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A new UAE-funded palace rises above Addis Ababa, symbolising the growing Gulf power struggle in the Horn of Africa. [Screen grab, AFP] On a hill overlooking the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, a giant new palace is emerging, funded by the Emiratis and an ostentatious sign of the way Gulf monarchies are battling for influence in the Horn of Africa. The Horn — that comprises Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and Eritrea — is a highly strategic spot on one of the world’s busiest trade routes between the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean and lies just across the Red Sea from the…

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaking during the weekly session of Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons in London. [AFP] UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, battling for his political future, apologised Thursday to victims of Jeffrey Epstein for appointing disgraced Peter Mandelson as US ambassador. Starmer issued the wide-ranging apology after being dogged for days by the decision, following fresh allegations about Mandelson’s cosy ties to late sex offender Epstein which emerged in newly-released files last Friday. The latest crisis to hit Starmer’s struggling government has left many doubting his judgement and some — including within his…

Manchester City will face Arsenal in the League Cup final after ending Newcastle’s reign as holders with a first-half blitz in their 3-1 victory on Wednesday. Published Date: 2026-02-05 12:35:59 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin holds a video call with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Moscow on February 4, 2026. [AFP] China’s President Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin hailed the strengthening of bilateral ties in the face of a “turbulent” global situation, in a video call on Wednesday. Several hours later, Chinese state media said Xi held a phone call with US President Donald Trump, without immediately providing further details. China and Russia have sought to present a united front against the West, with ties deepening since Moscow’s 2022 Ukraine invasion. Follow The Standard channel on WhatsApp The Xi-Putin call,…

U.S. President Donald Trump (C) attends a bill signing in the Oval Office of the White House on February 03, 2026 in Washington, DC. [AFP] The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which has been renewed until the end of 2026, has provided duty-free access to the United States for certain African products since 2000, keeping whole sectors of the continent’s economy afloat. Caught in the crosshairs of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs blitz, AGOA had expired on September 30 but was renewed on Tuesday with retroactive effect. Preferential terms AGOA is a cornerstone of trading relations between the United…

U.S. President Donald Trump (C) attends a bill signing in the Oval Office of the White House on February 03, 2026 in Washington, DC. [AFP] The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which has been renewed until the end of 2026, has provided duty-free access to the United States for certain African products since 2000, keeping whole sectors of the continent’s economy afloat. Caught in the crosshairs of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs blitz, AGOA had expired on September 30 but was renewed on Tuesday with retroactive effect. Preferential terms AGOA is a cornerstone of trading relations between the United…

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has backed Marc-Andre Ter Stegen in his bid to regain fitness ahead of the 2026 World Cup, after the goalkeeper’s latest injury setback. Published Date: 2026-02-04 11:05:50 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has vowed to keep speaking out on humanitarian issues because of the “hurt” caused to the victims of global conflicts. Published Date: 2026-02-04 10:47:51 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal will use the “magical” feeling of reaching the League Cup to fuel their Premier League title charge. Published Date: 2026-02-04 10:39:30 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Japan’s J. League can one day compete with England’s Premier League if a calendar switch helps clubs bring in bigger transfer fees Published Date: 2026-02-04 10:35:18 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Bystanders walk past a burnt vehicle along a road on the outskirts of Quetta on February 1, 2026 a day after an attack by Baloch separatists. [AFP] More than 250 people have been killed in coordinated attacks launched by separatists across Pakistan’s Balochistan province since Saturday, a security official said on Wednesday, with fighting continuing as government forces pursue the militants. Pakistan has been battling a Baloch separatist insurgency for decades, with frequent armed attacks on security forces, foreign nationals and non-local Pakistanis in the mineral-rich province bordering Afghanistan and Iran. A senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity,…

Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte (third left) and Ukraine’s Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal (second right) tour a combined heat and power plant damaged by Russian air attacks in Kyiv on February 3, 2026. [AFP] Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States were set to gather in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, seeking to advance fraught talks on how to end the four-year war. Several rounds of diplomacy between the sides have failed to strike a deal on ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, which began when Russia invaded in February 2022. A massive Russian drone and…

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, US President Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson attend a Bill signing in the Oval Office of the White House on February 3, 2026 in Washington, DC. [AFP] Human Rights Watch warned Wednesday that President Donald Trump was turning the United States into an authoritarian state as democracy declines globally to its lowest ebb in four decades. Trump’s return to the White House has intensified a “downward spiral” on human rights that was already under pressure from Russia and China, the New York-based advocacy and research group said in its annual report.…

