Global Pulse

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  • How do you solve a problem like Ronaldo?

    How do you solve a problem like Ronaldo?

    What was supposed to be a celebratory, record-breaking final World Cup for Cristiano Ronaldo has instead devolved into a messy public feud that has split Portuguese football just days into the 2026 tournament.

    The 41-year-old, who is making his sixth and final World Cup appearance to match an all-time record, has been at the center of growing controversy since Portugal’s opening group-stage 1-1 draw with DR Congo. What stoked tensions most wasn’t the underwhelming result itself, but a seemingly harmless comment from 21-year-old Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Joao Neves, who scored Portugal’s only goal in that match. When asked about Ronaldo’s role in the current squad, Neves offered a measured response: he acknowledged Ronaldo’s legendary contributions to Portuguese football, but noted that the captain is just another squad member working to contribute, no different from any other player.

    That mild comment quickly spiraled out of control online. Thousands of diehard Ronaldo supporters flooded the social media accounts of Neves, playmaker Bruno Fernandes and other squad members, accusing them of disrespecting the captain. What makes this backlash extraordinary even for a global superstar of Ronaldo’s stature is that members of the forward’s own inner circle amplified the tension. Partner Georgina Rodriguez shared a reaction to a fabricated quote attributed to Neves’ girlfriend before deleting the comment, while Ronaldo’s sisters Katia and Elma Aveiro posted public content claiming a faction of the squad was trying to freeze the captain out of the team. Even Portugal’s highest-viewed television network, CMTV, in which Ronaldo holds a stake, saw a long-time legal and business representative for the striker cite a fake Zinedine Zidane quote in a public defense of the captain.

    The chaos quickly spilled over into Portugal’s closed training camp in Palm Beach, where reporters have repeatedly pressed squad leaders on whether the national team is now split between pro-Ronaldo and anti-Ronaldo factions. “This shouldn’t even be a topic of discussion,” defender Ruben Dias said in a tense press conference. The next day, full-back Diogo Dalot added: “We know there are a lot of people who don’t want Portugal to win,” declining to name those he was referring to, adding “If I had to do that, we’d never leave here. It’s not my role.”

    At the heart of the tension is a brutal on-pitch drought for Ronaldo that stretches back four years. The captain has now gone 10 consecutive matches across the World Cup and European Championship without scoring, dating back to a penalty against Ghana at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. In the opening draw with DR Congo, he took three shots—more than any other Portugal player—but failed to put any on target. That drought has reignited long-simmering questions about whether Ronaldo still deserves a starting spot in the squad, despite his historical legacy.

    Statistics from manager Roberto Martinez’s tenure underscore the unspoken reality of Ronaldo’s role: across 30 matches where Ronaldo started under Martinez, he has been substituted 13 times, but only once before the 60th minute. While Martinez publicly refuses to call Ronaldo untouchable, the numbers tell a different story of a starting spot secured by legacy, not current form.

    Luis Mateus, executive director of leading Portuguese football outlet A Bola, summed up the critique of Ronaldo’s current role: “His goals used to make up for his lack of defensive contribution. Now he is no longer scoring and he is affecting the entire attack. Mentally, because his team-mates still want to serve him even when there are better options, but also because he has become something of a square peg in the whole attacking process. He is on the pitch because of gratitude, not because of how he is playing.”

    A recent public poll conducted by Portuguese football website Zerozero found that 63% of participating Portuguese fans do not want Ronaldo to start in the team’s upcoming second group match against Uzbekistan. For the Portugal squad, only a convincing win against Uzbekistan—ideally with a Ronaldo goal to end his drought—can calm the ongoing public feud.

    This is not the first time Ronaldo has entered a World Cup facing heavy criticism for a goal drought. Back in 2010, he arrived at the South Africa tournament having not scored in a competitive match for Portugal in two full years. At the time, he brushed off pressure with a light-hearted quip: “Goals are like ketchup. When they come, they come all at once.” He ended that drought in a 7-0 group-stage win over North Korea, notching his only goal of the tournament before Portugal was knocked out in the round of 16 by Spain.

    Current Porto president and former top club manager Andre Villas-Boas framed the current moment as a necessary reckoning for a squad that still carries world-class talent. “It is now time to rethink a few things, to spend less time at the beach [a reference to recent off-field controversy around Ronaldo’s public appearances] and more time in the meeting room,” he said. “Our ambitions remain enormous, because this is a golden generation and we want the man who has given so much to our country to leave the game holding the World Cup trophy, the same way Messi did in Qatar. But the coach will manage his playing time as he sees fit. I still believe we have enough talent to leave a much better impression.”

