Zambia’s Barbra Banda has been voted BBC Girls’s Footballer of the 12 months 2024.
The Orlando Pleasure striker took residence the British media firm’s prize, which covers performances from September 2023 to August 2024 in high stage ladies’s competitions, after receiving the best variety of votes from readers of the BBC Sport web site. Banda was one in every of 5 gamers initially shortlisted for the award.
It has been a productive 12 months for the 24-year-old.
Banda scored 4 objectives for the African nation within the ladies’s soccer event on the Olympic Video games Paris 2024, together with a first-half hat-trick towards Australia, to change into the main African goalscorer in Olympic historical past (10).
Within the 2024 Nationwide Girls’s Soccer League, Banda scored 13 objectives for the Pleasure through the common season and the goalscoring kind continued deep into the playoffs. The Zambian netted 4 extra objectives together with the winner within the championship last on Saturday, serving to to raise Orlando Pleasure to their first-ever NWSL title.
Banda was additionally named Most Invaluable Participant (MVP) within the North American league, and is now solely the second African footballer to win the BBC’s prize after AsisatOshooala in 2015.
Earlier winners embody MaryEarps in 2023, VivianneMiedema (2021) and AdaHegerberg (2019).
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Zambian footballer Barbra Banda has obtained a barrage of abuse on social media after successful the BBC’s Ladies’s Footballer of the Yr award.
Banda, a prolific goalscorer for US staff Orlando Delight, was shocked with the award throughout a staff assembly. Her teammates cheered and applauded whereas Banda mentioned she was “shocked and shocked” to obtain the accolade. “To the younger woman in Africa dreaming massive,” she tweeted, “maintain that dream and work onerous, am telling you it does come true.”
However she was on the receiving finish of abuse with tons of of feedback accusing her of being “a person” and “dishonest” different feminine athletes out of the prize.
The accusations stem from reviews two years in the past that the Zambian soccer federation (Faz) withdrew Banda from its squad for the Ladies’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in Morocco over considerations that she would fail a gender verification take a look at, as mandated by the Confederation of African Soccer (Caf).
Though it was later established that she by no means took such a take a look at, the president of the Zambian federation, Andrew Kamanga, mentioned on the time: “All gamers needed to bear gender verification, a Caf requirement, and sadly she didn’t meet the factors set by Caf.”
It has since been extensively reported that Banda’s pure testosterone ranges had been above the Caf’s most allowance, and that she rejected hormone suppression medicine as a consequence of considerations in regards to the potential negative effects.
Banda’s agent, Anton Maksimov, clarified on the time that she was by no means “banned” from competing at Wafcon, and that she had not undergone any gender verification testing earlier than the competitors.
“The choice to not at the moment characteristic Barbra on the event is Faz’s inner determination primarily based on their very own analysis of her bodily circumstances earlier than coming to Morocco,” he mentioned. “I reiterate that nothing, no current laws that we’re conscious of, prevents Barbra’s participation within the Wafcon 2022. Barbra has not failed any medical exams on this regard both.”
However regardless of the dearth of proof of wrongdoing, and regardless of Banda persevering with her profession in peace within the US, she has obtained waves of insults, a lot of which has centered on her look.
The BBC has additionally are available in for main criticism regardless of having no function in selecting Banda as its winner. The award’s shortlist was determined by a panel of impartial soccer consultants, and the winner was then chosen by public vote.
Banda was pulled out of Zambia’s Wafcon squad (AP)
The previous Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies posted: “It’s so unhappy the BBC are actively encouraging the destruction & lack of alternatives for feminine athletes in sport. I’m so disheartened & upset they’re actively cheering this unfairness on.”
The writer JK Rowling tweeted: “Presumably the BBC determined this was extra time environment friendly than going door to door to spit instantly in girls’s faces.”
The BBC mentioned in a press release: “In addition to enjoying prior to now two Olympic Video games and the 2023 Fifa Ladies’s World Cup, Barbra Banda performs for the Zambian nationwide girls’s staff and within the USA for Orlando Delight making her absolutely eligible for the award which celebrates expertise in girls’s soccer.
