Sunday, May 24, 2026
Arsenal defeated Crystal Palace 2-1 to bring an end to their Premier League campaign
By Alex Howell, SELHURST England
Arsenal started their reign as Premier League champions with a routine win over Crystal Palace in a party atmosphere at Selhurst Park.
Both sides named experimental line-ups, with Palace in the Conference League final on Wednesday and Arsenal in Saturday's Champions League showpiece.
And with nothing on the game for either of these sides - with the title wrapped up for Arsenal in the week - the match, with its lack of intensity and scheduled drinks breaks in the heat, had the feeling of a pre-season match.
Gabriel Jesus, who had missed two good opportunities earlier in the first half, gave Arsenal the lead in the 42nd minute with a tidy finish, before Noni Madueke doubled the score shortly after half-time from a trademark Arsenal corner to wrap up Arsenal's 26th league win of the campaign.
Palace substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta added a consolation for Palace when he flicked in Yeremy Pino's cross with one minute of normal time left.
Pino then thought he had snatched an unlikely draw when he fired in during stoppage time, but the ball had hit Evann Guessand - who was in an offside position - on its way into the net.
Arteta made nine changes from the side that played against Burnley and named Max Dowman in his starting line-up, with the midfielder becoming the youngest ever player to start a Premier League match at 16 years and 144 days old.
It was also the first time Eberechi Eze had returned to his former club since he left Palace in a deal worth £67m, and the England international was given a hero's welcome - having scored the winning goal for Palace in the FA Cup final last season.
The result of the match was of insignificance for the travelling Arsenal fans, with all of them here just to see their side lift the Premier League trophy after such a long wait.
Saturday, May 23, 2026
Suspect dead after opening fire near White House security checkpoint, Secret Service says
By Darlene Superville, WASHINGTON United States
A man who opened fire Saturday near a White House security checkpoint is dead after being shot by officers who returned fire, the U.S. Secret Service said. It was the third incidence of gunfire in the vicinity of President Donald Trump in the past month.
The law enforcement agency said in a statement posted on X that the man was in the area of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue when he “pulled a weapon from his bag” shortly after 6 p.m. EDT and began firing. Secret Service officers returned fire and hit the suspect, who died at a hospital, the agency said.
The suspect was identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best, said a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.
According to District of Columbia court records, Best was arrested in July 2025 after he attempted to enter a different White House checkpoint without authorization, didn’t heed officers’ commands to stop, “claimed he was Jesus Christ” and said he wanted to be arrested.
An initial hearing was held and a “Pretrial Stay Away Order” was issued, typically a measure ordering a defendant not to go near a person or area before a trial.
A bench warrant was issued in August after a notice of “noncompliance” against Best, who did appear for a subsequent hearing.
It was the third time in the past month that shots were fired near the president after incidents at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in April and near the Washington Monument earlier in May.
A bystander was also struck on Saturday, but a law enforcement official said it wasn’t clear whether that person was hit by the suspect’s initial bullets or those fired subsequently by officers.
Secret Service said none of its officers were injured, and that Trump — who was at the White House at the time — was not “impacted.” Trump originally was scheduled to spend the weekend at his New Jersey golf club but changed his plans on Friday to stay at the White House instead.
FBI Director Kash Patel said on social media that agency personnel were on the scene and “we will update the public as we’re able.”
Evidence of the shooting was visible on a sidewalk just outside the White House complex, where yellow crime scene tape snaked across the pavement and Secret Service officers placed dozens of orange evidence markers on the ground.
Medical material, including what appeared to be purple surgical gloves and kits typically used by emergency medical personnel, were also seen.
Coal mine explosion kills 90 in China, state media reports
SHANXI, China
At least 90 people have been killed in a coal mine blast in northern China, according to state media.
The gas explosion at the Liushenyu Coal Mine in Shanxi province is the worst mining disaster in China since 2009.
There were 247 workers reportedly on duty when the blast happened at 19:29 local time on Friday (22:29 GMT), with more than 100 people reportedly pulled to safety and hundreds of rescuers sent to the site.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for no effort to be spared in efforts to treat the injured and search for survivors, and asked the government to investigate the cause of the blast and hold those responsible to account.
Twenty-seven people remain in a local hospital, with one in critical condition, while the rest have minor injuries. Most were affected after inhaling poisonous gas, according to state media, though it is not clear what type of gas it was.
Wang Yong, an injured miner, told state media that when the incident happened, he did not hear a sound but saw a sudden plume of smoke.
"I smelled sulphur, the same smell you get from blasting. I shouted at people to run. As we were running I could see people collapsing from the fumes. Then I blacked out too," he said.
"I lay there for about an hour or so before I came round on my own. I woke up the person next to me and we got out together."
Some of the management team at the mine have reportedly been detained. The cause of the gas explosion has not yet been revealed, but state media reported that the levels of carbon monoxide - a highly toxic, odourless gas - in the mine were found to have "exceeded limits".
China's Ministry of Emergency Management has sent 345 personnel from six rescue teams to help with the operation.
