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  Real Madrid will play Manchester City in the Champions League knockout playoffs round in a standout clash of the past two title winners after the draw was made Friday. Man City, the 2023 champion, will host the first leg on Feb. 11 or 12 and the return game in Madrid is on Feb. 18 or 19. Madrid won a record-extending 15th European title last season. The winner over two legs advances to the round of 16 to face either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen, who placed in the top eight of the new 36-team league standings that ended Wednesday. Teams that finished from Nos. 9 to 24 in the standings dropped into the two-leg knockout playoffs. Madrid placed 11th and Man City barely qualified in 22nd, after rallying to beat Club Brugge 3-1 in a must-win game. By finishing in 22nd Man City knew it would have to face No. 11 Madrid or No. 12 Bayern Munich in the playoffs. Munich was drawn instead to face 21st-place Celtic. Seedings decided by the 36-team standings means Madrid and Man City alr...

  A nurse in Uganda has died of Ebola, a health official said Thursday, in the first recorded fatality since the last outbreak ended in 2023. The 32-year-old male nurse was an employee of Mulago Hospital, the main referral facility in the capital, Kampala, Diana Atwine, permanent secretary of the health ministry, told reporters Thursday. After developing a fever, he was treated at several locations in Uganda before multiple lab tests confirmed he had been suffering from Ebola. The man died on Wednesday and the Sudan strain of Ebola was confirmed following postmortem tests, Atwine said. At least 44 contacts of the victim have been identified, including 30 health workers and patients at Mulago Hospital, according to Uganda’s Ministry of Health. The health authorities are “in full control of the situation,” Atwine said, urging Ugandans to report suspected cases. Tracing contacts is key to stemming the spread of Ebola, and there are no approved vaccines for the Sudan strain of Ebola. U...

  World Cup semifinalist Morocco was drawn in a group with Mali, Zambia and Comoros on Monday for the men’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations it will host. The Dec. 21-Jan. 18 tournament will be the biggest soccer event in Morocco before co-hosting the  2030 World Cup  with Spain and Portugal — the teams it eliminated at the 2022 World Cup to become the first African nation ever to reach the semifinals. Morocco then lost to France. At the last Africa Cup, one year ago, Morocco was surprisingly ousted in the round of 16 by South Africa. Ivory Coast won that Africa Cup as the host nation and will begin the defense of its title in a group with Cameroon, Gabon and Mozambique. Nigeria, the beaten finalist last year with star strikers  Ademola Lookman  and Victor Osimhen, is in a group with Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania. Egypt, with Mohamed Salah still seeking a first Africa Cup title at age 33 when games start in December, was drawn into a group with South Africa, Angol...

  Sources have reported that some countries are supporting the Sudanese army, a situation that raises important questions. Sudan is plagued by internal conflict, particularly between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This climate of violence has led to human rights violations. International support for the military may include military assistance, but the details of the countries involved and the nature of this support are often vague. Although such support may enhance military capabilities, it raises ethical concerns, especially in relation to human rights violations.

  Algeria will once again participate in the finals of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, aiming to restore the glories of the past and secure a third continental title in its history, following two previous victories. Under the guidance of coach Vladimir Petković, the "Fennecs" are determined to shine at the Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025, and move past the disappointments of the 2021 and 2023 editions. Profile Nickname:  Fennecs Participation:  20 times Titles:  2 (1990, 2019) World Ranking:  37 (December 2024) Qualification for the Finals Algeria qualified for the finals of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025, after an impressive qualifying campaign in which they remained unbeaten. The Fennecs topped Group E, which included Togo, Equatorial Guinea, and Liberia, with 5 wins and a draw. Coach: Vladimir Petković Swiss coach Vladimir Petković, 61, is among the few managers making their debut in the Africa Cup of Nations finals. He pre...

  Erling Haaland has officially extended his contract with Manchester City for an impressive seven more years. This means the 24 year old Norwegian striker who has scored 111 goals in 125 games since joining the club from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 will remain with the reigning Premier League champions until June 2034. The new deal for Haaland comes as City awaits a verdict after being charged with 115 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. This move is a significant statement from City, especially considering that Haaland had been on Real Madrid's radar for quite some time. This new agreement eliminates any potential release clauses that were included in his previous contract. The Norway striker will be age 34 when the contract expires. With this long-term deal, Manchester City sends a strong message to their rivals in the transfer market. While Real Madrid had been envisioning a future with Haaland, the English champions have secured the talented forward's services ...