Cuban Vice Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio gestures as he speaks during an interview with AFP at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Havana on February 2, 2026.[AFP] Cuba’s government on Monday denied in an AFP interview that it was in talks with US President Donald Trump’s administration on a deal to end Washington’s pressure campaign on the communist island. Deputy foreign minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said that while there was “communication” with Washington and the two countries had exchanged messages, “there is no dialogue specifically at this time.” Trump on Sunday claimed the United States was in…

President Donald Trump speaks as he announces the creation of the U.S. strategic critical minerals reserve during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on February 02, 2026 in Washington, DC. [AFP] US President Donald Trump said Monday that Mexico would stop sending oil to Cuba, which is already struggling after supplies from its traditional provider, Venezuela, dried up following the fall of Nicolas Maduro. “It’s a failed nation. Mexico is going to cease sending them oil,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about Cuba. For years, until Maduro’s ouster, the Cuban economy spluttered…

Alleged victims of scam centres in Kyauk Khet in Myanmar’s Kayin State arrive in vehicles next to a river border crossing to be met by the Thai Army in Chong Khaep town in Thailand’s Phop Phra district in Tak province along the Thai-Myanmar border on February 12, 2025. [AFP) China has executed four leading members of Myanmar-based scam syndicates, a Chinese court said Monday, the second such announcement in less than a week as Beijing ramps up a crackdown on cross-border telecom fraud. Fraud compounds where scammers lure internet users into fake romantic relationships and cryptocurrency investments have flourished across…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on January 31, 2026. [AFP] Britain and Japan agreed to strengthen defence and economic ties, visiting Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Saturday, after his bid to forge closer links with China drew warnings from US President Donald Trump. Starmer noted that Japan and Britain were the leading economies in a trans-Pacific that includes fellow G7 member Canada, as well as other international trade and defence pacts. “We set out a clear priority to build an even deeper partnership in the years to come,” Starmer said…

Vehicles wait in line to refuel at a gas station in Havana on January 30, 2026. [AFP, File Courtesy] US President Donald Trump said Sunday that Washington was negotiating with Havana’s leadership to strike a deal, days after he threatened Cuba’s reeling economy with a virtual oil blockade. Trump’s second administration has ratcheted up pressure on the communist-run island nation since the January 3 US ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, whose country was a close ally of Havana and a crucial source for oil exports to Cuba. “Cuba is a failing nation. It has been for a long time,…

Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick extended his perfect start as Benjamin Seskos stoppage-time strike sealed a pulsating 3-2 win over Fulham yesterday. Published Date: 2026-02-02 09:16:15 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

This handout photo obtained July 10, 2019, courtesy of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shows Jeffrey Epstein from a sexual Offender/Predator Flyer in July 25, 2013. [AFP] The US Justice Department began  releasing millions of new pages on Friday from the Jeffrey Epstein files along with photos and videos, adding fuel to the politically explosive case that has dogged President Donald Trump. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the White House played no role in the review of the extensive files related to the convicted sex offender, a former friend of Trump. “They did not tell this department how…

The explosion of a bomb during training with Ukrainian servicemen of the 18th Sloviansk Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine in Donetsk region on January 28, 2026. [AFP] US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Russia’s Vladimir Putin agreed to a personal request to halt attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, after Moscow’s strikes left millions without heating during an “extreme” cold snap. Trump’s claim comes as Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power infrastructure have disrupted light, heating and water supplies, with temperatures plummeting and leaving the war-battered country facing a fresh humanitarian crisis. The Kremlin did not immediately…

World Food Programme terminates all staff contracts in Yemen: UN official. [File, Courtesy] The World Food Programme is ending the contracts of all 365 staff in Houthi-controlled Yemen, a UN official told AFP on Thursday, effectively ending operations in a zone gravely afflicted by hunger. The United Nations agency suspended work in rebel-held areas in late August after the Iran-backed Houthis detained 38 employees in a series of raids, the official said, requesting anonymity. “These circumstances, combined with a challenging funding environment, have resulted in the need for WFP to end the contracts of 365 staff members” from the end…

From left: German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany and EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner at the holocaust Memorial in Berlin, on January 27, 2026. [AFP] The European Union on Thursday laid out plans to overhaul its visa system and step up deportations as part of a five-year migration strategy that cements a hardening line on the hot-button issue. Irregular arrivals in the 27-nation bloc were down by more than a quarter in 2025, according to the EU’s border agency — but political pressure to act remains…

