How tall is Josh Allen? Quarterback made NFL history with a perfect offensive possession
Josh Allen became the first quarterback in the National Football League to score a touchdown on each of his team's offensive possessions
1970-01-01 08:00
Vatican shares investigation into child abuse allegations against an Australian bishop with police
The Catholic Church says the Vatican has shared with police findings of an internal investigation of a former Australian bishop over child sex abuse allegations and will fully cooperate with criminal investigators
1970-01-01 08:00
How tall is Jose Altuve? Houston Astros star was rejected from a tryout camp because he was too small
Jose Altuve became the brunt of trolls on social media due to his height
1970-01-01 08:00
Markets mostly rise as traders try to look past expected rate hikes
Most stock markets rose Friday, reversing early losses and a sell-off on Wall Street, as traders contemplate further interest rate hikes by central...
1970-01-01 08:00
Max Verstappen returns to form in Japanese Grand Prix practice
A “fired-up” Max Verstappen sent a warning to the rest of the grid that Red Bull are back on form as he set a searing pace to top the first two practice sessions at the Japanese Grand Prix. Verstappen’s record 10-race winning run and Red Bull’s unbeaten season came to a shuddering halt last weekend in Singapore, where the team admitted they did not understand their struggles with the car’s set-up around the street circuit. The 25-year-old was confident of a return to form around the high-speed corner track at Suzuka, where Lewis Hamilton predicted the Red Bull would be “phenomenal”, but all eyes were on the Dutchman who is closing in on a hat-trick of world titles. His response to the struggles of Singapore was immediate and emphatic, finishing 0.626 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Singapore-winner Carlos Sainz in P1 before beating Charles Leclerc by 0.320sec in P2. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “He dealt with (Singapore) very maturely. “It was a difficult weekend but he raced very hard. It was what it was. He knew at some point we were going to get beaten and he dealt with the situation well. “He has certainly come here pretty fired up as you could see from his outlap in P1 today. “Max knew it was always going to come to an end at some point. That 10th victory meant a lot to him and certainly to the team so I’m glad Singapore wasn’t the 10th in that succession of races. I think he has just shown great leadership and great maturity.” The second session was red-flagged with a little over two minutes remaining when Pierre Gasly crashed heavily into the barriers at Degner Two, bringing a premature end to the session. McLaren had been tipped to be the closest challengers to Red Bull and Verstappen this weekend, with Mercedes’ George Russell even suggesting the British team could be favourites. Lando Norris showed strong pace to finish the day third, albeit 0.464sec off the pace, while Oscar Piastri, who signed a contract extension earlier this week, claimed eighth in the second McLaren. Red Bull will almost certainly clinch the Constructors’ Championship this weekend at the home race for their engine supplier Honda. But Sergio Perez was over a second off the pace of his team-mate, finishing 11th in P1 and ninth in P2. Fernando Alonso claimed sixth for Aston Martin ahead of the Williams of Alex Albon. Mercedes pair Russell and Hamilton struggled in the opening session, finishing a lowly 13th and 16th respectively, with chief race engineer Andrew Shovlin admitting the team had work to do on the car setup. Russell claimed fifth in P2 but Hamilton was only 14th, with the seven-time world champion a huge 1.141sec adrift off the pace. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Lance Stroll to sit out Singapore Grand Prix after huge crash in qualifying ‘You can forget about that’ – Max Verstappen rules out another win in Singapore Lance Stroll crashes into barrier at 110mph in Singapore Grand Prix qualifying
1970-01-01 08:00
US Considers Twin Defense Treaties to Achieve Israel-Saudi Arabia Normalization
The White House is considering formal defense treaties with Saudi Arabia and Israel as part of its plan
1970-01-01 08:00
Gayle King shares throwback post about Harry Styles’ historic 15-show run at Madison Square Garden
Harry Styles made a new record last year by performing at Madison Square Garden with 15 consecutive sold-out shows between August and September
1970-01-01 08:00
Take That announce new album
Take That will release their new album 'This Life' on 24 November and will head out on tour next year.
1970-01-01 08:00
Justin Timberlake finally explains bizarre NSYNC song pronunciation
Justin Timberlake has finally explained why he mangled his pronunciation in NSYNC song It’s Gonna Be Me - revealing it was a request from Swedish songwriter/producer Max Martin
1970-01-01 08:00
Naseem Shah is ruled out of the Cricket World Cup in a big injury blow for Pakistan
Pakistan has sustained a big blow after its ace pace bowler Naseem Shah was ruled out of the Cricket World Cup due to a right shoulder injury
1970-01-01 08:00
China relaxes capital controls to entice badly needed foreign investment
China is allowing foreigners in Shanghai and Beijing to move their money freely into and out of the country, in a significant move toward relaxing its strict capital controls as it tries to woo overseas investors.
