Nottingham Forest are working with the police to identify fans who are believed to have directed homophobic abuse at Brighton players and supporters on Saturday. The behaviour under investigation took place during a 3-2 victory for 10-man Brighton, who had Lewis Dunk sent off late in the second half at the City Ground. Forest condemned the alleged conduct and assured there would be consequences for those involved. A statement on the club’s official account on X, formerly Twitter, read: “Following Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion, we have been made aware of some homophobic language aimed towards Brighton players and supporters from a minority of our fans. “Homophobia, like all other forms of discrimination, has no place in football or society, and anyone engaging in discriminatory behaviour is committing a criminal offence. We are actively working with Nottinghamshire Police to identify the individuals involved, and they will be dealt with appropriately. “We would like to thank all our supporters who reported incidents. Nottingham Forest is committed to creating an inclusive environment which embraces and celebrates our differences. We want everyone who attends our stadium to have a positive experience.” Read More Former England rugby captain Sarah Hunter enjoying ‘not feeling beaten up’ Player behaviour towards referees tops agenda at meeting of game’s lawmakers Bruno Fernandes talks up Alejandro Garnacho after stunning goal at Everton

By Amlan Chakraborty NEW DELHI It took Aiden Markram only a couple of deliveries to realise it was

Kyle Walker recalls the pain and it wasn’t the kind many a left winger has experienced when they have found themselves in a race against him, legs burning as Manchester City and England’s roadrunner accelerated past them. This was the sense of rejection. Pep Guardiola had recalibrated his team, altered the role of the right-back and the footballer who had played more times in defence for the Catalan than anyone else was suddenly deemed redundant. “He cannot do it,” Guardiola said bluntly. “Did it hurt? Of course it did,” Walker reflected. “I can’t sit here and lie to you and say it didn’t hurt. Of course it did. You start to doubt yourself but you have to go back to basics to what you are good at, what he bought you for and prove him wrong and that is what I have done. Sometimes certain opinions in football, you don’t always agree with, but for what he has done for me and for Man City in the last six years, has been nothing short of tremendous.” Some six weeks after Guardiola’s damning appraisal, it may be no exaggeration to say his chances of winning his third, and City’s first, Champions League rest with Walker. He has been recalled, restored to prominence, summoned for a specialist task. Guardiola could reinvent Walker’s friend John Stones as part full-back, part midfielder, but there are jobs that call for an out-and-out defender. Walker seems the man for the unenviable assignment. He was Kylian Mbappe’s direct opponent in a World Cup quarter-final, Gabriel Martinelli’s in a Premier League title decider and Vinicius Junior’s in twin Champions League ties. Stop Vinicius and City may be bound for Istanbul. But then, as Trent Alexander-Arnold can testify from bitter experience, halting him can border on the impossible. Walker sounded unfazed. “Obviously it is a personal battle where you are coming up against one of the best players in the world but I have faced many over the years who have been just as good as him,” he said. “But I think he is in the best form of his life.” That was demonstrated in the Bernabeu last week when the Brazilian scored a superlative goal; Walker was blameless for it, however, and acquitted himself well. Carlo Ancelotti, rarely one for hyperbole, branded Vinicius the world’s best player after his evisceration of Liverpool. The same description could be applied to another Walker went mano a mano with. “Like Mbappe when I played him in the World Cup, you have to give him respect they deserve but you are not going to say, ‘Go on, walk through and score,’” Walker said. “I am representing Manchester City, the ambition for this club is massive so if I can’t compete with these top players from Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea or whoever, I shouldn’t be here, I shouldn’t be sat in this chair talking to you, I need to make sure I come against the best and I can deal with the best.” He embraced Vinicius after the first leg, a gesture of admiration that came with a warning. “I went to hug him because he tried to rainbow flick me, so it was like, ‘please don’t try that again – I don’t want to become a meme,’” he explained. The Brazilian has a reputation as an agent provocateur but Walker sounded unworried. “If someone is trash talking, it doesn’t really bother me,” he insisted. “I have been through things in my life that are more difficult than people trying to wind me up and get a reaction out of me. We’ve seen a few clips of him going down easily and asking for yellow cards but it’s part and parcel of the game. Let’s not take his football away, he’s a top player.” So there may be another hug. “I will give him the respect he deserves [after the final whistle], but before then it is dog eat dog,” he said. Or, perhaps, dog race dog. There is a timelessness to Walker. Apart from back-up goalkeeper Scott Carson, he is the oldest player in the City squad, just as he has been England’s oldest in their last two tournaments. He will turn 33 on the final day of the Premier League season and yet the years have not blunted his pace. “I am not old,” he argued. “I still feel great, I still feel fit. I probably have to say a big thanks to my mum and dad for the genetics. Some players do start to slow down, but I think one of the lads in sports science said I hit 37.5 [kilometres per hour] the other day in the speed thing.” He is not City’s only sprinter. Training at City does not consist of 100m races, but one would be worth watching. The 52-goal forward Erling Haaland has got the better of many an opposing defender this season. A teammate reckons he could beat him. “Both of us take a bit of time to get up to speed, but I think Erling is very, very quick,” Walker said. “But I’d still have to back myself...” Read More Only Vinicius Jr has the key to shape semi-final - even if Man City dominate Kyle Walker insists players ‘owe’ Champions League title to Sheikh Mansour The six types of Pep Guardiola full-back, and what each says about Man City Football rumours: Bayern Munich willing to offload Sadio Mane this summer Luton Town one game from Premier League after comeback win over Sunderland Inter Milan have already made it clear how they can win the Champions League

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Sir Michael Parkinson, one of the country’s most celebrated broadcasters and talk show hosts, has died at the age of 88, his family told the BBC. A statement from his family said: “After a brief illness Sir Michael Parkinson passed away peacefully at home last night in the company of his family. “The family request that they are given privacy and time to grieve.” The television broadcaster has been remembered as the “king of the chat show” with a career spanning seven decades. He is perhaps best known for his eponymous talk show, Parkinson, during which he interviewed an estimated 2,000 famous guests, including the boxer Muhammad Ali, footballer George Best and comedian Sir Billy Connolly. Tributes from across the world of TV and beyond have poured in for the “titan of television”. BBC broadcaster Nick Robinson wrote on X: “He was the greatest interviewer of our age who owned Saturday night TV for year after year.” Comic Matt Lucas, said: “Sir Michael Parkinson was a titan of television, the ultimate chat show host. We’ll never forget his brilliant interviews with Muhammad Ali, Dame Edna, Billy Connolly and, of course, ‘that bloody emu’.” Dara Ó Briain praised the “consummate pro” that Parkinson was, writing: “I had the privilege of doing the Michael Parkinson show 3 times and it the most I ever felt like I was in ‘proper showbiz’. He was a consummate pro on-screen, and generous and encouraging off-screen.” Actor Eddie Izzard wrote: “Very sad to hear that Michael Parkinson has left us. He was the king of the intelligent interview.” The director-general of the BBC paid tribute to Sir Michael Parkinson as “the king of the chat show” and an “incredible broadcaster and journalist”. In a statement, Tim Davie said: “Michael was the king of the chat show and he defined the format for all the presenters and shows that followed. “He interviewed the biggest stars of the 20th century and did so in a way that enthralled the public. Michael was not only brilliant at asking questions, he was also a wonderful listener. “Michael was truly one of a kind, an incredible broadcaster and journalist who will be hugely missed.” 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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At least two brands have said they will suspend advertising on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, after their ads and those of other companies were run on an account promoting fascism. The issue came less than a week after X CEO Linda Yaccarino publicly affirmed the company's commitment to brand safety for advertisers.