Chelsea boss Maresca banned and fined for misconduct in win over Liverpool

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been handed a one-match touchline ban and a fine of 8,000 pounds ($10,689) after he admitted a charge of misconduct during their 2-1 victory over Liverpool, England's Football Association said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

Chelsea's winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time sent Maresca into a frenzy and he raced along the touchline at Stamford Bridge to celebrate wildly with his players, earning a second yellow card and a dismissal from referee Anthony Taylor.

"It was alleged that the manager acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour during the fixture, which led to his dismissal around the 96th minute," the FA said in a statement, according to Reuters.

 

England's Kane keen to erase memories of World Cup penalty miss

Harry Kane is still haunted by his penalty miss in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals and the England captain says he is determined to make up for the worst moment of his career at next year's tournament in North America, Reuters reported ​​​​​​.

With England trailing France 2-1 in Qatar, Kane, who had already scored a penalty in the match, squandered the chance to level by blazing his spot-kick over the crossbar.

"I'd say that was probably the worst that I felt in any moment," he told British media. "Obviously I've lost finals before. To have that responsibility, you almost feel like it fell on my shoulders, according to Reuters.

US military tells Hamas to stop violence against Gaza civilians, disarm 'without delay'

The U.S. military's Middle East command on Wednesday called on Hamas to stop its violence against civilians in Gaza and disarm "without delay" as the militant group reasserts itself by deploying security forces and executing those it deems collaborators with Israel, Reuters reported.

Hamas, which has not publicly committed to disarming and ceding power, has gradually sent its men back into the streets of Gaza since the ceasefire began on Friday.

It has killed more than 30 members of "a gang" in Gaza City, a Palestinian security source said on Monday, without identifying the gang involved. Hamas has cited crime and security concerns for its actions as thousands of Palestinians return to the enclave's shattered north, according to Reuters.

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jim Bolger dies aged 90

Jim Bolger, New Zealand's prime minister from 1990 to 1997 who helped usher in a new era of reconciliation with indigenous Maori, died on Wednesday aged 90, his family said in a statement, Reuters reported.

Bolger had suffered kidney failure last year and had been undergoing dialysis. He died surrounded by his wife Joan, nine children and 18 grandchildren, the statement said.

Bolger entered parliament in 1972 and became leader of the National Party in 1986 before becoming prime minister in 1990 when the party took power. He retired from politics in 1998 and served as New Zealand's ambassador to the United States from 1998 to 2002, according to Reuters.

French PM faces day of reckoning, but likely to survive no-confidence votes

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu appears likely to survive two no-confidence votes in parliament on Thursday after offering to suspend President Emmanuel Macron's landmark pension reform to win support from the left, Reuters reported.

Lecornu, already France's shortest-serving prime minister in modern times before he was re-appointed last week, had faced the prospect of an even shorter second stint in office until he made the pensions reform concession on Tuesday.

The Socialists, who hold the key to Lecornu's political survival, welcomed the move, saying they would not support two no-confidence motions due to be voted on Thursday, one from the far-left and the other from the far-right National Rally, according to Reuters ​​​​​​.

Trump says Modi assured him India will stop buying Russian oil

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to stop buying oil from Russia, and Trump said he would next try to get China to do the same as Washington intensifies efforts to cut off Moscow’s energy revenues, Reuters reported.

India and China are the two top buyers of Russian seaborne crude exports, taking advantage of the discounted prices Russia has been forced to accept after European buyers shunned purchases and the U.S. and the European Union imposed sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Trump has recently targeted India for its Russian oil purchases, imposing tariffs on Indian exports to the U.S. to discourage the country's crude buying as he seeks pressure Moscow to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine, according to Reuters.

Afghan Taliban and Pakistan agree short truce after deadly clashes

Pakistan and Afghanistan's Taliban government say they have agreed a temporary ceasefire after fresh border clashes and reported Pakistani air strikes on Kabul and Kandahar, BBC reported.

Both sides claimed the other requested the 48-hour ceasefire, which Pakistan said took effect from 13:00 GMT on Wednesday.

Earlier a Taliban spokesman said 12 civilians had been killed and more than 100 wounded by Pakistani firing. Both sides claimed the other suffered heavy casualties. None of the deaths could be independently confirmed, according to BBC.

 

Hamas returns two more bodies but says it cannot retrieve remaining dead hostages

Hamas says it has handed over the bodies of two more Israeli hostages under the terms of the US-brokered ceasefire deal, but says it needs time and specialised equipment to recover the rest of the deceased from the ruins of Gaza, BBC reported.

The group's armed wing said in a statement it was committed to the deal but had returned all the bodies of hostages it was able to reach.

US President Donald Trump has said Israeli forces could resume fighting in Gaza if Hamas does not uphold the agreement, according to BBC.