Chronic exposure to even low levels of the chemicals has been linked to liver damage, high cholesterol, reduced immune responses, low birth weights and several kinds of cancer. [iStockphoto] The continued use of “forever chemicals” could cost Europe up to 1.7 trillion euros ($2 trillion) by 2050 because of their impact on people’s health and the environment, an EU-commissioned report said Thursday. The study assessed different courses of action, as Brussels is already looking to ban per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in everyday consumer goods — from pizza boxes to clothing. A total stop of production and use of PFAS…

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae inspecting a test firing of the renewed large-caliber rocket launcher system, at an undisclosed location on January 28, 2026. [AFP] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will unveil plans to bolster his nuclear forces at an upcoming ruling party meeting, state media reported Wednesday, after a missile launch he said would bring “excruciating mental agony” to his enemies. The landmark congress of North Korea’s ruling Workers Party is expected in the coming weeks and is its first in five years. Kim has ordered the “expansion” and modernisation of…

Delsa Solorzano, leader of the opposition Encuentro ciudadano party, addresses the media during a press conference in Caracas on August 2, 2024. [AFP] Secretary of State Marco Rubio was expected to warn Wednesday that oil-rich Venezuela’s leader will suffer the fate of US-deposed predecessor Nicolas Maduro if she fails to comply with US wishes. Delcy Rodriguez, who was vice president and now acting president, “is well aware of the fate of Maduro,” Rubio would tell the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, according to prepared testimony. “It is our belief that her own self-interest aligns with advancing our key objectives,” Rubio was…

People sit in front of a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at a train station in Seoul on January 27, 2026. [AFP] North Korea fired at least two ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan on Tuesday, Tokyo and Seoul said, a day after a visiting US official hailed Washington’s “model ally” in the South. Pyongyang has significantly increased missile testing in recent years, aimed according to analysts at improving precision strike capabilities, challenging Washington as well as Seoul, and testing weapons before exporting them to key ally Russia. The…

This screen grab from video footage taken and received on January 26, 2026 from Governor Mujiv Hataman shows rescuers assisting survivors of the sunken MV Trisha Kerstin 3 at a port in Isabela, Basilan province. [AFP] As their ferry began listing heavily in the middle of the night off the southern Philippines, passengers instinctively raced to one side in a desperate bid to rebalance the doomed vessel. Survivor Aquino Sajili told AFP he called a lawyer friend as he stood against the railing of the MV Trisha Kerstin 3, saying he expected it to sink and asking him to alert…

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on board Air Force One while flying in between Ireland and Washington as he returns from the World Economic Forum on January 22, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. [AFP] Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday that comments from US President Donald Trump lamenting the efforts of non-US troops in Afghanistan were “completely unacceptable”. Trump said in a Fox News interview that NATO sent “some troops” but “stayed a little back, a little off the front lines”. Trump appeared to be partially walking back his remarks on Saturday amid growing outrage…

Kylian Mbappe netted twice to claim Real Madrid a 2-0 win at Villarreal on Saturday and take his side top of La Liga. Published Date: 2026-01-25 13:00:40 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Snow falls as a person crosses a street in downtown Washington, DC, on January 25, 2026. [AFP] A massive winter storm headed towards the northeast United States on Sunday after sweeping across much of the country, threatening tens of millions of Americans with blackouts, transportation chaos and bone-chilling cold. After battering the country’s southwest and central areas, the storm system began to hit the heavily populated mid-Atlantic and northeastern states with snow and freezing rain as a frigid air mass settled in across the nation. “The snow/sleet impacts will linger well into next week with rounds of re-freezing that keeps…

A reward poster for the arrest of Ryan James Wedding, he is accused of murder and money laundering in connection to a drug trafficking organization. [AFP] Ryan Wedding, a Canadian former Olympic snowboarder turned alleged drug kingpin, has been arrested in Mexico and brought to the United States to face cocaine trafficking and murder charges, FBI chief Kash Patel announced Friday. Wedding, 44, has been on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list, and the US State Department recently offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture. “Just to tell you how bad of a guy Ryan…

Family members protest for the missing victims after a massive fire broke out at a shopping mall in Karachi on January 22, 2026. [AFP] The death toll from a mall fire in Pakistan’s biggest city rose to at least 67 people, an unnamed spokesperson from the local government said on Friday. Investigators are yet to announce what caused the fire, six days after the blaze gutted the three-storey Gul Plaza on January 17. “Post-mortem examinations of 67 bodies have been completed,” said the spokesperson, adding that DNA analysis was ongoing. “The identities of eight individuals have been confirmed through DNA…

