BOGOTA: The toll from a highway bomb attack in a restive region of southwestern Colombia jumped Saturday night to 14 dead and at least 38 injured, the governor said. &quot;As of now, we report 14 people dead and more than 38 injured, including five minors,&quot; Cauca Governor Octavio Guzman posted on X.

People remain at the site of an explosion after a bomb attack at El Tunel, on the Popayan-Cali road, in Cajibio, Cauca department, Colombia, on April 25, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

Americas

The toll from a highway bomb attack in a restive region of southwestern Colombia jumps Saturday night to 14 dead and at least 38 injured.

Death toll from Colombia bomb attack rises to 14: Governor

Web Desk/AFP

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were safe after a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents&rsquo; Dinner on Saturday night, the U.S. Secret Service said.&nbsp;&ldquo;The president and the first lady are safe along with all protectees,&rdquo; the Secret Service said in a statement, adding that one individual was taken into custody and the incident occurred near the main screening area for the event.&nbsp;Shots were allegedly fired as Trump and the First Lady attended the high-profile press dinner in Washington, witnesses and AFP reporters said, as loud bangs were heard at the hotel venue.&nbsp;Guests at the black-tie White House Correspondents&rsquo; Dinner scrambled to hide under tables, while tactical teams with guns drawn took positions on the stage where Trump had been seated before he was evacuated.&nbsp;Police swarmed the Washington Hilton Hotel, where the event was taking place, while helicopters hovered overhead. CNN and other U.S. media reported that Trump was unharmed.&nbsp;The White House press pool said an alleged shooter was in custody, citing the Secret Service, though the report was not immediately officially confirmed. Unconfirmed reports suggested one person was injured, but details were not immediately available.&nbsp;The incident happened after the welcoming speech and during dinner, before Trump was due to speak. Trump administration officials appeared to have been evacuated first as uncertainty remained over what exactly had happened.&nbsp;Cabinet official Mehmet Oz said &ldquo;shots fired upstairs&rdquo; as he was rushed out by security. &#39;Lone wolf&#39;President Donald Trump said Saturday he believes the suspected shooter who stormed the White House correspondents&#39; dinner was a &quot;lone wolf.&quot; &quot;In my opinion, he was a lone wolf,&quot; Trump said, describing the man as a &quot;whack job&quot; and saying he felt there was no reason to believe the attack was connected to the war in Iran. Suspect to be arraigned on MondayThe shooting suspect accused of storming the Washington media gala attended Saturday by President Donald Trump will be arraigned in the US capital on Monday, the federal prosecutor said. The suspect -- who exchanged gunfire with Secret Service agents but was not shot himself -- will appear before a US district judge on Monday. According to US Attorney Jeanine Piro, the suspect will be charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence, and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. Pakistan PM &lsquo;shocked over shooting incidentPakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was deeply shocked by the disturbing shooting incident at the dinner in Washington.&nbsp;&ldquo;Relieved to know that President Trump, the First Lady, and other attendees are safe. My thoughts and prayers are with him, and I wish him continued safety and well-being,&rdquo; Sharif said in a statement posted on social media platform X.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 417px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2048227698322108663&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=59927303576b15035c1fe961ef9e209005d148e9&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Trump was previously the target of an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024, when a gunman fired several shots, killing one rally-goer and lightly wounding him in the ear.&nbsp;A few months later, another man was arrested after a Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of a rifle protruding from bushes near the West Palm Beach golf course where Trump was playing.&nbsp;The Washington Hilton, where Saturday&rsquo;s gala was held, was also the site where former Republican President Ronald Reagan was shot by a would-be assassin in 1981.&nbsp;Despite the incident, organizers told guests that the White House Correspondents&rsquo; Dinner would continue. Trump was attending the event for the first time while in office.&nbsp;The White House Correspondents&rsquo; Association had invited Trump this year despite his repeated attacks on the media, a move that drew backlash across newsrooms, with hundreds of journalists signing an open letter urging attendees to challenge his restrictions on press freedom.

Unconfirmed reports suggest one person was injured, though details about the cause of the injury were not available.

