TIG Post

Author: Andy Ogbarmey-Tettey

  • British pound plummets to record low against dollar

    The British pound fell to a new record low against the US dollar of $1.035 on Monday, plummeting more than 4%.

    The slide came as trading opened in Asia and Australia on Monday, extending a 2.6% dive from Friday — and spurring predictions the pound could plunge to parity with the US dollar in the coming months.
    The unprecedented currency slump follows British Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng‘s announcement on Friday that the United Kingdom would impose the biggest tax cuts in 50 years at the same time as boosting spending.
    The new tax-slashing fiscal measures, which include scrapping plans for rising corporation tax and slashing the cap on bankers’ bonuses, have been criticized as “trickle-down economics” by the opposition Labour party and even lambasted by members of the Chancellor’s own Conservative party.
    Former Tory chancellor Lord Ken Clarke criticized the tax cuts on Sunday, saying it could lead to the collapse of the pound.
    “I’m afraid that’s the kind of thing that’s usually tried in Latin American countries without success,” Clarke said in an interview with BBC radio.
    The pound has been hammered by a string of weak economic data, but also the steep ascent of the US dollar, a safe haven investment that sees inflows in times of uncertainty.
    The euro also hit a 20-year low of 0.964 per dollar. But the economic outlook in the UK means the pound is suffering more than most, in the face of a disastrous energy crunch and the highest inflation among G7 nations.
    The previous record low for the British pound against the US dollar was 37 years ago on February 25, 1985, when 1 pound was worth $1.054.
    “Should there be any escalation to the war in Ukraine…we would see further sharp downside in the Pound as well as the Euro,” said Clifford Bennett, chief economist at ACY Securities, an Australian brokerage firm.
    “One should not underestimate the crisis that is all of Europe at the moment and the Pound is more vulnerable than most,” he said.

    Asian markets and currencies crack

    The soaring US dollar also sent major Asian currencies tumbling on Monday.
    China’s yuan slid 0.5% on the onshore market to the lowest level in more than 28 months. The offshore yuan fell 0.4%.
    The rapid declines prompted the People’s Bank of China toimpose a risk reserve requirement of 20% on banks’ foreign exchange forward sales to clients, starting Wednesday. The move would make it more costly for traders to buy foreign currencies via derivatives, which might slow the pace of the yuan’s declines.
    Elsewhere in the region, the Japanese yen dropped 0.6% against the dollar to 144. Last Thursday, the Japanese central bank intervened in the currency market for the first time since 1998 to prop up the yen. The yen rebounded slightly following the intervention, but soon resumed the slide.
    The Korean won also plunged 1.6% on Monday versus the greenback, falling below the 1,420 level for the first time since 2009.
    Stock markets in the region were in a turmoil on Monday, after US stocks sold off on Friday as recession fears grow.
    South Korea’s Kospi (KOSPI) declined 2.7%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 (N225) dropped 2.4%, and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 1.4%. China’s Shanghai Composite Index (SHCOMP) dipped 0.1%.
    “Risk sentiments have been dealt a major blow by the Fed’s latest policy action and guidance,” said DBS analysts in a research report on Monday.
    The Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved a third consecutive 75-basis-point hike in an aggressive move to tackle white-hot inflation that has been plaguing the US economy.
    Even without the Fed action, Europe is looking at a recession due to the war in Ukraine, and China is looking at “a substantially weak growth dynamic” because of a variety of domestic factors, the DBS analysts said.
    “Add on top of that a sharp decline in US dollar liquidity and sharply higher US interest rates, the world economic outlook looks particularly precarious,” they added.
    Source: CNN

  • Van Dijk books Netherland’s Finals spot

    The Netherlands booked their place in the Nations League Finals as Virgil van Dijk’s second-half header sealed a 1-0 win over Belgium on Sunday.

    Victory over Poland on Thursday meant the Oranje only needed to avoid a heavy defeat to their neighbours at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam to seal top spot in Group A4.

    Belgium never looked like they had the firepower to pull off such a result, with Liverpool defender Van Dijk securing three points for the hosts by scoring in the 73rd minute.

    The result meant the Netherlands topped their group with 16 points, with Roberto Martinez’s Red Devils six points behind in second.

    Belgium looked bright in the early stages, with Eden Hazard blazing over from a promising position and Michy Batshuayi firing at Remko Pasveer after being played in by Kevin De Bruyne.

    At the other end, Denzel Dumfries cracked wide from 12 yards after fine work down the left from Vincent Janssen, which was the closest the hosts came in a first half that saw them fail to have an attempt on target.

    Dumfries again went close at the start of the second period, while Belgium’s Amadou Onana was denied by a smart stop from Pasveer shortly after the hour mark.

    Steven Bergwijn powered a shot straight at Thibaut Courtois as the Netherlands cranked up the pressure, before Van Dijk handed the hosts victory with a close-range header from Cody Gakpo’s corner.

    Courtois did well to deny Davy Klaassen and Bergwijn in the closing stages, while Belgium substitute Dodi Lukebakio struck the post with a sensational overhead kick with almost the last kick of the game.

    What does it mean? Red Devils make life easy for Oranje

    Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal was unable to call on Frenkie de Jong, Memphis Depay and Teun Koopmeiners, who were all injured during the 2-0 win over Poland in midweek, but it mattered little as his side sealed their place in next year’s mini-tournament without breaking sweat.

    Belgium head coach Roberto Martinez, who watched on from the stands following his dismissal against Wales on Thursday, will be concerned his side made it so easy for the hosts, and will be demanding a marked improvement when the World Cup kicks off in under two months.

    Van Dijk shines

    Van Dijk was a colossus at both ends of the pitch.

    In addition to his match-winning goal, he made more clearances than any other player (three) and played more passes (55) than any of his team-mates.

    Batshuayi struggles

    It was little surprise to see Batshuayi replaced by Charles De Ketelaere at half-time.

    The Fenerbahce striker had just one shot during his 45 minutes on the pitch and failed to make a single key pass to a team-mate.

    What’s next?

    Attention turns to the World Cup in Qatar, with the Netherlands starting their campaign against Senegal on November 21 and Belgium taking on Canada two days later.

    Source: Livescore

  • IBA vote plunges boxing’s Olympic future into fresh doubt

    Boxing could lose its place at the Olympic Games after the sport’s world governing body for amateurs threw its support behind president Umar Kremlev.

    The Russian survived a special congress vote of the International Boxing Association (IBA) over whether a fresh leadership challenge should take place, with delegates in the Armenian capital of Yerevan voting 106 votes to 36 against the idea.

    It meant Dutchman Boris van der Vorst was prevented from challenging Kremlev, as he was in May when he was ruled ineligible after being found to have broken campaign rules, in a decision that was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

    With boxing having been dropped from the initial list of sports for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, the latest development appears to signal its likely post-Paris 2024 departure from the Olympic programme.

    The International Olympic Committee (IOC) originally suspended its recognition for IBA, under its previous guise of AIBA, in 2019 over a series of varying concerns.

    Reacting to Sunday’s news, the IOC pointed to “disturbing developments” that would be examined at its next meeting.

    Kremlev said after the vote that guarantees him a four-year term: “I thank national federations for their trust. This is the full stop in all governance issues within IBA, congress showed its will clearly in a transparent manner.

    “I respect the decision of our national federations and will do everything possible to support them, as well as our athletes and coaches. I want to send a clear message today. IBA is an independent and strong organisation. Our congress has proved today that we are on a right track.”

    The Kremlev-led IBA said on Friday it had suspended the Ukrainian Boxing Federation, citing “interference of the government in the work of the national federation”.


    Source: Livescore

  • Joshua confirms intention to sign Fury contract

    Anthony Joshua has announced that he will sign the contract for a bout against Tyson Fury on December 3, 2022.

    The ‘Battle of Britain’ clash seemed to be at risk of a collapse after Fury issued a Monday deadline for an agreement to be signed but AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn ruled out such swift action.

    This raised concerns that the fiercely anticipated bout could fall through, as Fury threatened to walk away and fight someone else.

    Joshua’s comment calms such fears in a video posted on social media, expressing his intent to sign the agreement.

    “I’ve been signing contracts for years. It ain’t in my hands, it is with the legal team, that’s why you hire lawyers. You know the history of boxing, make sure you get your legal terms right,” he said.

    “That’s why you have good management and good lawyers. Of course I’m going to sign the contract, it’s just with some lawyers at the minute.”

    A fight between Fury and Joshua would likely set the heavyweight scene for 2023, with the winner then poised to face off against Oleksandr Usyk in a unification bout.

    Joe Joyce’s victory against Joseph Parker in Manchester on Sunday has set the Brit as the mandatory challenger for Usyk’s WBO title, though he may have to wait for his shot.

     

  • Meloni pledges to govern for all Italians

    Giorgia Meloni, 45, is poised to become Italy’s first female prime minister and the nation’s first PM from the far right.

    She is predicted to win up to 26% of the vote, ahead of her closest rival Enrico Letta from the centre left.

    And her right-wing alliance – which also includes Matteo Salvini’s far-right League and former PM Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right Forza Italia – now looks to have control of both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, with a projected 42.2% of the Senate vote.

    Giorgia Meloni has pledged to “govern for everyone”.

    “Italians have sent a clear message in favour of a right-wing government led by Brothers of Italy,” she told reporters as she acknowledged her victory.

    Embracing a controversial old motto, “God, fatherland and family”, she campaigned against LGBT rights, wants a naval blockade of Libya and has warned repeatedly against Muslim migrants.

    Unlike her right-wing allies, she has no time for Russia’s Vladimir Putin and is pro-Nato and pro-Ukraine, even though many voters on the right are lukewarm on Western sanctions.

    Besides tax cuts, her alliance wants to renegotiate Italy’s massive EU Covid recovery plan and have Italy’s president elected by popular vote.Meloni formed Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia) in 2012, four years after becoming Italy’s youngest-ever minister under Silvio Berlusconi in 2008.

    Meloni in her FB post

    Her party attracted little more than 4% of the vote in the last general election four years ago, and yet she is now expected to get around 25%.

    Meloni was the only major party leader who refused to go into popular technocrat Mario Draghi’s broad-based coalition, so she was the only big opposition leader when it collapsed in July.

    Meloni grew up in the working-class neighbourhood of Garbatella, raised by her mother after her father left them.

    As a teenager, she joined the youth wing of Italy’s neo-fascist movement, formed after the war by supporters of late dictator Benito Mussolini.

    In her 2021 book, I Am Giorgia, she stresses she is not a fascist, but identifies with Mussolini’s heirs, saying:”I have taken up the baton of a 70-year-long history.”

    Source: BBC

  • Air traffic controllers suspend strike in West and Central Africa

    A 48-hour strike by air traffic controllers in West and Central Africa has been suspended, their union said on Saturday.

    The strike, which started on Friday, has disrupted flights across the region and left hundreds of passengers stranded at airports on Saturday.

    The Union of Air Traffic Controllers’ Unions (USYCAA), which called the wildcat strike, said in a statement it decided to suspend its strike notice for 10 days immediately so as to allow for negotiations.

    “Air traffic services will be provided in all air spaces and airports managed by ASECNA from today Saturday, September 24, 2022 at 1200 GMT,” the statement said.

    The union said more than 700 air traffic controllers joined the strike to demand better working and pay conditions.

    The controllers work under the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) an 18-member state agency that manages air traffic over an area covering 16 million square km of airspace.

    Across the region, airport operations ground to a near halt as authorities tried to keep control towers operational for some flights.

    Hundreds of passengers were stranded at Douala International airport in Cameroon on Saturday morning, national television CRTV reported. National carrier Camair-Co said on Friday it had cancelled all its flights due to the strike.

    Nsoh Brinston, a stranded passenger who was due to fly to Kigali, Rwanda, said his flight has cancelled.

    “I will have to spend more than I intended due to the cancelled flight. I will have to do another COVID test which costs 30,000 CFA francs ($45),” he said.

    He would also have to find a place to spend the night.

    In Senegal, the airport departure board showed cancellations for flights operated by Brussels Airlines, Kenyan Airways and Emirates as passengers gathered to check if their flight was still on schedule.

    A group of students from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, who were due to fly back home from Dakar said they were stuck at the airport because they could not afford the fare to the city, around 50 km from the airport.

    “We were supposed to board at 0900 GMT but were are still here,” one of the students said, requesting to remain anonymous. “We have been told the situation could be resolved by tomorrow.”

    “I was supposed to leave at 1400 GMT. The flight was announced as scheduled but we have just been told that it has been cancelled,” said Maxine Compaore, who was supposed to fly to Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

    In Ivory Coast, eight flights scheduled to leave the commercial hub of Abidjan on Saturday were cancelled.

    Source: Reuters

  • Queen Elizabeth II: Picture of chapel ledger stone released

    The first picture of the new ledger stone marking the Queen’s final resting place in Windsor has been released by Buckingham Palace.

    The black burial stone has been set into the floor of the George VI Memorial Chapel, where the monarch was buried on Monday.

