What I expect to see in a young president come 2019 – Babangida

The heads of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, and Conmebol, Alejandro Domínguez, signed on Thursday, together with the presidents of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, and Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, the first act of the 2030 World Cup, which will mark the celebration of the centenary of this competition.

The country's ruling junta is stepping up cooperation with Moscow, after expelling French troops last year. Also in the programme, at least three people have been killed in a shootout between militiamen and police in the Ethiopian capital. Among the dead are fighters from a rebel militia known as Fano. Plus, the art of remembering: painters in Rwanda are keeping the memory of genocide victims alive by drawing their inspiration from photographs.

The global economy has so far shrugged off the Iranian strike on Israel. Important markets like oil had already priced in a possible attack, while gold and stock markets only moved slightly.

The global defense budget saw its largest yearly increase in 14 years in 2023, according to the think tank SIPRI. Russia's war in Ukraine, the China-Taiwan crisis and other global conflicts played a significant role.

Hundreds of thousands of Colombians took to the streets on Sunday to protest the reform agenda of the left-wing government of Gustavo Petro, whose popularity is now at an all-time low. Shouts of "Petro out!" echoed on the streets of cities across the nation. Despite rain, some 70,000 people marched in the national capital of Bogota, according to city government estimates, waving national flags and blowing on trumpets.

The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Patrice Motsepe discussed his ambitions for African football and his tenure as CAF president.