AFP - Manchester City took revenge for their Champions League final loss to Chelsea and secured a big three points in the early running for the Premier League title with a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge. The most painful of those came in Porto as Chelsea lifted the Champions League to deny City the crowning glory of the club's rise since an Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008. However, City's lack of a prolific goalscorer to turn that dominance into goals was again exposed. That was just the 15th Premier League goal Chelsea had conceded in 25 games since Tuchel took charge. But the Premier League champions' profligacy was not punished and United's shock 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa capped a stunning Saturday for City.

CAIRO - 25 Septemebr 2020: Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with his Brazilian counterpart Carlos França on Friday to discuss ways to advance cooperation between the two countries, Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Ahmed Hafez said. FM #Sameh_Shoukry meets with Brazilian FM Carlos França to discuss ways to advance bilateral relations between 🇪🇬&🇧🇷, and joint cooperation on regional and international issues in light of Brazil's UNSC non-permanent membership for the years 2022-2023. Egypt’s top diplomat also met on the sideline of his participation with high-level officials at the UN. He also held bilateral meetings during his visit with a large number of foreign ministers participating in the UNGA session, in order to discuss aspects of bilateral cooperation with those countries. The ministers held consultations on the most prominent regional and international issues and ways of coordination regarding common challenges.

CAIRO - 25 Septemebr 2020: The foreign ministers of Iraq, Egypt and Jordan agreed on accelerating the implementation of joint projects in the fields of economy, energy and electricity, stressing the necessity of identifying the follow-up bodies to serve their interests at all levels. The meeting aimed to push forward cooperation between the three countries and their consultation on issues of common interest. They also agreed to hold another meeting in Amman to follow up on the implementation of power linkage projects. He also held bilateral meetings during his visit with a large number of foreign ministers participating in the UNGA session, in order to discuss aspects of bilateral cooperation with those countries. The ministers held consultations on the most prominent regional and international issues and ways of coordination regarding common challenges.

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A vehicle laden with explosives rammed into cars and trucks at a checkpoint leading to the entrance of the Presidential Palace in Somalia, killing at least eight people, police said Saturday. The checkpoint is the one used by Somalia’s president and prime minister on their way to and from the airport in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. The al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab extremist group has claimed responsibility. The group often carries out such attacks in the capital. __IMAGE: Medical personnel carry a body after a car bomb attack at a Presidential Palace checkpoint in Mogadishu, Somalia, Saturday Sept. 25, 2021.

KHARTOUM, Sept 25 (Reuters) – Protesters in eastern Sudan shut a pipeline that carries imported crude oil to the capital Khartoum, but there are enough reserves for the country’s needs for up to ten days, the ministry of energy and oil said on Saturday. Khartoum oil refinery, which produces fuel for domestic consumption, is still working normally, the ministry added in a statement. Another pipeline used for exporting crude oil from neighboring South Sudan is still working but it is vulnerable to freezing and damage because the protesters are blocking a vessel from loading the oil, it said. Oil depots at Bashayer oil terminal port in eastern Sudan will be fully filled after ten days at the most if the blockage of exports continued, the ministry said. Protesters from the Beja tribes in eastern Sudan are shutting ports and blocking roads in protest at what they describe as poor political and economic conditions in the region.

As the South American country seeks to boost its flagging oil exports in the face of US sanctions, according to the sources, the deal between state-run firms Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) deepens the cooperation between two of Washington’s foes. The oil ministries of Venezuela and Iran, and state-run PDVSA and NIOC did not reply to requests for comment. US sanctions programs not only forbid Americans from doing business with the oil sectors of Iran and Venezuela, but also threaten to impose “secondary sanctions” against any non-US person or entity that carries out transactions with either countries’ oil companies. A US Treasury spokesperson said the department was “concerned” about reports of oil deals between Venezuela and Iran, but had not verified details. Washington has also sanctioned foreign companies for receiving or shipping Venezuelan oil.

The pro-democracy group Hong Kong Alliance has decided to disband as pressure from Beijing continues, the group said on Saturday. The activist collective, dubbed the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, is the latest to buckle under the strain of a crackdown by Chinese authorities. Factions aligned with Beijing have ramped up pressure after pushing through a sweeping national security law in the once largely autonomous enclave. The majority of the members of the pro-democracy group voted for disbandment. Under the Hong Kong national security law, anything deemed to be subversive by Chinese authorities can be punished with up to life in jail.

(Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur manager Nuno Espirito Santo said he does not follow the Premier League's guidance on heading restrictions in training even as soccer governing bodies look to reduce the risk of players developing neurodegenerative diseases. The League said it was "essential that club staff monitor each player's heading practice" but with no clear rules in place to enforce the recommendations, Nuno said he does not keep count. "Good question, that's why we have training sessions without nobody seeing us," Nuno told a news conference ahead of Sunday's North London derby against Arsenal. "I agree (with the limitations), I'm concerned with the situation of dementia and what heading the ball can cause. Maybe I'll get myself in trouble for this but football is jumping, heading -- it's part of the game."

(Reuters) - Brazil defender Dani Alves has decided not to join any club until the end of the year, the 38-year-old said after terminating his contract with Sao Paulo following a dispute over unpaid salaries. Sao Paulo said this month Alves would no longer play for them after he refused to return to training and told the club he wanted to be paid. Neither Alves nor the club cited a figure, but Brazilian newspaper O Globo said the club owed him around 11 million reais ($2 million). After his exit from Sao Paulo, Alves had been linked in local media with a host of leading Brazilian clubs, including Fluminense and Flamengo. Alves, who led Brazil to an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo last month, was left out of coach Tite's squad for next month's World Cup qualifiers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Taliban’s takeover of Kabul has deepened the mutual distrust between the US and Pakistan, two putative allies who have tangled over Afghanistan. With the Biden administration looking for new ways to stop terrorist threats in Afghanistan, it will likely look again to Pakistan, which remains critical to US intelligence and national security because of its proximity to Afghanistan and connections to the Taliban leaders now in charge. And Pakistan wants US military aid and good relations with Washington, even as its leaders openly celebrate the Taliban’s rise to power. Burns and Hameed have also separately visited Kabul in recent weeks to meet with Taliban leaders. The CIA sent weapons and money into Afghanistan through Pakistan.

About an hour after Meng’s plane left Canada for China, Trudeau revealed that Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were also on their way home. The men were arrested in China in December 2018, shortly after Canada arrested Meng on a US extradition request. The indictment came amid a broader Trump administration crackdown against Huawei over US government concerns that the company’s products could facilitate Chinese spying. “Michael Kovrig is free. To the inimitable, indefatigable, and inspiring Michael Kovrig, welcome home!” Ero said in a statement.

Nearly 60% of the profiles were explicitly aimed at making money, displaying prominent links to online shops or photos promoting merchandise. The Facebook feed of OPOS Records promotes new music and merchandise, including “True Aggression,” “Pride & Dignity,” and “One Family” T-shirts. A number of Battle of Nibelungs alums have landed in prison, including for manslaughter, assault and attacks on migrants. He said kicking extremist music groups off Facebook is unlikely to hit sales too hard, as there are other platforms they can turn to, like Telegram and Gab, to reach their followers. “Starting today you can also dress your smallest ones with us,” reads a June post on their Facebook feed.

A Republican party-backed review of the 2020 US presidential election results in Arizona’s largest country reaffirmed on Friday that Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden. Everything else is just noise.”The Arizona review was part of a larger effort by Trump and his allies to dispute the 2020 election results. Shows how corrupt the election was,” Trump claimed in a statement. The Arizona review was marked by “bias and incompetence,” said Trey Grayson, a Republican and the former top election official in Kentucky. Although Trump won the state, Biden won three of those counties.

The central bank’s abrupt move on Thursday to ease monetary policy as Erdogan has sought, despite a run-up in inflation, sparked an almost 3% drop in the currency this week. Foreign investors fleeing the currency drove the fall, but local bargain hunting mitigated the effect, traders said. “The central bank’s decision put the lira under serious selling pressure. Locals also bought lira in March when it plunged after Erdogan fired a hawkish central bank chief and installed Sahap Kavcioglu as governor. Reuters GraphicsForeign investors hold just over five percent of Turkish government bonds, down from more than 20 percent five years ago.

Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Joey Hood speaks to 60 Minutes program on Extra NewsCAIRO – 24 September 2021: Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Joey Hood said on Friday the US looks forward to holding a high-level strategic dialogue in the coming months with Egypt. In TV remarks to 60 Minutes program on Extra News, Hood hailed the US relations with Egypt as strategic, important and have extended for decades. Shoukry and Blinken discussed the most prominent political, security and economic aspects of bilateral relations within the framework of the strong, historical and complex relations between Egypt and the US. According to US Department Spokesperson Ned Price, Shoukry’s meeting with Blinken also discussed Israeli-Palestinian relations, diplomatic efforts on Libya, and the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum. The ministers also discussed their countries’ keenness to strengthen and deepen their partnership, Price added.