List of All Articles with Tag 'ag'

The St. Louis Cardinals need three starting pitchers this winter, but there are three free agents that they should avoid at all costs.

There’s more than two months left in the year, but the US has already faced a record number

A floating village now lies stranded on a lakebed in Brazil's Amazon as severe drought leaves communities struggling to access food, fresh water and fuel.

Buildings are lit blue and white in a show of support following violence in Israel and Gaza.

Spanish TV shows a statement to prosecutors where Jenni Hermoso says she felt clearly disrespected.

The UK welcomes their release after they were held for allegedly breaking the country's laws.

Lawmakers and alumni have been angered by the letter, which blames Israel for the unfolding conflict.

You already know where the Euro 2028 final will be played. You don’t know know because it hasn’t been announced yet. But when I tell you that the UK and Ireland are hosting the tournament, and when I show you the list of 10 allocated venues, then you already know. Wembley is the biggest stadium in the best-connected city of the largest host nation. It is the greatest revenue generator. It is the sort of stadium that assumes it will host a final, the sort that thinks other venues wouldn’t want all that pressure and attention anyway. The English FA will pull rank here and that is understandable, to an extent. After all, Wembley can call upon history and experience, the site having hosted three European Championship finals before: one at the old Wembley in 1996, and both the men’s and women’s finals at the new Wembley in 2021 and 2022. But the last men’s final – and this is a crucial detail – ended in literal invasion. The report on what happened that July day is harrowing, describing a horde of 6,000 mindless thugs rampaging through security lines and terrifying ordinary ticket holders. On their way they beat police officers, knocked over a young girl and trampled over a man sending him into seizure. One insurgent hijacked a boy in a wheelchair, separating him from his father, so he could gain access pretending to be a steward. Italians were subjected to random attacks, and the report makes clear that there probably would have been deaths had it not been for England’s defeat and a late downpour of rain which combined to dampen the atmosphere. It should be said here that the report did not lay blame at Wembley’s steps, specifically; rather it was a perfect storm of lockdown energy, summer heat, sporting tribalism, nationalist sentiment, drugs, alcohol, the internet and a unique gathering of goons gripped by herd mentality. But if ever there was a red flag for hosting a European Championship final, hosting a disastrous European Championship final might be it. It feels like an almost dangerously radical thought, but what if the Euro 2028 final wasn’t held at Wembley Stadium? Wembley hardly showcases the best of these isles. The immediate area has the personality of an airport terminal, and while the stadium was once a state-of-the-art bowl, it is not even the best in London these days given what Tottenham have built. Admittedly, the options are limited. Anfield’s pitch is too small for Uefa’s liking, Old Trafford too decrepit to be used. Everton’s unbuilt stadium made the final list along with Birmingham’s Villa Park, Manchester’s Etihad Stadium and St James’ Park in Newcastle, and the Etihad would be the most obvious of those to host a showpiece event. Then there are the four stadiums beyond England. The redevelopment of Belfast’s Casement Park is still just a saved file on an architect’s hard drive, and it would only be around 34,000 capacity. But the others are viable alternatives to host a final. Hampden Park is a tired venue but there are plans for much-needed regeneration ahead of Euro 2028. Glasgow is a city that gets its edge and its energy from football, and it knows how to throw a party. As does Dublin, and its Aviva Stadium has hosted everything from the Europa League final and international rugby games to Taylor Swift concerts. Personally, I would choose the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Wales enjoyed a rekindled love affair with football during the Bale era, ignited by their run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016. Football has overtaken rugby as the country’s most popular sport and the Wrexham story is adding momentum. It is the next biggest option after Wembley with 74,000 seats, and the stadium sits near the heart of the city only a short walk from Chippy Lane, one of the great cultural institutions of this country. Tournament mission statements are always lukewarm sentiments and Euro 2028 is no exception, but if organisers really want to “engage new fans”, then staging the final in Wales would fit that brief. All this is likely wasted breath. The early signs are that Cardiff may stage the opening game but Wembley will host the final and both semi-finals, too. The English FA says it has learnt lessons from the past, and Uefa recently dismissed concerns when its president Aleksander Ceferin said that those violent scenes “could have happened anywhere”. Uefa lost £700m in revenues during the pandemic and needs a sure thing like Euro 2028 to guarantee a profitable tournament. Wembley is a significant part of that appeal. It is the biggest stadium, in the biggest city. But it is also the scene of unbridled anarchy only two years ago, and perhaps that is as good an excuse as any to spread the wealth. Read More FA reveal tournament plans after UK and Ireland confirmed as Euro 2028 hosts Euro 2028 venues: UK and Ireland name 10 stadiums as Anfield and Old Trafford miss out Euro 2028: Will host nations get automatic qualification? UK and Ireland name 10 venues for Euro 2028 FA reveal tournment plans after UK and Ireland confirmed as Euro 2028 hosts

Protesters are demanding the removal of the attorney-general, whom they accuse of undermining democracy.

Euro 2028 will be played across the UK and Ireland after Uefa announced the hosts following a meeting of it’s Executive Committee on Tuesday morning. The UK and Ireland bid delegation included a presentation from the five Football Association leaders and Wales’ former captain Gareth Bales with six football youth ambassadors on hand to explain how they will support the development and diversity of the game around their local communities. It was a formality that the UK and Ireland would be awarded the tournament after Turkey’s withdrawal left them as the only remaining bid for Euro 2028. However, not all the host nations are guaranteed to be participating in their home tournament. Usually, staging a major tournament means the hosts automatically qualify for the competition but with Euro 2028 being spread across an unprecedented five nations that is likely not going to be the case for this edition of the European Championship. In its bid guidelines, Uefa says: “In case(s) of more than two joint-host associations, the automatic qualification of all the host teams cannot be guaranteed and shall be subject to a decision to be made in conjunction with decisions concerning the qualifying competition.” Basically, as the UK and Ireland bid has more than two hosts Uefa will decide if all five should qualify automatically. They are unlikely to offer more than the two automatic places already in place so, in theory, three of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland could miss Euro 2028 entirely. But is there a way all five nations could still qualify? Yes. The teams can qualify for the tournament through merit, making it through Uefa’s qualification rounds as though they were not hosting the tournament. The English FA has already informed Uefa that they will be rejecting an automatic qualification spot for England. Of the five nations involved in hosting Euro 2028, England are the most likely side to successfully make it through qualifying which also leaves the automatic spots open for two of the other sides. The FA also believes playing competitive qualifying games would provide the team with better preparation for the tournament than a series of friendlies in the build-up, something which Euro 2024 hosts, Germany, are currently struggling with. There is also talk about all five teams going through qualifying with the possibility of two ‘backstop’ qualification spots available for those who may miss out. In that case, the highest-ranking nations who failed to qualify would go through or the two sides that come closest to qualifying. However, this approach is said to have some reservations within Uefa about offering a ‘backdoor’ entry to nations who have failed to qualify, as well as its potential impact on the normal qualifying process. As it stands, qualifying through merit seems to be the only guarantee of all five host nations featuring at Euro 2028 but time and compromise may lead to other avenues being explored. Read More Cardiff, Glasgow, Dublin... The Euro 2028 final should be staged anywhere but Wembley Sunak says jointly hosting Euro 2028 will deliver ‘massive boost’ to economy Euro 2028 venues: UK and Ireland name 10 stadiums as Anfield and Old Trafford miss out FA reveal tournment plans after UK and Ireland confirmed as Euro 2028 hosts UK and Ireland confirmed as joint hosts of Euro 2028 How Fifa and Uefa turned choosing tournament hosts into a ‘stitch-up’

The United Kingdom and Ireland will host the 2028 European Championship, while Italy and Turkey will stage the

There is an increasing probability that Europe will experience a significantly warmer winter than usual, potentially reducing the