In 2024, the Liushenyu mine was listed as one of the "severe safety hazards" by the Chinese National Mine Safety Administration.
Tongzhou Group, which runs the mine, has reportedly received two administrative penalties in 2025 for safety issues.
Shanxi province produces more than a quarter of China's total coal output.
This disaster is a reminder of the darkest days of China's coal mining industry.
In the early 2000s, deadly accidents were common in coal mines across the country. Safety standards have been tightened in recent years, and there has also been a crackdown on illegal coal mines, especially in Shanxi.
But accidents still happen.
In 2023, a collapse at an open-pit coal mine in the northern Inner Mongolia region killed 53 people.
And in 2009, an explosion at a mine in Heilongjiang province in the north-east killed more than 100.
China is the world's biggest consumer of coal and the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, even as it installs renewable energy capacity at record speed.
The incident comes just days after high-profile visits by US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the country.
Friday, May 22, 2026
Senegal in Turmoil as President Diomaye Faye sacks Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko
By Babacar Dione, DAKAR Senegal
Senegal ’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has fired Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko after months of simmering tension.
The decision was announced by the secretary general of the government, Oumar Samba Ba, during a late-night broadcast on Friday.
The firing caps a period of open confrontation between the two former allies from the Patriotes Africains du Sénégal pour le Travail, l’Éthique et la Fraternité (Pastef) party, who had defeated the former ruling party in March 2024.
Ba said the sacking of the prime minister led to the resignation of all the members of the government and its dissolution.
The Pastef party had ridden into office after a fierce campaign mounted against the then-ruling party Alliance pour la République following widespread speculation that former President Macky Sall wanted to use a 2016 constitutional change to revise his term in office.
Sall, who led the country between 2012 and 2024, eventually did not contest the election after violence erupted in the West African nation.
The clashes between the security forces and supporters of Ousmane Sonko, the then-opposition leader, led to at least 16 deaths and left several people injured. Sall’s party lost the election in the first round.
Sonko, who heads the Pastef party, was barred from running after a defamation conviction was upheld by Senegal’s supreme court, and the Constitutional Court dismissed his candidacy. Faye ran instead of Sonko, and Sonko was appointed Prime Minister.
“Praise be to Allah. Tonight I will sleep with a light heart in the Keur Gorgui neighborhood,” Sonko wrote in a short post on X after his dismissal.
The past few months have led to open confrontation between the pair. Earlier this month, Faye said the former prime minister would only keep his job if he did it properly after criticism from Sonko.
The two disagreed on key policies, including the negotiation of a loan from the International Monetary Fund.
Rio Ferdinand's Tanzania visit becomes 'thorny'
DODOMA, Tanzania
Rio Ferdinand, former Manchester United and England star, has said his visit to Tanzania has nothing to do with politics, insisting that he does not get involved in political issues anywhere in the world, including his own country.
'I am not a politician, I did not come here to do politics, no one can tell me what to do or not to do."
Ferdinand said no one has the authority to tell him what to do or not to do, while expressing his delight at being given the honor of being Tanzania's tourism ambassador.
"I am grateful for this honor and I see it as an opportunity to promote Tanzania to the world." He said.
Ferdinand's reaction came after criticism of what youths in Tanzania called "sportswashing" (using sports to clean up the country's image), after he was seen supporting the Tanzanian government.
Ferdinand, 47, was reportedly welcomed on his visit to Tanzania by the Minister of Culture and Sports, Paul Makonda, who was sanctioned by the US government in 2020 for what it described as “gross human rights abuses”.
Makonda is said to be involved in a campaign against homosexuals.
His wife was also reportedly subject to US sanctions.
The US government said: “He has been involved in the suppression of political opposition, the suppression of freedom of expression and association, and the targeting of marginalised people.”
At a reception after Ferdinand arrived in the country, where he was draped in the Tanzanian flag, he was quoted as calling Makonda: “My friend Paul”.
Amnesty International UK's campaigns director, Felix Jakens, told The Times: "Amnesty International has been closely following the extremely worrying human rights situation in Tanzania, where security forces used excessive force against protesters in late 2025, killing and injuring hundreds."
"In light of this, Rio Ferdinand should be speaking out against the abuses taking place there, not offering his profile in support of the government."
"Celebrity visits are not easy - they send a message - and this has all the hallmarks of cleaning up Tanzania's image through sport."
The organisation has urged Ferdinand to use his platform to speak out against alleged human rights abuses rather than appearing to legitimise the government through his fame.
Though he has not posted anything about Tanzania, the youths in the country have written a lot criticising his support to the the government that massacred hundreds of people last year.
Kenyan public transport operators call off strike after president vows to reduce fuel prices
NAIROBI, Kenya
Kenya’s public transport operators on Friday called off a nationwide strike that had been suspended for a week to allow talks over rising fuel prices.
The strike on Monday and Tuesday triggered protests in which four people were killed and more than 30 others injured after police fired live ammunition at demonstrators.
The operators met with President William Ruto on Friday and announced the strike would not resume after he pledged that diesel prices would be reduced in the upcoming monthly fuel price review in June.
Ruto rejected proposals to lower fuel taxes, arguing that reducing VAT on fuel from 16% to 8% had already caused significant revenue losses and that any further cuts would undermine delivery of government services.
Earlier in the week, thousands of protesters took to the streets, burning tires on major highways and blocking private vehicles from using the roads.
Businesses and schools remained closed as initial negotiations between the government and transport operators failed.
The strike was temporarily suspended on Tuesday to allow further discussions between the government and fuel sector stakeholders.
Ruto, who had been out of the country during the strike, returned on Thursday and initiated talks that resulted in an agreement to lower fuel prices during the next monthly review.
US imposes sanctions on Tanzania's top cop over alleged rights violations
WASHINGTON, United States
The United States Department of State has imposed sanctions on Tanzanian Police Force (TPF) Senior Assistant Commissioner Faustine Jackson Mafwele over violations of human rights.
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| Mafwele was involved in the torture of Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi (R) and his Ugandan counterpart Agather Atuhaire (L) while in Tanzania. |
In a statement on Thursday, May 21, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US government has credible information that Mafwele was involved in the torture of Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and his Ugandan counterpart Agather Atuhaire while in Tanzania.
Rubio noted that the senior Tanzanian police official will be barred from entering the US following the sanction.
“The Department of State is designating Tanzanian Police Force (TPF) Senior Assistant Commissioner Faustine Jackson Mafwele under Section 7031(c) based on credible information that he was involved in gross violations of human rights.
“One year ago, members of the TPF detained, tortured, and sexually assaulted Ugandan Agather Atuhaire and Kenyan Boniface Mwangi, who were in Dar es Salaam to observe the judicial trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. This designation prohibits Mafwele from entering the United States,” read the statement.
Mwangi and Atuhaire had travelled to Tanzania in May 2025 to attend court proceedings of Tundu Lissu, a Tanzanian opposition leader facing treason charges.
The two were arrested from their respective hotel rooms and taken into custody, where they were tortured and sexually assaulted.
Mwangi resurfaced on Thursday, May 22, in Ukunda, Kwale County, after he was deported from Tanzania. The activist was taken to the hospital to receive medical treatment.
Speaking after his release, Mwangi revealed that he was inhumanely tortured during detention.
“I have gone through four very dark days. I have been tortured very badly. I can barely walk,” Mwangi said.
“We were tortured and told to strip naked and bathe. We couldn’t walk and were told to crawl and wash off the blood.”
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Angry crowd sets Ebola hospital tents on fire in DR Congo
By Emery Makumeno, KINSHASA DR Congo
An angry crowd set alight a section of a hospital at the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after family and friends of a young man thought to have died from the virus were prevented from taking his body away for burial.
"They started throwing projectiles at the hospital. They even set fire to tents that were being used as isolation wards," local politician Luc Malembe Malembe told the reporter about the scene he witnessed at Rwampara General Hospital.
In the chaos, police fired warning shots to disperse the crowd.
The body of a dead Ebola victim is highly infectious and the authorities need to ensure safe burial to stop the spread of the virus.
Medical workers at the Rwampara hospital, located near the city of Bunia in Ituri province, where almost all of the cases have been reported, were placed under military protection as the police moved in to restore order.
A healthcare worker was injured by stone-throwing protesters before law enforcement agents intervened, a hospital worker told the AFP news agency.
The man who died was a popular figure in the local community and those upset by his death did not "grasp the reality of the disease," Jean Claude Mukendi, who is co-ordinating the security response to Ebola in Ituri, told the Associated Press.
Witnesses told Reuters the young man was a footballer who had played with several local teams. His mother told the news agency she believed her son had died of typhoid fever, not Ebola.
Malembe said the crowd did not believe the virus, which has so far killed more than 130 in eastern DR Congo, was real.
"People are not properly informed or sensitised about what is happening. For a certain segment of the population, especially in remote areas, Ebola is an invention by outsiders - it does not exist," the politician said.
"They believe it is the NGOs and hospitals creating this to make money, and this is tragic."
He said two tents had been burned down, along with a body that had been due to be buried.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends "safe and dignified burials" for Ebola victims, with trained teams using protective equipment to handle bodies.
Six patients had been receiving treatment in the tents on the grounds of the hospital - and it was reported they may have fled in the mayhem.
But according to the medical charity Alima, which reportedly ran the tents, they are all accounted for and "are currently being cared for at the hospital".
The unrest came as it was announced that DR Congo's national football team had cancelled its pre-World Cup training camp in the capital, Kinshasa, because of the outbreak.
The WHO has called it a "public health emergency of international concern", but said it was not at pandemic level.
On Wednesday, the WHO said 139 people in DR Congo were thought to have died from Ebola, out of 600 suspected cases.
However, on the same day, Congolese Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba told state broadcaster RTNC TV that authorities had registered 159 deaths.
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