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Showing posts from November, 2017

Nathan Redmond defends Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola over altercation

• Southampton winger says ‘nothing negative or offensive was said’ • ‘Guardiola was only very complimentary and positive to me’ Nathan Redmond has defended Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola following their on-field altercation at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday. The Southampton winger was confronted by Guardiola immediately after the final whistle in Manchester City’s 2-1 win . Redmond issued a statement on Twitter in response to growing media speculation, confirming “nothing negative or offensive was said”. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/30/nathan-redmond-defends-pep-guardiola-manchester-city-southampton

For all the Russia 2018 draw razzmatazz, shadow cast by Olympics takes off gloss | Martha Kelner

Moscow stages the World Cup draw on Friday but Russia’s systematic doping at Sochi 2014 and beyond has eroded what should be football’s crowning glory The darkness will be thick and the temperature below freezing in Moscow when the first ball is drawn but the historic snow‑dappled domes of St Basil’s Cathedral remain visible from the Kremlin palace even at night. As a setting for the World Cup draw it is a perfect showcase, the imposing buildings of the fortified complex and Red Square totemic of Russian power and influence. There are Christmas lights, an ice skating rink and hot sausage stalls in the shadow of one of the most uncompromising political regimes of the modern era. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/30/russia-2018-world-cup-draw-shadow-olympic-doping

Oil exporters agree to extend output curbs

Energy ministers from Opec and non-Opec member nations agree to extend cuts until the end of 2018.

Sam Allardyce appointed new Everton manager before Huddersfield game

• New manager succeeds Koeman who was sacked five weeks ago • Allardyce watched Everton’s defeat of West Ham at Goodison Park Sam Allardyce has been appointed the new Everton manager just a day after watching from the stands as the team cruised to a 4-0 victory over West Ham at Goodison Park. Related: Everton put faith in Big Sam successfully renewing his big ambitions Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/30/sam-allardyce-appointed-new-everton-manager

Tumble dryer action call after fatal Llanrwst fire

A coroner calls on a tumble dryer manufacturer to take action after two men died in a flat fire.

Dragons Den businessmen sell Red Letter Days

Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis cash in on the gift experience company that they saved from collapse.

Raheem Sterling, English managers and the World Cup draw – Football Weekly Extra

Max Rushden and co reveal the secret behind Raheem Sterling’s form, revel in Wayne Rooney’s long-range goal and look ahead to the World Cup draw Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts , Soundcloud , Audioboom , Mixcloud , Acast and Stitcher , and join the conversation on Facebook , Twitter and email . Max Rushden , Barry Glendenning , Paul MacInnes and Elis James return for a Football Weekly Extra midweek Premier League fixture special. On the pitch, Wayne Rooney helps Everton thump West Ham , the wonder that is Raheem Sterling strikes again to keep Manchester City and an overexuberant Pep Guardiola flying high, and Spurs slump to defeat against Leicester as their title bid looks all but over. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/audio/2017/nov/30/raheem-sterling-english-managers-and-the-world-cup-draw-football-weekly-extra

Arsenal have refound their groove but fear remains that further lapses loom | Jonathan Wilson

Arsène Wenger’s team are on a winning streak and are lording it above Spurs, and Mesut Özil is sparkling, but there is no evidence yet that underlying failings of focus and organisation have been eradicated Arsenal are fourth! Arsenal have won their past three league games in a row! Arsenal have beaten Tottenham Hotspur and are now above them in the table! Arsenal have won seven out of seven at home this season! Arsenal defeated Huddersfield Town 5-0 on Wednesday with all three of their expensive forwards scoring! Arsenal are four points off second! At the Emirates Stadium, dreams are – tentatively – being dreamed again. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/nov/30/arsenal-refound-groove-arsene-wenger-jonathan-wilson

Ikea in Italy row over sacked Milan single mum

With two young children, Marica Ricutti could not handle shifts starting at 7am.

Care homes: Public 'pay unfair fees to plug £1bn shortfall'

Charges after death and over-the-top upfront fees for self-funders highlighted by the markets watchdog.

RBS brings curtain down on 'toxic' bank

The bank closes its Capital Resolution division, which was set up in the aftermath of the financial crisis.

Cable-laying drone wires up remote Welsh village

A remote Welsh village has superfast broadband after a drone was used to install fibre cables.

What keeps the chancellor awake at night?

Why car loans and the threat of cyber-attack might be interfering with Philip Hammond's sleep.

Elon Musk bids to build Chicago travel pods

The entrepreneur will compete to build a futuristic transport link to the city's airport.

Was Wayne Rooney’s halfway line goal the best in Premier League history?

The Everton forward has joined an exclusive club of players to have scored from inside his own half. But where does it rank compared to David Beckham, Charlie Adam and the rest? David Beckham, Paul Robinson, Tim Howard, Charlie Adam, Maynor Figueroa and Wayne Rooney (x2) – the list of players to have scored goals from the halfway line in the Premier League is an exclusive club. But which one was the best? We rank each goal in order and invite you to let us know your thoughts. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/30/wayne-rooney-halfway-line-goal-best-premier-league

Facebook disables ethnicity advert targeting system

The social network is looking into how its targeting systems can be abused to exclude some ethnicities.

Shell's gender pay audit reveals women paid 22% less than men

The oil giant says the difference in pay rates is because of a skills gap, rather than discrimination.

World Cup 2018 draw: how it all works and which teams England should avoid

• England will be hoping to avoid traditional enemies Germany • Draw from Moscow on Friday will be shown live on BBC2 The highly anticipated draw for the 2018 World Cup finals kicks off in Moscow on Friday afternoon and BBC2 will be covering all the action from 3pm. Match of the Day and BT Sport football host Gary Lineker, who has faced criticism for taking on the role after previously speaking out against Fifa over its various corruption scandals, will be co-presenting with the Russian journalist Maria Komandnaya. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/30/2018-world-cup-draw-how-it-all-works-where-to-watch-teams-england-should-avoid

Marcelo Bielsa’s short-lived catastrophe at Lille is coming to an end

Pep Guardiola described Bielsa as ‘the best coach in the world’ but the Argentinian may be the latest manager modern football has simply left behind By Adam White and Eric Devin for Get French Football News Sitting and watching football is what Marcelo Bielsa does best. A touchline icebox doubled as his perch at Marseille, made famous by an unfortunate incident with a rogue coffee cup, he sat oddly unflinching on the Lille bench as his assistant had a blazing argument with the fourth official inches away during the trip to Amiens last week and he has even supposedly trained himself to sit and watch multiple games at once with the aim of picking out patterns of play. But as “El Loco” sat in a Lille restaurant, suspended from his duties and sacking imminent, watching his Lille side lose 3-0 at Montpellier on a laptop, Bielsa’s fiery, enigmatic, mad-scientist persona seemed to ebb away and was replaced by a sense of inevitability and déja vu. Despite the fanfare surrounding Bielsa’s

Elon Musk bids to build Chicago travel pods

The entrepreneur will compete to build a futuristic transport link to the city's airport.

Dave Challinor: ‘I don’t do the long throw any more. Doctor’s orders’

The former Tranmere captain, a record breaker with his long throws, is manager of the AFC Fylde side who take on Wigan in the FA Cup second round on Friday – and he is no stranger to inflicting cup upsets Look closely at the AFC Fylde kit when the National League side take on Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup on Friday night, and you will find the extent of the club’s ambition is worn on their sleeve. A 15-year plan was put in place when new owners became involved in what was then Kirkham and Wesham in 2007, one that envisaged Football League status being achieved by the year 2022. Five promotions later, Fylde stand on the threshold of their dream. The next promotion will make it come true, and just to make sure no one loses sight of the objective, 2022 is woven into the players’ shirts. This is precisely the sort of structured planning and growth that persuaded the former Tranmere captain Dave Challinor to leave Colwyn Bay to throw in his lot with Fylde six years ago. It seemed a backward

Net migration falls by more than 100,000 after Brexit vote

Net migration was down by nearly a third to 230,000 in the year since the referendum, figures show.

Online gambling spend nears £5bn

The Gambling Commission expects online bets to account for half of all spending "in the near future".

