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  Protesters gathered in Durban and Johannesburg for a march against illegal immigration, with police monitoring the crowd as demonstrators waved South African flags and sang songs demanding that all illegal foreigners in their country leave today June 30.   The demonstration comes amid heightened tensions across South Africa, where businesses closed, and many foreign nationals stayed away from work over fears that the anti-immigrant protests could turn violent. The protesters wielded sticks as they marched to the streets, singing solidarity songs in their native dialect. Meanwhile, several countries are evacuating their citizens from the country. Over 500 Nigerians have been evacuated from the country, with 500 more still behind.   

  Bafta-winning actor, Michael Ward, allegedly raped a woman in a car after meeting her at a nightclub, a court has been told. The 28-year-old, who starred in Top Boy and Blue Story , has pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault against one woman in January 2023.  Prosecutor Tracy Ayling KC opened the trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday. She said that Ward met his alleged victim for the first time at an “all-white party” at Infinity Lounge nightclub in Gant’s Hill, east London, on New Year’s Day.   The “young woman” had seen Ward “on TV and in films” and he asked her for her Snapchat handle, Ms Ayling said. People started to leave the event around 2.20am on 2 January, and the woman was asked to accompany Ward to the back of his friend’s Mercedes. While in the car, they kissed on the lips, the court heard. Ward then invited her to an afterparty in Stratford, and the alleged victim and her two f...

  Germany icon, Manuel Neuer, 40,  has re-retired from international football after Germany’s shock World Cup exit to Paraguay.   Speaking after the loss, Neuer said: ‘It’s extremely bitter for it to end like this.’   Neuer, whose career has spanned over 20 years, started off at Schalke 04 before he joined Bayern Munich in 2011.   Neuer, 40, initially retired from Germany duty after Euro 2024. But he made a shock U-turn to appear for the DFB at this World Cup before hanging his gloves back up again after Monday’s defeat to Paraguay.   Germany lost 4-3 on penalties to Paraguay following a 1-1 draw after extra time.   The match was Neuer’s 128th cap for the Nationalelf, which places the 40-year-old behind Lukas Podolski (130), Thomas Müller (131), Miroslav Klose (137) and Matthäus (150).   Paraguay will face the winner of France vs Sweden, which takes place at 10pm on Tuesday (June 30).

  A man died in Alabama from a heart attack while trying to discard his girlfriend’s body after fatally strangling her, according to authorities.   On the morning of Wednesday, June 10, the bodies of Jessica Folds, 47, and Daniel Robbins, 44, were found next to each other in a wooded area near an abandoned vehicle in the town of Lanett, authorities said.   The Chambers sheriff’s office said in a statement that officials sent the bodies to the Alabama department of forensic science for autopsies.   Investigators were subsequently reported to have found that Robbins, described as being from Georgia, and Folds, said to be from Lanett, had been in a relationship before her death. He allegedly killed her before he died while trying to hide her body, according to investigators.   “He died of a heart attack while doing it,” said a local district attorney, Mike Segrest. “Their bodies were right there together.”   Segrest said the investigation by local and state la...

  At least 17 nurses in the same unit at one Ohio hospital in the U.S. are all pregnant at the same time and expect their babies this year, breaking a previous record set by the staff at Dayton's Miami Valley Hospital.   "It's exciting," Amberly Saner, a nurse manager at Miami Valley's labor and delivery unit, told ABC News Monday, June 29. "We kind of found out over a period of a couple of months how many people were pregnant and it just kept growing and growing."   Previously, the same unit made news headlines when 11 staffers were expecting babies at the same time, according to a Miami Valley news release. Fifteen of the 17 pregnant nurses gathered to take a group photo at the hospital recently, all in their matching uniforms.   Several are expecting their first child while others are expecting their second kids or beyond.   Among them are nurses Maddie and Rileigh, who requested to only go by their first names out of privacy concerns.   Maddie told A...

  Another batch of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa arrived in Lagos on Tuesday, June 30. The Air Peace flight, carrying about 271 Nigerians, landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport shortly before 11 a.m. after departing Johannesburg at about 5 a.m. local time. Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) were on hand to receive the returnees. The latest evacuation is part of the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to assist Nigerians who have voluntarily chosen to return home amid rising anti-immigration tensions in South Africa.

  Nigerian sprinter ,  Tobi Amusan, claimed victory in the women’s 100 metres hurdles at the Paris Diamond League on Sunday, clocking a season’s best of 12.27 seconds (+0.7m/s) to further cement her status as the dominant force in the event.   The world record holder finished ahead of American Grace Stark, who clocked 12.38 seconds, while fellow American Alaysha Johnson finished third in 12.39 seconds.   The performance marked the third time this year the world record holder has clocked 12.27s, underlining her consistency on the Diamond League circuit. The Nigerian had previously recorded the same winning time at the Xiamen and Rabat Diamond League meetings earlier this season.   The victory further cements the 29-year-old's status as one of the leading contenders for the Diamond League Final, with her outstanding consistency establishing her as one of the world's top sprint hurdlers this season.

  The US and Iran have reportedly agreed to "stand down" following an exchange of strikes over the past few days.   It comes after several attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz, with both nations accusing each other of violating their ceasefire. A US official confirmed to the BBC's US partner CBS News that vessels will now be able to move through the waterway "freely", and added that renewed talks aimed at ending the war will continue.   The United States and Iran have also agreed to meet in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday for further discussions, according to another US official. Iran has not commented on the reports that it has agreed to halt strikes in the strait. On 17 June, the US and Iran signed a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which included an "immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts". As part of the MoU, Iran had agreed to use its "best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no c...

  The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has extended by four weeks its expired 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, warning that it may embark on industrial action if its demands remain unmet.   The decision was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the association’s Extraordinary National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting, held virtually on Saturday. NARD said the extension followed a review of government compliance after the 21-day ultimatum issued during its May Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) expired without full implementation of its demands. The association explained that the additional four-week window would allow the federal government to address its outstanding demands before its July National Executive Council (NEC) meeting scheduled for Gombe State.   However, NARD declared an industrial dispute with the federal government over unresolved welfare and professional issues affecting resident doctors across the country. It warned that i...

  South Korea’s head coach, Hong Myung-bo, has resigned from his position after his side’s group-stage exit from the World Cup and harsh condemnation from the country's president, who called the coach "incapable." The 57-year-old former captain, in his second stint as coach, oversaw an early World Cup departure for the second time.   South Korea were expected to get out of a Group A that included the co-hosts Mexico as well as South Africa and Czechia. But they lost 1-0 against South Africa and Mexico, and finished on three points, their only success a 2-1 win against Czechia.   “Over the past two years I asked myself the same question whenever I had to make important decisions, select players or prepare for training session and matches: ‘Is this the right choice for Korean football?’” Hong told reporters in Mexico, according to Yonhap News Agency. “I can not say every decision has been the right one, but I can tell you that I have made every decision with Korean football...

  A newborn baby was discovered dead after being abandoned in a portable toilet at a music festival campground.   The infant was found Sunday morning, June 28, by a member of staff conducting maintenance at the annual Electric Forest festival in Michigan.   Michigan State Police said in a statement: "The Michigan State Police continue to investigate the discovery of a deceased neonate found Sunday morning in the camping area at the Electric Forest Festival. Investigators are asking for the public’s assistance.   "If you were in the area and observed anything unusual, or if you have information that you believe may be relevant, we encourage you to come forward."   It added: "We appreciate the public’s cooperation and ask that people avoid speculation on social media out of respect for the investigation and those affected."   No further details about the discovery have been disclosed at this time.   Electric Forest wrote in a statement posted on Instagra...

  The National Sports Commission (NSC) has confirmed that a new contract has been agreed with Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle, ending months of uncertainty over his future with the team. NSC chairman Shehu Dikko disclosed this on Tuesday, June 23 at a meeting in Abuja alongside NFF president Ibrahim Gusau and other federation officials. Chelle’s original two-year contract was due to expire at the end of 2026, with negotiations over an extension dragging on for some time. Under the new terms, the Franco-Malian coach will receive improved pay, and in a significant change from the previous arrangement, the NFF will now cover the salaries of his backroom staff, who were reportedly being paid out of Chelle’s own pocket.   “I can confirm to you that we have reached a new term with the coach. We are going to increase his money and also take care of his assistants who are helping him. And there are other benchmarks that we have put on the table, and I’m sure the coach will be very...

  A 42-year-old Nigerian national, Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, has been sentenced to five years in prison in the United States for his scheme to steal some $3.5 million from eight different victims via an online romance scam.    Nwadialo, the chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at an airport in Texas upon his arrival in the U.S in 2024.  The politician was elected chairperson on 28 September, 2024.   First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd announced this in a statement issued by the United States Department of Justice on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.   Nwadialo was sentenced on Monday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, Washington.   He was indicted in December 2023 for 14 counts of wire fraud connected to his romance fraud scheme.    At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright called the crime “devastating,” noting that it is “not an exa...

The United States will ease travel restrictions imposed on the Iranian team during the World Cup, allowing them to arrive in Seattle two days before their next match, the US Department of Homeland Security said.   Iran team officials had complained they could only arrive for matches in Los Angeles one day before kick-off -- and had to leave almost as soon as the match was over. Iran will now be allowed to travel to Seattle two days before their final group-stage match against Egypt - giving them an extra day to prepare. "For the Iranian team's third match in Seattle on June 26, the team has been permitted to come into the US two days before the match," a department spokesperson said.   "The Iran team will still be required to leave the day the match ends. The overall security measures and protocol are the same. We remain committed to providing the safest tournament possible for players, staff, and fans alike." An Iranian team spokesperson confirmed to AFP that t...