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MOROCCO on Saturday released three Senegalese fans from jail after they completed a three-month prison sentence for participating in the violence that broke out during the Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat, an AFP journalist saw. The trio left Al Arjat 2 prison, northeast of Rabat, in a police vehicle to go to a police station before being released. Upon leaving the police station, the three smiling Senegalese fans were greeted by members of the Senegalese embassy. One said to AFP, “dima Maroc, dima Maghrib” (“long live Morocco”). Senegalese defence lawyer Patrick Kabou thanked “diplomatic and consular representation for…

HARRY Kane scored his 32nd goal of the campaign as Bayern Munich came from behind to beat Stuttgart 4-2 and claim a record-extending 35th Bundesliga title. After nearest challengers Borussia Dortmund fell to defeat at Hoffenheim on Saturday, Bayern needed only a draw to win a 13th title in 14 seasons. But, as has been the case all season, they turned on the style and came from behind to beat Champions League-chasing Stuttgart 4-2. Victory keeps Bayern’s hopes of winning the Treble alive, with semi-finals against Bayer Leverkusen in the German Cup and Paris St-Germain in the Champions League to…

THE United States has proposed plans to rebuild Rafah, a city in southern Gaza that was flattened by two years of Israeli bombardment. It has been touted as the centrepiece of a US-Israeli vision for a post-war Gaza, but satellite images suggest the project has stalled before even breaking ground. An Al Jazeera Digital Investigations Unit examination of Planet Labs and Sentinel Hub satellite imagery revealed that Israeli military fortifications are expanding at a relentless pace across Gaza, particularly in Rafah. Analysis of imagery from February 25 to March 15 confirmed that while rubble removal has essentially ceased in Beit…

EIGHT children have been killed in a shooting spree in the southern US state of Louisiana, in what police said appears to have been an incident of domestic violence. The gunman, who was not immediately identified, was fatally shot by police after a car chase early Sunday, officials said. “This is a rather extensive crime scene spanning between two residences,” Shreveport Police Corporal Chris Bordelon told a press conference, adding that a third residence was also part of the scene being combed by investigators. The victims ranged in age from one to 14, Bordelon said. “Some of the children inside…

THE government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and rival M23 rebels have agreed to ease aid deliveries and release prisoners, as mediators push to resolve a years-long conflict that has persisted despite multiple peace deals. The two sides announced the measures in a joint statement shared by the US Department of State on Saturday, following five days of talks in Switzerland. “The parties agreed to refrain from any action that would undermine the principled delivery of humanitarian assistance within the territories impacted by the conflict,” said the statement. Both sides also pledged not to target civilians and…

BURKINA Faso’s military government has ordered the dissolution of more than 100 associations and civil society groups, which rights groups are calling an “attack” on basic rights. It is the latest crackdown in the West African country, months after the government issued a decree dissolving all political parties. The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Mobility announced on Wednesday the dissolution of 118 NGOs and associations “in accordance with current legal provisions” and a ban on their activities. All are based in Burkina Faso, with many involved in the defence of human rights. Since taking power in a 2022 coup, the…

MANCHESTER United took a giant step towards ending a two-year exile from the Champions League as Matheus Cunha scored the only goal in a 1-0 win at Chelsea on Saturday. United’s victory opens up a 10-point gap between the Red Devils in third place and sixth-placed Chelsea, with only 15 points left to play for this season. The top five in the Premier League will qualify for the Champions League next season. But a fourth consecutive league defeat leaves Chelsea’s chances of being back among Europe’s elite next season in tatters and piles pressure on Liam Rosenior just over three…

IRAN’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC) says the Strait of Hormuz is closed and that any ship that attempts to pass through the waterway will be targeted, a dramatic reversal less than 24 hours after the critical shipping lane was reopened. In a statement carried by Iran’s Student News Agency, the IRGC navy said on Saturday the strait will be closed until the United States lifts its naval blockade on Iranian vessels and ports. It said the blockade was a violation of the ongoing ceasefire agreement in the US-Israel war on Iran. “We warn that no vessel of any…

LAW enforcement officials in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago have launched an investigation after 56 bodies, mostly of children, were found abandoned at a cemetery. On Saturday, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) announced the discovery in a statement. The bodies of 50 infants were recovered, as well as those of four adult males and two females. At least one of the adult women and one adult male showed signs of having undergone a post-mortem examination. All the adults had identification tags, similar to what is often used at morgues. “Preliminary indications suggest that this may be…

THE UN’s humanitarian chief has warned that South Sudan is at a dangerous crossroads as it faces the risk of famine. Tom Fletcher, the under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs and emergency relief coordinator, called on the Security Council on Friday to “prevent South Sudan from sliding toward full-scale famine and collapse”. He warned that “hunger across South Sudan is tightening its grip”, with emergency levels of food insecurity expected for some across all 10 states during the lean season, which lasts until the end of July. After spending a week in the country, he said that he feared his next briefing…

