馃嚜馃嚞EgyptNorth Africa
Barcelona defeats Espanyol 4-1, extends LaLiga lead to nine points
via Egypt Today2 min read
Barcelona secured a significant 4-1 home victory over city rivals Espanyol, increasing their lead over second-placed Real Madrid to nine points in LaLiga. Ferran Torres scored twice, both assisted by Lamine Yamal, with goals in the 10th and 25th minutes. Espanyol's Pol Lozano pulled one back in the 56th minute. However, Yamal restored Barcelona's control in the 87th minute, and Marcus Rashford added a fourth goal from Frenkie De Jong's cross. Barcelona now has 79 points with seven games remaining, while Real Madrid drew 1-1 with Girona. Torres commented that while the league is not yet won, it is now "only up to us." Despite the upcoming Champions League quarter-final, Barcelona fielded a full-strength side for the derby.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Egypt Today.
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi visited Lusail Palace in Doha to extend his condolences to the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, following the passing of the Father Amir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. President El-Sisi expressed Egypt's solidarity with Qatar during this period of mourning and acknowledged the late Father Amir's contributions to Qatar's development. The Spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, confirmed President El-Sisi's message of support. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani thanked President El-Sisi for his visit and emphasized the strong historical ties between their nations, expressing a desire to enhance bilateral cooperation.
Egypt's Minister of Agriculture Alaa Farouk met with AbdulHakim Elwaer, the FAO's Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa, to discuss strengthening cooperation, particularly FAO's support for the government's "Productive Village Revival" initiative. This initiative aims to transform Egyptian villages from consumer communities into productive economic hubs, promoting sustainable rural development. Key aspects include enhancing youth and rural women's skills, creating jobs, increasing household incomes, and establishing a unified brand for village products. The plan also focuses on diversifying rural income, improving environmental sustainability through waste recycling, expanding contract farming and mechanization, supporting livestock development, promoting silk and beekeeping industries, and strengthening agricultural cooperatives. Elwaer affirmed FAO's readiness to provide technical expertise and support for the initiative's long-term success.
UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock and Egyptian Minister of Planning and Economic Development Ahmed Rostom engaged in a football-inspired discussion during high-level UN Development Programme meetings. Baerbock used a World Cup analogy to encourage support for sustainable development, emphasizing perseverance and the importance of fair application of global rules. She noted that many matches are won in the final minutes, relating this to achieving the 2030 development goals. Rostom responded by extending the metaphor, highlighting the need for fair competition and adherence to rules, subtly referencing Egypt's recent controversial World Cup exit. Egypt had lost a match to Argentina after holding a 2-0 lead until the 78th minute, conceding three goals under disputed officiating. Rostom's comments about "fair competition" and stopping "at the 79th minute" alluded to the officiating that cost Egypt the match, including a disallowed goal and an uncalled foul. He concluded by linking these sporting grievances to global policy, advocating for collaborative, unbiased systems to prevent any nation from being structurally disadvantaged in development.