I appreciate this isn’t the point, but how does he explain the plague of Justinian?

I suggest the same but to bar/deport people for crimes against acronyms.

Route announced for Tour de France Femmes 2027 Grand Départ in Great Britain including race’s first team time-trial The route has been announced for the Tour de France Femmes 2027 Grand Départ, which takes place from 30th July

Look at Stage 2 here, Manchester-Sheffield. Looks brilliant: www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/tou...

In addition to getting the name of Banks wrong (his sci-fi is Iain M Banks), Musk also misses the sheer cynicism of Banks who, by his own admission, felt that we as a species were too stupid to actually be anything like The Culture.

“Obstructing public sidewalks…”

CELJE ARE CHAMPIONS!

With a 2-0 win over Mura, their lead is now insurmountable and the club secure their third ever title.

Radomlje gifting Koper goals yesterday - a compilation

Incl one bit of Ilicic filth

Should add, that third goal? Was on the restart from Radomlje having VAR chalk off another of their own goals.

This season just provides endless opportunities for this…

In spite of the actual build from the X-seven match being terrible. You can’t tell me then or now that this nonsense with Austin’s then wife is a good story (and it wasn’t).

For anyone wondering “is the Moldovan FA’s YouTube magazine show still weird?”, here’s the opening ten seconds on their recent video about a children’s tournament. For children.

Definitely the intriguing bit of the draw in the snooker is that bottom quarter with Yize, Selby and Trump. I’m high on Yize but he’s got a murderer’s row of a draw so it’s difficult to see past Zhao for the title as a whole.

Steve Clarke definitely has McBurnie’s number blocked now…

Exactly one year ago today:

Anonymous Government Minister Stres Weeting, would that be?

Arguably a worse look than if he had actually misled people. Yet, just as much as Starmer’s role may be untenable, switching PM when we’re likely a week from asking everyone to WFH so fuel doesn’t run out (and, if next talks don’t end war, we are) would be even more unthinkable.

And this isn’t Iran causing this, btw, this is the knock on from the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Whether it’s safety concerns or cost concerns stopping travel is kind of irrelevant for businesses but Iran is late in the cycle for impacting ticket/travel sales

Part of the problem isn’t just cost, it’s that the US has enough diaspora to see domestic demand for intl tickets. Hotels suffer because travelling fans aren’t going but also because random Americans are just claiming their heritage from x generations ago. This from Croatia last month…

Obviously LIV Golf wasn’t a very good idea though did have some very good concepts (not least proving a big tournament can work in Australia which has historically been under-served) but there’s some big reversals of momentum going on.

On its own, obvious, but framed just after Saudi pulled out of the 2029 Asian Winter Games (and Neom being scaled back in general) and some other things you have to ask: how likely is that 2034 World Cup and how much interest are Saudi losing in sportswashing?

Obvs, Todd’s on about Geese who got their push arguably the album after their best work (as happens to every alternative band) but dressing yourself up as the love child of Mr Blobby and the Knights who say Ni is one hell of a marketing gimmick.

I mean, if there’s not an Angine de Poitrine Halloween collection, then what are we even doing…

For anyone wondering about Shkupi, btw - basically, the league brought in VAR and they didn’t set it up until week 6, having had to play away and even forfeit games. The owner neglected them, the players walked and so they’re shambling to the close of the season under fan leadership.

Finally, North Macedonia

Shkupi may be, just may be, in trouble here. Shkendija started slow but it's hard to see them not managing to repeat this time around, even coming from behind. 24 May the date for the diary as the top two meet on the final day.

Montenegro

Buducnost having a really bad season. Much like the one above, the final meeting of the top two will decide things.

Kosovo

No idea what sofascore is doing on the image here but the title will hinge on the final meeting between Drita and Ballkani, given Ballkani convincingly won the last one. Everyone is basically in some sort of fight.

Serbia pt 2

Due to reconstruction, the bottom 4 go down. Napredak will be gone this weekend but six sides in the relegation group are all at risk of getting into those two extra slots this term. Radnicki Nis, TSC and Radnicki Kragujevac are big clubs to be wrapped up in this fight.

Serbia pt 1

The bottom has fallen out of Partizan's season and it's fair to expect Vojvodina will take second here. Your cup final will likely be Vojvodina vs Zvezda also (given both face lower league clubs) so top half intrigue is really about who gets the last European spot (It'll be Novi Pazar)

Bosnia. One season Borac, one season Zrinjski and so the ethnicities get mollified and I'm only being slightly cynical. Your likely cup final is a Mostar derby which could be fun!

Worth noting, though, that the second tier race for the single promotion spot has seven games to go and is wide open with Rudes vs Sesvete on the final day. Sesvete a surprise to be up there but Ivan Saranic is starting to meet his massive potential there.

Croatia. Given the cup final is between Dinamo and Rijeka, everything is pretty set already. Osijek's mini revival hasn't been matched by Vukovar and, as that table shows, save for Dinamo, no-one's really in much form at the minute.