Archive September 5, 2025

Wigan keep top spot in sight with win over Saints

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Betfred Super League

St. Helens (4) 4

Cross-referencing

Wigan (12) 18

With a stunning derby victory over St. Helens at the Totally Wicked Stadium, the Wigan Warriors successfully defended their position as league leaders’ shield.

The Warriors were unsure of what to do with a four-point deficit before their Sunday derby against Hull FC because they were unsure of whether a victory would save them.

A Deon Cross try gave Saints the lead at half-time, but Wigan regained their winning ways by clawing their way back as reigning champions by kicking tries from Jake Wardle and Liam Marshall and Harry Smith’s penalty.

With veteran leaders Hull KR only having three games to add the League Leaders’ Shield to the Challenge Cup they won in June, Wigan knew that going top would be a pipe-dream.

With the mercurial Bevan French returning to his best after a long layoff and head coach Matt Peet returning their defensive strength, they are in good nick as they attempt to defend their title. Their main goal was to build momentum going into the play-offs.

In the opening 20 minutes, Saints launched into the attack, crossing the line with a superb looping pass from Jack Welsby.

However, Wigan girded their loins before Marshall capitalized on a successful leap and overhead pass from Junior Nsemba to add another. Liam Farrell’s break, however, set up another Jake Wardle try.

At half-time, Smith kicked the extras and a penalty to give Wigan a cushion, and they were never denied.

The response to “It was a strange game”

Paul Wellens, the head coach of St. Helens, told BBC Radio Merseyside:

“The way we started the game was really good, so it was a frustrating evening.” Given that we didn’t have Morgan [Knowles] and George [Delaney] there, we set up a little bit differently, and it turned out well.

A lack of intelligence hurt us, they said. Even with the ball in hand, we were attempting our absolute best to execute the game plan, but we did things in and around them that only added to our mounting pressure and limited our ability to carry out our plans.

“We delivered 90% of what we had discussed earlier this week,” the statement read. “But that final 10% is really putting a strain on us.”

Matt Peet, the head coach of the Wigan Warriors, told BBC Radio Manchester:

It was one of the team’s key points, and I’m proud of them. It didn’t seem particularly set-for-purpose for a Wigan-Saints game, which was odd.

We defended comfortably the majority of the game, they said. We were the better team once we started reversing them and creating a set-for-set.

Sailor, Feldt, Robertson, Percival, Cross, Lomax, Mbye, Walmsley, Clark, Lees, Batchelor, Whitley, Welsby, are all in St. Helens.

Changes: Burns, Bell, Paasi, and Sironen.

Wigan: Field, Eckersley, Keighran, Wardle, Wardle, Marshall, Marshall, French, Smith, Hill, O’Neill, Byrne, Walters, Farrell, Ellis, and others.

Havard, Thompson, Nsemba, and Leeming swaps.

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  • Rugby League
  • Wigan Warriors
  • St. Helens

Egypt, Qatar condemn Netanyahu remarks on displacing Palestinians in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks regarding the displacement of Palestinians, including through the Rafah crossing, have been condemned by Egypt and Qatar.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the remarks in a statement released on Friday as part of “ongoing attempts to prolong the escalation in the region and perpetuate instability while avoiding accountability for Israeli violations in Gaza.”

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Netanyahu claimed that “half of the population wants to leave Gaza,” making it clear that it was not a “mass expulsion” in an interview with the Israeli Telegram channel Abu Ali Express.

He said, “I can open Rafah for them, but Egypt will immediately shut it down.”

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry once more declared its “categorical rejection of forcing or coercively removing Palestinians from their lands.”

Egypt emphasizes that these actions constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and constitute war crimes that cannot be tolerated, according to the ministry.

The statement stated that Egypt would never be a factor in the displacement of Palestinians and that it would never engage in such behavior. It described this as a “red line” that cannot be crossed.

The phrase “collective punishment will not work”

Netanyahu’s statements were also subject to fierce criticism from Qatar’s foreign ministry, which it called an “extension of the occupation’s approach to violating the brotherly Palestinian people.”

The occupation’s “police of collective punishment” does not succeed in obstructing the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights or forcing them to leave their land, it said in a statement.

The international community must “unite with determination to confront the extremist and provocative policies of the Israeli occupation, in order to stop the cycle of violence in the region from spreading to the world.”

Egypt and Qatar are pursuing a ceasefire in Gaza and facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid into the coastal enclave as they continue to lead the mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel.

Netanyahu’s comments were “incredibly controversial,” according to Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, who was based in Amman. The Israeli government has stated that it wants the Palestinians out of Gaza.

