“But you know, of course, this, anything like this where people are given patronage, peerages, you know, other things, that are then found to have behaved completely unacceptably and inappropriately, you know, kind of stains the whole system, and stains everybody else as well.”

Thomas Frank has been sacked by Tottenham Hotspur after just under eight months in charge of the Premier League club following a 2-1 defeat at home against Newcastle United

Ange Postecoglou delivered a three-word verdict as Gary Neville was left stunned by Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotspur sacking. The Dane was sacked on Wednesday morning after Spurs lost 2-1 to Newcastle United on Tuesday night.

The latest tumultuous result of Frank’s dismal reign resulted in Spurs falling to 16th in the Premier League and made it two wins in 17 league fixtures. And Neville was in The Overlap studio recording this week’s show with Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott, Ian Wright and Roy Keane when a member of the production team, Kiaran Saunders, interrupted to inform them of Tottenham’s decision to part company with Frank.

And Neville was left stunned by the development before he revealed that Postecoglou was actually in the building, as he was due to record an episode of Stick to Football that would be released next week. But following the news, a switch was made, and the episode with the former Celtic and Nottingham Forest boss was changed to be released on Thursday morning.

And when Postecoglou entered the studio, he simply remarked: “Some timing eh,” as he took his seat. The 60-year-old was sacked by Tottenham in the summer despite leading the club to Europa League glory.

Postecoglou delivered on his promise of “always” winning in his second season thanks to the 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Bilbao in May. But ultimately losing 22 Premier League matches and finishing 17th cost Postecoglou his job after two years at the club.

READ MORE: Tottenham’s Thomas Frank replacement plan means perfect Mauricio Pochettino solutionREAD MORE: Surprise man tipped for Tottenham job after Thomas Frank sack amid Mauricio Pochettino admission

Speaking in the summer, former Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said: “I don’t regret appointing Ange. In his first season we finished fifth and in the second season we were over the moon to win a trophy, but we need to compete in all competitions. We felt that we needed a change.

“It was a collective decision. It wasn’t my decision. We do everything together. Emotionally it was difficult, but we believe we have made the right decision for the club.”

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Levy then added: “We’ve won a European trophy, but it’s not enough. It’s what we haven’t done that is more important. We need to win the league.

“We want to win the Premier League. We want to win the Champions League. We want to win.”

But Spurs are currently 16th in the Premier League and just five points above the relegation zone following a dreadful run of form. They are also winless in their past eight Premier League games – their longest run without a victory since October 2008.

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We had temporarily lost Prince William. Rushing through the narrow streets of the Old Town of Al Ula in Saudi Arabia, our guides eventually helped us catch up with him.

They had changed where he was due to arrive, after his lunch had run over. It was all fairly frantic, but for his aides, now tasked with getting him to his plane on time to head home, this was nothing like the other challenges they had faced.

This has felt like a week where the royal family have really seen what they are up against when it comes to the Andrew and Epstein scandal. The noise has been never-ending with shouts at both the prince and the King, and more documents being uncovered.

Follow latest updates on the Epstein files

There had been hopes that the Prince of Wales’ trip to Saudi Arabia, a significant diplomatic visit, might have been enough to shift some of the attention.

With all the pictures of William with kids and women, there could not have been more effort made to sell this as a trip all about the future, projecting a positive image of Saudi Arabia and the work of the British royal family.

The visit, of course, was always going to be a political tightrope for him, with questions over human rights here, despite significant social charges. But nothing could stop the runaway scandal of the Epstein files from being the bigger problem.

Read more: Tour of Saudi Arabia ends with nature reserve visit

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Prince William’s trip overshadowed by Epstein?

The demand to hear from the royals has been enormous. But the calls for them to tell us more risk overshadowing how huge it was to get those statements earlier in the week from both William and Kate and Buckingham Palace.

I have done this job long enough to know there must have been tense conversations before they got the final sign-off for release. They knew they would be blowing the story up again, but doing nothing was not an option.

For them, the problem is that people still want more. We expect to see our leaders on camera, to see them visibly taking control and being accountable.

There is no doubt that in recent years there has been a change in what the family are prepared to open up about on camera, remember for example the videos released about the King and Kate’s cancer, but it’s always on their own terms.

And from what we have had so far, I’m not sure on this one; they’re going to bow to public pressure to talk, despite some saying silence only exacerbates the huge reputational risks.

For 15 years, this has been hanging over them, first the Queen, now Andrew’s brother, the King, undoubtedly going so much further than their mother ever did. The “maximalist approach”, as they describe it, stripping him of his titles and Windsor home.

