Bini Times

REUTERS: Neymar said he was already feeling at home at Paris St Germain after scoring twice in a dazzling display in his second match for the French club following his record transfer from Barcelona. In addition to his two goals in his first match at Parc des Princes, Neymar set up two more and won a penalty as 10-man PSG trounced Toulouse 6-2 to go top of Ligue 1 on Sunday. "I already feel at home here," he told local media. "The team plays in the Brazilian style and this helps my integration. "I love the atmosphere of the Parc des Princes. The fans supported us until the last minute. They made a lot of noise. "Now I want to adapt quicker... I think I can improve." Neymar, who moved from Barcelona for 222 million euros (202.4 million pounds) earlier this month, has now scored three goals in two matches for his new club after opening his account on debut against Guingamp last week. The 25-year-old left his best until last on Sunday, showing brilliant con

Thousands of people gathered in the rebel-held Yemeni capital today, Monday July 31, to witness the public execution of a man convicted of raping and murdering a three-year-old girl. Mohammed al-Moghrabi, 41, was sentenced to death for the June 25 rape and murder by a court run by the Shi'ite Houthi rebels who control Sanaa. Moghrabi was first given 100 lashes and then made to lie flat, his face on the ground, and killed by multiple gunshots by security forces to cheers from the crowd.The public execution was widely aired on Houthi-run media in Yemen, framed as an example of the Shi'ite rebels' efforts to combat crime in their areas.

 Enugu based Nollywood actress, Oge Aneke who shared her maternity photos a few days back has now delivered a bouncing baby girl. Oge delivered at the Niger Foundation hospital in Enugu state this week.  The baby has been named Portia Zinachi Valentine .

Philippe Coutinho feels aggrieved at how he is treated by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, according to a report. The Brazil international is believed to have handed in a transfer request at Anfield, which was reportedly rejected almost immediately by the club. Barcelona are thought to be eager on recruiting Coutinho and, according to Sky Sports News, the main reason he wants to leave Liverpool is because, as a Brazilian, he finds it impossible to turn down interest from the Camp Nou. The report, which quotes a member of Coutinho's family, goes on to suggest that problems between the player and his manager have been brewing for the past six months and that the 25-year-old does feel like he can find an amicable solution to the situation. Coutinho will miss Liverpool's Premier League season-opener at Watford this weekend and is a doubt for next week's Champions League playoff with Hoffenheim due to a back injury.

Arsene Wenger has revealed that he gave Olivier Giroud the chance to leave Arsenal "at one stage", but the forward chose to stay put at the Emirates Stadium. The France international came off the bench to score the winner in the Gunners' 4-3 victory over Leicester City in the 2017-18 Premier League opener in North London. Giroud only made the starting XI 11 times in the league last season, prompting rumours of the player pining for a move away in a bid to find first-team football. Speaking after the seven-goal thriller at the Emirates, Wenger told Sky Sports News: "I love the man and the player. He's a fantastic guy and he's committed. "He doesn't want to leave and I'm happy he wants to stay. At one stage I opened the door for him as I knew I had many strikers, and in the end he decided to stay." Giroud has been at Arsenal since 2012, and in that time has scored 99 goals for the club.

Paul Pogba has expressed his delight with having Romelu Lukaku as a teammate at Manchester United. The pair have been good friends for a number of years prior to Lukaku's move to Old Trafford from Everton this summer. As well as speaking fondly of the Belgian striker, Pogba has also praised the other new arrivals at United, Nemanja Matic and Victor Lindelof. "He's [Lukaku] had a good pre-season. Scoring goals, that's what we were expecting. [Nemanja] Matic, you can see he's been working hard," Pogba told Sky Sports News. "He's settled in the team like he was there for the whole of pre-season. We're happy. Victor [Lindelof], too, you can see his quality straight away. We have a very good group. "We [Lukaku and Pogba] talked about it last season, wondering if one day we would play together and it's happened this season so I'm very happy. We all are. We have a good relationship." Man United get their Premier League campaign underw

Jamie Vardy has bemoaned Leicester City's "lapses in concentration" in Friday's Premier League defeat at Arsenal, but believes that the team can nonetheless take a lot of positives. The Foxes were leading 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium in the 2017-18 season opener, but two late goals from the Gunners condemned the visitors to a 4-3 loss. Vardy acknowledged that Leicester have now lost away at Arsenal over the last three seasons due to the hosts striking late on in the game, but insists that his side will work on their issues on the training ground. The England international told Sky Sports News after the game: "This has happened to us the last three seasons here. We put ourselves in a commanding position and a few lapses in concentration have cost us. "We had quite a few chances. Unfortunately they didn't go in but we can take a lot of positives. Scoring three goals away from home is a positive and we'll get back on the training field to make sure we

KABUL (Reuters) - The U.S. military denied reports on Friday that an air strike in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar had killed as many as 16 civilians, saying the operation had killed only militant fighters. "The militants were observed loading weapons into a vehicle and were under surveillance until the vehicle was destroyed by an air strike," said Bob Purtiman, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Afghanistan. "The strike was conducted in the middle of open terrain. There was zero chance of civilian casualties," he said. Earlier in the day, the district governor of Haska Mena district, Saaz Wali, told reporters that as many as 16 civilians, including women and children had been killed when a passenger van and a nearby house were hit by a U.S. air strike.

Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski on Friday urged Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro to step down, calling him a "dictator", and rejected the socialist leader's call for the two to meet face-to-face along with other presidents in the region. The centrist leader said in an interview for Reuters Latin American Investment Summit that Maduro had lost any remaining credibility since forming the constituent assembly, an all-powerful body made up of Maduro's Socialist Party loyalists. "He's a dictator and has carried out a coup through a fraudulent election to eliminate Congress," Kuczynski said in the presidential palace in the historical center of Lima. The comment marked the fiercest criticism yet that Kuczynski, an Oxford and Princeton trained economist and public administrator, has lobbed at Maduro, a former bus driver and union leader narrowly elected to replace Hugo Chavez in 20

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Holocaust survivor Israel Kristal, who last year was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living man, died in Israel on Friday, aged 113, local news media reports said. Guinness said Kristal was born in Poland on Sept. 15, 1903, and survived the Auschwitz death camp, where his first wife, two children and other family members were killed by the Nazis. He married again after the war and moved to Israel in 1950. Kristal was awarded a Guinness certificate as the world's oldest man on March 11, 2016, when he was 112 years and 178 days old. He died on Friday in the northern port city of Haifa aged 113 years and 330 days, Israeli reports said. Jeanne Calment, a French woman, had the longest confirmed human lifespan, according to Guinness. She died in 1997 at the age of 122.

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said she spoke briefly with her North Korean counterpart at a meeting in Manila on Sunday, days before Pyongyang released Canadian pastor Hyeon Soo Lim from a prison where he was serving a life sentence. "We were clear with North Korea that Pastor Lim needed to be released, and we are very, very glad that happened," Freeland told reporters at a press conference on Friday, a day after Lim arrived in Japan en route to his home in a Toronto suburb. Freeland said the conversation with North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong-ho occurred Sunday on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting of foreign ministers. Lim, who served as pastor of one of Canada's largest churches, had been sentenced to hard labor for life in December 2015 after North Korea accused him of attempting to overthrow the regime. Lim's family said on Thursday he is healthy and not in critical condition. Freeland

DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates said on Saturday that four of its soldiers died after their helicopter crashed during a routine mission in Yemen, the official news agency WAM reported. They were "carrying out their normal mission in the Shabwa governorate in Yemen, where their helicopter had technical failure, which led to an emergency landing and hitting the ground," the agency said. The UAE is part of a Saudi-led coalition formed in 2015 to fight the Iran-aligned Houthi group, which controls most of northern Yemen and the capital Sanaa, in a war that has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced more than 3 million.

KARACHI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - As India and Pakistan prepare to celebrate 70 years of independence from Britain next week, thousands of families in the nuclear-armed neighbors remain divided by a border that strained diplomatic ties make harder to cross. India and Pakistan have fought three wars since 1947, and relations remain tense, particularly when it comes to the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, which both claim in full. "The people who have migrated are not able to come to India, nor can we go there freely," said Asif Fehmi, a resident of a New Delhi neighborhood where thousands of Muslim families divided by Partition have blood ties over the border. "We can't meet them freely, and there was a time when we couldn't talk to them freely." Fehmi's family was among the millions of people whose lives were disrupted in 1947, after departing British colonial administrators ordered the creation of two countries - one mostly Muslim and one majority Hi

