Author: By AFP

Audio By Vocalize Manchester United’s co-owner Jim Ratcliffe. [AFP] Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe apologised Thursday for his “choice of language” after saying the “UK has been colonised by immigrants”. The billionaire businessman, founder and chairman of the Ineos chemicals company, made the remarks in a television interview in which he suggested “huge levels of immigration” to the UK had harmed the economy. But following calls for Ratcliffe to apologise, including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the 73-year-old said: “I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern, but…

A leading British football anti-discrimination body has slammed as “disgraceful” comments by Man United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe claiming the “UK has been colonised by immigrants”. Published Date: 2026-02-12 15:10:04 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Audio By Vocalize Russia has blocked the popular messaging service WhatsApp over its failure to comply with local legislation. [iStockphoto] Russia has blocked the popular messaging service WhatsApp over its failure to comply with local legislation, the Kremlin said Thursday, urging its 100 million Russian users to switch to a domestic alternative. Moscow has for months been trying to shift Russian users onto Max, a domestic messaging service that lacks end-to-end encryption and that activists have called a potential tool for surveillance. “As for the blocking of WhatsApp … such a decision was indeed made and implemented,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry…

England football coach Thomas Tuchel had his contract extended until Euro 2028. Published Date: 2026-02-12 14:27:30 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Jim Ratcliffe insists the difficult decisions that have made him “unpopular” at Manchester United are starting to pay off. Published Date: 2026-02-12 12:05:37 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Lionel Messi missed practice for Inter Miami on Wednesday with a nagging left hamstring strain that pushed the squad to delay a match in Puerto Rico Published Date: 2026-02-12 12:00:43 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Man City beat Fulham 3-0 to close in on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, as Liverpool inflicted Sunderland’s first home defeat of the season to ease the pressure on Slot. Published Date: 2026-02-12 11:57:18 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup have skyrocketed on FIFA’s official resale platform, with seats for many matches listed at several times their face value Published Date: 2026-02-12 11:54:19 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Nottingham Forest sacked manager Sean Dyche after a dismal home draw with Wolves left them hovering three points above the Premier League relegation zone. Published Date: 2026-02-12 11:49:57 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Audio By Vocalize A phone displaying the WhatsApp messaging application.  WhatsApp said Wednesday that Russia “attempted to fully block” the messaging app in the country to push users to a competing state-controlled service, potentially affecting 100 million people. Moscow has been trying to nudge Russians to use a more tightly controlled domestic online service. It has threatened a host of internet platforms with forced slowdowns or outright bans if they do not comply with Russian laws, including those requiring data on Russian users to be stored inside the country. “Today the Russian government attempted to fully block WhatsApp in an…

A depleted Australia shrugged off the loss of their captain Mitchell Marsh to injury to cruise to a dominant 67-run opening T20 World Cup win over Ireland in Colombo on Wednesday. Published Date: 2026-02-11 18:31:36 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

The European Super League saga drew towards an end as Real Madrid, and UEFA announced on Wednesday an agreement to help resolve their legal dispute. Published Date: 2026-02-11 18:28:35 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Audio By Vocalize Iran’s Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani (left) meeting with Oman’s Minister of the Royal Office Sultan bin Mohammed al-Numani (right) in Muscat, Oman on February 10, 2026. [AFP] Iran’s president vowed on Wednesday that the Islamic republic would not bow to outside aggression, as it marked the anniversary of the 1979 revolution with events overshadowed by the looming threat of US military action. Protesters, meanwhile, renewed anti-government chants from the balconies of residential blocks, in defiance of an ongoing crackdown on opposition to the clerical system, which rights groups say has seen security…

The Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots — and Bad Bunny’s hyped halftime show — fell short of broadcast ratings records Published Date: 2026-02-11 14:07:48 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Tottenham Hotspur have sacked head coach Thomas Frank after less than eight months in charge following a 2-1 defeat at home to Newcastle Published Date: 2026-02-11 14:03:59 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Audio By Vocalize This photograph shows a building with the logo of the Dutch multinational brewing company Heineken in Amsterdam on October 14, 2025. [AFP] Under pressure, Dutch brewer Heineken said Wednesday that it would scrap up to 6,000 jobs as it faces what it called “challenging market conditions,” with beer volumes down compared to last year. The company said it would be “accelerating productivity at scale to unlock significant savings, reducing 5,000 to 6,000 roles over the next two years”. “We remain prudent in our near-term expectations for beer market conditions,” chief executive Dolf van den Brink said in…

Audio By Vocalize Parents from the United Kingdom Mariano Janin, Ellen Roome, and George Nicolaou hold photos of their children outside the Los Angeles County Superior Court in Los Angeles, on February 9, 2026. [AFP] Instagram chief Adam Mosseri is to be called to testify Wednesday in a Los Angeles courtroom by lawyers out to prove social media is dangerously addictive by design to young, vulnerable minds. YouTube and Meta — the parent company of Instagram and Facebook — are defendants in a blockbuster trial that could set a legal precedent regarding whether social media giants deliberately designed their platforms…

Audio By Vocalize A private house on fire following a Russian drone attack in Chernihiv region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 9, 2026. [AFP]  A Russian drone strike on the Ukrainian city of Bogodukhiv killed three children and their father, an official said on Wednesday. Two one-year-old boys and a two-year-old girl died as a result of an enemy strike on a “private residential house” in the eastern city that sits close to Russia’s border, the regional prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday. A 34-year-old man, identified by prosecutors as the children’s father, who was also in the…

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank believes he will retain the support of the club’s owners despite more calls for the Dane to be sacked after a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle. Published Date: 2026-02-11 10:39:55 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Michael Carrick admitted he was frustrated by Manchester United’s lack of cutting edge in their 1-1 draw at lowly West Ham on Tuesday. Published Date: 2026-02-11 10:36:17 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Liam Rosenior said Chelsea’s failure to stay calm under pressure was a “bitter pill” as they blew a two-goal advantage in their 2-2 draw with Leeds on Tuesday. Published Date: 2026-02-11 10:33:09 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Coach Roberto De Zerbi has left Marseille “by mutual agreement”, the French club said early Wednesday, days after they were thrashed 5-0 by bitter rivals Paris Saint-Germain. Published Date: 2026-02-11 10:23:55 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Audio By Vocalize Iran’s Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani (centre) arrives in Muscat, Oman on February 10, 2026. [AFP] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will push Donald Trump on Wednesday to take a tougher stance in nuclear talks with Iran, after rushing to Washington to stiffen the US president’s resolve. Trump said on the eve of the hastily arranged White House meeting — set to begin at 11:00 am local time (1600 GMT)– that he was weighing sending a second US “armada” to the Middle East to pressure Tehran to reach a nuclear deal. But Netanyahu,…

Audio By Vocalize Workers repair a ship at a dockyard on the outskirts of Dhaka on February 10, 2026. Bangladesh’s election campaign ended on February 9, 2026. [AFP] Bangladesh votes on Thursday in the first parliamentary elections since a 2024 uprising ended Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year iron-fisted rule — and also holds a landmark referendum for sweeping democratic reforms. The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, the 85‑year‑old Nobel Peace Prize winner, says the reform charter is designed to prevent a return to autocratic one-party rule. The lengthy document, known as the “July Charter” after the uprising that toppled Hasina, proposes…

Audio By Vocalize Rescuers assisting survivors of the sunken MV Trisha Kerstin 3 at a port in Isabela, Basilan province on January 26, 2026. [AFP] Philippine authorities said Wednesday that a ferry may have been overloaded when it sank in the country’s south last month, killing dozens of people who received no warning from the ship’s crew. The death toll has risen steadily since the Trisha Kerstin 3 went down off the coast of southwestern Mindanao on January 26, with the body of a woman pulled from the wreckage by divers Wednesday morning bringing the tally to 52. The triple-decker…

