DESIRE Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored the goals to give a dominant Paris Saint-Germain a 2-0 win over Liverpool in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday, as the holders seized a clear advantage to take to Anfield for next week’s return. Doue’s shot in the 11th minute looped over goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and in thanks to a big touch off Ryan Gravenberch, and Kvaratskhelia then rounded his compatriot to double PSG’s lead 65 minutes into a game they bossed from start to finish. It only remains to be seen whether the reigning European champions –- who had a…
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ISRAELI strikes have hit several dense commercial and residential areas in central Beirut without warning, killing hundreds of people and wounding more than 1,000 others, hours after a ceasefire was announced in the United States-Israeli war on Iran. Lebanon’s Civil Defence said at least 254 people were killed and 1,165 others were wounded in the attacks on Wednesday. Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said Lebanon was facing a “dangerous escalation” after Israel launched “more than 100 air strikes” across the country. “Ambulances are still transporting victims to hospitals. We urge international organisations to assist the Lebanese health sector,” Nassereddine told Al…
NORTH Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles in two rounds on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, after reporting an “unidentified projectile” was launched from the Pyongyang area the previous day. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has sought to repair ties with the North since taking office last year. On Monday Seoul expressed regret over civilian drone incursions into the North in January, with Lee calling it “irresponsible” and noting that government officials had been involved in the operation. But analysts said the launches, North Korea’s fourth and fifth known ballistic missile tests this year, signalled its latest rebuff of…
TANZANIAN President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Wednesday ordered government officials to travel in a single bus during official trips to reduce fuel consumption, amid shortages caused by the Middle East war. Fuel prices in the East African nation have soared by about one-third since March, the country’s energy regulator said last week. Speaking at a swearing-in ceremony for officials on Wednesday, Hassan said that during her official trips, only her core convoy — including her escort, police and a backup vehicle — would remain in the official motorcade. Hassan’s presidential entourage normally comprises more than 30 vehicles, including luxury SUVs…
DOZENS of people have died from floods following heavy rains in recent days in the Angolan capital, Luanda, and other areas across the country. Emergency services have reported about 39 deaths in Luanda and the central city of Benguela, with more than 51,000 people affected. The flooding also damaged thousands of homes and public infrastructure, with damaged roads and bridges, fallen trees and electric poles. The collapse of a bridge pillar on Hâlo River disrupted traffic between Benguela and Huambo provinces. President João Lourenço mourned the deaths, saying the country was in a “race against the clock” to find, rescue…
LUIS Diaz and Harry Kane scored the goals that gave dominant Bayern Munich a crucial 2-1 Champions League quarter-final first leg win away to Real Madrid on Tuesday. Kylian Mbappe’s strike 16 minutes from time gave record 15-time winners Real a lifeline at their Bernabeu home in a gripping battle. Vincent Kompany’s side, arguably the strongest team in Europe this season, produced a masterclass in the first half and could have been several goals ahead. Instead they had only one from Diaz, which Kane added to after the interval, but French superstar Mbappe’s goal kept Alvaro Arbeloa’s side in the…
RUSSIA and China have vetoed a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution aimed at protecting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The draft text, on which a vote was held on Tuesday, was proposed by Bahrain. Eleven of the 15 members of the UNSC voted in favour, and two abstained. However, Russia and China said that the measure was biased against Iran. Under the resolution, affected states would have been asked to “coordinate efforts, defensive in nature, commensurate to the circumstances, to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation across the Strait of Hormuz”. Shipping through the…
RUSSIAN aerial attacks on Tuesday killed four people, including a child, in Ukraine as a drone strike by Kyiv hit a house in Russia, killing a child and his parents, according to reports from local officials on both sides. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, launched more than four years ago, has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions in the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II. The two sides have stepped up deadly long-range drone and missile attacks in recent months, mainly targeting energy infrastructure, with Moscow aiming to dent Ukrainian resolve and Kyiv targeting Russian energy…
RUSSIA has confirmed the deaths of 16 Cameroonian nationals fighting with its army in the invasion of Ukraine, Cameroon’s government said in an internal document obtained Tuesday. The foreign ministry note acknowledging receipt of a fatality list from the Russian embassy in Yaounde, said the “contract soldiers” had been “engaged in the special military operation zone”, using Russia’s phrase for its invasion. The note, dated Monday, did not give further details on the circumstances of their deaths. Ukraine says around 1,800 Africans have been enrolled to fight with Russian forces in the war since 2022. Some allege they were lured…
POLICE in Ethiopia have arrested a man accused of being at the centre of a multi-million-dollar international human trafficking ring that since 2018 has lured thousands of people to Libya, where they hoped to travel on to Europe. Yetbarek Dawit is alleged to have operated five detention warehouses in Libya, torturing migrants there to try and force their relatives to send extra money. He was detained along with nine of his alleged accomplices in northern town of Shire, according to police. They are yet to be charged in court. Police say testimonies collected so far suggest the network has been…
BAYERN Munich are waiting on the fitness of “very special” Harry Kane to see if he can lead their challenge to overcome Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final. The 32-year-old England captain took part in training in Munich on Monday morning, before travelling to Madrid with the rest of Bayern’s squad after the “minor issue” – believed to be an ankle knock – that kept him out of England’s friendly defeat against Japan at Wembley. Kane was also missing for Bayern’s 3-2 victory against Freiburg, and coach Vincent Kompany was playing his cards close to his chest about his…
IRAN said on Monday it wanted a lasting end to the war with the U.S. and Israel, and pushed back against pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while U.S. President Donald Trump warned the country could be “taken out” if it did not meet his Tuesday night deadline to reach a deal. Responding to a U.S. proposal through mediator Pakistan, Tehran rejected a ceasefire and said a permanent end to the war was necessary, the official IRNA news agency reported. The Iranian response consisted of 10 clauses, including an end to conflicts in the region, a protocol for safe…
ON Sunday evening, Georges, 44, was sitting on his balcony in Ain Saadeh, a predominantly Christian area east of Beirut, when his phone rang in his kitchen. He walked over to answer it, and just as he picked up, a loud explosion shook the building behind him. Two US-made GBU-39 bombs crashed through the roof of the building directly facing his balcony, killing three people, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. The deceased were Pierre Moawad, a member of the anti-Hezbollah, Christian party the Lebanese Forces, his wife, Flavia, and a visiting friend named Roula Mattar. The victims of…
SOMALIA says it is ready to begin its first offshore oil drilling operations, with a Turkish government-owned drilling ship expected to arrive off its coast on Friday. The move follows the successful completion of seismic surveys last year by a Turkish research vessel. In a post on X, Somalia’s Petroleum Minister Dahir Shire described the move toward what would be the country’s first offshore drilling as a “historic milestone in our offshore energy journey… A new chapter begins.” The foreign ministry said if the drilling were to be successful, it would unlock offshore oil reserves and support the country’s economic…
CHURCH leaders and politicians in South Sudan have used their Easter messages to call for “lasting peace” and an end to the sporadic killings and conflict rife in the country. Delivered to worshippers at churches of different Christian denominations across the nation, some blamed the nationwide violence on the country’s leadership. The UN has repeatedly warned that South Sudan is at risk of sliding back into a full-scale civil war. Last week, 74 mine workers were killed by gunmen in Jebel-Iraq, south-west of the capital, Juba. The government and opposition officials have traded accusations over who was responsible. Santo Loku…
LEEDS United will play Chelsea at Wembley after reaching the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 39 years. Daniel Farke’s side beat Premier League relegation rivals West Ham 4-2 on penalties to progress after a thrilling 2-2 draw on Sunday. Last year’s beaten finalists Manchester City will take on Championship side Southampton in the other semi-final. The Saints, whose only FA Cup triumph was back in 1976, stunned Premier League leaders Arsenal on Saturday to set up the encounter with seven-time winners City. Leeds last reached the FA Cup last four in 1987, when they were beaten 3-2…
UNITED States President Donald Trump has threatened to attack civilian infrastructure inside Iran, including bridges and power plants, if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened by his stated deadline of Monday. Trump made the threat in an expletive-laden social media post on Sunday, in which he repeated previous threats to pummel vital infrastructure across Iran. “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F****** Strait, you crazy b*******, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” Trump said…
ISRAELI strikes across southern Lebanon and the capital, Beirut, have killed at least 14 people, a day after Israel threatened to hit Lebanon’s main border crossing with Syria, forcing its closure. Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday killed at least four people while 10 people – including a family of six were killed in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon. A further 39 people were wounded in an Israeli strike on Beirut’s Jnah neighbourhood, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health. The strike hit about 100 metres (330ft) from Rafik Hariri University Hospital, the country’s largest public medical facility,…
THE Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) says it is expected to receive “third-country” nationals who have been deported from the United States under a new deal with the administration of US President Donald Trump. The DRC will begin receiving deportees this month, the Congolese Ministry of Communications said in a statement on Sunday, without providing further details on the number of arrivals expected. It described the arrangement as a “temporary” one that reflects Congo’s “commitment to human dignity and international solidarity”. As part of the arrangement, the US will pay for the deportations, and the Congolese government will face…
EIGHT people from different African countries have been deported to Uganda from the United States, the first such transfer under a migration deal signed last year. The group arrived on Wednesday after a US judge approved their cases, Uganda’s foreign ministry said. The ministry said in a statement that its deal with the US designated Uganda as a safe third country for migrants who cannot return to their countries, for reasons such as persecution. The Uganda Law Society has condemned the deportations, saying the individuals had effectively been dumped in the country “through an undignified, harrowing and dehumanising process”. The…