Author: By AFP

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

This photograph taken on December 19, 2025 shows Ali Hossain, who lost his leg to a landmine while collecting firewood, as he walks home at the Bangladesh-Myanmar frontier village of Naikhongchhari in Bandarban district. [AFP] In the dense hill forests along Bangladesh’s border with war-torn Myanmar, villagers are losing limbs to landmines, casualties of a conflict not of their making. Ali Hossain, 40, was collecting firewood in early 2025 when a blast shattered his life. “I went into the jungle with fellow villagers. Suddenly, there was an explosion, and my leg was blown off,” he told AFP. “I screamed at the…

A Japanese nuclear plant operator said it may have presented data underestimating earthquake risks to regulators, as Japan moves to revive nuclear power nearly 15 years after the Fukushima disaster. Chubu Electric Power’s Hamaoka plant — located in an area of central Japan at risk of a potential “megaquake” — is undergoing regulatory safety checks, with the aim of restarting two reactors. But the company’s president said late Monday that the estimated maximum seismic ground motion that the plant could experience during a quake “may have been underestimated”. Follow The Standard channel on WhatsApp “This incident could seriously affect the…

This courtroom sketch shows deposed President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, at Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse on January 5, 2026 in New York. [AFP] Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges at a defiant appearance in a New York court Monday, two days after being snatched by US forces in a stunning raid on his home in Caracas. Maduro, 63, told a federal judge in Manhattan “I’m innocent. I’m not guilty.” Smiling as he entered the courtroom and wearing an orange shirt with beige trousers, Maduro spoke…

Victor Osimhen scored twice as Nigeria made short work of Mozambique at the Africa Cup of Nations, cruising into the quarter-finals Published Date: 2026-01-06 00:11:01 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Captain Mohamed Salah scored after 124 minutes to clinch a 3-1 extra-time victory for Egypt over plucky minnows Benin in an AFCON 2025 last-16 thriller in Agadir Published Date: 2026-01-05 22:12:18 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Ruben Amorim arrived at Man United as one of Europe’s brightest young coaching talents, but just 14 months on, he leaves the club as the latest man unable to revive their fortunes Published Date: 2026-01-05 22:08:36 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Ruben Amorim has been sacked as Manchester United manager 14 months after arriving at Old Trafford, the club announced on Monday. Published Date: 2026-01-05 22:05:27 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

A man walks behind a graffiti in support of deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in Caracas. [Juan Barreto, AFP] The Swiss government said Monday that it had decided to freeze any assets held in Switzerland by the deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro or his associates “with immediate effect”. Bern said it had reached its decision after Maduro was seized in Caracas in a shock US military operation, and brought to New York to face narcotrafficking charges. Describing the situation as “volatile”, the Swiss government said in a statement that it wanted “to ensure that any illicitly acquired assets cannot be…

Protesters with flags and and a banner march during a demonstration condemning the US attack on Venezuela and the seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, near the US embassy in Manila on January 5, 2026. [ AFP] President Donald Trump’s claim that the United States is “in charge” of Venezuela will be underscored Monday when the oil-rich nation’s deposed leader is hauled before a New York court, while his successor offers to cooperate. Leftist strongman Nicolas Maduro, 63, faces narcotrafficking charges along with his wife, who was also seized and taken out of Caracas in the shock US assault Saturday,…

Goals by Junior Tchamadeu and Christian Kofane took Cameroon through to the AFCON 2025 quarter-finals at South Africa’s expense Published Date: 2026-01-05 00:11:27 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Brahim Diaz maintained his goal-a-game record at the AFCON 2025 by scoring to take Morocco into the quarter-finals with a 1-0 victory over Tanzania Published Date: 2026-01-05 00:08:02 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Protesters demonstrate against the US operation in Venezuela to capture Venezuelan President, in front of the US Consulate in Amsterdam, on January 4, 2026. [AFP] The United States is ready to work with Venezuela’s remaining leaders if they make “the right decision,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday after an audacious US operation removed the oil-rich country’s president, Nicolas Maduro. “We’re going to judge everything by what they do, and we’re going to see what they do,” Rubio told CBS News’ “Face the Nation.” “I do know this: that if they don’t make the right decision, that the United…