IN a country where criticising the authorities has often landed people in trouble, the latest song from Ethiopia’s biggest musician – which appears to condemn the government – is attracting attention. Teddy Afro’s track Das Tal, meaning “put up the tent” in English, has been viewed more than seven million times on YouTube since its release on Thursday. Referencing a traditional mourning tent, Teddy Afro – whose real name is Tewodros Kassahun – sings that he is grieving a country he says has been lost. The build-up to the song’s release had already drawn controversy after a preview event for…

LAGOS Govt State Government has appealed to private organisations such as banks, filling stations, eateries, and others to make their restrooms available for public use, as part of its efforts to eliminate open defecation and improve public sanitation across Lagos State. News Point Nigeria reports that the Environment and Water Resources Commissioner Tokunbo Wahab disclosed this in a post on X on Saturday. “We currently have 1,710 functioning public toilets strategically located across the state for residents and visitors. “However, government cannot do this alone. “We are encouraging businesses such as filling stations, banks, eateries, and other public-facing facilities to…

A FRESH global oil crisis appears to be looming as Iran once again closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz following escalating tensions over a United States naval blockade, raising fears of disruption to global energy supplies and renewed instability in international markets. Iran’s military announced on Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz had been shut again, only hours after it was briefly reopened, even as several commercial vessels abandoned attempts to pass through the crucial maritime corridor. The back-and-forth developments surrounding the strait cast fresh doubt on the optimism expressed by Donald Trump a day earlier, when he suggested that…

MANCHESTER United head coach Michael Carrick says no decision has been made on the future of forward Marcus Rashford for next season. The 28-year-old is on a season-long loan at Spanish club Barcelona after falling out of favour at Old Trafford. Barcelona have until 15 June to decide whether to trigger their €30m (£26.1m) option to buy Rashford, with the Old Trafford hierarchy resistant to any attempt to change the terms of the deal. Rashford, who is likely to be part of Thomas Tuchel’s squad for this summer’s World Cup, has not closed the door on returning to his boyhood…

IRAN has said the Strait of Hormuz is “completely open” for all commercial vessels and will remain so during the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, as United States President Donald Trump said an agreement to end the US-Israeli war on Iran was “very close”. “In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X on Friday. A 10-day ceasefire was agreed upon between Israel and Lebanon late on Thursday, though it was unclear whether the…

OVER 38,000 women and girls were killed in the Gaza war by the end of 2025, the UN estimated Friday, amounting to over half of the 71,000 deaths recorded by the territory’s health ministry. “Between October 2023 and December 2025, more than 38,000 women and girls were killed in Gaza — the result of Israeli air bombardment and land military operations,” the UN Women agency’s spokeswoman Sofia Calltorp told a press briefing in Geneva. “This includes over 22,000 women and 16,000 girls, amounting to an average of at least 47 women and girls killed every day.” The agency said the…

FIFTEEN people have arrived in DR Congo after being expelled from the United States as part of an immigration crackdown, the UN confirmed on Friday, with a local source saying they were from Peru and Ecuador. The arrivals in Kinshasa overnight Thursday to Friday are the first under the deal to land in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the latest African nation to accept expelled migrants from the US.Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last year, his administration has negotiated several expulsion agreements despite fierce criticism from rights groups. The countries accepting the deportees generally give…

THE youngest son of Zimbabwe’s late former leader Robert Mugabe has pleaded guilty to pointing a firearm and illegally being in South Africa. Bellarmine Mugabe entered guilty pleas to the two charges after he was arrested in February following the shooting of a 23-year-old man at his home in Johannesburg. The 28-year-old has been held in custody alongside co-accused Tobias Matonhodze, and appeared at the court in Alexandra on Friday. Lawyers for the men told the court they were prepared to return to their native Zimbabwe at their own expense if they do not receive a custodial sentence. Matonhodze, 33,…

ABU Haidar’s legs dangled out the passenger side of his car onto the pavement at Beirut’s waterfront. He had folded up his mattress – the one he’s slept on for the last six weeks  and packed it on top of his car. It was a few hours before the midnight start of a 10-day ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel was set to take effect. Abu Haidar’s car was packed, and he planned to head to his village, Kherbet Selem, about 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the border. “At 11pm, I’m going home, not at 12,” he told Al Jazeera. He…

BANK robbers in Italy held 25 people hostage for two hours on Thursday, before making their escape through a tunnel with loot from safe deposit boxes, a police source told AFP. Three masked robbers, one of whom “was certainly armed”, entered a branch of the French Credit Agricole bank in Naples at around 11:30 am (0930 GMT), the source said. They took hostage customers and employees, who were rescued some two hours later, he said. “Thanks to the swift response… all the hostages were freed shortly after 1:30 pm, without serious injuries,” Naples Prefect Michele di Bari said in a…