WORLD

RIO FERDINAND has confirmed a shock move into boxing two years after hanging up his football boots. The former Manchester United and England defender will step into the ring – in partnership with Betfair in the ‘Defender to Contender’ project. Ferdinand will speak to the media this afternoon at a press conference in east London but has announced his move ...

Nairobi – In one of Africa’s largest dumps, some residents are making a living by collecting and recycling hair from mountains of rubbish. Nairobi’s Dandora Municipal Dumpsite stretches as far as the eye can see. It was declared full in 2001 but has remained active, with 850 to 1 500 tons of waste arriving every day. Kenya last month implemented ...

Kano – At least 15 people were killed on Monday when two suicide bombers struck civilians receiving aid in northeast Nigeria, a rescue worker and a member of the civilian militia told AFP. “There were twin suicide explosions at 11:10 am (1010 GMT) in Mashalari village (near Konduga), which killed 15 and left 43 others injured,” a rescue worker said ...

Kananga – After more than a year of bloodshed, faint hopes of peace are starting to stir in the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the vast region of Kasai, the authorities are now starting to register voters – an outwardly banal operation that is nonetheless key to securing the country’s stability. “It’s telling proof that peace has ...

Philippe Coutinho admitted that he was interested in moving to Barcelona, but vowed to give his all for Liverpool after a move to Camp Nou failed to materialise. Barca had a heavy war chest at their disposal following the sale of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record move and the Liga giants eyed Coutinho as a target to help ...

Less than a month after making his £135 million ($183 million) move to Barcelona, Ousmane Dembele looks set to be sidelined for 16 weeks after reportedly rupturing a tendon in his thigh. Dembele, 20, became Barcelona’s most expensive signing on August 25 when he moved to the Camp Nou from Borussia Dortmund. The Frenchman was seen as Neymar’s replacement following ...

Wayne Rooney may have taken a pay cut to join Everton, but he remains one of the best-paid players in the Premier League. The former England captain was on a huge £300,000-a-week deal at Manchester United but that figure has reportedly been reduced by around 50% at Goodison Park. Over the course of his superb top-flight career so far, though, ...

Twenty people have been arrested on Tanzania’s semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar for alleged homosexuality, police say. The 12 women and eight men were picked up in a hotel where they were receiving training about HIV/Aids education programmes. Earlier this year, authorities banned many private health clinics from providing HIV/Aids services, saying they encouraged gay sex. Homosexuality is a crime in ...

AN EXPLOSION ripped through a packed commuter Tube train at Parsons Green, London, this morning leaving “lots injured”, according to witnesses at the scene. The explosion devastated the District Line Tube train at Parsons Green station, in west London. Police launched an immediate terror investigation – but the cause is still unknown. However eye-witnesses said victims suffered facial injuries after ...

SPANISH sports paper Mundo Deportivo believe they have uncovered why Ousmane Dembele is nicknamed ‘Mosquito’. Dembele joined Barcelona last month for a club-record £96million from Borussia Dortmund as their replacement for Neymar following his £200m move to Paris Saint-Germain. Dembele could eventually cost Barca £136m, making him the second-most expensive player of all time after Neymar. The 20-year-old has got ...