Category World News

With a dominant 4-1 win to take the lead in the Premier League, Arsenal ended Aston Villa’s 11-game winning streak while Chelsea and Manchester United wasted a chance to finish in the top four.

Chelsea have won once in seven league games since being held 2-2 by Bournemouth in the final round of English top-flight games on Saturday, while Wolves picked up just their third point of the season in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

In Villa Park earlier this month, Arsenal resurrected their grip on the title race by claiming their only defeat of the previous 25 games in all competitions.

Unai Emery’s side were blown away in the second half at the Emirates, raising questions about Villa’s ability to live with Arsenal and Manchester City over the course of 38 games.

Arsenal broke out after a close-fought first 45 minutes, in which Villa had opportunities thanks to Ollie Watkins.

When Gabriel Magalhaes outmuscled Emi Martinez for his second start following a hamstring injury, Mikel Arteta’s men could use a set-piece once more to break the deadlock.

Martin Zubimendi scored a fine through-ball before Martin Odegaard doubled the Gunners’ lead.

Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus fired in from outside the box, causing two excellent strikes to then salt the visitors’ wounds.

Watkins scored a consolation goal, but Villa, in third place, was only six points clear of the leaders.

When City travel to Sunderland on January 1st, they can close the top gap by two points.

Wolves end their unbeaten run at Manchester United.

United squandered a second chance at Old Trafford to improve their chances of winning the Champions League the following year.

The Red Devils took the lead thanks to Joshua Zirkzee’s deflected effort, but Ladislav Krejci’s header snapped Wolves’ 12-game losing streak.

Ruben Amorim’s men are still in sixth place, just two points behind.

Chelsea’s inability to end the gloom at Stamford Bridge was a result of Enzo Maresca’s frustrated home fans booing their replacement Cole Palmer.

Bournemouth quickly demonstrated why they have conceded more goals on the road than any other side in the English top flight, despite David Brooks’ flawless start.

Before Enzo Fernandez was given acres of space to fire into the top corner, Palmer equalized from the penalty spot.

However, in the opening 27 minutes, Chelsea was unable to convert Antoine Semenyo’s delivery at the back post. Justin Kluivert did so for the second time.

The Blues are still in fifth place despite Maresca’s decision to replace Palmer with Joao Pedro, who the home fans drew attention to.

After a fantastic opening win over Burnley 3-1, Newcastle were forced to sweat for the second away league win of the year.

Within seven minutes, the Magpies were up 2-0 with goals from Joelinton and Yoane Wissa.

Eddie Howe’s men won thanks to Bruno Guimaraes, who scored the opening goal for the visitors in the closing stages of the match, and Josh Laurent equalized midway through the first half.

Everton, which had lost out to former boss Sean Dyche for the second time in a month at Nottingham Forest, climbed into the top half of the table.

The Toffees’ goal, which James Garner and Thierno Barry scored, placed Dyche’s side just four points above the relegation zone, despite their previous 3-0 victory over Forest on December 6.

A deal committing $ 480 million in public health assistance to the Ivory Coast has been signed by the president of the United States, Donald Trump.

The Trump administration’s America First Global Health Strategy recently underwent a change with the signing of the deal in the West African nation’s capital, Abidjan, on Tuesday.

In response to the administration’s gutting of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the plan calls for forging bilateral agreements with dozens of nations to receive US health assistance.

The Trump administration has argued that bilateral agreements will increase accountability, oversight, and eventual self-sufficiency, while the administration has argued that US foreign aid has been ineffective and wasteful.

The approach’s efficacy has been questioned by experts, who are concerned about its transactional nature.

Jessica Davis Ba, the US ambassador to the Ivory Coast, stated at the signing ceremony that the US government is moving “to a model that emphasizes trade, innovation, and shared prosperity.”

Our bilateral cooperation is entering a new phase today. The ambassador stated that the America First Global Health Strategy is being implemented.

According to Ivory Coast Prime Minister Robert Beugre Mambe, the country has pledged to eventually provide up to $ 292 million in health funding by 2030 as part of the agreement.

The Trump administration has already reached the largest number of agreements under the new strategy under the new strategy.

cuts to USAID

Public health services around the world have been severely impacted by USAID’s severe cuts earlier this year, with Africa being one of the hardest hit.

That has raised questions about the potential increase in the spread of HIV on the continent, the declines in maternal and child healthcare, the rise in Malaria cases, and the lack of early detection of new infectious diseases.

Public health experts have been cautious about the administration’s approach despite the Ivory Coast deal and other recent bilateral agreements’ attempts to address these issues.

The new strategy includes a number of potentially beneficial changes to the delivery of foreign health assistance, according to an analysis released by the Center for Global Development earlier this month.

However, these changes “present significant risks to the delivery of services and hard-won public health benefits,” according to policy fellows Janeen Madan Keller and senior analyst Jocilyn Estes.

The pair identified several potential risk areas, including concerns about how “transactional pressures” might affect public health priorities, questions about oversight, and a lack of clarity regarding how services will be protected if a partner nation is unable to fulfill its commitments.

The experts further questioned the effectiveness of the strategy for aid in areas without “credible or stable government.”

As China continues to conduct massive live-fire exercises off Taiwan, it has launched more rockets.

As China tries to assert its claim that Taiwan belongs to its own country, Beijing’s “Justice Mission 2025” drills are viewed as a show of force.

Following the US-Taiwan agreement worth $11 billion, the military maneuvers come at a later time. Beijing referred to the exercises as a “stern warning” to “external forces,” despite not mentioning the US.

Can these tensions be averted?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

The China Market Research Group was founded by Shaun Rein, who is now the group’s managing director.

Research fellow at the Institute of International Relations, Chen Shen Yen

Erdogan warned that Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region of Somalia could destabilize the Horn of Africa at a press conference held on Tuesday in Ankara with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

He continued, noting that Turkiye and Somalia’s continued cooperation in energy was bolstering in light of promising joint offshore exploration efforts.

“We believe that maintaining Somalia’s unity and integrity under all circumstances is of particular importance. Erdogan remarked that Israel’s recognition of Somaliland is unlawful and unacceptable.

“Our Palestinian brothers and sisters have died as a result of the Netanyahu government.” In response to Israel’s genocidal war against Gaza, he continued, “it is now trying to destabilize the Horn of Africa as well” he added.

Last Friday, Israel formally recognized Somaliland as the first and only nation, citing the Abraham Accords, which established a level of normalcy between Israel and several Arab countries.

Illegal aggression

Following the demise of the central government following a civil war, Somaliland unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991. It hasn’t gained international recognition despite maintaining its own currency, passport, and army.

Mohamud criticized Israel for “illegal aggression” while referring to the recognition as breaking the United Nations Charter and African Union agreements.

He later told Al Jazeera in an interview that “Israel is exporting its problems to Gaza and Palestine, and it is trying to divert the attention of the entire world, including the Arab and Islamic world.”

In Somalia, Israel will use force to accompanies Palestinians. Additionally, it wants to have control over strategically significant waterways that link crucial maritime areas, both economically and economically, between the Gulf and the Red Sea.

Destabilizing Africa

Mohamud warned that the decision would have long-term effects abroad, and that Somalia could become the first country to become unstable under the Horn of Africa.

He made reference to Turkiye’s previous mediating capacity with Somalia and Somaliland and supports efforts to end the conflict peacefully.

Independent researcher Abdinor Dahir claimed that Turkiye has actively financed Somalia by facilitating negotiations between Somalia and Somaliland and supporting its political process.

He told Al Jazeera that Israel’s recognition “threatens Turkiye’s economic interests” and its presence in the nation and “poses a direct challenge to Somalia’s sovereignty.”

Dahir warned that Somalia’s efforts to improve security, which have included years of civil war, and continue to fight armed groups like al-Shabab and ISIL (ISIS), may be undermined.