controversy

Veron Mosengo-Omba’s resignation follows the fallout over the CAF board’s decision to strip Senegal of the AFCON title, Africa’s showpiece football tournament.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF)’s general secretary, Veron Mosengo-Omba, resigned on Sunday after repeated ⁠calls for his removal ⁠and at a turbulent time for the game on the continent.

Mosengo-Omba said he was retiring, but his departure comes amid a crisis of confidence in the organisation’s leadership, with a growing ⁠fallout over the decision to strip Senegal of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and calls for an investigation into alleged corruption at African football’s governing body.

There has been a swell of recent criticism of his staying ⁠on as general secretary well past the organisation’s mandatory retirement age of 63, largely on social media but also from members of CAF’s executive committee.

“After over 30 years of an international professional career dedicated to promoting an ideal form of football that brings people together, educates, and creates opportunities for hope, I have decided to step down from my position ‌as Secretary General of CAF to devote myself to more personal projects,” Mosengo-Omba said in a statement.

“Now that I have been able to dispel the suspicions that some people have gone to great lengths to cast on me, I can retire with peace of mind and without constraint, leaving the CAF more prosperous than ever.

“I sincerely thank the CAF’s President Dr. Patrice Motsepe, my teams, and all those who, directly or indirectly, have enabled CAF and organised African football to make real and remarkable progress. Let us hope that ⁠the progress made will last and be sustained,” he concluded.

Accused of creating toxic atmosphere

Mosengo-Omba ⁠has been a divisive figure at CAF, accused by some employees of creating a toxic atmosphere at the workplace, although an investigation conducted after the staff complaints cleared him of any wrongdoing.

The 66-year-old is of Congolese origin, but he is a Swiss citizen and former FIFA employee who was a ⁠university friend of FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Although he said he was retiring, Mosengo-Omba is expected to run for the post of president of the Democratic Republic of ⁠the Congo’s football federation in elections in the coming months, sources told the Reuters news agency.

If ⁠successful, that would thrust him into contention for CAF’s top job should Motsepe resign to enter politics in his native South Africa, where he is being touted as a possible successor to President Cyril Ramaphosa. Motsepe has, however, denied this.

Earlier this month, Motsepe admitted that CAF was struggling ‌with questions over its integrity and, in the wake of the Cup of Nations final controversy, Senegal’s government has called for an international investigation into the running of the organisation.

Stripping Senegal of the Cup of Nations title was ‌a ‌decision made by CAF’s Appeals Board, but as a result, there has been a heavy toll on the image of the African game.

CAF said later on Sunday that its competitions director, Samson Adamu, would take over as acting general secretary.

Security guard Pascal Duvier, most recently infamous for allegedly scolding 11-year-old Ada Law at a hotel in São Paulo, is clearing the air.

Duvier issued a statement on Instagram on Wednesday night following four days of back-and-forth social media claims from soccer star Jorginho, his wife, Catherine Harding (singer-songwriter Cat Cavelli), and pop star Chappell Roan, who denied involvement in an incident that left Ada (the biological daughter of Jude Law and Harding) in tears ahead of her birthday celebration.

As a result of the controversy, speculation around Roan’s treatment of her fans has flooded social media for days. The “Hot to Go!” hitmaker has been vocal in the past about setting boundaries with fans and paparazzi, as well as her complicated relationship with fame.

Duvier, who insists he was not working for Roan at the time of the incident, began his statement saying that he does not normally address online rumors, “but the accusations currently circulating are false and constitute defamation.”

“I take full responsibility for the interactions on March 21st,” he wrote. “I was at the hotel on behalf of another individual, and I was not part of the personal security team of Chappell Roan.

“The actions I took were not on behalf of Chappell Roan, her personal security team, her management, or any other individuals. I made a judgment call based on information we obtained from the hotel, events I had witnessed in the days prior and the heightened overall security risk of our location. My sole interaction with the mother was calm and with good intentions, and the outcome of the encounter is regretful.”

Roan headlined Lollapalooza Brazil over the weekend, and Jorginho was in attendance along with his wife and stepchild. While there, the footballer said the 11-year-old (whom he did not name) thought she spotted the pop star at their São Paulo hotel.

The girl passed by Roan’s table “to confirm it was her, smiled, and went back to sit with her mum. She didn’t say anything, didn’t ask for anything,” he wrote.

Jorginho alleged that, after the girl sat down, a “large security guard” interrupted their breakfast to scold them. The guard allegedly told Harding “she shouldn’t allow [her] daughter to ‘disrespect’ or ‘harass’ other people.”

The girl was “extremely shaken and cried a lot,” said Jorginho, a player for the Brazilian club Flamengo whose legal name is Jorge Luiz Frello Filho.

On Sunday, Roan responded on Instagram, seemingly baffled by the swirling controversy. She insisted the guard was not her personal security and that no one had approached her.

“I did not ask the security guard to go up and talk to this mother and child. … They did not come up to me. They weren’t doing anything.

“I do not hate people who are fans of my music. I do not hate children.”

Three days ago Harding also responded to the brouhaha, posting her own video on Instagram in an attempt to bring some clarity following Roan’s statement. “So 100% this security guard was not a security guard of the hotel, that’s what I can say,” she said. “He looks after artists.

“So I don’t know if it was her personal security guard, but he was with her. So that is all I know. Did she send him to do it? Again, I don’t know.”

Duvier, a “protection specialist” and martial artist, according to his Instagram bio, worked for Kim Kardashian in 2016.

Times Deputy Editor Amy Hubbard contributed to this report.

Despite morale-sapping staff layoffs, bizarre executive orders and a 43-day federal government shutdown last fall, the grandeur and serenity of national parks in California remain irresistible to outdoors lovers looking to unwind.

The nine national parks in the Golden State — including Yosemite, Death Valley and Joshua Tree — attracted nearly 12 million recreational visits in 2025, according to statistics from the National Park Service.

That’s up more than 800,000 visits from 2024 and up more than 300,000 from the previous record set in 2019, according to the data, which stretches back to 1979.

Nationally, visits were high, at 323 million, but down a couple of percentage points from the record set in 2024, according to a park service press release.

“America’s national parks continue to be places where people come to experience our country’s history, landscapes and shared heritage,” said Jessica Bowron, acting director of the NPS.

“We are committed to keeping parks open, accessible and well-managed so visitors can safely enjoy these extraordinary places today and for generations to come,” Bowron added.

President Trump’s critics beg to differ.

Since Trump resumed office in January 2025, his administration has slashed the NPS workforce by nearly a quarter, buying out or laying off hundreds of rangers, maintenance workers, scientists and administrative staff across the country.

And last year, as part of his war on “woke,” Trump instructed the park service to scrub all signs and presentations of language he would deem negative, unpatriotic or smacking of “improper partisan ideology.”

He also ordered administrators to remove any content that “inappropriately disparages Americans” living or dead, and replace it with language that celebrates the nation’s greatness.

That gets tricky at places such as Manzanar National Historic Site in the high desert of eastern California — one of 10 camps where the U.S. government imprisoned more than 120,000 Japanese American civilians during World War II.

It’s also hard to dance around disparaging details at Fort Sumter National Monument, where Confederates fired the first shots of the Civil War; Ford’s Theater National Historic Site in Washington, D.C., where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated; and Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park, which commemorates the assassination of the country’s best known civil rights leader.

“This administration is actively erasing the history, science and culture that our national parks protect,” said Emily Douce, deputy vice president for government affairs for the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Assn.

Douce argued that morale among staff at the parks — a string of 63 federally protected natural wonders often described as “America’s best idea” — has never been lower.

But the fact that employees still showed up, including without pay during last year’s federal government shutdown, demonstrates their commitment to keeping the beloved parks flourishing.

“The enduring popularity of America’s national parks is not surprising,” Douce added. “What’s shocking is this administration’s relentless attacks on these places and their caretakers, which threatens their future.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The National Park Service is routinely ranked among the most admired branches of the large and sprawling federal government. Even Americans who have never watched a minute of C-SPAN, or get a little lost in the alphabet soup of other agencies, will probably never forget standing in Yosemite Valley and admiring a towering waterfall.

There were 4.3 million visits to Yosemite in 2025, 2.9 million to Joshua Tree and 1.3 million to Death Valley, according to the data.

The 323 million visits to America’s national parks in 2025 are more than twice the attendance — 135 million — at professional football, baseball, basketball and hockey games combined.

Of course, it’s a lot cheaper to get into a park. U.S. residents pay between $20 and $35 per vehicle for a day pass, or $80 for an annual pass. The Trump administration recently raised the annual fee to $250 for foreign visitors.

National Park Service officials did not respond to emails requesting comment on California’s 2025 attendance.

It is based on a true story but some find it difficult to watch

An award winning and 100% rated drama that ended up causing controversy at the BAFTA ceremony has just been added to Netflix.

I Swear has just been included on the streamer’s extensive library as of today (March 10). Originally released in cinemas for a limited run just last year, the title tells the true life story of John Davidson, who grew up with Tourette syndrome in 1980s Scotland.

According to the synopsis, he was diagnosed at just 15 and was targeted as ‘insane’ by his peers. The film shows how he struggled with a condition few had witnessed.

He eventually becomes a campaigner to increase public awareness and fighting for acceptance of the condition of Tourette’s as an adult. He finds his life’s purpose and accepted his MBE from the Queen in 2019.

While the film is a dramatised version of John’s life, he has appeared in documentaries before. He starred in a BBC film back in 1988 and a documentary released in 2009 called I Swear I Can’t Help It.

The biopic was welcomed with overwhelmingly positive reviews by critics upon its release. So much so that it boasts a perfect 100% rating on website Rotten Tomatoes.

However, more recently the film’s subject was attached with some controversy. While leading man Robert Aramayo picked up the BAFTA for Best Actor thanks to his performance, it was not the most talked about event of the night.

The subject of the film John Davidson was also in attendance on the night. His presence became apparent by those watching along from home at first as they heard some shouting during the show.

