It was the first day of Jurgen Klopp’s last pre-season as Liverpool manager, and his players were charged with doing laps of pitches on their Kirkby training ground. At the end, Klopp, with a huge grin, said: “And the James Milner award goes to…” Mohamed Salah was the exhausted recipient but only, probably, by default, because Milner had left. He had won Liverpool’s lactate test every year he was at Anfield, even into his mid-thirties. Liverpool had shown the footage in 2019; Joe Gomez, 11 years Milner’s junior, was his last rival, but inexorably, the running machine dropped him, the defender falling ever further behind.
As Milner stands one game away from equalling Gareth Barry’s record of 653 Premier League appearances, it is because he has kept on running for longer than anyone else. Since 2002, he has played top-flight football for 24 seasons, at 16 and at 40 and every age in between. His first-team bow was closer to the 1970s than to today. When he debuted, he had sat on the Leeds bench along with Nigel Martyn, who was born in 1966. He has been a Brighton teammate of Harry Howell, born in 2008, after Milner had made 226 senior appearances. He has played for managers born in 1933 and 1993, in Bobby Robson and Fabian Hurzeler.
James Milner, seen here aged 16 and 40, is both the second-youngest and second-oldest goalscorer in Premier League history (Getty)
Milner has straddled eras or, perhaps more accurately, kept running through them. The rest of the football world has changed but one man has remained the same. Precociously mature, forever grounded, always teetotal, Milner was the oldest 16-year-old in the business. Now his fitness levels may make him the youngest 40-year-old.
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He is almost three years older than the next oldest to take the field in the Premier League this season, in Seamus Coleman. But then his current manager, Hurzeler, was only nine when Terry Venables brought Milner on against the West Ham of David James, Nigel Winterburn and Paolo Di Canio to play the first of those 653 games. Venables, by the way, is one of four England managers Milner has played for at club level, along with Robson, Kevin Keegan and Sam Allardyce.
There have been 22 in all. Most valued him, some marvelled at him – Klopp, who said years ago that Milner would play until he was 40, more than most – and one famously underestimated him. Graeme Souness once declared that “you won’t win the league with James Milners”. Manchester City did, and Liverpool. Liverpool won the Champions League with him, too.
And the chances are that most managers would have preferred multiple James Milners to just the one. His remarkable versatility is a reason why. Milner has played every outfield position except centre-back. During a City injury crisis in 2014, Milner stood in as a striker, used his formidable fitness to drag defenders out of position and allowed his teammates to be prolific. A year and a half later, Klopp reinvented him as a left-back for a season.
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Milner brought creativity as well as work ethic to Manchester City’s first two Premier League title-winning sides before becoming Mr Reliable for Liverpool (Getty)
Each was a sign of a player who, perhaps without a defining characteristic beyond his running, could nevertheless do virtually everything to a high level. Manuel Pellegrini benched Milner too often but called him “England’s most complete player”. It made him the ultimate odd-job man, never hiding his preference for a central-midfield role, spending much of the first half of his career on either flank and some of the second half deputising as a full-back on either side. When Liverpool beat Barcelona 4-0 in 2019, a result so seminal even the normally stoical Milner was in tears at the end, he played the second 45 minutes as a stand-in left-back against Lionel Messi.
The Argentinian called Milner a “donkey” during the game, perhaps not realising he spoke Spanish. It is not the only time he has been undervalued. His ordinariness can be deceptive, given how extraordinary his career has been. He has been sent off by his former PE teacher, Jon Moss, in the Premier League. He has been nutmegged by Messi, but got the better of him.
Milner and Messi locked horns during the 2019 Champions League semi-finals… (Getty)
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… but Milner had the last laugh as Liverpool went through and he became a European champion (Getty)
He got a Champions League assist record: nine in a season in 2017-18. Milner has rarely been called a flair player – as a paragon of Yorkshire common sense, flair might feel a frippery – but the quality of his crossing still makes him creative. He can seem the least stylish or spectacular of the footballers with the 10 most assists in Premier League history but, aided by longevity, he is on the leaderboard. His penalty-taking was characteristically matter-of-fact but very effective. Klopp tended to send him up first in a shootout, seeing a guarantee of a goal in Milner.
