CaaC (John)

The Windies might just be the dark horses in the World Cup, they are whipping through the Aussie batsmen with pace, 72-4 (14.3).

Give him one before all the usual big guns come in with offers, like Real, Juve, Barca, PSG... Sources: Van Dijk wants new Liverpool deal Virgil van Dijk has told Liverpool he wants to sign a new contract with the club, sources have told ESPN FC. The world's most expensive defender signed a five-and-a-half-year deal upon his £75 million switch from Southampton in January 2018 but is already enthusiastic about further solidifying his commitment to the Champions League winners. - When does the transfer window close? The 27-year-old made the declaration to the club well in advance of Liverpool's 2-0 win over Tottenham in Madrid, which saw them add a sixth European Cup -- the first trophy of the Jurgen Klopp era. Given the length of Van Dijk's deal as well the relentless intensity of the final months of the season, neither party were in a rush to formally begin negotiations. That is still the case with the centre-back now on Nations League duty with the Netherlands. Both Liverpool and the player's agent, Neil Fewings of Wasserman, are relaxed about the process as there is confidence that terms will eventually be thrashed out with minimal fuss. Van Dijk is already among the highest earners at Anfield and his status within the squad is reflected by the dressing room selecting him as the third captain behind Jordan Henderson and James Milner. Named the PFA Player of the Season, Netherlands' captain is expected to be a serious contender for the Ballon d'Or, which hasn't been won by a defender since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006. Tying down the standout performer would be a continuation of Liverpool's policy of investing to keep their core intact and ensuring a pathway is open for their next generation rather than spending blockbuster fees this summer. https://www.espn.co.uk/football/soccer-transfers/story/3868289/sources-van-dijk-wants-new-liverpool-deal

Ancient Siberia was home to previously unknown humans, say scientists Nicola Davis © Getty Landscape with forest mountains. Altai, Siberia. High fir on the slopes of the Altai mountains. The harsh Russian landscape. It was cold, remote and involved picking fights with woolly mammoths – but it seems ancient Siberia 30,000 years ago was home to a hardy and previously unknown group of humans. Scientists say the discovery could help unpick longstanding mysteries about the ancestors of native North Americans. While it is commonly believed the ancestors of native North Americans arrived from Eurasia via a now-submerged land bridge called Beringia, exactly which groups crossed and gave rise to native North American populations has been difficult to unpick. Now scientists say they might have found some answers to the conundrums. Writing in the journal Nature, Eske Willerslev and colleagues reveal how they drew on existing data from modern populations as well as analysing ancient DNA from the remains of 34 individuals obtained from sites around north-eastern Siberia, dating from more than 31,000 years ago up to 600 years ago. The key remains were fragments of two tiny human milk teeth, shed by males, found at a place in Russia called Yana Rhinoceros Horn Site. First excavated in 2001, the site offers the earliest direct evidence of humans in north-eastern Siberia, with finds also including bone items and stone tools. Indirect evidence of human populations in north-eastern Siberia goes back to more than 40,000 years ago. While it had previously been thought that these remains might be from the ancestors of native North Americans, the DNA data suggests otherwise. “What we see here is a much more complex story than what we believed was the case,” said Willerslev, director of the Lundbeck Foundation Centre for Geogenetics at the University of Copenhagen. The results reveal these individuals were part of a previously unknown yet widespread group, dubbed the Ancient North Siberians by the team, who were genetically distinct from both Eurasians and East Asians. The researchers say they split off from the former 38,000 years ago – in other words, very shortly after Eurasians and East Asians themselves became genetically distinct. “They were living as big game hunters of woolly mammoth and woolly rhinoceros,” said Willerslev. But, crucially, this population does not appear to be the direct ancestor of Native Americans. Instead, analysis of the collection of genomes suggests the population that became the ancestors of native North Americans was the result of liaisons about 20,000 years ago between East Asians, who travelled north, and a group distantly related to the Ancient Northern Siberians. The East Asians also mixed with other descendants of Ancient Northern Siberians to give rise to another group, who the team dubbed the Ancient Paleo Siberians, who went on to supplant the existing group. “[Ancestors of] Native Americans are not the first people in north-eastern Siberia as most people, if not everybody thought,” said Willerslev, adding that DNA recovered in north-eastern Siberia from what is believed to be an Ancient Paleo Siberian was crucial to the work. “This is the first evidence we have, real evidence, of something very close genetically to Native Americans,” he said. The team add that one possibility is that the mixing involving the East Asians occurred in southern Beringia – one of the areas that could have offered respite from harshening conditions at the time. They Ancient Paleo Siberians were themselves supplanted by another band of East Asians heading north about 10,000 years ago that gave rise to a group dubbed the “Neo-Siberians”. “The vast majority of the genetic makeup of present-day Siberians comes from this last push,” said Willerslev. “This is also the reason you don’t have any very close connection between contemporary Siberians and Native Americans.” John Hoffecker from the University of Colorado Boulder, who was not involved in the study, welcomed the research, saying a striking feature of the study is that humans were faring well in north-eastern Siberia, even in very difficult conditions, 30,000 years ago – with the genetic data from the teeth suggesting the males belonged to a population of about 500 people. Related: What the ancient DNA discovery tells us about Native American ancestry “That’s a pretty healthy population,” he said. “We had no idea 30 years ago that we had this robust healthy hunter-gatherer population thriving up in the high Arctic 30,000 years ago – it is amazing.” Hoffecker added the presence of the group suggests it was the ice sheets in North America, not hostile conditions in Beringia, that kept people from reaching the Americas sooner. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/ancient-siberia-was-home-to-previously-unknown-humans-say-scientists/ar-AACtNa2

