Paulinho came off the bench to score a brilliant extra-time winner as Palmeiras edged fierce rivals Botafogo 1-0 in a tense all-Brazilian affair to reach the FIFA Club World Cup quarter-finals. The former Bayer Leverkusen winger cut inside from the right and rifled a low strike into the bottom corner in the 100th minute, securing a hard-fought win in front of 33,657 fans at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia. His second…

England Under-21s clinched back-to-back UEFA European U21 Championship titles after edging Germany 3-2 in an enthralling final that went to extra time in Bratislava. A dramatic header from substitute Jonathan Rowe just two minutes into the added period secured the title for Lee Carsley’s Young Lions, who now join the elite company of successive U21 champions — a feat not achieved since Dave Sexton’s class of 1982 and 1984. This…

Paul Pogba fought back tears as he officially signed a two-year deal with AS Monaco, marking his emotional return to competitive football after serving an 18-month doping suspension. The 32-year-old former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder has been without a club since November 2023, when he and Juventus mutually agreed to terminate his contract in the wake of a provisional suspension. That suspension followed a failed drug test after Juventus’…

Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s trip to Saint Lucia, a Caribbean island nation. He described it as an inappropriate ‘holidaying’ amidst Nigeria’s severe socio-economic and security challenges. In a statement issued on his X page on Saturday, Mr Obi expressed his bewilderment at the Presidency’s announcement that Mr Tinubu would depart Abuja on Saturday for official engagements and personal leisure…

Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to roll back parts of his Government’s welfare reform plans could cost the Treasury as much as £3 billion, according to the Resolution Foundation. In a major concession to Labour rebels, the Prime Minister announced that existing recipients of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will continue to receive their benefits, with tougher eligibility rules only applying to new applicants. The move followed a mounting rebellion from…

The Conservative Party is developing plans for a new investment visa aimed at luring wealthy individuals back to the UK, in a bid to counter the exodus of high-net-worth individuals following Labour’s tax reforms. Shadow Business Secretary, Andrew Griffith announced the proposal during a speech at the Prosperity Institute, describing it as part of a “world-beating offer for wealth creators.” Griffith criticised Labour’s decision to abolish the non-domiciled tax regime…

Labour has turned down calls from one of its own MPs to offer council tax exemptions for families struggling to sell inherited retirement properties. Labour MP for Shipley, Anna Dixon had urged the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government led by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner to extend the period during which grieving families are exempt from the second home council tax premium when trying to sell retirement homes.…

British Gas is preparing to take a significant multibillion pound stake in Sizewell C, a nuclear power plant championed by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. The deal, led by British Gas’s parent company Centrica, is expected to be announced within weeks and will see the company acquire a 15% stake in the project. Centrica’s investment will match the stake held by French state-owned energy giant EDF, giving a major boost to…

South Africa’s national women’s football team, Banyana Banyana, have boycotted training ahead of their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title defence in Morocco, citing unpaid allowances and salaries from the South African Football Association (SAFA). The reigning continental champions, who arrived in Morocco on Wednesday in preparation for the tournament set to kick off on July 5, staged a sit-in protest on Friday by refusing to take part in…

Deontay Wilder returned to winning ways on Saturday night, stopping Tyrrell Herndon in the seventh round of a low-profile bout in Wichita, Kansas, that offered more relief than reassurance for the former heavyweight champion. It was Wilder’s first victory since October 2022, ending a streak of three losses in four fights — most recently a punishing fifth-round stoppage at the hands of Chinese southpaw Zhilei Zhang in June 2024. But…

Manchester United have seen their latest bid for Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo rejected, as the West London club stand firm on their valuation of the in-demand forward. United’s improved offer, reportedly worth up to £62.5 million – consisting of £55 million upfront and £7.5 million in add-ons – was turned down by Brentford, who are understood to be holding out for a fee similar to what Wolves received for Matheus…

Cabinet ministers have insisted that the government’s welfare reform plans will improve mental health outcomes, arguing that supporting people into work is key to tackling rising rates of anxiety and depression. Health Secretary, Wes Streeting and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall made the case for the reforms, stating: “Good work is good for mental health.” Their intervention comes as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faces backlash within Labour ranks…