Now, Milner is first in another respect. Thousands of footballers have appeared in the Premier League, but none have made more appearances. He has emulated Barry, a teammate for Aston Villa, City and England, another great constant, another whose dull public persona perhaps blinded too many to his talents for too long. Barry’s record seemed safe when a knee injury last season left Milner wondering if he would be able to walk properly again.
Instead, he has kept on going, to 653 and presumably beyond. The more prestigious James Milner award, with apologies to Liverpool players who knacker themselves with their pre-season running, may be for anyone who can break Milner’s record. Because, with no current player within 190 appearances of him, it won’t happen for at least five years. And probably not for rather longer.
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Milner stood above the rest with his performances in Liverpool’s pre-season fitness tests, as he makes Premier League history, it is because he has kept on running for longer than anyone else (Getty)
The two victims, aged 12 and 13, remain in a serious condition in hospital with one being stabbed in the neck and the other in the midriff
Caroline Barry and Anders Anglesey
11:00, 11 Feb 2026
Terrified children at a school creamed “mummy” and banged on the windows after two pupils were stabbed, according to locals.
Emergency services rushed to Kingsbury High School in Brent, north west London, following reports of a 13-year-old pupil allegedly stabbing his classmates. The teenager then fled the scene on Tuesday, February 10.
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He was later arrested by police and now counter-terrorism police have now taken over the investigation. Two victims, aged 12 and 13 are in a serious condition in hospital, reported the Mirror.
It is thought that one child was stabbed in the neck and the other in the midriff around 12:40 pm. Many witnesses recalled harrowing scenes following the stabbing which included pupils banging on the windows for help.
They began desperately knocking on the glass after the 13-year-old alleged attacker came into a classroom with a weapon. Witness Maeve O’Callaghan-Harrington said children could be heard crying when they left school.
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“I walked outside and heard one boy saying, ‘Mummy, Mummy’,” she told MailOnline.
Officers located the weapon that they believed had been used in the stabbing and later the suspect was arrested. Police said they are investigating possible motives for the attack.
Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams said in a statement: “At this very early stage, we are keeping an open mind as to any motivation behind this attack. However, due to the surrounding circumstances, the investigation is now being led by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London, who are working closely with our local officers in response to this incident.
“This has not currently been declared a terrorist incident and the investigation team will now be working at pace to gather any evidence and to establish the full circumstances of what has happened as quickly as possible.
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“I absolutely recognise that this incident will cause considerable concern – especially among our local community, students and parents of the school. I hope the news that we’ve arrested and detained the suspect will provide some reassurance, but our officers will remain in the area to offer support and answer any questions.”
The suspect is in custody and is now being questioned by officers. The Met Police said it is a “fast-moving” investigation and that officers are not looking for anyone else in connection with the stabbing.
Detective Chief Superintendent Williams said officers were alerted at 12:40pm following a report a teen had been stabbed. Armed and local officers were on the scene within 13 minutes of the 999 call.
“Israel is concerned that in the haste to get a deal with Iran, the president might embrace a deal that doesn’t address Iran’s missile programme or support for proxy groups, or that allows it to have some remnant of its nuclear programme,” said Daniel Byman, a professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.
Our Yorkshire Farm star Clive Owen celebrated his 70th birthday on Our Farm Next Door and opened up about his hopes for his children to take over Ravenseat Farm
Abbie Bray Deputy Editor for Screen Time
10:59, 11 Feb 2026
Amanda Owen reveals she got lost on the moors with Clive
Our Yorkshire Farm star Clive Owen contemplated his future during Monday evening’s Our Farm Next Door as the farmer marked his 70th birthday.
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Near the conclusion of the programme, Clive was presented with birthday gifts from his daughters and former wife, Amanda Owen, as they celebrated his special day.
He said, “Well, it was lovely for the girls to give me the sheep horns for my birthday. I’m using them for paperweights. Everyone needs a paperweight. And thank you for the coat, because I’ve been saying lately, I need a coat, haven’t I?”
Addressing the camera about his appreciation, the farmer continued, “I’m very, very fortunate to still be well and still be doing things. Life has been great.
