Brazilian police have said there were no injuries after shots were fired near an under-20 World Cup water polo women’s game between China and Canada in the city of Salvador.
China won 12-8 on Sunday – the opening day of the tournament – but footage showed the game being briefly interrupted as players got out of the pool, lay down and took cover by a small barrier after hearing gunshots outside the water polo venue in the Pituba neighbourhood. China led Canada 3-2 at the time.
“The match stopped for about a minute. Our team saw that the police were taking care of it,” Marco Antonio Lemos, head of the Bahia state water sports federation, said in a statement on Monday.
Police said the cause of the shots was a confrontation with an alleged local thief who was outside the venue and tried to escape. No more details were given.
Spectators were told about the incident after the game had resumed.
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has faulted the arraignment and remand of Comfort Emmanson, a female passenger of the Ibom Air flight inbound Lagos from Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, who was accused of assault and unruly behaviour.
Obi, in a statement posted on his official X handle, said that while her behaviour towards the airline’s crew members should not be condoned, justice should be fair, equal, and not selective.
The former Anambra governor, while making a veiled reference to the incident involving a Fuji artiste, Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, last week, said, “It is unacceptable that she was hurriedly taken to court and remanded, while someone who visibly held a plane from taking off and put hundreds of lives at risk is still at large, with government agencies and some state officials speaking up for him to be forgiven.
“This case is not just about one young woman; it is about the double standards that poison our justice system. Justice in Nigeria must never be about who is poor or powerless versus who has influence or access to government officials.
“While Ms. Comfort Emmanson is in jail, the other offender who committed a more severe offence has not been held to the same standard. He has neither been arrested nor arraigned in any court.
“We must build a country where justice is fair, equal, and not selective, especially against women who are seen to be weaker.”
READ ALSO: Ibom Air Female Passenger Arraigned, Remanded For Assaulting Officials
He also condemned what he described as the “dehumanising” treatment meted out to her.
“Stripping her publicly was not only unnecessary but also represents the height of rascality and abuse by our agencies,” the former governor stated.
According to him, the lady’s offence does not compare to the crimes committed daily by those parading themselves as “excellencies” while “looting public funds” without consequence, and yet have not been stripped or dehumanised in the name of justice.
“We must end this selective treatment of the poor or less privileged. If justice must be served, it should be served to all, and it must be served fairly.
“The Minister of Aviation and other relevant authorities owe the public an explanation for these double standards in their adjudication. Justice must be just, or it is nothing at all. The rule of law based on justice for all must remain the guidepost of our democracy,” said Obi.
READ ALSO: UPDATED: AON Imposes No-Fly Life Ban On Ibom Air Passenger Over Assault
AON and Emmanson
Airline Operators of Nigeria on Monday imposed a no-fly life ban on Emmanson, who allegedly assaulted airline officials on the Ibom Air flight.
The AON, in a statement by its spokesperson, Obiora Okonkwo, on Monday, said the ban on Emmanson from flying with any AON member, either domestically or internationally, for life, takes immediate effect.
Rangers midfielder Nico Raskin has been impacted by “uncertainty” over his future at the club, according to head coach Russell Martin.
The Belgium international has been linked with big money moves away from Ibrox and Martin concedes that contact from external parties has had an effect.
“There’s been a bit of uncertainty about him this summer, for sure,” Martin said before Tuesday’s second leg of the Champions League third qualifying round tie at Viktoria Plzen.
“Not from people ringing us, but I think from people ringing him, definitely.
Raskin started the first three games of Rangers’ season, but was left out of the starting XI for the first leg of the tie against Viktoria Plzen, which Martin’s side won 3-0 at Ibrox.
The 24-year-old was again benched for Saturday’s Premiership match against Dundee, but impressed as a substitute in the 1-1 draw.
Martin expressed his delight at how Raskin has responded to being dropped.
“He came out of the team for reasons that me and him spoke about, and his reaction has been top, like really, really brilliant,” he said.
“He’s a really fantastic player, and he’s a young man that I’m getting to know all the time, and actually I really like his character and personality.
‘Hopefully we can get to end of window’
SNS
When asked if he expects Raskin to stay at Rangers beyond this summer, Martin said it would take a “mind-blowing” offer for the Ibrox club to consider selling one of last season’s standout performers.
“I don’t think we’re in a position where we have to sell anyone,” Martin said. “I don’t think we’re in a position where we want to lose some of the best performers last season, that we think can become really top performers for us moving forward.
“Unless someone comes in and blows our minds and everyone decides, the player, the club, that it’s the best for everyone – and then we can make sure we’re in a position to replace them with someone else.
“It’s the same for any club in world football now. I don’t think there is a club that’s immune to that really.
Jamie Noon’s explanation of the excitement around Red Bull’s imminent takeover of Newcastle is succinct – but accurate.
“I just can’t imagine Red Bull coming in and doing a half-arsed job,” says the former England centre, who made 203 appearances for the club.
“That’s not their style.
“There is huge potential there and the investment Red Bull are making won’t just be financial, but also the expertise and professionalism from other sports.”
It is hard to argue with Noon.
Given Red Bull’s record of turning struggling football and Formula 1 teams into superpowers and heavyweight investment in top-end cycling and ice hockey, the Austrian energy drink giant is surely not going to stand for scraping the bottom of the Prem for long.
Newcastle fans are certainly dreaming. When the club opened season ticket sales last week, they recorded the highest demand for 10 years, up 197% on 2024’s first-day trading.
Some of those sign-ups might hope to see something akin to the star-studded line-up Noon joined in 1998.
Back then, bankrolled by Sir John Hall, England stars present and future Rob Andrew and Jonny Wilkinson turned out for a title-winning Falcons side, along with British and Irish Lions John Bentley, Alan Tait, Tony Underwood and Doddie Weir, and All Black code-crosser Va’aiga Tuigamala.
Getty Images
“Everybody assumes that they’re going to sign Antoine Dupont or whoever because they can afford to go hard,” he says.
“But is that the right thing? I don’t necessarily think it is. Not yet anyway.
“The recruitment cycle is over in France for next season and most of it’s finished in the UK as well, so there’s not a load of quality waiting for Red Bull to ring up.
“Most of the clubs are already back and have their players back.
“It’ll be difficult, but they have to make some good decisions based on the long-term project.”
Red Bull have tried to get ahead of the game.
While the final details of the takeover deal were signed off at the end of last week, Red Bull have made funds available before completion to thaw out Newcastle’s recruitment freeze.
Argentina scrum-half Simon Benitez Cruz, who impressed against the Lions and England this summer, has been recruited, along with hard-running Japanese back row Amanaki Mafi.
Freddie Clarke, Jamie Hodgson and George McGuigan have also arrived to shore up the pack.
All, with the exception of Benitez Cruz who has signed a two-year deal, have contracts that run to the end of the season, suggesting they are stop-gap signings, while bigger names are lined up.
Flanker Tom Christie, who started for New Zealand’s Crusaders in their Super Rugby win over the Chiefs in June, may be next according to the Daily Telegraph.
Stopping players leaving may be as crucial as bringing them in though.
Newcastle are bound by the Prem’s spending cap.
Red Bull is worth billions, but can only bring £6.4m in wages to bear on the bottom line, admittedly with one star’s pay excluded from that limit.
However, credits exist for producing home-grown talent and penalties are liable for fielding too many players who do not qualify for England.
As the only top-flight club for more than 100 miles, Newcastle have a huge catchment area for support and players.
Rex Features
“They can’t just go all foreign and bring in a host of Kiwis and South Africans, so they’re going to make sure that they’re clever,” says Noon.
“I think they’re conscious of trying to get enough quality guys to get through the season, but with a view that actually there’s a long-term project.
“With a bit more time and patience they can get the guys they want, as opposed to who is available.”
Red Bull’s entry into the Prem marks the end of a year-long search for a buyer for Newcastle.
Early last autumn, long-time club owner Semore Kurdi brought in A&W Capital, specialists in the sale of sports teams, to find someone to take the club on.
It was a pressing concern not just for Kurdi, who has put many millions of his own money into the club since becoming owner in 2011, or Newcastle, but the league as a whole.
After the demise of Worcester Warriors, Wasps and London Irish, another club going under would have reduced the Prem to nine teams. Each round would involve only four fixtures and the gate receipts and product for broadcasters and sponsors would shrink.
The situation was so stark that earlier this year Sky News reported the other top-flight clubs, along with CVC Partners who part-own the league, were prepared to loan Newcastle £4m to keep them upright.
Red Bull’s investment is a vastly preferable option for all involved.
Newcastle’s dire circumstances and Kurdi’s desire to see the club in good hands meant Red Bull could cut a deal with little initial cost beyond taking on responsibility for the club’s £39m debts.
Prem Rugby has been understandably eager to facilitate an acquisition that solves a short-term problem and fits long-term goals.
The league has rebranded from the Premiership to target a younger demographic, one that ties in well with Red Bull’s consumer base.
It also hopes to switch to a franchise model, perhaps as soon as 2026-27, doing away with on-pitch relegation. Such a move would reduce the risk of investing in distressed assets such as Newcastle, something that can spook potential owners.
Even the plan to rename Newcastle Falcons as Newcastle Red Bulls was simple and supported.
Red Bull ran into stiff opposition from the German football federation over their renaming of RB Leipzig in 2009. The RB officially stands for RasenBallsport, rather than the energy drink that bankrolled the team’s rise up the leagues, as a concession to officialdom.
