Author: Editor

OUSMANE Dembele’s stoppage-time goal settled the French Champions Trophy on Sunday, giving Paris Saint-Germain a 1-0 win over Monaco in a fixture played in Doha. PSG’s troubles in front of goal this season have often cost them in the Champions League, and they were thwarted throughout this game by a combination of poor finishing and some fine saves by Monaco goalkeeper Philipp Koehn. However, it was ultimately a deserved victory for Luis Enrique’s team in Qatar, as PSG won the trophy — the French equivalent of a Super Cup or England’s Community Shield — for the 11th time in the…

THE Israeli military will withdraw completely from south Lebanon, United States envoy Amos Hochstein has said, despite recent reports that Israel is planning to maintain a permanent presence in the country. Hochstein’s statement on Monday came as Israel was withdrawing its forces from Naqoura in the western sector of the border, with the Lebanese army deploying in the area. “The Israeli military started its withdrawal from Naqoura, most of the western sector and back into Israel proper today, south of the Blue Line,” Hochstein told reporters in Beirut, referring to the unofficial border between the two countries. “These withdrawals will…

CANADA’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation on Monday, saying he will leave office as soon as the ruling Liberal party chooses a new leader after months of slumping polls and internal division. “I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its next leader,” Trudeau, who has been in power since 2015, told reporters in Ottawa following a protracted political crisis that saw top Liberal allies urge him to quit. It was not immediately clear how long Trudeau will remain in office as a caretaker premier. He said the Liberal leadership race will…

THREE Chinese nationals have been arrested with 12 gold bars and $800,000 (£650,000) in cash in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, officials say. The gold and money was hidden under the seats of the vehicle they were travelling in, according to Jean Jacques Purusi, the governor of South Kivu province. He said the operation to arrest the men had been kept secret after the recent release of another group of Chinese nationals accused of running an illegal gold mine in the area. Eastern DR Congo has abundant reserves of gold, diamonds and the minerals used to make batteries for mobile…

FIVE young Kenyan men – including a popular cartoonist – who went missing just before the Christmas holidays have been found alive, family members and rights groups say. Kenya has been gripped by a wave of disappearances, with the state-funded rights group saying that over 80 people have been abducted in the last six months. The abductions generally target government critics and are widely believed to be the work of security agents, although the authorities have not admitted responsibility. They began in June last year during nationwide anti-tax protests, but increased in December, when AI-generated photos of the president in…

BRUNO Fernandes said if Manchester United can perform at Anfield they must “do it everywhere” after the crisis-hit side secured a 2-2 draw against Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday. Cody Gakpo cancelled out Lisandro Martinez’s shock opener for United before Mohamed Salah put Liverpool ahead from the penalty spot, but Amad Diallo scored a late equaliser. The point for Liverpool takes them six clear of second-placed Arsenal with a game in hand. United are way down in 13th place but at least they have ended their three-game losing run in the league. “We have been criticised, and fairly,” United…

‘I Refuse A Cheap Death’: Israel Kills Another Palestinian Journalist In Gaza A PALESTINIAN writer, poet and journalist has been killed in an Israeli air attack in northern Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp, according to his family, taking the total number of journalists killed in the Israel-Palestine conflict since October 7, 2023 to 220. Mohammad Hijazi was among nearly 90 Palestinians slain in Israeli attacks across the besieged territory in the last 24 hours, according to a statement from the Gaza Ministry of Health on Sunday. Hundreds of people have been killed in the Jabalia camp since Israel imposed a military…

A SHOOTING at a bar in southeastern Mexico left five people dead and seven wounded, authorities said Sunday, the latest in a series of similar attacks in the violence-plagued country. A manhunt was launched for the perpetrators of the shooting on Saturday night in the city of Villahermosa, in Tabasco state, the secretariat of security and civilian protection said in a statement. “Five people lost their lives and seven were injured,” it said. “Analysis of video surveillance cameras is being carried out and elements of the state and federal authorities have deployed coordinated patrols to locate and arrest those responsible,”…

AT least eight civilians have been killed in central Mali, several sources said on Sunday, accusing the Malian army and Russia’s Wagner group of the latest attack in the troubled West African country. The country is embroiled in a political, security and economic crisis, and has since 2012 been ravaged by different groups affiliated to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. It also faces a separatist insurgency in the volatile desert north. “A Hilux four-by-four vehicle … was heading toward a refugee camp in Mauritania when Wagner and the Malian army fired. At least eight civilians were killed” on Thursday,…

M23 rebel fighters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have taken control of a strategic town in the east of the Central African country, local politicians say, adding to the armed group’s recent gains in the region. The group took control of Masisi, a town and local administrative centre about 80km (50 miles) from the major city of Goma, on Saturday, provincial parliament member Alexis Bahunga told the Reuters news agency on Sunday. “The government will take measures to restore state authority over the entire territory,” he said. Another parliamentary deputy, Jean-Pierre Ayobangira Safari, said Masisi had been…

