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ONE of Africa’s best known musicians – the Malian singer Rokia Traoré – has reportedly been imprisoned in Belgium as part of an ongoing child custody dispute. The 50-year-old is being held after being extradited from Italy, over an outstanding two-year prison sentence, according to the AFP news agency. The long-running saga dates back to 2020 when Traoré was initially detained in France on a Belgian arrest warrant after failing to heed a court order to hand over her daughter to the girl’s Belgian father. Months after she was conditionally released, Traoré flew out to Mali on a private flight,…

MANCHESTER United made a winning Old Trafford start under new boss Ruben Amorim as his side came from behind to beat Norwegian team Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League. United scored after just 81 seconds in Amorim’s first game in charge at Ipswich, and took them just 48 seconds to find the net this time around. A catastrophic error from goalkeeper Nikita Haikin, who inexplicably allowed Rasmus Hojlund to close him down as he went to make a routine clearance, followed gave Alejandro Garnacho a tap-in. But rather than pave the way for an easy victory, it was the prelude for…

ISRAEL and Lebanon have accused each other of breaching a ceasefire agreement as the Israeli military said it attacked a Hezbollah facility in southern Lebanon. The attack on Thursday came hours after the Israeli military said it had fired on people in several areas in southern Lebanon who it said were violating the terms of the ceasefire. The Lebanese army accused Israel of violating the ceasefire several times on Wednesday and Thursday. Under the terms of the ceasefire deal, brokered by the US and France, Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces are to gradually withdraw from southern Lebanon over 60 days.…

THE United States on Tuesday provided the first official confirmation that its long-range Army Tactical Missiles (ATACMS) were in use in Russia, as Europe absorbed the ramifications of Russia’s retaliatory response with an intermediate ballistic missile that could strike “anywhere in Europe”. As the question of strategic escalation swirled around NATO capitals and Moscow, Russian forces continued a dogged advance through Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, seizing more villages. “Right now, they are able to use ATACMS to defend themselves, you know, in an immediate-need basis,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. “And right now, you know, understandably,…

AT least 113 people are missing, and at least 15 people are known to have died after a landslide in eastern Uganda, the police say. The landslides triggered by heavy rainfall affected multiple villages in the Bulambuli district, about 280 km (178 miles) from the capital Kampala. A rescue operation is underway after at least 40 houses were swept away, the Ugandan Red Cross Society said on X. The Ugandan police said that as well as the 15 bodies, another 15 injured people had been rescued and admitted to hospital. At least six of the bodies recovered have been children,…

A POWER cut plunged Zimbabwe’s parliament into darkness as Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube was finishing his budget speech. The lights flickered and died, leaving top officials like President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga and members of parliament sitting in the dark. The outage is a symptom of Zimbabwe’s ongoing crisis, with daily 12-hour blackouts driven by a prolonged drought that is crippling energy generation at the Kariba Dam, the country’s main power source. As the lights went out, opposition MPs shouted that the outage was an apt metaphor for the country’s state of affairs. George Manyaya, a spokesperson from Zimbabwe…

LIVERPOOL finally ended their Real Madrid curse as they maintained their flawless Champions League record with a fully deserved victory in a thrilling encounter at Anfield. They had failed to beat the holders in eight previous meetings in the tournament – including two Champions League finals – but there was no denying Liverpool as head coach Arne Slot’s remarkable start in succession to Jurgen Klopp continues. Liverpool dominated Carlo Ancelotti’s side, who have now lost three of their five games and must fight for a play-off place in the tournament’s new format. In a game where the two superstars, Liverpool’s…

A CEASEFIRE between Israel and Hezbollah has appeared to hold on its first day as thousands of displaced people set out to return to their homes in southern Lebanon despite Israel’s military announcing restrictions on movement in the area. Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on X on Wednesday that residents would be barred from travelling south of the Litani River, about 30km (20 miles) from the Israeli border, from 5pm (15:00 GMT) until 7am (05:00 GMT) on Thursday. He said displaced residents would not be allowed to return to villages the army had ordered them to leave as Israeli…

SEVERAL members of Donald Trump’s incoming administration have received threats including bomb alerts, the FBI said Wednesday, with one nominee reporting a pipe-bomb scare sent with a pro-Palestinian message. “The FBI is aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement partners,” the agency said in a statement. Swatting refers to the practice in which police are summoned urgently to someone’s house under false pretenses. Such hoax calls are common in the United States and have seen numerous senior political figures targeted in recent years. Karoline Leavitt,…

MALAWI’s President Lazarus Chakwera on Wednesday announced measures to tackle a fuel crisis and hunger, while condemning political violence in the country. Earlier this year, the east African nation declared a state of disaster in 23 of its 28 districts after a drought destroyed crops, threatening 5.7 million people with hunger. In a televised address, Chakwera recognised “the need to prioritise food security,” but also asked the nation to support “measures to cut spending”. He said the government would announce austerity measures due to fiscal pressures over the country’s “debt situation.” The president thanked the international community for providing funds…

THE incoming regional director of the World Health Organization in Africa, Tanzania’s Dr Faustine Ndugulile, has died, just three months after he was elected to the position. Ndugulile, a 55-year-old lawmaker and a medical doctor, died on Wednesday morning in India while undergoing treatment, Tanzania’s speaker of parliament said. He is known for having stood up to President John Magufuli at the height of the Covid pandemic in 2020, when he served as deputy health minister. In August this year, he was elected as the WHO regional head, to take over from Botswana’s Dr Matshidiso Moeti, who has served two…

MANCHESTER City blew a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in the Champions League as their wretched form continued at a stunned Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola’s side looked to be cruising after two goals from Erling Haaland and another from Ilkay Gundogan put the hosts into a commanding lead. But the Dutch visitors staged a stunning comeback to take a point back to Rotterdam to the delight of their 5,000 travelling fans. Anis Hadj Moussa took advantage of a mistake by Josko Gvardiol to score Feyenoord’s first goal, before substitute Santiago Gimenez chested in his side’s second in the…

A CEASEFIRE between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah has come into effect hours after United States President Joe Biden said a proposal to end the “devastating” conflict had been reached, promising to halt nearly 14 months of cross-border fighting that has killed thousands of people. The ceasefire began at 4am local time (02:00 GMT) on Wednesday amid concerns about whether the truce would hold and lead to the permanent end of fighting between Israel’s military and Hezbollah forces. “The fighting across the Lebanese-Israeli border will end… This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities,” Biden said when…

THE UK Supreme Court on Tuesday began considering a lengthy dispute between campaigners and the Scottish government on the definition of “woman” in law. The case brought by the “For Women Scotland” campaign group, which believes that sex is biologically immutable, could have widespread implications on highly charged issues surrounding trans rights and how the UK defines gender and sex. It could also have consequences for the country’s gender-recognition process and access to single-sex spaces for trans people. The campaigners say the definitions of “woman” in the UK’s 2010 Equality Act and the Gender Recognition Act 2004 are incompatible. The…

EGYPTIAN rescuers found four bodies and five survivors on Tuesday during a Red Sea search operation after a tourist boat carrying 44 people sank on Monday. A total of 33 people have been rescued so far but seven were still missing as of Tuesday evening. The victims’ identities have not yet been disclosed by authorities. The BBC understands two of the missing are British nationals. The four-deck modern vessel had been carrying 31 passengers and 13 crew when it is understood to have been hit by a large wave near Marsa Alam, causing it to capsize. The boat sent distress…

KENYA has plunged in the latest rankings of how open it is to visitors from other African countries despite introducing a “visa-free policy” earlier this year. It dropped 17 places to 46th out of 54 nations, according the 2024 Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI). Last year, President William Ruto was highly praised after announcing that Kenya would drop visa requirements for all visitors from the continent. But in their place most travellers now have to apply online for authorisation before leaving their country, which some have criticised as “a visa under another name”. The system, known as the Electronic Travel…

THE Republic of Panama decided on Sunday to suspend its diplomatic relations with the so-called ‘Sadr’. “In accordance with the rules of international law, the government of Panama has decided to suspend, as of Thursday, diplomatic relations” with the so-called ‘sadr’, the Panamanian ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “The Republic of Panama, giving priority to the national interest and in accordance with the fundamental principles of its foreign policy, reaffirms its conviction in the objectives and values that guide multilateralism and reiterates its willingness to continue supporting the efforts of the Secretary-General and the international community, within…

FOOTBALL enthusiasts have expressed dissatisfaction over the omission of key players Asisat Oshoala and Deborah Abiodun from the Super Falcons’ squad announced for the international friendly against France on November 30. The 20-woman list, unveiled by the Nigeria Football Federation on Sunday, includes five home-based players and 15 foreign-based professionals. While Saudi Arabia-based Ashleigh Plumptre returns after a six-month injury layoff, the absence of some notable names has sparked debate among supporters. On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), fans were vocal about their concerns. Augustine @AustinL71449 lamented, “Now I see the reason why the squad list was delayed. Seems…

CRISTIANO Ronaldo struck twice for Al Nassr as they continued to thrive in the AFC Champions League Elite, with the Saudi champions defeating Al Gharafa 3-1 in Qatar on Monday. The 39-year-old’s contributions moved Al Nassr nearer to the last eight, needing just two points from their final three group games. Only Al Shorta on two points, with four games to play, can deny Ronaldo’s side a place in the next round, after Persepolis drew 1-1 at Al Rayyan. Al Nassr captain Ronaldo had looked destined to endure a hugely frustrating game following a series of missed opportunities in the…

ISRAEL’s military launched air attacks across Lebanon on Monday, unleashing explosions throughout the country and killing at least a dozen people, even as officials claimed they were nearing an agreement on a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Israeli attacks hit commercial and residential buildings in Beirut on Monday as well as in the port city of Tyre, where 12 people were killed – adding to the more than 3,700 people in Lebanon who have been killed by Israeli attacks in this two-month war. Israeli officials said they targeted areas known as Hezbollah strongholds. They issued evacuation orders for Beirut’s southern…