Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed New York, United States, after representing President Bola Tinubu at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
According to a statement on Sunday by his media aide, Stanley Nkwocha, the Vice President is now headed to Germany where he is scheduled to hold strategic meetings with officials of Deutsche Bank to explore areas of intervention and partnership in Nigeria’s developmental initiatives.
Nkwocha said that during his participation at UNGA 80, VP Shettima secured UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ commendation for Nigeria’s bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat.
He also showcased Nigeria’s $200 billion energy transition opportunity to global investors and strengthened strategic partnerships with the UK on trade, defence, and migration issues.
The Vice President delivered President Tinubu’s national statement, calling for UN reforms and a permanent seat for Nigeria at the UN Security Council, even as he demanded Africa’s control over its $700 billion mineral wealth, and digital inclusion initiatives.
He also engaged with the Gates Foundation on healthcare and education expansion, positioning Nigeria as the natural hub for the African Continental Free Trade Area’s $3.4 trillion market.
The statement noted that Shettima was seen off at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, by cabinet Ministers who were part of the UNGA 80 delegation and Nigerian Mission officials.
He will return to Nigeria immediately after his engagements in Germany, it added. (Channels)
A gunman opened fire inside a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Michigan during a Sunday service and set the building ablaze, killing at least four people and injuring eight others. Police shot and killed the suspect, authorities said.
Hundreds of people were inside the church in Grand Blanc Township when a man rammed a four-door pickup with two American flags in the truck bed through the front door, then got out of the vehicle and started shooting, Police Chief William Renye told reporters. Investigators believe he deliberately set the building on fire, Renye said.
Officers responded to a 911 call and were at the church within 30 seconds and killed the shooter about eight minutes later, Renye said. After the suspect left the church, two officers pursued him and “engaged in gunfire,” the chief said.
Flames and smoke could be seen pouring from the church for hours before the blaze was put out.
Renye identified the suspect as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, from neighboring Burton. Reyne did not specify a motive at a news conference on Sunday evening. Police cordoned off the street leading to the suspect’s home.
Renye said one of the wounded people was in critical condition Sunday evening and seven others were stable.
The bodies of two of the victims were found as authorities searched the debris in the church, Renye said, emphasizing the search was continuing and that more victims could be found.
Investigators were searching the suspect’s residence in nearby Burton. Authorities did not provide any additional details about the suspect, including whether he was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church.
It was the latest of many shooting attacks on houses of worship in the U.S. over the past 20 years, including one in August that killed two children during Mass at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis.
President Donald Trump said in a social media post that he was briefed on the shooting and applauded the FBI for its response. Local authorities said the FBI was sending 100 agents to Grand Blanc Township, a community of roughly 40,000 people outside Flint.
“PRAY for the victims, and their families. THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!” Trump wrote.
The church building, circled by a parking lot and a large lawn, is near residential areas and a Jehovah’s Witness church.
Brad Schneemann, whose home is about 365 meters from the church, told The Associated Press that he and his daughter heard “two rounds of four to five shots” around 10:30 a.m. “Then, we really didn’t hear anything for a while” before they left their home to see what was going on.
Timothy Jones, 48, said his family is part of another Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation, or ward, about 15 minutes away, but that his children were at the Grand Blanc Township ward Saturday night for a youth fall festival. He and his family moved to Flint two years ago in large part because of how strong the faith’s community is in the area, he said.
As people in his congregation got word of the shooting from texts and phone calls during their Sunday service, his ward went into lockdown and police came as a precaution, he said. His children were “frantically, just trying to get word that people were OK.”
Sundays are “supposed to be a time of peace and a time of reflection and worship,” Jones said. Yet in the wake of violence at other houses of worship, a shooting “feels inevitable, and all the more tragic because of that,” he added.
The shooting occurred the morning after Russell M Nelson, the oldest-ever president of the Utah-based faith, died at 101. The next president is expected to be Dallin H Oaks, per church protocol.
“The church is in communication with local law enforcement as the investigation continues and as we receive updates on the condition of those affected,” spokesperson Doug Anderson said. “Places of worship are meant to be sanctuaries of peacemaking, prayer and connection. We pray for peace and healing for all involved.”
