NEWS BUZZ 101

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar was quick to congratulate Kylian Mbappe, a player he has 'special affection' for, on winning the World Cup despite grappling with the heartbreak of his nation's own exit. Neymar and Brazil were surprisingly bundled out in the quarter-finals by Belgium, who subsequently lost in the last four to eventual champions France. Teenage attacker Mbappe played a key part in Les Bleus' triumph in Russia, netting in their 4-2 win over Croatia in the final to finish the tournament with four goals and the FIFA Young Player award. The 19-year-old, whom Real Madrid have denied they are targeting, returns to PSG as one of the hottest properties in world football, and Neymar insists he is delighted for his club team-mate. "I congratulated him, of course," Neymar told reporters. "We talked during the World Cup, always, and we tried to meet in the semi-finals but unfortunately it wasn't possible. "But I was happy ...

President Donald Trump's re-election campaign denied Saturday that it is using Chinese manufacturers to produce campaign flags, despite recent viral images that suggest otherwise. "We have made it clear all along that all of our merchandise is 100% made in the USA," Michael Glassner, the campaign's chief operating officer, said in a statement to CNN. "Any vendor who claims to have a relationship with us otherwise is lying or violating our protected trademark rights." "This applies to all of the recent fake news about Made in China products for the 2020 campaign," he said. Reuters reported this week that Jiahao Flag Co Ltd, a company located in eastern China, has been turning out tens of thousands of red, white and blue "Trump 2020 Keep America Great" banners since March. A company manager told Reuters that she believes the US-China trade war was spurring the larger than normal production numbers in an effort to avoid looming t...

Wayne Rooney opened his Major League Soccer account on Saturday, scoring in the first half in a 2-1 win against the Colorado Rapids but walked away from the Audi Field with a broken nose. The D.C. United striker got on the board via a pass from Luciano Acosta, finishing low underneath another former Everton and Manchester United player, Tim Howard. The game marked the first for Rooney as D.C. United's captain after he was named the skipper earlier in the week. Rooney was making his second MLS start and fourth overall appearance since signing for DCU at the end of June. "Delighted to score my first goal for D.C. United last night and more importantly a big three points at Audi Field," Rooney wrote on Twitter, "and a broken nose and five stitches." WATCH VIDEO HERE:👉

Mesut Ozil has confirmed that he is retiring from international football with immediate effect following the "treatment he received from the DFB." The Arsenal attacker claims that the way he has been treated by the German football association makes him "no longer want to wear the German national team shirt." The Germany midfielder made the announcement on Sunday evening citing "racism and disrespect" following his high-profile and controversial meeting with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan prior to the World Cup. The picture with Erdogan, which was taken before this summer's World Cup, saw the Arsenal midfielder pose with the Turkish president and German teammate Ilkay Gundogan. Both players came in for heavy criticism from fans and pundits in their homeland as a result with leading German football figures including Oliver Bierhoff and Ottmar Hitzfeld suggesting that both should not have been allowed to represent their country in Russ...

Eden Hazard says it would be a "dream" to play for Real Madrid as speculation over the Belgium star's Chelsea future continues. Hazard has inspired Belgium to a place in the World Cup semi-finals, with his side taking on France in St Petersburg on Tuesday. Madrid have long been linked with a move for the 27-year-old, while the Primera Division giants could soon need to replace Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portugal captain is close to joining Serie A champions Juventus, freeing up a spot in Madrid's front line. And although Zinedine Zidane stepped down after the Champions League final, to be replaced by Julen Lopetegui, Hazard is still open to joining Madrid. "Does Real make me dream less without Zidane?" "Zidane or no Zidane, the white jersey [of Madrid] is special but the blue jersey [of Chelsea] suits me well so it does not bother me if I stay. "For now, it's the World Cup. As I have said at least 100 times, I am at Chels...

Juventus are close to agreeing a deal to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid, according to reports. It is understood there could be significant developments in the next 48 hours, with Real expected to make a final decision about how to proceed with the offer from Juventus. The Serie A side are hoping to push through a club-record £88m deal for the 33-year-old, who is set to leave Madrid after nine years at the Bernabeu. Ronaldo, who is Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer with 450 to his name, has won two La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys and four Champions League crowns during his time with the club. The report states that talks have been ongoing between Juventus, Madrid and Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes. If this happens it will simply be a new stage, a new challenge in his brilliant career,"Mendes told portugese newspaper Record CR7 who has had remarkable spell at the Bernabeu , will eternally be grateful to the club, the president all the direct...

Phoenix Suns Sign Devin Booker to 5⃣-year, $158-M Deal Star guard Devin Booker signed a maximum contract extension with the Phoenix Suns on Saturday worth a reported $158 million over five years. “We are thrilled to announce this contract extension with Devin,” Suns general manager Ryan McDonough said in a statement. “‘Book has been a pillar for the Suns franchise ever since he arrived in Phoenix in 2015. Devin and the team both wanted to extend his agreement with the club as long as we possibly could.” Booker, 21, said he was “humbled and honored” to make a long term commitment to the Suns. “Thank you to the Suns for drafting me and believing in me,” he said. Through his first three seasons with the Suns, Booker has averaged 19.8 points, 3.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 208 games. On March 24, 2017, Booker scored a franchise record 70 points at Boston, becoming just the sixth player in NBA history to record a 70-point game. Booker averaged 24.9 ...

Luka Modric believes Cristiano Ronaldo will stay at Real Madrid despite links with Juventus. As reported earlier, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has stunned Madrid by agreeing to a move to Juve and is set to sign a four-year contract worth €30 million (£26.5m/$35m) per season . The Serie A giants still have to negotiate a fee with Madrid and are expected to have to pay upwards of €100m (£88m/$117m), but could go as high as €120m (£106m/$140.5m). Ronaldo's Madrid team-mate Modric, however, does not believe that a transfer will materialise. “I don't think he's going to leave, and I'd like him to stay because he's the best player in the world,” the 32-year-old said. “I think he's going to stay; that's my opinion. It would be great if he did, because I can't imagine him at any other club. “Let’s see what happens.”

Thai authorities have confirmed that four members of the football team that was left stranded in a cave have now been rescued. Wild Boar Academy have spent more than two weeks in the Tham Luang caves after being cut off from the exit during a visit by a sudden downpour. Twelve youths aged from 11 to 16 were trapped, while a massive international rescue effort has been mounted including Thai Navy divers and foreign volunteers. The first four rescued youths surfaced around 12pm GMT (7am ET) and were immediately taken to hospital to receive treatment. Rescuers hope to extract the remaining eight over the next two days, although there are concerns that further monsoon rainfall will hamper efforts. “A new storm is coming. If we wait and rain water comes in, our readiness will be lower than now,” said Narongsak Osottanakorn, governor of Chiang Rai province.

Arsenal are in talks with Lorient over the signing of France midfielder Matteo Guendouzi, as per reports. Sources say the Gunners are closing in on the 19-year-old, who has played for France at U20 level and was linked with north London rivals Tottenham during the January transfer window. Guendouzi came through Paris Saint-Germain's academy before switching to Lorient in 2014. He broke into the Lorient team during the 2016/17 season, making nine appearances as they were relegated from Ligue 1. He featured 20 times last season as Lorient missed out on promotion, finishing three points outside the play-off places in seventh. Should he move to the Emirates, Guendouzi could be joined in the Arsenal midfield by Uruguay international Lucas Torreira.

Idris Elba  to Play Villain in 'Fast  Furious' Spinoff Idris Elba is reportedly in final negotiations to star in Hobbs and Shaw, the spinoff for The Fast & the Furious starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Jason Statham. The 45-year-old actor is in negotiations to play the main villain in the upcoming film, Variety reports. No further details about his character have been revealed. Idris played the main villain in Star Trek Beyond, and also voiced the role of the villain in The Jungle Book. Hobbs and Shaw will be released in theaters on July 26, 2019.

Eight families have shown up for DNA testing in connection with the Otedola Link Bridge fire. The Head of the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, Dr Richard Somiari, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Lagos. Somiari, a forensic expert, said that more families were still expected to visit the facility in connection with the deadly explosion that occurred on June 28. “There are two categories of people that come for the testing, those who believe strongly that their family member died and needs to be identified. “The other category includes people who just do not know because the family person is missing. “So, we will expect that those two categories of people will come.  Somiari said that the duration needed to complete the DNA process and results interpreted could not be ascertained because of protocols that must be followed, due to the magnitude of the accident. According to him, there are two processes involved, includin...

A “psychic” cat in China that correctly predicted the outcome of six World Cup games has met an untimely end, prompting thousands to pour out their grief on Chinese social media. The orange-furred tabby, named “Baidian’er”, which means “white spot” in Chinese, was a stray that prowled around the Palace Museum in Beijing’s Forbidden City. He was offered two bowls of food, with the flags of competing World Cup teams stuck in the ground behind them. Baidian’er correctly predicted the results of six World Cup games. He achieved such fame that the Palace Museum even set up an account for him on China’s Weibo, a popular Twitter-like platform. Unfortunately, Baidian’er’s correct prediction of an Argentinian win against Nigeria turned out to be his last. The museum said the cat fell ill and finally announced its death on Monday, sparking almost 10,000 comments on Weibo. “Every time I go to the Forbidden City, I have to go see Baidian’er, take a photo, play for a while, se...

The King has decided where he's going next in the NBA -- LeBron James is heading to the Los Angeles Lakers ... and for a helluva lot of money. A press release from Klutch Sports -- which reps Le Bron -- came out Sunday saying James had signed a 4 year contract with Magic Johnson's team for $154 million. Magic is said to have engaged in immediate talks with LeBron the moment he landed in L.A. Saturday. It's unclear who else might be joining LeBron at this point, but rumors are swirling that Magic and co. are trying to land Kawhi Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs. James told Cavs on Friday that he would be declining his $35.6 Million Dollars contract option for next season and would become an unrestricted free agents -- reports says also he's expected to make an official annoucement about his new team on Tuesday

The eighth season of Game of Thrones crawls ever nearer, showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss working around the clock on the upcoming batch of episodes. While the duo have remained tight-lipped about what to expect, the actors involved have been more inclined to drop hints, including Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister) and Emilia Clarke (Daenerys). Joining the pack comes Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark on the show. Speaking to Gold Derby, the actor teased 'more death and more emotionally torturous' than ever before, which basically seems impossible considering all the heartbreak Game of Thrones has already put fans through. “I can tell you that there’s definitely a coming together of people," she told the publication. "Everyone is coming together to fight the impending doom. There’s a lot of tension between these little groups, battling for what they think is right. "It’s Game of Thrones, so it’s going to be bloodier and more death and m...

Instagram has today officially started rolling out its "You're All Caught Up" feature after previously testing it out with a limited number of users back in May. Instagram received a good amount of criticism when it moved away from a chronological feed back in 2016. One of the main complaints was that an algorithm-based feed encourages mindless browsing and confusion about what posts are new or unseen. Today, Instagram has announced that it is bringing the "You're All Caught Up" feature to all iOS and Android users in an effort to create a more straightforward user experience. Some have wondered whether the algorithm still plays a role with the You're All Caught Up message, or if it literally means you've seen every post from all users you follow in the two-day time period. Just last month, the social media service said it's not considering a chronological feed and detailed how the current algorithm-based feed works: I...

Click to watch 👉 Video: The video shows the powerful moment when rescuers found a Thai boys' soccer team alive after being trapped in a cave for 10 days. The Thai Navy SEALs posted a video on their Facebook page showing the moment when divers found the group huddled on an embankment deep inside the cave. The boys waved and appeared to be in good health. Search and rescue crews had been trying to locate the 12 boys, ages 11-16, and their soccer coach since they went into the caves after soccer practice on June 23 but were caught inside due to rising flood waters. One of the boys asked the divers in English how long they had been in the cave, to which a British team member said: "You have been here 10 days. You are very strong." Another said, "I am very happy," and thanked the rescue team. The boys, anxious to leave the cave, asked when they would be going "outside," to which the diver responded, "No, not today. There's two of us. You ha...

Dozens of passengers are stranded in Sokoto, capital of Sokoto State, and many more will find out their fate on Tuesday and on Wednesday after Aero Contractors abruptly cancelled all its flights to Lagos via Abuja from Sunday to Wednesday “due to operational reasons”. Although the airline claims it sent out notifications of cancellation to passengers, four passengers who were all scheduled to travel on Monday told SaharaReporters they never got any cancellation notice. Abubakar Skudu, who was scheduled to travel to Lagos on Tuesday complained bitterly, saying: “They did not text me anything about the cancellation of the flight. Now I’m at the airport, and there is no good response… even to attend to me well as a customer, no good response. “They disorganised all my schedule… because I have to be in Lagos today. I work at the Seme Border; I finished my annual leave and I was supposed to resume tomorrow, but Aero disappointed me. I’m not happy with all they did to me. And there is no...

Warriors Sign All-Star DeMarcus Cousins to 1⃣-Year, $5.3M Deal All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins has agreed to a deal with the Golden State Warriors. Cousins agreed to the deal on Monday. ESPN reported, and Yahoo Sports reports the pact is for one year and $5.3 million. The two-time All-NBA selection and four-time all-star joins a decorated Golden State locker room coming off of its second consecutive NBA title and third championship in four years. Cousins, 27, played the first six seasons of his career with the Sacramento Kings before he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in February 2017. He posted 25.2 points, and a career-high 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game last season. "The third 'Splash Brother,'" Warriors star Stephen Curry tweeted Monday. "Let's go Boogie Cousins." Cousins played in 48 games last season before tearing his achilles tendon on Jan. 26 and ending his season. He is expected to be out until De...