Inquiry ordered after building fire kills 15 in north India city

By Abhishek Dey, LUCKNOW India

An inquiry has been ordered after at least 15 people died in a fire that broke out in a building in the northern Indian city of Lucknow on Monday.

The building housed a pet shop and an animation centre. Witnesses described people jumping from windows and climbing down cables to escape, while rescue teams broke through a wall to save lives.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Authorities said the building lacked emergency exits and people got trapped inside as smoke spread.

The tragedy has renewed concerns about fire safety in India's densely occupied commercial buildings, with several deadly blazes in recent months exposing violations of fire safety rules.

"An inquiry has been initiated," Brajesh Pathak, deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state, whose capital is Lucknow, told reporters. "Authorities have been directed to ensure that such incidents do not happen in the future."

The fire was reported at around 14:45 local time (09:15 GMT) on Monday in Lucknow's densely populated Aliganj area.

The pet shop was on the ground floor, while the two floors above were occupied by the animation and 3D gaming centre, officials said.

Flames and smoke engulfed the building's only staircase, cutting off the sole exit. Firefighters reached the terrace via a neighbouring building and breached a side wall to begin rescue efforts.

Witnesses described scenes of panic as people trapped inside tried to escape the smoke. Some climbed down power cables, while others jumped from windows. Several were seen calling for help from inside the building, and dozens were injured.

Haaland doubles up as Norway defeat Senegal

NEW JERSEY, United States 

Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway booked their place in the last 32 of the World Cup with victory over Senegal in New Jersey.

After just two games in the competition, the Manchester City striker has now scored twice as many goals (four) as any other Norway player in World Cup history.

Full-back Marcus Pederson, on as an early substitute, capitalised on a poor clearance from Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly to put Norway 1-0 up late in the first half - before Haaland took over in the second.

He raced on to Martin Odegaard's incisive through ball to double the lead in the 48th minute - becoming Norway's all-time top scorer at World Cups in the process - before Ismaila Sarr pulled a goal back to give Senegal hope.

But Haaland restored his team's two-goal cushion five minutes later with a calmly taken side-foot volley which went in off the bar.

Haaland has now scored in 12 consecutive competitive matches for Norway, registering at least two goals in each of the past six.

Sarr struck again in injury time to set up a nervy finale and the Crystal Palace winger could have equalised in the final seconds but put his header over the bar.

However, Stale Solbakken's Norway had been much the better side, even in a somewhat scrappy first half, and held on for a second straight win that means they have qualified from Group I alongside France.

Senegal must beat Iraq in their last group game to have any chance of reaching the knockout stages.

Kylian Mbappe scores twice as France beats Iraq

PHILADELPHIA, United States 

Kylian Mbappe scored twice to move joint-second in the all-time World Cup goalscoring list as France cruised past Iraq in a weather-delayed game in Philadelphia.

Mbappe netted early in both halves to take his World Cup goals tally to 16 in 16 games, two shy of Lionel Messi who broke Miroslav Klose's record hours earlier.

France v Iraq became the first match at this World Cup to be interrupted by severe weather, with the second half beginning more than two hours after the first period ended because of lightning strikes in the area.

Heavy rainfall earlier in the day had delayed supporters' entry to Philadelphia Stadium, although the match kicked off on time.

France began strongly and their early dominance was rewarded in the 14th minute when Mbappe arrowed a left-footed strike into the far corner from the edge of the penalty area.

But the 2018 champions struggled to create any clear chances after the first-half hydration break, with Iraq able to enjoy longer spells of possession despite losing striker and captain Aymen Hussein to injury.

France emerged from the extended break with renewed conviction but were gifted a second goal - Iraq keeper Ahmed Basil failed to control a short goal-kick taken by defender Zaid Tahseen and Ousmane Dembele teed up Mbappe for a simple finish.

Les Bleus had further chances to extend their lead - Adrien Rabiot missed a clear header and Michael Olise hit the crossbar with an audacious dink - before Dembele scored their third with a strike into the bottom corner.

The goal - set up by a brilliant outside-of-the-foot pass from Olise - was Dembele's first for France at a major tournament in his 20th appearance.

Iraq created two decent chances in the final 20 minutes, but defender Rebin Sulaka volleyed over from Zidane Iqbal's corner before Ali Al Hamadi couldn't get on the end of a teasing Marko Farji cross.

Mbappe then raced clear late on and looked set to complete his hat-trick, but he lashed a left-footed effort high and wide.

France, who are bidding to reach a third successive World Cup final, are top of Group I with six points while Iraq are bottom with zero.

