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OTTAWA A trade dispute settlement panel set up under a major North American free trade agreement has rejected

Three wins from 10 games and just 13 goals scored. Rewind almost a month and the Premier League campaign had started in bleak fashion for Chelsea; the critics were loud from some sections over Mauricio Pochettino’s lack of a quick impact, highlighted all the more by Ange Postecoglou doing exactly that a few miles further north. Yet even with a misfiring front line there had occasionally been hints of what this team could be: the beginnings of partnerships, a few players starting to settle, standing out, finding their form. In a team which has been ripped up and effectively started anew over the last year, cohesion between individuals is everything to rebuilding a style and a successful approach. Pochettino has been hampered there, too, by injuries and absences, imbalances and those who arrived before him not reaching the level hoped of them. Now, two matches later and with eight goals scored across them – including four in that chaotic, eternally watchable draw with Man City just prior to the international break – there is not just intangible reason for optimism, but quite clear on-pitch alterations which show Chelsea should be far higher than the 10th place they currently occupy. Nicolas Jackson’s confidence has been boosted by his hat-trick at Tottenham. Raheem Sterling – perhaps the best way of hitting back at being left out continually by England – has been electric, leading Chelsea’s attack by example and producing crucial final-third contributions. And then there’s Cole Palmer, who cost up to £42m and has played only 28 top-flight matches, but who has already forced his way into the Three Lions squad, Pochettino’s best XI and the forefront of Chelsea fans’ minds when considering how they’ll return to the top. Yet the best is unquestionably still ahead and the player who might be Chelsea’s best link, spearhead and quite possibly best player overall has yet to play a single minute – but Christopher Nkunku’s English adventure is about to begin. Quite aside from his fitness and sharpness levels after almost four months on the sidelines, there are a couple of questions about how Pochettino will fit the former RB Leipzig man into his lineup. An all-round attacker, he played everywhere from an offensive midfielder to an in-from-out wide man and a central No 9 in the Bundesliga, while his time with the French national team has also been across the width of the front line. Where he looked at his best was perhaps as a free-roving centre-forward, able to be a box presence but also contribute enormously to the team’s build-up play, but one doesn’t necessarily directly translate to the other given the differences between Leipzig’s at-times chaotic and fully-committed transition attacking play, and Pochettino aiming to give Chelsea’s approach more structure, more consistency, more dominance. Jackson’s purple patch and ability to lead the line could mean that as well as reducing how quickly Nkunku is called upon, he will act best as part of a two-man attack when opposition quality allows. From Pochettino’s current team, that most likely means that one of the midfield triumvirate of Conor Gallagher, Enzo Fernandez or Moises Caicedo is removed from the fold. But if it’s unlikely that happens too often, too soon, then Nkunku’s versatility may quickly make him Chelsea’s biggest tactical weapon as well as possibly their most potent one. His ability to attack from all areas of the final third means the manager can pick and choose how to play him, whether it’s a game for midfield solidity, for Palmer’s impetuous creativity or for Jackson’s constant foraging behind the defensive line. Occasionally it may be a game for all three, of course. But Nkunku’s combination of ball-carrying, ability to pick a pass and propensity for finding the back of the net – with 16 goals he joint-top scored in the Bundesliga last term – means that, once fit, he’ll almost certainly be the man for all solutions, all gameplans, all opponents. Chelsea may find that his return is a timely one. Of course, the team as a whole finding more form and cohesion, and more of the self-belief which comes from these, could itself lead to an upturn in fortunes. But so too might their upcoming fixture list, despite looking relatively tough on the face of things. Newcastle, Brighton, Manchester United and Everton – with only the Seagulls visiting Stamford Bridge in that run – looks a difficult three weeks or so to navigate. But the Magpies will head into Saturday’s game short due to injuries and with just two wins in six, plus a crucial trip to PSG following three days later. Minds, as well as team selections, might not be 100 per cent geared towards the league encounter. Brighton have themselves struggled for fluency of late, with just two wins in 10 dating back to late September, while the less said about consistency and cohesion the better regarding Erik ten Hag’s team this season. There are chances here, then, for Pochettino to pick up not just points but positivity and progression – up the table and with regards to finding his most favoured regular team. Chelsea’s squad and spending alike should insist upon a much higher position in the table. They’ve improved enough in recent weeks to show they’ll certainly start to move up; how quickly Nkunku is integrated and how fast he rediscovers his best level will almost certainly dictate just how much higher they go. Read More Mauricio Pochettino provides Chelsea injury update on Christopher Nkunku Is Chelsea vs Paris FC on TV? Channel, time and how to watch Women’s Champions League Premier League clubs set for fresh split ahead of crunch meeting What Everton ruling means for the Premier League, Man City and Chelsea Chelsea ‘robbed’ by ‘embarrassing’ referee in Real Madrid draw, fumes Emma Hayes Cole Palmer: ‘The most annoying thing about moving down south? The traffic’

