What to watch for during Chris Christie's CNN town hall
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie barged into the Republican presidential primary last week with a scathing rebuke of front-runner and former President Donald Trump. At a CNN town hall Monday, he will have another opportunity in front of a national audience to make the political case against Trump -- and for himself.
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Trump’s 2024 Rivals Woo Billionaires to Counter His Loyal Donors
Republican presidential candidates face a crucial, early test next month of whether they can raise enough money to
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Shell CEO’s New Strategy Sees a Long-Term Future for Natural Gas
Shell Plc sees a long-term role for natural gas in the world’s energy mix and aims to expand
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Donald Trump is 'toast' if indictment correct, William Barr says
The ex-attorney general criticises Mr Trump after he was charged with mishandling classified files.
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Turkey’s Record Current-Account Gap Piles Pressure on Simsek
Turkey’s current-account gap unexpectedly widened in April, adding to a record deficit and underscoring the challenge facing President
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China Orders Last Indian Journalist in Country to Leave
The last Indian journalist in China has been asked to leave, as Beijing and New Delhi eject each
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War Spilling Into Russian Regions Adds to Risks Haunting Economy
President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has cost Russia tens of billions of dollars as sanctions squeeze its
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Fed Backs Away From Wages Focus, Bolstering Case for Rate Pause
Federal Reserve officials are rethinking their view that wage gains are fueling inflation, a key intellectual shift that
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Nomura to Scale Back Loss-Making Brokerage Venture With Line
Nomura Holdings Inc. plans to scale back a brokerage venture with messaging app operator Line Group amid a
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How Jude Bellingham can become the anti-Haaland for Real Madrid
It may be of scant consolation in the Ruhr Valley but Borussia Dortmund’s status as the footballing world’s preeminent feeder club seems cemented. A few days before Erling Haaland, their 2022 flagship sale, played in a Champions League final, there was confirmation that Jude Bellingham, his 2023 counterpart, is going to serial Champions League winners Real Madrid. He was perhaps overshadowed by the Miami-bound Lionel Messi but it probably still represents the summer’s most momentous transfer. There have been times over the last two seasons when Real have seemed to be mounting a lone campaign to prevent the Premier League from dominating Europe; they eliminated three English opponents last season and two this before the emphatic 4-0 defeat to Manchester City. It doesn’t quite reverse the scoreline, but as City were also suitors for Bellingham, Real gained revenge of sorts. Perhaps they are never more potent in the transfer market than when hammered on the pitch: in 2009, after being thrashed 4-0 by Liverpool, they went out and bought Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Xabi Alonso and Kaka. Fourteen years and five Champions Leagues later, Benzema is finally leaving. That Bellingham is still a teenager, if only for a few weeks, opens up the prospect of a sequel, a continuum of success. Maybe a generational talent will help swing the balance of power back to where it has often resided, in the Bernabeu. It also shows that his is a career unlike any other English player: even if the Premier League eventually does beckon, it will only be after playing in the Championship, the Bundesliga and La Liga. There is an English trait towards insularity, but Bellingham feels increasingly cosmopolitan. And Real still seem the ultimate destination club. In a world of various rivalries – England versus mainland Europe, new money against old – the siren call of Spain’s two superpowers remains strong. Being Real – or Barcelona – comes with certain advantages; they have long exerted a gravitational pull for Spanish, Portuguese and South American footballers but Bellingham is proof it still extends beyond them. It also confers an economic advantage. If Barcelona’s current financial strategy is to get everything and everyone on the cheap, Real may have got Bellingham for a relative bargain. Sizeable as an initial fee of £86 million is, it is less than many anticipated. When Liverpool bowed out of the race for him, the sense was that Bellingham could go for £130 million; even £86 million would have been beyond Liverpool’s parameters, as some other clubs had already concluded, while Manchester United’s need for a striker meant he could not be their top priority. It may have only left a market of two: Real and City. In his own way, Bellingham is the anti-Haaland. Whereas there was a clear vacancy for a centre-forward in Manchester, there is congestion in the queue for midfield spots in Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti might be the greatest diplomat of his age. He might also need to be, with the next generation of Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde, while there is also the ancien regime of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric to placate. In one respect, it may have been better for Real had Bellingham joined in 2024 when one or both of Modric and Kroos could leave. In the meantime, even the compromises of fielding Camavinga at left-back and Valverde on the right wing may not shield the reality each has a compelling case to start in midfield in the major matches. Six into three does not go. Nevertheless, Real still look masters of succession planning. It is a way in which they have reinvented themselves. Vinicius Junior is proof they are now signing Galacticos before they become Galacticos and, for all his talent, Bellingham has not yet gravitated to the level of fame players such as Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham had when Real bought them. But it is notable that Bellingham joins as perhaps the last of the old-school Galacticos goes: Eden Hazard was the trophy signing, the €100 million man who left on a free transfer. Real got four goals in La Liga from Hazard over four seasons and if injuries rendered him and them luckless, Bellingham offers the prospect of more longevity and resale value as well as a greater impact. Hazard apart, Real have been smart buyers in recent years, with a judicious mix of long-term investments, astute free transfers and players acquired for less than their actual value. They have debunked their own dishonest rationale for trying to found the Super League by handling transition within the existing parameters of their budget, and perhaps emerging stronger at the end of it. Now Real are simultaneously delaying the future with Kroos and Modric, being forced into it by Benzema’s departure and preparing almost perfectly for it. They seem to have the midfield for the 2020s. If, in due course, Bellingham is joined at the Bernabeu by either Haaland or Kylian Mbappe, they may have the forward for the decade, too. Read More Jude Bellingham to become the eighth Brit to play for Real Madrid Lionel Messi to Inter Miami: Apple deal, MLS contract, salary, debut and everything we know The trick that made Erling Haaland the ultimate finisher – in more ways than one
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Credit Suisse's Exit From Stock Benchmark Shows Fading Heft of Swiss Financials
Credit Suisse Group AG’s imminent exit from the Swiss Market Index is symbolic of the decreasing importance of
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Pep’s future and Premier League charges – Where next for Man City after treble?
Manchester City reached the pinnacle of the European game with victory in the Champions League final on Saturday, which also saw them complete the treble. Here, the PA news agency looks at what could come next for the club. Could this be the first of many European triumphs for City? The club will certainly hope so. While winning the Champions League may have been a long-held ambition and the culmination of everything hitherto done in a now 15-year project under Abu Dhabi ownership, it was not a one-off target. The club have advanced considerably on and off the field and they intend to establish themselves firmly among the continent’s heavyweights. Winning every season is obviously not realistic but they want reaching the latter stages each time to become the norm. Will Pep Guardiola carry on at the helm? The inspirational Catalan has been the central factor in City’s success. The club identified Guardiola as the man to bring them European glory long before they even appointed him and their set-up is tailored to him. Their trust in him has paid off handsomely and they will naturally want him to stay as long as possible. There is uncertainty as Guardiola has never favoured long-term commitments. All his contract renewals at City have been relatively short. After winning the Champions League there is a feeling he could see his business as done when his current deal expires in 2025. On the other hand, he does seem firmly wedded to the City project and spoke on Saturday of not wanting the club to win one Champions League “and disappear”. City fans can expect at least a couple more campaigns from him. Will he need to reshape the team? With the way City have charged through the closing stages of the season to sweep up three trophies, there would seem little reason to make major changes. A specialist left-back would be desirable after Joao Cancelo left on loan in January and seems likely to move on, but that position has been a recurring problem throughout Guardiola’s tenure and has hardly hindered them. Some new signings may be necessary if the influential pair of Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva leave. Gundogan is out of contract this summer and yet to commit while Silva is apparently open to a new challenge and could go if a suitable offer arrived. City are hopeful both will stay, however. Other than that, there seem no pressing issues. Can they maintain their standards? It would surely be impossible for City to remain at the same level they have been this season. Last year Liverpool produced a very high standard and came within a whisker of winning the quadruple but, after their exertions took their toll, fell away this term. City will be anxious to ensure any downturn is not as dramatic. Five Premier League titles in six years, however, suggests Guardiola has a good idea how to prevent this. There is an elephant in the room though isn’t there? Yes. The Premier League’s Financial Fair Play investigation into City may be out of sight at times but it has not gone away. City are facing more than 100 charges for alleged rule breaches. This could loom over them for some considerable time but, with little clarity over the process or the nature of the charges, it will be business as usual in the meantime. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Zach Mercer and Danny Care included in England World Cup training squad Football rumours: Wilfried Zaha eyes move to Paris St Germain On this day in 2019: Chris Froome ruled out of Tour de France after crash
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