Priest insulted by Andrew Gwynne in WhatsApp group calls for him to resign
Dubois’ absence hurts ‘fight card of the century’ but Bakole brings danger
Saudi Arabia’s attempts to seize control of boxing have been relentless but not even its massive wealth and swaggering certainty can overrule the harsh vagaries of life. Boxing is an extreme and unhinged version of real life and it is always subject to bedlam and disruption. And so, on Thursday afternoon, there was a familiarly knotty twist in the sleek Saudi plan to stage “the greatest fight card in the history of boxing” in Riyadh on Saturday night.Daniel Dubois, fresh from his destruction of Anthony Joshua, was meant to defend his IBF world heavyweight title against Joseph Parker as the main undercard bout in a seven-fight extravaganza. It carried the promise of an intriguing and dangerous contest for both men – only for Dubois to fall ill with a virus
Champions Trophy make or break for Buttler as England look to stop slide
In contrast to the drawn-out 50-over World Cup and its T20 equivalent, the Champions Trophy is quite a cutthroat affair, with one slip-up in the group stage manageable but two likely terminal. Jos Buttler called it a brutal format before England’s opener against Australia in Lahore on Saturday, while his opposite number, Steve Smith, spoke of needing a “quarter-final” mentality.As unforgiving as it is, there is a fair bit riding on this Champions Trophy for Buttler, a captain who lifted the T20 World Cup in 2022 straight after replacing Eoin Morgan but has struggled to live up to it since. Series results have nose-dived, both world titles were surrendered meekly, and the messaging has often been confusing. Matthew Mott paid the price as head coach last year but not every shortcoming was his
AFL footy is protected by anti-siphoning rules, so why must fans pay to watch some games? | Jack Snape
The Australian rules community survives on habit. More than a century old, the VFL and now AFL counts more than 1.3m club members, and hundreds of thousands fans prove their commitment each week by attending matches. Millions more watch on television, and increasingly on smart TVs, computers and phones. But in 2025, they have an adjustment to make
Collectors Item can prove value bet for punters in gruelling Eider Chase | Talking Horses
At four miles, one furlong and 55 yards, the Eider Chase at Newcastle is barely a furlong shorter than the Grand National and with the ground soft in places and some rain in the forecast, it may well demand as much staying power from its winner as the Aintree showpiece in April.As a result, it will require a slight leap of faith for punters to back either O’Connell or Collectors Item, the early favourites after a full field of 18 was declared on Thursday, as both will be racing beyond three and a half miles for the first time.It is fair to stay that both horses shape as though marathon trips will be their forte but O’Connell, who is going for a fourth straight handicap success, is now 22lb higher than for the first of those wins.Collectors Item (2.10) too is edging up the weights after a productive season to date but a 4lb rise for a strong-staying win at Wincanton last time is all but offset by Jack Hogan’s 3lb claim
MLS Year 30: A league at a philosophical crossroads as World Cups loom
America’s top circuit has grown and thrived thanks to mechanisms it now no longer needsEver since its foundation in 1996, Major League Soccer has faced questions about its place within the world of American sports and global soccer. What is the relationship between MLS and the top football leagues of Europe? Is it a retirement league for aging superstars, a development league for those on their way to bigger things, or a home for the lateral career move, a kind of footballing purgatory? Where should it sit in the American sporting calendar, and what should be the competition’s relationship to the surrounding culture: is MLS an American sporting league whose sport happens to be soccer, or a soccer league that happens to take place in America?There are questions of direction as well. What is the correct tempo for the competition’s growth, and what kind of league should expansion aim to create? Is this a league that wants to compete with the best of the best, or simply seeks to serve a gap in the domestic market? Aspirationally, is MLS a “world league” in the mold of the Premier League, a league that serves as a center of gravity for playing talent throughout the western hemisphere, or something more modest?As MLS begins its thirtieth season this weekend, these questions remain as pertinent and tantalizingly open as ever. But this season also promises some measure of clarification, an interim verdict of sorts: in June and July, as the league continues to weigh a schedule change that would bring its season in line with European club football’s fall-to-spring calendar, MLS will pause for the Club World Cup taking place on American soil. This edition of Fifa’s top club competition is, of course, a certified big deal
Why high-profile athletes are perfect targets for burglary gangs
Stars such as Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow have had their homes and private lives violated. But stopping home invasions can be difficultAs Joe Burrow led the Cincinnati Bengals to a 27-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys last December a group allegedly robbed the quarterback’s home during a cross-country crime spree that targeted at least six high-profile athletes.The thefts highlight the unique vulnerabilities faced by famous athletes whose salaries and work schedules are accessible on the internet in seconds, as well as the mix of careful planning and brazen tactics used by criminals to elude security measures.Burrow’s security detail was posted in his front driveway while he was in Texas but the burglars entered from the rear of the property, making off with about $300,000 in designer luggage, glasses, watches and jewellery, according to a court document.In a criminal complaint unsealed on Tuesday, federal prosecutors in Florida allege that a group of seven Chilean men stole items worth millions of dollars from the homes of at least four NFL and two NBA players during break-ins last year
Bored kids and empty cupboards? Try these child-friendly recipes this half-term
This is my final OFM column. Here’s what I’ve learned about buffets, ‘clean eating’ and what not to serve food on | Jay Rayner
How to make rhubarb crumble – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass
How to use up the remains of a can of coconut milk | Kitchen aide
Australian supermarket meat pie taste test: ‘What I want to dribble down my front at the footy’
José Pizarro’s smoky cabbage and white bean soup with crisp chorizo and paprika oil – recipe