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on board Air Force One while flying in between Ireland and Washington as he returns from the World Economic Forum on January 22, 2026. [AFP] US President Donald Trump sued JPMorgan Chase and CEO Jamie Dimon on Thursday, alleging he was wrongly “debanked” for political reasons, according to a civil complaint.Trump is seeking at least $5 billion in damages in a civil suit filed in a Florida state court. The complaint focuses on the nation’s biggest bank’s moves to cut ties following the January 6 siege on the US Capitol after Trump refused…

The TikTok logo is displayed on signage outside TikTok social media app company offices in Culver City, California on September 30, 2025. [AFP] TikTok announced Thursday it has established a majority American-owned joint venture to operate its US business, allowing the company to avoid a ban over its Chinese ownership. The TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC will serve more than 200 million users and 7.5 million businesses while implementing strict safeguards for data protection, algorithm security and content moderation, the company said. The new structure responds to a law passed under President Donald Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, that forced Chinese-owned…

US President Donald Trump speaks at the “Board of Peace” meeting during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 22, 2026. [AFP] US President Donald Trump kicked off his new “Board of Peace” at Davos on Thursday, with a signing ceremony for a body with a $1 billion membership fee and a controversial list of invitees. A group of leaders and senior officials from 19 countries, including Trump allies from Argentina and Hungary, gathered on stage with Trump to put their names to the founding charter of the body. Trump, who is the chairman of the…

US President Donald Trump speaks at the “Board of Peace” meeting during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 22, 2026. [AFP] Stocks rallied Thursday after President Donald Trump rowed back on threats to hit key European countries with tariffs over their opposition to a US takeover of Greenland. Gains were fuelled also by a surge in tech stocks as the artificial intelligence trade roared back into the spotlight after the head of top AI chipmaker Nvidia said the sector needed “trillions of dollars” more investment. Markets had been rattled by volatility this week after the…

Downtown was overcome by a fever pitch of almost deafening noise — revving engines, horns, vuvuzelas and shouting — as the players arrived for the reception. Published Date: 2026-01-21 13:17:45 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

People offering their respects to former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe outside the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, ahead of his state funeral on September 27, 2022. [AFP] The gunman charged with killing Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe was found guilty Wednesday and jailed for life, more than three years after the broad-daylight assassination shocked the world. The shooting forced a reckoning in a country with little experience of gun violence, and ignited scrutiny of alleged ties between prominent conservative lawmakers and a secretive sect, the Unification Church. As he handed down the sentence at a court in the city…

TotalEnergies Chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanne attends the Business France event during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos on January 20, 2026. [AFP] US President Donald Trump descends on Davos for a showdown with European leaders Wednesday as his bid to seize Greenland threatens to tear the transatlantic alliance apart. Trump mocked the Europeans a day before heading to the World Economic Forum, where he will be the star of a dark, self-made drama over the fate of the autonomous Danish territory. But leaders gathered at the Swiss ski resort have closed ranks against Trump’s aggressive stance, with…

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addresses a press conference at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo on January 19, 2026. [AFP] The world’s biggest nuclear power plant is set to restart on Wednesday for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, its Japanese operator said, despite persistent safety concerns among residents. The governor of Niigata province, where the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant is located, approved its resumption last month, although public opinion remains sharply divided. After receving the final green light Wednesday, Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) said they were “proceeding with preparations… and plan to remove the control rods after 7:00…

Opposition leader Bobi Wine has gone into hiding since the vote, accusing the security forces of raiding his home and attempting to capture him. [File, Standard] Uganda’s army chief, who is the son of newly re-elected President Yoweri Museveni, threatened Tuesday to hunt down and kill opposition leader Bobi Wine, who is in hiding after losing last week’s election. General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, 51, has made no secret of his desire to succeed his father, who was declared winner of a seventh term as president on Saturday at the age of 81 in a vote declared a “sham” by the opposition.…

France’s President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos on January 20, 2026. [AFP] European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen vowed on Tuesday an “unflinching” response to Donald Trump’s threats over Greenland, as the US president said he was ready to hold a meeting in Davos about the Arctic island. In a speech to the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort, von der Leyen warned that Trump risked plunging US ties with the European Union into a “downward spiral” over the autonomous Danish territory. Trump, who will address the annual…

