List of All Articles with Tag 'ot'

Jordan Henderson has apologised to the LGBTQ+ community after the former Liverpool captain’s move to Saudi Arabia. The England international, who joined Steve Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq this summer in a £12m move, has been a vocal supporter of the community and campaigns to support its inclusion in the sport. Henderson, who has been a leading voice in the Rainbow Laces campaign and has worn a rainbow armband when captaining Liverpool, caused controversy this summer with his move to Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is illegal. “I can understand the frustration [from the LGBTQ+ community],” Henderson told The Athletic. “I can understand the anger. I get it. All I can say around that is that I’m sorry that they feel like that. My intention was never, ever to hurt anyone. My intention has always been to help causes and communities where I felt like they have asked for my help. Henderson was one of three Liverpool players to move to the Saudi Pro League, with Fabinho signing for Al-Ittihad and Roberto Firmino linking up with Al-Ahli as a free agent. The 33-year-old, who is yet to score for Al-Ettifaq, has helped Gerrard’s side to a positive start. They are currently sitting fifth in the table after five games. Henderson was cautious when pushed about future involvement in the Rainbow Laces campaign, highlighting the prospect that it could “disrespect the religion and culture in Saudi Arabia”. Henderson also insisted his move to the Saudi Pro League will have a positive impact, but stopped short of predicting any meaningful change. “I think people know what my views and values were before I left and still do now. And I think having someone with those views and values in Saudi Arabia is only a positive thing. I can’t promise anything, but what I can do is sit here and say I have my values and beliefs,” Henderson added. “I’m comfortable knowing exactly what I am and exactly what I stand for. But I get and I can accept not everyone’s going to get that. So that’s why I can only apologise to those people if they feel like that.” Read More Football rumours: Al-Ittihad set to make record £215m bid for Mohamed Salah What Mohamed Salah’s dressing room speech says about Liverpool future Liverpool reinvented as midfield shuffle hints at Jurgen Klopp’s past

England were joined for training by three members of the Under-20 set-up as preparations continued for the matches in Ukraine and Scotland. Gareth Southgate’s side men head to Poland to take on Ukraine in a Euro 2024 qualifier on Saturday, before heading to Glasgow for a friendly three days later. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jack Grealish withdrew from the initial 26-man selection on Monday through injury, with 21 of the remaining players taking part in the full session at St George’s Park the following day. Callum Wilson, Bukayo Saka and uncapped Levil Colwill were not involved in training due to load management, with Lewis Hall among the three prospects brought up from the England Under-20s squad to help make up the numbers. The talented 18-year-old left-back joined Newcastle on a season-long loan from Chelsea last month, with an obligation to buy depending on performance-related criteria. Fellow Chelsea product Bashir Humphreys was another involved. The 20-year-old defender is on loan at Sky Bet Championship outfit Swansea. Tottenham midfielder Alfie Devine was the other to link up with the senior squad for training. The 19-year-old is currently on loan at League One side Port Vale. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

A few years ago, Declan Rice said he would have passed. Now, however, the £105m man assumed responsibility, shot and, via a deflection off Jonny Evans, gave Arsenal a 96th-minute lead against Manchester United. As Gabriel Jesus scored an even later goal, it was not technically the winner. But Rice was the scorer of the de facto decider in the sort of match that can define seasons and establish reputations. Perhaps particularly for central midfielders, given that it is a fixture that evokes memories of Patrick Vieira against Roy Keane. Vieira scored the winning penalty in an FA Cup final shootout against United; Keane scored a disproportionate number of his United goals – five, almost 10 percent – against Arsenal. Rice’s first in Arsenal colours came at United’s expense. The most expensive Englishman ever can appear something of a throwback player: called a defensive midfielder, but often an all-rounder, in the way the Frenchman and the Irishman were. His post-match interview was conducted next to Keane who, like Graeme Souness, a similarly dominant and brilliant midfielder and another whose punditry could focus more on personalities than tactics, subscribes to the great man theory of history: as a footballing great himself, he tends to argue that matches are determined by the determination of individuals, by a willingness to seize the moment, by winning a personal battle. It suits him to argue games are won by warriors, not formations involving inverted full-backs or box midfielders. Football has grown more complex, the tactical intricacies of managers such as Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola reducing the significance of going mano a mano with the opposition’s alpha male. And yet, in the age of the £100m midfielder, perhaps Rice has a responsibility to be more than just another cog in the wheel, to be the match-winner at least sometimes. If it is simplistic to demand a tangible impact that always equates with his price tag for a player whose contribution stretches far beyond goals and assists, he is nevertheless charged with improving Arsenal. Turning one point into three and winning a game against rivals is a way of doing that. And if philosophies and systems seemed to have reduced the reliance on the individual, there is evidence in the midfields of Arteta and Guardiola that football can still come down to big players producing big deeds at big moments. Ilkay Gundogan spent the first half of his Manchester City career as a neat passer. In the second half, he was transformed into the man for the big occasion, the scorer supreme who could use his footballing intelligence to find space and his technique to finish. It was, in part, why he became captain; by the time of his FA Cup final brace, he felt more Roy of the Rovers than Sergio Busquets. As the defensive midfielder, Rodri’s primary responsibilities were to engineer perpetual possession and to cut off counter-attacks. Yet as the Spaniard grew in stature, he has tended to deliver crucial contributions: most obviously the Champions League final winner and most recently the superb late decider at Sheffield United but a pre-Rice Arsenal can probably still remember and regret his injury-time winner at the Emirates Stadium on New Year’s Day in 2022: if the sense is that managers like Guardiola and Arteta want their midfielders to be elegantly robotic, executing a strategy with practised excellence, the importance of individual interventions is still apparent. Rice need only gaze across the Arsenal midfield to see. Martin Odegaard joined with certain similarities to Gundogan: obviously an assured passer, he has turned himself into an accomplished scorer as well as a regular skipper. The Norwegian’s two goals this season, a nerveless penalty at Crystal Palace and a swift equaliser against United, were signs of his substance, of a capacity to deliver when it matters. That Rice did likewise feels auspicious. He has cost the sort of sum that used to be reserved for attackers. Chelsea created the £100m midfielder and now have two of them, a £222m double act. That can seem the product of a shift in thinking, recognising the significance of dictating a game. But there is still the need to decide it. Enzo Fernandez has shown his incisive passing as he has become increasingly creative: that he only has two assists in their colours is in part a reflection of others’ poor finishing. But the Argentinian has a lone goal himself, and that was against AFC Wimbledon of League Two, while he missed a penalty at West Ham. Moises Caicedo’s Chelsea career has only spanned 205 minutes on the pitch and, while Fernandez has been used as a No 10 of late, the Ecuadorian’s deeper role means he is likely to score fewer goals than the World Cup winner or Rice. Nevertheless, at such a colossal cost, each was bought to make a difference. And when, deep into added time, it seemed Arsenal would drop two points, Rice did. Read More Arrest after Roy Keane allegedly headbutted at Emirates Stadium Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus hopes he has seen the last of knee niggles Declan Rice rises to the moment as Arsenal avoid disastrous slip-up