“The five-player shortlist was determined by an skilled panel made up of present and former professionals, coaches and journalists primarily based on performances within the final twelve months, with the winner voted for by the general public.”
Macy’s on Monday mentioned an worker answerable for managing accounting for small bundle deliveries hid as much as $154 million in bills over the course of practically three years.
The one who allegedly hid the cash is now not with the corporate, the division retailer operator mentioned Monday morning, forward of its third-quarter earnings report. The corporate, whose assertion on the matter did not say when the individual left the job, declined to remark past the announcement.
The information comes at a troublesome time for Macy’s, which is indelibly tied to the vacation season by means of the movie “Miracle on thirty fourth Avenue” and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, whereas traders search for clues about how shoppers are looking for the vacations. Macy’s gross sales have slumped as the corporate has underperformed for the previous decade.
The corporate was as a result of ship outcomes earlier than U.S. inventory markets opened Tuesday morning, however it has delayed releasing its full outcomes till Dec. 11 to permit an unbiased investigation to wrap up.
Macy’s mentioned it found the problem whereas making ready its monetary report for the quarter ending Nov. 2. It did launch preliminary findings for the interval, saying general internet gross sales declined 2.4% year-over-year.
The corporate mentioned the worker, who was answerable for the accounting of small bundle supply bills, “deliberately made inaccurate accounting accrual entries” to cover about $132 million to $154 million from the fourth quarter of 2021 by means of essentially the most just lately accomplished quarter. That’s small relative to the $4.36 billion in general supply bills Macy’s recorded throughout that interval. Nonetheless, it’s better than the $105 million in internet revenue the corporate recorded for its full fiscal yr that ended Feb. 3.
The unbiased investigation hasn’t recognized every other Macy’s worker, the corporate mentioned.
“At Macy’s, Inc., we promote a tradition of moral conduct. Whereas we work diligently to finish the investigation as quickly as practicable and guarantee this matter is dealt with appropriately, our colleagues throughout the corporate are centered on serving our clients and executing our technique for a profitable vacation season,” CEO Tony Spring mentioned in an announcement Monday morning.
Macy’s is making an attempt a turnaround amid broader shifts within the retail trade, significantly as customers purchase extra on-line. In February, the retail chain mentioned it might shut 150 shops nationwide in a reorganization initiative to concentrate on luxurious gross sales.
The transfer will go away 350 Macy’s areas, in addition to Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury magnificence and skincare shops, which the corporate mentioned have been “outperformers” throughout the Macy’s portfolio.
Mike Calia
Mike Calia is the managing editor for enterprise and the financial system at NBC Information.
Melissa Repko, CNBC, Jacob Pramuk, CNBC and Marlene Lenthang contributed.
Sunderland U21s suffered defeat within the Premier League cup final evening on the street to Sheffield United.
Harrison Jones gave the Black Cats an early lead nonetheless second half strikes from Owen Hampson and Zain Tahir gave Group D leaders Sheffield United all three factors.
Joe Anderson, Trey Ogunsuyi, Harrison Jones and Ben Middlemass all featured from the beginning following their journey to Millwall with the primary workforce.
Sunderland continued their good behavior of staring sturdy and lead after a great little bit of construct up play discovered Middlemass who performed by Jones to complete close to publish inside the world.
Jewison Bennette got here near doubling Sunderland’s benefit earlier than half-time nonetheless his effort struck the crossbar.
The hosts got here out sturdy after the break and began to play, Anderson denied Jevan Beattie with a goalline clearance, stopping a sure equaliser.
On the different finish Jones rattled the woodwork from distance as he seemed for his second on the evening.
With simply 15 left to play the Blades discovered their equaliser, Dan Cameron’s preliminary save counted for nothing as Hampson was available to complete for 1-1.
Only a few moments later the hosts strain paid off as a set play was volleyed previous Cameron by Tahir to substantiate all three factors for the Blades.