Hostilities resumed after a ceasefire between the PKK and Turkey broke down in July 2015 [Reuters File] Turkish security forces have killed at least nine fighters affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in two air strikes in southeastern Turkey and another in northern Iraq, according to local government and military officials. In a statement on Friday, the governor's office in Siirt province said gendarmerie and police units killed three fighters in an air strike in Cevrimtepe village in Baykan district. The slain fighters were suspected of being behind the assassination attempt on Mehmet Kocabey, Baykan district head, on July 7 and the death of a gendarmerie station commander on July 24. Later, in a news conference, Ali Fuat Atik, Siirt's governor, said that one of the fighters killed was a former Siirt municipality employee who had been laid off by a government-appointed trustee. In another statement, the Turkish armed forces said three fighters were killed in a

US President Donald Trump has threatened military intervention in Venezuela, a surprise escalation of Washington's response to Venezuela's political crisis that Caracas disparaged as "craziness". Venezuela has appeared to slide toward a more volatile stage of unrest in recent days, with anti-government forces looting weapons from a military base after a new legislative body usurped the authority of the opposition-controlled congress. Washington has slapped sanctions on President Nicolas Maduro and some of his allies, and branded him a "dictator" over his attempts to crush his country's opposition. Venezuela has in turn accused America of "imperialist aggression". "The people are suffering and they are dying. We have many options for Venezuela including a possible military option if necessary," Trump told reporters in an impromptu question and answer session. The comments appeared to shock Caracas, with Venezuela's Defense Minist

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu says all looted funds and assets from Nigeria recovered so far by the agency are only a tip of the iceberg. According to him, there is much more stashed away in the country and in different parts of the world. He disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Channels Television on Friday. Mr Magu stated that though corruption had been fighting back, it has only fueled his determination to recover all stolen funds and secure the country’s posterity. The EFCC chairman also insisted that his face-off with the National Assembly has not been an obstacle in the anti-graft war. “Personally, it is not a distraction, and I am telling you, that has served as a motivator. That heightened my determination in the fight. The corrupt people are fighting us in all angles on a 24-hour basis so our main challenge is the corruption fighting back using all sorts of instruments but we are trying our best, it has also hei

Kenya’s incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta has been declared the winner of the country’s Presidential election. The Chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Wafula Chebukati, announced that Kenyatta garnered 54.27 percent of the total votes cast, beating his close rival Raila Odinga who secured 44.74 percent of the votes. In terms of numbers, the final results showed that Kenyatta secured 8,203,290 votes, while Odinga got 6,762,224 votes. In a short victory speech after he was declared President-elect, Kenyatta extended a “hand of friendship” to Odinga, adding that he looked forward to partnering with all Kenyans in building the nation. Before the final results were announced, Odinga had rejected the figures being announced by the IEBC, saying they were fictitious. He had also claimed that the electoral process had been compromised, insisting that he had figures which showed that he had a significant lead over Kenyatta. The IEBC, however, rejected his c

The English Premier League opened in style with Arsenal snatching victory from Leicester City in a seven-goal thriller. New signing Alexandre Lacazette gave the Gunners the lead in the second minute of the game, but Leicester were unfazed with Shinji Okazaki levelling the scores only three minutes later. A Jamie Vardy strike in the 29th minute left Wenger’s men chasing the game and it looked like Leicester would go into the break in charge. Danny Welbeck had other ideas however and ensured that it was all square at half-time. Eleven minutes into the second half Vardy restored Leicester City’s lead. But when it looked like the Gunners were going to start the season in defeat an inspired performance from substitutes Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud secured all three points, leaving Craig Shakespeare’s men wondering what could have been. But when it looked like the Gunners were going to start the season in defeat an inspired performance from substitutes Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud se

Barely 24 hours to the non-elective convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party’s Caretaker Committee Chairman, Senator Ahmed is extending the olive branch to its ousted national chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. The National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Mr Dayo Adeyeye, described Saturday’s Convention as a Unity Convention to form a common front against the Ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019. Adeyeye said, “The policy of no victor, no vanquished has been implemented by the National Caretaker Committee. So we are going to have a unity convention tomorrow; everybody has been brought together, they have integrated. This is a unity convention. “I want to assure you that those who were on the other side while we had a protracted court, virtually of them have been included to serve in this convention – go and check the list. There is no legal issue at all regarding this convention.” The PDP lost the opportunity to elect its principal officers during its

Kissing is unlikely to pass on the Zika virus, which is harmless for most people but can cause severe brain damage in unborn children, a study with monkeys showed Monday. Saliva, it concluded, was not a very effective carrier of the virus, which is known to spread through mosquito bites and sex. "Our study suggests to us that kissing or sharing cutlery poses very little risk," said study co-author Thomas Friedrich of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. "The only time this would not be true is if the Zika-infected person were very, very sick and had an extremely high amount of virus in their body and fluids," he told AFP. "Because only one such case is known, we expect this is very rare indeed." Friedrich was referring to a case in Utah in the United States last year, when a man contracted the Zika virus while taking care of his dying father. He never touched his father's blood or other body fluids. Tests found an unusually high

