Author: INDEPENDENT

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 emailsThe Iraqi government has warned that the Middle East is “on the brink of the abyss” after retaliatory US airstrikes reportedly killed dozens of soldiers and civilians. On Friday, the US carried out strikes on 85 targets at seven facilities in Iraq and Syria in response to a drone attack at a remote base in Jordan that killed three American service members and injured around 40 others on 28 January.The US strikes killed almost 40…

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 Hosts Ivory Coast kept up their incredible escape act at the Africa Cup of Nations as they came from behind to beat Mali 2-1 in their quarter-final, scoring a last-gasp goal in extra time to book a semi-final with the Democratic Republic of Congo.Oumar Diakite got a touch to Seko Fofana’s strike to win the game for the Ivorians, who played with 10 men for most of the match after Odilon Kossounou was sent off shortly before…

Man recalls moment his car got trapped by heavy flooding in California Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planetGet our free Climate emailCalifornians are bracing for a second round of intense rain and “life-threatening” flooding this weekend.The National Weather Service for California’s Bay Area has issued a flood watch Saturday through Monday, while the NWS for Los Angeles is forecasting up to 15 inches of rain Saturday through Wednesday. “Life-threatening” flooding is also possible in southern California, forecasters said.This weekend’s storm could intensify as it approaches the coast, a process called bombogenesis…

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 Relieved Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was delighted to see Harvey Barnes return to action with a bang as he came off the bench to snatch a thrilling 4-4 draw with Luton for the Magpies.Barnes, who had been out of action since September 24 with a toe injury, was introduced as a 63rd-minute substitute with his side trailing 4-2 to the promoted Hatters having led 1-0 and 2-1, and it was his strike 10 minutes later which ensured…

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailAllen Weisselberg, the longtime Trump Organization executive who pleaded guilty to tax-related crimes in 2022, is reportedly negotiating a plea agreement on a pending perjury charge in a case stemming from Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial in Manhattan.The potential agreement with the Manhattan district attorney’s office would reportedly require his admission that he lied during his testimony in that separate case and in his interviews with the office of New York attorney general.The deal, first reported by the…

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 Roy Hodgson cut a forlorn figure as Crystal Palace slumped to a dispiriting 4-1 defeat at their fierce rivals Brighton in the Premier League.Goals from Lewis Dunk, Jack Hinshelwood, Facundo Buonanotte and Joao Pedro once again left the future of the veteran Eagles boss under scrutiny.Palace sacked their previous manager, Patrick Vieira, following a 1-0 defeat in this fixture last season so Hodgson, on a run of just four wins from 17 matches, could be on thin…

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekdayYour briefing on the latest headlines from across the US To his supporters, Alejandro Mayorkas is a thoughtful, driven secretary who brings a prosecutor’s tenacity and his personal understanding of the immigrant experience in America to running his sprawling agency. To his detractors, he personifies everything that has gone wrong at the U.S.-Mexico border and is responsible for allowing hundreds of thousands of migrants into the United States illegally in a burgeoning crisis.Mayorkas, often referred to as Ali, is the first Latino and the first…

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 Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou felt goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario deserved more protection from referee Michael Oliver after Everton earned a last-gasp 2-2 draw.The Italian, having endured a similar problem in their FA Cup exit to Manchester City last week, failed to deal with Dwight McNeil’s inswinging corner under his own crossbar which allowed Jack Harrison to equalise to initially make it 1-1.And while the Spurs boss was reluctant to criticise the officials, he felt there could have…

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 emailsFormer Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan and his wife have been sentenced to seven years in prison after a court ruled their 2018 marriage was illegal. It is the third ruling against Khan this week and comes ahead of national elections on Thursday that he is barred from contesting.Khan, 71, has in recent days been sentenced to 10 years for leaking state secrets and 14 years along with his wife Bushra Khan for illegally selling…

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 Just when it seemed as though Everton’s past would cost them on the pitch as well as off it, they illustrated the spirit they will require to extricate themselves from their latest perilous position. Once Richarlison was their saviour, a hero of the late surge to safety in 2022. When he marked his first return to Goodison Park with a double, it appeared as though he was pushing them towards relegation two years later.Yet Tottenham left disappointed…