    The stone is engraved in memory of the Queen, her parents, and her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

    It replaces a previous slab dedicated to George VI and the Queen Mother.

    The fresh stone now reads “George VI 1895-1952” and “Elizabeth 1900-2002” followed by a metal Garter Star, and then “Elizabeth II 1926-2022” and “Philip 1921-2021”.

    All four royals were members of the Order of the Garter, the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system. The order of chivalry dates back to medieval times and is made up of the monarch and other senior figures, including ex-prime ministers and former military chiefs.

    The freshly installed stone is also surrounded by floral tributes and wreaths to mark the Queen’s death. It is made of hand-carved Belgian black marble with brass letter inlays, to match the previous ledger stone.

    The Queen was laid to rest in a private burial at George VI Memorial Chapel attended by King Charles III and immediate family members on Monday, when the late monarch joined her parents, her sister and her husband. The service in the evening followed the public elements of the day – the Queen’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey and committal service in Windsor.

    Members of the public will be able to pay to see the ledger stone in person from Thursday.

    The chapel will reopen to visitors that day, and will be open every day excluding Sundays when it is only open for worshippers.

    Entry to the castle is £28.50 for adults on Saturdays and £26.50 on other days, according to the chapel’s website.

    The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is carried into St George's Chapel in Windsor followed by members of the Royal Family
    IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS

    The chapel was commissioned by the Queen in 1962 as a burial place for her father King George VI and was designed by George Pace. The pale stone annexe was added on to the north side of the building behind the North Quire Aisle and was completed in 1969.

    The Queen’s sister Princess Margaret, who died in 2002, was cremated and her ashes were initially placed in the Royal Vault of St George’s Chapel, before being moved to the George VI memorial chapel with her parents’ coffins when the Queen Mother died a few weeks later.

    Old ledger stone, dedicated to George VI and Elizabeth, the Queen Mother
    IMAGE SOURCE,PA MEDIA Image caption, The new stone replaces this one, which was dedicated to the Queen’s mother and father, George VI and Elizabeth, the Queen Mother

    Prince Philip has only recently been relocated to the chapel, however.

    When he died in April 2021, his coffin was interred in the Royal Vault, ready to be moved to the memorial chapel to join his wife upon her death.

    The royal family is observing a seven-day period of mourning for the Queen, which will draw to a close at the end of Monday.

    Source: BBC

     

  • North Korea fires suspected ballistic missile into sea

    North Korea has fired a suspected ballistic missile off its east coast, its first known test since June, South Korean military officials have said.

    It came after a US aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea to participate in joint drills, and ahead of a planned visit by Vice President Kamala Harris.

    Seoul said the launch was an “act of grave provocation”.

    The UN prohibits North Korea from ballistic and nuclear weapons tests.

    South Korea’s military said it detected a short range missile fired at just before 07:00 local time (23:00 GMT) close to Taechon, more than 100 km (60 miles) north of Pyongyang. It said it flew about 600 km at an altitude of 60 km.

    “Our military maintains a full readiness posture and is closely cooperating with the US while strengthening surveillance and vigilance,” it said in a statement.

    Japan’s coast guard confirmed the launch, warning ships to “be vigilant”. Tokyo’s defence minister Yasukazu Hamada said the missile reached a maximum altitude of around 50 km, falling in waters off North Korea’s eastern coast, and outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

    “It’s North Korea’s way of showing defiance of the [US] alliance,” Soo Kim, an analyst at the Rand Corporation, told AFP.

    The nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan docked in the southern port city of Busan on Friday, to take part in joint drills off South Korea’s east coast. The exercises are for the “sake of peace and stability on the Korean peninsula”, according to the South Korean navy.

    Ms Harris will visit South Korea in the coming days as part of a trip to the region that will include the funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

    Tensions on the Korean peninsula have spiked in the past year, with Pyongyang firing a number of ballistic missiles.

    South Korea’s President, Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office in May, has promised a tougher stance on North Korea and indicated closer ties with the US.

    Earlier this month, North Korea passed a law declaring itself to be a nuclear weapons state, with leader Kim Jong-un ruling out the possibility of talks on denuclearisation. Despite widespread sanctions, Pyongyang conducted six nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017.

    List of missiles held by North Korea and their range
    Source: BBC

  • IMF team arrives on Sept. 26 to continue discussions with government

    An International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team, led by Stéphane Roudet, Mission Chief for Ghana, will arrive in Accra tomorrow September 26, 2022.

    The IMF is set to continue discussions with government on policies and reforms that could be supported by a Fund lending arrangement.

    The team will also further engage with other stakeholders including the Bank of Ghana, Parliament, business associations and Civil Society Group during the visit.

    In July, 2022, an IMF staff team led by Carlo Sdralevich visited Accra to assess the current economic situation and discuss the broad lines of the government’s Enhanced Domestic Programme that could be supported by a Fund lending arrangement.

    The IMF team met with Vice President Bawumia, Finance Minister Ofori-Atta, and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison. The team also met with the Parliament’s Finance Committee, civil society organizations, and development partners, including UNICEF and the World Bank to engage on social spending.

    At the end of the meeting, it reaffirms its commitment to support Ghana at this difficult time, consistent with its policies.

    “Ghana is facing a challenging economic and social situation amid an increasingly difficult global environment. The fiscal and debt situation has severely worsened following the Covid-19 pandemic. At the same time, investors’ concerns have triggered credit rating downgrades, capital outflows, loss of external market access, and rising domestic borrowing costs.

    “In addition, the global economic shock caused by the war in Ukraine is hitting Ghana at a time when the country is still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic shock and with limited room for maneuver. These adverse developments have contributed to slowing economic growth, accumulation of unpaid bills, a large exchange rate depreciation, and a surge in inflation”, it said.

    It further said that it held initial discussions on a comprehensive reform package to restore macroeconomic stability and anchor debt sustainability, adding, the team made progress in assessing the economic situation and identifying policy priorities in the near term.

    The discussions focused on improving fiscal balances in a sustainable way while protecting the vulnerable and poor; ensuring credibility of the monetary policy and exchange rate regimes; preserving financial sector stability; and designing reforms to enhance growth, create jobs, and strengthen governance.

    It concluded that the IMF staff will continue to monitor the economic and social situation closely and engage in the coming weeks with the authorities on the formulation of their Enhanced Domestic Programme that could be supported by an IMF arrangement and with broad stakeholders’ consultation.

    The discussions with government and other stakeholders will end on October 7, 2022.

    This is coming following the downgrade of Ghana’s credit to further junk status by rating agency, Fitch.

    Fitch downgraded Ghana’s Long-Term Local- and Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) to ‘CC’, from ‘CCC’.

    The downgrade, it said, reflects the increased likelihood that Ghana will pursue a debt restructuring given mounting financing stress, with surging interest costs on domestic debt and a prolonged lack of access to Eurobond markets.

  • Ghana will be led by a woman one day – Akufo-Addo

    President Nana Akufo-Addo has predicted that the country is bound to be governed by a female in the near future.

    Speaking at this year’s edition of the Global Citizen Festival at the Independence Square, he stated that high possibility of such happening should encourage African leaders to ensure that women are empowered and given fair treatment.

    Together with other African leaders, Mr Akufo-Addo said he is committed to waging a war against gender inequality in Ghana and across the African continent.

    He added that his government is putting in place policies that will ensure that the girl child is encouraged to reach her full potential, something that can help the country to, one day, produce a female president.

    “Women and girls account for 51% of the population of Ghana, the majority and that is the same everywhere on the continent. So, empowering them is critical to speeding up Africa’s progress. As President of Ghana, as Co-Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and as AU gender champion, I am committed put in place policies and programmes aimed at improving the development of the girl child in Ghana,” he said.

    He continued saying “I’m equally committed to ensuring access a minimum of senior high school education for the girl child in Ghana, a policy that has already begun to work. Together we can achieve gender equality, empower the women and girls and achieve the global needs and goals of the Sustainable Development Goals, and one day, we are going to have a female President of Ghana.”

    The conversation about women taking up the mantle and steer the affairs is not new to Ghana.

    In the 2020 general elections, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) chose Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang to be their Vice-Presidential candidate, and this raised issues and debates among the political elites and even within the party.

    In the same year, the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) had Madam Akua Donkor as its flagbearer.

    Other women who contested the presidential position were Brigitte Dzogbenuku of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), and founder of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.

    In all of such instances, the women had very fewer chances of securing victory because many electorates prefer to have men occupy the position.

    President Akufo-Addo’s statement would hopefully bring the conversation again on the need for the country and the continent to begin pushing women to higher places.

    On the other hand, President Akufo-Addo has vowed to end child marriages on the continent.

  • Thomas Partey leaves Black Stars camp, set to miss Nicaragua clash

    Vice-captain of the Black Stars, Thomas Partey, is reported to have left the team’s camp to return to London after missing Friday night’s friendly against Brazil.

    According to reports, the Arsenal star is expected to also miss Ghana’s second friendly of this international window against Nicaragua in Spain next week.

    Partey only returned from injury last weekend to play 78 minutes for Arsenal in their Premier League win against Brentford.

    He was then invited for the Black Stars games against Brazil and Nicaragua but he will end up not playing in ant of these two games.

    The 29-year-old is expected back in London for scans on his knee which flared up before the Ghana- Brazil friendly.

    Partey was in line to start for Ghana against the Selecao at the Stade Oceane in Le Havre but was replaced by Baba Iddrisu in the last minutes prior to the game.

    The midfielder was said to have felt uncomfortable around his knee area during the warm-up and was advised to pull out.

    However, a member of the Black Stars medical team confirmed to Joy Sports his withdrawal was only precautionary and that the player should be fine for the against Nicaragua.

    Ghana lost the game with a 3-0 score.

  • Enrique frustrated by ‘worst’ half of Spain reign in Switzerland defeat

    Luis Enrique believes Spain’s performance in the first half of Saturday’s defeat to Switzerland was their worst 45 minutes of his reign.

    Spain slumped to a disappointing 2-1 loss in Zaragoza that leaves them trailing Portugal by two points in Nations League Group A2 heading into the last game.

    That final group match is on Tuesday as Spain prepare to face the leaders in Braga, with Fernando Santos’ side 4-0 winners over the Czech Republic on Saturday.

    La Roja did not muster a single shot on target until Jordi Alba’s 55th-minute equaliser at La Romareda, and Luis Enrique could not hide his disappointment at the showing.

    “Losing is always something that hurts. It has been a pity, but we must value Switzerland, who from the beginning caused us many difficulties,” the coach said.

    “In the first half, it was the worst of my time as coach. [Then] we have badly defended the corner of their second goal.

    “In the second half we improved. We have tried until the end. The key game is Portugal. We will go to Braga to win.”

    The manner of Saturday’s loss clearly perturbed Luis Enrique, understandable given the World Cup starts in less than two months.

    Yet, he is refusing to blow it out of proportion, adamant he does not need to re-evaluate his faith in the squad just because of one result.

    Asked if the game generated doubts in relation to Qatar 2022, Luis Enrique replied: “No doubts.

    “Obviously it’s better to go to Qatar on a winning streak, but I have full confidence in the team. I have seen many players in the first half who have been more imprecise than ever, but the opponents are good, they know how they play.

    “But everything doesn’t always go well, when you don’t have a good day, this happens.

    “A victory against Portugal would be the perfect way to reach the World Cup. We have drawn three times with them and now we will go there to win.”

    Portugal only need a draw on Tuesday to seal their place in the Nations League Finals for the second time.

    Source: Livescore

  • Mexico’s Lozano nets late winner in World Cup warm-up

    Hirving Lozano netted a late goal to earn Mexico an uninspiring 1-0 victory over Peru in their friendly in Pasadena on Saturday.

    El Tri, who will play three more games prior to the 2022 World Cup, were made to work hard for the win in an evenly contested match with few shots on target.

    Lozano’s 85th-minute strike was the difference, firing home on the volley after Cesar Montes had nodded on a corner.

    Mexico forward Henry Martin pushed a 19th-minute header wide, while Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez fired a long-range effort over the crossbar early in the second half.

    Peru, who missed out on World Cup qualification to Australia in the playoffs, had 9-7 shots and marginally edged possession but failed to generate much in attack.

    Mexico, who are grouped with Poland, Argentina and Argentina at the World Cup, will take on Colombia in Santa Clara on Tuesday.


    Source: Livescore

  • Jude available for £83m as top-four rivals step up pursuit

    Jude Bellingham will reportedly be available for just £83million next summer as long as the fee is paid up front.

    The midfielder, 19, is being chased by Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United thanks to his accomplished performances for Borussia Dortmund and England.

    His current employers are believed to want £130m to let him go but The Sun claim that their demands could take a significant reduction in order to secure the cash in a one-off payment.

    The report adds that Pep Guardiola’s Citizens believe they have the money and draw to ensure they beat their rivals to the signature of one of the brightest talents in world football.

    City won the race for former Dortmund superstar Erling Haaland last summer and the Norwegian has already racked up 11 goals in seven Premier League appearances.

    Bellingham enjoys a good relationship with the prolific marksman and spoke highly of his former team-mate ahead of Dortmund’s Champions League defeat against the Citizens.

