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Futbol

Josh Sargent kept Norwich City's Championship play-off hopes alive with a dramatic added-time winner against West Brom at Carrow Road. It was a first victory in five games for Johannes Hoff Thorup's side, while the sixth-placed Baggies were beaten for the first time in seven. They have not won away from home since November and came closest to a goal in the first half when Mason Holgate's effort was disallowed for offside. Sargent was denied by Joe Wildsmith early in the game, but the Baggies keeper could not keep out his late shot after the US international was played through by substitute Marcelino Nunez. The win lifted Norwich up three places to 10th and cut the gap between them and West Brom to five points, with seven games to play. In the build-up to the game, Canaries head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup insisted that he and the Norwich squad still believed a repeat of last season's run to the play-offs was possible. They had Scotland's Angus Gunn back in goal following a hamstring injury, but were without left-back Callum Doyle because of a calf problem, while West Brom made two changes with Callum Styles and Tom Fellows included in the starting XI. The visitors were first to threaten with Gunn fumbling Karlan Grant's shot just wide of the post and away for a corner but then getting down superbly to his right to keep out a Torbjorn Heggem header. Norwich responded quickly with Borza Sainz putting Sargent through for their only on-target attempt of the first half, but Wildsmith saved with his legs and Ante Crnac curled the follow-up just wide. Grant again tested Gunn with an effort from outside the box resulting in another corner which led to Holgate finding the net after the home side were unable to clear, only for an offside flag to leave the scoreline goalless at the interval. The Canaries had the first opening after the break as Kenny McLean played in top scorer Sainz, but his shot was straight at Wildsmith, to the frustration of home supporters perhaps anticipating the Spaniard's 19th goal of the campaign. The flow of the game was interrupted by a series of free-kicks in the second half before John Swift flashed a shot over the Norwich bar as West Brom looked to generate some momentum going forwards. A foul by Kyle Bartley allowed Norwich sub Marcelino Nunez to line up a free-kick but his aim was not quite good enough, but with a point each looking like the final outcome, the Chilean produced a perfectly weighted ball for Sargent to run onto and he cut inside before firing home. West Brom face two big games next, at home to fourth placed Sunderland and away to Bristol City, who are eighth but level on points with them - while Norwich make the trip to bottom club Plymouth next Saturday before Sunderland are the next visitors to Carrow Road three days later. Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup told BBC Radio Norfolk: "The players definitely think we can give it a late push and based on that, we needed a win. "Knowing that we will be without a left-back for probably the rest of the season was one of the reasons behind the different approach because last time we played against West Brom, (Tom) Fellows on the right side created problems for us. "When you decide to have a five in the backline instead of four, you probably lose a bit of intensity in the first line of your pressing game and that's what we had to accept and do what it takes to be compact as a team. "At the end of the day, everyone just wants to see us win so we do what is necessary - it's not my favourite kind of football, but I'm not that stubborn, not to do what it takes once in a while to get a result." West Brom boss Tony Mowbray told BBC WM: "I thought the team played extremely well, as good as in my time here, with the control that we had. "Norwich are a good team with some special individuals but we generally kept them pretty quiet, their keeper was forced to make more saves than ours. "There's lot to be pleased with but what matters in football is the result at the end of the day and we're all left frustrated and disappointed. "Sometimes you don't get what you deserve in football and we definitely didn't, it was a cruel day for us."

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Worldnews

DR Congo Suspends Ex-President Kabilas Party Over Alleged M23 Links

Authorities accuse the 53-year-old politician of high treason over alleged ties to the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has suspended the political party of former President Joseph Kabila and ordered the seizure of his assets, accusing the 53-year-old of high treason over alleged ties to the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group. In a statement late on Saturday, the country’s Interior Ministry said Kabila’s People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) was suspended for its “ambiguous attitude” towards the M23’s occupation of DRC territory. The M23 rebellion has reignited violence in DRC’s mineral-rich eastern provinces, where conflict rooted in the spillover from Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and the struggle for control of minerals has persisted for decades. The fighting has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands of people, according to the United Nations. The M23 has also taken two important cities, Goma and Bukavu, in the east since the start of the year. DRC President Felix Tshisekedi has accused Kabila of preparing “an insurrection” and backing an alliance that includes M23. In another statement, the DRC’s Justice Ministry said Kabila and other party leaders’ assets would be seized after acts amounting to high treason. Both statements said prosecutors had been instructed to initiate proceedings against him, but no details of the accusations were given. It is understood that no formal charges have yet been filed. There has been no direct comment from Kabila, who ruled the country from 2001 to 2019. However, his spokesperson Barbara Nzimbi wrote on X that the former president would address the nation “in the coming hours or days”. PPRD secretary Ferdinand Kambere told the Reuters news agency the suspension amounted to “a flagrant violation” of the DRC’s constitution. The move to suspend Kabila’s party follows reports that he has returned to the country after spending two years in South Africa. Kabila left the DRC before the last presidential election in 2023. According to the Interior Ministry, he has travelled to Goma, but his presence there has not been confirmed independently. Kabila, a former military officer, came to power at the age of 29 following the assassination of his father, Laurent-Desire Kabila, during the Second Congo War. He won elections in 2006 and 2011 that were marred by allegations of fraud and human rights abuses. After two years of deadly protests and mounting international pressure, he handed power to Felix Tshisekedi in 2019 – a transition hailed as the country’s first peaceful handover of power since independence in 1960. Earlier this month, Kabila said his return was driven by a desire to help resolve the country’s political and security crisis. In an interview with Jeune Afrique, he said he hoped to “play a role in seeking a solution after six years of complete retreat and one year in exile”. The suspension of Kabila’s party came as peace talks between the DRC government and M23 rebels, due to take place in April, were postponed. The UN and several regional governments have accused Rwanda of supporting M23 – an allegation strongly denied by the country’s President Paul Kagame. Follow Al Jazeera English:...

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Worldnews

In Brief Easter Appearance At Vatican, Pope Francis Urges Gaza Ceasefire

Pontiff had been increasingly vocal about Israel’s military campaign in Gaza before being hospitalised with pneumonia. During a fleeting appearance before thousands of Catholic pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square for the Vatican’s open-air Easter Sunday mass, Pope Francis called for a ceasefire in Gaza. The 88-year-old pontiff, still recovering from a near-fatal bout of double pneumonia, appeared on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica on Sunday as an aide read out his “Urbi et Orbi” – Latin for “to the city and the world” – benediction, in which the pope condemned the “deplorable humanitarian situation” caused by Israel’s 18-month war on the Palestinian territory. “I express my closeness to the sufferings … of all the Israeli people and the Palestinian people,” said the message. The pope also called on the Palestinian armed group Hamas to release its remaining captives and condemned what he said was a “worrisome” trend of anti-Semitism in the world. “I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace.” Before his recent five-week stay at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, Francis had been ramping up criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, calling the situation “very serious and shameful” in January. Francis, who has been under doctors’ orders to observe two months of convalescence since he left the hospital on March 23, would have normally presided over the entire event, but on this occasion was replaced by Cardinal Angelo Comastri. Reporting from the Vatican, Al Jazeera’s James Bays said: “This is a man who has been very unwell, 38 days in hospital, double pneumonia, kidney problems, and his doctors at one point thought he wasn’t going to make it.” Bays questioned whether Francis was following his doctors’ advice, having made “short appearances in recent days”, including a visit to a prison in Rome, where he abstained from performing a traditional foot-washing ritual imitating Jesus Christ’s washing of his disciples’ feet. Asked by a journalist after his visit what he felt about this Easter week in his current condition, the pope replied: “I am living it as best I can.” Meanwhile, the Vatican also said in a statement that Francis held a private meeting with United States Vice President JD Vance to exchange Easter greetings on Sunday morning. On Saturday, Vance held talks with the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s secretary for relations with states. Vance’s visit came just two months after a spat between Francis and the administration of US President Donald Trump over its policies, including plans to deport millions of migrants and refugees and widespread cuts to foreign aid and domestic welfare programmes. The pope, who called the immigration crackdown a “disgrace”, rejected Vance’s attempted use of medieval-era Catholic teachings to justify the policy in an unusual open letter to US Catholic bishops. “JD Vance [was] trying to interpret a certain theology as saying that you should look after those closest to you before you worry about those abroad. The pope then wrote a letter to US bishops and said: ‘No, you need to think about everyone,’” said Bays. Follow Al Jazeera English:...

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Worldnews

Everything You Need To Know About Iran-US Nuclear Negotiations

After ‘constructive’ high-level talks come ‘technical discussions’ to move the negotiations along. Iran and the United States held “constructive” discussions over the Iranian nuclear programme. The second round of Oman-mediated talks in Rome took place on Saturday, a week after the first session in Muscat, the Omani capital. “Technical discussions” are now expected to begin on Wednesday in Oman, after which more high-level meetings will be held to move closer to an agreement. So, what are these technical discussions? And is an agreement likely? Here’s what you need to know: On Wednesday, working-level experts from both sides will begin discussing the inner workings of sanctions relief and how that relates to Iran’s nuclear programme. The sanctions regimes imposed on Iran are complex and multilayered, and each layer has to be linked to a specific action or guarantee Iran is being asked to undertake with regard to its nuclear programme. Three days after these talks, another round of high-level talks will be held in Muscat. The last two rounds were indirect talks between Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, passing messages through Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi. Officials are optimistic about the progress on talks that started with US President Donald Trump threatening Tehran with attacks if it did not negotiate. In early March, Trump said he had written to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, asking for talks on the country’s nuclear programme. But the letter was sent via the United Arab Emirates, and UAE presidential diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash delivered it nearly a week after Trump’s announcement. After saying Trump’s letter had not been received yet, Khamenei declared Iran would not accept the “demands” of “bully governments”. But something thawed in the normally icy relations, and Iran agreed to indirect talks after Omani mediation. Interestingly, Oman was also the mediator for the initial secret talks between Iran and the US that led to the JCPOA. Iran has given no indication that it plans to build a nuclear weapon. In fact, the supreme leader has issued a religious decree years ago prohibiting the pursuit of such a weapon. When Trump’s threats escalated, Khamenei said if Iran chooses to pursue a nuclear weapon, nobody could stop it. However, he has not reversed his decree prohibiting it. There was. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was a diplomatic win for former US President Barack Obama’s administration. Under the terms of the deal, Iran committed to regular inspections of its nuclear energy programme in return for relief on some Western sanctions. However, criticising the agreement during his first term, Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018 and imposed punitive sanctions on Iran. One thing that has come up in discussions is how much enriched uranium Iran has and at what level. Enriched uranium is used for nuclear energy reactors, but that is usually enriched to between 3 and 5 percent. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has 274.8kg (605.8 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60 percent, lower than the 90 percent enrichment needed for a weapon. Under the JCPOA, Iran could enrich uranium up to 3.67 percent and keep a uranium stockpile of 300kg (661 pounds). Witkoff has said 3.67 percent would be an acceptable level of uranium enrichment, which is the same as agreed on in the JCPOA under Obama. It is hard to read Trump’s mind. But going by what he has said, he sees himself as a dealmaker willing to talk to anyone, even if he ends up with a deal similar to the last one. He was supposedly influenced by Israel’s opinion when he said the JCPOA was a “bad deal” and left it in 2018. Israel has long seen Iran as a foe, claiming it is secretly pursuing a bomb and is a bigger regional threat than Israel’s increasingly violent occupation of Palestine. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was so invested that he dedicated part of his 2012 UN General Assembly address to drawing a cartoon bomb with “red lines” through it, to illustrate his point. Since international inspections began, there has been consensus that Iran was sticking to the deal, although it has increased its enrichment levels since Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA. It is too early to say. There are promising signs, such as reports that the Iranian and US teams were in the same room for at least part of the second round of negotiations, and the progress made in technical talks. Araghchi, according to the semiofficial Tasnim news agency, said: “We succeeded in reaching a better understanding on certain principles and goals.” He posted on Saturday that “for now, optimism may be warranted but only with a great deal of caution”. Iran has insisted that the US guarantee it will adhere to this agreement. For its part, the US has insisted that Iran halt the uranium enrichment it claims is necessary to run its nuclear energy programme. Follow Al Jazeera English:...