When striking nurses at nearby Henry Ford Genesys Hospital heard about the shooting, some left the picket line and ran the short distance to the church to help first responders, Teamsters Local 332 President Dan Glass said.
“Human lives matter more than our labor dispute,” Glass said.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement that her heart was breaking for the community. “Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable,” she said.
The impact spread quickly to neighboring communities, including the small city that shares a name with the township.
“Although we are two separate governmental units, we are a very cohesive community,” said city of Grand Blanc Mayor John Creasey. “This sort of thing is painful for our entire community.” (JapanToday)
China’s new visa program aimed at attracting foreign tech talent kicks off this week, a move seen boosting Beijing’s fortunes in its geopolitical rivalry with Washington as a new U.S. visa policy prompts would-be applicants to scramble for alternatives.
While China has no shortage of skilled local engineers, the programme is part of an effort by Beijing to portray itself as a country welcoming foreign investment and talent, as rising trade tensions due to U.S. tariffs cloud the country’s economic outlook.
China has taken a series of measures to boost foreign investment and travel, opening more sectors to overseas investors and offering visa waivers for citizens from most European countries, Japan and South Korea among others.
“The symbolism is powerful: while the U.S. raises barriers, China is lowering them,” said Iowa-based immigration attorney Matt Mauntel-Medici, referring to China’s new visa category, called the K visa, which launches on Wednesday.
The K visa, announced in August, targets young foreign science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates and promises to allow entry, residence and employment without a job offer, which could appeal to foreign workers looking for alternatives to U.S. job opportunities.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration said it would ask companies to pay $100,000 per year for H-1B worker visas, widely used by tech companies to hire skilled foreign workers.
“The U.S. has definitely shot itself in the foot on H-1Bs, and the timing is exquisite for China’s K visa,” said Michael Feller, chief strategist at Geopolitical Strategy.
Other countries including South Korea, Germany and New Zealand are also loosening visa rules to attract skilled migrants.
Immigration experts say the main attraction of the K visa is no requirement of a sponsoring employer, which has been regarded as one of the biggest hurdles for those seeking H-1B visas.
The H-1B visa requires employer sponsorship and is subject to a lottery system, with only 85,000 slots available annually. The new $100,000 fee could further deter first-time applicants.
“It’s an appealing alternative for Indian STEM professionals seeking flexible, streamlined visa options,” said Bikash Kali Das, an Indian student at Sichuan University.
India was by far the largest beneficiary of H-1B visas last year, accounting for 71% of approved beneficiaries.
Despite its promise, the K visa faces hurdles. Chinese government guidelines mention vague “age, educational background and work experience” requirements.
There are also no details on financial incentives, employment facilitation, permanent residency, or family sponsorship. Unlike the U.S., China does not offer citizenship to foreigners except in rare cases.
China’s State Council did not respond to a request for comment asking for more details on the logistics and underlying strategy of the K visa.
Language is another barrier: most Chinese tech firms operate in Mandarin, limiting opportunities for non-Chinese speakers.
Political tensions between Delhi and Beijing could also become a factor that could limit the number of Indian K visa applicants China is willing to accept, experts said.
“China will need to ensure Indian citizens feel welcome and can do meaningful work without Mandarin,” said Feller.
China’s talent recruitment has traditionally focused on China-born scientists abroad and overseas Chinese.
Recent efforts include home-purchase subsidies and signing bonuses of up to 5 million yuan ($702,200). These have drawn back U.S.-based Chinese STEM talent, especially amid Washington’s growing scrutiny on ties to China.
“The recruitment effort targeting Indian tech talent in China is growing but remains moderate compared to the more intensive, well-established, and well-funded initiatives aimed at repatriating Chinese STEM talent,” said Sichuan University’s Das.
A Chinese STEM graduate who recently got a job offer from a Silicon Valley-based tech company was also sceptical about the K visa’s prospects.
“Asian countries like China don’t rely on immigration and local Chinese governments have many ways to attract domestic talent,” he said, declining to be named for privacy reasons.
The U.S. has over 51 million immigrants — 15% of its population — compared to just 1 million foreigners in China, less than 1% of its population.