Armed police officers arrive at the Metropolitan Detention facility in the Brooklyn borough of New York, where ousted president Nicolas Maduro is expected to be held, on January 3, 2026 in New York City. [AFP] The United States, which on Saturday attacked Venezuela and is said to have abducted its president, has a long history of military interventions and support for dictatorships in Latin America. On multiple occasions, the late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and his successor Nicolas Maduro — who US leader Donald Trump says is now in US hands — accused Washington of backing coup attempts. Here are…

Venezuelans living in Colombia celebrate in Cucuta, Colombia, on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. [AFP] Some of the nearly eight million Venezuelans who fled economic collapse and repression under Nicolas Maduro gathered in their thousands in cities worldwide Saturday to celebrate the strongman’s ouster by US forces. Thousands massed in the capitals of Chile, Mexico, Argentina and in Miami, dancing and hugging and waving Venezuelan flags. “At last we’ll be able to go back home,” street vendor Yurimar Rojas told AFP, straining to make himself heard over an ebullient crowd gathered in Santiago, many…

Armed police officers arrive at the Metropolitan Detention facility in the Brooklyn borough of New York, where ousted president Nicolas Maduro is expected to be held, on January 3, 2026 in New York City. [AFP] Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was in a New York jail Saturday, hours after American special forces seized and flew him out of his country — which Donald Trump said would come under effective US control. The US president’s announcement followed a lightning pre-dawn attack in which commandos grabbed Maduro and his wife while air strikes pounded sites in and around Caracas. Unlock the Full Story…

El Bilal Toure scored the winning spot-kick as 10-man Mali beat Tunisia 3-2 on penalties to reach the AFCON 2025 quarter-finals after their last-16 tie finished 1-1 at the end of extra time. Published Date: 2026-01-04 01:24:43 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Teenager Ibrahim Mbaye scored four minutes after coming off the bench to clinch a 3-1 victory for Senegal over Sudan in Tangiers in the first Africa Cup of Nations last-16 match. Published Date: 2026-01-03 21:33:36 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

An illustration shows an electric car being recharged at a Belib charging station in Paris, France, on December 16, 2025. [AFP] Tesla’s sales fell in 2025, the company reported Friday, ceding its position as the world’s biggest electric vehicle maker for the year to Chinese auto giant BYD. The American company led by Elon Musk logged 418,227 deliveries in the final three months of the year, taking its full-year sales figure to around 1.64 million EVs. This marked a drop in sales of more than eight percent compared with 2024. A day prior, BYD said that it sold 2.26 million…

This photograph shows screens displaying the logo of Grok, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by US artificial intelligence company xAI, in Toulouse, southern France, on January 15, 2025. [AFP] Elon Musk’s Grok on Friday said it was scrambling to fix flaws in the artificial intelligence tool after users claimed it turned pictures of children or women into erotic images. “We’ve identified lapses in safeguards and are urgently fixing them,” Grok said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material) is illegal and prohibited.” Follow The Standard channel on WhatsApp Complaints of abuses began hitting X…

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi disembarks from his plane upon his arrival in Muscat on December 17, 2025. [AFP] Sacred ancient gems linked to the Buddha were unveiled on Saturday in India for the first time since their colonial-era removal. The Piprahwa gems, a collection of more than 300 precious stones and ornaments believed to have been buried with relics of the Buddha at a stupa site in northern India, were formally displayed at an exhibition in New Delhi. “This historic event marks the reunification of the Piprahwa gem relics of Lord Buddha, repatriated after 127 years,” the Ministry of…

An injured survivor (right) at a makeshift memorial near the site of a fire that ripped through a bar during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Crans-Montana, in Crans-Montana on January 2, 2026. [AFP] Swiss investigators worked Saturday to identify the last victims and exact cause of the blaze that killed 40 New Year’s revellers at a packed bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana. Dozens of people badly burnt in the fire early Thursday at the glitzy Alpine town were taken to nearby countries for urgent treatment, while authorities pointed the finger at lit sparklers stuck inside champagne bottles for…

Hugo Broos is hoping to lead South Africa to Cup of Nations glory in Morocco but standing in his team’s way in the last 16 on Sunday are Cameroon. Published Date: 2026-01-03 10:32:11 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

US President Donald Trump welcomes Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on December 28, 2025. [AFP] Ukraine is hosting security advisers for crunch talks on Saturday as Kyiv insists negotiations are zeroing in on a deal, while Russia claims a deadly New Year strike torpedoed the efforts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said around 15 countries would attend the talks, along with representatives from the European Union and NATO, with a US delegation joining via video link. Leaders from the so-called coalition of the willing are expected to convene in France next week after Saturday’s…

Police officers and rescuers stand next to a firefighters vehicle on the site of a fire that ripped through the bar Le Constellation in Crans-Montana on January 1, 2026. [AFP] Dozens are presumed dead after a fire ripped through a crowded bar in the luxury Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana as young revellers rang in the new year Thursday, with witnesses describing scenes of “panic”. Horrified bystanders told of people trying to break through the windows of the bar to escape, as others, covered in burns, poured into the street. Police, firefighters and rescuers rushed to the popular resort, which…

Enzo Maresca has left his role as Chelsea head coach after 18 months in charge, the Premier League club announced Thursday. Published Date: 2026-01-01 15:48:07 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Relatives mourn as the body of Palestinian journalist Ahmad Abu Mutayr, who was killed in an Israeli attack on Deir al-Balah despite the ceasefire, is carried from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on October 20, 2025. [AFP] A total of 128 journalists were killed around the world in 2025, more than half of them in the Middle East, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said Thursday. The grim toll, up from 2024, “is not just a statistic, it’s a global red alert for our colleagues,” IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger told AFP. The press group voiced…

Saudi authorities executed 356 people in 2025, according to an AFP tally, setting a new record for the number of inmates put to death in the kingdom in a single year. Analysts have largely attributed the surge in executions to Riyadh’s ongoing “war on drugs” launched in recent years — with many of those first arrested only now being executed, following legal proceedings and convictions. Official data released by the government said 243 people were executed in drug-related cases in 2025 alone, according to AFP’s tally. Follow The Standard channel on WhatsApp The figures from 2025 mark the second consecutive…

People celebrate as they watch the traditional New Year’s fireworks from the water at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 1, 2026. [AFP] Revellers around the world toasted the start of 2026 on Thursday, bidding farewell to a volatile year when temperatures soared, US President Donald Trump upended global trade, and the brutal conflict in Ukraine raged on. While a fragile truce took hold in devastated Gaza, violence in Sudan continued unabated. A new American pope was installed at the Vatican, the world lost pioneering zoologist Jane Goodall, and Labubu dolls sparked a worldwide frenzy. In Sydney,…

Migrants picked up at sea attempting to cross the English Channel from France, disembark from Border Force vessel ‘Ranger’ after it arrived at the Marina in Dover, south-east England, on May 21, 2025. [AFP] The second-highest annual number of migrants arrived on UK shores in small boats since records were started in 2018, the government was to confirm Thursday. The tally comes as Brexit firebrand Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration party Reform UK surges in popularity ahead of bellwether local elections in May. With Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer increasingly under pressure over the thorny issue, his interior minister Shabana Mahmood has…

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive for a New Year’s Eve event at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida, on December 31, 2025. [AFP] An alleged leader of the notorious Sinaloa cartel wanted by the United States has been arrested in Mexico on drug and terrorism charges, Mexican government sources said Wednesday. Pedro Inzunza Noriega was accused by the United States in May of trafficking large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and heroin into the country as the second-in-command of the Beltran Leyva Organization, a faction of the cartel now believed to be defunct. He was taken…

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae during a New Year’s concert at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, on January 1, 2025. [AFP] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has praised his troops fighting abroad as forging an “invincible alliance” with Russia in a new year’s message, state media said Thursday. Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to support Russia’s nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine, according to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies. At least 600 have died and thousands more have sustained injuries, according to South Korean estimates. Follow The Standard channel on…

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te delivers a speech during National Day celebrations at the Presidential Palace in Taipei on October 10, 2025. [AFP] Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te vowed on Thursday to defend the democratic island’s sovereignty in a New Year’s speech, after China carried out military drills. Beijing launched missiles and deployed dozens of fighter jets, navy ships and coastguard vessels this week to encircle Taiwan’s main island, in exercises condemned by Taipei as “highly provocative”. China claims democratic Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to annex it. Follow The Standard channel on WhatsApp “My…

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua has been discharged from hospital, state officials said, after surviving a car accident in Nigeria that killed two of his close friends. Published Date: 2026-01-01 08:26:00 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard