Since April 2023, the RSF has been battling Sudan’s army for control of the country in a brutal civil war.

At least 31 people, including children, have been executed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum’s twin city of Omdurman, according to the Sudan Doctors Network.

Minors were among the victims in Al-Salha area in the city, the group said, calling the killings “the largest documented mass killing in the region”.

The victims were accused by the paramilitary group of affiliation with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), local medics said.

Activists shared videos on social media showing individuals in RSF uniforms shooting at a group of people in the Al-Salha neighbourhood.

The doctor’s network also called the bloodshed by the RSF a “war crime and a crime against humanity”.

It appealed to the international community to take urgent action to rescue the remaining civilians by opening safe routes to ensure their exit from Al-Salha.

There was no immediate comment from the rebel group on the report.

Reporting from Khartoum, Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan said that the graphic video of the civilians being killed started circulating on social media in the early hours of Sunday morning and that the victims in the video belonged to the Barra brigade, which has been fighting alongside the army or SAF.

“Now the Sudanese army has been launching attacks trying to regain territory from the RSF in southwest Omdurman as well as western Omdurman, where the RSF also has presence … when it comes to southwestern Omdurman, the RSF continues to fight back,” she said.

The SAF and government have not yet released a statement.

Since April 15, 2023, the RSF has been battling Sudanese army forces for control of the country in a brutal civil war, resulting in thousands of deaths and one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

More than 20,000 people have been killed so far, and 15 million others displaced, according to the United Nations and local authorities.

Research from United States scholars, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.

GRAHAM POTTER fumed “do you want me to swear?” as he suffered a meltdown after West Ham went seven games without a win.

The normally level-headed Hammers boss was left fuming in his press conference as his side were beaten 3-2 by Brighton at his old stomping ground.

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Potter was taunted with chants from his own fans in support of Niclas Fullkrug, saying “The German’s right we’re f***ing s***e” throughout the game.

He was also booed by Brighton fans after he quit the Amex for Stamford Bridge in 2022, while West Ham now sit 17th on 36 points.

Potter said: “The pain at the moment is pretty hard.

“We’re all devastated. We’re unable to sustain what we need to do to win games in the Premier League.

When asked about the chants, he said: “They’re entitled to sing whatever they want” before denying that he left out German striker Fullkrug from the starting line up due to his outburst following the Southampton loss.

He added: “No one wants to hear positives. It doesn’t matter. I’m sick of talking about positives.

“We have to stick together, because it’s a tough last four weeks. We have to be together.

“Honestly, I don’t feel like I want to speak about anything positive, because I’m in too much pain to talk about positives, and no one wants to hear positives.

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“But there were some of course, there were I’m not stupid, but we’ve lost and two goals have gone in from 35 meters. Congratulations to Brighton.

“I’m going to be frustrated. I’m not a robot. I’m a human being as well.

“I stand there myself, give everything to this, what I’m doing of course, I’m gonna be upset.

“I have to come here and speak calmly to you guys, but that’s not how I’m feeling inside. If you want me to swear, I can swear.

“I can assure you, there are not many human beings that will be feeling more pain than me at the moment about a football match.

“I understand the supporters’ frustration. I understand that, absolutely. And yes, it’s tough for us all.”

Fullkrug launched a blistering attack on his West Ham team-mates after last week’s 1-1 draw with relegated Southampton.

The German apologised for being “s***” and accused his team-mates of lacking motivation and ability in a scathing assessment.

Fullkrug, who set up Jarrod Bowen’s goal against the Saints, fumed: “It is a mindset problem. Very angry today.

“We don’t try to play football anymore. Sorry we were s*** and I’m very angry.

“We don’t push up anymore, we just sink and that’s not the way we want to play.

“It is not the first time where we score a goal and then the next goal kick we just shoot the ball long.”

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London Pulse maintained their unbeaten start to the Netball Super League season on Sunday with a 67-52 win over Cardiff Dragons.

It was a seventh victory out of seven for Pulse but they were made work hard by the winless Dragons in the opening half and only led 32-25 at the break before pulling away after the interval.

Liv Tchine once again led the Pulse scoring with 25 goals but there was a strong display by Sophie Kelly who finished with eight goals and her all-round efforts earned her the player of the match award.

Georgia Rowe scored 33 goals for the Dragons.

Elsewhere this round, Loughborough Lightning secured a tense victory over Birmingham Panthers to move up to second in the table.

One point separated the two at half-time, but Lightning edged a four-goal lead in the third quarter and held on for a 72-68 success.

Fresh from their first win of the season last week, Panthers were brimming with confidence at Sir David Wallace Arena and made it difficult for the hosts.

But the defending champions kept their composure as experienced Lightning shooter Samantha Wallace-Joseph scored 34 goals, while England goal attack Berri Neil added 16.

But Panthers had their opportunities and will consider themselves unlucky not to come away with more than the one point they will receive for keeping the deficit to less than five goals.

Shooter Sigi Burger was clinical under the post, scoring 37 goals, while Betsy Creak added 10 and the defence worked tirelessly to gain possession of the ball 16 times to 10 from their opponents.

Lightning have stuttered at times this season but will be relieved to get over the line before facing a crucial match against fellow top-four contenders Manchester Thunder next week.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest secured a third win of the season with a 76-60 win over Leeds Rhinos.

The two sides were level on points with two wins and four losses so far in this campaign but, after a close first half, Forest dominated the second and pulled away for a comfortable win.

Manchester Thunder host London Mavericks on Monday in the final game of the round which you can watch live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at Anfield to claim the Premier League title with four games to spare.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says winning the Premier League title is an achievement the club would never take for granted after the Merseysiders thrashed Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 to secure a 20th top-flight crown in front of a roaring Anfield.

Liverpool’s victory on Sunday gave Arne Slot’s side an unassailable 15-point lead over second-placed Arsenal with four games left in the season as they clinched the title for only the second time in the Premier League era.

“It’s special, and it’s something that we don’t take for granted. It’s amazing what today was,” van Dijk told Sky Sports as the players took a lap of honour around Anfield.

“A lot of emotions before the game, during the whole week. We got the job done, and we truly deserve to be champions of England.

“[It’s] the most beautiful club in the world. I think we deserve all of this. Let’s enjoy the next couple of weeks and let it sink in.”

Liverpool first lifted the Premier League trophy five years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic when the fans were not allowed inside the stadium to celebrate their first league title in 30 years.

This time, however, the fans turned up at a packed Anfield, serenading the players with the club’s anthem, You’ll Never Walk Alone.

“Yeah, I was desperate for them [to be here], of course, for all the fans around the world, for the fans here, but for us as well,” van Dijk said.

“We got two Premier League trophies in five years, so that’s still a good achievement.”

