Ukrainian sumo wrestler Danylo Yavhusishyn said Monday that he had surprised even himself by becoming the first from his country to win a tournament in the ancient Japanese sport.
The 21-year-old, who fled the war in Ukraine three years ago, is set to be promoted to sumo’s second-highest rank this week after winning the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.
The victory earned Yavhusishyn, who is known by his ring name Aonishiki, his first title in only his 14th tournament.
He did it by beating Mongolian grand champion Hoshoryu on Sunday.
“To be quite honest I wanted to win the tournament but I didn’t really think that I could,” he told reporters in Fukuoka. “I’m really happy.”
Yavhusishyn was born in central Ukraine and took up sumo at the age of seven, becoming a national champion at 17.
His age meant he narrowly avoided Ukraine’s military draft for men aged 18 and older after Russia invaded and he sought refuge in Germany, before moving to Japan.
His parents stayed in Germany and he arrived in Japan knowing nothing of the language.
Yavhusishyn said he spoke to his parents after winning the tournament and that he had also received messages from friends in Ukraine.
“I’ve had lots but I haven’t been able to reply to them all yet,” he said. “It will take time to reply to them all but I’ll start doing them one by one after this.”
Yavhusishyn became the second Ukraine-born professional sumo wrestler when he made his debut in July 2023, following in the footsteps of Serhii Sokolovskyi, better known as Shishi.
Yavhusishyn’s promotion to sumo’s upper divisions was the fifth fastest since the current system of six tournaments a year was introduced in 1958.
He kept his title hopes alive at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament by beating Hoshoryu on the penultimate day, then triumphed over the Mongolian again to clinch the title.
“It was the last tournament of the year, so I wanted to give a good account of myself so that I wouldn’t end the year with any regrets,” said Yavhusishyn. (JapanToday)
The Bauchi State Police Command has confirmed the death of five officers and the neutralisation of several bandits following an ambush in Sabon Sara village, Darazo Local Government Area of the state.
This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil.
According to Wakil, the incident occurred on November 22, 2025, when combined police tactical units, acting on intelligence, embarked on a visibility patrol to prevent and manage farmer–herder conflict around the Sabon Sara axis.
He said a distress report from a Good Samaritan earlier alerted the Command that personnel from the Rapid Response Squad; 10 PMF, Bauchi; the Anti-Kidnapping Unit; and the State Intelligence Department had been ambushed by unidentified Fulani youths during the operation.
The ambush led to the death of five officers: Ahmad Muhammad (SID), ASP Mustapha Muhammad (10 PMF), Inspector Amarhel Yunusa (10 PMF), Inspector Idris Ahmed (10 PMF), and Corporal Isah Muazu (AKU).
“The injured are currently receiving medical attention, while the bodies of the fallen officers have been deposited at the mortuary.”
He added that efforts were underway to track and apprehend the attackers, assuring the public that the police command remained committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Wakil noted that the Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, had visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and commiserated with the families of the slain officers, while restating the command’s resolve to uphold its mandate of protecting lives and property. (Punch)
Everton survived an astonishing moment of madness at Old Trafford on Monday when Idrissa Gueye was sent off for slapping teammate Michael Keane to beat Manchester United 1-0.
The Senegal midfielder was shown his marching orders by referee Tony Harrington in the 13th minute after putting his hand to Keane’s face following an angry altercation.
The home crowd anticipated waves of attack but United failed to take advantage of their numerical advantage, proving toothless against David Moyes’ battling team.
Instead it was 10-man Everton who found the net, taking the lead courtesy of a wonderful strike by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the 29th minute.
Dewsbury-Hall received the ball and surged towards goal, beating Bruno Fernandes and Leny Yoro before bending the ball into the top corner.
United huffed and puffed for the rest of the half, with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford clawing away a Fernandes shot from distance as the half-time approached.
Ruben Amorim, marking the first anniversary of his maiden game in charge of United, brought on Mason Mount for Noussair Mazraoui at half-time but his team created little despite dominating possession.
Amorim threw on midfielder Kobbie Mainoo and Diogo Dalot for Casemiro and Yoro in the 58th minute but still United looked blunt.
Pickford kept out a powerful Joshua Zirkzee header with just over 10 minutes of normal time to go and Everton hung on for a famous win.
United came into the match at Old Trafford on the back of a five-game unbeaten run.
Everton suffered a big blow in just the 10th minute when they lost captain Seamus Coleman.
But worse was to follow three minutes later with the scarcely believable bust-up between Gueye and Keane.
