Posted on by — Leave a comment

European soccer body UEFA moves toward vote to suspend Israel

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)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Police arrest security guard for defiling minor in Rivers

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)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

EPL: Arsenal snatch late 2-1 win against Newcastle

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)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Several feared trapped as mining pits collapse in Zamfara

The Executive Secretary of Zamfara State Emergency Management Agency, Bala Ahmad on Friday, confirmed the collapse of mining pits trapping several artisanal miners.

The tragic event occurred in the Kadauri community, Maru Local Government Area of the state.

Ahmad, who gave the confirmation to the News Agency of Nigeria in Gusau on Friday, however, did not give further information on the incident which occurred on Thursday night.

The ES said that he was in a meeting with stakeholders, assuring to give further details on the incident in due course.

Local community leaders, however, told NAN via telephone that many artisanal miners were trapped following the collapse of mining pits.

They said that the mining pits collapsed after several hours of rain in the area.

The locals said that the number of casualties and those still trapped in the mining pits was not yet known.

They, however, said those who sustained injuries were being treated at the Maru General Hospital.

The locals said they were battling alongside officers of the state to rescue survivors still trapped in the collapse pits.

PUNCH Online had reported that a tragic mining accident occurred in the Dura community, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, where four miners lost their lives after a mining site collapsed.

According to eyewitnesses, the incident happened on Thursday night when the ground collapsed on four individuals working in the pit. (Punch)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Alcaraz dispels injury fears to reach Japan Open quarterfinals

Carlos Alcaraz admitted his ankle injury had worried him and was on his mind as he beat Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-4, 6-3 at the Japan Open on Saturday.

The world number one hurt himself two days earlier in his opening match in Tokyo, crumpling to the ground before playing on with his ankle heavily strapped.

The Spaniard was left sweating on his fitness but he showed no evidence of discomfort as he returned to the court to beat world number 45 Bergs in front of an adoring Japanese crowd.

Alcaraz got the job done in an hour and 20 minutes and will face American Brandon Nakashima in the quarterfinals on Sunday.

“I was a bit worried before the match so I just wanted to warm up and let’s see how it’s going to feel,” Alcaraz said.

“I didn’t feel anything in the ankle, so after the warm-up I decided I can go and I can play.”

Alcaraz took to the court with white strapping visible underneath the sock on his left ankle.

He did not appear to be restricted in his movement but he limped briefly after chasing a shot that won Bergs a break early in the first set.

“In some movements I’m scared about going crazy so most of the time I take it a little easy,” he said.

“Sometimes I feel a little bit the ankle, which I would say is normal.”

Alcaraz is playing in Japan for the first time and delighted the crowd with a series of leaping forehand winners, claiming the first set despite having his service broken twice.

His service was broken three times overall and he blamed his injury for his lack of accuracy.

“I think because my thoughts were on the ankle, I forgot about doing a smooth movement, smooth serve,” he said.

Alcaraz raced into an early lead in the second set but Bergs made him work hard for the victory with a gritty performance.

Alcaraz sealed the deal with a thumping forehand at the net that Bergs could not return into play.

Alcaraz will look to book his place in the semi-final when he faces world number 33 Nakashima, who beat Hungarian qualifier Marton Fucsovics 7-5, 6-3.

“I’m still taking care of the ankle and I will try to feel as good as today or even better,” said Alcaraz.

“Tomorrow is going be a great challenge that I’m really excited about, and I’m ready for that.”

Denmark’s number three seed Holger Rune also advanced, beating American qualifier Ethan Quinn 6-4, 6-2. (JapanToday)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Two migrants die trying to cross channel from France

Two migrants died overnight while trying to cross the Channel to Britain, French authorities said Saturday, adding that some 60 others had been rescued.

The incident occurred south of the beaches of Neuchâtel-Hardelot, when about 100 people were trying to get to the UK on a makeshift boat.

About 60 people “are currently being taken care of”, Isabelle Fradin-Thirode, an official in nearby Montreuil-sur-Mer, said.

The incident brings the number of Channel crossing deaths to at least 25 this year, according to an AFP tally based on official data.

Since January, a record 31,000 migrants have arrived in Britain by crossing the Channel in small boats.

Under a recent Franco-British scheme, the UK can return them after arrival if they are deemed ineligible for asylum, including those who have passed through a “safe country” to reach UK shores.

In return, London will accept an equal number of migrants from France who are likely to have their asylum claims granted. (Punch)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Liverpool concedes late goal as its 100% start to Premier League ends with loss at Palace


There was a flurry of stoppage-time goals in the Premier League on Saturday — and one of them ended Liverpool’s 100% start to its title defense.

