Author: Prima News
Argentina’s superstar Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates were feted by President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday in honour of their 2025 MLS Cup championship. Messi was at the forefront as Miami players, coach Javier Mascherano and team co-owner Jorge Mas flanked Trump, who opened proceedings with comments on military action in the Middle East. But he soon got down to the team’s 2025 exploits and reminiscences of Brazilian icon Pele’s 1970s stint with the New York Cosmos and its electrifying effect on soccer in the United States. “I shouldn’t say this because I’m old, but…
Nigerian actor and politician Olumide Oworu has criticised both governance and public attitudes toward corruption, arguing that the treatment of petty offenders compared to powerful looters reflects a deeper societal problem. Oworu made the remarks in an interview on The Clarity Zone Podcast, which was shared on his Instagram page on Wednesday, where he questioned the visible impact of government policies on the welfare of ordinary Nigerians. “How many things can we see on a day-to-day basis that actually show this government being intentional with the welfare of the average Nigerian?” he asked. The actor contrasted the public reaction to…
Israel carried out heavy air strikes on Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut and started a “broad-scale” wave of attacks against infrastructure in Tehran on Friday, while Iran said it targeted the heart of Tel Aviv with missiles. Explosions and flashes lit up the night sky over Beirut’s southern suburbs, Reuters footage showed. The Israeli military said it had carried out 26 waves of strikes overnight in the southern suburbs, saying targets included Iran-backed Hezbollah militia command centres and weapons storage facilities. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Kheibar missiles were fired toward Tel Aviv on Friday as part of the 21st…
Israel carried out heavy airstrikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut overnight after ordering its residents to leave, while the Iran-backed group warned Israelis to leave towns and villages at the frontier. Explosions and flashes lit up the night sky over the Beirut southern suburbs, Reuters footage showed. The Israeli military said it had carried out 26 waves of strikes overnight in the southern suburbs, saying targets included Hezbollah’s command centres and weapons storage facilities. On Thursday, an Israeli military spokesperson told residents of the southern suburbs to move east and north, posting a map showing four large districts of…
Support for New Zealand’s ruling National party has fallen to its lowest level in more than four years and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is no longer voters’ preferred leader, polling showed on Friday. The monthly Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll showed support for the conservative Nationals dropped 2.9 points to 28.4%, the worst showing for the party since late 2021. Luxon, 55, and his coalition government, which has been in power since the 2023 election, have lost popularity over the past year due to a weakening economy and higher unemployment. The decline exposes the centre-right bloc to strong competition from the Labour…
Maersk (MAERSKb.CO), opens new tab, one of the world’s biggest container shipping groups, said on Friday it has temporarily suspended two services linking the Middle East to Asia and Europe as the Iran conflict continues to disrupt global supply chains. The Danish group said in a statement it would halt its FM1 service connecting the Far East to the Middle East and its ME11 service linking the Middle East to Europe “This decision has been taken as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of our personnel and vessels while minimizing operational disruption across our wider network,” Maersk said in an…
Soon after the first Iranian missile and drone attacks on Dubai last week, two Indian entrepreneurs based there tried to move more than $100,000 each from their local bank accounts to Singapore to hedge risk. Technological glitches in the aftermath of the Iranian attacks initially scuppered those plans, the entrepreneurs, who did not wish to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter, disclosed. One of them said he managed to subsequently transfer the sum to his Singapore bank account via another Emirates-based bank. Scores of other wealthy Asians are making enquiries or taking similar steps to move their Dubai-parked…
President Vjosa Osmani on Friday dissolved parliament and called snap elections, the third in just over a year, a day after lawmakers failed to elect a new head of state within the constitutional deadline. The 120-seat parliament had until midnight on Thursday to choose a president, but Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s ruling Vetevendosje party was unable to secure the required quorum or rally opposition lawmakers behind its nominee, Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca. “A parliament that cannot elect a president cannot continue indefinitely to drag out the process as is being attempted.” The opposition parties have asked for a consensual candidate, but Kurti…
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said on Friday the U.S. and South Korean militaries are discussing the possible redeployment of some U.S. Patriot missile defence systems based in South Korea to be used in the war against Iran. Cho was responding to questions at a parliamentary hearing following media reports on Friday that units of the U.S. mobile missile interceptor system had been moved to the Osan Air Base in South Korea from other locations in the country. Cho said he was unable to comment when asked whether the U.S. plan is to move the Patriot missiles soon to use…
Around 50 French ships are currently blocked in the Persian Gulf and another eight in the Red Sea, France’s Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said on Friday, as Paris seeks support to build a coalition of countries to secure shipping traffic in the region. “There are around fifty ships – 52 to be precise – in the Persian Gulf and eight in the Red Sea, and we are also in permanent contact with the crews, as there are French sailors aboard a number of these vessels,” Tabarot told French broadcaster CNews/Europe 1.
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