New York City will add the festival of Diwali to the list of public school holidays in recognition of the growth of the city’s South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities

A 32-team pool at the Women's World Cup has not disappointed, and as the competition transitions to the knockout stages in a few days, we look at the surprises so far.2023 Women's World Cup surprises: African nations combining for three wins and three drawsNo longer is it just Nigeria ...

Justin and Hailey Bieber divorce rumors circle as internet calls out singer for wantin marriage only for permanent citizenship

Two done, how many more to go? Ask Liverpool supporters at the end of last season how many new signings they needed to bring in across the summer and not too many would have suggested fewer than four. An upturn in form and fortunes between March and May probably reduced that from a higher number, too. But even with individuals showing better levels and the team looking capable of beating most they came up against, the new shape and certain aging faces - as well as expiring contracts in the squad - meant a renewal, if not an outright overhaul, was required. That was especially the case in midfield and with almost £100 million now spent this summer on two new components, in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, the Reds will definitely have a refreshed feel about them, regardless of what else happens. Both are expected to be first-team regulars, and no wonder: one has won the World Cup, the other cost upwards of £60m. But, thus far, no starters from last term have departed, so places will have to be earned if the regular line-up is to indeed alter. Or, given the form of too many in the squad across much of 2022/23 - particularly the middle third - perhaps those jerseys had already been lost. Jurgen Klopp refuted, last year and before, the idea that he keeps too many around for too long, that he has favourites who have a place in the team as long as they are available. James Milner and Roberto Firmino have now exited, two who were go-to lieutenants for so many seasons of the German’s tenure, while fringe pair Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita are likewise out. Three midfielders, one forward; the trio from the centre of the park only contributed 2,261 minutes though across all competitions; throw in departed loanee Arthur Melo too, why not, for an additional 13 on the pitch. Their new No.10, Mac Allister, played far more than that by himself, over 3,300 minutes not including his mid-season international exploits, while his fellow new arrival, who will hope to wear the No.8 with more distinction than Keita managed, tallied over 3,700 for Leipzig. While gametime doesn’t translate to immediacy in the team, the expectation is that they will sooner or later combine as the new more offensive pair in a traditional three or, in the Reds’ more recent shape, the forward-thinking pair ahead of the roving Trent Alexander-Arnold and a holding midfielder. The latter is, at present, still Fabinho. But it is the third area of the centre of the park where Liverpool must surely continue to seek out reinforcements and improvements, with summer rumours suggesting Manu Kone and Romeo Lavia are of significant interest. The additions already made to the squad will help the Reds from the perspective of creativity, build-up play and - over time - with off-the-ball, first lines of defence too. When transitions move behind the midfield line, though, is where the biggest problems arose last season and where improvements must continue to be seen. Fabinho has been a massive pillar of a successful team, but agility and recovery speed deserted him entirely for much of 22/23. Eluding him, attacking midfielders and ball-carriers opened up vast spaces to race toward Liverpool’s back line and threaten Alisson’s goal with. It’s not something the team will be able to offer up with such regularity in 23/24 - at least, not if they want regular success - and especially considering the alteration in Alexander-Arnold’s role still means work to be done in terms of overall cohesion when teams attack that side. A deep midfielder more able to make up that extra ground has to remain priority No.1 now, considering it appears a more defensive option for the right-sided role is not on the agenda. If it does end up being Lavia or a similarly future-proofing signing, the biggest decisions for Klopp may come in games against the best transition teams: does he want the greater experience or the greater athleticism in the side? But this is a Liverpool team being built once more to dominate play, first and foremost, and beat teams by out-playing them, not just by shutting them out. The new recruits will add more guile, more on the ball quality and more speed across the ground than those who played most of the season in midfield last year, up until Curtis Jones forced his way into the team. The big work in pre-season will be getting them to gel with Cody Gakpo, Mo Salah and Luis Diaz on a regular basis - and to find out how to get the best use out of Darwin Nunez, of course. Szoboszlai’s delivery from the channels, his driving runs and set-piece prowess are all expected to be enormous factors there. Liverpool’s squad suddenly looks rather more capable of competing among the top four once more, having looked stale and badly in need of a redesign. Which final touches are put on it across the next eight weeks will determine whether they push even higher across the following ten months.