Actor and host of The Traitors US Alan Cumming was presenting and he asked for patience from the audience at the time. He told them during the show: “You may have noticed some strong language in the background. This can be part of how Tourette’s syndrome shows up for some people as the film explores that experience. Thanks for your understanding and helping create a respectful space for everyone.”

However, in one instance, while actors Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on the stage, a racial slur was shouted out by John and included on the BBC’s broadcast. It eventually lead to the stream of the awards ceremony being removed from the iPlayer.

In an interview after the Baftas, Davidson has said the BBC should have “worked harder to prevent anything that I said” being broadcast. He added that he shouted about 10 different offensive words during Sunday’s ceremony as a result of his tics.

Some have argued that the incident only highlights the importance of the film itself. As one person posted online: “I Swear is an audacious biopic that has no issues tackling the roots of a serious topic, and its dedication to that task does lead to some scenes that will certainly be upsetting to some viewers.”

Another added: “Robert Aramayo delivers a fearless, deeply human performance in this compassionate biopic. I Swear balances humour and heartbreak while shedding light on Tourette syndrome, reminding us how much empathy society still owes.”

While a third commented: “Honestly I left the cinema seriously thinking if I’d ever seen a better movie! It’s so perfect from the casting to the time jumps. It’s a beautiful written story that really captures the essence of what it is to be different and how hard it must be to live with Tourette’s. Several goosebumps moments with a lot of humour!”

Someone else said: “This is a fabulous film which made me laugh and cry in equal measure. It captured the difficulties and complexities of living with Tourette’s syndrome with a startling level of authenticity. The acting was superb and I came out realising that I’d seen something very special. I’ll be thinking about it for weeks.”

I Swear is streaming on Netflix.

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March 6 (UPI) — U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, announced on Friday that he is ending his campaign for re-election after acknowledging an extramarital affair that he had been denying for months.

House Republican leadership called for Gonzales to pull out of the race after the House Ethics Committee said it was investigating the three-term member of Congress over the affair and he then admitted to it on a radio show hours later.

After Tuesday’s primary, Gonzales was to face a runoff for the Republican nomination for his seat after he and YouTuber Brandon Herrera each failed to win more than 50% of the vote.

“After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I’ve always had to my district,” Gonzales said in a post on X.

“Through the rest of my term, I will continue fighting for my constituents, for whom I am eternally grateful,” he said.

Gonzales has for months been denying he had an affair with his former staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles, 35, in 2024, who later died by suicide after lighting herself on fire.

Gonzales had denied the affair happened since texts were shared by her husband, Adrian, of him asking for a “sexy pic” and her favorite sex position, The Washington Post reported.

Wednesday, not long after the ethics committee announced its investigation, Gonzales said on a radio show that he took “full responsibility for those actions,” admitting to the affair, and said he has reconciled with his wife.

House GOP leadership on Thursday, including Speaker Mike Johnson, R.-La., publicly called for him to end his campaign after the admission.

Herrera’s campaign manager told NBC News in a statement that he appreciated Gonzales for “making the appropriate decision.”

“I look forward to being the voice of TX23 that our district deserves … It’s an honor to be chosen and together we will make Texas proud,” he said in the statement.

SEOUL, March 5 (UPI) — South Korean zinc producer Young Poong has become embroiled in a new controversy with shareholder KZ Precision, which manufactures hydraulic equipment.

Young Poong, a major shareholder of the world’s largest non-ferrous metals producer Korea Zinc, said Wednesday that it has brought KZ Precision, an affiliate of Korea Zinc, to court.

Young Poong accused KZ Precision of deliberately creating an illegal cross-shareholding structure during the Korea Zinc management control dispute ahead of Korea Zinc’s shareholders’ meeting early last year.

Young Poong alleged that KZ Precision sold its shares in Young Poong to an Australian-based Korea Zinc subsidiary with the aim of restricting Young Poong’s voting rights over Korea Zinc.

Over the past year, Korea Zinc has sought to fend off a takeover bid from Young Poong, which has joined with Korea’s top private equity firm, MBK Partners.

“We have filed a damages lawsuit against KZ Precision as our shareholder value was harmed by an unlawful restriction of voting rights,” Young Poong said in a statement.

“As the largest shareholder of Korea Zinc, we will keep playing a responsible role in normalizing the company’s corporate governance and enhancing shareholder value,” it added.

Meanwhile, KZ Precision criticized Young Poong’s management.

“Young Poong’s corporate value, reputation and internal control system have been damaged to an irreparable extent, resulting in adverse effects on shareholder value,” KZ Precision said in a statement.

“The current management of Young Poong was hesitant to make capital investments, which caused the corporation to lose competitiveness in its core smelting business and accumulate losses,” it said.

Young Poong has suffered from operating losses over the past few years, totaling $50 million in 2021, $74 million in 2022, $97 million in 2023, and $60 million in 2024. The Seoul-based company has yet to disclose last year’s results.

KZ Precision also took issue with the environmental concerns involving Young Poong, whose smelter operations in Korea were suspended for two months last year after discharging polluted wastewater without approval.

In response to Young Poong’s claim that it has channeled hundreds of millions of dollars to improve the environment around its smelter, KZ Precision argued that there may be accounting irregularities, which are reportedly under investigation by regulators.