Audio By Vocalize A mass shooting in a remote part of western Canada killed nine people on Tuesday, including seven who were shot at a secondary school, before the suspect took their own life. The killings occurred in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, a picturesque mountain valley town in the foothills of the Rockies. A total of 27 people were wounded, including two with serious injuries and 25 others who suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement. Canadian media have reported that the shooter was female, but the RCMP declined to provide any details on the…

Audio By Vocalize President of the UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock addresses members of European Parliament during a formal sitting, in Strasbourg, eastern France, on February 10, 2026.  [AFP] EU lawmakers backed plans Tuesday for a digital euro, a project that has split the bloc but has gained greater urgency as Europe seeks to bolster its financial sovereignty. Lawmakers voted in favour of two amendments to an annual report on the European Central Bank (ECB), expressing support for the introduction of the digital currency. The electronic version of the money used in the 21-nation currency area would be available to…

India said Tuesday it would be “a challenge” to face a “quality” Pakistan team in Colombo after Islamabad U-turned and decided to play the blockbuster T20 World Cup clash. Published Date: 2026-02-10 18:01:51 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Audio By Vocalize US President Donald Trump after landing at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida on February 6, 2026. [AFP] The German car lobby blasted Brussels on Tuesday, accusing the European Union of failing to appreciate the severity of the crisis facing the continent’s automotive industry and of a lack of action. Presenting a survey that showed almost three-quarters of German automotive firms planning to delay or cancel investments into their home market, Hildegard Mueller, head of the VDA industry group, said the EU was in denial. “All too often, Brussels presents a dangerous mixture of denying reality and…

Pep Guardiola said on Tuesday Manchester City must address a habit of second half slumps if they are to retain any hope of chasing down Arsenal at the top of the Premier League. Published Date: 2026-02-10 17:52:14 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Audio By Vocalize Employees of an agricultural cooperative sort potatoes after harvesting in Geer, eastern Belgium on September 26, 2025. [AFP] Farmers across Europe are protesting amid one of the most plentiful potato harvests in years, as the unintended consequences of US tariffs and increased competition drive down prices. More than twenty tonnes of potatoes were dumped in front of the National Assembly in Paris last month, heaped into piles and peppered with French and trade union flags, in a vivid display of farmers’ frustrations. “It costs us less to give these potatoes to Parisians than to store them ourselves,”…

UN force to withdraw most troops from Lebanon by mid 2027. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon plans to withdraw most of its troops by mid 2027, its spokesperson told AFP on Tuesday, after the peacekeepers’ mandate expires this year. UNIFIL has acted as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon for decades and has been assisting the Lebanese army as it dismantles Hezbollah infrastructure near the Israeli border after a recent war between Israel and the Iran-backed group. Under pressure from the United States and Israel, the UN Security Council voted last year to end the force’s mandate on…

Erling Haaland says tiredness was no excuse for his poor goalscoring run in 2026 as he demands more of himself to keep Manchester City in the hunt for four trophies. Published Date: 2026-02-10 11:10:52 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Carrick believes judgment on his tenure as Man United coach should wait until the end of the season, despite growing clamour for him to be handed a longer-term deal. Published Date: 2026-02-10 11:05:30 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

US snowboard superstar Chloe Kim has called for more “love and compassion” in response to President Donald Trump’s attack on her Olympic teammate Hunter Hess. Published Date: 2026-02-10 11:01:38 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Thomas Frank says Tottenham have to understand the gravity of their predicament to snap a seven-game winless run in the Premier League against Newcastle Published Date: 2026-02-10 10:55:46 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Manchester City can ramp up the pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal by cutting the gap at the top to just three points when they face Fulham on Wednesday Published Date: 2026-02-10 10:51:42 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

A pack of robot dogs will help Mexican police tackle crime during the 2026 World Cup this summer, authorities said Monday. Published Date: 2026-02-10 09:50:21 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

US President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House after arriving on Marine One on February 9, 2026 in Washington. [AFP] President Donald Trump threatened Monday to stop the opening of a new bridge between the United States and Canada, in a fresh salvo against the country he has suggested should become the 51st US state. Trump said the United States should own “at least half” of the still under-construction Gordie Howe International Bridge that links the Canadian province of Ontario with the US state of Michigan. Work on the $4.7-billion bridge named after the late…

Japan’s Prime Minister and President of LDP Sanae Takaichi places a red paper rose on the name of an elected candidate at the LDP headquarters during the House of Representatives election in Tokyo on February 8, 2026. [AFP] Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was projected to have won a thumping victory in snap elections on Sunday, a result that could however rile China and worry financial markets. Capitalising on her honeymoon start as Japan’s first woman premier, Takaichi’s ruling bloc looked on course to have secured a two-thirds majority in the lower house, according to media estimates. If confirmed, it…

Former French Culture Minister and current President of the Arab World Institute (IMA) Jack Lang arrives for a meeting with French President and the King of Morocco on May 2, 2017 at the Elysee presidential Palace in Paris.[AFP] Former French culture minister Jack Lang offered his resignation Saturday from his role as head of a prestigious Paris cultural centre over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in a letter to the foreign minister seen by AFP. Lang, who has headed the Arab World Institute (IMA) since 2013, is the most high-profile public figure in France caught up in…

 US President Donald Trump speaks with the media after signing a funding bill to end a partial government shutdown in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, February 3, 2026. [AFP] President Donald Trump refused to apologize Friday for a video posted on his social media account depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys, though he said he condemned the post as the White House shifted the blame to staff. The video shared on Trump’s Truth Social account late Thursday night sparked censure across the US political spectrum, with the White House initially rejecting “fake outrage” only…

 U.S. President Donald Trump steps off of Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport on February 6, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida. [AFP] The Pentagon is to cut all academic ties with Harvard University, ending military education, fellowships and certificate programs, it said in a statement on Friday. The move is the latest in the Trump administration’s battle with Harvard over claims that the Ivy League institution promotes “woke” ideology. “For too long, this department has sent our best and brightest officers to Harvard, hoping the university would better understand and appreciate our warrior class,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth…

US President-elect Donald Trump speaks with former President Barack Obama as they attend the State Funeral Service for former US President Jimmy Carter on January 9, 2025. [AFP] President Donald Trump shared a post with a racist video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys, sparking outrage across the US political spectrum Friday, before deleting it in a rare backtrack and denying he had seen the relevant clip. The White House initially rejected “fake outrage” over the video shared on Trump’s Truth Social account late Thursday night, only to then blame the post on an error by a staff member.…

Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton during the Clinton Global Initiative 2024 Annual Meeting at a hotel on Manhattan Island in New York in the United States on September 24, 2024. [AFP] Former US president Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary are calling for their congressional testimony on ties to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein to be held publicly, to prevent Republicans from politicizing the issue. Both Clintons had been ordered to give closed-door depositions before the House Oversight Committee, which is probing the deceased financier’s connections to powerful figures and how information about his crimes was handled. Democrats say the…

Mourners carry the coffin of a Shiite Muslim during funeral rites, a day after a suicide bombing at a mosque in Islamabad on February 7, 2026. [AFP] Funerals will take place on Saturday for some of the victims of a suicide blast at a Shiite mosque in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad that killed at least 31 people and wounded scores more during Friday prayers. The Islamic State group (IS) has claimed responsibility for the attack, the deadliest in Islamabad since the 2008 Marriott hotel bombing. City officials said 31 people died and another 169 were wounded in the explosion at the…

Arsenal aim to move closer to the Premier League title against Sunderland, while Manchester City face a tough challenge at Liverpool. Published Date: 2026-02-07 05:20:00 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

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