Argentina's Lionel Messi breaks World Cup goals record

TEXAS, United States 

Lionel Messi added to his legacy Monday afternoon by scoring his record-breaking 17th career World Cup goal in the first half before adding his 18th in second-half stoppage time of Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria in Arlington, Texas.

The 17th goal broke a tie with Germany's Miroslav Klose. The 18th briefly put him four in front of Kylian Mbappe, the next-closest active player -- only for the French star to score a brace later Monday against Iraq to match Klose's 16.

"Well, I'm very happy because of this victory," Messi said immediately after the match through an interpreter. "This was a very important and tough victory. We worked very hard on it. And that reassures us for what's coming next.

"So this is a World Cup. All of the matches are very intense, and all of the teams play well. And we're happy because we have six points and we're qualified."

Messi, who turns 39 on Wednesday, has scored 11 of his historic total of 18 goals since turning 35. His total from the last two World Cups alone would be tied for seventh on the tournament's all-time scoring list.

Messi scored his record-setting goal on a first-touch left-footed strike from just inside the 18-yard box in the 38th minute off an assist from Facundo Medina.

He completed his brace five minutes into added time, cleaning up his own rebound following a surging counterattack and firing low through traffic. That gave him a two-goal lead over Canada's Jonathan David and Germany's Deniz Undav in the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race.

Asked for his favorite World Cup goal of his career, Messi could not pinpoint one.

"I don't remember, really," he said. "I'm tired. I don't have a lot of strength and it's hard to think for me right now. So I'm just enjoying this moment and I want to join my colleagues."

Messi, who became one of the first two players to appear in six World Cups last week alongside Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, entered this summer's event three goals behind Klose. Behind his first career World Cup hat trick in the Group J opener vs. Algeria on June 16, he pulled even entering the second group-stage match.

With the goal, Messi also tied a different World Cup record, scoring in his sixth straight match dating back to the 2022 World Cup which Argentina won. He's just the third player to score in six straight World Cup matches alongside France's Just Fontaine and Brazil's Jairzinho.

He appeared destined to break the record approximately 30 minutes earlier when Lautaro Martinez was tackled in the box and Argentina was awarded a penalty kick. However, Messi missed the ensuing penalty kick wide of the right post in the ninth minute.

"I had the penalty that I could have scored," Messi said. "Well, maybe had I done that, I wouldn't have scored the others. You never know. But I'm happy about the results because of our participation and the teamwork. Well, let's hope it will even go better."

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 23/6/2026

 

Trump unveils new Air Force One converted from luxury jet gifted by Qatar

WASHINGTON, United States 

United States President,  Donald Trump, on Friday showed off the new Air Force One, a formerly Qatari-owned jumbo jet that has been converted into the official US presidential aircraft.

The new aircraft eschews the Kennedy-era robin’s egg blue exterior of the old plane for a bolder look, with the underbelly of the plane painted navy blue with a red stripe above it. 

The plane's left side, where the president boards, features the presidential seal, while the tail of the aircraft has a massive American flag on it.

“This plane was transformed into a flying White House at a level of luxury that nobody has ever seen before,” Trump said from inside the massive Joint Base Andrews hangar, as a couple hundred assembled Air Force personnel looked on. He spoke after stepping off the new plane in a dramatic flourish, as his signature tune “God Bless the USA” played.

He confirmed that he would be taking the new jet to the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, next month and indicated he would be returning to China “at some point,” presumably a reference to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit that China is hosting in November. 

His return from the Group of 7 summit in France this week was the last planned trip aboard the old Air Force One, he said.

“Now, when we land at airports in London and in Germany and different places, nobody tops this one, and that’s the way we have to have it for our country,” Trump said, noting that the colors and the design were to “my taste, I will say."

He added that the new Air Force One will do a flyover during the July 4 celebrations next month.

The gift from Qatar is serving as a “bridge” aircraft to carry the president until the new planes ordered directly from Boeing arrive. That is currently slated for 2028.

The administration formally accepted a luxury Boeing 747 jet from Qatar last year to be used as the presidential airplane, despite questions about the ethics and legality of accepting such an expensive gift from a foreign government. 

Trump has insisted in the past that he would not fly around in the Qatari jet once he leaves office and said it would instead be donated to a future presidential library.

Trump on Friday said the US was in a “little bit of a logjam” as they awaited the delivery of the new jets directly from Boeing, which had originally been scheduled for 2024 but have been delayed. 

He recalled asking the emir of Qatar for use of one of their planes.

"See, a normal president wouldn’t do this. A normal president wants to stay away from aircraft," Trump said Friday. “But our country has to be represented properly.”

The Air Force said in a news release Friday that any plane deemed Air Force One “must meet rigorous security requirements” and that the Qatari plane “was modified under a disciplined engineering approach that prioritized these exact core capabilities above all else”.

The Air Force also said “much of the previous head of state interior layout” of the plane was kept intact.

The Air Force has said in the past that security modifications to the jet would cost less than $400 million.

Trump's efforts to reimagine the presidential airplane date back to his first administration, when he directed that an incoming fleet of new jets would adopt a colour scheme that was nearly identical to that of his personal airplane. 

Then president Joe Biden reversed the decision in March 2023 as an Air Force review suggested that the darker colours could increase costs and delay delivery of the new jets, but once Trump returned to office, he returned to his desired colours for the plane.

Other government jets that carry other top administration officials will also use the similar red, white and navy colour scheme, the Air Force said earlier this year.

An Air Force spokesperson, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive plans, told The our reporter that the two current planes, known as VC-25As, will not be retiring.

Instead, they will remain in the fleet until the new Boeing planes, referred to as VC-25Bs, come into service, the spokesperson said.

It is unclear how the older jets will be used but the spokesperson said that both the Qatari jet as well as the VC-25As will be available for use and “the Presidential Airlift Group will select the appropriate aircraft for each mission based on operational requirements”.

Mexico beat South Korea, become first team to reach World Cup knockouts

GUADALAJARA, Mexico 

FIFA World Cup 2026 cohosts Mexico became the first team to reach the knockout rounds with a 1-0 win over South Korea at a delirious Guadalajara Stadium on Thursday.

Luis Romo’s goal just after half-time put Mexico through as Group A winners with a match to go, following a goalkeeping clanger.

Mexico stopper Raul Rangel, meanwhile, made a superb double save in the dying minutes to preserve their lead.

Finishing top keeps Mexico at home in the last 32 with a game against a third-placed team in Mexico City. South Korea are second on three points, with Czechia and South Africa also still alive on one.

“It was a very close game; we didn’t give up a single centimetre and fought for every ball as if it were our last,” Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre told Mexican broadcaster TV Azteca.

“It was a game where whoever made a mistake would lose, and it was them… It was a game to forget, but ‌the result is one to remember.

“We’ll see how the last match plays out and wait for our opponent [in the round of 32]. I’m leaving happy, because it means we’re not leaving home, our beloved Mexico,” he added.

Mexico and South Korea went into the clash in front of a passionate Mexican crowd, knowing that victory would guarantee progress in double-quick time.

Aguirre made three changes from the side that beat South Africa 2-0 a week ago to open the tournament.

His counterpart, Myung-Bo Hong, made just one alteration, largely keeping faith with the team that fought back to defeat Czechia 2-1.

South Korea skipper Son Heungmin had the first sniff at goal after 15 minutes, looping the ball over Rangel, only for Edson Alvarez to prevent it from going in with a bicycle kick on the line.

Los Angeles FC attacker Son was belatedly flagged for offside, although replays suggested it was a close call.

Julian Quinones, who scored the opening goal of the tournament, then forced South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seunggyu into a good save from a header, raising the decibels.

The rest of an uneventful half belonged to South Korea as they stroked the ball around at will, without ever creating a clear chance, but they did succeed in silencing the home support.

Jeers rang out at half-time from the Mexico fans.

The hosts started the second period with far more intent, and five minutes in, they went ahead when goalkeeper Kim came for a high ball and clattered into his own player, spilling it straight to Romo.

Romo just needed to poke the ball first time into an unguarded net, triggering pandemonium.

Hong surprisingly hauled off the veteran talisman Son before the hour and threw on Hwang Heechan of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

But the Koreans were mostly toothless going forward until the final few minutes, when Guadalajara native Rangel came to Mexico’s rescue.

Mexico will face Czechia in their dead-rubber final group game, while South Korea play South Africa. South Africa and the Czechs drew 1-1 earlier in the day.

Hat-trick hero David inspires Canada’s historic first World Cup win

VANCOUVER, Canada 

Jonathan David scored a hat-trick as Canada earned their first-ever World Cup win in rampant style, brushing aside nine-man Qatar 6-0.

Cyle Larin and Nathan Saliba also got on the scoresheet in a brilliant performance at BC Place that sends them top of Group B with one game to play, with Homam El Amin and Assim Madibo both sent off for Julen Lopetegui’s side.

It was total dominance by Canada, with David seeing a volley parried early on before he played his part in the 16th-minute opener. 

He sent another volley straight at Mahmoud Abunada, but this time, the goalkeeper spilled it into a dangerous area, and Larin pounced to get his second goal of the tournament.

Canada doubled their lead just before the half-hour mark, with David putting his laces through Tajon Buchanan’s blocked shot to pick out the bottom-right corner.

Qatar’s first red card came just moments later; Canada were initially awarded a penalty for El Amin’s clumsy challenge on Buchanan, but replays showed contact was outside the box, so he was shown a straight red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity.

Akram Afif was then on the line to keep out Buchanan’s scuffed effort, but the co-hosts got their third on the stroke of half-time, with David reacting quickest to turn in Larin’s saved header.

The only blip on a historic day for Canada came five minutes into the second half as Madibo caught Ismaël Koné awkwardly from behind. The Sassuolo midfielder seemingly suffered a broken leg, which led to Madibo’s red card.

Kone waved to fans as he was stretchered off, and his replacement, Nathan Saliba, then whipped a stunning free-kick around the Qatar wall and in off the right post 64 minutes in.

Canada’s perfect day in Vancouver got better in the 75th minute as Jacob Schaffelburg’s off-balance effort was swiped into the net by the unfortunate Mohammed Al Manai.

But it was David who had the final say in the 92nd minute. Saliba fizzed a throughball into David’s feet, and he swivelled to plant his hat-trick goal beyond a helpless Abunada, becoming the second player to score a treble this tournament after Lionel Messi.

Switzerland turn it on late to defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1

LOS ANGELES, United States 

Substitute Johan Manzambi scored twice as Switzerland beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1 in a chaotic final 20 minutes to edge towards a place in the World Cup last 32.

Manzambi met a knockdown in the penalty area with a first-time volley past Bosnia goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj in the 74th minute, just two minutes and 46 seconds after he came off the bench. 

It was only the 20-year-old's fourth touch.

With Bosnia down to 10 men following Tarik Muharemovic's straight red card for bringing down Breel Embolo when clean through on goal, Ruben Vargas doubled Switzerland's advantage with a precise curling finish into the bottom corner.

Vargas turned provider in the 90th minute when he set up Manzambi to score his second of the night from close range, before Granit Xhaka converted an injury-time penalty after Djibril Sow was tripped by Amar Memic.

Ermin Mahmic scored a late consolation for Bosnia with a spectacular volley following a corner.

"It's probably the best moment of my career so far," Manzambi said after the game. "We knew why we didn't start well and we had to be patient but we're a good team and I think we showed that."

Until Manzambi's opener, Switzerland had been frustrated by their own lacklustre finishing and a stubborn Bosnia defence.

In the early stages, Switzerland exploited space on the left wing because of Bosnia's narrow shape out of possession, but Dan Ndoye fired into the side-netting before failing to make contact with a low cross with an attempted flick.

Ndoye saw his spectacular bicycle kick effort tipped over the bar early in the second half, before he made way for Manzambi.

Bosnia began to push again and looked the stronger side, but lost momentum at the hydration break midway through the second half.

Bosnia's veteran striker Edin Dzeko made his first appearance in his second World Cup and was his side's main threat, but could not muster a goal and was replaced on 64 minutes.

Switzerland top group B with four points, while Bosnia are bottom with one point and a goal difference of minus three.

At 20 years, 247 days, Manzambi is the youngest player to score a double as a substitute in a men's World Cup match.

The 20-year-old enjoyed a breakout season with Freiburg and his stock only looks set to rise.

He played a key role as in the Bundesliga side reaching the final of the Europa League, the first major continental final in the club's history, and has reportedly attracted interest from several Premier League clubs.

The Geneva-born midfielder made his senior Swiss debut last June - he marked his second cap with a goal and assist in a 4-0 win against the United States - and has featured in all of their 13 internationals since.

He was the catalyst behind Switzerland's late surge in Los Angeles, and has surely made a strong claim to start against Canada.

Manzambi's career could have looked very different - he grew up idolising Manuel Neuer and wanted to be a goalkeeper.

"The Swiss national team player I admired when I was younger? Yann Sommer," he told Blick.

"I knew it would surprise you, but when I was little, I wanted to be a goalkeeper. But my father and brother didn't agree."

Switzerland boss Murat Yakin praised Manzambi and said he is full of surprises.

"Johan is just a very happy person with so many football qualities," he said. "He is a boy who learned how to play football on the streets.

"We give him so much freedom, he can create pressure, dribbling, he can work on the finishes, score goals. He was very important to us as a substitute in the past and we are so happy to have him on our team. He was so important for today's match.

"He put a lot of pressure on the opponent. He is a player who can surprise us. He surprises us as well as the opponent. He can come through the centre or the sides."

Switzerland's final group match is against tournament co-hosts Canada in Vancouver on Wednesday, 24 June (20:00 BST). Bosnia will face Qatar in Seattle at the same time.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 19/6/2026