KANSAS CITY (AP) – Lionel Messi did what Lionel Messi does.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner scored from the right side of the box in the 56th minute to lift Inter Miami past Sporting Kansas City 1-0 on a bitterly cold Wednesday night in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup’s first round.
“There’s one guy that can turn the game over, and he did,” Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said.
Miami head coach Javier Mascherano simply described Messi’s effort as “fantastic”.
Both teams struggled to find consistency on the hard, slick field for much of the night in front of 15,178 bundled-up fans at Children’s Mercy Park.
“(I’m) very proud because I think it’s impossible to play in these conditions,” Mascherano said. “Is not human, you know. So I’m very proud, because they gave me 100 per cent.”
On his goal, Messi collected a pass from Sergio Busquets, let it fall to his feet, eluded the nearest defender and then fired it past Sporting KC keeper John Pulskamp.
“Maybe for the people that know him it’s normal because he did goals like this 1,000 times,” Mascherano said. “But we are very lucky to have him here.”
Vermes was proud of Sporting KC’s effort to slow the Miami attack.
“Outside of that (goal), I thought we were really good,” he said. “We had some really good opportunities. I can’t say enough about our first performance, especially with such a young group of guys being on the field, really good.”
Vermes went as far as saying that Messi does things few other players ever have been able to do.
Lionel Messi of Inter Miami controls the ball during a 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup first leg match against Sporting Kansas City at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas. PHOTO: AFP
MADRID (AFP) – Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick against Manchester City propelled Real Madrid into the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday and him to a new personal high with Los Blancos.
This was the kind of night the French superstar dreamed of, both as a boy in his bedroom surrounded by Cristiano Ronaldo posters and in his past few seasons at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
As PSG came up short year after year in Europe, Mbappe watched on as Madrid extended their power over the European game, reaching a record 15 European Cup triumphs.
With Madrid’s poor start to the current campaign – in part due to Mbappe’s teething problems – leaving the Spanish and European champions in the play-off round against City, they needed the forward to deliver.
With three lethal finishes he did just that to help Carlo Ancelotti’s rampant Madrid seal a 3-1 win on the night and 6-3 aggregate triumph.
“This is the type of game we want to play,” said Mbappe.
“People told me about these nights and now I can see it with my own eyes and I want to live through many more of them.”
After years of speculation and failed attempts to sign him, Mbappe finally arrived in the Spanish capital last summer.
Real Madrid’s French forward Kylian Mbappe. PHOTO: AFPReal Madrid’s French forward Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring the opening goal during the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off football match against Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. PHOTO: AFPReal Madrid’s French forward Kylian Mbappe reacts as he is substituted during the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off football match against Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. PHOTO: AFP
However his first few months brought problems, an apparent lack of confidence and erratic form.
Missed penalties against Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao highlighted the concerns around him but Mbappe drew a line under it and pledged to show his character.
With 18 goals in his last 18 matches, he has done just that and his best performance in a Madrid shirt came at the adoring Santiago Bernabeu against City.
“I knew that I couldn’t have done worse than I was doing,” Mbappe told Movistar after his stunning treble against City.
“I had to play with personality, my adaptation time was over and I have to show my quality.”
Mbappe said signing for Madrid to accomplish his long-term goal was not enough.
“Making my dream come true is one thing, but I want to play well here, mark an era and write history at Real Madrid,” he explained.
“I’ve always said I have no limit, if I can score 50 goals I will score them, if I can score more, I’ll score more, but the important thing is winning titles.
“In my career I’ve scored a lot of goals but we have to see if they mean something, because in the end we didn’t always win titles… if I can score a lot of goals and we win the trophies, I’ll sign for that with my blood.”
Mbappe has 28 goals for Real Madrid in 38 games and the form he is in has opened up comparisons to the club’s all-time greats, even though he is just at the start of his trajectory with Los Blancos.
“He has the quality to reach the level of Cristiano (at Madrid),” Ancelotti told reporters.
“He has to work because Cristiano set the bar very high, (Mbappe) has just started at this club.
“For the quality he has, and the excitement he has to play here, he can reach Ronaldo’s level but it won’t be easy for him, he has to work.”
Portuguese veteran Ronaldo scored 450 goals in 438 games for Madrid after joining from Manchester United in 2009, becoming the team’s all-time top goalscorer.
Mbappe’s childhood idol departed Madrid in 2018 and although Vinicius Junior stepped up to become the team’s key player in the years since, Mbappe’s capacity for goalscoring means he is the player most likely to deliver on a similar scale.
Madrid will face city rivals Atletico Madrid or German champions Bayer Leverkusen in the next round, and Mbappe said he would prefer a derby clash.
“Both would be difficult games, so it’s better to have a difficult game without having to travel,” said Mbappe, looking forward to the last 16 and further chances to shine for his dream club.
OMAHA (AP) – The United States (US) Agriculture Department is scrambling to rehire several workers who were involved in the government’s response to the ongoing bird flu outbreak that has devastated egg and poultry farms over the past three years.
The workers were among the thousands of federal employees eliminated on the recommendations of billionaire Elon Musk‘s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is working to carry out Trump’s promise to streamline and reshape the federal government.
Republican Representative Don Bacon said the administration should be more careful in how it carries out the cuts.
“While President Trump is fulfilling his promise to shed light on waste, fraud, and abuse in government, DOGE needs to measure twice and cut once. Downsizing decisions must be narrowly tailored to preserve critical missions,” said Bacon, who represents a swing district in Nebraska.
The bird flu outbreak has prompted the slaughter of roughly 160 million birds to help control the virus since the outbreak began in 2022.
Most of the birds killed were egg-laying chickens, so that has driven egg prices up to a record high of USD4.95 per dozen on average. The federal government has spent nearly USD2 billion on the response, including nearly USD1.2 billion in payments to farmers to compensate them for their lost birds.
A USDA spokesperson said the department “continues to prioritize the response to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)” and several key jobs like veterinarians, animal health technicians and other emergency response personnel involved in the effort were protected from the cuts. But some employees of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service were eliminated.
“Although several APHIS positions supporting HPAI were notified of their terminations over the weekend, we are working to swiftly rectify the situation and rescind those letters,” the department spokesperson said.
Politico and NBC News reported that the jobs that were eliminated were part of an office that helps oversee the national network of labs USDA relies on to confirm cases of bird flu and other animal diseases. It wasn’t immediately clear how many workers the department might be trying to rehire and whether any of them worked at the main USDA lab in Ames, Iowa.
“At a time when producers are already grappling with the bird flu, the public is facing high prices, and all Americans are on edge about what broader spread of this virus could mean, the last thing the administration should have done was to eliminate these positions,” Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said. “USDA must rehire these crucial personnel immediately.”
Trump administration officials said this week that the USDA might change its approach to the bird flu outbreak, so that maybe entire flocks wouldn’t have to be slaughtered when the disease is found, but they have yet to offer many details of their plan.
A worker at a poultry store in New York in the United States. PHOTO: AP
EINDHOVEN (AFP) – Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven battled into the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday, after a pulsating 3-1 extra-time win over Juventus gave them a 4-3 aggregate play-off victory.
Centre-back Ryan Flamingo seized on some poor Juventus defending to poke the ball home in the first period of extra time, sending PSV through to face either Arsenal or Inter Milan.
“Everyone gave it their all today,” said PSV captain and talismanic striker Luuk de Jong.
“We had our backs up against the wall but we kept pushing and we deserved to make it 3-1. So that was great, just fantastic,” added the 34-year-old.
Roared on by a boisterous crowd at the Philips Stadion, the hosts started the brighter, pressing the Juventus defence, dominating possession, and winning 50-50 balls.
But the first-half ended goalless, PSV unable to turn possession into opportunity and Juventus happy to sit on their 2-1 lead from the first leg in Turin.
Needing a goal to stay in the tie, the home side attacked the second half with more urgency, and with 53 minutes on the clock, PSV were back in the tie with a magnificent goal.
Winger Noa Lang beat two Juventus defenders and delivered a pinpoint pass to veteran Croatian attacker Ivan Perisic, who controlled the ball brilliantly and drilled an unstoppable shot into the corner.
“That’s the type of player I am. I like it when there are a lot of guys in front of me, when I’m double-covered a bit,” said man-of-the-match Lang.
“I like that better than one-on-one. That may sound strange, but I like the bigger challenge.”
PSV were well on top, Lang curling a shot just past the post and De Jong seeing his header cleared off the line. But against the run of play, the Serie A side took back the aggregate lead via a fantastic strike from Timothy Weah, who blazed a low shot past Walter Benitez from outside the penalty area.
PSV continued to press hard and the pressure eventually told as Moroccan midfielder Ismael Saibari seized on a goalmouth scramble to smash the ball into the top corner.
With the score at 3-3 on aggregate, the Dutch champions had several agonising chances to wrap the match up in the last five minutes, Lang in particular denied by an outstretched foot from goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio. Saibari fluffed a chance to take the lead in the second minute of extra time, scuffing his shot at Di Gregorio when clean through on goal.
But then the hosts took the lead, as Flamingo pounced on some goalmouth confusion in the Juventus defence to poke the ball home from point-blank range.
“You just have to be there. I used to be a striker, so I have a nose for it,” joked Flamingo, who now has three Champions League goals to his name.
Juventus’ forward Dusan Vlahovic and PSV Eindhoven’s forward Luuk De Jong jump for the ball during the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off 2nd leg football match at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven. PHOTO: AFP
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Internal Revenue Services (IRS) will lay off roughly 7,000 workers in Washington and around the country, a person familiar with the plans told The Associated Press.
The layoffs affect probationary employees with roughly one year or less of service at the agency and largely include workers in compliance departments, according to the person, who was not authorised to disclose the plans and spoke on condition of anonymity on Wednesday. Compliance work includes ensuring that taxpayers are abiding by the tax code, filing their returns and paying their taxes, among other duties.
The layoffs are part of the Trump administration’s intensified efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce through the Department of Government Efficiency by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who have not yet gained civil service protection.
They come despite IRS employees involved in the 2025 tax season being told earlier this month that they would not be allowed to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration until mid-May, after the taxpayer filing deadline.
It’s unclear how the layoffs may affect tax collection services this year.
As the nation’s revenue collector, the IRS was tasked during the Biden administration with targeting high-wealth tax evaders for an additional stream of income to the United States (US), which is USD36 trillion in debt.
By the end of 2024, the IRS collected over USD1.3 billion in back taxes from rich tax dodgers.
The IRS has roughly 90,000 employees total across the United States, according to the latest IRS data. Racial minorities make up 56 per cent of the IRS workforce, and women represent 65 per cent.
In addition to the planned layoffs, the Trump administration intends to lend IRS workers to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assist with immigration enforcement.
In a letter sent earlier this month, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to borrow IRS workers to help with ongoing immigration crackdown efforts.
Representatives from the IRS and US Treasury did not respond to requests for comment from the AP.
The sign outside the Internal Revenue Service building in Washington in the United States. PHOTO: AP
His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam yesterday chaired the 414th Board of Directors Meeting of Brunei Shell Petroleum Sdn Bhd (BSP) and the 192nd Board of Directors Meeting of Brunei Shell Marketing Sdn Bhd (BSM) for the first quarter of the year 2025. The meeting took place at the Prime Minister’s Office building.
Upon arrival, His Majesty was greeted by Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah and Deputy Minister (Energy) at the Prime Minister’s Office Dato Seri Paduka Haji Mohamad Azmi bin Haji Mohd Hanifah, in their capacity as members of the BSP and BSM Board of Directors.
During the meeting, His Majesty delivered a titah.
His Majesty urged all stakeholders to remain focus in raising the standard in safety, improving operational reliability and asset integrity, enhancing execution excellence, and building on strong leadership performance as we move forward in 2025.
His Majesty also called for a steadfast commitment in effective governance, ethics and compliance to remain firmly embedded in their operations to ensure the sustainability, credibility and long-term success, which will be key to securing continued and lasting growth.
The meeting commenced with a recitation of Doa and was attended by key stakeholders including shareholder directors representing the Government of His Majesty and Shell plc, as well as members of the respective management from BSP and BSM.
Critical areas such as safety, operational performance, financials and manpower development were also discussed during the meeting.
This marks the end of the Brunei Shell Joint Venture Companies Board Meetings for the first-quarter of 2025.
His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam yesterday morning chaired the 414th Board of Directors Meeting of Brunei Shell Petroleum Sdn Bhd (BSP) and the 192nd Board of Directors Meeting of Brunei Shell Marketing Sdn Bhd (BSM) for the first-quarter of the year 2025. The meetings took place at the Prime Minister’s Office building. PHOTO: INFOFOTOHis Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam at the 414th Board of Directors Meeting of Brunei Shell Petroleum Sdn Bhd (BSP) and the 192nd Board of Directors Meeting of Brunei Shell Marketing Sdn Bhd (BSM) for the first-quarter of the year 2025 yesterday. PHOTO: INFOFOTOHis Majesty chairing the meeting. PHOTO: INFOFOTOHis Majesty is greeted upon arrival. PHOTO: INFOFOTOABOVE & BELOW: His Majesty; and officials during the meeting. PHOTO: INFOFOTOPHOTO: INFOFOTO
A religious gathering was held at the surau of the Department of Councils of State yesterday, in preparation for the official opening of the 21st Legislative Council (LegCo) session on February 26.
The event featured the recitation of Surah Yaasiin and Doa Selamat, followed by congregational Asar prayer and the Sunnat Hajat prayer, seeking blessings for the conduct of the upcoming proceedings. Speaker of Legislative Council Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Dato Setia Haji Mohamed Taib was the guest of honour. Clerk to the Privy Council, Secretary to the Cabinet Ministers’ Council and Clerk to the LegCo Dr Hajah Huraini binti Pehin Orang Kaya Setia Jaya Dato Paduka Haji Hurairah as well as LegCo members were also present.
Mosque Affairs Officer Muhammad Tsuufiy bin Haji Abd Wahab led the recitation of Surah Yaasiin and Doa Selamat before the prayers commenced. – Fadley Faisal
Speaker of the Legislative Council Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Dato Setia Haji Mohamed Taib with Legislative Council (LegCo) members during the religious gathering. PHOTO: FADLEY FAISALABOVE & BELOW: Clerk to the Privy Council, Secretary to the Cabinet Ministers’ Council and Clerk to the LegCo Dr Hajah Huraini binti Pehin Orang Kaya Setia Jaya Dato Paduka Haji Hurairah; and attendees at the event. PHOTO: FADLEY FAISALPHOTO: FADLEY FAISAL
Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) renewed its ISO 9001:2015 certification. The accreditation, valid from December 2024 to December 2027, reinforces the bank’s commitment to delivering high-quality products and services across all its branches.
BIBD Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Junaidi bin Haji Masri said, “The renewal of our ISO 9001: 2015 certification demonstrates BIBD’s commitment to quality, driven by the hard work and dedication of the entire BIBD team.
“This certification reinforces our dedication to strong corporate governance and inspires us to raise the bar even higher in delivering exceptional services to our customers,” he added.
This ISO 9001:2015 recertification complements the bank’s existing accreditations, further highlighting its robust operational framework.
The bank is also the first financial institution in Brunei Darussalam to achieve accreditation for BCMS 22301:2019 (Business Continuity Management System), demonstrating its resilience and preparedness for unforeseen disruptions.
The bank maintains ISMS 27001:2013 (Information Security Management System) certification, underscoring its commitment to maintaining a robust Information Security Management System and protecting customer data.
In relation to this, two senior officers recently obtained the CQI and IRCA (Chartered Quality Institute and International Register of Certificated Auditors) Certified ISO 9001:2015 Lead Auditor certification. The ISO 9001:2015 recertification is more than just a mark of operational excellence; it reflects BIBD’s deep commitment to contributing to a better future.
The bank’s pursuit of quality aligns directly with the core principles of Maqasid Syariah, particularly the emphasis on maslaha (public interest) and the delivery of beneficial and reliable services.
The bank is also actively supporting the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), specifically SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure).
Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam headquarters in the capital. PHOTO: BIBD
Two judicial officers from the State Judiciary Department and two legal counsels from the Attorney General’s Chambers participated in a regional workshop focused on tackling human trafficking for forced criminality in Southeast Asia from February 18-19 in Bangkok, Thailand .
The Regional Workshop on Criminal Justice Response to Trafficking in Persons for Forced Criminality in the Southeast Asia Region was organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) with support from the European Union.
The workshop addressed the growing trend of human trafficking linked to forced criminal activities, particularly online scams, which have seen a sharp rise in the region since 2020. Legal practitioners from across Southeast Asia engaged in discussions aimed at strengthening criminal justice responses to such crimes.
The participants received training on legal analysis and investigative techniques to effectively prosecute trafficking cases and ensure justice for victims. Best practices from across the region were shared, along with insights into the challenges faced during prosecution.
Some 40 legal professionals from nine countries attended the two-day event, which also emphasised the importance of international cooperation in combating transnational organised crime. – Fadley Faisal
Twenty participants under the Pengupayaan Asnaf Zakat (PROPAZ) programme have begun the six-month First Cohort Entrepreneurship Skills Programme for Year 2025, launched at the PGGMB building in the capital yesterday.
The event saw the participants sign an agreement and acknowledgment of receiving zakat funds, part of which will support their training and expenses.
Visiting Counsellor at Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali Haji Ali Yusri bin Abdul Ghafor and Founder of Empowerior Counselling Major (Rtd) Rusli bin Bujang delivered presentations.
The programme, implemented in three phases, follows a work-based learning approach: Participant evaluation; intensive training (five days) on the business ecosystem and the Islamic economy; and advanced training (six months) to develop entrepreneurial skills.
Participants will also receive aids to start their post-training. Since its launch in 2007, PROPAZ has helped 244 individuals improve their livelihoods and become financially self-sufficient.
The Zakat, Waqaf and Baitulmal Management Department (JUZWAB) at the Ministry of Religious Affairs in collaboration with Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) continue to empower the asnaf with entrepreneurial skills.
JUZWAB Acting Director Pengiran Dr Haji Amiruddin bin Pengiran Haji Damit was the guest of honour. BIBD Head of Government Relations and Special Projects Division Haji Mohd Yusri bin Haji Wahsalfelah and JUZWAB Acting Assistant Director Haji Ariffin bin Dato Paduka Haji Abu Bakar were also present. – Lyna Mohamad
ABOVE & BELOW: The attendees during the signing; and in a group photo. PHOTO: LYNA MOHAMADPHOTO: LYNA MOHAMAD
