Author: The Guardian

The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has landed in Israel for potentially difficult meetings with Israeli leaders and officials who have repeatedly proved resistant to pressure from Washington over their conduct of the war against Hamas.Blinken flew late on Monday night from the Saudi oasis town of AlUla where he held talks with the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, on a Middle East tour aimed at reaching a consensus on Gaza’s future.He said key Arab states and Turkey had agreed to begin planning for the reconstruction and governance of Gaza once Israel’s war against Hamas ended.The secretary of state…

Welsh rugby has lost another iconic legend of the 1970s when JPR Williams died aged 74.The full-back won 55 caps for his country and also played eight Test matches for the British and Irish Lions and was a key member of the Wales side that won three of eight seasons between 1971 and 1978. Five Nations Grand Slam.Even half a century later, there is still no abbreviation more famous in global rugby than JPR, with only the most ardent fans knowing it stands for John Peter Rhys. The wider public is more familiar with his trademark sideburns, rolled up socks…

Key eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureAndy Hunter was at the DW tonight. Here’s his report … plus details of that fourth-round draw that sends Manchester United to either Newport or Eastleigh. Thanks for reading this MBM.Wigan boss Shaun Maloney also has his say. “I’m proud of my players … it was a difficult match … when you play an opponent that has that much talent in the final third, it’s very hard to press … I was really happy with our players in those early moments … in these games you have to take…

Franz Beckenbauer, who has died aged 78, was widely regarded as Germany’s best ever footballer. A prominent figure in world football after World War II, he was a highly successful and innovative player who captained West Germany to win the 1974 World Cup and later captained his country to two consecutive Reached the World Cup finals and won the second World Cup. They were in Rome in 1990.As a club manager, he won the World Cup at the international level, as well as the Bundesliga title and the UEFA Cup; as a player, he won the World Cup, European Championship,…

Jeffrey Epstein’s defence team sought to undermine the reliability of one of the witnesses against him by revealing she had claimed the billionaire had kept “sex tapes” involving prominent people, a new batch of unsealed documents has disclosed.Those who were filmed were alleged to have included Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton and Sir Richard Branson, according to the allegations made by Sarah Ransome.Her claims were flagged by a firm representing Epstein’s lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, to demonstrate Ransome “manifestly lacks credibility”. The court was not given any proof of the existence of any tapes, and the allegations were retracted by Ransome soon…

FLands Beckenbauer will always have a place in football history, besides popularizing the role of the libero and establishing Bayern Munich as this A force in German football, he is one of only three people to win the World Cup as a player and coach. He had one of the best and most unique nicknames of all time, just like his near-contemporary in cycling, Eddie “Man-Eater” Merckx, who was nicknamed “The Man-Eater.” emperor The nickname both suited him and introduced him in advance.Opinions differ on the origin of this title. Some say he was asked to pose next to a…

France’s prime minister Élisabeth Borne has resigned after days of increasingly feverish speculation about an imminent government reshuffle.Emmanuel Macron, who is seeking to give a new impetus to his second mandate before European parliament elections and the Paris Olympics this summer, said on Monday he thanked Borne “with all his heart” for her “exemplary work in the service of the nation”.“You have put our project into effect with the courage, engagement and the determination of a stateswoman,” Macron tweeted.In her resignation letter, Borne said it was “more necessary than ever to continue the reforms” being pursued by the government.“I wanted…

Name: Dog poo trees.Age: The trees have been around for ages, as have the dogs. The dogs have always pooed. The poo trees are relatively recent, and have been especially abundant since Covid …I’m sorry, did you just say… Yes, trees adorned with little black bags (other colours are available) full of canine excrement.Oh no! I know those trees; we have them in our park. It’s disgusting – why do people do it? Emma Powell of Keep Britain Tidy told the Telegraph that the increase has something to do with dog walkers not wanting to touch the bins, having become…

Advice can be a funny thing. It can slide off like Teflon or land right where, and when, you need it. Back in 2017 my mate Kearnsie had popped round for a cuppa and a chat. As we sat in the sunny kitchen with tea and bickies, I looked through the goodies she’d brought along for my wife and I’s pending arrival. After four years of trying, our first kid was on the way. Blooming beautifully in my wife’s belly. We knew everything would change, and to be frank, we were freaking out.Kearnsie had brought some special bits and bobs…

key eventsShow only key eventsPlease enable JavaScript to use this featureBenjamin LeeHere’s one of the funniest host clips from earlier in the night (followed by the inevitable tweet that makes them next year’s host):Updated at 03.38 CETWinner: Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer) – Best DirectorBenjamin LeeCillian Murphy and Christopher Nolan on the set of “Oppenheimer.” Photo: Melinda Sue Gordon/APChristopher Nolan was nominated for the sixth time and won for the first time, taking over the award from Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. It was a tough category, with Nolan beating out Greta Gerwig and Martin Scorsese.He gave a thoughtful speech recalling the…