Erik ten Hag says Manchester United are making progress in their pursuit of a new striker. Already light of a frontman in his first season at Old Trafford, the acrimonious exit of Cristiano Ronaldo and January loan move for Wout Weghorst underlined the need for an attacking acquisition. United have signed midfielder Mason Mount and goalkeeper Andre Onana this summer but work continues to sign a striker, with up-and-coming Atalanta talent Rasmus Hojlund targeted. The Old Trafford giants are only believed to be willing to go up to £60million for the Denmark international, while Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani is an alternative. “We make progress, yeah” Ten Hag said when asked about United’s pursuit of a striker. “But you know how it works – when we have him, we will tell you directly. “The only thing I can say is we do everything that’s in our power to get that done. “If it was up to me, yeah, as soon as possible. The earlier the better because we have to integrate him in the team, the way of play. “In an ideal situation, he was already here but you do not always get ideal situations as a manager and you have to deal with the situation.” While United look for a forward with potential, talk of a move for Tottenham sharpshooter Harry Kane persists. United sources have downplayed such talk and suggestions they are targeting Kylian Mbappe, who is subject of a world record bid from Al Hilal after Paris St Germain decided to sell him. Asked about a move for Mbappe, even on loan, Ten Hag said: “We never speak about players who are under contract in other clubs.” I think with Mason Mount already we have a player extra who is capable of not only scoring goals but also to create, and to put play players like Rashford into position to score more goals. Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag United need a striker to bolster a goal-shy side, whose return of 58 was comfortably the lowest in the Premier League top-six. Marcus Rashford scored a career-high 30 club goals, but Ten Hag wants more from the rest of the team. “We are under-performing there, and we are aware of it so others have to contribute also in that area but therefore we are looking for scoring abilities,” said Ten Hag, who has given the green light for forward Anthony Elanga to join Nottingham Forest. “I think with Mason Mount already we have a player extra who is capable of not only scoring goals but also to create, and to put play players like Rashford into position to score more goals. “But as a whole team we have to score more.” A fully fit Anthony Martial would certainly aid that cause next season. The France international impressed during the last pre-season tour, only to score nine goals in 29 appearances during an injury-hit campaign that was ended by a hamstring issue. “Today he was in the team training, so that is really hopeful,” Ten Hag said after Monday’s session in San Diego. “Of course, when you have a player in your squad you expect that he is available and players have to take responsibility to be available. “But when he is not, I have to deal with the situation and we show we can be successful without that striker. “But it’s easier when you have that striker in the team because I think every club who wins big trophies has scoring abilities in that team. “We need a good squad and Anthony Martial is a brilliant football player so he will help us, he scores goals. “Also in other areas of football like pressing, in possession, combinations, he’s a great player, so let’s hope he will be fit and he stays fit.” United are in the USA as Ten Hag’s men continue to gear up for the 2023-24 season. The Under-21s – supplemented by some senior players, including Jonny Evans – face Wrexham in San Diego on Tuesday before the first-team play Real Madrid in Houston the following day. “I didn’t watch the Wrexham documentary, but I know them, we played them last year,” Ten Hag added. “I know they got promoted. Of course I’ve seen the actuality, the way we play, I know the players. “We brought the Under-21s in but we will strengthen them with some players who are on the tour with the first squad.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Palace boss Roy Hodgson ‘really sad’ to lose Wilfried Zaha to Galatasaray Premier League chief ‘not too concerned at moment’ about Saudi Arabia rise Football rumours: Premier League clubs scramble for Kylian Mbappe

Olivia Dunne has signed another lucrative business deal thanks to her massive online presence

The Pac-12 got off to a rousing start to the 2023 season, with every team winning its opener for the first time in more than 90 years thanks to some high-octane offenses

'And my fate could've been just like the five who had lost their lives on that same submarine,' he shared

