MMA draws thousands in Nigeria as fight sport gains groundSat, 14 Jun 2025 17:40:28 GMT

The arena was packed on Friday night in the upscale Lekki neighbourhood of Nigeria’s bustling commercial capital, Lagos. Eighteen fighters from eight African countries were slugging it out before thousands of cheering mixed martial arts (MMA) fans.It was the ninth instalment of the African Knockout Championship, an MMA fight league that started off in 2020 as …

MMA draws thousands in Nigeria as fight sport gains groundSat, 14 Jun 2025 17:40:28 GMT Read More »

Death toll in India plane crash rises to at least 279

The death toll from the fiery crash of a London-bound passenger jet in an Indian city climbed to 279 on Saturday as officials sought to match the DNA of victims with their grieving relatives.The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner issued a mayday call shortly before it crashed around lunchtime on Thursday, bursting into a fireball as it hit residential buildings.A police source said on Saturday that 279 bodies had been found at the crash site in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, making it one of the worst plane disasters of the 21st century.”Nobody can fill the void left by loss,” said Imtiyaz Ali, whose younger brother boarded the plane.”I can’t even begin to explain what’s going on inside me,” he told AFP.There was just one survivor out of 242 passengers and crew on board the jet when it crashed, leaving the tailpiece of the aircraft jutting out of a hostel for medical staff.Emergency services kept up their recovery efforts on Saturday, extracting a badly burnt body from the tailpiece before cranes were used to remove the wreckage.At least 38 people were killed on the ground.”I saw my child for the first time in two years, it was a great time,” said Anil Patel, whose son and daughter-in-law had surprised him with a visit before boarding the Air India flight.”And now, there is nothing,” he said, breaking down in tears. “Whatever the gods wanted has happened.”- Search for black box -Distraught relatives of passengers have been providing DNA samples in Ahmedabad, with some having to fly to India to help with the process.The first body of a passenger to be handed over to relatives was placed in a white coffin on Saturday before being transported in an ambulance with a police escort, footage from the state government showed.Air India said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian on board the flight, as well as 12 crew members.The official casualty number will not be finalised until the slow process of DNA identification is completed.Those killed ranged from a top politician to a teenage tea seller.The lone survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, said even he could not explain how he survived.”Initially, I too thought that I was about to die, but then I opened my eyes and realised that I was still alive,” Ramesh, a British citizen, told national broadcaster DD News from his hospital bed.Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said on Friday that a flight data recorder, or black box, had been recovered, saying it would “significantly aid” investigations.Forensic teams are still looking for the second black box as they probe why the plane lost height and crashed straight after takeoff.The aviation minister said on Saturday that authorities “felt the need to do an extended surveillance of the Boeing 787 planes”, with eight out of Air India’s 34 Dreamliners inspected so far.Officials will take “whatever necessary steps are needed” to determine the cause of the disaster as soon as possible, he said.The US planemaker said it was in touch with Air India and stood “ready to support them” over the incident. A source close to the case said it was the first 787 Dreamliner crash.

Israel-Iran conflict: what we know

Israel targeted Iran’s air defence capabilities on Saturday, pressing on with a massive wave of strikes it began a day earlier that targeted Iranian nuclear and military facilities, prompting counterattacks by Iran.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to hit “every target of the ayatollah regime”, adding: “What they have felt so far is nothing.”Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, warned the continued “aggression will be met with a more severe and powerful response”.The first wave of Israeli strikes killed 78 people and wounded 320, according to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations.The Israeli military said three people were killed and 76 wounded since Iran began its retaliatory attacks.International calls for restraint have multiplied as fears grow that the Middle East could be on the threshold of a broader conflict.Here is what we know:- Targeting air defences -On Saturday, Israel’s military said it was attacking dozens of missile launchers in Iran after announcing it had targeted air defences with a wave of strikes in the Tehran area.Iranian media also reported a “massive explosion” on Saturday after an Israeli drone strike on a refinery in the southern city of Kangan.The air campaign, which has targeted surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile infrastructure in Iran, has given Israel “aerial freedom of action from west Iran all the way to Tehran”, Israeli military spokesman Effie Defrin told journalists.Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that “Tehran will burn” if Iran kept targeting Israeli civilians.- Iran’s response -Israel said dozens of missiles — some of which were intercepted — had been fired in the latest salvos from Iran.AFP images of the city of Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv showed blown-out buildings, destroyed vehicles and streets strewn with debris.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had attacked dozens of targets in Israel.- Nuclear talks -The fiercest ever exchange of fire between the arch foes came amid ongoing talks between Tehran and Washington seeking to reach a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme.Before the Israeli strikes, the two sides had been set to hold a sixth round of negotiations in Oman on Sunday.But Iran said it would be “meaningless” to attend the talks while it was under attack by Israel, and Oman confirmed Sunday’s talks had been called off.Tehran has consistently denied seeking to develop a nuclear weapon, but had been enriching uranium to 60 percent — far above the 3.67-percent limit set by a 2015 agreement with major powers that the United States and Iran have since largely abandoned.However, that is still short of the 90-percent enrichment threshold needed for a nuclear warhead.- More Iranian generals killed -The Israeli military said on Saturday its air strikes had killed more than 20 Iranian army and Revolutionary Guard commanders.Iranian state media reported on Saturday that General Gholamreza Mehrabi, deputy head of intelligence of the armed forces general staff, and General Mehdi Rabbani, deputy head of operations, had been killed.On Friday, other members of the top brass reported killed included the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, and armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri, with replacements swiftly named by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.The Revolutionary Guards said its aerospace commander Amirali Hajizadeh was also killed. He was in charge of Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal.Iranian media said on Saturday that three more nuclear scientists were killed, bringing the total to nine — a toll that Israel also reported.- Nuclear sites hit -Israel’s attacks started in the early hours of Friday, a day of rest and prayer in Iran, and continued through the day at various sites.One key target was a vast underground uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, which Israel hit several times, according to Iranian state television.Israel said another strike later Friday on an Iranian plant in Isfahan damaged infrastructure for reconverting enriched uranium.Netanyahu said Israel’s strikes had dealt a “real blow” to Iran’s nuclear programme.But Iran said the damage was limited, both in Isfahan and at another uranium enrichment facility at Fordo.burs/kir/jhb/smw

Israel, Iran trade threats as conflict escalates

Israel on Saturday threatened to strike “every target of the ayatollah regime” in Iran, whose president warned of a severe response if the Israeli attacks continue, fuelling fears of an escalating conflict.The threats came as the two longtime foes exchanged fire a day after Israel unleashed an unprecedented aerial bombing campaign, which scuppered plans for a new round of Iran-US nuclear talks Sunday.The Israeli strikes since Friday hit military and nuclear sites in Iran, and according to officials killed dozens, including top army and Revolutionary Guards commanders as well as civilians.Iran responded with barrages of drones and missiles fired at Israel overnight.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that “the continuation of the Zionist aggression will be met with a more severe and powerful response from the Iranian armed forces.”According to a statement from his office, Pezeshkian condemned Washington’s “dishonesty” for supporting Israel while the United States was engaged in nuclear talks with Iran — which mediator Oman said would no longer take place on Sunday, when a sixth round had been scheduled.Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, said the Israeli attacks undermined negotiations and showed Israel’s “inherent hostility to diplomacy”.Iran’s UN ambassador said 78 people had been killed and 320 wounded in Friday’s first wave of Israeli strikes.Israel said three people were killed and 76 wounded by Iran’s retaliation.Israel reacted furiously to the waves of drone and missile strikes launched by Iran, which lit up the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.The Israeli military said it had cleared an aerial path to the Iranian capital, after dozens of strikes targeting missile launchers and air defences in Iran.”We will hit every site, every target of the ayatollah regime,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed in a video statement.He said the Israeli campaign had dealt a “real blow” to Iran’s nuclear programme and had the “clear support” of US President Donald Trump.”Very soon, you will see Israeli aircraft… in the skies over Tehran,” Netanyahu said, threatening greater action “in the coming days”.Netanyahu’s defence minister, Israel Katz, warned that “Tehran will burn” if Iran keeps targeting Israeli civilians.- ‘Smoke, dust’ -After decades of enmity and conflict by proxy, it is the first time Israel and Iran have traded fire with such intensity, triggering fears of a prolonged conflict that could engulf the Middle East.Highlighting the unease, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned against a “devastating war” with regional consequences in a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Ankara said.Israel is pushing the region into a “dangerous cycle of violence”, warned Iran’s top diplomat Araghchi.Launched early Friday, Israel’s operation struck Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment plant and assassinated Iran’s highest-ranking military officer, Mohammad Bagheri, as well as the head of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami.The Israeli military said its strikes had killed more than 20 Iranian commanders.Iranian media reported five Guards killed Saturday in Israeli strikes, while authorities in one northwestern province said 30 military personnel had been killed there since Friday.Iran’s Red Crescent said an ambulance was hit Saturday in Urmia city, killing two.Iran called on its citizens to unite in the country’s defence, while Netanyahu urged them to rise up.Iran’s Mehr news agency said Tehran had warned Britain, France and the United States it could retaliate if they came to Israel’s defence.Overnight, air raid sirens and explosions rang out across Israel, with many residents holed up in bomb shelters.Israel said some 150 missiles — some intercepted — had been fired from Iran. AFP images of the city of Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv showed blown-out buildings, destroyed vehicles and streets strewn with debris.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had attacked dozens of targets in Israel. One Iranian missile wounded seven Israeli soldiers, the military said.Firefighters had worked for hours to free people trapped in a Tel Aviv high-rise building on Friday.Chen Gabizon, a resident, said he ran to an underground shelter after receiving an alert.”We just heard a very big explosion, everything was shaking, smoke, dust, everything was all over the place,” he said.In Tehran, fire and heavy smoke billowed over Mehrabad airport on Saturday, an AFP journalist said.Blasts were heard across the capital as Iran activated its air defences against the incoming fire.Iranian media reported a “massive explosion” on Saturday following an Israeli drone strike on an oil refinery in the southern city of Kangan.Dozens of Iranians took to the streets to cheer their country’s response, with some waving national flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans.- ‘Time to stop’ -The attacks prompted several countries to temporarily ground air traffic, though on Saturday Jordan, Lebanon and Syria reopened their airspace.Iran’s airspace was closed until further notice, state media reported, as was Israel’s, according to authorities.As fears mounted of wider conflict, UN chief Antonio Guterres called on both sides to cease fire.”Time to stop. Peace and diplomacy must prevail,” he said on X.Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump discussed the conflict in a phone call, the Kremlin said Saturday.Pope Leo XIV appealed for Israel and Iran to show “responsibility and reason”.The conflict has thrown into doubt US efforts to strike a deal with Iran on its nuclear programme.After Friday’s first strikes, Trump said his administration hoped “to get back to the negotiating table”.”While there will be no meeting Sunday, we remain committed to talks,” a US official told AFP on condition of anonymity.Western governments have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, which it denies.

