Author: News Desk

Arsenal’s proposed £40m deal for Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori has been branded a ‘disaster’ for Serie A. The Gunners are making good progress in their pursuit of Calafiori, who was one of the few bright sparks for Italy during their underwhelming Euro 2024 campaign. Italy became European champions when they beat England in a penalty shootout at Wembley three years ago but they did not even reach the quarter-finals this time around, Luciano Spalletti’s side knocked out by Switzerland. Calafiori was arguably the only Italian player to leave Germany having enhanced his reputation off the back of a superb season…

Frank Skinner – the man who co-wrote the greatest football anthem of all time in Three Lions alongside David Baddiel – says he just about understands the offside rule. So he’s putting faith in the assumed expertise of Gareth Southgate this weekend. The idea does sound comical, as Frank’s lyric ‘IT’S COMING HOME’ (and repeat) has sound-tracked the sport ever since our de facto national anthem hit the charts in 1996. It’s not that legendary comedian and chart-topping football maestro Frank, 67, hasn’t tried to understand the beautiful game. He really has – more than most. ‘I saw my first…

Bernardo Silva is anticipating an almighty battle against William Saliba as Portugal and France prepare to face off for a semi-final place at Euro 2024, labelling the Arsenal defender a ‘wonderful player’. In what is a repeat of the 2016 final, much of the focus will be on Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo as two of the great attacking players of the modern era clash at Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion. And while neither side have been at their free-flowing best this summer, the opportunity to stake a claim as one of the genuine contenders for the trophy is on offer and a…

Premier League legend Alan Shearer has made his predictions for the Euro 2024 quarter-finals (Picture: Getty)Alan Shearer has made his predictions ahead of this weekend’s mouth-watering set of Euro 2024 quarter-final fixtures, with the eight remaining teams aiming to stake their claim as a genuine contender in Germany. Germany and Spain, arguably the two standout teams at the tournament, kick off proceedings in what promises to be a titanic quarter-final encounter in Stuttgart this evening. The tournament hosts sailed through as the winners of Group A before booking a quarter-final spot with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Denmark, in which…

Teddy Sheringham has warned Gareth Southgate to abandon his experiment of deploying Bukayo Saka as a makeshift England left-back. The Arsenal star has firmly established a reputation as one of the Premier League’s most devastating wingers and has twice been named the Three Lions Player of the Year. Like many of his illustrious teammates Saka has endured a frustrating start to his Euro 2024 tournament. Saka created the winner in England’s opening win against Serbia but has struggled to make a telling impact in England’s subsequent three matches. With Cole Palmer piling on the pressure and desperate to start against…

Bodies of 89 migrants retrieved from Atlantic Mauritanian coastguards have recovered 89 bodies from a boat that capsized in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday. Nine survivors, including a five-year-old girl, were rescued, but dozens remain missing. Survivors reported that the vessel, a traditional fishing boat, set sail last week from the Senegalese-Gambian border area with 170 people on board. The tragedy occurred off Mauritania’s southwestern coast, a key transit point for West African migrants heading to Europe. Thousands of boats departed from Mauritania last year, with Spain’s Canary Islands being the most common destination. Nearly 40,000 people arrived there in…

Ecuador police free 49 people held by gang Ecuadorian police have rescued 49 kidnapped individuals from the clutches of the notorious Los Lobos gang in the southern Azuay province. During a joint raid by security forces in a mining area, two suspected kidnappers were arrested. The powerful Los Lobos gang, estimated to have 8,000 members, was identified as the group behind the abduction. Originally a prison gang known for instigating bloody riots, Los Lobos has extended its influence beyond prison walls and is now heavily involved in contract killings, kidnappings for ransom, and extortion. The gang also collaborates with the…

Hurricane Beryl leaves Jamaican homes without power Hurricane Beryl, one of the most powerful storms to ever hit Jamaica, has left hundreds of thousands of homes without power. The category four storm struck the island’s southern coast on Wednesday night, bringing over 12 hours of heavy rain and strong winds. In the aftermath, officials and residents are assessing the damage as the island-wide curfew was lifted early Thursday. Now weakened to a category two storm, Beryl is moving towards Mexico and the Cayman Islands, leaving a trail of destruction across the Caribbean and claiming at least 10 lives. The storm…

Iran presidential election 2024: Hardliner faces reformist in presidential run-off Iranian voters head to the polls on Friday to choose a new president in a run-off election between hardline conservative Saeed Jalili and reformist Dr Massoud Pezeshkian. This follows a first round on June 28, which saw a record-low voter turnout of 40%, and no candidate securing a majority. Dr Pezeshkian, a former heart surgeon, has been vocal against Iran’s morality police and has promised “unity and cohesion,” aiming to end Iran’s international isolation. He advocates for constructive negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, which involved Iran curbing its…

Hezbollah fires 200 rockets and drones into Israel Hezbollah has launched more than 200 rockets and drones into northern Israel in retaliation for the killing of senior commander Mohammed Nimah Nasser. The Israeli military reported that one of its officers was killed, and the barrage sparked several fires. In response, Israel targeted Hezbollah military structures and other sites in southern Lebanon. Lebanese media reported one fatality from an Israeli drone strike in Houla. This recent attack, following a barrage of 100 rockets on Wednesday, marks one of the most intense episodes in nine months of cross-border violence, raising fears of…