Magnitude 6.8 earthquake shakes Ecuador, 12 deaths reported
At least 12 people were killed in a strong earthquake that shook a coastal region of Ecuador and northern Peru midday on Saturday, causing structural damage to multiple homes, schools and medical centres.
“Emergency teams are mobilising to offer all their support to those who have been affected,” said Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso in a tweet.
The quake, which the US Geological Survey measured at magnitude 6.8, struck at a depth of 66.4km about 10km from the city of Balao in the province of Guayas.
The presidency’s communication agency said that the quake left 11 people dead in the province of El Oro and one fatality in Azuay province, while multiple people were being treated for injuries in hospitals.
Ukraine still able to resupply troops in battered Bakhmut
Ukrainian forces outside the battered eastern city of Bakhmut are managing to keep Russian units at bay so ammunition, food, equipment and medicines can be delivered to defenders, the army said on Saturday.
And in the latest claim to have inflicted heavy casualties, Kyiv said its troops had killed 193 Russians and injured 199 others during the course of fighting on Friday.
Russia has made the capture of Bakhmut a priority in its strategy to take control of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas industrial region.
Britain defends Rwanda asylum plan as ‘compassionate’
Britain’s interior minister defended a controversial plan to deport asylum seekers who arrive in the UK illegally to Rwanda during a visit to the country on Saturday, saying it was “compassionate”.
The UK’s conservative government has made tackling illegal immigration a priority, and it was a key promise as the country left the European Union.
It is seeking to outlaw asylum claims by all illegal arrivals and transfer them to “safe” third countries, such as Rwanda, in a bid to stop thousands of migrants from crossing the Channel on small boats.
Haaland hits second hat-trick of week against Burnley
Unstoppable Erling Haaland smashed through the 40-goal barrier in his first season at Manchester City with a hat-trick in his side’s 6-0 FA Cup quarter-final rout of Burnley on Saturday.
Fresh from his five-goal salvo against RB Leipzig in midweek, the Norwegian forward proved insatiable again to demolish the Championship leaders at The Etihad Stadium.
The 22-year-old struck trademark goals in the 32nd and 35th minutes and completed his sixth hat-trick of the season when he converted a rebound to finish the tie just before the hour.
Conte blasts ‘selfish’ Tottenham players after Southampton draw
Antonio Conte lambasted his Tottenham Hotspur players as “selfish” after they squandered a 3-1 lead at Southampton to draw 3-3 and drop crucial points in their bid to hang on to fourth place in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Italian, who looks increasingly likely to leave at the end of the season or before, launched an extraordinary tirade, described their inability to hold on to victory as “unacceptable” and questioned their spirit.
Goals by Harry Kane and Ivan Perisic appeared to have sealed a win that would have taken Tottenham into third place but Theo Walcott pulled one back and then Tottenham substitute Pape Sarr gave away a 90th-minute penalty that was converted by James Ward-Prowse in stoppage time.
