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BERLIN, GERMANY - MAY 23: Harry Kane of FC Bayern Munich celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the DFB Cup Final 2026 match between FC Bayern München and VfB Stuttgart at Olympiastadion on May 23, 2026 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images) | Getty Images If you asked anyone who Bayern Munich’s best player has been in the past year, you’d get one of two answers: Michael Olisé or Harry Kane. The English striker has been near perfect since joining the Bavarians and seems to only get better each season. While his pace is slowing down, his overall game remains exceptional. As Bayern Munich’s first major test of the season against Borussia Dortmund approaches though, Kane’s status is in question.“That’s not certain. I’ve already spoken to the coach about it. It’s only a week of preseason, but I’m used to this quick transition. I’ve played in these tournaments almost every year in my career. We have to wait and see. Whether it’s 90 minutes or 45 depends on how I feel this week,” said Harry Kane on whether he will start against Dortmund in the Supercup, as captured by @iMiaSanMia.Based on the striker’s response, it is clear that we will see him on the pitch in some capacity. While earning a win here is important, Bayern might arguably be able to get the job done without their best player, and there is a strong argument not to get your best player injured before the season even really starts.Whatever Kane’s status is for the match, what is important is that Kane and the staff make the right decision on what is best for the team.Join the conversation!Sign up for a user account and get:New, improved notifications system!Fewer adsCreate community postsComment on articles, community postsRec comments, community posts

Bears legend believes Chicago has one flaw it must fix this season to win Super Bowl originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.At this point for the Chicago Bears, it feels fair to say that everybody understands what this team is going to be on the offensive side of the football. If things go as planned, the Bears are going to continue to be one of the top offensive teams in the NFL, and honestly, it should only look better with Ben Johnson entering his second year and Caleb Williams continuing to develop at a very high level. Williams is undoubtedly one of the better players in the NFL, and there's a strong argument that he might already be a top-five quarterback in this league when he plays his best football. If he keeps improving, the future is as bright as any team in the league.However, right now, the Bears are trying to win. While things might be very bright in the future, that doesn't mean they want to wait long. The Bears have Super Bowl aspirations, though one former player doesn't know if they really have it in them to win it all because of some of the problems we've seen in recent years on the defensive side of the football.“You’d like to see the Bears have 13-14 wins where you get home-field advantage, and you have a LA team come to Chicago deep in the playoffs when it’s cold,” Lance Briggs said, H/T Heavy. “Defensively, we have to come up with consistent ways of number one, getting off the field on third down. Number two, we got to stop the run because if we can’t, that’s going to keep our offense off the field. Number three, get the ball back to our offense as many times as possible, and let them run away with it.”The defense has been a problem for the Bears, but there's also hope and expectation that, over the next few months, the organization will do what's needed to improve on that side of the ball. If the Bears can make a blockbuster deal for an elite edge rusher, let's say Maxx Crosby, it would answer a lot of the questions. Unfortunately, that's much easier said than done, so for now, the defensive questions will continue to pop up, and be fair.More NFL news:Bears predicted to take risk on five-time Pro Bowl selection to fix top needCommanders predicted to land brother of newly acquired starGiants continue to look silly for letting Cowboys select Caleb DownsLions predicted to sign four-time Pro Bowler after Terrion Arnold newsBrowns trade proposal forgets Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson for recent first-rounder

“And if you thought the president hated ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ when it was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, buckle up, people. Buckle up!” O’Donnell said.

Earthquake survivors stand outside their tent erected near a damaged church in Satar Punda, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)2026-08-18T05:23:41Z LAMBA LEDA, Indonesia (AP) — Thousands of people remained displaced on the Indonesian island of Flores on Tuesday, three days after a powerful earthquake killed at least 68 people, injured more than 200 others and damaged thousands of homes. The disaster left many children struggling with fear and trauma.More than 19,000 people were sheltering in tents, evacuation centers and makeshift camps after the earthquake struck off Flores early Saturday, damaging at least 4,500 homes, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. The quake injured at least 213 people and caused widespread destruction across the island, damaging 122 health facilities, 252 schools and 84 places of worship, the agency said.The quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and residents fled in panic as tsunami warnings were issued but later lifted. Authorities have since recorded more than 2,100 aftershocks into Tuesday, though only 70 were felt by residents. An aftershock that struck during an interview Tuesday prompted Vincentius Rano and his wife to instinctively duck and cover their heads. Nearby, their daughter began crying, a reminder of the fear that continues to haunt many survivors.Rano is a resident of Lamba Leda, one of the hardest-hit villages in the lush hills of East Manggarai regency, where widespread damage was reported, with at least 50 homes shattered and trees toppled over. He recalled the terrifying moment the earthquake struck Saturday just after he and his wife had woken up. “Suddenly, we felt a tremor that kept getting stronger,” said Rano, the father of a 5-year-old girl. The couple rushed to grab their sleeping daughter, but before they could escape, part of the house came down, causing injuries to his back and shoulder. Read More “We didn’t have time to get outside. Everything happened so fast. The roof collapsed on us, and all I could do was shield my wife and child with my back,” Rano said, gesturing toward his flattened home, a modest house, built of timber rather than concrete.At evacuation camps across Flores, children played under tarpaulin shelters while aid workers and volunteers provided psychosocial support alongside food and medical assistance. “For many survivors, especially children, the psychological impact has lingered long after the shaking stopped,” said local police chief Yudhi Franata, who organized trauma-healing sessions for children displaced by the disaster in Ende regency. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. In Ende’s village of Lokoboko, 17 children joined police counselors for games, educational activities and group interactions designed to help them cope with fear and anxiety. Parents at evacuation centers in the village said many children were afraid to return indoors and woke up frightened whenever aftershocks rattled the island.“Children are among the groups that need special attention after experiencing a disaster,” Franata said.Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because of its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Flores experienced one of the country’s deadliest disasters in 1992, when an earthquake and an ensuing tsunami killed about 2,500 people.

The Chargers are set to take on the 49ers on Tuesday for a joint practice.The Chargers and 49ers are set to meet this weekend for their second preseason game of 2026. Beyond the in-state rivalry, the matchup has an intriguing connection to Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.After Monday's practice, McDaniel spoke about the impact 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has had on his career."For years, he was the only guy that would hire me and give me a job in the NFL," McDaniel said. "Obviously I'm very indebted to him and the whole organization."It will be a nice little asterisk of excitement to have those familiar coaches on the field, competing and going against a really good team more than anything…that's gonna be the best part." Shanahan provided McDaniel with his first shot at a top-ranked coaching position in 2021. Prior to becoming the 49ers' offensive coordinator, McDaniel served as the run game specialist and run game coordinator for his first four years in the Bay Area. In McDaniel's first and only season as an offensive coordinator for the 49ers, he led San Francisco to the seventh-ranked total offense and fifth in rushing offense.After doing his part to lead the 49ers to an elite offense, the Dolphins jumped at the opportunity to name him head coach, and he has been at the helm for the past four seasons.Now, McDaniel is expected to take the Chargers' offense to a whole new level with Justin Herbert as the signal-caller. The 43-year-old coordinator has plenty of talent to work with, including a revamped offensive line, a deep running back room and a wide receiver corps that could emerge as one of the NFL's best.This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers' Mike McDaniel shares heartfelt message about Kyle Shanahan

Keenan Allen has found a new home. The former Chargers wide receiver has signed a one-year, $8.32 million deal with the Colts.NFL insider Jordan Schultz shared the news via X. BREAKING: The #Colts are signing 6x Pro Bowl WR Keenan Allen to a 1-year deal worth up to $8.32M, multiple sources tell me.A big-time weapon for Daniel Jones, as Allen reunites with HC Shane Steichen from their days together with the Chargers in a deal done by @ZekeSandhu of… pic.twitter.com/wiBZe3wjSf— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 18, 2026Allen was searching for the third team of his career, and he found it with the Colts, with just under a month until the start of the 2026 season. The 34-year-old spent most of his career with the Chargers, establishing himself as one of the best pass catchers in the organization. The Chargers selected Allen with the 76th overall pick in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He has spent the majority of his career with the Chargers organization. Allen played 12 seasons in Los Angeles and established himself as one of the greatest players to ever wear the lightning bolt.Allen ranks first in receptions (985), second in yards (11,307), third in touchdowns (63) and fourth in receiving yards per game (72.5). He spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Chargers, but bolted after the 2023 season to sign with the Chicago Bears. The six-time Pro Bowler spent one season with the Bears in 2024 before returning to Los Angeles for the 2025 season. Allen is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he tallied 81 receptions for 777 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. It was the ninth consecutive season in which the former Cal Golden Bear recorded over 700 yards. Allen reunites with Shane Steichen. Steichen, who now serves as the Colts' head coach, was the Chargers' offensive coordinator in 2020 before departing to call offensive plays for the Eagles over the next two seasons.This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Former Chargers WR Keenan Allen signs 1-year deal with Colts

Four-star combo guard Finley Parcher of Lynden, Washington, named the Gonzaga Bulldogs in her top seven schools. Among coach Lisa Fortier’s program for the in-state talent are not only other major West Coast names, but also the coach Geno Auriemma staple all the way out from the Northeast New England region.Besides the Zags and UConn Huskies, the Oregon Ducks, Washington Huskies, Stanford Cardinal, UCLA Bruins, and Arizona Wildcats are all in the mix for the 6-1 product of the 2027 recruiting class. She has already reportedly taken official visits with Gonzaga and coach Kelly Graves’ Ducks, as well as Stanford and UCLA, according to On3’s Talia Goodman.Speaking with Goodman about the Zags back on July 15, Parcher stated, “They have such an amazing coaching staff and just basketball culture. It’s really close to home. It’s just super nice, and they have just a great program.”NEWS: Finley Parcher, a four-star guard in the class of 2027, is focused on 7 schools, she tells @247sportspic.twitter.com/XNhqe1RjT7— Dushawn London (@DushawnLondon1) August 15, 2026During the summer AAU scene, the incoming senior represented the Northwest Blazers on the Under Armour circuit. An organization that originally started in Spokane, Washington back in 1988, but has spread to the nearby states of Oregon, Idaho, and Montana under Steve Klees across four decades. Parcher, a multi-sport athlete along with volleyball at Lynden High School, averaged 22.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 3.5 steals in her standout junior basketball season. Under her head coach Rob Adams, Lynden has completed the first-ever three-peat of WIAA girls’ 2A state championships. Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho

Brennan Johnson. | Getty Images It is believed that Everton have made an “improved bid” in their pursuit of Galatasaray and Turkey winger Baris Alper Yilmaz. [Sport Witness]David Moyes insists ‘quite a few’ more signings are needed at Everton, with the Everton manager coming off sounding very downbeat. [Sky Sports]​As the clock ticks down to the transfer deadline on September 1st, could Everton be deliberately waiting to see how the dominoes fall? Everton’s lack of activity in the loan market could be about to make sense. [ToffeeWeb]Three of Everton’s Premier League fixtures for October and early November have been rescheduled, with all of the games now set for live television broadcast. [Everton FC]Michael Ball believes that Iliman Ndiaye would be very hard to replace – but Everton have to be ready. [Liverpool Echo]Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly rejected a bid from Everton for Brazilian striker Richarlison. The Lilywhites are looking for at least £35 million to sell Richarlison to Everton. [SportsView]However, Spurs journalist Alasdair Gold claims no such bid was made, but the Blues had registered their interest earlier in the summer. [Football.London]Everton face potential transfer blow as Jack Grealish returns from injury and Enzo Maresca makes Manchester City vow. [Liverpool Echo]“He was their best player that season… I’m hoping he can do it in blue.” 🗣️James Garner on linking up with former teammate and new Toffee Brennan Johnson. 💙 pic.twitter.com/wBdURWYyWx— Everton (@Everton) August 17, 2026Chelsea striker Liam Delap should join Everton at the second time of asking, insists Pat Nevin. [Liverpool Echo]How do Everton’s first five fixtures stack up compared to the rest of the Premier League? Here is the answer. [ESPN]Our Under18’s thrashed Leeds, check out the highlights. [Everton FC]Everton are capable of winning trophies again, says new signing Brennan Johnson. [BBC]What To WatchChampions League qualifiers along with National League matches. Full schedule of games here.Follow Us

Key reason why Rodri chose Barcelona over Real Madrid despite identical contract offers – reportBarcelona’s move for Rodri over Real Madrid was not decided by money, according to a report from MARCA, with the Spanish midfielder instead placing greater importance on the sporting project offered to him.According to the outlet, both Barcelona and Real Madrid were prepared to offer Rodri a very similar contract. Financially, there was little to separate the two proposals, meaning the World Cup winner’s decision came down to what he believed would be the best environment for the next stage of his career.And, according to the report, Barcelona had the edge.At 30, Rodri is said to have looked closely at the direction of both clubs before making his choice. Rodri is set to sign for Barcelona. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)While the appeal of Real Madrid was never in doubt, uncertainty surrounding their sporting project played a major role in pushing the midfielder towards Barcelona.Barcelona sporting project convinced RodriThe report suggests that Rodri saw Barcelona as a more stable and clearly defined project under Hansi Flick.The Catalan giants already have an established core, with clear roles across the squad and a style of football that suits Rodri’s qualities. More importantly, the financial side of the proposed move was effectively identical. Rodri was not choosing Barcelona because they were offering more money.Instead, Rodri’s Barcelona transfer decision was based on sporting ambition.Rodri rejected Real Madrid for Barcelona. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)The report points to the similarities between the way Barça want to play and the system Rodri has experienced with the Spain national team, where he has been one of the most important figures in midfield.The prospect of working under Flick, playing alongside several Spanish teammates and joining a squad with an established hierarchy appears to have strengthened Barcelona’s position.Real Madrid uncertainty played a major roleSure, Real Madrid are one of the biggest clubs in world football, but Rodri had concerns about the certainty of the Real Madrid sporting project.The club may have the resources, reputation and quality, but Rodri viewed Barcelona’s current direction as more predictable. For a player entering his thirties, stability was an important factor when considering such a major career decision and that is where Barcelona appear to have won the battle.