1st Mexican grey wolf litter born at Phoenix Zoo in 20 years © The Associated Press This May 2019 photo provided by the Phoenix Zoo shows a pup from the first litter of endangered Mexican gray wolf pups born at the Phoenix Zoo in two decades. Female wolf Tazanna gave birth to the litter of six pups in early May. Born at endangered wolf centers in other states, Tazanna and the pups' father Tulio are now both 3 and arrived at the Phoenix zoo on the same day in November 2017. Zoo employees say the parents are doing a great job of caring for the pups without staff interference and are leaving them alone for now. (The Phoenix Zoo via AP) PHOENIX — Phoenix Zoo officials say the first litter of endangered Mexican gray wolf pups has been born there in 20 years. Zoo spokeswoman Linda Hardwick says a wolf named Tazanna delivered a litter of six pups in early May. Tazanna and the pups' father Tulio are both 3 years old and arrived at the zoo the same day in 2017. Zoo carnivore collection manager Angela Comedy says the wolves are caring well for the pups and veterinarians are leaving them alone for now. A cooperative breeding program operated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service aims to restore the wolves to their native U.S. Southwest territory. The wolves are endangered. Officials in April said there are at least 131 in Arizona and New Mexico. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/1st-mexican-gray-wolf-litter-born-at-phoenix-zoo-in-20-years/ar-AACqz7z

Should WWE Actually Be Worried About AEW? There’s panic in the streets of Stamford, Connecticut. Or, anyway, there’s a sense that change is coming for the famously change-averse WWE after a ten-day period that could signal the start of a new era in professional wrestling. All it took to rattle WWE was for a new promotion—in this case, All Elite Wrestling—to have a dazzling debut show that was different enough from the WWE norm in ways that couldn’t help but stand out. AEW’s debut show, Double or Nothing, was one of the very best shows of the year and peaked with the outlandish debut of Jon Moxley, who previously wrestled in WWE as Dean Ambrose. With that kind of legit star power in hand and as good a start as any promotion could have asked for now on the record, AEW seems to be in a position to challenge WWE’s monopolistic hold on North American wrestling, although whether they will manage that feat or not is hard to know right now. But WWE sure seems to be worried about it, and that might be just as important as whatever happens next. Click for a full report

Aye, @José what do you think?

Tomorrow is the 75th celebration of D-Day and they will be showing tomorrow one of my favourite WWII movies, The Battle of the Bulge, I will be watching that again also they will more than likely show another of my other favourites and that is The Longest Day, will have to keep an eye out for that one also.

James Rodriguez: On loan Real forward asks Bayern Munich not to buy him Real Madrid forward James Rodriguez is to leave Bayern Munich when his loan finishes, after asking the German club not to take up their option to buy him. Colombia international Rodriguez, 27, has spent two seasons at Bayern, scoring 15 goals in 67 games. He has won the Bundesliga twice as well as the German Cup with Bayern. Rodriguez, Golden Boot winner at the 2014 World Cup, joined Real from Monaco for £71m that summer and has a contract at the Spanish club until 2021. "The Colombia international asked the management at the German record champions not to take up the purchase option agreed with Real," the Bundesliga club said. "Bayern concurred with that request." He played 111 times in three seasons at Real, winning La Liga and the Champions League twice. His loan spell at Bayern ends on 30 June. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48527782

There are 11 players and if they are all out the innings closes or once 50 overs have been bowled.

