Trump to seek new judge in election conspiracy trial
Former US president Donald Trump said Sunday he will petition to have a different judge oversee his historic criminal trial and for the case to...
2023-08-07 09:33
Erik ten Hag and Man United fall deeper into a desperate, dismal mess of their very own making
Three decades ago, when Manchester United were about to face Galatasaray, they were greeted with banners declaring: “Welcome to Hell”. Thirty years on, United may have found hell: not in Istanbul, but in Manchester. A second home defeat in four days has sent them spiralling into crisis. So much for Raphael Varane’s assertion that they can win the Champions League. At this rate, bottom of the group, beaten six times in all competitions already this season, they may not even be playing in the Europa League after Christmas. A 3-2 loss came courtesy of their own failings: of disastrous defending, of the indiscipline of the sent-off Casemiro, of the poor team selection by Erik ten Hag. Even a colossal contribution by Rasmus Hojlund, who scored twice, had another goal disallowed and provided a chance that Bruno Fernandes really should have taken, was obscured by United’s ineptitude. It says something that Davinson Sanchez – that Davinson Sanchez, the former Tottenham centre-back – registered two assists. The second encapsulated United’s haplessness. The Colombian’s header from his own half released Mauro Icardi to run through a shot over Andre Onana, a goalkeeper with a marked reluctance to save any shots. It was rendered easier because Icardi, escaping behind United’s centre-backs, was played onside by the out-of-position makeshift left-back Sofyan Amrabat. It was a wretched night for United’s full-backs: Amrabat was partly culpable for Galatasaray’s second equaliser as well when Bans Yilmaz raced into space behind him before finding Kerem Akturkoglu to finish. Galatasaray’s first goal – scored, with a certain inevitability, by Wilfried Zaha – could be put down to Diogo Dalot. Outmuscled by the winger as Sanchez’s long ball landed in front of him, he allowed Zaha to hook in a shot that bounced over Onana. It was not the first time United had grounds to rue their mismanagement of Sir Alex Ferguson’s last signing. Zaha played four times for them and has now scored four goals against them. Yet Zaha, too, was demoted to a supporting character in the broader tragicomedy of another display of United haplessness. They were a team who were twice reprieved and immediately conceded. Akturkoglu was guilty of a glaring miss when Onana spilled the ball; United let him score instead shortly afterwards. Icardi drilled a spot kick wide after Casemiro, in his final contribution, chopped down Dries Mertens. He was soon on the scoresheet anyway. And for Casemiro, cautioned in the first half, a third red card of a brief United career highlighted how his lack of mobility and their shambolic tactics are dual problems. The Brazilian cannot get to the ball as quickly as he used to. United leave him exposed and, after Onana gave the ball away, he slid in on Mertens. For United, defeat to Bayern Munich by a one-goal margin may have had a certain respectability, much as he 4-3 scoreline in Germany flattered them. A loss at home to Galatasaray has no such sheen. The Turkish champions struggled past Molde in a play-off and went 2-0 down to FC Copenhagen two weeks ago. They brimmed with spirit and showed quality in attack, but the architects of defeat were United themselves. Ten Hag has to take his share of the blame. Picking Hannibal Mejbri backfired and not merely because the youngster, who was hauled off at half-time, contrived to block a goalbound shot from Mason Mount. Yet to focus on the rookie would be overly harsh: senior figures were found wanting. And the one player who should escape censure was United’s youngest starter. Hojlund was outstanding, taking his tally to three goals in two Champions League games, twice putting United ahead. They should have led earlier, Fernandes miscuing a shot wide after the Dane wriggled clear to cross. Then Casemiro hooked a pass over their defence, Marcus Rashford chased it and lifted in a cross and Hojlund accelerated past Davinson Sanchez to head it in. The ubiquitous Colombian had a part in his second, too, slipping as the £72m man sprinted half the length of the pitch to lift a shot over Fernando Muslera. United could rue the moment when Rashford, in trying to provide Fernandes with an open goal, under-hit a pass and allowed Sacha Boey to intercept. Often criticised for his decision-making, this time Rashford’s execution was the issue. But they had far greater problems, lacking control or cohesion, wrenched open, taking the total of goals conceded in Europe this season to seven already. They have horrible memories of visiting Istanbul three decades ago and of being eliminated from the Champions League by Galatasaray. A return at the end of November could come with a similar fate. And a comparison would emphasise their failings: in a year when Manchester City won the Champions League in Istanbul, Manchester United could exit it there. Read More Antony returns to Man Utd squad for Champions League after five-match absence Man United vs Galatasaray LIVE: Latest Champions League updates Sheikh Jassim makes Man Utd takever decision as Sir Jim Ratcliffe considers new bid Consistency the key for Vincent Kompany as he bids to lift Burnley Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly considering minority stake bid for Manchester United Raphael Varane reveals formula for Manchester United to claim Champions League glory
2023-10-04 07:09
Man City 'reach agreement' to sign Wolves midfielder Nunes
Manchester City have reached a verbal agreement with Wolves on a fee for Portugal midfielder Matheus Nunes, according...
