PARIS — Paris Saint-Germain delivered a resilient and tactical performance to defeat Arsenal 2-1 in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal, sealing a 3-1 aggregate victory and booking a place in the final against Inter Milan.
The French giants, often known for their possession-based dominance, were forced to adapt under heavy pressure from Arsenal and leaned on an inspired performance from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to survive wave after wave of attacks at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night.
Despite being second-best in spells, PSG struck decisively through a thunderous 27th-minute volley from Fabián Ruiz, capitalizing on a loose clearance from a set piece. Arsenal had moments to respond, including a missed open goal from an England forward shortly after, but lacked the cutting edge needed to turn the tie around.
Vitinha had an opportunity to extend PSG’s lead from the penalty spot after a VAR review awarded a contentious handball against Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly. However, goalkeeper David Raya kept the visitors alive with a key save.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta lamented the missed chances and praised Donnarumma’s heroics. “The best player over the two legs was their goalkeeper,” Arteta told TNT Sports. “We were closer than the scoreline suggests. After 20 minutes, it should have been 3-0. We’re not there, and that has to hurt.”
The Gunners’ early aggression faded as the match wore on, with PSG’s counter-attacking strategy and game management proving effective. This marks PSG’s second trip to the Champions League final in five years, having previously lost to Bayern Munich in 2020.
Their next test will be against three-time European champions Inter Milan on May 31, after the Italian side edged Barcelona 7-6 on aggregate in an epic semifinal series.
Arsenal’s Declan Rice echoed Arteta’s pride but acknowledged the setback. “Sometimes you have to lose a few to win. We’re growing as a team and we’ll be stronger. This won’t define us.”
PSG, who were eliminated by Borussia Dortmund at this stage last year, now have a chance to rewrite their European legacy in the final. For Arsenal, the wait for a return to continental glory continues.
WASHINGTON — The United States and Israel have engaged in high-level discussions over the possibility of Washington leading a temporary post-war administration in Gaza, a move that could mark the most significant American intervention in the Middle East since the Iraq War, according to five people with knowledge of the ongoing talks.
The consultations, described as preliminary and not yet finalized, have focused on the idea of a transitional governing authority headed by a U.S. official. This body would be responsible for managing Gaza until the territory is demilitarized and stabilized, and a viable Palestinian governance structure emerges, the sources said. No specific timeline has been set, with the length of the administration expected to depend on conditions on the ground.
The plan bears similarities to the Coalition Provisional Authority created by the U.S. in Iraq in 2003, which was widely seen as an occupying force and struggled to contain an insurgency before ceding power to an interim Iraqi government in 2004.
The proposed Gaza administration, according to the sources, would draw on Palestinian technocrats but would exclude both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Other countries could be invited to participate, though no specific nations were identified.
Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, ignited the current war on October 7, 2023, with a deadly assault on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages. The Israeli military response has since claimed over 52,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
While serious, the conversations between Washington and Jerusalem have not advanced to identifying individuals for leadership roles, and it remains unclear which side initiated the proposal. The U.S. State Department declined to confirm whether such talks had occurred. A spokesperson stated: “We want peace, and the immediate release of the hostages. The pillars of our approach remain resolute: stand with Israel, stand for peace.”
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also declined to comment.
In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar acknowledged the likelihood of a “transitional period” following the conflict, during which an international board of trustees — including “moderate Arab countries” — would supervise Gaza’s recovery. “Our sole interest in Gaza is security,” Saar said.
However, Israeli leadership, particularly Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition, remains adamant that neither the PA nor Hamas should play any role in Gaza’s future. Netanyahu reiterated this position Monday, announcing expanded military operations and further displacement of Gazans “for their own safety.”
While some in his coalition have advocated for the “voluntary” mass migration of Palestinians and the return of Israeli settlements to Gaza, sources say Israeli officials behind the scenes are considering more practical alternatives — including the US-led administration, dividing Gaza into security zones, and establishing permanent Israeli military bases.
The idea of a U.S.-led administration in Gaza carries significant political and diplomatic risks. Two sources noted that the move could provoke backlash across the Middle East if Washington is seen as an occupying power.
The United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020, has floated a separate proposal for an international coalition to govern Gaza, but its participation would hinge on the inclusion of the Palestinian Authority and a clear path toward Palestinian statehood. The UAE has not commented on whether it would support a US-led administration excluding the PA.
Ismail Al-Thawabta, spokesman for the Hamas-run media office in Gaza, rejected the idea outright, insisting that only the Palestinian people have the right to determine their leadership.
The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank and is backed by the West, did not respond to requests for comment.
If implemented, the plan would mark a profound shift in U.S. policy in the region, drawing direct comparisons to the 2003 occupation of Iraq and risking renewed instability. The memory of the Coalition Provisional Authority’s failure looms large, and Washington is aware that perceptions of neocolonialism or occupation could undercut any attempts at stabilization.
Nonetheless, the proposal is gaining quiet traction as the conflict enters its seventh month with no political resolution in sight and the devastation in Gaza mounting.
NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD — India’s bold military offensive, codenamed Operation Sindoor, left at least 31 people dead and 57 others injured in Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir early Wednesday, intensifying already volatile relations between the two nuclear-armed nations. Pakistan has vowed to retaliate, calling the strikes an “unprovoked and blatant act of war.”
According to India’s Ministry of Defense, the missile strikes were aimed at nine terrorist infrastructure sites in both Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Officials described the operation as “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” stressing that no Pakistani military facilities were targeted. The strikes came two weeks after a terror attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, left 26 dead, prompting New Delhi to accuse Islamabad of complicity.
In a statement following the strikes, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said intelligence assessments showed further cross-border attacks were imminent. “India exercised its right to respond, pre-empt, and deter,” Misri said, defending the operation as a necessary countermeasure.
Pakistan’s government, however, condemned the strikes as a direct violation of its sovereignty and claimed without providing evidence that it had shot down five Indian fighter jets. India has not publicly responded to the claim, though Associated Press reported that two Indian aircraft crashed in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Speaking from the Oval Office, President Donald Trump reacted cautiously to the situation, saying, “It’s a shame…they’ve been fighting for a long time…I hope it ends very quickly.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed Trump’s sentiments via social media, adding that the U.S. is monitoring the conflict closely and will engage both sides toward a peaceful resolution.
Other international responses were mixed. China’s Foreign Ministry described the Indian operation as “regrettable,” urging calm and restraint from both sides. Israel, meanwhile, offered full backing to India, with Ambassador Reuven Azar tweeting support for India’s “right to self-defense.” The United Nations expressed deep concern, with a spokesperson for Secretary-General António Guterres calling for “maximum military restraint” and warning that “the world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan.”
Just hours after the missile barrage, shelling resumed across the Line of Control — the de facto border in Kashmir. Indian officials reported that Pakistani shelling killed 10 civilians and injured 32 others in Indian-administered Kashmir. Pakistan claimed five deaths on its side due to Indian shelling, as both sides traded blame for ceasefire violations.
Tensions have soared since the April attack in Pahalgam, where 26 people, mostly Indian nationals, were killed in a suspected terror strike. India immediately blamed Pakistan, accusing it of backing militant groups operating in Kashmir. Pakistan denied the charges as “baseless and concocted.”
India’s leadership vowed a firm response, setting the stage for Operation Sindoor. In the lead-up to the strikes, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif stated in an interview with Bloomberg TV that while Pakistan would not initiate hostilities, it was prepared to respond decisively if attacked. “If India attacks, we’ll respond. If India backs down, we’ll definitely wrap up,” he said.
India’s Air Force Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, speaking after the mission, reiterated that India had shown considerable restraint, but warned the armed forces were “fully prepared” for any further provocations from Pakistan.
The India-Pakistan rivalry has been one of the world’s most dangerous geopolitical flashpoints for over seven decades, centered on the disputed region of Kashmir. The countries have fought three wars — including the most recent major clash in 2019, when India carried out airstrikes in Balakot following a deadly suicide bombing that killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel.
Now, with Operation Sindoor, the conflict risks entering a new and more volatile phase, drawing in global powers and stoking fears of another full-scale confrontation.
