Author: Editor

AN Israeli settler arson attack on a mosque in the occupied West Bank has drawn international condemnation, as a wave of intensified violence against Palestinians continues unabated across the area. Israeli settlers set fire to the Hajja Hamida Mosque in the Palestinian village of Deir Istiya, near Salfit in the north of the West Bank, around dawn on Thursday, local residents told Al Jazeera. Photographs taken at the scene showed racist, anti-Palestinian slogans sprayed on the walls of the mosque, which was damaged in the blaze. Copies of the Quran – the Islamic holy book – were also burned. The…

THE approval rating for United States President Donald Trump remains at its lowest level since he began his second term in January, according to a new poll. But Thursday’s survey, conducted by the news agency Reuters and the research firm Ipsos, found a jump in the share of respondents who said they disapproved of his performance. His disapproval rating increased from 52 percent in mid-May to 58 percent in November. His approval rating, meanwhile, stayed at approximately 40 percent, roughly the same as it was in May. The online poll, conducted over six days this month, surveyed 1,200 US adults…

SOME 200 Kenyans are fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine and more could be recruited into the conflict, authorities say. Among them are former members of Kenya’s security forces, according to Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi. Some of those who have been rescued said they were forced to assemble drones and handle chemicals without proper training or protective gear, the minister added. Kenyan President William Ruto last week requested the Ukrainian government to secure the release of Kenyans currently held in the conflict zone. About 1,400 citizens from across Africa are fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine,…

SOUTH Sudan’s leader Salva Kiir has in a shock move dismissed one of his vice-presidents, Benjamin Bol Mel, who had been tipped as his possible successor. Kiir stripped Bol Mel of his military rank of general and dismissed him from the national security service. He also sacked the central bank governor and the head of the revenue authority, both considered close allies of Bol Mel. No explanation was given for the dismissals, which were announced in a decree broadcast on state television. It comes when there are growing fears of political instability and a possible return to civil war, after…

HULL City academy winger Joao Mendes has said he does not feel extra pressure because he is the son of Brazil legend Ronaldinho. The 20-year-old joined the Tigers on a one-year deal in September after spending last season in Burnley’s youth set-up. His father won the 2002 World Cup, Champions League and Ballon d’Or in a career that saw him play for Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and AC Milan. “I don’t feel any pressure. I’ve always had it clear in my mind that I’m me and he’s him,” he told BBC Radio Humberside. “It’s normal that you’re going to see me…

THE United States had evidence last year that Israeli officials discussed how their soldiers sent Palestinians into tunnels in Gaza that the Israelis believed were potentially lined with explosives, two former US officials have told the Reuters news agency. The information was shared with the White House and analysed by the intelligence community in the final weeks of former President Joe Biden’s administration, the officials said. International law prohibits the use of civilians as shields during military activity. Israel’s use of Palestinians as human shields in Gaza and the occupied West Bank has been documented on multiple occasions, but Wednesday’s…

DEMOCRATS released emails Wednesday in which Jeffrey Epstein suggested that Donald Trump was aware of the financier’s sexual abuse and definitely “knew about the girls.” Trump has denied any involvement in or knowledge of the sex-trafficking activities of his former friend, who died by suicide in federal prison in 2019 as he was awaiting trial. But Democrats on the House Oversight Committee said the emails “raise serious questions about Donald Trump and his knowledge of Epstein’s horrific crimes.” The furor around the disgraced financier is still roiling Trump’s administration four months after his Justice Department effectively closed the case, announcing…

A GABON court on Wednesday sentenced the former first lady and son of the oil-rich country’s deposed leader Ali Bongo to 20 years in prison following a two-day graft trial. Sylvia Bongo, 62, and Noureddin Bongo, 33, both tried in absentia, were found guilty of embezzlement of public funds, among other charges. The wife of Ali Bongo, whose family ruled the central African country with an iron fist for 55 years, had been accused of manipulating her husband to embezzle taxpayers’ money. She denied all charges. Her son and co-defendant, Noureddin, criticised the trial as a “legal farce” in an…

AT least six people have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event in a stadium in Ghana. Wednesday’s “tragic” crush appeared to have been caused by “an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates,” said a statement from Ghana’s armed forces. Twenty-two others were injured, including five who remain in critical condition. Thousands had turned up to El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of joining the military. Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally draw large…

PORTUGUESE superstar Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday said next year’s World Cup would be his last as he winds down one of the all-time great careers. The 40-year-old forward, with more than 950 club and international goals, also said he would retire from football in “one or two years”. “Definitely, yes,” he told a Saudi forum by video link, when asked if 2026 would be his World Cup swansong. “I’m gonna be 41 years old and I think it will be the moment.” Ronaldo, who began a lucrative stint at Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr in 2023, also elaborated on comments last…

