Former Liverpool captain Sami Hyypia believes Virgil van Dijk will prove this season he is once again the best centre-back in the Premier League. The Netherlands international has faced questions about whether can rediscover the form which arguably made him the world’s top defender prior to a knee ligament injury in October 2020. However, there are signs the current Reds skipper is edging closer to his best with his commanding performance in the weekend’s Merseyside derby win over Everton another indicator of a return to his previous high level. “He is one of the best in the business in the world,” Hyypia told the PA news agency at a Nike Game On initiative which, in conjunction with the LFC Foundation, has provided more than 8,000 local schoolchildren with access to a range of sports. “I think he has raised the standard with everyone expecting him to play at that level every time and that is very difficult. “But he is doing well, he is a big part of our team and a big leader of the team so I think we all need to be patient and his best is coming. “I think this season he has shown in some games he is still at the level and I have no doubts he will be the best centre-back in the league this season.” Despite their good start to the season there has been scrutiny on Liverpool’s defence, with right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold now operating in a hybrid midfield playmaker role in possession and opponents seeking to exploit the space in behind. The focus is likely to intensify following the news left-back Andy Robertson will be sidelined for three months after shoulder surgery, with Kostas Tsimikas having to deputise. I have no doubts he will be the best centre-back in the league this season Sami Hyypia on Virgil van Dijk But Hyypia has faith in both Liverpool’s full-backs, adding: “Trent is like a midfield player. He can pass short and long and has the vision to see the passes. “I think this role suits him well and when he is in the midfield position he doesn’t have that big distance to go back defending when we lose the ball.” On Tsimikas, the former Finland international said: “I think he will get a lot of responsibility now and he has his chance to show what kind of player he is. “Hopefully he is courageous and takes his chance. If that is not going to work then Jurgen (Klopp) needs to think of something else to solve the problem but I have confidence in Tsimikas that he can do the job.” Having come through a testing set of fixtures Liverpool sit third in the table, a point behind leaders Manchester City. With games to come against Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Luton – all teams in the bottom six – and Brentford before a late November trip to the Etihad Stadium, Hyypia believes the platform has been laid for another title challenge. “The ambition is to win the league,” he said. “As long as we are competing until May to be the champions I think we can say we will have had a successful season. “The top four is always the minimum target to reach but everyone wants success and some trophies this season. “It would be foolish to look at what the others are doing. We just concentrate on what we are doing and do what we do best and then we see what the result is.” The first three years of Game On programme, funded by Nike and delivered by the LFC Foundation, has engaged more than 8,000 children – including 950-plus disabled and 1,000-plus ethnically-diverse participants – aged between seven and 12 and 46 grassroots sports clubs with coaching delivered in 15 different sports. “Game On is about using the power of sport, Nike and Liverpool to engage local young people in sport – unusually for us not football,” said LFC Foundation chief executive Matt Parish. Read More Brydon Carse backed to take on Liam Plunkett role after England World Cup call The sporting weekend in pictures Philadelphia Eagles sink Miami Dolphins as Super Bowl rivals set the pace Man Utd expect to pay further tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton on Tuesday night Pep Guardiola admits winning treble has taken toll on Manchester City Gary O’Neil determined to repay Wolves for their faith after Bournemouth sacking

Rapper Lil Baby has shut down claims that he is featured in a NSFW video circulating online. The fuzzy recording was said to feature a man resembling the 28-year-old performing a sex act. It didn't take long for him to turn to his Instagram Story to hit back at internet rumours, calling it "dumb ass click bait" (sic). "Y'all gotta stop using my name and likeness when y'all get bored, then the extremes mfs go to for clout is sick," he wrote to his 23.1 million followers. "Ain't no mystery in my history on NO LEVEL. This is my last time addressing any kind of dumb ass click bait." While the source is unknown and it is unclear whether the footage was created through AI, there has recently been a surge in deepfake porn – mostly targeting female celebrities and influencers. Cybersecurity expert and What the Hack podcast host Adam Levin previously