Is this really the beautiful game? Well yes, and no … but the panic is fun to watch | Barney Ronay

Is this really the beautiful game? Well yes, and no … but the panic is fun to watch | Barney Ronay

If every win is going to be painful from here, you may as well just take the painful wins – welcome to Arsenal’s late title stagger On Thursday night at a swanky London hotel so luxuriously risk‑averse the toilets are equipped with wireless thermostats to control to within half a degree the heat of the seat, the Premier League chief executive, Richard Masters, spoke in detail for the first time about the prospect of “Premflix”, the direct‑to‑consumer model of the future, an app that will sluice this irresistible footballing opiate directly into the eyeballs of 8 billion rapt humans. In doing so Masters was echoing the words of Todd Boehly on the same stage 12 months earlier, who had talked about the Premier League as a kind of fire stolen from the gods, source of the next great tech platform, an engine of empire, tool of world domination, of lassoing the moon out of the sky. Continue reading...

Infantino suggests players covering mouths when addressing opponents could be sent off

Infantino suggests players covering mouths when addressing opponents could be sent off

Fifa president wants more intervention in battle against racism Mouth covering in focus after Vinícius Júnior’s allegation of abuse The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, has suggested players who cover their mouths while addressing opponents could be sent off as part of the governing body’s battle against racism. The practice, which has long been deployed to prevent cameras picking up conversations between teammates and opposition, has been put in focus after Vinícius Júnior’s allegations of discriminatory abuse by Gianluca Prestianni. The Benfica player denies doing so but was suspended for his side’s Champions League playoff second leg against Vinícius’s Real Madrid pending the outcome of a formal investigation. Continue reading...

In the aftermath - Missile strikes leave Iran's Valiasr Street, Gandhi children's hospital damaged amid ongoing US-Israeli hostilities

In the aftermath - Missile strikes leave Iran's Valiasr Street, Gandhi children's hospital damaged amid ongoing US-Israeli hostilities

"A missile strike hit central Tehran on Sunday, leaving buildings near the Valiasr Street and Gandhi children's hospital visibly scarred, as the conflict between Iran and the US-Israeli alliance continues to escalate. Footage shows the aftermath of the attack, with debris strewn across the street and structural damage to buildings in the surrounding area. The Iranian Red Crescent reported that US and Israeli attacks targeted areas near medical and humanitarian facilities in Tehran after attacks targeted the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) state TV neighbourhood. Strikes also hit areas close to the Red Crescent building, Khatam al-Anbiya Hospital, Behzisti centres, and Motahari Hospital, with patients reportedly evacuated. Details on the extent of damage have not been released at the time of publication. It comes as the United States and Israel launched a joint military operation on Saturday against Iran, with US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to 'destroy Iran's missiles'. In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced 'large-scale missile and drone attacks' targeting Israel. Reports also indicated that US military bases across the region, including in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq and Kuwait, were struck amid the escalation."

In the aftermath - Missile strikes leave Iran's Valiasr Street, Gandhi children's hospital damaged amid ongoing US-Israeli hostilities

In the aftermath - Missile strikes leave Iran's Valiasr Street, Gandhi children's hospital damaged amid ongoing US-Israeli hostilities

"A missile strike hit central Tehran on Sunday, leaving buildings near the Valiasr Street and Gandhi children's hospital visibly scarred, as the conflict between Iran and the US-Israeli alliance continues to escalate. Footage shows the aftermath of the attack, with debris strewn across the street and structural damage to buildings in the surrounding area. The Iranian Red Crescent reported that US and Israeli attacks targeted areas near medical and humanitarian facilities in Tehran after attacks targeted the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) state TV neighbourhood. Strikes also hit areas close to the Red Crescent building, Khatam al-Anbiya Hospital, Behzisti centres, and Motahari Hospital, with patients reportedly evacuated. Details on the extent of damage have not been released at the time of publication. It comes as the United States and Israel launched a joint military operation on Saturday against Iran, with US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to 'destroy Iran's missiles'. In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced 'large-scale missile and drone attacks' targeting Israel. Reports also indicated that US military bases across the region, including in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq and Kuwait, were struck amid the escalation."