    Liverpool have long been thought to be in pole position to sign the playmaker, who has made 100 first-team appearances for the Bundesliga outfit, as Jurgen Klopp looks to refresh his ageing midfield.

    Big-spending Manchester United and Chelsea will also have their say in the pursuit, while Real Madrid have also been tipped to make a move.

    In other news

    Emi Martinez's performances have caught the eye of Atletico Madrid
    Emi Martinez’s performances have caught the eye of Atletico Madrid

    Atletico Madrid are keeping tabs on Aston Villa stopper Emi Martinez in case they need a replacement for Jan Oblak, according to The Mirror.

    The same outlet claim that Chelsea are ready to shell out £30m to land 17-year-old Fulham forward Luke Harris, who is in the Wales squad for tonight’s clash with Poland.

    United are preparing to trigger a 12-month extension clause in Marcus Rashford’s contract to avoid losing him for nothing as talks drag on, report the Daily Star.

    Source: Livescore

  • Dragons star Johnson is on fire at Forest

    Brennan Johnson has hit the ground running in the Premier League — now he is ready to make a big impact on the international stage.

    The 21-year-old has starred for Nottingham Forest since their promotion to the top flight, emerging as a key man in Steve Cooper’s side.

    And he has also been in impressive form for his nation, chipping in with a goal contribution in each of his last three Wales outings.

    Ahead of the Dragons’ clash with Poland tonight, we take a closer look at the impact Johnson can have in both the Nations League and the upcoming World Cup.

    Rapid rise

    Johnson was sent on loan to League One side Lincoln in 2020-21 for his first real taste of senior football and immediately cemented himself as a regular.

    Then still a teenager, he made 48 appearances, scoring 13 times and registering 14 assists in all competitions as the Imps reached the play-off final.

    He was quickly integrated into Forest’s first team the following season — but the step up to the Championship did not faze him.

    The Nottingham native notched 19 times in league, cup and play-off matches, grabbing a further nine assists as the club made their long-awaited return to English football’s top tier.

    Brennan Johnson typically enjoys operating on the right flank of Nottingham Forest's attack
    Brennan Johnson typically enjoys operating on the right flank of Nottingham Forest’s attack

    Producing in the Premier League

    Though Forest have struggled collectively since returning to the Premier League, Johnson has been doing his bit in front of goal.

    He is the club’s joint-top league scorer alongside Taiwo Awoniyi with two strikes, making them each individually responsible for a third of their team’s strikes so far.

    Johnson has not been afforded many opportunities to pull the trigger but has been clinical when given a sight of goal, scoring with 66% of his shots on target and converting both of the big chances he was presented with — one being a penalty.

    Nottingham Forest's Brennan Johnson has struck twice in the Premier League this season
    Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson has struck twice in the Premier League this season

    No fear

    Johnson has certainly not been overawed by the stage on which he is now expected to perform.

    Some might choose to play things safe after moving up a division but Johnson remains willing to run at his man constantly.

    He has been particularly successful in that department, completing a team-leading five take-ons and only failing with one — a remarkable success rate.

    Brennan Johnson has been one of Nottingham Forest's most impressive performers in 2022-23
    Brennan Johnson has been one of Nottingham Forest’s most impressive performers in 2022-23

    Wowing for Wales

    Wales’ young forward has taken the step up to international football in his stride as well.

    Boasting just 10 caps before this Nations League campaign began in the summer, Johnson has established himself an integral part of his country’s attack — even if the team as a whole have struggled.

    He scored his first goal for Wales in dramatic circumstances, coming off the bench to seal a shock 1-1 draw with Belgium.

    Manager Rob Page then handed him a starting spot against the Netherlands and the Forest No20 rewarded his coach’s faith with another strike, though the Dragons slipped to defeat.

    He also registered an assist in the rematch against Belgium on Thursday, setting Kieffer Moore up to pull one back in a 2-1 loss.

    Catching the eye

    Page was full of praise for Johnson after his performance in Thursday’s clash with the Red Devils.

    The Wales boss, 48, deployed the attacker in a deeper role and was particularly impressed by his improvement and quality when carrying the ball.

    He said: “Brennan has been superb, he has come on so much in such a short time.

    “I asked something different of him in midfield.

    “When you see him run with the ball it is brilliant, that is his game, that is his strength.”

    There appears little doubt that Johnson is a shoe-in for the plane to Qatar — and it would be unwise to bet against him attracting worldwide attention when the tournament kicks off in November.

    Source: Livescore

  • Duke and Cummings goals secure Socceroos victory

    Mitch Duke and debutant Jason Cummings scored as Australia beat New Zealand 2-0 in Auckland on Sunday to secure back-to-back wins over the All Whites ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

    The Socceroos had beaten New Zealand 1-0 in Brisbane on Thursday and triumphed again at Eden Park despite fielding an entirely different starting XI, netting twice in the second half.

    New Zealand arguably were the better side in the first half with a handful of half chances, but lost star striker Chris Wood to an apparent rib injury in the 32nd minute.

    Marco Tilio inexplicably missed a golden opportunity on the stroke of half-time from Duke’s cutback before the Japan-based forward headed in Connor Metcalfe’s cross in the 54th minute.

    The hosts had a sniff in the 68th minute when Harrison Delbridge turned over possession in a dangerous area but substitute Alexander Greive fired straight at Australia goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne.

    Exciting Socceroos teenager Garang Kuol made his debut as a substitute and burst forward to set up Riley McGree’s chance, which was saved before Cummings’ rebound was handballed by Liberato Cacace, resulting in an Australia penalty.

    Scotland-born Cummings stepped up and converted the 81st-minute spotkick to secure the win in Australia’s final game before announcing their World Cup squad.


    Source: Live score

  • Joe Joyce v Joseph Parker: Briton’s granite chin sees him through to 11th-round knockout

    Britain’s Joe Joyce walked through the best New Zealander Joseph Parker had to offer to knock out his rival in the 11th round of a thrilling fight in Manchester.

    The heavyweights went toe-to-toe in a back and forth contest before a stunning left hook landed flush on the chin of Parker.

    Joyce claimed the WBO interim heavyweight title with the biggest win of his career and now has his eyes set on challenging heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2023.

    The Briton’s step up in class had been debated after 14 professional fights against lower-level opponents. He turned 37 this week having only turned pro when he was 31 after a late start to his amateur career.

    But Joyce showed a granite chin to become the first man to stop Parker, a former world champion.

    “Joseph Parker… what a fighter and what a fight,” he said.

    “It was a tough fight and praise to Parker. I really enjoyed it and I had to dig deep to get through the rounds. I hit him with everything I’ve got, I tried it all and he was still coming forward.

    “I managed to drop him at the end but it was hard work. Usyk let’s get it on.”

    Joyce steamrolls to victory

    The fight took shape in the third round. Parker started well, using his jab and landed some heavy shots, but Joyce just kept coming forward.

    He bloodied the nose of Parker in the second and the third exploded into relentless action, with both men trading punches.

    Parker was rocked by a superb one-two from Joyce, seconds after the Brit had been tagged by a right hand. The Kiwi stayed on his feet, amazingly, and fought back as the ferocious head-to-head continued to the bell.

    Joyce was hit again and again by Parker’s big left, but stood firm each time, showing no sign he felt the force of his opponent’s shots.

    He responded to every one of Parker’s blows with spiteful shots of his own, often big right hands or chopping short punches.

    The Briton shrugged off the best Parker had to offer, hard left hooks in the fourth and a massive swinging right in the fifth.

    Joseph Parker is punched by Joe Joyce
    Parker landed his best shots but Joyce kept coming forward

    Joyce, perhaps feeling he could withstand whatever Parker threw at him, suddenly picked up the pace in the sixth round, trapping Parker in the corner and unloading.

    Parker defended himself in front of his corner and tried to slow Joyce with body shots. But it didn’t stop the onslaught.

    The Olympian bloodied Parker’s nose again in the seventh before opening up a big cut above his right eye.

    Parker stumbled backwards under the barrage and Joyce poured forward again, but the bell arrived just in time to save the Kiwi.

    Into the eighth round and Parker’s eye was clearly bothering him as he repeatedly touched it. The visiting fighter looked exhausted but finally a hard left caused a reaction from Joyce.

    For the first time in almost 25 minutes Joyce staggered under the weight of the shot, but the success was short-lived as he came forward again.

    Parker’s left landed again in the ninth round and the heavyweight stood still for a second, waiting to see if the immovable object in front of him was hurt. He was not.

    With Joyce flooding forward again, Parker smashed him in the face with four short left hooks. No luck.

    Joyce then came out swinging in the 11th and finally put his opponent down. Parker missed the count to bring to a close a remarkable battle.

    Serrano one step closer to undisputed crown

    Amanda Serrano with her world titles
    Amanda Serrano added another world title to her collection

    Amanda Serrano is the new WBO, WBC and IBF featherweight world champion after beating Sarah Mahfoud on points.

    The Puerto Rican, fighting for the first time since losing to Katie Taylor in April, was levels above her Danish opponent, taking control from the first exchanges and drawing blood in the second round.

    Despite her dominance, Serrano was unable to stop her game opponent, who recovered from a shaky start to see the final bell.

    Serrano, 33, was clinical and spiteful in her southpaw stance, landing heavy shots throughout the 10 rounds, including some eye-catching left hooks and body shots.

    Mahfoud, jittery on her feet to begin with, winced in pain as Serrano fired off at will at times, but slowly grew into the fight.

    The defending IBF champion’s corner did her best to patch her up between rounds, with blood streaming from her scalp.

    Serrano continued to push forward, walking through Mahfoud’s shots, just as she did so superbly six months ago against Taylor.

    Mahfoud found success in the later rounds as Serrano’s pace dropped slightly.

    But Serrano was a clear winner and the 43rd victory of her career moves her one step closer to becoming the undisputed champion at featherweight.

    The seven-weight world champion then hinted that fans may have to wait for the Taylor rematch.

    “She gave me a fight. I want the last piece of the puzzle to become undisputed then I want the rematch with Katie Taylor,” she said.

    Source: Live score

  • Southgate adamant he is still right man for England

    England manager Gareth Southgate is adamant he is the right man to lead the team into the World Cup despite a woeful run of form.

    Defeat to Italy on Friday condemned the Three Lions to relegation in the Nations League, extending the winless streak to five matches in the process.

    Southgate was jeered by England’s travelling supporters at San Siro but, despite being under the most pressure he has been in his six-year stint in charge, believes he remains the best choice to take the team to Qatar.

    “Without a doubt. We’re playing and have been playing some top-level sides and we will be better for that,” he said.

    “And the younger players, in particular, that have been in these games will have learned a lot from them.

    “In the past we’ve had runs of friendlies or whatever the matches are and then we’ve gone into tournaments and that’s the first time we’ve hit high-level opposition and it’s hit us in the face quite often.

    “Now we know the level, now we know what we’ve got to improve and we’ll be better placed for that by having had the quality of matches that we’ve had.”

    Southgate’s views were echoed by England captain Harry Kane, who is confident the Three Lions will be back to their best in time for the start of the tournament in November.

    “I believe we are going to be judged on how we perform out in Qatar. We’re just in one of those moments where it’s not quite going our way. We’re confident we can turn that around,” he stated.

    “We have one more game on Monday to try to get some good feelings back. Ultimately, once we get to the World Cup, we will be ready for that first game and be fully focused on that.

    “I don’t think our confidence has been dented, but you want to win games. We are all experienced enough, with our clubs especially we have been through those moments when things haven’t been going so well. It’s about bouncing back.”

    Source: Live score

  • Let’s celebrate the Legend Nana Kwame Ampadu – Speaker Bagbin

    Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has eulogized veteran singer, the late Nana Kwame Ampadu, for his story telling artistry and dancing techniques.
    The Speaker believes his action have contributed greatly to the development of Ghana’s music industry.
    The family of the Late Nnwomtofohene Nana Kwame Ampadu has officially informed The Rt. Hon. Speaker of his final funeral arrangements in Parliament on Saturday.
    “We don’t mourn musicians like Nana Ampadu; but rather, we celebrate them”, the Speaker said as he welcomed the delegation to Parliament.
    He called on the Musician Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) to write the lyrics in his songs as well as identifying the quotes for future references.
    Hon. Kofi Attoh, Speaker’s Adviser and a former Member of Parliament for Ho West, called for the need to include the study of Nana Ampadu’s songs at the various universities, since he believes this initiative when considered would keep his legacy move on.
    The Highlife Legend passed on at age 76. According to his family, he will be laid in state on Friday 7th October, 2022 at the Forecourt of The State House, Accra then conveyed to his Hometown at Obo- Kwahu in the Eastern region for interment and final funeral rites on 8th October, 2022.
    Source: Parliament of Ghana

  • Let’s allow more women into politics – Speaker Bagbin to Spain Ambassador to Ghana

    The Ambassador of Spain to Ghana, His Excellency Javier Gutierrez on Friday called on Rt. Hon. Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin at Parliament in Accra.
    The visit was to re-enforce relations between the two countries, particularly bilateral relations between members of both parliaments, to promote close collaboration with Civil Society Organisations and to foster cultural exchanges in the areas of education, renewable energy, trade and investments, sports, arts and culture and security.
    Ambassador Gutierrez said Ghana and Spain established diplomatic relations in 1986 when the Spanish Ambassador in Liberia was concurrently accredited to Ghana, whiles Ghana’s Ambassador to France was concurrently accredited to Spain in 1973.
    Spain established a resident diplomatic Mission in Accra 1989 and in 2004, Ghana established a Mission in Madrid. Bilateral relations between the two countries have been deepened progressively following the establishment of Ghana’s diplomatic presence in the country.
    Trade between the two countries has been growing steadily since 2013 with the balance of trade skewed in Spain’s favor.
    The principal exports from Ghana to Spain are aluminum, fish, sea food products, timber and semi-processed wood products, cocoa butter, manganese, and fruit juice concentrate.
    However, major Spanish exports to Ghana are edible oil products, optical instruments, ceramic tiles, electrical equipment, mining explosives, wine, and cosmetic products.
    Ambassador Gutierrez disclosed that cultural relations have hinged on the awards of Spanish Government scholarships to Ghanaian for higher studies in Spanish institutions.
    As mark of her decision to strengthen bilateral relations with Ghana, Spain has been offering scholarships to Ghanaian students to pursue studies predominantly in Spanish language courses in Universities in Spain and also sponsoring courses for the Ghana Army.
    The Rt. Hon. Speaker Bagbin assured Ambassador Gutierrez of Ghana’s commitment to deepen bilateral relations with Spain in areas of education, tourism and culture.
    Speaker Bagbin stressed on the need to create more opportunities for women to participate in politics, adding that there was a need for women Parliamentarians to collaborate with their colleagues from other Parliaments, adding that members of the Women Caucus in parliament will join their counterparts in Spain for knowledge exchange programmes.
    Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, the Majority Leader, said both countries could deepen their friendship through exchanges in exports/imports and tourism to boost the economy of the two countries.
    Source: Parliament of Ghana

  • Ukraine war: Hundreds arrested as Russian draft protests continue

    Hundreds of people have been arrested by authorities as protests against Russia’s new “partial mobilisation” continue across the country, an independent rights group has said.

    OVD-Info said 724 people were detained across 32 different cities on Saturday.

    Widespread demonstrations have broken out since President Vladimir Putin announced plans to draft 300,000 men to fight in Ukraine.

    Unsanctioned rallies are banned under Russian law.

    But Mr Putin’s move to draft civilians into the military has sparked large scale protests in urban areas, with more than 1,000 people being detained at demonstrations earlier this week.

    In Moscow, news agency AFP reported witnessing one demonstrator shouting “we are not cannon fodder” as she was arrested by officers.

    And in St Petersburg, Russia’s second city, one man told reporters: “I don’t want to go to war for Putin.”

    Seventy-year-old Natalya Dubova told AFP that she opposed the war and confessed she was “afraid for young people” being ordered to the front.

    Some of those arrested on Saturday reported being handed draft papers and ordered to report to recruiting centres while being held by security officials. The Kremlin defended the practice earlier this week, saying “it isn’t against the law”.

    Moscow has also approved harsh new punishments for those accused of dereliction of duty once drafted.

    Mr Putin signed fresh decrees on Saturday imposing punishments of up to 10 years imprisonment for any soldier caught surrendering, attempting to desert the military or refusing to fight.

    The president also signed orders granting Russian citizenship to any foreign national who signs up to serve a year in the country’s military.

    The decree, which some observers have suggested displays how severe Moscow’s shortage of troops has become, bypasses the usual requirement of five years of residency in the country.

    Elsewhere, other young Russians continue to flee mobilisation by seeking to leave the country.

    On the border with Georgia, queues of Russian cars stretch back more than 30km (18 miles) and the interior ministry has urged people not to travel.

    Local Russian officials have admitted that there’s been a significant influx of cars trying to cross – with nearly 2,500 vehicles waiting at one checkpoint.

    The admission is a change of tone from Russia, with the Kremlin describing reports of Russians fleeing conscription as “fake” on Thursday.

    One man the BBC spoke to in Vladikavkaz in North Ossetia, on the Russian side of the border, said he could see car registration numbers from all over Russia.

    “Our people don’t have the correct information about the situation in Ukraine,” he said. “Also, what I can say about people that I’ve been speaking with… it’s simple, people don’t want to go to war.”

    Meanwhile, Finland has also seen a sharp increase in the number of Russians seeking to enter the country.

    Matti Pitkaniitty, a spokesperson for the country’s Border Guard, said the number of Russians arriving had more than doubled since last week.

    On Friday, the government announced plans to stop Russian tourists entering the country.

    “The aspiration and purpose is to significantly reduce the number of people coming to Finland from Russia,” President Sauli Niinistö told the state broadcaster.

    Several other neighbouring states have already ruled out offering asylum to Russians seeking to avoid the draft.

    “Many Russians who now flee Russia because of mobilisation were fine with killing Ukrainians,” Latvia’s Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs said. “They did not protest then. It is not right to consider them as conscientious objectors.”

    On Friday, the Kremlin revealed a host of occupations it said will be exempt from conscription aimed at boosting its war effort in Ukraine.

    IT workers, bankers and journalists working for state media will escape the “partial mobilisation” announced by President Putin on Wednesday.

    But some have cast doubt on the truth of the Kremlin’s claims, and reports have been emerging of Russian men who do not meet the criteria being called up by local recruiting officers.

    Margarita Simonyan, the editor of the state-run media outlet RT, posted to Twitter a list of elderly and disabled citizens ordered to report for duty.

    Source: BBC

  • Italy votes as far-right Meloni looks for victory

    Italians are deciding whether to choose their most right-wing government since World War Two, in an election being followed closely across Europe.

    Giorgia Meloni leads the far-right Brothers of Italy party and is aiming to become the country’s first female prime minister allied with two other parties on the right.

    She has softened her image and resents being linked to Italy’s fascist past.

    She backs Western sanctions on Russia and has toned down rhetoric on Europe.

    But she still embraces an old slogan adopted by the fascists – “God, fatherland and family” – she has spoken out against the “LGBT lobby” and called for a naval blockade of Libya to halt migration.

    Voting continues until 23:00 (21:00 GMT), when exit polls and projections will give an idea of who has won.

    An hour south of Rome, in the town of Latina, observers believe the far right can seize the town from the left. Founded in 1932 by fascist leader Benito Mussolini, Latina still bears traces of the dictator, but has suffered from years of underfunding.

    “Take a look, it’s a disaster,” says one passer by. The town has had a left-wing mayor in recent years, but the far right has Latina in its sights. Meloni-ally Matteo Salvini came here last week to round off his League party’s campaign. Centre-right Forza Italia under ex-prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, 85, is also part of her coalition.

    Gianluca Atlante
    Image caption, Gianluca Atlante’s office is directly opposite the Palazzo Emme, built in honour of Mussolini

    “Meloni speaks to the guts of the people,” says Gianluca Atlante, a journalist with local newspaper Latina Oggi. Behind him sits the imposing Palazzo Emme, built in the shape of a letter M for Mussolini. These days it serves as the local headquarters of the finance ministry’s law enforcement agency.

    Italy’s economy was picking up after the Covid-19 pandemic, but then the energy crisis – largely triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – sent prices soaring. While the politicians have spent recent days arguing over Russia and Europe, Italians are most worried about paying their bills.

    The EU agreed to send Italy an eye-watering €200bn (£178bn) in post-Covid recovery grants and loans but that is conditional on reforms agreed by the outgoing unity government of Mario Draghi. Giorgia Meloni has called for the plan to be revised and has talked of doing more to “defend” Italy’s national interests in the EU.

    No wonder many of Europe’s leaders are watching this vote closely.

    Matteo Salvini of "Lega" political party, Silvio Berlusconi of "Forza Italia" party and Giorgia Meloni of "Fratelli d'Italia" party attend a rally on 22 September in Rome
    IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Giorgia Meloni (R) has formed an alliance with Silvio Berlusconi (C) of Forza Italia and Matteo Salvini’s League

    Until early August, Italy’s left and centre parties were aiming to mount a joint challenge to the Meloni alliance. But they failed to reach agreement, and Ms Meloni’s biggest rival in the opinion polls – centre-left Democratic Party leader Enrico Letta – now faces an uphill struggle.

    He even shares several policies with the Five Star Movement led by Giuseppe Conte, but they do not see eye to eye.

    From right to left, the politicians agree Italy’s school system is in a state of decay but schoolteachers such as Elisa are sceptical this election will change that.

    Italians are electing two houses of parliament – the Chamber and the Senate – and under new rules their size has been cut by a third, so the Chamber has 400 seats and the Senate 200.

    That is likely to help the winning alliance most, when coupled with Italy’s mixed electoral system. More than a third of seats are won by a UK-style first-past-the-post constituency contest, and more than 60% by proportional representation across Italy.

    Any alliance that wins 40% of the vote could win as many as 60% of seats, Italian commentators believe. It is a new system so it is being closely watched, and by the right-wing alliance especially, because they need the backing of two-thirds of the parliament to carry out one of their keynote policies.

    Even if Brothers of Italy do top the vote, and Giorgia Meloni’s allies hand her an overall majority, it is not their decision who becomes prime minister. That rests with President Sergio Mattarella, backed by parliament, and he plays an important role in Italy’s constitution.

    Ms Meloni and her allies want a radical change to his role by making him a directly elected head of state rather than an impartial figure chosen by parliament. “Presidentialism” may sound more democratic, but there’s a reason why some Italians are worried by the thought of handing more power to their head of state – and that also goes back to Italy’s previous experience of fascism.

    In Latina, they are not just watching the political battle playing out between left and right, there is another story that is also on people’s minds.

    Standing for the Senate is one of Italy’s most treasured stars of the past, Gina Lollobrigida. Now 95, she became a cinema legend in the 1960s and she has defied a fractured femur to fight in Sunday’s election.

    Source: BBC

  • Black Sherif releases date of his debut album titled ‘The Villain I Never Was’

    Mohammed Ismail Sherif Kwaku Frimpong, also known as Black Sherif, is a popular figure in Ghana and a nominee for the 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards.

    The talented Ghanaian rapper and performer has been the centre of attention ever since he first gained infamy on the music scene.

    Black Sherif releases date of his debut album titled ‘The Villain I Never Was’

    He consistently releases chart-topping songs and gives excellent verses on songs on which he is featured.

    The multi-award-winning rapper who released “Soja” on Thursday, September 22, 2022, also revealed the completion and release date for his debut album, which is titled “The Villian I Never Was”.

    Controversies have sparked up regarding the release of his new song dubbed ‘Soja’.

    Anxiety amongst the fans has made them not to wait any longer for the album since his lyrics are straight forward from his heart in addition to his fans relating to his lyrics.

    From the details he shared via his official Apple Music account, the album will be available for purchase and streamed on all digital music platforms on Thursday, October 6, 2022.

    The album, ‘The Villain I Never Was’, contains 14 tracks which includes ‘Second Sermon’ remix featuring Burna boy, ‘Kweku The Traveller’, and ‘Soja’.

    Source: GNA

     

  • Banks near insolvency, over $1b needed for financial sector clean-up – Bright Simons

    Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, has noted that some banks are on the verge of insolvency due to the government’s inability to protect the country’s fiscal space.

    The dreary picture about the state of Ghanaian banks as the country’s fiscal system is in distress by Mr Simons while speaking at the 2022 Baah-Wiredu Memorial Lecture on Thursday suggests that the situation will cause “catastrophic problems” for the economy.

    To remedy this, he suggested that the government injects more than projected $ 1 billion for a financial sector clean-up.

    “Some banks are already on the brink of capital distress, some banks are literally on the brink of insolvency in Ghana now because of the government’s attitude that well the fiscal authorities do not have money and so I do not have the $ 1 billion that I need to fix the problem, I am just going to leave it for now.

    “We had a run on one or two banks because they keep failing clearing and the word goes out that they are failing clearing and because of that people start to pull out their monies, we are seeing that in the investment side…we know that the $1billion that the Governor says it is waiting for is not enough,” he said.

    He added that asset quality reviews done on some banks revealed their distressing positions and urged the government to tread cautiously in dealing with the matter.

    “When we do an asset quality review, things that were hidden pop up. Do you remember those days when they announce profits, a large amount and they were winning awards and all of a sudden we did an asset quality review and things started to become frightening…I think that the government has to be extremely careful,” he noted.

    The government has since 2018 spent about GH₵25billion on the banking sector clean-up to save the deposits of customers.

  • Raducanu retires from Korea Open semi-final

    Emma Raducanu was forced to retire from her Korea Open semi-final against Jelena Ostapenko due to injury, leaving the Latvian to face second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in Sunday’s final.

    The 2021 US Open winner was featuring in her first semi-final since that fairytale triumph at Flushing Meadows, and took the opening set 6-4 after making a flying start on Saturday.

