At the same time an open-top bus rolls through Birmingham with Unai Emery’s Europa League-winning side on board, a minibus full of Aston Villa fans will be cruising through a village in Ghana to celebrate. Villa ended a 30-year trophy drought on Wednesday with a 3-0 victory over Freiburg at Istanbul’s Besiktas Park. Their success will be celebrated on…
China and Russia have condemned a US decision to charge Cuba’s former president Raúl Castro with murder. The Chinese foreign ministry called on the US to stop using “coercion” and “threats” against its ally, while the Kremlin said the pressure being exerted on Havana “borders on violence”. The US has accused Castro over the 1996…
“I was on the train, just chilling. Suddenly, someone’s come over my shoulder, and stabbed me.” Footballer Jonathan Gjoshe pauses as he recalls the harrowing events of 1 November last year. Just weeks into his first season at Scunthorpe United, the 23 year-old had been travelling from Doncaster back to his home in London. But…
West Ham defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Newcastle United striker Yoane Wissa have been named in DR Congo’s squad for the World Cup. Croydon-born Wan-Bissaka, 28, was capped by England at Under-21 level, and was called into the senior squad in 2019 but did not make an appearance. The former Manchester United full-back switched international allegiances…
By Mariama Bundu At the Oxford Africa Conference 2026 held at the University of Oxford, Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio urged African leaders to adopt stronger, more resilient and reform-focused leadership to address the continent’s growing challenges. Speaking to students, policymakers, and members of the African diaspora, he said Africa must build institutions that…
First Lady Fatima Bio By Mohamed Kamara Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Fatima Maada Bio, has denied allegations linking her family to Dutch drug suspect Jos Leijdekkers, who is reportedly among Europe’s most wanted criminals. Speaking during an interview with the BBC programme The Interview, Mrs. Bio said she does not know Leijdekkers and rejected claims…
Kylian Mbappe and Ballon d’Or holder Ousmane Dembele will lead a star-studded France attack after Didier Deschamps announced his 26-man squad for this summer’s World Cup. Only Olivier Giroud (57) has scored more than Mbappe’s 56 goals for France, with the Real Madrid forward expected to captain his country despite recent struggles with a thigh…
Fans from five African nations heading to the United States for the 2026 Fifa World Cup just got a potential $15,000 (£11,100) reprieve – provided they already have a match ticket for the finals. Late on Wednesday, the Trump administration confirmed that ticket-holding supporters from Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia will be exempt…
Xi Jinping threw a grand welcome for Donald Trump on the first day of a visit that could reset ties between the rival superpowers. The military honour guard lined up outside the Great Hall of the People to welcome Trump, complete with a gun salute and a band playing the US national anthem. The president…
Saleh Mamman, a former Nigerian power minister, has been sentenced to 75 years in prison for laundering 33.8bn naira ($24.7m; £18.5m), a rare conviction against corrupt officials in the West African nation. Last week, Mamman was found guilty of 12 counts, including using private firms to funnel money linked to government-funded power plants. The 68-year-old…
