Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal vows to win Champions League after Atletico defeat
Spain’s teenage star writes to fans the day after Barcelona’s Champions League exit to promise future glory. Published On 15 Apr 202615 Apr 2026 Lamine Yamal has renewed his promise to win the UEFA Champions League (UCL) with Barcelona. A day after the team’s elimination by Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals, the 18-year-old Yamal said on Wednesday that he will not give up and will fulfil his promise to capture the trophy with the Catalan club. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “We are Barca, and we will be back where we belong,” Yamal said on a post on Instagram. “My parents taught me that a man’s word always has to be fulfilled … we’ll bring it to Barcelona.” Barcelona defeated Atletico 2-1 on Tuesday, but it had lost the first leg 2-0 at home last week. The Catalan club was trying to return to the semifinals for the second season in a row. It won the last of its five Champions League trophies in 2015 with Lionel Messi at the top of his game. “We gave it our all but it wasn’t good enough,” Yamal posted. “This is just part of the road. To get to the top you have to climb, and we know it won’t be easy, nor will they make it easy for us. But giving up is not an option. “We have plenty of reasons to be excited, and we’re going after it with everything. Every mistake is a lesson, and don’t doubt that we will learn from each one of them.” Yamal, who scored one of Barcelona’s goals on Tuesday, had similar words after the team’s loss to Inter Milan in the 2025 semifinals, saying he “won’t stop” until he can “fulfil my promise” to win the Champions League with the club. Yamal early on Wednesday was still using on his Instagram profile the photo of LeBron James holding the NBA trophy in 2016 when the Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors. Advertisement He had said before the game against Atletico that James was an inspiration for Barcelona’s comeback attempt. His team needed another goal on Tuesday to take the game to extra time. Barcelona’s forward Lamine Yamal reacts during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal defeat [Oscar Del Pozo/AFP] In La Liga, Barcelona have a nine-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid after 31 rounds, and its next match is against Celta Vigo next week. Barcelona loudly complained of the refereeing in both legs against Atletico, and forward Raphinha will likely face punishment after saying on Tuesday that his team was “robbed”. Barca President-elect Joan Laporta said Wednesday that the refereeing was “shameful” and “inadmissible” and said the club planned to present a formal complaint with UEFA. “The refereeing, both on the field and in the VAR booth, was a disgrace,” he told Spanish media. “What they did to us is intolerable. In the first leg, they didn’t award us a clear penalty and sent off one of our players for a yellow card offence. The refereeing decisions hurt us a lot.” Barcelona had already made a complaint to UEFA about a possible penalty in its favour in the first leg. It had Pau Cubarsí sent off in the first half of the opening game, and Eric García was shown a red card in the second half on Tuesday. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, meanwhile, said his youthful squad will learn from their latest setback. “We have a young team, and they will improve,” the German said after the game. “Every day we have to learn more, we have to be better and this is what we have to do.” Adblock test (Why?)
Iran warns US naval blockade threatens ceasefire
Tehran, Iran – Iranian authorities say a continued United States naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz could end the current pause in fighting as mediators try to secure a diplomatic solution. “If the aggressor and terrorist US seeks to continue its illegal action of imposing a naval blockade in the region and to create insecurity for Iran’s commercial vessels and oil tankers, this action by the US will constitute a prelude to a violation of the ceasefire,” said Major General Ali Abdollahi, the commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “The powerful armed forces of Iran will not allow any exports or imports to continue in the area of the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Red Sea,” Abdollahi, whose organisation has been running the war and influencing political decision-making, was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday. The comments come after the US military said its naval blockade has “completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea” and will continue amid the two-week ceasefire declared a week ago. US President Donald Trump told Fox News that the war is “close to over” and hinted at a second round of face-to-face talks with Iran in Pakistan in the coming days, but US media have also reported that thousands more American soldiers have been sent to the Middle East on warships. Vice President JD Vance is expected to lead the US delegation if a second round of talks does materialise, but no date has been finalised. Advertisement Pakistan’s military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, arrived in Iran on Wednesday as part of a Pakistani delegation after “numerous messages” were exchanged with the US through mediators since the Iranian delegation returned from Islamabad on Sunday. The goal of any potential future talks will be to “fully cease the war and realise the rights of Iran” in addition to lifting the sanctions imposed on the country, Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters. He also emphasised that Iran has not and will not seek a nuclear weapon but insists on its right to pursue nuclear energy for civilian purposes under United Nations safeguards. He said the level and type of enrichment can be negotiated. Baghaei also renewed Iran’s criticism of Rafael Grossi, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, for statements and reports about Iran’s nuclear programme that the country believes paved the way for Israel’s 12-day war in June and the current war that the US and Israel started on February 28. On Wednesday, Iran’s parliament speaker and former IRGC and police commander Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led the Iranian delegation at the weekend talks in Pakistan, held a rare phone call with United Arab Emirates Vice President Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. They discussed “regional developments and ways to de-escalate tensions in the region”, according to the UAE’s WAM news agency. The UAE and other Gulf Arab states came under heavy Iranian attack before the ceasefire with Iran saying it was targeting the US military presence in those countries. ‘Never give concessions’ Iranian authorities have maintained a defiant approach and have said their supporters, who have taken to the streets at night in a show of strength over the past six weeks, will not be happy if major concessions are given on uranium enrichment and the Strait of Hormuz. Messages from Iran’s hardline-controlled state television and many members of parliament have been adamantly against negotiations with Washington, pushing the narrative that they believe Iran has the upper hand after surviving 40 days of war with military superpowers. Speaking to supporters gathered on Tuesday night on the streets of Saveh, southwest of Tehran, parliament’s deputy speaker, Ali Nikzad, said Iran considers control over the Strait of Hormuz a sovereign and legal matter. “We will never give concessions to our enemy,” he said. Esmaeil Kowsari, a member of parliament’s national security commission and former senior IRGC commander, said it would be “impossible” for the government to accept “even one clause” of the 15 points delineated by the Trump administration to achieve peace. Advertisement “We will participate in negotiations to show to the world that they must enter the field and stop this instability. We know the Americans are not trustworthy and will not remain committed to agreements,” he told the state-run IRNA news agency. For his part, President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran will continue dialogue within the framework of international law and has blamed Washington for “excessive demands” that have derailed any agreement, including on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Mohammad Khatami, a former reformist president who has been sidelined for years, released a statement late on Tuesday to signal that the IRGC must now transform achievements in the field of battle to a “lasting peace” that would allow Iran to develop. “We have entered a new and more sensitive phase in which we must, free from overexcitement and extremism, consolidate our current military and political achievements; and, through a precise and realistic understanding of society and of the necessities of the post-war period and the new global economic and political developments, remove the shadow of threat, aggression, and war from Iran,” he wrote. More arrests, confiscations announced Iranian authorities have continued to announce the enforcement of death sentences as well as a large number of arrests and asset confiscations. The judiciary has said some of the executions were linked to nationwide protests in January, during which thousands of people were killed during an internet blackout. Others were tied to national security crimes and a host of other charges. Iranian authorities executed at least 1,639 people in 2025 and were on track to execute even more people this year during the war with the US and Israel, Norway-based Iran Human Rights and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty said on Monday. That figure marks a 68 percent increase compared with the year before and
Israeli attacks kill 11, including two children, in day of strikes on Gaza
A three-year-old and a 14-year-old were among those killed in Israel’s latest strikes on northern Gaza. Published On 15 Apr 202615 Apr 2026 Israel’s military has killed at least 11 Palestinians, including two children, in separate attacks across the war-torn Gaza Strip, the latest violations by Israel of a “ceasefire” with Hamas that came into effect on October 10 last year. Gaza’s Civil Defence authorities and the Reuters news agency said that a three-year-old and a 14-year-old were among those killed in the Israeli strikes in the northern part of the enclave on Tuesday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for Gaza’s Civil Defence, said four people were killed, including the three-year-old, “in a strike targeting a police vehicle” in Gaza City. Gaza’s Ministry of Interior said in a statement that Israeli warplanes had “targeted” the police vehicle in the city centre, “causing several deaths and injuries”, with a police officer among those killed and at least nine bystanders wounded, some critically. Bassal also said another person was killed by Israeli fire in the northern Beit Lahiya area earlier in the day. Later on Tuesday evening, Civil Defence reported that another Israeli strike killed several people near an intersection in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City. Medics at Al-Shifa Hospital later confirmed receiving five bodies from “an Israeli drone bombing”, involving two missiles, that hit a group of people in the Shati refugee camp. Reuters reported that the Israeli strike hit near a cafe and, along with those killed, it had also wounded several people, according to health officials. Despite a “ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas that began last October and slowed two years of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, Israeli forces continue to carry out daily strikes on the territory, killing almost 760 Palestinians since the truce was agreed upon. Advertisement Gaza Ministry of Health said on Tuesday that an additional 2,111 Palestinians have been injured in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire was announced, while a total of 72,336 people have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of Israel’s war on the territory on October 7, 2023. Adblock test (Why?)
US forces kill 4 people in latest strike on vessels in eastern Pacific
The killings mark the fourth US deadly strike in the past four days on vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Published On 15 Apr 202615 Apr 2026 The US military has killed four more people in its fourth deadly attack on vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean over the past four days. US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced the attack in a social media post on Tuesday, alongside a video that showed a stationary boat with outboard engines being hit by a missile and exploding into a huge ball of flames. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list SOUTHCOM, which is responsible for US military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, claimed that the four people killed were “narco-terrorists”, but provided no evidence to support its claims. Justification for the lethal attack, according to SOUTHCOM, was due to intelligence – details of which were not provided – that confirmed that “the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations”. The latest killing of people on board vessels in international waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean brings the overall death toll to at least 175 since early September, when US President Donald Trump ordered the attacks to stop what the White House claims are Latin American cartels transporting drugs to the US. Tuesday’s killings came after two people were killed in a US strike on Monday, and five people were killed in two separate strikes on Saturday, also in the eastern Pacific. The Associated Press news agency reported that the US coastguard has suspended a search for one survivor from the two attacks reported on Saturday. International legal experts and rights groups say the US military campaign amounts to “extrajudicial killings” in international waters and that the attacks have targeted civilian fishing boats. Advertisement Legal experts have said that if some vessels were involved in drug trafficking, those on board should face the law, rather than deadly attacks. Critics have also questioned the effectiveness of the US military operation in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses in the US, which Trump has used to justify his campaign, is typically trafficked to the US over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India. Adblock test (Why?)
Israel and Lebanon hold direct talks for first time in decades
NewsFeed After the first direct talks in decades, Israel and Lebanon have agreed to begin ongoing negotiations for the ‘security of both countries’. Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna explains why US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sees this ‘milestone’ meeting as just the ‘start of the process’. Published On 15 Apr 202615 Apr 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Man charged with attempted murder after attack on OpenAI CEO Altman’s home
A 20-year-old Texan faces potential life imprisonment after an arson attack on Sam Altman’s San Francisco residence. Published On 14 Apr 202614 Apr 2026 Authorities in the United States have charged a 20-year-old Texas man with attempted murder and arson after he allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Daniel Moreno-Gama faces two counts of attempted murder and nine other charges following last week’s arson attack on Altman’s residence in San Francisco, District Attorney of San Francisco Brooke Jenkins said on Monday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “We interpret this behaviour for just what it is: An attempt on Mr Altman’s life and an extreme danger to those around him and those who work for his company,” Jenkins said at a news conference. “As the DA, my office will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.” Moreno-Gama is also separately facing federal charges of attempted damage and destruction of property by means of explosives, and possession of an unregistered firearm. Moreno-Gama faces the possibility of life in prison under the charges. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins speaks during a news conference on Monday in San Francisco [Jeff Chiu/AP] Moreno-Gama, from Houston, Texas, was captured on a security camera hurling an incendiary device at Altman’s home shortly after 3:30am local time on Friday, according to an FBI affidavit. The suspect then travelled to OpenAI’s San Francisco headquarters, where he struck the building’s glass doors with a chair and stated his intention to “burn it down and kill anyone inside”, according to the affidavit filed in US District Court for the Northern District of California. Advertisement After arresting Moreno-Gama at the scene, police recovered incendiary devices, a container of kerosene, a lighter, and a document espousing opposition to artificial intelligence and tech executives, including Altman, according to the affidavit. The document recovered at the scene stated that Moreno-Gama had killed or attempted to kill Altman, and that he “must lead by example and show that I am fully sincere in my message”, according to the filing. Altman, whose company’s release of ChatGPT in 2022 marked a watershed in the rollout of AI, has become a lightning rod for heated discussion about the potential risks and benefits of the rapidly advancing technology. In a blog post after Friday’s arson attack, Altman said that while much criticism of the tech industry was driven by sincere concerns about the “incredibly high stakes” of AI, it was time to turn down the heat of the public debate. “While we have that debate, we should de-escalate the rhetoric and tactics and try to have fewer explosions in fewer homes, figuratively and literally,” Altman said. In her news conference, Jenkins criticised what she described as “incendiary rhetoric” about the potential impact of AI on society. “In no way should we be at the point where a man could have lost his life over differences of opinion and concerns,” she said. Adblock test (Why?)
Anti-war protesters arrested in New York urging end to Israel weapon sales
Police in New York have arrested around 100 anti-war protesters who were staging a sit-in outside the offices of Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, demanding an end to US weapons sales to Israel. The demonstration comes as Senator Bernie Sanders pushes to block more than $600m worth of bombs bound for Israel’s military. Published On 14 Apr 202614 Apr 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
US military kills two men in new strike on vessel in eastern Pacific
Latest attack brings death toll from US strikes on vessels in the Pacific and Caribbean to at least 170 since September. By The Associated Press Published On 14 Apr 202614 Apr 2026 The United States military has carried out another attack on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two people, in the latest deadly strike by US forces on boats that Washington alleges have links to Latin American drug trafficking cartels. US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which is responsible for Washington’s military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, confirmed the attack in a post on social media late on Monday, claiming to have killed two “male narco-terrorists”, without providing any evidence. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list SOUTHCOM claimed that, based on intelligence reports, the boat was “transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific” and was targeted with “a lethal kinetic strike” on the orders of US Commander General Francis L Donovan. A grainy video clip released with the statement shows a stationary boat with outboard engines and what appear to be floats from fishing nets nearby. The boat comes under attack from the air and explodes into flames. The attack marked the second day in a row that SOUTHCOM announced a deadly strike on boats in the Pacific. On Sunday, the US military said it blew up two boats in the eastern Pacific a day earlier, killing five people and leaving one survivor. It was not immediately clear what happened to the person who survived the attack, though SOUTHCOM said the US coastguard was notified. With the attack on Monday, the US military has now killed at least 170 people in dozens of strikes on vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Ocean since September. Advertisement International law experts, human rights groups and regional governments have accused the administration of US President Donald Trump of carrying out extrajudicial killings in international waters, which have likely targeted civilians, often fishing crews, who do not pose an immediate threat to the US. The Trump administration claims that such attacks are part of its war on drug trafficking cartels in Latin America, but has provided no solid evidence that any of the vessels targeted since last year have been involved in drug trafficking. Adblock test (Why?)
