ARSENAL boss Mikel Arteta says he would “prefer” not to be competing with Pep Guardiola for the Premier League title. The two Spaniards worked together at Manchester City, where Arteta left his role as Guardiola’s assistant to become Arsenal manager in 2019. The Gunners currently top the table, five points above defending champions City with a game in hand as they pursue a first title since 2004 when they went through the league season unbeaten. “It’s a strange feeling,” said Arteta. As part of City’s coaching staff, Arteta won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two EFL Cups.…
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A COMPANY owned by Asia’s richest man has hit back at a report which accused the firm of “brazen” stock manipulation and accounting fraud. The Adani Group, founded by Gautam Adani, called the report by a US investment firm “malicious” and “selective misinformation”. The group lost almost $11bn (£8.7bn) of its market value after the research was made public on Wednesday. It is now considering legal action against New York’s Hindenburg Research. Adani Group is one of India’s biggest companies, and has operations in a wide range of industries including commodities trading, airports, utilities and renewable energy. It is led…
NINE Palestinians have been killed during an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank – the deadliest in years – Palestinian officials say. A woman aged 60 was reported among the dead, in the flashpoint town of Jenin. The Israeli military said its troops went in to arrest Islamic Jihad militants planning “major attacks”. The Palestinian presidency accused Israel of a “massacre” in Jenin, which has been the scene of repeated raids in recent months. The incursions are part of what the Israeli military describes as an anti-terrorism offensive that began last April. Heavy gunfire and explosions could be…
DR CONGO has declared Rwanda’s shooting of one of its fighter jets an “act of war”, amid mounting tensions. Rwanda’s government said it took “defensive measures” against a plane that had violated its airspace – a claim denied by DR Congo. Although the plane landed safely, this is a major escalation following months of conflict in DR Congo, which has forced 400,000 people from their homes. DR Congo, the US and UN experts accuse Rwanda of backing the M23 rebel group. Rwanda has denied this and blames the Congolese government for the unrest in mineral-rich eastern DR Congo. In the…
THE eight Arsenal fans who were arrested in the Ugandan city of Jinja after celebrating the club’s win against Manchester United in the English Premier League have been released. They were wearing the club’s red jersey and carrying a symbolic trophy during their arrest on Monday. Police said they didn’t have a permit to hold the procession which is a public order offence. But on Tuesday a joint security team agreed to free them with a caution, said James Mubi, the regional police spokesman. One of the fans told journalists that they would “seek for permission [to celebrate] if Arsenal…
FRANCE has agreed to a request from Burkina Faso’s military leaders to withdraw all its troops from the country. Burkina Faso, which is currently battling a jihadist insurgency, says it wants to defend itself. There are currently 400 French special forces in Burkina Faso, who have just one month to leave. Last year France also left neighbouring Mali, where its troops had spent eight years fighting Islamist militants. France has kept close military ties with many of its former colonies in West Africa and has been helping several of them fight jihadists who are active across the region under the…
IRANIAN and Russian hackers are targeting British politicians and journalists with espionage attacks, officials have warned. The National Cyber Security Centre has issued a fresh alert about increasing attempts to steal information from specific groups and individuals. NCSC said the hackers usually target those doing research and work about Iran and Russia. It described the hacking groups as “ruthless” in pursuing their targets. The NCSC – which is part of UK cyber and intelligence agency GCHQ and gives cyber-security advice – explained the attacks were not targeting the public, but specific individuals and groups, including politicians, officials, journalists, activists and…
DONALD Trump will be allowed back on to Facebook and Instagram, after Meta announced it would be ending its two-year suspension of his accounts. The suspension will end “in the coming weeks”, the social media giant said. In a statement, Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, said the public “should be able to hear what their politicians are saying”. The then-US president was indefinitely suspended from Facebook and Instagram after the Capitol riot in 2021. The firm had taken action following Mr Trump’s “praise for people engaged in violence at the Capitol”, Mr Clegg said. “The suspension was an…
MARCUS Rashford’s sensational scoring streak continued at the City Ground as Manchester United closed in on an EFL Cup final appearance at Wembley next month with a three-goal victory over Nottingham Forest. Rashford’s brilliant solo effort gave United the advantage six minutes into the first leg of the semi-final. Wout Weghorst added a second just before the break with his first goal for the club and Bruno Fernandes wrapped up the scoring a minute from time to provide Erik ten Hag’s men with a healthy advantage for the return at Old Trafford in seven days’ time as United look to…
OUSMANE Dembele scored the only goal as Barcelona beat in-form Real Sociedad to book their place in the Copa del Rey semi-finals. The visitors, who had won their previous nine games, had Brais Mendez sent off in the first half for a dangerous tackle on Sergio Busquets. Dembele settled the tie when he ran onto Jules Kounde’s ball down the right wing before hammering in from an angle. Gavi almost put the game beyond doubt but hit the bar. Osasuna also made it to the last four of the competition after beating Sevilla 2-1 in extra time. Ezequiel Avila looked…
SPAIN have been drawn against Italy in the Nations League semi-finals, while hosts the Netherlands will face Croatia. The ties will be played 14-15 June and the third-place play-off and final on 18 June, with all matches in Rotterdam or Enschede. Spain beat Italy 2-1 in the semi-finals of the 2021 edition of the competition, before losing to France in the final. The Netherlands were beaten finalists in 2019, hosts Portugal winning 1-0. Finals draw Semi-finals Netherlands v Croatia, 19:45, 14 June, De Kuip, Rotterdam Spain v Italy, 19:45, 15 June, FC Twente Stadium, Enschede Third-place play-off Netherlands/Croatia v Spain/Italy,…
TOTTENHAM have signed Netherlands forward Arnaut Danjuma on loan from Villarreal until the end of the season. The 25-year-old becomes their first signing of the January transfer window, and had been expected to join Everton before Spurs made a late move. Danjuma played for Bournemouth from 2019 to 2021, scoring 17 goals in 52 games before moving to La Liga. He has six caps, scoring two goals, but did not make the Netherlands squad for the 2022 World Cup. Danjuma played a key role in Villarreal’s run to the Champions League semi-finals last season, scoring 16 goals in all competitions…
THE Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, has said that himself and some other Peoples Democratic Party politicians, are praying for the return of the presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party Rabiu Kwankwaso to the PDP, as campaigns intensify for the 2023 general elections. He disclosed this when the NNPP presidential candidate led top officials of his campaign council to visit him at the Government House, Yenagoa, on Tuesday. The governor, who spoke through his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, said his administration was on same page with Kwankwaso on several national problems affecting the country. Describing the NNPP standard…
GUNMEN on Tuesday night killed the ward chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Umuchoke ward in Okwe in the Onuimo Local Government of Imo State, Christian Ihim. The gunmen after killing Ihim, who is popularly known as Zako, kidnapped five other chieftains of the ruling party in the community. Community sources told our correspondent on Wednesday that the attackers shot repeatedly through the night making the villagers flee. Apart from killing and kidnapping the APC chieftains, the gunmen also invaded a neighbouring community called Okwelle and also kidnapped a female member of the APC identified as Onyinyechi Egenti. The…
THE trial of an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Drambi Vandi charged with Christmas Day killing of a Lagos-based lawyer, Mrs. Bolanle Raheem, last year continued on Wednesday. A second prosecution witness, Mr. Fiyegha Ebimine, who is a police officer, testified at the Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS). Ebimine was part of the three-man team led by Vandi from the Ajiwe police station who were conducting a stop and search operation under the Ajah Bridge on the day of the incident. The witness, who was led in evidence by Onigbanjo, corroborated the account of…
THE death toll from a cholera outbreak in Malawi has passed 1,000 while cases have risen to 30,621, the highest on record in the country, Health Minister Khumbize Chiponda said on Wednesday. Most of the deaths occurred in the two main cities of Lilongwe and Blantyre where children have recently gone back to classes after schools delayed opening to try and contain the spread. Chiponda called on people to take extra care handling the bodies of cholera victims before funerals. “People who are dying from cholera may be washed by family members who then prepare funeral feasts … Outbreaks of…
RWANDAN government says “defensive measures were taken” on a Democratic Republic of Congo fighter jet that “violated” its airspace on Tuesday evening. Images shared on social media show a military plane being shot at while flying at a low altitude between the towns of Goma in DR Congo and Gisenyi in Rwanda. Other images show the damaged plane – a Soviet Union-made Sukhoi-25 – being cooled down with water at Goma airport. In a statement, DR Congo’s information ministry condemned the incident and denied that its jet had flown over Rwandan airspace. It said the government “does not intend to…
SOUTH African government has urged people to take caution as the death toll from an ongoing heatwave in parts of the country rises to eight. State broadcaster SABC quoted a state official as expressing concern over the impact of the hot weather that the country had been experiencing. “We are extremely sad to hear about the passing of eight people that have died of heat stroke in the Northern Cape after a heatwave hit the province over the week. Government sends its deepest condolences to the bereaved families,” Michael Currin, the head of the government communication service (GCIS), is quoted…
TEMS has become the first Nigerian musician to be nominated for an Oscar award, for her role in creating Rihanna’s song Lift Me Up from the Wakanda Forever soundtrack. It’s the latest accolade for the singer-songwriter – who has been shortlisted for a Golden Globe and Grammy in recent months. This time around it’s her writing that’s up for an award – along with Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson and Rihanna. Tems has yet to comment publicly on the news, but fans of the star have been congratulating her on social media.
JUSTIN Bieber has sold his share of the rights to his music to Hipgnosis Songs Capital for a reported $200m. The firm now owns the pop star’s stake in some of the biggest hits of recent years – including “Baby” and “Sorry”. Bieber, one of the best-selling artists of the 21st Century, joins a growing group of artists who have cashed out on their catalogues. The move means Hipgnosis will receive a payment every time a song they own part of is played in public. The company – a $1bn venture between financial giant Blackstone and the British Hipgnosis Song…