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 emailsAustralian-Chinese writer Yang Hengjun has been sentenced to death in China five years after he was accused of spying, foreign minister Penny Wong confirmed. It is a suspended sentence that can be commuted to life imprisonment after two years.Yang, a pro-democracy blogger, was arrested at the Guangzhou airport in 2019 and booked for spying on an undisclosed foreign country. He received a closed-door trial in Beijing in May 2021. Calling his sentencing “harrowing” and “appalling”,…

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 MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will host the 2026 World Cup final and the 39-day tournament will kick off at Mexico City’s Aztec Stadium.Governing body FIFA confirmed the match schedule on Sunday for the showpiece event, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will involve 48 teams for the first time.The MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford is home for NFL teams the New York Giants and New York Jets and has a capacity…

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailThe bipartisan group of Senators that have negotiated since late last year released the text of their legislation that would restrict immigration in exchange for aid to Ukraine and Israel. The group—comprised of Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, Independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut—released the text of the legislation on Sunday night after months of back-and-forth. The bill’s total price tag is approximately $118bn.President Joe Biden praised the bill 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 Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has challenged Real Madrid to make an offer for Erling Haaland if they really want him.There were reports in Spain last week that Haaland dislikes life in Manchester so much that he wants to leave the club.Perhaps inevitably, it was suggested Real Madrid were monitoring the prolific Norway striker’s situation.The suspicion at City is that this could have been an attempt by Madrid-leaning media to unsettle the 23-year-old and edge him towards…

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailThe White House has refused to rule out US action inside Iran following a wave of retaliatory airstrikes across the Middle East.This weekend saw the US hit dozens of Iran-backed militia sites in Iraq, Syria and Yemen in response to a deadly attack at a military base in Jordan which left three US service members dead last month. On Sunday, president Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan told US news networks that further military action was likely,…

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 Sixth in the table, unbeaten in five games. These have not traditionally been the things Manchester United would boast about. They have achieved far more too often to mention. Now, however, this may represent the high point of a troubled campaign; perhaps, for the often beleaguered Erik ten Hag, the springboard that will rescue it.Winning the battle for sixth, and dislodging West Ham, puts United in their joint best position of the season after their joint biggest…

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekdayYour briefing on the latest headlines from across the USIn the parched rolling hills of Tallahassee, Florida, sits a rundown low-security federal women’s prison housing one of America’s most infamous convicts, Ghislaine Maxwell.Black filth smeared on walls, rodent infestations, and sanitary products being used to plug leaks in dilapidated living quarters are a few of the issues recorded at Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee, according to a Justice Department watchdog report, seen by The Independent.The former socialite – previously used to a life of opulent luxury…

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 Erik ten Hag says Lisandro Martinez’s knee injury “doesn’t look good” and the concerned Manchester United boss is praying centre-back has avoided a “personal disaster”.The 26-year-old looked crestfallen after being forced off on just his fourth appearance since returning from four months out following the reoccurrence of a foot issue.Martinez was surrounded by concerned United team-mates in the second half after going down clutching his right knee having been landed on awkwardly by West Ham full-back Vladimir…

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailNikki Haley has made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live as she hones sharper attacks against former president and 2024 rival Donald Trump ahead of the South Carolina primary.The former governor and United Nations ambassador has been holding events across her home state ahead of the 2024 Republican primary there later this month.But on Saturday, she made an unannounced stop in New York for a cameo during SNL’s cold open, where she sparred with breakout star James…

Klopp alerts journalist to call from dentist during press conferencePremier League leaders Liverpool travel to face Arsenal at the Emirates in Sunday’s late kick-off, looking to stretch the gap over the Gunners to eight points.The Reds beat Chelsea 4-1 in emphatic fashion in midweek, in their first game since Jurgen Klopp announced he would leave the club at the end of the season. Meanwhile, Arsenal beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 at the City Ground. The Gunners sit in third place on 46 points, with Liverpool on 51. The last meeting between the two in the Premier League ended in a 1-1…