Gianfranco Zola: ‘Who was wilder out of Maradona and Asprilla? Tino by miles’

The former Napoli, Parma and Chelsea forward discusses his old team-mates, managing West Ham and a six-hour helicopter trip to try a new ice cream Gianfranco Zola still keeps an eye out for West Ham United. It is nine years since the club gave him his first management opportunity and seven since they took it away in the summer of 2010. In total he led the club through 73 Premier League games, only 14 fewer than Slaven Bilic before the Croat was fired earlier this month and replaced by David Moyes. That might be where the similarities end. “I cannot compare my experience to his,” says Zola. “I believe they are completely different. But I understand what he’s been through. Every manager, when things don’t go well, they feel bad about it. That, unfortunately, is our job.” Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/30/gianfranco-zola-maradona-asprilla-chelsea-west-ham-manager

Floating NFL players, an ex-Gunner in Bulgaria and Adelaide Ashes Tests

Zay Jones appears to levitate, Conor Henderson pops up in the ‘First Professional Football League’, the Antarctic Ice Marathon and Felix Wiedwald’s borrowed cap 1) Remember former Arsenal midfielder Conor Henderson? Probably not as he only played one FA Cup game for them, admittedly in a 5-0 win over Leyton Orient , before spells at Hull City, Crawley Town, Grimsby Town and Eastbourne Borough. Well the English-born midielder has only gone and scored a 94th minute winner for his current club FC Pirin Blagoevgrad against the also superbly named Cherno More Varna. As injury-time winners go, a free-kick in off the bar isn’t a bad way to pick up the points for a team at the wrong end of the Bulgarian ‘First Professional Football League’ (we didn’t come up with the name), as proved by the excitable celebrations from the midfielder and his giddy team-mates . 2) American football is getting weirder by the week. Following on from the mystery of the disappearing USC player , The Buffallo Bills

Terrorists 'certain' to get killer robots, says defence giant

Swarming drones and other AI-enabled weapons will soon fall into the wrong hands, Lords are told.

Bitcoin takes stock after rollercoaster ride

The price of Bitcoin fell 21% after passing a record $11,000, but later recovered some of the fall.

Pound rises on hopes of Brexit progress

Sterling continues to climb on reports the UK has offered to pay up to €50bn to settle its EU "divorce bill".

Mulan: Disney casts Chinese actress Liu Yifei in lead role

It follows several Hollywood "whitewashing" controversies where white actors were cast in Asian roles.

Daily Mail owner DMGT's shares plunge

The Daily Mail publisher reports a fall in profits and warns of "challenging conditions" next year.

Stamp duty giveaway will have limited impact, says Nationwide

The Nationwide says the chancellor's giveaway for first-time buyers will have limited effect on demand.

Football transfer rumours: Hatem Ben Arfa to West Ham or Leicester?

Today’s fluff clicks while there’s nobody there The likelihood of Hatem Ben Arfa bringing his rare combination of sensational skills and remarkable substitutes’-bench-based-looks-of-smouldering-discontent back to the Premier League increases with every passing day, with the Frenchman not so much in the cold at Paris Saint-Germain as padlocked into a cryogenic chamber situated within an industrial freezer built upon the Arctic tundra in winter time. He has not been glimpsed in a football kit since his run-out against third division Avranches in the French Cup back in April and has since been – in the words of his lawyer Jean-Jacques Bertrand – “left out brutally and in a disrespectful manner” even though he “has matured a lot”, “never complains” and has a “fundamental love for the club”. It looks very much like he will be given the opportunity to develop a fundamental love for a different club in January, either on loan or on a free transfer, and according to the Mail Leicester are “c

Bank deputy warns of Bitcoin bubble risks

Investors should "do their homework", says Bank of England official, as Bitcoin passes $11,000.

Robot automation will 'take 800 million jobs by 2030' - report

Up to one fifth of the global work force will be affected by global automation, says McKinsey.

Morrisons recalls chicken pie over fish mix-up

Morrisons withdraws some chicken and mushroom pies from sale as the box actually contains fish pie.

Kellogg's to cut sugar in kids' cereals by up to 40%

The cereals giant also plans to axe a product and end on-pack promotions aimed at children on another.

Australia to hold major inquiry into nation's banks

The royal commission - Australia's highest form of inquiry - follows recent scandals in the sector.

Why India's government is pumping money into banks

India's banks are due to get a cash injection from the government, in the hope that it will get them lending again.

Google faces mass legal action in UK over data snooping

Search giant is accused of unlawfully harvesting the personal information of millions of UK iPhone users.

Google faces mass legal action in UK over data snooping

Search giant is accused of unlawfully harvesting the personal information of millions of UK iPhone users.

Aging indicators

Japan's years of stagnant wage growth and a rapidly ageing population offer lessons to other developed economies.

Mesut Özil adds the finishing touch as Arsenal hammer Huddersfield

It still feels slightly premature, with the cracks not fully repaired after a fraught start to the season, to declare that Arsenal will not look back now that a corner has been turned. They have, after all given their critics generous ammunition in recent years. Yet Arsène Wenger is the Premier League’s perennial optimist and, despite enduring a couple of fretful moments after Alexandre Lacazette’s early strike, this was the kind of flowing performance to make him believe that Arsenal are heading in the right direction again. Related: Man City v Southampton, Chelsea v Swansea, Stoke v Liverpool and more – as it happened Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/29/arsenal-huddersfield-town-premier-league-match-report

Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah give Liverpool healthy victory over Stoke

Some of Liverpool’s victories this season have been devastating displays of attacking football, the sort that make you glad to be a football fan. This wasn’t one of those, a victory of solid efficiency rather than rampant flair, but it will be no less valuable. A first-half goal from Sadio Mané and a late brace from substitute Mohamed Salah were enough for Liverpool to win this one, a win over a Stoke side who were utterly desperate, even by their reasonably low standards this season. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/29/stoke-city-liverpool-premier-league-match-report

Antonio Conte sent off before Rüdiger header sees Chelsea past Swansea City

These are nervous times for Paul Clement. In a week that will see two of Swansea’s relegation rivals appoint new managers, a narrow defeat to the reigning champions away from home – courtesy of Antonio Rüdiger’s second-half header – does not sound like the worst result. Yet the manner of this performance in which Swansea barely mustered a shot in anger and with the Welsh club now the only team in the bottom five not to have parted company with their manager this season, it is clear that his time is running out fast. The sending off of his counterpart Antonio Conte just before half-time for a bizarre tantrum at the fourth official had perhaps given Clement a glimmer of hope that this could be his night. But those hopes were dashed when Chelsea finally took the lead and never looked like surrendering it as they maintained their faint hopes of retaining the Premier League title they won with such style last season. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardi

Robot automation will 'take 800 million jobs by 2030' - report

Up to one fifth of the global work force will be affected by global automation, says McKinsey.

Everton v West Ham United: Premier League – live!

Just Eat: The £5.5bn firm fuelled by our takeaway obsession

Just Eat food delivery firm has joined the ranks of Britain's biggest companies.

Classified Pentagon data leaked on the public cloud

A cyber-security company discovered classified data stored on an unsecured Amazon Web Services cloud.

Lloyds chairman urged PM to back HBOS rescue deal

Sir Victor Blank says he warned Gordon Brown that the banking sector was at risk if the deal failed.

André Villas-Boas quits as manager of Shanghai SIPG to drive in Dakar Rally

‘So I got in touch with Team Overdrive and here I am!’ Will drive pick up after being dissuaded from riding motorbike The former Chelsea and Tottenham manager André Villas-Boas will contest the Dakar Rally in 2018 after quitting as manager of Chinese side Shanghai SIPG. Villas-Boas, whose uncle took part in the event in 1982, will drive a Toyota Hilux in the 15-day rally which starts in Peru on 6 January and travels through Bolivia before finishing in Argentina on 20 January. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/29/andre-villas-boas-quits-as-manager-of-shanghai-sipg-to-take-part-in-dakar-rally

Bank deputy warns of Bitcoin bubble risks

Investors should "do their homework", says Bank of England official, as Bitcoin passes $11,000.

Bitcoin bubble?

The digital currency Bitcoin is going through the roof - but what is it, and why has it shot up in price?

