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ISRAEL sent tanks into eastern Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip early on Sunday, after a night of heavy aerial and ground bombardments, killing 19 people and wounding dozens of others, health officials said. Jabalia is the biggest of Gaza’s eight historic refugee camps and is home to more than 100,000 people, most of whom were descendants of Palestinians who were driven from towns and villages in what is now Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war that led to the creation the state of Israel. Late on Saturday, the Israeli military said forces operating in Jabalia are preventing Hamas, which…

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin is set to replace his long-standing ally Sergei Shoigu as defence minister, the Kremlin has announced. The 68-year-old has been in the role since 2012 and is to be appointed secretary of Russia’s Security Council. Papers published by the upper chamber of the Russian parliament said Mr Shoigu will be replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov. Mr Shoigu has played a key role in Russia’s war with Ukraine. Russian government papers show Mr Putin wants Mr Shoigu to take over from NikMr Shoigu has close links with President Putin, often taking him on fishing trips…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has congratulated the President-Elect of the Republic of Chad, Mahamat Déby, on his election victory. This was disclosed in a statement signed by President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Sunday. “President Tinubu affirms that the successful conduct of elections in the nation underlines the commitment of the government and the people of Chad to democracy and orderly transitions in the region. “The President assures President-elect Déby that Nigeria will continue to work closely with the Republic of Chad, as both countries seek to enhance peace, security, and shared prosperity for the mutual…

INTERNET users in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda have been complaining about poor connectivity as service providers across East Africa acknowledge there has been a problem. They have said they are working to fix it. The patchy service was a result of faults in the under-sea cables that connect the region to the rest of the world through South Africa, industry expert Ben Roberts told the BBC. A similar outage was experienced in parts of West and Southern Africa in March. Cloudflare Radar, which monitors internet connectivity, said that Tanzania was of the worst-affected countries with traffic falling to 30%…

EXCITEMENT is soaring with the mercury in the sunny streets of the Spanish capital as Real Madrid fans await the arrival of French striker Kylian Mbappe. The Paris Saint-Germain forward confirmed Friday he is leaving the Ligue 1 side after seven years and although he did not spell out his future, the world expects only one destination. Madrid have chased Mbappe for years without success but are finally poised to secure the 25-year-old at the end of his PSG deal. “We’ve been waiting for Kylian for a while now, but I think this is it, we’re almost there,” said jubilant…

THE Israeli military has ordered residents in more areas of eastern and central Rafah to evacuate as it expands its offensive in the southernmost corner of the Gaza Strip, again displacing tens of thousands of Palestinians. An estimated 150,000 Palestinians, many displaced multiple times, have now fled Rafah, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said on Saturday. Israel put that figure at about 300,000. Reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum said: “Israeli authorities dropped leaflets and made phone calls for more evacuation orders. They are…

Russian attacks in north-east Ukraine have prompted the evacuation of almost 1,800 people from the Kharkiv area, the regional head has said. Heavy fighting has continued in the border area following Russia’s surprise incursions on Friday. Kyiv has been expecting a Russian summer offensive for some time – including a possible attempt to capture Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city. But Ukraine insists its forces are able to resist any attack. On Saturday Russia said it had seized five villages near the town of Vovchansk in its latest offensive. The BBC has not been able to independently verify the claim. It is…

A WORKER has been rescued from the debris of a collapsed building in the South African city of George after being trapped for nearly five days. Rescuers were able to make contact with the man and give him water after hearing someone inside the rubble. Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said Saturday’s rescue was the “miracle” they had been hoping for. The partially built apartment block collapsed on Monday, killing at least 14 people and leaving 39 unaccounted for. Eighty-one people were on the construction site when the building came down, the city’s latest announcement said. Thirteen of those who…

ARTEFACTS looted by the British in the colonial era have been returned to Ghana and are already on public view. So why is it taking Nigeria so long to put its returned treasures on display? A convoy sped along the busy road from Ghana’s capital, Accra, to the central city of Kumasi on 12 April, carrying an unusual and highly valuable cargo. A police motorcycle cleared the road with its flashing blue lights and blaring siren. In a van behind were crates containing 32 pieces of gold and silver, including beautiful and intricate necklaces, a peace pipe and a ceremonial…

PEP Guardiola won’t ask for a favour from Manchester United this weekend as the Manchester City manager tries to overhaul “incredible” Arsenal in the Premier League title race. City boss Guardiola takes his side to Fulham on Saturday knowing a victory would move them two points clear of leaders Arsenal. But the Gunners will reclaim top spot if they win at Manchester United on Sunday, putting City fans in the unusual position of having to support their local rivals. Asked if he would be cheering on United when Arsenal visit Old Trafford, Guardiola insisted the only thing he is worried…

