United News of Bangladesh

Newcastle United were held to a 0-0 draw by 10-man Aston Villa in their Premier League season opener on Saturday, struggling in the absence of star striker Alexander Isak. Isak, who is seeking a move to defending champions Liverpool, was left out of the squad. New signing Anthony Elanga provided flashes of danger down the right wing, but Newcastle failed to capitalize on their possession. Villa played the final 24 minutes with 10 men after defender Ezri Konsa was sent off for pulling back Anthony Gordon as he broke clear on goal. Elsewhere on Saturday, Manchester City visited Wolverhampton in the late fixture, while earlier matches featured Brighton vs. Fulham, Sunderland vs. West Ham, and Tottenham vs. Burnley. Burnley, Sunderland, and Leeds returned to the top flight this season. Europa League winners Tottenham entered their opener after a midweek defeat to Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup. Isak to sit out Premier League opener for Newcastle as future remains uncertain A minute’s silence was observed at Villa Park before kickoff in memory of former Liverpool and Wolves forward Diogo Jota. Similar tributes are being held at all Premier League matches this weekend. Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, died in a car crash in Spain last month. On Friday, Liverpool players and fans paid tributes at Anfield ahead of their 4-2 victory over Bournemouth, a match overshadowed by alleged racial abuse aimed at Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo. Semenyo on Saturday thanked the football community for the support he received.   Source: Agency

Cristiano Ronaldo will travel to India to play against FC Goa in an Asian Champions League Two match, a fixture being hailed as “historic” for Indian football. The draw on Friday placed Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, featuring Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, and Joao Felix, in Group D alongside FC Goa, Tajikistan’s Istiklol, and Iraq’s Al-Zawraa. The top two teams from each group advance to the second round. “This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime moment for FC Goa,” club CEO Ravi Puskur told The Associated Press. “Hosting Al-Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the biggest game in Indian club football history.” Ronaldo, 40, has yet to win a major trophy with Al-Nassr since joining the Riyadh club in 2022. The team is expected to be at full strength when the match begins in September. Puskur said the game offers Indian football a historic opportunity. “We are here on merit, and a match like this allows us to show that we can compete on the continental stage, becoming part of the sport’s biggest narratives,” he said. He added that the fixture could boost Indian football nationwide. “It’s a unique chance to bring global attention to Indian football and spark greater interest among fans, giving the game the spotlight it has long needed,” Puskur said. Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates as Georgina Rodríguez announces their engagement The draw comes amid a domestic crisis. The 2025-26 Indian Super League season, due to start in September, has been suspended over disputes regarding the renewal of the organizing agreement between the Indian federation and its commercial partner, pending a Supreme Court order. Clubs including Bengaluru FC, Odisha FC, and Chennaiyin FC have suspended salaries or halted operations until the matter is resolved. “While the financial boost is important, the bigger picture is the opportunity this creates for long-term growth,” said Puskur. “The global attention, sponsorship interest, and fan engagement from a moment like this will strengthen the club’s foundations and allow us to invest in the future.”   Source: Agency

Police have launched a hate crime investigation after a 47-year-old fan was ejected from Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium for allegedly racially abusing Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo during Friday’s Premier League season opener. The incident occurred in the first half when Semenyo, who is Black, reported the abuse to referee Anthony Taylor with the score at 0-0. Play was briefly stopped while Taylor consulted with coaches and team captains. “Merseyside Police will not tolerate hate crime of any form,” said Chief Inspector Kev Chatterton, match commander. The fan’s identity was confirmed, and he was removed from the stadium. Chatterton added that authorities would seek football banning orders against those responsible. Semenyo, who scored both of Bournemouth’s goals in the 4-2 loss, later shared further racial abuse he received online, writing on Instagram, “When will it stop.” Bournemouth rule out Kluivert, Christie for Premier League opener at Liverpool Bournemouth players consoled Semenyo, and an anti-discrimination message was read to the crowd at halftime. The Premier League said it would investigate the matter and offer full support to the player and both clubs.   Liverpool FC said it condemned “racism and discrimination in all forms” and pledged full cooperation with the ongoing police investigation.   Source: Agency

England striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin has signed with newly promoted Premier League side Leeds United after leaving Everton at the end of last season. The 28-year-old forward joined on a free transfer and agreed to a three-year deal, Leeds confirmed Friday. “I feel like a kid again, starting somewhere new, and I can’t wait to play and represent this football club,” Calvert-Lewin told Leeds’ media. AC Milan signs Young Boys defender Athekame as second Swiss recruit this month Calvert-Lewin netted 57 Premier League goals during his nine-year spell at Everton but managed only three in 26 appearances last season. He has been capped four times for England, last featuring in 2021. Leeds begin their Premier League campaign at home against Everton on Monday.

Grammy-winning rapper, actor, and author LL Cool J will host the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards solo, returning to the stage without 2022 co-hosts Nicki Minaj and Jack Harlow, the VMAs announced Thursday. LL Cool J is also nominated for best hip hop for his single “Murdergram Deux” featuring Eminem, from his latest album “THE FORCE,” released in September—his first album in 11 years. He has a long history with the VMAs, winning his first Moon Person in 1991, becoming the first rapper to receive the Video Vanguard Award in 1997, and performing in tributes for hip-hop’s 50th anniversary and Def Jam Records’ 40th anniversary. The 2025 VMAs will air live from the UBS Arena in Long Island, New York, on Sept. 7 at 8 p.m. Eastern. CBS will broadcast the show for the first time, with a simulcast on MTV and streaming available on Paramount+. Lady Gaga Tops 2025 MTV VMA Nominations; Bruno Mars, Kendrick Lamar Close Behind Lady Gaga leads this year’s nominations with 12 nods, including artist of the year, followed by Bruno Mars with 11. Other top nominees include Kendrick Lamar (10), ROSÉ and Sabrina Carpenter (8 each), Ariana Grande and The Weeknd (7 each), and Billie Eilish (6). Fan voting is open now at the VMAs website, closing Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. Eastern, except for best new artist, which allows votes until the live show. Performers, presenters, special guests, and the 2025 Video Vanguard Award recipient have yet to be announced.   Source: Agency

AC Milan on Friday signed Swiss defender Zachary Athekame on a five-year deal as the club aims to return to the Champions League. The 20-year-old former Young Boys right-back reportedly joined for a transfer fee of 10 million euros ($11.7 million). Luka Modric joins AC Milan after 13 years at Real Madrid Athekame, a Switzerland Under-21 international, joins days after midfielder Ardon Jashari moved from Club Brugge for a reported 36 million euros ($42 million). Milan finished eighth in Serie A last season, missing out on European competition. Athekame featured in all eight of Young Boys’ Champions League matches last season, with the Swiss side losing all games to finish last in the 36-team standings. Milan had been eliminated in the knockout playoffs by Feyenoord. The defender, who was released by his hometown club Servette as a teenager, played in the Swiss second division with Neuchatel Xamax just 15 months ago.   Source: Agency

Swedish forward Fridolina Rolfö completed her move to Manchester United on Friday, ending a four-year spell at Barcelona. The 31-year-old signed a contract with United until June 2027. Rolfö, primarily a left-winger, made her 100th appearance for Sweden at last month’s European Championship and has scored 33 international goals. She previously played for Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich and won two Champions League titles with Barcelona, scoring the decisive goal in one of the finals. Manchester United targets Mbeumo as Amorim rebuilds attack after Cunha deal Manchester United finished third in last season’s Women’s Super League and will compete in the Champions League. “The WSL is probably the strongest league in the world right now,” Rolfö said. “That was a big part of the appeal of coming here, along with the chance to help the team establish itself in the Champions League.”   Source: Agency

Newcastle striker Alexander Isak will remain sidelined for the start of the Premier League season as uncertainty over his future continues. The Sweden international, who attracted a bid from Liverpool in the offseason, has been training away from the squad after expressing a desire to consider other opportunities. “Alex’s situation has been unchanged for a while, and that will continue to be the case,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said Friday, ahead of Saturday’s opener at Aston Villa. He declined to comment on whether Isak had been asked to play, calling such talks private. Liverpool routs Tottenham 4-0 to set up English League Cup final against Newcastle Howe admitted the team faced a difficult preseason without their top scorer but praised the squad’s resilience. “They realize, without Alex, everyone is going to have to step up and give more,” he said. Isak, who joined from Real Sociedad in 2022, scored 23 Premier League goals last season, second only to Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. Newcastle is also close to signing midfielder Jacob Ramsey from Villa, though Howe confirmed he will not feature on Saturday.   Source: Agency

Japan on Friday paid tribute to more than three million war dead as it marked 80 years since its surrender in World War II, amid growing concern over fading memories of the conflict and lessons from the era of Japanese militarism. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed “remorse” over the war, calling it a mistake, and restored the term in a Japanese leader’s Aug. 15 address for the first time since 2013, when former premier Shinzo Abe avoided it. However, Ishiba did not mention Japan’s wartime aggression across Asia or issue an apology. “We will never repeat the tragedy of the war. We will never go the wrong way,” he said. At a national ceremony in Tokyo’s Budokan hall, around 4,500 officials and bereaved families observed a moment of silence at noon, marking the time of the 1945 surrender speech. Nearby, rightwing politicians visited the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which honors about 2.5 million war dead, including convicted war criminals, a gesture seen by China and Korea as showing lack of remorse. Ishiba did not visit the shrine, sending a religious ornament instead, while Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and other lawmakers prayed there. Emperor Naruhito, addressing the Budokan memorial, expressed hope that the horrors of war will never recur and stressed the importance of passing on wartime history to younger generations. To mark the 80th anniversary, he has visited Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and Hiroshima, and plans to visit Nagasaki with his daughter Princess Aiko in September. Representing bereaved families, Hajime Eda recalled the hardships of wartime losses and emphasized Japan’s duty to share the lessons of the conflict. Some teenagers, learning about their ancestors who died in the war, also took part in the commemorations. Japanese warships make first visit to New Zealand’s capital in over 50 years With wartime generations rapidly dwindling, Japan faces challenges in transmitting the history to future generations, especially after the apology gap set by Abe since 2013 and controversies over denial of atrocities such as the Nanking Massacre. The Mainichi newspaper urged Japan to collaborate with Asian neighbors and promote a vision of “a world without war.”   Source: Agency

Bournemouth will be without forward Justin Kluivert and midfielder Ryan Christie for their Premier League opener against defending champions Liverpool, manager Andoni Iraola said Thursday. Kluivert, last season’s top scorer with 12 league goals, has missed the preseason due to a calf injury. “Justin hasn’t been training with us, so he’s out,” Iraola said. Christie, 30, has resumed training after a groin problem but is deemed not ready. “It’s too early for him because he hasn’t done any preseason,” the manager added. Darwin Nunez swaps Liverpool for Saudi giants Al-Hilal New signing Bafodé Diakité, a center back from Lille, could make his debut, though Iraola said he had yet to decide. Bournemouth sold most of their first-choice defense, including Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi, Milos Kerkez and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, raising about $200 million. Kerkez joined Liverpool.   On winger Dango Ouattara, linked with a move to Brentford, Iraola said his availability was uncertain and would be decided by the club before the match.   Source: Agency