Coleman defends Bale move

Chris Coleman: Naming Bale on bench was 'mind games'   Wales boss Chris Coleman admitted that Gareth Bale was never going to feature in the World Cup qualifying defeat to Macedonia.   Coleman raised eyebrows when he named Bale on the bench despite the Real Madrid midfielder not having played any football since July. The world-record signing watched from the dugout as his team-mates slipped...

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Nigeria Boko Haram gunmen 'tracked and killed'

  Militant attacks have continued despite the military offensive   About 50 Islamist militants have been killed in north-eastern Nigeria after the military raided Boko Haram camps, army spokesman Sagir Musa has said. Troops tracked gunmen who attacked two towns on Wednesday and Thursday, reportedly killing 20 people. Boko Haram, which wants to create an Islamic state across Nigeria, has waged a deadly insurgency since...

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Australia election: Abbott poised for victory

The BBC's Jon Donnison: "If the polls are to be believed, then this is Tony Abbott's race to lose" Exit polls in Australia suggest Tony Abbott's Liberal-National coalition is on course for a decisive election win, as voting ended in the eastern states. One poll forecast that the opposition coalition would secure 97 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives. The campaign has been dramatic, with Kevin Rudd replacing Julia Gillard...

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Syria crisis: Russia and US 'no closer'

 President Barack Obama gives a news conference The US and Russia have not bridged their differences over the issue of possible military action in Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin says. Mr Putin said it was "counter-productive" to destabilise the situation in the Middle East. His comments came in a news conference on the final day of the G20 summit in St Petersburg. US President Barack Obama had been pushing...

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South African gold miners return to work

Most of the 80,000 South African gold miners who have been on strike since Tuesday have returned to work after a new pay offer, union officials say. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) spokesman said workers for four of the seven companies had accepted the offer of an 8% rise. The NUM had been demanding 60%, while employers had offered 6% - the same as the current annual rate of inflation. South Africa's gold industry is one of...

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South-east PDP backs Jonathan, Tukur

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) South East zone has passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, describing last Saturday’s purported split of the party as regrettable. In a statement issued on Friday and signed by the National Vice Chairman for the South East Zone, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd), the party requested all aggrieved members to shield...

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President Jonathan in Kenya

   FROM LEFT: PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN; PRESIDENT UHURU KENYATTA OF KENYA; FIRST LADY DAME PATIENCE JONATHAN AND WIFE OF THE KENYAN PRESIDENT, MAGARETH, DURING THE STATE VISIT OF PRESIDENT JONATHAN TO NAIROBI     PRESIDENT JONATHAN ON STATE VISIT TO KENYA     PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (M), HIS WIFE, DAME PATIENCE JONATHAN AND OTHER OFFICIALS ARRIVING AT THE JOMO KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL...

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My best friend seduced my wife, blind man tells court

A blind man, Mr Shaibu Ibrahim, 56, of Aso Pada in Mararaba, Nasarawa State on Thursday told a Grade 1 Area Court in Mararaba that his friend, Shehu Sarki, 62, allegedly enticed his wife with money and seduced her. In his testimony to the court, Ibrahim said that he became friends with the accused some time last year when the accused assisted him to secure accommodation at Gwagalape, near Nyanya in...

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Dangote attributes success to Jonathan’s ‘favourable’ policies

Business mogul, Aliko Dangote, on Thursday said his achievements as Africa’s richest man and 25th richest person on earth was due to the favourable policies of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. Dangote spoke on Thursday night in Nairobi when President Jonathan met with the Nigerian community in the East African country. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the meeting was part of the activities lined-up for the three-day...

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Echiejile dismisses Besiktas switch report

Nigeria international left back, Elderson Echiejile, has denied that he has joined Turkish Super League side Besiktas. “It’s not true that I have signed for Besiktas. There was no agreement between Braga and Besiktas. I am still a player of Braga,” MTNFootball.com quoted the defender, whose contract at Braga expires in June 2014, as saying on his official website – www.elderson3.com Echiejile also denied the transfer on his twitter handle...

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President Obama pushes G20 leaders for support on Syria

  The G20 leaders: Standing together but deeply divided    US President Barack Obama is using his final day at the G20 summit to continue pushing for foreign support for a US military strike on Syria. British sources say the leaders of France, Turkey, Canada and the UK gave Mr Obama strong backing. But a Russian spokesman said a US strike would drive a "nail into the coffin of international law". The head...

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Manchester United: Nani signs new five-year contract

Manchester United is delighted to announce that Nani has signed a new five year contract to June 2018. The Portuguese winger signed for United in May 2007 and has won four Barclays Premier League titles, two League Cups, a FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Champions League in his six seasons at Old Trafford. David Moyes said: "I'm really pleased Nani has re-signed for the next five years. He has great ability and experience...

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UK has new Syria chemical evidence - David Cameron

David Cameron is welcomed to St Petersburg by Vladimir Putin The UK has fresh evidence of the use of chemical weapons in Damascus, David Cameron has told the BBC as he arrives in Russia for the G20 summit. Scientists at the Porton Down laboratories have been "examining samples" from Syria's capital, he said. Mr Cameron denied claims he had "no hand to play" over Syria after losing a vote last week on UK military action. He...

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Syria crisis: Obama says world's credibility on the line

Barack Obama: "The world set a red line when the governments representing 98% of the world's population said the use of chemical weapons are abhorrent" President Barack Obama has said the credibility of the US, its Congress and the international community is on the line over their response to Syria's alleged use of chemical weapons. Speaking in Sweden, he said the world should stick to its own "red line" against the use of chemical weapons. Mr...

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Mesut Ozil sale impossible to understand, says Joachim Low

Germany manager Joachim Low has described Real Madrid's decision to sell Mesut Ozil to Arsenal as "incomprehensible".  The Gunners completed a £42.4m deal for the Germany midfielder, 24, on Monday following Real's signing of Gareth Bale from Tottenham. But Low has questioned the decision to allow Ozil to leave the Bernabeu.  "For me, it's incomprehensible that Real would sell one of their top...

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Gareth Bale not guaranteed Real Madrid start - assistant coach

Gareth Bale is not certain to start for Real Madrid despite being the world's most expensive player, says assistant coach Paul Clement.  Wales international Bale, 24, who joined the Spanish side for £85.3m from Tottenham, could make his debut at Villarreal on 14 September.  But Clement told BBC Sport: "There's a lot of competition for places - no-one will be guaranteed anything.  "Coach Carlo...

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Mali's new President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita sworn in

Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (R) promised to unify the country at his inauguratio Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has been sworn in as Mali's new president at the Supreme Court in the capital, Bamako. Before he took his oath of office, transitional leader Dioncounda Traore handed over power at a ceremony inside the presidential palace. Mr Keita, a former prime minister, won last month's run-off election. The election of the new president...

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Wayne Rooney posts head injury picture on Facebook

Wayne Rooney has posted a graphic picture on Facebook showing the head injury that forced him out of England's next two World Cup qualifiers.  The 27-year-old suffered the deep cut in a freak training ground collision with the boot of Manchester United team-mate Phil Jones last week.  Old Trafford boss David Moyes said the striker could be out for three weeks. England team-mate Theo Walcott has described...

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