Paris Saint-Germain have agreed to release key attacking midfielder Lee Kang-in so he can join South Korea during the group phase of the Asian Games next week...

Polls show Donald Trump leading Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, his nearest rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, by about 40 points. You might think this would cause the former president's GOP rivals to attack him in an attempt to eat into that support, which stands at north of 50% of the primary vote.

Bayern Munich do not consider Declan Rice to be a priority transfer target this summer despite an admiration from head coach Thomas Tuchel. West Ham will remain firm on their £100m valuation.

Compared with the devil, angels carry more credence in America

The United States remain the team to beat ahead of the Women’s World Cup and the two-time defending champions remain number one in the Fifa rankings ahead of the tournament. The USA are looking to become the first country to win three World Cups in a row and have held top spot since 2017. But the tournament in Australia and New Zealand could bring a shake-up to the order. Europe is catching up and the likes of England, Germany, France and Spain will be coming for the USA’s crown. Zambia come into the World Cup as the lowest-ranked team at the tournament, which is hosting 32 teams for the first time. Fifa women’s world rankings (Teams in bold are competing at the World Cup) 1. United States 2. Germany 3. Sweden 4. England 5. France 6. Spain 7. Canada 8. Brazil 9. Netherlands 10. Australia (hosts) 11. Japan 12. Norway 13. Denmark 14. China 15. Iceland 16. Italy 17. Korea Republic 18. Austria 19. Belgium 20. Switzerland 21. Portugal 22. Republic of Ireland 23. Scotland 24. Russia 25. Colombia 26. New Zealand (hosts) 27. Czech Republic 28. Argentina 29. Finland 30. Wales 31. Poland 32. Vietnam 33. Ukraine 34. Serbia 35. Mexico 36. Costa Rica 37. Chinese Taipei 38. Romania 39. Slovenia 40. Nigeria 41. Chile 42. Hungary 43. Jamaica 44. Thailand 45. Northern Ireland 46. Philippines 47. Slovakia 48. Paraguay 49. Uzbekistan 50. Myanmar 51. Venezuela 52. Panama 53. Haiti 54. South Africa 55. Papua New Guinea 56. Cameroon 57. Belarus 58. Ghana 59. Croatia 60. India 61. Iran 62. Greece 63. Turkey 64. Uruguay 65. Bosnia and Herzegovina 66. Cote d’Ivoire 67. Ecuador 68. Israel 69. Fiji 70. Equatorial Guinea 71, Albania 72. Morocco 73. Jordan 74. Peru 75. Trinidad and Tobago 76. Tunisia 77. Zambia 78. Hong Kong 79. Azerbaijan 80. Algeria The full Fifa rankings can be found here Read More Women’s World Cup enters new era as stars and storylines take centre stage Who are the threats to the Lionesses at the Women’s World Cup? The inspiration behind Australia’s shot at home World Cup glory Today at the Women’s World Cup: Co-hosts play in opening games How to watch every Women’s World Cup match on TV FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule

MUNICH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 15, 2023--

Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan and Florida State sat atop the season’s first College Football Playoff rankings, with unbeaten Washington and Oregon next

