The Test stalwart on his surreal last stand at the Oval, his ‘shabby’ treatment by Rob Key and the vexed problem of cricket’s drinking cultureOn a rainy October afternoon, after his 20th season as a professional cricketer, Chris Woakes sits down at Edgbaston’s indoor nets and thinks of the advice that helped him when he was 17 and about to start a career in this consuming sport. “The words came from my parents, particularly my dad, and it was to always be myself,” he says in his thoughtful way.Woakes has just won his third County Championship with Warwickshire and he played 62 Tests for England, taking 192 wickets and scoring 2,034 runs. He also won two World Cups and experienced a range of England coaches, from Andy Flower to Brendon McCullum, and played for captains as different as Sir Alastair Cook, Eoin Morgan, Joe Root and Ben Stokes. Continue reading...

15 Oct 2026 18:00 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN

Infantino failed to provide answers to questionsEuropean leaders expect someone will stand against himEuropean football leaders are increasingly confident they will find a candidate to stand against Gianni Infantino in next year’s Fifa presidential election, with the heads of the English and German football associations questioning his fitness to govern after a three-and-a-half-hour council meeting.Infantino began the long-awaited gathering of Fifa’s 37-strong executive board by apologising for failing to consult them over his abandoned World Cup sell-off plan but failed to provide answers to dozens of questions posed by the European FAs on a range of subjects including the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, Donald Trump’s Fifa peace prize and the Folarin Balogun affair, when the USA striker’s World Cup suspension was overturned after lobbying from the US president. Continue reading...

15 Oct 2026 09:00 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN

Former QB says he is looking ‘for next landing spot’Aikman and Buck said to have argued over contractsLongtime Monday Night Football announcer Troy Aikman said he is looking for his “next landing spot” with ⁠his ESPN contract set to expire after February’s Super Bowl.“I’ll broadcast through this season, and I’ll be ⁠a free agent ⁠at ​the end of the year and kind of see what happens,” Aikman said in a radio interview ⁠with KTCK of Dallas on Thursday morning. Continue reading...

15 Oct 2026 18:36 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN

Halpin’s first playoff homer puts Cleveland aheadWilliams strikes out nine as Guardians win 3-2Cleveland bullpen retires 11 of final 12 Rays battersPetey Halpin hit a go-ahead two-run homer, Gavin Williams struck out nine over five innings and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Thursday to take a 2-1 lead.Game 4 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Friday, though rain is forecast. Continue reading...

15 Oct 2026 20:51 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN

Kalyn Ponga stars for New Zealand but Australia edge Sydney clash as tournament promises fireworks on the pitch as well as offUnder new rules introduced for this World Cup, nation-swapping is not only possible, it is virtually encouraged. And like the cheeseburger spring rolls at Allianz Stadium on Thursday night, it’s a culture clash that delights as many people as it offends. But based on the intensity of last night’s Cup opener, it’s players and fans who are the winners.Fireworks. Lasers. Shimmering projections. Allianz Stadium was lit up like a Las Vegas casino. This was intended to be a bold new era for rugby league. They had rejigged the tournament format to distil the talent pool, reducing the competing nations from 16 to 10 and boiling down the number of matches from 31 to 18. Continue reading...

15 Oct 2026 12:57 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN

Elon Musk has spent $158m in a month to back Republicans in midterm races – with his efforts mostly focused on TexasTens of millions of dollars are pouring into Texas as Democrats stage an audacious bid to win a US Senate seat in the Republican stronghold.Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, is among those wading into the closely watched race as November’s midterm elections approach. Continue reading...

15 Oct 2026 16:41 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN

Two people critically hurt when vehicle carrying HGV drivers hit stationary train in Calais, say French authoritiesNineteen people have been injured after a minibus collided with a stationary freight train at the loading platform of the Eurotunnel near Calais, French authorities have said.Pas-de-Calais underprefect Agathe Cury said 18 passengers and the bus driver were injured in the incident. Continue reading...

15 Oct 2026 21:38 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN