Israel bombs Gaza City high-rises as assault on Palestinian enclave escalates

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September 5, 2025

BUENOS AIRES(NM24) — Lionel Messi, one of football’s greatest-ever players, paid an emotional farewell to Argentina supporters in his final competitive home match, leaving fans with a hint that he may retire ahead of next year’s World Cup.

Messi scored twice to lead Argentina to a 3-0 victory against Venezuela at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires on Saturday night. The 38-year-old described the occasion as “very, very special,” and the moment was charged with emotion as fans chanted his name during warm-ups and his family watched proudly from the stands.

In a candid interview following the match, Messi suggested he might not participate in another World Cup due to his age.

“Same as I said before about the World Cup that I don’t think I’ll play another,” Messi told reporters. “Because of my age, the most logical thing is that I won’t make it. But well, we’re almost there, so I’m excited and motivated to play it.”

He added that his decision will depend on how he feels physically and emotionally, emphasizing honesty with himself. “When I feel good, I enjoy it, but when I don’t, honestly, I don’t have a good time, so I prefer not to be there if I don’t feel good.”

Messi also reflected on his fairytale farewell in Argentina. “It’s clear that today was the last one with points at stake here, but day by day I try to feel good and, above all, be honest with myself. A lot of things happened, being able to finish this way here was what I always dreamed of… Being able to celebrate with my people.”

His wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, posted a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, writing, “Proud of you, every step you take and everything you built with love and effort. How lucky are we to be with you on this path!!! We love you.”

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni also became emotional speaking about Messi’s last competitive match on home soil. “This is a match which Leo has said will be emotional, special, nice because it’s true that it’s our last qualifying match. More than anyone, I will enjoy it.”

Scaloni suggested Messi could have another farewell match if he decides to end his international career. “He earned the right to decide when to stop. He will always have support.” Argentina will next face Ecuador in a qualifier, but Messi will not participate.

Mike Tyson, 59, to face Floyd Mayweather in 2026 blockbuster exhibition fight

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September 5, 2025

NEW YORK (BN24) — Boxing icons Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather are set to square off in a blockbuster exhibition fight in 2026, with contracts for the long-rumored showdown already signed.

Tyson, who will be 59 when he steps into the ring, confirmed the bout Thursday night on Instagram, calling it “unpredictable” and a fight he never believed would materialize. The former heavyweight champion last fought in 2024 against Jake Paul, a match that raised concerns about his health after he visibly struggled against the younger opponent.

Mayweather, 48, enters the clash unbeaten after a 19-year professional career that ended in 2017 with a high-profile victory over UFC star Conor McGregor. Boasting a 50-0 record, Mayweather has since participated in occasional exhibition bouts, including one against YouTube star Logan Paul, and has kept himself in peak condition during retirement.

The fight is being organized by CSI Sports/Fight Sports, though an exact date and location have not yet been announced. While it will not affect either fighter’s professional record, promoters expect the event to break global television viewing records. Tyson’s bout against Paul reportedly drew more than 100 million viewers worldwide.

“This fight is something neither the world nor I ever thought would or could happen,” Tyson said. “Boxing has entered a new era of the unpredictable, and this fight is as unpredictable as it gets. I still can’t believe Floyd wants to really do this.”

Mayweather, who has often been described as the greatest fighter of the century, echoed the sentiment while dismissing any threat to his legacy. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years and there hasn’t been a single fighter that can tarnish my legacy,” he said. “If I am going to do something, it’s going to be big and it’s going to be legendary. This exhibition will give the fans what they want.”

With two of the most recognizable names in boxing history finally sharing the same ring, the fight is being billed as one of the sport’s most improbable yet highly anticipated spectacles.

Russia warns against Western troops in Ukraine as European leaders, Zelenskyy confer with Trump from Paris

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September 5, 2025

MOSCOW (BN24) — Russia issued a fresh warning Thursday that it will not tolerate the deployment of Western troops in Ukraine under any future peace arrangement, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met European leaders in Paris and spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow rejected outright the idea of foreign troops in Ukraine, calling it unacceptable interference. “Russia does not intend to discuss unacceptable foreign intervention in Ukraine in any form whatsoever,” Zakharova said in remarks published by the ministry. She accused NATO members of treating Ukraine as “a testing ground for their military developments,” warning that Western guarantees would represent “not security for Ukraine, but a threat to the European continent.”

The comments came as Zelenskyy joined a high-level meeting in Paris with European leaders and Canadian officials, dubbed the “Coalition of the Willing,” to explore security guarantees for Ukraine tied to a possible U.S.-brokered ceasefire. French President Emmanuel Macron said afterward that 26 countries expressed readiness to contribute to a plan that could include land, sea, or air operations to reassure Ukraine and enforce peace terms. “The plan will now be taken to the U.S. with the intention of formalizing it in the coming days,” Macron said.

Trump called into the meeting, according to the White House, and urged European nations to halt Russian oil purchases that continue to fund Moscow’s war machine. He also pressed leaders to apply economic pressure on China, which Washington accuses of indirectly sustaining Russia’s war effort. “Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that is funding the war,” Trump told the leaders, citing an estimated €1.1 billion in annual EU payments to Russia for fuel.

Zelenskyy later described his conversation with Trump as “long and very detailed,” emphasizing that both sides focused on economic pressure against Moscow and protection of Ukraine’s skies. “The key to peace is depriving the Russian war machine of money and resources,” Zelenskyy said. He added that Ukraine proposed a “special format” of U.S. involvement in air defense to shield civilians from Russian missile and drone attacks.

Other leaders at the Paris talks included European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, while several joined virtually.

The diplomatic push comes amid uncertainty over Trump’s approach to Russia. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Trump defended his record on Moscow, citing tariffs and sanctions targeting India for its continued purchases of Russian oil and military equipment. “You call that no action?” Trump said when pressed by reporters. “That costs hundreds of billions of dollars to Russia.” He hinted at further penalties in “phase two” and “phase three” of sanctions if Moscow continues its war effort.

Three weeks ago, Trump met Putin in Alaska, after which he floated the possibility of a face-to-face meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders as the next step toward peace. This week, Putin suggested a meeting could be held in Moscow, an idea Kyiv quickly dismissed as disingenuous. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andri Sybiha wrote on X that Putin was “making knowingly unacceptable proposals.”

Trump told reporters he had “no message” for Putin, adding, “He knows where I stand. Whatever his decision is, we’ll either be happy about it or unhappy, and if we’re unhappy, you’ll see things happen.”

The White House has signaled that Trump will continue direct talks with both Putin and Zelenskyy in the coming days as part of the administration’s attempt to secure a framework for peace.

Asylum seeker in UK convicted of sex assault on teen, case ignited protests over immigration

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September 4, 2025

LONDON (BN24) — An Ethiopian asylum seeker whose arrest triggered angry protests outside a migrant hotel near London has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and another woman, in a case that fueled nationwide tensions over immigration.

Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, who had been living at the Bell Hotel in Epping, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) north of London, was convicted Thursday at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on multiple counts, including sexually assaulting the girl and the woman, attempting to sexually assault the teenager, inciting her to engage in sexual activity, and harassment.

The assaults in July sparked protests that at times turned violent outside the hotel, which was being used to house asylum seekers. Demonstrations soon spread to other parts of the country as immigration debates intensified. The case has since become emblematic of the wider political battle over Britain’s record number of asylum claims and rising arrivals of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats.

Prosecutors said Kebatu first approached the 14-year-old on July 7 after she offered him pizza because he appeared hungry. He then tried to kiss her, placed his hand on her thigh, and told her he wanted to have a baby with her and her friend before inviting them back to the hotel. The following day, he again tried to kiss the girl while she was wearing her school uniform.

“This was an incident which became a cause of deep concern for the local community,” prosecutor Rebecca Mundy told the court.

District Judge Christopher Williams said the teenager had remained consistent throughout her testimony and dismissed Kebatu’s claims that the girl and other witnesses fabricated their accounts.

Kebatu denied the allegations, insisting he was “not a wild animal.” He told the court he had previously worked as a teacher in Ethiopia and claimed the woman involved had given him her phone number and invited him to her home.

His arrest immediately drew crowds of demonstrators outside the Bell Hotel. Local officials sought a temporary injunction to prevent asylum seekers from being housed there, but the order was overturned last week following a government appeal.

Opposition politicians accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government of prioritizing the rights of migrants over community concerns. The protests added fuel to a heated national debate in which immigration has overtaken economic concerns as the country’s dominant political issue.

More than 32,000 asylum seekers are currently housed in hotels across Britain, according to government figures through the end of June. The government has pledged to end the practice by the next general election, which must be held no later than 2029.

North Korea erases traces of Kim Jong Un after Beijing meeting with Putin

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September 4, 2025

BEIJING (BN24) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s staff were seen meticulously wiping down and removing every item he touched after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, a practice analysts say underscores Pyongyang’s extreme security measures to prevent foreign intelligence agencies from gathering clues about Kim’s health.

Footage shared on Telegram by Kremlin reporter Alexander Yunashev showed two North Korean aides carefully scrubbing the backrest and armrests of Kim’s chair, along with a coffee table beside him, immediately after the two leaders concluded more than two hours of talks. Kim’s drinking glass was also discreetly taken away.

“After the negotiations were over, the staff accompanying the head of the DPRK carefully destroyed all traces of Kim’s presence,” Yunashev wrote.

Despite the display of camaraderie between Kim and Putin, the images highlighted Pyongyang’s long-standing policy of shielding its leader from even the smallest possibility of foreign intelligence collection. Kim has consistently traveled abroad with his own toilet facilities — transported aboard his signature green armored train — to avoid leaving behind biological samples, according to South Korean and Japanese intelligence cited by Japan’s Nikkei newspaper.

Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert at the U.S.-based Stimson Center, said such precautions have been routine since the rule of Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il. “The special toilet and the requisite garbage bags of detritus, waste and cigarette butts are so that a foreign intelligence agency, even a friendly one, does not acquire a sample and test it,” Madden explained. “It would provide insight into any medical conditions affecting Kim Jong Un. This can include hair and skin tags.”

Kim’s protective measures have been documented before. After his 2019 Hanoi summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, Kim’s guards were seen sealing off the floor of his hotel and thoroughly cleaning the room for hours, even removing the mattress from his bed. In 2018, when he met South Korean President Moon Jae-in, his security detail sprayed down chairs and a desk with sanitizer before Kim sat.

More recently, before a 2023 summit with Putin, Kim’s guards wiped down his chair with disinfectant and checked it with a metal detector to ensure no surveillance or harmful device had been placed.

After their private meeting in Beijing, Kim and Putin were seen sharing tea before bidding each other a warm farewell, a rare moment of public camaraderie between two leaders whose cooperation has deepened amid rising tensions with the West.

2026 World Cup Qualifiers: Lesotho threatens protest over South Africa’s use of ineligible player

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September 4, 2025

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (BN24) — Tensions are escalating in Group C of the African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as Lesotho has issued a stern warning to South Africa ahead of their upcoming clash on Friday, September 5. The dispute centers around the continued involvement of midfielder Teboho Mokoena, whose eligibility has become a point of serious contention.

The Lesotho Football Association (LFA), through its Secretary-General Mokhosi Mohapi, has publicly stated that it will protest if Mokoena is fielded by Bafana Bafana during the match scheduled at the Free State Stadium. Mokoena, who plays domestically for Mamelodi Sundowns, was controversially included in South Africa’s lineup during their 2-0 win over Lesotho earlier this year—despite reportedly accumulating two yellow cards that should have ruled him out of that fixture.

According to FIFA regulations, a player who receives two yellow cards in separate matches is automatically suspended for the following game. South Africa could have faced a three-point deduction had Lesotho lodged a formal protest within the required 24-hour window after the match in question. However, no official action was taken at the time.

Mohapi maintains that the issue is not closed. Speaking to Soccer Beat, he made it clear that Lesotho is prepared to act if the player appears again, hinting at an in-match protest that would take place shortly after kickoff.

“If South Africa dare play Teboho Mokoena, we will lodge a protest and will tell you why,” Mohapi said. “We will lodge a protest which goes back to the other match, because he has never served the suspension that he was meant to have served. Against Bafana, we are going to wait three minutes into the match and then protest.”

This brewing controversy casts a long shadow over what is already a high-stakes encounter in the African World Cup qualifying campaign. Both Lesotho and South Africa are locked in a fierce battle for top positions in Group C, with qualification to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada hanging in the balance.

The possibility of disciplinary action or a points deduction could dramatically alter the standings, making this fixture—and the protest threat—a pivotal moment in the group. As kickoff approaches, all eyes will be on the team sheets and on-field developments in Bloemfontein, where football and regulatory scrutiny are set to collide.

Over 13,000 Ghanaians flee to Côte d’Ivoire amid deadly Gbiniyiri land dispute, Interior Minister confirms

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September 4, 2025

ACCRA, Ghana (BN24) — Ghana’s Interior Minister, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, has confirmed that 13,253 Ghanaians have fled into Côte d’Ivoire in the wake of deadly land-related clashes in Gbiniyiri, a community in the country’s Savannah Region.

Speaking on Accra-based Joy FM on Thursday morning, September 4, 2025, the minister said the figure had been officially verified by both Ghanaian and Ivorian authorities, following days of intense violence in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District.

“The exact number confirmed by the authorities in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire is 13,253 have been displaced and they are there,” Mr. Muntaka stated, painting a grim picture of the escalating humanitarian crisis that has spilled across international borders.

The conflict, which erupted on Sunday, August 24, has so far claimed 31 lives and forced thousands to abandon their homes across at least 12 communities. The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) earlier estimated that over 48,000 people, predominantly women and children, have been affected. Of that number, approximately 14,000 are believed to have sought refuge in Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire, with Côte d’Ivoire receiving the highest influx.

Mr. Muntaka emphasized the government’s commitment to restoring calm and finding a sustainable resolution. He revealed that dialogue efforts involving traditional leaders, including the Gonjaland delegation, the National Peace Council, and the Yagbonwura, were already underway.

“This morning, the delegation of the Gonjaland leadership with the Peace Council is meeting the Yagbonwura. I’m very optimistic with the way we are working. Hopefully, by tomorrow or at least by Monday, we are setting up a committee to investigate all this and then come out with a report on how best we can avoid this from recurring,” he said.

The minister also raised concerns over food insecurity, warning that prolonged displacement and the abandonment of farmland could deepen economic hardship in the region.

“Many of them left their farms to the areas where they find themselves now. Their animals, their food, their farms—all those are left unattended. And if we don’t resolve this quickly, we are going to lead to a lot of food insecurity in that area,” he warned.

On security measures, Mr. Muntaka disclosed that over 700 military and police personnel had been deployed to the conflict zone, equipped and tasked with maintaining peace and preventing further escalation.

“Our men in uniform are there with their weapons. We have over 700 men, both military and police in that area, and we are helping to maintain peace and order,” he noted.

While tensions remain, the minister gave assurances that the situation had largely stabilised. “I assure you that it’s calm now, it’s almost normal. In the past, we’ve not had even a shooting incident… Yes, we have no casualty there. We are looking at the possibility of reducing all that as normal,” he added.

As Ghana works to de-escalate the crisis and resettle displaced families, both national and regional observers continue to monitor the unfolding situation, with growing calls for long-term land reform and conflict resolution strategies in the affected areas.

Brazilian Billionaire allegedly leaves entire £846 million fortune to soccer star Neymar despite never meeting him

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September 4, 2025

SAO PAULO, Brazil (BN24) — Brazilian football star Neymar is at the center of a surprising inheritance claim after reports surfaced that a billionaire businessman, who had never met the player, allegedly named him sole heir to his estimated £846 million fortune.

According to Brazilian news outlet RIC, the man, whose identity remains undisclosed, formalized the will in an office in Porto Alegre. The document was reportedly authenticated on June 12 with the presence of two witnesses, and is now pending judicial review by Brazilian courts before any official transfer can be made. The court’s approval is essential before Neymar can be legally recognized as the billionaire’s heir.

The unusual decision has drawn national attention, particularly because the deceased businessman is believed to have had no children or immediate family. Local media suggest he chose Neymar out of a deep personal admiration for the 33-year-old forward, particularly citing the athlete’s strong family ties and his close relationship with his father, Neymar Sr.

“He identified with Neymar on a personal level,” a source told local media. “The way Neymar cherishes his father reminded him of the bond he had with his own late father.”

Despite the staggering sum attached to the inheritance, Neymar has not issued a public statement regarding the claim. Legal experts suggest the case could face several complications, as large inheritances without familial links often attract legal scrutiny and potential challenges from distant relatives or interested parties.

The forward, who made headlines earlier this year for his return to boyhood club Santos, remains a beloved figure in Brazil despite recent struggles on and off the pitch. After a brief and underwhelming stint with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, Neymar rejoined Santos in January 2025, scoring three goals in 14 appearances during the second half of the season. It marked a homecoming for the player who originally burst onto the global stage with 136 goals in 225 matches for Santos between 2009 and 2013.

While the billionaire’s gift to Neymar may yet require extensive legal clearance, the story has already sparked widespread discussion across Brazil, adding yet another surprising chapter to the career of one of the nation’s most iconic athletes.

Giorgio Armani, legendary Italian fashion icon, dies at 91

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September 4, 2025