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In the aftermath of Tottenham's 1-0 defeat at Manchester United last Saturday, manager Mauricio Pochettino refused the obvious excuse. "It is not fair to talk about Harry Kane," he said, though there was little doubt that Spurs missed the injured Kane's cutting edge in an even contest at Old Trafford. Not that Jose Mourinho had much sympathy for Kane's absence. "We have no Zlatan Ibrahimovic, no Paul Pogba, no Marouane Fellaini, no Marcos Rojo, no Michael Carrick, so don't speak to me about Harry Kane," he said on Friday. As United struggle for fluency, it is Pogba's continued absence from midfield with a hamstring injury that is widely blamed. Each of the Premier League's 20 clubs have someone they probably cannot lose if objectives for the season are to be met. Here's a look at them ... MAN CITY: Ederson Pep Guardiola can call on such attacking riches that even the absence of Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne can be ...

Roma went top of Group C after a comprehensive 3-0 dismantling of Chelsea at the Stadio Olimpico courtesy of a Stephan El Shaarawy double. The hosts got off to a dream start when a cross into the area glanced off Edin Dzeko's shoulder and bounced right to an onrushing El Shaarawy, who blasted a right-footed shot past Thibaut Courtois for the early lead. Chelsea saw three good chances go begging in the opening half hour, Cesc Fabregas firing wide from 18 yards, before Eden Hazard shot right at Allison in the Roma goal and Alvaro Morata skied one over the crossbar when left alone at very close range. Roma would be two ahead at half-time after the Chelsea defence made a mess of handling a Roma ball into the penalty area and El Shaarawy ghosted in and neatly tucked a shot past Courtois for his second. The game was effectively over just past the hour mark when a poor pass from Fabregas allowed Roma to break the other way and Diego Perotti fired his team's third goa...

Japanese police have arrested a man after finding parts of nine bodies in his apartment in Zama, near Tokyo. Police found two severed heads in a cold-storage container outside the flat of the suspect, named as Takahiro Shiraishi, while investigating the disappearance of a woman. They also found the body parts of seven other people, also stored in cool boxes, in his apartment. The 27-year-old is being held on suspicion of disposing of the bodies. Police had found the body parts of eight females and one male, some in varying stages of decomposition, Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun reported. Mr Shiraishi told police he had killed the nine and hid their bodies, broadcaster NHK reported, citing the Metropolitan Police Department. "I killed them and did some work on the bodies in order to hide the evidence," NHK quoted him as saying. Meanwhile, his next-door neighbour said he had started smelling strange odours from the flat after Mr Shiraishi moved in in Aug...

Jose Mourinho has told Manchester United fans that while they are free to express their disappointment with certain players, Romelu Lukaku should be "untouchable." Mourinho said he was "disappointed" with some supporters' reaction to Lukaku during the win over Tottenham on Saturday after the Belgium international went a fifth game without scoring. The £75 million striker, who has scored 11 goals in 15 games since arriving from Everton, is set to start against Benfica at Old Trafford on Tuesday night and the United manager insisted ahead of the tie that the 24-year-old should be immune from any criticism. He told a news conference on Monday: "The fans are the fans and I also said that the fans pay for their tickets and are free to express themselves and say they want to express, but my job is when I feel they deserve is to protect my players. "I think Romelu is one of the players that should be untouchable in terms of the respect of ev...

A Chechen man accused of plotting to kill Russian President Vladimir Putin has been injured and his wife killed in an attack near Ukraine's capital Kiev. Adam Osmayev "was wounded but will live" after a car he was in was shot at, Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said. He said Mr Osmayev's wife Amina Okuyeva died in the attack in Hlevaha village. In 2012, Russian officials said Mr Osmayev was suspected of being part of a plot by Islamists to kill Mr Putin. Russian media reported at the time that the plotters were planning to plant mines on Kutuzovsky Avenue in Moscow, used by Mr Putin on a daily basis. Russia later asked Ukraine to hand over Mr Osmayev - but the authorities in Kiev refused to do so, saying they wanted to wait until the European Court of Human Rights considered his appeal against extradition. In June, he survived an assassination attempt in Kiev. The attacker was then shot and wounded by Mrs Okuyeva. The couple ...