Just in case the wildfires engulfing the world weren’t enough to worry about, people are convinced a full-on apocalypse is just around the corner. The doomsday prediction comes thanks to unsettling footage that has emerged from Mexico. In the video, an Earth-shattering roar can be heard emanating from the sky which is heavy with ominous, thick grey clouds. Alarms can be heard ringing in the background, along with the frantic barks of dogs and screeching of birds, as the roar gives way to echoing trumpet-like calls. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The clip was shared by TikToker The Paranormal Chic, who introduced it by saying: “The local news station claimed they were atmospheric sounds as a way of explanation, but the interesting part about this video are (sic) the dogs, the animals – their response to what they're hearing, and potentially the vibrations.” @the_paranormal_chic The trumpets are back and this time recorded in Mexico! #trumphets #skysounds #skytrumpets #mexico #unexplained #theparanormalchic #paranormal #haarp #cern #conspiracytiktok #conspirancytheory #conspiracion #fyp Her vid racked up more than 265,000 views and 24,000 likes in six days, as commentators attempted to solve the mystery behind the phenomenon. “In 2012, I heard the most unexplainable noise in Memphis. It scared the f (sic) out of me. Never have been able to source it. This is close, but not quite,” one wrote. “I can’t help but wonder if aliens live among us on earth, and that’s the evacuation order,” said another. Others likened the roaring sound to “Godzilla” or predicted simply: “The end is near.” A number referred to the Bible’s Book of Revelation, which states that seven trumpets will be sounded by seven angels during God’s seven years of judgement – each one unleashing a new catastrophic event. However, one TikToker helpfully pointed out that it couldn’t be one of these celestial horns because “those will be heard around the world”. The Seven Trumpets of Revelation 8-11 www.youtube.com Meanwhile, conspiracy theorists name-checked the once-controversial scientific programme HAARP (High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program), which studies the ionosphere (the boundary between our atmosphere and the vacuum of space). One user wrote that the sounds were “HAARP weather control,” positing that the Alaska-based facility was “using sound frequencies to manipulate clouds and weather formations”. Elsewhere, another user cited the Hollow Earth theory, saying: “Hollow Earth Opening Air Exchange Vortex Tubes carry sound long distances.” And others said the eerie noises hailed the launch of “Project Blue Beam” – a theory that’s been knocking round for nearly 30 years and claims that NASA is attempting to implement a New Age religion and start a New World Order. Still, others were quick to offer more prosaic explanations. One suggested the whole thing was fake, and that the clouds themselves were merely the product of a “Snapchat filter”. And another suggested it was just a “broken tornado siren”. And yet, reports of spine-tingling dins ringing down from the heavens are nothing new. Indeed, there’s a whole website dedicated to “strange sounds in the sky”, which catalogues videos of such occurrences from across the world. Strange Unknown Apocalyptic Noises Heard In The Sky - The Hum Phenomenon www.youtube.com And whilst the precise cause of each weird and whacky clamour is almost impossible to identify, NASA has insisted they’re probably all just examples of background noise. The space agency said in a statement back in 2015: “If humans had radio antennas instead of ears, we would hear a remarkable symphony of strange noises coming from our own planet. “They sound like background music from a flamboyant science fiction film, but this is not science fiction. “Earth’s natural radio emissions are real and, although we’re mostly unaware of them, they are around us all the time.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON Two U.S. senators said they were investigating short video sharing app TikTok's reported decision

Allies of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have launched a new super PAC to support his expected candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination

The Family Guy TV series has always had a reputation for walking a tightrope between being satirical and downright offensive. Now, an AI-generated version of the show has been banned from one of its main platforms, the streaming site Twitch, after it seemingly made a bomb threat in one of its sequences. The parody was being hosted on the channel ai_peter, when one of the characters started talking about how best to plant a bomb in an indoor arena venue in Washington DC. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter A Twitter user who was tuned into the show when it happened said the account was disabled within minutes. The show was also later removed from YouTube, and the show is no longer streaming on Kick. Now, users trying to visit the channel on Twitch see the message: “This channel is temporarily unavailable due to a violation of Twitch’s Community Guidelines or Terms of Service.” The parody also featured a sequence in which the AI-generated protagonist Peter Griffin announced the death of Brian, the family's dog, who was a hugely popular character in the original show. AI parody streams court controversy The ai_peter account is the latest in a string of live streamers who have used the technology to mimic scenes from a popular TV show and beam it to users on platforms like Twitch, YouTube and Kick. Another earlier parody is AI Seinfeld, which started generating mocked-up scenes from the hit 1990s sitcom. However, that too was banned after it made an anti-LGBT+ joke. Despite the repeated controversies, AI-generated Twitch streamers have attracted thousands of viewers to their regular streams in recent months, with viewers enjoying the novelty of seeing how powerful the technology can be. The shows typically generate parody scenes from the original shows, while also taking suggestions and interacting with viewers. The AI Family Guy uses OpenAI DaVinci, a writing assistant and content creation platform. It uses audio generated using FakeYou.com, with the stream running 24/7. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

