10 hours ago Ant and Dec 'leaked WhatsApp messages' show role in Newcastle's Saudi takeover

Newcastle United's takeover from the Saudi Public Investment Fund was in danger of stalling in 2020, with leaked messages showing the showbiz double act's role in moving talks along

Politics

15 hours ago Premier League will not review Saudi Newcastle deal after Bin Salman claims

State’s de facto leader allegedly approved 2022 takeoverPremier League believes its rules have not been brokenThe Premier League sees no reason to review the legality of Newcastle United’s takeover by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund after reports of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s extensive involvement in the deal.A set of leaked WhatsApp messages from the former Newcastle minority co-owner Amanda Staveley obtained by the Telegraph suggest the buyout hinged on the approval of Bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto leader. Although the £305m takeover led by Saudi’s Public Investment Fund in 2022 was approved only once the Premier League received “legally binding assurances” that the Saudi state would not control Newcastle, it is understood the governing body will not be re-examining ...

Politics

19 hours ago Top female footballers urge Fifa to end deal with Saudi ‘nightmare sponsor’

Letter to governing body accuses Saudis of using sports to ‘distract from the regime’s brutal human rights reputation’More than 100 professional female footballers have signed a letter calling on Fifa to end its sponsorship deal with the state-owned Saudi Arabian oil company, Aramco, accusing Saudi authorities of “brutal human rights violations”.A four-year deal signed in April will see Aramco, which is 98.5% state-owned, sponsor major tournaments including the men’s World Cup in 2026 and the Women’s World Cup in 2027. Continue reading...

Politics

21 hours ago ‘I’m not voting for either’: fracking’s return stirs fury in Pennsylvania town whose water turned toxic

The small town of Dimock saw its water become brown, undrinkable, even flammable – and its residents are still feeling the effectsFracking has burst back on to the national stage in the US presidential election contest for the must-win swing state of Pennsylvania. But for one town in this state that saw its water become mud-brown, undrinkable and even flammable 15 years ago, the specter of fracking never went away.Residents in Dimock, a rural town of around 1,200 people in north-east Pennsylvania, have been locked in a lengthy battle to remediate their water supply that was ruined in 2009 after the drilling of dozens of wells to access a hotspot called the “Saudi Arabia of gas” found deep underneath their homes. Continue reading...

Events

21 hours ago Ant and Dec 'were told to promote Newcastle's Saudi Arabian takeover' on social media

The Tyneside treasures were asked to promote an article about opposition to the Premier League failing to approve the Saudi Public Investment Fund's takeover.

Politics

22 hours ago Vivianne Miedema among 100 women’s footballers urging Fifa to end Saudi oil deal

Fifa announced a sponsorship with Aramco last year which will see the oil giant sponsor the men’s World Cup in 2026 and Women’s World Cup in 2027

Politics