DUBAI: Former Rochdale midfielder Joe Thompson has died aged 36 after a long battle with cancer, the English fifth tier club said on Friday.
Rochdale said Thompson died peacefully at home with his family by his side. He was diagnosed with stage four lymphoma for a third time in April last year, five years after retiring from professional football.
Lymphoma, a form of blood cancer, had reached his lungs after he overcame the illness twice during his playing days. The Bath-born player began and ended his career at Rochdale, making three separate spells at the club.
“We first knew Joe primarily as a talented footballer, but we would soon grow to adore his loving, infectious personality,” Rochdale said in a statement.
“He faced every battle head-on, both on and off the pitch. His journey and indomitable spirit have been an inspiration for everyone who has been touched by his story.
“Our thoughts are with Joe’s family and friends at this incredibly sad time.”
Thompson came through Manchester United’s academy, having joined it at the age of nine, before playing for Rochdale, Tranmere Rovers and Carlisle United.
“A man who epitomised our club’s values ... A warm personality who had a deep connection with our club from a young age, our thoughts are with Joe’s family and friends at this difficult time,” Manchester United said in a statement.
Soccer-Former Rochdale midfielder Thompson dies at 36
Soccer-Former Rochdale midfielder Thompson dies at 36
- Rochdale said Thompson died peacefully at home with his family by his side
First Jordanian passenger jet lands in Syria’s Aleppo after 14-year hiatus
- The airline said it will run three flights per week from Amman to Aleppo
CAIRO: A Royal Jordanian Airline passenger jet made the company’s first landing in Aleppo on Tuesday in nearly 14 years.
The Jordanian airline had scheduled its first flight from Amman to Aleppo International Airport on Tuesday, according to the Syrian News Agency (SANA).
The airline said it will run three flights per week from Amman to Aleppo, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Royal Jordanian was the first international airline to land at Aleppo International Airport last March after carrying a trial flight to assess the airport’s technical and security readiness.
Pakistan to crack down on smuggling of seeds from archrival India
- Pakistan’s food security minister says the country is falling behind India in seed quality and yield
- He says National Seed Development Authority will curb fake seeds, enforce stringent regulations
KARACHI: Pakistan said on Tuesday it would launch a crackdown on the smuggling of seeds from archrival India while emphasizing better regulation of the domestic seed market and promotion of local agricultural innovation.
The move comes amid renewed tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors after last month’s deadly attack on Indian tourists in Pahalgam, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan, though Islamabad denied the charge.
Both countries have since taken tit-for-tat measures against each other, downgrading bilateral trade and diplomatic ties. India has also suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a decades-old pact governing cross-border river flows, raising food security concerns for lower riparian Pakistan in the longer run.
Pakistan’s Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, chaired a high-level meeting focusing on the issue, pointing out that Indian seeds were being smuggled into Pakistan and openly advertised on social media platforms.
“The Ministry is working closely with law enforcement agencies to take strict action against those involved in this illegal activity,” he said.
He also warned that the country, once ahead of India in agricultural innovation, was now falling behind.
“It is unfortunate that we now cite India’s example in seed quality and yield performance,” he added.
Hussain also raised the issue of the widespread sale of non-certified and substandard seeds in local markets, saying the authorities had banned 392 companies found guilty of distributing fake seeds.
The participants of the meeting said more than 50,000 metric tons of cotton seeds were available for the upcoming season, nearly meeting the total requirement of 53,796 metric tons and easing concerns about shortages.
According to a statement circulated after the meeting, the minister addressed the problem of price volatility in the seed market, saying the National Seed Development Authority had been established to monitor seed quality, prevent the sale of fake seeds and enforce stringent regulations.
He also reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to protecting farmers’ rights, ensuring food security, and transforming the agriculture sector through transparency, regulation and innovation.
Loyalists cheer as ex-PM Zia returns home to Bangladesh
- The 79-year-old was released from house arrest after a student-led mass uprising ousted Hasina in August 2024
- ia’s rival Hasina remains in self-imposed exile in India and has defied an arrest warrant from Dhaka
DHAKA: Bangladesh’s ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia, chair of the powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), returned home to cheering crowds on Tuesday after months abroad for medical treatment.
Zia, led the South Asian nation twice but was jailed for corruption in 2018 during the tenure of Sheikh Hasina, her successor and lifelong rival who barred her from traveling abroad for medical care.
The 79-year-old was released from house arrest after a student-led mass uprising ousted Hasina in August 2024.
She flew to Britain in January and returned on Tuesday, BNP spokesperson Shairul Kabir said.
Thousands of party activists welcomed her, gathering on either side of the road leading to the airport, carrying photographs of Zia and waving party flags and placards with welcome messages.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, 84, who has led an interim government since Hasina fled into exile as crowds stormed her palace, has said elections will be held as early as December, and by June 2026 at the latest.
“This is a significant day for the country and the people of Bangladesh,” Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the BNP’s secretary general, told reporters.
“The celebration we are witnessing is not only an outpouring of emotion but also a demonstration of our strength.”
Zia’s rival Hasina remains in self-imposed exile in India and has defied an arrest warrant from Dhaka over charges of crimes against humanity.
Oman sovereign wealth authority in preliminary pact with Algeria for investment fund
CAIRO: The Oman Investment Authority signed a preliminary agreement with Algeria’s Finance Ministry to establish an investment fund worth 115 million Omani riyals ($298.79 million).
The fund, announced by the sultanate’s sovereign wealth fund, will focus on mining, food security and pharmaceutical industries, according to a statement by the OIA.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of an official visit by Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al-Said to the North African country.
Several agreements were signed during the visit, including a term sheet between Algeria’s state oil and gas firm Sonatrach and Oman’s oil and gas drilling services firm Abraj Energy Services to evaluate setting up a joint venture for oil services.
The term sheet outlines the technical, legal and economic and commercial conditions to evaluate establishing an oil services joint venture company in Algeria between the two companies, Sonatrach said in a statement on Monday.
The joint venture will focus on drilling, well services and management of integrated projects in the Algerian market, according to the statement.
Imaan Hammam suits up for 2025 Met Gala
DUBAI: Fashion’s biggest night got underway this week at the Met Gala in a rainy Manhattan, and part-Arab celebrities turned heads with their looks.
Dutch Egyptian Moroccan model Imaan Hammam donned a white tailored suit by Polish designer Magda Butrym, featuring a fitted waist, structured shoulders and wide-leg trousers. She paired it with a black shirt and a polka dot tie.
Her look included a black cane with a silver handle and silver pointed-toe heels. She topped off the outfit with a black headpiece made of flowers and long feathers.
Among the guests was, of course, US Dutch Palestinian model Gigi Hadid.
The runway star wore a metallic gold halter-neck gown with a fitted silhouette and a gathered waist. The dress featured sequins and embellishments throughout, along with a slight train that extended behind her.
She completed the look with statement earrings and styled her hair in soft vintage waves with a rolled front section.
Saudi Arabia-based Argentine model Georgina Rodriguez wore a black satin gown with lace detailing along the neckline and waist. The dress featured a thigh-high slit and a floor-length train. She accessorized her look with pointed black heels and a diamond necklace.
This year’s Met Gala marks two major milestones: it is the first to spotlight Black designers, and the first in over two decades to center on menswear. The theme was inspired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s spring exhibition, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”
The event was co-hosted by Pharrell Williams, Lewis Hamilton, Colman Domingo and A$AP Rocky.
Rihanna closed out the evening in signature fashion, revealing her newly announced baby bump. Her Marc Jacobs look included tied sleeves of a men’s suit that served as a bustle behind her as she posed for the cameras.
A$AP Rocky, who is both co-chair and the father of Rihanna’s child, responded to congratulations on the carpet. “It feels amazing. It’s time that we show the people what we was cooking up. And I’m glad everybody’s happy for us ‘cause we definitely happy, you know,” he told reporters on the red carpet.