Bloody hell, the old dear said to have suffered from dizziness and nausea after this, I would have shite myself then be sick as a dog.

Opportunity: NASA Rover Completes Mars Mission Drive along with the NASA’s Opportunity Mars rover and hear the voices of scientists and engineers behind the mission. Designed to run for 90 days, the exploration spanned more than 15 years from 2004 to 2019. Along the way, it discovered definitive proof of liquid water on ancient Mars and set the off-world driving record. For more information on the Mars Exploration Rovers and all of NASA’s Mars missions, visit mars.nasa.gov. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

A Galaxy Grouping in 2D and 3D: Stephan's Quintet In 1877, Edouard Stephan discovered a tight visual grouping of five galaxies located in the constellation Pegasus. The galaxies of Stephan's Quintet are both overlapping and interacting and have become the most famous among the compact groups of galaxies. Astronomers have long known that four of the galaxies (all of which are yellowish-white in this video) form a physical group in space, while the fifth (bluish) is a foreground galaxy. In addition, a sixth galaxy (yellowish-white and on the far left) is likely to be part of the physical grouping. Hence, this 2D quintet that is a 3D quartet may actually be a 2D sextet that is a 3D quintet. This visualization makes apparent the spatial distribution of these galaxies. The video starts with a view that matches our 2D perspective. As the sequence travels in 3D, the foreground blue spiral, NGC 7320, quickly passes by the camera. The possible sixth galaxy member on the left, NGC 7320C, is seen at roughly the same distance as the remaining four galaxies. The camera turns to pass between two strongly interacting galaxies, NGC 7319 (left) and NGC 7318B (right), with each galaxy's spiral structure distorted by the gravitational interaction. In contrast, NGC 7318B overlaps in 2D with the more distant elliptical NGC 7318A but does not have a strong interaction. The other elliptical, NGC 7317, is also seen as more distant than the strongly interacting pair. In 3D, the four or five galaxies in this group are gathered together by their mutual gravity and may collide and merge together in the future. Credits: G. Bacon, J. DePasquale, F. Summers, Z. Levay (STScI)

Trippy optical illusion tricks your brain into thinking stationary diamond is MOVING

Women's World Cup: The lost lionesses - England's forgotten football trailblazers When a team of English teenagers walked out in front of 90,000 boisterous fans at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium for a crucial World Cup match in 1971, it was unlike anything they had ever known at home. In England, women's teams usually played in parks with a handful of spectators. Women's football had been banned by the FA for the previous 50 years. This is the story of that forgotten, pioneering team - and why they were decades ahead of their time. TAP HERE to read more. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-48509838

Club World Cup: Liverpool to play tournament in Qatar in December Liverpool will travel to Qatar in December to compete at Fifa's Club World Cup after the Gulf state was named as the new host. The annual tournament, featuring the champions of six continents, will take place in the winter with Champions League winners Liverpool entering at the semi-final stage. Qatar will hold the next two editions of the tournament in 2019 and 2020. It will also host the World Cup in 2022. It had previously been reported that the Club World Cup would not take place this year after Fifa approved changes for the tournament. One of those changes was to replace it with a 24-team tournament which would take place every four years instead of the Confederations Cup. Liverpool's last appearance in the Club World Cup came in Japan after their Champions League triumph in 2005. They lost 1-0 to South American champions Sao Paulo in the final. Real Madrid won last year's Club World Cup, beating the United Arab Emirates' Al Ain 4-1 in the final in December for their third title in as many years. Earlier on Monday, the organising committee of the Qatar 2022 World Cup released its latest workers report, in which it said it was "extremely proud of the progress made over the past year". However, it also gave details of the work-related death of one employee, which resulted in the "removal" of "several key staff including senior health and safety managers". It also reported the non-work-related deaths of 10 workers, including one who was struck by a car. Hassan Al-Thawadi, the secretary-general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, told the BBC that "every death is a tragedy". "In relation to workers' welfare, while progress has been made in the state of Qatar, there's still a lot more to be done," he said. "Within the Supreme Committee, we're working very hard with NGOs, medical institutions, and with universities to do everything we can to address these issues. "In relation to death, no matter what we say, it's never going to be enough. But we are doing everything that we can, and working towards ensuring that whatever solutions we put in place also aren't just solutions that address the spotlight, they're solutions that remain beyond 2022." In February, Amnesty International said there could be as many as 4,000 deaths before the 2022 World Cup begins. According to a report by the International Trades Union Confederation, more than 1,200 workers have already died since 2010. Stephen Cockburn, deputy director of global issues at Amnesty International, said at the time: "Time is running out if the Qatari authorities want to deliver a legacy we can all cheer - namely a labour system that ends the abuse and misery inflicted upon so many migrant workers every day. "The Qatari authorities have been taking some important steps to protect labour rights, but much more needs to be done. Holes in the reforms to date mean many workers are still stuck in harsh conditions, vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, while those who return home do so empty-handed, with no compensation and no justice." https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48504200

Kieran Trippier: Tottenham defender unsure on Spurs future Tottenham right-back Kieran Trippier says he is unsure if he will stay at the club and expects to discuss his future with manager Mauricio Pochettino after his summer break. Trippier is reportedly a target for Italian sides Napoli and Juventus, and Spain's Atletico Madrid have also been linked with the 28-year-old. He said: "I want to stay in England but what can you do? "I'll see what happens and what the club wants, most importantly." Trippier, who is contracted to Spurs until 2022, made 38 appearances this season as they finished fourth in the Premier League and reached the Champions League final. He impressed for England in their run to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia but was left out of Gareth Southgate's squad for this week's Nations League finals in Portugal. When asked about his future, the defender said: "I don't know. "I go home now, spend time with my family, just recover after a long, difficult season. Everybody's got a decision to make. "Obviously this club has been very good for me over the last few years but I'll enjoy my summer, come back in pre-season and that's when I'll sit down with the manager and have a talk about my future. "I see a lot of speculation about me not being here. I give everything, 100% every game, win lose or draw. So we'll see what happens in pre-season." https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48494611

No disrespect to your current captain Henderson but whenever you see or hear the name Virgil van Dijk you straight away think of Liverpool, and he should be captain.

It's wake up time now for Josh now he has been beaten, great heavyweights of the past like Joe Louis, Ali, Lennox Lewis were beaten and lost their title(s) but they always came back as a winner and won their title(s) back, I am not saying that Josh is in the same category of the ones I mentioned because in their days there were a lot of good heavyweights around but nowadays there are not. There is only 1 heavyweight who was never beaten and that was the late, great, Rocky Marciano, 49 professional fights and 49 wins and he retired truly undefeated, he only lost one fight in his career and that was when he was an amateur so Josh can do it but if he was fighting in an era where you had the likes of the 3 above I mentioned plus the likes of Larry Holmes, 'Smoking' Joe Frazier, George Foreman, a young Mike Tyson, Henry Cooper etc he would have had to be something special in beating them. Anyone of the names I mentioned above would have beaten any heavyweight around nowadays, heavyweight boxing has never been the same since Lennox Lewis retired I am afraid to say, boxers of the past would have 15 brutal rounds to try and come out on top, nowadays it is 12 rounds only.

This luminous orb is the galaxy NGC 4621, better known as Messier 59. As this latter moniker indicates, the galaxy is listed in the famous catalogue of deep-sky objects compiled by French comet-hunter Charles Messier in the 18th century. However, German astronomer Johann Gottfried Koehler is credited with discovering the galaxy just days before Messier added it to his collection in 1779. Modern observations show that Messier 59 is an elliptical galaxy, one of the three main kinds of galaxies along with spirals and irregulars. Ellipticals tend to be the most evolved of the trio, full of old, red stars and exhibiting little or no new star formation. Messier 59, however, bucks this trend somewhat; the galaxy does show signs of star formation, with some newborn stars residing within a disk near the core. Located in the 2,000-strong Virgo cluster of galaxies within the constellation of Virgo (the Virgin), Messier 59 lies approximately 50 million light-years away from us. This image was taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys. Messier 59 is featured in Hubble’s Messier catalogue, which includes some of the most fascinating objects that can be observed from Earth’s Northern Hemisphere. See the NASA-processed image and other Messier objects at: https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/hubble-s-messier-catalog. Text credit: ESA (European Space Agency) Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, P. Cote Last Updated: May 31, 2019 Editor: Rob Garner

Just saw this on the ITV Evening News, bloody hell, how the hell can you lose control of a ship that size!! Venice crash reignites calls for cruise ship ban A cruise ship crash in Venice has reignited calls for large vessels to be banned from the city's Giudecca canal. Four people were injured on Sunday when the MSC Opera - a 275m long (900ft) ship - collided with a dock and a small tourist boat after losing control. Critics say such ships pose a conservation risk to the lagoon city, pollute its waters and mar its beauty. Ministers said the crash proved the need for a ban on liners, and that they were working to resolve the problem. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-48489158