    Ostapenko then fought back to level the match, with Raducanu first appearing to struggle with her movement when she was a break up in the second, forcing her to take an off-court medical timeout.

    The 19-year old later retired citing a left glute injury when 3-0 down in the decider, ending her confidence-boosting run in Seoul and teeing up a final meeting between the top two seeds.

    Indeed, Alexandrova enjoyed a more routine outing in her meeting with Wimbledon semi-finalist Tatjana Maria, downing the German 6-2 6-4 to advance to her second final of the year.

    At the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, meanwhile, Chinese teenager Zheng Qinwen reached her first WTA Tour final with a hard-fought win over world number 13 Veronika Kudermetova.

    Having required over three hours to seal her 5-7 6-3 7-6 (7-3) triumph, the world number 36 said: “After the match when I won the last point, the feeling was incredible.

    “The opponent, she’s playing unbelievable tennis. She has a really good serve and hits the ball hard, she moves well. It’s my first time in the final. I’m so happy.”

    Her compatriot Zhang Shuai was unable to replicate those exploits, however, as Liudmila Samsonova eased into her third WTA final of the year with a 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 win.

    In-form Samsonova has won both of her previous final appearances this year – each of which came last month – and is 3-0 in showpiece matches for her career.

    Source: Live score

  • Donors spending millions on Trump’s legal battles

    As Donald Trump’s legal woes mount, donors and the Republican party have paid millions in dollars of his legal fees.

    His newest legal headache saw him and three of his children hit with a fraud lawsuit, which alleges they lied about the value of property “by billions”.

    Financial data shows that he has already spent more than $1m (£890,000) of donations fighting the case in 2022.

    Mr Trump has denied any wrongdoing.

    The latest lawsuit, announced by New York state Attorney General Letitia James, was the culmination of a long-running civil investigation which began in 2019.

    Funded by supporters’ donations

    Millions of dollars spent combatting these charges have come from Mr Trump’s Save America political action committee (PAC) – which takes donations from Trump supporters across the country – Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show.

    Save America has paid more than $1.12m this year alone to law firms hired to defend Mr Trump in the New York case. As a so-called “Leadership PAC”, it can use money to pay for expenses that cannot be funded by campaign committees, such as some personal travel or some leadership expenses.

    The website of Save America’s Joint Fundraising Committee – which contributes both to Save America and a second Trump PAC, Make America Great Again – makes no mention of legal bills, saying only that “the future of our Country [sic] is at stake and President Trump is calling on all Patriots to join his fight to Save America”.

    Of the $1.12m spent, more than $942,000 has gone to the firm of Alina Habba, a New Jersey-based attorney who has doubled as a Trump spokeswoman.

    Another lawyer, New York-based Alan Futerfas, received nearly $185,000 in July. Mr Futerfas is representing Mr Trump’s children – Don Jr, Ivanka, and Eric – in the New York fraud case.

    It is unclear how much of his own money Mr Trump has spent on his legal cases.

    One donor told the BBC the idea of funding the lawsuits didn’t bother him at all.

    “In my opinion, he can do whatever he wants with the money,” said Rom Solene, a Republican from Arizona.

    “The non-stop nonsense and antics being conducted by the Democrats on a man who no longer holds political office shows the extent to which the Democrats are willing to go to persecute a political opponent. Not to mention, it shows how much the Democrats and other Washington insiders fear Mr Trump.”

    The fraud investigation is just one of several expensive legal challenges facing the former president, however.

    The other cases include:

    • A criminal investigation into possible property crimes, which is linked to the civil fraud case in New York. The state attorney general referred evidence to federal prosecutors and the Internal Revenue Service. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office is also investigating.
    • Allegations Mr Trump mishandled classified documents, which saw FBI agents search his Mar-a-Lago property on 8 August. He is also being investigated for obstruction of justice.
    • The chief prosecutor of Georgia’s Fulton County is investigating potential state election crimes related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Part of this revolves around a phone call, in which the former president told a top state election official to “find 11,780 votes”.
    • A congressional committee has accused Mr Trump of inciting “an insurrection” when his supporters ransacked the Capitol on 6 January 2021. There have been no charges arising from this investigation, which is ongoing.
    • Various lawsuits by police officers who have accused Mr Trump of inciting the 6 January attack in which they suffered injuries.

    In August alone, Mr Trump spent more than $3.8m on legal fees in the wake of the FBI’s search of his Palm Beach estate, Mar-a-Lago, the bulk of which – about $3m – went to a nearby Florida firm.

    Smaller amounts went to lawyers involved in his other legal issues, including a Georgia investigation into whether he and his allies tried to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

    But there is no indication the former president’s method of settling his legal bills violates any statute.

    Erin Chlopak, a campaign finance expert at the Campaign Legal Center, a Washington DC-based non-profit, told the BBC that legal expenses often fall into a “grey area”, where it is left up to the Electoral Commission to decide if the expense is “personal” or whether it would exist “irrespective of a person’s status as a candidate or officeholder, in which case the money can be used”.

    “That’s a real problem in campaign finance law,” Ms Chlopak said. “We’ve seen that not just in the context of legal expenses, but in even more blatant personal uses, like personal travel, dining out at expensive restaurants and staying in hotels.”

    In Mr Trump’s case, Ms Chlopak added, the subject is complicated by the array of legal issues he is currently facing.

    “The results of applying the same standard would likely be different in circumstances related to business dealing that has nothing to do with one’s status as a former president, as opposed to actions that someone took based on their status as an officeholder.”

    In the past, the Republican National Committee (RNC) has also helped pay for some of Mr Trump’s legal bills, including some related to the New York attorney general’s investigation.

    In late August, however, Politico reported that the RNC would not pay legal fees related to the Mar-a-Lago search – and that it would completely stop paying legal fees if Mr Trump were to formally announce his intention to run for president in 2024.

    Ms Chlopak noted that the RNC is free to use funds as it sees fit.

    While he has hinted at the prospect, Mr Trump is yet to announce that he’ll run for the White House again in 2024.

    Source: BBC

  • Iran President Raisi to ‘deal decisively’ with widespread unrest

    Iran’s president has vowed to take action against protesters after more than a week of anti-government demonstrations.

    President Ebrahim Raisi pledged to “deal decisively” with the protests, which have now spread to most of Iran’s 31 provinces.

    Officials say some 35 people have been killed since protests broke out over the death of a women in police custody.

    Mahsa Amini died after being detained for allegedly breaking headscarf rules.

    Officers reportedly beat Ms Amini’s head with a baton and banged her head against one of their vehicles. The police have said there is no evidence of any mistreatment and that she suffered “sudden heart failure”.

    And while Mr Raisi says her death will be investigated, his Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi has insisted that Ms Amini had not been beaten.

    “Reports from oversight bodies were received, witnesses were interviewed, videos were reviewed, forensic opinions were obtained and it was found that there had been no beating,” he said.

    Videos circulating on social media have captured violent unrest in dozens of cities across the country, with some showing security forces firing what appeared to be live ammunition on protesters in the north-western cities of Piranshahr, Mahabad and Urmia.

    Amnesty International has warned that evidence it gathered pointed to “a harrowing pattern of Iranian security forces deliberately and unlawfully firing live ammunition at protesters”.

    It added that government forces shot 19 people dead – including three children – on Wednesday night alone. The BBC cannot independently verify this.

    Mr Raisi has dismissed the protests as “riots”. Iran, he said, must “deal decisively with those who oppose the country’s security and tranquillity”.

    Hundreds of people have been detained by security forces, with the police chief in the north-western province of Guilan announcing on Saturday that some 739 people – including 60 women – have been detained in his region alone.

    Government forces have also launched a crackdown on independent media and activists. The US-based media watchdog the Committee to Protect Journalists says 11 journalists have been detained since Monday.

    In the western border town of Oshnavieh, sources told the BBC that demonstrators briefly took control of sections of the town from government forces.

    Locals told the BBC that demonstrators had seized control overnight and that security forces and government officials had fled, before regaining control on Saturday. Videos posted from the town showed large crowds of people marching through city streets with no police presence, while loud explosions could be heard.

    State media denied the reports, but said protesters had stormed three outposts of the Basji Organisation, a paramilitary associated with the government’s Revolutionary Guards.

    The US says it will ease internet curbs on Iran to counter Tehran’s clampdown on the protests, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledging to “help make sure the Iranian people are not kept isolated and in the dark”.

    Source: BBC

     

     

  • Tite pleased by ‘impressive’ Brazil against Ghana

    Brazil head coach Tite has praised the “impressive” performance of his side regaining possession against Ghana.

    The South American side blitzed to a 3-0 win against their African opponents in a friendly in France, Marquinhos opening the scoring inside nine minutes before Richarlison struck a brace before the break.

    Victory in Le Havre raises optimism for the five-time World Cup champions before the tournament later this year, with Tite’s side excelling in the final third and putting their opponents to the sword.

    However, Tite was impressed by the display of his side without possession against Ghana as they quickly responded to win the ball back.

    “In the first half, the team mobilised to, after losing possession, immediately regain control of the ball,” he said.

    “There are several different ways to call it: lose-and-press, five seconds of madness, everyone uses a different term. But our speed in regaining possession was impressive.

    “When the balls stopped, the team also went well, it was clean. Coming to France, without the athletes having to change time zone, helped.”

    In the second half, Brazil were unable to perform entirely up to the standard they displayed in the opening 45 minutes but Tite believes doing so would not have been possible.

    “In the first half, the team had pace and the performance, they dominated and controlled. In the second half, Ghana managed to control for 15 minutes, we could not finish them as they had a wall of five players,” he explained.

    “At the same time, we were solid. If we didn’t create, we didn’t let our opponent create either. With the entry of fresh players [off the bench], we regained dominance.

    “Then we had clear chances to extend our lead. Matheus Cunha had two clear chances, there were chances with Neymar, Rodrygo, Paqueta.

    “So, the team was able to do well in these different stages but being equal to what we did in the first half does not always work.”

    Brazil face Tunisia on Tuesday in their final game before the World Cup commences in Qatar in November.

    Source: Live score

     

     

  • Southgate claims England display was ‘a step in the right direction’

    England manager Gareth Southgate insisted there were “a lot of positives” in the Three Lions’ 1-0 defeat to Italy on Friday.

    Giacomo Raspadori struck the only goal of the game to condemn England to equal their worst winless streak since 2014, and also resulted in relegation to League B of the Nations League.

    It marked another game without a goal for England, who are now 495 minutes without scoring from open play, and have just 90 minutes of football against Germany on Monday before the World Cup.

    However, despite receiving boos from the travelling supporters at San Siro, Southgate remains positive and suggested England were the better team.

    “It’s difficult for me to be too critical of the performance. We had more possession, more shots, more shots on target,” he said.

    “For large parts of the game we played very well. We didn’t deal with the decisive moment defensively. We had moments where we had the chance to be decisive in their final third, [but] our quality wasn’t quite right.

    “It’s a spell where ultimately results are going to be the thing that everyone reacts to, but I thought there were a lot of positives for us as a team tonight.

    “Lots of good individual performances. I personally thought the performance is a step in the right direction. I completely understand because of the result that is not going to be the reaction.

    “It’s really difficult to pinpoint why we are not scoring. I think we are getting into the right areas. We had the moments where we would have the pass but we just didn’t deliver that final piece of quality tonight.

    “I understand the reaction at the end because that’s the results we have had in this competition. It’s an understandable emotional reaction.”

    Source: Live score

  • Transfer Talk: Arsenal want Juve duo Vlahovic and Miretti in £100m swoop

    Arsenal are reportedly plotting a double raid on Juventus for star striker Dusan Vlahovic and playmaker Fabio Miretti.

    The Gunners have started the season superbly thanks to a summer spending spree, with Mikel Arteta’s side entering the international break top of the Premier League.

    And Calciomercato claim the Spaniard is ready to splash out £100million to bring in two of the Old Lady’s brightest talents.

    Vlahovic, 22, only arrived in Turin in January and has 13 strikes in 27 outings for his new employers after bursting onto the scene with Fiorentina.

    He would add extra firepower to a Gunners frontline that added Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira and Marquinhos in the last window and also includes the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

    The report adds that Arteta is also keen on 19-year-old central midfield prospect Miretti, who has been a key figure in Juve’s engine room this season.

    He is an Italy Under-21s international and would provide depth in an area where Arsenal are short of bodies.

    Convincing Juve to sell their main goal threat and a rising star could prove difficult, however, as they try to restore their status as Serie A’s dominant side.

    The Daily Mail claim Emirates chiefs have also opened talks with Eintracht Frankfurt over a £17m move for Denmark winger Jesper Lindstrom.

    Fabio Miretti is an Italian youth international with bags of potential
    Fabio Miretti is an Italian youth international with bags of potential

    In other news

    Reports in Italy claim Roma boss Jose Mourinho is keen to raid former club Chelsea to sign Trevoh Chalobah, 23, in January.

    Newcastle have not given up on James Maddison and will renew their attempts to prise him from Leicester in January, according to the Leicester Mercury.

