‘I worry about unity’ – Southgate on St George’s flag

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In a debate over the flying of the St. George’s flag, former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate declares he is “worried about unity.”

In recent months, England has seen a rise in the number of St. George’s and Union Jack flags.

Some people find the flag-raising patriotic, but others find it intimidating.

Following a Euro 2024 final defeat defeat by Spain, Southgate left the team and spent eight years in charge.

He is well known for uniting the nation in support of the national side, and he has just published a book called Dear England: Lessons in Leadership.

Jon Kay, a presenter for BBC Breakfast, questioned Southgate on Monday about how he felt about the flag debate, saying, “Some people are proud of them. Some people have questions about how useful they are in particular situations. What do you think of the “patriotism debate” regarding the flags?

Southgate responded, “I worry about unity.” I’ve seen how the team [England] worked together to bring every community together.

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Gary Neville, a former England defender and co-owner of Salford City, recently criticised the “negative” display of the St George’s flag and claimed he had ordered the flag’s removal from a building site he invests in.

Later that week, two pitch invaders attempted to place a St George’s flag inside the Peninsula Stadium’s center circle, which was delayed until Salford City’s League Two game against Oldham Athletic.

The incident was blamed on Britain First, a far-right organization, for which they “teamed up with local Salford patriots” to protest Gary Neville’s “tidy behavior.”

There will always be some unrest beneath the surface, said Southgate.

I understand why some people are unhappy because “life is very difficult for many people economically.”

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Southgate, who took over as England’s head coach in November 2016 after a brief spell, won 57 caps for the Three Lions.

The defender missed a penalty in the semi-final shootout defeat by Germany at Wembley in 1996, which was the closest the defender’s career to silverware with the national side.

When asked about the value of failing, Southgate responded, “One of the certainties of life is that things will always turn out the other way.” I learned from 1996 that I had to be better prepared and that I had to perform a skill under great pressure.

I remember saying, “I don’t know how I’ll ever get over this when I went to bed that night.”

“I was in charge of getting the team to the final because the entire nation was playing football at this carnival in 1996.”

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[VIDEO] Killings Of Christians: ‘Reach Out To Trump’, Ex-CAN President Urges Tinubu 

Supo Ayokunle, the former head of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has urged President Bola Tinubu to contact US President Donald Trump about the killings of Christians in Nigeria.

This is a “sad development,” according to Ayokunle, who spoke in an interview on Channels Television’s Inside Sources program.

He lamented that the situation had persisted for more than 15 years and warned that if not resolved quickly the situation might get worse.

He advised the US government to negotiate diplomatically to prevent tensions from rising.

He argues that Nigeria should contact Washington directly if it needs assistance rather than wait for outside assistance.

Donald Trump ought to speak with President Tinubu. We should make a request for assistance if it is necessary.

We must not wait until the US arrives with its troops. It will be challenging to return them once they arrive. We do not want another type of imperialism, Ayokunle asserted.

His remarks come in response to Trump’s recent threats to Nigerian military action over reported attacks on Christians.

If Nigeria didn’t stop the killings, the US president claimed he had asked the Pentagon to create a plan of action.

Vandalism Caused Warri–Itakpe Train Derailment – NRC Managing Director

Kayode Opeifa, the managing director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), attributed the derailment of the Warri–Itakpe train to vandalism along the rail tracks.

Opeifa stated in a statement on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s The Morning Brief that the collision occurred despite recent maintenance and security measures along the corridor.

READ MORE: The NRC Suspends Services Four Days After Resumption of Warri-Itakpe Train After It Derails

He disclosed that extensive repairs had been carried out during the course of the line’s closure two months prior to safety and security concerns.

The line was put on hold two months ago because safety and security were in order. We reopened almost every kilometer of the track, replacing clips, landrolls, and bolts in several places, according to Opeifa. We also learned that there are frequent vandals on this side and many other sides in the bushes, and our job is to secure them.

Four days after the announcement of the resumed use of train service, his comments came after the Warri-Itakpe train slammed into the Agbor region of Delta State.

He claimed that the rail tracks’ four fish plates and flat iron pieces had been severn from the derailment. He claimed that we found four fish plates at the location that night, which may have been the cause of the incident.

He claimed that the train had safely traveled the same route earlier that day between Onyewu and Agbor, which suggested that the items that had been removed were likely to have been altered after that transition. A guard train watches over what is happening behind every train in this neighborhood. He continued, “We still have men working on these tracks every day.”

Economist: NMDPRA Failing On PIA Enforcement, Foreign Traders Dumping Substandard Products In Nigeria

At the time of the derailment, 446 passengers were traveling from Agbor station to Abraka, where the incident took place, according to an official confirmation from Opeifa.

“We made sure all 446 passengers arrived at Agbor safely and quickly. Under security watch, he said, some who opted to stay back received water, drinks, and light refreshments.

Cuba: Health Under Sanction

Cuba’s once-world-class healthcare system is being stifled by US sanctions because it is free, universal, and failing.

Cuba’s healthcare system was once a parody of what was possible in developing nations. However, nothing has changed. Healthcare workers are putting in a lot of strain on the US because of the harsh US sanctions that the first Trump administration imposed, if not impossible, to get the drugs and equipment they need. Although the sanctions were intended to put political pressure on the communist government, they actually hurt people the most. Life expectancy is declining, and infant mortality rates are rising.

Iran ‘not in hurry’ to resume nuclear talks with US

Tehran, Iran – Iran is “not in a hurry” to resume talks with the United States over its nuclear programme, Tehran’s foreign minister has told Al Jazeera.