Trump and first lady 'safe,' one suspect in custody: US Secret Service

Web Desk

Reuters

<em style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; scroll-behavior: auto !important; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; font-size: 16px; background-color: oklch(0.985 0.002 247.839);' id="isPasted"><span style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; scroll-behavior: auto !important; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);'>This live blog follows updates for Day 57 of the US-Israel war on Iran. For a recap of Day 57, go <span style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; scroll-behavior: auto !important; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; font-size: 16px; background-color: oklch(0.985 0.002 247.839);'><a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-israel-war-on-iran-day-57" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#0073e6;"><em style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; scroll-behavior: auto !important; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;'>here</a><em style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; scroll-behavior: auto !important; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;'>.<hr> <ul style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; list-style: square; scroll-behavior: auto !important; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; background-color: oklch(0.985 0.002 247.839);' id="isPasted"><li style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; scroll-behavior: auto !important; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 2; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);'>Iran FM to head back to Pakistan after Oman visit: State media</li><li><span style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; scroll-behavior: auto !important; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);'>Trump praises Pakistan, explains cancelation of planned Islamabad trip</li><li>Iran says Pakistan visit &lsquo;fruitful&rsquo;</li><li>Sharif, Araghchi discuss regional peace efforts in Islamabad</li><li>Israel targets residential blocks in Khiam, southern Lebanon</li></ul> <hr> Araghchi holds calls with Egyptian, Turkish counterpartsPublished: April 26, 2026 | 03:01 GMT | by Web Desk&nbsp; Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has spoken by phone with his Egyptian and Turkish counterparts, as diplomatic contacts continue over regional tensions and the Iran-US negotiation track. IRNA reported that Araghchi and Egypt&rsquo;s Badr Abdelatty discussed diplomacy, a possible ceasefire, and the latest regional developments.&nbsp; Anadolu reported that Araghchi&rsquo;s call with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan focused on recent developments in the Iran-US negotiation process. <hr> More Israeli strikes reported in southern Lebanon: State mediaPublished: April 26, 2026 | 00:19 GMT | by Web Desk&nbsp; Israeli warplanes carried out fresh strikes across southern Lebanon, Al Jazeera reported, citing Lebanon&rsquo;s state-run National News Agency. The attacks targeted the town of Khiam in the Marjayoun district and Haddatha in the Bint Jbeil district, according to the report. The agency also said Israeli artillery shelling was reported in the area.<hr>

Smoke rises over the southern Lebanese village of Taybeh near the border as seen from the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, on April 25, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

Middle East

The attacks target the town of Khiam in the Marjayoun district and Haddatha in the Bint Jbeil district, according to the report.

LIVE: More Israeli strikes reported in southern Lebanon: State media

BEIRUT: &nbsp;Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed six people Friday, the Lebanese health ministry said, despite an ongoing ceasefire in the more than six-week war between Israel and Hezbollah.&nbsp;&quot;The Israeli enemy&#39;s airstrikes on southern Lebanon today, April 24, resulted in the martyrdom of six citizens and the injury of two others,&quot; the ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;Two people were killed in Wadi al-Hujair, two were killed in Touline, and one each in Srifa and Yater, all in southern Lebanon, the ministry said.&nbsp;The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, also announced on Friday that an Indonesian blue helmet died in a hospital of wounds suffered on March 29 in an attack on his base.&nbsp;UNIFIL said at the time of the March 29 attack that one Indonesian soldier was killed and another wounded.&nbsp;A preliminary investigation by the UN found that an Israeli tank shell killed the soldier.&nbsp;Earlier Friday, the Israeli army said it had killed six people in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, which saw intense fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah for days leading up to the April 17 ceasefire.&nbsp;The Israeli army said all six people killed in Bint Jbeil were fighters with the pro-Iran armed group Hezbollah.&nbsp;It was not clear whether the deaths announced by the Lebanese health ministry were related to those claimed by Israel.&nbsp;Israeli attacks have killed 2,491 people in Lebanon since the start of the war on March 2, according to Lebanon&#39;s health ministry.

The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, also announces the death of an Indonesian blue helmet who died in a hospital of wounds suffered on March 29 in an attack on his base.