Tottenham Hotspur's English midfielder #47 Mikey Moore celebrates after scoring their second goal during the pre-season friendly football match between Tottenham Hotspur and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on August 15, 2026. (Photo by Henry NICHOLLS / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images Good morning everyone. Before we get to the hoddle proper, I’d just like to share a brief quote from one Warren Zevon: “Enjoy every sandwich.”——-This is your the latest edition of Fitzie’s Film and TV Reviews, where your hoddler-in-chief reviews all things seen on the big and small screen.Today’s entry is actually a favour for you all: I watched the Jose Mourinho documentary so you don’t have to.For those wondering about any Tottenham connection, it is little. Mourinho’s time at the club is only reduced to a familiar clause (along the lines of I took Tottenham to a cup final but didn’t get to coach it) and two snapshots in a montage. Even Fenerbahce received more air time than that.The three-part documentary is less about Jose Mourinho the man and more about Jose Mourinho the legend (as in the collection of stories accumulated during his career).It’s filled with A-level stars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sir Alex Ferguson, Frank Lampard and others. And Mourinho is a gifted storyteller, which makes a documentary in theory the perfect arena for his to craft his story.But because this is about Mourinho the legend, we learn remarkably little. In fact, the documentary focuses much of his time at two clubs: Inter and Chelsea. The stories are mostly repeats of what’s already been said. Perhaps the only new dimension was how his relationship with Roman Abramovich deteriorated, and how he framed this through the lens of who football belongs to (perhaps this explains his thoughts on Daniel Levy).And while the documentary revisits a moment in which he lashed out over a former Chelsea team doctor (Eva Carneiro) for tending to Eden Hazard during a match, it appears to do little to seek out Carneiro’s side other than a quick snipped of her attending court and a subsequent news headline.Mourinho makes clear in the third act he doesn’t want to share large parts of his life, which is fine. But if so, then why bother with this project at all? There are a few glimpses where some of these are revealed such as how he viewed his playing career in the context of being a football manager, as well as his relationship with his family, yet the documentary fails to dig deeper into these dynamics.Perhaps that’s what makes Mourinho the manager he is. In the opening of the series we hear how the tunnel is the last time he thinks about his family before stepping onto the pitch. Perhaps this was the same exercise, where the personal elements that built up this legend were pushed aside for the same stories we’ve heard for years now.The only difference is that these same stories were presented in a glossy Netflix doc, and makes me question what the point was in doing this at all.2 out of 5 FitziesFitzie’s track of the day (dedicated in loving memory to Richard): Wildflowers, by Tom PettyAnd now for your links:Jay Harris: “It is essential Spurs avoid another season of injury woe. This is how they are trying to do it”Alasdair Gold: “The uncomfortable Guglielmo Vicario incident and what went wrong at Tottenham”Yahoo Sports: “Eva Carneiro fires back at Jose Mourinho and John Terry after Netflix revisits Chelsea controversy”BBC: “Fifa official sacked after Infantino plan criticism”The Guardian: “Premier League to allow audio of conversations between players and referees”

Real Madrid superstar in ‘great’ physical shape after vacation – reportKylian Mbappe participated in only one pre-season game for Real Madrid this summer, and it was the clash against Schalke at the weekend.Starting that game as his first appearance under Jose Mourinho, the Frenchman took just six minutes to get on the scoresheet once more.The player is coming off a sensational World Cup, where he led France from the front and finished as the top scorer in the event. Back at Real Madrid, he immediately elevated the attack and returned to the scoresheet in his only pre-season appearance ahead of the new season.Mbappe has returned hungryAs reported by Diario AS in a recent update, sources from within the club make it clear that a ‘new’ Mbappe has returned after the World Cup and the summer vacation.Mbappe was on the scoresheet against Schalke. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)The player has arrived in great physical shape and is ready for any game-state from the get-go. His physical condition is said to be sensational according to the club.More importantly, the player has returned with a real hunger for titles and wins this time around, possibly owing to the disappointment left in him by the World Cup. His hunger and desire, needless to say, only make him a more frightening opponent.A hunt for titlesKylian Mbappe left PSG for Real Madrid in the summer of 2024, and it has become a common storyline for the player to be reminded that his former club have won every UEFA Champions League title since his departure.Mbappe is in great physical condition. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)Meanwhile, the Real Madrid forward has nothing to show as a major trophy won with the club as the first team has not won a single major title in the past two seasons.That situation was the reason Jose Mourinho was urgently called back to the club, and Mbappe will look to change the narrative under the new manager.With a fresh squad reinforced by new signings, Real Madrid have a formidable team this time around and will look to gun down every title they compete for. The Frenchman will be crucial on that front, not only as a striker but as a leader.

Atletico Madrid ready to sell Julian Alvarez – but not to BarcelonaThe Julian Alvarez to Barcelona transfer story has taken another major turn, with Atletico Madrid now open to selling the Argentine striker this summer.However, according to El Chiringuito TV, there is one outcome Atletico are determined to avoid: watching Alvarez join Barcelona.The 26-year-old remains keen to leave Atletico and believes the club could eventually be forced to negotiate his departure. Barcelona are his preferred destination, but Atletico’s resistance to strengthening a direct La Liga rival remains the biggest obstacle standing in the way of a deal.The situation has also attracted interest from Arsenal, who continue to stay in contact with the player’s camp. Yet Alvarez has personally made his position clear to Mikel Arteta, informing the Arsenal manager that he does not want to move to North London.That leaves Atletico with a difficult problem. They may be willing to sanction a Julian Alvarez transfer, but their preferred solution does not include Barcelona.Atletico could sell Alvarez, but not at BarcelonaThe aforementioned information states that Atletico’s current plan is to sell Alvarez, while making sure he does not end up at Barcelona.The player’s stance, though, could make that difficult, as Alvarez sees Barcelona as the destination he would prefer for the next stage of his career. Arsenal remain an option from Atletico’s point of view, but the Argentine has no interest in joining Arteta’s side.This creates a clear stand-off between the club and the player.Atletico would rather direct Alvarez towards another destination, while the striker is expected to push for a move to Barcelona. Furthermore, there is also growing frustration on Alvarez’s side. The Argentine feels disappointed by how events have unfolded and has been unhappy with his current situation.Julian Alvarez is set for a crucial meeting with Atletico Madrid. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)If the relationship continues to deteriorate, Atletico could soon face an even more complicated situation.Crucial meeting to decide Alvarez’s futureA meeting between Julian Alvarez and Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin is expected to take place in the coming days after being delayed on several occasions.Alvarez plans to use the talks to seek clarity over his future and push Atletico towards opening negotiations with Barcelona. He will aim to convince the club that a deal with the Catalan giants is the best solution.This particular conversation could therefore determine the next step. If Atletico soften their stance, negotiations with Barcelona could finally begin. However, if they continue to block a move, Alvarez may have to decide how strongly he is willing to push for his preferred destination.

Wycombe boss Michael Duff / | Getty Images Well that was disappointing. It’s not a Reading game without a 96th-minute goal, is it?The Royals played alright against Luton Town: a first-half hat-trick from Jack Marriott had the fans bouncing, thinking we could do anything with him in the squad, but goals from Kasey Palmer inspired a comeback before Gideon Kodua scored a scrappy winner for the Hatters. Wycombe Wanderers entered the league with a 1-1 draw against Blackpool. It was the Chairboys who took an early lead, through Fred Onyedinma in the seventh minute, and Finley Munroe scored the equaliser in the 77th minute.A local derby in the cup is always going to be a good watch, it’s just annoying that it’s in the competition nobody really cares about. It will be a young squad that is played in this one, so let’s see how they do. This Tuesday, August 18, the first game of the group stage of the Vertu Trophy will be played at the Select Car Leasing Stadium. It is once again on Sky Sports+ and the referee for this one will be Isaac Searle. In this preview I will mention key performers and underwhelming players from that game against Luton, and I will give my predictions.LutonIn what was an entertaining game for outsiders to watch, Reading players will feel a little hard done by with the result. In my opinion the game deserved to be a draw, with both teams playing well, but that is football at the end of the day.There were more players that had bad games than there were good ones in this one, but let’s start with the positives.Jack Marriott has to be the starting point. Three goals in 27 minutes helped the Royals gain a first-half lead and he was really hammering at Luton’s defence. He was everywhere across the opponent’s backline and caused real problems. It is going to be exciting to see what he can do this season if he stays fit.I think I am one of the few who thought Andy Rinhomota had a good game. He was doing a lot more work than he bargained for, due to another player having a stinker, which I will get onto later. Rinomhota tidied up well and, given he had to do two people’s jobs, I thought he played pretty well. Finally, Daniel Kyerewaa, who I thought was our second-best attacker, not afraid to take on his man. He created a lot of chances that some others should have put away.They were my three stand-out performers. Now for the criticism. Jeriel Dorsett was at fault for one, maybe two of the goals we conceded. He is one of those players that is either our best defender or our worst player, and on Saturday he was the latter. His positioning was awful and he really was off the pace. How he didn’t get taken off I don’t know, considering possible left-backs were brought on to replace other players. For me, Joel Pereira is getting a little too big for his boots. He is making mistakes that, two years ago, we wouldn’t even have nightmares of him doing. He needs to stop trying things he clearly can’t do and work on making simple saves. Paudie O’Connor has been a liability recently, at fault for the goal in the game against Bromley and then he had a poor game in this one. He needs to watch his temper – he made far too many fouls and was lucky he didn’t accumulate more than one yellow card. We were warned about his knack for a booking and didn’t really see it last season, but now the Lincoln City O’Connor seems to be appearing.Finally, and it feels weird to say this, but Lewis Wing was poor. There was a stint in the first half when he missed the ball three times before just kicking the ball out of play. He wasn’t up to scratch and was arguably our worst player for most of the game.If that is the type of performance were going to see from Wing this season then I hope we have a back-up for the captain.My predictionsIn goal will be Jack Stevens.Ashqar Ahmed, Boyd Beacroft, Benn Ward and Haydon Roberts will be the back four.Liam Fraser and Tyler Sackey will be sitting in front of the backline.A midfield three of Paddy Lane, Charlie Savage and Randell Williams will play just behind Jacob Brown, who will be our one striker.Score prediction: 2-1 Royals!This will be tougher than we think but I see the younger Royals doing well in this one. Sackey to get a goal or assist and Emmanuel Osho coming off the bench to grab a goal.Good luck to those going to the game.Come on you Royals!

St James' Park Newcastle United | Credit: SmartFrame Images | Pro Sports ImagesNewcastle United fans preparing for the 2026/27 Premier League season.Less than two weeks to go now until Liverpool travel to St James’ Park.An ‘interesting’ summer so far…So many talking points.An ideal time to get a snapshot of views from Newcastle United fans on their thoughts.So we sent out questions to a number of regular/irregular contributors to The Mag, varying to a degree the questions that different fans received to answer.Next up answering the questions we have Simon Cahill:Do you think the Newcastle United owners have a strong long-term plan for the club, or are they making it up as they go along?I think it’s been tricky for the owners of the club to have a long-term plan when they keep, for whatever reason, having big changes in the people that actually build and write those plans. So initially, yes, maybe there was a longer-term plan for the club, but plans have to be made up at some point, and right now we’re at step one of that new plan. So it’s hard to know if it’s a strong one. And as Mike Tyson once said, everyone’s got a plan until they get punched in the face.Hand on heart, what position do you currently believe Newcastle United are most likely to finish in the 2026/27 Premier League season?Sixteenth. Right now, I’d be happy with that. It’s going to be a rough season unless something dramatic happens in the transfer window in the next two weeks.If we survive, we may be in a better position with some experience in the squad, but right now it’s not looking great.By say Christmas and with all players fit, what do you predict will be the Newcastle United first choice eleven for the 2026/27 season and please put ‘new signing’ in any position where you think that will turn out to be the case.Goalkeeper: Hornicek Right-back: Tino Livramento Left-back: Lewis Hall Centre-backs: Dan Burn and Malick Thiaw Central midfield: Lewis Miley and new signing Left wing: Harvey Barnes Right wing: Anthony Elanga Number 10: Nick Woltemade Number 9: William OsulaThree words to describe how you currently feel as a Newcastle United fan?Receptive, anxious, excited.Three words to describe Newcastle United now?Chaotic, vulnerable, and hopeful.Three words to describe this summer 2026 NUFC transfer window so far? Revealing, weak, youthful.Do you see it as good news or bad news that Eddie Howe resigned?I think for this one the proof’s in the pudding but initially I thought it was bad news, even though I now understand it was completely the right decision for him, given what has transpired since. His team had been taken apart and he was basically starting from scratch. I think he leaves untainted by trying to recover the position that he would have found himself in this season. In my mind, he has been one of the greatest managers the club has ever had.Do you think Newcastle United would have had more or less chance of having a successful 2026/27 season if Eddie Howe had stayed?In the context of success being staying in the Premier League, I think it would have been maybe slightly more successful, i.e. potentially more mid-table. Right now we look like relegation battlers and we are looking for three weaker teams.Do you see a potential lack of leadership on the pitch next season with Bruno Guimaraes following Kieran Trippier out of the club?I think Dan Burn is the perfect captain, but we need more experience, particularly in midfield. The other thing is with Dan Burn, he’s starting to age, as is Fabian Schar, as is Jacob Murphy – those senior players that are left in the squad. So yes, I think it’s difficult to see where the leadership will come from across the pitch.The opening six league games are Liverpool home, Spurs away, Bournemouth home, Leeds away, Hull home and Coventry away. How many points would Newcastle need to take for you to be happy and what would you predict will be the reality?Liverpool at home and Spurs away is a tough start, so I don’t think we’ll get any points there. Bournemouth at home is a bogey team, but they’ve gone through a lot of change in the past couple of seasons. Hopefully they’re weaker for it, so maybe we get our first points there. Leeds, Hull and Coventry, I think, become must-win games already, because some of those teams are the ones you’d like to see below us.Ideally, eight points from those games would be an excellent start, given our current state. In terms of reality, nought to three points.What do you see as the biggest priorities in the remainder of the transfer market this summer?I think we desperately need more experience in centre midfield, another striker, and a reserve left-back.With so much change, how do you currently feel when it comes to balancing fears of the end of a relatively successful era and hopes of the dawning of the chance of a new successful different era?I’m probably on about 75% fear and 25% hope. It has been a monumental change in the club, in the dressing room, on the pitch, and with the background staff as well. That kind of change means the lack of familiarity, consistency, and togetherness has all been impacted. And the place where that is mostly going to be felt is on the pitch, starting with Liverpool in a couple of days’ time.Anthony Gordon leaving, your thoughts?I think based on his performances last season, it was a good bit of business. It was clear that his head had been turned early on. Although he turned it on in the Champions League, his form was up and down in the Premier League. And for that kind of money, I think it’s good business for us.To be honest, I wish him well. He brought us some great moments in the Champions League and in the cup run. And we’ll see how he does at Barcelona.Sandro Tonali leaving, your thoughts?This one stung a bit more, mostly because it was Spurs. But again, fantastic business. Another player that probably didn’t play his best last season in, let’s face it, what was a tricky season throughout. I really liked him. His engine is something I’ve never seen before. He could run all day, chasing down lost causes, putting pressure on people. We probably didn’t see a lot of his technical ability, especially in the latter half of his time here.But again, for that kind of money, that’s good business. Obviously, I hope Spurs as a team do terribly this season, though.What would represent success now in the 2026/27 season for Newcastle United?Honestly, staying up. The pace and the volume of change in this pre-season, and what we’ve seen on the pitch so far, I think staying in the Premier League is the biggest goal for this season. Again, unless there’s some really good business done in the last weeks of the transfer window.What do you now see as the minimum Newcastle United need to achieve this coming season?Again, staying up. I think for the future of the club, for the future of the ownership, all of that needs to happen in the Premier League. And going down, I think we’d see a ruthless side to the PIF, and we don’t want that.Predict the top six in the Premier League (in order) and which three clubs will be relegated in 2026/27.I’m going to be really boring here and go with absolutely no surprises in the top six. Unfortunately, I think that’s just what PSR has done for the Premier League.My top six would be Arsenal, followed by Man City, then Chelsea, Liverpool, Man United, and Spurs. Spurs, I think, have done some good business in the summer transfer window. They’re not going to make the same mistake again, and I think they’ll be a different team this coming season.The three clubs to be relegated, I hope, will be Hull, Coventry, and Ipswich. I think the gap’s too big between the Premier League and the Championship now, or at least I hope so.Which eight current Newcastle United players (in order) are going to be most important for the 2026/27 season?1. Wissa – He has to score 15-20 goals this season or he’s been a waste of money. 2. Lewis Miley – The potential to be a future club captain. If he can stay fit this season, he can fill a massive role as one of the pivots, taking the ball from the defence and starting attacks. 3. Lewis Hall – Essentially has to stay fit; probably our best player. 4. Malick Thiaw – Started so strongly but started to show signs of cracking, albeit in a crazy amount of fixtures last season. Will need support from Burn, Schar and Botman. 5. Botman – Signed a contract extension last season but has looked vulnerable in pre-season. We need the old Botman back. 6. Woltemade – Has to come good. His price tag is starting to look silly. 7. Hornicek – Personally, I thought he could have done better with some of the goals in the recent friendlies. Needs to do better as he’ll be busy this season. 8. Elanga – Another one that needs to prove his worth this season.Some time ago Yasir Al-Rumayyan said the intention was to make Newcastle United number one in the world, how far along the road to that do you think we are?I think on the pitch, we’re pretty much back to where we started with Eddie Howe post-avoiding-relegation season. We have a long way to go there, and this feels like a complete reset of the project. Commercially, we’ve moved forward, we’ve done some better deals and have some better partnerships, but we’re really not going to be able to take any steps on the journey until we finalise a better commercial model with a new stadium. And there are plenty of examples around the Premier League where that has had the biggest impact.NUFC CEO David Hopkinson said the intention is that by 2030 the club will be competing to win all competitions. What do you make of what he said?I think that comes back to 25% hope. That target is three seasons away. We’re just not going to be there. Unless we ride our luck again in the transfer window, find players that can pull the club forward beyond what is currently the claustrophobic approach of SCR, and take us beyond our commercial means.How would you rate your optimism for next season at Newcastle United from 0-100?I think it’s low. I can’t help repeating the number 25 in my head. But I can’t see it being any higher than that. Everything’s too new: the players, the coach, the playing style, the transfer approach. And it hasn’t led to the greatest results in pre-season, albeit they’re friendlies, and the opinion is always that they don’t really matter. But just from watching how uncohesive the performances were, it doesn’t give me much room for optimism.How important (or not) is a huge new stadium for Newcastle United?Fundamentally, it’s the most important thing we can do to take the club forward, given the current financial conditions. Spurs, Arsenal and Man City have all benefited from improving their matchday revenues and their commercial model through new stadiums. Even the likes of Everton are going to start to benefit from this soon and eclipse us. For the following that we have, the support that we can generate, I think this is the most crucial commercial decision we can make, and will set us up for any future success.When the takeover happened on 7 October 2021, if somebody at that point had told you then what would happen by August 2026, would you have taken it?A hundred percent yes. The journey that we’ve been on since that takeover has been one of the best in my time as a Newcastle fan. I had my season ticket for pretty much the entirety of the Mike Ashley reign, and the match was a way of ruining a nice day out with your friends. Since then, we’ve been to Dortmund, we’ve been to Paris, we’ve had some amazing experiences, and that’s what supporting this great club should be about.So yes, if somebody told me that was what was going to happen, I would have taken it. The season that followed the takeover, where we qualified for the Champions League, was probably always going to be one of the toughest seasons to beat, because our expectations were so low. We’re now at a point as a fan base where our expectations have changed, and fundamentally that makes us more difficult to please. But the motivation behind that is because of the journey that we’ve been on in those past five years with Eddie Howe and the team that he built.So do I want more? Yes. Am I worried about what the future holds? Definitely. But I would never take back the journey that we’ve been on in that time.Bruno Guimaraes wanting to leave Newcastle United after four and a half years, has that changed your opinion of him as a person?No, I don’t blame him. I think the writing was on the wall for him with the changes the club were making in the background, and the vision and strategy going forward. Not helped by the commercial environment the Premier League chooses to operate in, and also the ambitions of the club themselves.I think he’s been a fantastic servant for the club. He was the poster boy of the takeover, and he was our go-to man in every tight spot and dark place on the pitch to get us through games. Also, his character was fantastic, and we’ll never forget his speech at the cup final parade day, where he was politely asked not to swear. I wish him all the best. I just wish it wasn’t at Arsenal.Claimed back in October 2021 that Newcastle United was simply a ‘Sportswashing’ project for Saudi Arabia, has that proved to be the reality?I think what we’ve seen with the project so far is a very savvy commercial investment by an incredibly rich state. I think additionally we’re starting to see to what degree we are thought of in terms of that investment and the risks and the strategy that they’re willing to get involved in. I think they’ve played the game as straight as they can do, and they will continue to do so, which also means the big dreams of massive money and huge transfers will only stretch as far as our commercial model will actually allow us.In some corners, I think there is an argument that sportswashing, in its true definition, has happened here at Newcastle. But I leave that to the people that hold that opinion. I think it’s up to us as fans to keep the values of the club alive, no matter what the ownership is. And I hope that will continue to happen.What do you think of the choice of Matthias Jaissle as the new NUFC boss?I think it’s a really exciting appointment. I think he’s got an incredibly tough job because he’s bringing in a new system with new players. And some of those players don’t have half the experience that Eddie Howe had so far, unless there are some big changes in our transfer business.Right now, I’m pretty excited about what he could bring. I think he’s the right type of manager for us: young, passionate, hungry. I think he needs those players around him to be able to deliver what he needs on the pitch. Hopefully he gets that.Who would you have liked to see replace Eddie Howe, Matthias Jaissle or somebody else?My knowledge of available managers for our level of club is weak, to be honest. What I’d like to think is that those in charge have done their research and found the right man for the job. If it was somebody else, he’d probably be in this same template: young, hungry, probably not as proven as some. And again, that’s probably down to the fact that the strategy at the club has changed, and they need to marry up their investment strategy on the pitch with a manager who understands what that project is. So, right now, Jaissle’s the man.Source

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, second from right, speaks during a cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (Yonhap via AP)2026-08-18T06:30:03Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s president said Tuesday a solid alliance with the U.S. strengthens the foundation of national security, as many South Koreans were baffled and concerned about U.S. President Donald Trump’s abrupt order to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises.Trump made the surprise announcement in a social media post just before U.S. and South Korean soldiers began Monday’s annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which are largely designed to sharpen readiness against North Korean threats. Trump cited what he said was good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s refusal to join the U.S. war against Iran.Trump’s move was apparently taken without consultations with South Korea and meant to reach out to Kim, deepening concerns about the reliability of the U.S.-South Korean alliance forged in the turmoil of the 1950-53 Korean War. Confidence in the U.S. has already eroded among many South Koreans because of Trump’s tariff war and last year’s immigration raid in the U.S. state of Georgia that led to the detainment of hundreds of South Korean workers.Trump’s announcement “reveals the stark reality of a faltering Korea-U.S. alliance, fueling public anxiety,” South Korea’s Hankook Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial Tuesday. “It’s absurd that the U.S. appears to treat North Korea more respectfully than its ally South Korea.” South Korean leader calls for solid US allianceIn a regular Cabinet meeting, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stressed the importance of a firm military alliance with the U.S., saying that “national security will be further strengthened when the alliance is solid.” “When we build up our strengths, our value and importance as an ally will further grow,” said Lee, a liberal who has called for a stronger, self-reliant defense posture. It was unclear which parts of the 11-day South Korea-U.S. exercises were being downsized. The South Korean and U.S. militaries earlier said their drills this year would be similar in scale to previous years and incorporate lessens from recent conflicts such as North Korea’s battlefield experiences in the Russia-Ukraine front. They also said the drills are defensive in nature.North Korea’s Foreign Ministry accused South Korea and the U.S. of plotting more provocative drills this year and vowed to respond with “a new level of a deterrent.” Read More Prosects unclear for reengagement between Trump and Kim Kim has shunned any talks with the U.S. and South Korea since his earlier high-profile diplomacy with Trump fell apart in 2019.Experts say Kim won’t likely embrace Trump’s overture and return to talks anytime soon unless he is promised bigger U.S. concessions. Kim has boosted his military and diplomatic credentials in recent years by enlarging his nuclear arsenal and aligning with Russia over its war against Ukraine. Lee’s presidential office on Monday expressed hopes that a “friendly relationship” between Trump and Kim would lead to “meaningful dialogue” between their countries to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula. That invited a backlash from the conservative opposition, which criticized Lee’s government for allegedly prioritizing resumption of Kim-Trump diplomacy over security concerns. “South Korea’s security bulwark is being shaken to its very foundations,” Park Chung-kwon, a spokesperson for the main conservative opposition People Power Party, said in a statement. A weakening of the U.S. defense commitment could shake South Korea’s national security as it has no nuclear weapons and is under the so-called U.S. “nuclear umbrella” protection, which guarantees a devastating American response in the event of an attack on its ally by nuclear-armed North Korea. The U.S. has about 28,500 troops in South Korea. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. Doubts about US alliance grow in South KoreaIn his social media post, Trump said the military exercises with South Korea are not only costly but “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea, which he said “has been unthreatening and respectful” during his time in the White House. Trump said he asked Lee if South Korea would join the U.S. in the “denuclearization” of Iran, “and they said, ‘No thanks!’” Lee’s office said South Korea and the U.S. are closely discussing practical and military contributions that South Korea can make to help restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. “Trump thinks of an alliance as an investment that should pay regular dividends, or a rainy-day fund he can withdraw from when another project isn’t going well,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. “South Korean leaders understand that relations with the Trump administration will be a constant renegotiation linking economic and security issues. Seoul is thus cautiously responding to recent developments within that framework,” Easley said.A recent survey jointly conducted by South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo newspaper and the East Asia Institute, a Seoul-based research group, showed 46.4% of respondents in South Korea viewed the U.S. as “not a trustworthy partner” while 45.4% called it “trustworthy.” It was the first time that more Koreans said they could not trust the U.S. than said they could since the East Asia Institute began asking the question in 2017, JoongAng Ilbo reported. HYUNG-JIN KIM Kim is an Associated Press reporter in Seoul, South Korea. He reports on security, political and other general news on the Korean Peninsula. twitter mailto

Real Madrid offered €45 million for Barcelona-bound superstar – reportOnce it emerged that Rodri would not be signing a new contract at Manchester City, it quickly became clear that he wanted to return to Spain and preferably play for Real Madrid.Los Blancos and Florentino Perez were initially apprehensive about making a move before deciding to go in and sign the midfielder.However, simultaneously, Barcelona also positioned themselves to sign the Spaniard following Frenkie de Jong’s injury.Eventually, Hansi Flick and the Spanish stars at Barça managed to convince Rodri to play for the Catalans, with the 30-year-old rejecting Madrid.Now, according to Juanfe Sanz Perez on El Chiringuito TV, Madrid actually made a bid and put €45 million on the table for the 30-year-old midfielder.Madrid made their move for RodriMadrid’s interest in Rodri was more than simply exploratory.The club were prepared to make a significant financial commitment to bring the Spain international to the Santiago Bernabeu.Real Madrid made a €45 million offer for Rodri. (Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images)Rodri’s quality and experience made him an obvious candidate to strengthen a midfield undergoing considerable change under Jose Mourinho.However, the pursuit ultimately went nowhere, with the midfielder deciding that Barcelona would be his preferred destination.The reported €45 million offer is particularly interesting given Manchester City’s demands for the player and the eventual fee Barça paid to sign him.It seems like a classic case of Madrid testing the waters with a bid just to see what kind of demands the English club were placing.Rodri ultimately preferred BarcelonaMadrid’s failure to land Rodri was not simply about finances.The midfielder is said to have received similar financial proposals from both Spanish giants, but it is the sporting project that tipped the scales in the Catalan club’s favour.Despite the fact that he is the exact profile Madrid’s midfield is lacking, Real Madrid did not really go into the negotiations with much conviction.Rodri is going to sign for Barcelona. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)Barça, on the other hand, had a clear role outlined for him, with Flick entrusting him as a leader in an otherwise very young dressing room.Rodri would have offered Mourinho an experienced controller capable of immediately becoming an important part of the midfield, but it was not to be.Madrid might not have gone for him at any costThere is another side to the story, however.Real Madrid’s willingness to offer €45 million does not mean the club were prepared to enter an open-ended bidding war for a player who has already turned 30.Rodri is unquestionably an elite midfielder, but Madrid also have to consider the age profile of their squad and the long-term value of major investments.Once Barcelona became the player’s clear preference and Manchester City’s valuation remained considerably higher, continuing to push the operation would have become increasingly difficult.Ultimately, it was a transfer deal that was not meant to be, and Madrid will be hoping to get the better of him when they face him in the Clasico later this season.

🥐☕️FC Ptit Déj: World Cup final ref-cam, Messi's EA FC card evolutionThe ref cam from the World Cup final 📹FIFA has released footage from the referee’s ref cam during the 2026 World Cup final. In this sequence, Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić advises Lionel Messi to “control” Leandro Paredes, who had already been shown a yellow card.Here is a longer excerpt from the Spain-Argentina ref cam...The evolution of Messi’s card on EA FC 🎮EA’s decision to give Lionel Messi an 89 rating in FC 27 is already sparking debate among gamers. After going from 86 to 89, La Pulga has received a clear upgrade, but still remains far from his best historical ratings. A chance to look back at how his rating has evolved on FIFA and then EA FC since 2009.A viral trailer about the Champions League 🎬This amateur Champions League trailer has gone viral on X. Everything was going pretty well… until the bizarre appearance of Mohamed Salah wearing a Liverpool shirt. 🎥 Luis Enrique shows great sportsmanshipParis coach Luis Enrique showed a great side of himself after Paris Saint-Germain’s defeat in the Champions Trophy.TV schedule 📺9:00 PM: Fenerbahçe - Olympique Lyonnais (Canal+)This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.

Cadillac are the only team yet to score a point this season [Reuters]After a four-week summer break, Formula 1 returns with the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend.Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli has a 50-point lead in the drivers' championship going into the race at Zandvoort.There are 12 races remaining on the 2026 schedule, though uncertainty remains over whether Qatar and Abu Dhabi will go ahead because of the conflict in the Middle East.Before the season resumes, our F1 correspondent Andrew Benson answers your latest questions.Is the Cadillac reorganisation too hasty? Surely the team would have been better served by evaluating at the end of the debut season? - TimCadillac chief executive officer Dan Towriss made it clear last week that he had always envisaged there would be a time when Graeme Lowdon would be replaced as team principal. But he said that time had come "sooner than expected".Lowdon and Towriss have worked together to set up Cadillac over the past four years in quite demanding circumstances.These included the fact Cadillac did not have an official entry until March 2025, only a year before their first race.Towriss paid tribute to Lowdon's efforts in building a team from scratch while not knowing until the 11th hour when or even whether they would be racing.But it's clear the American businessman was not happy with what he saw in the first 11 races of Cadillac's life as a competitive entrant. Hence his decision to sack Lowdon and replace him with the highly experienced Marcin Budkowski.Lowdon was careful to manage expectations as to what could be expected of Cadillac in their first seasons. But it seems there has been a disconnect between what he believed was possible in a given timeframe and what Towriss expected.The brutal realities of Cadillac's performance are that - if one leaves aside the catastrophe that was Aston Martin for the first 10 races - Cadillac were on average 1.2 seconds off the next slowest team, Williams, who are themselves having a bit of a nightmare season and lag 0.4secs behind the next slowest team, Haas.And now Aston Martin have introduced their major upgrade, Cadillac face the prospect of spending the rest of the season well adrift of the rest of the field.On top of that, there have been serious, and repeating, reliability problems, most notably with overheating brakes. It has become a familiar sight to see a Cadillac stopping with its brakes on fire - and quite often early in a race or session.Towriss was questioned about "blame culture and people forming silos". And he admitted these were both a problem, describing them as "early stage business issues".He has concluded Cadillac need what he described as "a model with a very strong technical team principal".That is the model pursued with such success in the past three years by McLaren with Andrea Stella, and now Red Bull with Laurent Mekies.Towriss said the decision was less based on the reliability issues and more "about just having a clear vision on what we're building in the future, the rate of progress, and making sure that matches the ambitions of ownership".Watch: Drifting Ferraris, Kimi Raikkonen Pranks and Supercar CollectionsWhat would Aston Martin see as a good result at the next race, where Honda will be bringing a new motor? - JohnThe success of the Honda upgrade planned for the Dutch Grand Prix is less about specific results, and more about whether Honda can prove it is on the right track.The team believe the engine had a performance deficit that amounted to about 1.5 seconds in lap time compared to the best in the first part of the season.Honda have not put any numbers on the performance step expected in Zandvoort - either publicly, or within the team.But the hope at Aston Martin is the new engine will close that gap by about a third.So it's about seeing a genuine step forward from the engine - not least as proof Honda has understood its issues and has solutions for them as it works on its 2027 engine.For no-one is this more important than Fernando Alonso. He is said to be waiting to see how the new Honda performs before deciding whether to stay in F1 with Aston Martin next year.The first positive sign is all the former engineers who worked successful on the Honda when the company was winning championships with Red Bull are now back on the project.But Alonso has previous experience from his time at McLaren of Honda both not accurately assessing where the performance level of its own engine was, and in upgrades not delivering what was promised.Honda's reticence in predicting any specific performance step from its engine suggests it has learnt the first lesson.Alonso will be looking for evidence that is also the case with the second.Dutch GP in pictures as F1 prepares for Zandvoort farewellHow to follow Dutch Grand Prix on the BBCWhat's happening at Haas? They're slipping down the pecking order and they're the only team not using the budget cap in full. They used to have such charisma but I feel that they're becoming F1's forgotten team. Have the owners lost interest in the project? - SteveAs F1's smallest team, both in terms of personnel and budget, Haas have some natural disadvantages that are hard to overcome.Haas came into this season on the back of their highest-ever points score in 2025, and were bang on time with their new car at the start of the season.That contrasted with some other high-profile names, who Haas have continued to outperform this year. Haas are unquestionably overachieving for their size - they are not even spending up to the budget-cap limit.Haas had consecutive points finishes in the first three races, the high point of which was a fifth place for Oliver Bearman in China.Essentially, the team started the season with a chassis advantage over some rivals and that allowed them to benefit as others were still finding their feet.At that point, they were on average the sixth-fastest team in qualifying. Now, they are eighth, having slipped behind Racing Bulls and Audi.Haas have fallen down the pecking order as other teams have introduced upgrades and begun to get on top of the new rules.Nevertheless, Haas are still seeing the benefits of that strong start - they lie seventh in the constructors' championship at the mid-point of the season.Haas did have their own upgrade, introduced in Canada, and featuring a new floor, bodywork and rear suspension. But team principal Ayao Komatsu has said it coincided with the team uncovering what he described as a "fundamental weakness" of the car with regard to a lack of high-speed downforce.A reluctance by team owner Gene Haas to invest in upgrading the team's facilities has been a frustration over the years, but a new simulator - funded through Haas' new partnership with Toyota - is coming on stream shortly, which should give them a boost.There are valid questions, however, as to what exactly Haas wants from his team. He doesn't seem interested in investing, but he's also not interested in selling. So they're a bit stuck, really.How soon could a German Grand Prix return to the calendar and what races are likely to replace to Middle Eastern races in 2027 if the conflict continues? - TomFormula 1 president Stefano Domenicali raised the possibility of the German Grand Prix returning to the calendar in a call with F1 media at the start of the summer break.The race was last held in 2019, before falling off the calendar because race organisers could not make the event work financially.Domenicali said: "Germany, for the first time, we are reconnecting with the possibility of having contact with the Hockenheim people to see if in the future, mid-term, not short term, they can have a race back."When and if Germany comes to pass will depend whether organisers can put together a suitable financial package.Right now, that's not the case, although things may change if Audi become competitive and that makes two German teams competing at the front.Don't forget Domenicali has also said he does not want to have the schedule extend beyond 24 races, and there is pressure to have other new races, especially in Africa.As for the start of next year in the context of the ongoing war in the Middle East, current plans are for the season start in the Middle East, as it last did in 2024.Australia had the opener for the past two seasons because of where the Muslim holy month of Ramadan fell.Domenicali said: "So far, the calendar that will be presented, let's say in autumn, will be as a sort of a normal plan."But of course, in case the situation in the Middle East will be not solved, we have options, [a] different plan. And the trigger for that is at the end of the year. So we have still a lot of time, if I may say, to adjust."We have different plans with different options ready in place that will accommodate the fact that we will keep, in any case, the target of 24 countries also for next year."In the scenario that Bahrain and Saudi Arabia cannot open the championship in 2027, the obvious solution would be to do what happened this year - start in Australia before moving on to China and Japan.