ABOUT 30 minutes into a new documentary featuring testimonies of Israeli soldiers about being deployed to Gaza, a soldier reflects on the enclave after months of sustained Israeli war on it: “Terrible heat. Sand. Stench. And dogs wandering around in packs. They eat dead bodies … It’s horrifying … It’s a kind of zombie apocalypse. No trees. No bushes. No roads. There’s nothing.” The documentary, Breaking Ranks: Inside Israel’s War, shown on UK network ITV on Monday, featured Israeli soldiers, some speaking of shame at having participated in what they concede is a genocide, others unflinchingly detailing the nature of…

A TURKISH military plane with at least 20 people on board has crashed in Georgia close to the border with Azerbaijan, Turkiye’s Defence Ministry has said. There were no immediate reports on the number of casualties or the cause of the accident involving a C-130 cargo plane, which had taken off from the Azerbaijani city of Ganja on Tuesday. However, both Turkiye and Azerbaijan, which are close allies, have indicated that there have been fatalities. Turkiye’s Defence Ministry said 20 Turkish personnel, including flight crew, were on the C-130 plane, but did not mention possible passengers of other nationalities. Local…

A HELICOPTER crash than killed Ghana’s ministers of defence and environment along with six other people was caused by poor weather conditions, an investigative committee has found. The Z9 military helicopter plummeted in a dense forest as it was flying from the capital, Accra, to the town of Obuasi in August. There were no survivors. After a two-month probe, investigators found that the aircraft lost altitude and lift due to “downdraft”, a downward current of air. The helicopter was “airworthy”, the report added, but recommended the Ghana Air Force fleet be modernised as it currently lacks modern safety and navigational…

POLICE in Tanzania have released several senior opposition leaders detained following the deadly protests that followed last month’s disputed elections, according to the main opposition party, Chadema. Four senior Chadema officials arrested last week for their alleged role in the protests were released on bail on Monday, the party said on social media. The unrest came when authorities cracked down on demonstrations against the re-election of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who was declared the winner of the disputed election with nearly 98 percent of the vote. Chadema vice chairman John Heche and deputy secretary-general Amani Golugwa were among those released.…

FOOTBALL icon Lionel Messi has sparked fresh excitement among FC Barcelona fans after making an emotional return to the newly renovated Camp Nou and hinting at a possible future comeback to bid the farewell he never received. Messi, who won a record eight Ballon d’Or awards and etched his name into Barça history as the club’s all-time top scorer, paid a private visit to the stadium on Monday. It marked his first appearance at the iconic venue since his dramatic exit in 2021. The Argentine superstar left Barcelona after 21 years when the club’s financial crisis prevented them from renewing…

AT least two people including a child have been killed in an Israeli drone strike east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, according to Al Jazeera reporters in the besieged Palestinian territory. Hamas condemned Israel’s “daily and continuous violations” since a truce came into effect last month, accusing it of maintaining a campaign of bombardments and demolitions across the besieged enclave. In a statement published on Telegram on Monday, the group said Israeli attacks had killed 271 people, over 90 percent of them civilians, and wounded 622 more since the ceasefire took effect on October 10. The Israeli military said…

AFTER Zohran Mamdani handily won the New York City mayoral election, becoming the city’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor-elect, Republican detractors in Washington, DC, said they would try to stop him from taking office. President Donald Trump, who threatened to withhold federal funds to New York City if Mamdani won, lent credence to misleading questions about Mamdani’s citizenship and falsely accused the Ugandan-born 34-year-old of being a communist. Some Republican lawmakers requested investigations into Mamdani’s naturalisation process and have called for stripping him of his United States citizenship and deporting him, accusing him without evidence of embracing communist…

A FEMALE TikToker accused of helping Mali’s army has been seized and killed execution-style by suspected insurgents. Mariam Cissé, said to be in her 20s and with over 100,000 TikTok followers, posted videos about life in her Tonka hometown in the northern Timbuktu region and often expressed support for the army. Her death has shocked the nation, which has been battling a insurgency since 2012. State TV said she had simply wanted to promote her community and support the army through her TikTok posts. Mali is grappling with a fuel blockade imposed on the capital by insurgent groups that has…

THE daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma has pleaded not guilty to terrorism-related charges at the start of her trial in the port city of Durban. Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla is being prosecuted over comments she made on social media four years ago during deadly protests in South Africa following the arrest of her father. A week of anarchy in several parts of the country in July 2021, including looting and arson, left at least 300 people dead and caused damage worth an estimated $2.8bn (£2.2bn). Zuma-Sambudla, 43, has been accused of fuelling this unrest and faces charges of incitement…

MANCHESTER City celebrated Pep Guardiola’s 1000th game in management with a statement 3-0 win over Liverpool to close to within four points of Premier League leaders Arsenal. Erling Haaland shrugged off missing an early penalty to head in his 99th Premier League goal before Nico Gonzalez’s deflected effort and a wonder strike from Jeremy Doku confirmed City’s status as Arsenal’s major title rivals. Liverpool have now lost four of their last five league games to leave the defending champions down in eighth, eight points off the top. Arsenal’s 10-game winning run came to an end in a 2-2 draw at…