And this week, in written words, we have seen greater efforts to distance themselves from Andrew, partly, I suspect, out of a concern about what else may come, despite his constant denials of any wrongdoing.

Whether you agree or not, for now, they do not feel like they have more questions to answer. Yes, there are pictures and emails that strongly suggest Epstein spent time at palaces and royal properties. In the end, Andrew maintained that contact, not the wider family or the institution.

The acting head of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has told a congressional committee that the agency is “a key part of the overall security apparatus for the World Cup” when asked if he would pause operations for this summer’s tournament.

Todd Lyons and other senior officials were questioned by lawmakers on the House committee on homeland security after ICE agents shot and killed two American citizens as part of US President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.

The deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good sparked outrage across the country.

Representative Nellie Pou – of New Jersey’s ninth district, which includes the MetLife Stadium where the World Cup final will be played – asked Lyons, external if ICE would commit to pausing operations around matches and other Fifa events.

She claimed that visitors’ confidence was “plummeting and jeopardising the World Cup”.

Lyons responded by insisting that ICE was “dedicated to securing that operation, and we are dedicated to the security of all of our participants as well as visitors.”

Pou said: “You realise that if [fans] feel they are going to be wrongfully incarcerated, wrongfully pulled out, that is going to hurt this entire process?”

“Yes ma’am, and ICE is dedicated to ensuring that everyone that visits the facilities will have a safe and secure event,” replied Lyons.

Both US citizens, Good and Pretti were each shot multiple times during enforcement operations.

Their deaths – and ICE’s broader action – caused outrage in Minneapolis where some 3,000 agents were deployed at Trump’s direction to crack down on illegal immigration.

Some of those agents have since left the city.

Last month fan group Football Supporters Europe (FSE) told BBC Sport it was “extremely concerned by the ongoing militarisation of police forces in the US” before this summer’s World Cup in North America.

The European Democratic Party (EDP) also said it may ask national football federations to consider pulling out of the tournament if safety guarantees are not forthcoming.

Fifa has said the safety and security of fans and participants is its “top priority”, adding it works closely with local authorities “to plan, co-ordinate and deliver comprehensive security measures for the tournament”.

The US is due to host 78 matches across 11 cities, with co-hosts Canada and Mexico hosting 13 matches each.

Lindsey Vonn says she is “making progress” after having a successful third surgery on the broken leg she sustained in a crash at the Winter Olympics on Sunday.

The American great was racing just nine days after rupturing ligaments in her left knee when she struck a gate 13 seconds into her downhill run in Cortina.

She was airlifted off the piste and taken to hospital in Treviso, where she was diagnosed with a “complex tibia fracture” in her left leg.

“I had my third surgery today and it was successful,” she wrote in a post on Instagram., external

“Success today has a completely different meaning than it did a few days ago. I’m making progress and while it is slow, I know I’ll be OK.

“Thankful for all of the incredible medical staff, friends, family, who have been by my side and the beautiful outpouring of love and support from people around the world.

“Also, huge congrats to my team-mates and all of the Team USA athletes who are out there inspiring me and giving me something to cheer for.”

Vonn was the Olympic downhill champion in 2010 and had been hoping for a fairytale ending to her illustrious career.

She retired from the sport in 2019 as the most decorated female skier at the time, having suffered several serious leg injuries.

After having a partial right knee replacement, she announced her shock return to the sport in 2024.

Since then, she had achieved eight podium finishes on the World Cup circuit, including two golds, and had been tipped to win a medal at her fifth and final Olympics.

But despite suffering the ACL injury in Switzerland in the last World Cup race before the Games, she was determined to take to the course in Cortina where she had enjoyed so much success.

On Monday, she said she had “no regrets”, adding: “I dared to dream and had worked so hard to achieve it.”

American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn has undergone her third surgery after suffering a broken leg in a devastating crash at the Milan-Cortina Games

Skiing icon Lindsey Vonn has provided an update via social media following her third operation after the catastrophic accident that shattered her Olympic aspirations at Milan-Cortina. The 41-year-old American sustained a broken leg during the Olympic Games and was airlifted to hospital following a severe crash – just over a week after tearing her ACL.

Vonn, representing Team USA, clipped a gate, lost her balance and tumbled into the slope merely 13 seconds into her women’s downhill run. She received comprehensive medical attention before being airlifted to a nearby hospital for additional treatment.

Updating her followers on Instagram on Wednesday evening, Vonn shared: “I had my 3rd surgery today and it was successful. Success today has a completely different meaning than it did a few days ago.

“I’m making progress and while it is slow, I know I’ll be ok. Thankful for all of the incredible medical staff, friends, family, who have been by my side and the beautiful outpouring of love and support from people around the world.

“Also, huge congrats to my teammates and all of the Team USA athletes who are out there inspiring me and giving me something to cheer for.”

It was subsequently confirmed that Vonn would require multiple surgeries to mend her leg, and she has now completed her third. A protracted recovery period lies ahead, though it remains possible that the skier could make a return to the slopes within a year.

Fellow competitor Federica Brignone, who sustained multiple leg fractures and a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament at last April’s Italian Championships, made her comeback after only 10 months. The Italian went head-to-head with Vonn on Cortina’s Olympia piste.

“It’s always difficult to give an assessment without seeing the X‐rays,” Andrea Panzeri, head of the Medical Commission of the Italian Winter Sports Federation, told Reuters.

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“It’s a complex fracture that, regardless of age, can limit an athlete’s career. But Brignone also had a serious fracture and she recovered.”

Meanwhile, Filippo Pierfrancesco Calanna, an orthopaedic surgeon at Milan’s Gaetano Pini Orthopaedic and Trauma Centre, added: “It’s obvious that the older you are, the slower the recovery.

“Even though Vonn has exceptional physical qualities, physical recovery takes longer at her age. But much also depends on motivation and mindset.

“There is a risk that arthritis develops earlier which, over time, can lead to reduced joint function, stiffness and pain.”

Yet Vonn’s previous injuries to the same leg, including a partial knee replacement, may influence her rehabilitation period.

Nigel Farage was compared to “rubbish” piling up in the street by an MP in a brutal Commons slapdown.

Ayoub Khan, the independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, made the comment as he asked Keir Starmer to intervene to end a long-running strike by bin workers in the city.

Looking directly at the Reform UK leader, who was sitting in the row in front of him, Khan said “rubbish is building up right beneath my very nose”.

Farage sat grim-faced as MPs across the Commons roared with laughter and shouted “more”.

After a short pause, Khan went on: “It’s becoming a serious problem. In Birmingham, bin strikes are now running over close to two years.

“Can I ask the prime minister to intervene and perhaps speak to the leader of Birmingham City Council to see if he can re-enter negotiations with Unite the Union?”

Starmer said the government was “doing everything we can to resolve the situation, which absolutely needs resolving”.

“I was a children’s librarian for 10 years, and knowing that these children that I likely knew, that I likely read to… these are our friends, our friends’ children have been injured, lost their life, and we just have to think how to come together as a community and rely upon each other for support,” he said.

The story of the historical series picks up some years after a well known tale leaves off

A critically acclaimed and beloved period drama has returned to our screens and continues the story of some classic characters.

The Artful Dodger originally released on Disney Plus back in 2023. Fans were forced to wait three years but all episodes of its second season are finally available now on the streaming platform.

It is actually inspired by one of the most well known classic pieces of literature written by a celebrated author. The title of the series would probably give it away to most that it involves characters taken from Oliver Twist, which was written by Charles Dickens.

However, not only that but the second season introduces another iconic character from a different but equally well known book. But where and when do the events of The Artful Dodger take place compared to the original stories? Here’s all you need to know.

When is The Artful Dodger set?

At the end of the book Oliver Twist, Jack Dawkins who is also known as the Artful Dodger, is arrested for stealing a silver snuff box. He is sentenced to be transported to a penal colony in Australia for life.

Therefore the series imagines what happens to Jack some years following his conviction. In fact, in the first season we find out that his surrogate father and mentor Norbert Fagin, refused to stage a breakout for Jack, claiming there was too much heat and fearing that he would be caught and put to death himself, he ultimately leaves him to his fate.

The original book finished publishing as a serial in 1839. We actually find out in Season One’s premiere episode exactly when the action picks up.

A shot of a diary confirms the date of October 27, 1855. So if we take that the original tale happened in the same time it was published, then at least 16 years has passed since we last dealt with these characters.

While Fagin failed to help Jack, he did manage to escape himself. He was eventually seconded to the Royal Navy where his skilled fingers allowed him to go from picking pockets to assisting surgeons. He would become one himself, serving as a medic in the Crimean War, which actually took place between 1853 and 1856.

Afterwards, he was recommended to serve in the colony. This means he still arrived in Australia but as a respected doctor as oppose to a convicted criminal. The British penal system transported convicts from Great Britain and Ireland to various penal colonies in Australia until 1868.

Season Two picks up around six months where the first ended as The Artful Dodger remains in deep trouble. According to its synopsis, he’s got an appointment with the noose, he’s being hunted by new lawman, Inspector Boxer, and if he sees the woman he loves, Lady Belle, he’ll be hanged.

The Artful Dodger is streaming on Disney+.

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