Oil prices surge past $103 a barrel after US announces blockade of Iran
Asian stocks fall as naval blockade threat injects new turmoil into financial markets. Published On 13 Apr 202613 Apr 2026 Oil prices have risen sharply following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a naval blockade of Iran. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose more than 8 percent on Sunday to top $103 a barrel. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list It was the first time the benchmark rose above the psychologically important threshold of $100 since Tuesday, when prices surpassed $111 a barrel. Trump announced on Sunday that the US Navy would block all ships from entering or exiting the Strait of Hormuz, following the collapse of ceasefire talks between US and Iranian officials over the weekend. US Central Command said in a later statement that it would only block vessels travelling to and from Iran and that other traffic would not be impeded, in an apparent scaling back of Trump’s threat to impose a full blockade. The command said the blockade would take effect on Monday at 10am Eastern Time (14:00 GMT). Oil prices have been a rollercoaster since US-Israeli strikes on Iran prompted Tehran to impose a de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for about one-fifth of global oil and natural gas supplies. After topping $119 last month, Brent fell below $92 a barrel last week after the US and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire following more than six weeks of war. While Iran has allowed a limited number of ships to transit the waterway, subject to prior vetting and authorisation, traffic has been reduced to a trickle compared with peacetime levels. Despite Washington and Tehran’s fragile truce officially remaining in place until April 22, only 17 vessels crossed the strait on Saturday, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward, down from roughly 130 daily transits before the war. Advertisement Major stock markets in Asia opened lower on Monday as Trump’s blockade threat stoked uncertainty on trading floors. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.9 percent in morning trading, while South Korea’s KOSPI dropped more than 1 percent. US stock futures, which are traded outside of regular market hours, also fell, with those tied to the benchmark S&P 500 down about 0.8 percent. Adblock test (Why?)
US military threatens to blockade all Iranian ports starting on Monday
Vessels will still be able to transit Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports, says CENTCOM; Iran warns any approaching military vessels will be breaching ceasefire. Published On 13 Apr 202613 Apr 2026 The United States military has announced it will begin blockading all Iranian ports on Monday, its latest move to exert pressure on Tehran after marathon peace talks in Pakistan concluded without a deal. In a statement on Sunday evening, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the blockade would apply to “all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports” from 10am Eastern Time (14:00 GMT) on April 13. That includes “vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas”, including those on the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list However, US forces “will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports,” CENTCOM said, in an apparent scaling back from President Donald Trump’s earlier threat to blockade the entire strait and pursue ships paying tolls to Iran. “There are a lot of questions here,” said Al Jazeera’s Heidi Zhou-Castro from Washington, DC, pointing to “conflicting information” coming out of the US side. “Trump said the blockade would target any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz. But CENTCOM is saying this would only target ships going to or from Iranian ports.” The price of US crude oil jumped 8 percent to $104.24 a barrel after the US blockade threat. Brent crude oil, the international standard, increased 7 percent to $102.29. Iran has essentially taken control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for the global energy market, since the US and Israel launched a war against the country on February 28. Traffic through the waterway has since slowed to a trickle, nearly paralysing about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Advertisement Iran has continued to move its own vessels through the strait, while allowing limited passage of ships from other countries. Iranian officials have discussed setting up a toll system after the fighting ends. In a statement responding to Trump’s blockade threat, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said any approaching military vessels would be in breach of a US-Iran ceasefire – meant to be in effect until April 22 – and “will be dealt with severely”. The US-declared blockade appears to be triggered by the failure of the talks in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, raising fears of renewed fighting. Iranian officials blamed the US side for failing to reach a deal, with Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi saying US negotiators shifted the “goalposts” and obstructed efforts when a memorandum of understanding was “just inches away”. Zohreh Kharazmi, an associate professor at the University of Tehran, said the US “is not in a position to dictate” to Iranians how to behave, or “to choose which vessels may pass”. “If this blockade becomes a contest between the resilience of the Islamic Republic and the resilience of global markets, it will not take long to see who is losing,” she said, adding that Iran “is ready for a prolonged war”. “Technically, they [the US] cannot control the situation. With Hollywood-style strategies, they cannot prevail in this battleground.” Adblock test (Why?)