explained to Indy100 that deepfake porn is created mainly for profit – but also a strange way for people to "show off editing skills and click trolling." "This sort of content predates the web," Levin explained, "Because it is mostly a digital activity now, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to trace back content to the person who created it." Worryingly, Levin explained that "as long as every party involved is a legal adult, there aren’t very many laws on the books to prevent or punish the distribution of illicit content." He claimed "it’s nearly impossible to remove any content published online, pornographic or otherwise," before adding: "That said, if all the parties are known, there may be legally actionable kinds of deepfake porn content." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Israeli warplanes are striking targets across Gaza ahead of an expected ground offensive in the besieged Hamas-ruled territory. Fears of a widening war have grown as Israel struck targets in the occupied West Bank, Syria and Lebanon and traded fire with Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group. Two aid convoys arrived in the Gaza Strip over the weekend through the Rafah crossing from Egypt. Israel said the trucks carried food, water and medical supplies. Israel has not allowed in fuel, which is critically needed for water and sanitation systems and hospitals. The war, in its 17th day Monday, is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Palestinian Health Ministry said Sunday that at least 4,651 people have been killed and 14,254 wounded in the territory. In the occupied West Bank, 96 Palestinians have been killed and 1,650 wounded in violence and Israeli raids since Oct. 7. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civilians who died in the initial Hamas rampage into southern Israel. In addition, 222 people including foreigners were believed captured by Hamas during the incursion and taken into Gaza, Israel's military has said. Two of those have been released. Currently: 1. Premature babies hooked up to incubators are at risk of dying because of dwindling fuel in the Gaza Strip 2. Biden walks tightrope with support for Israel as allies and the left push for restraint 3. A second convoy of trucks carrying desperately needed aid reaches Gaza 4. Blinken and Austin say the U.S. is ready to protect American forces should the war escalate 5. Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war Here’s what’s happening in the latest Israel-Hamas war: EUROPE MINISTERS DISCUSSING GETTING AID INTO GAZA BRUSSELS — European Union foreign ministers are meeting Monday to discuss ways to help vital aid get into Gaza, particularly fuel, after two convoys entered over the weekend. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that “in normal times, without war, 100 trucks enter into Gaza every day. So it’s clear that 20 is not enough.” Borrell said the emphasis must be on getting power and water-providing desalination plants running again. “Without water and electricity, the hospitals can barely work,” he told reporters in Luxembourg, where the meeting is taking place. He said the ministers will also look at ways to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians longer term. “The great powers have forgotten about the Palestinian issue, thinking it was going to be solved alone, or it doesn’t matter. Yes, it matters,” Borrell said. WORLD LEADERS CALL FOR ADHERENCE TO HUMANITARIAN LAW Several world leaders on Sunday spoke about the was between Israel and Hamas, reiterating their support for Israel and its right to defend itself against terrorism and called for adherence to humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians. U.S. President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom also welcomed the release of two hostages and called for the immediate release of all remaining hostages. They committed to close coordination to support their nationals in the region, in particular those wishing to leave Gaza. The leaders welcomed the announcement of the first humanitarian convoys to reach Palestinians in need in Gaza and committed to continue coordinating with partners in the region to ensure sustained and safe access to food, water, medical care and other assistance required to meet humanitarian needs. They also said they would continue close diplomatic coordination, including with key partners in the region, to prevent the conflict from spreading, preserve stability in the Middle East, and work toward a political solution and durable peace. ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER WARNS HEZBOLLAH TO STAY OUT OF WAR Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited troops stationed near the border with Lebanon, where the Israeli army and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants also have traded fire during the Hamas-Israel war. A top official with Iran Hezbollah vowed Saturday that Israel would pay a high price whenever it starts a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip and said Saturday that his militant group based in Lebanon already is “in the heart of the battle.” Speaking to troops in the north on Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel would react more fiercely than it did during its short 2006 war with Hezbollah, which is based in Lebanon. “If Hezbollah decides to enter the war, it will miss the Second Lebanon War. It will make the mistake of its life. We will cripple it with a force it cannot even imagine and the consequences for it and the Lebanese state are devastating,” the Israeli leader said. ISRAEL SAYS 2ND BATCH OF HUMANITARIAN AID ENTERED GAZA Israel says Sunday that a second batch of humanitarian aid was allowed into Gaza, at the request of the U.S. and according to instructions from other political officials. On Saturday, 20 trucks entered in the first shipment into the territory since Israel imposed a complete siege two weeks ago. Sunday's batch included only water, food, and medical equipment, with no fuel, Israel said. U.S. President Joe Biden and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel “affirmed that there will now be continued flow of this critical assistance into Gaza,” the White House said in a statement after a phone call between the leaders. Earlier Sunday, Egypt’s state-run media had reported that 17 aid trucks were crossing into Gaza on Sunday, but the United Nations said no trucks had crossed. On Sunday, Associated Press journalists saw seven fuel trucks head into Gaza. Juliette Touma, spokeswoman for U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, and the Israeli military said those trucks were taking fuel that had been stored on the Gaza side of the crossing deeper into the territory, and that no fuel had entered from Egypt. UNRWA SAYS THERE WILL BE NO HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE WITHOUT FUEL AMMAN, Jordan — The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees says it will run out of fuel in Gaza in three days. “Without fuel, there will be no water, no functioning hospitals and bakeries. Without fuel, aid will not reach many civilians in desperate need. Without fuel, there will be no humanitarian assistance,” Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner General, said in a statement Sunday. A first delivery of aid that was allowed to cross into Gaza from Egypt on Saturday did not include any fuel. “Without fuel, we will fail the people of Gaza whose needs are growing by the hour, under our watch. This cannot and should not happen,” Lazzarini said. He called on “all parties and those with influence” to allow fuel into Gaza immediately, while ensuring that it is only used for humanitarian purposes. Read More Israel strikes across Gaza after allowing another small aid convoy into the besieged enclave A price cap on Russian oil aims to starve Putin of cash. But it's largely been untested. Until now Stock market today: Asian stocks fall as concerns rise over Israel-Hamas war and high yields Sen. Menendez returns to New York court to enter plea to new conspiracy charge Japan's Kishida plans an income tax cut for households and corporate tax breaks Australians' rejection of the Indigenous Voice in constitutional vote is shameful, supporters say

You know how anytime you go onto Wikipedia you're asked to donate? Elon Musk could get rid of that once and for all, on one condition. Wikipedia is run by a team of volunteers and is free to access. Volunteers help keep the site up to date as well as write numerous translations for various articles to increase the accessibility. Now, Elon Musk is offering the site $1 billion dollars, but only if they change their name. Musk, who clearly has the same humour as a 12-year-old, is prepared to give out a large cheque if Wikipedia becomes... 'D**kipedia'. Musk was seemingly inspired after seeing the standard appeal for donation on the site, although was unsure why the site was asking for money. "Have you ever wondered why the Wikimedia Foundation ants so much money?" The Twitter/X CEO asked. "It certainly isn't needed to operate Wikipedia. You can literally fit a copy of the entire text on your phone! "So, what's the money for? Inquiring minds want to know..." But a quick Google and Musk could have found the answer himself. Samantha Lien, a spokeswoman for the Wikimedia Foundation, told The Washington Post: "Based on guidance from the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees, our reserve amounts to one year of operating budget. "If there were circumstances that affected our ability to raise those funds during that period, we could end up in an urgent situation - the reserve is a safety net to protect Wikipedia against such as possibility." Although, the large donation perhaps isn't the best use of Musk's money after his wealth dropped by $16 billion after shares in Tesla dropped by 9.3 percent since the company released its 2023 third-quarter earnings report. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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