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  • Israeli army ‘murdered father and son’ in Gaza and then dumped bodies

    Israeli army ‘murdered father and son’ in Gaza and then dumped bodies

    The Gaza Strip has been marked by ongoing civilian bloodshed even after the October 2023 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with a new fatal incident near the Israeli-demarcated “yellow line” buffer zone laying bare the dangers facing Palestinian civilians who tend to their land in border areas.

    On a routine Sunday afternoon trip to check farmland in Wadi al-Salqa, located just 150 meters from the yellow line that marks Israel’s military perimeter inside Gaza, 32-year-old Palestinian farmer Baha Abu al-Ajeen brought his three-year-old son Rayan and his brother-in-law Khaled Abu Gharaba from their home in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. What began as an ordinary work outing quickly devolved into an unthinkable tragedy, the Abu al-Ajeen family says.

    When the three unexpectedly encountered Israeli soldiers hiding inside a local home, troops opened fire without any warning or provocation, according to Nawaf Abu al-Ajeen, the family’s elder and a relative of Baha, who spoke to independent outlet Middle East Eye. A bullet tore through three-year-old Rayan’s eye and exited the back of his skull, killing the child instantly as he was held in his father’s arms. A second bullet struck Baha in the leg, leaving him bleeding profusely.

    Instead of providing urgent medical care to the wounded, Israeli forces left the family bleeding on the ground before arresting all three, transporting them to the Kissufim military base. For hours, a wounded Baha remained in detention clutching his son’s lifeless body, alongside the unharmed Khaled who was also held. Nearly six hours after the shooting, soldiers dumped the injured father and his dead child on the central Gaza Salah al-Din Street before withdrawing.

    Nawaf told MEE that after receiving word of the abandoned pair from local witnesses, family members traveled to the street and confirmed the identity of Baha and Rayan. The pair were rushed to Deir al-Balah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where medical staff officially pronounced Rayan dead. Doctors stabilized Baha’s fractured leg with surgical hardware, and he remains hospitalized in stable condition, while his brother-in-law Khaled remains in Israeli detention with no updates on his condition or whereabouts.

    The child was buried on Monday afternoon, his body returned to his mother who remains inconsolable. “An ordinary day turned into a living hell we will never forget,” Nawaf said.

    The Israeli military issued a standard claim following the incident, asserting that Sunday evening it had opened fire on what it described as members of an armed cell approaching the yellow line. Hospital spokesperson Khalil al-Daqran confirmed the details of the incident to MEE, matching the family’s account: “The bullet pierced the child’s head, and he arrived deceased hours ago. The father is in stable condition with a leg injury and is receiving treatment.”

    This deadly shooting is far from an isolated incident, according to UN and human rights data compiled since the ceasefire took effect. In a May report, the UN Human Rights Office found that roughly one-third of all Palestinians killed by Israeli forces after the ceasefire agreement were shot in areas near the border buffer line with Hamas, raising alarming allegations that Israeli troops are deliberately targeting civilians merely for approaching the restricted zone. The office concluded that “such actions would constitute unlawful killings and are therefore war crimes.”

    Ajith Sungai, director of the UN Human Rights Office in the occupied Palestinian territory, called the consistent pattern of civilian deaths “disturbing.” “Civilians don’t appear to have posed any threat to the lives of Israeli soldiers, including in some cases where they appear to have been shot while carrying out daily activities, or after approaching or crossing what is known as the Israeli ‘yellow line,’” Sungai noted in a press statement.

    As of 5 February, UN data records that 453 Palestinians have been killed in the post-ceasefire period, 152 of which occurred near the yellow line buffer zone—including 102 men, 15 women, 24 boys, and 11 girls. Official data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health published this Monday puts the total post-ceasefire Palestinian death toll at 992, with an additional 3,144 people wounded across the Gaza Strip.

    Alaa Skafi, director of the Gaza-based Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights, told MEE that Israel currently classifies 65 percent of the entire Gaza Strip as restricted “yellow” or “red” zones. Skafi explained that even when civilians pose no credible threat to Israeli forces, any person who approaches these restricted areas or the yellow line is targeted with gunfire or arrested under the ready-made pretext of threatening military positions. Civilians are targeted by sniper fire, tank shelling, and drone strikes, he added.

    Skafi also alleged that Israel intentionally manipulates the border demarcation to target civilians: even though Israel places yellow concrete blocks to mark the restricted zone near the Salah al-Din Line that splits Gaza east to west, troops regularly move the markers westward, then open fire on civilians who cross the shifted line under the claim they entered restricted territory. “Israel uses ready-made justifications to legitimise the killing of civilians near the Yellow Line and employs new methods of killing, either by soldiers or by members of its affiliated armed groups,” Skafi said.

  • Road to US-Iran deal ran through Pakistan

    Road to US-Iran deal ran through Pakistan

    On June 15, the United States and Iran announced a landmark memorandum of understanding that stands to reshape regional security dynamics across the Middle East, marking one of the most consequential diplomatic breakthroughs in the region in recent years. U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed the framework agreement had been finalized, announcing two immediate confidence-building measures: the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy chokepoint, and the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade on the waterway. Iranian officials have echoed confirmation of the deal, noting that formal negotiations over outstanding sticking points will continue over the next 60 weeks, with a formal signing scheduled to take place in Geneva on June 19.

    The agreement followed weeks of behind-the-scenes diplomacy, with Pakistan taking a central role as the lead intermediary that brought the two long-hostile parties back to the negotiating table. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose government led the mediation effort, announced the ceasefire ahead of the official U.S. confirmation, capping off weeks of intensive engagement with Iranian authorities, Gulf regional states, and U.S. diplomatic teams. While Qatar and other regional actors also contributed heavily to de-escalation efforts, Islamabad ultimately emerged as the primary channel for direct dialogue between Washington and Tehran.

    Pakistan’s prominent role in the deal was neither a random outcome nor an inevitable assignment. For decades, Oman has served as a quiet backchannel between the U.S. and Iran, and Qatar has built a reputation as one of the Middle East’s most active neutral mediators. However, the crisis that preceded this agreement, sparked by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, escalated into a multifaceted threat touching maritime security, global energy markets, and broad regional stability that directly impacted Gulf states including Qatar, creating a need for a new mediation channel.

    As tensions mounted, Pakistan’s role grew increasingly visible. Early rounds of high-stakes talks between senior American and Iranian delegates were hosted in Islamabad, and in the final push to avoid further military escalation, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir traveled directly to Tehran to hold security-focused talks with Iranian leadership. Pakistani diplomats and security officials simultaneously maintained constant communication with other key regional stakeholders, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey, while keeping U.S. counterparts updated at every step of the process.

    While the framework agreement was the product of collaborative effort across multiple negotiating parties, Pakistan carved out a unique and central role thanks to its specific diplomatic advantages. Unlike many other potential mediators, Pakistan maintained established working relationships with both Washington and Tehran at a time when direct communication between the two principal parties had broken down almost entirely. Its geographic proximity to Iran, longstanding security ties to both sides, and broad regional diplomatic reach made it an ideal trusted intermediary when the urgency to de-escalate grew.

    Another key strength of Pakistan’s mediation effort was the unprecedented coordination between its civilian political leadership and military security institutions. Prime Minister Sharif provided public political leadership and set the overarching diplomatic framework for the talks, while General Munir leveraged his established regional security contacts to engage directly with Iranian defense and decision-making circles. In a crisis centered on military escalation, deterrence, and security risks, direct communication between security establishments proved just as critical as traditional diplomatic negotiations, allowing Islamabad to deliver clear, credible messages that addressed both political and security concerns for all parties.

    The resulting document is not a full, permanent peace treaty, but a foundational framework designed to halt immediate escalation and create space for detailed negotiations on unresolved core issues. Even so, bringing the two bitter rivals to this point represents a significant diplomatic achievement on its own.

    Beyond the immediate gains of a ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the agreement marks a notable shift in Pakistan’s global diplomatic profile. For years, Pakistan’s international standing has largely been defined by domestic security challenges, economic instability, and regional rivalries. This breakthrough offers a new narrative: Pakistan as a reliable, effective facilitator of high-stakes diplomacy during a major regional crisis.

    Pakistan’s role also fits into a growing global trend: as competition between major world powers intensifies, middle powers are increasingly carving out space to shape global outcomes through proactive mediation. Qatar led groundbreaking negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban, Oman has repeatedly provided backchannels between Washington and Tehran during past periods of tension, and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. What unites all these cases is not massive military power, but broad diplomatic access: states that maintain working relationships across competing blocs are uniquely positioned to resolve crises that larger powers cannot address directly.

    Unlike traditional mediators that only provide a venue for talks, Pakistan took a comprehensive approach, combining high-level political outreach, security-to-security engagement, and in-person hosting of negotiating sessions in Islamabad. This expanded role explains why the country became increasingly central to the process as the crisis moved from open confrontation to negotiated de-escalation. In recent years, Pakistan has deepened its diplomatic engagement with Gulf states, maintained stable ties with Tehran, and expanded its diplomatic outreach beyond South Asia, giving it greater flexibility to respond to regional crises. For a country dependent on energy imports, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz also carries direct, tangible economic benefits.

    Still, the breakthrough carries significant risks that cannot be overlooked. The current document is only a memorandum of understanding, not a comprehensive final settlement. The most contentious core issues – including U.S. sanctions relief, the long-term rules for Hormuz shipping, and the future of Iran’s nuclear program – remain unresolved. Disagreements have already emerged over the scope of the framework: Iranian officials claim the deal covers all active fronts including Lebanon, while Israeli officials have offered a far more narrow, cautious interpretation of the agreement’s terms. These differences could complicate negotiations over the coming 60 days.

    For Pakistan, the outcome of the next phase of talks will shape its new diplomatic reputation. If negotiations succeed, Islamabad’s standing as a trusted regional mediator will grow substantially. If talks collapse, as many past Middle East diplomatic agreements have done amid intractable unresolved disputes, Pakistan will face greater diplomatic challenges, having invested significant political capital in the process.

    Regardless of the final outcome, the framework agreement will be remembered for more than just its attempt to end a dangerous military confrontation. It also marks a turning point: the moment Pakistan demonstrated it can serve as an effective diplomatic bridge between competing major powers in a rapidly shifting regional and global order.

  • Cape Verde 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha turns in a ‘dream’ performance in his World Cup debut

    Cape Verde 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha turns in a ‘dream’ performance in his World Cup debut

    ATLANTA — For four decades, Vozinha carried one singular, burning dream: to step onto the world’s biggest soccer stage and represent the tiny island nation of Cape Verde at the FIFA World Cup. On Monday, that decades-long journey culminated in one of the most stunning upsets the tournament has seen in recent years, as the 40-year-old goalkeeper turned in a masterclass to shut down Spain’s star-studded attack and secure a historic 0-0 draw in Cape Verde’s first-ever World Cup match.

    Despite being completely outpossessed and outshot by the pre-tournament favorites — Spain launched 27 attempts on goal, with seven testing Vozinha directly — the veteran keeper was unbeatable. He intercepted crosses, blocked point-blank shots, and organized his backline with unflappable poise, leaving Spanish forwards and their supporters growing increasingly frustrated as the clock ticked down. Even the much-anticipated second-half introduction of 16-year-old phenom Yamine Lamal, the youngest player to ever feature at a senior World Cup, could not find a way past Vozinha and his determined defensive unit.

    When the final whistle blew, the weight of the moment crashed over the 40-year-old. He bent over just in front of his goal and wept, before being swarmed and embraced by jubilant teammates, who had just secured a share of the points against one of the world’s top-ranked teams. For a nation that had never before qualified for the World Cup, the result was already a win; holding Spain to a draw was nothing short of historic.

    In post-match interviews, Vozinha opened up about the personal emotion of the moment, revealing that many of the people who shaped him could not be there to see his career-defining performance. The goalkeeper was raised by his grandparents, who both passed away in recent years, and his mother was unable to secure a U.S. visa in time to travel to the match due to financial constraints. “When I think about them, I just get overwhelmed with emotion,” he said.

    Vozinha’s path to this World Cup moment was far from conventional. He did not even make his professional debut until he was 25, when he first took the field for Angola’s Progresso. Over the decades that followed, he carved out a nomadic club career, plying his trade in Moldova, Cyprus, Slovakia, and now Portugal, where he plies his trade for Chaves in the country’s second division. He earned his first cap for the Cape Verde national team in 2012, and there were points along the way where he considered stepping away from international soccer. But he never gave up on the dream.

    “I have worked my whole life for this, for this exact moment, for this dream,” he said. “So many generations before us dreamed of this day and never got the chance to achieve it. Now, that dream has come true.”

    Even his unusual nickname, Vozinha — which means “grandmother” in Portuguese — is tied to his roots. As a child, older players bullied him on local soccer fields, taunting him with the name because he would run home crying to his grandmother after rough matches. Years later, the nickname stuck permanently when another teammate at his first professional club shared his birth name, Josimar.

    Teammates say Vozinha’s performance on Monday was the perfect reflection of the leadership he brings to the team every day. Steven Moreira, one of his fellow squad members, joked that the team often teases the keeper about his age, but added that he is immensely proud of the veteran. “He’s a big legend, and that was a crazy game,” Moreira said. “It just goes to show that age doesn’t matter when you have the heart and the will to win.”

    Pico Lopes echoed that sentiment, noting that Vozinha is often the strictest member of the squad in training, constantly pushing his teammates to show up on time and play to their full potential. “He lives and breathes Cape Verde,” Lopes said. “He’s always pushing us to be better, and today he led by example. That’s who he is.”

    The historic performance has already turned Vozinha into a global soccer sensation. In the hours after the final whistle, his Instagram follower count skyrocketed from roughly 50,000 to more than 2.4 million, as fans around the world rushed to follow the 40-year-old underdog who pulled off one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.

  • ‘Israel is weaker’: Israeli political class reacts angrily to the US-Iran peace deal

    ‘Israel is weaker’: Israeli political class reacts angrily to the US-Iran peace deal

    On a tense Monday morning in Israel, public and political outrage swept the nation following a Sunday evening announcement from Pakistani mediator Shehbaz Sharif that Washington and Tehran had finalized a comprehensive peace agreement to end months of open conflict.

    Sharif, who stepped in as lead negotiator after the joint Israeli-US military campaign against Iran launched in February, confirmed the breakthrough in a post on his official X account. The Pakistani prime minister outlined that the draft deal requires an immediate and permanent ceasefire across all active theaters of conflict, including neighboring Lebanon. He also publicly thanked rival of Israel Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia for their behind-the-scenes support during the months-long negotiation process, noting the formal signing ceremony would be held this coming Friday in Switzerland.

    Within hours of Sharif’s announcement, both US and Iranian officials corroborated the agreement. Former US President Donald Trump called the deal “complete,” while Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed a finalized text would be officially signed within 60 days.

    Despite repeated confirmation from Pakistan, Iran, and the US that the deal mandates a ceasefire across all fronts including Lebanon, Israeli leadership immediately rejected the ceasefire clause and made clear the country does not consider itself bound by the terms of the agreement. Even as political backlash mounted, the Israeli Defense Forces launched a new wave of airstrikes and ground operations across southern Lebanon on Monday.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has not yet delivered a public address on the diplomatic breakthrough, privately told Trump that Israel would reject any Iranian terms related to Lebanon, according to Israeli news outlet Ynet. Defense Minister Israel Katz doubled down on Netanyahu’s position in a public statement Monday, asserting that Israeli military forces would maintain an indefinite presence in security zones across Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. Katz added that Israeli forces would continue clearing civilian populations from occupied territories and destroying residential structures classified as “terror infrastructure.”

    Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who previously called for the total destruction of residential buildings in Beirut in response to Hezbollah attacks, took to X to voice fierce opposition to the deal. “The agreement with Iran is bad for Israel and for the entire free world,” Smotrich wrote, adding that Israel would be forced to continue its military campaign against Iran independently and would retain full operational freedom for its forces in Lebanon regardless of the US-brokered deal.

    National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, another far-right member of Netanyahu’s governing coalition, echoed Smotrich’s rejection in his own X post. “Trump’s agreement does not bind us,” Ben Gvir wrote. “Israel is not a subordinate of the United States, and we are an independent and sovereign state. Israel is not a banana republic.” He added that the deal fails to safeguard Israel’s national security and “does not bind us in any way.” Multiple other sitting cabinet members also publicly pledged to continue military strikes against Iran despite the ceasefire agreement.

    Culture Minister Miki Zohar told Ynet that his government’s only core concern is Iran’s nuclear weapons program. “If Israel sees that its security is in danger, it will strike Iran with force,” Zohar said. “Iranians will not only get down on their knees, but they will bow their heads as well.”

    While most governing coalition members have avoided direct public criticism of Trump and Netanyahu, anger has spilled over across the Israeli political spectrum, with pro-Netanyahu media figures launching vitriolic attacks against US leadership. Yinon Magal, a prominent journalist with Israeli outlet Channel 14 widely viewed as a mouthpiece for Netanyahu, wrote on X that Israel had been abandoned by its closest ally amid its wars in Iran and Lebanon. Magal went on to label Trump a “loser” and Vice President JD Vance “scum,” and deployed a well-documented antisemitic slur to refer to US Middle East envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, calling them “little Jews.”

    Another Channel 14 journalist, Shimon Riklin, argued Monday that “what Israel needs more than anything right now is sovereignty,” adding that the country must remind “treacherous America” that it prioritizes its own independent national interests.

    The Israel Defense and Security Forum, a prominent right-wing Israeli think tank, issued a statement Monday arguing that “every agreement with the Iranian terrorist regime is ultimately doomed to fail, and the current agreement will be no different.” The group added that “this is the time to stand tall, prepare for what lies ahead, and not compromise on Israel’s interests in removing the threat from Lebanon and Iran.”

    Opposition political figures across the ideological spectrum have seized on the diplomatic rupture to attack Netanyahu’s leadership and his handling of the ongoing war. Yair Golan, leader of the centre-left Democrats party, described Netanyahu as “weak, ill, isolated and lacking influence.” Golan argued that the deal allows for billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets to be unfrozen while leaving Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs fully intact, representing “years of failure” of Netanyahu’s Iran policy that has left “Israel weaker.”

    Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israeli army chief of staff and potential future prime ministerial candidate, said the agreement fails to address any of Israel’s core security concerns. He added that nearly three years of conflict following the October 7 debacle have culminated in “a grim result of a failed government.”

    Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett also joined the criticism of Netanyahu’s administration, saying it “is incapable of making decisive decisions and has led us into wars of attrition and stagnation.” Bennett pledged to oust Netanyahu in upcoming national elections, fix what he called the prime minister’s policy failures, and claimed he has a concrete plan to remove the current Iranian leadership from power.

  • The 40-year-old keeper who inspired Cape Verde’s historic debut

    The 40-year-old keeper who inspired Cape Verde’s historic debut

    When the final whistle echoed across Atlanta Stadium on matchday one of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first person the broadcast cameras found was Cape Verde’s veteran goalkeeper Josimar Dias, universally known by his nickname Vozinha. Tears streamed down the 40-year-old’s cheeks, as the full weight of the historic moment he had just delivered for his tiny island nation finally set in: his side had held four-time World Cup winners Spain, one of the pre-tournament favorites, to a stunning 0-0 draw.

    The stands erupted into blue, red and white chaos as thousands of traveling Cape Verde supporters, who had cheered nonstop through 90 minutes of relentless Spanish pressure, flooded together to celebrate. Players embraced each other wildly on the pitch, their joy unconfined. Even neutral fans watching in the stadium and around the world were swept up in the underdog story, joining in the celebrations by full time.

    Against the reigning European champions, Vozinha turned in the performance of a lifetime to secure a heroic clean sheet and what is already the most iconic result in Cape Verde’s 50-year history as an independent footballing nation. Named player of the match for his seven crucial saves, Vozinha opened up about the emotion of the moment after the final whistle, explaining that his tears came from a deeply personal place.

    “I cried because I grew up with my grandparents,” he told reporters. “Unfortunately they were not here. They died a few years before. They were everything for me, everything for my life. And also because of my mum. She didn’t manage to be here because of the visa. Because of the money you have to pay for the visa, we didn’t manage on time. I would like her to be here.”

    Beyond the personal grief and longing, Vozinha emphasized that the result was a product of the one strength his small side has always relied on: collective unity. “Our best weapon is our unity,” he said. “Regardless of the player who arrives today, or the player who is 10 or 15 years old, the way we treat our family is our greatest strength. Everyone thought that we came here just to enjoy the World Cup, but no, we know that we have teams that we will always respect, because this is our first time, but we are here to compete, and we are here to fight for our country.”

    For Vozinha, this history-making moment was decades in the making. Born in Mindelo on the island of São Vicente, Cape Verde, an isolated archipelago 600 kilometers off the west coast of Africa, he faced barriers to football from the very start of his career. Opportunities for young talent on the islands are extremely limited, and even when he proved himself as one of the best young goalkeepers on his island, he was repeatedly passed over because selectors thought he was too short.

    It took until 2012, when he was 25 years old — considered extremely late for a player to turn professional — for Vozinha to kick off his pro career, moving to former colonial ruler Portugal to chase opportunities. He spent years bouncing between clubs across Slovakia, Angola, Moldova and Cyprus before settling at second-tier Portuguese side Chaves, never giving up on his dream of reaching the World Cup with his national side. At one point, he even considered walking away from international football, but his lifelong dream pushed him to keep going.

    Even his name carries a connection to World Cup history: his father originally wanted to name him Valdano, after Argentine 1986 World Cup winner Jorge Valdano, but Cape Verdean authorities rejected the name, so he was named Josimar instead, after Brazilian defender Josimar, who became a global star at that same 1986 tournament. Decades later, on a new World Cup stage, Vozinha has written his own chapter of football history.

    At 40 years and 12 days old, Vozinha entered the record books as the oldest player to debut in a nation’s first ever World Cup match, breaking the record set just days earlier by Curaçao’s Eloy Room. Only Egypt’s Essam El Hadary, who debuted at 43, has ever been older when making their first World Cup appearance. His seven saves against Spain also put him in rare company: he is only the second goalkeeper over 40 to make seven or more saves in a single World Cup match, after Northern Ireland’s Pat Jennings, who made 10 against Brazil on his 41st birthday in 1986.

    Every save Vozinha made was greeted by the Cape Verde crowd like a winning goal, and the moment quickly went viral around the world. Brazilian YouTube channel CazeTV, which holds World Cup broadcast rights in Brazil, encouraged their audience to follow Vozinha on Instagram — and in less than 24 hours, his follower count surged from 50,000 to more than five million. When reporters told him of his new global fame, he simply laughed and said, “That is crazy.”

    Football pundits around the world were quick to praise Vozinha and the entire Cape Verde side for their historic performance. Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin said the goalkeeper “lit up this game”, telling BBC 5 Live: “He has been absolutely brilliant. He’s done it at 40 years of age. Every single camera is on him, all his players are pointing to him. It is a beautiful moment. Cape Verde spent the vast majority of the game in their own 18-yard box — not all of it, and when they broke they were brave and they broke in numbers. To do that and to keep that level of concentration, you don’t do that if you’re a bunch of individuals, you only do that if you’re a team.”

    Former England defender Lee Dixon, commentating for ITV, echoed that praise, saying: “It’s absolutely fantastic. A brilliant performance. They deserve that point more than anything and Spain almost don’t deserve a point. They walk off disappointed but the night is Cape Verde’s. What a performance from every single one of them, the centre halves, the full-backs, that man there crying – I’m almost crying myself.”

    For Cape Verde, a nation of just 590,000 people that ranks as the third smallest country ever to qualify for a World Cup, no bigger in area than the English city of Sheffield, this result carries far more weight than a single point in the group stage. It is a testament to the power of perseverance, teamwork, and the underdog spirit that makes the World Cup the world’s most beloved sporting event. By the final whistle, neutrals across the globe had already fallen for Cape Verde’s story — and a 40-year-old goalkeeper who spent his whole life chasing a dream had turned that dream into history.

  • Senegal looks to repeat 2002 World Cup upset of France that set off dancing in Dakar’s streets

    Senegal looks to repeat 2002 World Cup upset of France that set off dancing in Dakar’s streets

    EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Ahead of their Group I World Cup clash on Tuesday, two-time World Cup champion France and 2002 Cinderella story Senegal are preparing to write a new chapter in their unique shared football history, a rivalry rooted in Senegal’s former status as a French colony and defined by one of the most shocking upsets in modern tournament history.

    In the opening match of the 2002 World Cup, then-defending champion France fell 1-0 to the unheralded Senegalese side, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga. The historic upset sent waves of celebration across Senegal, where then-President Abdoulaye Wade declared an immediate national holiday to honor the win. Papa Bouba Diop scored the game’s only goal in the 30th minute, and Senegal went on to reach the quarterfinals before bowing out to Turkey, while France left the tournament winless and eliminated in the group stage – a result that remains one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.

    More than two decades later, the rematch has generated huge global attention, though both sides have downplayed any talk of revenge for the 2002 result. For France, six of its current squad were not even born when the 2002 upset occurred. Midfielder N’Golo Kanté emphasized Monday that the team is focused on progress in the current tournament, not settling old scores.

    “Not for revenge do we want to win, but we want to go as far as possible in this competition,” Kanté said through a translator. “Our main opponent is ourselves. We cannot see ourselves too beautiful or too strong.”

    French head coach Didier Deschamps echoed that sentiment, noting that the 2002 result is history, and Tuesday’s match will be an entirely new contest. The two-time World Cup winner (as a player in 1998 and head coach in 2018) is on the cusp of a major coaching milestone Tuesday: the match will mark his 20th World Cup game at the helm of Les Bleus, just five games short of Helmut Schön’s all-time record for World Cup matches coached, set with West Germany. Deschamps, who will retire from his post this summer after 12 years leading the French national team, is one of only three people in history to win the World Cup as both a player and a coach, alongside Brazil’s Mário Zagallo and Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer. France, currently ranked third in the global FIFA rankings, is aiming to reach its third consecutive World Cup final, having won in 2018 and fallen to Argentina in a penalty shootout in the 2022 final.

    For Senegal, the match carries deep symbolic weight, and current head coach Pape Thiaw brings unique personal context to the contest. Thiaw was a member of the 2002 Senegalese squad, appearing in the team’s round of 16 upset win over Sweden. Ahead of Tuesday’s game, he plans to pass on lessons learned from Bruno Metsu, the legendary late head coach who led the 2002 side to its iconic run.

    “Of course, there is going to be a Bruno effect when I’m going to be talking to my players tomorrow,” Thiaw said through a translator. “I will also add my personal touch and also add what Bruno taught me along the way.”

    Thiaw acknowledged that the match against France has unique meaning beyond football, given the two countries’ shared historical ties. “We know that a game between France and Senegal is a very symbolic game,” he said.

    Off the pitch, a visa issue has prevented many fans traveling directly from Senegal from entering the U.S. for the match, but Thiaw says he still expects a massive show of Senegalese support at MetLife Stadium, thanks to the large expatriate Senegalese community in the country. “Of course we’d like to have our fans. We know what they can do for us. They push us,” Thiaw said. “But we have a major Senegalese community and we know that the Senegalese is very patriotic and they like their national team. You will see this tomorrow. You won’t even believe it that no Senegalese came over from Senegal.”

    Senegal, ranked 16th globally, comes into the match with its own recent continental success: the side won the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations, but its 2024 title defense ended in controversy after a 1-0 final win over Morocco was overturned to a 3-0 forfeit loss when Senegal players left the pitch for 15 minutes during stoppage time to protest a late penalty awarded to Morocco. Senegal has appealed the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and Thiaw made clear the team still considers itself the rightful African champion. “For me we are champions of Africa, full stop,” he said.

    Weather conditions are not expected to be a major factor for the contest, which kicks off at 3 p.m. EDT at MetLife Stadium. Forecasters call for sunny skies with a kickoff temperature of roughly 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius), a noticeable drop from the extreme heat seen in the region over the previous weekend. France prepared for the conditions during training sessions at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts after arriving in the U.S. last Wednesday, with Kanté noting the team had already adjusted to playing in warm, sunny conditions.

  • US Air Force B-52 bomber plane crashes after take off in California

    US Air Force B-52 bomber plane crashes after take off in California

    A long-range B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force crashed minutes after departing Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California, base officials confirmed in an official statement released Friday.

    The crash incident was recorded at 11:20 a.m. local time, or 19:20 GMT. In the immediate aftermath of the crash, a massive column of thick black smoke billowed into the sky, visible from locations miles away from the impact site. As of the latest update, base authorities have not released any details confirming the presence or extent of injuries among the bomber’s crew or personnel on the ground.

    Per the base’s statement, local emergency response teams were dispatched to the crash site immediately after the incident was reported, and response operations remain active as crews work to secure the area and assess the situation. “More information will be provided as it becomes available,” the statement added. When reached for additional comment by BBC News, a base representative declined to offer further details on the ongoing incident.

    Aerial footage captured from the crash site, located in the remote Mojave Desert roughly 100 miles north of Los Angeles, shows a charred, still-smoking stretch of landscape where the bomber impacted.

    First introduced to US military service in the 1950s, the Boeing-built B-52 Stratofortress—nicknamed “the Buff,” short for “Big Ugly Fat Fellow”—remains a core component of America’s strategic aerial fleet decades after its debut. The colossal aircraft can reach cruising altitudes of up to 50,000 feet, some 15,000 feet higher than the typical cruising altitude of commercial airliners. It boasts a maximum payload capacity of 70,000 pounds, a capability that allows it to carry hundreds of conventional bombs or up to 32 nuclear cruise missiles. With mid-air refueling capability, the B-52 has an effectively unlimited strike range, a feature that made it a cornerstone of US nuclear deterrence during the Cold War era of Mutually Assured Destruction, when it patrolled constantly to maintain America’s nuclear umbrella. A standard B-52 crew consists of five service members: an aircraft commander, co-pilot, radar navigator, navigator, and electronic warfare officer.

    In recent weeks, B-52 bombers have been actively involved in US-led bombing operations against Iranian targets amid the ongoing US-Israeli military campaign in Iran.

    Multiple elected officials have already released public statements responding to the crash. Michigan Republican Congresswoman Lisa McClain was among the first, posting to social media platform X Saturday that her prayers are with all personnel affected by the incident. “I thank our brave first responders who are responding right now,” she wrote. “Our service members carry the weight of this nation’s defense every single day. We are with them.”

    This is an active developing breaking news story. Additional details surrounding the cause of the crash and any casualties will be released as new information becomes available.

  • Captain of Russian shadow fleet tanker intercepted in Channel charged

    Captain of Russian shadow fleet tanker intercepted in Channel charged

    In a landmark operation marking a new phase of UK enforcement of Russian sanctions, the captain of a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker intercepted by Royal Marine Commandos in the English Channel has been formally charged with sanctions violations, Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has confirmed.

    Thirty-eight-year-old Ajay Pant, an Indian national serving as the vessel’s master, is scheduled to make his first court appearance at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. The 24 other crew members on board the tanker, identified as the MV Smyrtos, remain on the vessel as it is detained in waters off the coast of Weymouth. According to the NCA, Pant faces charges of violating Regulation 46Z9B of the 2019 Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations, for allegedly transporting prohibited Russian crude oil or petroleum products to a third country via ship, in direct contravention of UK sanctions measures.

    Sunday’s interception unfolded over six hours, with elite commandos fast-roping onto the deck of the tanker from a military helicopter, supported by coverage from the Royal Air Force. UK defense officials confirmed this operation is the first of its magnitude ever conducted by British armed forces to enforce sanctions on Russian shadow fleet vessels. Earlier on Monday, UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander issued a formal legal order barring the MV Smyrtos from departing UK territorial waters, cementing the detention of the vessel.

    Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin has relied on a network of hundreds of unregistered or under-documented oil tankers collectively referred to as the ‘shadow fleet’ to continue exporting crude and oil products in violation of Western sanctions. To date, the UK has sanctioned more than 500 of these vessels. In March, newly elected Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a policy shift that formally authorized British armed forces to board sanctioned ships transiting UK territorial waters, clearing the way for Sunday’s operation.

    Addressing the House of Commons on Monday, UK Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis emphasized that the interception sends an unambiguous message to Moscow: the United Kingdom and its Western allies have both the capability and the willingness to take direct action against components of Russia’s war economy. ‘Sanctioned oil is bankrolling Putin’s brutal war in Ukraine. Every barrel sold helps fund the missiles and drones used to kill Ukrainians in their home, destroy their infrastructure and break their will,’ Jarvis told lawmakers.

    The Defence Secretary stressed that while the UK has no intention of provoking unnecessary escalation with Russia, it will consistently take all required measures to uphold its sanctions regime. He also confirmed that the detained crew members, who hold Georgian and Indian citizenship, are currently cooperating with NCA investigations into the vessel’s activities.

  • Death toll in Gaza surpasses 73,000 as Israel continues post-ceasefire killings

    Death toll in Gaza surpasses 73,000 as Israel continues post-ceasefire killings

    More than eight months into a U.S.-brokered nominal ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli military assaults continue to unfold across the besieged enclave, with local authorities documenting more than 3,269 documented violations of the truce agreement that was supposed to halt hostilities. The Gaza Government Media Office has released grim casualty figures confirming that since the ceasefire took effect in October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed over 992 Palestinians and wounded another 3,138 people across the territory. The cumulative death toll from the Israeli offensive that launched in October 2023 now exceeds 73,000 Palestinians, with an estimated 8,000 more bodies still trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings and roughly 3,000 people unaccounted for.

    Violence persisted across multiple areas of central Gaza on Monday this week, marking another day of bloodshed in the beleaguered territory. An Israeli airstrike carried out near a school in the Nuseirat refugee camp, located in central Gaza, left one Palestinian dead and multiple others with critical injuries. Earlier the same day, a female Palestinian was killed in an air raid targeting the area surrounding the Abdul Rahman bin Awf Mosque, west of the Al-Zuwayda district in central Gaza. In a separate deadly incident in Deir Al-Balah, Israeli troops opened fire on a father and his young son, before taking both into arbitrary detention. After the pair were eventually released from custody, 12-year-old Rayan Bahaa Abu al-Ajeen was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital for emergency treatment.

    Beyond ongoing deadly attacks, Israeli forces have also carried out widespread mass detentions of Palestinian civilians in Gaza despite the ceasefire framework. Local data shows that at least 95 Palestinians have been abducted by Israeli forces since the truce came into force. In addition to military and human rights violations, Israel has failed repeatedly to meet the terms of the ceasefire agreement that laid out requirements for expanding humanitarian access to the blockaded enclave. As of this reporting, only around 52,740 aid trucks have been allowed to enter Gaza – just 36 percent of the 147,000 trucks the truce deal obligated Israel to permit into the territory. Under the agreement’s terms, Israel was required to allow up to 600 trucks daily carrying life-saving food, medical supplies, fuel, emergency shelter materials and commercial goods into Gaza to address the catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

    Restrictions on border crossings have not only blocked aid deliveries, but also stripped Palestinians of their basic right to travel in and out of the enclave. Only 6,845 travelers have been allowed to cross Gaza’s borders out of the 19,600 that the truce agreement guaranteed passage for. Gaza’s Ministry of Health has confirmed that these border restrictions have already resulted in the preventable deaths of approximately 1,500 patients with approved medical referrals who were supposed to be evacuated out of Gaza for urgent, life-saving care starting in early May 2024.

    In a formal statement, the Gaza Government Media Office issued a scathing condemnation of what it called the Israeli occupation’s systematic policy of targeting and exterminating the Palestinian people. “We hold the occupation fully responsible for the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip,” the statement read.

    Against the backdrop of intensifying Israeli attacks in recent weeks, Palestinian political factions have issued an official response to a proposal put forward to implement former U.S. President Donald Trump’s disputed peace plan for Gaza, submitted through Nikolay Mladenov, head of the Gaza Peace Council. Hamas confirmed the faction’s coordinated position in an official statement released Monday, calling on regional and international mediators to pressure Israel to abide by the full terms of the existing ceasefire agreement. “The factions announced that they will remain in continuous session to monitor field and political developments and intensify their efforts to ensure a response to the legitimate demands that will alleviate the suffering of our people in the Gaza Strip,” the Hamas statement added.

  • South African jazz icon Abdullah Ibrahim dies in Germany at age 91 after a brief illness

    South African jazz icon Abdullah Ibrahim dies in Germany at age 91 after a brief illness

    South Africa’s globally revered jazz icon Abdullah Ibrahim, who delivered a landmark performance at Nelson Mandela’s 1994 presidential inauguration, has passed away at the age of 91, his family confirmed in an official statement released Monday.

    The pianist and composer, who earlier in his career performed under the stage name Dollar Brand, died peacefully in Germany following a brief illness, with his close family members by his side, the statement said.

    Born in Cape Town, Ibrahim built a seven-decade-long career that catapulted him to international acclaim as a pioneering bandleader, composer and pianist. He crafted a one-of-a-kind sonic fusion that blended classic jazz structures with distinct traditional South African musical styles, turning his work into a global cultural bridge that resonated deeply with audiences across every continent. Beyond his artistic legacy, he was a vocal supporter of the anti-apartheid movement, using his platform to advance the cause of racial equality in his home country.

    One of the most high-profile moments of his career came in 1994, when he performed at the inauguration of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first democratically elected president, cementing his status as a defining cultural figure of the post-apartheid era. His last public performance in South Africa took place this past March at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, where he once again drew widespread praise for the masterful musical skill that defined his decades-long career.

    In a tribute to her life partner, Dr. Marina Umari highlighted that Ibrahim carried South Africa and its people with him until the end of his life. “His love for his country never wavered, no matter where in the world he found himself,” she shared.

    South African President Cyril Ramaphosa joined the global chorus of tributes, honoring Ibrahim’s contributions to the anti-apartheid struggle and his enduring cultural impact. “Today our nation mourns the passing of an international icon and global citizen whose profound creations honored the South Africa that shaped his political commitment and musical brilliance,” Ramaphosa said.

    Ibrahim’s many career honors include an Honorary Doctorate in Music from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and the Order of Ikhamanga — one of South Africa’s highest civilian awards — both of which he received in 2009 from then-President Jacob Zuma.

    Alan Winde, premier of the Western Cape province, Ibrahim’s home region, celebrated the musician for weaving South Africa’s complex history and extraordinary cultural richness into every note of his work. “South Africa has lost a legend,” Winde said. “Abdullah Ibrahim represented everything that makes South Africa and the Western Cape so remarkable. His music told the story of our unique cultural diversity and past.”

    Per his family’s arrangements, Ibrahim will be laid to rest in Bavaria, Germany, where he resided in his later years. His family noted that while his life has ended, his music and legacy will continue to inspire listeners around the world for generations to come.