Soldiers on Benin’s national television claim to have seized power from President Patrice Talon — officials say guards regained control











England captain comes on in 60th minute of 5-0 win
Ferran Torres hat-trick helps Barcelona sink Real Betis
Harry Kane scored a hat-trick after coming on as second-half substitute to guide Bayern Munich to a 5-0 victory at Stuttgart.
The Bavarian club, who have opened up an 11-point lead at the top, were a goal up but struggling against the aggressive hosts until the introduction of Kane on the hour mark. Stuttgart were also left with 10 men for the last 10 minutes after the dismissal of Lorenz Assignon.
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© Photograph: Ronald Wittek/EPA

© Photograph: Ronald Wittek/EPA

© Photograph: Ronald Wittek/EPA




Jordan testifies in Nascar antitrust case
Says he invested $40m into 23XI team
Criticizes charter system as unlawful
Michael Jeffrey Jordan, as he cordially introduced himself to the federal courtroom in Charlotte on Friday, admitted it was his competitive side and novelty within the sport that emboldened a push for 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over what he perceived were violations of antitrust rules.
Jordan shared financial and corporate details of his 23XI team and said he invested $40m of his own funds in the success of the Nascar Cup series team launched along with business partner Curtis Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.
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© Photograph: Grant Baldwin/Getty Images

© Photograph: Grant Baldwin/Getty Images

© Photograph: Grant Baldwin/Getty Images
Carlos Portugal Gouvea, charged with firing a pellet gun on eve of Yom Kippur outside a synagogue, has said he was not aware of the holiday or that he was shooting next to one
US immigration authorities arrested a visiting professor at Harvard law school after he was charged with discharging a pellet gun outside a Massachusetts synagogue the day before Yom Kippur, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Thursday – and he agreed to leave the country.
Carlos Portugal Gouvea, a Brazilian citizen, was arrested on Wednesday by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after his temporary nonimmigrant visa was revoked by the state department following what the Trump administration labeled an “anti-semitic shooting incident” – a description at odds with how local authorities have described the case.
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© Photograph: Charles Krupa/AP

© Photograph: Charles Krupa/AP

© Photograph: Charles Krupa/AP





The writer of the Tony award-nominated Slave Play remains in custody after authorities say they found MDMA in his bag
American actor and playwright Jeremy O Harris, known for the Tony-nominated Slave Play, was arrested last month at an airport in Japan on suspicion of attempting to smuggle illegal drugs into the country, local authorities said late on Thursday.
Harris, 36, was stopped on 16 November at Naha airport on Okinawa island after a customs officer discovered 0.78 grams of crystal containing the synthetic drug MDMA in his tote bag, an Okinawa regional customs spokesperson said.
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© Photograph: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

© Photograph: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

© Photograph: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

© Mario Tama/Getty Images



Lionel Messi has spoken about his international future ahead of next year’s World Cup

© Getty Images


Coates ‘ready and excited’ to replace Albertin Montoya
U23 assistant Gemma Davies to join Coates in San Jose
Emma Coates has left her position as the leader of England Women’s Under-23 national team to become the new head coach of the NWSL side Bay FC.
Coates replaces Albertin Montoya, who was the coach of the expansion team when it entered the National Women’s Soccer League two years ago. Montoya announced in September that he would resign at the end of the 2025 season, with the San Jose side finishing 13th in the 14-team table.
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© Photograph: Molly Darlington/The FA/Getty Images

© Photograph: Molly Darlington/The FA/Getty Images

© Photograph: Molly Darlington/The FA/Getty Images







Seizures and warrants involve Chinese-Cambodian tycoon Chen Zhi, who heads US-sanctioned Prince Group, and Cambodians Kok An and Yim Leak
Thailand has seized assets worth more than $300m, including shares in a major regional energy company, and issued arrest warrants for 42 people in a high-profile push against regional scam networks, officials said on Wednesday.
Parts of south-east Asia, including the border areas between Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia, have become hubs for online fraud, with criminal networks earning billions from illegal compounds where trafficking victims are often forced to work.
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© Photograph: Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP/Getty Images
Robbie Williams will also perform at Friday’s event
Trump expected to receive Fifa’s new peace award
Robbie Williams, Andrea Bocelli and the Village People are to perform as part of a “world-class entertainment line-up” during Friday’s draw for the 2026 men’s football World Cup. The draw for next year’s tournament will take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, with model and TV personality Heidi Klum, comedian Kevin Hart and actor Danny Ramirez co-hosting the event.
The Village People will perform YMCA to cap off an event that promises have distinctly Trumpian overtones. The disco hit became a staple at Donald Trump’s campaign rallies and Mar-a-Lago fundraisers.
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© Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters

© Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters

© Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters
The UN office on drugs and crime said in a report the growth underscores Myanmar’s position as the world’s main known source of illicit opium
Opium poppy cultivation in war-torn Myanmar has surged to its highest level in a decade, according to the UN, rising 17% in the past year as conflict and economic hardship push more farmers into the illicit trade.
Poppy cultivation climbed to 53,100 hectares this year from 45,200 hectares in 2024, the UN office on drugs and crime (UNODC) said in a report, underlining Myanmar’s position as the world’s main known source of illicit opium amid declining production in Afghanistan.
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© Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: AFP/Getty Images