US, UK forge 'Atlantic Declaration' to counter new threats
The United States and Britain on Thursday announced a new strategic pact as their leaders rededicated the "special relationship" to counter...
1970-01-01 08:00
NBA rumors: 3 contenders Chris Paul could help win a title
Twelve-time All-Star Chris Paul could be waived by the Phoenix Suns but he is looking to help a team win. Here are contenders that could benefit from adding him.Reportedly, star point guard Chris Paul could be waived by the Phoenix Suns in the next week or two. Paul is a 12-time all-star, five-t...
1970-01-01 08:00
Tens of thousands join Tel Aviv Pride parade, celebrating gains and wary of Israeli government
Tens of thousands of people have marched in Tel Aviv’s Pride parade
1970-01-01 08:00
California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes constitutional amendment to tighten access to guns
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing an amendment to the United States Consitution that would enshrine into law regulations on guns, including implementing universal background checks and raising the minimum age to buy a firearm to 21
1970-01-01 08:00
Appeals court skeptical of Ángel Hernández lawsuit vs Major League Baseball
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals expressed skepticism of umpire Ángel Hernández’s attempt to reinstate his race discrimination lawsuit against Major League Baseball
1970-01-01 08:00
South Africa’s Ramaphosa Plans Call With China’s Xi Amid Furor Over Putin Warrant
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will hold talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as Pretoria considers switching the
1970-01-01 08:00
Smith, Cummins star as Australia dominate WTC final
Steve Smith scored his 31st Test century before Australia captain Pat Cummins sparked India's collapse in the World Test...
1970-01-01 08:00
Ex-NFL, Florida State player Travis Rudolph found not guilty of murder and attempted murder charges
Travis Rudolph, a former wide receiver for Florida State University who played in the NFL, was found not guilty of murder and other charges by a Palm Beach County jury on Wednesday, court records show.
1970-01-01 08:00
How John Stones sparked his Man City revival by looking in the mirror
Long before the Barnsley Beckenbauer was reinvented as the Barnsley Busquets, he was the Barnsley benchwarmer. John Stones enters the Champions League final as a revelation, the man whose career has progressed in an unexpected way by moving forward: literally, given that the centre-back doubles up as a midfielder now. Rewind three years, however, and the most stylish English central defender of his generation had adopted a different, unwanted status: of the substitute, and not even the resident super-sub. When Manchester City exited the Champions League in 2020, he had a watching brief, unused as they were beaten by Lyon. Even that was perhaps not the worst element. Even as Pep Guardiola picked an unusually defensive team against the side who finished seventh in Ligue 1, Stones was not one of his three centre-backs. Eric Garcia was, though he was a teenage rookie. Fernandinho was, though he was a 35-year-old midfielder. Aymeric Laporte was, though he had spent much of the season injured. The backdrop may have been still more damning for Stones: Vincent Kompany had left the previous summer and, after City failed to buy Harry Maguire, the captain had not been replaced. Stones should have been the main man; instead he was the spare man, starting just 12 league games, only featuring for 16 minutes of City’s final five matches in all competitions, fifth in line, with Nicolas Otamendi probably ahead of him too. “It was probably one of the hardest times in my career,” Stones said. “Any game that you don’t play, or feel maybe that you should be playing, every player feels like that when they don’t play, especially here because we’ve got an incredible team, it’s always difficult.” The summer of 2020 felt a crossroads in Stones’ career. After erring by not recruiting a centre-back the previous year, Pep Guardiola bought two, in Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake. The competition for places increased. Perhaps that could have been that for Stones at City; he may have been remembered as a gifted player who fleetingly showed his potential, whose goal-line clearance against Liverpool helped decide the 2019 title race, but who was cast aside in Guardiola’s perpetual quest for improvement. But Stones was adamant he would not be making way. “No, I never thought about that,” he said. “I think as soon as you accept that or have that mindset then you have killed yourself. So I always wanted to stay, I have stayed and I absolutely love it. “I wanted to prove to myself, I didn’t say to anyone, ‘It was because I want to prove to you’. I think, if anything, you have to prove to yourself first and foremost that you deserve to be here, you are good enough to be here, and what you bring to the team. Everyone’s so unique here and I feel that’s why we’ve been so successful.” For Stones, the start of his revival was to look in the mirror. “I literally went back to firstly looking at myself, being super-critical of myself and what I could do better on the football pitch, and then looking into every fine detail, down to food, what food, training, what training, what extras,” he added. “That’s come down to doing stuff here and then going home and doing work, even late at night, or straight after the training and all these kinds of specific things, finding these small margins, put them all together to kind of break where I was at after coming back to playing. It was a big learning curve for me and maybe who I am today.” If there were two phases to his return to prominence, the first was to feature more frequently in his preferred position. He leapfrogged Garcia and Fernandinho in the queue for places. Yet this year has brought another aspect, with an evolution that has come at Laporte’s expense. He has proved City’s renaissance man, taking his assurance in possession – he has a pass completion rate of over 90 percent in both the Premier League and the Champions League in each of his seven seasons in Manchester – to a role further up the pitch. He was long seen as a centre-back with a midfielder’s skillset. It is another thing to spend much of each match in midfield. “People have always said from a young age that they can see me playing in there,” Stones reflected. “I did and still do love playing as a centre-half and I’ve absolutely loved this role as well. I think I have showed myself that I’m able to do it. Maybe I am showing some attributes that I didn’t know that I had, but the manager has seen in me.” He has become the midfield metronome who still spends part of his time marking strikers. He partners both Rodri and Dias whereas three years ago, when City’s Champions League campaign concluded, he was alongside Adrian Bernabe, Tommy Doyle and Claudio Bravo among the unneeded replacements. A transformation in his fortunes has included a makeover as a player. The journey, from bench to defence to midfield, could make the eventual achievement even better. Stones said: “If I hopefully look back after Saturday, with a winner’s medal, it will be super-sweet.” Read More How to cure ‘City-itis’? Pep Guardiola has new template to end Champions League woe Kyle Walker recalls ‘tough’ memory and reveals three teams Man City want to emulate The fresh perspective driving Kevin De Bruyne to Champions League glory John Stones relishing key role as Manchester City chase treble glory Injury concerns for Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish ahead of FA Cup final Pep Guardiola convinced Man City can make most of opportunity to win treble
1970-01-01 08:00
NFL Rumors: Cowboys Ezekiel Elliott replacement just fell in their laps
The Dallas Cowboys may have just found their Ezekiel Elliott replacement in the backfield.Ezekiel Elliott is one of several high-profile free agents left on the board at the running back position. He could theoretically still return to Dallas, but the Cowboys appear content to survey the market ...
1970-01-01 08:00
Watch live as Biden and Sunak hold press conference after White House talks
Watch live as Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak hold a press conference after their meeting at the White House on Thursday (8 June). The war in Ukraine and artificial intelligence (AI) were two topics expected to be high on the agenda in their talks, which took place in Washington DC. Mr Biden and Mr Sunak met days after the Nova Kakhovka dam, which lies along the Dnipro river in Russia-held Kherson, was blown up. As a result of the incident, water gushed into nearby villages and towns in the region with a 42,000-strong population at risk of losing their homes, food, safe water and livelihoods. Ukraine has blamed Russia for an attack on the dam, and Mr Sunak said earlier this week that the destruction would be “new low” if Moscow was indeed responsible. “What I can say is if it is intentional, it would represent, I think, the largest attack on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine since the start of the war, and just would demonstrate the new lows that we would have seen from Russian aggression,” he said. Read More Budget 2022: Hunt says UK in recession as he announces huge tax rises Jeremy Hunt increases energy windfall tax in budget Jeremy Hunt freezes tax allowances and hits 45p rate payers
1970-01-01 08:00
Trump praises Pat Robertson after death – despite him saying ex-president lived in ‘alternate reality’
Donald Trump has praised the life of Christian televangelist Pat Robertson, even though he once said that the former president was living in an “alternate reality.” Robertson died at the age of 93 at his home in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on Thursday morning, according to the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). The conservative broadcaster himself ran unsuccessfully ran for president in 1988, finishing behind behind both George HW Bush and Bob Dole. “Today the World lost an incredible and powerful Voice for Faith and Freedom. Pat Robertson showed us that Belief in God produces results that can change the course of History,” wrote Mr Trump on his Truth Social platform. “Pat’s legacy lives on in the many endeavors and lives that he touched. He will be greatly missed. Our hearts and prayers are with his Family!” Mr Robertson predicted that Mr Trump would beat Joe Biden for the White House in 2020, but then criticised him when he refused to accept his defeat. He made his “alternate reality” comment in an interview with CBN as Mr Trump filed a desperate and unsuccessful Supreme Court challenge to Mr Biden’s win in December 2020. “You’ve had your day and it’s time to move on,” Mr Robertson said of Mr Trump. “I had prayed and hoped that there might be some better solution, but I don’t think … I think it’s all over.” Mr Robertson also incorrectly predicted that vice president Kamala Harris would take over from Mr Biden “not too long after the inauguration.” Regent University in Virginia, which Robertson founded, also released a statement saying it was mourning his loss. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our beloved founder,” said Regent University executive vice president for academic affairs William Hathaway. “Dr Robertson was a globally-renowned leader, broadcaster, philanthropist, educator, author, accomplished businessman, and – most importantly – a faithful servant of God who dedicated his life to glorifying the Lord and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Read More Trump in ‘alternate reality’, says televangelist Pat Robertson, as he advises president against 2024 run Trump news – live: Grand jury indictment looms as Trump protests innocence over classified documents Trump knew how to correctly declassify documents, White House official tells prosecutors Why was Tucker Carlson fired from Fox News? Chris Christie hits back at Trump’s mockery over his weight: ‘He’s such a spoiled baby’ ‘Small, pathetic man’: Inside the bitter rivalry between Ron DeSantis and Gavin Newsom
1970-01-01 08:00