  Donald Trump was sworn in as America's 47th president on Monday, after surviving impeachments, criminal indictments and two assassination attempts. He got to work quickly after the ceremony, after announcing his plans to sign a slew of executive orders Addressing supporters, he pledged to change the country for the better. "The golden age of America begins right now. From this day forward our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world," Trump said. Among the orders he has pledged to sign are implementing a mass deportation programme, ending birthright citizenship, ramping up oil drilling in the country, and hiking tariffs for Canada, Mexico and China. Due to cold weather, Trump’s ceremony was moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda, the first time that has happened in four decades.

  If confirmed, his contract will shatter Cristiano Ronaldo’s world record deal. Egyptian football star, Mohamed Salah, has reportedly been offered close to $80 million to tempt him to leave Liverpool for two seasons in Saudia Arabia. The 32-year-old is in his last season at the English club if he does not sign a new deal with the team. But the lure of a salary that is reportedly about double the one he makes at Liverpool would be hard to resist. The forward is one of three footballers believed to be considering leaving The Reds, with the transfer window well underway. There have reports in several media that Salah is in serious negotiations with Saudi’s Al-Hilal club to secure his transfer to the team. The expected departure in the summer of Brazil’s Neymar means that the club will have space in their squad to register another overseas player. There are also reports suggesting Al-Hilal is in talks with Liverpool’s management to purchase the remaining six months of Salah’s contract...

  Yazeed Al-Rajhi became the first Saudi to win the Dakar Rally when he completed the race on home sand on Friday. After 13 days of desert racing and more than 5,000 kilometers of specials, Al-Rajhi beat home Henk Lategan of South Africa by less than four minutes, the smallest margin in 15 years. Daniel Sanders won the motorbike crown, the second Australian champion after two-time winner and mentor Toby Price. Sanders won the first three stages and was never caught. He's the first rider to dominate from start to finish since Spain's Marc Coma in 2009 when the rally was in Argentina and Chile. Lategan led the car standings for a week by capitalizing on consistency. He appeared to cement victory on Monday when he won the eighth stage. But a navigation error on Tuesday opened the door for Al-Rajhi as the race entered the Empty Quarter dunes.

  South Africa’s Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has given his support to calls for a boycott of Afghanistan at the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan, adding his voice to those of British politicians who have   called on England   not to play the South Asian nation at the tournament next month. More than 160 British politicians have signed a cross-party letter to the England and Wales Cricket Board, calling for a boycott of England’s fixture against Afghanistan in Lahore on February 26. ECB chief executive Richard Gould responded by calling for a uniform approach from all member nations towards Afghanistan’s participation in international cricket. Australia are the other team scheduled to take on Afghanistan, in Lahore on February 28. Cricket Australia indefinitely postponed a bilateral men’s Twenty 20 series against Afghanistan last March citing “deteriorating human rights for women and girls in the country under Taliban rule” but they did play them at the World Cup in In...

 In a heartwarming display of international solidarity, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has extended a helping hand to the people of Chad through a generous humanitarian donation. The event, marked by a sense of partnership and shared humanity, took place in the presence of Aid Al Katebi, the representative of the UAE Ambassador to Chad. His speech highlighted the importance of this contribution in addressing the pressing needs of vulnerable communities in the country. Strengthening Humanitarian Efforts The ceremony witnessed heartfelt gratitude from Mahamat Abdelkerim Bagari, who expressed the deep appreciation of the Chadian government and its people for this remarkable gesture. “In a global context where humanitarian challenges are multiplying, with economic and social crises affecting many vulnerable families, initiatives such as this are of paramount importance,” he emphasized. The donated food and non-food items will provide critical support to Chad’s ongoing humanitarian aid ...

  In a groundbreaking move, Morocco, Mauritania, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have forged a trilateral economic partnership aimed at reshaping the economic landscape of the Sahel and Saharan regions. This collaboration, centered on a large-scale project along the Atlantic coasts of Morocco and Mauritania, promises to transform these areas into a strategic commercial hub, driving growth and prosperity for the region.  The Vision Behind the Partnership At the heart of this ambitious initiative is the goal of creating a historic economic line stretching along the Moroccan and Mauritanian Atlantic coasts. The three nations intend to pool their resources, expertise, and strategic positions to launch a project that will not only enhance trade but also foster stronger diplomatic ties across North Africa. The leaders behind this partnership—King Mohammed VI of Morocco, President Mohamed Ghazouani of Mauritania, and President Mohamed Ben Zayed of the UAE—recently met in Dubai to ...