Category: General

Bayern Munich hammered fifth-tier side Bremer SV 12-0 Wednesday to qualify for the second round in this season’s German Cup (DFB-Pokal).

Favorites Bayern Munich bagged a ticket to the next round with their big win in the away match as forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting netted four goals to be his team’s highest scorer.

Jamal Musiala scored two others.

Bremer SV’s Jan-Luca Warm scored an own goal.

The remaining goals were scored by Malik Tillman, Leroy Sane, Michael Cuisance, Bouna Sarr and Corentin Tolisso.

Bayern Munich earned their first biggest win since 1997, when they thrashed DJK Waldberg 16-1 in the German Cup’s first round.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Chinese athlete Guo Lingling won the gold medal on Thursday, breaking the world record in women’s 41 kilogram powerlifting at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

Lingling lifted 109 kg, setting a new world and Paralympics record, while Ni Nengah Widiasih of Indonesia bagged silver with a 98 kg lift.

“This is the first time I’ve participated in the Paralympic Games, so to break a world record and win this medal for China is very special for me,” said the excited two-time world champion after the win.

Van Gass wins gold in cycling

Jaco van Gass of the UK bagged a gold medal with a time of 3:20.987 in men’s cycling C3 3,000-meters individual pursuit over his compatriot Finlay Graham’s 3:22.000 time.

A former paratrooper, van Gass had already set a world and Paralympic record in the qualifying round with 3:17.593 and made the debut to his Paralympics career.

With this victory, Britain has a total of four medals, including one gold and three silvers, on day two of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

Takayuki Suzuki brings Japan first gold

Japanese swimmer Takayuki Suzuki bagged the gold in men’s 100-meters freestyle S4 final.

Winning the first gold medal for the Games’ host country with 1:21.58, Suzuki beat Italy’s Luigi Beggiato who won silver with 1:23.21.

Suzuki had also won the bronze medal with 49.32 in men’s 50-meters breaststroke – SB3 on Wednesday.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The trade volume of Turkey’s spot natural gas market increased by 32.3% to 6.1 million Turkish liras on Wednesday, Turkey’s Energy Exchange Istanbul (EXIST) data showed on Thursday.

Total trade on Tuesday amounted to 4.61 million liras.

On Wednesday’s spot market, 1,000 cubic meters of natural gas cost 2,173 liras, while the cumulative natural gas trade volume amounted to 2.81 million cubic meters.

Turkey received 148.38 million cubic meters of pipeline gas on Wednesday.

US$1 equals 8.36 Turkish liras at 1112 GMT on Thursday.

By Firdevs Yuksel

Source: Anadolu Agency

Spanish La Liga club Real Sociedad on Wednesday signed Norwegian forward Alexander Sorloth on loan.

“Alexander Sorloth joins la Real on loan. Welcome Alexander!!!,” the Spanish club said on Twitter.

In a statement, Real Sociedad said that they agreed with Germany’s RB Leipzig for a season-long loan.

Sorloth, 25, is known for his strength, aerial plays, and finishing ability. He hit the peak in the 2019-20 season when he was a Trabzonspor player.

In his one-year loan spell, Sorloth scored 33 goals in 49 matches for Trabzonspor that led him to move to German Bundesliga.


Following his extraordinary season in Turkey, the Norwegian striker joined RB Leipzig from English club Crystal Palace in 2020.

Unlike his Trabzonspor days, Sorloth fell short of the mark at RB Leipzig last season, scoring six goals in 37 matches.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Algeria has decided on Tuesday to sever relations with its neighbor Morocco, accusing Rabat of having “hostile tendencies” towards it.

The country took a similar step towards its western neighbor in 1976.

Here is a list of the most prominent stages of the recurring tensions between the two countries over the past decades:

October 1963:

Algeria and Morocco militarily confronted each other over a border dispute in the so-called Sand War in October 1963 following Algeria’s independence on July 5, 1962. Algeria said it repelled Moroccan ambitions for land on the border, while Rabat responded saying it retaliated against the border provocations of the Egyptian-backed Algerian army.

1969 and 1972:

The two countries signed a two-phase border demarcation and good-neighborly treaty in 1969 and 1972 as a culmination of the end of the war and the border dispute.

1976:

Rabat announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Algiers in protest of the latter’s decision to join a number of mostly African countries recognizing the unilateral decision of the Polisario Front to establish the so-called Sahrawi Arab Republic.

1988:

The two countries signed an agreement to normalize relations and restore diplomatic ties following Saudi mediation. The leaders of both countries exchanged visits as a testament to normalization.

August 1994:

Rabat accused the Algerian intelligence of being behind a terrorist bombing in the southwestern Marrakesh city and imposed an entry visa requirement on Algerians. Algeria responded by closing its land border with Morocco which is still in force to date.

