RESIDENTS of the Sudanese capital Khartoum, have reported more fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). It comes despite US sanctions imposed after the collapse of a humanitarian ceasefire. People in the city said the army had resumed air strikes and was using more artillery, but with no sign that the RSF was retreating from the streets and homes it has occupied. The military announced it had brought reinforcements to the capital from other parts of Sudan. Analysts say the armed forces are expected to launch a massive offensive to clear the paramilitaries from the streets.
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KANO State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, popularly known as Abba Gida-Gida personally led the demolition of structures believed to be illegally erected on properties belonging to the government. This newspaper gathered that late Friday night, a task force set up by the governor began the demolition of structures built inside the Kano Race Course (Filin Sukuwa) under the governor’s supervising eyes amidst heavy security. Recall that Abba Gida-Gida had in his inaugural speech on Monday gave a marching order to security agencies in the state to immediately take over all public properties sold by the administration of former Governor Umaru…
THE 2023 FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United takes place at Wembley on Saturday (15:00 BST) – the first all-Manchester final in the competition’s history. A near 90,000 crowd is expected at Wembley despite more national train strikes leaving tens of thousands of fans having to make alternative plans to travel to London. Pep Guardiola’s City, who have already won the Premier League and face Inter Milan in the Champions League final on 10 June, need a victory to stay on course for a remarkable Treble. But United, who have already defeated City this season, are looking…
DEFENDER Sergio Ramos will leave French champions Paris St-Germain at the end of their Ligue 1 season on Saturday. Ramos becomes the second high-profile exit announced this week, with Lionel Messi’s departure also confirmed. “Tomorrow is a special day, tomorrow I say goodbye to another stage of my life, goodbye to PSG,” said Spanish great Ramos on Twitter. The 37-year-old made 57 appearances for PSG and won two French titles after joining them from Real Madrid in 2021. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said: “Sergio’s leadership, team spirit and professionalism, combined with his experience at the highest level, make him a…
NAPOLI striker, Victor Osimhen, has won the Best Striker award for the 2022/23 Serie A season. The Serie A made the announcement on Friday, saying the striker fended off competition from Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao of AC Milan to scoop the prize. The Nigerian bagged the award having scored 25 league goals this term, four more than his closest rival Martinez with just one game to go. The Super Eagles forward emerged as the top striker having led Napoli to its first Serie A crown since the 1989–1990 season. That was the club’s third…
AT least 288 people are now known to have been killed and 850 injured in a multiple train collision in India’s eastern Odisha state, officials say. More than 200 ambulances were sent to the scene in Balasore district, says Odisha’s chief secretary Pradeep Jena. One passenger train is thought to have derailed before being struck by another on the adjacent track late on Friday. It is India’s worst train crash this century. Officials say the death toll is expected to rise further. Indian Railways said the two services involved were the Coromandel Express and the Howrah Superfast Express. Sudhanshu Sarangi,…
AUSTRAIN officials have voiced their relief after two of the country’s citizens were released by Iran after years of imprisonment in the country. Dual Austrian-Iranian nationals Kamran Ghaderi and Massud Mossaheb were freed as part of a prisoner swap involving Europeans and an Iranian diplomat. The pair’s detention in Iran, on spying and security charges respectively, attracted criticism internationally. Belgium said a third person – a Danish citizen – had also been released. The trio were flying into Belgium via Oman following medical examinations, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said. Local media reported that they will be met at…
SOCIAL media and messaging platforms have been blocked in Senegal after unrest erupted over the sentencing of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. At least nine people were killed when Sonko’s supporters clashed with police in several cities on Thursday. Sonko was not in court when he was given a two-year jail term for immoral behaviour, but cleared of rape charges. The justice minister said he could be arrested at any time – and police are surrounding his house in the capital. His supporters fear the conviction could prevent the 48-year-old politician from contesting next year’s presidential election. Hundreds of officers are…
TANZANIA says its outbreak of the Marburg virus is over. Presence of the haemorrhagic fever was first confirmed in March, in the north-western Kagera region. There were nine cases and six people died. The World Health Organisation said its joint action with Tanzania on an emergency response had enabled the authorities to limit the impacts of a highly infectious disease. The Marburg virus can have a fatality rate of up to 88%.
THE Saudi Pro League can become a “top-five league in the world” if they can attract more big-name players, says Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo. Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric have been linked with moves to Saudi Arabia and Ronaldo, 38, says they are “very welcome” to join him. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has completed his first season with Al Nassr after joining in December. He has a contract to 2025 and added he “will continue here” next season. Paris St-Germain have confirmed Messi will leave the club this summer and the Argentina forward, 35, has a role…
LIONEL Messi will play his final game for Paris St-Germain against Clermont on Saturday, says manager Christophe Galtier. BBC Sport reported in May that the 35-year-old Argentina forward would leave when his contract ends this summer. Messi, who joined on a free transfer from Barcelona in July 2021, helped PSG win two successive Ligue 1 titles. “I had the privilege of coaching the best player in the history of football,” said Galtier. “This will be his last match at the Parc des Princes and I hope that he will receive the warmest of welcomes.” PSG increased security at the homes…
PRESIDENT Joe Biden took a face-first tumble on Thursday after tripping over an obstacle on stage at the Air Force Academy in Colorado, but he appeared unhurt. Biden, 80, who had delivered the commencement address to graduates of the military academy, had just shaken hands with a cadet and begun walking back to his seat when he fell. Air Force personnel helped him back up and he did not appear to require further help. As he rose, Biden pointed to the object that had apparently caught his foot. It resembled a small black sandbag on the stage. Biden is the…
A TEENAGER from Florida has won the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee in the United States. Dev Shah, a 14-year-old student from Largo, spelled “psammophile” correctly to win the 95th national bee and the $50,000 (£40,000) prize. Charlotte Walsh, also 14, from Arlington, Virginia, was the runner-up, having incorrectly spelled “daviely” as “daevilick”. A psammophile is an organism that lives in sandy areas. Eleven students made the finals after 11 million people entered spelling competitions, according to the organisers. “It’s surreal… my legs are still shaking,” Dev said as he collected the trophy on stage, joined by his family. His…
ROCKETS hit a market in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, killing 18 people and leaving more than 100 wounded, doctors and residents say. The fighting between rival military forces comes as truce talks mediated by the US and Saudi Arabia collapsed. Wednesday’s violence around a market in Mayo in the south of Khartoum included artillery fire and aerial bombardment. It caused the most civilian casualties in a single incident in the capital since the war began in April. This brings the civilian death toll over seven weeks to at least 883, according to official counts – though the real number is likely…
RIGHTS group Amnesty International is calling on Angola to release an activist, saying he has been detained “arbitrarily” for more than 500 days despite suffering severe health issues. Tanaice Neutro was arrested in January last year after he allegedly shared a video online in which he called Angolan President João Lourenço a “clown” and said the authorities were “ignorant”. The campaign group calls it a “travesty of justice” that he is still detention despite a judge ordering his release. “Tanaice Neutro’s ongoing detention and denial of medical care may amount to torture and other ill-treatment,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s…
NIGERIA’s Flying Eagles stunned Argentina to secure passage into the FIFA U-20 World Cup quarter-finals, courtesy of second-half goals from Ibrahim Muhammad and Rilwanu Haliru Sarki. The Flying Eagles started brightly, but as the first half wore on La Albiceleste began to dominate. Veliz had two semi-sniffs at goal as the break approached, heading one narrowly over and flicking the other into the arms of Kingsley Aniagboso. Nigeria made the breakthrough just after the hour. Emmanuel Umeh flicked the ball over the top for Muhammad, who stabbed it past goalkeeper Federico Gomes Gerth. Argentina piled on the pressure in search…
SEVILLA claimed a record-extending seventh Europa League title as they beat Roma on penalties at a raucous Puskas Arena in Budapest. Gonzalo Montiel, who also scored the winning penalty for Argentina in the World Cup final against France, repeated the trick for the Spanish side following a 1-1 draw, with a retaken spot kick after Roger Ibanez and Gianluca Mancini had missed for Roma. The Spanish side, have now won all seven of the finals they have played in the competition with captain Jesus Navas involved in their first triumph against Middlesbrough in 2006. Their most recent sees them qualify…
ACTOR Al Pacino will soon be a father for the fourth time — at age 83, US media said Wednesday. His partner, 29-year-old Noor Alfallah, is eight months pregnant, according to the showbiz and gossip news site TMZ. Pacino’s agent did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. Pacino — known for such films as “The Godfather” (1972), “Scarface” (1983) and “Scent of a Woman” (1992), for which he won an Oscar — has three grown children from previous relationships. Alfallah was previously linked to rock icon Mick Jagger. Fellow movie legend Robert De Niro recently made a…
UKRAINIAN officials say further Russian missile strikes overnight have left at last three people dead in the capital, Kyiv. The attack targeted the Desnyanskyi district in Kyiv’s eastern suburbs. An 11-year-old girl, her mother and another woman were killed in the attack, say authorities. Twenty people are reported to be injured. “Everything happened very fast, probably within 15 minutes,” says resident Liudmyla. The Ukrainian armed forces say its air defence systems intercepted 10 missiles from Russia’s Bryansk region. It is the 18th attack on the capital since the start of May.
ONE of Africa’s most-celebrated authors and playwrights, Ghanaian Ama Ata Aidoo, has died aged 81. A renowned feminist, she depicted and celebrated the condition of African women in works such as The Dilemma of a Ghost, Our Sister Killjoy and Changes. She opposed what she described as a “Western perception that the African female is a downtrodden wretch”. She also served as education minister in the early 1980s but resigned when she could not make education free. In a statement, her family said “our beloved relative and writer” passed away after a short illness, requesting privacy to allow them to…