Eddie Nketiah’s strike in the seventh minute of added-on time secured Crystal Palace a 2-1 victory over the champions and extended the London team’s unbeaten run to 18 games stretching back to April.

Liverpool, which won its first five games of the campaign, saw its lead trimmed to three points — with second-place Palace now its unlikely closest challenger.

The Reds have made a habit of scoring late goals themselves this season and Federico Chiesa’s 87th-minute effort looked like securing a draw at Selhurst Park — or even giving them a chance of grabbing a sixth straight win.

Chelsea played almost the whole second half with 10 men against Brighton and paid the price, conceding two goals in stoppage time to lose 3-1 for a second straight defeat.

Erling Haaland scored in the 90th minute and again in injury time to wrap up Manchester City’s 5-1 win over Burnley.

Tottenham scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time through Joao Palhinha to draw 1-1 with Wolverhampton, which collected its first point of the campaign.

And Manchester United’s latest loss was sealed by a stoppage-time goal for Brentford, which won 3-1. It could have been so different had Bruno Fernandes’ penalty not been saved by Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher in the 76th minute, denying United an equalizer for 2-2.

Bournemouth also scored in stoppage time to earn a 2-2 draw at Leeds and Sunderland won 1-0 at Nottingham Forest, whose recently hired manager Ange Postecoglou has yet to win a game in five matches at his new club.

Liverpool had not been entirely convincing in gaining a maximum 15 points and Arne Slot’s team was undone again by Palace, which beat the Reds in a penalty shootout to win the Community Shield before the English season began.

Palace took the lead in the ninth minute through Ismaila Sarr and wasted a string of chances to move further ahead — with striker Jean-Philippe Mateta the biggest culprit.

Nketiah’s goal was scrappy but maintained Palace’s long undefeated run under Oliver Glasner, who has kept the team playing well despite losing star midfielder Eberechi Eze to Arsenal late in the transfer window.

“If one team deserved to win today it was Palace,” Slot said. (JapanToday)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Denmark reports new drone sightings overnight at military sites

Unidentified drones have flown over Denmark’s military sites, including its biggest base, the latest in a slew of incursions near airports and critical infrastructure this week, which officials have called a “hybrid attack” and hinted at possible Russian involvement.

“The Danish Defence can confirm that drones were observed at several of the Danish Defence’s locations last night. Several capabilities were deployed,” an army spokesperson said on Saturday, without specifying where the drones were observed.

Police said “one to two drones” were observed at about 8:15pm (18:15 GMT) on Friday near and over the Karup military base in western Denmark, the country’s biggest base, which houses all of the armed forces’ helicopters, airspace surveillance, flight school and support functions.

Police spokesman Simon Skelkjaer said they could not comment on where the drones came from, adding: “We didn’t take them down.”

The Karup base shares its runways with the Midtjylland civilian airport, which was briefly closed, though no flights were affected as none were scheduled at that hour, Skelkjaer said.

Mysterious drone observations across the Scandinavian country over the past week have prompted the closure of several airports, including Copenhagen airport, the Nordic region’s busiest, which closed for several hours late on Monday.

Five smaller airports, both civilian and military, were also shut temporarily in the following days.

Drone reports also closed Oslo airport for several hours earlier in the week, following drone incursions in Polish and Romanian territory and the violation of Estonian airspace by Russian fighter jets, which raised tensions in light of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Thursday said “over recent days, Denmark has been the victim of hybrid attacks,” referring to unconventional warfare.

Investigators have so far failed to identify those responsible, but Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said on Thursday the flights appeared to be “the work of a professional actor”.

Frederiksen has pointed the finger at Russia, saying it is the “main country that poses a threat to Europe’s security”.

Moscow said on Thursday it “firmly rejects” any suggestion that it was involved in the Danish incidents. In a social media post, its embassy in Copenhagen called them “a staged provocation”.

The drone flights began just days after Denmark announced it would acquire long-range precision weapons for the first time, as Russia would pose a threat “for years to come”.

Defence ministers from about 10 European Union countries agreed on Friday to make a so-called “drone wall” a priority for the bloc.

EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said Europe needs to learn from Ukraine and swiftly build anti-drone defences.

“We need to move fast,” Kubilius told AFP news agency in an interview. “And we need to move, taking all the lessons from Ukraine and making this drone wall together with Ukraine.”