While China is unlikely to significantly alter its immigration policy to allow in millions of foreign workers, analysts say the K visa could still boost Beijing’s fortunes in its geopolitical rivalry with Washington.
“If China can attract even a sliver of global tech talent, it will be more competitive in cutting-edge technology,” Feller said. (JapanToday)
U.S. President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that he hopes “countless people from all over the globe” will attend the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics hosted by the U.S., making no mention of his migration crackdown that has deterred some visitors.
Overseas travel to the U.S. fell 2.9% year-on-year in August to about 3.5 million visitors, according to preliminary U.S. government data. It was the sixth month this year that travel declined from a year ago, bucking the global tourism trend and defying expectations that in 2025 annual inbound visitors would finally surpass the pre-pandemic level of 79.4 million.
In a wide-ranging speech, Trump said next year the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence. “We will also be proudly hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and shortly thereafter, the 2028 Olympics,” he said.
“It’s going to be very exciting. I hope you all come. I hope that countless people from all over the globe will take part.”
More than 1.5 million ticket applications from fans in 210 countries were received by FIFA for the World Cup within 24 hours of the presale draw, the governing body of world soccer said earlier this month. The 48-team tournament will be hosted by Mexico, Canada and the U.S. and will feature 104 matches across 16 host cities.
But a U.S. trip may be expensive and complicated for many. Visitors from non-visa waiver countries face a $250 “visa integrity fee,” on top of the existing fee, with travelers already navigating long average visa wait times. Such visitors face an average 169 days for a B-1/B-2 tourism or business visa interview, according to data from the U.S. State Department.
That will hit fans from countries that traditionally send a large contingent to the World Cup, including Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.
Global ticket demand for the tournament came primarily from the three host countries, followed by Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil, according to FIFA.
Tourists from visa-waiver countries – mostly in Europe – will not need to pay the new fee, but industry experts say some are being put off U.S. vacations by fears of being stopped at the border after a number of widely publicized cases.
The White House is also looking to tighten the duration of visas for students, cultural exchange visitors and members of the media, according to a proposed government regulation issued in August.
The 2028 Summer Olympics is set to be held in Los Angeles, California, in July 2028. (JapanToday)
A former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, and President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, have dismissed as claims by American television host Bill Maher that Nigeria is experiencing systemic killings of Christians.
The two Nigerian political leaders said the allegations misrepresent the country’s security situation, risk inflaming religious tensions, and undermine the progress of ongoing counterterrorism efforts.
In a viral video clip, Maher alleged that Islamist groups in Nigeria were behind widespread killings and church burnings over the past decade.
“They are systematically killing the Christians in Nigeria. They’ve killed over 100,000 since 2009, they’ve burned 18,000 churches.
“This is so much more of a genocide attempt than what is going on in Gaza.
“They are literally attempting to wipe out the Christian population of an entire country,” Maher said.
Reacting on X on Sunday, Fani-Kayode described the claims as “disinformation” and part of an orchestrated campaign to malign Nigeria internationally.
He alleged that foreign media were exploiting religious narratives to punish Nigeria for its diplomatic positions, particularly on the conflict in Gaza.
“The allegation by top American television host Bill Maher and American Radio Genoa that 500,000 Christians were murdered by Muslims in Nigeria in the last one year is false.
“It is disinformation that has been pushed out by the Jewish controlled media in America as payback for our position against the genocide in Gaza,” Fani-Kayode wrote.
The former minister warned that such claims could justify external interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs.
“We should expect more of this sort of disinformation from the American media because they want to divide us on religious lines, malign us as Christian-haters before the world and give Trump a reason to call us out and not only sanction but also destabilise and terrorise our country,” he said.
Fani-Kayode also stressed that terrorism in Nigeria is indiscriminate and should not be mischaracterised as a religious war.
“These terrorists make no distinction when it comes to religious faith when they kill our people.
“They are attempting to kill us ALL, whether Christian or Muslim, and we are also fighting back and resisting them as one and in one accord,” he wrote.
He added that Nigeria would not bow to external attempts to sow division, saying,”Nigeria is not Palestine and neither are we cowards.
“We cannot be divided, intimidated, bullied, destroyed or subjected to the same treatment as Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq or Gaza.”