Days before the Darwin Test against Bangladesh, Australia captain Pat Cummins had said in a podcast: “Some of our guys are saying no to half-a-million pounds for 20 days’ work to go and play those two Test matches against Bangladesh. I think it is a tension point. At the moment our guys are so keen to play for Australia that they’re happy to forgo that, but I don’t think we can accept that that is going to be the case forever.’”Cummins, the proud face of arguably the best fast-bowling attack in Tests today, was only reminding us aloud how the dynamics of world cricket have drastically changed over the last decade. But, it was Bangladesh cricket that quietly chose to go the other way during that period, a move that ironically culminated in mowing down Cummins’ powerhouse Test team on their own soil on Sunday.In doing so, six months after forfeiting their T20 World Cup place due to diplomatic reasons, they have made this World Test Championship cycle the most exciting one since its inception in 2019.Bangladesh’s pace resources have now become the talk of the cricket town. They had shown their potential in demolishing Pakistan — both at home and away in last two years.The Test win in Darwin is the realisation of the talent and the immaculate process focusing on Test cricket put in place by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).“Even (as recently as) fivesix years ago, pacers didn’t want to play Test cricket. They were happy playing just whiteball cricket. The BCB decided to incentivise Test cricket. Special contracts were drawn where the pacers could make a fancy living by playing Tests,” former Bangladesh captain and current chief selector Habibul Bashar, who led the team when Bangladesh beat Australia in an ODI for the first time in 2005, told TOI from Darwin.BCB changed the match fee and contract structure in 2019. Till then, ODI players were the best paid which resulted in fast bowlers backing out of Test cricket.The board decided to rework the contracts in a way that saw Test players become the highest paid cricketers in the country. The fee for a Test match has been doubled from 4 lakh Bangladeshi Taka to 8 lakh Bangladeshi Taka.“Now, our fast bowlers preserve themselves for Test cricket. They don’t run after contracts in T20 leagues. If a T20 league contract comes, the BCB assesses if the player can be released,” said Bashar.Now, Bangladesh have a battery of pacers who come from humble backgrounds. Tearaway quick Nahid Rana comes from a remote village in Rajshahi close to the India border and Hasan Mahmud is from Lakshmipur in Chittagong while Ebadot Hossain and Tanzim Shakib are from Sylhet.The word in Bangladesh cricket is that they don’t want bowlers going the Mustafizur Rahman way who didn’t prioritise Test cricket for playing in T20 leagues.Changing pitches in domestic cricketThe trigger point in the pace revolution came in 2014-15.Over the last decade, former Bangladesh captain Akram Khan, Bashar and Minhajul Abedin got working on domestic cricket in various capacities like chief selector, head of cricket operations and BCB director.“The domestic pitches used to be bare and spinner-friendly. The teams would play three spinners and one pacer. We worked on the grounds and decided to make it a rule of having at least 6-mm grass on the pitches.“We also made it compulsory for teams to play three pacers in first-class matches. It encouraged these bowlers from the outskirts to bowl fast. When the pitches became pacer-friendly, teams organically started picking more pacers,” Bashar said.Hiring legends as fast bowling coachesBangladesh cricket’s primary pipeline is U-19 cricket. When fast bowlers are spotted at that level, the board takes over their journey.However, a big point in Bangladesh’s pace-bowling revolution has been hiring big international bowlers as fast bowling coaches.“We brought in Courtney Walsh, Heath Streak and Allan Donald as fast bowling coaches. Their presence with the national team made a huge difference.“At the same time, we encouraged domestic coaches to spend time with them too. That knowledge passed on and helped in shaping raw fast bowlers,” Bashar claimed, subtly highlighting their ecosystem’s unique thinking that is creating a reverse revolution in cricket.

David Moyes breaks silence on Everton’s transfer plansEverton Transfer News: David Moyes Wants More Signings Before DeadlineEverton’s summer rebuild remains very much a work in progress, with David Moyes making it clear that further additions are required before the transfer window closes.The Toffees have already completed five signings and committed around £74m to strengthening the squad, but Moyes believes there are still significant gaps to address.For Everton, this transfer window has always been about more than adding numbers. Moyes is attempting to reshape a squad following several departures, while ensuring the players coming in can handle the demands of the Premier League.Moyes Makes Everton Transfer Priorities ClearSpeaking to Sky Sports News, Moyes admitted Everton remain active in the market.“We’re still needing quite a few players to add to the squad. I’d like to do more if possible. We need to see how the remaining few weeks go.”There was little chance of Moyes revealing exactly where Everton are looking to strengthen.Photo: IMAGOAsked which areas he wanted to address, he replied: “Well, I’m not going to tell you, but we’re well aware of what’s required, and we’re working hard to try and make it happen.”That is hardly surprising. Transfer negotiations rarely benefit from a manager publicly advertising every position he considers vulnerable.Summer Signings Require TimeEverton have already made changes, although Moyes was keen to place the club’s transfer activity into context.“I’m pleased that the players were brought in. You have to remember, two of them were already here last year, so we’ve just made them permanent (Tyrique George and Merlin Rohl).“I think it’ll take Hayden (Hackney) a little bit of time to adapt from the Championship to the Premier League, which quite often it does for players coming from the Championship.“Christian (Norgaard) is very experienced and will help us replace Idrissa Gana (Gueye). Unfortunately, he’s injured at the moment, and Brennan’s (Johnson) just come in on the back of the swap deal for Dwight (McNeil).”Hackney is perhaps the player who requires the greatest patience. Moving from the Championship into the Premier League remains a considerable jump, particularly for a midfielder expected to influence games immediately.Norgaard brings proven Premier League experience, while Johnson provides another option in attacking areas.Everton Still Facing Major Recruitment PushThe key point from Moyes is that Everton do not regard their business as complete.“We’re putting things together, but we certainly feel behind the scenes that we’ve got a long way to go and want to do an awful lot more.”That assessment places considerable importance on the remaining weeks of the window.Everton have spent heavily, yet expenditure alone does not determine whether a transfer window has worked. Balance, depth and tactical suitability matter far more.Moyes clearly believes his squad still requires additional reinforcement. Everton’s recruitment team now faces the challenge of finding those players without allowing the urgency of the deadline to dictate the quality of their decisions.For supporters following the latest Everton transfer news, the message from Moyes could hardly be clearer, expect more movement before the window shuts.

Newcastle make enquiry for RB Leipzig midfielderNewcastle United are said to be showing interest in RB Leipzig midfielder Nicolas Seiwald.According to Sky Germany, the Premier League club have enquired about the Austria international, with their new head coach, Matthias Jaissle, said to be a big admirer of the 25-year-old.However, Seiwald is firmly in RB Leipzig’s plans for the upcoming season, and it would likely take a substantial offer for the Bundesliga club to consider selling him.The midfielder, who was part of Austria’s squad for the 2022 World Cup, joined RB Leipzig from RB Salzburg for a reported €20 million in the summer of 2023.Since then, Seiwald has made 105 appearances for the German club. His contract runs until 2028.

[BBC Sport]With three days to go until the start of the Fantasy Premier League season, there are plenty of questions still to be answered about how teams will line up and which players are worth selecting.Here, BBC Sport's team of FPL experts - Pras, Holly Shand, Gianni Buttice and FPL Heisenberg - debate some of the big talking points to help you start the season with a bang.You can join the BBC Sport League on the official Fantasy Premier League game using the code bbcfpl - or by clicking this link - before Friday's 18:30 BST deadline.Is Haaland worth the £15.5m price tag?Manchester City's Erling Haaland beat Bruno Fernandes by four points to be last season's top FPL scorer. His total of 239 points was still 33 shy of his best season, in 2022-23, yet his price has risen from £14m to £15.5m, making him the most expensive FPL player of all time.Will he still be worth the money for FPL managers?Holly: Haaland carries the potential to justify his high price tag. He generally makes a fast start to the campaign.However, a busy World Cup could make a big difference in terms of how he starts the campaign, having not had his usual full pre-season. Pras: At a record £15.5m he still looks essential because captaincy matters so much early on. He is the standout option for gameweek one and gameweek three and starting the season without him means you risk falling behind the template immediately.The only real caveat is the World Cup hangover. He did look leggy in his 53-minute Community Shield performance on Sunday.Gianni: In a season of very few premium options, you can have a balanced squad even after picking Haaland. Gone are the days of Mohamed Salah and several other players with double-digit price points.Without Haaland, you give yourself a headache with the armband most weeks too. Of course, Bruno Fernandes (£12m) is an option but outside of the Manchester United playmaker you're struggling for reliable assets on a consistent basis.Captaincy is such a major part of this game and more often than not, Haaland will be the best candidate.Heisenberg: At £15.5m, it is a huge commitment, but I still think he's worth it. Going without him when he hauls points hits your rank way too hard if the majority of managers have him as captain.I recommend having him to begin with. If his form dips and the fixtures get tough later in the season, then there could be an opportunity to jump off at this point.Which Man Utd assets should I pick alongside Fernandes?Bruno Fernandes was the second highest-scoring FPL player last season and is in nearly 50% of teams this time round. But is it worth having another Manchester United player in your line-up?Gianni: Since the moment I drafted my team, I've had Bryan Mbeumo (£8m) alongside Fernandes to target the first couple of games, against Hull and Ipswich.Mbeumo has had a full pre-season and I think that matters in the first couple of weeks where I hope he is half a yard sharper than the rest. He's also likely to start as the central striker.Luke Shaw (£4.5m) is a cheap route to a good backline and, while fitness may become a concern when the Champions League kicks in, I'm happy to start the season with him.Pras: The early fixtures make the defence interesting. Hull away and Ipswich at home offer genuine clean sheet potential, so Harry Maguire (£5m) and Shaw both look viable, along with Senne Lammens (£5m) in goal.If you prefer to double up in attack rather than defence, Mbeumo remains the clear pick. Holly: I'm all for tripling up at the start of the season, with promoted sides Hull City and Ipswich Town in the first two gameweeks. Mbeumo has the advantage over Matheus Cunha (£8m) for me for an attacking double-up, with his minutes more secure.In defence, goalkeeper Lammens makes my team, after eight clean sheets last season.Heisenberg: Both Mbeumo and Cunha got 14 attacking returns last season, but the Brazilian edges it for me, given his versatility to play in numerous positions across the front line. However, it's a close call between them and I like both at £8m.In defence, Maguire is probably worth the extra £0.5m over Shaw because of his greater goal threat - he's more likely to get defensive contribution points too.How will Alonso's Chelsea look? And will Palmer and Rogers still be strong picks?Chelsea have a new manager in Xabi Alonso and have spent £117m on Morgan Rogers. But how will he and Cole Palmer, both number 10s, fit into the same line-up? And will they both be able to be productive in FPL?Holly: I'm expecting Xabi Alonso's Chelsea side to line up in a 3-4-3 formation, with Palmer and Rogers in the middle and Joao Pedro (£7.5m) ahead of them.We know Palmer (£9.5m) carries bags of potential, if he can stay fit, but we need to see form before investing.Rogers (£7.5m) will look to hit the ground running following his transfer from Aston Villa, but I still think Joao Pedro could be the one to go with from gameweek one. He's had the summer off and finished last season as their highest-scoring fantasy asset.Heisenberg: Alonso makes Chelsea one of the most intriguing teams to watch. His Leverkusen side was built around attacking wing-backs, so Chelsea's wing-backs could offer significant attacking upside.Palmer seems a little expensive at £9.5m after a disappointing season, but he has those all important penalties. If I had to pick one right now, I'd go for Rogers purely for the £2m saving.Alonso has specifically spoken about getting the best from both players, and I think both will have good seasons. Morgan Rogers, left, and Cole Palmer, centre, will be Chelsea team-mates this season [Getty Images]Pras: This situation feels like one to monitor rather than go all in. Palmer missed one of the last friendlies with an injury and Rogers is still easing back after England duty, so Joao Pedro looks the sensible starting point for now.There are three gameweeks to assess them properly before the more attractive Hull home fixture. The plan is simple: if Palmer or Rogers start showing clear upside, add one or both then. I won't be starting with either.Gianni: In pre-season we have seen a mixture of a back four and back five from Alonso and in both systems, they have looked attacking and front foot. I expect Chelsea to be up there with the best attacking numbers of all teams this season.Having no European football and full midweeks on the training ground will help them no end.Joao Pedro still feels like the best value Chelsea attacker. Rogers has missed most of pre-season so don't be surprised if he doesn't start gameweek one.How will the World Cup affect the early part of the season?Tottenham's Spain right-back Pedro Porro is one of a host of Premier League players who returned late to pre-season training after the World Cup [Getty Images]Heisenberg: I'm not particularly worried about it. We should gain information leading up to deadline regarding those players who went deep at the World Cup.The Premier League deliberately pushed the season back to 21 August, giving players more than a month between the World Cup final and the start of the campaign, which should provide enough of a break.The big one is Haaland, who didn't look great in Manchester City's 3-0 thrashing by Arsenal in the Community Shield and only played 53 minutes. But even so, he surely starts City's first game against Bournemouth.Holly: I think the World Cup will have a huge impact on the early parts of the season, with a significant number of players from Manchester City, Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Liverpool going deep into the competition. Those who made the semi-finals were only scheduled to join pre-season a week ago.I'm actively trying to avoid picking players who were involved in the latter stages of the competition. The football calendar is becoming increasingly more congested, with a full pre-season crucial to avoiding fatigue.Pras: It is hard to look it as a blanket rule - everything depends on how far each player went in the tournament. The key checkpoint is the final pre-season friendlies, which took place over the last weekend. Anyone who logged 50 minutes of more there should be fine for gameweek one.Players from the semi-finalists (Spain, France, England, Argentina) who are only just returning to training carry more risk. Popular assets still look largely OK, but it remains a case-by-case decision rather than a blanket avoid.Gianni: A lack of pre-season could really impact some of FPL's big names and I'm curious to see how many players that got to the final rounds of the World Cup start gameweek one. With this in mind, I am being cautious picking players such Rayan Cherki (£7.5m) and considering those who have had an extra month to prepare, such as Phil Foden (£7m).Will Arsenal's defence be as good as last season?The Gunners kept an incredible 19 clean sheets in 38 games last season but can they repeat the feat? They will start the season without injured defenders William Saliba and Jurrien Timber.Gianni: They're super consistent and I can't see them slowing down. Mikel Arteta is a master at setting his teams up to keep clean sheets and with the individual quality they have I expect them to top all the defensive metrics again this season - their expected goals conceded (xGC) total last season was just 27.45, with the next best tally being Liverpool at 47.45.I'm probably doubling up on their defence - both Riccardo Calafiori and Christhian Mosquera cost £5.5m and will be first choices early on.Heisenberg: The concern for me is Saliba's long-term injury - Arsenal could concede more goals per game while he's out.Gabriel is the standout for attacking potential - he had three goals and five assists last season alongside 18 clean sheets - but he's pricey at £8m.David Raya (£6m) and Mosquera (£5.5m) offer more affordable routes into what should still be one of the league's best defences.Holly: Earning 19 clean sheets in a Premier League season is no mean feat. Goalkeeper Raya has secured the Golden Glove for three consecutive seasons - it's the kind of consistency we can believe in.However, the absence of Saliba at the start of this campaign may have an impact. I also think the Gunners may play with a bit more freedom under Arteta, having secured a historic title win, which may mean a reduction in clean sheets.Pras: Even with Saliba sidelined for the short term, the unit still looks strong enough that holding one or two Arsenal defenders feels like good practice.Mosquera, Ben White (£5.5m) and Calafiori are all viable, though need monitoring - Timber's fitness for White, Piero Hincapie's (£5.5m) minutes for Calafiori, and any potential new signing for Mosquera. Raya remains a solid alternative if you prefer a keeper.Who to pick, who to avoid - your team's FPL assets analysedThese eight players will help you win FPLWhat has changed in FPL for 2026-27 season?How to win at FPL - our experts give their best tipsPremier League indexPremier League tablePremier League fixtures

