Somali referee axed from World Cup after being denied entry to US

Award-winning Somali referee Omar Artan has been dropped from officiating at the World Cup after being barred from entering the United States, FIFA said on Monday.

By Afp 17 hrs ago

Trump says in 'final throes' of reaching Middle East peace deal

President Trump says that negotiators were in the "final throes" of talks for a peace deal in the Middle East, after Iran and Israel halted fresh hostilities.

By Afp 17 hrs ago

Pentagon says Alibaba, Baidu and other tech firms aiding China's military

The US issued an updated list of Chinese companies that it believes are aiding the country's military -- including e-commerce giant Alibaba, Baidu and electric vehicle maker BYD.

By Afp 17 hrs ago

Business, unions unite against Swiss immigration cap push

Swiss business leaders and unions are mobilising ahead of a vote Sunday on capping immigration, which has triggered fears of dire impacts on employment and trade relations with the EU.

By Afp 16 hrs ago

Killing the mood: How smartphones are reducing birth rate

As governments around the world struggle with ways to reverse plunging birth rates, new US studies suggest they have ignored a key culprit the smartphone.

By Afp 16 hrs ago

'War or peace?': Iranians exhausted by prospect of renewed fighting

Residents of Tehran are anxious about the prospect of full-scale war resuming, following tit-for-tat strikes between arch-foes Iran and Israel that marked a threat to the fragile ceasefire thus far.

By Afp 14 hrs ago

Ederson to replace injured Wesley in Brazil World Cup squad

The Brazilian football federation (CBF) announced injured full-back Wesley will be replaced in the World Cup squad by midfielder Ederson.

By Afp 1 day ago

Yemen's Houthis declare 'total ban' on Israeli ships in Red Sea

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels announced a missile attack on Israel and declared a ban on Israeli shipping in the Red Sea, raising the spectre of a return to major disruption on the key route.

By Afp 1 day ago

Perez re-elected at Real Madrid paving way for Mourinho return

Florentino Perez has been re-elected president of Real Madrid by an overwhelming majority, paving the way for Jose Mourinho to return as manager.

By Afp 1 day ago

Yamal available for Spain's World Cup opener after injury

Teenage Barcelona star Lamine Yamal and fellow winger Nico Williams will be available for Spain's World Cup opener against debutants Cape Verde on June 15

By Afp 1 day ago

Denmark's Eriksen 'doing well' after collapsing during friendly

Christian Eriksen collapsed during Denmark's friendly against Ukraine but was later able to walk off the field, five years after suffering a cardiac arrest during the Euros.

By Afp 1 day ago

Antonelli wins fifth straight in interrupted Monaco Grand Prix

Teenager Kimi Antonelli extended his lead in the drivers' world championship with a commanding and nerveless victory in a protracted, incident-hit Monaco Grand Prix

By Afp 1 day ago

Nigerian mega-highway faces down rising seas, protected forests

The rise in sea levels poses a major threat to Nigerian coastal areas, and several entire communities have already been swallowed up by th

By Afp 1 day ago

As climate shifts, malaria gains ground in southern Africa

In a remote South African village, Paulina Mhlongo sits in the yard as health workers in green protective gear move briskly through her home, soaking the walls with anti-mosquito insecticide.

By Afp 1 day ago

US says shot down Iran drones in fresh escalation

Tehran responded with a salvo of missiles at US allies Bahrain and Kuwait on Saturday.

By Afp 2 days ago

Russian drone strikes kill two in Ukraine

The attacks wounded a 35-year-old man and damaged infrastructure, Ganzha said.

By Afp 2 days ago

Kosovo returns to polls as voter frustration grows

Polls opened on Sunday for another snap election in Kosovo, its third in just over a year, as voter frustration mounts at a grinding political gridlock in Europe's youngest country.

By Afp 2 days ago

'Joy, faith, love': giant crowd flocks to pope's Madrid mass

A jubilant crowd of Catholic faithful filled Madrid with chants, cheers and applause on Sunday as an open-air mass by Pope Leo XIV imbued the Spanish capital with religious fervour.

By Afp 2 days ago

Ethiopia's Tigray hit by deadly drone strike: dissident authority

"This strike caused loss of life, bodily injury, and property damage to members of the Tigray Army who were engaged in their daily routines," it said, without giving further details.

By Afp 3 days ago

Nigeria police order anti-cholera measures over northeast outbreak

Some 39 people have died from the waterborne disease across Borno in recent weeks, with at least 4,204 infected, according to the latest figures from local health authorities.