US President Donald Trump unleashed sweeping tariffs that hit allies and competitors alike, roiling financial markets and supply chains while causing trade tensions to rocket. [AFP] The International Monetary Fund (IMF) upgraded its 2026 global growth forecast Monday, citing a boost from tech investments but warning that a reevaluation of AI productivity gains or renewed trade tensions could bring disruptions. World economic growth is projected to hold steady at 3.3 per cent this year, IMF said, raising its forecast by 0.2 percentage points from October. This would be the same pace of growth as in 2025. But the Washington-based lender…

Pape Gueye scored the only goal of the final against Morocco in extra time on Sunday to bring the Africa Cup of Nations trophy back to Senegal four years after their first triumph. Published Date: 2026-01-19 15:59:02 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

US President Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Store in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 24, 2025.[AFP] Donald Trump no longer needs to think “purely of peace” after being snubbed for a Nobel, the US president said in comments published Monday, adding the world will not be safe until Washington controls Greenland. Trump has put the transatlantic alliance to the test with threats to take over Greenland “one way or the other”, with European countries closing ranks against Washington’s designs on the vast Danish territory. German…

FIFA President Gianni Infantino condemned “some Senegal players” for the “unacceptable scenes” which overshadowed their victory in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final. Published Date: 2026-01-19 12:19:05 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Participants try to control a bull during an annual bull-taming ‘Jallikattu’ festival in Palamedu village on the outskirts of Madurai on January 16, 2026.[AFP] A construction worker by trade, Saravanan B waited all year to celebrate his true passion daring bare-hands bullfighting that has never gone out of fashion in India’s south. Known as jallikattu, the centuries-old tradition is kept alive  at annual harvest festivals in India’s Tamil Nadu state, despite regular injuries and even deaths as a result of the often dangerous sport. To Saravanan, 31, running and wrestling with the bulls is simply a way of life. “I…

Already furious at having a goal disallowed at the other end for a soft-looking foul minutes earlier, Senegal reacted angrily to the decision and some of their players walked off the pitch in disgust. Published Date: 2026-01-19 10:40:31 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Senegal stuns Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final as Pape Gueye’s goal gave them a 1-0 extra-time win over the hosts at the end of a match marred by disgraceful scenes Published Date: 2026-01-19 01:51:22 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

AFCON reaches its climax on Sunday with a showdown between host nation Morocco, looking to win the title for the first time in 50 years, and Sadio Mane’s powerful Senegal side. Published Date: 2026-01-18 20:03:41 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Artefacts that were recovered after being looted from the National Museum in Khartoum during the country’s long-running war, are displayed during an official ceremony in Port Sudan on January 13, 2026. [AFP] Nearly three years of war have put the Sudanese people through “hell”, the UN’s rights chief said Sunday, blasting the vast sums spent on advanced weaponry at the expense of humanitarian aid and the recruitment of child soldiers. Since April 2023, Sudan has been gripped by a conflict  between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that has left tens of thousands of people dead and…

Mbeumo and Dorgu scored a goal each to hand City a blow in title race. Carrick will be hoping his team continues with the same performance against Arsenal next weekend. Published Date: 2026-01-17 19:28:11 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

READ FULL STORY Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Published Date: 2026-01-18 00:00:00 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni waves at supporters as he leaves after casting his ballot in Rwakitura on January 15, 2026 during Uganda’s 2026 general elections. [AFP] Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni won a seventh term in office on Saturday after an election marred by violence and an internet shutdown, with African observers saying arrests and abductions had “instilled fear”. Museveni, 81, won 71.65 percent of the vote in Thursday’s election, the Electoral Commission said, amid reports of at least 10 deaths and intimidation of the opposition and civil society. His victory allows him to extend his 40-year rule of the East African…

Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Published Date: 2026-01-18 00:00:00 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

 Members of Uganda’s police force and the Ugandan army patrol the streets two days after the country’s 2026 presidential election as vote counting continues in Kampala on January 17, 2026. [AFP] Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has said that he escaped a police raid on his home and was in hiding as the country braced for the results of a fraught election held under an internet blackout. President Yoweri Museveni, 81, looked set to be declared winner and extend his 40-year rule in an election marred by reports of at least 10 deaths and intimidation of the opposition and civil…

