African football’s governing body has stripped Senegal of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title they won in a  chaotic final two months ago and declared Morocco the champions.

In a stunning decision, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Tuesday that its appeals board ruled that Senegal is “declared to have forfeited” the match, a 1-0 victory. The result, it said, was now “being officially recorded as 3-0” ‌in favour of host nation Morocco.

At the January 18 final in Rabat, Senegal’s players walked off the pitch, led by coach Pape Thiaw, in protest against a penalty awarded late in regulation time to Morocco.

When play resumed after a delay of about 15 minutes, Morocco forward Brahim Diaz’s penalty was saved. In extra time, Pape Gueye scored the decisive goal that saw Senegal become champions of Africa for the second time.

The heated final also saw supporters trying to storm the field, players scuffling on the sidelines, reporters from the two countries fighting in media areas, and a bizarre sequence in which Moroccan ball boys tried to seize a towel being used by Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy – in an apparent bid to distract him and help their team win the continental title.

At a disciplinary hearing in January, CAF imposed fines of more than $1m as well as bans for Senegal and Morocco players and officials, but it had left the result untouched.

The case could go to a further appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

[Aljazeera]

Warm Weather Advisory Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 3.30 p.m. on 17 March 2026, valid for 18 March 2026.

The general public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and in Monaragala, Mannar, Vavuniya and Anuradhapura districts.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED

Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.

Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.

Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.

Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.

Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry  of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491

Israel has claimed two high profile assassinations of Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, according to Israel’s Defence Minister Katz, and the commander of the internal Basij militia, Gholamreza Soleimani, neither of which Iran has commented on or confirmed

Iranian state media published a handwritten note by Larijani, it is not clear whether it is intended as proof of life. Larijani’s note published on his social media outlets commemorates memory of Iranian sailors killed, hose funeral is expected to be held on Tuesday, in the US attack on their boat in international waters.

if confirmed, Larijani would be the highest level assassination in the war since United States-Israeli strikes killed the former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and several members of his family on the first day of the war they launched on February 28.

Larijani was last seen publicly on Friday, attending the al-Quds day rally in support of Palestinians in Tehran, along with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Larijani has been a political figure in the Iranian hierarchy for years, at one time leading the nation’s nuclear negotiations with the West. He was also previously the Iranian Speaker of the Parliament.

The Israeli military also claimed in a post on X Tuesday that it had killed Gholamreza Sileimani, the commander of the Basij unit, the internal security paramilitary militia of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

[Aljazeera]