Liverpool had also thrashed Spurs 6-3 in the reverse fixture in December, and as a sea of red welcomed the team bus at Anfield, Slot said they could not let their fans down with the title within their grasp.

“It was clear we couldn’t lose this game. Everyone on the bus said, ‘There’s no way we’re going to lose this game,’” said Slot, who won the title in his debut season at Liverpool.

“They always find a way to win. [I’m] incredibly proud, not only of the players but the people standing here – sport directors, my staff members. We should give them a big round of applause.

“Let’s forget it’s the second Liverpool ‘truly deserve’ to be Premier League champions, van Dijk says | Football News in 35 years. It’s the second in five years!”

Organisers of the Vancouver festival where a car ramming attack killed 11 people have said they are “heartbroken” and “collectively shattered”.

An exhausted and emotional RJ Aquino said the Filipino community was left “numb”, sad and angry following the incident, which police have said was not terror-related.

“We will feel the impact of this for a long time,” he said at a press conference.

Mable Elmore, who is a Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (MLA) for Vancouver-Kensington, described the local community as resilient and said it would “come together out of this catastrophe”.

Local authorities said the suspect, a 30-year-old man, was known to police and had a “significant history of interactions” with the healthcare system, related to mental health.

Altadena’s slow reawakening. Plus, mole 3,675 days old and counting, L.A.’s hardest reservation, Festival of Books cooks and lots of restaurant openings. I’m Laurie Ochoa, general manager of L.A. Times Food, with this week’s Tasting Notes.

The goose is loose

The open sign appeared last week at Altadena Beverage and Market for the first time since the Eaton fire in January burned so much of the neighborhood.

(Laurie Ochoa / Los Angeles Times)

Ever since the Eaton fire destroyed much of Altadena, I’ve been on the lookout for signs of recovery. I often drive up Lake Avenue where so many small businesses burned, leaving twisted steel frames and slumping walls.

This is a neighborhood I used to walk. It’s not far from my home in north Pasadena, and just two days before the Eaton and Palisades fires began I spent part of that Sunday afternoon enjoying an excellent cappuccino in the color-splashed back garden of Café de Leche‘s now-destroyed Altadena location. As I wrote in January, the fire came “at a particularly vulnerable moment for a food community that was in the midst of renewal” with “a fresh generation of small-business owners … starting new businesses or reviving old ones.”

One of those businesses was Altadena Beverage & Market on Allen Avenue. It survived the flames but its owners, Kate and Adam Vourvoulis, lost their home in the fire. Week after week I would drive by the superette, looking for the plastic goose mascot that always signaled that the shop was open for business. Along Lake Avenue, I’ve been watching for activity at David Tewasart and Clarissa Chin‘s Thai restaurant Miya, where I loved the khao soi and crispy snapper, and at Leo Bulgarini‘s gelateria and Italian restaurant Bulgarini. These business owners also saw their homes burn while their restaurants survived.

But surviving the flames, as former Times reporter Cindy Carcamo wrote in late January, doesn’t mean the businesses can easily reopen.

“We’re not a winner at all in any of this,” Bulgarini told Carcamo. “You’ve lost your home so you’ve lost your sanctuary, and you really have lost your business right now because it’s not going to be around for a while.”

He estimated that with so many of customers displaced, his business, at least in its Altadena location, would be “pretty much dead for at least a year.”

And yet … there are small signs of progress. Army Corps of Engineer teams have made headway in the debris cleanup, though many, many homes await their turn. And while the green Servpro vans that popped up for smoke and ash remediation are still a common sight, they’re not quite as ubiquitous. Most heartening, a few businesses have begun to open their doors.

Last month, Maggie Cortez‘s popular restaurant El Patron began serving its classic Mexican American dishes again.

El Patron restaurant in Altadena survived the Eaton fire but didn’t reopened for business until mid-March.

(Laurie Ochoa / Los Angeles Times)

I stopped by last Friday for fish tacos and found the sunlit restaurant busy at lunchtime. It was good to be among my neighbors. Yet there were two conflicting scenes out the picture glass windows lined with colorful papel picado banners. Through one window was greenery from a pocket park untouched by the flames, but across the street, on the block where the pizzeria Side Pie used to be, the fire’s wreckage revealed itself like an open wound.

Then, the very next day, I spotted something new when I was leaving Armen Market on Allen Avenue (owner Armen Gharibi managed to open quickly after the fire, with only a minor noticeable glitch one day when the credit card connection wasn’t working). The goose was loose. The plastic bird wasn’t in its frequent resting spot along the sidewalk across from Armen; it was perched on the wood bench outside Altadena Beverage & Market. I walked over and found the store up and running.

“We couldn’t have imagined how much would change and that it would take 100 days and so many tears and so much uncertainty to come back,” read the shop’s most recent Instagram post from this week announcing a May 3 reopening celebration. “We weren’t sure if we wanted to. We were scared. Our whole future was uncertain. But your support and words of encouragement pushed us forward.”

It’s true that some of the shelves and one of the refrigerator cases were nearly empty. No Maury’s bagels yet. But there was some tempting dishware from the shop’s still-closed sister business, Zinnie’s Table. When I asked if they would be getting any Bub & Grandma’s bread deliveries soon, they said they’d already started and had sold out for the day.

I’ll be back this weekend for bread and maybe some bagels. Plus, I’ve got my eye on a colorful confetti-patterned cutting board that could go well with my new kitchen cabinets. I know the goose will be waiting.

Mole 3,675 days old and counting

Baby corn with coffee mayonnaise and chicatana ants at the Pujol residency at L.A.’s Damian, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the acclaimed Mexico City restaurant.

(Laurie Ochoa / Los Angeles Times)

Is mole better aged and rich or young and tart? This was one of the questions we contemplated this week at the sold-out residency of Enrique Olvera‘s acclaimed Mexico City restaurant Pujol at his L.A. outpost Damian in the Arts District. Olvera is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Pujol, which, as Food’s Stephanie Breijo recently wrote, is closed in Mexico City until May 5 for a quick remodel of the restaurant’s terrace. (At Olvera’s taqueria Ditroit behind Damian, a more casual pop-up, Molino el Pujol, will run through Sunday, but know that there will probably be a long line.)

On the menu Tuesday night, the first of the nine-day dinner series that ends April 30, were several dishes from Pujol’s past, including an avocado flauta with shrimp, and skewered baby corn coated in a coffee mayonnaise flecked with chicatana ants. One of my favorite dishes of the night was pulpo en su tinta, with a blackened octopus tendril wrapped around a silky mash of incredibly flavorful ayacote beans.

But the plate everyone was waiting for was the mole madre, aged and maintained like a sourdough starter for more than 10 years — or 3,675 days and counting on Tuesday night. Our server told us that some 90 kilos of the mother mole was flown to L.A. from Mexico City. The inky-dark sauce had several layers of complexity, including a smoky backnote. In the center of the circle of mole madre was a smaller circle of burnt orange mole nuevo. Only about a week old, it was made with several fruits that gave the sauce an intriguing tartness.

No protein was served on the plate. Instead you took freshly made hoja santa tortillas and swiped it into the sauce scarpetta-style. It was hard to decide which I liked better. All I can tell you is that by the end of the course there was barely any sauce left on the plate.

The remains of Pujol’s mole madre and mole nuevo after a hungry dinner ate nearly every bit of sauce served during the residency at L.A.’s Damian of Enrique Olvera’s Mexico City restaurant.

(Laurie Ochoa / Los Angeles Times)

Look who’s coming to the Festival of Books

“Top Chef” host Kristen Kish

(Stephanie Diani / Bravo)

This weekend marks the 30th anniversary of the L.A. Times Festival of Books. Come see us at our Food x Now Serving booth near the cooking stage on the campus of the University of Southern California. We’ve got a great line-up of cookbook and food authors coming to the booth, including memoirist Laurie Woolever (“Care and Feeding”) and Found Oyster chef Ari Kolender (“How to Cook the Finest Things in the Sea”). Some of the chefs on the cooking stage include Fat + Flour chef Nicole Rucker, Milk Bar’s Christina Tosi, Kogi’s Roy Choi and “Top Chef” star Brooke Williamson. Speaking of “Top Chef,” I’m interviewing the show’s head judge, Tom Colicchio, and host Kristen Kish onstage Saturday at 4:30 p.m. And senior editor of Food, Danielle Dorsey, is talking with Sarah Ahn (“Umma: A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom”), Michelle T. King (“Chop Fry Watch Learn: Fu Pei-mei and the Making of Modern Chinese Food”) and Steve Hoffman (“A Season for That: Lost and Found in Southern France”) about their memoirs at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Check here for the full lineup of food-related book happenings at the festival.

Also …

Rome, Italy – About 250,000 mourners in Vatican City fell into hushed silence on Saturday morning as the funeral for Pope Francis began.

The church choir echoed through loudspeakers across the city-state. Some bowed their heads in respect. Others clasped their hands in silent prayer.

Just after 10am (08:00 GMT), the pope’s coffin was brought out of St Peter’s Basilica. Most of the crowd, too far away to catch a glimpse, turned to the large screens dotted around St Peter’s Square.

Police officers, stewards and military personnel who had been directing crowds through cordoned-off streets since dawn finally relaxed as the gentle sound of a prayer song softened the tense morning into a moment of shared peace.

As the readings began in several languages, several groups of teenagers who had come to Rome as part of the Jubilee of Adolescents, a three-day event during the Jubilee, a major Catholic event held every 25 years, sat down on the cobblestones of Via della Conciliazione, which leads up to the piazza.

Others moved towards the fringes of the street as they sought shade from the warm midday sun.

One voice of love and prayer

Pauline Mille, a French doctoral student who had arrived early in the morning with her parents, said it was a moving ceremony and it was “nice to hear people singing in harmony and spending time together” as they celebrated the pope’s legacy.

Lebanese American Elie Dib travelled to Rome with his wife and young son to attend the canonisation of Carlo Acutis, which was postponed due to Francis’s death on Monday.

Dib told Al Jazeera he was “blessed to be part of the prayer and the funeral service today to pray for his soul” and was impressed to see people of many different nationalities speaking “in one voice of love and prayer”.

His son, Antony, who was sitting on his father’s shoulders draped in a Lebanese flag, said that although he was sad the pope had died, he was “still happy that he is going to heaven”.

In the centre of the square, a group of teenagers from Mexico with their hands placed on each other’s shoulders knelt with their heads bowed.

As the ceremony came to a close, the crowds filtered out of the Vatican as stewards handed out free water to the elderly.

The popemobile carrying Francis’s coffin drove out of the city-state and through the streets of Rome, past many of its famous landmarks, such as the Colosseum, to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, a few kilometres away.

Messages of love that still ‘carried great weight’

As the roughly 50 heads of state, 12 reigning monarchs and other VIP guests who had been seated in a section next to St Peter’s Basilica were ushered out of private exits in a series of motorcades, tens of thousands of mourners began the roughly one-hour journey by foot to the pope’s final resting place.

Fiorello Maffei, a 58-year-old who lives in London, returned to Italy for the now postponed canonisation of Carlo, a Londoner himself born to Italian parents who died of leukaemia at the age of 15. Maffei said he had found Francis’s funeral “very touching” and full of simple words and messages of love that still “carried great weight”.

He said this epitomised Francis, who didn’t overcomplicate his messages during communication with people, adding that it pleased him that world leaders such as United States President Donald Trump had to listen to these messages of peace.

Two priests from Benin who attended the funeral with clergy from South Africa said that although they felt sad during the service, they were also filled with hope and were grateful for the legacy Francis has left behind.

As they watched the pope’s coffin being driven through Rome on a large TV screen positioned near the banks of the Tiber, they said Francis had preached a message of peace and inclusion and had welcomed migrants and refugees with an “open heart”.

Maffei said he believed Francis would have enjoyed seeing so many people walking through Rome and tackling the uphill stretch by Largo Magnanapoli.

“Walking like this is difficult. It is a time for reflection and meditation, and that’s just what he would have wanted,” Maffei said.

At the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, a church much loved by the pope, who visited it more than 100 times over the course of his 12-year papacy, the crowds began to thin as no public ceremony or special event had been organised for his burial.

On Sunday, the pontiff’s tomb was opened to the public.

The simple white resting place, inscribed with simply one name – Franciscus, his name in Latin – reflects Francis’s request in his will to be buried “in the ground, without particular decoration”.

MANCHESTER CITY’S hopes of signing Juventus full back Andrea Cambiaso have been boosted as the Serie A giants close in on a replacement.

And the transfer merry-go-round could lead to a multi-million pound windfall for Arsenal.

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City pursued Italy international Cambiaso, 25, during the January transfer window before cooling their interest.

But Etihad chiefs are expected to try again in the summer for Cambiaso, who can play on both flanks.

And reports in Italy claim Juventus have identified former Gunner Nuno Tavares as a top target.

Left back Tavares, 25, is currently on loan from Arsenal at Lazio, with an obligation to buy for just over £5m and a 40 per cent sell-on clause.

Lazio are ready to complete the permanent deal and then immediately cash in on the Portugal international.

Tavares had a brilliant start to the season, racking up eight assists in Serie A by the end of October.

Injuries have interrupted his campaign since and Lazio will struggle to find anyone willing to meet their reported asked price of £34m.

But if they sell Tavares, 40 per cent of the proceeds will be added to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta’s transfer kitty.

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Juventus are also looking at Club Brugge defender Maxim De Cuyper, who has previously been linked with Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.

Meanwhile, City still have a chance to win silverware next month after a disappointing campaign by their standards.

Pep Guardiola’s side reached their third-straight FA Cup final after beating Nottingham Forest 2-0 at Wembley on Sunday.

A look at the top 25 high school baseball teams in the Southland after Week 10.

Rk. School (Rec.); Comment; ranking last week

1. CORONA (23-2); Anthony Murphy hit three home runs in single game; 2

2. CRESPI (21-2); No earned runs in 47 innings for Jackson Eisenhauer; 3

3. HUNTINGTON BEACH (19-4); A rare two losses to Newport Harbor; 1

4. ST. JOHN BOSCO (19-4); The Braves are Trinity League champions; 5

5. AQUINAS (20-2); Mason Greenhouse has 28 hits this season; 4

6. ORANGE LUTHERAN (19-5); Second place in Trinity League; 7

7. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (17-7); Three-game series with Crespi this week; 6

8. LA MIRADA (18-6); Need to get healthy for Division 1 playoffs; 8

9. VILLA PARK (18-5); Still in running for Crestview League title; 9

10. CYPRESS (15-10); Big week for Wyatt Rosales; 10

11. SUMMIT (21-3); The SkyHawks have an 18-game winning streak; 22

12. NORCO (17-8); Has won nine of its last 10 games; NR

13. NEWPORT HARBOR (19-6); Two wins over Huntington Beach last week; NR

14. VISTA MURRIETA (16-5-1); Headed to Southwestern League title; 13

15. EL DORADO (18-6); Impressive shutout for Logan Steenburgen; 12

16. MIRA COSTA (22-2); Mustangs are 10-0 in Bay League; 16

17. SIERRA CANYON (13-10); Sophomore Brayden Goldstein on hitting tear after return from injury; 15

18. ARCADIA (22-2); Showdown with Crescenta Valley this week; 19

19. AYALA (16-6); Bulldogs are 11-0 in Palomares League; 24

20. SANTA MARGARITA (13-11); Eagles are 5-7 in Trinity League; 21

21. FOOTHILL (16-9); Two-game series with Villa Park this week; 23

22. LOS ALAMITOS (15-8-2); Three-game series with Fountain Valley; 11

23. ARLINGTON (18-6); Headed to Ivy League title; NR

24. ROYAL (19-4); Highlanders are 8-0 in Coastal Canyon League; NR

25. SERVITE (13-11); Showdown with Santa Margarita for playoff berth; 18

Protests between Indian and Pakistani diaspora communities have erupted in London as tensions soar between both countries in the wake of a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for the shooting in Pahalgam which killed 26 tourists, sparking renewed fighting over the disputed region.

The foot broke first. Then the silence. But it was breaking the silence that cost Mustapha Kyari the most; he paid for it with humiliation, punishment, and depression.

It started at the Wailo National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp in Bauchi State, northeastern Nigeria, during the mandatory three-week camp in December 2023. Kyari had expected structure, care, and some semblance of accountability after he broke his foot. Instead, the fractured foot became a lesson in institutional failure. 

When he reported his injury to NYSC officials, Kyari was told to go home to treat himself, but he insisted that they treat him instead. Officials then asked him to sign a waiver indicating that he had refused to go home despite being told to do so and was therefore absolving them of liability. He limped through a year of national service.

Established in 1973 to foster national unity, the NYSC deploys young Nigerian graduates to unfamiliar parts of the country for a year of service, beginning with a three-week orientation camp. The camp typically involves military parades, tactical and physical drills, as well as lectures on nationalism, entrepreneurship, security awareness, and civic duty. 

After camp, corps members are assigned to organisations relevant to their fields of study, where they are expected to make meaningful contributions throughout the year.

Since its establishment, over 5.5 million graduates have gone through the programme. 

Beneath the patriotic slogans and matching uniforms, some corps members report being inadequately cared for, particularly during their time in the camp. 

HumAngle published Kyari’s experience in January 2024. Following the publication, Kyari received a response from the NYSC that he described as retaliation. One official initially claimed that Kyari had never been at the camp. When confronted with evidence, he shifted his position.

“Did you report to the Muslim Corpers Association of Nigeria (MCAN) when you were injured?” he asked Kyari over the phone.

Kyari was baffled. “Am I supposed to report to the mosque or the clinic?” he recalls asking. The call ended abruptly. It would be the last time he heard from that office.

The next day, another senior NYSC official phoned him. Kyari says her tone was confrontational. “Is what you did right? Do you even know what a fracture is?” she asked.

Kyari answered, “It’s when the bone breaks.” Like the other official, she also hung up. It was the last time he heard from her as well.

Punished for speaking up

Under the NYSC 1993 Bye-Laws, corps members who speak to the media without permission risk a 30-day extension of service on half pay, a law that many Nigerians have criticised. Kyari got the punishment. In addition, however, the half-pay never came.

“I knew the risks of speaking up,” he told HumAngle. “But I wanted people to know what we go through. Maybe it would change something.” It did not. 

When he received his extension letter, he was instructed to report to the NYSC office in Bauchi, the state capital, a 200-kilometre journey from Dambam, where he had been posted. At the office, officials told him he was “on his own.” When he asked for accommodation, Aminu Bako, head of the disciplinary committee, replied, “Who told you to misbehave?”

After pleading for hours, he was sent back to his original posting, the College of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Dambam, to serve out his extension.

“I was depressed,” Kyari said. “I regretted ever answering the clarion call.”

“If you’re sick, go home”

Kyari’s experience was not a lone one. Ngozi Ada, a recent graduate from Enugu, southeastern Nigeria, was thrilled when her NYSC call-up letter finally arrived. That excitement faded quickly when she saw her posting: Bauchi State. One name stood out on the page — Wailo Camp, Ganjuwa Local Government Area. She had never heard of it.

She says she cried and begged her parents to let her defer, but they convinced her to go. “Just one year,” she remembers them saying. “It’ll fly by.”

After a long, two-day journey, Ada arrived at camp. A few days in, she fell ill. Repeated visits to the camp clinic yielded only paracetamol prescriptions and vague advice to “rest.”

“I thought it was the drills, the sun, maybe stress,” she said. “But I got weaker. I couldn’t eat. I was dizzy all the time.”

Then, one night, she collapsed, and fellow corps members carried her to the clinic. This time, she was hooked on a drip. By morning, she expected to be transferred to a hospital. Instead, she was asked to go home. The directive also did not come with a diagnosis or referral.

“I told them I couldn’t travel like that,” she said. “Enugu is far. I was afraid I’d pass out again on the road. They responded that there was nothing they could do for me there and that the camp was almost over anyway.”

She had to leave for Enugu without an escort and received no follow-up. Just a young woman, sick and exhausted, who went to manage a medical emergency on her own.

In Katsina State in the northwestern region, Hauwa Mohammad dislocated her foot at the NYSC orientation camp. The injury was severe enough that she couldn’t walk without pain. She described the official’s first response as dismissive.

“They told me to go home,” Hauwa said. “And I told them, ‘I will go, but not by road, because of my condition.’”

Eventually, she was taken to the Katsina General Hospital, but the X-ray department wasn’t functioning. So they redirected her to a private facility, where a scan was finally done at her own expense. From there, she was taken to a local physiotherapist, another service she had to pay for out of pocket.

“The only thing NYSC covered was transportation,” she said. “Everything else, the scan, the physio, I paid for myself.”

Like Kyari and Ada, Hauwa was left to carry the financial and emotional cost of her injury, while the system that deployed her looked away.

Extension without structure

Back in Bauchi, as Kyari served his 30-day extension, another layer of dysfunction unfolded. He found that when extensions are handed out, typically as a form of punishment, the system offers no structure.

Corps members assigned for extension are not provided with accommodations; instead, they are told informally to “find refuge” with religious fellowships, such as the MCAN or the Nigerian Christian Corpers Fellowship (NCCF).

“After everything,” Kyari said, “you’re left homeless unless a religious group gives you a mattress. That’s not service. That’s survival.”

The arrangement contradicts NYSC’s foundational mission to foster unity and cross-cultural understanding. Instead of providing state-backed support, the system outsources care to faith-based organisations, an abdication of duty wrapped in spiritual convenience.

As he served out his penalty, Kyari began to notice something else: inconsistency. While he was punished for speaking to the press, others who had missed clearances or absconded from their duty posts were quietly pardoned, and some were even awarded early discharge certificates.

When he questioned the process, the disciplinary committee responded coldly: “You are lucky [your suspension] is just 30 days.”

He also pointed to a case involving a corps member who posted a false kidnapping claim on a WhatsApp group and was given a 90-day extension.

“They said I should be grateful,” Kyari recalled. “As if there was a scale of misconduct where telling the truth was worse than lying.”

Left to heal alone

Kyari’s injury lingered throughout his service year; he shuttled between Dambam and Maiduguri for physiotherapy, a journey of over 250 kilometres, because Dambam General Hospital didn’t have a physiotherapy department.

In 2016, following the deaths of several participants in Bayelsa, Zamfara, and Kano States, the presidency ordered the inclusion of corps members in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The NHIS, which the NYSC publicly touts as a safeguard for corps members, covers little beyond the most basic ailments: malaria, stomach aches, and a few common pills like paracetamol, flagyl, and similar drugs.

“That was it,” Kyari said. “Anything more than that, you’re on your own.”

Despite a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2016 between NYSC and NHIS, promising comprehensive medical coverage from mobilisation until three weeks after service, the implementation has been hollow. The policy might exist on paper, but in practice, it is riddled with denial, deflection, and dysfunction.

As of 2024, fewer than five per cent of Nigerians are enrolled in the NHIS. Over 70 per cent pay out-of-pocket for healthcare. Corps members, by default, are added to the scheme upon deployment; however, when they fall ill or are injured, coverage is not fully implemented.

For Kyari, the neglect seemed particularly targeted. He says that when one official realised he was the corps member who had spoken to the press, the reaction was furious and confrontational.

“Is it we who fractured you, and now you want us to cure you?” he recalls the official as saying. “You’re stupid for reporting the case. NYSC is not in charge of your treatment.”

‘An exaggerated account’ — NYSC

When asked about the lack of medical attention corps members face, NYSC officials typically deny it outright. Yet, nearly every corps member has a story: a collapsed colleague, a high medical bill, or medication debt.

“I was lucky I could afford my treatment,” Kyari said. “Most people can’t. They live with the sickness and suffer in silence.”

Kyari’s case reflects a wider gap in NYSC’s medical responsibility. By law, both NYSC and NHIS are meant to split the cost of specialised care. Yet, he was told that he was not eligible.

He completed the rest of the camp on crutches. On the final night, even those were taken from him.

When HumAngle contacted the NYSC Bauchi State spokesperson, Ahmed Wakili, he stated that Kyari had signed a waiver, rendering him ineligible for care. He was referring to the waiver that Kyari was asked to sign after he insisted on staying back at camp to receive the healthcare he felt entitled to, rather than going home as he had been instructed.

The spokesperson also denied any mistreatment and dismissed his account as exaggerated. Officials claimed Kyari could have applied for 50 per cent of his withheld allowance. For him, that was beside the point.

“They knew what I went through,” Kyari said. “Why should I apply for what’s already in the bylaws?”

Of his ₦396,000 service-year earnings, he has spent ₦300,000, over 75 per cent, on treatment and travel.

An outdated by-law

Several commentators argue that the thirty-two-year-old by-laws governing the NYSC are outdated and no longer reflect the needs of today’s reality. A key issue is the disconnect between medical provisions and modern healthcare practices. 

The by-laws permit corps members on leave of absence to seek treatment at military or general hospitals using their ID cards. However, hospitals do not recognise this, and as a result, treatment is often denied, leading to medical neglect, a problem that the by-laws fail to address, as they predate the NHIS.

Penalties for violations are inadequate. For instance, taking a double ration of food in camp results in a mere ₦20 fine, which doesn’t reflect Nigeria’s current economic realities or serve as a proper deterrent. The amount hardly buys a small sachet of water today.

More than 50 years after the NYSC Act was established, many of its provisions remain outdated and disconnected from contemporary economic realities. 

The Act mandates that employers treat corps members like any other graduate in a similar employment setting, including paying them an equivalent salary. It also requires employers to pay a minimum of ₦250 monthly for accommodation if none is provided, and ₦150 for transport. However, the naira has lost 99.8 per cent of its value since 1973. In today’s naira value, average rent for a one-room apartment in Kyari’s location, for instance, costs about ₦125,000, while transport expenses could amount to roughly ₦75,000.

Experts say that reforms should focus on modernising medical protocols, ensuring adequate NHIS coverage for corps members, and adjusting penalties to be more appropriate for today’s context. These changes are critical for protecting the health, safety, and dignity of Nigeria’s young graduates.

“The scheme [referring to NYSC] was established to promote unity and integration, but corruption has eroded its effectiveness, with corps members often being forced to pay for privileges that should be standard,” Nankpak Cirfat, Public Policy Communications Officer at Connected Development, an Abuja-based advocacy organisation, told HumAngle. “We need reforms that align the scheme with contemporary realities, ensuring it serves the interests and rights of its beneficiaries.”

Nankpak, who is also a postgraduate researcher in public administration at Miva Open University, Abuja, added that the need for these reforms is “urgent.” “Even with the recent minimum wage increase, which impacted the allowances of corps members, it remains insufficient to meet their needs. They are still required to pay for accommodation, feeding, transportation, healthcare, and other necessities while away from home. It has become a matter of survival,” Nankpak said.

As Kyari put it, “I didn’t speak out for money. I just wanted change.” That change can only take root when corps members are protected, not penalised, for holding the system to account.

The names of the corps members have been changed to protect their identities.

Emmerdale fans are wondering if the rumoured return of an ITV soap favourite is finally on the cards after hints amid the storyline involving killer John Sugden

Fans believe a character will finally return to Emmerdale after six years, as part of a dark new storyline on the ITV soap.

Amid John Sugden being exposed as a killer and a criminal, behind some seriously sinister acts, fans think one former show resident will be back to bring him down. The character has been rumoured to return to the village on numerous occasions, and recent mentions of him have only encouraged this.

Fans are convinced now the time is right for the character in question to make a comeback, to save his loved ones and bring an end to evil John. Recent months have seen major hints of a comeback for Robert Sugden, with him mentioned, visited in prison by a character and his secret brother John making a debut.

The fact John is now engaged to Robert’s ex-husband Aaron Dingle has sparked constant rumours he will return for some sort of love triangle. But following the twists involving John and his killer ways, and have grown convinced there’s more to the potential return.

Some fans think Robert will be the one to bring John down and expose him. Fans also think if anyone is going to be tasked with saving Victoria and Aaron from John, it’s Robert.

READ MORE: Emmerdale fans fear character is being axed as they question worrying storyline

Fans have been calling for Robert actor Ryan Hawley to reprise his role for years, and Aaron heading back to the village, and mentioning his hubby, left fans wanting a full-time comeback for the current prisoner. To hear Ross Barton had spoken with him only sparked more theories of a comeback being on the cards.

Cast members including Aaron actor Danny Miller and Ross actor Mike Parr sharing their own hopes for Ryan to return as Robert left viewers wondering if finally it might happen. So throw killer John into the mix, his link to Robert and Aaron and the fact a comeuppance has to be on the cards, and now fans think Robert will be on his way back to the Dales.

Taking to social media, fans began to speculate the return was imminent and a definite. The theory sharing led to a number of comments suggesting it was only a matter of time before Robert was back in the village.

One fan said: “Robert is supposed to be coming back so guessing it will be him [who saves Aaron].” Another viewer posted: “Yay go on Robert save the day,” as a third added: “It has to be Robert Sugden,” in response to who would likely help residents stop John.

With fans asking who they think might come back, another post said: “Robert,” as a further comment agreed: “Robert IMO.” It comes amid speculation Mackenzie Boyd could face danger after cottoning onto John’s dark ways.

Just this week he pointed out how John was always there to save the day, after Liam Cavanagh’s attack.

He also tried to get Aaron to leave John for good, telling him he was dodgy and could not be trusted – so will Mack pay the price for figuring it all out?

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

SHOPPERS are in for a sweet surprise as one supermarket cuts its mini egg prices in a bid to clear out leftover Easter stock fast.

The major British supermarket chain has slashed the price of one popular chocolate brand’s bag to just 35p – a massive drop from its usual price of £1.85.

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Waitrose has reduced the price of its popular Cadbury Mini Eggs, loved for their creamy milk chocolate centre and crunchy sugar shell.

Shoppers took to social media to share their enthusiasm at the deal.

During the Easter period, these were the prices of Cadbury Mini Eggs at major British supermarkets:

• Waitrose – £1.50 (was £1.85)
• Asda – £1.64
• Tesco – £1.65 with Clubcard (or £1.85 without)
• Sainsbury’s – £1.65 with Nectar card (or £1.85 without)

First introduced in 1967, the iconic milk chocolate treats have long been an Easter favourite.

Once made in Somerset, Mini Eggs have been produced in Poland since 2010.

Notably, Canadian Mini Eggs differ in size and colour to British ones – the Canadian are yellow, pink, green and turquoise, whereas the British eggs are white, yellow, pink and purple with speckles.

Now, with leftover stock to shift, Waitrose is helping shoppers stock up for less.

While these eggs may be discounted, it’s worth noting that Asda has in fact been crowned the best-tasting supermarket for chocolate eggs in the UK.

Britain’s third largest supermarket knocked out Hotel Chocolat, which is known for its festive treats.

Tasters sampled 96 milk, white, dark and vegan-friendly chocolate eggs this year.

Cadbury and Quality Street were interestingly trumped by the bargain store.

Asda’s egg was named both the winner of Best Value and Best Milk Chocolate Easter Egg.

Waitrose’s chocolate deal comes after the supermarket chain recently recalled its Essential Waitrose Seafood Sticks 250g due to an error with the best before date.

Customers were warned in March by the Food Standards Agency not to consume these seafood sticks as a precaution.

The FSA said that the affected products had a Best Before Date of October 5, 2024.

The supermarket asked shoppers to package up the seafood sticks and return them to their local Waitrose & Partners branch.

It said that a full refund would be provided to all customers returning the recalled product.

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Exeter, who had been buoyed by a narrow loss at league leaders Bath last week, were a shadow of that side as the hosts cut through them time and again.

Jack Clement was driven over from a sixth-minute five-metre lineout after Gareth Anscombe had set Santi Carreras free.

Exeter’s maul defence cost them again eight minutes later as Gloucester’s pack powered into the 22 to earn a penalty and forced Seb Blake over from the resulting close-range lineout.

Having seen their forwards master the first two tries, it was the fine passing of the backs that set up the next two. Lewis Ludlam beat Ben Hammersley to a grubber kick for the third after a fine passing move, before Harris went in after Tomos Williams, Christian Wade and Ruan Ackermann linked up to set up the Scotland centre.

Exeter’s defence continued to struggle as Seb Atkinson strode through a massive gap 22 metres out to go in under the posts for the fifth try after 26 minutes, and it was just as tepid three minutes later when Anscombe got the sixth.

It took 32 minutes for Exeter to get into Gloucester’s red zone as Paul Brown-Bampoe went close before Exeter lost the ball, although a minute later Josh Hodge at least got his side on the scoreboard when he raced in from 22 metres.

But once again Exeter’s defence melted as Williams’ lovely looping pass started a move that the Welsh scrum-half got on the end of for the seventh try shortly before half-time.

Exeter made five changes five minutes into the second period, but a minute later went further behind when Wade raced on to pick up his own chipped kick and was stopped just short of the Exeter line, only for Ford-Robinson to dot down from an inch or two out a few phases later.

Wade edged closer to the all-time Premiership try record when his chipped kick was gathered by Carreras, before the Argentine full-back gave it back for his 90th try in the league, and Atkinson got his second soon after when Carreras shook off a tackle from Brown-Bampoe to race in from distance to make it 60-7.

It continued to get embarrassing for the former European champions as Singleton broke off a lineout maul for the 11th try, 18 minutes into the second half, and the replacement hooker dotted down in the corner five minutes later when Gloucester broke the 70-point mark for the first time in a Premiership match.

When Exeter did think they had scored a try it was ruled out for a forward pass, as Hodge was denied shortly after Singleton’s second score, with Exeter’s Will Haydon-Wood sin-binned for a tackle off the ball moments later.

From the resulting penalty Gloucester kicked out the corner and Singleton was mauled in for his third try to take it to 79-7 with 11 minutes left, before Will Rigg and Haydon-Wood scored two late consolation tries for a shell-shocked Exeter side.

Israel has violated the November ceasefire multiple times, attacking the Lebanese capital and the south.

Israel has struck Beirut’s southern suburbs after issuing an evacuation warning, the third Israeli strike on the Lebanese capital since a ceasefire took effect in late November.

A huge plume of smoke rose over the area after the strike on Sunday. There was no immediate word on casualties.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the air strike and called for France and the United States, guarantors of the November 27 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, to compel Israel to halt its attacks. Israel has violated that truce multiple times in recent months and weeks with attacks on the capital and across southern Lebanon.

Aoun said Israel is undermining stability in Lebanon and escalating tensions, posing “real dangers to the security” of the region.

The Israeli military said the attack on Beirut destroyed “an infrastructure where precision missiles” were stored by Hezbollah. It did not provide proof for its claim. No secondary explosions were reported after the Israeli attack.

Local platforms have published footage filmed in the immediate aftermath of the bombardment. This video has been verified by Al Jazeera:

بالفيديو: دخان كثيف يتصاعد من “الهنغار” المُستهدف في منطقة الحدث بالضاحية الجنوبية pic.twitter.com/nLle4DuG8I

— هنا لبنان (@thisislebnews) April 27, 2025

‘Damage widespread’

Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, reporting in Beirut, said: “We were able a short while ago to reach the site that was targeted, but there was a lot of chaos, and we were told to leave.”

“The damage was widespread, also affecting nearby buildings. Windows were blown out, glass was on the floor, cars were damaged,” she added.

“This strike did come with a warning but without any provocation,” Khodr said. “This is not the first time that Beirut’s southern suburb has been hit since Israel and Hezbollah agreed to that ceasefire back in November, but this time, there was no rocket fire. So people here are concerned that Israel is rewriting the rules of engagement, saying that there are no red lines any longer and that this could be the beginning of an escalation.”

‘Pinging the system’ for intelligence

Elias Hanna, a retired Lebanese army general, told Al Jazeera the Israeli strike on Beirut – and the warning that preceded it – may have been aimed at gathering intelligence on Hezbollah.

Hanna said such an operation is known as “pinging the system”.

“If you have information on certain individuals or facilities, you send the warning, and you wait to see how these officials or leaders will respond,” he said. “Will they move from one place to another?”

Hanna added that the operation could confirm or dismiss certain information, which would be a “win-win” scenario for intelligence gathering.

During the yearlong war, Israeli drones and fighter jets regularly bombarded the southern suburbs of Beirut, where Hezbollah has widespread influence and support. Israel assassinated several of Hezbollah’s top leaders there, including Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.

The US has pressured Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, but Aoun has warned this is a “delicate” matter that must be handled in a way that preserves peace in the religiously diverse country. Hezbollah, which views itself as the resistance to Israel, says it will not disarm.

Marches ‘against Islamophobia’ have been organised throughout France in the victim’s memory.

A man suspected of killing a Muslim worshipper in a mosque in southern France remains on the run, authorities say, in an incident that Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has branded as “Islamophobic”.

Both men were alone in the mosque in La Grand-Combe, a former mining town in the Gard region, on Friday when the victim was fatally stabbed. The assailant reportedly recorded the attack on his phone and filmed the dying Malian man, who was in his 20s.

A source close to the case, who asked not to be named, said the suspected perpetrator, while not apprehended, has been identified as a non-Muslim, French citizen of Bosnian origin, according to the AFP news agency.

After initially praying alongside the man, the attacker stabbed the victim about 50 times before fleeing the scene. The body was found later in the morning, when other worshippers arrived at the mosque for Friday prayers.

The suspect, who has been identified only as Olivier – born in France in 2004 and unemployed, with no criminal record – is “potentially extremely dangerous” and it is “essential” to arrest him before he claims more victims, according to regional prosecutor Abdelkrim Grini.

The Grand Mosque of Paris condemned the attack in a statement and said the victim had just finished cleaning the mosque when he was killed.

It called on authorities to quickly shed light on the reasons behind the attack, asking judicial authorities to say whether it is being treated as a “terrorist” act and to note its “scale and seriousness … for the safety of all”.

“Racism and hatred based on religion can have no place in France. Freedom of worship cannot be violated,” President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X on Sunday in his first comments on the killing, extending his support to “our fellow Muslim citizens”.

Un jeune a été atrocement assassiné dans une mosquée du Gard.

À sa famille, à nos compatriotes de confession musulmane, j’adresse le soutien de la Nation.

Le racisme et la haine en raison de la religion n’auront jamais leur place en France. La liberté de culte est intangible.

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 27, 2025

Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin on Saturday decried the “despicable murder” that “wounds the hearts of all believers, of all Muslims in France”.

“We stand shoulder to shoulder with the victim’s family and the shocked worshippers,” he said. “The resources of the state are being mobilised to ensure that the murderer is caught and punished.”

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced on Sunday that he would travel to La Grand-Combe.

The SOS Racisme campaign group said it would take part in a march “against Islamophobia” organised later on Sunday at La Grand-Combe.

More marches are also planned on Sunday evening throughout France, including at Paris’s Place de la Republique. The marchers will observe a minute’s silence in memory of the victim.

Paris place de la république 18h pic.twitter.com/mtyEAF75Pb

— Rima Hassan (@RimaHas) April 27, 2025

Several prominent members of the far-left La France Insoumise party have called on people to attend the protests on social media, including Member of European Parliament and Palestinian rights activist Rima Hassan, and Green Party leader Marine Tondelier.

MODEL Kelly Brook toned down her usual red carpet-ready look to take part in the London Marathon.

