Author: Editor

ERLING Haaland took Manchester City to within one point of Premier League leaders Liverpool but the champions were made to sweat for a 1-0 win over Brentford on Tuesday. Just two points separate the top three in a fascinating title race with Arsenal one point adrift of City with 13 games to go. Haaland was keen to make amends for a frustrating night in front of goal as City were held 1-1 at home by Chelsea on Saturday. But the Norwegian was made to wait until 19 minutes from time to break the deadlock when he raced onto Julian Alvarez’s…

ISRAEL’s sudden threat to unleash its controversial ground operation in the southern Gazan town of Rafah unless all hostages are freed by 10 March has ratcheted up the pressure on the tortuous talks to secure an elusive agreement. Even before Benny Gantz, a leading member of Israel’s war cabinet, threw down the gauntlet, Arab leaders were already anxiously focused on this start of the Islamic holy month – a time of communal fasting and prayer which can intensify a prevailing mood. “Ramadan is ahead of us and if the situation in Rafah evolves, it will be a very, very dangerous…

THE Estonian Internal Security Service (ISS) said Tuesday that it had detained 10 people since December on suspicion of acting on behalf of a Russian special service. Evidence being gathered for a criminal case indicates that the Russian special service coordinated a “hybrid operation” against EU and NATO member Estonia, according to an ISS statement. Estonian investigators suspect that the detainees, whose identities have not been revealed, gathered information to prepare attacks. The aim of this activity may have been to “sow fear and create tension in Estonian society”, the statement said. The detainees were instructed to commit various criminal…

SOUTH Africa will go to the polls on May 29 to choose a parliament, which will in turn pick a president, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Tuesday. The vote may prove historic, with opinion polls showing Ramaphosa’s ANC party on less than 50 percent in nationwide elections for the first time in South Africa’s three decades of democracy. If the African National Congress (ANC), which has led South Africa since its first free elections in 1994 after the end of apartheid rule, does not win a majority it will need coalition allies to form a government. Complaints have been mounting about…

GUINEA’s military junta, which seized power in a coup in September 2021, has dissolved the government. The announcement was made through a presidential decree read on state TV on Monday by the presidency’s Secretary General, Brig Gen Amara Camara. Mr Camara did not disclose the reason for the dissolution or say when a new government will be put in place. Ministers in the dissolved government were ordered to surrender their passports and official vehicles. Their bank accounts have additionally been frozen. The junta also instructed security agencies to “seal” all the country’s borders until government ministries have been fully handed…

MANCHESTER City boss Pep Guardiola has apologised to Kalvin Phillips for saying the midfielder was “overweight” on his return from the Qatar World Cup. Guardiola made the comments in December 2022, explaining why Phillips had been left out of his squad for a Carabao Cup fourth-round tie against Liverpool. Phillips said the comments were “a big knock to my confidence” when asked about them earlier this month. “I’m sorry,” said Guardiola. “I do apologise to him. I’m so sorry.” Guardiola said he spoke to the 28-year-old, who joined West Ham on loan last month, about the issue when he returned…

ALL EU countries except Hungary joined a call Monday for an “immediate humanitarian pause” in the Gaza war, foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said. The European Union has struggled for a united response to Israel’s military operation following the October 7 attack by Hamas. But Borrell said foreign ministers from 26 states had agreed a statement calling for “an immediate humanitarian pause that would lead to a sustainable ceasefire”. The EU countries also reiterated their calls for Israel not to launch an assault on the Gaza city of Rafah, which has become the main shelter zone in the stricken territory.…

ABRAHAM Lincoln pardoned Joe Biden’s great-great-grandfather after a late-night Civil War-era brawl, documents reportedly show, linking the two US presidents across the centuries. The court martial records in the US National Archives, reported on by the Washington Post Monday, detail the trial of Moses J. Robinette after a fight with fellow Union Army civilian employee John J. Alexander on March 21, 1864. Robinette was charged with attempted murder after the tussle in the Army of the Potomac’s winter camp in Virginia, when Alexander overheard him saying something about him to a cook, and rushed at him. The two men scuffled,…

THE jailed head of Tunisia’s Islamic opposition Ennahda party, Rached Ghannouchi, has joined a hunger strike by other political detainees to mark a year since their detention began. Mr Ghannouchi – who has accused Tunisia’s President Kaïs Saïed of mounting a coup – was given a three-year prison sentence earlier this month after being convicted for accepting external financing. President Saïed has closed the Ennahda party’s headquarters, jailed many leading political opponents and critical journalists and reduced the independence of the country’s courts. He claims the measures were necessary to prevent chaos and root out corruption.

