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 A continental champion, a national hero.Sebastien Haller’s right boot got the vital flick at the perfect time and ten minutes later, Ivory Coast had completed the most remarkable and improbable of tournament turnarounds, winning the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil after beating Nigeria 2-1.It marked the most momentous on-pitch moment of the 29-year-old striker’s career thus far and took him to double figures in international goals. And yet, Haller’s late winner, his moment of African…

Donald Trump says he would encourage Russia to attack Nato allies who pay too littleSign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailDonald Trump has been rebuked by President Joe Biden after proclaiming during a campaign rally in South Carolina that he would “encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to any country that is “delinquent” in meeting its financial commitments to Nato.President Biden was incensed by the remarks, commenting: “Serving as commander-in-chief is the ultimate responsibility and one that should weigh heavily on…

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 Erling Haaland is fit and scoring again. That is ominous. Kevin De Bruyne is fit and assisting again. That is ominous. John Stones, the tactical key to last season’s treble, was on the pitch at the same time as both De Bruyne and Haaland since the Champions League final again on Saturday. That is ominous. Manchester City went top of the table, albeit only for two-and-a-half hours. They have won 10 consecutive games in all competitions and…

A Ukrainian soldier fires a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher at Russian positions near the frontline (General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine )For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsRussian soldiers are using Elon Musk’s Starlink terminals to connect to satellite internet service on the frontlines in Ukraine, Kyiv’s intelligence service has claimed.Ukraine’s GUR intelligence unit said on Telegram on Sunday that they had evidence that Russian forces were using the terminals in Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine.The report came days after a…

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 David Moyes contemplated another West Ham landmark, only this one will not result in an open-bus parade. The manager who led West Ham to their first European trophy since 1965 has now presided over their heaviest top-flight home defeat in 61 years. Eight months on from that night in Prague, and the day where fans lined the streets to hail their returning Europa Conference League heroes, the London Stadium emptied as quickly as West Ham capitulated. Arsenal…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsIsrael says it has rescued two hostages held by Hamas in Gaza’s Rafah refugee camp during a raid and airstrikes which local health officials say killed 50 Palestinians and wounded dozens more.It comes amid growing fears of a major Israeli ground offensive into Rafah, a city for refugees in southern Gaza. Israel went ahead with Sunday night’s raid despite US president Joe Biden calling on Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off invading Rafah until a plan…

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 Laia Aleixandri earned Manchester City a spot in the Women’s FA Cup quarter-finals with a second-half winner against Arsenal.The Gunners came into the fifth-round contest hoping to bounce back from a first-ever Women’s Super League loss to West Ham, but could not find the finishing touch at Meadow Park as they crashed out 1-0.A scrappy first half gave way to a more open second period with chances for both sides, WSL leading goalscorer Khadija Shaw seeing two…

Putin mocks Tucker Carlson over his failed attempt to join CIA The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekdayYour briefing on the latest headlines from across the USFormer Fox News host Tucker Carlson has released his interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who started with a long diatribe on Russian history and its relationship with Ukraine. The two-hour, seven-minute interview was recorded on 6 February and released in full shortly before 6pm ET on Thursday. Carlson travelled to Moscow for Putin’s first interview with a Western media figure since the invasion of…

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 As if there was not enough embarrassment, Declan Rice’s final touch completed the humiliation. Arsenal were already 5-0 up at West Ham and cruising towards a resounding victory in the Premier League title race when the former Hammers captain stepped up to curl in a sublime sixth from 25 yards. As Rice’s thumping strike flew past the goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, to add to his two previous assists, the midfielder held up his hands in a gesture of…

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailNikki Haley and Former President DonaldTrump are squaring up for their latest tiff after he publicly questioned her military husband’s whereabouts.Mr Trump made the remarks while campaigning in South Carolina, Ms Haley’s home state, where she also served as governor. The former president is currently leading in the polls there ahead of the 24 February primary.“What happened to her husband?” Mr Trump asked a crowd in Conway, South Carolina. “Where is he? He’s gone. He knew. He knew.”Ms…