Sam Allardyce agrees to take over as Everton manager

• Allardyce returns six months after he quit Crystal Palace • Former England manager has never been relegated from Premier League Sam Allardyce has agreed to become Everton’s manager, six months after he stepped down at Crystal Palace saying he had “no ambitions to take another job”. Allardyce is set to become the permanent successor to Ronald Koeman after David Unsworth’s unsuccessful stint as caretaker. His first match will be at home to Huddersfield Town on Saturday. He has agreed an 18-month deal worth a reported £9m. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/29/sam-allardyce-appointed-everton-manager

World Cup draw cock-ups: dropouts, dropped balls and dresses

Dividing teams into groups for a football tournament should be easy but nothing is ever simple when Fifa is in charge By Richard Foster for The Agony and the Ecstasy of the Guardian Sport Network Gary Lineker has faced accusations of hypocrisy after condemning Fifa as a “ revolting organisation ” and then agreeing to co-host its World Cup draw in Moscow on Friday. Lineker is not the first person to have found participating in the ceremony an awkward experience. The practice of inviting celebrities began at the 1990 World Cup, when Luciano Pavarotti and Sophia Loren were among the famous faces onstage in Rome. Four years later, Franz Beckenbauer was joined in Las Vegas by Evander Holyfield and Robin Williams, who played the whole thing for laughs , pulling on a glove like an overly enthusiastic doctor and instructing Sepp Blatter to “turn your head to the side and cough”. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/the-agony-and-the-ecs

Is Apple getting sloppy?

A security bug in the new Mac operating system has raised concerns that the firm's standards are slipping.

Uber says 2.7m Brits hit by breach that was covered up

The breach, which happened in 2016 and which was covered up by the firm, was only revealed this month.

Uber says 2.7m Brits hit by breach that was covered up

The breach, which happened in 2016 and which was covered up by the firm, was only revealed this month.

Fraudsters pose as police to steal cash

Victims have lost thousands of pounds in the scam, believing they are helping to expose corrupt bank staff.

World Cup posters: an illustrated history

Since the first World Cup back in 1930, it has become tradition for each tournament to design their own unique poster. Here we take a look at them Take a look at the World Cup footballs here Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/gallery/2017/nov/29/world-cup-posters-an-illustrated-history

Uber accused of 'hiring ex-CIA agents to spy on rivals'

A former manager says the firm hired security contractors to infiltrate rivals' computers.

Trump account retweets anti-Muslim videos

Donald Trump's Twitter account retweets three inflammatory videos from far-right group, Britain First.

Yahoo 'hacker-for-hire' pleads guilty

A Canadian citizen admits accessing web-mail accounts m on behalf of the Russian Federal Security Service.

Crystal Palace threaten bans and legal action against gatecrashers at Brighton

• Two stewards hospitalised and Brighton stadium gates closed early • We condemn it in the strongest possible terms, say Palace Crystal Palace fans involved in disorder before the 0-0 draw at Brighton on Tuesday will face stadium bans and possible criminal action. Palace say there are clear images of the disturbance, which occurred outside the Amex stadium and left two stewards in hospital. Brighton had accused a number of Palace fans of arriving without tickets and seeking to gain entry shortly after kick-off in the so-called M23 derby. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/29/crystal-palace-legal-action-bans-brighton-gatecrashers

Tottenham’s Érik Lamela admits he feared he would never play again

• Argentinian says 13-month injury lay-off was ‘probably worst time of my life’ • Lamela thanks Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs fans and family for helping him Érik Lamela has described the 13 months he spent on the sidelines through injury as “probably the worst time of my life”. The Argentinian, who marked his return to first-team action with an assist for Harry Kane in Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 defeat against Leicester City on Tuesday, required two operations to solve hip problems and admitted there were moments when he feared that he would never play again. Lamela, whose substitute appearance against Leicester was his first game for Tottenham in exactly 400 days, thanked the manager Mauricio Pochettino, the club’s supporters and his family for giving him the encouragement to get through the toughest period of his career. “It was crazy,” said Lamela, reflecting on his time out. “It was probably the worst time of my life. I really wanted to play but it took too long, my injury.” Contin

Loan sharks 'hang around the school gates'

On one estate they handed out cards to children asking mums to ring if the children needed new trainers.

Fifa’s new broom Gianni Infantino exhibiting signs of limited shelf life

World game’s president has already wrecked his flagship event and with the World Cup draw due on Friday still has only one of 20 local sponsors in place and has yet to agree terms for the TV rights with Russian broadcasters Good news and bad news once more for Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, who refuses to abandon his delusions of adequacy. The good news is that Gianni has pre-announced that there will be no racist incidents at the Russia World Cup next summer. “This is a very high priority,” he explained, “and we will make sure that no incidents will happen.” The bad news is that there may be no local sponsors at the Russia World Cup next summer. I say “no local sponsors” – in fact, there is currently just one of a possible 20 places in Fifa’s regional sponsorship tier taken up, with that spot filled 16 months ago by Russia’s Alfa Bank. Since then, nothing. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/nov/29/fifa-new-broom-gia

Court backs salesman's claim for 13 years of holiday pay

A window salesman who received no paid holiday for 13 years wins the latest stage of his legal battle.

Alan Pardew appointed as West Brom manager on contract to 2020

• Former Palace manager replaces Tony Pulis at the Hawthorns • Pardew’s first match will be against previous club Crystal Palace Alan Pardew has been appointed as West Bromwich Albion’s manager, replacing Tony Pulis. The 56-year-old, who has been out of work since being sacked by Crystal Palace last December, has signed a contract running until 2020 at the Hawthorns after holding talks with the club’s hierarchy last week. He will take charge for Saturday’s home match against his previous team, with Gary Megson having performed caretaker duties for the past two matches against Tottenham and Newcastle. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/29/alan-pardew-appointed-west-bromwich-albion-manager

Apple removes Philippines leader Duterte execution games

Games which involve killing criminals as the Philippine president have vanished from Apple's store.

Herbert Chapman: from football life ban to glory at Arsenal and Huddersfield

Before the teams with whom Chapman enjoyed his greatest success meet in the Premier League on Wednesday, we recall arguably English football’s most influential manager – referred to as the ‘maker of champions’ On Wednesday Arsenal and Huddersfield meet in the league for the first time in a generation, since the Gunners contributed to their one-time rivals’ relegation with two 1-0 wins in 1971-72. Theirs is a history pockmarked with notable encounters, from the 1930 FA Cup final to the friendly with which Huddersfield celebrated their centenary, but perhaps the most important occurred a little after midnight on the night of 10 June 1925, as Herbert Chapman decided which club he should manage the following season. Every one of these key battles was won by Arsenal. Huddersfield’s board thought they had done enough in that late-night meeting to keep their man in Yorkshire, including matching Arsenal’s offer to double his £1,000-a-year salary. The following morning the Gunners announced h

Longest goalless streak at a major international tournament

Plus: teams playing derbies in change or third strips, rapid promotions to senior international sides and did a Newcastle player invent the windscreen wiper? Send your questions and answers to knowledge@theguardian.com or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU “In light of next year’s World Cup taking shape, I spent the international break reliving the last World Cup and noticed that Argentina scored their last goal in the competition in the eighth minute of their quarter-final against Belgium ,” begins Boris Cule. “Despite this, they came within minutes of a penalty shoot-out in the final, which they may well have won. What is the longest goalless run of any winning team at a major competition? And my second question is, given that Argentina went without a goal for a total of 322 minutes (they played extra-time in both the semi and final), was this the longest goalless run of any team in any major competition ever?” Markus Palder has been looking back to Italia 90 and has a slight twist on the qu

Football transfer rumours: David Luiz to leave Chelsea for Real Madrid?

Today’s tell-all is getting, is getting, is getting kind of hectic David Luiz remains in Antonio Conte’s bad books, having reacted badly to being substituted during Chelsea’s 3-3 draw with Roma in the Champions League in October. The Brazilian appeared to eff and jeff in his manager’s direction after seeing his number hoisted by the fourth official and has played in only four of Chelsea’s eight matches since. Reports on Wednesday suggest that Real Madrid are monitoring the breakdown in relations between player and manager with interest and could try to sign the Brazilian in January. David Luiz has been ruled out of Chelsea’s match against Swansea City on Wednesday evening with a knee injury, while his manager says the club hierarchy have not yet spoken to him about his transfer needs for the next window. “I think about this topic but it is better if my club ask me what I need to catch them up and then I will answer, but in a private way,” said Conte, who was left frustrated by Che

Cineworld shares tumble on cinema deal

Cineworld shares lead the FTSE 250 lower after the cinema chain confirms talks to buy a US rival.

David Moyes accepting of what he cannot change with West Ham’s squad

The former Everton manager is keen to re-employ the methods which worked well for him through much of his 11-year spell in charge at Goodison Park David Moyes was hoping not to talk about Everton but the subject was difficult to avoid before his latest return to Goodison Park. “I’ll tell you this one,” West Ham’s manager said as his mind drifted back to the final day of the winter transfer window in 2013. “It was my last year. I think Everton were a striker short of being top four. You were still needing somewhere like £10m or £15m to get a top striker. We had £1m left. Tony Henry, who’s here, was involved in it, probably more so than anybody. He says: ‘There’s a boy at Barnsley who’s not bad.’” John Stones was the boy in question and instead of getting that top striker Moyes’s final signing for Everton ended up being a young centre-back from Barnsley who joined for £500,000 and left for £47.5m to Manchester City two and a half years later. That was often how it had to be for Moyes du

London Stock Exchange boss leaves amid boardroom row

Xavier Rolet leaves with immediate effect after a bruising boardroom dispute over his future.

Food waste: Clearer label plan in bid to cut

Confusion over food labels is prompting people to throw away usable produce, waste agency claims.

Bitcoin crosses $10,000 milestone

The virtual currency has surged in value during the past few weeks.

Bitcoin crosses $10,000 milestone

The virtual currency has surged in value during the past few weeks.

US to investigate Chinese aluminium trade

The move is the latest by the US Commerce Department to examine Chinese trade practices.

Marrone to sit out only one extra match for 'very ugly' ball boy incident

Defender received a four-match ban with two of those suspended FFA disciplinary counsel suggested ball boy may have exaggerated injury Michael Marrone will only spend one more week on the sidelines for his “very ugly” FFA Cup final clash with a ball boy. The Adelaide United defender has been handed a four-match ban with two suspended after fronting Football Federation Australia’s independent disciplinary and ethics committee in Sydney on Tuesday night. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/29/marrone-to-sit-out-only-one-extra-match-for-very-ugly-ball-boy-incident

How wasps are used to control crop pests

The Brazilian firm that breeds wasps in the growing industry of biological pest control.

Under-age social media use 'on the rise', says Ofcom

Children are also increasingly using social media to access news, but most know some of it is fake.

Facebook's AI wipes Islamic State and Al Qaeda posts

Firm says its algorithms are becoming effective at flagging terrorist propaganda but still need work.

Free ATMs 'must be available across UK'

Nicky Morgan, of the Treasury Committee, says any fall in the number of ATMs would "clearly be of concern".

Construction bodies warn of Brexit 'cliff edge' skills gap

EU building workers should have the right to settled status in the UK post-Brexit say industry bodies.

José Mourinho delighted by Manchester United’s firepower at Watford

• ‘I prefer to forget the five minutes where we conceded the two goals’ • ‘To play away and score four goals … this was very, very good’ José Mourinho is often portrayed as a pure defensive technician but it was Manchester United’s exuberant attacking play that warmed a see‑sawing 4-2 victory at Watford that saw his team open up a 3-0 lead before almost finding themselves pegged back in the second half. “I prefer to forget the five minutes where we conceded the two goals,” Mourinho said of Watford’s late rally. “I prefer to focus on all the good things we did. To play away from home and score four goals, we could have scored seven, eight, this was very, very good.” Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/28/jose-mourinho-manchester-united-watford

Bath Rescue dogs studied to help actors

It will help human actors to realistically play four-legged characters in films and computer games.

Gay fans warned holding hands at Russia World Cup will be dangerous

• Equality campaigner Fare will produce cautionary guide for LGBT fans • Piara Powar: ‘Gay people have a place in Russia which is quite underground’ LGBT fans will be warned about holding hands in public and other outward displays of affection when in Russia for the World Cup next summer. A cautionary guide will be produced by Fare – formerly Football Against Racism in Europe and now a pressure group that campaigns for equality in football – and dispersed to fans travelling to the tournament. Being gay is not illegal in Russia but the country has a law banning teaching about homosexuality in schools and there are numerous cases where gay people from foreign countries have been attacked because of their sexuality . Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/28/gay-fans-holding-hands-russia-world-cup-dangerous-fare

Antonio Conte keen for January signings but says Chelsea yet to consult him

• Conte says he is waiting to be asked how to catch ‘incredible’ Manchester City • David Luiz ruled out of match against Swansea City with knee injury Antonio Conte has described Manchester City’s start to the season as “something incredible” and said he is waiting for Chelsea’s hierarchy to ask him what is necessary for the Premier League champions to catch the current leaders. Chelsea find themselves 11 points behind City going into their home game against Swansea City on Wednesday evening and, having suggested after Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Liverpool that the club needed to enter January’s transfer market in order to get anywhere near Pep Guardiola’s side, the Italian has now called on those above him to seek out his advice in regards to exactly which players need to come in at the turn of the year. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/28/antonio-conte-january-signings-chelsea-david-luiz-swansea

Some lost rail routes may be 'restored'

More than 4,000 miles of rail routes were closed in the 1960s as part of major cost cuts.

Ashley Young’s double has Manchester United buzzing and Watford befuddled

Manchester United looked like running away from Watford midway through the first half as Ashley Young enjoyed an early festive return to Vicarage Road, scoring two lovely goals to help open up a 3-0 lead. Watford never gave up though, dragging it back to 3-2, before Jesse Lingard took the game away from them at the last with a sublime late fourth, weaving his way from inside his own half to finish in front of a delirious away end, Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/28/watford-manchester-united-premier-league-match-report

Newcastle United gifted point by West Bromwich Albion’s unlucky Evans

Fleetingly it seemed as if joy had returned to The Hawthorns, as goals by Hal Robson-Kanu and Sam Field put West Bromwich Albion on course for their first victory since August. But instead the home side ended up clinging on for a point, as their two-goal lead was whittled away by a Newcastle United side also in urgent need of a change of form. Ciaran Clark cut the deficit by heading home in the 59th minute and then, six minutes from time, Jonny Evans deflected a free-kick by Matt Ritchie into his own goal. Newcastle had avoided a fifth straight defeat and Albion continue to search for a win, as well as a new manager. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/28/west-bromwich-albion-newcastle-united-premier-league-match-report

Brexit: SMMT urges progress on transitional Brexit deal

The UK car industry's trade body calls for quicker progress on a transitional UK-EU trade period.

Fed nominee Jerome Powell shares views with Congress

The former investment banker appears before the Senate Banking Committee for his confirmation hearing.

Watford v Manchester United: Premier League – live!

Leicester v Spurs, Brighton v Crystal Palace and more: Premier League – live!

Uber and Waymo trial delayed after evidence 'withheld'

Uber faces allegations that it stole secrets from Google's self-driving car firm.

Wholesaler Palmer and Harvey fails with 2,500 jobs lost

Palmer and Harvey goes into administration, with 2,500 jobs to go immediately, and a further 900 under threat.

Uber and Waymo trial delayed after evidence 'withheld'

Uber faces allegations that it stole secrets from Google's self-driving car firm.

Tesco fraud trial hears 'no evidence' of bullying claims

There is no evidence that former Tesco executive Carl Rogberg bullied staff into falsifying accounts, a court hears.

Ocado robot picks up and packs supermarket goods

Online supermarket Ocado reveals a robot that will pack delivery boxes with food and other products.

The Fiver | A hot-faced manager in a comical coin-and-coffee maelstrom

Sign up now ! Sign up now ! Sign up now ! Sign up now ? Sign up now ! Today marks the 40th anniversary – give or take 11 months and 22 days – of the genesis of the great rivalry between Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace. It seems to have really, er, crystallised at the end of an FA Cup marathon between the two clubs in December 1976, won by Palace in controversial circumstances at neutral Stamford Bridge. Brighton thought they’d equalised through a Brian Horton penalty, you see, only for the referee to order a retake for encroachment. You know how these things go, and of course the second attempt was missed. At the final whistle, their boss Alan Mullery attempted to engage the whistler in Socratic dialogue, and was showered with coffee by a nearby Palace fan for his trouble. To be fair, the stuff they used to serve up at Chelsea was rank, the nearest place to get a good cup in those days was just outside Paris. But still. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian h

Ocado robot picks up and packs supermarket goods

The online supermarket reveals a new robot that will pack delivery boxes with food and other products. It is due to start work in 2018.

Airline group IAG opens Paris base for Level

Airline group IAG's low-cost long-haul carrier will have two aircraft based at Paris Orly.

Dismay but no surprise for Millwall as report exonerates Lewisham council | Barney Ronay

Retired judge Lord Dyson’s report into the Millwall CPO scheme was commissioned by Lewisham council and while its findings are therefore hardly a shock to campaigners, the fight for the future of The Den is back on the agenda A report commissioned by Lewisham council has cleared Lewisham council of “any impropriety” in relation to the abandoned Millwall CPO scheme . The report, which was compiled by retired judge Lord Dyson and defined and framed by Lewisham councillors earlier this year, clears Lewisham councillors of misconduct and concludes they acted with “propriety, due diligence and in accordance with the applicable codes of practice” in relation to the New Bermondsey scheme. Related: Battle for The Den: why is the Millwall inquiry happening and whom does it serve? Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/nov/28/millwall-cpo-lewisham-council-the-den-lord-dyson-report

World power 'threatened' by Chinese AI

China could overtake the US in terms of AI development, some of which is destined for military uses.

Mum defends teen in gaming lawsuit

A mother has written a letter in defence of her 14-year-old-son who is facing a lawsuit over video game cheats.

CMA: Secondary ticket websites may be breaking the law

After a year long investigation, the competition watchdog says some websites are failing to be clear.

Shell accused of abuses in Nigeria's Ogoniland

The oil firm should be investigated for alleged complicity in "horrific crimes", Amnesty says.

Facebook and Twitter to co-operate in Brexit probe

Facebook and Twitter are asked for information about possible Russian interference in the Brexit vote.

Firms team up on hybrid electric plane technology

Airbus, Rolls Royce and Siemens join forces to develop hybrid electric plane technology.

Firms team up on hybrid electric plane technology

Airbus, Rolls Royce and Siemens join forces to develop hybrid electric plane technology.

CMA: Secondary ticket websites may be breaking the law

After a year long investigation, the competition watchdog says some websites are failing to be clear.

David Squires on … Fifa's preparations for the Russia 2018 World Cup draw

Our resident cartoonist imagines the hard work being put in by Gianni Infantino and Vladimir Putin to ensure the World Cup draw goes off smoothly View all of David Squires’ cartoons in his archive here And David’s only got another book out. More details here Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2017/nov/28/david-squires-fifa-preparation-russia-2018-world-cup-draw-putin-infantino

Stella McCartney and Ellen MacArthur call for fashion sustainability

The designer backs a report that claims half of High Street fashion is thrown away within a year.

Ocado shares soar after it seals Groupe Casino deal

Online grocer's tie-up with Groupe Casino will see it build an automated warehouse to serve Greater Paris.

How to get more women into football (and football journalism)? Derby may have the answer

A pioneering scheme run in partnership with the local university is offering promising female players the chance to have a career in the game While many have concerns about the Football Association’s restructure of women’s football and this blog has highlighted many of them, others, such as Derby County Ladies, who have had long-held WSL ambitions, have thrown their support behind the plans. Related: Switch to winter season boosts Manchester City and Chelsea in Europe | Suzanne Wrack Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/nov/28/womens-football-blog-derby-county-ladies-journalism-scholarships

Arsène Wenger rules out selling Alexis Sánchez and Mesut Özil in January

• Arsenal manager insists both players will remain at club until summer at least • Wenger says they could leave in January if ‘something unbelievable happens’ Arsène Wenger has for the first time explicitly ruled out the possibility of selling either Alexis Sánchez or Mesut Özil in January, saying both players would remain at Arsenal until the end of the season “unless something unbelievable happens”. Asked about the players’ futures on Tuesday, Wenger said: “I’m not the only one who can decide that. They have a say in that as well.” A few minutes later he was asked if he could, in fact, rule out a mid-season departure. “Yeah, I rule it out,” he said. “Look, I do not think every day about that. As long as they are here they have to give their best for the team and for the club. In my head, they stay until the end of the season. That’s the decision I took at the start of the season. Unless something unbelievable happens there’s no reason why that should change. Continue reading...

London office development slowing, says survey

Political uncertainty is holding back development in the capital, an industry study says.

Ocado shares surge on Group Casino tie-up

Shares in the online grocer leap after it signs a deal with French supermarket giant Groupe Casino.

Black Friday weekend: Online the winner in sales frenzy

Some £1.4bn was spent on online sales in the UK on Black Friday, up 11.7% on last year, says one forecast.

Softbank makes discounted bid to buy Uber

The Japanese conglomerate's potential investment values Uber at 30% less than its most recent valuation.

Can a bank in a box replace a branch?

One firm has developed an interactive cash-machine which, it says, can do 80% of the tasks typically undertaken in a bank.

Technology focus will improve 'new talent and skills'

Newport Wafer Fab says the new UK industrial strategy's focus on technology can help them grow further.

'Be a teddy bear and a dentist'

Siddhartha Lal, boss of Royal Enfield Motorcycles, tells the BBC why, as a CEO, you need to be a teddy bear and a dentist.

Can a bank in a box replace a branch?

One firm has developed an interactive cash-machine which, it says, can do 80% of the tasks typically undertaken in a bank.

Super vision

Imagine pointing your phone's camera at any object and being given useful information about it.

Global leader

The interest rate set by America's central bank, the US Federal Reserve, is one of the key levers of the global economy.

Educating girls

The volunteers pushing to get up to three million Indian girls into school instead of becoming child brides.

Super vision

Imagine pointing your phone's camera at any object and being given useful information about it.

Black Friday weekend: Online the winner in sales frenzy

Some £1.4bn was spent on online sales in the UK on Black Friday, up 11.7% on last year, says one forecast.

Sam Allardyce back in contention to be the next Everton manager

• Goodison club consider fresh talks with the former England manager • David Unsworth has endured six defeats in eight games as caretaker Everton are considering fresh discussions with Sam Allardyce regarding his becoming their new manager, after initial talks with the 63-year-old previously broke down when he was approached earlier this month. Allardyce’s status as a potential candidate once more indicates how desperate Everton have become to find a permanent successor to Ronald Koeman as the first contact with him is thought to have broken down because of the length and terms of the contract he was offered. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/27/sam-allardyce-everton-manager

Brexit: SMMT urges progress on transitional Brexit deal

The UK car industry's trade body calls for quicker progress on a transitional UK-EU trade period.

CFPB in chaos as chief refuses to step aside for Trump's man

President Trump's pick and a director who refuses to step aside send duelling emails to employees.

The fraud costing the UK more than £1bn every year

VAT fraud costs the UK more than £1bn a year and is making it hard for firms which pay the tax to compete.

Feather & Black collapse puts 123 jobs under threat

The retailer will continue to trade and its "current intention" is to honour orders until 27 November.

Terrible Toffees, Manchester City's marvels and deep-thinking Dyche – Football Weekly

Max Rushden and co look back on an eventful weekend around the major European leagues Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts , Soundcloud , Audioboom , Mixcloud , Acast and Stitcher , and join the conversation on Facebook , Twitter and email . Max Rushden , Barry Glendenning , Barney Ronay and Sachin Nakrani have plenty to review from the weekend’s Premier League action, where victory for Manchester City at Huddersfield meant they kept their eight-point lead at the top. The panel debate how much of their success is down to Pep Guardiola’s spending and how much is down to his coaching. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/audio/2017/nov/27/football-weekly-podcast-terrible-toffees-manchester-citys-marvels-and-deep-thinking-dyche

Michael Emenalo takes Monaco sporting director job weeks after Chelsea exit

• Emenalo describes Monaco as the ‘right choice’ after leaving Stamford Bridge • Emenalo to work under the club’s vice-president Vadim Vasilyev Monaco have announced the appointment of the former Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo as their sporting director. The 52-year-old resigned from his post at Stamford Bridge three weeks ago and has taken on a similar role at the Ligue 1 club. Emenalo, who will work under the vice-president Vadim Vasilyev, told the Monaco website : “It’s a wonderful opportunity for me in such a high-quality project. Monaco have shown great [progress] in the past few seasons and I am convinced that the club will keep being successful. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/27/michael-emenalo-monaco-sporting-director-chelsea

The Fiver | The kind of footballing hard man other footballing hard men kneel before

Sign up now ! Sign up now ! Sign up now ! Sign up now ? Sign up now ! In his book, I Think Therefore I Play, Andrea Pirlo recalls his b@nter-tastic times with the Italian national team and one particularly jolly jape he and Daniele De Rossi used to play on another team-mate. One would hide under the player in question’s bed while another would go in his wardrobe, then the pair would wait as long as it took for the player in question to enter his room and get ready for bed and slip between the covers. “Just as he was about to fall asleep, Daniele would reach up from under the bed and grab his sides, while I’d burst out of the wardrobe like the worst kind of lover, making horrendous noises,” wrote Pirlo. Considering the target of their practical joke was Gennaro “Rino” Gattuso, one can’t help but wonder who the real victims were. “Rino took it really well, despite risking massive heart-attacks,” wrote Pirlo. “First he’d beat up Daniele and then he’d do the same to me, just to prove he w

BA owner IAG 'secures Monarch's Gatwick slots'

Airline group IAG has secured most of the collapsed carrier's take-off slots at Gatwick, reports say.

Oxford and Cambridge club members face hard disk theft

Stephen Fry is said to be among thousands of members of a private club whose data has been stolen.

Twitter blocks New York Times by mistake

The newspaper had one of its most popular accounts locked for 24 hours after being accused of hateful conduct.

Computer science GCSE in disarray after tasks leaked online

Exams regulator Ofqual plans to pull this chunk of the qualification from the overall marks.

Valencia honour legendary president by pushing Barcelona all the way | Sid Lowe

Standing there at Mestalla, it no longer felt impossible for them to compete to be champions for the first time since the late Jaume Ortí wore an orange wig Rodrigo Moreno sprinted towards the near post, slotted the ball past Marc-André ter Stegen and ducked behind the goal at the north end of Mestalla, team-mates racing to join the celebrations. In front of him, Valencia’s fans went wild; behind him a ballboy in a grey bib was busy reaching into a plastic carrier bag. David Vassilev is 14, he plays for Valencia’s Infantil A and in the middle of all the noise and excitement, the gathering crowd, players piling on, he had a job to do. He pulled out a big fuzzy orange wig he’d been hiding and handed it over. Rodrigo put it on and, taking a step back, pointed to the sky. Referee Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva headed over, card ready, but something stopped him, as if on his way it dawned on him what this was. It was Sunday night at Mestalla, Valencia versus Barcelona. That morning at the pa

'Relay crime' theft caught on camera

This footage from West Midlands Police shows two men pulling up outside a victim's house and stealing a car without needing to see the owner's keys.

How Dubai is embracing technology

From hi-tech airport sensors to the solar palm tree that charges your phone and takes your picture.

Ethical hackers to boost NHS cyber-defences

The hackers will work in an operations centre that will look for threats before they hit hospitals.

Oxford and Cambridge club members face hard disk theft

Stephen Fry is said to be among thousands of members of a private club whose data has been stolen.

Victoria Beckham fashions £30m investment

The deal values the fashion label started by the former Spice Girl at an estimated £100m.

This was supposed to be Milan's revival season. Instead they have regressed | Paolo Bandini

All that really matters is that Vincenzo Montella’s approach was not working, which is why the club’s owners have terminated his services at San Siro Vincenzo Montella did not see the curtain coming down. San Siro might sometimes be referred to as La Scala del Calcio – football’s answer to Milan’s famous opera house – but his team’s performances this season had rarely been worthy of such a stage. On Sunday, the Rossoneri drew 0-0 at home to Torino. It was their fourth consecutive home game without a goal in Serie A. An audience of 54,000 people jeered at the conclusion. Still, Montella continued to see his glass as half full. “We dictated the game from start to finish,” he insisted. “The only thing missing was a little bit of nastiness in front of goal.” Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/nov/27/supposed-milan-revival-instead-regressed-serie-a-vincenzo-montella

Mount Agung: Bali tourism hit by eruption threat

More than five million visitors were expected in Bali this year before the volcano began rumbling.

YouTube investigates 'disturbing' autofill results

The site's search feature has been changed after paedophilic phrases appeared.

Bitcoin approaches $10,000 a piece

The virtual currency has risen from around $1,000 at the start of the year to a record of $9,700.

Twitter blocks New York Times by mistake

The newspaper had one of its most popular accounts blocked for 24 hours after being accused of hateful conduct.

Imgur confirms 1.7 million users hit by data breach

The breach dates back to 2014 but has only just come to light.

Petr Cech hopes Arsenal have ‘turned the corner’ and can fight for title

• Continuing positive away form shown at Burnley is key, says goalkeeper • Cech believes Arsenal can mount challenge for Premier League Petr Cech believes Arsenal can still contend for the title, with the goalkeeper saying Sunday’s win at Burnley can be pivotal to their season. Alexis Sánchez’s 92nd-minute penalty gave Arsène Wenger’s team a victory that lifted them into fourth place on 25 points, one ahead of Tottenham Hotspur. They are 12 points behind the leaders, Manchester City, yet Cech has not ruled out Arsenal competing for the championship. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/27/petr-cech-arsenal-title-away-form-burnley

Schalke’s historic comeback leaves Bosz on the brink in Dortmund | Andy Brassell

For a few weeks Borussia Dortmund’s problem has clearly been confidence, but that won’t have been helped by the remarkable 4-4 draw with Schalke The 151st Revierderby was, and will continue to be, notable for a number of reasons. Perhaps chief among them was that it was that rarest of sights; a match which leaves both sides shell-shocked at the final whistle. “This derby will go down in history,” said Schalke’s Amine Harit, who scored the team’s second goal. It was just that, a moment to say in the future “I was there”, to always be remembered. Franco Di Santo grabbed his phone to take a commemorative selfie with Naldo, who scored the equaliser, and skipper Ralf Fährmann. The defender, who sparked scenes of incredulous celebration by scoring the stoppage-time leveller, netted a similarly emphatic header in the same north-end goal just under three years ago, which salvaged a late point for Wolfsburg in Jürgen Klopp’s tricky final season. This, however, was different. Continue reading

Milan sack Vincenzo Montella and put Gennaro Gattuso in charge

• Milan sack Montella with club seventh in Serie A • Gattuso promoted from role with Milan’s youth team Vincenzo Montella has been dismissed as Milan manager after a disappointing start to the season which has seen the Rossoneri slip to seventh place in Serie A. Gennaro Gattuso, who made over 400 appearances for the club as a player and has been head coach of the club’s youth team, has been appointed as new first-team coach. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/27/ac-milan-sack-vincenzo-montella-gennaro-gattuso

First 'El Glosico' serves up some red meat but is short on creative fare | Jeremy Alexander

Gloucestershire’s first Football League derby between Forest Green Rovers and Cheltenham Town ended with limited honours even in a 1-1 draw Gloucestershire has not rushed to the Football League party. Cheltenham Town did not get there until 1999, more than a century after it began, and then only after Forest Green Rovers had joined them in the Conference the previous year. It takes two to derby, though, and on Saturday the clubs finally tangled in the county’s historic first League meeting after Rovers, at the third successive time of play-off asking in May, joined their neighbours in League Two. They called it “El Glosico” but it was no classic, ending 1-1 with limited honours even. Both sides remain in the lower half of the table after ropy starts but both have enjoyed decent runs since, Cheltenham first, each amounting to 13 points from five matches. Indeed Rovers were the division’s form team a week ago and took an early lead through Christian Doidge’s seventh League goal in six

Pearson shares dip after teaching unit sale

The struggling education group sells its Wall Street English business for $300m (£225m).

Bitcoin approaches $10,000 a piece

The virtual currency has risen from around $1,000 at the start of the year to a record of $9,700.

Football transfer rumours: Luke Shaw to leave Manchester United for Newcastle?

Today’s tell all loves the smell of napalm and freshly baked croissants in the morning Following a weekend in which a Twitter spat involving self promotion’s Piers Morgan, scared popster Olly Murs, his waspish fellow crooner James Blunt, the real Toni Kroos and somebody masquerading as Kolo Touré was a surreal highlight, the Rumour Mill finds itself increasingly less sure what to believe anymore. Is Luke Shaw going on loan to Newcastle? The Mirror certainly seems to think so. Rafael Benítez is understood to be interested in ending the full-back’s Manchester United purgatory by bringing him to St James’ Park and José Mourinho should sanction a loan move. Related: Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend's action Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/27/football-transfer-rumours-luke-shaw-to-leave-manchester-united-for-newcastle

Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend's action

Is there a possible straw for Manchester City rivals to clutch at? Jack Wilshere has an impact off the bench and Riyad Mahrez is treading water at Leicester Manchester City proved they possess the spirit to match their skills in fighting back from an undeserved half-time deficit to claim this win . Huddersfield Town, who were again impressive, held the lead for 1min54sec – 20% of the total time City have been behind in their seven away games this season. City’s unbeaten record was briefly imperilled by a poor period of play which had Fabian Delph at its heart. The stand-in left-back deserted his berth in an attempt to win a ball that he never got near, allowing Tom Ince a free run into the penalty area, a threatening attack which led to the corner from which the home side took the lead. There is very little that offers hope to City’s opponents at the moment but Delph’s lack of an instinctive sense of where to position himself is the straw to which everyone can – sometimes fruitfully –

Time Magazine sold in Koch-backed deal

The $2.8bn offer from media firm Meredith is backed by conservative activist businessmen Charles and David Koch.

Number of young people acting as 'money mules' doubles

Figures suggest there has been a doubling in cases of younger people laundering money.

José Mourinho praises Romelu Lukaku despite flow of goals drying up

• Manchester United manager says there is no pressure on the striker • Forward has scored for United in only one of his last 10 matches José Mourinho was at his most succinct. For the ninth time in 10 matches his £75m striker had failed to find the net. “He didn’t score,” the Manchester United manager said. “I don’t care.” The Portuguese can be a master of deception and diversionary tactics. Sometimes, however out of character it may appear, he is simply voicing an honest opinion. Because when Romelu Lukaku was averaging a goal a game, Mourinho’s mantra was that it did not matter. When his biggest summer signing opened his league account against West Ham , his manager averred that there was “no pressure from me”. After Lukaku struck in the win over his former club Everton, Mourinho said: “He knows that for me there is no pressure for goalscoring.” When flood has given way to drought, United’s manager has displayed a consistency of argument. Continue reading... from Football | The

Mercedes 'relay' box thieves caught on CCTV in Solihull

Thieves steal a car in one minute by using relay boxes to get a signal from the key inside a house.

Creating 'vertical villages' in Singapore

In Singapore planners are creating "vertical villages" for people living in high-rise apartments.

Archers 'fraud' storyline praised

Scriptwriters worked with Radio 4's consumer programme You and Yours on fraud plot.

Citizens Advice warns about subscription contracts

Consumers still struggle to end unwanted subscriptions such as gym memberships, says Citizens Advice.

UK's post-Brexit economy plan set to be unveiled

The government's industrial strategy is aimed at lifting slowing UK growth and productivity.

The Dozen: the weekend’s best Premier League photos

Our weekend roundup of the best photography from England’s top flight, featuring Jürgen Klopp, Richarlison and a rain-soaked Old Trafford • Follow us on Instagram for more great sports photography Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/gallery/2017/nov/26/the-dozen-weekends-best-premier-league-photos

Football’s gender pay gap worse than in politics, medicine and space

Salary survey finds combined pay of those in top seven women’s football leagues equals that of a single male footballer, Neymar Gender inequality in football is more entrenched than in politics, business, medicine and space exploration, according to a salary survey that compared the employment status and pay of thousands of male and female footballers worldwide. Among a number of stark findings was that the combined pay of those playing in the top seven women’s football leagues equals that of a single male footballer, the Brazilian forward Neymar, who plays for the French club Paris St-Germain. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/26/football-gender-pay-gap-worse-than-in-politics-medicine-and-space

Agüero and Sterling help Manchester City rally to beat Huddersfield Town

Perhaps the most remarkable part of Manchester City’s latest victory, a club-record 11th in a row, is that this is the first time since April 1995, when Brian Horton was in the dugout and Paul Walsh supplied the decisive goal in a 3-2 victory against Blackburn Rovers, they have won a Premier League match when they have been trailing at half-time. It was some record and another reason why the modern City have the stoutness and resilience to go with their obvious talents. They had to work tremendously hard to turn this game around and Huddersfield certainly deserved the ovation they received at the end, even if Rajiv van la Parra’s red card for a confrontation with Leroy Sané promptly soured the mood. David Wagner’s men had given everything and when Nicolas Otamendi’s own goal gave them the lead just before half-time their supporters could have been forgiven for daring to dream of a remarkable double, having already beaten Manchester United here last month. Continue reading... from F

Burnley's Sean Dyche: 'It was a big decision, but we've had a few of them go against us' – video

A stoppage-time penalty from Alexis Sánchez gave Arsenal a 1-0 win over Burnley and saw them move up to fourth place in the Premier League. Burnley manager Sean Dyche was quick to admit that James Tarkowski had made contact with Aaron Ramsey, but still suggested it was a tough call. Prior to this match, Arsenal had won just four points on the road so far this season, and Arsène Wenger admitted that it was a a very important win Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2017/nov/26/sean-dyche-it-was-a-big-decision-but-weve-had-a-few-of-them-go-against-us-video

Arsenal stun Burnley with injury-time Alexis Sánchez penalty winner

Burnley suffered heartbreak right at the end when James Tarkowski came together with Aaron Ramsey in the area and Lee Mason, the referee, gave a penalty. Alexis Sánchez slid home, to Nick Pope’s right, seconds later Mason blew for time and boos rented the Lancashire air. A disappointed Sean Dyche strode off but was still able to applaud the home support. And the Clarets’ first-half display had been so impressive that Arsenal could not have complained if they were motoring back to north London following defeat. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/26/arsenal-alexis-sanchez-injury-time-penalty-burnley-match-report-premier-league

Alan Pardew in talks over becoming West Bromwich Albion manager

• ‘It’s an attractive job so we’ll see where it goes,’ says Pardew • Discussions follow West Brom’s sacking of Tony Pulis Alan Pardew has held talks about taking over as West Bromwich Albion manager following the Premier League club’s sacking of Tony Pulis last week, the former Crystal Palace manager said on Sunday. Pulis parted company with the Midlands club last Monday after nearly three years in charge, with the 17th-placed West Brom in freefall following four successive league defeats. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/26/alan-pardew-talks-west-bromwich-albion-manager-football

Huddersfield Town v Manchester City: Premier League – live!

Just Eat set to join blue chip index after share price jump

Just Eat delivery firm on course to join the ranks of Britain's biggest companies this week.

Southampton v Everton: Premier League – live!

Sophia the robot wants a baby and says family is 'really important'

The world's first humanoid robot citizen, Sophia, has no emotions but says she wants a baby.

Chatbots fighting the sex trade in Seattle

Chatbot technology is being used to fight sex trafficking in Seattle in the hope it can counter the overwhelming problem.

Battle of Cambrai: The tanks that changed warfare

Deborah was one of 400 tanks used in the Battle of Cambrai during World War One.

Mount Agung: Bali volcano activity prompts 'red warning'

It flags the danger of volcanic ash in the skies after Mount Agung emits a huge smoke plume.

Australia knocks UK Brexit trade plan

The trade minister says splitting quotas of food imports could leave other countries out of pocket.

UK drone users to sit safety tests under new law

A draft bill proposes a number of new requirements for drone owners, while tackling illegal use.

Liverpool denied victory over Chelsea after Willian’s late equaliser

Mohamed Salah reminded Chelsea of the talent they declined to nurture with his 10th Premier League goal of the season but his and Liverpool’s celebrations were ultimately contained. Willian, an 83rd-minute substitute, spared Antonio Conte’s champions from a fourth Premier League defeat of the season with a fortuitous equaliser. The Brazil international cancelled out Salah’s latest Liverpool strike with an attempted cross that deceived the stranded Simon Mignolet. Chelsea will argue they merited their slice of fortune following an impressive first half display. Liverpool held the edge throughout the second and were on course for a morale-boosting fourth consecutive home league win until three points, and Willian’s effort, sailed out of Mignolet’s finger-tips. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/25/liverpool-chelsea-premier-league-match-report

Newcastle Watford match report headline repeat here

As Marco Silva’s slickly sophisticated side heightened fears that a hard few months – on and off the pitch – lie in store on Tyneside, it was extremely easy to see why Watford are so keen to keep their manager out of Everton’s clutches. As the minutes passed it became equally apparent that the success of Amanda Staveley’s mooted takeover is suddenly looking imperative for Rafael Benítez’s struggling side. It is no exaggeration to say Newcastle’s survival hopes could hinge on the ability to access at least a few of her Middle East sourced millions. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/25/newcastle-watford-premier-league-match-report

Premier League stars back Rainbow Laces anti-homophobia campaign

Footballers and other high-profile athletes will wear rainbow-coloured laces and other accessories to support participation of LGBT people in sport Britain’s top sport stars are getting behind a campaign to support lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in sport this weekend. England’s Premier League is among the bodies backing Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign as matches kick off across the country on Saturday and Sunday. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/25/premier-league-rainbow-laces-lgbt-homophobia-stonewall-campaign

Lionel Messi agrees new Barcelona deal to run until 2021

• Barça include £626m buy-out clause in Argentinian’s new contract • Deal would appear to scupper Manchester City hopes of landing Messi Lionel Messi has signed a new deal with Barcelona through to the summer of 2021. A renewal was agreed between player and club in July but it is only now that Messi has put pen to paper on the contract. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/25/lionel-messi-new-barcelona-deal-2021

Tencent: Inside the company's new AI lab

China's biggest social media company is developing new apps which use artificial intelligence.

Italian women's footballers aim for where men failed – a place in the World Cup

After years of being ignored in Italy, the national women’s team face the prospect of a place in the 2019 World Cup – while the men sit at home There are two hard truths in Italian football; first, that the men’s national team, four times world champions, are virtually guaranteed a spot in the World Cup every four years. And second, that not much has been expected from the women’s team, who last earned a place among the best of the best in 1999. This year, all of that is being turned on its head. The Azzurri failed to earn their chance in Russia next year after being eliminated by Sweden earlier this month – a defeat that stunned the nation and elicited comparisons to the end of days . Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/25/italian-women-footballers-aim-for-where-men-failed-a-place-in-the-world-cup

Predatory comments prompt YouTube ad suspension

Mars, Lidl and Adidas are among companies to act after inappropriate content found next to their ads.

Counting down

How Advent has gone from chocolate treats for children to an extravagant present-filled bonanza.

Predatory comments prompt YouTube ad suspension

Mars, Lidl and Adidas are among companies to act after inappropriate content found next to their ads.

Cheikhou Kouyaté steadies West Ham ship after Leicester goal threatens mutiny

By the end David Moyes could reflect on his first taste of the London Stadium with a measure of fondness. In the cold light of day the final analysis may show this was a squandered opportunity for West Ham bearing in mind they remain in the bottom three, winless in two months, and have a daunting run of fixtures before Christmas. Yet it was the night when the crowd at the strange, lopsided place that Moyes will call home for at least the next six months resisted the temptation to protest against the people in the directors’ box and chose instead to rally round their new manager, delivering an impressive burst of support for the new man in the dugout during the second half. There was no winning goal, but West Ham showed enough heart and character to suggest they can win this relegation battle, fighting back after Marc Albrighton’s early opener to snatch a draw against Leicester City thanks to Cheikhou Kouyaté’s equaliser. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.

Nothing wasted

A growing number of businesses are finding creative uses for surplus food - but will the trend ever go mainstream?

Steph Houghton double sinks Bosnia as England win World Cup qualifier

• England Women 4-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina Women • Sellout crowd watch England make it two from two in World Cup qualifying If Mo Marley is not to be England Women’s next permanent head coach, she will be leaving them in fine fettle for her successor after Steph Houghton’s two goals set up an impressive victory. The interim head coach has said she wishes to take stock after her third game in temporary charge, in the next 2019 World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan at Colchester next Tuesday, but if she returns to her role with the development sides, hers will be a job well done at this rate. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/24/england-women-bosnia-women-world-cup-qualifier-match-report

West Ham United v Leicester City: Premier League – live!

Warnings over net-connected Christmas gadgets

Parents should check net-connected toys and gadgets are safe to give to children, warns data watchdog.

Newcastle United v Watford: match preview

Takeover talk has reached fever pitch on Tyneside but, before Newcastle can be transformed by hundreds of Middle Eastern millions, Mike Ashley must accept an offer from Amanda Staveley. Until that happens there is a sense of limbo; not that Rafa Benítez can allow Newcastle, who have lost their past three games, to tread water. An intriguing tactical duel between Benítez and Watford’s Marco Silva – (much admired by managerless Everton) – will be spiced by the return of Newcastle’s Mikel Merino from injury. Louise Taylor Kick-off Saturday 3pm Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/24/newcastle-united-watford-match-preview

Brighton’s Bruno: ‘Why can’t we live together but think differently. That’s what Catalans are asking for’

Albion’s veteran captain joined the club on a free transfer in 2012 and has gone on to become every bit a symbol of the renascent south coast club A bright, chilly afternoon in west Sussex may be a peculiar time and place to discuss the struggle for independence in Catalonia, but that does not concern Bruno. The Brighton captain, a proud Catalan, is keen to talk and as he does, he leans forward and furrows his brow to illustrate the seriousness of the issue and his feelings on it. “It’s been tough since 1 October, when we had the elections,” says Bruno, his voice more sombre than it had been when he was discussing a range of topics including meeting his friend Juan Mata after Brighton’s encounter with Manchester United on Saturday afternoon and the benefits of a gluten-free diet. “Everyone saw the news and it’s not easy when you are far away. I would like to see my family and know how they are coping. I speak with them, of course, but I get the feeling they are trying to protect me by

Court raps SFO for use of 'inexpert' expert witness

A court criticises the Serious Fraud Office for using an expert witness who "lacked expertise".

Uber takes driver battle to Supreme Court

The ride-hailing app wants the UK's top court to decide its appeal on drivers' employment status.

The Fiver | There’s no pleasing some people

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now It has been less than a month since David Moyes strode into the Great Briton Suite at the D1ldoDome, wearing the fixed grin of a losing Oscar nominee, referring to himself in the third person, talking about those 11 years at Everton and wistfully wondering what Jags and Bainesy were up to at that very moment. His eyes were so full of hope. Or was it sadness? Hard to tell. Either way, it’s not taken long for Taxpayers FC to knock the optimism out of The Available One with all the force of Andy Carroll careering into an unsuspecting defender, elbows flailing, teeth flying. Poor Moyesie. Did you see him on the touchline at Vicarage Road last Sunday? He looked very let down, so it was no surprise to hear him tear into his new players after his first game ended in a drab 2-0 defeat by Watford. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/24/the-fiver-west-ham-david-moyes-gen

Tottenham Hotspur v West Bromwich Albion: match preview

Gary Megson has had a busy week since taking over as Albion caretaker, reshuffling the backroom and telling the assistant, Ben Garner, to stay away, and now trying to get a tune out of a team with four draws and six losses from the last 10. Tottenham at Wembley would not have been his game of choice either, even if he last featured there as a player with Sheffield Wednesday in 1988. Mark Tallentire Kick-off Saturday 3pm Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/24/tottenham-west-bromwich-albion-match-preview

Liverpool v Chelsea: match preview

Antonio Conte conducted preparations for Anfield on the flight home from Qarabag as Chelsea only managed one full training session before travelling to Liverpool. For the home side, post-Champions League fatigue may be more in mind than body after blowing a three-goal lead against Sevilla on Tuesday. A home win will take Jürgen Klopp’s side level on points with the champions but, Crystal Palace apart, Chelsea have impressed on the road this season – collecting 15 points from a possible 18 on their travels compared to 10 at Stamford Bridge. Mohamed Salah’s form will worry his old club. Andy Hunter Kick-off Saturday 5.30pm Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/24/liverpool-chelsea-match-preview

Black Friday versus No-buy day - social media reacts

Whether you love it or hate it, #BlackFriday has arrived, but #BuyNothingDay has come to join in too.

Why is Tanzania importing coconuts?

Tanzania is Africa's biggest grower of coconuts but recently production has declined and it is now importing them.

PSG and Manchester City are starting to feel the love despite their money | Barney Ronay

Two of Europe’s freest-flowing teams are starting to run away with their leagues and doing it in a way that cannot help but soak up new admirers The devil always gets the best tunes. Watching Paris Saint-Germain overwhelm Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday the most striking thing about PSG was not the sense of powerful gears still in reserve, or even the basic beauty of their attacking play, the way the ball skittered about between Neymar and promising loanee-trialist Kylian Mbappé like a bead of water in a pan of hot fat. The most remarkable thing was how difficult it was, suddenly, to properly dislike them. Difficult but not impossible. It is important to emphasise this. PSG’s on-field brilliance may be a concern for any football fan committed to resenting and fearing the entire concept of “Paris Saint-Germain”, puppet-club of the world’s richest per capita nation, and an entity that has taken the idea of buying success to the most literal-minded global illuminati extreme.

Antonio Conte unimpressed after Chelsea endure ‘scary’ flight from Qarabag

• Return flight from Azerbaijan forced to make two landing attempts • ‘You feel a bit afraid, you are a bit scared, but the captain was very good’ Chelsea endured a frightening return from Azerbaijan on Thursday morning as their plane was forced to make two attempts at landing because of bad weather. Antonio Conte said he had been scared by the events, after Chelsea’s chartered plane encountered stormy conditions at Gatwick airport. Conte, who has already been critical of the scheduling that saw his team make a 6,000 mile round trip to Baku 48 hours before facing Liverpool in the Premier League, said his players finally landed at 6am. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/24/antonio-conte-chelsea-liverpool-flight-premier-league