A NEW trial over the death of football legend Diego Maradona began Tuesday in Argentina, 10 months after a scandal involving a judge caused the first trial to collapse. Maradona, considered one of the world’s greatest players, died in November 2020 at the age of 60 while recovering from surgery for a brain clot. His seven-strong medical team is accused of gross negligence causing his death over the conditions of his home convalescence. He died of heart failure and acute pulmonary edema — a condition where fluid accumulates in the lungs — two weeks after going under the knife and…
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PAKISTANI Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says he will visit Saudi Arabia and Turkiye this week as his bid to moderate a second round of peace talks between the United States and Iran appears to gather momentum. President Asif Ali Zardari said in a statement released on Tuesday that Sharif had briefed him on his drive to discuss the issue with his fellow mediators and to secure further negotiations, which comes during a two-week ceasefire that has halted US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Zardari urged the prime minister and other officials to remain engaged with the US, Iran and other…
THE Pentagon says no ships “made it past” the United States military blockade in the Strait of Hormuz in its first 24 hours and six merchant ships followed orders to turn around. The statement on Tuesday from the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) was the first update since US President Donald Trump announced the blockade of the waterway after US-Iran talks over the weekend in Pakistan failed to yield an agreement on ending the war the US and Israel launched on February 28. CENTCOM said the blockade applies only to vessels “entering and exiting Iranian ports” and other vessels remain…
BENIN presidential election favourite Romuald Wadagni swept to victory in the country’s polls, securing 94 percent of votes, according to provisional results. The electoral commission published the preliminary tally overnight from Monday to Tuesday, though it has not yet issued final official results. But Wadagni’s ability to conjure economic growth in the face of jihadist attacks gave him a clear lead, even if the eight million-strong electorate showed scant enthusiasm for either candidate, notably in the West African nation’s cities. Wadagni’s opponent earlier conceded defeat even as votes were still being counted. Opposition candidate Paul Hounkpe offered congratulations to finance…
ANGLOPHONE separatists in Cameroon have announced a period of “safe travel passage” and halted fighting ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s visit to the conflict‑hit region this week. Leaders of several armed and secessionist groups said the three‑day measure was in recognition of the “profound spiritual importance” of the papal visit, which starts on Wednesday, and the need to safeguard civilian life. In a statement from Unity Alliance – which brings the groups together – they said they would facilitate the movement of those celebrating the visit. The government is yet to comment. A near-decade of violence in the English-speaking regions…
LAMINE Yamal, the teenage star of FC Barcelona, has reportedly urged the club’s hierarchy to prioritise the signing of Victor Osimhen ahead of next season. According to Fichajes, the young winger considers the Galatasaray forward as the “missing piece” in Barcelona’s attacking setup, one capable of leading the line while complementing the team’s creative wide players. Yamal is said to believe that Osimhen’s presence would help reduce defensive pressure on the team and create more space in attacking areas, thereby improving the overall effectiveness of Barcelona’s forward play. The Catalan giants are understood to be exploring a potential move for…
NOAH Okafor fired Leeds to a long-awaited 2-1 win over 10-man Manchester United at Old Trafford as the Premier League strugglers boosted their bid to avoid relegation on Monday. Okafor punished United’s sloppy defending with a brace in the first-half before Lisandro Martinez was sent off after pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair after the interval. Casemiro got one back for United, but Leeds held on for their first win against United since a shock 2010 FA Cup success when they were in the third tier. The Yorkshire club were able to celebrate their first top-flight win against United since 2002 and…
IRAN has suggested that the United States blockade on Iranian ports will only hurt the international economy after President Donald Trump ordered a naval siege against the country. “Can an illegal ‘war of choice’ be won through a ‘revenge of choice’ against the global economy?!” Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei posted on X on Monday. “Is it ever worthwhile to cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face?!” Trump warned Iranian military ships against approaching the blockade zone. “Iran’s Navy is laying at the bottom of the sea, completely obliterated – 158 ships. What we have not…
UNITED Nations experts have reiterated calls for an end to Israeli attacks on displaced Palestinians in Gaza as well as forced displacement measures in the occupied West Bank. In a statement issued on Monday by the UN Human Rights Council (OHCHR), the experts detailed several incidents in March in which Israeli air strikes set tents of displaced Palestinians in Gaza on fire, killing many. “This cycle of displacement, terror, and targeted attacks serves an ultimate purpose: to make life unbearable for Palestinians and permanently force them from their land,” the panel said. “The vast majority of Gaza’s population has already…
GHANAIAN footballer Dominic Frimpong has died after suspected armed robbers opened fire at the bus carrying his team Berekum Chelsea back from a match. “Masked men wielding guns and assault rifles” ambushed the bus and “blocked the road” as the team returned home on Sunday, according to the club. Police say Frimpong sustained gunshot wounds and died while receiving treatment. A manhunt for the suspects is under way. The Ghana Football Association (GFA) expressed its “profound shock and deep sorrow”, describing the 20-year-old as a “promising young talent whose dedication and passion for the game embodied the spirit of our…
POPE Leo XIV wants to “turn the world’s attention to Africa”, according to a senior Vatican official, as he embarks on a significant tour of the continent addressing themes of peace, migration and dialogue between religions. The 11-day trip, which starts on Monday, is Pope Leo’s second major foreign visit since being elected to the papacy in May last year, and is a reflection of Africa’s increasing importance to Catholicism. More than a fifth of the world’s Catholics are in Africa, some 288 million people, according to figures from 2024. It is one of the fastest-growing regions for the Church.…
SUPER Eagles’ Akor Adams delivered a decisive moment for Sevilla as the Nigerian striker scored the opening goal in a 2-1 LaLiga victory over Atlético Madrid at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, a result that strengthened the hosts’ survival hopes and ended a run of three straight league defeats, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. News Point Nigeria Sport reports that Adams was the only Nigerian in the starting line-up, with Atlético’s Ademola Lookman beginning on the bench as Diego Simeone rotated heavily ahead of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg against Barcelona. Chidera Ejuke was an unused substitute for Sevilla. The…
MANCHESTER City ignited the Premier League title race with a second-half blitz that sealed a 3-0 win against Chelsea as they closed the gap on leaders Arsenal on Sunday. Pep Guardiola’s side produced a devastating spell immediately after half-time, with Nico O’Reilly and Marc Guehi scoring in the space of six minutes at Stamford Bridge. Jeremy Doku wrapped up a statement victory to ensure City took advantage of Arsenal’s shock 2-1 home defeat against Bournemouth on Saturday. Second-placed City are now only six points behind Arsenal with a game in hand, setting up a seismic showdown against the Gunners at…
THE United States and Iran have failed to reach a truce deal after high-stakes talks in the Pakistani capital, with US Vice President JD Vance saying Tehran has refused to accept Washington’s terms after 21 hours of negotiations in Islamabad. “The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America,” Vance, the head of the US delegation, told reporters on Sunday, shortly before he left Islamabad after the highest-level meeting between Washington and Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.…
ISRAEL’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City – his third incursion into Islam’s third holiest site this year – as Israel arrested at least 18 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Sunday. Accompanied by Israeli settlers under heavy protection from Israeli forces, Ben-Gvir offered Jewish prayers at the site, which is not allowed for non-Muslims as part of the status quo arrangement in place since 1967, though Jewish people are permitted to visit the compound. A statement from Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said it considered Ben-Gvir’s visit to…
BRITISH barrister Martin Hackett has been appointed as The Gambia’s first special prosecutor to try those responsible for human rights abuses carried out during the 22-year rule of ex-President Yahya Jammeh, which ended when he went into exile in 2017. Hackett will head a newly created office charged with dealing with the cases from a period characterised by widespread repression, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) was set up to document the extent of the alleged abuses. In its final report, handed to current President Adama Barrow in 2021, it identified those most responsible…
TANZANIAN musician Sefu Shabani, popularly known as Matonya, has been arrested and charged with rape in Kenya. The 43-year-old denied the charge when he appeared in court in the coastal city of Mombasa, Kenya’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has said in a statement posted on X. According to the DPP, the court granted him bail – set at 500,000 Kenyan shillings ($3,900, £2,900) – and ordered him to surrender his Tanzanian passport. The award-winning artist is beloved for his “bongo flava” hits. This is a style of music originating in Tanzania with lyrics in Swahili and romantic melodies accompanied…
BAYERN Munich romped to a 5-0 win at St Pauli on Saturday, breaking a 54-year Bundesliga goalscoring record and moving to within touching distance of a 35th league crown. Leon Goretzka’s 53rd-minute goal, Bayern’s second of the match, brought up 102 league goals this season, breaking a previous mark set by the Bavarian giants in 1971-72. Top scorer Harry Kane was left on the bench but Jamal Musiala, Michael Olise, Nicolas Jackson and Raphael Guerreiro joined Goretzka on the scoresheet as Bayern pulled 12 points clear of Borussia Dortmund, who lost to Bayer Leverkusen earlier on Saturday. With five matches…
MORE people in Iran are returning to work this week as a pause in fighting provides temporary respite from bombardment by the United States and Israel, but the economic outlook remains grim for most. In the network of narrow corridors, workshops and warehouses in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, a commercial hub in the capital, more shops were open and for longer hours on Saturday, the first day of the working week, compared with before the ceasefire announced overnight into Wednesday. Sales, however, continued to be slow compared with the period before the war, merchants said. “It’s almost complete stagnation,” said a…
POLICE have arrested hundreds of people during a mass vigil in central London to oppose the ban on campaign group Palestine Action. More than 1,000 people gathered in Trafalgar Square for the demonstration on Saturday, with many holding signs saying, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” Police carried many people away from the demonstration. At one point, an elderly woman with walking sticks was escorted away by police. The Metropolitan Police said they arrested 212 people for allegedly showing support for a proscribed orgnanisation. It said the ages of those arrested range from 27 to 82. One demonstrator told…