Sudan war to enter third year as RSF assaults in Darfur intensify
The United Nations and rights groups are calling for an end to the violence in Sudan as the second anniversary of its civil war looms and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has intensified its attacks in Darfur, killing dozens of people in recent days. As representatives from dozens of countries are to meet in London on Tuesday to try to resolve the Sudan crisis, Human Rights Watch urged the international community to “urgently work to protect civilians and guarantee safe, unfettered aid provision” in the country. “For the last two years, Sudan’s warring parties have subjected the population to horrific abuses and suffering, and blocked aid, plunging the country into the world’s worst humanitarian disasters,” Mohamed Osman, Sudan researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement on Monday. “International leaders should ensure that discussions to improve the humanitarian situation go hand in hand with commitments at the highest level to protect civilians.” This week marks two years since war broke out on April 15, 2023, between the RSF and the Sudanese military. It has killed thousands of people, displaced nearly 13 million people, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and sparked a hunger crisis in parts of the country. Advertisement In recent weeks, the army has managed to push RSF fighters out of the capital, Khartoum, but the paramilitary group has been claiming advances in the western region of Darfur, where an already dire humanitarian crisis has been worsening. On Sunday, the RSF said it took control of the Zamzam camp for displaced people near el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur state. The assault has killed dozens of people, including 23 children and nine aid workers, according to the UN. ‘Thousands of displaced trapped and cut off from aid’ The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on Monday that the fighting near el-Fasher, which has been under an RSF blockade, is hampering access to humanitarian assistance. “Thousands of displaced people are trapped & cut off from aid,” OCHA Sudan said in a social media post. “Hostilities must stop now. All those engaged in the conflict must ensure safe passage for civilians and humanitarian access.” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had condemned the attacks on civilians in and around el-Fasher, urging an end to the fighting. “The Secretary-General emphasizes that attacks directed against civilians and indiscriminate attacks are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law,” Guterres said in a statement issued via his spokesperson on Sunday. “Humanitarian relief personnel and medical personnel must be respected and protected. The perpetrators of these attacks must be brought to justice. Safe, unhindered and sustained access to the area, including the Zamzam camp, is urgently needed. Civilians who want to leave must be allowed to do so safely.” Advertisement In a joint statement on Monday, Egypt and Qatar also expressed “grave concerns over the ongoing armed conflict in the Sudan and emphasized the importance of an immediate cessation of military operations”. Warring rival generals But the violence continued on Monday. Al Jazeera Arabic quoted local sources in reporting that RSF fighters were shelling the Abu Shouk camp for displaced people outside el-Fasher. Sudan has seen growing instability since longtime President Omar al-Bashir was removed from power in 2019 after months of antigovernment protests. In October 2021, the Sudanese military staged a coup against the civilian government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, leading to his resignation in early 2022. Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his rival general Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the RSF, shared power after the coup but then started fighting for control of the state and its resources in April 2023. Davis Makori, humanitarian policy and advocacy specialist, highlighted the impact of the war on children – including psychological trauma, gender-based violence and inability to attend school – saying minors make up half of the civilians affected by the conflict. “While there are pockets of states in Sudan that are not actually active conflict zones, this humanitarian crisis has spread to almost every facet of life,” Makori told Al Jazeera. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,145
These are the key events on day 1,145 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Here is where things stand on Monday, April 13: Fighting At least 34 people were killed and another 117, including 11 children, were injured by a Russian missile attack on the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy, Ukraine’s state emergency service said. This was the deadliest attack on Ukraine this year. The Ukrainian Air Force said its units intercepted and destroyed 43 of 55 Russian drones launched at Ukraine overnight. The attacks reportedly targeted the northern, southern and central areas of Ukraine. Russian forces captured the village of Yelyzavetivka in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, Russia’s Ministry of Defence said. The Defence Ministry in Moscow said its units destroyed 12 Ukrainian drones over Russia’s Rostov region and one over the country’s Belgorod region. The Defence Ministry said Ukraine carried out two attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure over the past day despite a mutually agreed 30-day moratorium on energy strikes, according to the Interfax news agency. The ministry also said it had shot down a Ukrainian F-16 fighter aircraft, according to Interfax. Advertisement Politics and diplomacy Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for “strong pressure” on Russia to end its war against Kyiv after Moscow’s deadly attack on Sumy. He also said “only filthy scum” could act like this. United States President Donald Trump said he was told the attack on Sumy was a “mistake”, without elaborating, but that it was a “horrible thing”. French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned Russia’s attack on Sumy and called for strong measures to impose a ceasefire on Russia. The US special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, also condemned the “horrifying attack” and said it “crosses any line of decency”, while Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, said Russia committed a “serious war crime”. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for a “durable ceasefire”, noting a “devastating pattern of similar assaults on Ukrainian cities and towns in recent weeks”. Zelenskyy urged Trump to visit Ukraine to understand the gravity of destruction in the country at the hands of Russia. “You will understand what [Russian President Vladimir] Putin did,” he said. Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers, speaking at the annual Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye, accused each other’s countries of violating the energy strike moratorium. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia’s relations with the US were moving ahead, but that “reanimating relations from scratch is a very difficult task, requiring very intense diplomatic and other efforts”. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Video: Pregnant woman pulled from rubble after Israeli attack on north Gaza
[unable to retrieve full-text content] A pregnant woman was pulled alive from the rubble after an Israeli attack killed seven people.