Copenhagen will host an EU summit gathering heads of government on Wednesday and Thursday. It said on Friday it had accepted Sweden’s offer of its anti-drone technology to ensure the meeting could go ahead without disruption. (AlJazeera)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The next James Bond will be ‘an unknown’ British actor, according to a report

Director Denis Villeneuve is on the hunt for a potentially unknown actor to play James Bond next year, according to a new report.

On Wednesday, Sept. 24, Deadline reported that Dune filmmaker Villeneuve, 57, will begin a casting search for the next 007 after he finalizes production on Dune: Part Three with Timothée Chalamet. The outlet reported that Villeneuve and the producers behind the next iteration of the Bond franchise are looking for a “fresh face” to portray the iconic British spy, citing sources.

As Deadline reported, the next Bond will be male and portrayed by an actor from the United Kingdom, ruling out any recent rumors that American actors have been in consideration for the part. Its sources said Villeneueve’s approach is to cast “an unknown,” potentially in his late 20s or early 30s, which remains in line with what the series’ former producer Barbara Broccoli said as recently as November 2024, before she exited the franchise and handed full control over to Amazon MGM Studios in February.

“Whoever it is, has to look like he could kill you with his bare hands in a trice. From the moment you see him, that has to be readily apparent,” a source told Deadline. The outlet also reported that screenwriter Steven Knight, who is writing the next Bond movie, may be approaching the story by going back to Bond’s origins as a British naval officer before his time at MI6, though the outlet noted that the script is still being written. 

“Every name you’ve heard of, and many you’ve never heard of,” one source told the outlet. “We’ve been flooded. But understand that the casting process has not begun and it won’t until Denis finishes the Dune movie.” 

Villeneuve was announced as the next Bond director back in June; the filmmaker described the franchise as “sacred territory” in a statement at the time. “I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor,” he added, in part.

Screenwriter Knight, who is best known for creating the British crime series Peaky Blinders, said in an August BBC Radio interview that he intends to “produce something that’s the same but different and better and stronger and bolder” with the next movie’s script. Knight, 65, said that casting for the lead part remains a “very good question and one I can’t give you the answer to” at that time.

Deadline reported that the next Bond movie currently plans to release in 2028 and film in 2027. Dune: Part Three, Villeneuve’s next movie, is expected to hit theaters Dec. 18, 2026. (People)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’ breaks another record, tops domestic box office for second weekend

Hollywood has long viewed anime as a modest but steady genre at the domestic box office. But the unexpected success of “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” has forced the industry to rethink the potential of Japanese animation to draw big audiences to theaters.

“Infinity Castle,” distributed by Sony-owned Crunchyroll, fell 76% from its opening weekend, but still finished No. 1 at the box office, raking in $17.3 million Friday through Sunday and bringing its total earnings to $104.73 million after nine days in US theaters.

An anime film vastly outperforming expectations has been a long time coming. There have been more than 100 anime movies released since 2000, yet none have reached $50 million at the domestic box office. A poll released in January 2024 from Vox Media and Polygon showed that 42% of Gen Z say they watch anime weekly.

In the case of “Infinity Castle,” it has helped that the latest installment from the popular “Demon Slayer” franchise has drawn acclaim from critics, receiving a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 69 rating on Metacritic.

“I think studio heads and movie theaters should be very happy that, if this becomes a trend rather than an anomaly, it will add another category of film to the quiver of potential content to put on the big screen,” said Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Comscore.

The sustained attention “Infinity Castle” has received from Gen Z and Gen Alpha has been a key driver for not just the movie but for the anime genre, and provided Sony and Crunchyroll with the surprise hit of September.

Dergarabedian said it’s “somewhat unprecedented” for an international anime movie to perform so well domestically.

Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango and founder of analytics firm Box Office Theory, said the movie’s buzz coming from younger moviegoers “can be a double-edged sword” because the interest can die off quickly or it can gain momentum by adding new audiences, reminiscent of the expectation-shattering run that Warner Bros. Pictures’ “A Minecraft Movie” had this year when it pulled in $162.75 million in its opening weekend, and finished with $424 million.

Warner Bros. Discovery is the parent company of CNN.

The record-breaking opening weekend of “Infinity Castle” may have broadened the realm of anime to US moviegoers who otherwise wouldn’t have considered watching a “Demon Slayer” movie, said Robbins.

“That can really inspire people to go and check out something that they might not have heard of otherwise,” Robbins said, adding that the movie brought out “virtually all corners of the anime world,” including viewers with a passing interest.

On Friday, “Infinity Castle” became the highest-earning anime movie domestically, surpassing another record previously held by Warner Bros. 1999 hit, “Pokémon: The First Movie — Mewtwo Strikes Back” ($85 million). (CNN)