ISRAEL’s military has launched attacks on what it described as Hezbollah and Hamas “targets” in Lebanon after issuing evacuation orders for four villages in the country’s east and south. An Israeli army spokesperson said earlier that it was planning air strikes on Hezbollah and Hamas “military infrastructure” in the villages of Hammara and Ain el-Tineh in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, and Kfar Hatta and Annan in the south. An AFP news agency photographer in Kfar Hatta saw dozens of families flee the village after an Israeli warning was issued, with drone activity in the area. Ambulances and fire trucks were…
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DEPOSED Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty to charges of narco-terrorism in a New York court on Monday, two days after being snatched by US forces in a stunning raid on his home in Caracas. Maduro, 63, told a federal judge in Manhattan that he had been “kidnapped” from Venezuela and said, “I’m innocent; I’m not guilty,” US media reported. “I’m still the president of my country,” he was quoted as saying. Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, likewise pleaded not guilty. The pair was snatched by US commandos in the early hours of Saturday in an assault backed by warplanes…
UGANDA’s authorities have denied reports that they are planning to cut access to the internet during next week’s election. The main opposition candidate last week repeated claims that the government was going to block the internet to prevent his supporters from mobilising, and sharing election results. On Friday, satellite internet provider Starlink restricted its services in Uganda following an order from the communications regulator, fuelling these concerns. President Yoweri Museveni is seeking to extend his 40-year rule in the 15 January elections. His strongest challenger is expected to be Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, a former pop star.…
GUINEA’s Supreme Court on Sunday validated an overwhelming presidential election victory for junta chief Mamady Doumbouya, crediting him with 86.72% of votes. This confirms provisional results announced earlier last week, following the December 28 election that excluded opposition heavyweights from the ballot. The runner-up, Abdoulaye Yéro Baldé, won 6.59% of the vote, also unchanged from the provisional result. Baldé, who had challenged the election result in a filing with the Supreme Court, had since “voluntarily withdrawn” the complaint, the Court’s first president, Fode Bangoura, said as he announced the final election tally. In his first address to the nation after…
MANCHESTER United have sacked manager Ruben Amorim, with the club planning to appoint a caretaker manager for the remainder of the season. Former midfielder Darren Fletcher will take charge for Wednesday’s Premier League game against Burnley. The Scot will remain in place until a caretaker is appointed for the rest of the campaign, with the club planning to name a permanent successor for Amorim in the summer. On Friday Amorim hinted that his relationship with club officials was strained – suggesting he would not be fully backed in the transfer market. And following the 1-1 draw with Leeds on Sunday,…
IRANIANS are again experiencing internet disruptions amid ongoing protests across the country as state authorities warn against foreign sabotage and organise demonstrations. Internet users have since Thursday reported sporadic disruptions to home and mobile connections, with data from the US-based global internet infrastructure and cybersecurity company Cloudflare on Saturday showing an average 35 percent lower traffic volume in Iran compared with previous days. Iranian authorities have shut down or slowed connectivity levels during previous rounds of protests, limiting Iranians to only a localised intranet. Internet connectivity came to a near-complete halt in mid-June for several days during the height of…
VENEZUELA’s deposed president, Nicolas Maduro, is scheduled to appear before a federal judge in New York at noon Monday to be formally notified about the charges against him, the court said. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized by US forces during a pre-dawn raid Saturday in Caracas and brought to New York to face charges of “narcoterrorism” tied to the alleged trafficking of tons of cocaine into the United States. Meanwhile, five Latin American countries and Spain warned on Sunday against any outside bid for “control” of Venezuela, after US President Donald Trump suggested Washington would “run” the…
RENEWED tensions are flaring in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, with fresh fighting reported around the city of Uvira in South Kivu province. Clashes broke out Saturday in several localities about ten kilometers south of Uvira, involving the Congolese army supported by Wazalendo fighters, and AFC/M23 rebels allied with the Twirwaneho group. According to multiple United Nations reports, the armed groups are backed by Rwanda. Fighting was reported in Kigongo and surrounding areas, with gunfire and explosions heard inside Uvira. Witnesses say heavy weapons fire was heard in the highland areas and, at times, in residential neighborhoods. While activity continued…
THE United Nations Security Council has welcomed Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Latvia and Liberia as its five new non-permanent members for the next two years. The DRC joins the Council for the first time in 35 years. On Friday, the country emphasised its commitment to peace and security, and to conflict prevention and resolution. “We will actively contribute to discussions on the future of United Nations peacekeeping operations,” said Congolese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Noëlla Ayeganagato Nakwipone. “As a host country for more than two decades to one of the largest peacekeeping missions [MONUSCO], the DRC…
THE winter has made a life of relentless suffering worse for the people of Gaza, particularly for the wounded, children and elderly, with hundreds of thousands in the Palestinian territory displaced by Israel’s genocidal war desperately trying to survive on the scant humanitarian aid Israel is allowing in. Nine-year-old Assad al-Madhna lost his left hand when Israeli fire hit a group of children playing in al-Zuwayda in central Gaza. The same attack also wounded him in the leg. Now, as winter envelops the besieged enclave, Assad’s pain increases as the metal rods and pins holding his leg in place stiffen…