Kyren Lacy: Ex-LSU player’s death an apparent suicide, authorities say
Police say the 24-year-old former LSU wide receiver self-inflicted a gunshot wound following a pursuit in Houston. Former Louisiana State University (LSU) receiver Kyren Lacy has died at the age of 24 in an apparent suicide in his car while being pursued by authorities in Houston, according to a Harrison County sheriff’s report released to the media. Lacy was already facing criminal charges stemming from a fatal car accident in Louisiana last December that had clouded his National Football League prospects. Harris County authorities say their pursuit of Lacy late on Saturday night ended when Lacy crashed. When officers approached the vehicle to extract Lacy, they say he had died in an apparent suicide, the report said on Sunday. Lacy was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders. “We’re saddened to learn of the tragic passing of former LSU football student-athlete Kyren Lacy,” LSU said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones, as well as his former teammates and coaches impacted by his passing.” Lacy, who led LSU in touchdowns receiving with nine last season, had declared for this month’s NFL draft. But his draft stock plummeted after his alleged involvement in an accident that killed a 78-year-old man in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. Advertisement Lacy, who was from Thibodaux, Louisiana, was allegedly driving recklessly – speeding and passing in a no-passing zone – when a motorist who was swerving to avoid Lacy’s Dodge Charger crashed head-on into another vehicle. Herman Hall of Thibodaux, who was involved in the head-on crash, died after being transported to a hospital, a state police report said. Authorities with Louisiana State Police Troop C said Lacy fled the scene of the accident without calling for help. He was booked with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run and reckless operation of a vehicle. Lacy played in 12 games for LSU last season and was second on the team in catches with 58 and yards receiving with 866. He declared for the NFL draft just days after the accident and did not play in LSU’s victory over Baylor in the Texas Bowl on December 31. LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy (2) runs through drills during the school’s NFL football pro day on March 26, 2025, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana [Gerald Herbert/AP] Adblock test (Why?)
Israel’s attack on al-Alhi Hospital in Gaza City draws global condemnation
A predawn Israeli strike on al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, the last major hospital providing critical healthcare in northern Gaza, has sparked condemnation in Palestine and across the world as Israel continues to attack healthcare facilities. Israel on Sunday claimed it struck a Hamas command and control centre at the hospital, without providing evidence, while Hamas denied the allegations. The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, which runs al-Ahli Hospital, condemned the attack, saying it occurred on “Palm Sunday, the start of the Holy Week, the most sacred week of the Christian year.” It said the twin strikes demolished the hospital’s two-storey genetic laboratory and damaged the pharmacy and the emergency department buildings. The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, which is affiliated with the Anglican Church, said the attack constituted “a grave violation of religious sanctity and fundamental principles of international humanitarian law”. The head of the committee, Ramzi Khoury, asserted that the attack was a direct affront to Palestinian Christians and the global Christian community. Advertisement Britain’s Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said in a statement on Sunday: “The Anglican-run Ahli Hospital in Gaza is a place of healing and care for Palestinians living through unimaginable suffering. In unbearable conditions, its heroic doctors and nurses have cared for civilians who have endured 18 months of devastating violence”. “For the only Christian hospital in Gaza to be attacked on Palm Sunday is especially appalling. I share in the grief of our Palestinian brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Jerusalem,” he said. Gaza’s Health Ministry said the bombing forced the evacuation of patients and staff. “We call on international institutions and relevant authorities to protect the health sector in accordance with international laws and agreements,” it said in a statement. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) said the “heinous aggression” was “part of a systematic series of attacks targeting hospitals, schools, shelters and tents for the displaced in Gaza, within the context of a systematic war of extermination that violates all humanitarian and moral standards”. PIJ blamed Israel for sowing panic among patients and staff by issuing a warning shortly before the strike. “The international silence on Gaza is forcing it to become a graveyard for law and humanity,” it added. A gurney lies amid the debris in the aftermath of an Israeli strike on the al-Ahli Hospital [AFP] International condemnation: ‘Attacks on health care must stop’ Hospitals have special protection under international law. Israel has besieged and raided them nevertheless, some several times, and struck multiple ones while accusing Hamas of using them as cover for its fighters. Last month, Israel struck Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, the largest hospital in southern Gaza, killing two people and causing a large fire. Advertisement Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the hospital was out of service and a child had died as a result of the disruption of care. The hospital was also forced to move 50 patients to other health centres, but 40 critical patients could not be moved, Tedros added. “Attacks on health care must stop,” the WHO chief wrote on X. “Once again we repeat: patients, health workers and hospitals must be protected. The aid blockade must be lifted. Ceasefire.” Al-Ahli hospital in #Gaza is out of service following this morning’s evacuation order and attack – @WHO has received an update from the hospital’s director. A child died due to disruption of care. The emergency room, laboratory, emergency room X-ray machines and the pharmacy… — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 13, 2025 British Foreign Minister David Lammy said Israel’s bombing of medical facilities had “comprehensively degraded access to healthcare” in the enclave. “Al-Ahli Hospital has been attacked repeatedly since the conflict began. These deplorable attacks must end. Diplomacy not more bloodshed is how we will achieve a lasting peace,” Lammy wrote on X. Qatar said the attack on the last functioning hospital in northern Gaza was a “horrific massacre and a heinous crime against civilians” that constituted a grave violation of international humanitarian law. The Foreign Ministry warned about the expansion of the cycle of violence across the region and said the international community must assume its responsibilities in protecting civilians. Advertisement Jordan also condemned the attack as well as Israel’s systematic targeting of civilians in Gaza and the destruction of vital facilities that provide essential services to its population. Egypt, too, issued a statement, calling the attack a grave violation of international humanitarian law and international norms and appealing for the international community’s intervention in halting the attacks. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock questioned the modalities of the strike but stopped short of condemning the attack. “The cruel Hamas terror must be combated. But international humanitarian law applies, with a special obligation to protect civilian areas. How can a hospital be evacuated in less than 20 minutes?” she asked in a post on X. Adblock test (Why?)
How the sick and injured fled as Israel bombed Gaza’s al-Ahli Hospital
Gaza City, Gaza – Yousef Abu Sakran was dozing next to his injured child and wife, Iman, in a tent ward at al-Ahli Arab Hospital when the sounds of people running and shouting woke him up. He stepped into the hospital courtyard well before dawn on Sunday to ask what was happening but found no clear answer, only vague news that the Israeli army had made calls to people living around the hospital, demanding the expulsion of everyone in the medical facility. The 29-year-old father reacted instantly. He scooped up his five-year-old son, Mohammad, and he and Iman ran towards the gate. Mohammad has severe injuries across his body, including third-degree burns on his back and legs, but Yousef had to keep running with him. “I was carrying my son, whose body was burned, and running while he screamed,” Yousef said. “His back was bleeding – his wounds were bleeding heavily – and he was screaming in agony. “[So many people’s] injuries reopened from the sudden movement. I saw the family of a girl with spinal injuries trying to pull her bed, but it was stuck in the debris. Advertisement “Just seconds after we left the hospital, it was struck by two missiles that shook the entire place. I told my wife: ‘Imagine if we had been a minute later. We’d be dead.’” A damaged gurney and rubble litter the area near the tent wards that al-Ahli had to set up to accommodate all its patients [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera] Where to go with an injured boy? Yousef and his wife were in the street with everyone else from the hospital. “It was around 2am, and I had no idea where to take my injured son. He was in pain and bleeding. There were no clinics or hospitals, and the