NAIROBI, Kenya — Two 19-year-old Belgian nationals were fined $7,700 or given the option of serving a one-year prison sentence by a Kenyan court after they were caught with 5,000 ants, a violation of the country’s wildlife conservation laws that officials say reflects a growing underground trade in lesser-known species.
The teenagers, identified as Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, were arrested April 5 at a guesthouse in Nakuru County, a region near several prominent national parks. Authorities allege the pair intended to traffic the ants to markets in Europe and Asia. They were formally charged April 15.
Appearing in court at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on Wednesday, the two told Magistrate Njeri Thuku that they had collected the insects as part of a hobby, claiming ignorance of the legal implications. But Thuku dismissed their explanation, emphasizing the large quantity and the commercial value of the species — particularly Messor cephalotes, a distinctive red harvester ant native to East Africa.
“This is beyond a hobby,” Thuku said. “Indeed, there is a biting shortage of messor cephalotes online.”
The ruling came with the minimum penalty under Kenyan law for wildlife offenses involving protected species. Defense attorney Halima Nyakinyua told reporters that the teens would not appeal the sentence, noting that statutory limits left the judge with no discretion to reduce the fine or term.
“When the statutes prescribe a specific minimum amount, the court cannot go lower than that,” she said. “Even if we went to the court of appeal, the court is not going to revise that.”
In a statement, the Kenya Wildlife Service condemned the trafficking attempt, stressing that such illegal exports undermine the nation’s sovereignty over its biodiversity and rob local communities and researchers of important ecological and economic resources.
A separate but related case resulted in similar penalties for Vietnamese national Duh Hung Nguyen and his Kenyan contact, Dennis Ng’ang’a, who were also each found with 400 ants. Magistrate Thuku described their meeting at the Nairobi airport as “part of an elaborate scheme” to acquire and ship the insects abroad. While Nguyen admitted to being sent to retrieve the ants, Ng’ang’a claimed ignorance, stating that ants are commonly sold and eaten locally.
Kenyan wildlife experts have raised alarms in recent weeks over what they describe as a surge in trafficking of overlooked wildlife species, including insects. Entomologist Shadrack Muya of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology warned that removing ants from their habitats could have dire environmental consequences.
“Ants play a very important role in the environment,” Muya said. “Their disturbance and removal will lead to disruption of the ecosystem.”
He cautioned that the ants may not survive when transplanted to foreign environments without careful adaptation efforts. “There is a likelihood of an ecological disaster that may happen due to that disturbance,” he said.
The case has underscored the growing complexity of wildlife trafficking, where even seemingly insignificant creatures like ants are now part of international black-market trade, triggering both ecological and legal repercussions.
VATICAN CITY — Thick black smoke curled out of the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday evening, indicating that the first vote of the 2025 papal conclave failed to produce a new pope. The 133 cardinals from 70 countries had gathered in the iconic chapel to begin the solemn and secretive process of electing a successor to Pope Francis.
The day began with theatrical gravity as red-robed cardinals filed into the chapel amid Latin chants and incense. The conclave — the most geographically diverse in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church — is cloaked in centuries-old ritual. Yet the challenges ahead, from deepening polarization within the Church to renewed calls for reform, make the outcome anything but predictable.
After one inconclusive round of voting, the cardinals retired for the evening. They are set to resume deliberations Thursday morning, continuing the ancient process under Michelangelo’s frescoes and the watchful eyes of history.
Outside in St. Peter’s Square, the mood was festive and expectant. Thousands of pilgrims and tourists gathered to witness the visual drama unfold on massive video screens. Applause broke out when the chapel doors shut, initiating the first vote. Hours later, the crowd cheered again — not for white smoke but for the spectacle of the black smoke itself, signaling the global Church is still without a new leader.
“I hope the next pope is someone who can unify and bring peace to the Church,” said 27-year-old Gabriel Capry from London, echoing a sentiment shared by many in the square.
The unprecedented diversity among the electors has injected a degree of unpredictability into this conclave. Pope Francis, who reshaped the College of Cardinals during his papacy, appointed 108 of the current 133 electors. Many hail from regions previously unrepresented at this level, including countries like Mongolia, Tonga, and Sweden. The pope’s emphasis on the “global south” — nations with fewer resources but vibrant faith communities — has shifted the conclave’s center of gravity.
Some cardinals expressed concern over how little time they had to familiarize themselves with one another before casting their votes, adding to the uncertainty about how many ballots it may take to reach a two-thirds consensus — currently 89 votes — for one man to emerge as the 267th pontiff.
“Wait and see, a little patience,” advised Cardinal Mario Zenari, the Vatican’s ambassador to Syria.
Inside the chapel, the cardinals took a solemn oath of secrecy before Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the 70-year-old Vatican secretary of state and a leading papal contender. In accordance with tradition, Parolin led the oath in front of Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment,” a powerful reminder of the divine gravity of their mission.
After the oath, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, master of papal liturgical ceremonies, gave the command: “Extra omnes” — all others out. Only the cardinal electors remained. An elderly cardinal delivered a meditation, then departed, as he was over the age limit to vote.
Earlier that day, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, urging the cardinals to put aside personal ambition and select a pope who embodies unity and conscience.
Despite rules against outside influence, lobbying efforts surrounded the conclave. Young Catholics released open letters calling for inclusion. Conservative media circulated glossy dossiers evaluating possible candidates. Survivors of clergy sexual abuse reminded electors of the Church’s lingering moral debt. Advocates for women’s ordination sent pink smoke over the Vatican in a dramatic plea for reform.
Even politics crept in from afar. The White House posted a photo of President Donald Trump dressed as a pope — intended as a joke but widely condemned. Former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi called it “indecent interference.”
Inside the College of Cardinals, informal lobbying also played out. “You invite each other out,” said Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York on The Catholic Channel. “You’re pretty blunt. ‘Tell me about this guy. Am I right to be enchanted by him?’”
The next pope will inherit a Church grappling with profound questions. Will he continue Pope Francis’ progressive agenda on climate change, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and outreach to the marginalized? Or will he lead a return to more conservative orthodoxy in an effort to heal internal rifts?
Though Francis appointed most of the electors, predicting the conclave’s outcome is difficult. Continuity is expected — but its shape remains unclear.
Several names consistently appear among the papabile, or men considered to have the qualities to be pope. In addition to Parolin, candidates include Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle, 67, a progressive voice who led the Vatican’s evangelization efforts, and Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, a conservative force from Eastern Europe.
Lisette Herrera, a tourist from the Dominican Republic, watched the black smoke with tears in her eyes. “I’m praying to the Holy Spirit for a young pope who will stay with us a long time,” she said. “I don’t believe in conclave politics. The Spirit will decide.”
As the cardinals prepare to return to the chapel Thursday, the world watches — and waits.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes killed at least 48 people across the Gaza Strip, including women and children, on Tuesday night and into Wednesday, as Israel signaled a significant escalation in its months-long military campaign against Hamas. The new wave of attacks coincides with Israel’s approval of a sweeping plan to expand its operations in Gaza, now entering its 20th month.
Among the dead were 27 Palestinians killed in a strike on a school sheltering displaced families in Bureij, a densely populated refugee camp in central Gaza, according to officials at Al-Aqsa Hospital. The strike marked the fifth time the school had been hit since the conflict began. Flames lit up the night sky as plumes of smoke rose from the compound, while emergency crews rushed to rescue survivors from the wreckage. The dead included at least nine women and three children, hospital staff said.
Another 21 were killed in strikes elsewhere in Gaza, as the military assault intensified. The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately comment on the latest air raids but has repeatedly blamed Hamas for civilian deaths, accusing the group of operating from within civilian infrastructure such as schools.
The attacks come just days after Israeli leadership approved a phased plan to tighten its grip on Gaza. The strategy involves seizing additional territory, displacing civilians further south, taking control of aid distribution through private firms, and deploying tens of thousands of reserve troops. Israeli officials said the operation will not begin in full until after U.S. President Donald Trump concludes a scheduled regional visit later this month.
Israel already controls approximately half of Gaza and its proposed long-term hold on the enclave has raised concerns over the potential for military occupation. Questions remain about who would govern the territory if Hamas is dismantled, a goal Israel has yet to achieve despite 19 months of warfare.
The war erupted in October 2023 after a Hamas-led incursion into southern Israel killed 1,200 people and saw around 250 hostages taken. In response, Israel launched a sweeping offensive that Palestinian health officials say has now killed more than 52,000 people in Gaza, many of them civilians. The figures provided do not distinguish between militants and noncombatants.
The mounting civilian toll has reignited hostage concerns. On Tuesday, President Trump unsettled Israeli officials when he stated that only 21 of the remaining 59 hostages in Gaza are believed to be alive. Israel insists the number is 24, though an official acknowledged “serious concern” about three captives who have shown no signs of life. The families of those held have demanded full transparency from the government and called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt the war until the hostages are released.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum urged Israel to make their return the nation’s top priority. “This is the most urgent and important national mission,” the group said on X.
Since ending a cease-fire with Hamas in mid-March, Israel has pounded Gaza with relentless strikes and halted the flow of aid, exacerbating what aid groups call the worst humanitarian crisis since the conflict began. Mediation efforts led by Qatar and Egypt continue, but fundamental disagreements persist. Israel insists it will not end the war until Hamas’ rule and military capabilities are destroyed, while Hamas says it will release all hostages only in exchange for a permanent cease-fire and long-term truce.
Amid the preparations for escalation in Gaza, violence has also flared in the broader region. This week, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a ballistic missile that struck near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, prompting a two-day Israeli air campaign targeting sites including Sanaa International Airport.
While President Trump announced the suspension of a U.S.-led campaign against the Houthis after the group pledged to stop targeting American ships, the agreement does not cover Israeli interests. An Israeli official, speaking anonymously, said the deal came as a surprise and raised concerns about ongoing hostilities between Israel and the Houthis.
As the conflict deepens and regional tensions mount, Gaza faces another round of intensified warfare, with no clear end in sight.
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 captured soldiers each in a coordinated prisoner swap Tuesday, marking their fifth such exchange this year and continuing a rare line of communication amid the ongoing war.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the release in a statement, announcing that 205 Russian servicemen had been returned following negotiations, with an equal number of Ukrainian prisoners of war handed over in return.
Officials said the exchange was mediated by the United Arab Emirates, which has quietly played a behind-the-scenes role in several previous swaps. The returned Russian troops were transported to Belarus, where they are undergoing medical and psychological evaluations, according to the ministry.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later acknowledged the exchange in a message posted to X, sharing images of smiling soldiers draped in Ukrainian flags. “Our people are free. Our people are home,” he wrote. “Young and older men from almost all types and branches of the Armed Forces. Defenders of Mariupol and the entire front line.”
Zelensky emphasized the harsh conditions many of the Ukrainian prisoners endured, noting they had been “scattered across many Russian regions, imprisoned within a system whose only purpose was to torment them and destroy their humanity.”
The exchange is the latest in a series of prisoner releases between the two countries since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. While fierce fighting continues across the eastern and southern front lines, both sides have remained open to sporadic humanitarian negotiations involving POWs.
Despite limited diplomatic engagement in other areas, prisoner swaps remain a rare instance of cooperation between Moscow and Kyiv, facilitated by neutral states such as the UAE. The release brings relief to families of those captured and highlights the ongoing human cost of the prolonged conflict.
JERUSALEM — Israel launched a series of powerful airstrikes on Yemen’s capital Tuesday, targeting key Houthi rebel infrastructure including Sanaa International Airport and multiple power plants, in a sweeping show of force following a weekend missile strike that reached the outskirts of Tel Aviv.
Black smoke was seen billowing across the skyline of the Houthi-controlled capital as explosions rocked several areas, prompting officials at the main airport to evacuate the facility. The Israel Defense Forces said the operation was aimed at disrupting the Houthis’ ability to move weapons and fighters, accusing the group of using the airport as a logistical hub.
“We urge you to immediately evacuate the area of the airport and to warn anyone nearby to distance themselves immediately,” said IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee in a statement posted to social media, accompanied by a map of the targeted site.
In addition to disabling the airport, Israeli forces also struck several power stations and a cement factory north of Sanaa, which the military described as dual-use facilities exploited by the Houthis for their war effort. The extent of the damage remained unclear, and there were no immediate reports of casualties from Tuesday’s strikes.
The strikes followed an earlier wave of air assaults on Monday, when Israeli warplanes dropped approximately 50 munitions on the port of Hodeidah and a concrete factory in nearby Bajil. According to the Houthi-run Ministry of Health, those attacks left five dead and wounded 74 others. The IDF said both targets were linked to Houthi operations, calling them “strongholds” that facilitated weapons trafficking and funding for the group.
Israel’s latest actions come in direct retaliation for a Houthi missile that struck near Ben Gurion Airport over the weekend, injuring four people and escalating concerns about regional security. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of “swift and repeated” reprisals against the Iran-backed rebels.
Tuesday’s airstrikes represent the most significant Israeli offensive in Yemen since a joint operation with the United States and United Kingdom in January. The conflict in Yemen has intensified since Israel’s ground campaign in Gaza began in November 2023, with Houthi forces conducting repeated attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea in what they describe as support for Hamas.
The strikes have added pressure to an already volatile region, where President Donald Trump has launched his own air campaign against the Houthis since mid-March, seeking to protect global shipping routes and counter Iranian influence.
The situation remains tense as Israel signals its intent to maintain a firm military posture in the face of ongoing threats, widening the scope of a war that continues to ripple across the Middle East.
NEW DELHI — India on Wednesday confirmed it carried out targeted strikes on nine locations inside Pakistan and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, describing the operation as a precise attack on what it called “terrorist infrastructure” responsible for recent violence in the region. The announcement marked a sharp escalation in tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Loud explosions were reported in several areas, including Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-administered Kashmir, where power outages followed the blasts. While the exact nature of the explosions remained unclear, the Indian government issued a statement shortly after, outlining the objectives of the operation.
“In the early hours today, the Indian armed forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor,’ hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where attacks on Indian soil have been planned and directed,” the statement read.
India emphasized that the strikes were deliberately limited in scope, saying the military had shown “considerable restraint” by avoiding Pakistani military installations and focusing solely on non-state militant targets. “Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature,” the government added.
The military strikes followed the killing of 26 Hindu pilgrims in Indian-administered Kashmir last month, an attack New Delhi has blamed on Pakistan-based militants. In response to the massacre, Indian officials had vowed to retaliate. Pakistan, however, denied any involvement and accused India of manufacturing a pretext for cross-border aggression, warning that it had intelligence indicating a planned Indian assault.
Pakistan’s leadership has condemned the strikes and vowed to respond. The scale and nature of Pakistan’s response remain unclear as both sides brace for potential fallout from the renewed hostilities.
The military operation comes amid mounting regional instability and renewed fears of confrontation in a long-contested region that has triggered wars and skirmishes in the past. The situation remains fluid as both nations assess the strategic implications of the strikes.
PARIS — Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that forward Ousmane Dembele will be available for Wednesday’s decisive UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg against Arsenal, following a swift recovery from a hamstring injury that raised doubts about his fitness.
Dembele, 27, had been considered questionable after limping off during the second half of last week’s tightly contested first leg at Emirates Stadium. The French international had delivered the match’s only goal in north London, giving PSG a crucial away advantage, but his absence from the weekend’s Ligue 1 defeat to Strasbourg raised fresh concerns about his readiness.
Manager Luis Enrique dispelled any lingering doubts on Tuesday, assuring reporters that Dembele had returned to full training and would be available for selection against the Premier League title contenders.
“He’s been training with us for the last two days,” Enrique said. “You saw him on Tuesday — a normal training session for him. He’ll be available on Wednesday.”
Dembele, who joined PSG from Barcelona in 2023, has been instrumental in the club’s European campaign this season. He leads the team’s scoring charts with 33 goals across all competitions and remains a central figure in their push for a first Champions League title.
PSG enter the return leg at Parc des Princes aiming to secure a spot in the final, with Dembele’s return offering a major boost to their attacking strength against an Arsenal side eager to overturn the deficit.
The second leg kicks off Wednesday night in Paris, with both clubs seeking to return to the Champions League final after years of near misses.