Tamara Lich and Chris Barber face mischief charges related to the 2022 truck protests in Ottawa.

The grandfather of Sara Sharif tells the BBC he spoke to his son when he arrived in Pakistan.

Jadon Sancho’s future at Manchester United appears uncertain after a public falling-out with manager Erik ten Hag. It is the latest instalment in what has been a frustrating spell at Old Trafford for the England international. Here, the PA news agency looks at where it has gone wrong. What has happened? Ten Hag did not include Sancho in his squad for Sunday’s game at Arsenal, saying the player had not reached the required “level” in training. This was quickly disputed by Sancho in a strong statement on social media. The 23-year-old claimed he had been made a “scapegoat” for a long time and that claims about his conduct in training were “completely untrue”. Coming after two difficult years at the club, it raised questions over his future. What were the previous issues? Sancho’s United career does not seem to have ignited. Considered one of England’s brightest young prospects, he arrived amid much fanfare in the summer of 2021, but illness initially restricted his involvement. Then there was the turbulence of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer being replaced by Ralf Rangnick before Ten Hag’s arrival last summer. Confidence clearly suffered and Sancho was unable to find any consistent form. What has happened under Ten Hag? Sancho’s performances did not significantly improve after Ten Hag’s arrival last summer and he was consequently overlooked for England’s World Cup squad. Ten Hag went on to criticise his “fitness state” and revealed he spent time training away from the squad on an “individual programme”. Since then opportunities have been restricted by the form of Marcus Rashford and further competition from Antony and Alejandro Garnacho. Is wasn’t meant to be this way was it? Absolutely not. Sancho was highly rated in Manchester City’s academy and the club were disappointed to lose him when he opted to join Borussia Dortmund in 2017. Some questioned whether that move was wise and suggested he should have stayed to work under Pep Guardiola, as Phil Foden did, but it seemed to pay off. Sancho had four highly fruitful years in Germany and became an established international. He seemed ready for the move in 2021, but it has simply not gone to plan. What happens next? After going public with his grievances in the way he did, it seems unlikely he will be back in the United side any time soon. He would need to settle his differences with the manager and then convince him he is playing well enough to be selected. That could take time. There have been suggestions a Saudi Arabian club could offer an immediate way out, but there has been no firm interest reported. It could be a quiet few months ahead. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Leeds release prop Zane Tetevano to return to New Zealand after heart surgery Chris Dobey keen to bring major darts trophy to St James’ Park Artificial intelligence could replace referees within 30 years – expert

Provides an overview of Canada, including key dates and facts about this North American country.

By Allison Lampert MONTREAL The number of Canadian pilots seeking to fly in the United States tripled in

Special counsel Jack Smith is still pursuing his investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election a month after indicting Donald Trump for orchestrating a broad conspiracy to remain in power, a widening of the probe that raises the possibility others could still face legal peril.

Part of the wall running through China's Shanxi province was dug open, causing severe damage.

The 45-year-old Japanese is claiming mental incompetence for the Kyoto Animation blaze that killed 36.

MUNICH China's Leapmotor needs to increase its sales by five times or more to survive a consolidating EV