Furious Ronaldo ditches captain’s armband, storms off pitch after being denied last-second Portugal winner

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March 29, 2021

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo tore off his armband in anger and went straight to the dressing room after seeing his last-minute winner against Serbia ignored in Saturday’s World Cup qualifier.

The Juventus ace thought that he had salvaged victory for the visitors after they had squandered a two-goal lead.

But his strike was wrongly deemed to have not crossed the line, leaving a relieved Serbia to celebrate a 2-2 draw while Portugal raged at the match officials.

▪︎What happened?

Having opened their qualifying campaign with a 1-0 win over Azerbaijan, the reigning European champions were hoping to make it six points out of six on Saturday.

Diogo Jota proved key, scoring both goals to put the Selecao comfortably ahead before half-time.

Serbia did not give up, though, netting through Aleksandar Mitrovic and Filip Kostic after the break to level the game.

All those efforts, though, looked set to end in vain when Ronaldo squeezed the ball over the line in the dying seconds, despite Mitrovic’s desperate efforts to clear.

But while television replays showed that the ball had clearly crossed, no goal was forthcoming; and Ronaldo, who had already wheeled away in celebration, began remonstrating with the linesman while play continued around him.

The forward earned a yellow card for his troubles and stormed off the pitch even before the final whistle sounded, tossing his captain’s armband onto the floor for good measure.

▪︎Where is the technology?

Such incidents have been largely consigned to the past in elite football due to the advent of goal-line technology.

The system, which helps officials determine whether the ball has fully crossed the line, first appeared at the World Cup in 2014 and even earlier in certain national leagues, although UEFA were slower to adopt it, finally using the technology for Euro 2016 and the following Champions League campaign.

Neither goal-line technology nor VAR are in place in the qualifiers, however, meaning Ronaldo continues to seek his first goal of the campaign after also drawing a blank against Azerbaijan

German Union Calls 4-Day Strike At Amazon Sites Ahead Of Easter

By

Zoe Maven

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March 28, 2021

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The trade union Verdi has called for workers at six Amazon sites in Germany to go on strike from Sunday evening for four days to try to force the U.S. e-commerce group to recognise collective bargaining agreements.

Verdi said the strikes at Amazon’s sites in Rheinberg, Werne, Koblenz, Leipzig and at two locations in Bad Hersfeld signalled an “unofficial start” to wage talks for the retail and mail order industry, which are due to begin in the next few weeks.

Germany is Amazon’s biggest market after the United States and Verdi is demanding a pay increase of 4.5% for workers in the retail and mail order industry.

Verdi representative Orhan Akman stated that Amazon was making a mint in the coronavirus crisis and for that reason alone, wage evasion must be stopped.

But Amazon says it offers excellent pay and benefits stating that during past calls for strikes over 90% of employees in the logistic centres worked as normal.

Amazon has faced a long-running battle with unions in Germany over better pay and conditions for logistics workers, who have frequently staged strikes since 2013.

Dembélé inspires France to 2-0 win over Kazakhstan

By

Zoe Maven

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March 28, 2021

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Ousmane Dembele inspired France to a 2-0 victory over Kazakhstan on Sunday in their second match in World Cup qualifying Group D to mark a successful return to the world champions’ team.

Four days after being held 1-1 by Ukraine at the Stade de France, the French built their win in the first half with Sergiy Maliy’s own goal adding to Dembele’s opener before Kylian Mbappe missed a second-half penalty.

France moved top of the standings with four points, ahead of Bosnia, who they face away on Wednesday, Ukraine and Finland.

Ukraine host Finland later on Sunday. Kazakhstan have zero points after playing their first game of the campaign.

France midfielder Paul Pogba said Kazakhstan proved to be worthy opponents on an artificial pitch in a covered stadium.

Only captain Hugo Lloris and Antoine Griezmann remained from the team who started against Ukraine, with the Barcelona forward setting a new record of 45 consecutive starts for Les Bleus.

He beat the previous mark of Patrick Vieira, who started 44 games in a row between 1999 and 2002.

It was Griezmann’s club team mate Dembele who broke the deadlock on 20 minutes with a right-footed shot after being set up by Anthony Martial following a defence-splitting pass from Pogba.

Dembele returned to the France side as a second-half substitute against Ukraine, more than two years after his previous cap in November, 2018.

His third international goal from 23 appearances, his first since a 3-1 friendly win against Italy in June, 2018, came as a welcome boost less than two months before coach Deschamps names his squad for this year’s European Championship.

(From Reuters)

Switzerland’s Town Votes To Decide Its Fate Of Nationality

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Zoe Maven

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March 28, 2021

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Residents of a small town located in northwestern Switzerland, Moutier, have voted in a referendum to decide whether they will be citizens of Germany or France.

The town of Moutier has a population of 7,500 and the debate on whether the town should remain a part of the German-speaking canton or join the French-speaking one has been a testy issue decades.

In 1978, when Switzerland established a French-speaking canton of Jura, a handful of districts opted to stay with the German-speaking Bern, including the town Moutier.

But separatist administrations have been hoping to break away from Bern for a long now, insisting the town would progress more as a part of the French-speaking canton of Jura.

Before this, a referendum was put to vote in 2017 in which only a small number of people voted to join the Jura but the poll had to be overturned because of electoral irregularities.

This time, the security forces took the charge of assuring that there are no irregularities in this year’s vote.

Indonesian President Condemns Suicide Attack On Church

By

Zoe Maven

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March 28, 2021

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Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo has ‘strongly condemned a Suicide Attack at Church in Makassar city on Sulawesi Island calling it an act of terror.

Widodo said Terrorism is a crime against humanity and called on everyone to fight against terror and radicalism, which go against religious values.

According to Authorities, two suspects were killed as they rode a motorbike into the compound of the church on Sunday, wounding 20 as worshippers as they celebrated the start of Holy Week.

Reports also said twenty church officials, congregants and security staff were injured by debris from the blast and Forensic investigators have been looking over the scene to determine the identities of the attackers.

Speaking with reporters in the capital Jakarta Indonesia’s chief security minister Mahfud MD confirmed the suicide bombing happened around 10:30 am local time (0330 GMT).

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Churches have been targeted in the past by extremists in Indonesia, which is the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation as well as home to several religious groups including Christians, Buddhists and Hindus.

Match Day 5 results in 2021 AFCON Qualifiers

By

Emenike Agu

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March 28, 2021

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Below is the result of a Match Day 5 fixture played in Group L of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers, played on Saturday in Maseru:

With Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021 Qualifiers reaching its final Match Day, here’s how it stands in the qualifiers 12 groups.

Group A

Both Mali and Guinea qualified to Cameroon 2021.
Chad is disqualified while Namibia is eliminated.

Group B

Burkina Faso guaranteed their spot in next year’s finals. South Sudan is eliminated.

Uganda (8 points) and Malawi (7) battle for the second group slot. They face each other in Blantyre, where draw is enough for Uganda to qualify while Malawi needs a win.

Group C

Ghana qualified for the finals, while Sao Tome and Principe are eliminated.

South Africa (10 points) and Sudan (9) are still in the race. They lock horns in Omdurman, where Sudan must win to qualify while South Africa needs a point.

Group D

Gabon and Gambia qualified. DR Congo and Angola are eliminated.

Group E

Morocco qualified to the finals.

Mauritania (6 points), Burundi (5) and Central African Republic (4) battle for the second ticket.

Central African Republic hosts Mauritania in Bangui while Burundi plays Morocco in Rabat.

– Burundi qualifies only if they win coupled with Mauritania failing to win.

– Central African Republic qualifies only if they win, coupled with Burundi failing to win.

Group F

Cameroon qualified automatically as hosts.

Cape Verde (7 points), Rwanda (5) and Mozambique (4) are in the race for the second ticket.

Mozambique hosts Cape Verde in Maputo while Cameroon and Rwanda face in Douala.

– Cape Verde qualifies if they win, or draw with Rwanda failing to win.

Rwanda qualifies only if they win coupled with Cape Verde losing.

– In case of Rwanda winning and Cape Verde having a draw, goal difference will determine who qualifies, as the head-to-head between them is 0-0 in aggregate. Goal difference is currently Cape Verde (+2) and Rwanda (-2).

– Mozambique only qualifies if they win coupled with Rwanda failing to win.

Group G

Egypt and Comoros qualified. Kenya and Togo are eliminated.

Group H

Algeria and Zimbabwe qualified. Botswana and Zambia are eliminated.

Group I

Senegal qualified, Eswatini are eliminated.

Congo (8 points) and Guinea-Bissau (6) battle for the second ticket. They lock horns in Bissau where the hosts need a win to qualify, while just a draw is enough for Congo to go through.

Group J

Tunisia and Equatorial Guinea qualified. Tanzania and Libya are eliminated.

Group K

Cote d’Ivoire qualified; Niger is eliminated.

Ethiopia (9 points) and Madagascar (7) battle for second spot. Madagascar entertains Niger while Ethiopia is away to Cote d’Ivoire.

A draw is enough for Ethiopia to qualify as they enjoy a better head-to-head result with Madagascar, who will only qualify if they win and Ethiopia lose.

Group L

Nigeria qualified, Lesotho is eliminated.

Benin (7 points) and Sierra Leone (4) are still in the race. They lock horns in Freetown.

A draw sees Benin through, while Sierra Leone needs a win to qualify

Lake Chad: Chadian President Urges Nigerian Counterpart To Convene International Summit

By

Angel Gimalo

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March 27, 2021

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Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday said the restoration of Lake Chad will help to reduce the irregular migration of youths striving to get into Europe through the Sahara Desert.

He made the remark while hosting the President of Chad, Marshal Idris Deby Itno, at the State House in Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power.

According to the President, about 30 million people are adversely affected by a shrunken Lake Chad, which is now just about ten percent of its original size.

He added that with inter-basin water transfer, farming, fishing, animal husbandry would resume, and curtail irregular migration of youths, who now dare the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea, to get into Europe, seeking greener pastures, the statement noted.

On the recharge of Lake Chad, Chadian President Itno counseled Buhari to consider convening an international summit to move the idea forward.

Meanwhile, Buhari appreciated Chad for its role in curbing insurgency in the region, particularly the Boko Haram challenge.

Excitement Short-Lived As Boko Haram Throws Maiduguri Into Darkness Again

By

Angel Gimalo

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March 27, 2021

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Boko Haram terrorists has reportedly blown up a power tower in Maiduguri on March 27, 2021.

Barely three days after electricity was restored in Maiduguri, Boko Haram terrorists have plunged the North-East city into darkness again after blowing up a power tower on Saturday.

It took power authorities almost two months to repair the damage inflicted in January as the insurgents laid land mines, which injured officials of the Transmission Company of Nigeria when repairs commenced.

Repairs had to progress under heavy military escort, as residents and business owners turned to alternative power generating sets for electricity.

Last Wednesday, residents expressed elation after electricity from the national grid was restored.

But that elation now seems short-lived after Saturday’s attack.

Foreign Direct Investment, Key Driver Of Vietnam’s Economic Growth

By

Angel Gimalo

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March 27, 2021

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Vietnam received $4.1 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first three months of 2021, up 6.5% from a year earlier, government data showed on Saturday.

FDI has been a key driver of Vietnam’s economic growth. Companies with investment from foreign firms account for about 70% of the southeast Asian country’s exports.

FDI pledges — which indicate the size of future FDI disbursements — rose 18.5% from a year earlier to $10.13 billion in the January-March period, the government said in a statement.

it added that of the pledges, 49.6% would go to manufacturing and processing, while 38.9% are to be invested in electricity distribution.

Singapore was the top source of FDI pledges in the period, followed by Japan and South Korea.

Boeing Co Resumes Deliveries Of Its 787 Dreamliner Jets

By

Angel Gimalo

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March 27, 2021

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Boeing Co has resumed deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner jets, handing over one plane to United Airlines, an initial step as the U.S. planemaker works through production defects that sidelined dozens of aircraft.

Last week, Boeing remained on course to resume deliveries of a few 787s this month, which a Boeing spokeswoman said remained the goal.

The delivery from its South Carolina factory comes as Boeing undertakes painstaking repairs and forensic inspections to fix structural integrity flaws embedded deep inside dozens of 787s, issues which halted deliveries since October, cutting off a key source of cash.

The inspections and retrofits could take up to a month per plane and are likely to cost hundreds of millions – if not billions – of dollars, depending on the number of planes across the fleet that are impacted and the defects involved.