Getty Images
Red Bull already has links with Newcastle’s football team and university.
Ultimately, it proved an ideal opportunity to expand its involvement in rugby from the sponsorship of a few high-profile players, such as South Africa captain Siya Kolisi and ex-England wing Jack Nowell, into something more substantial.
Prem Rugby hopes it is the start of a new sustainable era, in which clubs are owned and grown by corporate investors, rather than propped up by local business owners and benefactors.
To have attracted a blue-chip brand such as Red Bull, while the rebel R360 start-up competition also hunts investment, is a resounding vote of confidence.
Red Bull was not the only potential buyer identified in A&W Capital’s search, but was clearly the best option if a deal could be struck.
Now it has been, the focus will shift from the paperwork to the pitch.
“Newcastle is an awesome place – the people are fantastic,” says Noon.
“When I was there it was quite a young club, full of energy and we did it our way – we moved the ball around a lot and took people on.
“In a football-mad town, we kind of felt a little bit like [former Newcastle manager Kevin] Keegan, in trying to score one more than they did as a backline.
“It’s so exciting that everybody’s talking Newcastle again and the buzz is flying around. But it’s only great if they can perform on the field as well.”
Jamie Noon’s explanation of the excitement around Red Bull’s imminent takeover of Newcastle is succinct – but accurate.
“I just can’t imagine Red Bull coming in and doing a half-arsed job,” says the former England centre, who made 203 appearances for the club.
“That’s not their style.
“There is huge potential there and the investment Red Bull are making won’t just be financial, but also the expertise and professionalism from other sports.”
It is hard to argue with Noon.
Given Red Bull’s record of turning struggling football and Formula 1 teams into superpowers and heavyweight investment in top-end cycling and ice hockey, the Austrian energy drink giant is surely not going to stand for scraping the bottom of the Prem for long.
Newcastle fans are certainly dreaming. When the club opened season ticket sales last week, they recorded the highest demand for 10 years, up 197% on 2024’s first-day trading.
Some of those sign-ups might hope to see something akin to the star-studded line-up Noon joined in 1998.
Back then, bankrolled by Sir John Hall, England stars present and future Rob Andrew and Jonny Wilkinson turned out for a title-winning Falcons side, along with British and Irish Lions John Bentley, Alan Tait, Tony Underwood and Doddie Weir, and All Black code-crosser Va’aiga Tuigamala.
Getty Images
“Everybody assumes that they’re going to sign Antoine Dupont or whoever because they can afford to go hard,” he says.
“But is that the right thing? I don’t necessarily think it is. Not yet anyway.
“The recruitment cycle is over in France for next season and most of it’s finished in the UK as well, so there’s not a load of quality waiting for Red Bull to ring up.
“Most of the clubs are already back and have their players back.
“It’ll be difficult, but they have to make some good decisions based on the long-term project.”
Red Bull have tried to get ahead of the game.
While the final details of the takeover deal were signed off at the end of last week, Red Bull have made funds available before completion to thaw out Newcastle’s recruitment freeze.
Argentina scrum-half Simon Benitez Cruz, who impressed against the Lions and England this summer, has been recruited, along with hard-running Japanese back row Amanaki Mafi.
Freddie Clarke, Jamie Hodgson and George McGuigan have also arrived to shore up the pack.
All, with the exception of Benitez Cruz who has signed a two-year deal, have contracts that run to the end of the season, suggesting they are stop-gap signings, while bigger names are lined up.
Flanker Tom Christie, who started for New Zealand’s Crusaders in their Super Rugby win over the Chiefs in June, may be next according to the Daily Telegraph.
Stopping players leaving may be as crucial as bringing them in though.
Newcastle are bound by the Prem’s spending cap.
Red Bull is worth billions, but can only bring £6.4m in wages to bear on the bottom line, admittedly with one star’s pay excluded from that limit.
However, credits exist for producing home-grown talent and penalties are liable for fielding too many players who do not qualify for England.
As the only top-flight club for more than 100 miles, Newcastle have a huge catchment area for support and players.
Rex Features
“They can’t just go all foreign and bring in a host of Kiwis and South Africans, so they’re going to make sure that they’re clever,” says Noon.
“I think they’re conscious of trying to get enough quality guys to get through the season, but with a view that actually there’s a long-term project.
“With a bit more time and patience they can get the guys they want, as opposed to who is available.”
Red Bull’s entry into the Prem marks the end of a year-long search for a buyer for Newcastle.
Early last autumn, long-time club owner Semore Kurdi brought in A&W Capital, specialists in the sale of sports teams, to find someone to take the club on.
It was a pressing concern not just for Kurdi, who has put many millions of his own money into the club since becoming owner in 2011, or Newcastle, but the league as a whole.
After the demise of Worcester Warriors, Wasps and London Irish, another club going under would have reduced the Prem to nine teams. Each round would involve only four fixtures and the gate receipts and product for broadcasters and sponsors would shrink.
The situation was so stark that earlier this year Sky News reported the other top-flight clubs, along with CVC Partners who part-own the league, were prepared to loan Newcastle £4m to keep them upright.
Red Bull’s investment is a vastly preferable option for all involved.
Newcastle’s dire circumstances and Kurdi’s desire to see the club in good hands meant Red Bull could cut a deal with little initial cost beyond taking on responsibility for the club’s £39m debts.
Prem Rugby has been understandably eager to facilitate an acquisition that solves a short-term problem and fits long-term goals.
The league has rebranded from the Premiership to target a younger demographic, one that ties in well with Red Bull’s consumer base.
It also hopes to switch to a franchise model, perhaps as soon as 2026-27, doing away with on-pitch relegation. Such a move would reduce the risk of investing in distressed assets such as Newcastle, something that can spook potential owners.
Even the plan to rename Newcastle Falcons as Newcastle Red Bulls was simple and supported.
Red Bull ran into stiff opposition from the German football federation over their renaming of RB Leipzig in 2009. The RB officially stands for RasenBallsport, rather than the energy drink that bankrolled the team’s rise up the leagues, as a concession to officialdom.
Getty Images
Red Bull already has links with Newcastle’s football team and university.
Ultimately, it proved an ideal opportunity to expand its involvement in rugby from the sponsorship of a few high-profile players, such as South Africa captain Siya Kolisi and ex-England wing Jack Nowell, into something more substantial.
Prem Rugby hopes it is the start of a new sustainable era, in which clubs are owned and grown by corporate investors, rather than propped up by local business owners and benefactors.
To have attracted a blue-chip brand such as Red Bull, while the rebel R360 start-up competition also hunts investment, is a resounding vote of confidence.
Red Bull was not the only potential buyer identified in A&W Capital’s search, but was clearly the best option if a deal could be struck.
Now it has been, the focus will shift from the paperwork to the pitch.
“Newcastle is an awesome place – the people are fantastic,” says Noon.
“When I was there it was quite a young club, full of energy and we did it our way – we moved the ball around a lot and took people on.
“In a football-mad town, we kind of felt a little bit like [former Newcastle manager Kevin] Keegan, in trying to score one more than they did as a backline.
“It’s so exciting that everybody’s talking Newcastle again and the buzz is flying around. But it’s only great if they can perform on the field as well.”
Crystal Palace’s demotion to the Uefa Conference League could “galvanise” the club and bring them closer together, says Chris Sutton.
The Eagles beat Liverpool on penalties in the Community Shield on Sunday but less than 24 hours later were told they had lost their appeal against being dropped from the Europa League.
They had qualified for the competition after winning the FA Cup last season but were punished by Uefa for breaching multi-club ownership rules.
“I don’t necessarily see it as having an effect on the players – this is the best period in the club’s history,” former Premier League striker Sutton said on 5 Live’s Monday Night Club.
“On the footballing side of it, Palace just have to move on and get on with the season. And in many ways, it may actually galvanise the club.
“It might bring them closer together, if that’s possible.”
American businessman John Textor owned a 43% stake in Palace until he sold it in June and is the majority owner of Lyon, who also qualified for the Europa League.
Palace had until 1 March 2025 to show Uefa proof of multi-club ownership restructuring, but the club missed that deadline.
The ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) also means Nottingham Forest’s spot in the Europa League is confirmed, having been promoted into the competition in Palace’s place.
“They’ve won an FA Cup, they’ve won a Community Shield. So I think there’s still a lot of excitement,” Sutton added. “You still can’t take away them winning the FA Cup; you still can’t take away the great performance in the Community Shield. If you’re a Palace fan, you love that.
“You’ve got to focus on the positives, as much as anything. But it’s certainly not ideal.”
Rory Smith, football correspondent at the Observer, also thinks the ruling from Cas could work in Palace’s favour.
“I think there is a very good chance this ends with Palace winning the Conference League – and they should not be in the Conference League, they should be in the Europa League,” Smith said.
“It’s ridiculous that they’re not and it’s ridiculous Uefa couldn’t say look, this is clearly just an administrative oversight.”
In July, Palace submitted an appeal to Cas against Uefa – which issued the punishment – as well as Lyon and Nottingham Forest.
Uefa rules state clubs owned, to a certain threshold of influence, by the same person or entity cannot compete in the same European tournament.
Palace argued Textor did not hold any decisive influence at the club, but Uefa did not accept the Premier League side’s defence.
“It may well be that – I don’t know if it makes it bittersweet or just sweet or just bitter – Palace will be one of the three strongest teams in the Conference League,” Smith continued.
“There is a very good chance, especially if they keep Eberechi Eze and maybe Marc Guehi, that they end up with another trophy next season.