For Roberto Firmino, an Anfield farewell included a presentation by Sir Kenny Dalglish and a guard of honour from his teammates, with Cody Gakpo bowing in salute to Liverpool’s definitive false nine. Anfield sang his song – Si Senor – for one last time; or, at least, a final occasion with Firmino in the team, on the pitch. Even as fine a servant as James Milner also said goodbye, he was overshadowed by Firmino, which the self-effacing Yorkshireman may prefer. But, even at the end, Firmino offered more evidence to illustrate why he is among the most popular Liverpool players of his generation; perhaps of any. This was not the perfect goodbye; not without victory, not as Liverpool’s last ambition for a dispiriting season became still more remote. But there was a perfection of sorts for Firmino; the rousing ovation when he came on was far from the loudest of the afternoon, because Liverpool still had a last goal from him to celebrate. Firmino’s indefatigable approach is a reason why he was indispensable and integral. If there was no such thing as a lost cause for him, he ensured he did not finish off with a defeat. Aston Villa were leading at Anfield, and deservedly so. But Firmino and Milner entered with 20 minutes to go – though Villa’s timewasting meant their cameos lasted for half an hour – and as injury time beckoned, as it seemed Liverpool’s band of Champions League winners would see their faint hopes of a top-four finish disappear altogether, the former had one last service to perform. Firmino has created many a goal for Mohamed Salah over the years. A favour was returned, the Egyptian bending in a cross with the outside of his left foot, the Brazilian timing his run to volley it in. Selfless for so long, Firmino has become more potent this season; a 12th goal of an injury-hit campaign gives him a total he has not topped since 2018-19. If Liverpool will miss his incessant running, if they will miss his capacity to create goals for others, they will also miss his ability to find the net himself. It was his 110th and potentially last goal for them; the 109th was a dramatic late equaliser at Anfield, too, frustrating Arsenal. He has altered the title race and the battle for Europe: in eight days’ time, it may have a greater effect on Villa. Liverpool’s fate is almost sealed; denied an eighth successive win, they have prolonged the fight for the Champions League places, but only mathematically. It may be a formality for Manchester United and Newcastle to qualify for the Champions League now but, until Firmino intervened, they would be there already. It prolongs the top-four battle but it has altered, shifting the balance still further in the favour of the two Uniteds. An inability to find a winner in added time means that Liverpool’s season will end in anti-climax. Firmino at least ensured it did not finish in Anfield failure. Only Leeds have won here in the Premier League this season; indeed only they have claimed three points in front of a crowd in six years. It has been a fortress for most of Firmino’s time; disappointing as drawing with Villa was, home form is not the principal reason why Liverpool will be condemned to the Europa League. Villa may yet join them in Thursday night action. They were agonisingly close to a 15th win in 24 league games under Unai Emery, and perhaps a best, too. “If it wasn’t for [Steven] Gerrard we’d be top,” their fans chorused, barracking their previous manager and Liverpool’s former captain, and, if not quite true, theirs has been a stunning turnaround; they are ahead of Tottenham now, in the top seven, their fate in their own hands. Yet it probably should have been victory. Ollie Watkins, Liverpool’s nemesis when he scored a hat-trick against them in Villa’s 7-2 win in 2020, offered them respite. He rolled a penalty wide as his goal drought extended to six games. He had earned it himself when fouled by Ibrahima Konate and after racing on to John McGinn’s pass. Villa nevertheless led. Jacob Ramsey met Douglas Luiz’s cross with a low half-volley as Liverpool, who had kept three clean sheets in a row, struggled defensively. They lacked cohesion and chemistry going forward, too. With Gakpo having a goal disallowed when Virgil van Dijk was adjudged offside, They mustered only two shots on target in the first 88 minutes. Klopp may have rued his own indiscipline, confined to the stands by a touchline ban, struggling to alter events. But his assistant Pep Lijnders sent for Firmino and Milner. And, as he has done so many times over the last eight years, Firmino sent Anfield into raptures. Read More Liverpool vs Aston Villa LIVE: Premier League updates Roberto Firmino would knock down Klopp door to secure start on Anfield farewell Roberto Firmino interview: ‘What we achieved was beautiful – but it is time to go’

The singer and model waited till Mother's Day to announce that she and her fiancé welcomed a baby boy named Otis Stewart Kalick on May 9

By Gram Slattery and James Oliphant WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made their

The Los Angeles Lakers used the No. 17 and No. 40 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft to bolster their wing rotation. How do the experts grade their performance?The Los Angeles Lakers were expected to consider several potential options ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft, but in lieu of worthwhile trade offers ...