Sunderland host league leaders within the PL2, Manchester Metropolis on Saturday at Eppelton.
Oxford United fell to their third consecutive defeat at Bramall Lane this night as targets from Callum O’Hare, Tyrese Campbell and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi took Sheffield United to the highest of the Championship.
United made two adjustments to the aspect that misplaced to Middlesbrough on Saturday, with Elliott Moore unavailable as a consequence of selecting up his fifth yellow card of the season, Przemysław Płacheta began on the left, whereas up entrance Dane Scarlett was most popular to Mark Harris.
Regardless of United’s early endeavour, it was Sheffield United that took the lead within the tenth minute when an extended throw by captain Jack Robinson was flicked on and the ball fell completely for O’Hare, who fired dwelling. The query now was whether or not Oxford heads would drop or not.
They did not, however within the twenty sixth minute Campbell struck once more to offer United a mountain to climb. Gustavo Hamer was the architect, making a slide-rule cross by the Oxford defence. Campbell timed his run completely, took a contact to take the ball away from Cumming and slipped the ball into the empty web.
The very last thing United wanted was for Sheffield to attain a 3rd earlier than they’d an opportunity to regroup, and Hamer nearly made it three moments later, however Cumming did effectively to get down and tip his shot around the submit. Cumming denied Hamer once more after 37 minutes, palming his well-struck shot away for an additional nook.
Campbell actually ought to have scored seven minutes into the second half as he turned within the space and had time to select his spot, however he blasted his shot extensive. As an alternative, it was Rak-Sakyi who broke the offside line and with simply Cumming to beat, he had the best job to make it 3-0 and successfully finish the sport as a contest with lower than an hour gone.
Oxford appeared to offer their magnificent away supporters one thing to cheer about and Michael Cooper was known as into motion to tip over drives from Matt Phillips and Idris El Mizouni.
It has been a troublesome week for the U’s thus far and they’ll hope to show their fortunes round on Saturday after they welcome Millwall to the Kassam Stadium. The boys want your assist – see you there.
Rapper Drake’s firm Frozen Moments filed a petition in a New York courtroom Monday accusing the streaming service Spotify and Common Music Group of conspiring to inflate the streams of Kendrick Lamar’s hit diss monitor “Not Like Us.”
“Not Like Us,” the results of Lamar and Drake’s weekslong beef, broke information on the Billboard rap charts, retaining the highest spot all summer time. Frozen Moments, described within the submitting as “an entity wholly owned by Drake,” alleges that UMG “launched a marketing campaign to govern and saturate the streaming companies and airwaves” with “Not Like Us” through bots and pay-for-play agreements.
The submitting alleges the music was licensed to Spotify at a 30% low cost in trade for a lift in suggestions to customers — the monitor now has over 900 million streams on Spotify, in accordance with the service. The petition additionally alleges UMG used bots to drive up the streams on “Not Like Us,” paid radio promoters to extend air play and even paid tech big Apple to have its voice assistant Siri misdirect customers to Lamar’s hit music.
A spokesperson for UMG referred to as the allegations “offensive and unfaithful.”
“We make use of the best moral practices in our advertising and marketing and promotional campaigns,” the spokesperson mentioned in an announcement. “No quantity of contrived and absurd authorized arguments on this pre-action submission can masks the truth that followers select the music they need to hear.”
When reached by CBS Information, a publicist for Drake Tuesday had no remark. Spotify, Apple and representatives for Lamar didn’t instantly reply to CBS Information requests for remark.
In response to the Related Press, Drake on Tuesday filed a second authorized motion in opposition to UMG, however in Texas, additionally over “Not Like Us.” In response to the AP, Tuesday’s submitting in Bexar County accuses UMG of partaking in “irregular and inappropriate enterprise practices” to get radio airplay for “Not Like Us,” together with making unlawful funds to San Antonio-based iHeartMedia.
When reached by CBS Information Tuesday, iHeartMedia additionally declined to remark.