Israeli strikes kill six in Lebanon Friday: Health ministry

UNITED NATIONS: Signatories of the landmark nuclear non-proliferation treaty will meet at the UN from Monday as hopes fade that they can reach an agreement and tensions soar between the atomic powers. In 2022, during the last review of the treaty that is considered the cornerstone of non-proliferation, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned humanity was &ldquo;one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation.&rdquo; The situation has only worsened since then. &ldquo;I think there is a shared, if you will, sense of crisis by all states parties,&rdquo; said Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t have any bilateral arms control agreements between the two largest nuclear weapon states,&rdquo; she said, referring to the February expiration of the New Start treaty between Moscow and Washington. &ldquo;We are also beginning to see quantitative increase in nuclear capabilities in all nuclear-weapon states.&rdquo; Nakamitsu said that mounting geopolitical tensions had halted the post-Cold War trend of disarmament. The nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), signed by almost all the countries on the planet &mdash; with notable exceptions like Israel, India, and Pakistan &mdash; aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, to promote complete disarmament, and to encourage cooperation on civilian nuclear projects. The nine nuclear-armed states &mdash; Russia, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea &mdash; possessed 12,241 nuclear warheads in January 2025, according to the latest report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The United States and Russia hold nearly 90 percent of nuclear weapons globally and have carried out major programs to modernize them in recent years, according to SIPRI. China has also rapidly increased its nuclear stockpile, SIPRI said, with the G7 raising the alarm Friday over Moscow and Beijing boosting their nuclear capabilities. US President Donald Trump has indicated his intention to conduct new nuclear tests because &ldquo;other countries are doing it too.&rdquo; In March, France&rsquo;s President Emmanuel Macron announced a dramatic shift in nuclear deterrence, notably an increase in the atomic arsenal, currently numbering 290 warheads. NPT could &lsquo;unravel&rsquo;&ldquo;It is obvious that trust is eroding, both inside and outside the NPT,&rdquo; Seth Shelden of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, told AFP. He questioned the likely outcome of the four-week summit. Decisions on the NPT have to be agreed by consensus, with the previous two conferences failing to adopt final political declarations. In 2015, the deadlock was largely due to opposition by Israel&rsquo;s arch-ally Washington to the creation of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East. In 2022, the impasse was due mainly to Russian opposition to references to Ukraine&rsquo;s nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia, occupied by Moscow. This year&rsquo;s summit could fall on any number of stumbling blocks. The ongoing war in Ukraine, Iran&rsquo;s nuclear program and the war there, non-nuclear states&rsquo; fears over proliferation and North Korea&rsquo;s developing arsenal could all be deal-breakers. If there is a third consecutive failure, the treaty &ldquo;might not implode overnight&rdquo; said Christopher King, the conference&rsquo;s secretary-general. But there is a risk &ldquo;it will, over time, unravel.&rdquo; Artificial intelligence could be a prominent issue as some countries call for all sides to keep human control over nuclear weapons.

Europe

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warns that humanity is 'one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation.'

Crunch nuclear proliferation meeting at UN amid raging global wars

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in China shortly after midnight on Saturday for a multi-day visit focused on economic cooperation, trade, and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), according to his office.&nbsp;The president landed in Changsha, where he was received by Hu Xusheng, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Hunan Provincial People&rsquo;s Congress. Pakistan&rsquo;s ambassador to China and China&rsquo;s ambassador to Pakistan were also present on the occasion, the President&rsquo;s Secretariat said.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 624px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2048115991616606292&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=59927303576b15035c1fe961ef9e209005d148e9&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Earlier, Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider saw off the president at Lahore&rsquo;s Allama Iqbal International Airport, state-run PTV reported.&nbsp;According to the Foreign Office, Zardari will remain in Hunan province from April 25 to 27 and then travel to Sanya in Hainan province from April 28 to May 1.&nbsp; During the visit, he will meet provincial leadership and review the full spectrum of Pakistan-China relations, with a particular focus on economic cooperation and CPEC projects.&nbsp;The FO said the visit reflects the &ldquo;longstanding tradition of high-level exchanges&rdquo; between the two countries and carries special significance as Pakistan and China mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. It added that both sides remain committed to further strengthening their strategic cooperative partnership.&nbsp;Zardari had also undertaken a 10-day visit to China last year, during which he met senior leadership and oversaw the signing of six Memorandums of Understanding between Sindh and Chinese business partners in agriculture, energy, railways, defense, and farmer training. These initiatives were later planned for expansion to other provinces.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari receives a warm welcome upon his arrival in Changsu, China, on April 26, 2026. (Photo: Screengrab via X/@PresOfPakistan)

