The first arrest in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur had its roots in the investigation of the killing of Biggie Smalls

By Aditya Kalra and Munsif Vengattil NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India's Adani Ports on Saturday said Deloitte's reasoning to quit as

MrBeast is open to hosting Beast Games if he gets sufficient backing from streaming platforms

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 29, 2023--

Watch live as Antony Blinken and his Finnish counterpart speak in Helsinki on Friday, 2 June. The US secretary of state and the Finnish foreign minister Pekka Haavisto will sign a joint statement and make short remarks. Mr Blinken has made a trip to Europe to "deepen transatlantic cooperation on top national security and economic priorities." He is visiting Helsinki to highlight the US's relationship with Nato's newest ally. So far he has visited Lulea, Sweden, where he co-chaired the fourth meeting of the US-EU Trade and Technology Council, holding discussions on technology, holding Russia accountable, and supporting Ukraine. Mr Blinken met with Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson and Swedish foreign minister Tobias Billström. The US secretary of state's trip to Helsinki comes after he departed Norway, where he participated in an informal meeting of Nato foreign ministers to discuss the alliance's Vilnius summit which will be held in July. Read More US reopens embassy in Seychelles after 27-year absence France, Germany urge new elections in Kosovo following flare-up in ethnic tensions White House imposing sanctions as Sudan's warring sides fail to abide by cease-fire deal

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'She was absolutely, very strict, very straight to the point she didn't have time she didn't play games,' said Armani

President Volodymr Zelenskiy was the latest to cite progress by Kyiv’s troops attempting to retake ground on the

Mike Brown said, 'It's a sad day in this world, and until we decide to do something about it, the powers that be, this is going to keep happening'

Argentine President-elect Javier Milei arrived in the US on Monday for a trip to New York and Washington

By Luc Cohen and Brendan O'Brien NEW YORK A U.S. judge is set on Wednesday to formally mete

Tottenham’s recent track record for signing centre-backs... doesn’t make for great reading. Since the summer of 2017, Davinson Sanchez, Juan Foyth, Joe Rodon and Cristian Romero have all made the move to north London. One of those has already departed, another is expected to leave this summer, while who knows what the future holds for Rodon. They’ve taken a risk, then, in spending big on Micky Van de Ven. The Dutchman joins from Wolfsburg after an impressive Bundesliga campaign. Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba was another on the radar at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the powers that be were convinced by Van de Ven as they sought to bring in a left sided centre-back to partner Romero in Ange Postecoglou’s favoured 4-3-3 system. What has proven crucial is Van de Ven’s leadership qualities. Tottenham were so often all over the place in defence last season. Hugo Lloris committed more errors leading to an opposition goal (4) than any other player in the Premier League last season, while Spurs conceded the sixth most goals (63) in the division. Postecoglou spoke on a number of occasions about the need to bring in a centre-back, up to Tuesday’s confirmation of Van de Ven’s signing, and it’s easy to see why. Even in what promises to be a youthful backline, Van de Ven’s control at the back will be key. He did, after all, captain the Netherlands at the U21 Euros, and this facet to his game helped Spurs make their decision on the centre-back. Romero, for example, needs a leader alongside him to ensure he doesn’t over commit and leave gaps in the defence that can be exploited. While three years his junior, Van de Ven will help keep Romero in check and marshal a defence that needs organising. There’s also the recovery speed that will ensure Postecoglou can implement a high defensive line. Van de Ven was the quickest central defender in Germany’s top tier last term, clocking in at 22.3mph as per the offical Bundesliga website. Van de Ven has been described as “a Cruyffian defender” by Ruben Jongkind, a director Dutch side Volendam where he spent eight years before his move to Wolfsburg in 2021, with Jongkind waxing lyrical about the centre-back. “A lot of risk taking, incredible speed, I have never seen something like that. His special weapon was already there. I worked at Ajax with fast players, but this was incredible.” Jongkind went on to admit that Van de Ven ran a 60m pace dash in seven seconds flat. “After a training session, with a standing start!” This weapon in his arsenal means Spurs can afford to play with a high defensive line, safe in the knowledge that Van de Ven can cover the ground at lightning speed should needs must. On the ball, he’s one that is happy to set his side on the frontfoot, and this will help establish Van de Ven as a fan favourite at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Indeed, he ranked top for passes per game (50.5) and pass success rate (88.3%) of all Wolfsburg players, while 518 forward passes ranked 33rd of all outfielders in the Bundesliga last season, a metric topped by Tapsoba (879). This willingness to get the ball on deck and play out from the back is a key attribute for any modern-day centre-back, and we’ve seen other Premier League sides follow the same tact in the quest for dominance. No longer are defenders needed solely to deny opponents from scoring, but they are tasked with instigating attacks from defence. The upcoming generation of centre-backs all seek to play their part in dominating opponents, and they have become precious commodities in the game today. Chelsea and Arsenal tied Levi Colwill and William Saliba down to respective long-term deals given their ability to pick out a teammate with ease. Manchester City have made Josko Gvardiol the most expensive defender ever for that same reason, and Van de Ven is now the sixth most expensive signing in Spurs’ history following his arrival from Wolfsburg. While the aforementioned trio put in better passing numbers than the latter, this will be due to Brighton, Arsenal and RB Leipzig, respectively, seeing far more of the ball than the Wolves in their respective leagues last season. Spurs have had to spend big on the young centre-back, but he’s one who fits Postecoglou’s style of play, and this ultimately is key. It’s no point bringing in a defender who’d struggle with the Australian’s demands, as this would negatively impact what should prove to be a very important season for the club. A leader at the back, pace to burn and versatile, too; Van de Ven should prove a superb addition to this Spurs side. Read More Tottenham respond to latest Bayern Munich bid for Harry Kane Dejan Kulusevski vows to ‘do everything’ to keep Harry Kane at Tottenham