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 There are some nerves at the top level of football as a new year starts and they aren’t all related to the usual concerns.Many might say an “unusual concern” perfectly describes the prospect of England finally winning a tournament. Gareth Southgate’s side are seen as the likely Euro 2024 winners by the majority of the field, at least outside of France.It’s a sense of expectation, rather than just optimism, that is new even for this manager’s time.…

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekdayYour briefing on the latest headlines from across the USMichael Flores had been living in a homeless encampment near a Van Nuys bus station for at least three years when he was offered a place in a high-profile Los Angeles initiative to get people off the streets.The pitch from Inside Safe, LA mayor Karen Bass’s signature programme, sounded humane enough: if Flores agreed to leave the encampment, he wouldn’t face any punishment, and a hotel room and social supports were ready and waiting. Mayor Bass…

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 Liverpool face an anxious wait to see if Alexis Mac Allister will be fit to face Newcastle on Monday but Jurgen Klopp suggested left-back Andy Robertson will miss the whole of January. Mac Allister has sat out Liverpool’s last six matches with a knee injury and his return could be timely as the Newcastle match will be Wataru Endo’s last before he goes to the Asian Cup. Robertson has not played since dislocating his shoulder on international…

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 An Oregon weekly newspaper has had to lay off its entire staff and halt print after 40 years because its funds were embezzled by a former employee, its editor said, in a devastating blow to a publication that serves as an important source of information in a community that, like many others nationwide, is struggling with growing gaps in local news coverage.About a week before Christmas, the Eugene Weekly found inaccuracies in its bookkeeping, editor…

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 Jack Grealish could be available for Manchester City’s clash with Sheffield United on Saturday after nobody was harmed during a burglary at his house.Raiders targeted the England midfielder’s Cheshire home while he was playing for treble winners City at Everton on Wednesday night.Members of his family and his fiancee, Sasha Attwood, were at the property at the time when they heard a disturbance and raised the alarm.It has been reported the thieves made off with £1m worth…

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 massive rogue wave overrode coastal barriers and sent onlookers scattering in the California beach town of Ventura.Eight people were sent to the hospital in the incident, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. “For your safety, please avoid the area near the ocean, as it can be quite dangerous,” the department wrote on Facebook alongside a video of the freak occurrence. Powerful storms in the Pacific have sent waves as large as 40 feet tall…

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 Pep Guardiola has reminded players of the importance of personal security after the home of Jack Grealish was burgled in midweek.The Manchester City manager has even suggested cutting back on social media use as part of any precautions.Thieves broke into Grealish’s Cheshire mansion while he was playing in the treble-winners’ victory at Everton on Wednesday.Some members of Grealish’s family and his fiancee Sasha Attwood were at the property at the time when they heard a disturbance and…

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 emails Singer Shirley Bassey, director Ridley Scott and Mary Earps, the goalkeeper for England’s women’s soccer team, were recognized Friday in the U.K.’s New Year Honors list, which celebrates the achievements and services of more than 1,000 people across the country.Bassey, 86, who is already a dame — the female equivalent of a knight — was appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honor for her services to music. The Welsh singer, best known…

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 United boss Erik ten Hag is confident Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS Group want to work with him and believes the incoming minority owners can help the club fulfil their lofty ambitions.The Old Trafford giants announced on Christmas Eve that a long-awaited deal has been reached for boyhood fan Ratcliffe to buy a 25 per cent stake in the Premier League outfit.INEOS is taking responsibility for United’s footballing operations under the terms of a deal that is…

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 Tesla Cybertruck appeared to emerge unscathed from a head-on crash that left the oncoming vehicle in a crumpled heap, according to law enforcement and photos from the scene.The first reported collision involving the newly released stainless steel-framed electric pickup was reported on Skyline Boulevard, in Palo Alto, California, just after 2pm on Thursday, according to a California Highway Patrol (CHP) collision report provided to The Independent. A Toyota Corolla was travelling southbound when it left…