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Futbol

Liverpool Title Push Back On Track - But When Can They Win It?

Liverpool are on the brink of the Premier League title after their late 2-1 win against West Ham on Sunday moved them 13 points clear at the top. Arne Slot's side bounced back from last weekend's defeat at Fulham - their first in 26 league games - thanks to goals from Luis Diaz and Virgil van Dijk. It means the Reds need just six points from their remaining six games to secure a record-equalling 20th top-flight title. That would put the Merseysiders on 82 points, with second-placed Arsenal only able to reach 81 even if they won all of their remaining games. But Liverpool could win the league as soon as this Sunday. If Arsenal lose at Ipswich in the day's early game (14:00 BST) then the Reds will be champions with a victory at Leicester (16:30). If Arsenal draw, then a Liverpool win would all-but-seal the title as they would be 15 points clear with 15 to play for, and with a vastly superior goal difference. If both teams match each other's result then Arsenal would have to avoid defeat at home to Crystal Palace on 23 April (20:00) to delay Liverpool's coronation. Even if Arsenal win, Liverpool would claim the title with a home win over Tottenham on 27 April. We've all heard the accusations and whispers this season from rival fans, haven't we? 'This Liverpool team isn't actually that great.' 'The Premier League is a poor league this season.' 'Liverpool's class of 2024-25 wouldn't have won the title in another season.' How fair is this, though? Firstly, it has to be said Liverpool's usual rivals are not having their best seasons. Defending champions Manchester City are on track for their worst campaign under Pep Guardiola, Manchester United are set for their worst season in Premier League history, Arsenal are 11 points adrift of their points tally at this stage of last season, while Tottenham and Chelsea have suffered their own struggles as well. It's been a good season for Liverpool to hit full stride then. And Slot's men have certainly done that. Even if Arsenal were on the 74 points they had reached at this stage last season, when they were top of the table, Liverpool would still be two points ahead of them. Arsenal's much-lauded Invincibles finished their title-winning campaign on 90 points back in 2004. Slot's men need 15 points from six games to beat that. In 32 Premier League seasons, only 14 sides have reached that mark and one of them - Manchester United in 1993-94 - did so in a 42-game season. Liverpool are also the only side to get 90-plus points and not win the title - doing so twice under Jurgen Klopp - meaning only 12 of the previous 31 league-winning sides posted in 90 points or more. You can only beat what is front of you and Liverpool have done just that in formidable style. 20 April: Leicester (A) 27 April: Tottenham (H) 4 May: Chelsea (A) 11 May: Arsenal (H) 18 May: Brighton (A) 25 May: Crystal Palace (H)

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News_Naija

LP Senator May Defect To APC Soon, Says Okpebholos Aide

The Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, on Political Mobilisation and Engagement, Eugene Utubor, on Wednesday, said that the defection of Labour Party Senator Neda Imasuen to the All Progressives Congress is imminent. Utubor, who met with Imasuen on Tuesday night in Benin, stated that the senator is inclined to join the APC, adding that efforts are underway to ensure he strengthens the party’s ranks both at the national and state levels. The Labour Party in the state, as well as at the national level, has been embroiled in a prolonged leadership crisis and internal factionalism. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges has, on several occasions, avoided questions regarding his continued membership of the Labour Party due to the ongoing turmoil within the party. Utubor said, “I can tell you that Senator Neda Imasuen will join the All Progressives Congress in the coming days. I was with him on Tuesday, and his body language speaks volumes. “Imasuen believes that the governor has performed remarkably well in such a short time, and it is crucial that we unite to support the governor’s vision for our people. “He has encouraged every well-meaning Edo citizen to rally behind the governor as he works diligently for our collective progress.” In recent times, Imasuen has been frequently seen at public functions alongside notable APC leaders in Edo State. He is said to maintain a cordial relationship with members of the ruling party in the state.

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News_Naija

Oborevwori, Okowa, Others Dump PDP For APC

Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, the immediate past governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and all members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State have defected to the All Progressives Congress. The announcement was made on Wednesday in Asaba, the Delta State capital, by Senator James Manager, shortly after a meeting that lasted over six hours at Government House, Asaba. Manager stated, “All PDP members in the state, including the governor, former Governor Okowa, the Speaker, the state party chairman, all the local government chairmen and others, have agreed to move to the APC. “We cannot continue to be in a sinking boat,” he said. The Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr Aniagwu Charles, officially confirmed the governor’s defection and the collective decision of Delta PDP leaders and stakeholders to join the APC. “There is a need for us to adjust our drinking patterns. And in adjusting that drinking pattern, we needed to make a decision that would further help to cement the development in our state, to build the court of law that has existed in our state, to further advance the cause of security and the welfare of our people, and, to a large extent, ensure that development in Delta is not truncated,” Aniagwu stated. He continued, “In taking that decision, we concluded that leaving the PDP was very necessary for us to be able to collaborate and build a state that every Deltan will be proud of. We believe that what is happening, and the state of the PDP, is akin to that palm wine whose taste has changed — and there was a need for us to change the drinking party.” Charles added that the decision was unanimously made by party leaders and stakeholders, hinting at a formal public declaration soon. “By the grace of God, on Monday next week, we will be able to make a very big statement confirming that we are moving into the APC,” he said. The move marks a significant turning point in Delta State politics, signalling a broader political recalibration that could reshape party dominance in the South-South region.

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Worldnews

Pakistan Announces Retaliatory Measures Against India After Kashmir Attack

The tit-for-tat measures come after gunmen killed at least 26 people in Indian-administered Kashmir on Tuesday. Pakistan has announced a series of retaliatory diplomatic moves against India and demanded evidence to back up the Indian government’s claims that Islamabad was involved in the Kashmir attack. Suspected rebels killed at least 26 people on Tuesday in the picturesque tourist resort of Pahalgam in the deadliest such attack in a quarter-century in Indian-administered Kashmir. A statement issued in the name of The Resistance Front (TRF), which is believed to be an offshoot of the Pakistani-based Lashkar-e-Taiba armed group, claimed responsibility for the attack. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised in a speech on Thursday to hunt the Pahalgam gunmen to the “ends of the earth”. New Delhi has also suspended India’s participation in a water-sharing agreement and sealed its main land border with Pakistan among other retaliatory measures. On Thursday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also paused a canal irrigation project, a day after India withdrew from the Indus Waters Treaty in a move that has caused concern about Pakistan’s water supplies. In a statement released by his office, Sharif said that while Pakistan is concerned about the loss of the tourists’ lives [in Indian-administered Kashmir], “the Committee reviewed the Indian measures announced on 23 April 2025 and termed them unilateral, unjust, politically motivated, extremely irresponsible and devoid of legal merit.” “In the absence of any credible investigation and verifiable evidence, attempts to link the Pahalgam attack with Pakistan are frivolous, devoid of rationality and defeat logic,” the statement added. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif later told Al Jazeera, “I refute, strongly refute, the allegations levelled by the Indian government,” and added that the country has “no connection” with armed groups operating in Indian-administered Kashmir. Islamabad has also announced the impending closure of the Wagah border with India, but said it will remain open until April 30. All Indian citizens, excluding Sikh pilgrims, were ordered to leave in 48 hours. Pakistan also suspended visas issued to Indians under the SAARC programme, reduced the Indian High Commission staff in Islamabad to 30 and closed its airspace to all Indian aircraft, while all trade activities with India were suspended. Reporting from Haripur in Pakistan, Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder said it was a “tit-for-tat response”. “All eyes will be on what India does next, because Modi has been saying that there will be a swift response. He’s meeting his party leaders in India, so that will be important,” he said. “But Islamabad has not minced its words, either, by saying that any military response will be met reciprocally from the Pakistani side as well,” he added. Pakistan and India both claim Kashmir in its entirety but administer parts of it separately. On Thursday, Police in India-administered Kashmir released sketches and announced a reward for information about three suspects believed to be behind Tuesday’s deadly attack. A reward of 2 million Indian rupees (about $23,000) has been offered for any information leading to their capture. Police say the suspects are members of the group Lashkar-e-Taiba; they have been named as Hashim Musa (alias Sulaiman), Ali Bhai (alias Talha Bhai), and Adil Hussain Thoker. According to police, Musa and Bhai are believed to be Pakistani nationals. Thoker, also known as Adil Guree, is a resident of Kashmir, and investigators have linked him to the attack based on testimony from the wife of one of the victims. A senior police official told Al Jazeera that more than 1,500 people have been detained for questioning in connection with the continuing investigation. The region remains tense with heightened security and unease widespread across the region, two days after the Pahalgam attack. But shops and businesses began reopening following a shutdown observed in protest yesterday. Local trade bodies and political leaders had called for the shutdown as they took to the streets to condemn the deadly assault. “Everything looks gloomy. We don’t know what the future holds for this place,” said Mehraj Ahmad Malik, who sells dried fruits in the main city of Srinagar. “Everything was abuzz two days ago, and now there is fear and silence.” Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed deep sorrow over the recent attack in Pahalgam, acknowledging the loss of “25 guests who came here to enjoy their vacation” and praising a resident who “sacrificed his life to save the people there”. “The people of Kashmir came out and voiced the same thing: that they were not involved and the attack was not for them,” he told India’s ANI news agency. “Please don’t think that Kashmiris are your enemies; we are not guilty of it … We have also suffered for the last 35 years.” Follow Al Jazeera English:...