Iran remains prepared to engage in indirect negotiations with Washington if the US chooses to talk “from an equal position based on mutual interest”, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera Arabic in an interview at his office in Tehran that was broadcast on Sunday.

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The official also asserted that a critical “shared understanding” regarding Israel is developing across the region.

Tehran’s top diplomat said conditions set by the US for talks to resume – which reportedly include an emphasis on direct negotiations, zero uranium enrichment, and limits on Iran’s missile stocks and its support for regional allies – are “illogical and unfair”.

That makes talks untenable, he suggested.

“It appears they are not in a hurry”, he remarked. “We are not in a hurry, either”.

Araghchi’s insistence comes despite the pressure from reimposed United Nations sanctions and other challenges facing the Iranian establishment.

Rather, the foreign minister said he believes regional dynamics are turning against Israel, the US’s closest ally in the Middle East.

“I sometimes tell my friends that Mr Netanyahu is a war criminal who has committed every atrocity, but did something positive in proving to the entire region that Israel is the main enemy, not Iran, and not any other country”, Araghchi said in reference to the Israeli prime minister.

The comments came two days after Oman’s chief diplomat, &nbsp, for the first time, publicly joined the chorus of disapproval aimed at Netanyahu and his hardline government.

“We have long known that Israel, not Iran, is the primary source of insecurity in the region”, Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi told the audience at the IISS Manama Dialogue 2025 regional forum.

He said over the years, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has “at best sat back and permitted the isolation of Iran”, a stance that he believes “needs to change”.

Oman has for years acted as a mediator between Iran and the US in nuclear, financial, prisoner exchange and other regional issues.

Tehran and Washington were slated to sit down for a sixth round of talks in mid-June, when Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities. That launched a 12-day war that killed more than 1, 000 people in Iran and inflicted billions of dollars in infrastructure damage.

After media reports last week said the administration of US President Donald Trump had sent a new message to Tehran via Oman, Iran’s government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani confirmed that messages had been received.

But she did not elaborate on the content or Iran’s potential response. The White House has not publicly confirmed sending the missive.

During his interview, Araghchi said “almost all” of the about 400kg (880lb) of 60-percent enriched uranium possessed by Iran is “buried under the rubble” of nuclear facilities bombed by the US and Israel.

“We have no intention of removing them from under the rubble until conditions are ready. We have no information on how much of the 400kg is untouched and how much is destroyed, and we will have no information until we dig them out”, he said.

The Iranian foreign minister pointed out that China and Russia have formally announced they do not recognise the UN sanctions recently reimposed against Iran by the European signatories to its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

France, the United Kingdom and Germany have signalled they want to restart talks with Tehran. However, no substantial progress has been made.

In the meantime, they have imposed sanctions and restrictions, both in relation to Iran’s alleged drone exports to Russia&nbsp, and its nuclear programme.

The three European powers&nbsp, in September announced they were suspending their bilateral air services agreements with Iran, affecting Iranian carriers like Iran Air.

Some of the flights appear to be gradually coming back, though, with Iranian state television airing footage of an Austrian Airlines flight landing in Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport on Sunday night.

How to follow the Ashes across the BBC

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One of the most eagerly awaited Ashes series ever will take place in Australia this winter.

Ben Stokes’ men will be hoping to regain the urn for the first time since 2015 when England last won it in 2010-11.

The series ends in Sydney after the first Test, which will take place in Perth. The schedule is as follows:

With online analysis, in-play and post-play video highlights, live text updates, and online analysis, we will make sure you don’t miss any of the action.

How to access BBC Sounds and radio’s Ashes radio program.

The Test Match Special team will provide ball-by-ball radio commentary on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, and BBC Sport’s website and app (only available to UK users).

The commentary team will be led by Simon Mann and Jim Maxwell, the country’s top cricket commentator.

The punditry team will include former England spinners Phil Tufnell and Alex Hartley, as well as legendary Australian seamer Glenn McGrath and Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan from 2005.

Where can I find in-play highlights and clips

Following the end of play each day, there will be in-play video clips of every significant event on the BBC Sport website and app as well as highlights (only available to UK users).

We’ve got you covered if you want to watch more action. Daily highlights of the action will be broadcast on iPlayer starting at 17:00 GMT each day, and they can be watched on demand (only for UK users).

Follow analysis and updates to the text.

The action will also be fully covered on the BBC Sport website and app.

Every day, there will be live text commentary followed by reports and in-depth analysis following stumps.

The series’ key moments and performances will be covered in columns written by McGrath, Agnew, and Steven Finn.

Our dedicated Ashes page has everything you need to know about and the most recent updates in between tests.

Ashes podcasts are available throughout the region.

Once the series launches, a Test Match Special podcast will be available each day with Agnew, Vaughan, and the team providing a comprehensive analysis of the game’s progression as well as the most recent news and details in between games.

Regular podcasts and an Ashes special will be available on iPlayer after each Test for the Tailenders team, which includes England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker James Anderson.

Special episodes will be produced for BBC World Service’s Stumped podcast, which will have a new episode every week, and for Hartley and Kate Cross’ award-winning No Balls: The Cricket Podcast.

For the Love of Cricket, Ashes legends Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler will also comment on it.

On BBC Sounds you can hear all of this plus a special From The Ashes series that examines the true accounts of Ashes players.

Use social media to stay informed.

We’ll keep you informed of all the activity on our social media channels.

As well as the regular content from the TMS podcast, Tailenders and No Balls, the BBC Cricket Instagram account will feature match coverage, player interviews, pundit reactions, and a lot of behind-the-scenes footage from the TMS team in Australia.

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