    Chelsea and Manchester City are set to battle for the signature of £100m-rated AC Milan star Rafael Leao, claim the Manchester Evening News.

    Source: Live score

  • Enrique ‘optimistic’ about Spain as La Roja seek to win Nations League group

    Luis Enrique is “optimistic about what lies ahead” as Spain prepare to try and win Group A2 in the Nations League.

    La Roja host Switzerland on Saturday knowing a win will secure top spot for them if Portugal lose to the Czech Republic.

    Should they not seal it this weekend, Spain will have a second chance to do so when they travel to face Portugal in their final Nations League group game on Tuesday.

    Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Luis Enrique was boosted by what he had seen in training from his squad, including first-time call-ups Borja Iglesias and Nico Williams.

    “It has been the best week of training for the players since I became a coach,” he said. “Even Borja and Nico, making their debuts.

    “I am optimistic about what lies ahead. A brutal week, even those who play little have the level to compete.”

    The former Barcelona boss was refusing to look ahead to the clash with Portugal before facing the Swiss.

    “Even losing [to Switzerland], if we beat Portugal, We’ll be through,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean we’ll speculate. The next one is the most important game.

    “The good thing about the Nations League is that all the teams have something at stake. If Switzerland don’t get more points, they will [be relegated to League B].

    “Good players can play together like [Alvaro] Morata and Borja. We will not change the way any player plays and everyone has assimilated to our way of working.”

    Luis Enrique was also asked about the situation with the Spain women’s team, with 15 players having said they do not want to play under current head coach Jorge Vilda.

    Ballon d’Or winner and Barcelona superstar Alexia Putellas effectively joined the rebellion on Friday, posting a statement from the disenchanted group.

    “It is a totally abnormal situation, and difficult to manage,” Luis Enrique said on the matter. “But I have not the slightest doubt that the [Spanish Football] Federation will manage it in the best possible way. There are many factors.”

    Source: Live score

  • Argentina star Messi says he’s finding his feet at PSG

    Argentina star Lionel Messi believes he is beginning to find his feet at Paris Saint-Germain, having required a year to settle in after his move to France.

    Messi scored just 11 goals in 34 appearances during his first season at PSG in 2021-22, but has already struck six times in 11 outings for the Ligue 1 giants this campaign.

    The former Barcelona man is also enjoying himself on the international stage, scoring twice and adding an assist as Argentina extended their unbeaten run to 34 matches with a 3-0 friendly win over Honduras on Friday.

    Messi led his team for shots on target (three), touches in the opposition box (nine), crosses (three) and successful dribbles (two) in Miami, completing the scoring with a sumptuous 20-yard chip in the second half.

    Speaking to TyC Sports after the victory, Messi compared his current form favourably with that of last season.

    “I feel good, different from last year and I knew it was going to be like that,” Messi said.

    “Last year, as I already said, I had a bad time, I never finished finding myself and this one is different.

    “I arrived with a different head, more accommodated to the club, to the locker room, to the game, to my team-mates.

    “The truth is that I feel very good and I have enjoyed myself again.”

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

    Friday’s brace took Messi to 88 goals in 163 senior international caps, and he will join a select group of players to have appeared in five separate World Cups when Argentina begin their campaign against Saudi Arabia on November 22.

    The PSG forward believes Lionel Scaloni’s men are in a good place as their trip to Qatar approaches and is trying not to think about the possibility of his team suffering injuries before the event.

    He added: “It is complicated – there are many games and little rest time, but you have to face it as always.

    “If you are going to play matches thinking about the World Cup, taking care of yourself or not messing up, then in the end it can be worse.

    “I am one of those who think that things happen because they happen and if things have to happen they will happen. God willing nothing happens to anyone and we can all arrive at the World Cup as we are.

    “We are enjoying every moment that we are together and seriously preparing ourselves when it is time to work, working on many things because it is the last time that we all have to be together, and there will not be much time before the first World Cup match.

    “So, we took the opportunity to continue growing what we know and trying new things as well.”

    Source: Live score

  • Argentina 3-0 Honduras: Martinez and Messi strike in first half of friendly win

    Argentina were too good in their dominant 3-0 friendly win against Honduras on Friday, with two goals and an assist from Lionel Messi in a starring performance.

    Messi set up a goal and finished a penalty in an excellent first half, before capping off the outing with a long-range chip to capitalise on a defensive mistake.

    Julian Alvarez and Giovani Lo Celso also manufactured openings as Argentina racked up 17 shots to Honduras’ two, but ultimately this would be the Messi show.

    Argentina opened the scoring in the 16th minute, when Messi delivered a spectacular ball from the centre of the park to find Papu Gomez on his run into the box from the left wing, giving him the chance to roll a simple squaring pass to Lautaro Martinez in the six-yard box for a tap-in.

    Messi’s creativity was on full display again to create the second goal, with an almost identical pass finding Lo Celso breaking into the box from the left wing, before the desperate Honduran defence pulled him down for a penalty.

    Messi stepped up to the spot himself and made no mistake, calmly sending the goalkeeper the wrong way and rolling the ball into the bottom-right corner.

    Argentina took their foot off the pedal in the second half, but when a mistake in defence saw a loose ball fall for Messi just outside the edge of the penalty area, with no defender between him and the goal, he caught everyone off guard with an audacious and picture-perfect first-time chip over Luis Lopez’s head.

    What does it mean? Unbeatable Argentina’s streak remains intact 

    With the win, Argentina remain undefeated in their 34 matches since last losing to Brazil in the Copa America semi-final back in 2019. They are three matches away from tying Italy for the longest international unbeaten streak – a mark they set just last year.

    Messi magic at the centre of Argentinian attack

    The Paris Saint-Germain star led his team in nearly every important statistical category, including shots on target (three), touches in opposition box (nine), crosses (three) and successful dribbles (two).

    His ability to pick out smart runs from the left wing behind the defence was directly responsible for both of the first two goals, and his chip finish for the third was sublime.

    Lonely day up top for Quioto

    Honduras striker Romell Quioto had very little supply all day as his side finished with 33 per cent possession, but he did himself no favours.

    Of his four passes in the final-third, only one found a teammate, and he finished with no shots and no chances created before being subbed off in the 83rd minute.

    What’s next?

    Argentina are scheduled to take on Jamaica in their next friendly on Tuesday in what will be their last match before jetting off to Qatar. Honduras will host Guatemala, also on Tuesday.

    Source: Live score

  • Italy 1-0 England: Raspadori strike relegates Three Lions

    England suffered relegation to Nations League B after a 1-0 defeat to Italy at the San Siro — a result which also equalled their worst run of form in eight years.

    Giacomo Raspadori curled home the only meaningful attempt of the game for the hosts, capitalising on sloppy defending from Kyle Walker.

    Italy’s win was only their third in 10 matches, though the performance did little to ease concerns around Roberto Mancini’s side.

    It is England who face more immediate problems with just 90 minutes of football left before the World Cup begins — and Gareth Southgate’s men looked far from ready here.

    Italy took the lead with their first meaningful chance early in the second half as Leonardo Bonucci pumped the ball forward and Raspadori was given time to curl into the far corner beyond Nick Pope.

    Despite making changes to try and change the flow of the game, England could not break the Italian resistance and slumped to defeat.

    World Cup worries for England

    The mid-season fall of the World Cup in Qatar means no pre-tournament friendlies for the teams competing, giving England just 90 minutes of football before the opening group game against Iran, who beat Uruguay 1-0 earlier on Friday in a friendly.

    Now five games without a win and 495 minutes without a goal from open play, Southgate is under intense scrutiny and his team selection continues to baffle — particularly Bukayo Saka starting at left wing-back.

    While a lack of goals will always be concerning, the inability to even create opportunities despite an array of attacking options is a problem without an easy fix.

    Raspadori’s return

    Raspadori’s winner against England was his fourth in an Italy shirt since making his debut in June 2021 — level with Nicolo Barella and with no player within Roberto Mancini’s squad having scored more.

    Italy’s absence from the World Cup remains a bitter pill to swallow but Raspadori is already showing he can be a key player in the defence of the European Championship title in 2024.

    Southgate’s sorrows compounded

    The Three Lions have failed to score from open play in five games in the Nations League having only nertted from the penalty spot — an unwanted record they share with minnows San Marino.

    With just 56 days before the World Cup, Southgate received boos from the travelling contingent at the San Siro and requires a massive upturn in form if England are to equal their exploits in last year’s European Championship.

    What’s next?

    England’s Nations League campaign comes to a close against Germany at Wembley on Monday, while Italy will face Hungary to decide the group winner.

    Source: Live score

     

  • Iran unrest: What’s going on with Iran and the internet?

    Activists in Iran are expressing concern about widespread internet outages and residents being unable to access social media.

    Anger has circulated online after over a week of protests sparked by the death of a Kurdish woman in police custody.

    Internet monitoring group NetBlocks said Instagram and WhatsApp – two of the major communication tools that Iran usually allows – had been restricted.

    WhatsApp said it was working to keep Iranian users connected.

    The two Meta-owned apps have millions of Iranian users and have become increasingly popular after authorities blocked other platforms in recent years, including Facebook and Twitter.

    Telegram, YouTube and TikTok have also periodically been closed down.

    The latest intermittent blackouts follow the eruption of nationwide protests over Mahsa Amini’s death. The 22-year-old had been detained for allegedly failing to adhere to hijab (headscarf) rules.

    NetBlocks reported that the internet was partially reconnected on Thursday night but that on Friday it was suffering a “nation-scale loss of connectivity” again.

    “People in Iran are being cut off from online apps and services,” Instagram chief Adam Mosseri tweeted, adding that “we hope their right to be online will be reinstated quickly”.

    But others accused Meta of being complicit in disconnecting users.

    Meta has a team of Persian-speaking reviewers who look at and remove content that violates their rules.

    If a post that has broken Meta’s community standards has been reported by users or flagged by technology, it will be taken down.

    Some shared their evidence that content supporting the Iranian protests had been blocked by Meta.

    People also reported not being able to access their WhatsApp accounts even when trying to use a VPN and proxy.

    Ordinarily, website access is heavily restricted by government filters and only those with VPNs can access uncensored content from overseas websites. But this ban seems different.

    So what is really going on?

    The internet blackouts largely come from Iran’s biggest mobile phone operator being offline. Iran Mobile Communications Company has more than 60 million customers.

    Earlier in the week, the communications minister blamed security reasons for the disruption.

    But Isik Mater from NetBlocks told the BBC: “The internet is one of the biggest tools that the Iranian authorities have got in their hands when unrest breaks out on the streets.”

    She says because there is no private broadcast network in Iran, the internet is the “only place” where protesters can share their voice.

    Mahsa Amini
    IMAGE SOURCE,MAHSA AMINI FAMILY Image caption, Mahsa Amini died after she collapsed at a morality police detention centre

    Miss Amini’s death has unleashed anger over issues including personal freedoms and economic challenges in Iran.

    Protesters – many of whom are women who have been waving and burning their veils – say they fear an escalating crackdown.

    “We are worried that the world will forget about Iran as soon as the regime shuts down the internet – which is already happening,” one activist, who wanted to remain anonymous, said.

    Most of the protests and campaigns are organised by people over social media and if they cannot get connected then it becomes much more difficult to mobilise.

    Protesters block a street in Tehran
    IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Protests over Mahsa Amini’s death have spread across Iran

    Shayan Sardarizadeh from the BBC’s disinformation unit said: “Shutting down internet connections nationwide is the nuclear option for Iranian authorities, only triggered when they fear protests are on a scale that pose an existential threat to the regime.

    “It is an effective tool that severely harms the ability of protesters to organise, communicate and inform the outside world, but it also carries a huge cost for the Iranian economy, businesses and public services.

    “However, Iranian authorities have shown time and again that when faced with a choice between a severe hit to the economy and cracking down on political unrest at any cost, they will always choose the latter.”

    Clamping down heavily on protesters and internet blackouts has worked to suppress people in Iran in the past.

    But fears are growing that the situation could escalate to something like 2019 protests that erupted over petrol price rises, the bloodiest in the Islamic republic’s history.

    During those protests, the internet was cut off for days at a time.

    Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has said protesting is allowed in the country but “rioting” will not be tolerated.

    “Protests have always happened in Iran. The protesters are heard. However, protests must be distinguished from rioting,” he said.

    Source: BBC

     

     

  • BoG vows to punish institutions pricing in dollars, other foreign currencies

    The Bank of Ghana has reiterated its caution to institutions that do not have permission to price in foreign currencies to desist from engaging in such transactions.

    According to the Central Bank, it is illegal for companies, particularly those in the hospitality and the real estate sectors, to quote their offerings in foreign currencies, and will thus not hesitate to punish them.

    Speaking to the media, the Head of Other Financial Institutions Supervision Department, Yaw Sarpong, said it will step up its monitoring activities to address the challenge.

    “As I indicated earlier, the pricing in dollars, other currencies by institutions is engaging our attention and we have teams out there that identify some of these institutions for us to deal with them. I want to re-echo that it is illegal to price or advertise foreign currency unless you have permission from Bank of Ghana to do that”.