By Afp 3 days ago

US, Iran trade strikes despite visas for World Cup footballers

New attacks in the Middle East on Friday threatened to unravel an already fragile US-Iran ceasefire, even as American officials confirmed that Tehran's football players received visas.

By Afp 3 days ago

Pope visits polarised Spain with focus on migrants

Pope Leo XIV heads to Spain on Saturday for a visit focused on immigration and social justice at a politically turbulent time for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

By Afp 3 days ago

Iran targets Bahrain and Kuwait after renewed US strikes

Iran fired missiles at US allies Bahrain and Kuwait on Saturday, after renewed American strikes against it, drawing a furious response from the Gulf monarchies further undermining truce.

By Afp 3 days ago

In New York, waiting in line becomes a social scene

Not everyone in America's biggest city finds standing in line to be a chore. The power of social media trends means that for some, waiting for hours is an attraction in itself.

By Afp 3 days ago

Nearly 500 confirmed cases in Africa Ebola outbreak: WHO

Nearly 500 Ebola cases have now been confirmed in the deadly outbreak raging in Africa, a WHO overview showed Saturday, amid concern over swelling scale of the epidemic.

By Afp 3 days ago

Kenyans fearful and furious over US Ebola centre

There is anger at the neo-colonial overtones of Washington refusing to allow Ebola patients into its own territory, but happy to send them to Kenya.

By Afp 3 days ago

Iran leader says dealt enemies 'decisive blow' in MidEast war

Iran’s supreme leader says that the United States and Israel had suffered a “decisive blow” in the Middle East war, after the government reported “no tangible progress” in efforts to end the conflict.

By Afp 4 days ago

DR Congo's traditional healers on Ebola front line

In her garden, traditional healer Mariam Kabika looked for ingredients for a concoction to treat Ebola, a deadly virus spreading in the eastern DRC.

By Afp 4 days ago

Seven students kidnapped in Nigeria by criminal gang

Armed gangs are blamed for raiding remote villages, looting and razing homes and kidnapping people for ransom, especially in parts of northwestern and central Nigeria.

By Afp 5 days ago

Gunfire kills teen, wounds three after US graduation ceremony

Gun violence kills thousands of people every year in the United States, where a constitutional right to bear arms trumps demands for stricter rules.

By Afp 5 days ago

Somalia capital rocked by gunfire and fighting overnight

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud plunged Somalia into a fresh political crisis in mid-May after announcing a one-year extension of his term.

By Afp 5 days ago

Guardiola quit '100 times' before leaving, says Man City chairman

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has revealed Pep Guardiola was on the verge of quitting "100 times" before finally leaving at the end of this season.

By Afp 5 days ago

Sudan, DR Congo top world's most neglected crises: Norway aid group

Sudan, which since 2023 has been ravaged by a bloody conflict between two rival generals, has more than nine million internally displaced people, the Norwegian Refugee Council.

By Afp 5 days ago

UK MP sues Musk's xAI over fake sexualised images

X's algorithms are also under investigation in France.

By Afp 5 days ago

OECD cuts 2026 global growth forecasts over Mideast war fallout

OECD warns global growth could slow to 2.1 percent if Middle East conflict continues into 2027; world economy is currently projected to grow 2.8 percent this year.

By Afp 6 days ago

Brazil moves to limit abortion access for child rape victims

"It is a historic defeat in the comprehensive protection of girls and adolescents in Brazil," the state body said in a statement, calling it a "serious setback."

By Afp 6 days ago

Chelsea's French star ready to attack World Cup with gusto

Malo Gusto's proven big-match-winning temperament will stand him in good stead as he looks to challenge Jules Kounde for the starting berth as France's right back at the World Cup.

By Afp 6 days ago

Indian stars push to end elephants in Bollywood

"Elephants shouldn't suffer for our entertainment," said A-list actor and producer John Abraham, describing why he and more than two dozen stars were supporting the campaign.

By Afp 6 days ago

Oil prices rise on Iran peace worries, Asian stocks build on tech rally

"Fake News Reports that the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the U.S.A., stopped speaking a few days ago are false and erroneous," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network.

By Afp 6 days ago

Bielsa says Suarez 'owes no apology' after World Cup omission

Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa said on Monday that Luis Suarez does not owe him an apology after he opted against a World Cup recall for the 39-year-old striker.

By Afp 7 days ago