News 28 // 17 Jul 2018, 16:04 IST SHARE Netherlands international Daley Blind has ended his four-season stay at Manchester United and returned to former club Ajax for a fee potentially rising to €20.5million.The 28-year-old has signed a four-year deal with the club that handed him his professional debut in 2008.He originally left Amsterdam in order to link up with Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford in 2014, but fell out of favour under Jose Mourinho and featured just seven times in the Premier League last season. Fetching more content... Fetching more content... … [Read more...] about BREAKING NEWS: Blind completes Ajax return
IOA drops 20 from pencak silat Asiad squad, federation to take legal action
News 14 // 17 Jul 2018, 15:58 IST SHARE New Delhi, Jul 17 (PTI) The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) today dropped 20 athletes from the Pencak Silat team for the upcoming Asian Games, alleging fake credentials, prompting the national federation to threaten legal action.When the IOA released a list of 524 athletes for the Asian Games on July 5, 22 athletes from pencak silat were selected to take part in the Asian Games, now the Olympic body has cleared only two members.The Games are scheduled to be held in the Indonesian twin cities of Jakarta and Palembang from August 18.The Indian Pencak Silat Federation (IPSF), unhappy with the decision, said the certificate provided for the two approved athletes are the same as the 20 rejected players."While talking with officials of the IOA, they said, 'we are confirming only 2 of your female athletes for the Asian Games'," IPSF, Secretary General, Mufti Hamid Yasin, told PTI."The IOA told us that the … [Read more...] about IOA drops 20 from pencak silat Asiad squad, federation to take legal action
World Cup 2018: Three teams that lost three matches in Russia
Top 5 / Top 10 31 // 17 Jul 2018, 16:10 IST SHARE With France winning their second World Cup trophy after defeating Croatia 4-2 in the final, there are many sensational stories to tell from one of the most entertaining World Cups in history. Spectacular players, efficient team play and work, and a bunch of superb goals scored and controversial decisions highlighted this World Cup.Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Neymar arrived in Russia to enter the World Cup pantheon of greats to have won the competition history. However, it wasn't to be as football's favourites superstars bowed out of the tournament relatively early considered their rich history.The final contested two Europeans teams, France and Croatia, who had stellar tournaments with a good bunch of players performing at the highest level, which helped their teams to get closest to the most prestigious trophy in the world of football.The 21st World Cup in history delivered some … [Read more...] about World Cup 2018: Three teams that lost three matches in Russia
Mumbai City FC sign talented striker from Shillong Lajong
News 57 // 17 Jul 2018, 16:02 IST SHARE What's the story?Mumbai City FC continue to build their squad ahead of the upcoming Indian Super League season, and have added another player to their roster in a bid to return to the top. This time, the Islanders have signed young striker Alen Deory, who joins on a two-year deal.In case you didn't know...Born in Guwahati, Assam, Deory started his youth career with Sports Authority of India. He then played for many youth sides such as TFA and IMG Academy, before joining the Shillong Lajong academy.It was with Shillong that Deory signed his first professional contract. Although he was on Lajong's roster for three seasons, he was sent out on loan to NorthEast United FC for two ISL campaigns.The heart of the matterMumbai City FC announced, via Twitter, that they have completed the signing of promising striker Alen Deory from Shillong Lajong. The youngster joins Mumbai City FC ahead of the 2018/19 Indian … [Read more...] about Mumbai City FC sign talented striker from Shillong Lajong
Former Spanish king’s ‘special friend’ says he laundered money
Spain's former king Juan Carlos is once again in the spotlight after his alleged former mistress claimed he was involved in money laundering, sparking calls for an investigation. The scandal broke after two Spanish websites published recordings attributed to Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein in which she alleges Juan Carlos tried to hide money transfers and used her name to buy property in Monaco and Morocco. The German aristocrat, who is based in Monte Carlo, also said he told her he had moved money into the account of a cousin, Alvaro d'Orleans Bourbon, in Switzerland. In the recordings, which were released online last week, she claims he also pocketed money from a high-speed train contract with Saudi Arabia, saying he wanted money to divorce his wife Sofia and marry her. Several royal experts contacted by AFP said the voice in the recording was indeed that of Sayn-Wittgenstein. She has not denied that the voice in the recording is hers, instead issuing a statement … [Read more...] about Former Spanish king’s ‘special friend’ says he laundered money
France’s World Cup win can’t hide underlying tensions over race and class
The success of the multi-racial French national team that was hailed by jubilant fans of all ethnic backgrounds masks persistent underlying tensions in the country around race, identity and class argues academic Joseph Downing from the university of Aix-Marseille in an article for The Conversation. The French football team has won the 2018 World Cup, 20 years after it triumphed on home soil in 1998. “Les Bleus”, as they’re called, are back in the nation’s good books, celebrated for their excellent performance in this year’s tournament, right through the 4-2 win over Croatia in the final. Out of the limelight and the glare of success in Russia 2018, however, a question continues to dog French football – the role of race and class in the selection of national players. On the surface, this may seem strange with the attention given to the multicultural harmony of the 1998 World Cup-winning team. The straight-talking former captain of the … [Read more...] about France’s World Cup win can’t hide underlying tensions over race and class
English Actually: Memoirs of an English teacher in Spain
Bob Yareham with his latest book. For forty years, Bob Yareham (who was born in Hackney North in 1954) has taught English as a foreign language, mainly in Valencia, a challenge that involves explaining, for what seems like the millionth time, that “yes, ‘bare’ is pronounced like ‘bear’ and ‘queue’ is no different from ‘q’. Too, two and to are the same too my friend, and ‘if I were’ is not really the simple past, it’s the subjunctive, which exasperatingly doesn’t actually exist in English. A double negative is positive for the 30,000th time, and I don’t care if Sir Mick Jagger can’t get no satisfaction. Those 40 years haven’t all been a bed of roses (a pretty uncomfortable metaphor when you consider all the thorns). I can remember very clearly the first time I became aware of the English language as an objective reality. It was in the summer of 1978 in Reading when I noticed that a … [Read more...] about English Actually: Memoirs of an English teacher in Spain
Catalan leader launches bid to unite separatist factions
Carles Puigdemont attends a press conference in Berlin. Photo: AF Self-exiled Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont on Monday appealed for unity among the disparate factions of Catalonia's independence movement, in his continued determination to turn the wealthy northeastern region into a republic. "We are stronger if we can act in a cross-party, united way, across the whole ideological spectrum," said Puigdemont, addressing the event in Barcelona via video link from Germany, where he faces extradition to Spain. Unlike other separatist movements such as in Scotland, where separatism is concentrated in the Scottish National Party, Catalonia's separatists are split among Puigdemont's conservatives and progressive and radical left factions. They united behind a movement that culminated last October in the regional parliament's declaration of independence. But the conservative Spanish government in power at the … [Read more...] about Catalan leader launches bid to unite separatist factions
Swedish city experiences warmest weather in 71 years
It has been unusually warm in Sweden. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT Swedish university city Uppsala registered its warmest temperature since 1947 on Monday as extreme weather continues in the Nordic nation. The mercury hit 34.4C in Uppsala just north of capital Stockholm as the unusually warm Swedish summer shows no sign of letting up. "It has been even warmer in the past but it was a while ago," Sofia Söderberg from weather agency SMHI told newswire TT. SMHI recently issued a class-two alert for "extremely high temperatures" (their most serious temperature warning) in Uppsala and several other Swedish counties including Stockholm, Örebro, Västmanland and Södermanland. READ ALSO: Sweden sees rise in number of drownings in connection with heatwave It has since added class-one alerts for "very high temperatures" in nearby Östergötland and Gotland, as well as Dalarna, Gävleborg and even Västernorrland in the north. Temperatures of up to 30C are … [Read more...] about Swedish city experiences warmest weather in 71 years
Climbing Mont Blanc: 10 reasons to think twice
For many part-time mountaineers Mont Blanc provides the perfect opportunity to scale a high-altitude mountain, without having to travel to the Himalayas or the Andes. For many of us, it's on our doorstep and then makes the prospect of a shot at the summit even more tempting. And it's in the Alps, one of Europe's main tourists destinations, so what could go wrong. But don't be fooled. There's a reason, in fact there's a few, to explain why Mont Blanc has a reputation of being dangerous. Here's eight reasons to make you think twice about climbing Mont Blanc. (But naturally given the adventurers that we are at The Local, we thoroughly recommend you give it a try, and let us know how you got on.) Human wave: If you'd pictured yourself alone atop the summit of Europe's highest mountain, with not another soul in sight, it's best you wipe that image away. Because of the fact there are no restrictions to access Mont Blanc, it’s hard to say exactly how many people make the … [Read more...] about Climbing Mont Blanc: 10 reasons to think twice