Pope Francis laments "reactionary," politicised, US Catholic Church
By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY Pope Francis has lamented what he called a "reactionary" Catholic Church in the
1970-01-01 08:00
Max Verstappen’s achievements are still underestimated – Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso believes Max Verstappen’s record-equalling Formula One reign has been underestimated. Verstappen matched Sebastian Vettel’s all-time streak of nine consecutive wins with a brilliant display in Sunday’s wet-dry-wet Dutch Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver is 138 points clear at the summit of the world championship and could close out his third title as early as next month. Earlier this season, Lewis Hamilton described Verstappen’s Red Bull machine as the fastest car he has ever seen. But during Verstappen’s run of nine in a row, team-mate Sergio Perez – the only other driver to win a race in 2023 – has finished off the podium five times. And double world champion Alonso, runner-up to Verstappen in Zandvoort, said: “It is underestimated what Max is achieving. To win in such a dominant way in any professional sport is so complicated. “Today I felt connected with the car and that I was able to give 100 per cent of my abilities but perhaps at other races in Belgium or Austria, for example, I wasn’t able to do that. “But Max is achieving 100 per cent more often than the rest of us at the moment, and that is why he is dominating.” Since he claimed his maiden title at the controversial season-ending Abu Dhabi race in 2021, Verstappen has won 26 of the 35 races staged. In his last 24 appearances, Verstappen has failed to win just four times. He has triumphed at 11 of the 13 rounds so far this year. On Sunday night, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner lauded his star driver as “simply untouchable”. Hamilton’s Mercedes team secured eight consecutive constructors’ championships before Red Bull returned to the top. Hamilton won six titles in seven seasons, but he was never able to win more than five races in a row. Michael Schumacher managed seven straight victories for Ferrari during his stranglehold of the sport at the turn of the century. And Verstappen, 25, said: “There have been more dominant cars in the past than we have at the moment, and they haven’t been able to win nine in a row. “It is hard and, especially in the rain, it’s easy to make a wrong call or spin into the gravel. So, it’s never that straightforward.” Verstappen will bid to secure his 10th consecutive win at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix in Monza. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live How Max Verstappen equalled Sebastien Vettel’s record for consecutive race wins Max Verstappen reveals Sebastian Vettel prediction as he closes on GP record run Max Verstappen is one of the best drivers in F1 history – Lando Norris
1970-01-01 08:00
Elon Musk mercilessly booed and mocked at video game tournament
Elon Musk is usually right at home among large crowds of video game aficionados – but now, even they are turning against him. The billionaire, who bought Twitter last year, gutted many of its core features and renamed it X, was booed and jeered at by a large gaming crowd at the recent Valorant Champions 2023 tournament in Los Angeles. In a clip shared on X/Twitter, Musk appeared on the big screen and was immediately met with a chorus of dissent. Some of the crowd could even be heard shouting: “Bring back Twitter.” “Where’s that coming from, that can’t be from in here, surely,” one of the stream’s commentators asked. “Is that a bigger reaction than [professional Valorant player] tenZ got?” Reacting to the clip on X, one person said: “Now he’s gonna ban all valorant content on twitter or lock it behind the sub.” The person was referring to the fact that Musk has frequently cracked down on the content of rivals, such as Substack, on Twitter/X. That is despite claiming he wanted to apply a police of “free speech absolutism” on his own app. During his tenure at Twitter, Musk has also suspended reporters and left-wing accounts that drew his ire, retaliated against media outlets perceived as too liberal and ordered engineers to boost his posts after a tweet from president Joe Biden about the Super Bowl did better than his own. It's not the first time he's been booed onstage in recent times either. Musk appeared to be mercilessly jeered by audience members after being brought on stage by Dave Chappelle on 12 December. Musk was introduced by the comedian during his show at San Francisco’s Chase Center. Chappelle joked: “It sounds like some of the people you fired are in the audience.” In a characteristically self-aware moment after the incident, Musk called his hecklers "unhinged". The Tesla founder's leadership of Twitter, then X, has also led to a reported drop in standards across the app, with many of the company’s content moderation staff sacked late last year as he slashed headcount. And late last year, research given to the New York Times suggested there has been a sharp a rise in hate speech on the platform as a result. No wonder the gamers were unhappy with Musk. “I’m sure he’ll change it back now,” said the original poster, Jake Lucky, seemingly sarcastically. At least he’s realistic about his chances. 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.
1970-01-01 08:00
Xavi makes huge Lamine Yamal prediction after Villarreal victory
Xavi backs Lamine Yamal to define an era at Barcelona after impressing against Villarreal.
1970-01-01 08:00
Technology stocks lead European shares higher; China-related stocks rise
By Shashwat Chauhan (Reuters) -European shares advanced on Monday, with technology stocks leading gains following an upbeat close on Wall
1970-01-01 08:00
Super Typhoon Saola Brings Heavy Rain to North Philippines
Super typhoon ‘Saola’ is expected to make landfall on the Philippines on Wednesday, having already drenched parts of
1970-01-01 08:00
Logan Paul dares Conor McGregor to 'slap the nose off' of him after MMA fighter's comments: 'I’d like to see him try'
Logan Paul poured fuel on the flames by calling Conor McGregor 'an average MMA fighter and a horrible boxer '
1970-01-01 08:00
Jurgen Klopp calls 10-man Liverpool’s win at Newcastle ‘rare and super-special’
Jurgen Klopp insisted he has never experienced anything like 10-man Liverpool’s dramatic comeback win at Newcastle in his long managerial career. The Reds were trailing 1-0 and were down to 10 men following skipper Virgil van Dijk’s first-half dismissal before substitute Darwin Nunez struck twice to claim all three points at St James’ Park. Asked what the stunning comeback said about the spirit of his team, Klopp said: “Absolutely everything. In my more than 1,000 games as a coach, I never had a game like this, that is the truth. “There have been other games, but with 10 men in an atmosphere like this against an opponent like this… It’s not that I can’t remember, I’m pretty sure it never happened because these moments are rare and super-special. “But I thought the boys deserved it today because with 10 men, we played better and gave Newcastle a proper game. “Three things were clear at half-time: Trent [Alexander-Arnold] cannot get another yellow card; we cannot concede a second and if that happens we have a chance, and that’s what the boys obviously did.” Nunez had been introduced as a 77th-minute replacement for Alexis Mac Allister – who was sent off against Bournemouth last weekend before his red card was rescinded – with the Reds resisting Newcastle’s efforts to kill the game off, twice with the help of the woodwork. The £85million Uruguay international endured a difficult first year on Merseyside, but he took his latest chance with both hands. Klopp said of Nunez: “Everything will be fine, it is just maybe it had to be like this. If he hadn’t been that angry and started the game today, he wouldn’t have scored in the last six minutes or whatever. “Let’s take it like that.” As the game reached the 80-minute mark, the Magpies looked to be heading for victory courtesy of former Everton man Anthony Gordon’s 25th-minute strike, with Van Dijk having departed prematurely shortly afterwards, sent off for felling Alexander Isak on his way to goal. Klopp said: “I don’t think it is a red card. There’s pretty much no contact, very little, but what can I say? The decision is like this and I cannot change it. “Would I whistle in a training game? Definitely not, but there are reasons why I am not a ref.” However, Nunez pounced on an uncharacteristic error by Sven Botman to level with nine minutes remaining and then repeated the dose in stoppage time from Mo Salah’s through-ball to clinch victory. Magpies boss Eddie Howe, who had earlier seen Alisson Becker pull off a spectacular save to turn Miguel Almiron’s shot on to the crossbar before the Paraguay international later fired against a post, admitted his team had been made to pay for not being ruthless enough. Howe said: “I thought we played really well today. The opening stages of the game can’t be forgotten by me in regards to the team’s performance and reflection on how the game went. I thought we were excellent, individual performances were really strong. “The sending-off almost harms us, really, in the match, although the chances were there for us to kill the game and I think the second goal changes everything. “We didn’t get it and when Nunez comes on, they’re looking for one moment – and they didn’t just get one, they get two and they took them.” Read More Better than Barcelona? Liverpool add another late winner to the Klopp mythology Newcastle vs Liverpool LIVE: Premier League result and reaction Liverpool lucky with availability of centre-backs this season – Jurgen Klopp Liverpool are under pressure from Saudi Arabia – on and off the pitch Eddie Howe urges Bruno Guimaraes to learn from social media criticism He’s essential to Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp dismisses Mohamed Salah transfer talk
1970-01-01 08:00
Jacksonville shooting: Father, 29, among three killed in racially-motivated attack
Jerrald Gallion planned to spend the weekend with his 4-year-old daughter but the devoted father was instead one of three Black people gunned down Saturday afternoon at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida. Gallion, 29, was shot as he entered the store's front door with his girlfriend in a predominantly Black neighborhood. The killing marked him as another victim in the latest racist attack in the US. “My brother shouldn’t have lost his life,” his sister, Latiffany Gallion, said Sunday. “A simple day of going to the store, and he’s taken away from us forever.” The gunman, 21-year-old Ryan Palmeter, opened fire Saturday using guns he bought legally despite a past involuntary commitment for a mental health exam. Authorities say he left behind white supremacist ramblings that read like “the diary of a madman.” The other two people slain were identified as Angela Michelle Carr, 52, who was shot in her car, and store employee Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre, Jr., 19, who was shot as he tried to flee. On Sunday, family members recalled Gallion's sense of humor and work ethic. He saw his job as a restaurant manager as a way to provide for his daughter, Je Asia. Although his relationship with the child’s mother didn’t last, they worked together to raise Je Asia. That earned him lasting affection from Sabrina Rozier, the child’s maternal grandmother. “He never missed a beat,” Rozier told reporters Sunday evening after a prayer vigil near the shooting scene. “He got her every weekend. As a matter of fact, he was supposed to have her (Saturday).” Gallion attended St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Bishop John Guns told a crowd during the prayer vigil. “In two weeks I have to preach a funeral of a man who should still be alive,” Guns said. “He was not a gangster, he was not a thug — he was a father who gave his life to Jesus and was trying to get it together." As the child sat nearby in a pink dress with long braids in her hair, Rozier said the girl last spoke to her father at about 2:30 a.m. Saturday when she was having trouble falling asleep. “We’re trying to decide how to tell his one and only daughter that he’s not coming back,” Rozier said. “I’m her grandmother and I don’t know how to tell her. I don’t have the words.” Read More Ron DeSantis booed at Jacksonville vigil as police say racist Florida shooter bought weapons legally – live Everything we know about the Florida Dollar General Shooting Ron DeSantis is booed by mourners as he attends Jacksonville vigil after racist shooting
1970-01-01 08:00
Ambani Appoints Children to Reliance Board, Wife Steps Down
Coming soon: Sign up for the India Edition newsletter by Menaka Doshi – an insider's guide to the
1970-01-01 08:00
Imaan Mazari-Hazir: Bail for rights lawyer who called Pakistan army 'terrorists'
Imaan Mazari-Hazir was arrested after making a speech criticising the powerful military over abductions.
1970-01-01 08:00
Biden back to school as Republicans fight education culture war
By Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON President Joe Biden will spotlight on Monday efforts to combat cratering U.S. student performance
1970-01-01 08:00