France fly-half Romain Ntamack left the field with a suspected knee problem and Scotland winger Duhan van der Merwe also suffered an injury as the World Cup hosts won 30-27 in...

Sophie Turner's divorce from Joe Jonas is getting ugly, Joe Burrow got a massive new contract, the Lions beat the Chiefs and more in the Roundup.

A bumper summer of female sporting events has inspired millions of women to get back into sports after years of fear and judgement. Encouraged by competitions such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Women’s Ashes and Wimbledon, 59 per cent of women have started training with an old sports team again. A poll of 2,000 females aged 18-65 found 46 per cent feel motivated to try sport after seeing the empowerment and determination showed by these professional female sporting stars. It also emerged 31 per cent of women over 45 played sports when they were younger but dropped out as a teenager, with being ‘too sweaty’ and not feeling ‘good enough’ to take part among the top reasons. But now, many are dusting off their boots, digging out their racquets and getting back to action. Sure UK, a supporter of women’s sports, commissioned the research after launching the Breaking Limits: Girls Can Football Series, which aims to provide funding and training to give young people access to sport coaches, communities and safe spaces. Former Lionesses goalkeeper Carly Telford, who is partnering on the campaign, said: “Too many women have missed out on years of enjoyment, fitness and socialising due to feeling unable to continue with team sports and it’s about time they feel inspired to get back into the sports they enjoy without fear. “There’s still a long way to go and so much more that we need to do to promote women’s sport in all corners of the world. “To normalise women succeeding on pitches, courts and fields should be everyone’s goal, and both consumers and organisations have roles to play to make this a reality.” The study found there is more to do though, with 77 per cent of women believing that society needs to promote female sporting role models. While 36 per cent worried about being treated differently to men if they were to participate in sports, leaving 64 per cent put off trying sports altogether as a result. But putting worries aside, the future of women in sport looks bright, with the most popular sports they’d like to be involved in named as football (37 per cent), netball (21 per cent) and athletics (15 per cent). A quarter voted netball as the most inclusive sport for women, followed by athletics (15 per cent), and football (15 per cent). And half believe women’s football will eventually be as popular as men’s football – if not more. For 74 per cent, playing as part of a team has worked wonders for their mental health, while 51 per cent said sports has had a positive influence on their life overall. As 46 per cent of those polled, via OnePoll, feel motivated to try a sport after seeing the empowerment and determination showed by the sporting stars. ‘Movement has the power to transform lives’ Alice Duffill, from Sure UK&I, said: “Movement has the power to transform lives. “Everyone should be able to experience all the incredible physical, mental and social benefits movement bring - whoever you are, however you move. “But in our increasingly unequal societies, social, economic, and physical barriers stand in the way. “Inspiring women and girls to play sport through promoting and raising awareness professional athletes who look like them is key in breaking down some of those barriers. “That’s why we’re committed to growing women’s sports as we know the importance of shining a light on professional women athletes to help inspire today’s and tomorrow’s girls”. Read More Study links ultra-processed food and drink to risk of depression in women Study finds women only give themselves 30 minutes of self-care a week Women respond to viral TikTok prompt asking about ‘female version’ of male Roman Empire obsession The cure for smelly garlic breath? Turns out, it’s simpler than you think Teenager’s death after drinking too much water was ‘preventable’ Could bats hold the secret to beating Covid and cancer?

Almost 10 million Iranians have slipped into poverty from a combination of sanctions, bad economic management and volatile