Portsmouth owner Michael Eisner has said an expansion to Fratton Park is not currently high on his list of priorities. The 84-year-old has owned Pompey since purchasing the club in 2017 and after seven seasons in League One, managed to get the club into the second tier in 2024. Over nine years in charge of the side, Eisner has funded a number of projects at Fratton Park including the more recent development of the North Stand and Milton End. With thousands of supporters waiting on the club's season ticket waiting list, some sections of the fanbase are calling for an expansion of the ground so they can cater to the demand. But the Pompey owner has shut down any rumours major stadium projects might be imminent. "It'll happen someday but we can't put a date on it," Eisner told BBC Radio Solent."I'd like to have more seats and satisfy everybody but I don't think we need them right now."We've bought quite a bit of real estate around the stadium in anticipation of someday building a new addition to the fourth stand."The bridge is an important part of it too. We just don't like the idea of having another five or six thousand people while many must walk on that very narrow walkway to get here."Proposals for a bridge to be built from Fratton train station to improve the journey to Fratton Park on foot have long been discussed but significant progress is yet to be made. With a number of projects already completed on the stadium, the Portsmouth owner was open to suggestions as to where funds should next be directed. "We'd like it [an expansion] but I would have to ask the fans what they want us to spend our money on," he added."We want to do some television shows, some documentaries and continue investing in the players."We have to build a third pitch in our training ground too. There are a lot of things we have to do and there are only so many things you can afford."More to spend on transfers this summerThroughout this summer Portsmouth boss John Mousinho and sporting director Richard Hughes have spoken about the increased transfer budget they have to work with this window. The club have made some significant signings already with Marko Milovanovic, Abu Kamara and Rocco Shein arriving in multi-million pound deals. Earlier in the window Hughes expressed his gratitude to the ownership for their faith in him and Mousinho to be able to increase their spend in the market. "We've been investing in the facilities much more than we thought we needed," Eisner said."One of the reasons we bought and acquired the real estate behind the North Stand is we can't do anything there until we have that real estate."So, in our investment, which has been large from day one, what's decreased is the capital expenditures because we've done so much of the work already."Eisner said money that was previously being spent on the stadium and training ground was this summer going directly into the playing squad. "We're now taking a similar amount of money and investing it into what's happening on the pitch," he said."It's expensive and obviously everybody in the Championship is looking for that golden ring in the Premier League as we are."We are interested in a reasonable growth over time, not throwing money away, (...) not going into changing the logo or the colours and all those things." Hughes grateful for Pompey board's 'show of faith'Latest Portsmouth news, analysis and fan views

Mourinho’s pre-season hints reveal potential Real Madrid starting XI for 2026/27 seasonJose Mourinho has had an excellent pre-season upon his return to Real Madrid, managing to instil numerous ideas over the past few weeks.The Portuguese tactician has been excellently backed by the board, who have brought him as many as six signings to add to the squad’s firepower.Jose might have recovered his first-team stars in batches due to the World Cup, but it does feel like he has a fair idea of how his team will look going forward.According to AS, Mourinho appears to have settled on the broad structure of his Real Madrid side ahead of the new season, with the 4-2-3-1 formation emerging as the clear base system.Several positions remain open, particularly in central defence, right-back and the double pivot. However, further forward, the four pick themselves.Four attacking places look settledThe clearest part of the XI is the attack.Yan Diomande is expected to start on the right, Vinicius Junior from the left, Jude Bellingham as the No. 10 and Kylian Mbappe through the middle.That quartet has not yet started together, largely because Diomande, Bellingham and Mbappe only joined pre-season late.Tchouameni has not featured under Mourinho. (Photo by Pedro Salado/Getty Images)Still, Mourinho’s intentions appear obvious. Bellingham will operate behind Mbappe, while Vinicius and Diomande provide width and direct running from the flanks.Double pivot still up for grabsThe biggest uncertainty is behind them.Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva and Aurelien Tchouameni are considered the leading candidates for the two midfield spots, with Eduardo Camavinga currently viewed more as an alternative.Valverde’s energy and leadership make him difficult to leave out, while Bernardo has already impressed as a deeper organiser.Tchouameni has not yet featured because of a muscular overload, but his defensive profile could become important once he is fully fit.Defence remains less settledMarc Cucurella is expected to become the first-choice left-back once fully integrated.On the right, Mourinho has alternated between Trent Alexander-Arnold and Denzel Dumfries. Trent offers greater playmaking quality, while Dumfries provides more physicality and attacking power.Dean Huijsen will be Mourinho’s starting defender. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)At centre-back, Dean Huijsen, Ibrahima Konate and Antonio Rudiger are currently competing for two places, while Eder Militao and Raul Asencio remain unavailable.Huijsen appears particularly well positioned after featuring heavily during pre-season.A starting XI takes shapeBased on initial indications and pre-season performances, Jose Mourinho’s starting XI ahead of the La Liga opener against Espanyol is slowly taking shape.Thibaut Courtois looks set to start in goal and will do so as long as he is fit. Trent could get the nod ahead of Denzel Dumfries at right-back, although that is a 50-50 call.Huijsen, Konate and Marc Cucurella could complete the back line, with Rudiger likely to rotate with the Frenchman for minutes.Bernardo Silva and Federico Valverde should get the nod as the double pivot, at least initially, until further options emerge.Meanwhile, the front four is set in stone. Not long is left before Jose Mourinho’s era officially begins, and it remains to be seen how the XI looks against Espanyol.

Barcelona increasingly worried Hansi Flick-preferred target is slipping awayBarcelona’s pursuit of Julian Alvarez has reached a point where hope and reality are beginning to pull in different directions.The club has not abandoned the idea of signing the Atletico Madrid forward, but according to Víctor Navarro of COPE, there is a growing belief inside Barcelona that completing the operation will be extremely difficult.That does not mean the door is closed. Not yet.Barcelona are prepared to wait until the final stages of the transfer window, but the next few days could finally reveal whether there is any realistic path to a deal. The key moment will come when Alvarez sits down with Atletico CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín to discuss his future, a conversation that could change everything or it could confirm that the pursuit has reached a dead end.Barcelona’s Alvarez hopes rest on crucial meetingOnly a week ago, Alvarez returned to Atletico Madrid after his vacation, bringing an end to a summer in which his future has remained under constant scrutiny.Julian Alvarez wants to leave Atletico Madrid. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)The Argentine, who is favoured by Hansi Flick, had already made his desire to leave clear during the World Cup, speaking about wanting to fulfil a personal “dream”. Barcelona were widely understood to be at the centre of those comments, and there was hope within the Catalan club that his stance could force Atletico to reconsider. Instead, Atletico’s response was emphatic.Gil Marín publicly drew a line under the possibility of an easy sale, making it clear that Alvarez would not be allowed to leave simply because an offer arrived. Barcelona, in particular, have faced the strongest resistance, which is why the upcoming meeting carries so much weight.Alvarez now has the opportunity to explain his position directly to the man who holds significant influence over Atletico’s transfer decisions. If he can convince the club to open negotiations, Barcelona may still have a chance.Barcelona are not giving up on Alvarez. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)If Atletico remain firm, however, the Catalan side will be left waiting for a breakthrough that may never come.Atletico’s stance has turned optimism into doubtBarcelona’s interest in Alvarez has never been the main problem. The challenge has always been convincing Atletico to sell.The club’s position became even clearer when Gil Marín addressed the possibility of a transfer, stating that Atletico would not sell the striker“for 150 or 200 million.”According to Navarro, Barcelona are aware of just how difficult that task has become.Still, they are not ready to walk away. The plan is to remain alert until the closing stages of the window and see whether Alvarez’s discussions with Atletico create an opening.

Norway's King Harald gives a speech during a gala dinner at the Palace in connection with the state visit of the Icelandic presidential couple, in Oslo, on April 8, 2025. (Fredrik Varfjell/NTB Scanpix via AP, File)2026-08-18T07:32:21Z OSLO, Norway (AP) — King Harald of Norway has been admitted to a hospital for treatment in connection with a blood disease, the royal palace said.Harald, who is 89, was admitted to the National Hospital on Monday afternoon, the royal palace said in a statement.“The King has been treated with cortisone for the blood disease hemolytic anemia in recent weeks,” the palace said in a statement. “This has led to fluid accumulation in the body that requires treatment in hospital.”The statement pointed out that the king has been on sick leave for two weeks.“His royal highness the crown prince is regent during this period,” said the statement, referring to Harald’s son, Haakon.Harald has been in and out of the hospital several times in recent years.In February, he was admitted to a hospital in Spain’s Canary Islands during a winter vacation. He was treated for a skin infection at the time.Two years ago, the king fell ill during a private vacation with the queen in Malaysia and received a temporary pacemaker there. Harald returned aboard a medical airplane to Norway, where he was fitted with a permanent pacemaker.Harald has been Norway’s monarch since 1991.

The Wisconsin high school boys soccer season is getting closer with practices underway, and the first day for games taking place on Tuesday, Aug. 25.With the season closing in, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac boys soccer players will look to standout.Which one are you most looking forward to watching or who do you think should be the preseason player of the year? Be sure to vote in the poll below.The poll will be open until noon on Tuesday, Aug. 25, and votes are limited to one per hour per device. You don’t have to be a subscriber to vote.More: Here's 23 high school boys soccer players to watch in Oshkosh, Fond du LacMore: Here's what to know about each Oshkosh, Fond du Lac football team

Which Athens-area star do you think is going to be the preseason defensive football player of the year?Below are the nominees, which have been directly taken from the preseason all-area team list that went out Wednesday, August 12. All players were hand-picked by the coaches.Preseason: Here are 79 Athens-area high school football players to watch on defense in 2026The poll will be open until Tuesday, August 25, at 5 p.m.Athens-area preseason football defensive player of the year reader poll

Ipswich "optimistic" of closing Palacios "in the next hours" soon after submitting new offerAfter having an initial offer for Exequiel Palacios rejected, Ipswich Town have now submitted a fresh bid for the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder, according to Fabrizio Romano.The Italian transfer market insider adds that the newly-promoted Premier League outfit are “optimistic” of sealing the deal “in the next few hours”.Nothing has been agreed between the clubs yet, but Ipswich's pursuit is “on track”, according to Romano.Palacios is reportedly keen on a move to the Premier League after five and a half years with Leverkusen.The Argentina international is under contract with Die Werkself until 2030, putting the Bundesliga side in a strong negotiating position.

There is an injury situation to watch out for at Manchester City ahead of this weekendWhen the team lineups were announced ahead of Manchester City’s 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the FA Community Shield, Matheus Nunes was named amongst the substitutes. However, the Manchester City right-back suffered an injury in the warm-up and his spot on the bench was taken by Vitor Reis. Ahead of Manchester City’s opening Premier League fixture against Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium, the fitness of Matheus Nunes is a story to monitor for the week.Matheus Nunes suffered an injury during Manchester City’s warm-up in Cardiff.Oli Gamp has reported for The Sun that Matheus Nunes suffered an injury during Manchester City’s warm-up on Sunday. There has been no further update provided on the injury that Nunes sustained. Furthermore, The Sun reports that Matheus Nunes was consoled and needed support from a Manchester City physio.Manchester City will be hoping that Matheus Nunes can play against Bournemouth given how important he is to them.All attention will now shift towards any updates from Manchester City training this week to see if Matheus Nunes trains. If the Portuguese international trains this week it would indicate that he is available to play against Bournemouth. It is hoped that Nunes is ready to go this weekend. He is a vital player for his team.Matheus Nunes is by far Manchester City’s first-choice right-back. He is firmly established in the role. That is a credit to Nunes, who began life at City as a midfielder before becoming one of the top right-backs in the Premier League. The defensive ability and pace of Nunes is crucial to his team. As is his ability to get forward. Abdukodir Khusanov started at right-back against Arsenal and didn’t look comfortable in the role. Khusanov would seem likely to start at right-back again this weekend if Nunes is unavailable to play.It remains to be seen what injury Matheus Nunes suffered on Sunday. It is hoped that it isn’t severe as Enzo Maresca will want all hands on deck for the opening weekend of the 2026-27 season.

Agreement reached: Liverpool have just taken one big step closer to sealing deal for wingerLiverpool have reportedly taken a significant step closer to pulling off the prospective signing of Paris Saint-Germain winger Ibrahim Mbaye.The Reds have been strongly linked with both the 18-year-old and his teammate Bradley Barcola as FSG seek to add wide attacking reinforcements in the final two weeks of the summer transfer window.Both players were conspicuous by their absence from the PSG squad for the Trophée des Champions defeat to Lens on Sunday, with head coach Luis Enrique tetchily batting away post-match questions about the duo’s futures.Liverpool reach agreement with Ibrahim MbayeOn Monday evening, French reporter Fabrice Hawkins took to X to reveal that Liverpool have now agreed personal terms with Mbaye.He posted: ‘Liverpool have reached an agreement with Ibrahim Mbaye. The two parties have agreed on the financial terms of a five-year contract. Mbaye has made his choice and does not wish to pursue interest from Bayer Leverkusen.’In a subsequent post, he declared: ‘The Reds will now continue negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain in an attempt to complete a potential double deal [Mbaye and Barcola]. The two clubs still need to reach an agreement over the valuation of the two wingers. An agreement has yet to be reached.’Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trustHow much could prospective double swoop cost Liverpool?Both Mbaye and Barcola are now understood to have agreed personal terms over potential moves to Liverpool, so now it’s a case of whether the two clubs can shake hands on a fee for the two players.The Reds appear to have been aided in their pursuit of the France international by PSG’s reported £20m reduction on his asking price, although he’d still be valued at a whopping £125m after that drop.The Senegal winger is in a rather more moderate price range of around €50m (£42.8m, Sebastien Vidal) and would theoretically be the easier of the two to sign, if Richard Hughes manages to bring just one of them to Anfield.It’d be quite an accomplishment for Liverpool’s sporting director to strike a double deal in the region of £170m for both forwards, especially at this late stage in the window, but there now seems genuine hope of at least one of them becoming a Reds player before the deadline two weeks from today.Now that both players seem to be on board with potentially joining the Merseysiders, it’s over to the two clubs to reach a mutually satisfactory middle ground so that the proposed transfers could go through.We’re confident that at least one of Barcola or Mbaye will come to Liverpool by the end of the month, and we wouldn’t rule out a double swoop either.