Gueye is the first Premier League player to be sent off for fighting with a teammate since 2008.
The Premier League Match Centre posted on X: “The referee’s call of red card to Gueye for violent conduct was checked and confirmed by VAR –- with the action deemed to be a clear strike to the face of Keane.” (JapanToday)
A total of 201 documentary features, 86 international features and 35 animated features are eligible for Oscar recognition this season in the best documentary feature, best international feature and best animated feature categories, respectively, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Friday.
The only time more documentaries were deemed eligible — 238 — was the year in which the pandemic led to an extension of the period of eligibility from 12 to 14 months (Jan. 1, 2020 to Feb. 28, 2021) and docs that did not play in theaters were considered.
This year’s list of eligible documentary features includes titles that have dominated at the doc community’s precursor awards, including Netflix’s The Perfect Neighbor and Apocalypse in the Tropics, Apple’s Come See Me in the Good Light and Neon’s Orwell: 2+2=5. It also includes two acclaimed films made by celebrities about their famous parents, HBO’s My Mom Jayne and Apple’s Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost, which were directed by Mariska Hargitay and Ben Stiller, respectively. And there are several titles related to recent turmoil in the Middle East, including Hemdale/Metallux’s Torn: The Israel-Palestine Poster War on New York City Streets and the self-distributed Coexistence, My Ass!, Holding Liat and Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk.
This year’s list of eligible documentary features includes titles that have dominated at the doc community’s precursor awards, including Netflix’s The Perfect Neighbor and Apocalypse in the Tropics, Apple’s Come See Me in the Good Light and Neon’s Orwell: 2+2=5. It also includes two acclaimed films made by celebrities about their famous parents, HBO’s My Mom Jayne and Apple’s Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost, which were directed by Mariska Hargitay and Ben Stiller, respectively. And there are several titles related to recent turmoil in the Middle East, including Hemdale/Metallux’s Torn: The Israel-Palestine Poster War on New York City Streets and the self-distributed Coexistence, My Ass!, Holding Liat and Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk.
The most glaring omission from the list: The Eyes of Ghana, a documentary directed by the two-time Oscar-winning documentarian Ben Proudfoot, which is still seeking distribution. The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that a late decision was made to hold the film for next awards season. Other high-profile docs that were expected to be on the list but are not, either because they were not submitted or because they failed to meet the eligibility requirements, include A24’s Marc by Sofia, Oscar winner Sofia Coppola’s portrait of Marc Jacobs, and Oscar winner Questlove’s Hulu film Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius).
The list of eligible international features includes five widely lauded films that are being distributed in the U.S. by Parasite backer Neon and could conceivably all earn nominations: Norway’s Sentimental Value, Brazil’s The Secret Agent, South Korea’s No Other Choice, Spain’s Sirāt and France’s It Was Just an Accident. It Was Just an Accident, which won the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or, was directed by Jafar Panahi, a filmmaker from Iran but does not reflect well on the country; as a result, Iran submitted the much lower-profile Cause of Death: Unknown, while France submitted It Was Just an Accident, on the basis that much of the film’s financing was French.
Other countries that made interesting submissions include Japan (GKIDS’ Kokuho, a film about Kabuki performers, which is now the highest-grossing non-animated film in that country’s history); Iraq (Sony Classics’ The President’s Cake won two prizes at Cannes); Belgium (Music Box’s Young Mothers could bring the brothers Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne the first Oscar noms of their distinguished careers); and Taiwan (Netflix’s Left-Handed Girl, which was co-written by Anora Oscar winner Sean Baker).
Meanwhile, at least three countries submitted acclaimed documentaries for best international feature consideration: Ukraine (PBS’ 2000 Meters to Andriivka, a doc about a Ukrainian platoon’s fight to retake a city from Russian invaders, which was directed by Mstyslav Chernov, who won the best doc feature Oscar two years ago); North Macdeonia (Nat Geo’s The Tale of Silyan, from Tamara Kotevska, whose 2019 film Honeyland was nominated for best international feature and doc feature Oscars); and Denmark (Mr. Nobody Against, a film about Vladimir Putin’s propaganda efforts, which is still seeking U.S. distribution).
And the list of animated features includes giant blockbusters like Crunchyroll’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, which is now the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time and the highest-grossing international film in the U.S. of all time, as well as the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2025; streaming hits like Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, which is now that streamer’s most watched film ever; acclaimed indies like Neon’s Arco, a French-language critics’ darling that counts Natalie Portman among its producers; and highly-anticipated forthcoming titles like Disney’s Zootopia 2.