tent we live in is very far and completely unsuitable for his condition.” Mohammad had been injured in an Israeli air strike on a block of homes in Gaza’s Shujayea neighbourhood, which killed more than 20 people and wounded dozens. An hour after the hospital was bombed, Yousef and his wife decided there was nothing they could do other than take Mohammad back to al-Ahli. “The place was pitch-black, and it reeked of gunpowder and dust. I went to the surgery building at the far end of the hospital, where I found a nurse who took pity on Mohammad’s condition, treated his wounds and admitted him.” Bombing a hospital like this, Yousef said, is a stain on humanity’s conscience. “They bomb our homes over our heads and then bomb hospitals while patients and the wounded are inside. Where are we supposed to go? “Isn’t all this grief and suffering enough?” Dragging himself out of danger Suhaib Hamed, 20, was asleep in another tent ward, right next to the hospital’s emergency building, which was hit. Advertisement Hamed was injured when he went to fetch flour for his starving family on February 29, 2024 – a day known as the “Flour Massacre“, during which Israel killed 109 Palestinians and wounded dozens while they waited for food aid. He was shot in the leg by Israeli tanks, damaging his bones and tissue to the point that he needed metal implants and has been in the orthopaedic department since then. “My brother, who usually stays with me, wasn’t there. I don’t even know how I managed to stand on my injured leg, grab my crutches and flee,” Suhaib told Al Jazeera as he exited the surgery department after having the wounds to his leg cleaned and checked. “I forgot my pain because of what I saw around me. Everyone was screaming in terror and fear, just trying to survive. It felt like the Day of Judgement.” Suhaib also managed to get out of the hospital minutes before two Israeli missiles landed. “My leg couldn’t handle it any more, and my wound reopened and started bleeding again.” He couldn’t keep walking, so he stopped and called his brother, who came and supported him to their home in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, a half-hour’s walk for a healthy person on undamaged roads. Two members of al-Ahli Arab Hospital’s staff examine what’s left of its emergency department after Israel bombed it on April 13, 2025 [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera] The pain in his leg kept Suhaib up, but he was also worried about the hospital being forced to close. “I’ve been staying in the hospital [for more than a year] because of my condition,” he said. Suhaib has a medical referral to travel outside Gaza for treatment but has been waiting to leave for a year. Advertisement “Isn’t the closure and banning of our travel enough? They even target the hospital that was still treating us with the little that’s available.” Making a catastrophic situation worse The Israeli strike on al-Ahli has exacerbated an already catastrophic situation for Gaza’s healthcare system, which has been collapsing as Israeli bombardments and a blockade on medicines, medical supplies and fuel continues. In the panic that ensued because Israel did not give hospital staff even the bare minimum of time to evacuate patients, a child died due to lack of oxygen, Fadel Naeem, director of al-Ahli, told Al Jazeera. Israel destroyed the vital emergency, radiology, laboratory and central pharmacy departments, the doctor continued. “We’ll need weeks or months to resume operations,” he noted. “This hospital is a hub for services and includes all essential facilities, including the only CT scan machine available. “The fate of patients and the wounded is now unknown. We’ll have to distribute them to other hospitals, but no hospital is equipped to provide full services.” Adblock test (Why?)
Will elections in Gabon lead to change?
The leader of a 2023 coup, Brice Oligui Nguema, wins in a landslide victory in Gabon. General Brice Oligui Nguema has just won Saturday’s election in Gabon, and will lead the country for the next seven years. Gabon is among seven west and central African countries where the military has seized power in recent years. When the army overthrew the president there in 2023, it ended 56 years of rule by the Bongo dynasty. The winner, Nguema, is the army general who led that military takeover. He now says he’ll bring democratic changes and reforms. But can he deliver on his promises? Presenter: Adrian Finighan Guests Jo Dioumy Moubassango – Member of Gabon’s Parliament and a former government official Victor Doke – Lecturer on international politics, peace and security at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre Abdullahi Boru Halakhe – Africa security and policy analyst Arnauld Engandji – Special adviser to the Gabonese president and his official spokesperson Adblock test (Why?)
The Zimbabwean singer who found fame in China – and obscurity at home
Harare, Zimbabwe – It was 2017 and Jo Stak – wearing a red tuxedo jacket, a bow tie and a homburg hat – was belting out a Mandarin song. Red and yellow lights shimmered around him as a crowd of cheering, flag-waving fans on the Chinese version of The Voice gave a standing ovation at the end of his act. Stak’s melodious rendition of a 1992 Chinese song called The World Needs Warm Hearts was broadcast on national television. “I was invited to perform at The Voice as a guest performer that year,” Stak recalls. The prime-time spot reflected how well-known he’d become in China. On Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, he had about five million followers. He’d appeared on some of the country’s biggest television stations. Fans stopped him on the street to ask for a photo or just have a chat. The Zimbabwean singer was riding high. “Being Black in China makes you stand out naturally,” he explains. “And I was a musician [so that] made me stand out more.” The people who stopped him were often impressed that a foreigner would sing in Mandarin. People walk along Shanghai’s Bund waterfront on a hot day [File: Aly Song/Reuters] Some ‘big deal’ Today, in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare, Joe Takawira – Stak’s real name – is an inconspicuous figure walking down a street in Budiriro 5, the working class suburb where he was born and raised. In 2019, after seven years in China, his work visa expired, and he returned home. Advertisement Sporting his signature beard, grey sweatpants, sneakers and a black T-shirt, he lights a cigarette. He saunters past street vendors selling fresh produce and condiments, stops at a corner to chat with a friend, then goes about his day. Whenever he runs into someone he knows, he greets them with a fist bump and a toothy grin. When he’s at home, Stak listens to instrumental music and writes songs in Mandarin. “This is how I spend my time in Budiriro,” he says, shrugging. It feels a long way from China and the career he enjoyed there. He has not found the same acclaim back home. Even his neighbours had no idea about his previous life. Clemence Kadzomba, who runs a tyre shop in Stak’s neighbourhood, had no idea who his neighbour was until some of his clients who were among the 20,000 Zimbabweans living in China recognised him. “I couldn’t believe it,” 43-year-old Kadzomba says, grinning. “They were so excited to see him, like he was some big deal. And yet, here he was, just hanging out with us like it was nothing.” Stak stands with fans outside a club in Shanghai in 2019 [Courtesy of Jo Stak] Unexpected journey to stardom Stak’s musical journey has its roots in the Methodist church-run school he attended as a teenager. He sang in his church choir, something he loved, and was part of a group of students who recorded a gospel album. The album did well, and some of the songs have close to a million views on YouTube. Music runs in his family, says Stak, the middle of three brothers. His older brother wrote songs at school while the youngest brother plays the piano. Advertisement After graduating, Stak enrolled to study Mandarin in China in 2012, motivated by his love for Chinese culture, which began as a boy watching Jackie Chan’s action films. He was 20 years old when he moved to Shanghai. This came at a time when Zimbabwe was pivoting away from the West with the late leader Robert Mugabe’s “Look East” policy, adopted in response to United States and European Union sanctions after a 2002 presidential election marred by violence. Mugabe opened Zimbabwe’s doors to Asia, leading to an influx of Chinese investment as more Zimbabweans headed to China to work or study. By 2014, Stak was proficient in Mandarin and started posting videos of himself singing in Mandarin to Douyin. “I wanted to explore music in a different language,” he explains as he lights a cigarette and sits back in his chair on the red-floored veranda of his house. He would sing R&B, hip-hop and pop songs in Mandarin and English and started to get booked for gigs. “My first gig was at Yuyingtang, a music bar in Shanghai,” he recalls. He says the venue wasn’t very big but he made $1,500 – enough to pay for his food and accommodation for months. That gig made him realise he could make money from his talent, and it marked the start of his career as a professional pop singer in China. After that, he played at music bars, festivals, weddings and nightclubs – performing mostly in Mandarin. Of the 37 songs he recorded, one was in the top 10 on the Chinese music streaming service Baidu Music. “It meant a lot to me,” Stak says excitedly, although it earned him only 5,000 yuan ($865). Advertisement Then in 2017, he joined the Foundation Band, a group of musicians from Africa, the US and Europe that performed Chinese and Western pop music and hip-hop at weddings and nightclubs. As the lead vocalist, he caught the attention of Chinese television networks, leading to performances on major stations. “I was surprised by my success in China,” Stak admits. Life there was good. His daily routine consisted mainly of “eating, singing and drinking”. His favourite dish was hotpot – a meal for which diners cook raw ingredients like seafood and tofu in a shared pot of broth at the table. “Even now, when I miss it, I go to Chinese restaurants,” he says. He’d perform at night, and during the day, he’d roam along Shanghai’s historic waterfront with its colonial-era architecture and rooftop bars. Stak made good money. “They pay artists well – I mean 1,000 US dollars minimum for a 10-minute show.” But he also felt accepted and at home in China, where he says the music industry welcomes foreign talent and invests in it. Unlike many
Tanzania’s main opposition Chadema party barred from upcoming elections
A treason charge and the exclusion of the main opposition draw attention before October polls in Tanzania. Tanzania’s electoral commission has barred the main opposition party, Chadema, from contesting presidential and parliamentary elections due to take place later this year. The Independent National Elections Commission (INEC) announced the decision on Saturday, stating that the party failed to sign a mandatory code of conduct agreement by the required deadline for the polls expected to take place in October. “Any party that did not sign the code of conduct will not participate in the general election,” said Ramadhani Kailima, the commission’s director of elections, adding that the disqualification extends to all by-elections until 2030. There was no immediate response from Chadema. The announcement comes days after Chadema leader Tundu Lissu was charged with treason, accused of inciting rebellion and attempting to stop the elections from going ahead. Prosecutors claimed he urged the public to take action against the vote, though he was not permitted to enter a plea. The charge carries the possibility of a death sentence. Advertisement Lissu, a former presidential candidate, has long been a vocal critic of the governing Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party and its leader, President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is seeking a second term. Chadema had already warned it would boycott the polls unless meaningful electoral reforms were introduced. Earlier on Saturday, the party confirmed it would not attend the signing ceremony for the electoral code of conduct, describing the move as part of its broader campaign to push for changes in how elections are conducted. The disqualification of Chadema and the treason case against its leader are expected to raise new questions about the state of democracy in the East African nation. Human rights organisations and opposition groups have accused the government of clamping down on dissent, citing a pattern of unexplained abductions and killings of political activists. President Hassan’s government has denied any role in these alleged abuses and maintains it is committed to upholding human rights. CCM has repeatedly rejected accusations of undermining the opposition or manipulating the electoral process. Adblock test (Why?)
Volkanovski beats Lopes; reclaims UFC featherweight title in front of Trump
Alexander Volkanovski has reclaimed the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight championship after defeating Diego Lopes by unanimous decision at UFC 314 in Miami, where United States President Donald Trump was in attendance. Two judges scored the fight 49-46 and the third had it 48-47 as the Australian mixed martial arts fighter won the title early Sunday. Volkanovski (27-4) had successfully defended his belt four times before losing to Israel Makhachev on February 11, 2023. “It’s good to be back,” Volkanovski said after the win. As for Lopes, he gave his full respect to the champion but wanted the crowd to know this was not the end of the journey. “It was an honour to share the Octagon with Alexander Volkanovski,” Lopes said. “I’ll be back.” Trump, a longtime friend of UFC President and CEO Dana White, as well as a fan of the sport, watched from the front row. Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal approached Trump and shook his hand. Cabinet officials Tulsi Gabbard, Marco Rubio and Robert F Kennedy Jr also were in attendance as was X owner and White House adviser Elon Musk. US President Donald Trump attends UFC 314 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida [Megan Briggs/Getty Images via AFP] Volkanovski, despite getting cut below his right eye in the second and being floored by an overhand right in that round, dominated the first three rounds. But Lopes’s glove caught Volkanovski’s other eye in the fourth round and then pounced, but failed to put him away. Advertisement That set up the fifth round and, barring a knockout, Volkanovski appeared on his way to victory even though Lopes spent much of the fight verbally challenging him and inviting him to box. Theatrics to the contrary, Volkanovski was the aggressor. Volkanovski had hoped to get another shot at Ilia Topuria and avenge his loss from more than a year ago at UFC 298. But Topuria moved up to the lightweight division, leaving the featherweight class vacant. In stepped Lopes, the third-ranked challenger, to take on Volkanovski. This was the 10th consecutive title fight for the 36-year-old top-ranked contender Volkanovski. Lopes, 30, was in his first title bout. Volkanovski ended Lopes’s five-match winning streak. Volkanovski had plenty of reasons for wanting to get to work. He took an extended layoff after losing in February 2024 to Topuria. More than that, he was coming off defeats in three of his past four fights, including losing the two most recent matches. All four fights occurred in less than a year, so he was much more rested. Alexander Volkanovski (red gloves) ended Diego Lopes’s five-match winning streak with his title win during UFC 314 [Sam Navarro/Imagn Images via Reuters] In the co-main event, lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett continued this rise with a technical knockout of Michael Chandler after three minutes and seven seconds in the third round. Plimbett, a 30-year-old from Liverpool, United Kingdom, has won all seven of his bouts since moving to the organisation, giving him a 23-3 record overall. Advertisement “I want that world title,” Pimblett said. “Some say I’ll never be champ, I’ll never get run, I’ll never be in the top 10. But what now?” At nearly 39, Chandler has some decisions to make after winning just two of his most recent seven bouts. He is 23-10. Featherweight Bryce Mitchell, who fought for the first time since praising Adolf Hitler and denying the Holocaust on a podcast, was also on the card. He later backed off his comments, and though White heavily criticised Mitchell, he did not discipline him. Mitchell was little match for Jean Silva in their featherweight fight. Silva won by submission with a guillotine choke with a minute left in the second round. Adblock test (Why?)