EVEN without a full-scale Israeli ground invasion, Rafah’s medical facilities have been overwhelmed. Medics say more than a million people sheltering in the southern Gaza city are at risk of being deprived of healthcare after the Israeli military began a “limited” operation against Hamas on its eastern outskirts on Monday. The largest of the city’s three partially functioning hospitals, Abu Youssef al-Najjar, had to be hastily abandoned the following day after staff received an evacuation order and there was fighting nearby. The hospital’s dialysis department had been the only surviving one in Gaza, a lifeline for patients suffering kidney failure.…

AT least 60 people have died and more than 100 have been injured after flash flooding in northern Afghanistan, according to Taliban officials. Dozens of people remain missing after heavy rainfall hit five districts in Baghlan province, with warnings the death toll could rise ahead of a further two storms forecast to spread across the region on Friday night. Pictures on social media showed torrents of water sweeping through houses in several villages, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The country has been hit by unusually heavy rainfall over the last few weeks, with floods killing more than…

SOUTH Africa’s top court was hearing an appeal on Friday to have former president Jacob Zuma declared ineligible to stand for office in a politically charged legal showdown set to raise tensions before the tightest election in decades. Zuma, 82, is fronting uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), a new opposition party that has become a potential disrupter in the May 29 general ballot. But electoral authorities have argued the graft-tainted politician should be barred from the race because of a 2021 contempt of court conviction. The Constitutional Court in Johannesburg is called to decide on the matter after a lower court…

POLICE in Zambia have warned that former President Edgar Lungu risks being arrested and prosecuted for “engaging in activities that disrupt public order and safety”. This is after a crowd of people thronged around Mr Lungu as he walked around the capital, Lusaka, on Thursday to assess the reported high cost of doing business in the city. Mr Lungu said he was “personally amazed by how high the prices of commodities have become” under President Hakainde Hichilema’s government. A multitude of people were seen waving at the former leader as he walked through the city’s streets. Police in a statement…

ATALANTA reached the Europa League final on Thursday after beating Marseille 3-0 to claim the biggest win in the Italian club’s history. Goals from Ademola Lookman, academy product Matteo Ruggeri and El Bilal Toure put Atalanta through to their first ever European final with a 4-1 aggregate win in front of delirious fans in Bergamo. Atalanta’s passage to the Dublin final, where they will face Bayer Leverkusen, later this month was fully deserved after a dominant performance in which Marseille barely had a kick in yet another poor away display from the Ligue 1 outfit. Marseille have won just four…

BENJAMIN Netanyahu has said Israel can “stand alone” after the US warned it could halt arms shipments if the Israeli prime minister ordered a full-scale invasion of Rafah in Gaza. “If we need to … we will stand alone. I have said that if necessary we will fight with our fingernails,” he said. US President Joe Biden said he would withhold some arms including artillery shells if Rafah was invaded. The US has already paused a shipment of bombs over fears of civilian deaths. Mr Netanyahu on Thursday however recalled the war of 1948 to dismiss warnings from the US,…

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin accused the “arrogant” West of risking a global conflict, warning the nuclear power’s “strategic forces” are combat-ready, as he marked the Soviet victory over Germany in World War II. In a defiant speech on Thursday at Moscow’s Red Square before thousands of soldiers dressed in ceremonial attire, Putin said that Western elites had forgotten the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazism and were now stoking conflict around the world. “We know what the exorbitance of such ambitions leads to. Russia will do everything to prevent a global clash,” he said. “But at the same time, we…

MILITARY leader Mahamat Idriss Deby has won a closely watched presidential election in the country of Chad, according to provisional results released by its National Election Management Agency. Deby secured more than 61 percent of the vote, according to the numbers released on Thursday, eliminating the need for a runoff with his closest rival, Prime Minister Succes Masra, who received 18.5 percent. The victory allows Deby, the incumbent, to hold onto the presidency with a voter mandate. Previously, he led the country as its interim president, seizing power after his father, the late President Idriss Deby, was killed in April…

A BOEIING 737-300 aircraft has skidded off a runway in Senegal, injuring at least 10 people, four of them seriously. The incident occurred as Air Senegal flight HC 301 was taking off for the Malian capital Bamako in the early hours of Thursday, Dakar’s Blaise Diagne airport said in a statement. The pilot was slightly injured, but most of the 78 passengers on board were not hurt in the incident. Operations were halted at the airport for a few hours but have now resumed. Emergency services at the airport were mobilised to evacuate passengers, the airport’s statement said. An inquiry…

REAL Madrid snatched an incredible semi-final victory as two late goals defeated Bayern Munich and set up a Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund. Bayern looked to be heading to the final when Alphonso Davies cut in and blasted past Andriy Lunin after England captain Harry Kane had found him with a superb pass. But Joselu grabbed an 88th-minute equaliser when he reacted quickest after Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who had been excellent up until then, fumbled Vinicius Jr’s effort. There was even more drama to come two minutes later when Joselu, a former Stoke City striker, swept home from…