1970-01-01 08:00
What is wrong with Manchester United’s defence? Everything
The task for every subsequent Manchester United manager has been to emulate Sir Alex Ferguson. Erik ten Hag did it twice in a night. Neither was cause for celebration. When Serge Gnabry scored Bayern Munich’s second goal, it was the first time since Ferguson’s team of 2001 that United had conceded twice in five successive games. When Mathys Tel added a late fourth, it meant the class of 2023 became the second United side to let in four goals in a Champions League game: the first was Ferguson’s 1994 group, when eviscerated by Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona ‘Dream Team’. That could be explained in part by the regulations about foreign players at the time and Ferguson’s disastrous decision to omit Peter Schmeichel; this in part by a different kind of goalkeeping error, Andre Onana’s blunder for Leroy Sane’s opener. Yet defensive difficulties have been a constant of late. To paraphrase Clive Tyldesley, who commentated on both the most famous and the most recent meetings of Bayern and United, can Manchester United concede? They always concede. Even their lone clean sheet this season had a fortunate feel and highlighted issues. Wolves, the lowest scorers in last season’s Premier League, had 23 shots, the most of any visiting side at Old Trafford in the top flight since 2005. They received an apology from PGMOL after they were not awarded a penalty. Since then, Onana has retrieved the ball from his net 14 times. United have shown they can concede early – they had never let in two goals as early into a Premier League game until they went two behind Nottingham Forest inside four minutes – and late, being breached twice in injury time by Arsenal. They have conceded in spurts, with quickfire doubles coming at their expense in three of the last four games, and at regular intervals. Twice in the Allianz Arena, they conceded soon after scoring. If the diagnosis on the opening night against Wolves was that the midfield was malfunctioning, with the introduction of Mason Mount leaving Casemiro exposed, subsequent matches have indicated there are also issues in goal, in the back four and on the wings that have led to opponents scoring. Ten Hag was asked in the Allianz Arena if the problem lay in the mentality or injuries. Both, he replied: certainly United had an alternative back four on the treatment table, in Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, plus another sidelined left-back, in Tyrell Malacia. Certainly every game he misses accentuates Varane’s importance and his status as United’s best defender; that he is ageing and injury-prone, however, offers scant consolation. But as he defended Onana, pointing out the summer signing made several second-half saves in Munich, Ten Hag inadvertently underlined that the damage could have been greater. Bayern hit the post twice. Four goals might have been eight. As Ten Hag suggested that United could have done more to halt Sane before he shot, he touched on a recurring theme: United are opened up too easily on the flanks. All three Brighton goals stemmed from the wings, when Ten Hag’s decision to field a side without cover in front of his full-backs backfired. So did Bayern’s first two, with Jamal Musiala embarking on a storming solo run. At left-back, United are discovering that Sergio Reguilon, the emergency signing given a baptism of fire, is more of an attacking full-back. On the right, Diogo Dalot is struggling; Bayern, with their quick wingers, might have been a match to suit Wan-Bissaka, had he been fit. But neither Marcus Rashford nor, when available, Antony is the most diligent at shielding full-backs and low crosses and cutbacks can lead to goals against United. So can quick breaks. If, at times, United are chasing games and that is a factor in Arsenal’s third goal and Bayern’s fourth, there is nevertheless the sense that Casemiro can flounder when surrounded by open space and opposition runners. In different ways, Nottingham Forest’s first goal and Arsenal’s second reflected shortcomings from set-pieces – including United’s own corner. Taiwo Awoniyi’s goal was one of several that Onana perhaps could have saved. Declan Rice’s crucial strike for Arsenal was one of two when Ten Hag’s auxiliary centre-back partnership consisted of Maguire and Jonny Evans; a Leicester 2017 reunion consisting of one player low on confidence and another who might have retired. Ludicrously, United were one more injury away from starting Evans in Munich. And yet he is not the centre-back providing the most cause for concern. Neither is Maguire: the frequent scapegoat has only played 23 minutes this season. Victor Lindelof belongs in the bracket of the out of form. Lisandro Martinez is in still worse shape: substituted three times already this season, often threatening to get sent off, his commitment now looks like rashness, last season’s cult hero like this season’s calamity. That Ten Hag has faith in his former Ajax players, whether Martinez or Onana, is not in doubt, but his recruitment strategy now leaves him more open to criticism. In one respect, United may argue that nothing has changed. Last season, defensive problems were restricted to defining away games, to the eight trips to the rest of the Premier League’s top nine, when they were breached 28 times, and the visit to Sevilla, when they let in three. Now the fixture list has thrown up similar tests: Arsenal and Tottenham away, Brighton, who struck twice at Old Trafford last year, and Bayern. Now the kind of matches that brought clean sheets last season – Burnley, Crystal Palace twice, FC Copenhagen – beckon. But even if a few shutouts would be welcome, they would not be conclusive. Because a question will remain for the tougher games: can Manchester United defend? And, under Ferguson, they usually could. Read More Andre Onana’s wretched start at Manchester United just got worse – has anyone seen David de Gea? How Harry Kane unshackled Bayern Munich with a classic move from his Tottenham days Jamie Carragher claims Arsenal ‘will never win the league’ with Aaron Ramsdale Jadon Sancho set for cut-price Manchester United exit Classy Kane and brilliant Bellingham – England duo making waves in Europe The key questions behind Manchester United’s poor start to the season
1970-01-01 08:00