Paris Saint Germain (PSG) are set to activate the €222million (£199million) release clause in Neymar Junior’s contract and make the Brazil forward the most expensive player in football history.
Neymar was today reportedly given permission by Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde not to take part in training and he told his teammates that he is signing for PSG.
The Brazilian is now expected to head to Paris, France and continue negotiations ahead of completing his money-spinning move to Ligue 1.
Neymar penned a contract with Barca last year in October until 2021. He joined the Catalan giants from Santos in 2013 and has developed into one of the game’s leading players.
The 25-year-old was recently involved in a fight with fellow teammate Nelson Semedo which increased on the rumors that he may force his way out from the club.
The fee would be more than double the £90m (€105m) fee Manchester United paid Juventus for French midfielder Paul Pogba last summer, a record that hitherto still stands as the world’s most expensive transfer fee.
Barcelona now seem destined to lose one-third of their ruthless three-pronged attack which also consists of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. It was commonly known as MSN.
PSG’s ambition is to have great world-renowned players to raise the reputation of the club and give the players and the coach the level that they are hoping to achieve trophies like the champions league.
The Spanish club is reportedly lining up Borussia Dortmund attacker Ousmana Dembele as a possible replacement for Neymar should the transfer happen.
Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho is also strongly linked with the Catalan side.
Elizabeth Pfifer, CRS Uganda Country Director greets the State Minister for Microfinance Haruna Kasolo at the launch of the Report yesterday at Hotel Africana in Kampala
The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has ended its four-year drive to expand financial inclusion in eastern Uganda, enabling rural people saving in groups to raise Shs10.6 billion, Elizabeth Pfifer, CRS Uganda Country Director has revealed.
The Catholic Relief Services logo
“Uganda has effectively surpassed its original targets using technical experts and keen commitment of our partners,” Pfifer says of the 6000 savings groups it helped form and train in financial literacy.
In a release Ms. Pfifer said the Expanding Financial Inclusion in Africa Project benefited 170,000 people in 17 districts of eastern Uganda where more than 70 percent of the rural population is financially excluded by banks on account of cutting operational costs and low economic activity.
Funded by the MasterCard Foundation, the project was implemented by CRS in partnership with Eastern Archdiocesan Development Network (EADEN) and Soroti Catholic Diocese Integrated Development Organization (SOCADIDO).
The project also linked groups to formal financial services through mobile money, transacting business with MTN Uganda, MicroSave, Post Bank and Centenary Rural Development Bank.
The project, according to the release, enabled the beneficiaries to acquire money management skills through financial education training and increasing productive investments of member groups in the eastern region, which is regarded as the second poorest in the country after the north.
In the release Pfifer also says that the project contributed to women’s economic empowerment in managing household financial resources and enhanced their social capital and social safety nets.
CRS Uganda financial inclusion efforts come at the time when most formal financial institutions in Uganda are unable to reach the country’s poorest people who have a great need to access financial services.
Available information indicates that 62 percent of Uganda’s population doesn’t have access to mainstream financial services, with only four million out of 12 million people who are bankable holding accounts in banks and other financial institutions.
Meanwhile, the CRS Expanding Financial Inclusion in Africa Project which aims at encouraging people in rural areas to save was also implemented in other African countries such as Burkina Faso, Senegal and Zambia, reaching 540,000 people across the four countries.
The CRS is the overseer relief and development agency of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The organisation has been working in Uganda since 1965, addressing humanitarian and development needs focusing on areas of agriculture, emergency response and recovery as well as health.
DENIED RAID ON KAYIHURA's HOUSES: UPDF spokesperson Brig. Richard Karemire
The bodies of 12 Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers killed early this week by the Al Shabaab militants in Somalia are to be returned today.
According to the UPDF spokesperson Brigadier Richard Karemire, the remains will be taken to the hospital at army headquarters after which they will be transported to their ancestral homes for burial.
“Our comrades will be flown in today, the remains will be taken to our headquarters and then will be transported to their families,” Brig. Karemire was quoted as saying by local media, adding that the deceased will be accorded burials with full military honours.