Ugandan military police officers detain a voter on the ground near a polling station in Kampala on January 15, 2026, during Uganda’s 2026 general elections. [AFP] A senior member of the Ugandan opposition told AFP on Friday that security forces stormed his home the previous day as the country held elections, shooting dead 10 members of his campaign team. “Ten were killed inside my house,” Muwanga Kivumbi, member of parliament for the National Unity Platform (NUP) in the Butambala area of central Uganda, told AFP by phone. Uganda held elections under an internet blackout on Thursday, with President Yoweri Museveni…

A woman burns a portrait of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after lighting a cigarette during a demonstration in solidarity with Iranian protestors, in Israel’s central city of Holon on January 14, 2026. [AFP] Political instability in Iran, a major oil producer, together with US President Donald Trump’s recent threats against the country have reignited fears of disruptions to crude supplies, sparking price volatility on global markets. AFP explains what’s at stake. Major producer  Iran remains one of the world’s top ten oil producers even though its output has fallen sharply since the 1970s, hit in particular by rounds…

An Anti-Iranian regime protester burns a photo depicting Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran, during a gathering outside the US Consulate in Milan, on January 13, 2026. [AFP] An Iranian protester who the United States feared faced imminent execution will not be sentenced to death, the judiciary said Thursday, while Donald Trump said he would “watch it and see” about threatened military action. Trump had repeatedly talked in recent days about coming to the aid of the Iranian people over the crackdown on protests that rights groups say have left at least 3,428 people dead. The demonstrations were sparked by…

Football’s global governing body FIFA said Wednesday it had received more than 500 million requests for tickets to this year’s World Cup Published Date: 2026-01-15 12:57:46 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Liam Rosenior admitted Chelsea paid the price for costly mistakes after Arsenal took advantage of his side’s blunders to win 3-2 in the League Cup semi-final first leg. Published Date: 2026-01-15 12:53:53 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

This photograph taken on January 13, 2025 in Toulouse shows screens displaying the logo of Grok, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by xAI, the American company specializing in artificial intelligence and its founder Elon Musk. [AFP] Elon Musk’s platform X on Wednesday announced measures to prevent its AI chatbot Grok from undressing images of real people, following global backlash over its generation of sexualized photos of women and children. The announcement comes after California’s attorney general launched an investigation into Musk’s xAI — the developer of Grok — over the sexually explicit material and multiple countries either blocked access…

Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was the hero with two saves in the shoot-out as hosts Morocco beat Nigeria 4-2 on penalties to set up an Africa Cup of Nations final showdown Published Date: 2026-01-15 07:17:34 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Sadio Mane scored a 78th-minute winner to give Senegal a 1-0 victory over Egypt on Wednesday in their Africa Cup of Nations semi-final in Tangiers. Published Date: 2026-01-14 22:24:54 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Brentford striker Igor Thiago has already made Premier League history: now the Brazilian hopes to take his unlikely success story to the World Cup. Published Date: 2026-01-14 10:59:00 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Manchester United confirmed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season, tasking him with leading the Red Devils back into the Champions League. Published Date: 2026-01-14 09:50:38 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

New Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa has insisted he would be himself at the helm of the Spanish giants rather than trying to imitate Jose Mourinho. Published Date: 2026-01-13 17:03:58 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

India’s Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi gestures during an annual press conference in New Delhi on January 13, 2026. [AFP] India’s army chief accused Pakistan on Tuesday of flying drones into Indian-administered territory in disputed Kashmir, where the nuclear-armed rivals fought a four-day clash last year. “They have been told that this is unacceptable to us, and please put a stop to it,” General Upendra Dwivedi told reporters in New Delhi in an annual briefing to the media. Heads of military operations of both countries spoke to each other earlier on Tuesday, he said. Follow The Standard…

The Nigerians take on AFCON hosts Morocco in Rabat on Wednesday looking to continue the prolific form which has carried them to the last four. Published Date: 2026-01-13 16:26:21 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

President-Elect Nasry Asfura of Honduras participates in a photo-op prior to a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department on January 12, 2026 in Washington. [AFP] The BBC intends to ask a US federal court in Florida to dismiss a $10-billion lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump against the British broadcaster, according to newly-filed court documents. Trump launched the lawsuit last year over a BBC documentary that edited his 2021 speech ahead of the US Capitol riot, when lawmakers were certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election win. The programme spliced together two separate sections of Trump’s…

Michael Carrick is in pole position to be named as Manchester United’s interim manager until the end of the season Published Date: 2026-01-13 11:38:11 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Three years after they last appeared together, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah meet again tonight on opposing sides as Senegal and Egypt clash for a place in the AFCON 2025 final. Published Date: 2026-01-13 11:18:20 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Darren Fletcher admitted Manchester United’s “fragile” players have lost their confidence after Sunday’s FA Cup exit Published Date: 2026-01-13 10:54:50 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Real Madrid part ways with Coach Xabi Alonso a day after losing Spanish Super Cup title to rivals Barcelona, appoints former footballer Alvaro Arbeloa new manager. Published Date: 2026-01-12 21:13:13 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Kenya’s former New York marathon champion Albert Korir was provisionally suspended on Monday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Published Date: 2026-01-12 21:04:59 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, the reigning Chicago Marathon champion, won his third consecutive men’s crown on Saturday at the World Cross Country Championships. Published Date: 2026-01-11 13:57:52 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Victor Osimhen scored one goal and set up another as Nigeria beat Algeria 2-0 in their AFCON 2025 quarter-final on Saturday to set up a last-four showdown with hosts Morocco. Published Date: 2026-01-10 21:15:23 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

One dead, seven missing after migrant boat sinks off Turkey. [AFP] One person died and seven others were missing Saturday after a migrant boat sank in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Turkey, the Turkish coast guard said. Thirty-seven passengers on a rubber dinghy, which took on water before dawn off the western city of Dikili, north of Izmir, were rescued alive, the coast guard stated. Dikili, a small seaside resort, faces the Greek island of Lesbos, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) away. Follow The Standard channel on WhatsApp “Search operations … are continuing to find the seven missing…

A member of ‘3 Raices,’ a pro-government group known as ‘Colectivos,’ stands guard with an assault rifle at the organization’s headquarters in the working-class neighborhood of 23 de Enero, in Caracas on January 7, 2026. [AFP] The capture by US forces of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and the killing in the operation of 32 Cubans assigned to protect him represent a major blow for the island’s revered intelligence services, experts say. Fearful of betrayal by dissenters within Venezuela’s ranks, the leftist Maduro — like his late mentor Hugo Chavez — sourced his security detail in communist-ruled Cuba. But the Cubans…

Brahim Diaz kept up his remarkable AFCON scoring record and Ismael Saibari was also on target as hosts Morocco beat Cameroon 2-0 in the quarter-final Published Date: 2026-01-10 00:27:55 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Recalled Iliman Ndiaye scored in the first half to give Senegal a 1-0 victory over 10-man Mali in Tangiers on Friday in the first Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final. Published Date: 2026-01-10 00:24:47 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Israeli warplanes killed four Palestinians, including two children from the same family, after targeting a tent sheltering displaced civilians north of the city of Khan Yunis in Gaza, on January 8, 2026. [AFP] Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli attacks in the Palestinian territory on Thursday killed at least 13 people, including five children, despite a ceasefire that has largely halted the fighting. Four people, including three children, were killed when a drone struck a tent sheltering displaced people in southern Gaza, agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP. In the north of the Gaza Strip, an 11-year-old girl was killed…

US President Donald Trump speaks during the House Republican Party (GOP) member retreat at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on January 6, 2026. [AFP] US President Donald Trump stated in an interview published on Thursday that his “own morality” was the only constraint on his authority to order military actions worldwide. Trump’s comments to The New York Times came days after he launched a lightning operation to topple Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, and threatened a host of other countries, plus the autonomous territory of Greenland. “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only…

Published Date: 2026-01-09 06:57:00 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Pep Guardiola admitted Manchester City cannot think about catching Arsenal in the Premier League title race after their winless run extended to three matches. Published Date: 2026-01-08 16:41:18 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Morocco are on a mission to win the AFCON in front of their own fans but the hosts must avoid buckling under the weight of pressure as they face Cameroon in the quarter-finals on Friday. Published Date: 2026-01-08 16:35:45 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Ukrainian soldiers learn how to use a FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile system at an undisclosed location in Zaporizhzhia region on January 7, 2026. [AFP] Russia on Thursday slammed a plan for European peacekeepers to be deployed to Ukraine as “dangerous” and dubbed Kyiv and its allies an “axis of war”, dousing hopes the plan could be a step towards ending the almost four-year-war. US President Donald Trump has been pushing the warring sides to strike a deal to halt the conflict, running shuttle diplomacy between Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s Vladimir Putin in a bid to get an agreement across…