Separately, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, criticised Maher for misrepresenting Nigeria’s security challenges and spreading falsehoods.
“Dear @billmaher, I’m a big fan of your show. However, I was shocked to come across a video clip where you made false claims of systemic killings of Christians or genocide against Christians in Nigeria,” he wrote.
Olusegun said the conflict in Nigeria cannot be reduced to religion, pointing out that the attacks have targeted both Christians and Muslims.
“The simple truth and the verifiable reality is that there is NO SYSTEMATIC KILLING of Christians in any part of Nigeria and certainly there is no attempt to wipe out Christians in Nigeria either.
“These claims are very dangerous falsehoods, even though they are not entirely new narratives always pushed by western forces,” Olusegun stated.
He added that the Nigerian constitution guarantees religious freedom and highlighted President Tinubu’s interfaith household as a model of tolerance.
“Nigeria practices and preaches religious tolerance,” Olusegun wrote, noting that the President, a Muslim, is married to a Christian pastor.
The aide insisted that framing Nigeria’s security crisis as a religious war is misleading and dangerous.
“The victims of insurgents and extremists in Nigeria include both Christians and Muslims.
“Boko Haram and its splinter groups do not represent Islam and have consistently been opposed by Islamic leaders in the country,” Olusegun said. (Punch)
An emotional Marc Marquez clinched his seventh MotoGP world championship and his first since 2019 on Sunday after finishing second at the Japan grand prix, with Francesco Bagnaia winning the race.
The Spanish Ducati rider has been in brilliant form all year and he underlined his dominance by wrapping up the title with five events of the season remaining.
He knew that placing first or second would clinch the title regardless of where his brother and closest championship rival Alex finished.
After crossing the line, Marquez raised both arms aloft before sobbing and yelling as his achievement began to sink in.
It marked a triumphant return from an injury nightmare that began when he broke his right arm in 2020, almost convincing him to hang up his helmet.
“It’s impossible even to speak,” said the 32-year-old as he choked back tears. “I just want to enjoy the moment. It’s true that it was difficult, super difficult. Now I’m impressed with myself how it’s part of me.”
Marquez clinched the world championship in Japan for the fourth time in his career, following 2014, 2016 and 2018 and now draws level with Italian motorcycle legend Valentino Rossi on seven titles.
Marquez’s fellow Ducati rider Bagnaia claimed only his second grand prix win of what has been a frustrating season for the two-time world champion.
The Italian also won the Saturday sprint and looked back to his best all weekend.
“I don’t want to take the spotlight from Marc, he deserves the spotlight today,” said Bagnaia.
“It’s just a little shame that it arrived now, but in any case, happy for the weekend, happy for the performance and from now on I hope I will continue in this way because like this I can fight.”
Bagnaia kept his lead from pole going into the first turn, with Marquez maintaining his position in third.
He overtook Pedro Acosta to move into second just before the halfway mark and from there it was a procession to the title.
Bagnaia had a scare when smoke started coming out of his Ducati with around nine laps remaining but he held on to win the Japanese grand prix for the second year running.
Honda’s Joan Mir finished third, followed by Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi. Alex Marquez was sixth.
Outgoing world champion Jorge Martin was ruled out of the grand prix after fracturing his collarbone in a crash with team-mate Bezzecchi in Saturday’s sprint.
Trackhouse’s Japanese rider Ai Ogura was denied a first MotoGP appearance at his home grand prix after withdrawing from the race with a hand injury. (JapanToday)
American actress and singer Selena Gomez has tied the knot with music producer Benny Blanco in a lavish Southern California wedding.
The Only Murders in the Building star, 33, shared a carousel of photos and videos on Instagram from the Santa Barbara County celebration on Saturday.
In the images, Gomez appears radiant in a wedding gown while Blanco — born Benjamin Joseph Levin — wears a sharp tuxedo. The couple is seen embracing, laughing, and kissing.
Her post was simply captioned, “9.27.25” flanked by two white heart emojis.
Blanco replied beneath: “My wife in real life.”
According to Vogue on Saturday, the ceremony took place at Hope Ranch, a coastal enclave about 90 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
The guest list was glittering: Taylor Swift, Gomez’s longtime best friend, was joined by Ed Sheeran, Paris Hilton, and Only Murders co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short among the 170 attendees.
The couple’s attire, Vogue noted, came courtesy of Ralph Lauren.
Gomez and Blanco went public with their relationship in December 2023 and announced their engagement a year later.
Blanco, 37, has produced several of Gomez’s chart-topping hits, including Same Old Love and Kill Em with Kindness.
Earlier this year, they released their joint album I Said I Love You First. (Punch)
European soccer body UEFA is moving toward a vote to suspend its member federation Israel over the war in Gaza, people familiar with the proposal told The Associated Press on Thursday.
A majority of UEFA’s 20-member executive committee is expected to support any vote in favor of suspending Israeli teams from international play, two sources told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.
Such a step would prevent Israeli national and club teams from playing in international competitions including next year’s World Cup. Israel’s men’s team is set to resume its World Cup qualifying campaign in two weeks with away games against Norway and Italy.
It is unclear whether world soccer body FIFA will support excluding Israel given the close relations between FIFA’s leader, Gianni Infantino, and President Donald Trump.
The Trump administration’s support to secure the World Cup, and process visas for players, officials and potentially hundreds of thousands of visiting fans, is seen as key to FIFA delivering a successful tournament in the U.S., Canada and Mexico next year.
A State Department spokesperson said it will work to stop any efforts that tried to ban Israel’s team from the World Cup.
FIFA’s ruling council is scheduled to meet in Zurich next week. The 37-member council includes eight from UEFA.
FIFA declined to comment on Thursday. Infantino is based this week at FIFA’s satellite office in Trump Tower in Manhattan while attending events on the fringes of the United Nations General Assembly.
Calls to exclude Israel from soccer and other sports have increased in recent weeks amid an outcry over the humanitarian toll of its military campaign in Gaza. Last week Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Israel should be banned from international sports events just like Russia, which was sidelined after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Earlier this week seven independent experts working with the U.N. Human Rights Council urged FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel from international competitions.
UEFA and its president Aleksander Ceferin signaled a tougher view on Israel last month when banners saying “Stop Killing Children. Stop Killing Civilians” were placed on the field in front of the Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham teams ahead of the Super Cup game in Udine, Italy.
The discussion about whether to ban Israel from international sports comes as Israel faces increasing criticism and isolation over its military campaign, launched in response to the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
Last week, Israel was accused of committing genocide in Gaza by an inquiry commission commissioned by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Israel’s sports and culture minister, Miki Zohar, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the head of Israel’s soccer federation, Moshe Zuares, have been working “intensively behind the scenes” to block efforts to oust Israel from UEFA, Zohar’s office said Thursday. “The right step now is to act responsibly with the professionals and not to make statements, and this is how all the parties involved in the efforts are acting. We will address this later.”
The decision to ban Russia in 2022 was partly driven by a swath of UEFA member federations refusing to play scheduled games against Russian opponents. No national or club team in Europe has so far refused to play an Israeli opponent, though soccer leaders in Norway and Italy have publicly expressed their unease in recent weeks.
The Norwegian soccer federation also pledged to give its profits from ticket sales for the Oct. 11 game in Oslo to humanitarian work in Gaza by Doctors Without Borders.
Both Italy’s Gabriele Gravina and Lise Klaveness of Norway are elected members of the UEFA executive committee which could vote on suspending Israel. Zuares, the Israeli soccer federation president, is also on the panel as is Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, a member of the Qatari government who is president of European champion Paris Saint-Germain.
Israel enraged Qatar, an influential U.S. ally that has been a key mediator throughout the war, with a Sept. 9 airstrike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha, the Qatari capital.
At the Champions League final in May, PSG fans displayed a banner saying “Stop Genocide in Gaza” in French. UEFA did not open a disciplinary case despite having rules against political messaging inside stadiums.
On Wednesday evening in Greece, Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv played PAOK in the UEFA-organized Europa League. There were pro-Palestinian protests outside the stadium in Thessaloniki and a “Stop Genocide” banner displayed inside. (JapanToday)
The Rivers State Police Command have arrested a security guard simply identified as Godday over the alleged abduction and defilement of a 14-year-old girl in the Mothercat axis of Trans-Amadi in Port Harcourt.