Further, Brig. Karemire said the deaths will not deter the UPDF from seeking to accomplish its pacification mission in Somalia.
“We are pan-Africans; when we went in Somalia, we knew this would happen; this is the price we are paying but we don’t need to lose hope,” he said, adding that the Al Shabaab militants had lost ground to launch devastating attacks the peacekeepers.
“We broke the back of al-Shabaab and no doubt about that; when we deployed in Somalia, they were everywhere. Now all the key towns in Somalia were recaptured and they are now under the government of Somali,” Brig, Karemire said.
DURING THE 'GOOD TIMES': President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Dr. Riek Machar
A new Human Rights Watch (HRW) report accuses nine leaders in both of South Sudan’s warring parties of committing serious rights violations and possibly war crimes during 2016 and 2017.
President Salva Kiir with former SPLA commander Gen. Paul Malong Awan
It recommends placing sanctions on all nine men, including President Salva Kiir, former First Vice President Riek Machar, and former army chief of staff Paul Malong.
Jehanne Henry of Human Rights Watch’s Africa division, says that based on HRW’s research, the leaders are implicated in abusive operations across the country.
“We have come to the conclusion now after almost four years of conflict in South Sudan, that there is mounting evidence of the role of key commanders in the ongoing atrocities,” Henry told VOA’s South Sudan in Focus.
“There are two components to it. First is overseeing troops that are committing these atrocities, which gives a certain liability to the top commanders. But the second is failing to prevent them or stop them,” she said.
HRW is also recommending sanctions on South Sudanese army Lieutenant General Bol Akot, and General Johnson Olony, an opposition commander who allegedly recruited child soldiers in the Upper Nile region.
The rights group has long called for an arms embargo on South Sudan and targeted sanctions against top leaders in the government and opposition forces.
Six individuals are already on the UN sanctions list, which includes a travel ban and an assets freeze.
Tuesday’s report focused on civilian testimony from KajoKeji in the former Central Equatoria state as well as Pajok in neighboring Eastern Equatoria state, involving events between June 2016 and this past May.
The report said government soldiers committed serious crimes against civilians on the basis of their ethnicity. Witnesses described at least 47 unlawful killings by government soldiers in KajoKeji, telling researchers they saw soldiers enter the homes of neighbors, and shoot and kill the elderly and people with disabilities.
Henry said researchers believe the number of cases is actually much higher.
“People are very afraid to remain and even to go back. We met with refugees living in the settlements in northern Uganda and they almost all said that they were afraid to return home and those few who did were collecting food or for guarding their livestock reported facing various types of dangers as well,” Henry said.
Kiir’s spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny denies the president or his generals bear any responsibility for the crimes documented in the report.
“There are a number of individual violations that may happen, individuals may take laws into their hands but that doesn’t mean that the government has a policy of killing the civilians,” Ateny said.
The report said government soldiers deployed to fight rebels in counter insurgency operations committed many crimes against civilians including arbitrary detention, torture, and enforced disappearances.
General Oyet Nathaniel, the SPLA-In Opposition designated governor of Imatong State, denied Riek Machar bears any responsibility for the rights violations described in the report.
“Our chairman Dr. Riek Machar is innocent. He is a victim of human rights [violations] himself. He cannot be sanctioned together with perpetrators of human rights [abuses]. It is Salva Kiir and his government that deserve sanctions because they blocked the peace agreement,” Nathaniel said.
In January, a report by the Office of the High Commissioner and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan said during the renewed violence in Juba that erupted a little over a year ago, both government and rebels committed “serious human rights violations and abuses, and violations of international humanitarian law, some possibly amounting to war crimes.”
Human Rights Watch reiterated the commission’s mandate to collect and preserve evidence that can be used to prosecute those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in fair and credible trials.
Under the Obama administration, a US-backed UN resolution to enact an arms embargo and sanctions on South Sudan failed in December. Russia, China and 6 other Security Council members abstained from voting, effectively killing the resolution.
In April, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Hayley urged the Security Council to impose an arms embargo and additional sanctions on South Sudan.