Exercising with a group makes people feel physically and mentally better than working out alone, a new study suggests. Researchers found working out in a group lowers stress by 26 percent and significantly improved quality of life. Although those who exercise individually put in more effort, they experienced no significant changes in their stress or perceived physical fitness levels. “The communal benefits of coming together with friends and colleagues, and doing something difficult, while encouraging one another, pays dividends beyond exercising alone," said lead researcher Dr Dayna Yorks, of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine.  "The findings support the concept of a mental, physical and emotional approach to health that is necessary for student doctors and physicians." F or the study, researchers recruited 69 medical students - a group known for high levels of stress and poor work-life balance - and allowed them to se...

Superstar Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson penned a "thank you" letter to Stan "The Man" Lee after the legendary comic book creator introduced Johnson ahead of Sony's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle panel at LA Comic Con. Johnson posted the message to Instagram, accompanied by a black and white photo of the pair: Johnson signed off on the post with "Your Black Adam," citing his upcoming role as the DC Comics character — a role that Johnson has been tied to for more than a decade. Though Black Adam is the archfoe of superhero Shazam (née Captain Marvel), the Shazam! movie won't include Johnson's big bad. Johnson will instead headline a standalone Black Adam movie while Shazam — who will be played by Chuck star Zachary Levi, as revealed on Friday — will do his own thing without fear of being overshadowed by the shadow of the mega-star that is the Rock. The plan, according to Johnson, is for the two to "come together at some point...

Hollywood star Kevin Spacey has made an apology after being accused of making a sexual advance toward a child actor. Anthony Rapp, who was 14, said Spacey invited him to a party and seemed drunk when the alleged incident happened. Spacey, who was then 26, said: "I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago. "But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour." Rapp says he is sharing the story now after the Harvey Weinstein scandal. The movie mogul has been accused by more than 50 women of a range of allegations ranging from rape to sexual harassment. Mr Weinstein has denied any claims of non-consensual sex. The accusations have sparked a debate about inappropriate behaviour in the entertainment industry and beyond, and encouraged more people to share their experiences. Skip Twitter post by @albinokid Anthony ...

A Norwegian search team has located the wreckage of a Russian helicopter that crashed into the sea with eight people on board in the Arctic. The helicopter, which has been missing since Thursday, lies on the ocean floor off the archipelago of Svalbard, near Barentsburg, officials said. Norwegian police would now search for those on board, a statement said. Norway has sovereignty over Svalbard but Russia has a small coal-mining community in Barentsburg. Russia's consul in Barentsburg said five crew and three scientists were on board the helicopter, all Russians. They are feared dead. The helicopter went missing at 15:35 local time (13:35 GMT). It was on a short flight to Barentsburg from Pyramiden, a disused Russian mining settlement. The helicopter is operated by a Russian coal-mining enterprise, Arktikugol.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has backed young striker Eddie Nketiah to become a star after his two goals as a substitute in Tuesday's Carabao Cup win over Norwich City at the Emirates. Nketiah, brought on as a late substitute by manager Arsene Wenger, equalised with five minutes remaining before heading an extra-time winner. And Henry, writing in The Sun, said the 18-year-old had a talent that meant "he will always score goals, even when he's 60." He added: "I worked with him when I was with the under-18s and I was delighted to see him grab two goals -- delighted but not surprised. "He is a great kid and was a pleasure to work with. He was always on time, listened hard and was a good worker, willing to learn and improve. "He will always score goals, even when he's 60. He is just a killer in the box, as he showed against Norwich." Henry said England youth international Nketiah was "not a fancy player, all stepovers and dr...

Joshua stops Takam in 10th round Anthony Joshua defends his two heavyweight titles by defeating Carlos Takam via 10-round TKO en route to his 20th career victory. PRINCIPALITY STADIUM, Cardiff -- The first reaction was booing. Then came the cheers as Anthony Joshua came into focus on the big screen hanging above the ring, the hero of the hour having secured a 10th-round win over Carlos Takam. But it was not the knockout that the crowd and the majority of the watching public expected. The general feeling in the Principality Stadium was admiration for the spectacle they had witnessed and respect for Takam's ability to take an almighty amount of punishment while blood poured from his right eye, but equally an unsatisfied itch on what would have happened had the fight been allowed to conclude on its own terms. Few expected the fight to last longer than Joshua's ring walk, but under the closed roof of the Principality Stadium, 78,000 devotees eventually got w...

Two explosions have killed at least 14 people in the Somali capital Mogadishu, two weeks after a bomb killed 350. The first blast was caused by a car bomb being driven into a hotel. Militants then stormed the building. The second explosion took place near the former parliament house nearby. Officials say at least 14 died. The Islamist militant group al-Shabab - which officials blamed for the attack two weeks ago - said it had carried out the latest bombings. The al-Qaeda linked group denies having anything to do with the 14 October attack but it said it had chosen this latest target because it had been frequented by security officials and politicians. They chose a time when provincial leaders were gathering in Mogadishu for a meeting with the government to agree on a united strategy against al-Shabab, due to take place on Sunday. Sporadic gunfire continued inside the hotel as night fell, officials said. The bomb is understood to have blown up near the gates. Polic...

MANCHESTER, England -- Three thoughts on Manchester United 1-0 Tottenham in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon. 1. Tottenham suffer in Kane absence as Martial strikes Tottenham suffered in the absence of the injured Harry Kane as Manchester United edged a tight contest at Old Trafford with Anthony Martial's late strike for Jose Mourinho's team. Martial, a second half replacement for Marcus Rashford, scored his sixth goal in 13 appearances for United by latching on to a Romelu Lukaku flick-on before scuffing a left-foot shot beyond Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. The goal secured the victory for United and moved them clear of Spurs in second-place, behind league leaders Manchester City. But in a game of fine margins, Tottenham's failure to take any of their first half chances allowed United to stay in the game long enough for Martial to claim another goal after being introduced from the bench. Lukaku, who had endured a quiet game until heading against t...

The threat of nuclear attack from North Korea is increasing, US Defence Secretary James Mattis said during a visit to South Korea. Mr Mattis warned it would face a "massive military response" if it used nuclear weapons. Separately, North Korea released a South Korean fishing boat which it said had been found in North Korean waters illegally. The crew of 10 were released n Friday evening, South Korean officials said. It comes at a time of heightened tension in the region, with both sides running a series of military exercises. "North Korea has accelerated the threat that it poses to its neighbours and the world through its illegal and unnecessary missile and nuclear weapons programs," Mr Mattis said, AP news agency reported. He said North Korea engaged in "outlaw" behaviour and said US-South Korean security collaboration had taken on "new urgency". Washington could not accept a nuclear North Korea, he added, speaking alongside his So...

Facebook has announced measures to make political advertising on the social media platform more transparent. Political advertisers will have to verify their identity and location and their posts will carry a disclosure saying "paid for by". The steps come amid allegations that Russian-backed groups used social media ads to interfere in the US election. Executives from Facebook and other internet giants will testify before a Senate hearing on Tuesday. "When it comes to advertising on Facebook, people should be able to tell who the advertiser is and see the ads they're running, especially for political ads," Rob Goldman, Facebook's vice president of ads, said in a blog post. By clicking on the "paid for by" disclosure, users would be able to see more details about the advertiser, he added. Facebook said it was expanding the transparency measures to all ads, and that they would all have to be linked to a page. Users would also be able ...

An Italian accountant has been jailed for 24 years after intentionally infecting 30 women with HIV. Valentino Talluto is said to have had unprotected sex with at least 53 women after his HIV diagnosis in 2006, the youngest of whom was 14 at the relationship's start. The accountant, using the pseudonym "Hearty Style", went on social networks and dating sites to find his victims. On Friday, judges sentenced the 33-year-old to 24 years in prison. Talluto's defence lawyers had argued their client's actions were "imprudent, but not intentional". 'My ex told everyone I had HIV' However, those who asked him to wear a condom were told he was either allergic, or had recently been tested for HIV, news agency AFP reported. When some of the women confronted him after discovering they were infected, he denied he was a carrier of the potentially deadly virus, which can lead to Aids. As a result of his actions, another four people contract...

WBA and IBF world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua said he will fight "like a challenger" as he weighed in heavier than ever ahead of facing Carlos Takam in Cardiff on Saturday. The Principality Stadium will host the biggest-ever crowd for an indoor boxing show, with over 70,000 fans expected at what organisers say is the fastest-selling event in the stadium's history. Joshua tipped the scales at 18st 2lbs at the weigh-in on Friday - the heaviest he has ever been for a fight - with Takam at 16st 11bs. The Briton says he is hungrier for this bout than when he stopped Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley in April, despite the fact that Cameroon-born 36-year-old Takam replaced the injured Kubrat Pulev just 12 days before the bout. "I know what it's like to be a challenger," said Joshua, 28. "Believe it or not I still have the mindset of a challenger. I don't walk around with an ego just because I have a few belts on my shoulder. "I ...

Tottenham striker Harry Kane has been ruled out of his side's trip to Manchester United on Saturday with a hamstring injury. Kane scored twice as Spurs beat Liverpool 4-1 on Sunday, before being substituted in the 88th minute. The 24-year-old is the leading Premier League scorer this season with eight goals. "The doctor and medical staff made the decision to not take the risk," said Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino. "There is no sense in taking that risk and making the problem bigger." A tweet from Spurs said the injury was "a minor strain to the left hamstring". Kane has scored 13 goals in 12 appearances in all competitions for Tottenham this season - who sit third in the Premier League table. Manchester United are second in the table, level on points with third-placed Spurs.

The Carabao Cup quarter-final draw paired Bristol City with Manchester United after technical problems kept fans waiting almost two hours in a failed attempt to broadcast on Twitter. Arsenal will face West Ham, Leicester City are at home to Manchester City and Chelsea host Bournemouth. The draw was intended to be shown live at 16:00 BST. However, after four announcements explaining the delay, it was finally shown as a pre-recorded video. Both the English Football League (EFL) and Twitter apologised for the one-hour-and-45-minute delay. A statement from the EFL read: "The EFL has received an apology from Twitter UK for the delay which is believed to have occurred as a result of a faulty encoder. "The EFL has requested a full explanation into the events that led to this afternoon's unacceptable delay." A Twitter spokesman said: "We're sorry for the issues that led to the delay of today's round five draw. We would also like to apologise t...

Women in Scotland are the first in the UK to be allowed to take the abortion pill at home. Scotland's Chief Medical Officer has written to all health boards to say the drug misoprostol can be taken by women outside of a clinical setting. The change brings Scotland in line with other countries such as Sweden and France. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) has been lobbying to change the law in the UK for years. Two tablets There were 12,063 terminations of pregnancy in Scotland in 2016 and almost three-quarters (73.5%) were carried out at less than nine weeks gestation. The vast majority of these early terminations (89.4%) were medical rather than surgical procedures. The medical treatment involves taking two different medicines. The first tablet, called Mifepristone, blocks the action of the hormone progesterone, which is needed to maintain the pregnancy. The second tablet, called Misoprostol, can be given on the same day, or 24, 48 or 72 hours apart. ...