Author: INDEPENDENT

AFCON 2024: 24 Teams’ Quest For African SupremacySign 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 The Africa Cup of Nations continues this evening with a much-anticipated battle between Ivory Coast and Nigeria. The result of this match could determine which nation finishes top of Group A. The Ivory Coast currently hold first place following their 2-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau in their Afcon opener and look like a confident force under French boss Jean-Louis Gasset.Nigeria in contrast slumped to a shock 1-1 draw with Equatorial Guinea…

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekdayYour briefing on the latest headlines from across the USUvalde police responding to the Robb Elementary School mass shooting in 2022 showed “no urgency” and their tactical blunders cost lives, according to a damning new Department of Justice report. On 24 May, 2022, a gunman walked into Robb Elementary School and killed 21 people, including 19 students and two adults. Police took more than an hour to confront the gunman despite being on-scene within three minutes of the first shots fired. A DOJ report examining…

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 Egypt and Ghana will look to bounce back from disappointing starts to the African Cup of Nations when they face off in a crucial Group B clash. Egypt, who are going in search of a record-extending eighth AFCON title, only managed to salvage a draw with lowly Mozambique thanks to a Mohamed Salah injury-time penalty in their opening game. Ghana, meanwhile, got off to the worst possible start, as Chris Hughton’s side suffered a huge upset at…

Firefighters battle blaze in Ukraine’s Odessa after Russian airstrike on residential buildingFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsKyiv has targeted an oil facility in the Russian city of St Petersburg, more than 500 miles away from Ukraine, in a rare long-range drone attack on Vladimir Putin’s hometown. Russian media claimed three drones were fired toward the city, two of which were downed in the Gulf of Finland, while one outlet claimed there had been a fire after a third drone exploded…

Al-Ettifaq censor Jordan Henderson’s rainbow armband in announcement videoThe January transfer window has been slow to get going this month but may be starting to heat up as clubs try to bolster their squads for the second half of the season.This month, Arsenal and Chelsea are expected to be two of the teams trying to bring in at least one player each, with Ivan Toney a name on both clubs’ wishlists. Brighton striker Evan Ferguson has also been linked with the Blues, although the Seagulls value the teenager at more than £100m. Given the strictness of financial fair play rules,…

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 security guard in Colorado charged with first-degree murder was arrested with a severed hand inside of his pocket just one day after a headless body was found in a nearby creek.Solomon Martinez, 26, was arrested at work last week when police found the hand inside a plastic bag in the chest pocket of his jacket, according to an affidavit obtained by the Pueblo Chieftain.Mr Martinez was charged in Pueblo, Colorado, in connection with a woman…

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 Jordan Henderson looks set to seal a return to European football at Ajax, bringing to an end a heavily criticised stint in Saudi Arabia. Henderson left Liverpool last summer to join Al-Ettifaq, but the Saudi club appear likely to terminate the England midfielder’s contract to allow him to join the Eredivisie side. New reports suggest that Henderson may not even have yet been compensated for his time in Middle Eastern country’s Pro League.The Telegraph reports that the…

Time to Take Your Engagement DigitalAccording to Gavin Finn, CEO of Kaon Interactive, a leading B2B sales and marketing engagement platform, the primary challenge for European B2B companies is adapting to the heightened demand for digital customer engagement. He explains, “European companies are uniquely challenged to address their historically risk-averse approach to the pace of change.” The shift from traditional in-person interactions to digital platforms is here to stay, and it will undoubtedly shape your B2B sales strategies for the foreseeable future.Furthermore, Finn emphasizes the importance of adapting to new ways of connecting with customers. Your brand must rethink its…

Donald Trump addresses supporters after landslide Iowa caucus win Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailABC News and CNN have scrapped their planned Republican primary debates ahead of next week’s New Hampshire primary after Nikki Haley declared she would only take part if Donald Trump finally faced his rivals on stage, leaving only Ron DeSantis willing to participate.Ms Haley wrote on X after the Iowa caucuses that Mr Trump had “ducked” all of the GOP debates and now had “nowhere left to hide”. “The…

Ten Hag addresses Sancho’s departure to Dortmund with frank responseThe January transfer window has been slow to get going this month but may be starting to heat up as clubs try to bolster their squads for the second half of the season.This month, Arsenal and Chelsea are expected to be two of the teams trying to bring in at least one player each, with Ivan Toney a name on both clubs’ wishlists. Brighton striker Evan Ferguson has also been linked with the Blues, although the Seagulls value the teenager at more than £100m. Given the strictness of financial fair play…