to visit loved ones in his native Virginia. 'I'm kind of looking to show off,' he said, laughing. 'I'll have my confessional stole on me at all times.' When their ordination Mass got underway, it was standing room only, with more than 1,200 well-wishers crowded into the cathedral. As part of the three-hour service, nearly 200 priests lined up to embrace and welcome into the fold their new brothers, now cloaked in ivory and blue robes. At the close of Mass, they walked down the aisle to cheers and applause, and the 12 priests were sent out, like the apostles who had come before them.
The Independent
12 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
A US diocese defies trends and ordains its largest class of Catholic priests in decades
They are a day away from becoming Catholic priests, rehearsing for their ordination Mass under the gothic cathedral's arches. It's a balmy Friday afternoon in June, and they are practicing where to stand, when to kneel. The weekend's rituals will be the culmination of six years of seminary and a lifetime of discernment. There are so many of them — more than their diocese has ordained at one time in nearly 30 years — that it's a challenge to fit the whole group in front of the altar. Their bishop likes to call them 'the 12.' Like the 12 apostles of Jesus, their number has become a mantra and a prayer. It offers hope there can still be joy and renewal in a church riven by division, crises and abuse. Among the group there are engineers, a tech company founder and two future military chaplains. They range in age from 28 to 56. Most are U.S.-born, but some trace their roots to faraway countries with a strong Catholic presence: Cameroon, Mexico, Peru, Haiti. They are entering the priesthood at an exciting time, just as the first U.S.-born pope begins his papacy. Yet, there remains an acute shortage of clergy like them. In the U.S., the number of priests has declined by more than 40% since 1970, according to CARA, a research center affiliated with Georgetown University. During their final year of seminary, these 12 men have served as transitional deacons, offering baptisms, homilies and promising to live in obedience and celibacy. 'We've already made the promises that are, I guess, 'the scariest,'' said the Rev. Ricky Malebranche, one of the ordinands. Soon they will be entrusted with more sacraments. As ordained priests, they will work at parishes around northern Virginia, with the ability to consecrate the Eucharist, hear confessions and anoint the sick. For now, they shuffle side to side until they can fit in a row. Carefully they lie down to practice the act of prostration — arguably the most dramatic moment during an ordination ceremony. Elbows bent, hands cradling their heads, the men press their faces to the cold, marble floor. It's a position of vulnerability that signals absolute surrender. 'We're laying before the Lord,' the Rev. Mike Sampson, an ordinand, explained before the rehearsal. 'We're laying our lives down.' Searching for something more While neighboring dioceses have shuttered parishes and face dire budget shortfalls, the Diocese of Arlington is opening new churches. Its finances are solid. This year's class of new priests is the second largest in the diocese's 50-year history. The reasons behind that success 'are a little bit mysterious,' said the Rev. Michael Isenberg, the diocese's outgoing vocations director. He points to one factor helping the recruiting pool: vibrant parishes, full of young professionals drawn to jobs around Washington, D.C. Sampson, 42, was a government lawyer and raised a Protestant before he was baptized as a Catholic in 2013. Six years later, he enrolled in seminary to become a priest. The Rev. Tim Banach, 31, worked as a consultant in the same office complex as Sampson. 'I enjoyed the work I was doing, but there was something more that I desired." 'I had the dream job,' said the Rev. Alfredo Tuesta, 40, who earned a doctorate in engineering and was working at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory when he felt called to the priesthood. 'I had the job that I had trained many years to achieve — and it wasn't enough.' At a Sunday family dinner two weeks before ordination, Malebranche's father, Jacques, talked up these '12 great guys.' 'This kid already had two master's degrees,' he said, pointing to his son Ricky, 37, who worked as a counselor and coach at a Catholic high school before seminary. 'They had good lives. When they say they received a call, they mean it,' he said. 'They gave up a lot, and this is not easy.' A higher barrier to entry Prospective priests undergo a rigorous screening process. 'This is going to sound crazy, but they're normal,' said the Rev. Donald J. Planty Jr., who mentored several of this year's ordinands. 'They can talk to anyone.' In the wake of the clergy sex-abuse crisis, there is a greater emphasis on applicants' psychological health and emotional well-being. They go before an admissions board that includes women and laypeople, and as ordinands, meet with abuse survivors. They ultimately answer to Bishop Michael Burbidge, the diocese's avuncular prelate. 'A thing that has changed for the positive in the church is that bishops really know their men,' said Burbidge, who calls, texts and meets with seminarians regularly. 'When I was in seminary, there was no expectation that you would know the bishop.' Politically and theologically, young U.S. priests are more likely to identify as conservative or moderate than their clerical elders who came of age in the 1960s and 1970s, according to a 2023 report from the Catholic Project at Catholic University. For these men in Virginia, the rightward tilt of the U.S. Catholic Church is not a deciding factor in their priesthoods. They have pledged, though, to uphold the church's teachings, which remain conservative on issues such as gender identity, sexual orientation, contraception and abortion. 'I look at the young adults in our parishes, growing up in a world where in many ways the sacred has been removed,' Burbidge said. 'They're looking for something more. 'Give me beauty. Give me truth. Give me clarity.' I see that in young adults in our church, and these men are products of that.' The sacrifices of priestly life For many of the men, priesthood means forgoing dreams of an ordinary family life. 'I thought I was going to be a great dad and have a wonderful family,' Malebranche recalled. 'And I was like, 'Lord, why would you not want that for me?'' For many, there's a grieving process in letting go of that vision, even for deeply Catholic families. 'Every parent wants grandkids,' said Banach, whose career change initially surprised his supportive Catholic parents. Priests give up biological children, he said, but are privileged to raise 'spiritual children.' His fellow ordinand Malebranche ministers to families out of what he calls a 'deep love of my own for a family.' Two weeks before ordination, Malebranche channeled that love into a baptism conducted in Spanish, the parents' native tongue. He was nervous beforehand. A gregarious, gifted speaker, he is less confident in Spanish — though it's necessary in a diocese where nearly half the parishioners are Latino. 'It was a beautiful ceremony,' Gloria Marquez told him after, beaming and holding her 9-month-old. She said she and her husband had tried for nearly 20 years to have a baby. Malebranche teared up, grateful to be part of the longed-for moment. He wants the Catholic Church to be welcoming, especially for those who have been hurt. 'I really just want to make Catholicism warm,' he said. Like all the ordinands, he is very aware that in his clerical garb, he represents the church and the presence of Jesus. 'I have to be on every time I'm in this collar,' Malebranche said. 'That is a fitting weight for the gift of the priesthood, but it is a weight nonetheless.' A new chapter Ordination-day morning had the nervous energy of a wedding, an apt parallel for the impending commitment and pageantry. Anxious parents took their places in pews alongside friends and family who traveled from around the world to witness the ceremony. The evening would bring receptions in honor of the new priests, who would then have two weeks off before their new ministry assignments began. Sampson was going to Italy with a priest friend. Banach was hiking part of the Appalachian Trail with a small kit for the Eucharist in his pack. Tuesta was flying to Lima, Peru, his birthplace, to celebrate with family. Malebranche planned to visit loved ones in his native Virginia. 'I'm kind of looking to show off,' he said, laughing. 'I'll have my confessional stole on me at all times.' When their ordination Mass got underway, it was standing room only, with more than 1,200 well-wishers crowded into the cathedral. As part of the three-hour service, nearly 200 priests lined up to embrace and welcome into the fold their new brothers, now cloaked in ivory and blue robes. At the close of Mass, they walked down the aisle to cheers and applause, and the 12 priests were sent out, like the apostles who had come before them. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
