CaaC (John)

Manchester City have opened talks with forward Raheem Sterling about a new long-term contract. Sterling, 24, signed a deal in November 2018 that runs to 2023 but City are keen to secure his future. It is understood any new contract would see him become one of the highest-paid players in the Premier League. He won the 2018-19 Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award and has been praised for his public stance on racism in society. if Pep stays https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50562986

Edit: Cut & Pasted and moved to the EUROPA Match Day Thread. EUROPA - Astana v Man United

True

Humpback Whale Carcass Mysteriously Discovered In The Amazon Jungle The 36-foot-long whale was only discovered in the remote jungle when swooping scavenger birds alerted local officials with their screeching. The whale is 36 feet long and weighs 10 tons. While it’s no surprise that the Amazon rainforest is teeming with life, one particular discovery last week left even a seasoned team of wildlife experts and biologists in awe — when they came across the carcass of a 10-ton humpback whale in the shrubbery of Brazil’s Marajó Island. Preliminary theories suggest that the whale washed ashore during a storm or that it was already dead when rising tides carried it on land — but scientists are confused as to how it managed to travel so far inland, or why it was swimming off the Marajó coast at all. Pará state officials from the health, sanitation and environment department explained that only swooping scavengers hovering above the whale’s decomposing, 36-foot-long body alerted them to its presence, The Independent reported. One possibility is that the animal was already dead when it washed ashore. The animal is now being examined by marine specialists from local conservation group Bicho D’agua Institute, with preliminary assessments suggesting that the young whale died a few days before being found some 50 feet from the shore. Project leader Renata Emin, however, is still captivated by the mammal’s discovery and intrigued about its journey. “We’re still not sure how it landed here, but we’re guessing that the creature was floating close to the shore and the tide, which has been pretty considerably over the past few days, picked it up and threw it inland, into the mangrove,” she said. “Along with this astonishing feat, we are baffled as to what a humpback whale is doing on the north coast of Brazil during February because this is a very unusual occurrence,” she added. Humpback whales are typically found in late summer and fall seasons, and much farther south. They have ventured north to the mouth of the Amazon River before — but it’s extremely rare. Emin posited that the young animal was separated from its mother, but the cause of death is still unknown. “Depending on the state of decomposition, some information may already have been lost,” said Emin. “We are collecting as much information as we can get and identifying marks and wounds on its body to see if it was caught in a net or hit by a boat.” State department official Dirlene Silva explained that access to the carcass and its region of discovery is so challenging that it has to be examined and pulled apart where it was found. Experts are taking samples in an effort to narrow down the possible causes of death. “It’s very difficult to get there and there’s no way we can send a bulldozer because it would not get through,” said Silva. “There is no way to remove it. To get there, we need to cross the swamp.” As for the whale’s skeleton, however, the plan is to dismantle and preserve it — so that the natural history museum in the nearby capital of Belém can conserve it, study, and learn from it. Hopefully, this will begin to reveal what exactly happened to this baby humpback — so that the same thing might not also happen to others. https://allthatsinteresting.com/humpback-whale-amazon-jungle?fbclid=IwAR2X5uJwan2tG_zYxWNFZqsVFUsa1LzmFJG-lozseU7MyIS8zd1ztW2B0U4

A penny-farthing race in 1928.

?? He plays for Runcorn Town now not Stockport, unless I am reading you wrong or he is helping Runcorn out by playing for them?

Don't think so? unless he is doing a ringer

Robbie Savage makes Stockport Town debut after eight years out of football Eight years after retiring, Robbie Savage made his footballing comeback with non-league club Stockport Town on Monday. The former Wales international announced on Sunday that he would be putting his boots back on to play for the Greater Manchester side in the 10th tier of English football. The 45-year-old came off the bench to play the last 10 minutes of a 3-2 home win against Oswestry Town, who are top of the North West Counties Football League First Division South. The prospect of Savage making his playing return attracted a crowd of 225 - Stockport Town's highest league attendance in the NWCFL. The ex-Leicester and Blackburn midfielder is involved with the club's new owner Pro Football Academy, which helps young players to get back into the game after being released by clubs. Savage was released by Manchester United aged 19 but then signed for Crewe and went on to make 623 professional appearances and win 39 Wales caps between 1994 and 2011. Town chairman Rob York told BBC Sport that Savage played in defensive midfield and came on to "great applause", before helping his side see out the game. "Savage managed to get a few telling touches to break up the midfield and used his experience to clear the Stockport lines on a couple of occasions," said York. "Following the game and the warm down, Savage took time to chat to and have photos taken with the many fans waiting for the opportunity to meet with him." For a player with 89 Premier League yellow cards, all that was missing from his return was a booking. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50553284