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Electoral Commission chairman Tanga Odoi has set August 18, 2017, as the date for the party to find a candidate that will fill the Iganga district women parliamentary seat that fell vacant after the death of Grace Haliat Kawuda.
Ms. Kawuda, who was serving her first term in Parliament after she trounced Olivia Kabaale Kwagala in the 2016 general elections, succumbed to pre-eclampsia and died at Kawempe hospital.
And speaking at the NRM EC offices on Kyadondo Road, Dr. Tanga Odoi, said candidates seeking to replace Ms. Kawuda as MP are expected to pick nomination forms up to August 4; get nominated between August 4-5, and thereafter embark on campaigns from August 5-16. Between August 19 and 21, Tanga Odoi said the party EC will hear petitions, if any, arising out of the electoral process.
He also urged NRM supporters to desist from causing violence adding that those who engage in wrongful acts will be punished.
The Ugandan flag being displayed at the Astana 2017 Procession
The drive to penetrate international trade has seen Uganda participate in Astana Expo2017 that is attended by over 5 million people, taking the East African country’s trade potential to central Asia.
The Uganda delegation led by Ambassador Gideon Rutazindwa at the Astana 2017 Press Conference
The Astana Expo is an international trade platform that provides ample opportunity for companies, including those in Uganda, keen on penetrating the Kazakhstan market and Eastern European markets to showcase and promote their products and services throughout the three month period. Over 5 million visitors attend the event.
Part of the audience at the Astana Expo2017
The Astana Expo2017 theme this year was ‘Future Energy’, with three major sub themes that include: Future Energy for Africa; Biodiversity in Africa; African Cultural Diversity.Each country was required to organize a special day at the venue to show case their national achievements. July 24, 2017 was Uganda National Day at Astana EXPO2017.
Ugandan drummers at the Astana Expo 2017
Uganda’s delegation comprises government and private sector teams led by the Charge d’Affaires a.i. Uganda Embassy Moscow, Ambassador Gideon Rutazindwa, Uganda Export Promotion Board, represented by the Executive Director, Dr. Elly Twineyo, Mr Ronald Baluku from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Baguma from the Ministry of Energy, and representatives from the Private Sector Foundation, Uganda Tea Growers Association and a Ugandan Entertainment group.
The Uganda flag (L) flies at the Astana Expo2017 venue.
Amb. Rutazindwa said that Uganda is proud to have participated in the historic event and invited participants to visit the Uganda pavilion.
“We hope that the people of Kazakhstan get a glimpse of our mountain gorillas and all the beauty that Uganda has to offer, taste of Uganda tea; coffee; and a catalogue of existing investment opportunities at the Ugandan pavilion,” he said.
He told the participants that he believed there was so much Uganda could learn from Kazakhstan given the impressive ranking as the largest economy in central Asia. “As we strive to modernize our economy” he said adding: “Uganda will continue to seek support and cooperation from Kazakhstan in developing the following specific core areas of investment; Energy & Mineral resources, Trade and Investment, Agriculture, Infrastructure Development and Tourism.”
According to the envoy, Uganda looked to Kazakhstan’s successful transformation as a model that will provide Uganda with new ideas and lessons to unlock our potential in the oil and mineral sector.
Traditional dancers at the Astana Expo 2017
The highlights of the day included a press conference, a presentation about Uganda, a video on Uganda and entertainment by Ugandan drummers and dancers. The day was crowned by a meeting with business leaders and a dinner.
Foreign Affairs minister Sam Kutesa and the State Minister in charge of International Affairs Henry Okello Oryem , meeting a Serbian delegation led by the Serbian State Secretary, Nemanja Steavnovic
Foreign Affairs minister Sam Kutesa and the State Minister in charge of International Affairs Henry Okello Oryem have today met with the Serbian State Secretary, Nemanja Steavnovic at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kampala, and the trio discussed about trade and investment between the two countries.
During the talks Minister Kutesa noted that Uganda and Serbia formally established diplomatic relations in 1987, a period when the former was promoting the barter trade policy through the Produce Marketing Board (PMB).
At that time, Minister Kutesa said, Uganda and Serbia agreed to the barter trade policy, culminating into the repair of the Mityana-Mubende road and the rehabilitation of the former Apollo Hotel (Kampala Sheraton) among others.
Foreign Affairs minister Sam Kutesa and the Serbian State Secretary, Nemanja Steavnovic
On his part Mr. Steavnovic intimated that his country had a deep interest in working with Uganda to build investor confidence, promote trade and investment; enhance the development of investment projects and, technical cooperation and capacity building in the Defense sector.
Mr Steavnovic hinted particularly at the application of ICT in agriculture, adding that a Serbian company, NOVISAD, is already cooperating with National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) to transform Uganda’s agricultural sector.
Victoria group, another Serbian private investment group is ready to cooperate in crop production and processing, he added. The company works with over 400 cooperatives and provides farmers with tested, high quality and high yielding seeds (only Non- GMO), Fertilizers, pesticides and financial support. Victoria group also deals in oil seed processing, technical analysis and testing of oil seed especially sunflower.
The two Ministers agreed on a joint visit to Serbia of Ministers of Agriculture, Defence and Energy to follow up on further areas of cooperation in those respective sectors.
The State Minister in charge of International Affairs Henry Okello Oryem have today met with the Serbian State Secretary, Nemanja Steavnovic
On his part Minister Okello Oryem pointed out that Serbia, which is a renowned consumer of coffee at 31,000 tonnes a year, would find a reliable supply of quality coffee from Uganda.
He encouraged the State Secretary to interest Coffee businesses in Serbia to trade in Ugandan Coffee.
On the Oil industry, Minister Okello Oryem explained that a new area of production of petroleum by-products would also be worthwhile for Serbia to explore.
Mr Steavnovic will be in Uganda for two days during which time he is also expected to have a meeting with President Yoweri Museveni.
The Governor of Bank of Uganda Prof. Emmanuel Mutebile has laid the biggest share of blame in the Crane Bank saga on his subordinate, the Central Bank’s Director of Supervision Ms. Justine Bagyenda.
In a tell-it-all interview with a local daily, Prof. Mutebile acknowledged that despite being the overall boss, he was not ‘criminally responsible’ for the irregularities blamed on the management of the now-defunct Crane Bank, which reportedly led to the loss of over Shs400 billion of savers money. Efforts to contact Ms. Bagyenda for comment were futile by press time.
At the time of its closure the Crane Bank, the fourth largest commercial bank in the country, was owned by among other shareholders businessman Sudhir Ruparelia. Last year the bank was boarded off to the dfcu after BoU said it faced pecuniary problems.
‘I am responsible for what went wrong but I am not criminally responsible; ask the Executive Director Supervision (Justine Bagyenda),’ Prof. Mutebile said when prodded during the interview on Sunday. Asked whether he would consider taking disciplinary action against Ms. Bagyenda and her subordinates in the supervision department for the omissions that possibly include collusion, Prof. Mutebile said: ‘I have not seen any evidence though I dont deny categorically the possibility of collusion … I shall decide (on the action against Ms. Bagyenda) after the courts have ruled’.
The interview with the BoU Governor followed the leaking of a forensic audit report by PriceWaterHouseCoopers (PwC) that was initiated by the BoU. In the report the PwC says BoU cannot begin criminal proceedings against Mr. Ruparelia unless the central bank lodges a criminal complaint with police.
But the PwC advice came against the backdrop of civil litigation by the BoU against Mr. Ruparelia and one of his business arms, Meera Investments.
The case involving over Shs400 billion and filed in the Commercial Court is yet to take off, but this is not before one of the BoU lawyers being accused of ‘conflict of interest’, having earlier been retained by Crane Bank.
Businessman Ruparelia, denies any wrongdoing on his part, saying he now awaits the court decision on the Crane Bank matter.
During a press conference held at the FUFA headquarters in Mmengo yesterday, the football governing body appointed Moses Basena and Fred Kajoba as interim coaches after the departure of Serbian coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic.
And today, as Basena and Kajoba started their reign they named a 25-man squad for the upcoming CHAN 2018 qualification matches against neighbours Rwanda due on August 12th and 18th. The duo have been deputizing Micho and is also expected to take charge of the national team as it faces Egypt in back-to-back World Cup qualifiers in August and September.
