Day: April 11, 2022

Police in Liverpool confirmed Sunday that they have launched an investigation after Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to slap a mobile phone out of a young fan’s hand.

Manchester United suffered a shock 1-0 loss to Everton on Saturday at the latter’s home ground of Goodison Park. The young boy was an Everton supporter.

Footage that spread on social media showed Ronaldo making his way off the pitch through the tunnel with fans on either side of the railing. It then appeared to show him slapping the hand of the young fan who was holding a mobile phone.

Sarah Kelly, the mother of Jake, the young fan, told local media outlet the Liverpool Echo: “At full-time, the Man United players started walking off. We were in the Park End, so we were right by the tunnel where they came walking past – my son was there videoing them all.”

“He filmed all the United players walking through. And then he lowered his phone because Ronaldo had pulled down his sock and his leg was bleeding. He lowered his phone to see what it was – he didn’t even speak.

“Ronaldo then just walked past, with a terrible, terrible temper and smashed the phone out of my son’s hand and carried on walking.

“I was crying, I was shook up, Jacob was in complete shock – he’s autistic and he’s got dyspraxia as well, so he didn’t really digest what was happening until he’s come home now. He’s really upset about it and it’s completely put him off going to the game again,” she said.

She also provided the Liverpool Echo with a photo showing her son’s bruised hand.

In a statement, Merseyside Police confirmed they were liaising with Manchester United and Everton following reports of the alleged assault.

“As players were leaving the pitch at 2.30 p.m., it was reported that a boy was assaulted by one of the away team as they left the pitch,” the statement said.

“Inquiries are underway and officers are currently working with Everton Football club to review CCTV footage and are carrying out extensive witness enquiries to establish if an offence has taken place,” it added.

Ronaldo apologized

Ronaldo apologized for the incident on his Instagram account, saying: “It’s never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments such as the one we are facing.”

“Nevertheless, we always have to be respectful, patient and set the example for all the youngsters who love the beautiful game.

Source: Anadolu Agency

‘The cruise ship named ‘Corsica Linea’ belonging to the French company Nicoli collided with an oil tanker of the Naftal Company which was anchored in Algiers port as the captain of the ship lost control,” Algeria’s National Company for Marketing and Distribution of Petroleum Products (Naftal) said in a statement.

It said that according to the initial investigations made by Naftal’s damage experts after the accident, which happened on April 6, some damage occurred to the external equipment of the oil tanker.

The damage to the tanker will not prevent it from cruising until the insurance procedures are completed, it added.

Reporting by Ebu Bekir Askin, Writing by Seda Sevencan

Source: Anadolu Agency

Forces loyal to Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar on Sunday denied reports about the closure of the country’s oil fields and ports.

In a statement, military spokesman Ahmad al-Mismari said reports about closing Libya’s oil fields and seaports upon orders from Haftar-backed government of Fathi Bashagha were ‘baseless.’

The news was circulated by Libyan activists on social media on Saturday after Haftar’s representatives suspended their participation in the 5+5 joint military committee, which includes five members from the Tripoli-based national unity government and five from Haftar’s forces.

Activists said that Haftar has ordered the suspension of Libya’s oil exports and the closure of the coastal road linking Libya’s east and west amid a dispute with the Tripoli-based government of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh.

Several international actors involved in the Libyan crisis, including the UN mission and the European Union, warned against exploiting Libya’s oil exports by any Libyan party.

The situation escalated in Libya last month after the parliament gave confidence to a new government headed by Bashagha while Dbeibeh insists on remaining in his post.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Oil prices edged lower on Monday on demand fears from the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown in China and easing supply concerns after some oil-producing countries announced the release of a record quantity of oil from their emergency reserves.

International benchmark Brent crude was trading at $100.82 per barrel at 0640 GMT for a 1.90% decrease after closing the previous session at $102.78 a barrel.

American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was at $96.12 per barrel at the same time for a 2.18% loss after the previous session closed at $98.26 a barrel.

The worsening COVID-19 outbreak in China exerted downward pressure on prices.

As many countries are gradually easing COVID-19 mandates, China, in line with its zero-covid strategy, has put almost 28 million people under strict lockdown in Shanghai. The country on Sunday reported 1,351 confirmed coronavirus infections, including nine in Shanghai.

Last week, authorities extended the lockdown and restrictions in the city for an indefinite period, and are continuing a citywide campaign to test millions of residents.

Meanwhile, prices also came under pressure since International Energy Agency (IEA) member countries on Thursday confirmed the largest-ever oil release from their emergency stocks in response to significant oil market strains.

The IEA’s latest decision to use 120 million barrels of oil from emergency stockpiles came after the agency’s collective emergency oil release on March 1 of 62.7 million barrels.

Earlier in April, US President Joe Biden also announced the release of 180 million barrels, or 1 million barrels per day for six months, to drive down prices at the pump and ‘ease the pain that families are feeling.’

Investors will monitor supply and demand data from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on Tuesday and the IEA on Wednesday.

OPEC had earlier said it would stop using IEA data to assess compliance with its production quotas.

OPEC agreed to replace IEA data with consultancy Wood Mackenzie and Rystad Energy as secondary sources while assessing the crude production levels of member countries.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Daily electricity consumption in Turkiye decreased by 10.4% on Sunday compared to the previous day, totaling 741,416 megawatt-hours, according to official figures of Turkish Electricity Transmission Corporation (TEIAS) on Monday.

Hourly power consumption peaked at 34,585 megawatt-hours at 21.00 local time (1800 GMT), data from TEIAS showed. The country’s electricity usage dropped to the lowest level of 25,486 megawatt-hours at 08.00 local time (0500 GMT).

Electricity production amounted to 742,472 megawatt-hours on Sunday, marking a decrease of 10.2% compared to Saturday.

Electricity production from hydro power plants constituted 21.8% of total generation, while wind power plants and run-of-the-river plants contributed 18.9% and 16.6%, respectively.

On Sunday, the country’s electricity exports amounted to 9,968 megawatt-hours and imports totaled 8,912 megawatt-hours.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Pakistan’s parliament will elect a new prime minister on Monday after Imran Khan’s ouster in a no-confidence vote.

Shehbaz Sharif, younger brother of three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, is the joint candidate of the combined opposition.

The 70-year-old was pivotal in the opposition’s push to topple Khan’s government.

He has previously served as chief minister of the key Punjab province, where he developed a reputation as an efficient administrator.

Sharif has called for improving ties with the US, terming them critical for Pakistan, a noticeable departure from Khan’s frosty views regarding Washington, whom he accused of orchestrating his ouster.

Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has nominated ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi for the premier’s post.

Qureshi, who is vice chairman of the PTI, was a prominent figure in Khan’s government, leading Islamabad’s efforts to carve out its own space in rapidly changing regional and global geopolitics.

Either candidate needs to get a minimum of 172 votes in the 342-member National Assembly, the lower house of Pakistan’s parliament.

The opposition alliance that ousted Khan with 174 votes just after Saturday midnight claims to have the support of 176 parliamentarians, along with some 20 PTI dissidents.

The PTI and its remaining allies have 142 votes, excluding the 20 dissidents, making victory for Sharif a near certainty.

Source: Anadolu Agency

As round one of voting came to a close Sunday night, Marine Le Pen finished alongside President Emmanuel Macron as the two top contenders in the French presidential election.

This is Le Pen’s third attempt at the presidency, the far-right candidate running on a platform of restoring French values, fighting for French traditions and bridging the social, territorial, and cultural divides that “have brought our country asunder.”

“I will be a president for all. On the 24th, it is not just a vote of mere circumstance, it is one where people will vote for society, for our civilization,” she told supporters after projections suggested she would face off against Macron on April 24.

Exit polls put Le Pen finishing with over 23% of the vote, and Macron getting more than 28%.

The crowd gathered for her acceptance speech was rapt as Le Pen rifled off the kinds of words voters like to hear: That her presidency “will be one where people defend the French language, our civilization, our culture, our way of living, one where people vote to uphold our values, one of a secular society.”

“On the 24th of April, we will see that people will decide on what the future five years will be for France. But it will be much more than that, it will be about Europe, it will be about defense, it will be about migrants, so many topics that I will defend, unwaveringly.”

The 53-year-old also hit on a hot button issue: retirement. Her pledge was to ensure that everyone has a fair one. The issue – which was the possible raising of the retirement age, thus forcing people to work longer – had ignited strikes for weeks on end at the end of 2019 and into the first two and a half months of 2020 before the pandemic took hold.

“I will ensure that France will be sovereign so that French men and women can decide for themselves, and I will fight for the interests of French men and women,” she said. I will ensure security for all by listening to what is happening in our country – by listening to you, citizens of France, who have far too often been ignored by elected officials. On that day, I will stand up against the major challenges that face our country.”

Source: Anadolu Agency