Premier League stats: Why Leicester are title challengers again We need to talk about Leicester. Much of the recent media focus has been on the fascinating battle between Liverpool and Manchester City, the managerial turmoil at Tottenham and the developing crises at Arsenal, Everton and West Ham. Away from all that noise though, Brendan Rodgers' side has continued to go about their business quietly (barring one headline-grabbing result), ruthlessly and quite superbly - with Saturday's 2-0 win at Brighton keeping them second in the table, a point above the reigning champions and behind only Jurgen Klopp's unbeaten leaders. You don't need us to remind you what happened the last time Leicester were as well-placed at this stage of a Premier League season. And while we wouldn't suggest the Foxes book, Andrea Bocelli, again just yet, the stats behind their impressive start to this campaign do hint at something special brewing once more at the King Power Stadium. Out-foxing opponents FULL REPORT

Just showed the wife this @Tommy, we both laughed our arses off, that's wee Kaiden to a tee when he is in one of his moods, have to show the daughter.

Which one is @Stan?

Mummified lion and dozens of cats among rare finds in Egypt SLIDES - 1/3 A rare discovery of mummified big cats, cobras and crocodiles has been unveiled by Egyptian authorities. Egyptologists are thrilled at the cache, which includes dozens of mummified cats, 75 wooden and bronze cat statues, mummified birds, and an enormous mummified beetle three to four times the normal size. Egyptian officials hoped that the announcement would help to boost the country’s image abroad and encourage more tourists to return. “It’s a wonderful promotion for Egypt,” said Khaled El-Enany, Egypt’s antiquities minister. Of five large mummified wildcats, two have been identified as lion cubs; the remaining three will be analysed to determine their species. “If it’s a cheetah, a leopard, a lioness, a panther – whatever, it will be one of its kind,” said Mostafa Waziry, the head of Egypt’s Supreme Council for Antiquities. The mummified large cats were found close to the remains of an adult mummified lion discovered beneath the Saqqara necropolis in 2004, and provide more information about the ancient Egyptians’ use of animals in worship. Worshippers either believed that the mummified animals were deities to be worshipped, or mummified the creatures in order to offer them to the gods. “People would make devotional offerings in the form of animals as mummies,” said Dr Salima Ikram, an Egyptologist and mummy expert at the American University of Cairo. “This would have more potency as a blood sacrifice, compared to stone or wooden images.” Ikram was elated by the new finds, which she estimated the date from the Ptolemaic period that ended in 30BCE. “I think it’s one of the most exciting series of finds in the world of animal mummies ever,” she said. Egyptian officials hope the new discoveries will spark curiosity among potential visitors to the country in the run-up to the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum close to the Saqqara necropolis. The long-delayed opening is expected next year, amid fervent hopes the project will help draw tourist numbers back to the highs of over 14 million visitors who came to the country in 2010, before the 2011 revolution which overthrew former autocrat Hosni Mubarak. Political instability and concerns about security drove down tourist numbers in the years following, dipping to record lows after the downing of Metrojet flights 7K9268 close to the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh in 2016. In recent year there has been a surge in arrivals, with 11.3 million people visiting Egypt last year, according to local news reports. The UK recently lifted a ban on flights to Sharm el-Sheikh, that had been in place since 2016. Egyptian officials are eager to promote cultural tourism to the country, attempting to sidestep its draconian international image following a recent crackdown on protests. At least 4,427 people were arrested following a brief spate of anti-government protests in September according to the Cairo-based NGO the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms. Egypt’s public prosecutor insisted that 1,000 were arrested. Shortly before the finds on the Saqqara necropolis were unveiled to the public, Egyptian security forces raided the home of an editor at Egypt’s sole surviving independent news outlet Mada Masr. Shady Zalat, who has worked at Mada Masr since 2014, was detained incommunicado. The outlet has come under intense pressure from the Egyptian authorities for its critical coverage, and access to its website has been blocked from inside Egypt since 2017. “He has done nothing more than use words to report the news,” said Mada Masr in a statement. “His arrest marks yet another escalation in the crackdown against journalism in Egypt.” https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/mummified-lion-and-dozens-of-cats-among-rare-finds-in-egypt/ar-BBXeK1p

Lol, I am sure Anton didn't mean it that way and believe it or not we use that expression here in Scotland when we have family or friends visiting and we will say " [whoever] is visiting [whenever] and bringing the tribe with them..." meaning all the family and kids.

Malaysia's last known Sumatran rhino dies The Sumatran rhino is now officially extinct in Malaysia, with the death of the last known specimen. The 25-year-old female named Iman died on Saturday on the island of Borneo, officials say. She had cancer. Malaysia's last male Sumatran rhino died in May this year. The Sumatran rhino once roamed across Asia but has now almost disappeared from the wild, with fewer than 100 animals believed to exist. The species is now critically endangered. Last male Sumatran rhino in Malaysia dies Iman died at 17:35 local time (09:35 GMT) on Saturday, Malaysia's officials said. "Its death was a natural one, and the immediate cause has been categorised as a shock," Sabah State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Christine Liew is quoted as saying. "Iman was given the very best care and attention since her capture in March 2014 right up to the moment she passed," she added. Sumatran rhinos have been hard hit by poaching and habitat loss, but the biggest threat facing the species today is the fragmented nature of their populations. Efforts to breed the species in Malaysia have so far failed. Facts about the Sumatran rhino Five rhino species can be found today, two in Africa and three in Asia The Asian species include the Sumatran rhino, Dicerorhinus sumatrensis, which is the smallest living rhino species The animal is closely related to the woolly rhinoceros, which became extinct about 10,000 years ago No more than 100 Sumatran rhinos remain in the wild (some estimates put the number as low as 30), scattered on the islands of Sumatra, Indonesia https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-50531208

And smoke some of the funny stuff with his Spec-Savers glasses on.

Bloody hell, 45 years old Robbie Savage signs for Stockport Town in 10th tier This could be the most surprising signing of the season. Former Wales international-turned pundit Robbie Savage is set to return to playing after signing for non-league side Stockport Town in the 10th tier of English football. The 45-year-old last played for Derby in the Championship, retiring after his final game against Reading in May 2011, to pursue a career in the media. Savage, who made 623 professional appearances, came through the ranks at Manchester United and spent five years at Premier League side Leicester City, where he won the League Cup in 2000. The tough-tackling midfielder also played for Crewe, Birmingham and Blackburn and won 39 caps for his country in a 15-year playing career. "Looking forward to it," he tweeted after signing for the North West Counties Football League (NWCFL) First Division Southside. Savage, who is also involved with the club's owners Pro Football Academy, is expected to be named in the squad to face Oswestry Town on Monday. Manager Adam Jones said he is trying to "find a blend of hungry young lads and experience" and that there is no one "better placed" than Savage. "So when he said he'd be interested in putting his boots on it was a no brainer for me," Jones added. NWCFL referees could be in a for a busy time with Savage's return as his tally of 89 yellow cards is the seventh highest in Premier League history. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50538921

We emigrated out to Aussie land in 58 and I grew up in Melbourne in Victoria, I have been to Sydney and did some body surfing at Bondi then made my way to Surfers Paradise for some more surfing, I was young then, fit and free as the wind, today I am in my 70's with sciatica, asthma, COPD and on heart tablets but I still plod along and enjoy life, our son has just flung me a tenner and said "here you are you old fart, go and buy you and ma some wine...", that will do me.

Do you just live out there then @Spike, whereabouts?

I forgot about @Spike he is another fair dinkum Aussie.

Mario Balotelli is a target for Galatasaray. The 29-year-old Italy striker joined his hometown club Brescia in the summer. (Calciomercato - in Italian)

Crystal Palace 'weeks from mystery consortium's £215MILLION takeover' with deal hopeful of being completed before Christmas. (Mail Online)

Manchester City and England forward Raheem Sterling, 24, will not sign a new £450,000-a-week deal until manager Pep Guardiola confirms he will be staying at the club for the long term. (Sun on Sunday)

Dinosaurs: Restoring Mongolia's fossil heritage Eighty million years ago, during the Cretaceous Period, Mongolia's Gobi Desert was a dinosaur's paradise of vast valleys, freshwater lakes and a humid climate. Mammal-eating velociraptors, lizard-hipped sauropods and spike-armoured ankylosaurs could have been spotted roaming in what are now the Martian red sandstone spires of Bayanzag's Flaming Cliffs. These prehistorically favourable conditions make the Gobi Desert the largest dinosaur fossil reservoir in the world. Over almost 100 years of palaeontological research in the Gobi, more than 80 genera have been found. But for many people living there, this scientific heritage remains unknown. "Putting a fence up is not protection; protection is people's knowledge," Mongolian palaeontologist Bolortsetseg Minjin explains as we wind through the Flaming Cliffs in search of signs of fossil poaching. It was here, nearly a hundred years ago, that the world's first dinosaur egg nests were found by American scientist Roy Chapman Andrews - the whip-wielding, trilby-wearing inspiration for Indiana Jones. This discovery was a turning point in the palaeontological history of the world - the first proof that dinosaurs laid eggs. FULL REPORT