The entire squad named for the CHAN matches is expected to start preparations by holding a training session tomorrow at Mandela National Stadium before the final 18-man team is named for the game.
Uganda beat South Sudan 5-1 to advance to the CHAN final qualifying round in Micho’s final game as coach. Paul Mucureezi scored four goals while Derrick Nsibambi scored the other.
Rwanda qualified after eliminating Tanzania on 1-1 goals aggregate following a goalless draw in the second leg played at Kigali Stadium.
The first leg will be will be played at Vipers’ home ground St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende on August 12 while the second leg will be in Kigali, Rwanda.
The winner after the two legs guarantees a slot in the final CHAN tournament that will take place next year in January.
Uganda has played in the CHAN competition for two times, in Sudan 2011 and Rwanda 2016 failing to leave the group stages in both.
The CHAN tournament is reserved for players who feature in their respective domestic leagues across Africa, will be staged from January 11 to February 2, 2018 in Kenya.
The team:
Goalkeepers: Watenga Isma (Vipers SC), Keni Saidi (Proline FC), Ikara Tom (Kirinya Jinja SS), Ochan Benjamin (KCCA FC)
Outfield players: Wadada Nicholas (Vipers SC), Adriko John (Sc Villa Jogoo), Muleme Isaac (KCCA FC), Awanyi Timothy (KCCA FC), Toha Rashid (Onduparaka FC), Kabugo Savio (Proline FC), Muwanga Bernard (Sc Villa Jogoo), Waissa Moses (Vipers SC), Bukenya Deus (Vipers SC), Kasozi Nicholas (Synergy FC), Mutyaba Muzamir (KCCA FC), Musamali Paul (KCCA FC), Mucureezi Paul (KCCA FC), Serunkuma Simon (Sc VIlla Jogoo), Derick Nsibambi (KCCA FC), Masiko Tom (Vipers SC), Shaban Muhammad (Onduparaka FC), Frank Tumwesigye (Vipers SC), Kagimu Shafiq (URA FC), Erisa Ssekisambu (Vipers Sc).
END OF THE ROAD? Kenya Railways has terminated contract with RVR
Uganda, which has been shy to take Rift Valley Railway (RVR) to court for failure to meet concession terms, will mostly follow Kenya to terminate the 11-year concession the two countries signed in 2006 with (RVR)to manage the Kenya-Uganda Railways.
Early last week, officials from the finance ministry said they were waiting for developments in Kenya which in March, had lodged a case in a Nairobi court to terminate the contract, arguing that RVR has failed over the years failed to meet its contract obligations.
The Kenyan government, having succeeded in court, is in preparations to take over operations of the 100-year meter gauge. RVR will over the next 30 days hand over all concessioned assets to Kenya Railways (KR), ultimately marking the end of its troubled 11 years of operating the Kenya-Uganda railways.
The government and RVR have agreed to establish a joint takeover committee that will ensure a seamless handover of operations and conceded assets, said a joint statement signed by Kenya Railways managing director Atanas Maina and RVR Chief Executive Officer Isaiah Okoth.
Kenya’s termination of the concession after seven months of court battles is expected to entice Uganda, which has also tried to end the RVR concession.
RVR, which is owned by Egyptian-based Qalaa Holdings, has over the years struggled to revive the business, repeatedly failing to meet the concession terms.
While terminating the concession in April, KR said that RVR had defaulted on three key terms of the concession agreement namely maintenance of conceded assets, cargo haulage targets and payment of concession fees amounting to KSh600 million.
In Uganda, RVR failed to meet what is termed as the Golden Standards, according to the past two transport sector reviews. RVR has allegedly failed to extend the services beyond its operations in the central to northern Uganda.
Uganda’s Ministry of Works and Transport top officials were unavailable to comment on this development. But transport analysts said Uganda will have to follow Kenya and terminate the RVR contract though at first they had resisted.
RVR has desperately been trying to salvage the concession through bringing on board a strategic investor but these efforts have not raised any equity.