“I definitely feel privileged to have led the life, absolutely. It’s such a strange thing, isn’t it, to come out of a mining village in South Yorkshire and to end up here,” reports the Express.
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Clive remarked, “The journey has been quite remarkable. I loved it, and always have. The most important thing in all of this is the kids. It would be lovely to think that some of the children would take over and farm here at Ravenseat. And it would be lovely if my great-grandchildren are here in 100 years, wouldn’t it? But whether they will, who knows?”
This isn’t the first occasion Clive has discussed his children inheriting the farm from him.
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“I am almost 70 now, so I have got to think about what comes next,” Clive revealed in an earlier episode of Our Farm Next Door. “It is something the family are discussing at the moment to see where the future lies for everyone It is nice for me to pass on my shears.”
He further stated, “What the future holds, you can never quite be sure. It is something the family are discussing at the moment to see where the future lies for everyone.”
Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids is available to watch on My4.
**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**
An American man now living in the UK has shared five “lies” he’s discovered many Americans incorrectly believe about our country, and he’s keen to set the record straight
Jess Flaherty Senior News Reporter
10:52, 11 Feb 2026Updated 10:52, 11 Feb 2026
An American man living in the UK has shared five “lies” Americans believe about life in the UK. Despite both nations speaking the same language, there’s a wealth of differences in our cultures and the way we live.
Misconceptions and assumptions can be common and, before long, become widely believed as though they’re fact but Zach Lincoln, a man from the US who now splits his time between the UK and Spain, is keen to dispel some of the inaccuracies. In a video shared on Instagram, Zach began: “Here are five lies that Americans believe about the UK. Disclaimer – America’s huge, not everybody believes these, but they’re common.”
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1. Our food is terrible
Kicking off his list, Zach started with a widespread American misconception about the food in the UK being bad. He said: “Number one, and the most important probably, is that the food sucks.
“This is bad information just because obviously a country of this size, of this amount of diversity, has so many different cultures influencing its food scene, like how could it possibly suck?
“People think of this World War II ration-level food scarcity thing, and that’s just so not where this first world country is. Visit, eat, enjoy.”
2. We only drink tea
Tea is arguably the most famous drink in the UK and a quintessential part of British culture but it’s certainly not all that’s drunk here.
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Zach said: “Number two, they only drink tea. I mean, obviously, people do drink a lot of tea. I love tea, I drink a lot of tea while here but there is a huge coffee community.
“I would say I see probably more coffee for sale, like, out in the wild than I do tea – but I also don’t really trust other people to make me tea unless I’m, like, watching them brew it in a kettle at their house.”
3. We have bad teeth
A Hollywood smile is instantly recognisable, with many film stars and celebrities brandishing bright white grins and impeccably straight teeth.
In the UK, teeth whitening is less common than in the US – though it is catching on – and this may have contributed to our reputation for less than stellar dental hygiene and care.
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Zach said: “Number three, people in the UK have bad teeth. There are people everywhere with bad teeth. I remember this joke popping up a lot when I said we were going to the UK and people would be like, ‘oh, just, you know, don’t get too close to their bad breath in their mouth.’
“And I’m like, what the f**k does that even mean? I don’t know where the origin of this bad joke is from but it’s like, not true.”
WARNING: Some strong language, viewer discretion is advised
Content cannot be displayed without consent
4. We all sound the same
Across the UK, there are countless accents and variants on those accents but many Americans believe we all speak the Queen’s English and have identical accents across the board.
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Zach explained: “Number four is that everybody uses the Queen’s English. This is an interesting one because I think there’s this, like, understanding of maybe England that it’s Mary Poppins-esque.
“But one thing I’ve realised since being here is that you will hear 28 different dialects of English within a small amount of space. It is so varied. Some are more hospitable than others.”
5. We all know the Royal Family personally
Zach’s final entry focused on a common misconception among some Americans that all British people personally know members of the Royal Family.
Zach said: “And the last one is my favourite by far because this one has come up so many times in my comments from people talking – like, you know, Brits that have gone abroad to the United States but not everybody knows the royal family personally.
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“People don’t just know the royal family but I’ve heard a lot of people say, you know, ‘when I visited my friends in Texas, their friends asked me if I knew X, Y, Z,’ and you’re like, ‘that’s not how that works’.”