Ray Epps, a former Marine who became the target of a Jan. 6, 2021, conspiracy theory, has been charged with a misdemeanor in connection with the U.S. Capitol riot and is expected to plead guilty

Panama's President Laurentino Cortizo on Friday announced a ban on new metal mining concessions, but maintained a contract with a Canadian company that has sparked...

The Boston Celtics needed a win in Game 3 against the Miami Heat but were instead embarrassed on the road and close to getting laughed out of the playoffs.The Boston Celtics have not had a great time in the Eastern Conference Finals, as they had to face off against a Miami Heat team that elimina...

The European Central Bank said that financial markets will be vulnerable to negative shocks as it continues the

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 26, 2023--

Sloane Stephens looked sharp in her opening match at the French Open with a 6-0, 6-4 win over two-time Grand Slam runner-up Karolina Pliskova

England defender Niamh Charles has reached a new level of respect for Chelsea team-mate Sam Kerr since she landed in the Australian captain’s home country for the World Cup. The Lionesses could face co-hosts Australia in the last 16 if they finish second in Group D following their clash with China on Tuesday, after the Matildas advanced as Group B’s top side with a thumping 4-0 victory over Canada on Monday. Kerr, who sat out Australia’s first two matches with a calf injury, declared she would be available for the must-win victory but did not feature against the Olympic champions, instead watching on as her team-mates kept the dream alive for the striker’s comeback to come during the knockouts. Charles said: “She means a lot to us back home but it’s so nice to come here. We were so excited for her in the build-up to the tournament that she’s in England all the time, she goes home for a fraction of time. “I was really excited leading up for her to get an opportunity to be here and everyone to come to her for once rather than her having to go – so yeah it’s really nice to see, especially in general for the Matildas. “Obviously it was gutting for her (getting injured) but yeah, I think being here and watching her being so excited in playing in front of her home country is really special.” The Lionesses, who have now been in Australia for nearly a month, travelled from New South Wales to South Australia on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s encounter with China in Adelaide, where England need just a point to clinch top spot in Group D and set up a meeting with Nigeria in Brisbane. Charles grew up on the Wirral, about 227 miles and just over a four-hour drive from the Blues’ HQ at Stamford Bridge, while Kerr’s hometown of Fremantle, Western Australia, is a nearly 9000-mile journey that takes up the best part of an entire day. When England embark on their inaugural UEFA Nations League campaign after the World Cup, the maximum time change will be one hour when they travel to Group A1 opponents Belgium and the Netherlands, with Scotland rounding out the group. And while the Lionesses have benefitted from hosting the four-nation Arnold Clark Cup in the February/March international break for the last two years, Kerr hopped on another plane Down Under for the Cup of Nations before returning to club duty with Chelsea earlier this year. If all that travel and personal sacrifice ever fazes the four-time Ballon d’Or nominee and FIFA 23 cover star, Charles certainly has not noticed. “She does it all the time – she just gets on with it,” Charles said. “I had admiration for her anyway as she’s a machine, but some of the Swedes did it at one point in the season and they were like ‘I don’t know how she does it all the time’. “For sure, you do not hear a moan out of her at all. She just gets on with it and the level of consistency she maintains despite that is very impressive.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ben Stokes drops Steve Smith as Australia edge towards target in Ashes finale Heather Knight not thinking about next Ashes showdown as focus turns to Hundred Manchester United signing a ‘very good player’ in Rasmus Hojlund

President Joe Biden and Congress are facing some unusually public challenges over their support for Israel’s offensive against Hamas