THE World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that 31 people have died from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo this month. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters on Thursday in Geneva that there are 48 “confirmed and probable cases” in the DRC amid its first Ebola outbreak in three years. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week that the disease, previously confined to two districts, has now spread to four. The outbreak was first announced two weeks ago near the town of Bulape. Tedros said WHO and its partners were supporting the government’s…
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A FORMER defence minister and vocal critic of Togo’s government, Marguerite Gnakadé, has been arrested, according to security sources. Gnakadé, the sister-in-law of long-serving leader Faure Gnassingbé, recently called for his resignation and urged the military to stand with the people in ending decades of dynastic rule. “She was arrested for serious acts, including her recent public appearance inciting the military to rebellion,” a police source told the AFP news agency. Local media reported she was arrested by security forces at her home in the capital Lomé on Wednesday. Togo has recently been gripped by deadly protests calling for Gnassingbé…
GHANA and Villarreal midfielder Thomas Partey pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to raping two women and sexually assaulting a third woman. The 32-year-old former Arsenal player is accused of five counts of rape as well as one charge of sexual assault. Partey was granted bail and will stand trial at Southwark Crown Court in November 2026. READ ALSO: Former Arsenal Star Thomas Partey Granted Bail On Rape Charges The alleged offences took place between 2021 and 2022, when he was an Arsenal player. Partey was charged four days after leaving the Premier League club following the expiry of his contract…
PROMINENT United States Senator Bernie Sanders has described Israel’s assault on Gaza as a genocide, renewing his call for ending Washington’s “complicity in the slaughter of the Palestinian people”. Sanders’s statement on Wednesday came a day after a United Nations Commission of Inquiry released an extensive report that concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The US senator cited the statements of Israeli officials calling for the destruction and erasure of Gaza, as well as the growing death toll and famine in the territory. “The intent is clear. The conclusion is inescapable: Israel is committing genocide in Gaza,” Sanders…
SAUDI Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan have signed a formal mutual defence pact, state media from both countries said, in a move that significantly strengthens a decades-long security partnership. “This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression. The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both,” a joint statement published on Wednesday said, according to the Saudi Press…
MALI’s military government has sought to calm anger over a blockade by Islamist militants on major highways where lorry drivers have been facing ambushes and arson attacks. In a rare acknowledgement of the seriousness of the situation affecting the landlocked country, Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maïga said the authorities were trying to improve security on the routes. The blockade, a potentially serious escalation of Mali’s long-running jihadist insurgency – is particularly affecting the supply of fuel, which could cripple the country. The Sahel region of West Africa is known as the epicentre of global terrorism, accounting for more than 50% of…
GUNMEN on motorbikes have shot dead 22 people, most of them attending a baptism ceremony, in an attack on a village in western Niger, reports say. A resident told the French news agency AFP that 15 people were killed at the ceremony in Tillabéri region, which borders Mali and Burkina Faso, before moving elsewhere and killing seven others. “While people celebrated a baptism ceremony, gunmen opened fire, sowing death and terror,” local civil rights activist Maikoul Zodi said on social media. Niger’s military government has struggled to contain jihadist violence in the region, carried out by groups linked to al-Qaeda…
KYLIAN Mbappe scored two penalties as 10-man Real Madrid battled to victory over Marseille in their Champions League opener. Los Blancos were handed an early blow when Trent Alexander-Arnold pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury after only three minutes. And they suffered another setback when the England full-back’s replacement, Dani Carvajal, was sent off with 18 minutes left after he faced off with Geronimo Rulli and moved his head towards the Marseille goalkeeper. But the 15-time European champions emerged victorious thanks to Mbappe, who twice stepped up to slam spot-kicks past Rulli, taking his club tally…
ISRAEL has launched its long-planned ground assault on Gaza City, and its troops have pressed deep into the densely populated city, which has been subjected to intense bombardment for weeks, triggering the forced displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians. The launch on Tuesday came the same day as a United Nations inquiry found that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, home to 2.1 million Palestinians, most of whom have been displaced multiple times during the 23 months of war, which has killed nearly 65,000 people. Israel’s decision to seize the city, home to more than a million people –…
US President Donald Trump landed in Britain on Tuesday for an unprecedented second state visit, with the UK government rolling out a royal red carpet welcome to win over the mercurial leader. The 79-year-old Republican and his wife Melania received a guard of honour as they stepped off Air Force One at Stansted Airport near London. “It’s going to be a very big thing,” Trump told reporters during the flight. Trump, who has long been fascinated by the British monarchy, is the first US president to be invited for two state visits, after previously being hosted by Queen Elizabeth II…
AT least 50 people have died after a vessel carrying 75 Sudanese refugees caught fire near the Libyan coast on Sunday, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The United Nations migration agency said on Tuesday that it has provided medical support to 24 survivors. “Urgent action is needed to end such tragedies at sea,” IOM’s Libya chapter posted on X. Last month, at least 68 refugees and migrants died and dozens went missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Yemen, according to the IOM. At least 2,452 migrants or refugees died or went missing in the…
A KENYAN High Court has issued an arrest warrant for a British national suspected of murdering a 21-year-old woman more than a decade ago. Agnes Wanjiru was killed in March 2012 and her body later found in a septic tank of a hotel in the central garrison town of Nanyuki nearly three months after she had allegedly spent an evening partying with British soldiers. Justice Alexander Muteti said prosecutors had provided sufficient evidence to request that the suspect appear before a Kenyan court for trial. The lawyer representing Ms Wanjiru’s family, Kamau Mbiu, told the BBC the ruling paved the…
MANCHESTER City have dismissed a bar worker after he was spotted serving fans during Sunday’s derby while wearing a Manchester United shirt. City officials were alerted to the unusual choice of attire after a frustrated home supporter raised concerns on X (formerly Twitter). The ex-bar worker was seen on the concourse behind the bar in a dark United away shirt from the 2018–19 season. A fan posted a photo showing a staff member serving drinks while wearing a Manchester United away jersey from the 2018–19 season, an especially provocative sight on derby day. The supporter tagged the club, calling it…
SPANISH Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has urged international sporting bodies to ban Israel from competitions, saying its treatment should mirror Russia’s exclusion after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Speaking to his Socialist Party on Monday, Sanchez said Israel’s participation in global events was incompatible with its assault on Gaza. “The sports organisations should consider whether it’s ethical for Israel to keep participating in international competitions. Why expel Russia after the invasion of Ukraine and not expel Israel after the invasion of Gaza?” he asked. “Until the barbarity ends, neither Russia nor Israel should be in any international competition.” His…
QATAR’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has warned against Israel’s expansionist vision of the Arab region as he lambasted the country for last week’s deadly bombing of Doha, calling the attack “blatant, treacherous, and cowardly”. “My country’s capital was subjected to a treacherous attack targeting a residence housing the families of Hamas leaders and their negotiating delegation,” the Qatari emir said in his opening speech at the emergency summit of the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). “Our citizens were surprised, and the entire world was shocked by the aggression and cowardly terrorist act,” he said,…
POLICE have physically removed The Gambia’s auditor general, Momodou Ceesay, from his office after he refused to give up the post, in a government reshuffle carried out by President Adama Barrow. Ceesay, who has spent almost three years as auditor general in the West African state, says he had turned down Barrow’s recent offer to become trade minister. Yet the president insists that Ceesay originally agreed, but later changed his mind. The row has angered many Gambians, with some accusing the president of trying to replace Ceesay with someone who will shield him from corruption allegations. The president has promoted…
A COURT in Zambia has sentenced two men to two years in prison for attempting to use witchcraft to kill President Hakainde Hichilema. Zambian Leonard Phiri and Mozambican Jasten Mabulesse Candunde were convicted under the Witchcraft Act after being arrested in December with charms in their possession, including a live chameleon. “It is my considered view that the convicts were not only the enemy of the head of state but were also enemies of all Zambians,” magistrate Fine Mayambu said in his ruling. The case has been closely followed in Zambia, as this was the first time anyone was put…
ERLING Haaland struck twice as Manchester City inflicted another damaging defeat on Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim with a comprehensive 3-0 win on Sunday. Phil Foden opened the scoring before Haaland took centre stage with a second-half double, either side of an incredible miss from the Norwegian, as City bounced back from two consecutive Premier League defeats. United went into a derby ahead of City in the table for the first time in five years. But that owed more to City’s early-season struggles than signs of progress for Amorim’s men, who have taken just four points from their opening four…
FOREIGN doctors who have volunteered in Gaza say they have treated more than 100 children shot in the head or chest, clear evidence, they argue, that Israel is deliberately targeting minors. In testimonies collected by the Dutch daily Volkskrant, 15 out of 17 doctors described encountering children under 15 with single bullet wounds to the head or chest. Together, they identified 114 such cases during their missions in Gaza. Many of the children died while others survived with devastating injuries. “This is not crossfire. These are war crimes,” American emergency physician Mimi Syed told Volkskrant. She documented 18 children shot…
NEPAL’s new leader vowed Sunday to follow protesters’ demands to “end corruption” as she began work as interim prime minister, after “Gen Z” youth demonstrations ousted her predecessor. Sushila Karki, the 73-year-old former chief justice, has been tasked with restoring order and addressing protesters’ demands for a corruption-free future ahead of elections in six months. Protests, sparked by a ban on social media and feeding into long-standing economic woes, began on Monday and quickly escalated, with parliament and key government buildings set ablaze. “We have to work according to the thinking of the Gen Z generation,” Karki said in her…