    For now, that balanced, team-first approach remains the only path to quieting the noise that has overshadowed Portugal’s 2026 World Cup run before it has truly begun.

  • Ethiopia certifies results for watershed election

    Ethiopia certifies results for watershed election

    One month after Ethiopians headed to the polls for the country’s seventh general parliamentary election, the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has officially certified the final results, marking what observers and local officials are calling a defining milestone in the East African nation’s ongoing democratic evolution.

    Held on June 1, 2026, the election saw more than 50 million registered Ethiopians eligible to cast ballots across national constituencies, though voting was delayed in a small number of districts due to unresolved local security threats. When votes were counted, the ruling Prosperity Party secured a commanding position in the 547-seat House of Peoples’ Representatives, the country’s lower parliamentary body, taking 438 seats to retain its absolute governing majority.

    Under Ethiopia’s constitutional framework, the political party or coalition that wins a majority in the House of Peoples’ Representatives is granted the mandate to form a new national government and appoint the country’s prime minister. The official certification of results clears the way for the transition to the new administration to move forward.

    International observers have framed the election as a step forward for Ethiopia’s democratic institutions. Bankole Adeoye, African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, emphasized that the successful completion of the vote demonstrates significant progress in Ethiopia’s work to strengthen its democratic governance systems. He reaffirmed the AU’s longstanding commitment to supporting credible, inclusive electoral processes across the African continent, and expressed firm confidence that Ethiopia will continue advancing toward lasting domestic peace.

    Local political analysts, while acknowledging the democratic progress the election represents, have outlined clear priorities for the incoming government. Terecha Balcha, an Ethiopian researcher specializing in political science and international relations, noted that the vote marks another incremental advance along the country’s democratic journey, but stressed that the new administration must now center its work on fulfilling campaign pledges to voters and rebuilding widespread peace and stability across regions.

    Mekdes Mesfin, a lecturer in political science and international relations at Ethiopia’s Madda Walabu University, echoed that perspective, noting that Ethiopian voters will now expect the newly mandated government to turn its electoral support into measurable, tangible development gains for communities across the country. Addressing persistent peace and security challenges in fragmented regions of the country must sit at the top of the incoming administration’s policy agenda, she added.

    This report included contributions from Afework Eyayu on the ground in Ethiopia.

  • Armed group in Nigeria kills at least 20 people and exchanges gunfire with police

    Armed group in Nigeria kills at least 20 people and exchanges gunfire with police

    Fresh reports from Nigeria confirm that a deadly armed attack on a rural community in the country’s north-central Plateau State has claimed at least 20 lives, police authorities confirmed Monday. The violent incident unfolded Sunday in Kawel, a small community located within Bokkos Local Government Area, according to an official statement released by Plateau State police spokesperson Alfred Alabo.

    Responding to emergency calls about the attack, law enforcement personnel were deployed to the scene rapidly, where they engaged the unidentified assailants in an exchange of gunfire. The shootout ultimately forced the attackers to withdraw from the area, Alabo confirmed. As of Monday, no suspects have been taken into custody, and no militant or armed organization has issued a claim of responsibility for the killing.

    Following the attack, local authorities have moved forward with processing the victims’ remains. Alabo noted that the bodies of those killed have already been turned over to their next of kin for burial, after family members requested to forgo formal autopsies.

    Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has ordered an immediate coordinated response to support affected residents, according to a statement from the governor’s spokesperson Joyce Ramnap. Mutfwang directed state emergency management and humanitarian assistance agencies to deploy all available resources to provide urgent relief, support, and aid to survivors and the families of the deceased.

    The attack is the latest episode of recurring intercommunal and insurgent-linked violence that has plagued central and northern Nigeria for years. According to United Nations data, a long-running insurgency centered in Nigeria’s northeast has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced millions from their homes since the conflict began. Armed criminal gangs have also maintained a persistent presence across the country’s northwest and north-central regions, carrying out frequent attacks on civilian communities. This killing marks the second deadly assault in Plateau State that has left 20 people dead so far this year: a nighttime raid on the Gari Ya Waye community in March also claimed 20 lives.

  • AI companies should release environmental impact, commit to clean energy, says UN chief

    AI companies should release environmental impact, commit to clean energy, says UN chief

    Speaking at London Climate Action Week this Tuesday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres launched a bold new call for the global artificial intelligence industry to confront its underreported environmental impact, launching the AI Environmental Transparency Initiative to force greater accountability from technology firms powering the AI boom.