Among the animated films that were expected to contend but are not on the list of eligible titles, either because they were not submitted or because they failed to meet the eligibility requirements, are A24’s Ne Zha 2, Sony’s Paddington in Peru and Paramount’s Smurfs.
The documentary feature and international feature categories are winnowed down to shortlists before nominations, while the animated feature category goes straight to nominations. Shortlist voting will span Dec. 8-12, 2025, and the announcement of the shortlists will come on Dec. 16. Nominations voting in all categories will span Jan. 12-16, 2026, and the announcement of the nominations will come on Jan. 22, 2026. (THR)
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola says he regrets losing his cool with a cameraman in the aftermath of Manchester City’s 2–1 defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday.
The City manager stormed onto the pitch at St James’ Park, angered by what he believed were multiple contentious decisions, a denied penalty, a handball shout, and a marginal offside, all of which went against his side.
According to BBC Sport on Monday, the Spaniard marched onto the pitch at the end, speaking with referee Sam Barrott, while he also pulled the headphones off of a cameraman to say something into his ear.
“I apologised. I feel embarrassed, ashamed when I see it. I don’t like it. I apologised after one second to the cameraman. I am who I am.
“After 1,000 games, I’m not a perfect person; I make huge mistakes. The reason why is I want to defend my team and my club,” Guardiola said of the incident, but did not reveal what was said.
There were flare-ups involving the players, too, with City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma being ushered down the tunnel and Magpies midfielder Joelinton being held back by his manager, Eddie Howe, while Guardiola also had words to say to Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes.
Guardiola added: “We have known Bruno for many, many years, and every time after the game, even at the Etihad, we talk in the tunnel or wherever we talk, always. I don’t know what happened.
“Our paths always cross, and I always have a good relationship with him. I love it. I’m an emotional guy, I love to talk and move my hands and my arms and everything.” (Punch)
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has officially joined the coalition party, the African Democratic Party (ADC), just 17 months to the 2027 general elections.
The 78-year-old politician disclosed this in a short post on his official X handle on Monday, attaching pictures of him holding the party’s membership card with the brief caption, “It’s official.”
Prior to him joining the coalition, the former VP had been a high-profile member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He, however, resigned from the opposition party on July 16, citing irreconcilable differences that have emerged within the former ruling party.
Atiku explained that he found it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the party has taken, which, according to him, diverges from the foundational principles it stood for.
Though Atiku, in July, led the adoption of the ADC as the coalition platform for opposition figures to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027, he and other prominent opposition figures, such as Peter Obi and Babachir Lawal, had delayed their formal registration with the party.
Atiku and some other coalition leaders were conspicuously absent at the unveiling of the ADC National Secretariat in the Wuse area of Abuja.
Their absence had fuelled speculation, suggesting the unseriousness of the coalition leaders to sack the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next general elections.
The opposition coalition officially adopted the ADC as its political platform on July 2, 2025, to contest the presidential and other elections in 2027.
The coalition said it was set to rescue the country from collapse and rebuild its democracy.
“Let it be known to all that this coalition of national political opposition groups goes beyond gaining political power. It is a concerted effort to rebuild the crumbling pillars of Nigeria’s democracy.
“The mission is clear: Rescue Nigeria. Rebuild Nigeria. Return power to the people,” said ADC Chairman and ex-Senate President, David Mark. (Channels)
Arsenal moved six points clear at the top of the Premier League after a 4–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, with new signing Eberechi Eze scoring a brilliant hat-trick at the Emirates Stadium.
Eze, who joined Arsenal from Crystal Palace in the summer, was the star of the derby. Leandro Trossard opened the scoring in the first half after controlling a pass and finishing into the far corner. Minutes later, Eze made it 2–0 with a powerful right-footed shot from the edge of the box.
Just 35 seconds into the second half, Eze struck again, placing another low shot into the bottom corner to give Arsenal full control.
Tottenham pulled one back when Richarlison spotted goalkeeper David Raya off his line and scored from long range. It was Spurs’ first shot of the match.
Arsenal later restored their three-goal lead as Eze completed his hat-trick with another composed finish, becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in this derby in nearly 50 years.
The win gives Arsenal 29 points from 12 matches. They have now won nine games this season and are level with Manchester City on the most goals scored (24). Tottenham sit ninth with 18 points after suffering their fourth defeat of the campaign.