2023-08-30 22:29
Venezuela's Maduro expected to visit Russia, Putin's oil point man says
MOSCOW Russia is expecting a visit by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, President Vladimir Putin's oil point man Alexander
2023-10-16 16:15
Russia plans to reverse global nuclear test ban, announces envoy
Russia plans to withdraw its ratification of the 1996 treaty that prohibited the testing of nuclear weapons, the country’s envoy to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation [CTBTO] said on Friday. “Disturbed” by the move, the US denounced it as endangering "the global norm" against nuclear test blasts. The announcement by Mikhail Ulyanov on Friday added new fuel to tensions between Russia and the United States over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and arms control disputes between the world’s largest nuclear weapons powers. Mr Ulyanov, Moscow’s envoy to the CTBTO, said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that "#Russia plans to revoke ratification (which took place in the year 2000) of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty." "The aim is to be on equal footing with the #US who signed the Treaty, but didn’t ratify it. Revocation doesn’t mean the intention to resume nuclear tests," he said. The CTBT has been signed by 187 countries and ratified by 178 but cannot go into force until eight specific holdouts have signed and ratified it. China, Egypt, Iran, and Israel have signed but not ratified it. North Korea, India and Pakistan have not signed. While the United States signed but did not ratify the treaty, it has observed a moratorium on nuclear weapon test explosions since 1992 that it says it has no plans to abandon. "We are disturbed by the comments of Ambassador Ulyanov in Vienna today," a US State Department spokesperson said in a statement. "A move like this by any State Party needlessly endangers the global norm against nuclear explosive testing." It said that Russia should not be “wielding arms control and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric in a failing attempt to coerce other states”, in an apparent reference to Moscow’s efforts to pressurise countries into withdrawing their arms support and aid to Ukraine. Mr Ulyanov’s statement came a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin said that Moscow could look at revoking its ratification of the CTBT. He argued that Russia could mirror the stand taken by Washington. “Theoretically, we may revoke the ratification,” he said, after Moscow successfully tested an experimental nuclear-powered cruise missile. Moscow last tested a nuclear weapon in 1990, before the collapse of the Soviet Union a year later. It ratified the global test ban in 2000. Many Russian hawks have spoken in favour of resuming the tests, since its invasion of Ukraine, in February last year. Mr Putin said that while some experts have talked about the need to conduct nuclear tests, he hasn’t yet formed an opinion on the issue. “I’m not ready to say yet whether it’s necessary for us to conduct tests or not,” he said. "It would be concerning and deeply unfortunate if any State Signatory were to reconsider its ratification of the CTBT," Robert Floyd, the executive director of the CTBTO, which monitors compliance with the pact, said in a statement. "The Russian Federation has consistently reaffirmed its strong support of the CTBT since its very inception, helping to negotiate the Treaty in the Conference on Disarmament, signing the day it opened for signature on 24 September 1996, and ratifying it in June 2000," he added. Russian withdrawal could be a blow to the treaty since, like the eight key holdout countries, it is one of the "Annex 2" countries that must all ratify the treaty it for it to enter into force. "I look forward to continued close cooperation with the Russian Federation and all States that have committed to creating a world free of nuclear testing," Mr Floyd said. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin’s ‘inhuman’ missile strike hit area with no military targets, says Kyiv Ukraine village reels after deadly missile strike: ‘Everything was burning’ ‘You can still smell the blood’: Inside the village where more than 50 were killed by a Russian missile The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary
2023-10-07 14:36
Ford to add more Tesla EV chargers to its network
(Reuters) -Ford Motor said on Monday it would add more of Tesla's Superchargers to its electric-vehicle charging network, higher than
2023-10-30 23:28
Dynamo defeat Kansas City for spot in MLS Western Conference final
A header from Argentine defender Franco Escobar gave the Houston Dynamo a 1-0 win over Sporting Kansas City on Sunday and a place in Major...
2023-11-27 10:44
State of emergency imposed in Russia-controlled parts of Kherson
A state of emergency has been imposed in Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine's Kherson region following the destruction of
2023-06-07 14:43
The biggest difference between hurricanes Ian and Idalia? Where -- and what -- they hit
The full scope of Hurricane Idalia's destruction is still coming into focus, but experts say one thing is clear: It could have been more like the damage wrought by Hurricane Ian had it hit anywhere else on the Florida coast.
2023-09-01 22:35
Faraday Future Announces User Based Co-Creation “Mission Farad” Which Unites Developers, Creators, Users, and Investors to Achieve Value Co-Creation and Co-Sharing
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2023--
2023-05-22 16:05
NFL Rumors: Chiefs trade bait, Dolphins avoid disaster, Vikings UDFA buzz,
NFL Rumors: Chiefs should look at trading Clyde Edwards-HelaireThe changing way the NFL values running backs has been the biggest story of the summer so far with Josh Jacobs holding out with the Raiders and Jonathan Taylor requesting a trade from the Colts. Teams aren't interested in paying b...
2023-08-18 05:22
Baylor hosts Texas Tech and the return of Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire to Waco
Joey McGuire is returning to Baylor for a game for the first time since he left the Bears staff during the 2021 season to become Texas Tech's head coach
2023-10-06 00:00
You Might Like...
QatarEnergy awards $10 bn gas contract to Technip Energies, CCC
Few Things Are As Exciting as Mike Francesa Talking Stocks
Singapore Aug core inflation rises 3.4%, seen easing
Russia hits Kyiv in pre-dawn attack as air defenses work to stop relentless bombardment
George Santos’s Ouster Sets Up Crucial House Race in New York Suburbs
Marlins finish sweep of Nationals 4-2, move 10 over .500 for first time since 2011
Phillies offseason roster decisions hinge on Bryce Harper heart-to-heart
Over 10,000 more jobs to go at UK's Wilko after partial rescue fails