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan president arrives in China for talks on CPEC, economic cooperation

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday reaffirmed support for sustained diplomacy and regional peace, as Pakistan stepped up efforts to maintain momentum following recent Iran-related negotiations in Islamabad. The 50-minute call comes at a sensitive stage in regional diplomacy, after weeks of conflict between Iran and the United States disrupted energy flows, pushed oil prices sharply higher and rattled global markets. A fragile ceasefire brokered through Pakistan&rsquo;s mediation earlier this month created space for talks aimed at reducing tensions. During the conversation, Pakistani premier thanked Tehran for sending a high-level delegation led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Islamabad for talks on April 11-12, and welcomed Araghchi&rsquo;s recent Friday visit to Pakistan for consultations on regional developments. According to Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office, PM Sharif said his recent diplomatic outreach to leaders in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and T&uuml;rkiye had helped build &ldquo;broader consensus&rdquo; in support of dialogue and diplomacy, with the aim of securing lasting peace in what it described as a war-affected region. Pakistan has positioned itself as a central mediator in the ongoing diplomatic process, facilitating initial contacts between Washington and Tehran while urging all sides to uphold the ceasefire. The talks have focused on key issues including regional security, sanctions, the Strait of Hormuz and broader stability. The Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of the world&rsquo;s oil supply passes, became a major flashpoint during the conflict, triggering sharp rises in oil prices and adding to inflationary concerns globally. Its reopening under the ceasefire helped ease market pressures and renewed hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough. PM Sharif also thanked the Iranian leadership for what the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office described as &ldquo;fruitful discussions&rdquo; with Pakistan&rsquo;s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, during his recent visit to Tehran, highlighting continued military and diplomatic coordination. President Pezeshkian thanked Sharif, according to the statement, Munir and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar for their &ldquo;significant contribution&rdquo; to peace efforts and reaffirmed Iran&rsquo;s desire for peace, according to the statement. Both leaders agreed to maintain close coordination as diplomatic engagement continues.

PM Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirmed support for diplomacy and peace, praised ceasefire efforts, highlighted Pakistan’s mediation role, and agrees to stay in close contact for continued dialogue.

Pakistan, Iran reaffirm diplomacy as regional peace efforts intensify

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday launched its indigenous electro-optical satellite, EO-3, marking a major milestone in the country&rsquo;s space program and strengthening national Earth observation and technological capabilities. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the satellite was launched by Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, reflecting Pakistan&rsquo;s continued progress toward technological advancement and greater self-reliance in the space sector. In an official statement, the Foreign Office described the launch as &ldquo;a significant milestone in Pakistan&rsquo;s space program,&rdquo; saying it underscores the country&rsquo;s commitment to advancing indigenous space technologies. The EO-3 satellite carries experimental payloads designed to validate next-generation space systems, including a multi-geometry imaging module, an advanced energy storage system, and an onboard artificial intelligence-powered data processing unit for &ldquo;real-time analysis and decision support.&rdquo; Officials said the satellite will significantly enhance Pakistan&rsquo;s Earth observation capabilities by improving data continuity, imaging reliability and analytical precision. The imaging data generated by EO-3 is expected to support critical national sectors, including urban planning, disaster management, food security and environmental protection, while contributing to an integrated Earth observation framework aligned with national development priorities. Pakistan&#39;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended SUPARCO scientists and engineers for the successful launch, praising their contribution to strengthening Pakistan&rsquo;s strategic scientific and technological capabilities. The prime minister also acknowledged the support of China in advancing bilateral cooperation in the space domain. Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the launch reflects Pakistan&rsquo;s &ldquo;growing scientific capability&rdquo; and the government&rsquo;s firm resolve to further strengthen the country&rsquo;s space sector as part of its broader technological development agenda.

Climate & Environment

Pakistan launches its indigenous electro-optical satellite EO-3, marking a major milestone in its space program and strengthening national Earth observation and technological capabilities.

Pakistan launches indigenous EO-3 satellite, boosting strategic space capabilities

GETAFE: Fermin Lopez and Marcus Rashford&#39;s goals took Barcelona to the brink of the La Liga title with a 2-0 win at Getafe on Saturday. The defending champions moved 11 points clear of second place Real Madrid, who drew at Real Betis on Friday to dent their hopes of finishing the season with a trophy. Hansi Flick&#39;s side can win their second consecutive Spanish title if they overcome Osasuna next weekend and Real Madrid fail to beat Espanyol. &quot;It&#39;s not done, we have five more games and we&#39;re only focused on the next one,&quot; Flick told reporters. &quot;We will celebrate when it&#39;s time, but not now.&quot; Barcelona were without vital injured wingers Lamine Yamal and Raphinha but still did enough to see off Jose Bordalas&#39;s tricky side, sixth, in the Madrid suburbs. &quot;We were aware of what was going to happen here, we were going to have few chances and I think we played well, competing well defensively and putting away the chances we had,&quot; Lopez told Movistar. &quot;We know we&#39;ve got a big advantage (in the title race) but even so, we can&#39;t relax, I know it&#39;s a cliche but it&#39;s the truth.&quot; Getafe set out to disrupt Barcelona&#39;s rhythm with small fouls and Barca struggled to create many clear opportunities. Flick opted for Swedish winger Roony Bardghji in place of Yamal and chose Lopez on the left over Rashford. Dani Olmo made the first with a neat dribble, speeding into Getafe territory, but pulled his shot wide of the far post. Eventually the hosts made the breakthrough just before half-time when Pedri played in Lopez. Wearing a protective mask after hurting his face in a collision with Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Juan Musso during Barcelona&#39;s Champions League quarter-final elimination last week, Lopez stayed calm to slot home. The midfielder imitated Yamal&#39;s usual &quot;304&quot; celebration in tribute to the injured teenage star. &quot;The truth is he&#39;s really important for us, it&#39;s a shame that he can&#39;t play any more, but the important thing is that he recovers well and is ready for the World Cup,&quot; added Lopez. With Getafe needing to come out of their shell to find an equaliser, Barca had more opportunities after the break. David Soria saved from Olmo after he met Jules Kounde&#39;s cross, and then the French defender headed a Joao Cancelo ball narrowly off-target.

Football

Barcelona beat Getafe 2-0 through Fermin Lopez and Marcus Rashford, moving 11 points clear atop La Liga after Real Madrid’s draw. Hansi Flick urged focus, with title within reach if results weekend go their way.

Barcelona on brink of La Liga triumph with Getafe win

ETHIOPIA: An oil tanker has been hijacked off the coast of Somalia and taken into its territorial waters, the British maritime security agency UKMTO said on Saturday. The development added to risks for navigating in the Red Sea, which has become a more important supply route given the Iranian stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Gulf, on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula. The tanker was seized northeast of the Somali city of Mareeyo on Tuesday, UKMTO said. &quot;Military Authorities have reported unauthorised persons taking control of the tanker and manoeuvring the vessel 77NM (nautical miles) south within Somali territorial waters,&quot; it said. Somali authorities did not immediately respond to AFP queries about the hijacking. Somalia is an unstable Horn of Africa country in which the central government contends with a fractured federation of semi-autonomous states, as well as frequent attacks by the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab. It also opposes separatist status for Somaliland, a state whose claim of independence has been recognised only by Israel. Somalia was the launching point for many pirate attacks in the past, with a peak in 2011. They have receded since, as the European Union, India and other powers have deployed navy missions to the area. On the other side of the Gulf of Aden lies Yemen, where Houthi rebels armed by Iran have previously targeted shipping. On Thursday, UKMTO said a Somali-flagged fishing vessel had been hijacked by 11 &quot;armed individuals&quot;, and an oil-products tanker was separately boarded by an armed group. &quot;Together, these events indicate a credible piracy threat,&quot; it said.&nbsp;

Africa

An oil tanker is hijacked off the coast of Somalia and taken into its waters, authorities say, raising renewed piracy concerns amid heightened risks to regional shipping routes.

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