Author: Opalim Lifted

Christopher Nkunku’s penalty helped Enzo Maresca earn his first win as Chelsea boss as the Blues secured a two-goal advantage against Servette in their Conference League play-off first leg. A much-changed Chelsea side had been struggling to open up their Swiss opponents until Nkunku was sent sprawling by goalkeeper Jeremy Frick early in the second half. The France forward, the only survivor from the Blues team that started the 2-0 home defeat by Manchester City on Sunday, picked himself up to score the first goal of the Maresca era. The former Paris St-Germain player then celebrated in trademark fashion, external,…

Brentford have signed defender Sepp van den Berg from Liverpool in a deal worth up to £25m. The 22-year-old Dutchman joins the Bees on a five-year contract after turning down interest from a number of other clubs, including German champions Bayer Leverkusen. Brentford will pay an initial £20m fee, with an additional £5m in add-ons, while Liverpool have a 17.5% sell-on clause. Bees boss Thomas Frank said the defender was a “great signing” for the club. “Sepp is a centre-back with a good level and he has the potential to develop even further,” he added. “He fits our culture and…

United States border agents have intercepted a truck carrying more than $5m-worth of methamphetamine at the US-Mexico border hidden inside a shipment of watermelons. The drugs were wrapped in plastic painted in two shades of green to resemble the fruit and placed among real watermelons. More than two tonnes of methamphetamine in a total of 1,220 packages was seized by officers. Stashing drugs among produce is a common way to smuggle the illicit substances across borders – banana shipments are the most popular but officers have recently found narcotics in Gouda cheese and avocados. US Customs and Border Protection officials…

E-hailing drivers under the aegis of the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) have rejected the recent fare reduction arrangement announced by certain app companies (Uber/Bolt) and the Presidential Committee on the National Gas Initiative (P-CNGi). The union, representing over 120,000 drivers in Lagos and 300,000 nationwide, in a statement by its state chairman, Jaiyesimi Azeez, and claimed it was not involved in the discussion and did not endorse the decision. It further stated that a crucial decision such as fare reduction for drivers should be discussed and agreed upon with its members who are the implementing arm…

Jermaine Jenas, who presents The One Show and appears on Match of the Day for the BBC, has been sacked by the corporation following complaints about workplace conduct. The former footballer, 41, has been taken off air from both primetime shows. BBC News understands his contract was terminated earlier this week, because of alleged issues relating to workplace behaviour. It followed allegations involving digital communications such as texts, which were raised with the corporation a few weeks ago. A BBC spokesperson said: “We can confirm Jermaine Jenas is no longer part of our presenting line-up.” It is understood issues were…

Newcastle United defender Kieran Trippier wants to leave the club this month in search of first-team football. The 33-year-old England international was an unused substitute in the Magpies’ 1-0 win against Southampton on Saturday. Trippier, who joined the club from Atletico Madrid in 2022, is behind former Saints full-back Tino Livramento in the pecking order for the right-back position. Newcastle blocked Trippier from leaving the club in January following interest from Bayern Munich and Saudi Arabia. Kieran Trippier has been linked with a move to Everton to reunite with Sean Dyche, who managed him for three years at Burnley. Newcastle…

American rapper Cardi B has denied bleaching her skin. There have been speculations that the hip-hop star was bleaching her skin. Alluding to the rumours, an X user with the handle @blairnmz wrote, “Has Cardi been bleaching her skin?” while reposting a recent photo of the rapper. Reacting, Cardi B slammed those suggesting that she’s bleaching. She explained that she can’t bleach while pregnant, stressing that the pregnancy was responsible for her skin growing pale. She wrote: “Bleaching while pregnant? Why must y’all be so dumb? Actually no! I’m pregnant I’m slightly anemic, this baby suckin’ all the energy off…

Indonesia’s parliament postponed ratifying changes to an elections law on Thursday as protesters attempted to tear down the gates of parliament in the capital, following outcry over legislation seen to strengthen the political influence of outgoing President Joko Widodo. The plenary session to pass the changes was delayed due to a lack of a quorum, legislator Habiburokhman told reporters outside the parliament building. It is unclear if parliament will reconvene to pass the law before the registration for regional elections opens next Tuesday. The parliament planned to ratify changes that would have reversed a ruling by the constitutional court earlier…

An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 struck Xinjiang in China on Thursday, the country’s Earthquake Networks Centre said. According to preliminary data, the quake was located at a shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow quakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface.  No casualties or damage have been reported. Four months ago, southern Xinjiang was hit with a 5.5 quake struck, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said. A 7.1 magnitude quake shook the Kyrgyzstan-Xinjiang border region on January 23, killing at least three people.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s official YouTube channel amassed more than a million subscribers within the first 90 minutes. Renowned for his record-breaking achievements on the pitch, Ronaldo is now extending his influence online. His trademark enthusiasm and global appeal propelled his channel to surpass one million subscribers within just 1 hour and 30 minutes of its launch, showcasing his extraordinary reach worldwide. He has over 112.5 million followers on the X platform, 170 million on Facebook, and 636 million on Instagram. At 39 years old, and despite a challenging Euro 2024, Ronaldo remains one of the most recognizable and marketable athletes worldwide.…