US protesters hit streets before Trump’s military parade

Thousands of people on Saturday rallied nationwide against the policies of US President Donald Trump ahead of a rare military parade on his 79th birthday — but the killing of a Democratic lawmaker in Minnesota cast a pall over the day’s events.Trump was quick to condemn the targeted shootings of two lawmakers outside Minneapolis — one died along with her husband, while the other and his wife have been hospitalized with gunshot wounds.The shocking murder was the latest in a string of incidents of political violence, including an attempt on Trump’s life in July last year, and an April arson attack on the home of Pennsylvania’s governor, who is a Democrat and Jewish.The shootings prompted Minnesota state authorities to call on residents not to attend protests by the so-called “No Kings” movement organized across the United State, which began at noon (1600 GMT) in some East Coast locations.Organizers said the rallies would be the largest since Trump returned to office in January, adding that they were “rejecting authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy.””I’m here because the things that are happening in this administration are very disturbing,” Sarah Hargrave, 42, told AFP in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, where about 1,000 people rallied.Organizers said they expected millions of people in more than 1,500 cities including New York, Houston, Seattle, Atlanta and Trump’s second home in Palm Beach, Florida to protest. A small group even gathered in Paris.Thousands hit the streets in Philadelphia, one of the movement’s flagship events.Thousands more demonstrators are expected to turn out in Los Angeles to protest against Trump’s deployment of troops in America’s second-largest city following clashes sparked by immigration raids.Downtown, Trump planned a giant celebration of the US Army’s 250th birthday — and his own — in Washington with tanks, helicopters and nearly 7,000 troops at a reported cost of up to $45 million.”This is a big day for America!!!” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.But the Minnesota shootings, the threat of thunderstorms in the US capital, and the barrage of missiles raining down in Tel Aviv and Tehran — a conflict in which the American military is assisting — could cast a long shadow over the president’s event.- Rain on Trump’s parade? – Trump says the Washington parade will be “like no other” — but has promised to use “very big force” if protesters attempt to disrupt the spectacle.The rare military parade is the largest in the United States since the end of the Gulf War in 1991. Soldiers will wear uniforms dating back through US history to its independence from Britain.More than 50 helicopters will be involved including Apache gunships and Black Hawk transport choppers.Around 150 military vehicles — including 28 Abrams battle tanks and 56 armored vehicles — will rumble past.The parade is meant to end with a parachute display as members of the army’s Golden Knights team jump in and present Trump with a US flag — on Flag Day, which marks the adoption of the Stars and Stripes.The route will pass historic landmarks including the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, ending up near the White House.But thunderstorms could hit Washington on Saturday when the parade is taking place. Trump put a brave face on the forecast Saturday, saying on Truth Social: “Our great military parade is on, rain or shine. Remember, a rainy day parade brings good luck. I’ll see you all in DC.” – ‘Vulgar display’ -Trump has been obsessed with having a parade since his first term as president when he attended France’s annual Bastille Day parade in Paris at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron in 2017.But Trump’s opponents accuse him of using the event to feed his ego.”No Kings” organizers said they expected millions of people in more than 1,500 cities to take part in the protests.They said it was a “direct response to Donald Trump’s self-aggrandizing” parade, “funded by taxpayers while millions are told there’s no money.”An NBC News poll published Saturday revealed that nearly two in three Americans surveyed — 64 percent — oppose using government funds for the military parade.California’s Governor Gavin Newsom, who slammed Trump for sending National Guard troops into Los Angeles without his consent, said it was a “vulgar display of weakness.””To fete the Dear Leader on his birthday? What an embarrassment,” Newsom, a Democrat, said Thursday, likening the display to a military parade in Kim Jong Un’s North Korea.

‘We are strong’: Israelis defiant despite deadly Iran strikes

Tal Friedlander was grateful to be alive on Saturday after emerging from a bomb shelter in central Israel to find his apartment entirely destroyed by an Iranian missile strike.The shell of a residential building stood at the scene of the hit in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv, with much of the block reduced to concrete rubble and mangled metal.The debris-strewn street was lined with the wreckage of several destroyed cars, an AFP journalist reported, a rare sight in Israel where advanced air defences usually intercept incoming attacks.Iran hit Israel with waves of drone and missile strikes overnight, with a barrage lighting up the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, killing three people and wounding dozens.The attack came in retaliation to Israel’s massive strikes on the Islamic republic which hit nuclear and military facilities, killed top commanders, nuclear scientists and dozens of civilians, and sought to destroy the country’s defence capabilities.Friedlander said he saw interceptions in the sky before the sirens blared out.”We quickly went into the shelter, and after a few minutes we heard a huge boom — we knew it was something severe,” he told AFP.”There was smoke inside the shelter, and the shelter started to break apart a bit. We were afraid to go out,” he added.After 10 minutes in the shelter, Friedlander said he left to find his entire apartment completely destroyed.”It’s only damage to property,” he said. “I have to thank God that we are alive.”- ‘We are not nervous’ -Air raid sirens and explosions rang out across Israel through the night, with many residents holed up in bomb shelters until home defence commanders stood down alerts.AFPTV footage from central Tel Aviv showed fire and smoke rising from a condo tower, a large hole ripped open by an explosion at its base.”They (Iran) want to destroy us,” Friedlander said. “But we are strong…”That’s the way it is, we have to keep going, defeat them, until the victory.”In a residential area of Rishon LeZion, also near Tel Aviv, first responders stood atop the rubble of collapsed buildings, inspecting the damage.Kobi Cohen said the door of his shelter was blown away by the impact of an explosion which hit nearby.”All the windows, all the doors, all the glass of the windows burst but we survived thank God. That’s the most important thing,” he said.Cohen said someone was killed following an explosion in a nearby street, but “most people here have experienced wars in their life, so we are not nervous”.- ‘Trust in God’ -On the beachfront in Tel Aviv on Saturday, the usually packed bars and restaurants were closed but a few dozen people swam, sunbathed, took selfies and walked dogs, seemingly unfazed by the overnight volley.”We got up, got out of the bomb shelter and went to the beach, had breakfast,” said Tal, a resident of neighbouring Jaffa who declined to give his last name.He said previous attacks, including a missile barrage from Iran in April 2024, meant Israelis had become largely used to such events. “I think we’ve pretty much destroyed their plans of retaliation,” he added, referring to Israel’s unprecedented attack on Iran which has hit more than 200 military and nuclear sites according to the Israeli army. Dalia Neeman, 77, an artist who lives in Tel Aviv also said she believed Israel’s campaign in Iran would “be for the better, for all the world”.”Something’s supposed to change,” she told AFP.Neeman said she felt safe in Tel Aviv despite Iran’s deadly retaliation. “We believe in God, trust in God to help us every time,” she said.