    Guterres demanded that AI developers and operators disclose full data on carbon emissions from their infrastructure, as well as the volumes of water and land consumed to run energy-intensive data centers. The push for transparency comes as local communities and regulators have increasingly raised alarms over the rapid proliferation of AI-focused data centers, whose environmental costs have largely been hidden from public view.

    Beyond transparency, the UN chief set a binding industry target: all AI facilities must run on 100% renewable energy – including wind and solar power – by 2030. “No more hidden costs,” Guterres told attendees of Europe’s largest independent climate conference. “No more shifting the burden onto those least able to bear it. It is time to come clean.”

    The explosive growth of generative AI and large language models has sent global demand for data center capacity soaring, undermining even the most ambitious climate pledges from the world’s largest tech firms. While industry leaders including Google and Amazon have already vowed to transition to clean energy by the end of the decade, the AI race has sent greenhouse gas emissions from data infrastructure climbing sharply, as regulatory delays and grid constraints slow the buildout of new renewable projects.

    Current global energy data from the International Energy Agency underscores the scale of the challenge: Coal still powers 30% of global data center electricity demand, while renewables account for just 27% of the sector’s supply, with natural gas contributing 26% and nuclear 15%. Over the next five years, projections show renewables will only meet half of the new electricity demand generated by the AI boom. A recent UN report warned that the combined water, energy and carbon footprint of AI infrastructure will double by 2030, with AI-related data centers set to consume nearly 3% of global electricity by the end of the decade – up from 1.5% in 2025. That puts the overall environmental footprint of the data center sector on par with some of the world’s largest national economies.

    Guterres acknowledged that AI carries significant potential to accelerate climate action, noting the technology can improve energy efficiency and cut global emissions across sectors. But he emphasized that affected local communities are too often left unaware of the harm caused by new data centers built near their homes, calling for radical transparency to redress this imbalance.

    The proposal comes as the UN prepares to convene global leaders for this year’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Turkey, where nations will negotiate new steps to hold global warming to the 1.5°C threshold set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. Last year marked the first time the three-year global average temperature breached this critical limit, increasing urgency for deeper emissions cuts across all sectors.

    In his address, Guterres reiterated his longstanding call for urgent global climate action, including deep cuts in methane emissions – a super pollutant responsible for roughly one-third of current global warming – and a rapid phase-out of coal, oil and gas. He framed the current global climate moment as a “Tale of Two Crises”, drawing on Charles Dickens’ classic novel *A Tale of Two Cities* to reflect the duality of progress and risk visible today.

    “For the climate agenda, this is indeed the best of times and the worst of times,” Guterres said. “The worst – because climate impacts are intensifying, tipping points are looming, and the energy crisis has exposed the deep risks of dependence on fossil fuels. But also the best – because the renewables revolution is well underway.”

    Guterres highlighted that progress in renewable energy is already accelerating: falling technology costs have driven rapid adoption, and in 2025, growth in clean power generation outpaced overall global electricity demand growth for the first time. Last year also marked a historic milestone, as renewables surpassed one-third of the global electricity mix for the first time in modern history, while coal’s share fell below one-third. China continues to lead the global clean energy transition, and fossil fuel generation is on a downward trajectory across most of Europe.

    But major barriers remain, Guterres warned, pointing specifically to policy shifts in the United States under the Trump administration, which has rolled back support for renewables and doubled down on domestic fossil fuel production. He also highlighted the ongoing global energy crisis exacerbated by conflict, calling the U.S. war in Iran “the mother of all energy shocks” that has further delayed the clean transition.

  • Afghan Taliban to hold rare, closed-door talks with EU officials on deportations

    Afghan Taliban to hold rare, closed-door talks with EU officials on deportations

    BRUSSELS — In a quiet but significant shift in diplomatic engagement, a five-person Afghan Taliban delegation arrived in Brussels Tuesday for closed-door technical talks with European Union officials, a meeting centered overwhelmingly on accelerating the forced deportation of rejected Afghan asylum seekers and criminal migrants from the 27-nation bloc. The gathering marks only the second formal contact between EU institutions and the Taliban since the group seized control of Kabul in 2021 following the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces, and it comes at a moment of growing political pressure from EU member states to tighten migration controls.

    Afghans currently make up one of the largest single groups of asylum seekers across the European Union. In recent years, a growing majority of EU national governments have pushed aggressively to expand and speed up deportations for Afghans whose asylum claims have been rejected, as well as those who have committed criminal offenses in their host countries. Data from European officials underscores the urgency driving the talks: as of late 2024, only 2 percent of the nearly 23,000 Afghans ordered to leave the EU have actually complied with deportation orders.

    The push for this week’s meeting follows an open letter signed in October by 20 EU member states, drafted in part by Belgian Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt, calling on the European Commission to ramp up collective migration policy action and coordinate formal technical talks with the Taliban on deportation procedures. “We can no longer afford a standstill,” Van Bossuyt said at the time the letter was released. “It is high time for a firm and joint approach, so that Europe can regain control over migration and security.” European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert confirmed Monday that the talks are a direct response to that member state pressure, noting that leaders are specifically focused on creating pathways to deport individuals convicted of serious crimes who pose potential security risks. The first EU-Taliban technical meeting on this issue was held in Kabul back in January, and the EU has maintained a small permanent staff presence in the Afghan capital since that time.

    Notably, no EU member state has formally recognized the Taliban as the legitimate governing authority of Afghanistan, and EU officials have gone to great lengths to emphasize that the meeting does not constitute any shift in that official position. Belgian officials, who as hosts of EU institutions were required to issue visas to the delegation, stressed that the gathering carries no implicit recognition of the Taliban regime. “Belgium cannot confer legitimacy on a regime accused of serious human rights violations,” Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said in a formal statement. “Making a meeting possible in the framework of our host-state policy does not amount to recognition, does not amount to legitimacy, and does not constitute an invitation by the Belgian government.” Visas issued to the Taliban delegation carry strict conditions: limited 24-hour territorial validity exclusively for Belgium, with no permission to travel to other countries in the Schengen Area’s border-free zone. The talks are also being held off-site, not in any official EU or Belgian government buildings, to reinforce the non-recognition stance. The European Commission has declined repeated requests for additional comment on the details of the closed-door discussions.

    The delegation, which includes New Zealand-born Taliban foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi, arrives in Brussels at a moment of dual need for the Taliban regime. Already grappling with crippling international economic sanctions, widespread food insecurity, and a collapsing national economy, the Taliban has absorbed roughly 3 million forcibly repatriated Afghans from neighboring Pakistan and Iran over the past 12 months alone, a wave that has pushed the country’s already catastrophic humanitarian crisis to new breaking points. For the Taliban, engagement with the EU on deportation issues also represents a small but valuable crack in the diplomatic isolation that has isolated the regime since it took power in 2021, with the group eager to chip away at international pariah status and secure greater access to humanitarian and economic support.

    The talks have already sparked sharp condemnation from global human rights organizations, which argue that the EU’s push to cooperate with the Taliban on deportations directly undermines the bloc’s own stated human rights commitments, and puts deported Afghans at grave risk under the Taliban’s repressive rule. Since seizing power, the Taliban has imposed sweeping, draconian restrictions on the basic rights of Afghan women and girls, including bans on secondary and higher education, prohibitions on most forms of employment, and strict public dress codes that are enforced with violent penalties.

    “Any engagement with the Taliban needs to prioritize protecting human rights and accountability — not deporting people to danger there,” said Fereshta Abbasi, a researcher at Human Rights Watch. “EU countries are undermining their credibility by condemning Taliban abuses and pursuing accountability on one hand, while cooperating with the Taliban to forcibly return Afghans on the other.” Eve Geddie, Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office, echoed that criticism, noting that “The desperate scenes of people — including EU staff — fleeing Afghanistan are a recent memory. It is unconscionable that the EU would now try and deport people to Afghanistan, which has only become more dangerous in the meantime.”

    The Brussels meeting comes as the EU has recently passed sweeping reforms to its collective migration and asylum rules, designed explicitly to expand deportation capabilities across the bloc. The new framework allows for the creation of regional “return hubs” for deportees, expands domestic surveillance powers for migration authorities, tightens external border controls, and explicitly allows for formal engagement with non-recognized regimes like the Taliban when it serves migration management goals. The shift comes as center-right and nationalist political parties across much of the EU have gained traction campaigning on stricter migration policies ahead of upcoming EU-wide elections, putting intense pressure on Brussels to deliver visible action on returns.

  • Andy Burnham prepares for a UK Labour leadership contest that may be a coronation

    Andy Burnham prepares for a UK Labour leadership contest that may be a coronation

    LONDON – Just two years after securing a landslide general election victory, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s announcement of his imminent departure from Downing Street has cleared a path for Andy Burnham, the popular former Greater Manchester mayor, to step into the nation’s top job. Burnham, who only won a parliamentary seat in a recent special election staged specifically to position him for a leadership challenge, began meeting with Labour Party colleagues on Tuesday to map out his transition, as political insiders widely expect him to run unopposed for the party leadership.

    Starmer’s exit caps a turbulent tenure marked by sinking approval ratings, unmet policy promises, and high-profile missteps that eroded his support among both party members and the British public. He confirmed Monday he will step down within weeks, becoming the sixth UK prime minister to resign from the post in just 10 years – a milestone that arrives as the country marks a decade since the Brexit referendum, a decision that continues to roil Britain’s economic and political landscape.

    When Starmer led Labour to a sweeping parliamentary majority in 2024, expectations were high for a reset after years of Conservative rule. But his premiership quickly stumbled: he failed to deliver on pledges for robust economic growth, never managed to repair Britain’s strained public services, and made little progress easing the persistent national cost-of-living crisis. Repeated judgment calls damaged his standing most, most notably his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson – a figure long tied to Jeffrey Epstein with a history of scandal – as UK ambassador to the United States. By the time of his resignation, Labour had slipped behind Nigel Farage’s right-wing, anti-immigration Reform UK in national opinion polls, while liberal voters were defecting in growing numbers to the Green Party.

    For Burnham, the road to the premiership opened rapidly last week, when he won the parliamentary special election he had called to put himself in position to challenge Starmer. His path to the leadership cleared even further on Monday, when Wes Streeting, the former Health Secretary once widely seen as Burnham’s biggest rival for the top job, publicly endorsed his candidacy.

    Under the UK’s parliamentary system, the ruling party can replace its leader – and automatically the prime minister – without triggering a full national general election, which is not required to be held until 2029. The official nomination window for the Labour leadership will open on July 9 and close seven days later. If no other candidate secures enough backing to enter the race, Burnham could be sworn in as prime minister as early as July 17. If a contest is held, the new leader will be confirmed by the time Parliament returns from its summer recess on September 1.

    To qualify for the leadership race, potential candidates need the backing of at least 81 Labour MPs, one-fifth of the party’s parliamentary delegation. A handful of possible challengers have been floated: former Armed Forces Minister Al Carns, who resigned earlier this month to protest what he called inadequate UK defense spending, has suggested he may enter the contest but has not yet finalized a decision. Senior Cabinet minister Darren Jones, a close ally of Starmer, has also been named as a potential candidate, but he has not yet commented on the speculation.

    Many within the Labour Party argue that a drawn-out leadership contest would only highlight deep internal divisions within the party and prolong a period of damaging political uncertainty for the country. “I think the transition should be swift and orderly,” Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told the BBC, echoing the view of many pro-Burnham party figures.

    Supporters of Burnham point to his successful 7-year tenure as Greater Manchester mayor, where he oversaw a sweeping urban regeneration program in the city that birthed the Industrial Revolution. He has pledged to bring his popular, locally focused approach – which he has dubbed “Manchesterism” – to national governance. Many Labour members believe Burnham’s natural charisma and strong people skills will let him connect with voters far more effectively than Starmer, who was widely seen as a stolid, managerial leader.

    Still, Burnham faces major unanswered questions: his policy agenda for key national areas remains largely untested and undisclosed to the public. Critics and some rebel Labour MPs argue that a public leadership contest is necessary to force Burnham to defend his platform and undergo open scrutiny from voters and opponents. Burnham has confirmed he will deliver a keynote speech next week that will lay out his core economic plans for the country.

  • Unpaid bonuses and food issues – what’s going on inside Senegal camp?

    Unpaid bonuses and food issues – what’s going on inside Senegal camp?

    Four appearances at the FIFA World Cup now under their belt, Senegal entered the 2026 edition with high hopes: the West African nation aimed to surpass its iconic 2002 quarter-final run, the highlight of its World Cup debut, and carry forward the momentum of its run to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final. Instead, two back-to-back defeats have left the Teranga Lions pointless after two group-stage matches, on the brink of an early first-round exit. Only a win against Iraq on Friday can keep their knockout stage hopes alive.

    Rumors of disarray within the national team camp have overshadowed Senegal’s on-pitch struggles, with multiple off-field controversies leaking into public view in the lead-up to the tournament’s opening matches. Reports of bonus disputes, sudden staff changes, catering conflicts and a drawn-out contract row with head coach Pape Thiaw have fueled speculation that internal friction is to blame for the team’s underwhelming start. To separate fact from speculation, a closer look at the issues roiling the Senegal camp reveals a more nuanced picture.

    One of the most widely reported issues surrounded the quality of team catering at the squad’s New Jersey base, where the team is staying at a four-star Hyatt Regency close to their training ground at Rutgers University – a step down from the five-star venue they used at the 2025 Afcon in Morocco, but not a source of complaint from the playing core. The team originally traveled with their long-time personal chef, who had planned menus for the camp months in advance, but he departed for private family reasons after the team’s final pre-tournament warm-up friendlies against the United States and Saudi Arabia. When a replacement was brought in, core players have not raised issues with the new catering arrangements. Instead, dissatisfaction with the lack of traditional Senegalese cuisine has come from non-playing delegation members staying at the team hotel, some of whom have ordered external meals in response to their disappointment.

    Other minor disruptions have stemmed from accompanying travel parties: some Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) officials brought family members to the United States at their own cost, who have stayed near the team hotel and at times drawn criticism for overly close proximity to the squad. Players’ families are housed separately at a nearby hotel, with all accommodation and breakfast costs covered by the federation.

    Claims of unpaid performance bonuses, another widely circulated controversy, have already been resolved: the unpaid funds were disbursed by the Senegalese government just days before Senegal’s third group match. Long-running tension over Thiaw’s contract, however, created the most significant deadlock for the side ahead of the tournament. The 2002 World Cup veteran, who took the reins of the national team in 2024 on an annual salary of roughly £210,000, saw his original contract expire immediately after the 2025 Afcon, where he guided Senegal to a controversial final that later stripped the side of their title, with an appeal pending to regain the crown.

    Buoyed by his strong tournament run, Thiaw entered contract extension talks from a strengthened position, but negotiations stalled for months. Under Senegalese sports governance, while the head coach negotiates directly with the federation, all contract signings and salary payments require final approval from the state through the ministries of sport and finance. Prolonged political upheaval in Senegal, triggered by the dismissal of the previous government and removal of the prime minister, created cascading delays across public sectors, leaving Thiaw without a signed new contract as the team departed for the United States.

    As pressure mounted through local media, with hints that Thiaw might refuse to travel for the tournament, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye intervened personally, contacting the coach to guarantee a swift resolution. After newly appointed Sports Minister Djireye Clotilde Coly traveled to the U.S. to meet with the squad ahead of the opening match against France and reaffirm the administration’s commitments, negotiations moved forward, and a deal was finally reached: Thiaw’s new contract carries an annual salary of £480,000 plus an additional £80,000 annual performance bonus.

    “It’s true it took too long, but it was never a money issue. It was more a principles and respect issue, but it’s been resolved,” Thiaw told reporters on Sunday. “As Senegalese people, patriotism is more important than anything else and the questions around the contract are in the past now. It’s been signed. It is true there have been a couple of creases that need to be ironed out.”

    Ranked 17th in the world, Senegal entered this World Cup as one of Africa’s top contenders, but dropped their opening two matches: a 3-1 loss to defending champions France followed by a dramatic 3-2 defeat to Norway that sealed their early point drought. Despite the off-field noise, both Thiaw and senior players have emphasized that the squad remains fully focused on Friday’s must-win match.

    “All these are problems that are resolved internally. I don’t think you need to be across what we say internally. We have a group of players who are professional,” goalkeeper Mory Diaw explained at Sunday’s press conference. “We’re here to represent our country. There’ll be nothing that will make us lose our heads when it comes to our common objective.” Before the tournament, Thiaw had made his commitment clear: “If I lose even a second of my belief that I can win the World Cup with Senegal, I will step down.”

    Long-time Senegalese football journalist Babacar Diarra, who has covered the national team for more than a decade, told BBC Sport that internal friction behind the scenes is not entirely unprecedented for the side. “Senegal hasn’t been in this type of situation for a while. You might have had some bonus issues in the past, but it wasn’t out in the press. I don’t think this will impact the players or the team. They will stay focused on the tournament. I’m not totally surprised by this. Even if they got to the final at Afcon and everything looked fine, it was a bit messy there too.”

    Off the pitch, tensions have also emerged over fan access to the tournament. Traditionally, the Senegalese state covers all travel, accommodation and ticket costs for official main supporter groups to attend major international tournaments, but travel restrictions for this World Cup have blocked those groups from making the trip. That left the North American Senegalese diaspora hoping to pick up the slack, but only 400 tickets were allocated to the local community, a number many see as far too small. Many diaspora members have also complained about a lack of transparency in ticket distribution, with a group of Senegalese national association representatives gathering outside the team hotel on Sunday to formally voice their grievances. The BBC has reached out to the FSF for additional comment on the camp issues.

    For now, all focus rests on Friday’s match: Senegal’s only path to extending their 2026 World Cup run runs through a decisive win against Iraq, with the side desperate to turn their turbulent campaign around before it is cut short.

  • South Sudan sets December date for long-delayed first-ever election

    South Sudan sets December date for long-delayed first-ever election

    More than 15 years after South Sudan seceded from Sudan to become the world’s youngest sovereign nation, the country’s electoral commission has locked in December 22 as the date for its first democratic general election since independence — a vote that has already been delayed for more than a decade, and still faces major threats of further postponement or renewed large-scale conflict.

    Prior to 2011, South Sudan existed as an autonomous region within Sudan, and its current ruling leadership has never faced a national electorate. Incumbent President Salva Kiir has held executive power for 15 years, and while he is widely expected to seek re-election, he has not yet made his official candidacy announcement. This long-awaited poll was originally scheduled to take place in 2015, but a devastating civil war that broke out shortly after the planned vote date forced an indefinite delay.

    A 2018 power-sharing peace agreement established a unity government, with Kiir retaining the presidency and his long-time political rival Riek Machar taking the post of vice president. That deal set a new election timeline for 2022, however, ongoing tensions between the two leaders derailed all preparations for the poll, and no vote was organized that year. Persistent friction between Kiir and Machar still stands as one of the biggest barriers to a smooth, timely election today.

    Last year, Machar was removed from the vice presidency, arrested, and hit with a slew of serious charges including murder, treason, and crimes against humanity — all of which he has denied. Since March 2024, Machar has been held under house arrest in the capital city of Juba, while low-intensity armed conflict continues to simmer across multiple regions of the country. The United Nations and other international actors have repeatedly warned that ongoing unrest could escalate back into a full-blown national civil war if political tensions are not resolved.

    When announcing the official December election date last week, Electoral Commission Chair Abednego Akok Kacuol openly admitted that two major issues continue to hinder poll preparations: unpassed legal amendments required to govern the electoral process, and a persistent, major gap in funding for the commission’s work. “The political will to move this process forward does not rest with our commission; it lies with the national government,” Kacuol stated. When asked about what would happen if the required funding was not secured within the next six months, the electoral chief said his team would continue preliminary work while adjusting to a “more realistic timeline” for the vote if necessary.

    In an official statement released Monday, the South Sudanese presidency reaffirmed Kiir’s commitment to upholding the terms of the 2018 peace agreement and keeping the country on a path toward peaceful, democratic elections. The statement added that preparations for cross-party dialogue focused on election-related issues are advancing, and the talks will serve as a platform to build consensus among all major political stakeholders.

    Despite these assurances from the sitting government, opposition groups and domestic civil society organizations have raised widespread alarm over poor security conditions, restrictions on political freedoms, and the lack of meaningful progress on election preparedness. Machar’s main political party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), has issued a stark warning over the poll, describing any attempt to hold the current vote as inherently dangerous. Nathaniel Pierino, the group’s acting chairperson, said in a public Facebook post that any election officials attempting to register voters or run campaign events in territories controlled by the SPLM-IO would be treated as prisoners of war. “Be reminded, the country is at war,” Pierino added.

  • Guinness crowns Canberra town crier as the world’s loudest person at 122.4 decibels

    Guinness crowns Canberra town crier as the world’s loudest person at 122.4 decibels

    MELBOURNE, Australia — An unlikely Australian record-breaker has secured his place in the Guinness World Records history books, dethroning a 30-year standing mark to earn the title of the world’s loudest male individual. Joseph McGrail-Bateup, a 58-year-old Canberra resident who works full-time as an air conditioner cleaner and serves as an honorary official town crier, earned the global recognition last week after delivering a shout that clocked in at 122.4 decibels.

    His thunderous yell of the word “now” surpasses the previous 121.7 decibel record set back in 1994 by Annalisa Flanagan, a Northern Irish schoolteacher who famously shouted the word “quiet” to claim her mark. To put McGrail-Bateup’s achievement in perspective, his shout falls into the same noise intensity category as a running chainsaw, a departing jet aircraft heard at close range, and a blaring ambulance siren right beside the listener.

    In an interview this week, McGrail-Bateup explained that the extreme nature of the feat meant no structured training or practice could prepare him for the record attempt. “There’s no way that you can actually practice for it. You have to just keep it for the day, especially with the world record attempt,” he said. “It took me seven attempts just to nail one word, which was ‘now,’ and my voice was completely gone for the next couple of days. It was husky and terrible, so you really can’t practice for it. But even so, it’s a lot of fun when you’re doing it.”

    Unlike the previous all-gender record, no prior mark for the loudest male shout existed, so McGrail-Bateup said he is comfortable framing himself as the world’s loudest man, while Flanagan retains her title as the world’s loudest woman. “I’m pleased that she gets to keep her record. So she’s still the loudest woman in the world and I’m the loudest male in the world,” he explained.