SPOKANE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 24, 2023--

Brighton and Hove Albion can become pioneers in women’s football now that the team has received the go-ahead for a purpose-built stadium, according to the councillor who helped approve the plans. The council for Brighton and Hove City gave the green light in October for the club to proceed with locating a site within the city for what is hoped will be an approximately 10,000-capacity ground for the Women’s Super League side. Their proposed new ground will be the first of its kind in the UK to have been designed and built specifically for use by a women’s team, with all 12 of the current WSL clubs playing in stadiums either previously or currently shared with men’s sides. Currently the team plays home matches more than 30 miles away from the city at Crawley’s Broadfield Stadium, where they recently lost to Arsenal. It is an arrangement that has suited the club since becoming founder members of the restructured WSL in 2018 but Labour councillor John Hewitt - who serves as lead councillor for leisure and sport and backed the proposal ahead of it being voted through - believes it is not sustainable if football in the city hopes to grow. Once a site is found and work on the new stadium can begin, Hewitt says the club can realistically think about becoming trendsetters in the women’s game. “As good as (Crawley) are as hosts, the distance has an adverse effect,” he told the PA news agency. “Plus it doesn’t seem like our home ground, because the seats are red and we’re blue and white. “The intention is to build around 10,000 capacity which is a realistic number. The team get around 3-4,000 at Crawley, but there is the capacity for the club to grow in the coming years. “It’s about the women’s game achieving parity with the men’s game. Women’s football is growing. Brighton hosted three games at the Euros last year and there were good attendances. We know there’s the scope for it. “It shows how far the club has come. They were made homeless in 1997, exiled in Gillingham for two years, the struggle to establish the Amex Stadium. This shows the best steps they’re looking to make. On behalf of the city, it would be fantastic if we could be seen as pioneers for this. In years to come, this could be the norm. “One of the reasons for having a purpose-built stadium is different needs. For example, playing in a men’s stadium, dressing rooms might only have two cubicles, whereas a purpose-built women’s ground would have more. “Hopefully, other cities and towns can follow suit in supporting their women’s teams.” Brighton are currently eighth in the WSL table having finished 11th and narrowly avoided relegation last season. With the men’s side having a enjoyed a highest-ever league finished last campaign and currently on the brink of progressing beyond the Europa League group stage on their debut European run, Hewitt believes the situation is ripe for the women’s side to follow suit and play their part in reinforcing Brighton’s reputation as a coming football force. He added: “The intention is for the club to finance it, but the council will be a key stakeholder in that. We’ve been invited to have our input, as in what would we like out of it. “So it’s not just a stadium where there are 20 football matches a year played there, there could be educational facilities, community initiatives hosted there, schools using it for their cup finals. “We’ll be looking at how best we can use the facility for the resident in the city.” Read More Brighton gift draw to Sheffield United after own goal and red card Brighton striker Evan Ferguson signs new long-term contract with Seagulls Chelsea’s attack is close to catching fire – now a forgotten signing can ignite it Chelsea’s attack is close to catching fire – now a forgotten signing can ignite it Premier League news LIVE: Updates from today’s press conferences Pep Guardiola gives Erling Haaland injury update ahead of Liverpool clash

Scientists have made an astonishing discovery that suggests bacteria contain memories to be passed on to future generations. Researchers at the University of Texas and the University of Delaware found that despite having no brain or nervous system, certain bacteria may be able to form memories and remember certain behaviours depending on the available cellular iron. When iron levels are low, bacteria can hunt for local iron in their environment, prompting scientists to believe its memory has evolved, according to Science Alert. "Bacteria don’t have brains, but they can gather information from their environment, and if they have encountered that environment frequently, they can store that information and quickly access it later for their benefit," Souvik Bhattacharyya, the lead author of the recent study said. "We show [...] that a prior experience of swarming is remembered when Escherichia coli encounters a new surface, improving its future swarming efficiency," Souvik explained. "An iron-based memory might offer the advantage of providing a hub connecting various stress responses such as antibiotic survival and biofilms." The 'memories' lasted for around four generations, before generally coming to an end by the seventh. "Before there was oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere, early cellular life was utilizing iron for a lot of cellular processes. Iron is not only critical in the origin of life on Earth, but also in the evolution of life,” the study author went on to explain. "It makes sense that cells would utilize it in this way." How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up for 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.

Canadian consumers splurged in September and October, a surprise resurgence in spending even as high interest rates restrict

European Central Bank Vice President Luis de Guindos said there are risks to the current growth outlook and

Black Friday is the time to secure savings on big ticket items like appliances, televisions—and,

Cheryl has revealed that the late Sarah Harding gave Girls Aloud her blessing to reunite and tour again before she passed away from breast cancer in 2021.

George Kittle didn't exactly light up the stat sheet in the San Francisco 49ers' 31-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night, catching three passe

Anyone who has been on Twitter/X this week will perhaps have noticed that Cilla Black has been trending on the platform as people remember her funniest moments. The late singer and TV presenter entertained audiences with a career spanning over five decades, with sixties hits such as "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "You're My World" before hosting her own BBC variety show, Cilla from 1968 to 1976. She continued to be a permanent fixture on our screens as the host of Blind Date (1985-2003) Surprise Surprise (1984-2001), and The Moment of Truth (1998-2001) The year 2013 marked a significant milestone for Cilla, having worked 50 years in the entertainment industry. In 2015, she passed away aged 72 following a fall and suffering from a stroke at her holiday villa in Spain. Tributes poured in for the Liverpudlian and at her funeral including from fellow singer-turned-TV presenter and close friend Paul O’Grady (who later passed away earlier this year). "If I had to sum Cilla up in one word it would be ‘laughter’. Because that’s all we did. We got up to a lot of trouble but we laughed while we were doing it," he said. We're all a bit clueless as to how this trend began but nevertheless, the memories have been entertaining to read and watch - here are some of Cilla's best and funniest moments: When she quit Blind Date - while live on air Her favourite snack was an Oxo cube rubbed into an orange "All Night Long" (Cilla's Version) Performing 'Eye of the Tiger' down at a local leisure centre She called out an uncover journalist on Blind Date Her rendition of You're So Vain Cilla Black played the grandmother of Girls Aloud's Nicola Roberts in a sketch How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel 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.

The cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas will bring relief to dozens whose relatives are being held captive