Migrant gangs put on notice after string of home burglaries
EXCLUSIVE: A bipartisan group of lawmakers asked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to nix Chile’s status on the visa waiver program (VWP) amid a major gang burglary risk. Reps. Young Kim, Derek Tran, Dave Min and Mike Levin of California sent a letter to DHS asking that Chile be taken off the list, which allows citizens from certain countries to visit the U.S. for roughly three months without a visa, until steps are taken to ensure that people robbing homes and businesses after they come to the country are stopped. “We are concerned that the VWP continues to be exploited by South American Theft Groups (SATG) — a majority of whom originate from Chile. Known as ‘burglary tourism,’ certain eligible individuals travel to the U.S. through the VWP for the purpose of committing residential and commercial robberies before returning to their country of origin,” states the letter exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital. ‘NEEDS TO RESIGN’: BLUE STATE BLASTED FOR ASKING FOR LOAN AMID SKYROCKETING IMMIGRANT HEALTHCARE COSTS “In addition to having an impact on familial communities, SATGs continue to victimize Orange County companies and entrepreneurs, placing a burden on our local police departments, already beset by a lack of resources and a staffing deficit,” the letter continued. “In 2024, there were 59 residential burglaries suspected of being committed by SATGs in the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Southeast Patrol Area. Given the threat to public safety, we believe immediate action must be taken.” The practice of “burglary tourism” has become a relatively common occurrence in communities throughout the country, including affluent areas such as Orange County, California, and Scottsdale, Arizona. Even top athletes such as Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow have become theft victims. CHILEAN MIGRANT GANGS TERRORIZE AMERICANS WITH HOME INVASIONS: WHAT TO KNOW A previous letter was sent by Kim, Levin and Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif., asking the Biden administration to take similar action in June 2023, warning that the SATGs will sometimes “sell stolen goods online and launder money through Chinese crime syndicates.” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer asked Chile to lose its visa waiver program privileges last month on “FOX & Friends.” GANG OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TARGET HIGH-END PHOENIX-AREA HOMES IN BURGLARIES, AUTHORITIES SAY “Every other South American country that has participated in the past has been kicked out of the program for sending their criminals to the United States of America,” Spitzer said at the time. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “These Chileans have been coming here for years,” he said. “They’re going to Orlando, Florida, where Disney World is. They’re coming to Orange County, California, where Disneyland is. And they’re not here to visit the happiest place on Earth — they’re here to burglarize,” he added. Southern American gangs, including the Venezuelan group Tren de Aragua, have been under heightened scrutiny under the Trump administration, as many groups like them have now been designated as foreign terrorist organizations. DHS did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
Biden White House turned over Trump, Pence government cellphones to FBI as part of anti-Trump agent’s case
EXCLUSIVE: The Biden White House turned over government cellphones belonging to President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence to the FBI in May 2022 as part of a bureau probe into the aftermath of the 2020 election, tying Trump to that investigation without sufficient predication, Fox News Digital has learned. The FBI did not need a warrant to physically obtain the government phones from the Biden White House, but after acquiring the devices agents began drafting a search warrant to extract the phones’ data, sources familiar with the investigation told Fox News Digital. ANTI-TRUMP FBI AGENT RESPONSIBLE FOR OPENING JACK SMITH ELECTOR CASE AGAINST PRESIDENT: WHISTLEBLOWER “The Biden White House played right along with the FBI’s ‘gotcha’ scheme against Trump,” a source familiar with the investigation told Fox News Digital. “Biden’s Office of White House Counsel, under the leadership of Dana Remus and Jonathan Su, gave its blessing and accommodation for the FBI to physically obtain Trump and Pence’s phones in early May 2022. Weeks later, the FBI began drafting a search warrant to extract the phones’ data.” The phones were obtained and entered as evidence as part of the FBI’s original anti-Trump 2020 election investigation, which eventually was taken over by now-former Special Counsel Jack Smith. That case was known inside the bureau as “Arctic Frost,” and was opened on April 13, 2022, by anti-Trump former FBI agent Timothy Thibault. Thibault, according to whistleblowers, broke protocol and played a critical role in opening and advancing the bureau’s original investigation related to the 2020 election, tying Trump to the probe without sufficient predication. Thibault broke protocol by taking action to open the investigation and involve Trump, despite being unauthorized to open criminal investigations in his role — only special agents have the authority to open criminal investigations. FBI DIRECTOR PATEL WORKING ‘AGGRESSIVELY’ TO COMPLY WITH CONGRESSIONAL RECORD REQUESTS AHEAD OF DEADLINES Thibault vowed to make the investigation “prioritized over all others in the Branch” and, at the time, commented that “it frankly took too long for us to open this (investigation),” according to documents reviewed by Fox News Digital. The FBI, by late April 2022, began scheduling more than a dozen interviews for the investigation in coordination with 13 FBI field offices across the nation, Fox News Digital has learned. The revelations come from legally protected whistleblower disclosures provided to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Senate Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis. Fox News Digital reviewed the disclosures. EX-FBI OFFICIAL WHO SHUT DOWN HUNTER BIDEN LINES OF INVESTIGATION VIOLATED HATCH ACT WITH ANTI-TRUMP POSTS Grassley and Johnson sent the whistleblower disclosures and records to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel late Thursday. “The new records we are making public point to an aggressive investigation run by anti-Trump agents and prosecutors intent on using every resource available to pursue Trump and his supporters,” Grassley and Johnson wrote. The first record relating to the Trump and Pence phones was dated April 25, 2022, and noted: “DOJ and FBI were informed that government-issued cellphones that purportedly previously belonged to former Vice President Mike Pence and former President Donald J. Trump were in the possession of individuals at the White House. DOJ is currently conducting analysis regarding the FBI taking possession of and processing the phones.” The records revealed that on May 4, 2022, FBI agents took possession of the two phones belonging to Trump and Pence. The phones were entered into evidence and were not processed until search warrants were obtained, according to the record. On the same date, May 4, 2022, FBI agents interviewed Deputy White House Counsel Jonathan Su. A follow-on letter requesting additional information regarding the phones was then sent from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington D.C., to White House Counsel Dana Remus on May 9, 2022. Remus and Su declined to comment to Fox News Digital. A representative for former President Joe Biden did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on whether he was aware of the situation. Agents also sought to interview former Trump administration officials, including employees from the Offices of the President and Vice President, DOJ and then-Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe. Ratcliffe is currently the CIA director in the second Trump administration. “Sunshine is the best disinfectant,” Grassley and Johnson wrote to Bondi and Patel Thursday. “The American people deserve to know the complete extent of the corruption within the DOJ and FBI that led to the investigation into President Trump.” Grassley and Johnson said that they made the documents public “for purposes of public accountability and to provide specific examples of past behavior at your institutions that must not be repeated.” “Quite simply, the public has a right to know what happened in Arctic Frost and, based on what we’ve exposed to date, the American people deserve better from its law enforcement agencies.” GRASSLEY PRESSES DOJ, FBI FOR TRANSPARENCY ON ‘PARTISAN’ POLITICIZATION OF AGENCIES, HUNTER BIDEN PROBE They added: “It is important that every individual at your agencies maintains the highest level of professionalism and does not allow political bias to motivate or guide their investigative work.” Grassley and Johnson stressed that they “expect the production of all records related to the Arctic Frost investigation, including all internal records of investigative updates.” “In addition, we request data providing a true and complete breakdown of the total dollar amount spent on the Arctic Frost investigation before it was officially transferred to Jack Smith in November 2022,” they wrote. “Please also include information related to travel funds and hours spent on the investigation.” Grassley and Johnson gave Bondi and Patel a deadline of March 27, 2025, to turn over all records. FBI spokesman Ben Williamson told Fox News Digital that the bureau is “in receipt of Chairman Grassley and Senator Johnson’s request.” “As always per Director Patel’s directive, our team will work aggressively to comply with Congressional requests,” Williamson told Fox News Digital. As for Thibault, Fox News Digital exclusively reported in 2024 that he had been
ICE arrests another Columbia University student who participated in anti-Israel protests
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested a second Columbia University student who participated in anti-Israel protests, after a third student opted to deport themselves from the U.S. Leqaa Kordia, who is from the West Bank, had a visa canceled in 2022 “for lack of attendance” and was detained by the agency for the outdated visa. Kordia was previously arrested in April for an alleged role in the protests. “It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States of America,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. DEMONSTRATORS PROTEST DETAINMENT OF PRO-PALESTINIAN COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT “When you advocate for violence and terrorism, that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country. I am glad to see one of the Columbia University terrorist sympathizers use the CBP Home app to self-deport.” Mahmoud Khalil, who recently graduated from the New York City-based university, is in ICE custody for his role in the protests. However, this led to some backlash from students and faculty and drew the attention of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, PROFESSORS FEARFUL DEPORTATION THREATS WILL CHILL SPEECH ON CAMPUS: REPORT “To be clear: The First Amendment does not allow the government to retaliate against anyone for their speech. Ripping someone from their home, stripping them of their immigration status, and detaining them solely based on political viewpoint is a clear attempt by President Trump to silence dissent,” the ACLU’s website states. “And that’s patently unconstitutional. Political speech — however controversial some may find it — may never be the basis for punishment, including deportation.” The Trump White House nixed $400 million in federal funding for Columbia University, which gained nationwide attention for its encampment that proponents said was in support of Gaza. President Donald Trump warned in a Truth Social post that Khalil was “the first arrest of many to come.” DHS AGENTS SEARCH TWO STUDENTS’ ROOMS AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, LEAVING INTERIM PRESIDENT ‘HEARTBROKEN’ “Following my previously signed Executive Orders, ICE proudly apprehended and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student on the campus of Columbia University,” Trump stated in the post. Indian citizen Ranjani Srinivasan used the new “CBP Home” app to return to the country March 11 after the federal government took away her student visa March 5, according to a new release from DHS.
Dr. Oz bats back Democratic attempts to paint him as a ‘snake oil’ salesman in Senate hearing
Dr. Mehmet Oz was slammed by his detractors during a Senate confirmation hearing Friday on Capitol Hill for promoting unproven alternative health treatments, and one Democrat called it the “most ludicrous wellness grifting” he’d ever seen. Oz laid out his plans for the agency, including potential reforms he is considering, during a confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Committee on Finance. The committee will soon vote on whether to advance Oz’s nomination to become the next director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to the full Senate. While Oz’s medical expertise was not widely challenged Friday, his motivations were. Dubbed “America’s Doctor” by Oprah Winfrey, Oz used his TV platform at times to promote alternative health remedies, endorsing questionable weight loss solutions like green coffee extract and raspberry ketones. TRUMP’S PICK FOR NIH DIRECTOR CLEARS COMMITTEE, HEADS TO FULL SENATE VOTE Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., sought to get Oz to admit that his promotion of certain supplements for weight loss, such as green coffee extract, were fraudulent. While Oz admitted green coffee extract is not a miracle weight loss drug, he argued that he never promoted it as such. DR. MARTY MAKARY ADVANCES OUT OF KEY COMMITTEE IN BID FOR FDA CONFIRMATION “There are many things I said on the show. I take great pride in the research we did at the time to identify which of these worked and which ones didn’t. Many of them are still being researched, like the green coffee bean extract you just mentioned,” Oz told Hassan. The senator then inquired how much he was paid to promote these products, and Oz responded that he got nothing. But Oz’s claim he wasn’t getting paid to promote the products didn’t convince Hassan, who pointed out press reports chronicling the “Dr. Oz effect,” a phenomenon whereby sales of products he endorsed would skyrocket after being featured on his show. “That was written about by the press,” Oz told Hassan. Hassan then argued Oz seemed “unwilling to take accountability for [his] promotion of snake oil remedies.” FDA CHIEF COUNSEL WHO DEFENDED ABORTION PILL ACCESS UNDER BIDEN RESIGNS TWO DAYS INTO JOB Oz’s financial ties to a litany of companies spanning many corners of the healthcare sector, including nutrition supplements, has been a point of scrutiny for his detractors. In an ethics filing submitted in advance of the hearing, Oz indicated he would divest his holdings in more than 70 companies and investment funds that could pose potential conflicts of interest. One of those companies is iHerb, an online supplement retailer, which represents one of Oz’s largest financial holdings. According to his ethics filing, Oz’s holdings in iHerb are worth as much as $25 million. As the administrator of CMS, Oz would make decisions related to how the government covers procedures, hospital stays and medication within the federal healthcare programs, as well as the reimbursement rates healthcare providers get paid for their services. Oz, if confirmed, could theoretically take action to get federal healthcare programs, like Medicaid and Medicare, to cover a greater number of supplements not already covered. A committee vote to decide whether to send Oz to the full Senate has not yet been scheduled. He will need to garner at least 50 votes in the full Senate to be confirmed.
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DOD closes think tank arm marred by ‘inefficiency’ and criticized by GOP for ties to Trump-Russia probe
The Department of Defense has dissolved its Office of Net Acquisition – a think tank-like arm of the Pentagon that Republicans have claimed was involved in the Trump-Russia investigation. Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said civilian employees within the office would be “reassigned to mission-critical roles” as the DOD established a plan to rebuild the office “in alignment with the Department’s strategic priorities.” The office is meant to provide long-term strategic analysis within DOD, but it has become a target of Republicans who claim it has engaged in “projects unrelated to its mission.” “Praise the Lord. This wise move saves American taxpayers over 20 million dollars a year,” Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a statement. PENTAGON CALLS MARK MILLEY ‘CORPULENT’ AS IT KICKS OFF REVIEW OF PHYSICAL FITNESS AND GROOMING STANDARDS He called the office “wasteful and ineffective.” The office in recent years has been focused on strategizing a potential war with China. It championed a strategy known as “AirSea Battle,” where a blinding campaign against the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of stealth bombers and submarines would take out China’s long-range surveillance before a naval assault. But Grassley has for years scrutinized ONA’s contracting practices. ONA has failed to produce classified net assessments for years, with whistleblowing analyst Adam Lovinger once complaining in emails to Director James Baker that the office seemed to attract overpriced academic-style papers instead of classified net assessments. “On the issue of quality, more than once I have heard our contractor studies labeled ‘derivative,’ ’college-level,’ and based heavily on secondary sources,” Lovinger wrote in a September 2016 email. “One of our contractor studies was literally cut and pasted from a World Bank report.” Lovinger had complained about questionable government contracts awarded to Stefan Halper, an FBI informant who spied on the Trump campaign in 2016. A DOD inspector general’s report later found that Halper had failed to properly document the research he did as a contractor on four studies valued at $1 million. The four contracts, spanning from 2012 to 2016, were meant to encompass relations between the U.S., Russia, China and India. SECRETARY HEGSETH SAYS THE DOD DOES NOT DO ‘CLIMATE CHANGE CRAP’ The report found that Halper had not provided proof of any meetings he had or locations he had visited as part of his studies. “ONA personnel could not provide us any evidence that Professor Halper visited any of these locations, established an advisory group, or met with any of the specific people listed in the statement of work.” For a study on what China relations could look like in 2030, Halper had proposed travel to London and Tokyo. “The contract was fixed price based on the acceptance of the deliverables and did not require Professor Halper to submit travel receipts. ONA personnel could not provide documentation that Professor Halper traveled for this contract.” Contracts show that Halper listed a Russian intelligence official as a consultant for an ONA project, the same intelligence official who was listed as a source in the Trump dossier used to spy on Carter Page. He was in contact with Page and former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos, “raising questions about whether Halper used U.S. taxpayer dollars to seek connections with Trump campaign officials,” according to Grassley. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Halper was also a confidential human source for the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections who recorded conversations with officials from the campaign. The senator claims that ONA has stonewalled on his inquiries about Halper’s relations to the Trump-Russia probe. Senator Jack Reed, D-R.I., top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, called the office’s closing “shortsighted,” adding that it would “undermine our ability to prepare for future conflicts.”
Millions spent by Biden on COVID ‘vaccine hesitancy’ campaign slashed by Trump NIH: report
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is reportedly gearing up to cancel dozens of research grants about vaccine hesitancy by the end of the month, just four years after the Biden administration poured millions of dollars into combating COVID-19 vaccine skepticism. According to an internal email obtained by The Washington Post this week with the subject line “required terminations — 3/10/25,” the agency had “received a new list… of awards that need to be terminated, today. It has been determined they do not align with NIH funding priorities related to vaccine hesitancy and/or uptake.” More than 40 grants are on the chopping block, according to the Post’s report, and when notifying researchers of the NIH’s termination, they should be told “not to prioritize research activities that focuses gaining scientific knowledge on why individuals are hesitant to be vaccinated and/or explore ways to improve vaccine interest and commitment.” FDA CHIEF COUNSEL WHO DEFENDED ABORTION PILL ACCESS UNDER BIDEN RESIGNS TWO DAYS INTO JOB Fox News Digital has reached out to NIH and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for comment. The report comes four years after the previous Biden administration spent millions to combat “misinformation,” particularly related to the COVID-19 vaccine, in 2021. A November report by Open the Books, a government watchdog group, found that at least $267 million was spent on research grants and contracts related to “misinformation” or “disinformation.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allocated more than $17 million over three weeks in February 2021, CBS News reported at the time, to 15 organizations advocating for Black, Hispanic, Asian and Native American populations. Progressive groups UnidosUS and National Urban League were granted $3.2 million and $2 million, respectively. FIRST STATE TO BAN FLUORIDE IN DRINKING WATER WILL HEED MAHA MOVEMENT’S CALL TO ACTION In a now-archived CDC page titled “Risk for COVID-19 Infection, Hospitalization, and Death By Race/Ethnicity” in December 2022, the department reported that Black people are more likely to contract COVID-19 than White people. “Sure enough, the feds have spent at least $127 million in grants specifically targeted to study the spread of ‘misinformation’ — or to help people ‘overcome’ it, so to speak — by persuading them to go along with COVID-related public health recommendations and mandates,” the Open the Books report said. It’s unclear if the cancelation of grants came from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., but the Trump administration has been highly critical of the previous administration’s spending. Tech billionaire Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has also been taking a scalpel to DEI-related funding amid President Donald Trump’s effort to downsize the government workforce. COVID VACCINE DISTRUST GROWING AMONG AMERICANS, SURVEY FINDS: ‘SHOULD BE A PERSONAL CHOICE’ Kennedy has been focusing on reforming food policies, expanding healthcare coverage and holding big pharmaceutical companies accountable since his controversial Senate confirmation last month.
WPL 2025 final: Delhi Capitals Women vs Mumbai Indians Women; teams, stream
Who: Delhi Capitals Women vs Mumbai Indians WomenWhat: Women’s Premier League (WPL) final 2025Where: Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, India.When: Saturday, March 15 at 8pm (14:00 GMT) Follow Al Jazeera Sport‘s live text and photo commentary stream. Delhi Capitals Women will hope to end their woes in the WPL final as they face Mumbai Indians Women for the 2025 crown in Mumbai on Saturday. It’s the third consecutive final that Delhi have reached, but they are yet to lift the trophy, and they now face the team that beat them in the inaugural final in 2023, Mumbai Indians. Al Jazeera takes a look at the final of the third edition of the tournament. How did the teams reach the WPL final? Delhi Capitals topped the group stage from Mumbai Indians, who lost their final match – and with it, the top spot – in an 11-run defeat by Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Monday. The result forced Mumbai into an eliminator with third-placed Gujarat Giants on Thursday. A resounding 47-run victory was recorded as Hayley Matthews smashed 77 in a total of 213-4. Who are the previous WPL winners? Mumbai Indians beat Delhi by seven wickets in the final of the first edition of the WPL in 2023. Advertisement Royal Challengers Bangalore were crowned champions with an eight-wicket win last season. Can Delhi Capitals end their final jinx? Former Australia captain Meg Lanning has led Delhi since the formation of the WPL and vice captain at the Capitals believes her skipper’s winning mentality and unwavering optimism are instrumental “Meg is someone who wants to win every game. But, at the same time, she has the amount of clarity in what she’s looking for. Winning is one thing that she tells us, but she also tells us to focus on what we need to do,” India batter Jemimah Rodrigues said of the seven-time World Cup winner. “She has clarity in what she wants to do and what she wants this team to do and makes sure she takes everyone along in doing that thing. I think that helps us be a successful team. “The thing I love about Meg, and this is something that I would like to add in myself … is that she’s calm but aggressive at the same time. And as a leader, that’s a very crucial quality to have.” 2️⃣ 🔝 Teams2️⃣ Great Captains1️⃣ Trophy 🏆 Who will win the 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡? 🤔#TATAWPL | #DCvMI | #Final | @DelhiCapitals | @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/OiI9OAt0ge — Women’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) March 14, 2025 Who are the WPL’s leading run scorers? Nat Sciver (Brunt Mumbai Indians) – 416 Ellyse Perry (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) – 372 Shafali Verma (Delhi Capitals) – 300 Meg Lanning (Delhi Capitals) – 263 Who are the WPL’s leading wicket-takers? Amelia Kerr (Mumbai Indians) – 14 Hayley Matthews (Mumbai Indians) – 14 Georgia Wareham (Royal Challengers Bangalore) – 12 Advertisement What is the secret to Delhi Capitals’ consistency? Rodrigues has credited the team’s professionalism and unity for their consistency, especially during the current season which she described as the most challenging ever. “Every player adds so much value to the team that they just know their stuff,” she said. “I think out of all the three seasons, we are most proud of this year, because it wasn’t easy, but we found a way to pick ourselves up and still come at the top.” What are Mumbai’s chances of overcoming Delhi? Delhi may have topped the group this year but Mumbai already have one WPL title under their belt – and Delhi carry their losing streak in the finals with them into Saturday’s game. “We have a really good balance of international players as well as the local Indian players, too,” Matthews said as she analysed the Mumbai squad. “We get contributions from so many different participants in the team like Nat [Sciver-Brunt], Melie [Amelia Kerr], Shab [Shabnim Ismail], myself, being able to step up as internationals. “When you look at a captain like Harmanpreet [Kaur], even the young players, like Sanskriti Gupta that have come in this year, have been able to make massive impacts.” How did the WPL reach its final in Mumbai? The tournament has been on a road trip across India with the opening six games staged in Vadodara, before eight were played in Bengaluru. Lucknow and Mumbai concluded the 20-match group stage. Thursday’s eliminator was also played in Mumbai. Consistency 🤝 Team work 🤝 Performance Our two finalists had that in common on the road to the #Final 🛣 But who will fulfill their quest for glory? 🏆🤔 #TATAWPL | #DCvMI | @DelhiCapitals | @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/MkxmxLcEN9 — Women’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) March 14, 2025 Advertisement Are impact players allowed in the WPL? Unlike the Indian Premier League (IPL), the WPL does not allow for a substitute player to be brought into the team during the match to make an impact. Delhi’s Rodrigues hopes this remains the case. “I am not a massive fan of the impact player [rule] because I am someone who loves the rules we already have,” she said. “It’s unfair to the bowlers also sometimes when they have bowled so well and have done so much and then towards the end, a proper batter is coming in.” Has the WPL been a success? According to West Indies white-ball captain and Mumbai all-rounder Hayley Matthews, Twenty20 leagues have transformed women’s cricket from a sport that once relied on public support for survival into an appealing spectacle. The 26-year-old, who shot to fame in the West Indies’ 2016 T20 World Cup triumph, said T20 leagues like the WPL have fostered global exposure and helped develop the women’s game. “I feel like once upon a time, women’s cricket was probably like, ‘Come and watch the game to support the women,’ whereas now I feel like we have a product that’s entertaining and we have these skills that people want to see us play cricket,” Matthews told Reuters. “Just getting the opportunity to play these
Fernandes hits back at Ratcliffe over ‘overpaid’ jibe at Manchester United
Manchester United co-owner says some players are ‘overpaid’, but club captain defends his teammates. Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes says it is not the players’ fault for the contracts signed off by the club as he hits back at claims by co-owner Jim Ratcliffe that some are “overpaid”. Fernandes was singled out for praise by Ratcliffe, who also said some of the United squad were “not good enough”, in a range of media interviews this week. The United captain led by example by scoring a hat-trick in Thursday’s 4-1 win over Real Sociedad to book a place in the quarterfinals of the Europa League. And he defended his teammates after Ratcliffe singled out the signings of Casemiro, Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana as examples of expensive deals made before he arrived at the club that United are still paying for. “We can’t relax at this club. You know that there’s a big standard, a big attention that you get from the media, from everywhere,” Fernandes said. “It’s not nice to hear certain things, obviously. I don’t think that any player likes to hear criticism or things that are talked about to you, that you’re not good enough or you’re overpaid or whatever. Advertisement “Everyone has their own contract. The club agrees to do the contracts at the time you come here or at the time you do a new contract or whatever, and it’s about yourself, proving that you can be important for the club.” Fernandes celebrates scoring Manchester United’s second goal against Real Sociedad at Old Trafford, where he is regarded as a fan favourite [Phil Noble/Reuters] The Europa League is United’s only hope of salvaging a miserable season so far. Ruben Amorim’s team sit 13th in the Premier League and are out of both domestic cup competitions. Fernandes revealed he had the chance to leave Old Trafford last summer but reiterated his desire to win more trophies as captain. “I sat with the club because I had an offer to leave,” the Portuguese midfielder added. “We talked about the possibility of me leaving the club or staying. “They said what they wanted from me. I just asked if they still see me as part of the future of the club or not. I spoke at the time with [former manager, Erik] ten Hag also. “He was very clear with me, the club was very clear with me, that they thought I would be a big part of this rebuild. I thought that we could be successful.” Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe, centre left, speaks with former manager Alex Ferguson in the stands of Old Trafford, where both regularly attend games [Carl Recine/Reuters] Despite Fernandes’s return of 15 goals this season as United’s stand-out performer, he has still received criticism from one of his predecessors as the club’s captain. Advertisement Roy Keane claimed the 30-year-old was “not a fighter” and “talent is not enough” in a recent media appearance. Fernandes said the former Irish midfielder, who won 13 major trophies at United, is someone he “massively respects” and is hoping to change Keane’s mind. “What I’m doing on the pitch to try to change his mind or trying to do something that he probably sees as a good thing,” Fernandes added. Amorim has said his side “need more Brunos” if they are to rediscover their former glories. Of Fernandes’s 15 goals this season, six have come in the last six games. “I think he’s so important for this team. You can see it by the numbers, and you can see from these last games. He’s always the guy that scores,” Amorim said. “When you play for this team, you have to be prepared for the critics, and I understand that former players had a lot of success here and the standards for them were so high that they see the things like that sometimes as black and white. “In life sometimes, it’s not just black and white. There is some other colours, and you have to understand the context. “Again, he’s always there, trying his best, so I’m really proud to coach a player like him.” Adblock test (Why?)
Mark Carney sworn in as Canadian PM amid growing tensions with US
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Mark Carney has been sworn in as the prime minister of Canada, assuming office amid threats from the United States.