PUNCH Online gathered that the suspect was said to have been arrested last Tuesday by officers of the Amadi Police Division in partnership with security personnel of another bank adjacent to the scene of the crime
Speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt on the incident, the mother of the teenage girl, who pleaded anonymity for fear of being stigmatised, narrated what happened.
The distraught woman said she suddenly became ill and handed her daughter her Automated Teller Machine card to withdraw some money, and gave her transport to aid her movement.
According to her, “On Saturday, 20th September,2025 about after 1 pm, I was not feeling fine so I sent my daughter to Mothercart, to withdraw money with my ATM.
“I gave her transportation to and fro too. So she will not have to waste time.
“She withdrew at one of the commercial banks at Mothercat and then entered a Keke (tricycle) to the ordinance junction to withdraw more money. When I called her, she told me she was done.
“I waited for some time but I didn’t see her and it was past the time she was supposed to return.
“So I became worried. I then called her phone she was not picking up. While we were on her search, I called again and she said with a low voice that she was on her way home.”
“When she came back, her clothes were soaked with water and blood, and there were bruises on her face, neck and leg. Her left jaw got swollen and her left eye too. She was so weak.
“First of all we went to the police station in Amadi and made an official report. We then took her to the Hospital for treatment . When she became a bit strong, we asked her what happened.
“She explained that when she was withdrawing money at the bank in Ordinance in Trans Amadi, a man was standing behind her. So she felt the man also came to withdraw money.
“After withdrawing money, she discovered that the man did not proceed to the bank ATM to withdraw money.
“She now entered another Keke and went back to another bank at Mothercat (also at Trans-Amadi). When she came down in front of the bank at Mothercat, she saw the man who was standing behind her at the bank in ordinance.
“The man started dragging her in front of the bank at Mothercat, She was shouting that no one came to her rescue.
“The man dragged her to a bank where he is a security guard at the same mothercat, dragged her inside, locked the gate and raped her.
“At that process, while she was struggling the man held her mouth and started beating her till she passed out,” the victim’s mother stated.
She further said that hours later, the man woke her up and ordered her to pack her things and leave.
“So we reported the case again to the bank where she went to withdraw money at Mothercat.
“So people there went in search of the guy and arrested him. Then when I counted the money asked her to withdraw, N340,000 was missing.
While fighting back tears, the woman lamented that her daughter had to lose her virginity in such a manner and demanded an investigation and justice.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident and the arrest of the suspect.
She stated, “Yes I can confirm. The man has been arrested and the matter transferred to the SCIID (State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department), Port Harcourt for further investigation.”
The police also secured a building formerly used by a new generation bank where the incident took place.
Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police further said the girl is receiving treatment
Meanwhile, a member of the Association Against Child Sexual Abuse and Gender Based Violence in Rivers State, Dennis Otobo who has been following the incident has called for a thorough investigation with a view to arraigning the suspect in court without further delay. (Punch)
Arsenal staged a late comeback to beat Newcastle 2-1 thanks to a stoppage-time header from Gabriel Magalhães at St James’ Park, on Sunday.
The game looked to be slipping away from the visitors after Nick Woltemade scored one for Newcastle in the 34th minute.
Arsenal had dominated the opening half but failed to find the net despite good chances from Eberechi Eze and Leandro Trossard.
The London club were left frustrated when a penalty awarded for a foul on Viktor Gyökeres was overturned following a VAR review.
Newcastle had weathered the storm with the help of goalkeeper Nick Pope.
Mikel Merino rose to nod home from close range in the 84th minute to level, setting up a frantic finish.
Arsenal pushed with everything they had and were ultimately rewarded deep in stoppage time when Martin Ødegaard’s corner found Gabriel, who rose highest to head the winner in the sixth minute of added time.
Arsenal’s late victory will feel like a statement of character for Mikel Arteta’s side, who move on with a precious away win after dominating long spells of the match but having to fight until the final whistle to secure the three points.
Newcastle will take encouragement from a dogged defensive display.
Arsenal now have four wins, one draw, and one loss in six Premier League games. They sit in the second position on the table, while Newcastle is in 15th. (Punch)
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