Scotland head coach Owen Dawkins is confident his side can end a 12-year wait and secure qualification for next year's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Scotland have featured in just three editions of the 50-over World Cup, with their most recent appearance coming in 2015. They went winless in all six matches in Australia and New Zealand that year.However, the Scots have taken a significant step towards returning to the global showpiece after securing their place in the 2027 World Cup Qualifier through their impressive campaign in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2.Scotland one step away from World CupScotland now need to finish among the top four at the Global Qualifier at the start of 2027 to book their place at the World Cup. Dawkins, who took charge as Scotland head coach at the end of last year, believes his team has enough quality and momentum to achieve the feat."We are in a good place just now," Dawkins told Cricket Scotland, as quoted by the ICC."This series has demonstrated the character and quality within this Scotland side. Securing qualification for the Global Qualifier is a significant achievement, and everyone involved can be proud of the progress we have made."'It would be a magnificent achievement'Scotland's coach also stressed the importance of ODI cricket and said reaching the World Cup would be the pinnacle for the current group."ODI cricket remains a hugely important format for the global game, and it would be a magnificent achievement if we reached the World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia," Dawkins said."It would represent the pinnacle for us as a group. This is a format that we need and world cricket need to continue investing in to help our players develop and to enable our sport to grow, strengthen and thrive."Batting depth boosts ScotlandMuch of Scotland's success in League 2 has been driven by their batting unit. George Munsey, Brandon McMullen and captain Richie Berrington have all made important contributions as Scotland climbed to the top of the standings during their recent home tri-series against Canada and the UAE.McMullen has also provided valuable contributions with the ball, while young spinner Lyle Robertson made a huge impact on debut against Canada by claiming six wickets. The emergence of several players has created healthy competition for places ahead of the Global Qualifier.Dawkins welcomes selection headachesDawkins believes the competition for places is a positive sign, particularly after several players produced standout performances during the recent series."There were some outstanding individual performances over the last fortnight. Fin McCreath scored his maiden international century, Richie Berrington produced a fantastic hundred in the final match, while Lyle Robertson enjoyed an amazing debut, with the fourth-best bowling figures in ODI cricket history," he said.However, Dawkins was more pleased with Scotland's collective performances than individual milestones."Two matches in the series went right down to the final few overs, while four of our last six victories have come in the closing stages of games," he said."That success is not down to luck, but from the skill levels within the squad, backed up by hard work, commitment and dedication shown by everyone involved," he said.

Credit: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty ImagesThe 2026/27 Premier League season gets underway later this month.Due to the World Cup, the Premier League begins at a later date than usual, with champions Arsenal and newly promoted Coventry City kicking us off on Friday, the 21st of August at the Emirates Stadium.16 days remain in the summer transfer window, so there’s still plenty of business left to do, which could sway these predictions.But, anyhow, TalkingPoints staff have attempted to predict the full table from 20th to 1st place.Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images20. Ipswich TownThis was a really tricky one to predict because we do think Ipswich Town have learned some crucial lessons from their last Premier League relegation in 2025.Ipswich chairman Mark Ashton felt the squad wasn’t physical enough last time, so they’ve addressed that issue over the last 12 months.Issa Diop is a very shrewd signing from Fulham, and Abdul Fatawu could surprise a lot of people – the 22-year-old has bags of talent.But we’re not sure whether they’ll score enough goals. Emersonn has arrived in a big-money deal from Toulouse, but the Brazilian striker only netted six goals in Ligue 1 last term.It’s a big gamble, and one that could cost them.19. Crystal PalacePotentially joining Ipswich in the Championship is Crystal Palace, who have lost the greatest manager in their history, Oliver Glasner.Maxence Lacroix has also departed in a £52m transfer to Chelsea, and they’re yet to find an adequate replacement, with the season days away.Newly-appointed manager Pierre Sage hasn’t got off to the best start in pre-season, as his side suffered 3-0 defeats to Bromley, Lens and Freiburg.Palace are also competing in the Europa League, so those extra games could be detrimental to their league form, as is often the case.18. Coventry City We almost had Coventry City staying up, but others around them have had more impressive transfer windows up to now.Frank Lampard is the main factor that makes us think they could avoid the drop, but he can’t work miracles.That squad quite simply isn’t good enough to finish any higher than 18th, but a lot can change before the transfer deadline on September 3rd.Coventry must sign a proven goalscorer from one of the top five leagues, as we struggle to see any of the current forward options notching double figures.17. FulhamNow then, Fulham were in our bottom three before they completed a couple of exciting signings from Real Madrid.Striker Gonzalo Garcia has arrived in a £34m deal from the Spanish giants, and attacking midfielder Cesar Palacios has joined for around £8.5m.If the Spaniards can adjust to the intensity and physicality of English football, they could be real needle-movers.But, we’re still unsure about whether Alvaro Arbeloa is the right replacement for Marco Silva, which is why we expect a drop-off this season.Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez will be big misses, too.16. Hull CityNot many will have Hull City to survive, but we think that’s quite a dismissive prediction.Sergej Jakirovic is an exceptional manager, and the job he’s done at Hull simply cannot be understated, as he took them up after spending just £941,000 on transfers last summer.The Tigers were tipped to be relegated to League One by many, so evidently Jakirovic knows how to outperform expectations and get the best out of his players.Hull will be very well-organised this season, and their owner has stated they have a £200m transfer budget.They still have a lot of work left to do on the squad, but it looks as though the cogs are turning as they’ve recently completed their 11th signing.Photo by Daniel Bartel/Getty Images15. Leeds UnitedLeeds have had one of the best transfer windows in the Premier League.It’s been a quality over quantity approach, with James Trafford, Harry Wilson and Tarik Muharemovic joining.We don’t expect them to be in a relegation battle this season, but they’re still one of the weaker sides in the division.Talk of European football is very premature, and Daniel Farke probably isn’t the right manager to deliver that level of success – he does have a ceiling in our view.14. BrentfordKeith Andrews’ debut season in management couldn’t have gone any better, as he guided Brentford to their joint-highest Premier League finish (9th) last term.Whilst there’s no doubt Andrews is a very competent coach at this level, we do wonder if the Bees massively overachieved last season.Usually it levels out the following year, and for that reason we are anticipating a drop-off, but they’ll still be well clear of any trouble towards the bottom.Brentford are in the category where one statement signing between now and September 3rd could really change our prediction.13. Newcastle UnitedNewcastle’s summer has been a complete mess, with Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and manager Eddie Howe all departing.The mood around St James’ Park isn’t great, with some fans expecting the club to be in a relegation battle this season.Given they’ve gone for a pretty unproven manager in Matthias Jaissle, it’s certainly possible, but there is still a lot of quality in that squad.Some of the exciting young additions could turn out to be top-class players, so it’s a hard one to predict, but just below mid-table feels about right.12. SunderlandSunderland may have the bragging rights over their fierce North East rivals once again, as we’ve got Regis Le Bris’ side to finish just above Newcastle.Playing the extra games in the Europa League will have an impact on their league form, but they do have a pretty sizable squad to deal with the congested fixture list.Keeping Granit Xhaka amid strong interest from Chelsea is a big coup, and they’ve added some European experience in Thomas Meunier at right-back.That’s the only signing Sunderland have made so far, so they do need to add a few more, particularly in the wide areas and at centre-back.Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images11. EvertonThere were a lot of Everton fans who wanted David Moyes to leave at the end of last season, as his side completely collapsed in the run-in for Europe.On the other hand, some Toffees supporters feel he’s the perfect manager for the job and is slowly building a team that will challenge for the top six or seven.Ultimately, it seems the Friedkin Group sit somewhere in the middle, as they have kept the Scotsman on for another year but haven’t offered him a new contract, with his current deal expiring next year.Everton have only signed two new players in Hayden Hackney and Brennan Johnson who weren’t already in the squad last term, so there is still work to be done in the market.For that reason, it may be another underwhelming finish, but a few late additions could really move the needle.10. Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest made the bold decision to replace Vitor Pereira at the end of the season, despite the Portuguese head coach guiding the club to a Europa League semi-final and keeping them in the division.To get rid of Pereira, it would have to be for a notable upgrade, and it certainly is, with Oliver Glasner joining after a trophy-laden spell at Crystal Palace.The reigning Conference League winner will make Forest a hard side to beat this season, and they’ll be in with a shout of Europe.But we couldn’t put them any higher than 10th due to their lack of transfer activity as it stands.They still need to find a proper replacement for Elliot Anderson.9. BournemouthAndoni Iraola’s departure is a major blow, and Junior Kroupi’s injury, which will rule him out for at least three months, is far from ideal.Truthfully, we considered putting Bournemouth a lot lower than ninth.But Marco Rose has enjoyed a positive pre-season, beating St Pauli 4-1, Augsburg 5-2 and most notably Genoa 10-1.Of course, you can’t really read too much into friendlies, but we do feel they at least carry some weight.Pair that with the fact they’ve just signed one of the best defenders in Portugal – Antonio Silva – and we think they’ll have another strong year.Knowing Bournemouth’s recruitment, there is good reason to think Alvaro Rodriguez, who has joined in a £25m deal from Elche, will be able to fill Junior Kroupi’s void.It won’t quite be Europe for the Cherries, though.8. BrightonBrighton are one of the best-run clubs in England, and Tony Bloom has set them up for success for the next decade.The Seagulls have stockpiled a ton of exciting talent, and their squad is more than big enough to handle the extra games in Europe this term.If anything, it’ll help some of the fringe players get into a rhythm with more opportunities to start.We love the addition of Pascal Struijk; he was excellent at Leeds United last season, and Luka Vuskovic is another top signing at the back.The Croatian defender joined in a club-record £50m deal from Tottenham Hotspur, who seemed very reluctant to lose him.They will lose experience and ultimately goals up front with Danny Welbeck joining Chelsea, but it’ll give 19-year-old Charalampos Kostoulas the chance to show why he was bought for £30m last year.7. Aston VillaThis summer has unfortunately proved that Aston Villa sit below the big six in the food chain.Morgan Rogers has left in a £117m deal to join Chelsea and Youri Tielemans departed in a £35m transfer to Manchester United.For that reason, it will be hard to compete with the big boys this year – they’ve all made terrific signings.The Villans are back in the Champions League, and it wouldn’t at all surprise us if Unai Emery takes one eye off the league in the new year and starts to go all out in that competition.Seventh would still be a commendable finish.Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images6. ChelseaWe couldn’t make our minds up with Chelsea.The Xabi Alonso appointment has made us think they could be in a Premier League title race this season.It seems as though BlueCo have learnt their lessons in recruitment too, as they’ve added experience to the dressing room with Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck.But, despite those positives, it’s hard to put them higher than sixth given Robert Sanchez is still the number one goalkeeper.Sanchez is error-prone and will cost Chelsea too many points.5. Tottenham HotspurWe’re really big admirers of Roberto De Zerbi – he’s one of the best managers in the division in our eyes.De Zerbi has already built up a great relationship with the Tottenham Hotspur supporters too, after keeping them up last season.The Italian head coach has been heavily backed in the window, with Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Andrew Robertson all joining.There’s a common theme with those additions – they are all Premier League proven.For that reason, we’ve got Spurs in fifth, which was enough for Champions League qualification last term.4. LiverpoolMany felt Arne Slot severely underperformed last season despite Liverpool finishing in the Champions League spots.So, the newly-appointed manager Andoni Iraola has big pressure on his shoulders to mount a title challenge.We’re not sure it’ll be that straightforward though, as the forward line has more questions than answers.How will Liverpool cope without Mohamed Salah? Will Alexander Isak begin to show why he cost £125m? Is Florian Wirtz going to come good? When will Hugo Ekitike return from injury and be back firing?There’s too much uncertainty to put them any higher than fourth.3. Manchester UnitedSince Michael Carrick’s arrival in January, no team in the Premier League has picked up more points than Manchester United’s 39.The title winners Arsenal trail United in second place on 36, so the data suggests that with a full season, Carrick’s side could genuinely win the league.We do expect United to be in the title race, but they’re still missing certain components to end their 13-year wait for number 21.It feels like they are one world-class player away from becoming league winners.2. ArsenalArsenal are probably fancied to retain the Premier League title by most, but we do get the sense Mikel Arteta will be laser-focused on winning the Champions League after last season’s heartbreak against PSG.It may only be a subconscious thought; Arteta would never suggest he’s taken his focus away from the league.But European silverware is the only missing piece in Arsenal’s history, so it’d almost be impossible not to have tunnel vision for that if they reached the latter stages of the competition.They’ll be close runners-up.Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images1. Manchester CityWith Pep Guardiola leaving after a decade of success at Manchester City, there’s a feeling among other fanbases that this is the time to overthrow the Citizens and motor past them.What many are missing is how good a manager Enzo Maresca is – the City board don’t get much wrong.Maresca showed glimpses of his tactical genius throughout his 18 months in West London, most notably in the Club World Cup final when Chelsea beat reigning Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain 3-0.With a best-in-class structure around him, we’re tipping Man City to win their ninth Premier League title.

At 5 years old, AJ Tapia used to giggle when he stood on second base after blasting yet another double to right field.Connor Reed decided to try switch hitting when he was 6 and shocked everyone when he hit the ball well from both sides of the plate.Connor Oliva put on the catching gear when he was 7 and quickly became so good at the position that I called him Johnny Bench.They were little kids who played baseball with joy and determination. They got dirty and sweaty and smiled the whole time they were on the field. They had passion for the game long before they knew what the word meant.Now they are part of the Bayonne team in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, preparing for the Little League World Series. They will play a team from Massachusetts on Wednesday, Aug. 19. It can be seen on ESPN at 7 p.m.Story continues below photo gallery.“This place is Disney for baseball,” the Bayonne head coach, Justin Smith, said of Williamsport after he and his team arrived by bus early Saturday, coming from Bristol, Connecticut, where they won their regional championship to qualify for the World Series.I’m a Little League lifer, a guy fortunate enough to have coached eight of the 12 Bayonne players who are now in Williamsport before they turned 10 years old. Some were on teams I managed, and others played in the summer sandlot program I run, which is essentially pickup games during July and August.I remember when these Bayonne kids were so young they walked around with ice cream all over their faces without a thought of wiping it off. I saw them cry when they struck out and watched them wave to their parents from first base when they singled.In coach pitch divisions, I learned where they liked the ball. One player on Bayonne’s Williamsport team would crush high, outside pitches. So that’s where I threw to him, to build his confidence, until he was ready for the challenge of turning on inside pitches.In time, they outgrew me, moving on to curve balls, delayed steals, trick pickoff plays and the ultra-competitive world of travel baseball.Never give up. Work hard. Dream big. Have funIf you watched Friday night’s regional final on ESPN, you saw an amazing comeback. The Bayonne team was losing to Connecticut 4-0 in the first inning but eventually ended the game jumping up and down in celebration, hugging each other, throwing their gloves in the air, ecstatic over their 8-6 victory.I was standing behind the right field fence, wearing my “Bayonne vs Everybody” T-shirt, part of a contingent of several hundred people from the Peninsula City who made the trip to Bristol.Never give up. Work hard. Support your teammates. Have fun. Dream big. Those are some of the things we’ve been telling Little Leaguers in Bayonne for generations — the same things coaches all over the world tell their players.The odds are always stacked against any team’s chances of getting to the Little League World Series. There are about 6,500 leagues in the United States and the rest of the world. Just 20 teams make it to Williamsport each year.But six years ago, I knew Bayonne’s 12U class of 2026 would be special. COVID had forced the cancellation of our spring season in 2020, but as health restrictions were slowly lifted, our league president, Roger Malone, decided to go ahead with fall ball.'Smooth as velvet,' 'Mr. Excitement'In the minors that autumn, there were two tiny 6-year-olds — Gabe Garcia and Chase Klimkowski — striking out opponents two years older and twice their size. On top of that, they could hit ropes off those bigger kids and make eye-popping plays in the field.Gabe has been smooth as velvet at shortstop during the 2026 district, sectional, state and regional tournaments. That’s the same way he handled the position when he was 6 years old in 2020. He’s always played the infield like a man in a boy’s body.Chase, meanwhile, has been this team’s “Mr. Excitement,” a kid whose stellar play on the field has always been as animated as his grandfather Buddy’s antics on the sidelines.Buddy is a couple of years older than Bayonne Little League, which was formed in 1951. But don’t expect to see the septuagenarian sitting in the bleachers. During Chase’s games, Buddy stands near the dugout and paces back and forth, ready to engage anyone and everyone in a conversation about what’s happening on the field.Gabe and Chase were the two top players in 2022 when Bayonne’s 8U team won the first-ever northern New Jersey championship for that age bracket. Four years later, in the Metro championship, Gabe went 3-for-3, and Chase lofted an RBI single that provided the final two-run margin of victory.By 2024, Jett Bridges became the third part of that triple threat. At 6, Jett wasn’t as talented as Gabe and Chase. But Jett was a hard worker, determined to get better, a kid with the gift of a father, Terell, who was always willing to practice with him.I remember Jett struggling during summer sandlot in 2021 when he started pitching. Fast-forward to the New Jersey state finals tournament. There was Jett on the mound in Game 2 with a dominant performance, unflappable when kids in the opposing team’s dugout tried shrieking and screaming to distract him in his windup.By the way, Jett singled home the go-ahead run in Bayonne’s Friday night comeback.In the shadow of the Bayonne BridgeOur Little League Field is right next to the Bayonne Bridge, and on spring and summer evenings as the sun sets, the span casts a shadow across the playing field.I was in one of those shadows, running a fall ball practice around Labor Day in 2023, when 9-year-old Owen Tapia and his parents walked up to the fence asking if he could sign up to play baseball.It was his mother who did all the talking. Neither Owen nor his father spoke English. The family — including Owen’s younger sister — had moved to Bayonne just a few weeks earlier from the Dominican Republic.My team was the worst one in Bayonne’s Majors fall ball program that year, and we had just lost our best player, who quit because the squad was so weak. Owen was happy to fill his spot and almost immediately became the most popular player on the team, even though he couldn’t carry on a conversation with his mostly non-Spanish-speaking teammates.Owen didn’t need a translator to convey his buoyant personality and ever-present smile. At first, I communicated with Owen only with hand signals and baseball language. As the season went on, the English-as-a-second-language classes in the Bayonne school district solved our communications problem.If you missed Friday night’s regional final, Owen had two doubles and five RBI in Bayonne’s big win. The Road to Williamsport Facebook page ranked him as the 12th-best American player going to the World Series.Four players on the Bayonne team — Mason Rincon, Dex Zimmerman, Joey Dwyer and Leandro Anaya — joined our Little League after they already were older than the age groups in which I coach.Mason is the kid who hit three home runs in the New Jersey championship, prompting Metro regional opponents to walk him intentionally again and again. I would have loved to see Mason playing when he was 6.Missing the team, then hitting a bombThere’s one Bayonne player I haven’t mentioned yet: Brayden Gaitan.Brayden didn’t get picked for the team in 2022, 2024 and 2025. He was close to making the squad each year but was edged out.Setbacks like that often discourage kids. They complain they were treated unfairly and use those sour grapes to stop trying to improve. Brayden did the opposite. Every year, he played in the spring, summer sandlot and fall ball programs in Bayonne.On opening day of our spring 2026 season, Brayden hit a bomb over the left field fence. That was his way of saying he belonged on the all-star squad.Brayden reflects the grittiness of the city that has rallied behind this team. Bayonne is best known for a boxer who bled a lot and a fictitious bowling team scorned by Ralph Kramden in "The Honeymooners."Now we have a group of 12-year-olds who are trying to make history in Williamsport — kids who already have made the city proud.This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: I knew Bayonne's amazing Little Leaguers way back when | Exclusive

Breel Embolo rejects Atlanta contract as Ipswich Town close inBreel Embolo (29) had been closing in on a move to Atlanta United, as per L’Équipe. Stade Rennais had accepted a €17m bid for the Switzerland international from the MLS side. It is a deal that would have made him one of the most expensive signings in MLS history. However, the striker has rejected the US side’s contract offer, L’Équipe understands. Ipswich Town, meanwhile, have been interested for several weeks, Get French Football News understands, and they are now making concrete steps to conclude a deal. The newly promoted Premier League side are willing to meet Rennes’ demands in order to sign the former AS Monaco striker. A contract offer has also been sent to Embolo, whose deal with the Breton club runs until 2029.Whilst Atlanta United have not completely given up on securing Embolo’s signature, L’Équipe understands that Ipswich Town are now the favourites to sign him before the closure of the transfer window.GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Richard Keys names team he thinks will challenge Arsenal this seasonArsenal are clearly the team to beat in the Premier League this season, but it is difficult to identify the club that will be their main rival when the campaign begins.The Gunners have been one of the strongest teams in the country over the last few seasons and have worked hard to ensure that they can win silverware again. Now that they have become champions, they could go on a winning run, especially with Pep Guardiola having left Manchester City.Manchester United Backed to ChallengeMost people would see City or Liverpool as the teams most likely to compete with Arsenal for the top spot in the 2026/2027 season, but Richard Keys has a different opinion.The former BeIN Sports commentator believes this could be the season that Manchester United challenge for the league title again. He backs Michael Carrick’s side to be the main team competing with Arsenal, despite the strength of the Gunners’ squad.United have done well since Carrick became their manager, and their progress has made them a team worth watching among Arsenal’s rivals. Their improved performances could give them confidence that they can compete for the biggest prize in English football.Keys believes the stability United have gained under Carrick could be important as they prepare for the new campaign. He also feels that the return of Marcus Rashford could provide another boost to their challenge.Keys Explains His Manchester United PredictionKeys said via the Metro: ‘I think United because they’ve had half a season or more, they’ve settled.‘I’m not an enormous admirer of Marcus Rashford but I think he’s a player and getting him back is a bonus.’United will therefore enter the season with renewed belief after their progress under Carrick. While Arsenal remain the obvious team to beat, Keys believes United have the potential to emerge as their main challengers.The Gunners will be expected to defend their league crown, but United’s improvement means Arsenal may face a serious challenge from Carrick’s side. Their performances at the start of the campaign will show whether Keys’ prediction can become a reality._____________________________________________________________________________________________ADMIN COMMENTSo here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through this link…More Stories / Latest NewsRichard Keys names team he thinks will challenge Arsenal this season 18 August 2026, 9:00Premier League Predictions: Arsenal to Retain Their Crown – But Who Goes Down? 17 August 2026, 23:00Why Arsenal’s Community Shield Win Felt Like More Than a Friendly 17 August 2026, 22:00

Dark oil residue covers parts of the shoreline at Shib Deraz Beach on Qeshm Island, Iran, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, amid ongoing wartime attacks on vessels and infrastructure in and around the Strait of Hormuz, though the spill’s source has not been independently determined. (Amirhosein Khorgooei/ISNA)2026-08-18T08:20:04Z A ship was hit by a projectile early Tuesday as it was sailing out of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the British military’s UK Maritime Trade Operations center.There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the attack highlights the ongoing danger of attempting to transit the waterway as Iran continues to throttle shipping traffic, even as it finalizes negotiations with Oman on a plan to manage the critical passage. Here’s a look at the latest developments Monday in the Iran war and the wider Middle East. Full coverage can be found here.Ship hit on way through Strait of HormuzAn unidentified projectile damaged the engine room of a ship and “resulted in a crew casualty” early Tuesday morning as the vessel was trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman, the UKMTO said, citing a report from the company’s security office. The maritime monitoring agency did not release any details about the ship or its cargo, and it was not clear whether the crew member was killed in the attack or wounded. It said the Omani Coast Guard was assisting other crew members and that authorities were investigating. There has been growing concern about oil spilling into the Persian Gulf and other area waters from vessels damaged as they have attempted to transit the strait, but the UKMTO said no environmental damage had been reported in the latest attack. Iran effectively closed the strait — through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil supplies passed before the war — after Israel and the U.S. attacked the country on Feb. 28. The U.S. also is currently blockading all Iranian shipping traffic through the strait. Read More With negotiations between the U.S. and Iran stalled, Iran has been holding separate talks with Oman on a plan to manage ships transiting the strait, and said Monday it was in the process of finalizing details for a joint statement. U.S. President Donald Trump reacted angrily, reportedly threatening to Fox News reporter Trey Yingst in a telephone interview that the U.S. would bomb Oman if it “gets in the way.” Turkey urges Trump to seek diplomatic solution to warTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged U.S. President Donald Trump in a telephone call to continue to seek a diplomatic solution to the conflict with Iran.The call between the two presidents came late Monday as the 60-day negotiating period to find a peace deal between the United States and Iran was expiring, with no word of an extension and both sides seemingly as far apart as they were at the start. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. “President Erdogan said it is important to make maximum use of diplomacy amid tensions between Iran and the United States, expressed our hope that talks will continue, and noted that Turkey will keep supporting efforts toward peace,” according to a statement from the Turkish presidential communications office.Erdogan also expressed concerns over intensified Israeli actions targeting Palestinians at a time when efforts are underway to move to the second phase of the Gaza agreement, the statement said. Turkey, a NATO member that borders Iran, earlier this month signed a joint defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, which stipulates “that any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all.”Trump praised the agreement, saying in a social media post that “it shows how the Middle East is coming together, and how Countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way.” During their conversation, Erdogan told Trump the deal reflected “a strong stance to ensure regional stability and security.”

Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesNovak Djokovic opened up on his health following his Cincinnati Open loss, and the update he gave will sound concerning to his fans. Novak Djokovic is the greatest men’s tennis player of all time according to a lot of fans. The Serbian has won more majors than any other man in the game’s history.Djokovic crashed out of the Cincinnati Open in a shocking second-round exit against Thiago Augustin Tirante. Ahead of the US Open, this was a disappointing loss for the legend.The Serbian called for a medical timeout during the clash, one in which he was noticeably struggling. And after the game, he gave an update that is as concerning as what happened in the match.Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty ImagesNovak Djokovic reveals chronic health condition which could signal that the end is nearAt 39 years of age, Djokovic is very much in the twilight of his career. As relentless as he appears, even the greatest must eventually succumb to the march of time.Djokovic spoke candidly after the game about his condition. And what he revealed could suggest that the last of the ‘Big Three’ might hang it up soon.“I have a health problem that has been troubling me for the last few years. I have many problems, especially when the conditions are really hot and humid,” Djokovic said.“But then there are other things — the nerves and everything that goes with a match. All of that makes it even worse and that was exactly what happened here.”With the US Open set to begin in just six days, this is less than ideal for Djokovic. If the issues persist and another early tournament loss comes around in the major, it could spell the end for him.In the past, Djokovic has hinted at the 2028 Olympics as a potential last tournament of his career, but things don’t always go according to plan at the highest level.Read more:Jessica Pegula reveals surprising fashion ritual that helps her feel like herself on court‘Reality is different’ – Iga Swiatek calls out online haters following Canadian Open triumph‘Going smooth’ – Tennis fans speculate about Carlos Alcaraz injury after latest training video

The Washington Commanders hosted their first preseason game of 2026 on Friday, when they defeated the Miami Dolphins 20-7. Jayden Daniels didn’t play, and Marcus Mariota tweaked his knee, but Athan Kaliakmanis and Sam Hartman, combined with the refreshed defense, managed to put the Dolphins away with relative ease.While they rested on Monday, ESPN tasked Louis Riddick, Aaron Schatz, Ben Solak, and Seth Walder with ranking the future of each NFL team, focusing on the 2027-2029 seasons. They evaluated every NFL team's quarterback situation, remaining (non-QB) roster makeup, front office, and coaching staff on a scale. They then compiled and averaged those ratings, weighting them 20% quarterback, 30% roster, 25% front office, and 25% coaching staff.After tallying the totals, the group put together power rankings. They provide a reason for hope, a reason for concern, a nugget to know, and a bold prediction for each team. The Commanders landed at 20 with an overall score of 76.5.Reason for hopeBen Solak writes:A healthy Jayden Daniels season would go a long way to elevating the Commanders' standing here -- doubly so if it comes with a strong showing from first-time playcaller David Blough. Perhaps more than any other team in the bottom half, the Commanders have a chance to vault into the top five with a reminder of Daniels' near-MVP-level ability from 2024. Tons of new defensive infusions -- via free agency and in the coaching ranks -- should give that unit a shot in the arm, too.Jayden Daniels remaining healthy through the 2026 season is imperative for the Commanders’ success. This means Adam Peters and Dan Quinn need to ensure the offensive line can protect him in the pocket, especially since they don't want Daniels to run as often.Reason for ConcernLouis Riddick writes:Everything that surrounds Daniels concerns me -- the offensive line, makeup of the receivers room, big-play ability of the running backs room and early competency of Blough. Daniels is a superstar. Make no mistake about that. I'm just afraid we won't get to see the best of him if general manager Adam Peters doesn't support him better.As indicated above, the offensive line is drawing more questions every day. Bringing in Stefon Diggs and watching how the young running backs played in the preseason game is less worrisome than Daniels's protection. Explosive plays from the receivers are anticipated and expected, but Riddick is right to question the big-play ability of the running backs room. However, the best thing that Adam Peters can do for Jayden Daniels is make sure he stays upright behind solid offensive line protection.Nugget to KnowAaron Schatz writes:Washington was the oldest team last season by snap-weighted age, ranking No. 1 on defense and special teams, and No. 4 on offense.That isn’t the case in 2026, though. Adam Peters specifically went out and signed younger players on the defensive side of the ball. Until the final rosters are determined, we won’t know exactly where they land age-wise with the rest of the league. But that was Peters' biggest goal this offseason, and it seems he's at least reduced his team's overall average age.Bold prediction for 2027-2029Seth Walder writes:The Commanders will trade OL Brandon Coleman for a nice return ahead of the 2027 season. Coleman will step in at left tackle while Laremy Tunsil recovers from triceps surgery. Coleman has had a strong 90.7% pass block win rate at tackle over his career, including a 92.3% last season (albeit with a lot more double-team help than Tunsil had). A big season from Coleman could garner the interest of another team.Brandon Coleman has a huge opportunity this season. Tunsil will likely not return in 2026, which means that the starting left tackle job is Coleman’s to lose. He was the starter in 2024, before Tunsil joined the Commanders, and did well during Jayden Daniels’ Offensive Rookie of the Year run. If he does it again, the Commanders will have to decide. As a third-round pick, there’s no fifth-year option, and while Coleman is currently signed through the 2027 season, good left tackles are hard to come by, and the Commanders could get a nice return for him.This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Uncertainty hurts Commanders in future NFL power rankings

[Getty Images]It's the same lament every year, usually from the losers, that "you don't learn anything from the Community Shield season opener".Sometimes this tie sees the worthy league champions play against a side that has had a good cup run but aren't really the other 'best' team in England. This time however, it was Arsenal and Man City, clearly the two favourites for this season's Premier League title.If, as it is often proposed, the Community Shield is little more than a glorified friendly, why did both Mikel Arteta and Enzo Maresca field just about the strongest sides they could muster? They were both intent on putting down a marker for the coming season and in the end it was Arsenal who came away with all the positives.Not only was there a 3-0 win, a nice shiny shield to stuff in the boot of the team bus back to north London but other more important, if less tangible things were brought back from Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.There was a new swagger about Arsenal that couldn't be mistaken. Winning the league can feel like scaling the highest, hardest mountain; when it is completed after six hard years of work, the idea of making another assault right away can be too much. Clearly it isn't for this Arsenal group, they have the whiff of dynasty builders about them.The recent arrival Bruno Guimaraes, though peripheral here in Wales, will make them better in terms of squad depth at the very least. Kai Havertz is starting the season fit this time, which will help, and, with a season at the club under his belt, Eberechi Eze will improve further.Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