She said that Qatar and Egypt’s condemnation of Israel basically tells Israel that it is the one who waged war against the Gaza Strip, that the continued crimes against the Palestinians and the total closure of the Rafah border crossing are the causes of their imprisonment in Gaza, not any other reason.

Sharon Osbourne faces devastating decision about her future after Ozzy’s sad death

Sharon Osbourne’s widow, who passed away suddenly in July, has been left completely heartbroken and distraught. She is now faced with making a terrible decision about her future.

Sharon Osbourne faces devastating decision about her future after Ozzy’s sad death(Image: 2020 The Recording Academy/Getty Images)

Ozzy Osbourne has been laid to rest beneath a crabapple tree in the gardens of his Buckinghamshire home, leaving widow Sharon Osbourne facing a painful decision about where she will now live.

The Black Sabbath frontman, who died in July aged 75, had long expressed a wish to be buried at Welders House, the Georgian mansion he and Sharon purchased in 1993.

The couple split their time between the UK and the US for decades.

The singer wrote in his 2009 autobiography, “I want to be put in the ground, in a nice garden somewhere, with a tree planted over my head. A preferred crabapple tree.

Early this summer, Sharon, 72, granted her husband’s wishes, setting up a burial site within the family estate.

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Despite her best efforts, she reportedly remains conflicted about the choice. Sharon now has to choose between raising their three children, Aimee, Jack, and Kelly, and moving to Los Angeles, where they have five grandchildren.

Sharon is having difficulty with the situation, according to a family source close to the family. She is heartbroken because she anticipated spending much longer with Ozzy in the UK. She is now a widow, she claims the insider, and she is sad right now.

She faces having children, but it’s so heartbreaking to leave Ozzy cold in the ground. She is so dedicated to Ozzy that she can’t cut herself in half and be in both places.

Sharon has been left distraught after Ozzy's death
Sharon has been left distraught after Ozzy’s death(Image: PA)

The children have already left America and are back on their feet. Sharon’s grandchildren are being raised across the Atlantic, with the exception of Jack, 38, who has four daughters, and Kelly, 39, who has a young son.

Despite her strong ties to Ozzy’s grave, Sharon, according to friends, may soon decide to move back to California.

The source claimed that “She is in a state of pure destruction.”

Sharon and Ozzy had been married for over 43 years at the time of the rocker's death
Sharon and Ozzy had been married for over 43 years at the time of the rocker’s death(Image: Getty Images for MTV)

“Her friends hope that she will make the decision to return to America very soon,” she said. She won’t want to be celebrating by herself because her birthday is soon approaching. She needs to give her beloved family a hug.

Ozzy and Sharon had been together for more than 40 years. The Osbournes, who became well-known worldwide after their MTV reality series debut in the early 2000s, came to an end with his burial.

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Ozzy’s untimely death shocked the world on July 22, just weeks after his huge charity concert in his beloved Birmingham after he finally made it home after years.

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Morocco Crush Niger Republic To Seal Qualification For 2026 World Cup

Morocco became the first African group to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after defeating 10-man Niger 5-0 in Rabat on Friday to win Group E.

After Abdul-Latif Goumey was sent off, Ismael Saibari scored twice in the opening half, and Azzedine Ounahi’s goals in the second half and Ayoub el Kaabi, Hamza Igamane, and Azzedine Ounahi completed the comeback.

With two games to go, Morocco earned an unassailable lead with a sixth straight victory, scoring 18 points over Tanzania, and clinching its seventh world championship appearance with a win.

Morocco won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, beating a group that included Croatia and Belgium, and knocking Spain and Portugal out in the knockout stages.

With a 2-0 defeat to France in the semi-finals, their stunning run came to an end.

Morocco’s players celebrate scoring in the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex’s (Rabat) Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex’s (September 5, 2025) Group E African qualification football match between Morocco and Niger. (Photo by Abdel Majid BZIOUAT/AFP)

Only Ounahi of the scorers against Niger made the 2022 World Cup squad, along with Saibari from PSV Eindhoven and coach Walid Regragui who has since introduced new faces, such as Saibari from Dutch club PSV.

Egypt defeated Ethiopia 2-0 in Group A in Cairo thanks to late penalties from Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush from Premier League players.

If Egypt defeats second-placed Burkinabe on Tuesday, they will join Morocco at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

As South Sudan defeated South Sudan 4-1 in Juba to maintain its lead in Group B, Newcastle United signing Yoane Wissa scored one of the goals.

After Sweden international Alexander Isak left Newcastle for Liverpool in a record-setting British move, Wissa made a £50 million ($67 million) deal to move from Brentford.

The Congolese hope to win the World Cup for the first time since 1974, when Zaire was the nation’s name.

Paraguay Declares a Holiday to Celebrate 2026 World Cup Qualification

South Africa triumphs 

Before Keer Majak scored a consolation goal, Cedric Bakambu added a second and Wissa added a fourth to give the visitors a three-goal lead at half-time.

Following a 2-0 victory over Sudan in Diamniadio with goals from Kalidou Koulibaly and Pape Matar Sarr, Senegal now leads DR Congo by one point heading into a top-of-the-table showdown in Kinshasa on Tuesday.

South Africa won their third straight game 3-0 away victory over neighbor Lesotho in Bloemfontein, keeping them five points clear of Group C.

Because Lesotho’s home game was moved because the mountain kingdom lacks a FIFA-approved stadium, it was moved to the city in central South Africa, which is 145 kilometers away by road from the border.

Mohau Nkota, who left renowned Soweto club Orlando Pirates last month for Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq, scored his first international goal for Bafana Bafana (the Boys) on 15 minutes.

Within four minutes of the second half, Oswin Appollis and Premier League returnee Lyle Foster scored.

However, South Africa’s victory came at a price, with defenders Thabo Moloisane and Nyiko Mobbie both retiring injured before Tuesday’s crucial game against Nigeria.

Benin, who defeated Zimbabwe 1-0 in Abidjan with a Steve Mounie goal, has 16 points, five more than South Africa. Rwanda will host Niger on Saturday, nine points clear of the leaders.

Gambia defeated Kenya 3-1 in a surprise 3-1 victory in Nairobi thanks to second-half clinical finishing, with Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh scoring the winning goal.

The outcome, however, did not have an impact on Group F, with the Ivory Coast’s current champions traveling to Gabon on Tuesday, likely to decide the winner.

Serhou Guirassy, a prolific scorer for Borussia Dortmund last year, scored 38 goals in all competitions for Guinea in their 3-0 victory over Somalia.

Guirassy will almost certainly miss the World Cup due to their disappointing campaign, which leaves them eight points behind Group G leaders Algeria.

Israeli forces kill Palestinian in occupied West Bank as violence surges

Following the call this week from Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to appoint the majority of the territory, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank.

Ahmed Shehadeh, 57, was shot dead near the al-Murabba’a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank on Friday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, who identified the dead man as Ahmed Shehadeh, 57.

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Amid Ahmed, the Red Crescent’s Emergency and Ambulance Center in Nablus, was quoted by the Palestinian news agency Wafa as saying Israeli soldiers had prevented his team from reaching the shooting location.

A man was “hurled a suspicious object” at soldiers operating nearby, according to the Israeli military’s statement, which they “eliminated” after which they “eliminated” him.

Further south, troops carried out numerous raids in Bethlehem, with soldiers reportedly setting up a military checkpoint in the Khalayel al-Louz area southeast of the city, according to Wafa.

Additionally, according to the news agency, soldiers carried out raids on the towns of Artas and al-Ubayyat, where they dug up Palestinians’ posters from Israeli forces.

In addition, Israeli settlers stormed the Masafer Yatta village south of Hebron with knives and sticks, injuring 20 people, including a three-month-old infant.

Nine people were taken to a hospital for treatment, according to Palestinian activist Osama al-Makhmara, who claimed injuries ranged from bruises and fractures to stab wounds.

In the village, Israeli authorities cited “unlicensed construction,” and they destroyed 25 homes, agricultural structures, and water wells four months ago.

Far-right finance minister and settler leader Smotrich, who said on Wednesday that Israel should annex roughly 82 percent of the West Bank, gave Israel’s efforts to expand illegal settlements there a new lease of life.

Smotrich argued that “the Israeli government should have the least number of Palestinian [people] in place of them” and that “it should be subject to Israeli sovereignty for the time being.”

In 150 illegal settlements and 128 outposts spread out across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, more than 700, 000 settlers, or 10% of the population, reside.

Former Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) communications director Xavier Abu Eid reported to Al Jazeera that Israeli flags and settlements can now be seen between Ramallah and Nablus, which is 30-40 kilometers long (18-25 miles).

He claimed that it was obvious that settlers and the Israeli army were creating the maps that Smotrich had presented.

Too little, too late

Smotrich’s maximalist campaign was launched as France, Britain, Belgium, Australia, and Canada all pledged later this month to formally recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Israel’s takeover plans for the entire enclave are being accelerated by its West Bank annexation plans in the background as a result of the diplomatic push.

Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen announced on X on Friday that France and Saudi Arabia are leading the international effort to find a two-state solution. She described it as “the most significant international effort to create the conditions for a two-state solution in a long time.”

A resolution was adopted by the Arab League’s foreign ministers in Cairo the day before that Israel “issued implicit threats to occupy or annex further Arab lands” to prevent peaceful coexistence in the Middle East.

Any lasting resolution, according to the League, must be based on a two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative of 2022, which demand Israeli total withdrawal from the 1967-occupied territories.

However, Abu Eid from the PLO claimed that time was running out. Many people believe there is no longer a two-state solution, and he said that the late international recognition of the state of Palestine was once again perceived as too late.

arrests in large numbers

At least 70 people have been detained in dozens of villages over the past week as Israel accedes to more Palestinian territory in the West Bank as a result of its massive arrest campaign.

A “large number of villagers” were detained in the town of Haris, close to Salfit, according to Wafa reports arrests made there by village council head Omar Samara, deputy head of village council Tayseer Kulaib, and deputy head of village council Tayseer Kulaib.

In Qalqilya City, police raided family homes, and they also made an arrest on a man.

Rights groups have long been critical of the Israeli prison conditions in which Palestinians are imprisoned, along with reports of abuse and medical neglect.

Bilal Barghouti, a 39-year-old Beit Rima prisoner serving a life sentence in Israel’s Gilboa prison, was referred to as “slow murder and systematic torture,” according to a statement released by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office.

Former detainees claim that Barghouti, who has a variety of chronic illnesses, has lost weight, been barred from visits, and been subjected to beatings, insults, and scalding with hot water.

Since the start of the Gaza War, Israeli forces have made more than 19, 000 arrests across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, which on Friday reported.

According to its statement, which was obtained by news agency Wafa, the figure does not include arrests in Gaza itself, which are believed to be in the thousands.

Harry Styles and Zoe Kravitz’s fling ‘turning into something more’ as things ramp up

Actress Zoe Kravitz and pop star Harry Styles have been caught looking cosy in New York City, Rome, and Brooklyn, claiming they are “joking themselves” if they don’t care about the chemistry.

Harry Styles appears to be growing closer to Zoe Kravitz (Image: Getty Images)

Harry Styles and Zoe Kravitz seem to not be able to get enough of each other as they were spotted getting cosy on another outing while globe trotting. The pair, who are doing nothing to fight off romance rumours, stepped out in Brooklyn together this week arm in arm.

It comes after they were first spotted on what looked like a date in Soho, London where they were “snogging like teenagers”. Just days later, Harry, 31, and Zoe, 36, jetted to Rome where they linked arms and took in the sights.

Batman actress Zoe is said to be “whisked off her feet” by One Direction’s Harry. Their latest outing together fuelled rumours even more as Harry was snapped with his arm around Zoe while they walked down a street.

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Harry Styles and Zoe Kravitz
Harry and Zoe have been seen out together in London, Rome and Brooklyn(Image: Social Media)
Zoe Kravitz
Zoe is said to be ‘swept off her feet’ with Harry(Image: Variety via Getty Images)

Harry and Zoe have kept a tight-lipped about the potential romance, but it has been suggested that something is brewing between them.

“They both like each other and friends don’t know who likes each other more but it is turning into something more than just a casual situation,” a source told the Daily Mail. “They might not want to think it is, but surprise surprise, it is getting interesting.”

They continued, “They are just kidding themselves because their friends see this could be something special and if they want to make it that, they should.”

The source continued, “There is no reason for Zoe and Harry to play games.” Harry and Zoe have previously engaged in high-profile romances, with Channing Tatum splitting from Magic Mike in October.

After three years of dating, they ended their relationship. After spending 14 months together, Harry and Taylor Russell split last year.

He had also had a fling with now-engaged Taylor Swift, who is close friends with Zoe. Some fans have feared Zoe could get on the wrong side of Taylor, who has previously expelled members of her circle when loyalties changed.

Harry has been called a “romantic” and treats anyone who dates him “so well” as the pair get closer.

Another source told The Sun that Zoe considers Harry to be “cool without trying” and even compared him to her famous father Lenny Kravitz.

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When most people are trying so hard to break through or stay relevant, Zoe believes Harry is cool without trying, which is a very attractive quality in Hollywood.

She finds it refreshing when Harry treats everyone the same, regardless of whether they are famous or not. Being like that and having a famous father in his life, Zo was taught the virtues of being kind and never be a diva.

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