PSG’s Achraf Hakimi voted African Footballer of the Year

Achraf Hakimi, a Paris Saint-Germain player, has won the African Footballer of the Year award, becoming the first African defender to do so in 52 years.

At the 2025 CAF Awards in Rabat, Morocco right back Hakimi placed ahead of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, and Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen in the vote.

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After guiding PSG to their first ever Champions League title in May, they defeated Inter Milan 5-0 in the final as part of a legendary treble-winning campaign that included the Coupe de France and the Ligue 1 title.

Tottenham Hotspur defeated PSG in the UEFA Super Cup in August to claim their fourth trophy of the 2025 calendar year.

Hakimi described it as “really a proud moment” and the first Moroccan to receive the award since Mustapha Hadji in 1998 and the first defense official since Bwanga Tshimen of Zaire in 1973.

He said, “This trophy is not just for me but also for all the strong men and women who want to play football in Africa.”

I want to thank everyone who has always backed me and who has always backed me since I was a child, he continued.

Hakimi also placed sixth in the men’s 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings in September, which is the annual award given to the best football player in the world. This was the Moroccan’s highest position ever. Ousmane Dembele, his teammate and French international, was honored as the Ballon d’Or winner.

As well as receiving the honors of Yassine Bounou and Ghizlane Chebbak, both from Saudi Arabia, the Moroccan footballers also received the men’s and women’s footballers, respectively.

Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, who recently made the move to Brighton &amp, Hove Albion in the Women’s Super League, was awarded the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award for the third time in a row.

After making its World Cup debut in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, Cape Verde manager Bubista was named the country’s 525, 000-person coach.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,365

On Thursday, November 20, 2018, this is how things are going.

Fighting

    According to Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, at least 26 people have been confirmed dead and trapped beneath the rubble of a building that was struck by a Russian attack in the western city of Ternopil.

  • Nearly 100 people reportedly suffered injuries in the Ternopil attack, which Klymenko claimed covered the apartment complex with a “wave of fire.”
  • Russian forces launched a Kh-101 cruise missile at the apartment building, according to the Ukrainian air force, noting that the weapon “contains components and accessories manufactured by businesses in particular from the USA, China, Taiwan, Germany, and others.”
  • Andrii Sybiha, the country’s foreign minister, said on Thursday that Ukraine would bring “Russia’s horrific murder” to the UN Security Council in Ternopil, calling for “condemnation, justice, and strong responses.”
  • According to Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, at least 46 people were hurt by Russian shelling in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv over the past day, according to a post on Telegram.
  • According to Russian-installed Governor Vladimir Saldo, a civilian was killed in a Ukrainian-occupied area of the Kherson region, according to TASS, the country’s state news agency.
  • On Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, the Ukrainian air force reported that it shot down 48 Russian drones and missiles.
  • According to TASS, Russian forces shot down 93 Ukrainian drones and four missiles in 24 hours.

Ceasefire

  • In Ankara, where previous media contacts between Ukraine and Russia had been held, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Turkish President.
  • Zelenskyy said that by the end of the year, Ukraine hopes to resume its contacts with Russia and prisoners of war.
  • Erdogan also said that it was important for us that Turkey is prepared to offer the necessary platform in order for the potential resumption of discussions with Russia.
  • Zelenskyy continued, “The main thing that will stop the bloodshed and bring about lasting peace is that we work together with all our partners and that the American leadership is strong and effective.”
  • Since the summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in August, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, there hasn’t been anything new to be announced regarding peace talks with Ukraine.

Regional security

  • If a Russian spy ship, the Yantar, is deemed a threat after firing lasers at British pilots stationed north of Scotland, British Defence Minister John Healey declared that “military options are available.”
  • After Russia placed Iskander missiles in the Russian city of Kaliningrad, Rene Obermann, the chairman of Airbus, stated at the Berlin Security Conference that some European nations should purchase “tactical” nuclear weapons as a “sign of deterrence.”

Sanctions

  • After discussions aimed at shielding the subsidiary from US sanctions, a representative from the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq told the Reuters news agency that the Russian oil company Rosneft has reduced its stake in the Kurdistan Pipeline Company to less than 50%.

military assistance

  • No details would be disclosed, but German Chancellor Friedrich Merz predicted that ongoing discussions to provide long-range missiles to Ukraine would eventually lead to an agreement, which would include some domestic production.

Syria condemns Israeli PM Netanyahu’s ‘illegal visit’ to seized territory

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials traveled to Syria’s southern province to visit troops stationed in Syrian territory, which they have occupied for months.

As rebel forces overran the regime of former president Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December, Israel expanded its occupation of southern Syria.

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The UN Security Council was informed on Wednesday by Ibrahim Olabi, Syria’s ambassador to the UN, that “my government strongly condemns this provocative tour, which epitomizes Israel’s ongoing aggression against Syria and its people.”

Following the Arab-Israeli War of 1973, “We reiterate our call on the UN and this council to immediately take action to stop these violations, ensure their non-recurrence, end the occupation, and ratify relevant resolutions, particularly the 1974 disengagement agreement.”

Israel has maintained troops in a UN-patrolled buffer zone in the Golan Heights, separating Israeli and Syrian forces, since al-Assad’s regime was overthrown.

Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials’ “very public visit,” according to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, was “concerning, to say the least.”

According to Dujarric, Syria’s full sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity were “demanded by UN Resolution 2799,” which was just passed by the Security Council.”

Since al-Assad fled, Israel has asserted that the 1974 agreement has been void and that it has violated Syrian sovereignty through airstrikes, ground infiltration, reconnaissance overflights, the establishment of checkpoints, and the arrest and disappearance of Syrian citizens.

Syria has not responded to the attacks.

“No aggression at all”

Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, addressed the ambassador to Syria at the Security Council meeting instead of directly addressing Netanyahu’s visit.

“Show us that Syria is a country that is separating itself from radical and extremist extremism, and that protecting Jews and Christians is a top priority.” Show us that the militias have stopped the cycle of indiscriminate killings, that justice is upheld, and that the militias are restrained, and that the killings are not just, Danon said.

Olabi responded, “Your weight is usually on your shoulders, Mr. Ambassador.” You have hit Syria more than 1, 000 times, and Israel has not shown any signs of aggression against you. We have responded with diplomatic requests. We engaged in a productive way. and we’re still waiting for you to follow suit.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, Defense Minister Israel Katz, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and Shin Bet security service head David Zini traveled to Syria with David Zini, the head of the organization, and Defense Minister Israel Katz.

The ministry of foreign affairs and expatriates in Syria “strongly condemned the unlawful visit,” saying that it “violated Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Israel’s army made another offensive in Syria this month, setting up a military post in Quneitra’s southern province.

Since al-Assad was overthrown, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa claimed that since al-Assad’s overthrow, Israel has carried out more than 1, 000 airstrikes and more than 400 ground incursions in Syria. He added that the actions were “very dangerous.”

Gabriel Elizondo, a journalist for the UN in New York, noted that Syria and Israel are still negotiating a security pact, which analysts believe could be finalized by the year’s end.

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Family demands independent medical care for US teen detained by Israel

In response to alarming rumors about Mohammed Ibrahim’s status in prison, the Palestinian American boy has been held by Israel since February.

Zeyad Kadur, Mohammed’s uncle, claimed a representative from the US Embassy in Israel visited the 16-year-old at Ofer Prison last week.

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Afterward, the official informed the family that Ibrahim had lost weight and had developed dark circles around his eyes, according to Kadur.

Mohammed’s case has also been discussed with numerous US and Israeli agencies, according to the consular officer.

How bad is it because they showed “serious concern for his health” for the first time in nine months? On Wednesday, Kharur asked in an interview.

Mohammed’s family claimed that the administration of President Donald Trump is not doing enough to bring him home despite rights groups and US lawmakers’ pleas for his release.

Ibrahim denies throwing rocks at Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, according to an accusation made by Israeli authorities.

Mohammed’s family claims that the legal proceedings in the case are moving at a snail’s pace in Israel’s military justice system.

Given that the occupied West Bank has a nearly 100% conviction rate for Palestinian defendants, rights advocates claim that the military court system is a component of Israel’s discriminatory apartheid regime.

The teenager’s lack of access while Mohammed is imprisoned in Israel only heightens the family’s fury. His relatives only receive updates from the US embassy when they are unable to visit him or speak with him.

His father, Zaher Ibrahim, reported to Al Jazeera earlier this year that the teenager had been losing a lot of weight while he was in custody. Additionally, he developed scabies, a spreadable skin condition.

He last received a visit from US Embassy staff in September.

Particularly after Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza in October 2023, Israeli authorities have committed well-known abuses against Palestinian prisoners, including torture and sexual violence.

We are aware of how people are getting out of prison and what they look like, according to Kadur.

“Mohammed was a 15-year-old American child. He is now 16 years old, hasn’t seen his dad, and hasn’t seen his mother in nine months.

Mohammed’s mental health is another concern, he added.

We request that he be taken to a hospital and evaluated by a third party, not a prison nurse or doctor. Mohammed’s uncle informed Al Jazeera that he needs some serious attention.

When Mohammed, a Florida native, was detained, blindfolded, and tortured during what Kadur called a “kidnapping,” he was on a trip to Palestine.

The US Department of State did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment on Mohammed’s most recent consular visit.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to have misunderstood a question about Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti when he went to Israel last month, believing it to be about Mohammed’s case.

Do you have any experience with the US one? Rubio told reporters, “I don’t have any news for you today.”

We will obviously work that through our diplomatic channels and our embassy in this country, but that is all we have to say.

However, Mohammed’s case requires political will from Washington to secure his freedom, not one that is bureaucratically or legally based.

Kadur emphasized that the US has negotiated with allies to free detained Americans, including Venezuela, Russia, and North Korea, in order to press for Mohammed’s release from its most enmity in the Middle East.

Over the past two years, the US has provided military aid to Israel totaling more than $ 21 billion.

In contrast, Hamas’s attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, saw a sharp contrast between the US’s efforts to free Mohammed and the US’s push to release US citizen Edan Alexander, who had been serving in the Israeli army and was imprisoned as a result.

Following repression by the Trump administration against Hamas, Alexander was freed in May.

According to Kadur, “The American government negotiated with what they view as a terrorist organization, and they secured his release.” Alexander was an adult who put on a uniform, grabbed a gun, and carried out his obligations.

Israel kills at least 28 Palestinians in wave of Gaza ‘ceasefire’ attacks

According to medical sources, one of the largest breaches of the US-brokered ceasefire that took effect last month has resulted in the deaths of at least 28 Palestinians in a wave of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.

According to a preliminary death toll, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reported on Wednesday that at least 77 Palestinians had been injured in Israeli bombardment.

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According to Hani Mahmoud, a journalist from Gaza City, the Israeli attacks targeted three specific locations, including the al-Mawasi area in southern Gaza close to Khan Younis.

Additionally, Israel struck a junction in the Zeitoun neighborhood of eastern Gaza City, which is home to displaced Palestinian families, and a building where at least 10 people, including an entire family, were killed.

According to Mahmoud, “a father, a mother, and their three children were killed inside this building,” adding that the Gaza Strip’s fear is being heightened as more attacks are carried out.

Palestinians in Gaza are already experiencing daily horrors, he said, noting that Israeli bombings have not stopped since the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire was signed on October 10.

Palestinians are still dying as a result of the violence that is ongoing, and the war is still ongoing.

“Judge, jury, and executioner”

In response to a situation in Khan Younis, in the south of the country, where its troops were shot at, the Israeli military said it responded on Wednesday by striking “Hamas targets” across Gaza.

The army will continue to use force, according to the statement. “The]army will continue to act decisively to eradicate any threat to the State of Israel.”

Hamas, however, refuted the claim that Gaza’s forces were shot at, calling it “a flimsy and transparent attempt to justify its crimes and violations.”

In response to the most recent Israeli attacks, the Palestinian group stated in a statement that “we believe that the Israeli prime minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] is seeking to resume the genocide against our people.

Nour Odeh of Al Jazeera also noted that Israel has “the right to be judge, jury, and executioner” in the course of the truce.

Israel launches a number of air strikes against specific targets, according to Odeh, who spoke from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. “It decides for itself whether Hamas is complying with this ceasefire] in Gaza,” Odeh said.

After an Israeli bombing of a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, which left more than a dozen people dead, the Israeli assault on Gaza came to coincide with a string of Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

The UN Security Council (UNSC) approved US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, which included the deployment of a ‘international stabilization force’, just days prior.

In response to the US and Israel’s demand that Hamas give up control of Gaza, the resolution also endorsed the establishment of a “board of peace” to regulate governance in the coastal territory.

The plan, which Hamas and other Palestinian groups claim it establishes a framework that conflicts with “the national will,” has been rejected by Hamas and other Palestinian groups in Gaza.

The resolution was condemned by the Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq, who called on UNSC members to vote against it because it “could undermine and reject Palestinian self-determination.”

Numerous violations

Israel’s attacks on Gaza “challenge” the international community and the UNSC resolution, according to Khaled Elgindy, a senior fellow at the US-based think tank Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

Elgindy told Al Jazeera, “This is a real test for the United States, the Security Council, and the international community.” Are they going to uphold the ceasefire that they have been celebrating for a while?

The US-backed UN resolution, which supporters claimed would put an end to Israel’s nearly 70, 000 Palestinians’ conflict in Gaza, which has been ongoing since October 2023, was supported by the UN resolution.

“But that’s not even there.” According to Elgindy, Israel doesn’t fully or even partially adhere to the terms of the ceasefire.

“The reality is that if the United States is not going to act, then the war will continue under the pretext of a ceasefire and peacemaking, when in reality the opposite is the case.”