    “There are a few institutions in the country that by the nature of their operations have been able to secure exceptions, other than that it is illegal to do that.

    Mr. Sarpong further said the Bank of Ghana will step up its monitoring activities to make sure that recalcitrant firms’ pricing in dollars are punished.

    He, however, encouraged the general public to inform the Central Bank of any institution quoting its services in dollars.

    “The ones that come to our attention, we will deal with them, but we need everybody on board, the media. So if anybody comes to your station wanting to advertise in dollars, you have to let the person know that this is illegal and you don’t want to be associated with it.”

    “We have to let the advertising agencies know that and we have. I am sure that if we all collaborate we can deal with this situation”, Mr. Sarpong explained.

  • A Ghanaian view of the Queen’s funeral: ‘They march, we dance’

    In our series of letters from African journalists, Elizabeth Ohene compares the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II to those in her home country, Ghana.

    We do not have any personality that ranks on the scale of Queen Elizabeth II, so it is probably not fair to compare her funeral with how we do funerals here in Ghana.

    But since we pride ourselves on being world leaders in funerals, it is not surprising that we have been watching the spectacle of her funeral with keen interest.

    The first major departure from a grand funeral, as we know it, is to have buried the Queen within 10 days of her death.

    In Ghana, the greater the status of the dead person, the longer the wait for the funeral. We seem to think that to bury someone quickly after her death is to show disrespect.

    To illustrate with a personal experience, my siblings and I are still seen in a bad light in our home village because we buried our mother three weeks after her death. We are told with disgust that we buried our mother like she was a fowl!

    So, it will take some getting used to the fact that the Queen died on 8 September and was buried on 19 September.

    Coffin shaped like a chilli pepper
    IMAGE SOURCE,FELLIPE ABREU Image caption, Ghanaians are known for their elaborate coffins, which represent an aspect of the deceased’s life – like a love of chilli pepper

    Then there is the question of the long silences that characterised her funeral events.

    Over here, funerals are extremely noisy affairs – on the funeral grounds and even in the church.

    The noise level at our funerals is meant to be high. If we play music, we play it loudly. If we are drumming, it is very loud and any number of groups can do it at the same time.

    We cry. We wail to show our grief. We are expected to demonstrate the pain of our loss by crying out loud and often hysterically.

    Indeed, we hire professional wailers to provide an adequate backdrop to the funeral, so it might not be said that there was no crying at your mother’s funeral. It is the ultimate insult.

    At the Queen’s funeral, if tears welled up in someone’s eyes, it was something to comment on. If a daughter-in-law wiped a silent tear, it made headlines.

    People in the crowds kept apologising for being “emotional”, which is a code word for tears or for being on the verge of breaking down.

    A woman mourns after viewing the body of late President John Atta Mills at the parliament in Accra on August 8, 2012
    IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Ghanaian funerals are characterised by loud crying and wailing

    Everybody around here has been impressed by how orderly everything was at the funeral.

    There were straight lines. Of course, we do not expect anything less from the military and since they took centre stage at the events, the regimented order was to be expected. Our funerals are more like organised chaos.

    We know from long association with the British that they are generally punctual and do things on time, rigidly on time.

    This is disconcerting for us here, where, in relation to funerals, time is at best an approximation.

    To lie in state, the Queen’s coffin left Buckingham Palace at exactly the announced time – 14:22.

    The state funeral service lasted for an hour. That certainly is disconcerting for a Ghanaian audience – it would have taken at least that long to introduce the VVIPs present. And with the whole world watching, the Archbishop of Canterbury gave a homily of less than six minutes!

    All these considerations have led me to conclude that the main difference between our funerals and that of the Queen can be summed up as: They march and we dance.

    A march is performed by a group and watched by multitudes. A march is rigid. It requires practice and rehearsals over and over again as you cannot put one foot wrong. You can’t join in. Emotions are out of place.

    A dance is an art form that can be performed by a group and watched by multitudes, but it is participatory and all can join in. We make it up as we go along. There is room for mistakes and organised chaos.

    I suspect we shall be taking some lessons from the marching to incorporate into our future funerals. I wonder if the British can take some lessons from our dancing?

    Source: BBC

  • US to ease internet curbs for Iranians amid protest

    The US says it will ease internet curbs on Iran to counter Tehran’s clampdown on protests which were sparked by a woman’s death in police custody.

    “We are going to help make sure the Iranian people are not kept isolated and in the dark,” said US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

    The relaxation of software controls will allow American tech firms to expand their business in Iran.

    At least 35 people have been killed in the worst unrest in Iran for years.

    Mahsa Amini, 22, fell into a coma last week, hours after morality police arrested her for allegedly breaking headscarf rules.

    Officers reportedly beat Ms Amini’s head with a baton and banged her head against one of their vehicles. The police have said there is no evidence of any mistreatment and that she suffered “sudden heart failure”.

    Anti-government protests continued for an eight straight night on Friday, while pro-regime rallies also took place in Tehran and other cities.

    Mr Blinken said the partial relaxation of internet restrictions was a “concrete step to provide meaningful support to Iranians demanding that their basic rights be respected”. It was clear, he added, that the Iranian government was “afraid of its own people”.

    The US treasury said the move would help counter the Iranian government’s attempt to “surveil and censor” its people.

    But it is unlikely to have an immediate impact as it “does not remove every tool of communications repression”.

    Billionaire Elon Musk said on Twitter that he would activate his satellite internet firm, Starlink, to provide internet services to Iran in response to Mr Blinken’s announcement.

    Starlink provides internet services via a huge network of satellites and is aimed at people who live in remote areas who cannot get high-speed internet.

    US officials said that the updated license did not cover hardware supplied by Mr Musk but his firm and others were welcome to apply for permission to the treasury.

    Footage shared on social media on Friday showed large crowds of protesters gather in several Tehran neighbourhoods after dark, while other incidents occurred elsewhere the country. In the protests women have defiantly taken off their hijabs and burned them, or cut off their hair in front of cheering crowds.

    While spreading across much of the country, many of the early protests were concentrated in western Iran, particularly areas with large Kurdish populations, the group Ms Amini belonged to.

    On Friday, reports emerged from Oshnavieh, in Iran’s West Azerbaijan Province, which borders Kurdistan, showing widespread protests, as well as suggestions demonstrators had taken control of large parts of the city. The BBC was unable to confirm this.

    Videos posted from Oshnavieh showed large crowds of people marching through city streets with no police presence, while loud explosions could be heard.

    Friday also saw pro-regime demonstrations in Tehran and other cities, with those present declaring support for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has been a target of anti-government protesters.

    President Ebrahim Raisi spoke at a pro-government event, saying he would not allow the country’s security to be “threatened”.

    “We will not allow people’s security to be put at risk under any circumstances,” he said, shortly after returning from the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

    Stressing that Iran’s “enemies” wanted to exploit the unrest, Mr Raisi said the government would listen to criticism over Ms Amini’s death, but would not be influenced by “rioting”.

    Source: BBC

     

  • Ukraine war: Putin not bluffing about nuclear weapons – EU

    The EU must take Vladimir Putin’s threats he could use nuclear weapons in the conflict in Ukraine seriously, the bloc’s foreign policy chief has said.

    Josep Borrell told the BBC’s Lyse Doucet that the war had reached a “dangerous moment”.

    His remarks come as Russia begins a partial mobilisation and moves to annex four regions of Ukraine.

    Mr Putin has faced setbacks on the battlefield, with his forces pushed back by a Ukrainian counter-offensive.

    “Certainly it’s a dangerous moment because the Russian army has been pushed into a corner, and Putin’s reaction – threatening using nuclear arms – it’s very bad,” Mr Borrell said.

    Seven months since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, analysts agree that President Putin’s forces are on the back foot, but he said a “diplomatic solution” must be reached, one that “preserves the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”.

    “Otherwise, we can finish the war, but we will not have peace, and we will have another war,” he said.

    In a rare address to the nation earlier this week, Mr Putin said his country had “various weapons of destruction” and would “use all the means available to us”, adding: “I’m not bluffing”.

    “When people say it is not a bluff, you have to take them seriously,” Mr Borrell said.

    In the same speech President Putin announced the call-up of 300,000 Russians who have done compulsory military service, sparking protests and reports of people fleeing the country to avoid being sent to the front line.

    It comes after a rapid counter-offensive in which Ukraine says it took more than 8,000 sq km (3,088 sq miles) back from Russian forces.

    Now self-styled referendums on joining Russia are being held in four occupied regions. Ukraine has denounced these as annexation attempts, and reported that armed Russian soldiers are going door-to-door collecting votes.

    Source: BBC

  • Elton John cries as Biden surprises him with medal at White House gig

    Sir Elton John has played for Joe Biden and about 2,000 fans on the White House lawn as part of his farewell tour, with the singer in tears as the president awarded him a medal.

    Introducing the star, Mr Biden said: “Like so many Americans, our family loves his music. It’s clear Elton John’s music has changed our lives.”

    The president said in his 2017 book that he sang Crocodile Rock to his son Beau when he was a child, and again when he was dying of cancer.

    Sir Elton performed the song at Friday’s gig, as well as tracks such as Tiny Dancer, Rocketman and Your Song.

    Nurses, teachers, emergency services workers and LGBTQ activists were among the audience at the show, intended to honour what the White House called “everyday heroes”.

    The singer, 75, said the performance was the “icing on the cake” of his decades-long career.

    Elton had previously declined to play for former president Donald Trump’s inauguration but appeared in his element at Friday’s gig.

    And there was a surprise too – with President Biden awarding him the National Humanities Medal.

    “I’m flabbergasted,” said a tearful Sir Elton. “I will treasure this.”

    “I don’t know how to take a compliment very well,” he added.

    “But it’s wonderful to be here amongst so many people who have helped my AIDS foundation and my heroes, the ones that work day to day on the front line.”

    Pic: AP
    Image:Pic: AP

    In between songs, Elton gave shout-outs to the likes of ex-president George W Bush for his administration’s plan to tackle AIDS – and former first lady Laura Bush was in the audience.

    The singer’s foundation has raised more than £400m to combat the virus around the world since being set up in 1992.

    Elton is in the middle of a farewell tour that includes a show in Washington on Saturday and gigs across America until mid-November.

    It heads to Australia and New Zealand at the end of the year before heading to Europe in March – where dates include nine days at London’s O2 Arena.

    Source: Sky news

  • 20-time Grand Slam champion, Roger Federer, retires after Laver Cup loss

    A tearful Roger Federer waved goodbye to professional tennis after teaming up with fellow great Rafael Nadal on an emotional night at the Laver Cup.

    The 41-year-old received a long ovation after walking off court for the final time as he retired as a professional.

    The Swiss, who won 20 Grand Slam singles titles, is considered one of the best players in tennis history.

    “It’s been a wonderful day. I’m happy, not sad. It feels great to be here. I’m happy I made it through,” he said.

    Federer cried as he hugged Nadal and other players, then took acclaim from the thousands of fans who chanted his name at the O2 Arena in London.

    Nadal also could not hold back the tears. The 36-year-old Spaniard cried as he sat alongside Federer while the pair listened to British singer Ellie Goulding, who rounded off a memorable night with a performance.

    Federer and Nadal – for so long rivals at the top of the men’s game – joined forces to play doubles against American pair Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe in the annual team event between Europe and the rest of the world.

    Despite Federer not having played competitively for over a year, the veteran duo pushed Sock and Tiafoe before losing 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 11-9 as Team World levelled at 2-2 at the end of play on the opening day.

    Federer and Nadal – affectionately nicknamed ‘Fedal’ – almost won it. The pair had a match point at 9-8 in the decider, but Federer could only lunge for a forehand which he pushed into the net.

    The defeat brought the former world number one’s 25-year professional career to a close after his 1,750th competitive match across singles and doubles.

    “It’s been the perfect journey. I’d do it all again,” said Federer as tried to hold back tears during his on-court speech.

    Federer throws the retirement celebration he wanted

    Federer’s career had long been on the downward slope, having battled a knee injury for the past two years and needing three operations in a bid to overcome the problem.

    He had not played a competitive match since losing to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon last year.

    Despite being restricted to only three of the 11 Grand Slams staged since the start of 2020, he hoped as recently as July he would still be able to return to the major tournaments.

    But, after a scan brought further bad news, Federer announced last week he was going to retire because his “body’s message lately has been clear”.

    Federer had talked about throwing a party to mark his final match, saying he wanted the occasion to be fun and not funereal.

    As he wished, there was a celebratory atmosphere in the 17,500-capacity arena.

    The key numbers in Federer’s career
    20 Grand Slam singles titles 310 weeks as world number one
    103 ATP titles 28 Masters 1,000 titles
    6 ATP Finals victories 31 Grand Slam finals
    1 Davis Cup triumph £114m career prize money

    Watched by his wife Mirka, their four children, plus his parents Robert and Lynette, Federer’s every move was greeted with cheers containing a mixture of euphoria and empathy.

    The family joined him on court afterwards during a poignant celebration, which saw many more tears and Federer hoisted aloft by his fellow players.

    “Everyone’s here, the boys and girls. My wife has been so supportive. She could have stopped me a long, long time ago but she didn’t,” said Federer.

    “She kept me going and allowed me to play, so it’s amazing – thank you.”

    The presence of several tennis legends including Rod Laver, along with celebrities including Hollywood actor Hugh Grant and Vogue editor Anna Wintour, added to the occasion.

    Current world number ones, Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, tweeted their range of emotions as they watched the match on the television, as did Federer’s Swiss Davis Cup team-mate Stan Wawrinka.

    Federer was only fit enough to play doubles because of a knee injury and his movement was limited.

    Afterwards, he joked he was happy to get through the match without pulling a muscle in his calf or back.

    “Being with the guys and having family and friends, I didn’t feel the stress so much even if I felt something would go during the match,” Federer said.

    “I am so glad I made it through and the match was great. I couldn’t be happier.”

    Roger Fedeer
    Federer and Nadal have been long-time rivals and opponents in some of the sport’s greatest moments, but have also become good friends

    What Federer means to tennis and his fans

    Not only did Federer push boundaries with his play and set a plethora of records, he also became one of the most popular players tennis has ever seen.

    His style of play – described as balletic, graceful and fluent – has endeared him to millions of fans across the world. So too has his polite and charming personality.

    Federer transcends tennis. For some, he almost transcends the world.

    Before the match, you could see hundreds of fans filing into the arena wearing Federer-branded clothing and accessories.

    Hats, T-shirts, scarves, banners and even custom-made earrings. All red and white – the national colours of Switzerland – with most emblazoned with the initials of their hero: RF.

    A few Swiss flags were also draped around the indoor arena.

    One Federer super-fan at the O2 Arena, Robert Springer from Poland, described his idol as the ‘King of Tennis”.

    “He has quality, empathy, a super sportsman, a gentleman and a good father. Plus he always has time for his fans. He’s the one and only,” Robert told BBC Sport.

    Tickets for the night session on Friday were already sold out before Federer announced last week he was going to retire after the annual team event.

    Initially they were available from between £40 and £510. Following the news, they were being offered on resale platforms for over £1,000 each.

    Despite the match finishing at 00:26 BST, with the celebrations continuing for about another half an hour, few of those present left before the end.

    “Thank you everybody. I’ve had so many people cheer me on and you guys here tonight mean the world,” said Federer, who later added he was “really scared” about speaking on court because he knew he would get emotional.

    “This is not the end-end, you know, life goes on. I’m healthy, I’m happy, everything’s great, and this is just a moment in time.”

    Source: BBC

  • Black Stars suffer 3-0 defeat to Brazil ahead of World Cup

    The Black Stars of Ghana on Friday suffered a humiliating defeat against Brazil in preparations towards the 2022 World Cup to be held in Qatar.

    The friendly ended three goals to nil of Neymar’s side at the Stade Oceane in Le Havre, France.

    This is Ghana’s fifth defeat against Brazil. The first half of the game was painful to watch as the Black Stars were whipped with three goals.

    A header from defender Marquinhos and a brace from Tottenham Hotspur forward, Richarlison gave the South Americans a comprehensive first-half lead.

    The second half showed a much better performance from the senior national team, however, they failed to score a goal.

    Head coach Otto-Addo and his players will now look to bounce back when they take on Nicaragua in Spain on Tuesday.

     

  • Police fire tear gas at final year UEW students during protest

    Some level 400 students of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) ran helter-skelter as officers of the Police Service fired tear gas at them during a protest on Friday over discrepancies in their results.

    The initiative taken by the Service managed to disperse the demonstrating students who blocked roads with tree branches preventing vehicles from entering the University.

    A scheduled meeting expected to take place between final year students and management over the student’s concern did not happen, compelling the students to go on a rampage.

    Their actions disrupted lectures and some administrative activities, thereby compelling school’s authorities to for police intervention leading to the firing of tear gas.

    According to the students, management has failed to update their academic records on their portal.

    They stated that their academic results on the school’s notice board are different from what has been uploaded on their portal.

    Police fire tear gas to disperse protesting final year UEW students

    They believe this is a deliberate attempt by the school’s management to fail them since they cannot track their academic records.

    The university is expected to hold its graduation ceremony in three weeks’ time but the students say they want to know their true results before vacation.

    Police fire tear gas to disperse protesting final year UEW students

    The school is expected to hold its graduation for the final year students in three weeks’ time.

  • Ghana vs Brazil: Black Stars’ line up includes Wallacot, Partey

    Ghana is facing Brazil in a friendly today ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to be staged in Qatar.

    Friday’s game is happening in Le Havre.

    Ahead of the game, head coach Otto Addo has released his first 11 players who would make the nation proud tonight.

    They are Wallacot, Odoi, Rahman, Djiku, Amartey, Partey, Kudus, Andre Ayew, Sulemana, Afena Gyan and Jordan Ayew.

    Substitutes for the game are Nurudeen, Ofori, Lamptey, Seidu, Mensah, Salisu, Aidoo, Iddrisu, Kyereh, Owusu, Afriyie, Semenyo, Issahaku, Bukari and Williams.

    Brazil promises to be a fierce contender for the Black Stars as it has claimed five World Cup trophies. However, captain of the Black Stars, Andre Ayew, has pledged victory for Ghana.

    Ahead of the game, Brazil’s biggest newspaper Globo, Tite said the country is set to approach the game with a 3-2-4-1 formation against the four-time African champions.

    Liverpool shot-stopper, Alisson, is expected to start in goal for the Samba boys while Marquinhos, Thiago Silva and Eder Militao will be the three centre-backs.

    The head coach is also reported to have settled on a midfield two with Alex Telles partnering Casemiro.

    Ghana’s line up:

  • Laver Cup: Protester appears to set arm on fire after entering the court

    A protester appeared to set his arm on fire after running on court and briefly stopping play during the Laver Cup at the O2 Arena in London.

    The young man, wearing a T-shirt with the message ‘No UK private jets’ on the back, was quickly removed by security and detained in an internal corridor.

    Laver Cup organisers said he had been arrested and police were “handling” it.

    The incident happened before the second set of the match between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Diego Schwartzman.

    “It came out of nowhere,” said Greek world number six Tsitsipas. “I never had an incident like this happen on court. I hope he is all right.”

    It is the latest security breach at a tennis tournament following incidents at the Australian Open and French Open earlier this year.

    A male protester, carrying a banner which read ‘Abolish refugee detention’, jumped on to the court during the Australian Open men’s singles final between Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev in February.

    In May, a female protester interrupted the French Open semi-final between Casper Ruud and Marin Cilic. She walked on to Court Philippe Chatrier, knelt beside the net post, tied something around her neck and fastened it to the net.

    In London on Friday, there was a short delay of about five minutes before the Laver Cup match resumed.

    Tsitsipas, playing for Team Europe, had just won the opening set and the Greek went on to clinch a 6-2 6-1 victory.

    The win put Europe 2-0 ahead in the three-day team event after world number two Ruud won 6-4 5-7 10-7 against Jack Sock in the opening match on Friday.

    Later, Swiss great Roger Federer plays the final match of his career when he plays alongside Spain’s Rafael Nadal in a doubles match against Sock and his fellow American Frances Tiafoe.

    Source: Live score

  • Lyon defend Bosz and deny Lacazette complained about tactics as results nose-dived

    Lyon have denied issuing an ultimatum to coach Peter Bosz, with the Ligue 1 giants also rejecting reports of captain Alexandre Lacazette making tactical complaints.

    After taking 13 points from their opening five games this season, Lyon have slumped to three successive defeats, losing to Lorient, Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain.

    Former Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen coach Bosz is in his second season with seven-time French champions Lyon, and last term saw them finish a disappointing eighth, therefore missing out on a place in European competition.

    The dip in the early stages of this season has been followed by Lyon being closely scrutinised, and the club have taken issue with various claims.

    They said a report of a post-match crisis meeting after the defeat to PSG on September 18 was inaccurate, also adding: “No ultimatum has been issued against Peter Bosz.”

    Lyon’s statement added that they have “total confidence” in Bosz.

    The club made clear earlier in the season that the coach has objectives to meet, with the first assessment to be made at the time of the November break for the World Cup, and the second after 19 games, the halfway point in the campaign.

    It had been reported by the website Foot Mercato that players including Lacazette have made it clear they do not understand Dutchman Bosz’s defensive tactics. Lyon flatly deny this to be the case.

    “Whether it’s Alexandre Lacazette or other players, no one has complained to management about the tactics put in place by Peter Bosz,” Lyon’s statement added.

    “The captain also exchanges regularly with his coach but has in no way come forward to challenge his choices.”

    Source: Live score

     

  • Gosens determined to make Inter impact after snubbing Leverkusen

    Robin Gosens has revealed he rejected a move to Bayer Leverkusen as he is determined to establish himself at Inter.

    Injury woes have meant Gosens has made only three starts since joining the Nerazzurri from Serie A rivals Atalanta in January.

    Leverkusen wanted to sign the wing-back before the transfer window closed at the start of this month, but he was not interested in leaving San Siro.

    Following a lengthy spell on the sidelines, the Germany international is relishing the challenge of making his mark at Inter when he returns from Nations League duty.

    Gosens told Sport1: “I have put a year of suffering behind me and I am naturally happy to be here again. This call-up [to the Germany squad] I see as a reward for hard work.

    “But the ticket to the World Cup in Qatar is definitely not in my hands yet. I am ready to fight back again.

    “I am not yet in that state of form in which I was in Bergamo when my performances were so good. I’m close to it, but I know at the same time that there is still a lot to work on.”

    He added of a potential move to his homeland: “I spoke on the phone with Simon Rolfes [Leverkusen director of sport] and we had a sincere and open exchange.

    “I told him that I have not finished at Inter yet and that I would like to fight.

    “I feel very good now at Inter. I’m super-motivated and happy with the tasks that await me. But I’m only satisfied when I’m on the pitch, this is a goal that I have with myself.

    “I play in a top world club and I am happy at Inter. My goal is to establish myself in this great club. Now I have to play three, four, five consecutive matches.”

    Source: Live score

  • Kenya cooking oil company responds to suspension

    A Kenyan cooking oil company that has had its product temporarily suspended by Kenya’s Bureau of Standards (Kebs) over quality concerns has told the BBC that their product is safe.

    “The concern is on the amount of iron in the products. We have done our independent testing and our products are above the Kebs requirement,” Rajul Malde, Director of Pwani Oil Products said.

    “We have shared our test results with Kebs and we expect a response this afternoon,” Mr Malde continued.

    Kenya’s standards regulator has suspended the sale of 10 cooking oil products over health and quality concerns.

    In a letter to the retail shops and supermarkets, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) said the brands failed routine quality tests.

    It ordered that the brands be withdrawn from shelves immediately.

    The standards body however clarified that the directive was not a ban, but a temporary suspension until the manufacturers meet specified quality requirements.

    In the letter to the Retail Traders Association of Kenya, a body comprising supermarkets and large-scale retailers, Kebs says the listed products should undergo fresh verification before they can be released back to the market.

    The 10 brands listed are manufactured by Bidco Africa, Pwani Oil Products, Kapa Oil Refineries and Menengai Oil Refineries – the four largest edible oil companies in Kenya.

    The BBC has reached out to two of the companies but they are yet to respond to the allegations.

    Industry sources say Kebs and the oil manufacturers are meeting on Friday to iron out the issues.

    Source: BBC

  • Crocodiles under threat from a South African dam

    Scientists in South Africa’s Loskop Nature Reserve in Mpumalanga province have fitted crocodiles with satellite transmitters to see if they are keeping safe following a recent spill from a nearby coal mine into a dam where they live.

    They want to see “where the animals are staying and whether they are staying out of harm’s way”, Dr Hannes Botha, a reptile scientist at the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, told the BBC’s Newsday programme.

    But this is not the first time the crocodiles have been threatened: “The crocodiles have been dying over quite a long period of time,” Dr Botha said, describing “mass mortality” events in 2005 and 2006 when the dam lost most of its crocodile population.

    A survey in 2011 counted three animals in the whole dam – the population had been practically “wiped out”, Dr Botha said.

    The animals have not been removed from the dam, because doing so would be a big “undertaking” and they were only reintroduced to the area last year, before the spill.

    The crocodiles are a huge tourist attraction to the area, Dr Botha said, because they are “impressive” animals and “top predators”.

    Source: BBC

  • Three more die of Ebola in Uganda

    The health ministry in Uganda has revealed three more lives have been lost to Ebola, bringing the total number to four since an outbreak was declared earlier this week.

    So far, 11 cases have been confirmed.

    Meanwhile, some seven other deaths are being investigated to see if they’re linked to the outbreak in Mubende west of the capital Kampala.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the Ebola Sudan strain which is present in Uganda is less transmissible and has shown a lower fatality rate in previous outbreaks of a different strain, Ebola Zaire.

    Between 2018 and 2020, it killed nearly more than 2,000 people in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.