The 45-year-old star donned a green t-shirt, black leggings and trainers to run the 26.2 mile course around England‘s capital city on Sunday.

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In a video uploaded to her Instagram stories, Kelly revealed she was joined by 39-year-old husband Jeremy Parisi, who also signed up.

She said the couple hardly had the ideal preparation, telling her fans that neither of them had slept well the night before, owing to their burglar alarm going off during the night.

Sitting next to Jeremy in the back of a car, Kelly said: “Good morning! So, we thought we’d just get up and run a little marathon today, because that’s what we do. See you out there! See you out there!”

Before, she turned to Jeremy and asked: “Are you excited?”

Jeremy’s seeming lack of enthusiasm to her question is then explained by Kelly, who added: “We didn’t get any sleep because our burglar alarm went off at 1’o’clock this morning. Awesome.”

Kelly and Jeremy, were sponsored by marathon partners Radox to take part in the race, and were joined at the start by the likes of Harry Judd, Joe Wicks and Alexandra Burke, who were among the other famous faces running the course.

Speaking recently to The Sun’s Bizzare column, Kelly said she liked to have Jeremy running in front of her, so she could admire him in lycra, and also revealed running had given her a new found appreciation for Vaseline.

She said: “Jeremy looks great in Lycra. I always tell him to run ahead. I find it a nice distraction.

“Jeremy I’m sure will carry me over the finish line if he has too.”

Before revealing that the week prior had made her realise how important petroleum jelly was for preventing chafing caused by running.

She added: “I have gone through pots of Vaseline and on Sunday I was away. I was tapering and had a quick 10k to do.

“I panicked because I left my Vaseline at home so I went without. Nothing prepares you for the chaffing! I was bleeding after 10k.”

And she also revealed that having done an increasing number of physically exerting challenges with Jeremy recently, the London Marathon felt like the ideal next step for the couple.

She said: “We were both pretty strong anyway but this has definitely made us more dynamic.

“After a 25km run you feel invincible. We love to train hard and keep that up all year.

“When we did Race Across the World we had to climb a volcano in the snow for the final Episode.

“We had spent Christmas in the Alps hiking mountains in the snow so we were weirdly prepared mentally to tackle that!

“We train a lot just to prepare ourselves for life in general you never know in our job what you’re going to be asked to do next. “

“This has been brilliant because we are in control of our training and performance. With TV it’s never entirely down to you what the outcome will be.

“With the Marathon it’s all on us and it’s exciting we can’t wait.”

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Now is the time to escape the crowds and discover France’s hidden gems, from fairytale villages to serene lakeside escapes, perfect for a quiet getaway off the beaten path

When you think of France, images of the Eiffel Tower, the beaches of Nice, and the ski slopes of Chamonix probably spring to mind. But beyond the famous landmarks and buzzing tourist hotspots, France hides some truly magical corners many that travellers have yet to discover.

It’s no surprise France welcomed over 90 million visitors in 2023, making it the world’s most visited country. And while cities like Paris and Marseille continue to attract big crowds, for those seeking out quieter, lesser-trodden paths, here are five beautiful French destinations worth adding to your travel wishlist this year, according to Metro.

READ MORE: Weekend Wishlist: 9 must-have items our fashion and beauty team are coveting for spring

Aups

In the heart of the Verdon Natural Park lies Aups, a charming Provençal town that’s the perfect mix of rustic beauty and local flair. During the week, the streets come alive with vibrant markets where you can browse everything from fresh cheeses and olives to colourful fabrics and handmade crafts.

One of Aups’ top selling points is its proximity to the Lac de Sainte-Croix. A completely manmade lake, it’s surrounded by several stunning villages, including Les Salles-sur-Verdon and Aiguines. For those who love the outdoors, you can rent kayaks, paddle through the Gorges du Verdon, or take a scenic hike along the dramatic cliffs.

Rabastens

If you’re looking for a sunny escape without the crowds of Toulouse, hop on a quick 30-minute train ride to Rabastens. This charming riverside town stay warm well into September. Rabastens’ crown jewel is the Notre-Dame du Bourg, a beautifully preserved Gothic church dating back to medieval times now recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After soaking up the history, head to the banks of the river, where you can kayak, paddleboard, or simply relax without the throngs of tourists.

Eguisheim

Tucked away in northeastern France, near the German and Swiss borders, Eguisheim feels like stepping straight into a storybook and is centred around its medieval castle.

The village is said to have inspired the classic Beauty and the Beast, and it’s not hard to see why.

Wine lovers will also be in heaven here: Eguisheim is a stop on the famous Alsace Wine Route, where visitors can sip their way through a series of pretty vineyards and family-run wineries.

Chambéry

Often overlooked in favour of its glitzier Alpine neighbours, Chambéry is a historic city. It’s even been dubbed France’s ‘Italian town,’ as it was under Italian rule between the 13th and 16th centuries. The town’s most iconic landmark is the Fontaine des Éléphants, a towering fountain built in the 19th century to honour a local general.

In winter, Chambéry is a gateway to nearby ski resorts, while summer brings opportunities to swim, sail or relax by the stunning Lac du Bourget, France’s largest natural lake.

Bonelles

For a peaceful break not far from Paris, head to Bonelles in the Yvelines département of Île-de-France. Expect endless countryside walks, charming village cafés, and an authentic, unspoilt feel that’s becoming increasingly rare just an hour away from the capital.

When travel writer Jon Fellowes visited, he expected pretty scenery and good wine but was blown away by the artisan culture and welcoming community spirit.

READ MORE: ‘My skin looks plump and my under-eyes have more life’– L’Occitane wonder cream gets £20 saving

Anthony Woods, who played at Idaho before transferring to Utah and now UCLA, is expected to be a big contributor next season.

(Young Kwak / Associated Press)

Anthony Woods, the former star running back at Idaho who sat out last season at Utah because of a knee injury, showed why the Bruins recruited him with a nice touchdown run in his first extensive playing time of the spring.

Gilmer continued to make a strong case as the team’s top receiver as the preferred target of Duncan.

Defensive backs Jadyn Hudson and Jadyn Marshall made interceptions on back-to-back plays to lead the defense. Foster said Marshall continues to make a case to play wide receiver in addition to defensive back and kick returner.

Freshman edge rusher Cole Cogshell showed explosiveness in getting into the backfield for a simulated sack. Edge rushers Grant Buckey and Nico Davillier prompted some of the biggest cheers from their defensive teammates when they converged to stuff a run at the point of the handoff.

Is Bangladesh heading towards real reform or just trading one elite for another? Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and chief adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government talks to Al Jazeera about the country’s fragile transition, promises of democracy and whether the interim government will truly break from the past or entrench a new ruling class