Arsenal will face Bayern Munich next in the Champions League on Wednesday before travelling to Chelsea in the Premier League next weekend. (Punch)
Max Verstappen won for the second time in four races and the four-time reigning Formula 1 champion continued to claw his way back into title picture with a Saturday night victory at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
It is the second time in three years the Dutchman has won on the streets of Las Vegas that utilizes a part of the famed Strip. He won the inaugural race in 2023 and clinched his fourth consecutive title here last year.
Now he has another win at an event he despised ahead of its debut because of the bright spotlight promoters placed on celebrities and parties instead of the actual competition. But when it comes time to get in the car, no matter how Verstappen feels about the event, he seems to excel.
Verstappen started second but took control of the race in the very first turn when current points leader Lando Norris made an aggressive move to cut in front of him at the start but wound up sliding wide of the turn in his McLaren. Verstappen moved to the lead and George Russell darted past Norris into second.
Norris found himself stuck back in third, and teammate Oscar Piastri fared no better as the Australian lost two spots on the start to drop from fifth to seventh. The two McLaren drivers have swapped the lead in the driver standings all season and Norris held a 24-point lead over Piastri at the start, while Verstappen was 49 points back.
Norris finished second and Russell was third, and with two races remaining on the year Norris’ lead is 30 points over Piastri and Verstappen trimmed his deficit to 42 points.
Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes crossed the finish line in fourth but a penalty dropped him a spot to fifth, which moved Piastri to fourth.
The biggest mover of the race was seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who qualified 20th in Ferrari’s first last-place qualifying result since 2009. He actually started 19th and immediately gained six spots. Hamilton steadily picked his way through the field and finished 10th.
For Verstappen, it was his eighth consecutive podium and he beat Norris by nearly 20 seconds. (JapanToday)
Reggae icon, Jimmy Cliff, one of the most prominent and beloved proponents of reggae music, died on Monday, at the age of 81.
A star since the 1960s, Cliff helped bring the sound of Jamaica to a global audience with hits including Wonderful World, Beautiful People and You Can Get It If You Really Want.
He also starred as a gun-toting rebel in the 1972 crime drama The Harder They Come, a cornerstone of Jamaican cinema, widely credited with introducing reggae to America.
Using the late icon’s official Instagram account on Monday, Cliff’s wife, Latifa Chambers, announced his death.
“It’s with profound sadness that I share that my husband, Jimmy Cliff, has crossed over due to a seizure followed by pneumonia.
“I am thankful for his family, friends, fellow artists and coworkers who have shared his journey with him.
“To all his fans around the world, please know that your support was his strength throughout his whole career.
“Jimmy, my darling, may you rest in peace. I will follow your wishes,” she wrote.
The message was also signed by their children, Lilty and Aken.
Born James Chambers in 1948, Cliff grew up as the eighth of nine children in abject poverty in the parish of St. James, Jamaica.
He began singing at his local church at the age of six, and by 14 had moved to Kingston, adopting the surname Cliff to reflect the heights he intended to reach.
He recorded several singles before topping the Jamaican charts with his composition Hurricane Hattie. In 1965, he moved to London to work with Island Records—later home to Bob Marley—though early attempts to adapt his sound to rock audiences were not fully successful.
Cliff struck gold with the 1969 single Wonderful World, Beautiful People—an upbeat anthem—and the politically charged Vietnam, which Bob Dylan called “the best protest song ever written.”
Cliff became an international star with The Harder They Come, playing Ivan Martin, a young man trying to break into Jamaica’s corrupt music industry.
“The film opened the door for Jamaica,” Cliff recalled. “It said, ‘This is where this music comes from.’”
His later works included Grammy-winning albums Cliff Hanger (1985) and Rebirth (2012). He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. (Punch)
Governors of the South-West states on Monday held a closed-door meeting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The meeting was attended by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, who is also the Chairman of the regional forum.
Others included Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), and the host governor, Seyi Makinde (Oyo).
Channels Television reports that the venue of the meeting is the Oyo State Secretariat in Agodi, Ibadan, where Makinde’s office is situated.
Although it is unclear why the emergency meeting was called, it may, however, not be unconnected with the security situation in the country where bandits have abducted some schoolchildren in Kebbi and Niger states, as well as some worshippers in a church in Kwara State.
Sources said the governors would deliberate on the security threats, fast-track infrastructural development, and strengthen regional integration under the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN).
They are also expected to review ongoing collaborative security initiatives, including the operations of the Amotekun Corps, with a view to enhancing its capacity amid emerging challenges. (Channels)
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