- Turkish Cypriots caught in citizenship limbo on divided island
- Final campaigning in tight Japan election
- Cali's love motels adapt to host UN summit delegates
- World champion Sakamoto takes Skate Canada lead over Liu
- Sainz tops times as Russell crashes in Mexico GP practice
- Three moments from King Charles Pacific tour
- Commonwealth announces Ghana foreign minister as new secretary general
- Gaza ministry accuses Israel of storming hospital, reports two children killed
- King Charles III departs Samoa, wrapping Pacific tour
- G7 finalize $50 bn Ukraine loan backed by Russian assets profits
- Ex-Abercrombie CEO pleads not guilty to sex crimes
- Unfulfilled talent? Two-time champion Alonso clocks up 400th F1 race
- Guardiola praises 'incredible' mentality of Man City stars
- Chelsea boss Maresca wants more 'leadership' from captain James
- US issues historic apology for Native American boarding school atrocities
- Moody's cuts France outlook, opening door to credit downgrade
- Drone sparks fire on Kyiv residential building, one dead
- Gaza ministry says two children die in hospital in Israeli raid
- Wood brace fires Forest as Leicester boss Cooper loses reunion
- Dodgers draw on Bryant's 'Mamba mentality' for World Series
- 'Fascist' row overshadows glitzy night on US campaign trail
- Modern art museum breathes new life into downtown Warsaw
- Russell tops crash-hit Mexico GP practice
- Fils, Shelton set for friendly fire in Basel semi-finals
- Internet blackout hits Mozambique capital after election protests
- Yankees, Dodgers poised for World Series blockbuster
- 'Catfish' predator who drove US girl to suicide jailed for life in N.Ireland
- NASA astronaut hospitalized after return from ISS
- Biden apologizes for Native American boarding school atrocities
- Mexico rules out designating drug violence as 'terrorism'
- Emery wants no let-up from Aston Villa
- Boeing exploring sale of space business: report
- G20 affirms commitment to transition from fossil fuels
- Shami misses India's tour of Australia as Easwaran named as potential Rohit cover
- BHP, Vale agree to pay $30bn damages for Brazil dam disaster
- 75 sickened as McDonald's severe E. Coli outbreak expands
- Turkmenistan's 'Gateway to Hell' lit gas pit faces closure
- Kickboxing takes Senegal by storm despite tight funds
- Waymo ramps up robotaxi push with $5.6 bn in funding
- Elon Musk all-in for Trump as Moscow denies secret Putin talks
- Covid lessons learned? UN summit mulls plan for healthy planet, and humans
- Borthwick unveils new contracts for leading England players
- Sexual assault scandal rocks Spain's 'most feminist' govt
- France must make 'credible' progress on deficit: finance minister
- Stock markets diverge going into weekend
- BHP, Vale agree to pay $30bn compensation for Brazil dam disaster
- Verstappen says 'definitely' his intention to remain at Red Bull
- Mbappe can launch Madrid career in first Clasico
- A monumental dump and Obama the rapper: an offbeat US campaign week
- Biden to apologize for abusive Native American boarding schools
El Kaabi hits hat-trick as Olympiakos shock Aston Villa, Fiorentina edge Brugge
Ayoub El Kaabi scored a hat-trick as Olympiakos stunned Aston Villa 4-2 on Thursday to close in on the final of the Europa Conference League on home soil in Athens later this month.
Despite being in their first European semi-final for 42 years, Villa were favourites to lift the trophy, thanks in large part to manager Unai Emery's record as a four-time Europa League winner.
Prince William was among the Villa fans left disappointed in the stands as a bad night for Emery's men capped a miserable season for English clubs in Europe.
Villa are the sole survivors from the Premier League at the semi-final stage of the three European competitions.
"Everything that could go wrong did go wrong tonight," said Villa captain John McGinn.
"Just mistakes all round tonight. We take responsibility but it is up to us to go to Greece next week and turn it around because we are more than capable."
Olympiakos showed no signs of nerves in their first ever European semi-final with El Kaabi taking his tally for the season to 30 goals.
The Moroccan striker was initially flagged offside for the opener on 17 minutes but a VAR check showed he had timed his run perfectly to slot in from Chiquinho's flick.
Villa are set for even more glamorous European nights next season as they sit fourth in the Premier League and within touching distance of securing Champions League football.
However, signs of fatigue have shown in recent weeks at the end of a gruelling campaign and they were cut open easily once more for Olympiakos' second.
El Kaabi sprung the offside trap again to round Robin Olsen and double the visitors' lead.
Momentum looked to have swung back in favour of the hosts either side of half-time.
Ollie Watkins reduced the deficit with his 27th goal of the season in first-half stoppage time before Moussa Diaby levelled when he caught out Konstantinos Tzolakis at his near post
Yet, Villa were only level for four minutes as Douglas Luiz needlessly raised his arm to block at an Olympiakos corner.
Emery insisted on the eve of the game that he had full faith in understudy goalkeeper Olsen, but Villa badly missed the presence of the suspended Emi Martinez, whose penalty heroics had won a tense quarter-final against Lille.
El Kaabi coolly sent Olsen the wrong way from the spot to complete his hat-trick.
The Swedish stopper was then wrong-footed when Santiago Hezze's strike deflected off Ezri Konsa.
Luiz had the chance to atone for his earlier error and set up a grandstand finish when Villa were awarded a penalty six minutes from time.
But the Brazilian's effort hit the post to leave Emery needing to produce a miracle in Piraeus next week to add another European trophy to his CV.
Fiorentina will take a slender lead into the other semi-final as M'Bala Nzola's stoppage time strike earned a 3-2 win over 10-man Club Brugge.
Last season's finalists went ahead early on in spectacular style through Riccardo Sottil's curling effort.
Hans Vanaken quickly levelled for Brugge from the penalty spot but Fiorentina were back in front before half-time through Andrea Belotti.
Two quickfire yellow cards for Raphael Onyedika on the hour gave the Belgians a tough task just to keep the tie alive.
However, the 10 men equalised straight away when Brentford-bound striker Igor Thiago fired into the far corner.
The visitors' resistence was finally broken when M'Bala swept home after his first shot came back off the post, but Brugge still have all to play for with home advantage on May 8.
L.Miller--AMWN