MICHAIL Antonio says he had to “swallow his ego” after his near‑fatal car crash as he prepares to make his first club appearance in 15 months. The 35-year-old striker, who has joined Qatari side Al‑Sailiya, says owners of English clubs were wary of signing him following his accident in December 2024, which left him with multiple leg fractures. He returned to competitive action with the Jamaica national team with three substitute appearances in June – his only football since the crash. But Antonio told BBC Sport he “feels like a schoolboy again” as he looks to prove his fitness during…
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UNITED States President Donald Trump has said the plan for the Iran war initially “projected four to five weeks”, adding the US military has the “capability to go far longer than that”. Speaking on Monday from the White House, Trump outlined his administration’s justification for going to war against Iran alongside Israel, saying that Iran posed “grave threats” to the US, even as he again claimed that US strikes on Iran in June of last year led to the “obliteration of Iran’s nuclear programme”. Trump also said that Iran’s ballistic missile programme was “growing rapidly and dramatically, and this posed…
SPAIN says the United States is not using and will not be using joint military bases on its territory for operations against Iran, a mission condemned by Madrid. “Based on all the information I have, the bases are not being used for this military operation,” Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told Spanish public television on Monday. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has condemned US and Israeli strikes on Iran that began on Saturday as an “unjustified” and “dangerous military intervention” outside the realm of international law, in another break from US policy. “The Spanish government will not authorise the use of…
THE authorities in South Sudan have said at least 169 people, including senior officials, were killed on Sunday when a group of unidentified men launched an assault on an area in the north of the country. Describing the attack as carried out by dozens of armed youth, Ruweng Administrative Area’s Information Minister James Monyluak Mijok alleged that they came from neighbouring Unity state and were linked to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO). The SPLA-IO has denied any involvement in the attack, accusing the Unity state authorities of politicising the violence. The UN has repeatedly warned that the…
ACROSS the African continent, reactions have been pouring in since the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday evening and the subsequent retaliation which saw Iran attack several countries across the Middle East. Most African countries have called for de-escalation and respect for international law, while others support Tehran’s right to respond. The African Union (AU) said in a statement that the military strikes and Iran’s subsequent response, “represent a perilous and deeply troubling escalation, one that marks a serious intensification of hostilities in the Middle East and threatens to engulf the entire region in an uncontrollable…
LOUD explosions were heard in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and the Qatari capital of Doha for a third consecutive day of Iranian retaliatory strikes on neighbouring Gulf states in response to ongoing attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran. Loud bangs and sirens were also heard in Kuwait early on Monday morning, with a witness quoted by Reuters news agency saying smoke was seen rising from near the US embassy. Kuwaiti air defences intercepted the majority of the drones near Rumaithiya and Salwa neighbourhoods, the state-run Kuwait News Agency reported, quoting the director general of civil…
QUESTION: Salaamu Alaikum Sheikh. Is it true that giving charity purifies the soul? Ahmad Ali Maina, Borno – ANSWER: Amin Alaikum Salaam Wa Rahamatullah. One cannot attain piety unless he regularly spends his wealth in good causes according to his capacity. Qur’an reminds about charity and alms giving in so many places that it won’t be an exaggeration to say that it is one of the basic elements of belief. In surah Aal Imran, Allah says, “By no means shall you attain righteousness unless you give (freely) of that which you love. And whatever you spend; indeed, Allah is Knowing…
ARSENAL reestablished a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League as the Gunners overcame 10-man Chelsea 2-1 on Sunday. Defenders William Saliba and Jurrien Timber got Arsenal’s goals as Chelsea’s ill-discipline saw them lose ground in the battle for a place in next season’s Champions League after Pedro Neto was sent off 20 minutes from time. The Blues could not cope with Arsenal’s prowess from corners as Mikel Arteta’s men edged closer to a first league title in 22 years. Saliba forced home the opening goal on 21 minutes after Gabriel Magalhaes headed Eberechi Eze’s delivery back across…
ISRAELI jets have bombed Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, after Hezbollah launched what it said was a rocket and drone attack against a military base near Haifa in northern Israel. The Iran-allied Lebanese armed group said early on Monday that its attack was in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “in defence of Lebanon and its people” and “in response to the repeated Israeli aggressions”. “The resistance leadership has always affirmed that the continuation of Israeli aggression and the assassination of our leaders, youth and people gives us the right to defend ourselves and respond at the…
THE US military on Sunday said three service members have been killed and five seriously wounded in the war against Iran, the first casualties announced on the US side. The news, which could have serious political ramifications in Washington, came as President Donald Trump emphasized successes in the operation, announcing that nine Iranian naval ships had been sunk and not referring to the US deaths. The United States and Israel launched massive bombardments against Iran and killed its supreme leader Saturday, with attacks ongoing Sunday. There was no indication from officials about how or exactly where the American casualties occurred.…
THE United States on Friday eased sanctions on several senior Malian officials, following the penalties that were previously imposed over their alleged ties to Russian mercenary group Wagner. The individuals are Defense Minister Sadio Camara, as well as military officials Alou Boi Diarra and Adama Bagayoko, according to a notice by the US Treasury Department. They were previously targeted over accusations that they had facilitated the deployment and expansion of Wagner’s activities in Mali. Wagner had a widespread presence in Africa, deploying military advisors alongside the armies of countries including Libya and Mali. After founder Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a…
THE campaign for next month’s presidential election in Congo-Brazzaville begins on Saturday, with 82-year-old President Denis Sassou Nguesso seemingly assured of extending his decades in power. The career military officer first led Congo under the one-party system from 1979 to 1992 before losing the country’s first multi-party elections to former prime minister Pascal Lissouba. He overthrew Lissouba in a civil war to return to power in 1997. Earlier this month, he announced he would be seeking a new five-year term, which, according to the constitution, would be his last. Campaigning begins on Saturday on the Atlantic coast in the country’s…
THE Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has announced flight disruptions to several Middle East destinations following airspace closures triggered by the United States–Israeli strikes on Iran. In a statement sighted by News Point Nigeria on Saturday via its official social media handle and signed by management, FAAN said the closures were already affecting flight operations to and from the region. “The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria wishes to inform the travelling public that ongoing airspace closures in parts of the Middle East are currently impacting flight operations to and from the region. “As a result of these developments, flights scheduled…
QUESTION: Salaamu Alaikum, Ya Sheikh, how could the Shaytaan appear to the disbelievers in the battle of Badr when he is chained up during Ramadan and the battle was in Ramadan, right? Aminu Harisu, Jigawa – ANSWER: Amin Alaikum Salaam Wa Rahamatullah. It is well-known in the books of tafseer and seerah that the Shaytaan was present at the battle of Badr and that he appeared in the form of Suraaqah ibn Maalik. That is mentioned in the commentary on the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And (remember) when Shaitan (Satan) made…
SUPER Eagles reserve goalkeeper Amas Obasogie has been suspended for three months by his Tanzanian club, Singida Black Stars, over allegations of match-fixing. News Point Nigeria Sport reports that the club announced the suspension in a statement issued through its Disciplinary Committee on Saturday, saying the ban was to allow an investigation into the allegations. No formal charges or detailed evidence were made public, and Tanzanian football authorities have yet to make any official statement on the matter. The suspension comes days after Obasogie was involved in a costly error when Singida Black Stars faced Namungo FC in the Tanzanian…
BOOS could be heard during a brief break in play to allow players observing Ramadan to break their fast during Saturday’s Premier League game between Leeds United and Manchester City. The 17:30 GMT kick-off at Elland Road was paused in the 13th minute as both sets of players came to the side of the pitch to take on fluids. A message was displayed on the big screen inside the stadium stating: “As tonight’s match takes place inside the holy month of Ramadan, play has been paused briefly to allow players to break their fast.” City had three Muslim players -…
A BARRAGE of Iranian strikes caused havoc across the Gulf on Saturday, shattering the aura of peace so highly prized by the oil-rich region’s wealthy rulers. Missiles streaked across clear desert skies as smoke plumed from US bases in Manama and Abu Dhabi, and loud thuds shook high-rise windows in Dubai. In Qatar, dozens of people fled in panic as a falling missile plunged into a residential neighbourhood, erupting in a fireball as it hit the street. And in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates’ capital, golfers enjoying a quiet round were stunned to see dozens of projectiles flying overhead.…
AT least 20 people have been killed and more than 30 injured after a Bolivian Air Force Hercules transport plane, carrying a cargo of newly printed banknotes, crashed onto a busy highway while attempting to land in bad weather near the capital, La Paz. The military plane was attempting to land on Friday evening at El Alto International Airport when it skidded off the runway and ploughed into a nearby road, local authorities said. “There are about 20, maybe a few more,” Police Colonel Rene Tambo, head of the police homicide division in El Alto, said of the number of…
A UNITED States citizen has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of sexually abusing two teenage girls while working at the US embassy in Burkina Faso. The US Department of Justice said 41-year-old Fode Sitafa Mara, from Maryland, was sentenced on Wednesday following a two-week trial in October 2025 in the state’s federal District Court. A jury found him guilty of four counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, as well as attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and attempted obstruction of justice. The prosecution was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide…
JEFFREY Epstein tried to buy a multimillion-dollar palace in Morocco the day before his arrest in 2019, according to documents released by the US Department of Justice last month. Epstein had pursued acquiring Bin Ennakhil since 2011, but disputes with the seller over the price and purchase arrangement dragged on for years. The grand palace in the luxury Palmeraie neighbourhood of Marrakech has been described as an architectural masterpiece, built by 1,300 craftsmen and featuring ornate carvings and mosaics. Epstein signed a $14.95m (£11m) wire transfer on 5 July 2019, the day before his arrest, following an agreement to buy…