SECURITY forces in Somalia’s north-eastern Puntland region on Sunday arrested Jamal Osman, a reporter for British broadcaster Channel 4, on charges of spreading al-Shabab propaganda, private news site Puntland Post reported. Mr Osman, who won a Rory Peck award in 2022 for a feature on al-Shabab, was detained shortly after he arrived in regional capital Garowe, the website said. “Security sources have confirmed that journalist Jamal was taken [from the airport] to Garowe town, where officials from the Puntland intelligence agency were questioning him,” it added. Channel 4 and Puntland authorities have not commented on the reports. Sources have indicated…

ENGLAND captain Harry Kane’s late goal at Bochum was not enough as Bayern Munich suffered their third defeat in nine days. Bayern took the lead through Jamal Musiala, before the first of two stoppages following fans’ protests. Bochum scored twice, with goals from Takuma Asano and Keven Schlotterbeck. Kevin Stoger’s penalty made it 3-1 after Dayot Upamecano had been sent off and, despite Kane’s 25th league goal of the season, it was not enough. Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern are now eight points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen. Tuchel said winning the Bundesliga title “does not look very realistic”, but added: “Last…

BRAZILIAN President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has accused Israel of committing “genocide” against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and compared its war on Gaza with Adolf Hitler’s campaign to exterminate Jewish people. “What’s happening in the Gaza Strip isn’t a war, it’s a genocide,” Lula told reporters in Addis Ababa where he was attending an African Union summit on Sunday. “It’s not a war of soldiers against soldiers. It’s a war between a highly prepared army and women and children,” added the Brazilian president. “What’s happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people hasn’t happened at any other…

EMIRATI authorities will seek the maximum penalty against 84 individuals accused of terrorism, they announced on Sunday in a trial denounced by human rights groups. The trial has been adjourned until March 7, when the defence will present its case, the official WAM news agency reported, saying the public prosecutor has demanded the “maximum sentence” without elaborating. Most of the defendants, among them human rights activists and government critics, were previously convicted more than a decade ago on similar charges and had completed or were about to complete their sentences. The United Arab Emirates has accused the defendants of forming…

X, FORMERLY known as Twitter, has finally paid off the staff it sacked in its African headquarters more than a year after they were laid off, the agency which represents them has said. Most had only been in the job, based in Ghana’s capital, Accra, for a few months when the social media platform fired them in November 2022. They had threatened to take X to court for failing to pay the redundancy money they said they were promised. The company has not commented. X has previously said that it had paid ex-employees in full. Elon Musk, who took over…

MARIEME and Ndeye were not expected to survive for more than a few days when they were born. Now aged seven, they are thought to be the only growing conjoined twins in Europe. While both girls have their own unique personalities and moods, they rely on each other to survive. “When you are told from the beginning there is no future, you just live for the present,” said their dad, Ibrahima. Conjoined twins are rare, representing about one in every 500,000 live births in the UK. Around half are stillborn, with another third dying within 24 hours of birth. So…

TALKS to agree a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza were “not very promising” in recent days, mediator Qatar has said. Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said he remained optimistic, but added “time is not in our favour”. It comes as Israel’s prime minister said he would press ahead with plans for a Rafah ground invasion, despite growing international pressure. Hamas has blamed Israel for a lack of progress in achieving a ceasefire deal. Talks have been taking place in Cairo as senior officials from the US, Israel, Egypt and Qatar meet to try to broker a…

THAILAND’s convicted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has arrived at his mansion in the capital Bangkok after being released on parole. The billionaire was freed from a police hospital, where he had been serving a one-year jail sentence for corruption and abuse of power. Thaksin, 74, was detained as soon as he returned to Thailand last August from 15 years in self-imposed exile. He did not spend a single night in jail after complaining of health problems. Thaksin’s original eight-year prison term was commuted to one year by Thailand’s king – just days after he returned from exile. The handling…

THOUSANDS of demonstrators have gathered in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, demanding swift presidential elections. It comes after the country’s top court blocked President Macky Sall’s attempt to postpone the election, originally scheduled for this month. Mr Sall’s last minute decree, backed by parliament, had triggered a political crisis in Senegal, once regarded as a bastion of democracy in West Africa. On Saturday, opposition supporters held signs demanding a “Free Senegal”. It is the first rally allowed by authorities since Mr Sall’s announcement two weeks ago. “Today’s watchword is mobilisation,” said presidential candidate Malick Gakou on the march. He told the AFP…

THE chair of the African Union Commission (AUC) has called on leaders to tackle conflicts in the continent, and condemned a series of coups in some African countries. Moussa Faki Mahamat made the call on the first day of the two-day AU summit. War in Sudan and instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo are at the top of the African bloc’s agenda. The conflict between Israel and Hamas, poverty, climate change and education are other key topics to be discussed. In his remarks to delegates at the summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, Mr Faki – who heads…

MAURICIO Pochettino has promised his Chelsea side will attack Manchester City when they travel to the Premier League champions’ Etihad Stadium on Saturday. Chelsea and City drew a memorable game 4-4 at Stamford Bridge in November, with former City player Cole Palmer scoring a penalty in stoppage time for the hosts to snatch a point. Chelsea have endured mixed fortunes since, losing half of their 12 league fixtures, though they could climb to a season-high seventh place with victory against Pep Guardiola’s side, depending on results elsewhere. With 14 games to go, Chelsea have already scored three more league goals…