1999:

Then-Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika attended the funeral of King Hassan II, who died on July 23, 1999, in Morocco as an attempt to mend the relations between the two Arab countries. No significant breakthrough was, however, achieved.

June 2005:

The bilateral relations warmed up as Rabat was preparing for a visit by the then-Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia and his delegation to Rabat to sign several agreements. But the visit was canceled at the last minute with Rabat saying the time was not right, a gesture Algeria protested as an insult.

Nov. 1, 2013:

Moroccan youth organized a protest in front of the Algerian Consulate in the northern Casablanca city against Bouteflika’s statements on human rights in the Sahara region which ended with the burning of the Algerian flag.

The two countries exchanged summoning ambassadors. Algeria also protested a court ruling that sentenced the man accused of burning the flag to two months in prison.

May 2020:

The Moroccan consul in the western Algerian city of Oran called Algeria an “enemy country,” prompting the Algerian Foreign Ministry to summon the Moroccan ambassador and to declare the implicated diplomat “persona non grata.”

July 15, 2021:

Morocco’s Ambassador to the UN Omar Hilale calls during a meeting of non-aligned countries for the “independence of the Kabyle people” in Algeria. Algeria summoned its ambassador from Rabat for consultations and asked for clarifications.

July 23, 2012:

The Algerian Foreign Ministry protests against the authorities of some countries, especially Morocco, using the Israeli spy program Pegasus against Algerian officials and citizens. Rabat denied the accusations but Algiers demanded that the former provides evidence.

July 31, 2021:

Moroccan King Mohammed VI urges Algeria to put aside the differences between the two neighbors and open a new page in their relations.

Aug. 8, 2021:

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune says in a statement his country is ready for any dialogue, but asked Morocco to first respond to Algeria’s request for clarifications regarding Rabat’s position on the speech of its representative at the UN regarding the Kabylie region.

Aug. 11, 2021:

During his visit to Morocco, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid expressed his country’s concern over Algeria’s role in the region and its great rapprochement with Iran. Algeria accused Rabat of inciting Tel Aviv against it.

Aug. 18, 2021:

The Supreme Security Council in Algeria, headed by Tebboune, accused Morocco of continuing with its “hostile acts” and called on the bilateral relations to be reviewed and the security monitoring on the western borders to be tightened.

Aug. 24, 2021:

Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Morocco over what he termed as “successive aggressive steps.” Rabat responded saying the accusations were “false” and that it regreted the decision.

“When ties are severed, this is followed by a review of all relations, and checking what is to be canceled and what is to be kept,” Lamamra said.

Relations between the two neighboring countries have strained for decades against the backdrop of the disputed Sahara region between Rabat and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front.

* Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara

Source: Anadolu Agency

The 2021-22 UEFA Champions League season’s groups were revealed after a draw on Thursday.

Istanbul hosted the top-tier tournament’s group stage draw.

UEFA said this season’s group phase will kick off on Sept. 14.

In addition to the draw, the best players of the 2020-21 season were named.

The Group A’s Manchester City vs Paris Saint-Germain and the Group F’s Villarreal vs. Manchester United will be the interesting contests to watch.

Both fueled by Gulf investments, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are European football powerhouses.

They built robust teams in 2010s and went on to sign on stars but have never won the Champions League title they desire.

Group A will see the clash of these giants.

Manchester City played in the Champions League final in May. Paris Saint-Germain were finalists in 2020.

Meanwhile, Villarreal vs. Manchester United will also be one of the season’s interesting clashes.

In May 2021, Spain’s Villarreal beat the English club in a penalty shootout to win their first UEFA Europa League title.

Villarreal were not the favorites of that final.

So Manchester United, who are in the same group with Villarreal in the Champions League, are likely to look for revenge.

The 2021-22 Champions League groups are as follows:

Group A: Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Leipzig, Club Brugge

Group B: Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Porto, AC Milan

Group C: Sporting, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, Besiktas

Group D: Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sheriff

Group E: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Benfica, Dynamo Kyiv

Group F: Villarreal, Manchester United, Atalanta, Young Boys

Group G: Lille, Sevilla, Salzburg, Wolfsburg

Group H: Chelsea (holders), Juventus, Zenit, Malmo

Besiktas to face Sporting, Dortmund, Ajax

Besiktas were the only Turkish team that entered the group phase draw.

The Black Eagles will take on Portugal’s Sporting, German club Borussia Dortmund, and Dutch team Ajax Amsterdam in Group C.

UEFA honors Denmark for saving footballer’s life

Danish defender Simon Kjaer and Denmark’s medical team were handed the 2021 UEFA President’s Award for saving midfielder Christian Eriksen’s life during a UEFA EURO 2020 match this summer.

Eriksen, 29, suffered cardiac arrest during a EURO 2020 Group B game against Finland at the Parken Stadium, Copenhagen.

He was rushed to a Danish hospital after a cardiac massage was performed on the pitch.

Morten Boesen, Denmark’s team doctor, had previously said Eriksen “was gone” before being swiftly resuscitated on the pitch.

The Inter Milan star underwent an operation and was discharged from the hospital in June.

Eriksen then said the operation “went well” and he was “doing well under the circumstances.”

Players of season awards

The players of the 2020-21 season were also revealed in the ceremony and the winners were each given their awards.

The award winners are as follows:

Goalkeeper: Edouard Mendy (Chelsea)

Defender: Ruben Dias (Manchester City)

Midfielder: N’Golo Kante (Chelsea)

Forward: Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)

Jorginho named Player of Year

Chelsea’s Italian midfielder Jorginho received the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award.

Jorginho, 29, helped Chelsea win the 2021 Champions League in May.

Separately, he won the EURO 2020 title with Italy in July.

Tuchel wins coach of year award

Chelsea’s German manager Thomas Tuchel was named the UEFA Men’s Coach of the Year.

Tuchel, 47, was hired by Chelsea in January but led the London team to win the Champions League trophy last season.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Five suspects were arrested in Turkey on Thursday during operations against the Daesh and al-Qaeda terror groups.

The suspects were apprehended in simultaneous raids at nine different places in seven districts of Istanbul, said security sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

In 2013, Turkey became one of the first countries to declare Daesh/ISIS a terrorist organization.

The country has since been attacked by the terror group multiple times, with over 300 people killed and hundreds more injured in at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks, and four armed assaults.

In response, Turkey launched anti-terror operations at home and abroad to prevent further attacks.

Source: Anadolu Agency

One person involved in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games has been hospitalized with COVID-19, the first time this has happened, the games organizing committee said on Thursday.

The person hospitalized on Monday for coronavirus is not an athlete but is linked to the Games, whose events began Wednesday.

The patient’s symptoms are not severe, according to committee spokesman Masanori Takaya.

A total of 184 cases of COVID-19 among people associated with the Paralympics have been confirmed since Aug. 12.

Japan has been under a state of emergency over an alarming rise of COVID-19 infections due to the highly contagious Delta variant.

The 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games are set to end on Sept. 5.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Turkey has long supported the Afghan people’s struggle to rebuild their country and will continue to do so, said Turkey’s communications director on Thursday, highlighting Turkey’s commitments to peace and stability in Afghanistan since 2002, in the aftermath of the US invasion.

“Turkey has been committed to peace and stability in Afghanistan, as the Turkish military served in this country since 2002 under multilateral as well as bilateral agreements. We have supported the Afghan people in their struggle to rebuild their country and will continue to do so,” Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter.

Noting that over the past 20 years Turkish forces in Afghanistan have provided security to the Afghan people and contributed to stability in the country, he stated that during that period Turkish soldiers gained the Afghan people’s trust and affection.

“Turkey, under the leadership of our President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan, has always advocated for a multilateral and international effort to maintain peace and security in the country,” said Altun. “We have never seen the issue in Afghanistan as a refugee problem that needed to be isolated.”

On the situation at Hamid Karzai International Airport serving Kabul, which has seen a press for evacuations since the Taliban gained control of the capital, he stressed that the “rapidly deteriorating security” at the airport shows the need to reassess the situation on the ground.

“Turkey had indicated its willingness to provide security at the airport if certain conditions were met. Despite the most recent turmoil at the airport, Turkish forces have helped maintain security and order. Our military planes evacuated some 1,129 civilians,” Altun said.

Saying that Ankara’s willingness to protect the airport is in line with the country’s policies throughout the region, he added that Turkey follows a human-focused foreign policy with the belief that “no one in the region is safe until everyone is safe.”

“Given the most recent developments and through consultations with its partners, Turkey made the decision to evacuate Turkish military forces and assets from the airport at this time,” Altun noted.

Saying that Turkish military forces are on their way home with the honor of having “successfully completed yet another difficult mission,” the communications director said that Turkey will continue to stand with the Afghan people.

In a Twitter post, Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin said: “After fulfilling their duties in an excellent and honored way, Turkish soldiers in Afghanistan are returning home.”

“Turkey will continue to work for the peace, security and prosperity of our Afghan brothers and sisters”, Kalin said.

Omer Celik, a spokesperson for Turkey’s Justice and Development (AK) Party, congratulated Turkish soldiers for successfully fulfilling the task of contributing to the “peace, tranquility and stability of the brotherly Afghan people.”

Celik said on Twitter that the Turkish soldiers who served in the Kabul airport mission for six years are returning home, adding: “Turkey will continue to stand by the Afghan people as long as they want. Turkey is a reliable friend, brother and ally.”

Turkey has been part of NATO’s mission in Afghanistan since 2002, and was also involved in evacuation efforts at the Kabul airport since the Taliban took control of the capital earlier this month.

Source: Anadolu Agency