In front of an exuberant crowd, North Carolina’s Democratic governor vetoed legislation Saturday that would have banned nearly all abortions in his state after 12 weeks of pregnancy. Hundreds of abortion-rights activists and voters watched on a plaza in the capital of Raleigh as Gov Roy Cooper affixed his veto stamp to the bill. The veto launches a major test for leaders of the GOP-controlled General Assembly to attempt to override Cooper’s veto after they recently gained veto-proof majorities in both chambers. The bill was the Republican response to last year’s US Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v Wade. "We’re going to have to kick it into an even higher gear when that veto stamp comes down,” Mr Cooper told the crowd. “If just one Republican in either the House or the Senate keeps a campaign promise to protect women’s reproductive health, we can stop this ban.” Andrea Long, a 42-year-old mother of three from Cary, said she was honored be part of an “electric” crowd on what she called a “historic day for freedom” in North Carolina. “I couldn’t stop crying tears joy seeing the governor hold up the veto stamp, but I know it’s an uphill battle to keep this momentum going,” Ms Long said. Mr Cooper, a strong abortion-rights supporter, had until Sunday night to act on the measure that tightens current state law, which bans most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Mr Cooper spent the week on the road talking to North Carolinians about the bill’s lesser-known impacts and urging them to apply pressure upon key Republican lawmakers who hesitated about further restrictions during campaigns for office last year. The legislation passed along party lines in the last week in the House and Senate. Republicans have pitched the measure as a middle-ground change to state abortion laws developed after months of private negotiations between House and Senate GOP members. It adds exceptions to the 12-week ban, extending the limit through 20 weeks for rape and incest and through 24 weeks for “life-limiting” fetal anomalies. But Mr Cooper has said repeatedly the details contained in the 47-page bill show that the measure isn’t a reasonable compromise and would instead greatly erode reproductive rights. He cites new obstacles for women to obtain abortions — such as requiring multiple in-person visits, additional paperwork to prove a patient has given their informed consent to an abortion and increased regulation of clinics providing the procedure. Mr Cooper and allies have said those changes in practice will shut down clinics that cannot afford major upgrades mandated by new licensing standards and make it nearly impossible for women who live in rural areas or work long hours to access abortion services. Compared to recent actions by Republican-controlled legislatures elsewhere, the broad prohibition after 12 weeks can be viewed as less onerous to those in other states where the procedure has been banned almost completely. But abortion-rights activists have argued that it’s more restrictive than meets the eye and will have far-reaching consequences. Since Roe was overturned, many patients traveling from more restrictive states have become dependent on North Carolina as a locale for abortions later in pregnancy. Republicans call the legislation pro-family and pro-child, pointing to at least $160m in spending contained within for maternal health services, foster and adoption care, contraceptive services and paid leave for teachers and state employees after the birth of a child. Mr Cooper has singled out four GOP legislators — three House members and one senator — whom he said made “campaign promises to protect women’s reproductive health.” Anti-abortion groups accused Cooper of trying to bully them. One of those House members is Rep Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County, who voted for the bill mere weeks after she switched from the Democratic Party to the GOP. The move gave Republicans a veto-proof supermajority if all of their legislators are present and voting. Ms Cotham has spoken out for abortion rights in the past and even earlier this year co-sponsored a bill to codify abortion protections into state law. Rep Ted Davis of Wilmington — another targeted legislator — was the only Republican absent from last week’s initial House vote. The Senate margin already became veto-proof after GOP gains last November. Mr Davis said last fall that he supported “what the law is in North Carolina right now,” which was a 20-week limit. Davis has declined to comment on the bill, but House Speaker Tim Moore said recently that Davis is a “yes” vote for an override. Read More Faith leaders speak out against ‘toxic’ Christian nationalist conference arriving at Trump’s Miami resort GOP boycott in Oregon threatens abortion, transgender bills and protesters' own political careers Louisiana Republicans refuse rape and incest exceptions to state’s sweeping anti-abortion law Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide