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The Kremlin is paying the wives of Russian soldiers not to protest against their long deployment following small-scale demonstrations in Moscow, the UK ministry of defence said. “The Russian authorities are likely attempting to quash public dissent by wives of deployed Russian soldiers, including by attempting to pay them off and discrediting them online,” it said. “In recent weeks, the authorities have likely offered increased cash payments to families in return for them refraining from protest.” Women have been gathering in cities across Russia to challenge the Kremlin’s argument that mobilised troops are needed in combat indefinitely to secure victory in Ukraine. It comes as a majority of those questioned in Russia have expressed their support for peace talks over continued fighting, with 74 per cent saying they would be happy for the president to sign a peace deal immediately. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin dramatically increased the Russian troop numbers by nearly 170,000 to reach a total of 1.32 million. Read More Putin orders the Russian military to add 170,000 troops for a total of 1.32 million Ukraine’s war with Russia complicated by winter, Zelensky says European gymnastics federation rejects return of athletes from Russia and Belarus to competition

Imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been handed new charges by Russian prosecutors. The 47-year-old is already serving more than 30 years in prison after being found guilty of crimes including extremism — charges that his supporters characterize as politically motivated. In comments passed to his associates, Navalny said he had been charged under article 214 of Russia’s penal code, which covers crimes of vandalism. “I don’t even know whether to describe my latest news as sad, funny or absurd,” he wrote in comments on social media Friday via his team. “I have no idea what Article 214 is, and there’s nowhere to look. You’ll know before I do.” He said that the charges were part of the Kremlin’s desire to “initiate a new criminal case against me every three months.” Never before has a convict in solitary confinement for more than a year had such a rich social and political life,” he joked. Navalny is one of President Vladimir Putin’s most ardent opponents, best known for campaigning against official corruption and organizing major anti-Kremlin protests. The former lawyer was arrested in 2021, after he returned to Moscow from Germany where he had recuperated from nerve agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin. He has since been handed three prison terms and has faced months in solitary confinement after being accused of various minor infractions. Several Navalny associates have also faced extremism-related charges after the politician’s Foundation for Fighting Corruption and a network of regional offices were outlawed as extremist groups in 2021, a move that exposed virtually anyone affiliated with them to prosecution. Most recently, a court in the Siberian city of Tomsk jailed Ksenia Fadeyeva, who used to run Navalny’s office in Tomsk, prior to her trial on extremism charges. Fadeyeva was initially placed under house arrest in October before later being remanded in pre-trial detention. If found guilty, she faces up to 12 years in prison. Read More Russia-Ukraine war: Kremlin paying soldiers’ wives not to protest Putin orders Russian military to increase troop numbers by 170,000 Iceland volcano: Eruption ‘imminent’ as 120 earthquakes strike - live

There are still three places in the Euro 2024 finals up for grabs following the end of the group-stage of the qualifying campaign. Wales could yet join England and Scotland in the hat for the Euro 2024 draw, but Rob Page’s side will need to navigate the play-offs if they are to reach a fourth major tournament in eight years. That’s because Wales finished behind Turkey and Croatia in qualifying from Group D, but the Dragons have been afforded a second-chance thanks to their performance in the Uefa Nations League. Wales are guaranteed a home semi-final after taking their place in play-off ‘Path A’ - but Thursday’s draw will determine who they face in March’s play-off rounds, while Poland and Robert Lewandowski could be waiting in the final. Here’s everything you need to know. Who has qualified for Euro 2024? Pot 1: Germany (hosts), Portugal, France, Spain, Belgium, England Pot 2: Hungary, Turkey, Romania, Denmark, Albania, Austria Pot 3: Netherlands, Scotland, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic Pot 4: Italy, Serbia, Switzerland, Play-off winner A*, Play-off winner B*, Play-off winner C* Who could still qualify? Semi-finals – Path A: Poland (1) vs Estonia (4) / Wales (2) vs TBC* Semi-finals – Path B: Israel (1) vs TBC* / Bosnia and Herzegovina (2) vs TBC* Semi-finals – Path C: Georgia (1) vs Luxembourg (4) / Greece (2) vs Kazakhstan (3) TBC* = one of Finland, Ukraine or Iceland How do the Euro 2024 play-offs work? There is still space for three teams to join the Euro 2024 draw, with three separate ‘paths’ offering those sides who qualified for the play-offs a way into the tournament finals. There will be six semi-finals on 21 March 2024 and three finals on 26 March, with the winning teams entering the Euro 2024 group stage. When is the play-off draw? This will be held from 11am GMT on Thursday 23 November. The only thing to draw is which side from Finland, Ukraine or Iceland goes into ‘Path A’ and which of the other two go into ‘Path B’. The draw will also determine which winner of the semi-final hosts the play-off final. *If Finland are allocated to Path B by the draw, as the higher-ranked team they would play Bosnia and Herzegovina, and whichever of Ukraine or Iceland are allocated to Path B would play top-ranked Israel. If Ukraine and Iceland are both allocated to Path B, the higher-ranked Ukraine would play Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Iceland would play Israel. Read More What time is the Euro 2024 draw and what are the pots? Euro 2024 draw: Top seeds England could face Scotland and Wales What are Scotland’s best and worst scenarios in the Euro 2024 draw? What are England’s best and worst case scenarios in Euro 2024 draw? Euro 2024: The cheapest ways to follow England and Scotland in Germany next summer Why winless Iceland are in Euro 2024 play-offs and 10-point Norway are not

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has expressed his hope that star striker Ivan Toney will not leave the club during the January transfer window, despite interest from Arsenal and Chelsea.

England have ensured a high seeding for next summer’s Euro 2024. Gareth Southgate’s side topped qualifying Group C unbeaten, securing a tally of 20 points to finish as one of the five best group winners. That ensured that they are in Pot 1 for the draw alongside Germany, Portugal, France, Spain and Belgium. It means that the Euro 2020 runners-up will not face any of those five sides in the group stages. That makes England’s path to knock-out stage qualification easier, though there are still plenty of strong sides in the other three pots. With three play-off qualifiers still to be confirmed, the pots look like this: Pot 1: Germany (hosts), Portugal, France, Spain, Belgium, England Pot 2: Hungary, Turkey, Romania, Denmark, Albania, Austria Pot 3: Netherlands, Scotland, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic Pot 4: Italy, Serbia, Switzerland, Play-off winner A, Play-off winner B, Play-off winner C So what is the toughest possible draw for England? While the pots are based on qualifying form, and thus a useful gauge of team quality, we will go by Fifa’s world rankings to determine the best and worst case scenarios for Southgate and his side. The toughest possible draw for England (current world ranking 3rd) would be: Denmark (19th), Netherlands (6th), Italy (9th). The simplest draw, meanwhile, would comprise of: Albania (62nd), Slovenia (54th), Kazakhstan* (100th). *Kazakhstan are part of qualifying play-off Path C When is Euro 2024? The 17th edition of the men’s Euros will be held in Germany between 14 June and 14 July. Which cities are hosting fixtures? Berlin Munich Hamburg Dusseldorf Frankfurt Cologne Stuttgart Gelsenkirchen Leipzig Dortmund Read More What time is the Euro 2024 draw and what are the pots? Euro 2024 draw: Top seeds England could face Scotland and Wales What are Scotland’s best and worst scenarios in the Euro 2024 draw? Euro 2024: The cheapest ways to follow England and Scotland in Germany next summer Why winless Iceland are in Euro 2024 play-offs and 10-point Norway are not Wales to host Finland in Euro 2024 semi-final play-off

An explanation as to why Harry Kane and Bayern Munich have had their Bundesliga meeting with Union Berlin postponed

DUBAI Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods on Saturday rejected the International Energy Agency's recent claim that using wide-scale

Heavy snowfall disrupted travel in southern Germany and Switzerland, with hundreds of flights delayed or canceled so far.

Ange Postecoglou is excited to welcome Yves Bissouma back into the fold for Sunday’s trip to Manchester City, but admits Tottenham must improve their discipline. Bissouma is available again after serving a one-match ban against Aston Villa for receiving five yellow cards before the halfway point of the Premier League season. The former Brighton midfielder enjoyed a superb start to the new campaign but has only played three times since being sent off for two bookings at Luton in early October. Bissouma is not alone in missing matches due to suspension, with Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie also seeing red this term. “Really pleased to get Biss back. He is such an important part of our set-up with the way he plays in that role,” Postecoglou said. “If you look at the first third of the season, from a results perspective I reckon we are still on the positive side of the ledger. “Performance-wise, I still think we are on the positive side of the ledger, even though we’ve had some disappointments, but an area we need to improve is discipline. He is part of that. “That has let us down in this first half of the year. Not just in terms of cards, but being really focused in our approach and these are the things we need to learn as a team. “I am sure Biss probably feels himself a bit frustrated with the fact he had such a great start and now it’s been disrupted, but great to have him back. Particularly against a team like City, he is going to be really important for us. “It is kind of a lesson for him and us as a group. If you want things to run a bit more smoothly, you have to be really disciplined in your approach and really focused in what you do. “Hopefully he comes out of this knowing for him to maintain becoming a really important part of our team, he needs to have that discipline and focus.” The return of Bissouma is welcome for Postecoglou, who remains without Pape Sarr (hamstring) and this week discovered Rodrigo Bentancur (ankle) will be out until February Spurs’ list of absentees has now reached double figures, which contributes towards the visitors being long odds to upset City on Sunday. Nevertheless, Tottenham boast an excellent record against the Premier League champions, albeit previously playing in a pragmatic way, and Postecoglou knows his markedly different attacking approach will bring questions. He added: “That’s not a bad thing. That’s a good thing. We need to be scrutinised. I need to be scrutinised, I need to be questioned. That’s what tests my resolve. “I ain’t gong to change, but bring it on. It doesn’t just test me, it tests the players, it tests the club. How resolved are we about doing this? “Look at all the top teams, they’ve all been through the process, through the tough times. They’ve all got questioned, they’ve all got scrutinised, they’ve all had criticism. “How did they handle it, the ones that are through the other side? The ones who handled it differently, where are they now? I need to be scrutinised, I need to be questioned. That's what tests my resolve Ange Postecoglou “I have a real strong belief in what I do and where the team is heading and I’m just not going to waver from it. “There’s a reason I’m sitting here and the reason is the end game is not to beat City. If that’s the end game, that’s been done. “It’s a hell of an achievement to knock them off, absolutely, but it’s not why I’m here. “I’m trying to set up a team to be successful.” Read More Police charge more than 40 away fans after major disorder outside Villa Park Pep Guardiola: Spurs under Ange Postecoglou an ‘incredible advert’ for football ‘We never lost trust’: Sarina Wiegman remained confident of England comeback Erik ten Hag backs under-fire Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana Mauricio Pochettino understands reason behind early struggles for Moises Caicedo Ange Postecoglou knows he can succeed at Tottenham by sticking to plan

Liverpool summer signing Wataru Endo has found the Premier League more difficult than he expected but is confident he can improve and contribute more. The 30-year-old Japan international, a £12million arrival from Stuttgart, was viewed as something of a stop-gap solution to the club’s lack of defensive midfielders following Fabinho’s unexpected departure to Saudi Arabia. Of his 15 appearances so far, only two have been Premier League starts (against Newcastle and Brentford), with manager Jurgen Klopp preferring to utilise Argentina World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister in an unfamiliar holding role. Endo has gained most of his game time in the Europa League and Carabao Cup and his late arrival – he was signed in mid-August – did not help his integration. “Yes, it’s harder than I thought, but I’m very happy to be here,” he said when asked about his experience of the Premier League so far. “Physically, it’s speedy, so it’s very hard to adapt but it’s the Premier League and I keep trying and keep playing and I’ll get better. “I’m already 30 years old but I feel I have a chance to grow as a football player so I’m so happy to be here and I can improve. “After I got here I had a talk with the boss about how Liverpool play. After that I just try to do that and he talks a lot with me about it. It's harder than I thought. Physically, it's speedy, so it's very hard to adapt but it's the Premier League Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo “Every time I try to help Liverpool play and of course I always watch what they do from the bench. I think it is an important thing and I am getting better and better.” Endo’s start to life at Anfield was not helped by the fact as the only holding midfielder there was a lot of attention on him to slot straight into the side and perform a similar role to the one that 30-year-old Fabinho did for five years. In addition, Liverpool’s midfield underwent a complete overhaul in the summer with Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch now looking like the established first choices. But with nine matches to come this month, Endo is likely to get more opportunities. “I’m always ready to play every game, that’s the most important thing. We need all the players so I try to be ready every game and try to win every game,” he added. “Liverpool has a very winning mentality so we always need to win, need to get three points, and it’s a very difficult thing but that’s why I came here. I’m enjoying the pressure. “I’m a defensive midfielder so I have to make a difference in defence but also to take up good positions and play good football. I’m enjoying playing with amazing players.” Read More Police charge more than 40 away fans after major disorder outside Villa Park Discipline has ‘let us down’ and must improve, says Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou Pep Guardiola: Spurs under Ange Postecoglou an ‘incredible advert’ for football ‘We never lost trust’: Sarina Wiegman remained confident of England comeback Erik ten Hag backs under-fire Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana Mauricio Pochettino understands reason behind early struggles for Moises Caicedo

Police have charged 46 men after Legia Warsaw supporters attacked police outside Villa Park in Birmingham on Thursday. West Midlands Police said five officers, two police dogs and two police horses were injured when missiles were thrown by visiting fans during the Europa Conference League fixture. In a statement confirming details of the charges, the force said 43 men have been charged with a public order offence, two with assaulting police officers and another with possession of a knife. The statement added: “Those charged are aged between 21 and 63, and around 40 are believed to be from Poland. A small number are believed to be UK residents. “All apart from one of the men is due in court today. He has been bailed to appear at a later date. A special court has been set up at Birmingham magistrates and will begin hearing the cases this morning.” Officers are continuing to review CCTV and body-worn video footage to identify further suspects after “what was an appalling and violent public disorder”. Two West Midlands Police officers, two from West Mercia and one from Derbyshire Police suffered minor injuries during the violence. Detective Superintendent Jim Munro, who is overseeing the criminal investigation, said: “Our investigation is very much continuing and we’ll be reviewing footage and speaking to witnesses over the coming days. “To charge this number of people so soon after such a major disorder has taken a huge effort by staff who have been working around the clock. “We’ve had a number of messages of thanks from the club and fans who were present on Thursday night and saw the policing operation first hand, and we are really grateful for that support.” Police said fans of the Polish side were not allowed into the stadium after missiles were thrown at officers before the start of the match. West Midlands mayor Andy Street has called for European football chiefs to take “strong action” as he thanked the “brave officers” and criticised the “deeply unpleasant scenes”. In a previous statement, Chief Inspector Tim Robinson said: “This should have been a great evening of football which was enjoyed by fans from both clubs. Unfortunately, there were appalling scenes which saw away fans dangerously throw flares and other missiles at our officers.” He said the “extreme violence” left police with no other choice but to prevent away fans entering the stadium, adding: “The safety of everyone is our priority and clearly we had no other option.” Read More Discipline has ‘let us down’ and must improve, says Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou Pep Guardiola: Spurs under Ange Postecoglou an ‘incredible advert’ for football ‘We never lost trust’: Sarina Wiegman remained confident of England comeback Erik ten Hag backs under-fire Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana Mauricio Pochettino understands reason behind early struggles for Moises Caicedo Ange Postecoglou knows he can succeed at Tottenham by sticking to plan

The European Investment Bank will pledge €5 billion in counter-guarantees to help support the region’s ailing wind energy