ARSENAL manager Mikel Arteta bemoaned a penalty decision he called “bizarre” as his side’s Premier League title challenge suffered a setback at Brighton. The second-placed Gunners looked on course to claim a precious three points on the south coast following an early opener from 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri. However, they had to settle for a point and a 1-1 draw after Joao Pedro equalised from the spot following a freak incident in which he was accidentally headbutted by visiting defender William Saliba. “We are really disappointed with the decision that leads to the goal because I have never seen something like…

ISRAELI forces killed at least 70 Palestinians in 30 separate attacks across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, medics and rescue workers say, with the victims including many children. This is as US President Joe Biden proposes an $8bn arms sale for Israel, just two weeks before leaving office, ignoring widespread criticism over the mounting death toll in Gaza. The State Department “has informally notified Congress of an $8 billion proposed sale of munitions to support Israel’s long-term security by resupplying stocks of critical munitions and air defense capabilities,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The preliminary notification gives…

JOE Biden will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 honourees on Saturday, bestowing the highest civilian honor in the United States to entertainers, sports stars, politicians, and diplomats. Among those to receive honours from the outgoing US president are singer and activist Bono, basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, longtime fashion editor Anna Wintour, soccer superstar Lionel Messi, actors Denzel Washington and Michael J. Fox, and fashion designer Ralph Lauren. The honorees “are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world,” the White House said in a statement. Others…

THE diplomatic dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia that had led to tense regional relations has been resolved, Somalia’s foreign minister says. Ahmed Moalim Fiqi’s statement, carried by state TV, said Somalia had made no concessions. Ethiopia has not commented on the Somali claim, but said the two countries had agreed to “strengthen bilateral relations”. The two neighbours had been at loggerheads since last January when landlocked Ethiopia signed a maritime deal with the breakaway Somaliland, which Somalia considers as part of its territory. Friday’s statement follows a visit to Somalia by an Ethiopian delegation in the latest sign of détente…

DANDY Krazy, one of Zambia’s most popular musicians, has died from injuries caused by a road collision on New Year’s Eve. The 47-year-old – real name Wesley Chibambo – was travelling in Zambia’s Kapiri Mposhi region when his car collided with a truck and a second car. Three people died at the scene. Dandy Krazy passed away in the early hours of Thursday despite being transported to the University Teaching Hospital in capital city Lusaka for emergency surgery. President Hakainde Hichilema was among those who paid tribute to the musician, calling him an “extraordinary artist”. “His music and charisma touched…

ENGLAND midfielder Jude Bellingham missed a penalty and scored a 95th-minute winner as 10-man Real Madrid snatched a dramatic victory at Valencia to move top of La Liga. Valencia had former West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan in charge for the first time since he became manager last week and he was on course to guide his new team to a memorable victory, before the exciting finale. In a thrilling match at Mestalla Stadium, the hosts took a first-half lead when Hugo Duro tapped in from close range after Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois could only parry Javi Guerra’s powerful strike.…

AT least 150 people have been killed in two days of intense air strikes on Gaza, including at least 73 people reported killed throughout Friday and 77 confirmed killed on Thursday. Also, Amnesty International said Israel’s detention of Kamal Adwan Hospital director Dr Hussam Abu Safia is emblematic of the “genocidal intent” in Israel’s broader attempts to “annihilate” Gaza’s healthcare sector. This is as Israel is forcing two hospitals in northern Gaza to evacuate under threat of attack. Israeli forces have surrounded the Indonesian Hospital, where many staff and patients sought shelter after nearby Kamal Adwan Hospital was destroyed in…

UNITED States President-elect Donald Trump is set to face a sentencing hearing for his criminal conviction in New York, mere days before he will be sworn in for a second term in the White House. On Friday, Judge Juan Merchan issued an 18-page written decision calling for Trump to appear, either in person or virtually, on January 10 to receive his sentence. Merchan also denied Trump’s bid to dismiss his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records in relation to a hush-money payment made during his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump had pushed to have the conviction overturned, in light…

ALL African passport holders are now able to visit Ghana without needing a visa, outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo has said. He announced the plan last month but in his final state-of-the-nation address on Friday he said that the policy had come into effect at the beginning of the year. Visa-free travel within the continent has long been an aspiration for those promoting pan-African values and is seen as vital for economic cooperation. Ghana is now the fifth African country to offer this to travellers from the rest of the continent. Rwanda, Seychelles, The Gambia and Benin are the others. “I…

A MAGNITUDE 5.5 earthquake struck northern Ethiopia Friday, where a volcano erupted after months of increased seismic activity, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and local media said. The EMSC said the quake, which occurred at a depth of about 10 kilometres (6 miles), hit some 55 kilometres (34 miles) northwest of the city of Asbe Teferi. No injuries have been reported so far. A nearby volcano also erupted after months of intense seismic activity, according to local media. Aden Bela, a local official, told the Ethiopian broadcaster EBC that the volcanic eruption had taken place at 5:30 am on Friday…