WASHINGTON The US Senate overwhelmingly confirmed Christopher Wray as the new director of the FBI on Tuesday, three months after President Donald Trump fired his predecessor James Comey. The high-flying criminal lawyer was an uncontroversial choice for the post, winning widespread bipartisan backing after telling lawmakers he would rather resign than bow to political interference. Senators voted 92-5 to confirm him. He assumes charge at a difficult time for the FBI. Comey's sacking had led to accusations Trump was attempting to impede an investigation into links between his aides and Russia during last year's presidential election, which led to the appointment of independent prosecutor Robert Mueller as a special counsel. OWN MAN Wray's first challenge will likely be to reassure the bureau's more than 30,000 employees of his commitment to their independence, after insisting to lawmakers he would be his own man. "You can't do a job like this without being prep

Arsenal have reportedly informed Alexis Sanchez that he will not be sold to a Premier League rival this summer. The Chile international has been at the centre of speculation for months now after failing to agree a new contract at the Emirates. Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich were said to be early contenders for his signature, while Chelsea and Manchester City have also reportedly expressed an interest. It has been widely reported that Sanchez is angling for a switch to Pep Guardiola's City, but according to The Times, Arsenal have ruled out selling him to a direct rival. It is believed that the Gunners, who signed the attacker from Barcelona in 2014, would be more open to cutting a deal with a club abroad, but only if the price is right. The North London outfit have offered Sanchez a new deal worth £275,000 a week, but the 28-year-old is after a bigger salary.

Rising carbon dioxide levels from global warming will drastically reduce the amount of protein in staple crops like rice and wheat, leaving vulnerable populations at risk of growth stunting and early death, experts warned Wednesday. Researchers say they still don’t understand how or why carbon dioxide emissions sap protein and other nutrients from plants, but the mystery is one that could have devastating consequences across the globe. An additional 150 million people globally may be at risk of protein deficiency by 2050 because of rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere said the report in the journal Environmental Research Letters. The study, led by Harvard University researchers, is the first to quantify the impacts of global warming on the protein levels of crops. It relies on data from open field experiments in which plants were exposed to high concentrations of CO2. Global dietary information from the United Nations was used to calculate the impact on people who live d

Barcelona soccer player Neymar Jr arrived at the team's training ground on Wednesday to tell his team mates there that he is moving to French team Paris Saint Germain, Catalan radio RAC1 has reported. MADRID: Brazilian striker Neymar Jr is leaving FC Barcelona, the Catalan club confirmed on Wednesday, as a radio report said he was moving to French team Paris Saint-Germain. He arrived at the team's training ground on Wednesday to tell team mates he was moving to Paris, Catalan radio RAC1 reported. The Brazilian striker left the training area minutes later, it said. Having matured into one of the finest players in the world and finished third in the 2015 Ballon d’Or vote, Neymar signed a new Barcelona contract to 2021 in October in which his buy-out clause was raised to 222 million euros (US$263 million). Barcelona tweeted shortly after the radio report that Neymar, who has been with the Spanish club since June 2013, did not train on Wednesday with the permission of the coach.

SEOUL: North Korea's latest missile test has extended the range of its weapons to much of mainland US and raised a new fear in the South: would Washington protect Seoul when that could put American cities in danger? The US is security guarantor for the democratic and capitalist South, where 28,500 US troops are stationed to defend it from Pyongyang after the 1950-53 Korean War ended with a ceasefire instead of a peace treaty. The alliance with Seoul has also been a key pillar of Washington's geopolitical strategy in Asia, where China is increasingly flexing its muscles as it seeks military clout commensurate with its economic might. But last week's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test put major US cities including Chicago and Los Angeles within range of a potential attack from the nuclear-armed North. Now South Korean media and experts fear that could cast a cloud over US commitment to the alliance, long described as "rock solid" by both sides. "W

The Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Nigeria, Morteza Rahimi Zarchi, has disclosed the willingness of the Asian country to establish general bilateral business relationship with the Enugu State Government, especially in the area of rendering medical services. Ambassador Zarchi, who spoke at the Government House, Enugu, when he paid a courtesy call on the governor, stated that he was in Enugu on a feasibility study of establishing an Iranian Hospital, modeled after the one in Dubai, at the ongoing Heliu Residences Project in Enugu as well as general bilateral cooperation with the state government. The Iranian Ambassador said that his country’s decision to seek bilateral cooperation with Enugu State Government was because of the state’s historical background, its natural resources, the geographical location, which he said links other neighboring states, the international airport as well as the existing peace in the state. He added that there are many Iranian companies manu

In Summary     Amnesty International expressed concerns over ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru’s threats to revoke media houses’ licenses if they broadcast live the results announced by IEBC.     The rights watchdog on Wednesday called on the government to properly address the murder and other issues— including statements by leaders and top government officials. The murder of Chris Msando and other developments ahead of August 8 poll are creating a cloud of fear, Amnesty International has said. The rights watchdog on Wednesday called on the government to properly address the murder and other issues— including statements by leaders and top government officials. BODY Mr Msando is believed to have been killed early Saturday morning and his body dumped at a thicket in Kikuyu. His body was identified at the City Mortuary on Monday morning. “This brutal murder has sent a chill down the spine of many Kenyans and raised the spectre of violence,” said Muthoni Wanyeki, Amnesty International’s

According to a Facebook Post

The Nigeria Air Force (NAF) on Friday, graduated a total of 1, 928 recruits of its Basic Military Training Course, with a warning to them to be patriotic and committed to their constitutional responsibilities of safe-guarding the nation. During the passing out parade held at the Ground Training Centre, NAF base Kaduna, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, told the new recruits to be prepared to pay the supreme price in defending their fatherland, especially at a time when the country is facing several security challenges. Their journey into the Nigerian Airforce began six months ago with a total of 1,996 candidates and 68 were later withdrawn for various offences. As part of the effort to prepare the young airmen and airwomen for the task ahead, and in pursuance of the service’s mission-oriented force development, the curriculum for their course was reviewed with the introduction of internal security module. The training also inculcated discipline in the trainees, pr

The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki has cautioned pensioners in the state over what he described as slander against his administration in spite of efforts made to settle all their outstanding wages. Mr Obaseki stated this in reaction to claims made by a delegation of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, (NUP) Edo State Chapter led by Comrade Polleen Noruwa who visited the Government House in Benin City, the Edo State Capital. In a speech earlier, Noruwa alleged that Governor Obaseki had during the May Day celebration, made a pledge to clear all outstanding allowances owed the pensioners but was yet to do so. On his part, Obaseki reprimanded the retirees for the false claims, saying they were ungrateful despite his administration’s efforts to settle their entitlements. “Should we pay those who are retired and not pay those working, is it possible. If there was enough money won’t everybody be paid,” he questioned. We are even able to pay what we are paying now and I think it should

The Senate Joint Committee investigating loss of revenue and financial leakages in the Nigeria Customs Service has warned against the existence of a cabal in the seaports. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs, Senator Hope Uzodinma revealed that the said cabal is deliberately defrauding the country of trillions of Naira. He said this during an investigative hearing on financial leakages in the Nigeria Customs Service. According to Mr Uzodinma, preliminary findings by his committee showed evidence that a group of unpatriotic persons have brazenly constituted themselves into a cabal to cause economic sabotage at the nation’s sea ports. He explained that the cabal is abusing and violating the foreign exchange issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, engaging in incorrect classification and under valuing vessels coming into the country. “It is a common knowledge that the infractions are bound in daily transactions at our nation’s entry and exit points. Commercial banks otherwise cal

The Imo State Police Command has arrested a 32-year-old notorious kidnapper, Micheal Oguguo and killed four of his gang members at their hideout in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State. Parading the suspects at the command’s headquarters in Owerri, the Imo State capital, the state Commissioner of Police Chris Ezike said the suspect was arrested following an alert by some well-meaning citizens. Ezike said the residents notified the police about the kidnap of a woman last Saturday, after which men of the Anti-Kidnapping unit of the Imo State Police Command swung into action. He, therefore, appealed to the Imo citizens to continue to support the whistle blowing policy on crime initiated by the command to weed off criminal elements in the state.

The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence, has met with the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu over the cash recovered in an apartment in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State, months ago. The committee said although there may have been silence over the huge cash haul uncovered in Osborne Towers, the matter is by no means forgotten. Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Sani Jaji, told Channels Television that the meeting was part of the investigation into the more than 43 million dollars recovered from the apartment. The EFCC, on April 12 made the discovery of the 43 million Dollars, 23 million Naira and another 27,000 Pounds. Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, had claimed that the cash belonged to his state. Amidst unclear circumstances surrounding the ownership of the cash, the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos subsequently granted its final forfeiture to the Federal Government. Justice Muslim

Chelsea have completed the signing of Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid, two days after announcing that an agreement had been reached with the La Liga Champions for his transfer. The Spanish striker, who returned to Real Madrid last season after spending two seasons at Juventus, joins Chelsea on a five-year deal, the Premier League Champions said in a statement on Friday. “I am so happy to be here. It’s an incredible emotion to be part of this big club. I am looking to work hard, score as many goals as I can and to win as many trophies as possible,” said Morata, who will proceed to join up with the squad on its pre-season tour of Asia. The Blues expect the forward who scored 20 goals last season as Real claimed the La Liga and Champions League trophies to make a big impact and lead their attack after showing Diego Costa the door. “We are delighted to complete Alvaro’s signing and welcome him to the club. We believe he can make a great impact for Chelsea and look forward to seeing him in

As Arsenal prepared to face Chelsea in a match in Beijing manager Arsene Wenger said that there is no such thing as a friendly match between the two sides. The teams will meet in the Bird’s Nest stadium as part of their pre-season preparations but the Frenchman admitted that the rivalry between the two clubs is too intense for the match to be taken lightly. Wenger said: “Well it’s obviously difficult to predict but I think like (Laurent) Koscielny said it’s a friendly between Chelsea and Arsenal, that means it’s not really a friendly. There is always some pride at stake, some London desire to have a superiority. “It was a very interesting game in the final of the FA Cup, we play against Chelsea in the Champions League and we play them very early in the season again so in fact we know each other very well, and it’s difficult to know how prepared is Chelsea, how far we are with the preparations but tomorrow will be a good indication. It was good against Bayern (Munich), it’s another te

A Chinese spy ship has been detected off the Australian coast near joint war games underway between the United States, New Zealand and Australian militaries, the Australian Defense Force (ADF) said on Saturday. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army-Navy Type 815 Dongdiao-class auxiliary general intelligence vessel was operating off the northeast coast during the Talisman Sabre war games, the ADF said in a statement. The Chinese ship remained outside Australian territorial waters but was inside the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone in the Coral Sea, it said. "The vessel’s presence has not detracted from the exercise objectives. Australia respects the rights of all states to exercise freedom of navigation in international waters in accordance with international law," the statement said. More than 30,000 troops from the United States, New Zealand and Australia are taking part in biennial war games, which end in late July. China's growing military presence, particularly in

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - On a pontoon bridge connecting East and West Mosul, residents of a city shattered by the battle to expel Islamic State cross back and forth trying to rebuild their lives from the rubble. The temporary structure, known as the Victory Bridge, is the only crossing over the Tigris River in the city itself. Other bridges, including the landmark Iron Bridge, were wrecked in nine months of urban warfare which saw Iraqi government forces fight the militants street-by-street and house-by-house. With Mosul back in government hands, hundreds of people stream over each day to check homes in the devastated west side, salvage belongings or find a place to stay in the east. All have tales of hardship and suffering under three years of Islamic State rule and, despite their relief that is over, now they are worried about their present predicament and the future. Many people from West Mosul, where whole neighborhoods were flattened in air and artillery strikes by a U.S-.led coa

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian security forces killed 30 suspected militants in ground and air raids in North Sinai conducted over the past four days, the military said in a statement on Friday. Egypt faces an Islamist insurgency led by the Islamic State group in the Sinai Peninsula, where hundreds of soldiers and police have been killed since 2013. The military statement said 30 "highly dangerous" militants were killed and five others arrested in the raids, though it did not name a specific militant group or release names of those killed. This month Egypt was hit by one of the worst attacks on its security forces in years when 23 soldiers were killed after two suicide car bombs were detonated in North Sinai.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Iran would face "new and serious consequences" unless all unjustly detained American citizens were released and returned, the White House said in a statement on Friday. Trump urged Iran to return Robert Levinson, an American former law enforcement officer who disappeared more than 10 years ago in Iran, and demanded that Tehran release businessman Siamak Namazi and his father, Baquer. The statement capped a week of rhetoric against Tehran. On Tuesday, Washington slapped new economic sanctions against Iran over its ballistic missile program and said Tehran's "malign activities" in the Middle East undercut any "positive contributions" coming from the 2015 nuclear accord. Those measures signaled that the Trump administration was seeking to put more pressure on Iran while keeping in place an agreement between Tehran and six world powers to curb its nuclear program in return for lifting interna