18 months to South Sudan’s first ever elections, world’s youngest nation still has no constitution
Implementation of the peace agreement has been sluggish. The elections, originally scheduled for this year, were postponed until December 2024. Other key elements of the deal have not been implemented, sparking concern that the country could see a return to war instead of a transfer of power.
US slams brakes on online appointments for asylum-seekers at Texas border crossing after extortion reports
Several asylum-seekers say Mexican officials in Nuevo Laredo, across the border from Laredo, Texas, had threatened to hold them and make them miss their scheduled asylum appointments unless they paid them. Humanitarian groups in Laredo say they had recently warned CBP of the problems and that certain groups were controlling access to the international crossing on the Mexican side.
Russian army pound Ukraine President Zelensky home town overnight, kill 6 and injure 7
The devastation in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown is the latest bloodshed in Russia’s war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022, as Ukrainian forces are mounting counteroffensive operations using Western-supplied firepower to try to drive out the Russians.
Support for ex-US President Trump among Republicans remains high despite criminal charges he faces
Trump, who turns 77 on Wednesday, touched down in Miami at 2:54pm (1854 GMT) in a private jet with his name emblazoned on the side. Supporters gathered outside a nearby golf club he owns, where he was due to stay the night.
Civil war in Sudan turns searchlight on role of Russia and China in months-old bloodbath
Sudan shows how Russia and China’s approaches to Africa differ. Sudan received billions in loans and investment from China to facilitate oil production and economic development throughout the 2000s. Russia is a longstanding security partner of Sudan and is keen to set up a naval base in Port Sudan. Both countries sell arms and sent peacekeepers to at least one UN mission.
Saudi Arabia is out to disrupt world football and Europe will cede its glamour if the emirate pulls it off
There are real fears that investing in the top four clubs will lead to a two-tier league. However, organisers are confident there will be a trickle-down effect, with players previously at the ‘big four’ moving to mid-tier sides as global superstars arrive. Plans for the 2023-24 season will see each of the four PIF-owned teams target a minimum of three world-renowned names per club. A smaller number of world-renowned players are expected to be distributed among the other sides in the league.