WORLD leaders have continued to react to the US strike in Venezuela and the arrest of the South American country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro. From China to the UK, the leaders were not unanimous in their reaction to the strike. United Nations The United Nations Security Council will meet on Monday to discuss the US operation to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, the Somali presidency of the Council told AFP on Saturday. The emergency meeting, scheduled for 10:00 am (1500 GMT), was requested by Venezuela and relayed by Colombia, diplomatic sources said. Russia Russia on Saturday urged the United…
MALI and Burkina Faso have restricted United States citizens from entering their countries following President Donald Trump’s visa restrictions. The two countries, in separate statements by their foreign ministers made the announcements. With these, the number of African countries reciprocating the US travel ban has climbed to four. On June 6, 2025, Chad suspended the issuance of visas to American citizens as a reciprocal move to earlier US visa restrictions affecting Chadians. Chadian President Mahamat Deby in a statement via social media said the suspension was effected in “accordance with the principles of reciprocity.” Deby emphasised that the action was…
RESCUE operations are ongoing in Nairobi, after the Friday collapse of a multi-storey building under construction left at least four people trapped, according to Kenyan authorities. The building was in an area of the capital known as South C, according to the Kenya Red Cross, which said in a statement that a multi-agency response team was at the scene “managing the situation.” Geoffrey Ruku, the cabinet secretary for the ministry of public service, told local media that two watchmen and two pedestrians remain under the rubble. He also said that a taxi driver who survived the collapse was admitted to…
UNITED States President Donald Trump has announced that American forces have captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, following what he described as a “large-scale” U.S. military strike on Venezuela. Trump made the stunning announcement on Saturday via his social media platform, Truth Social, saying the operation was carried out jointly by the U.S. military and law enforcement agencies. “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump wrote. “This…
STRASBOURG manager Liam Rosenior is the leading contender for the Chelsea job vacated by Enzo Maresca. Former Leicester boss Maresca, 45, left his role as Chelsea head coach on Thursday amid internal tensions with the club’s hierarchy and ownership. The process to replace the Italian is under way, and it is understood Englishman Rosenior is the frontrunner, though sources have stressed other candidates are also under consideration. Rosenior’s current employers are owned by investment vehicle BlueCo – the consortium set up to purchase Chelsea in 2022. The 41-year-old, who previously managed Hull, has significant backing internally at Chelsea and it…
SEVERAL countries in the Middle East and Asia have called on Israel to allow “immediate, full, and unhindered” deliveries of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip as winter storms lash the bombarded Palestinian enclave. In a statement on Friday, the foreign ministers of Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkiye, Pakistan and Indonesia warned that “deteriorating” conditions in Gaza had left nearly 1.9 million displaced Palestinians particularly vulnerable. “Flooded camps, damaged tents, the collapse of damaged buildings, and exposure to cold temperatures coupled with malnutrition, have significantly heightened risks to civilian lives,” the statement reads. They called…
PACKED with missile tests, propaganda hailing the great leaders and tirades against the United States, North Korea’s top newspaper was long considered so incendiary that South Korea banned its citizens from reading it. But dovish President Lee Jae Myung is now seeking better ties with Pyongyang and has joked that he does not believe the public will “become commies” by reading the Rodong Sinmun. That means from this week, South Koreans can access the publication, whose name means “Workers’ Newspaper” — at select locations without state approval. Prospective readers no longer have to identify themselves and submit an application explaining…
AT least seven people have died and many others are missing after a boat carrying about 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe capsized off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say. The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found “grounded on a sandbank”, the country’s defence ministry said in a statement. Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain’s Canary Islands. The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an…
GABON’s President Brice Oligui Nguema started the New Year with a major government reshuffle. It’s the latest step in the consolidating the political transition underway since the Nguema took power in 2023. Hughes Alexandre Barro Chambrier becomes Vice-President of the Republic, while Hermann Immongault leaves the Ministry of Interior to take over as Vice-President of the government. Immongault’s promotion is being seen as a reward for managing September’s legislative and parliamentary elections, which resulted in Nguema’s Democratic Union of Builders winning 101 of the 145 parliamentary seats. Nguema also signed a decree formalising the make up of the new government.…
GABON’s sports minister has announced the banning of veteran players Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bruno Ecuele Manga, the suspension of the whole national team, and the sacking of the coaching staff following the Panthers’ disastrous showing at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). An injury-time winner by Bazoumana Toure condemned Gabon to a 3-2 defeat against defending champions Ivory Coast at the AFCON on Wednesday. A third consecutive defeat in as many outings ensured that they finished rock bottom of Group F, below heavyweights Ivory Coast and Cameroon, but also Mozambique. “Given the Panthers’ disgraceful performance at the AFCON, the government…