This photograph shows a airplane from low cost airline company EasyJet covered with snow during heavy snowfalls which cause flight cancellations at Orly Airport, south of Paris on January 7, 2026.[AFP] Around 100 flights were cancelled at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport on Wednesday morning because of snowfall and fierce cold, and a further 40 at the French capital’s Orly airport, France’s transport minister said. The disruption had been predicted late Tuesday, with Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot telling CNews television he was “hoping the situation returns to normal this afternoon”. All public bus services in Paris and the surrounding suburbs…

Demonstrators gather outside the Kennedy Center, to protest U.S. actions in Venezuela, including the detention of President Nicolas Maduro and the U.S. military intervention, in Washington, DC, United States, on January 6, 2026. [AFP] From AI deepfakes to recycled, outdated images, a surge of visual misinformation has inundated social media platforms after US forces seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a stunning raid on his Caracas home. Collectively racking up millions of views, the fake or misleading posts underscore a new digital reality in which hyper-realistic misinformation competes for attention with –- and often drowns out — authentic images and…

Activists gather to protest against US President Donald Trump’s recent action in Venezuela on January 6, 2026 in Pasadena, California, calling on Congress for an immediate end to military action, accountability for President Trump’s actions and diplomacy over war. [AFP] Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez, insisted Tuesday that no foreign power was governing her country, even as US President Donald Trump announced Caracas will be swiftly turning over millions of barrels of oil to the United States. Rodriguez, who was vice president under toppled leader Nicolas Maduro, has given mixed signals about how much she is prepared to cooperate with…

US President Donald Trump speaks during the House Republican Party (GOP) member retreat at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on January 6, 2026. [AFP] Oil extended losses Wednesday after Donald Trump said Venezuela would turn over millions of barrels to the United States, while equities were mixed after a record-breaking start to the year. Crude has seen wild swings since the US president ordered the toppling Saturday of Nicolas Maduro, his counterpart in Caracas, and said Washington would run the country while demanding “total access” to its key resource. But both main contracts sank more than one percent Wednesday…

 U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomes Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot prior to a meeting at the State Department on January 06, 2026 in Washington, DC. [AFP] Reared in the Cuban exile community of Miami, Marco Rubio grew up dreaming of the downfall of Havana’s communists and, since entering politics, dedicated himself to battling Latin America’s leftists. With the US military’s overthrow and snatching of Venezuela’s firebrand president Nicolas Maduro, Rubio is savoring victory but the outcome came only after compromises that again left many wondering where the old Rubio had gone. Rubio, the first…

Ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim) gather at the Mea Shearim neighborhood to hold an anti-conscription protest in Jerusalem on September 18, 2025 [AFP] One person was killed and three were injured during a protest in Jerusalem on Tuesday against a law to conscript ultra-Orthodox Jews into the Israeli armed forces, emergency crews said. A bus ran over and injured three pedestrians then drove on and struck an 18-year old who got trapped under the vehicle, rescuers said the Magen David Adom emergency service said “Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene,” the agency said. Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews had taken to the…

An Oil refinery is seen from Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela on March 19, 2025. [AFP] Oil extended losses Wednesday after Donald Trump said Venezuela would turn over millions of barrels to the United States, while equities wobbled after a record-breaking start to the year. Crude has seen wild swings since the US president ordered the toppling Saturday of Nicolas Maduro, his counterpart in Caracas, and said Washington would run the country while demanding “total access” to its key resource. But it sank as much as two percent Tuesday and around one percent Wednesday after Trump announced the latest development. “The…

Amad Diallo starred as Ivory Coast beat Burkina Faso 3-0 and became the first AFCON defending champions to reach the quarter-finals since 2010. Published Date: 2026-01-07 06:16:39 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

A thunderous strike by substitute Adil Boulbina deep in extra time settled a tense encounter as Algeria beat the Democratic Republic of Congo 1-0 in their AFCON last-16 tie Published Date: 2026-01-06 22:57:53 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Liam Rosenior was confirmed on Tuesday as Chelsea’s new head coach on a six-and-a-half-year deal Published Date: 2026-01-06 16:24:35 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

US President Donald Trump takes questions from the press during a meeting with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on November 18, 2025. [AFP] An emboldened US President Donald Trump has hinted that he has other countries in his sights after toppling Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, leaving the world asking: where’s next? Trump took aim at Colombia, Cuba, Greenland, Mexico and Iran in the space of a single half-hour exchange with reporters Sunday aboard Air Force One. Trump, who openly campaigned for last…

Real Madrid winger Diaz fires Afcon hosts Morocco into quarter-finals. Published Date: 2026-01-06 10:57:52 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard