From fanciful costumes and working drafts of "Bohemian Rhapsody" to ashtrays and art, hundreds of items Freddie Mercury owned go on show in Britain on...

The numbers on an Maryland woman's license plate led her to win a $50,000 lottery prize from a $1 ticket.

New diversity data and hiring statistics further highlight the “grass ceiling” facing black footballers, the co-founder of the Black Footballers Partnership has said. BFP data published earlier this year found black players make up 43 per cent of those active in the Premier League. However, statistics released by the Football Association on Wednesday show that only 7.4 per cent of people in senior leadership roles at the 53 clubs signed up to its Football Leadership Diversity Code are black, Asian or mixed heritage. The figure was only slightly higher in team operations (8.9 per cent) and only 10.5 per cent among senior coaches. The clubs also failed to hit any of the code’s eight diversity hiring targets in the 2022-23 season, with the FA accepting the hiring rates are too low to drive the necessary rapid change in representation. The FA is consulting on a new rule to force clubs to report biannually on their workforce, and BFP co-founder Delroy Corinaldi feels if the game cannot get this right, there could be a future role for the independent regulator in ensuring compliance. “Black players have been told time and again by the FA that you need to give the code time to work,” Corinaldi told the PA news agency. “How much time do they want? If the FA can’t deliver, it needs to hold its hand up. “Black players are nearly 50 per cent of your (playing) workforce. The signal you’re sending to those people is that once you get to your 30s, it’s punditry or leave the game, because there is a real ‘grass ceiling’ the FA is doing little to remove. “How disheartening and soul-destroying is that? “This government has said they’re not having diversity as part of its football governance regime. But maybe we need to look at that again. An industry where nearly half the key staff are blocked from promotion is not a functioning one. “We need to get all the authorities in and we need to get serious about this problem, otherwise it will continue for generation after generation.” FA chief executive Mark Bullingham admitted in the foreword to this year’s FLDC report that the game was making “slower progress” towards diversifying at the executive, operations and coaching level than had been hoped. He believes mandating clubs to report workforce data represents a “critical change for football which futureproofs our approach for years to come”. “There is no silver bullet to solving these challenges and we know that this alone will not drive all of the change we want to see. “But publishing who we are, measuring that regularly and setting targets that stretch clubs to do better is a big step forward. It will be for clubs to set their own targets based on local factors, but it will help provide a clear statement that football is tackling diversity head-on.” Read More Wales boss Rob Page hails ‘great opportunity’ after Euro 2024 play-off draw PCA calls for action over ‘unsustainable’ men’s domestic cricket schedule Who are the contenders to replace Stephen Kenny as Republic of Ireland boss? On This Day in 2008 – Ricky Hatton dominates Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas New sponsor to help 460 clubs in Women’s FA Cup market themselves with AI app Stephen Kenny believes he leaves behind a ‘great job’ for Ireland successor

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 6, 2023--

John Carver has challenged in-form Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland to use his late call-up to the Scotland squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Georgia and Norway to stake his claim for a seat on the plane to Germany next summer. It was announced on Monday that the 28-year-old Jambos captain had been drafted in by Steve Clarke after Southampton forward Che Adams became the latest high-profile absentee for this week’s campaign-concluding double-header. Shankland won the last of his five caps in the home win over Spain in March and was left out of the last two squads. However, after taking his tally for the season to 10 goals with five strikes in his last five matches – including a double in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Motherwell – the former Dundee United forward has been rewarded with a recall. Carver believes Shankland should look towards Watford centre-back Ryan Porteous – now a regular starter – for inspiration as he comes in from the periphery. “We got a call yesterday regarding Che having an issue with his groin,” said the Scotland assistant manager. “The good news for us is Lawrence popped up with a couple of goals at the weekend against Motherwell so he’s a player in form. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for him. In the past, we’ve had players who have stepped in at the last moment and taken their opportunity. I can use Ryan Porteous as one. “We went to Ukraine having to get a point in the Nations League, Ryan stepped in (for his debut) and was outstanding, and he’s never looked back since. That happened for him and there’s an opportunity for Lawrence. “He’s in good form, scoring goals for Hearts, which is important. He’ll want to be on that plane in the 23-man squad. It’s a competitive squad. We know what he can do, but this is an extra opportunity for him over the next seven days because he didn’t expect to be here.” Lewis Ferguson has joined the squad on the back of a strong start to the campaign in Serie A, recently equalling Denis Law as the highest-scoring Scot in the Italian top flight, and Carver feels the 24-year-old has a chance of asserting himself as a regular starter for the national team by the time the Euros begins. “It’s great,” he said of Ferguson’s form. “We have some young players pushing their way through and, in particular, Lewis had an extremely good game in Lille (against France last month). “He’s one who is really developing, he’s playing in a physical league and he’s dealing with it really well. He could be one of the players who forces his way forward and gives Steve an even more difficult decision to make in terms of the opportunity to start (at the Euros).” Scotland have generally had a fairly settled squad during Clarke’s reign, but Carver explained that no player should view themselves as either guaranteed to be in the squad or out of the picture for the Euros as there is still time for circumstances to change. In the current squad, for instance, the absence of Adams means Scotland are effectively without five regular starters, with goalkeeper Angus Gunn and defenders Andrew Robertson, Kieran Tierney and Aaron Hickey also out injured. “I’m sure Steve will have some sleepless nights from now until picking the squad but that’s what he wants, that’s why we’re in the game, we want to make difficult decisions,” said Carver. “We want players to force the issue and make it even harder for us. There’s going to be disappointment at the end of it, but there is a long way to go from now until the championships. “A lot of time will pass so players will get injured, players will come into form, but the decision will be made in the best interest of the team.” Scotland sealed their place at the Euros last month but after losing their last three matches – friendlies against England and France either side of a qualifier away to Spain – Carver is adamant they will not be short of motivation. “The desire’s there because we’ve lost three games in a row against top-quality opposition,” he said. “It was three of the top 10 sides in Europe so it’s been a great learning curve, but we want to get back to winning ways. “We have to now press the reset button and go again. It’s great being in the position we’re in but the Euros is in the future, we have to attack the situation now and that is by getting six points in the next two games and making sure that just in case Spain slip up in their last two games, we are ready to take advantage.” Read More How has Mauricio Pochettino got Chelsea firing after early-season slump? Ben Davies keen to prove doubters wrong as Wales target another major tournament Britain’s Katie Boulter eager to build on her successful season in 2024 On this day in 2006: Gold Cup winning Desert Orchid dies at the age of 27 The sporting weekend in pictures San Francisco 49ers return to winning ways against Jacksonville Jaguars

George Kirby allowed only three hits in six innings, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 1-0 and allowed Houston to win the American League West title

The leaders of Russia and China have met in Beijing and called for close foreign policy coordination

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss, Tommy Wilkes and Simon Jessop BOSTON Exxon Mobil's $60 billion bid for Pioneer Natural Resources

Diverging from her usual insights on golf, Paige Spiranac turned her attention to the NFL, bringing up Kyler Murray and the clauses in his contract

Blanket Jackson (now Bigi) and his brother Prince Jackson both made an appearance in Las Vegas in honor of their late father's birthday on Tuesday. Michael Jackson would have turned 65.

The Central African Republic went to the polls Sunday in a highly anticipated vote on a new constitution, which could remove presidential term limits

Al Roker often shares behind-the-scenes videos on Instagram and this time he humorously imitated Craig Melvin which sparked mixed reactions from fans