DJIBOUTI’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh has won an election with 97.8% of the vote, keeping him at the helm of the strategically-placed Horn of Africa nation for a sixth term, preliminary official results show. The 78-year-old’s sole challenger Mohamed Farah Samatar got 2.19% of the vote, in a poll boycotted by most of the opposition. In power for 27 years, Guelleh had promised to step down, but ran for re-election after the constitution was amended in November to remove the upper age limit of 75 for presidential candidates. Guelleh’s campaign focused on the fact that he had maintained stability in…
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A CHARITY co-founded by the Duke of Sussex is suing him for defamation. A spokesman for Sentebale, which supports young people in southern Africa, says the court action is because of an alleged “adverse media campaign” which they claim has caused disruption and “reputational harm” to the charity and its leadership. A spokesman for Prince Harry and another former trustee of the charity, Mark Dyer, who is also being sued, said: “They categorically reject these offensive and damaging claims.” In an acrimonious dispute over how the charity was being managed, Prince Harry left Sentebale last year. The court filing shows…
REAL Madrid’s stuttering form continued as their slim La Liga title chances were dealt another blow with a frustrating draw against Girona. Victory would have cut Barcelona’s lead at the top to four points before they host city rivals Espanyol on Saturday. Instead, Hansi Flick’s side will move nine points clear if they win the derby encounter after Real’s winless run extended to three games in all competitions. Federico Valverde put Los Blancos ahead six minutes after the break at the Bernabeu with a low strike from the edge of the area which squirmed past goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga. But Thomas…
THE United States delegation has departed for Saturday’s planned ceasefire negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, and Iran’s government confirmed its representatives have already arrived. But new tensions between the two sides emerged on Friday that throw the upcoming talks — already shrouded in deep distrust — into doubt. The ceasefire, announced on Tuesday, temporarily put a stop to the US and Israel war against Iran. Yet, since the deal was struck, conflicts have erupted over the 10-point Iranian proposal to pause the fighting. Both sides have offered differing accounts of its terms after agreeing to them. One critical point of discord…
THE casualty rate for Russian soldiers in Ukraine increased to a new monthly high in March, according to Ukraine’s armed forces. They say drone production enabled a record number of strikes. Ukraine tallied Russian casualties at 35,351 last month, with drones causing 96 per cent of them while artillery and small arms fire accounted for the rest. That casualty rate was a 29 per cent increase on February, said Ukraine’s commander in chief. “These are clearly confirmed losses: we have video footage of each such strike in our system,” said Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. The losses are slightly above…
WITH growing fears that the militant Islamist insurgency that has engulfed large parts of West Africa is spreading, security has been dominating the campaign trail in Benin – a once-largely peaceful nation. Sunday’s presidential election comes about four months after outgoing President Patrice Talon survived a coup attempt, when Nigeria – the regional superpower – sent warplanes to bombard mutinous soldiers who had attempted to overthrow him. Nigeria’s intervention prevented Benin from going down the path of several other regional states – including Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali – where the military seized power in recent years as disillusionment grew…
THE world’s largest known group of wild chimpanzees has split and been locked in a vicious “civil war” for the last eight years, according to researchers. It is not clear exactly why the once close-knit community of Ngogo chimpanzees at Uganda’s Kibale National Park are at loggerheads, but since 2018 the scientists have recorded 24 killings, including 17 infants. “These were chimps that would hold hands,” lead author Aaron Sandel said. “Now they’re trying to kill each other.” The study, published in the journal Science, says the intensity and duration of the violence may inform how early human conflict developed.…
FIFA on Thursday unveiled its list of match officials for the June 11-July 19 World Cup, including 52 referees, six of whom are women. Football’s governing body will also take 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials, who hail from all six confederations and 50 member associations. “The selected match officials are the very best in the world,” said Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s chief refereeing officer. “They were part of a wider pool of officials that was identified and monitored over the past three years. They have attended seminars and officiated at FIFA tournaments. “In addition, their performances in domestic…
ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his government is ready to hold direct talks with Lebanon, a day after Israeli attacks on its northern neighbour killed hundreds of people and threatened a fragile United States-Iran truce. “In light of Lebanon’s repeated requests to open direct negotiations with Israel, I instructed the cabinet yesterday to start direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible,” Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office on Thursday. “The negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon.” The statement comes a day after Israeli attacks across Lebanon killed…
THE fertility rate in the United States has dropped to an all-time low, continuing a trend that has seen births in the country drop by nearly 23 percent since 2007. Data released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday shows that the fertility rate for 2025 was 53.1 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, a one percent drop compared to the year before. Experts attribute the change to a variety of factors, from changing priorities among younger women to socioeconomic factors such as anxiety over the cost of living and the affordability of…
FEARS are growing in opposition circles in Zimbabwe that the ruling Zanu-PF party is making a new grab for power as it presses ahead with constitutional amendments aimed at giving parliament – rather than voters – the right to elect the president and to extend his term from five to seven years. “This is a coup, a slow coup that is unfolding in Zimbabwe,” veteran opposition politician and former finance minister Tendai Biti told the BBC. But Zanu-PF in power since independence in 1980 has vehemently defended the proposed changes. “There’s nothing that stops us to change, to go to…
KENYA has made a formal protest against a UN report which alleged that its personnel serving in a Security Council-authorised mission in Haiti had been involved in sexual abuse. In a letter to the UN chief António Gutteres, Kenya’s Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi expressed concern over the allegations that were first reported last August. A report by the secretary general made public last week implicates officers under the Kenyan-led mission in four cases of rape and other forms of sexual violence. Three of the alleged victims are children – a 12-year-old and two aged 16. Mudavadi said the claims were…
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…
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…