SENEGAL’s Pape Gueye opened up about his team’s walk-off at the Africa Cup of Nations final and Morocco’s subsequent missed penalty in an interview on French television on Sunday. Gueye scored the winning goal as Senegal edged Morocco 1-0 in extra time in a controversial game in Rabat last week. Morocco were awarded a late penalty, sparking a walk-off by the eventual winners, which led to a 20-minute delay. When Senegal came back, Brahim Diaz fluffed his penalty, while Gueye scored the winner in extra time. “We are only human, we realised our mistake and came back out,” said the…
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ISRAEL has said it will allow a “limited reopening” of Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt when the operation to locate the body of the last remaining Israeli captive in the Palestinian territory is completed. The announcement from the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office came late on Sunday as Palestinians mourned at least three people killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza. Netanyahu’s office said the Rafah crossing, which was supposed to have opened during the initial phase of a United States-brokered ceasefire in October, would reopen for the passage of people only. It said the move is “conditioned on the…
UNITED States President Donald Trump has suggested that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating the wealth of Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar as his administration grapples with the fallout from the killing of demonstrator Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. The Republican president also said on Monday that he is sending his border czar, Tom Homan, to the state of Minnesota, which has been witnessing protests since federal immigration officers fatally shot Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, there on Saturday morning. “Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “Separately, a major investigation…
UGANDA’s military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba has denied claims that soldiers assaulted Barbara Kyagulanyi, the wife of opposition leader Bobi Wine, during a raid at their home. Wine, who is in hiding, alleged on Saturday that his wife was held at gunpoint by military officers who assaulted her, taking away documents and electronic items. He said the house continued to be surrounded by the military. Speaking from hospital, Barbara Kyagulanyi said the officers had demanded to know Wine’s whereabouts and had assaulted her when she refused. It comes after the recent landslide victory of long-serving leader, and Kainerugaba’s father, President Yoweri…
PROMINENT Kenyan opposition figure Rigathi Gachagua has alleged there was an attempt on his life during a Sunday church service. Gachagua, who was sacked as deputy president in an impeachment trial in 2024, claimed in an interview with the BBC that rogue police officers “shot at everybody and tear-gassed the church” in Othaya in the central county of Nyeri. He had previously accused his former ally President William Ruto of ordering the attack but did not provide any evidence. Ruto has not commented but government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura accused Gachagua of staging the attack. The police said an investigation had…
MANCHESTER United dealt a blow to Arsenal’s Premier League title charge as Matheus Cunha’s superb strike clinched a thrilling 3-2 win over the leaders on Sunday. Lisandro Martinez’s own goal put Arsenal ahead at the Emirates Stadium, but Bryan Mbeumo equalised before half-time. Patrick Dorgu’s brilliant blast gave United the lead after the interval, until Mikel Merino’s late leveller looked to have rescued a point for Arsenal. In a dramatic finish, Brazilian forward Cunha bagged the winner with an eye-catching drive three minutes from full-time. It was Arsenal’s first defeat in 13 games in all competitions since losing at Aston…
UNITED States envoy Steve Witkoff says he and his colleague Jared Kushner have held “constructive” talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as Israel continues its deadly bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip. In a short statement on Sunday, Witkoff said the “positive” discussion focused on “the continued progress and implementation planning for Phase 2 of President Trump’s 20-Point Plan for Gaza”, which the US and Israel are advancing in “close partnership”. Witkoff added “broader regional issues” were also discussed in the meeting on Saturday, a likely reference to heightened tensions between the US and Iran and speculation that Washington…
DEMOCRATS are demanding federal immigration officers leave the American state of Minnesota after a US Border Patrol agent fatally shot a man in Minneapolis and set off clashes with protesters who poured into the frigid streets in a city already shaken by another shooting death weeks earlier. The latest shooting has also sparked a legal fight over control of the investigation and renewed calls by state and city officials for an end to the immigration surge that has swept across Minneapolis and surrounding cities. Federal officials said agents were acting in self-defence by opening fire on Saturday morning, local time,…
RENEWED fighting in South Sudan has displaced more than 180,000 people, with witnesses describing indiscriminate use of barrel bombs and civilians fleeing into swamps as the country’s fragile peace unravels. The world’s youngest country has been beset by war, poverty and massive corruption since it was formed in 2011, but violence is once again on the rise between rival factions, currently focused on Jonglei state north of the capital Juba. “I am stuck and if worse comes, the only safe place for me to go is the swamps,” said Daniel Deng, 35, one of thousands displaced by fighting in Jonglei,…
MLAU and his family, who live near Marracuene – a town 30km (19 miles) north of the capital, Maputo – woke up to find their house inundated after the Inkomati River burst its banks. “When a rescue boat came a few hours afterwards, we did not hesitate to board it and come to safety in Marracuene town,” he said, adding they had to abandon all their belongings and only managed to bring a change of clothes. Mlau, his wife and two children have found refuge at one of six centres – schools and churches – that are so far sheltering…
SENEGAL’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko will begin an official visit to Morocco on Monday, after fans from his country were detained in incidents there at the Africa Cup of Nations football final, officials said. Eighteen Senegalese supporters remain in pre‑trial detention in Morocco, where they face charges of hooliganism at the match, won 1-0 by Senegal against Morocco after time on January 18. Their trial opened Thursday at a Rabat court and was postponed to 29 January. However, the two countries have cooperative relations in sectors including tourism, energy, infrastructure, and transport, and share strong religious ties. Sonko’s trip takes…
TWO children have been killed in an Israeli attack in northern Gaza in the latest violation of its ceasefire deal with Hamas in the Palestinian enclave. Medical sources in Gaza on Saturday said the children belonging to the same family were killed when an Israeli drone struck civilians gathering firewood near Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. Severe fuel shortages have forced many Palestinians to search for fuel wherever they can amid low temperatures that drop as low as 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) at night these days. Palestinians living in makeshift tents have little protection from strong winds…
UNITED States federal agents have shot and killed another person in Minneapolis amid an immigration crackdown, authorities said, spurring protests and fresh calls for President Donald Trump to immediately pull heavily armed officers out of the city. At a news conference on Saturday, Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara said a 37-year-old man, whose identity has not yet been released, died in hospital after suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The man was a Minneapolis resident and a US citizen, O’Hara told reporters. “Our demand today is for those federal agencies that are operating in our city to do so with the…
THE head of South Sudan’s armed forces has given soldiers seven days to “crush the rebellion” in the east that is a potential threat to the capital, Juba. Recently, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) has attacked and captured several areas in Jonglei state, a local journalist told the BBC, though this could not be independently verified. The latest fighting has threatened Jonglei’s capital, Bor, two hours’ drive from Juba. SPLA-IO’s leader, suspended First Vice-President Riek Machar, is currently on trial on charges of murder, treason and crimes against humanity, which he denies. There are fears that the…
AFRICA is no longer in the grip of a public health emergency over mpox, though the viral infection “remains endemic in several settings,” the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has said. The announcement by the Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Jean Kaseya, on Saturday, comes after the World Health Organisation (WHO) in September said mpox was no longer a global health emergency. WHO had declared its worldwide public health emergency over the viral infection — previously known as Monkeypox, and related to smallpox — in August 2024, after a two-pronged mpox epidemic…
ATLETICO Madrid head coach Diego Simeone has lavished praise on Victor Osimhen following his impressive display for Galatasaray in their 1-1 draw in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night. The encounter at RAMS Park marked Osimhen’s return to club action after the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where the Super Eagles striker missed Nigeria’s third-place playoff against Egypt due to injury. Despite failing to get his name on the scoresheet, the 27-year-old delivered a commanding performance that caused persistent problems for Atletico Madrid’s defence. Osimhen played the full 90 minutes and was a constant outlet for Galatasaray, using his…
TUIRKISH Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said there were signs that Israel was seeking an opportunity to attack Iran, warning such a move could further destabilise the region. “I hope they find a different path, but the reality is that Israel, in particular, is looking for an opportunity to strike Iran,” Fidan told Turkish broadcaster NTV in an interview broadcast on Friday. Asked specifically whether this assessment applied to both the United States and Israel, Fidan stated that Israel, in particular, was seeking such an opportunity, the Turkiye Today news outlet reported. The foreign minister added that he had conveyed concerns…
REAL Madrid stayed top of football’s rich list as Liverpool outstripped their English rivals for the first time, according to Deloitte’s Money League study on Thursday. Spanish giants Madrid generated nearly 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion) in revenue in the 2024/25 season despite failing to win a major trophy. The refurbishment of the club’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium into a multi-purpose venue continues to pay rich dividends — Madrid’s 594 million euros of commercial revenues alone would be enough for a place in the top 10. Barcelona climbed back into second place in Deloitte’s table (975 million euros) despite delays forcing…
SEVEN people have been killed and 82 are missing after a landslide in the West Bandung region of Indonesia’s West Java province, Indonesia ‘s disaster mitigation agency said. “The number of missing persons is high, we will try to optimise our search and rescue efforts today,” Abdul Muhari, the disaster agency’s spokesperson, said on Saturday. Indonesian news outlet Kompas said a landslide hit Pasirlangu village in West Bandung at about 2am local time on Saturday morning (19:00 GMT on Friday). Kompas reports that “a strong flow” of water and loose soil from the slopes of Mount Burangrang smashed into some…
A SOUTH African court has dismissed an appeal by the country’s heritage body to stop the sale and export of various artefacts connected to anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela. The 70 personal items include a cell key from Robben Island, where Mandela was imprisoned for 18 of the 27 years he was locked up, a pair of Aviator sunglasses and one of his signature floral shirts. They were due to be exported to the US for auction. The objects belong to his eldest daughter, Makaziwe Mandela and Christo Brand, a Robben Island warden during Mandela’s incarceration. In trying to stop their…