Spurs were loudly booed after defeat at home by Newcastle and fellow strugglers West Ham in the past few weeks.
Frank was also taunted by his own fans with chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” during the loss to West Ham and the 2-2 draw at Burnley that followed.
After being booed off at half-time while 2-0 down to Manchester City, Frank’s side responded to draw 2-2 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Captain Cristian Romero was critical of Tottenham‘s board after that result, calling it “disgraceful” that the club only had 11 fit senior players available against City.
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The Argentine then received a straight red card – his second of the season – against Manchester United on 7 February, who went on to win 2-0.
Spurs won five, drew two and lost just one of their eight Champions League group stage matches – that defeat coming away to holders Paris St-Germain.
However, their Premier League form has been largely poor since November, including a damaging 4-1 defeat by north London rivals Arsenal and a woeful 3-0 loss at relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest.
Tottenham took just 10 points at home in the league under Frank, but had a better away record, claiming 19 points from 13 matches on the road.
Prior to joining Tottenham, Frank spent seven years in charge of the Brentford, guiding the Bees from the Championship to the Premier League in 2021.
The 52-year-old’s tenure at Spurs started with a Uefa Super Cup defeat on penalties to PSG, with Spurs having booked their place in the match courtesy of winning the Europa League under Australian Postecoglou last season.
Tottenham beat Burnley, Manchester City and West Ham in their opening four league games, while also beating Villarreal in the Champions League. But they could not build on that start and Frank’s style of play never won over fans.
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He was however hampered by extensive injury issues this season.
They have several players absent through long-term injuries, including Lucas Bergvall, Ben Davies, Richarlison, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison.
Spurs are also without suspended captain Romero for the next three Premier League matches, including the north London derby against Arsenal on 22 February.
High Potential is taking a break from its regular episode schedule, but season two set will return soon
Kimberly Nhundu Under 35s Screen Time reporter
10:28, 11 Feb 2026
Popular crime drama High Potential has paused its usual episode schedule, but there’s a perfectly understandable explanation. The ABC series came back for its second season in September 2025, and has kept both US and UK audiences thoroughly gripped.
For anyone unfamiliar with the first run, the programme centres on Morgan Gillory (Kaitlin Olson), an exceptionally intelligent single mum who earns her living as an evening cleaner at the LAPD. After accidentally solving an impossible case, Morgan is recruited to serve as a civilian adviser for the Major Crimes Division.
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She’s then teamed up with rule-following Detective Adam Karadec (Daniel Sunjata), and together they solve cases only Morgan’s unique abilities could crack, reports the Mirror. The official synopsis states: “A single mom with three kids helps solve an unsolvable crime when she rearranges some evidence during her shift as a police department cleaner.”
The show’s second run has delivered 12 episodes to date, all of which can be watched on Disney Plus. So when will audiences be able to catch the next instalment?
When does High Potential Season 2 Episode 13 come out?
High Potential is taking a brief hiatus, with ABC presently broadcasting repeat episodes in its place. It’s understood that the broadcaster chose to delay fresh instalments as the Winter Olympics are currently running on NBC, meaning audiences’ focus has shifted elsewhere.
The programme will actually resume with its next episode on Tuesday, 3rd March, making it available to watch on Disney+ from 4th March. Following this brief interval, the series will return to its standard weekly pattern and continue until the finale, Episode 18.
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A Disney+ subscription now starts at £5.99 and includes hit series like Rivals, Only Murders in the Building and The Bear, plus countless titles from Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and more.
Thus far, the second series has achieved an outstanding 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a marginal increase on last season’s 96% score. Viewers have been left completely impressed by the initial batch of episodes. One five-star review states: “Brilliant. I have loved every episode of both seasons.
“Wonderfully cast, written, directed. I never sat there and thought ‘I saw that coming’. Totally entertaining and unique. I hope it runs for 20 years.” Whilst a second agreed: “I LOVE THIS SHOW! It’s a great mix of drama and crime and I love that they have a separate case in the mix of all there daily cases! Always keeps me hooked!!!”
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Yet another fan praised: “It’s delightfully snackable. The murder mystery/crime parts are actually intriguing, the characters are likable and relatable, it’s a solid mix between crime of the week and long term engagement.
“It’s not high concept, it’s not innovative, sometimes it’s not even super surprising but it’s a great show to return to every week to relax, enjoy and not looking on my phone bored”.
While a fourth added: “This show is back stronger than ever and I really enjoyed the premiere of this seasons episode. I got chills, tears, thrills, and everything you can think of. I genuinely think this is one of the better hits on broadcast tv that we have had in a while and I’m so thankful that ABC is giving this show a chance!”
High Potential returns for Season 2, Episode 13 on March 4 – the rest of the series is currently streaming on Disney Plus.
Tottenham have sacked head coach Thomas Frank after just eight months in charge and following a eight-game winless run in domestic competitions.
Spurs suffered another home defeat Tuesday night as fellow under-performers Newcastle ran out 2-1 winners in north London, with fans once again aiming chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” towards their manager.
Spurs are now searching for a new manager just 11 days before a north London derby against Arsenal, with no game this weekend after losing in the third round of the FA Cup to Aston Villa, and the club face the prospect of a relegation battle with only a five-point gap to West Ham in 18th.
A club statement read: “The Club has taken the decision to make a change in the Men’s Head Coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today. Thomas was appointed in June 2025, and we have been determined to give him the time and support needed to build for the future together.
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“However, results and performances have led the Board to conclude that a change at this point in the season is necessary. Throughout his time at The Club, Thomas has conducted himself with unwavering commitment, giving everything in his efforts to move the Club forward. We would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him every success in the future.”
Such a hostile atmosphere was seen during January’s home defeat London rivals West Ham, another struggling side, and dissatisfaction has grown following dropped points against relegation-threatened Burnley, as well as Saturday’s defeat to Manchester United.
While an impressive Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund appeared to give Frank a reprieve in January, before a victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the same competition.
Thomas Frank was left to ponder another defeat to Newcastle (PA Wire)
But the league form proved the decisive factor for Spurs to make a decision, despite the 52-year-old signing a three-year contract when he replaced Ange Postecoglou at the end of last season, following his impressive seven-year-spell at Brentford.
Tottenham’s home Premier League form has been particularly bad under Frank. They have just two home league wins all season, with the loss against the Magpies marking their seventh home league defeat of the campaign.
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Frank even faced chants from his own fans: “You’re getting sacked in the morning”.
Spurs will now prepare to face Premier League leaders Arsenal, before a trip to Fulham and a home game against Crystal Palace.
WASHINGTON (AP) — With President Donald Trump saying he believes Iran wants to make a deal on its nuclear program, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to arrive at the White House on Wednesday with his own urgent message: Expand the talks further.
The visit from Netanyahu — their seventh meeting in Trump’s second term — comes as both Tehran and Washington are projecting cautious optimism after holding indirect talks in Oman on Friday about how once again to approach negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
“We’ll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal,” Trump said in an interview Tuesday with Fox Business Network’s Larry Kudlow. “I think they’d be foolish if they didn’t. We took out their nuclear power last time, and we’ll have to see if we take out more this time.”
He added, ”It’s got to be a good deal. No nuclear weapons, no missiles.”
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Netanyahu pushes for more in Iran talks
Netanyahu’s office has said he wants those talks to include limits on Iran’s ballistic missile program and support for militant groups like the Palestinian Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
“I will present to the president our outlook regarding the principles of these negotiations — the essential principles which, in my opinion, are important not only to Israel, but to everyone around the world who wants peace and security in the Middle East,” Netanyahu said Tuesday before departing Israel.
It remains unclear how much influence Netanyahu will have over Trump’s approach toward Iran. Trump initially threatened to take military action over Iran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests in January, then shifted to a pressure campaign in recent weeks to try to get Tehran to make a deal over its nuclear program.
Trump, at the time, said the U.S. action had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, though the amount of damage remains unclear. Satellite photos of nuclear sites have recently captured activity, prompting concern Iran could be attempting to salvage or assess damage at the sites.
Israel has long called for Iran to cease all uranium enrichment, dial back its ballistic missile program and cut ties to militant groups across the region. Iran has always rejected those demands, saying it would only accept some limits on its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.
“There’s probably a degree of concern (for the Israelis) over the Iranians using any negotiation process to deflect some of the pressure,” said Naysan Rafati, senior Iran analyst at the Washington-based International Crisis Group.
He added that Netanyahu will likely stress to Trump that there “shouldn’t be an open-ended negotiation for the sake of negotiation, but to have the kind of parameters where the West should be willing to walk away from the table.”
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To that end, the U.S. has built up military forces in the region, sending an aircraft carrier, guided-missile destroyers, air defense assets and more to supplement its presence. Arab and Islamic countries, including Turkey and Qatar, have been urging both sides to show restraint, warning that any strike or retaliation could have destabilizing consequences for a region already strained by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Gaza is likely to come up
That conflict is sure to come up on Wednesday as Trump plans to hold the first meeting next week of the Board of Peace, which was initially framed to oversee future steps of the U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire plan but has taken shape with Trump’s ambitions of resolving other global crises.
On Iran, Trump said Friday that his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner had “very good” talks on Iran and more were planned for this week. But the Republican president kept up the pressure, warning that if the country didn’t make a deal over its nuclear program, “the consequences are very steep.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made similar comments, saying there will be consultations on “next steps” but cautioning that the level of mistrust between the two longtime adversaries remains a “serious challenge facing the negotiations.”
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He also signaled that Iran would stick to its position that it must be able to enrich uranium — a major point of contention with Trump.
“The readouts from both President Trump and from the Iranians has been cautiously optimistic, not so much as there’s light at the end of the tunnel, but they may be able to build a tunnel,” Rafati said.
Netanyahu met with Witkoff and Kushner shortly after arriving in Washington on Tuesday evening and they gave him an update on the talks held with Iran in Oman, the prime minister’s office said. He was to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday morning, the State Department said.
Before the June war, Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60% purity, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels. The U.N. nuclear watchdog — the International Atomic Energy Agency — had said Iran was the only country in the world to enrich to that level that wasn’t armed with the bomb.
Iran has been refusing requests by the IAEA to inspect the sites bombed in the June war. Even before that, Iran has restricted IAEA inspections since Trump’s decision in 2018 to unilaterally withdraw the U.S. from Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
Thomas Frank has been sacked by Spurs (Picture: Getty)
Tottenham have dismissed Thomas Frank as head coach following the side’s 2-1 defeat to Newcastle.
Frank’s position had come under increasing scrutiny after a desperately poor run of results, with the club languishing down in 16th in the Premier League table.
The north London outfit had gone seven matches without picking up a league win and Tuesday’s loss to Newcastle – Spurs’ eighth of the top-flight campaign – proved to be Frank’s final match in charge.
Ford thanks his rugby league roots in part for that ability. Growing up in a village outside Oldham, he had offers from Wigan, Warrington and Bradford to join their youth set-ups.
In the 13-man code, defences are more set, but there are more passages of play. In those teenage league games, there was a high premium on Ford spotting mismatches and plenty of practice for him to do so.
Years of repetition sharpens up the accuracy and streamlines the process.
At Test level there are only a couple of seconds amid the chaos for each decision to be made.
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England head coach Steve Borthwick has taken a little longer to settle on Ford as his number one number 10.
Ford kicked all 27 points in England’s opening-game win over Argentina at the 2023 World Cup, but was a bit-part bench option by the time the knockout stages came round.
With Owen Farrell opting out of international duty at the following Six Nations, Ford started all five matches at 10.
Injury then gave Marcus Smith the chance to supplant Ford in the pecking order on the 2024 tour of New Zealand, before Fin Smith emerged in last year’s Six Nations.
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But eight starts in the past nine Tests – Ford was rested for the autumn win over Fiji – represents his longest run as England’s starting fly-half in six years.
He is relishing the stage it has returned him to.
“When you’re in the Six Nations, you feel like you’re playing in a special tournament,” he said.
“Any opportunity you can get going to Murrayfield, Cardiff, Dublin – it is such a showpiece event.
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“As a player, what an amazing thing to be a part of – and go and win and have that memory.
“That is why we work so hard in the week to try and do that.”
In the week, in the moment, in years past and in the Pilates studio. Ford is drawing strength from them all.