[BBC]Martin Odegaard's man-of-the-match performance was the highlight of Arsenal's 3-0 Community Shield demolition of Manchester City and showed early signs that the Gunners' chief creator might be returning to his best after a frustrating 2025-26.Although Arsenal won the Premier League last season, knee and shoulder problems stopped their Norwegian playmaker from reaching his very top level.He only started 16 times in the league and his one goal and seven assists were his lowest totals since joining the club permanently from Real Madrid in 2021-22.On Sunday in Cardiff, Odegaard capped an all-action display with a brilliant third goal when his dummy left City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on the floor.Odegaard was a key part at the start of Mikel Arteta's rejuvenation of Arsenal. If he stays fit and keeps up this form, will he feel like a new signing for the Spanish manager?"Last year was really a big struggle with a lot of difficult moments. To miss so many games because of injury was really frustrating," Odegaard said on Sunday."It is the worst thing for a footballer to not be able to be on the pitch and I had quite a lot of weird injuries, and bad luck."It was good for me to end the season with a title, here, and then a good World Cup. Then I had my break and I feel good, ready to go again.""What I have just worked on is to use that as motivation for this year and to come back stronger. And to use all of those experiences in a positive way."Read more on Odegaard

The latest episode of BBC Radio Norfolk's The Scrimmage podcast is out now.Phil Daley and Chris Reeve reflect on Norwich City's 2-1 loss to West Bromwich Albion in the first game of the Championship season at Carrow Road.They discuss Albion's controversial opening goal, the positives to take from the Canaries' performance and much more.Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.Explore more Norwich City content on BBC Sounds[BBC]

Hospitals set up special testing sites to prevent measles patients from spreading the disease in waiting rooms. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves. Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images The U.S. recently reached a grim milestone: As of July 23, more measles cases have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention than in any year since 1991. It took less than seven months to blow past the three-decade high recorded last year. This potentially deadly disease is easily prevented. Shots are widely available and, in many cases, free. Still, since the beginning of last year, more than 4,850 people here have been infected, and three have died. Among them were two unvaccinated girls in West Texas whose deaths made national headlines. It may feel like the continuous stream of cases is just the way things are now. But it is dangerous to shrug off the resurgence of measles. In a story I reported earlier this year, I showed what’s happened in parts of the world that have let their guard down to vaccine-preventable diseases. My reporting found that long-forgotten scourges roared back, killing and disabling children. Even countries that made what seemed like subtle changes to immunization policies suffered disastrous consequences years later. Babies were born blind, deaf and with intellectual disabilities because their mothers caught rubella in the early weeks of pregnancy. Parents saw why diphtheria used to be known as “the strangling angel of children.” Doctors told me they couldn’t undo the damage when these horrors returned. Modern medicine can do a lot of things, but it can’t reverse paralysis from polio. The story also showed how Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s top health official, and President Donald Trump have been transforming a government that for decades promoted the lifesaving benefits of shots into one that sows doubts about their safety. Last week, the president issued another executive order that’s sure to fuel further hesitancy about the shot that has protected children from measles, mumps and rubella for decades. It’s a sharp departure for a government that, since the 1960s and with bipartisan support, built vaccination programs that shielded kids from deadly and disabling diseases. Federal and state health leaders strengthened those policies based on lessons learned from measles outbreaks. That’s because measles, among the most contagious diseases in history, is almost always the first vaccine-preventable disease to strike when immunization rates fall. Some U.S. schools have set up vaccination clinics as immunization rates have dropped in many parts of the country. Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images In my many months of reporting for that story, I learned that measles is like the bright dye that plumbers flush through pipes to find leaks in a complex system. The continued appearance of the virus’ telltale rash in state after state since last year warns of cracks in our once-solid protection, leaving communities vulnerable to other deadly contagions. My reporting also found that access to vaccines may be in peril: Since last year, Kennedy has been considering changes to an obscure but crucial government program that could prompt the few companies that make vaccines for American kids to flee the U.S. market. If that were to happen, even parents who still want vaccines for their kids wouldn’t be able to get them. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said the agency has not limited access to vaccines. In an email, the spokesperson wrote, “Secretary Kennedy believes that trust is rebuilt through an open review of safety data, the willingness to ask the hard questions, and ensuring the American people have all emerging information as soon as we know it.” Several dozen people who’ve worked on U.S. government vaccination programs here and around the world conveyed to me a sense of foreboding about America. They fear that children will wind up fighting for their lives against infections that have long been preventable. “I think there always was a worst-case scenario,” said Dr. Melinda Wharton, who retired last September after more than three decades leading CDC immunization programs. “I don’t think I imagined it could or would be this bad.” Doctors I spoke to told me they had seen images of those diseases in textbooks, but these were problems medicine had solved long ago. They never thought they’d see an actual patient until an unvaccinated child lay before them, gravely ill with one of these ancient scourges. I’ll never forget what one German doctor, whose hospital treated an unvaccinated boy who later died of diphtheria, told me of the infection: “It was taught as history,” he said. Here in the U.S., measles was taught as history, too. Now it isn’t. We’ve been covering public health and vaccine policies for years. Let me walk you through reporting from my colleagues and me that helps show how we ended up here and where we might go. Oct. 15, 2020 Inside the Fall of the CDC In 2020, I reported with my colleagues on how the world’s greatest public health organization was brought to its knees by COVID-19, the president and the capitulation of its own leaders. And we also foreshadowed how the government’s response to COVID-19 led to a loss of trust in public health institutions — a lingering resentment that RFK Jr. has tapped into. (The CDC and the White House declined to comment on this story.) March 28, 2025 The CDC Buried a Measles Forecast That Stressed the Need for Vaccinations At the beginning of the second Trump administration, I learned that CDC leaders ordered staff not to release their experts’ assessment that found the risk of catching measles was high in areas near outbreaks where vaccination rates were lagging. In an aborted plan to roll out the news, the agency would have emphasized the importance of vaccinating people against the disease that had then infected fewer than 500 people in 19 states, the records show. (At the time, the CDC told us that the agency decided against releasing the assessment “because it does not say anything that the public doesn’t already know” and that the agency continued to recommend vaccines as “the best way to protect against measles.”) July 17, 2025 RFK Jr. Wants to Change a Program That Stopped Vaccine Makers From Leaving the U.S. Market. They Could Flee Again. Not long after I broke the news about the buried measles forecast, I learned more about a vaccine program that RFK Jr. plans to overhaul, one that’s vital to Americans’ access to immunizations. I showed how dramatic changes to this little-known program — which offers payouts for people who suffer rare side effects from shots without having to prove that drugmakers were negligent — could prompt vaccine makers to stop selling them here. (HHS declined to answer detailed questions about Kennedy’s plans. Previously, an HHS spokesperson had said that Kennedy is “not anti-vaccine — he is pro-safety.”) That story laid bare how surprisingly fragile the nation’s vaccine system is. Kennedy still hasn’t revealed what he plans to do. March 27, 2026 What Could Happen if Americans Who Wanted Vaccines Couldn’t Get Them? Two Stanford epidemiologists had modeled the scenario. My colleague Lucas Waldron created a chilling visualization that allowed us to depict how many people could die or be disabled in 25 years if vaccines for polio, measles, rubella or diphtheria were no longer available. ProPublica shared the key findings of that scenario with HHS. An agency spokesperson didn’t address the modeling but said “HHS has not limited access or insurance coverage to any FDA-approved vaccines” and routinely recommends the shots for children. June 8, 2026 What ProPublica Found in the Genetic Code of America’s Measles Outbreaks As measles cases continued to rise, a team at the CDC was investigating whether the disease has become endemic in this country again. In June, my colleague Nat Lash and I showed how hard it will be for them to prove that it isn’t, after what Nat found when he analyzed the genetic code of cases around the country. A CDC spokesperson told ProPublica that the agency was conducting a more comprehensive investigation and that genetic sequences “alone cannot determine whether” measles is endemic. The post Measles Used to Be in Our Rearview Mirror. Now Cases Are Reaching Record Highs. appeared first on ProPublica.

Helen Toner, who served on OpenAI’s board, hopes the recent hack by that company’s models serves as a warning.

Premier League referees announced: Matchweek 1The officials for Matchweek 1 of the Premier League have been announced, and Playmaker are here to quickly run you through the referees for each game.With the Premier League’s opening fixtures now approaching, there are also a few refereeing changes for fans and players to get used to during the 2026/27 season.The focus remains on keeping matches flowing, with officials encouraged to maintain a high threshold for fouls and VAR intervention. The Premier League also wants decisions to be made more efficiently, with improved semi-automated offside technology expected to help reduce lengthy delays.Time-wasting is another major area of focus. Players who deliberately delay throw-ins or goal-kicks will face a five-second countdown, with further sanctions possible if they fail to restart play in time. Substituted players will also have 10 seconds to leave the pitch, or their replacement could be forced to wait before entering.There is also a new trial involving goalkeeper injuries. If play is stopped because of a goalkeeper injury, the manager must nominate an outfield player to leave the pitch for at least one minute after the restart. The idea is to prevent injury stoppages being used to slow the game down or allow tactical instructions.VAR will also be able to review clearly incorrect second-yellow-card decisions that result in a red card.

Everton interested in Burnley forward Zian FlemmingEverton are interested in luring Burnley forward Zian Flemming to the Hill Dickinson Stadium club this summer, according to Ben Jacobs. Everton manager David Moyes is desperate to bolster the Toffees’ attack, and the Championship forward is the latest to be linked with the Merseyside club. Flemming bagged 11 goals in 29 Premier League appearances last term but could not help keep Burnley up. The 28-year-old Everton target has hit the ground running in the Championship, notching a brace in the 2-2 draw against West Ham United on Sunday.The Blues could do with such an attacker but clubs from Italy, France and the Netherlands also want Flemming. Burnley are hoping to keep him to boost their chances of securing an immediate return to the Premier League at the end of next season.Continuing his trade in the top-flight this season could appeal to the Dutchman, but Everton may need to table a juicy offer to have any chance of signing him.They have also registered interest in Como attacker Assane Diao, while a bid for Tottenham Hotspur’s Richarlison has been lodged.

Borussia Dortmund confirm Veerman signingBorussia Dortmund have completed the signing of Dutch midfielder Joey Veerman from PSV.The 27-year-old has signed a contract with the Black and Yellows running until 2031.“Joey is a player whose skills will be of enormous help to us. We have deliberately focused our transfer activities this summer on central midfield, because with Pascal Groß and Salih Özcan, we’ve lost two players there since the start of the year – and we plan to use Emre Can in central defense once he returns to the team," said Borussia Dortmund managing director for sport Lars Ricken.Veerman, meanwhile, expressed his excitement at joining the Bundesliga giants.“Borussia Dortmund is a major club in Europe, and I’m proud to now be a part of it. I’m thrilled to be here and look forward to celebrating successes together with BVB," he said.

The former Australia cricket batter David Warner has been fined and ordered to have an interlock device fitted to his car after pleading guilty to drink driving.Warner has been fined A$1,500 (£1,109) after recording a blood alcohol reading of more than twice the legal limit in a random breath test while driving his family home from a social function in April.Waverley Local Court heard the 39-year-old stopped his car when he saw the roadside breath-testing site and attempted to swap ⁠seats with a female passenger in an incident that occurred on Easter weekend."I accept Mr Warner is unlikely to re-offend," Judge Clare Farnan told the court, adding that the offence was aggravated as there were children in the car at the time. "[But] regrettably, drink-driving is still ⁠a significant factor in many crashes in New South Wales." The interlock ‌device in his car which will prevent it ‌from starting if it detects alcohol in his system.Warner concluded his international playing career in 2024 after featuring in 112 Tests, 161 one-day internationals and 110 T20Is for Australia.He continues to captain the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash, while has also moved into the media, operating as part of Fox Sports’ commentary team during Australia’s shock defeat to Bangladesh in Darwin.Additional reporting by Reuters

Manchester City have an exciting goalkeeper worth keeping an eye in the ChampionshipManchester City completed the signing of promising goalkeeper Pierce Charles from Sheffield Wednesday early in the summer transfer window. Charles was immediately sent out on loan to QPR to spend the 2026-27 season and gain further experience in the Championship. Pierce Charles started in goal for QPR in their 3-1 win over Portsmouth and his performance over the weekend showed that he is a player to keep an eye on throughout the 2026-27 season.Pierce Charles impressed for QPR in their win over Portsmouth.Manchester City’s on loan goalkeeper Pierce Charles made his second start of the season for QPR when they took on Portsmouth at Fratton Park. Charles made his debut for QPR in their penalty shootout defeat to Milwall in the first round of the Carabao Cup. That match finished 1-1 with Milwall winning the tie on penalties. Charles impressed in goal in his debut for QPR and he was at it again at Fratton Park.What immediately jumped out about Pierce Charles’ performance for QPR in their 3-1 win over Portsmouth was his composure on the ball and range of passing. The Northern Ireland international played an important role in QPR’s build-up from the back. His long range passing was also extremely impressive. The ability of Charles to ping a long ball out wide or up the pitch is a standout skill in the young goalkeepers’ game. Once, Charles did give away possession in a dangerous area of the pitch but he quickly made amends with a smart double save. The composure Charles showed to reciver from his error was particularly impressive. In possession, Charles looks every bit a Manchester City goalkeeper in the making.In goal, Pierce Charles commanded his area well and made the claims from crosses he needed to make. Charles made 5 saves across the match at Fratton Park. None were spectacular but they were solid saves that needed to be made. All told, Charles put in all-around impressive display.Manchester City will be hoping that Pierce Charles continues to perform strongly for QPR this season.Pierce Charles is only 21 years of age and looks to be a keeper of the future for Manchester City. Charles shone in difficult circumstances at Sheffield Wednesday. His performances there earned him a move back to Manchester City. Pierce Charles has had two strong displays in goal for QPR. The hope is that his impressive performances are the precursor to a strong season for him.Manchester City will be hoping that Pierce Charles performs strongly throughout the 2026-27 season. He looks to have all of the attributes to one day be a City goalkeeper. The performance of Pierce Charles against Portsmouth saw him catch the eye. He is now looming as a player to track throughout the 2026-27 season.

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, fire is seen on the site of a Russian air attack in Pechenihy, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)2026-08-18T09:21:17Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian forces staged one of their biggest drone attacks on Russia since Moscow’s invasion more than four years ago, firing almost 800 drones just two days after launching a similar salvo, officials said Tuesday.Meanwhile, a Russian missile strike on a village in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region killed at least 10 people and wounded eight others as the barrage demolished homes, officials said Tuesday.The warring countries are locked in an escalating duel of long-range aerial strikes as fighting on the roughly 1,250-kilometer (780-mile) front line in eastern and southern Ukraine is restricted by large numbers of drones and ground robots threatening troop movements, analysts say. Russia’s Putin resists pressure for peace talksOver the past year Ukraine has devised and deployed domestically produced long-range drones for strikes deep inside Russia. Its drone technology has impressed governments and defense manufacturers around the world.Kyiv officials aim to make the Russian public feel the war’s consequences and pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into negotiating a peace settlement. Putin has so far shown no sign he intends to stop the invasion. “Putin continues to drag out the war instead of accepting Ukraine’s realistic ceasefire proposals and ending the bloodshed,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X.Russian air defenses overnight intercepted 791 Ukrainian drones over a number of Russian regions, as well as annexed Crimea and the Black and the Azov seas, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said, in what was the second-largest drone attack since January 2025, according to an Associated Press tally.More than 600 Ukrainian drones flew towards the Moscow region, where 180 were shot down, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. He didn’t provide further details. Read More Officials reported no deaths or major damage.In the Moscow region that surrounds but doesn’t include the Russian capital, three people were injured, Gov. Andrei Vorobyov said.The overnight attack started a fire at a warehouse of Wildberries, Russia’s biggest online retailer, in an industrial zone. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted the company’s depots, which it says help supply the Russian military.Wildberries said its facility sustained “insignificant damage.” Ukraine’s Zelenskyy accuses Russia of a ‘brutal attack’ on civiliansA Russian missile strike on the village of Pechenihy in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region killed 10 civilians, according to preliminary information, said Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv regional military administration.Another 17 people were wounded, he said. Zelenskyy called it “a brutal attack” that damaged 10 homes, a cafe, a post office, a store and at least seven vehicles, according to Syniehubov. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. “We will definitely respond to this Russian strike,” Zelenskyy said on social media.Also, three people were killed and three others were wounded over the past day in Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Sumy region, including drone strikes and an explosive device blast, Ukraine’s National Police said.___Hatton contributed from Lisbon, Portugal.___Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine HANNA ARHIROVA Arhirova is an Associated Press reporter covering Ukraine. She is based in Kyiv. twitter instagram mailto