Author: INDEPENDENT

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Xavi has revealed he decided to stay at Barcelona after his players persuaded him not to leave.The 44-year-old, who made more than 500 appearances for Barca during a trophy-laden playing career, announced in January that he would step down, believing his team needed a “change of dynamic”.However, after president Joan Laporta confirmed on Thursday that the head coach would be staying, the former midfielder admitted his players had played a key role.Xavi told a press conference: “My…

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekdayYour briefing on the latest headlines from across the USRoughly half of the demonstrators arrested at the University of Texas at Austin were not affiliated with the institution, according to administrators.Of the fifty-five people who were found to have “violated institutional rules” during on-campus protests on Wednesday, some 26 were not staff or students, according to a statement released by UT Austin on Thursday.Police on horseback arrived at UT Austin’s campus on 24 April and detained at least 20 people participating in the protest, which…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Manchester City closed the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal to a single point after Phil Foden’s first-half double helped inspire a resounding 4-0 victory over Brighton.Kevin De Bruyne’s eye-catching diving header set Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions on course for a comprehensive success at a soggy Amex Stadium.City, who have a game in hand on the table-topping Gunners, were in complete control by the break as Foden moved past 50 top-flight goals with a quick-fire brace, before…

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekdayYour briefing on the latest headlines from across the USA New York appeals court on Thursday overturned disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction for rape and assault in incidents with two women, citing “egregious errors” in the original proceedings.These included, according to the split panel, allowing several women to testify about alleged incidents outside the charges in the case, and allowing prosecutors the option to ask Weinstein himself about various uncharged allegations, which the film producer’s attorneys cut-off his ability to testify in his…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said Liverpool’s surprise derby defeat to Everton served as a warning to his players ahead of a 4-0 thrashing of Brighton.City moved a point behind Premier League leaders Arsenal and leapfrogged Jurgen Klopp’s side into second spot thanks to Phil Foden’s double and goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Julian Alvarez.A thumping south-coast success came 24 hours after Liverpool lost further ground in the title race by suffering a 2-0 loss to…

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekdayYour briefing on the latest headlines from across the USSenior students in Los Angeles say they are now “reconsidering what it means to graduate from USC” after being “violated” by heavy-handed crackdowns against on-campus protests over the Israel-Gaza war this week.With just two weeks to go before their graduation ceremony on 10 May, some said the celebratory atmosphere had vanished and been replaced with one of “almost grief”. Others accused the institution of creating an environment of “us versus them” amongst Jewish and Muslim students.…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Enzo Fernandez will miss the remainder of Chelsea’s season after undergoing surgery on a groin problem on Thursday.The Argentina midfielder has been suffering for several weeks with a hernia and gave a largely ineffectual performance during his team’s chastening 5-0 defeat to Premier League leaders Arsenal on Tuesday.Mauricio Pochettino has suffered from an ongoing injury crisis this season with a list of absentees that has rarely dropped below seven first-team names.At times he has had as many…

Donald Trump meets New Yorkers before resuming hush money trialSign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailDonald Trump made a surprise campaign stop at a construction site in New York early on Thursday morning en route to day seven of his hush money trial, where the jury heard further testimony from a former tabloid mogul who detailed the “catch-and-kill” scheme.Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified about his agreement with his “mentor” Mr Trump and former attorney Michael Cohen to “kill” stories about the defendant’s…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Arne Slot wants to take the Liverpool job and hopes an agreement can be reached with Feyenoord to allow him to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.The 45-year-old Dutch coach has emerged as a leading candidate to take over from Klopp, who will leave the Reds at the end of the season.Feyenoord, though, do not want to lose their manager and are expected to demand significant compensation for the man who guided them to a first Eredivisie title…

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailPolice in riot gear have violently broken up peaceful Gaza solidarity protests at college campuses across the country, arresting over 500 students in the process.Images of armed police beating students, throwing them to the ground and using tear gas to disperse the protests have flooded social media in the past few days as the protests continued to spread.One video from Emory University in Atlanta on Thursday showed police using a taser on a Black man who was being…