Inaki Williams always knew his brother Nico was special, even if his younger sibling used to get so nervous he would ask Inaki, already a star in Bilbao, not to watch his youth games at the Athletic Club academy. Inaki is a pioneer. He helped raise Nico while their parents worked tirelessly to make ends meet, but also paved the way for his brother and other sons of immigrants to represent a club whose policy of only fielding players born or raised in the Basque Country inevitably meant the squad has historically reflected the predominantly white society around it. Inaki,…
Author: GuruTrends
Western governments are coming under growing pressure to halt arms sales to Israel over how it is waging the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel is a major weapons exporter, but its military has been heavily reliant on imported aircraft, guided bombs and missiles to conduct what experts have described as one of the most intense and destructive aerial campaigns in recent history. Campaign groups and some politicians among Israel’s Western allies say arms exports should be suspended because, they say, Israel is failing to do enough to protect the lives of civilians and ensure enough humanitarian aid…
McDonald’s will buy back all of its Israeli restaurants after sales suffered from a boycott of the brand over its perceived support for Israel. The fast food giant was criticised after its Israeli franchise gave away thousands of free meals to Israeli soldiers. McDonald’s said it had reached a deal with franchisee Alonyal to return 225 outlets. It said in January the Israel-Hamas war had “meaningfully impacted” business. Widespread protests affected sales in the Middle East, Indonesia and France. Alonyal, which is led and owned by chief executive Omri Padan, has operated McDonald’s restaurants in Israel for more than 30…
From hotly-anticipated videogame adaptation Fallout to a new take on The Talented Mr Ripley and major series starring Oscar-winner Robert Downey Jr and nominee Lily Gladstone 1. Ripley It might be hard to top the 1999 film The Talented Mr Ripley, with Matt Damon as the con man and social climber Tom Ripley, hired by the father of the idly rich Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) to convince his expat son to come home to New York. But if anyone can reinvent Ripley it’s the great Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers), who stars in this adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s suspense novel. Johnny Flynn…
Ukraine has carried out a drone attack against targets in southern Russia, and claims to have destroyed six Russian planes at an airbase in Rostov region. Security sources told BBC Ukrainian eight more aircraft were badly damaged, and 20 service personnel could have been killed or injured. The Morozovsk base houses Su-27 and Su-34 aircraft used on the front line in Ukraine, the sources said. There has been no word from Russia on reports of an airfield attack. The BBC has been unable to independently verify the reports. However, Russian officials said that more than 40 drones had been aimed…
Lamine Yamal revealed that he does not want to play both Euro 2024 and the Olympics and gave his reasons for picking his preferred competition. Yamal, a cherished treasure of Luis de la Fuente, is faced with the possibility of participating in both the Euro 2024 and the Olympics. However, concerns have emerged within the Barcelona camp regarding the potential strain on the young player if he were to compete in both competitions in quick succession. The club is keen to avoid a scenario similar to 2021, where Pedri’s fitness suffered due to the demanding schedule of multiple international tournaments. In…
The winger has been dropped to the bench at club level in recent weeks, and so has a point to prove against Sweden at Wembley For any fan of England’s Lionesses, the Manchester derby was the place to be on March 23. The nation’s biggest names were on show at the Etihad Stadium as more than 40,000 packed in to watch Alex Greenwood and Lauren Hemp’s Manchester City defeat Mary Earps and Ella Toone’s Manchester United. But the cast for this entertaining affair was missing one big star – Chloe Kelly. The England winger wasn’t injured, nor was she suspended. Instead,…
Afrobeats singer and producer David Adeleke, also known as Davido, has acquired his third private jet Through his verified social media account “x”‘ Davido proudly revealed his latest acquisition: a brand-new private jet named the Bombardier 7500. This impressive aircraft, the Bombardier Global 7500, stands as the largest business jet in Bombardier’s lineup, boasting top-of-the-line features and a significant price tag. With its sleek design and advanced capabilities, including an elongated fuselage and exceptional performance metrics, such as the longest range among current business jets in production, Davido’s new acquisition represents the epitome of luxury and sophistication.
A crestfallen Rio Ferdinand has revealed his three-year son Cree asked to stop supporting Manchester United following their 4-3 loss to Chelsea. A Cole Palmer hat-trick helped the Blues secure a dramatic victory at Stamford Bridge, with the England international firing in two goals in the 100th and 101st minute respectively. Less than 12 hours after the result, former Manchester United centre-back Ferdinand, who was doing punditry at the game for TNT Sports, tweeted that Cree wanted to support another team following the loss. The ex-Leeds United and West Ham defender took to X to post a photo of him with…
A thrilling end to series three of Welcome to Wrexham could be on the cards, with the Red Dragons prepared to take in “crazy” final day drama. Phil Parkinson’s squad would prefer to avoid taking things down to the wire, as they target a top-three finish in League Two, but they have grown accustomed to delivering thrilling cliffhangers for the award-winning documentary series that follows their every move. George Evans has said of Wrexham’s promotion charge hanging on a final day clash with current table-toppers Stockport, which could see Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney pay another visit to SToK Racecourse: “I hope no…
England star Ella Toone has revealed her favourite Man Utd team-mate and it’s not Mary Earps despite her dubbing the goalkeeper the ‘Queen of TikTok’. Toone and Earps are two of the liveliest personalities in the Red Devils’ side and both have endeared themselves to team-mates and fans alike because of that – their connections with the latter also coming from how active they are in showing themselves off the pitch on social media. The pair have a great relationship from their time spent together at Man Utd and also England, with Toone describing Earps as “Queen of TikTok” on…
Returning England star Leah Williamson has urged Lionesses fans to turn up in big numbers for their clash against Sweden at Wembley on Friday night. The Arsenal ace suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in April 2023 and withdrew from February’s friendly games with a hamstring issue. But, England boss Sarina Wiegman said the 27-year-old is “fit and ready” to play for the Lionesses for the first time in a year, something the defender is very excited about. Now, Williamson, who can also play in midfield, has sent a message to fans, asking for their support. In the Instagram video, Williamson says: “Hi everyone.…
Harry Kane will get a special send off at Tottenham, with Eric Dier revealing that Daniel Levy has plans in place for a fitting farewell. The England captain, who is Spurs’ all-time leading goalscorer, was denied the opportunity to thank a loyal fan base for their support when bidding farewell to north London in the summer of 2023. He severed career-long ties with Tottenham when completing a big-money transfer to Bayern Munich. Dier has since followed Kane to Germany, with his move also rushed through in the winter window. The versatile 30-year-old has told The Athletic of Levy’s plans to put a proper goodbye…
Manchester United are being urged to let “hungry” winger Amad Diallo “make mistakes” while enjoying a regular run of games. The 21-year-old Ivory Coast international has been restricted to just 46 minutes of Premier League action this season. He has figured in two FA Cup fixtures, netting a dramatic winner in a memorable quarter-final clash with Liverpool, but remains stuck behind the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Antony in the pecking order. Former United winger Lee Sharpe believes the time has come for Amad to get a chance, telling BetVictor: “He looks sharp and tidy. He got involved against Liverpool and scored the winner,…
Mikel Arteta remains confident that Bukayo Saka will be fit for Arsenal’s huge Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich next week. Saka, who was substituted in the 78th minute during Arsenal’s recent match against Manchester City, subsequently missed the game against Luton Town on Wednesday. However, the forward has since been training and Arteta remains confident that he would be available for selection in the crucial continental match next week against the Bavarians. Before facing Brighton on Saturday, Arteta stated: “I am super positive. I think he is going to fly and be so decisive. Yeah. I think [my confidence is] because he…
England and Man Utd star Ella Toone has revealed Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘really nice’ gesture after she missed out on meeting her ‘inspiration’. Toone grew up as a Man Utd fan and idolised Ronaldo, who was starring for the Red Devils when she was a young girl. The forward helped the club to win nine trophies during his six-year spell, including the Champions League. The England star has never met the 39-year-old and when the opportunity came up to finally make that happen, things didn’t work out. However, Ronaldo did make up for it somewhat. Speaking on the Saving Grace podcast, Toone named…
Enzo Fernandez delighted in Chelsea’s win over Manchester United, with the Argentine confronting ex-Blues star Mason Mount at the final whistle. There was plenty of late drama at Stamford Bridge, with the hosts trailing 3-2 heading into the 99th minute. A stunning Premier League tie was then turned on its head by Cole Palmer, as he netted twice in a matter of seconds and completed his first senior hat-trick. Mount, who left west London for Old Trafford in the summer of 2023, thought that he was going to be on the winning side when returning to familiar surroundings. He was roundly booed…
Lionel Messi reportedly confronted Monterrey boss Tano Ortiz following Inter Miami’s 2-1 defeat in the first leg of their Champions Cup quarter-final. The Herons have it all to do in order to keep their dreams of ultimate glory in that competition alive after coming unstuck with 10 men on home soil. Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi was restricted to a spectator role in that contest as he works his way back from a hamstring injury. Messi was, however, at Chase Stadium for the game in question and was not in the best of moods afterwards. He is said to have been caught up…
Mikel Arteta warned Thomas Partey to better “have his head” at Arsenal as the midfielder returns to full fitness amid an injury-stricken season. Partey, whose contract with Arsenal expires in 2025, has yet to engage in discussions regarding a possible extension, raising concerns about his long-term commitment to the Emirates outfit. With the Ghanaian midfielder’s contract situation hanging in the balance, Arsenal faces the dilemma of either selling Partey at the end of the season or risk losing him on a free transfer in 2025. In an injury-ravaged season, Partey has made a limited impact on the pitch, starting only four…
Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko says he “would go” if called upon by Ukraine to join military efforts in the nation’s ongoing war with Russia. A full-scale invasion was launched by Russia back in February 2022, with political tension in the Donbas region boiling over. Zinchenko offered to head home at that stage, putting his professional career on hold, but was eventually dissuaded by family members. Zinchenko is still prepared to join the fight if required, telling BBC Newsnight after seeing Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky lower the country’s military recruitment age from 27 to 25: “I think it’s a clear answer. I would go [to…