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Coming into the third match-day of the qualifiers on the back of their recent Tri-Nations Cup win back at home, the Men in Blue knew what stood in store for them when the hosts lined up in a 5-4-1 system. After being afforded all the time in the world on the ball in a manner which defined the ambitions of the tiny autonomous region, Stephen Constantine’s men were largely ineffective in a toothless first-half display which reflected in the scoreboard....

AL HILAL 3-0 AL AIN (3-0 on aggregate) [Carlos Eduardo 42’, 46’, 74’] Al Hilal’s Brazilian striker Carlos Eduardo was the star of the show as the Saudi Arabian team put one of the pre-tournament favourites Al Ain to the sword in the AFC Champions League quarter-final and progressed to the semi-finals. The 3-0 result was an emphatic statement by Al Hilal after a goalless draw in the first half....

GROUP E Kashiwa Reysol (JPN) v Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) Venue: Kashiwa Socer Stadium, Kashiwa Kick-off: April 4, 19:30 UTC+9 Kitchee SC (HKG) v Tianjin Quanjian (CHN) Venue: Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong Kick-off: April 4, 20:00 UTC+8 GROUP F Ulsan Hyundai (KOR) v Melbourne Victory (AUS) Venue: Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, Ulsan Kick-off: April 4, 19:00 UTC+9 Shanghai SIPG (CHN) v Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) Venue: Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai Kick-off: April 4, 20:00 UTC+8...

The host will take on Kilimanjaro Stars in a decisive match at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos where anything short of a win will be detrimental to Kenya’s semi-final dream. Coach Paul Put has preferred AFC Leopards striker Vincent Oburu to lead the attacks while Kepha Aswani and Masoud both drop to the bench. Kenya is second in Group A with five points, two less than leaders Zanzibar, who will be up against Libya in the first match of the day scheduled to kick-off at 2 pm....

Lalawampuia, who had scored a brace against Bhutan in the recently concluded SAFF U-19 Championship scored in the first half, after partnering Edmund Lalrindika upfront. In the second half, Aniket Jadhav rattled the woodwork once after being fed by Rahim Ali, but failed to make a mark otherwise. The contest was entirely dominated by the Colts as they saw more of the ball throughout the game, but could only create a handful of clear-cut opportunities, with the final pass missing on many occasions....

Defending champion Algeria was out a while back after suffering elimination in the group stage. But the other 2019 finalist, Senegal, remains in the hunt for its first-ever AFCON championship, advancing back to the final after knocking off Burkina Faso in the semifinal stage. Senegal will meet the winner of the other semifinal between Cameroon and Egypt to be played on Thursday. Egypt has won the tournament more often than any other nation (seven), but it hasn’t hoisted the trophy since 2010....

Kanni Wignaraja, UNDP’s Asia-Pacific director, spoke at a news conference where the UNDP presented its 28-page assessment. “Afghanistan pretty much faces universal poverty by the middle of next year,” she said. “That’s where we’re heading—it’s 97-98 percent [poverty rate] no matter how you work these projections.” UNDP said that gains Afghanistan has made over the past 20 years are now at risk of being reversed, the AP said. Per capita income more than doubled, life expectancy at birth was extended, and schooling increased from six to 10 years, with hundreds of thousands of girls getting an education....

Tens of thousands of Afghans and civilians from countries across the world are currently waiting for their flight out of the country. Over 19,000 people left the airport on U.S. and coalition flights in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning, bringing the total number of evacuees to about 88,000. However, there are still reports of American citizens and Afghan refugees with approval to leave the country struggling to get past Taliban checkpoints and U....

“We continue to monitor the situation in Afghanistan closely,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a briefing Wednesday. “We are mindful of the deteriorating security situation. And our focus right now remains on supporting the Afghan forces in the field where and when feasible we can from the air, as well as completing our drawdown in a safe and orderly way.” The Taliban could isolate Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, in 30 days and take over the area in 90 days, Reuters said Wednesday....

The week-long “reduction in violence” began Friday and as of Monday appears to be holding up. International and Afghan forces agreed to pause all major offensive operations and the Taliban said it will not engage in roadside bombings, suicide attacks or rocket strikes. If successful, the period of reduced violence will give way to a full truce agreement between international forces and the Taliban on February 29 and peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan government as soon as March 10....

The current system keeps a lid on the economic talents of people like Agok and his students. We must instead unleash their abilities and let Africa reach its true economic potential. That means wiring Africa with clean, dependable energy. Only the private sector can deliver what is badly needed to unlock the continent’s potential. As nearly any economist will tell you, reliable electricity is critical to economic prosperity. All developed countries today have an annual electricity consumption per capita of 3,000 kWh or greater....

As a first responder to what became known as Ground Zero, my memories are as vivid today as they were then: The sights, smell, and sounds remain impossible to describe. For years, the unspoken and inexplicable rule amongst my colleagues was that you did not talk about 9/11. Year later, as many of us became sick, we started to share our memories, most often about the acts of humanity we had seen....

Leading with a state as overwhelmingly white as Iowa compounds the structural issues that plague the Democratic National Committee: Its system prioritizes white voters over everyone else. Add to that the fact that the state bars people with felony convictions from voting, while targeting people of color for policing, prosecuting and prison—and you have a problem. The only thing whiter than the population of Iowa are the Iowa caucuses: According to entrance polls, 91 percent of voters were white....

Biden on Wednesday introduced Dr. Miguel Cardona, a former fourth-grade teacher, the youngest principal in Connecticut, and the first Latino to serve as the state’s education commissioner, making him the third Puerto Rican ever to serve in a presidential cabinet. Cardona has advocated for reopening schools, arguing that the closures are harming children, and one of his challenges will be working with state and local officials to accomplish that goal safely as the coronavirus pandemic rages....

The National Sexual Assault Hotline operated by the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) received call volumes 31 percent above average on Monday, the day Kelly was convicted, and again on Tuesday, RAINN told Newsweek. RAINN has previously noted that news events involving the topic of sexual assault tend to result in increased numbers of calls to sexual assault hotlines. The allegations made against former film producer Harvey Weinstein in 2017 resulted in an increased number of calls, as did the allegations made against Brett Kavanaugh the following year ahead of his confirmation to the U....

Sanders, who was President Donald Trump’s press secretary until July 2019, made the remarks on Tuesday evening’s Hannity on Fox. She spoke about Bloomberg’s prospects for securing the Democratic nomination and facing Trump in the November election. “Not to mention Bloomberg, if he continues to rise, is going to have serious problems with women, with African Americans,” Sanders said. “His record, his language, is offensive and atrocious. Then again, maybe he can buy the DNC just like Hillary did and steal it from Bernie [Sanders] like they did in 2016....

“Wow! Crazy Bernie Sanders is surging in the polls, looking very good against his opponents in the Do Nothing Party. So what does this all mean? Stay tuned!” Trump tweeted on Sunday afternoon. In response, Sanders tweeted moments later: “It means you’re going to lose.” Their Twitter exchange comes after a Des Moines Register/CNN poll, released late last week, positioned Sanders as the front-runner of the Iowa caucuses with 20 percent....

It doesn’t, which the Giants realized. Instead, they decided to bring Casey McGehee home to the Bay Area. Even McGehee admitted Saturday he isn’t the new Sandoval, just the next Giants third baseman. Friday’s trade with the Marlins stretched into Saturday morning. When complete, it saw the Giants send minor league right-handed pitchers Kendrys Flores and Luis Castillo to Florida. No easy job, indeed, since McGehee had been a Giants target since early November....

Timing. Kids will eat almost anything as they walk through the door after school. By planning ahead, you can make it easy for them to choose wisely. Place a fruit basket on the table, or cut up fresh fruits or vegetables and place them strategically at the front of the fridge. And instead of filling the pantry with cookies and soda, stock up on seltzer, nuts, dried fruit and whole-grain crackers....

The Germany international is reportedly keen to leave his current club, with Arsenal also linked with a move. But according to Fabio Parisi, the Serie A giants are the favorites to land their man next season. “He will definitely leave Wolfsburg at the end of the season. He would’ve gladly run to join Juve and is the ideal trequartista for Allegri," the agent affirmed to Tuttosport. “I repeat: Draxler will leave, but whether or not Juventus are interested again is another matter....