UMG owns each Interscope, Lamar’s label and Republic Information, the place Drake has spent his whole profession. Drake has talked about UMG CEO Lucian Grainge in lyrics a number of instances over time, together with 2023’s “Away From House” — rapping “Who the CEO of Common? They mistaken, ‘trigger Google saying Lucian, however that simply does not make sense. Who filling up the piggy financial institution? Who bringing house the bacon?” The road appears to point Drake’s perceived significance to the label as Spotify’s second most streamed artist behind Taylor Swift, whose Massive Machine Information can be distributed by UMG.
In response to the petition, UMG terminated sure staff perceived as being loyal to Drake in the course of the inter-label feud with Lamar, and rebuffed his makes an attempt at negotiation, insisting that Drake take it up with Lamar instantly as an alternative of the label.
The petition filed Monday isn’t a lawsuit, however a pre-action movement meant to collect extra info from UMG and Spotify within the pursuit of a civil declare underneath the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, generally known as RICO.
The authorized motion comes days after Lamar launched “GNX,” his first album because the beef. Lamar references the feud a number of instances on the venture, together with Snoop Dogg’s posting of one in every of Drake’s diss tracks and Lil Wayne taking offense to Lamar’s headlining of the 2025 Tremendous Bowl Halftime present in New Orleans.
The Related Press
contributed to this report.
Rishikesh Rajagopalan
Rishi Rajagopalan is a social media affiliate producer and content material author for CBS Information.
One of many 5 survivors rescued after a vacationer boat sank within the Pink Sea mentioned “it was very good to be again” after he was saved, as officers recovered 4 our bodies.
Two British persons are believed to have been among the many lacking after the vacationer boat sank.
Egyptian navy forces, that are co-ordinating operations, have now rescued 33 individuals out of the 44 on board – together with 5 the day after it capsized.
It means seven persons are nonetheless lacking and rescue groups have been “intensifying efforts” to seek out them.
Picture: Virtually 30 individuals have been rescued. Pic: Egyptian Armed Forces
Picture: One of many Belgian survivors mentioned “it was very good to be again, very good.”
Pic: Pink Sea Governorate
Governor of the Pink Sea area Amr Hanafi mentioned that two Belgians, one Swiss, one Finnish and one Egyptian nationwide have been rescued on Tuesday, and 4 our bodies had been recovered – though their nationalities are unknown.
“Survivors are being supplied with needed medical care,” he mentioned in a press release on Fb.
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The boat sank after being hit by a big wave, inflicting it to capsize, based on survivors’ accounts.
One of many Belgian nationals mentioned “it was very good to be again, very good”.
The unnamed survivor added: “Sure, I actually respect it [the rescue efforts]. The reception on [the] boat with a heat bathe, the dinner after and all of the care they took as a result of we have been shaking with [the] chilly and so they warmed us up.”
The 34-metre-long vacationer boat Sea Story sank on Monday south of the Egyptian coastal city of Marsa Alam.
Among the many international nationals on board have been these from the UK, Eire, US, Germany, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, China, Slovakia and Spain.
Picture: Pic: Egyptian Armed Forces
In response to these on board, a “excessive sea wave” hit the vessel and induced it to capsize in “about 5 or seven minutes”, Mr Hanafi mentioned.
Some passengers have been contained in the cabins, “which is why they could not get out of the boat,” his assertion added.
A Overseas, Commonwealth and Growth workplace spokesperson mentioned on Monday: “We’re offering consular assist to a variety of British nationals and their households following an incident in Egypt and are in touch with the native authorities.”
The Sea Story left Port Ghalib, 40 miles (63km) north of Marsa Alam, on Sunday and was scheduled to achieve its vacation spot of Hurghada Marina on 29 November.
Officers mentioned a misery name was acquired at 5.30am native time on Monday.
The boat sank 46 nautical miles off the coast of Marsa Alam.
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Picture: The Sea Story set sail on Sunday for a five-day journey. Pic: Dive Professional Liveaboard
The incident comes after the Egyptian Meteorological Authority issued a warning on Saturday about turbulence and excessive waves on the Pink Sea.
The agency that operates the yacht, Dive Professional Liveaboard in Hurghada, mentioned it has no info on the matter.
Picture: Extra of the lacking individuals being rescued from the Pink Sea.
Pic: Pink Sea Governorate
The Chamber of Diving and Water Sports activities (CDWS), a bunch based by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism, praised rescue groups for his or her “tireless efforts”.
“The CDWS workforce and board members are praying that the lacking passengers are discovered safely and hoping that they are going to reunite with their households and family members quickly,” the assertion on Fb added.
Survivors helped ashore after Crimson Sea vacationer boat sinking
Egyptian authorities say 16 persons are lacking, together with foreigners, and 28 have been rescued after a vacationer boat sank within the Crimson Sea.
Two of these lacking are British, the BBC understands. Finland has confirmed one in all their nationals is unaccounted for, whereas authorities say 4 Egyptians are additionally lacking.
The boat with 44 individuals on board – together with 13 crew – despatched a misery sign at 05:30 (03:30 GMT), in accordance with the governor of Crimson Sea province.
Authorities haven’t indicated the potential reason behind the incident, however added accounts of individuals onboard talked about a wave hit the boat and brought on it to capsize. Climate forecasters had warned towards marine actions for Sunday and Monday.
EPA
Medics wait close to the scene as search efforts proceed
The Sea Story left port close to Marsa Alam on Sunday for a five-day diving journey, in accordance with officers.
Crimson Sea Governor Maj-Gen Amr Hanafi mentioned the survivors had been discovered within the Wadi el-Gemal space, south of Marsa Alam, and that they had been receiving the required medical care.
He added the Egyptian Navy warship El Fateh and army plane had been intensifying their efforts to find the lacking, with rescue groups working across the clock.
On Saturday, the Egyptian Meteorological Authority forecast turbulence on the Mediterranean and Crimson Seas because of the climate.
Wind speeds had been between 37-43 mph (60-70 km/h), and wave heights had been three to 4 metres (10-13ft) excessive, they mentioned.
Based on the native council in Marsa Alam, the crew of the Sea Story are all Egyptians and the vacationers on board included 5 Spanish, 4 British, 4 Germans and two US nationals.
It’s unclear who’s among the many rescued and who continues to be lacking, however the Crimson Sea governorate’s newest report mentioned 4 Egyptians remained unaccounted for.
The Finnish overseas ministry confirmed to AFP information company that one in all its nationals can be among the many lacking.
A UK Overseas Workplace spokesperson mentioned they had been involved with the authorities, and had been offering “help to quite a lot of British nationals and their households following an incident in Egypt”.
The Chinese language embassy in Egypt confirmed two of its nationals had been “in good well being” after being rescued, in accordance with their state media, as reported by AFP information company.
In the meantime, Polish overseas ministry spokesman Pawel Wronski, informed state-run Polish information company PAP that authorities had info that two Polish residents could have been aboard the boat.
EPA
Crimson Sea Governor Maj-Gen Amr Hanafi visited survivors on Monday
Crimson Sea Governorate
The Sea Story reportedly departed a port close to Marsa Alam, Egypt, on Sunday
Earlier reviews from Egyptian authorities mentioned there had been 45 individuals on the Sea Story when it sank – 14 crew and 31 vacationers.
Marsa Alam is a well-liked vacation spot for vacationers on Egypt’s southern Crimson Beach and is surrounded by diving spots, together with famend coral reefs.
The Crimson Sea governorate mentioned the boat was owned by an Egyptian nationwide, and had acquired a one-year validity certificates in March 2024 when it was inspected by maritime security.
Hanafi mentioned there have been no technical faults on the time of the incident, including that reviews from survivors mentioned the boat capsized after being hit by a big wave, all of which took 5 to seven minutes.
He additionally visited Marsa Alam to see the individuals rescued, and mentioned they had been all in good well being, and no-one had wanted admission to hospital. The passengers are being acquired in a vacationer resort within the space, he added.
There was no quick remark from Sea Story’s Egypt-based proprietor and operator, Dive Professional Liveaboard.
However its web site says the vessel was in-built 2022 and is 44m (144ft) lengthy. It has 4 decks and 18 cabins that may accommodate as much as 36 passengers.
Final yr, three Britons died off the coast of Marsa Alam after their dive boat caught fireplace.
A rap beef between Drake (pictured) and Kendrick Lamar kicked off earlier this 12 months
Drake has launched authorized motion in opposition to Common Music accusing the label of artificially boosting streams of Kendrick Lamar’s diss observe in opposition to him, Not Like Us.
In papers filed in New York, Drake’s firm, Frozen Moments LLC, accused Common and the streaming big Spotify of participating in an unlawful ”scheme” involving bots, payola and different strategies to advertise Lamar’s music.
Common Music ”didn’t depend on likelihood,” Drake’s attorneys alleged. “It as an alternative launched a marketing campaign to control and saturate the streaming providers and airwaves.”
A spokesperson for Common known as the claims “offensive and unfaithful”, including that “followers select the music they wish to hear”.
Spotify and Lamar have but to reply.
The petition isn’t a full lawsuit however a so-called “pre-action petition”, beneath which Drake’s attorneys can ask the courtroom to order Common and Spotify to protect all related paperwork and data, forward of future authorized motion.
The BBC understands the motion is principally aimed toward Common, with Spotify named within the perception it could have info that will be related to a lawsuit.
Getty Photographs
Kendrick Lamar launched a shock new album known as GNX final week
Not Like Us was extensively seen because the decisive blow in an escalating rap beef between Drake and Lamar earlier this 12 months.
Drake’s courtroom submitting highlights the music’s runaway success – 96 million streams in seven days, primary within the US charts, and a prime 10 radio hit – however suggests these achievements have been artificially inflated.
His attorneys declare that Common “conspired with and paid at the moment unknown events” to “artificially” enhance the prominence of Not Like Us.
They allege that the label minimize its royalty charges for the music by 30%, in trade for Spotify recommending it to customers.
The submitting additionally cites supposed claims from a “whistleblower” on a podcast, who mentioned they have been paid $2,500 to arrange software program ”bots” that will stream the music on repeat, turning it into “a loopy hit”.
The hassle unfold to different streaming providers, Drake’s attorneys allege, referencing on-line reviews that followers who requested Apple’s voice assistant to play Drake’s album Licensed Loverboy have been as an alternative delivered Not Like Us.
Drake loyalists ‘fired’
The authorized submitting is a shocking coda to the musicians’ feud, however it additionally represents a rift between Drake and Common – the label that has represented him for his total profession.
In courtroom paperwork, the star’s attorneys say he tried to handle these allegations in non-public however that the label has “no real interest in taking duty for its misconduct.”
Moreover, they declare Common made “an obvious effort to hide its schemes”, which included firing workers “perceived as having loyalty to Drake”.
“Streaming is a zero-sum recreation,” they argue. “Each time a music breaks by way of, it means one other artist doesn’t.” Because of this, they declare, Drake suffered “financial hurt” at Lamar’s expense.
A spokesperson for Common rejected the claims.
“The suggestion that UMG would do something to undermine any of its artists is offensive and unfaithful,” they mentioned in an announcement.
“We make use of the best moral practices in our advertising and marketing and promotional campaigns. No quantity of contrived and absurd authorized arguments on this pre-action submission can masks the truth that followers select the music they wish to hear.”
The authorized submitting got here days after Lamar launched a shock album, GNX, which is extensively seen as a follow-up to Not Like Us.
His diss observe was lately nominated for 4 Grammy awards, together with music of the 12 months, and he has been booked to play subsequent 12 months’s Tremendous Bowl halftime present.
Nevertheless, he lags behind Drake by way of reputation. On Spotify, the rapper is the twenty third most-streamed artist on this planet, whereas Drake locations thirteenth.