    The accidental challenge came about when McGrail-Bateup was searching the Guinness World Records database for existing town crier-related feats, and stumbled across Flanagan’s long-standing shouting record instead. His path to competitive volume began in 2017, when he was appointed Canberra’s honorary official town crier — a part-time, unpaid ceremonial role created by the local government that he describes as “a bit of fun.” He goes by the ceremonial title Lord Joseph, and makes public announcements at local community gatherings, school fairs, and car shows across the region. The role also granted him membership to the Ancient and Honorable Guild of Australian Town Criers, a national organization that works to preserve the historic ceremonial tradition and hosts competitive events for its members.

    Earlier this year, McGrail-Bateup took home first place in the guild’s 2024 national competition, delivering the traditional town crier opening call “Oyez, Oyez, Oyez” at 98 decibels to claim the win for loudest call. Ahead of his world record attempt, he tested out a range of different words to find which one delivered the maximum volume, before ultimately settling on the short, punchy single syllable of “now.”

    The official record measurement took place on May 2 in a Canberra radio studio, with a professional acoustic engineer on hand to capture the reading and independent witnesses present to verify the attempt. The verified measurement files were submitted to Guinness World Records, which made the official announcement of the new record last Friday.

    This is not McGrail-Bateup’s first experience breaking a global Guinness record. Back in 2019, he claimed a speed record for fastest archer to shoot 10 arrows, finishing the feat in 60.03 seconds and shaving a tiny fraction of a second off a mark that had stood unbroken since 2015. Just nine months later, however, a 7-year-old child shattered his archery record by an impressive 11.4 seconds.

    Today, McGrail-Bateup says he has no interest in reclaiming the archery title, nor does he worry about someone eventually beating his new shouting record. “If someone beats me, that’s fantastic,” he said. “After all, records are meant to be broken.”

  • Dettol apologises after ad to clean up ‘toxic men’ backfires in China

    Dettol apologises after ad to clean up ‘toxic men’ backfires in China

    British personal hygiene giant Dettol, a subsidiary of consumer conglomerate Reckitt, has issued a formal public apology and pulled a controversial short-form advertisement from Chinese digital platforms after the marketing campaign sparked widespread public anger over perceived misogynistic messaging.

    The five-minute ad, framed as a micro-drama to promote Dettol’s multipurpose disinfectant products, opened with a male lead searching for a partner he described as “clean” and “untainted by other men” — a common toxic trope linking women’s worth to sexual purity. A late plot twist was meant to criticize the character’s misogyny, with the protagonist’s girlfriend calling out his outdated views and ending their relationship. The ad then positioned Dettol as a solution to “toxic men, who are just like bacteria” that need to be eliminated.

    Instead of resonating with audiences as an intended rebuke of gender stereotypes, the spot ignited a firestorm across Chinese social media. Critics quickly accused the brand of framing women as objects to be judged for purity, perpetuating harmful objectification rather than calling it out. Many outraged users launched calls for a nationwide boycott of the brand, with comments flooding platforms like Weibo condemning the careless messaging. One user wrote, “What a trashy advertisement. It’s left me speechless,” while another added, “What a hopeless company. What is their senior management doing? I’m never using Dettol again. There are so many brands in the market after all.”

    In a statement released Monday, Dettol acknowledged the harm the ad caused, noting that clipped, partial versions circulating online had distorted the original intended message of challenging gender norms. “We recognise that it has offended many people, especially women. We take responsibility for any negligence in creating and reviewing the content of the advert,” the brand said. Dettol also committed to overhauling its internal content review and moderation processes to prevent similar missteps in the future, adding that while its founding mission centers on protecting family health, “true protection also lies in safeguarding the dignity of every individual and their right to be treated equally.”

    Manya Koetse, founder of the *Eye on Digital China* newsletter, called the misstep a notable blunder for a brand built around the concept of cleanliness. “Even if the intention was to portray the male character as being in the wrong, the message was conveyed so poorly that it backfired spectacularly,” Koetse noted. This controversy is not the first time Dettol has faced public backlash in China over tone-deaf marketing around gender: last year, the brand drew widespread criticism for another ad that leaned into the same harmful purity trope, with a tagline claiming, “The woman was ‘returned’ just before her wedding; it must be because she was not clean.”

    The incident has reignited broader public discussion in China about responsible marketing and the line between attempting to address gender inequality and reinforcing harmful, outdated stereotypes that erode women’s dignity.