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TWO people have been killed after a man opened fire at Chisinau International Airport, the Moldovan Interior Ministry has said. The gunman was wounded and has been detained, said police. Officials said the shooting had taken place after a foreign citizen was denied entry to the country. President Maia Sandu said the two dead were a border guard and an airport security official; a third person was wounded. Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said the suspect was a 43-year-old Tajikistan national. He had arrived from Turkey and was then refused entry, government press secretary Daniel Voda told Moldovan TV. While…

ISRAEL’s spy agency says it carried out an operation in Iran to capture the suspected head of a hit squad that planned to kill Israelis in Cyprus. Mossad, which rarely speaks to the media, said the man gave a detailed “confession” about his orders from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. It said it informed authorities in Cyprus, where the cell was dismantled. The case is the latest reminder of the continuing shadow war between Israel and Iran, which are long-time enemies. An Israeli expert told the BBC that the unusual openness of Israeli intelligence could have been prompted by reports…

AT least 48 people have been killed in a road accident at a busy junction in Kenya, police and witnesses say. It happened after a lorry carrying a shipping container lost control at Londiani Junction, near the western town of Kericho, local media report. Police commander Geoffrey Mayek said 30 others were seriously injured but added the number “could be more”. He also raised concerns that “one or two” people could still be trapped underneath the overturned vehicle. Tom Mboya Odero, another regional police commander, was quoted by AFP news agency as saying the lorry travelling towards Kericho “lost control…

MALI has told the UN that its 12,000 peacemakers need to leave, after 10 years countering Islamist militants in the country. Last year, France withdrew its forces after military leaders seized control of Mali and brought in mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner group. In 2013, the UN launched a mission after separatist rebels and Islamist fighters banded together and occupied northern Mali. They hoped to create a separate state. The UN peacekeepers arrived after 5,000 French troops, who were sent to try and put down the uprising. The threat from Islamist militants, who have killed several thousand people and forced tens…

MANCHESTER City footballer Benjamin Mendy raped a young woman then told her “it’s fine, I’ve had sex with 10,000 women”, a jury has heard. The 28-year-old is accused of attacking the woman, aged 24 at the time, at his £4m mansion in Mottram St Andrew, Cheshire, in October 2020. He is also accused of the attempted rape of another woman, aged 29 at the time, who said he also attacked her at his home two years before. The footballer denies both charges. He is on trial at Chester Crown Court. The jury of six women and six men have been…

N’GOLO Kante has purchased Belgian third-tier club Royal Excelsior Virton. The France midfielder, 32, will take over from Flavio Becca as chairman of the club based near the Luxembourg border on 1 July. It is the same date he will join Saudi Arabia Pro League side Al-Ittihad from Premier League Chelsea. “Flavio is obviously extremely happy to be able to hand over the keys of the club to N’Golo Kante,” said the club in a statement. “[He is] a player of great class, not only for his footballing qualities but also and above all for his unanimously recognised human qualities.”…

AT least 667 people have been arrested following a third night of protests in France, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin says. He tweets to say that police and firefighters faced the “rare violence” that swept the country again last night with courage. French cities woke up yesterday to damaged community centres, schools and city halls – places that symbolise the French institutions and state. This morning, shopkeepers will be tallying up the damage of a night that saw rioters take aim at shops and supermarkets across the country. French media report that in Paris, the looting focused on the central shopping…

A WOMAN who got stuck in an travelator in Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport had to have her leg amputated by rescuers. Her son said the family was “shocked” and worried about her mental health after the surgery was carried out on Thursday evening. The 57-year-old’s leg got stuck on Thursday morning after she tripped over her suitcase while on her way to board a flight, local media said. “My mother’s morale is quite concerning,” her son wrote on Facebook. “We got to speak to her a bit before and after the operation… Even though she showed her strength through facial…

MOROCCO is recalling its ambassador to Sweden following the burning of a Quran at a demonstration in Stockholm. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the capital, Rabat, called the action offensive and irresponsible at a time when Muslims were celebrating one of the holiest days in their calendar. The organiser of the demonstration – who is said to be Iraqi-born Salwan Momik – is being investigated for incitement to hatred. A Swedish court had ruled the protest should be allowed to go ahead on the grounds of freedom of expression.

EVIDENCE has emerged of significant damage in another part of the West Darfur region in Sudan, as fighting continues between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Nasa data from 27 June shows what appear to be a number of fires concentrated in the area of Murnei, about 80km (50 miles) south of the regional capital of El Geneina, which itself suffered extensive damage in mid-May. We found satellite images showing the damage in Murnei occurred between 26 June and 28 June, with an image from yesterday showing smoke still visible at one location. The heat…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Thursday in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, said he remained hopeful and optimistic about achieving victory in the last presidential election, despite the ineffective cashless policy implemented by the Central Bank of Nigeria. The President spoke in separate remarks at the palaces of the Paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, in Ijebu-Ode and Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, in Abeokuta , during a thank-you visit to the Royal Fathers. Reflecting on the challenges in the build-up to the 2023 presidential election, President Tinubu recounted his concerns about the confiscation of funds and the failure of the…

SAUDI authorities were investigating Thursday after an assailant and a security guard were killed in an exchange of gunfire outside the US consulate in Jeddah, the gateway city for the massive hajj pilgrimage taking place in Mecca. The gunman and a Nepalese security guard both died after the exchange of fire outside the consulate on Wednesday evening, officials said, giving no possible motive for the incident. “At 6:45 pm (1545 GMT), a man stopped in a car in front of the consulate building and got out with a weapon in his hand,” the official Saudi Press Agency quoted a police…

ARSENAL have agreed a deal worth £105m to sign West Ham’s England midfielder Declan Rice. Talks are continuing between the clubs over how the deal will be structured for the 24-year-old. It follows a third bid from the Gunners, having previously had two bids rejected after falling short of the £100m West Ham want. Earlier, Manchester City, who had a £90m offer for Rice rejected on Tuesday, withdrew from the running. Hammers captain Rice has been at the club since joining their academy from Chelsea in 2014. Earlier this month he led them to Europa Conference League victory, their first…

FORMER Barcelona boss Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino will reunite with Lionel Messi after being appointed as the new manager of Inter Miami. Martino, 60, replaces ex-Manchester United defender Phil Neville, who was sacked on 1 June. The Argentine has been out of work since leaving Mexico after their exit at the 2022 World Cup group stage. “Tata is a highly respected figure in our sport whose track record speaks for itself,” said co-owner David Beckham. “We are confident that his achievements in the game and experience as a head coach will inspire our team and excite our fans and look forward…

AT least 77 people have been arrested in France during a second night of unrest triggered by the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old driver by police. The teenager, named as Nahel M, was shot at point-blank range as he refused a traffic stop and drove away. Videos shared on social media showed cars being set alight and shops being ransacked on Wednesday across Paris. A prison in Fresnes was also attacked with fireworks by rioters overnight, AFP reported. The news agency said videos showed about 20 young men attacking the entrance to the prison with fireworks and projectiles. Videos shared…

A KEY defence that blocks nearly all bird flu when it attempts to invade our body has been discovered by scientists. Bird flus have been involved in four pandemics since 1918 – killing millions of people. The research, led by the University of Glasgow, showed those pandemics and normal winter flus had evolved ways of getting round this “powerful barrier”. The team think we will soon be able to predict which of the flus currently in birds pose the biggest risk. The scientists were investigating spillover events. These are the moments a person catches an infection from an animal. This…

MUSLIMS in Sudan have been celebrating Eid al-Adha amid the sound of gunfire despite a ceasefire announced by the warring military groups. Residents have told the BBC heavy artillery and airstrikes were heard in Khartoum state. “It doesn’t feel like Eid,” said Zahra Saeed, adding that the streets are “empty” and that people are “scared”. “Last night I couldn’t sleep because of the sounds of the gunfire,” Ms Saeed added. Others say they are too afraid to even attend the outdoor prayers which are normally a central part of the day: “For the first time in my life I didn’t…

THE streets of Sierra Leone’s capital were quiet on Wednesday, a day after President Julius Maada Bio was sworn in for a second term following an election his main rival slammed as “not credible.” Many people in central Freetown said they were relieved at the peaceful atmosphere as they went about their business at the start of Muslim festival of Eid, a public holiday. Some women were selling food at market and commercial drivers of motorcycles and tuk-tuks were out in rain-soaked streets scouting for customers. “I’m happy, not even because of the result, but I’m happy with the way…

THE Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar has called on Nigerians to continue to support and pray for the newly installed leaders in the country to deliver good governance to the benefit of the Nigeria citizens. Speaking in his palace shortly after the Eid prayers on Tuesday, the Sultan called on security agencies to redouble effort in the fight against terrorists and other violent criminals disturbing the peace or the country He called on the newly inaugurated leaders to work for all Nigerians irrespective of political affiliations, saying politics is over and now is time for governance. Also, speaking to…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Wednesday in Lagos urged Nigerians to have faith in God that the country will experience peace, stability and prosperity. Speaking to reporters after observing the Eid-el-Kabir prayers at Dodan Barracks prayer ground, the President stressed the need for unity and cooperation, appealing to Nigerians to eschew ethnic and religious rivalries. While noting that Allah would not burden the country with what it cannot bear, the President said: ”I thank Almighty Allah for keeping us in good health till today and pray to Him to grant us robust health and prosperity. May our sacrifices turn to prosperity.…