Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-04-14 i Daily News

Hip hop heavyweight Drake has thrown a playful jab at long-time friend Justin Bieber over a lack of communication. The two megastars, both hailing from Canada, have enjoyed a close friendship for over a decade, yet recent social media exchanges have fans speculating whether there’s a rift between them – or if they’re simply sharing some light-hearted banter. Bieber, the pop sensation behind hits like Baby, has been navigating a challenging period in his life, filled with both personal and professional stresses. Amid ongoing health concerns following a series of frail public appearances and swirling divorce rumours with his wife Hailey following the recent birth of their son Jack Blues, the Sorry singer appears eager to make a comeback in the music world. In a bid to reignite his artistic…

US President Donald Trump’s administration granted exclusions from steep reciprocal tariffs to smartphones, computers and some other electronics imported largely from China, providing a big break to tech firms like Apple that rely on imported products. In a notice to shippers, the US Customs and Border Protection agency published a list of tariff codes excluded from the import taxes, with retroactive effect from 12.01am on April 5. It featured 20 product categories, including the broad 8471 code for all computers, laptops, disc drives and automatic data processing. It also included semiconductor devices, equipment, memory chips and flat panel displays. The notice gave no explanation for the move, but the late-night exclusion provides welcome relief to major technology firms such as Apple, Dell Technologies and many other importers. Trump’s action also…

FREETOWN: Fire broke out inside Sierra Leone’s presidential building in central Freetown at the weekend, witnesses and the government said, but President Julius Maada Bio was not present. Firefighters brought the blaze under control after five hours tackling the flames. The fire claimed no victims but consumed documents and furniture in the building, the official added. It broke out on the third and fourth floors of State House, and the president’s office on the second floor was untouched, said an earlier information ministry statement. | AFP…

The Springbok Women continued to build up for Saturday’s Test match against Spain with a commanding 50-17 victory over an England age-group side in Marcoussis, France. It was a great weekend for Springbok Women’s rugby, with the Sevens team winning the third and final World Rugby HSBC Challenger Series tournament in Krakow, Poland. With that victory, SA booked a place at next month’s playoffs in Los Angeles against the bottom four HSBC SVNS sides for a place in the 2026 World Series. Nadine Roos, Zintle Mpupha and Ayanda Malinga were key to the victory in Poland. They will be confident of transferring that form to the Test arena, having joined the Springbok Women in Spain on Sunday for next weekend’s match against their hosts in Alicante. Springbok Women’s Sevens skipper…

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone praised Conor Gallagher’s adaptability at the LaLiga club, after the English midfielder left the Premier League for Spain prior to the season. Gallagher moved to Atletico when Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said he was surplus to requirements, and after trying to play in several midfield roles with the Spanish side, he is slowly making his mark. The 25-year-old has energised the side with his contributions in pressing and defence, easily stepping into the backline when needed, while also contributing with runs into the box. “When we think of him we think of his youth, energy and intensity in the game. He also strikes the ball very well,” Simeone said, ahead of Monday’s home game against Real Valladolid. “It’s never easy for players coming from England…

SHANGHAI: Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to deepen his country’s strategic partnership with Indonesia in a call with President Prabowo Subianto yesterday. Xi told Prabowo the bilateral partnership had strategic significance and impact globally, as the two exchanged congratulations over the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties. Beijing is trying to persuade other nations to hew to a common line against US import tariffs announced by President Donald Trump. Xi will visit Indonesia’s fellow Southeast Asian nations Vietnam, and Malaysia. | Reuters…

LIMA: Peru’s Congress has dropped its graft probe of President Dina Boluarte, shielding her from impeachment over allegations she had accepted Rolex watches as bribes. The subcommittee considering the accusations recommended that the case be dismissed. Boluarte, 62, could potentially still face charges when she leaves office in July 2026 and loses her presidential immunity. The so-called Rolexgate scandal erupted in March 2024 with the discovery of a trove of undeclared luxury Rolex watches and jewelry in the president’s possession. | AFP…

After two recent defeats, the Sharks have some heavily armed cavalry coming to the rescue for their United Rugby Championship (URC) tour to Edinburgh and Ulster. Springboks Eben Etzebeth, Aphelele Fassi, Lukhanyo Am and Grant Williams trained last week and, barring any training ground incidents, will play against Edinburgh on Friday night. Sharks and South African rugby supporters in general will be hoping that the inspirational Etzebeth has no mishaps this week. He last played in the Sharks’ Champions Cup defeat of Exeter on December 7 in Durban. Ongoing concussion issues kept him on the sidelines, and he was ready for a comeback a month ago, only to strain a hamstring at the Springbok alignment camp. There had been talk that Etzebeth and Fassi would play against Lyon in their…

Batting great Virat Kohli struck his 100th half-century in T20 cricket to steer Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a thumping nine-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals on Sunday. England’s Phil Salt set up Bengaluru’s chase of 174 with his 33-ball 65 before fellow opener Kohli took charge to anchor the chase with an unbeaten 62 at Rajasthan’s home in Jaipur. The in-form Kohli smashed his third half-ton of this season and 66th in the T20 tournament to go level with Australia’s David Warner. Warner leads the fifty count in the T20 format with 108 half-centuries and Kohli second with 100 in 401 matches. Pakistan’s Babar Azam is third with 90. Salt set the tone of chase by clubbing Rajasthan pace bowler and England teammate Jofra Archer for a four and a six…

Carlos Alcaraz made the best possible start to his preparations for the defence of his French Open title, burning past the Italian Lorenzo Musetti in three sets on Sunday to win his first Monte Carlo Masters. The 21-year-old Spaniard, already a four-time Grand Slam winner, dropped the opening set but came back hard to take the next two at the cost of a single game as he cleaned up 3-6, 6-1, 6-0, albeit helped by a limping Musetti. It marks a sixth Masters title for Alcaraz and is his most prestigious title since winning Wimbledon last year. It was also his first win on clay since winning the French Open last season, although in mitigation he only had one tournament after that when he missed out on gold at the…

As the countdown begins to one of South Africa’s most anticipated musical celebrations, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) is ready to enchant audiences again. Scheduled for Friday, April 25, and Saturday, April 26, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), this year’s festival promises to be an enthralling tapestry of sound, bringing together both beloved legends and fresh newcomers. For young music enthusiasts, this is an unmissable opportunity to experience the magic live! While jazz festivals may often conjure up images of quiet introspection for some, the CTIJF is determined to defy the stereotype and redefine how the genre is perceived. With a line-up that caters to diverse tastes, the festival aims to captivate both die-hard jazz aficionados and newcomers alike. From pulsating rhythms to modern melodies,…

South Africa’s top rugby teams are conspicuous by their absence from the European Cup competitions, the EPCR Challenge and Champions Cups, and supporters are wondering how this could be. The Bulls were South Africa’s last hope in these competitions, which run concurrently with the United Rugby Championship (URC), but at the weekend they lost their Challenge Cup match in Edinburgh. The Sharks and Lions were knocked out the week before and the under-achieving Stormers didn’t even qualify for the Challenge Cup, which is the second-tier competition under the Champions Cup. The other side of the European coin is South Africa’s strong presence in the URC. The Bulls are in third place and the Sharks fourth in the 16-team tournament that runs over six months. The Lions and Stormers are not…

YAOUNDE: At least nine separatist fighters have been killed in clashes in war-torn Cameroon’s English-speaking region of Northwest, according to local security sources. At the weekend, separatist fighters attempted to attack a military outpost in the region, but soldiers repelled the assault, killing four of them and injuring many others, an army official said on condition of anonymity at the weekend. Last week, security forces ambushed and attacked a group of separatist fighters in the region, killing five of them, according to the official. | Xinhua…

damascus: Syrian authorities at the weekend announced the seizure of around four million pills of the illegal drug captagon that had been readied for export through the port of Latakia. The interior ministry said the pills had been “professionally hidden inside 5 000 metal bars” and were seized from warehouses at the port. “The pills were seized and the necessary legal procedures have begun,” the ministry’s anti-narcotics department posted on Telegram. Latakia is in the coastal heartland of deposed president Bashar al-Assad’s Alawite minority. Under his rule, captagon became Syria’s largest export during the civil war that began in 2011. | AFP…