Inter Milan turn their focus back to the Serie A title chase after their Champions League flop while Gennaro Gattuso begins life as Napoli coach trying to end their seven-game winless run in Italian league action this weekend.
Inter Milan were the only one of Italy's four Champions League teams to fail to make the knockout rounds after a 2-1 defeat against Barcelona in the San Siro.
Antonio Conte's league leaders, who have a two-point advantage over champions Juventus, travel to 13th-placed Fiorentina, with their focus on claiming a first Serie A title since 2010.
Inter stars Romelu Lukaku (ten) and Lautaro Martinez (eight) have between them scored as many goals as the entire Fiorentina squad this season, with the Tuscan side on a run of four consecutive defeats.
"I saw much disappointment in the players' eyes and I was sad about that. We have to raise our heads again," said Conte.
"We have two games to go before the Christmas break and hopefully we can bring back some players from ...

'Sad' Inter return to Serie A title chase as Gattuso takes Napoli reins

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Barcelona and Real Madrid could be playing to be first in La Liga over the Christmas break on Wednesday but both are at risk of pre-Clasico defeats if their focus wavers this weekend.
There are few tougher fixtures in the league than Barca's away at free-flowing fourth-placed Real Sociedad on Saturday or Madrid's trip on Sunday to a revived Valencia, who have won three games on the bounce and beat Ajax in Amsterdam to win their group in the Champions League.
Already qualified in Europe, Barcelona and Real Madrid had the luxury of rotating key players in midweek but as the emphasis shifts towards their crunch meeting at Camp Nou, the danger is that they underestimate the tasks in front of them.
Both have hit their stride in recent weeks, pulling away from the chasing pack while leaving behind early-season bumps that had placed the futures of their coaches in doubt.
Barcelona have won 13 of their last 15 games and seven out of their last seven, a run that has coincided with the return ..

Clasico leaves Real Madrid and Barca vulnerable to distractions

Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday said the British people had given his Conservative government a "powerful new mandate" to deliver Brexit and unite the country.
Exit polls and early results suggest the Tories are on course for a historic victory in Thursday's election, in which Johnson won his own seat in Uxbridge, west of London, with an increased majority.

UK's Johnson says election results 'powerful new mandate' for Brexit

Neymar's steady return to form after an injury-plagued 2019 coincides with Paris Saint-Germain push to finish the year clear of old rivals Marseille, who are enjoying their best Ligue 1 run since 2014.
The Brazilian orchestrated a late comeback at Montpellier last weekend and then marked his first Champions League start in exactly 12 months with a goal and two assists in Wednesday's 5-0 demolition of Galatasaray.
Already assured of top spot in their group, PSG coach Thomas Tuchel opted to start Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, along with Mauro Icardi, to give the planet's two most expensive players another chance to find their groove.
"We have to rest to get back on track in Ligue 1 but we can think about the Champions League, which is our ultimate goal," Neymar told RMC Sport after the game.
The 27-year-old has yet to fully placate the Parc des Princes faithful after a summer of uncertainty surrounding his future in the French capital.
A smattering of jeers greeted Neymar in PSG's last home 

Neymar rounding into form as Marseille give chase

Australia and New Zealand Friday launched a joint bid to host the 2023 Women's World Cup, which officials said would help supercharge female sport in the region.
Governing body FIFA plans to increase the number of teams to 32 for the tournament from 24 at this year's event in France, and a two-country format would be able to better cope with the extra fixtures, they said.
"Australia and New Zealand have a successful history of both staging and co-hosting major international sporting events," said Australian Sports Minister Richard Colbeck.
"We have the infrastructure, expertise and enthusiasm to co-host the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023."
He added that bringing the tournament to Australia "strongly aligns with the government's commitment to inspire more girls and women to participate in sport".
Eight nations have expressed interest in hosting the 2023 tournament, according to FIFA, with Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, South Korea and South Africa also in the running.
New Zealand ...

Australia, NZ join forces for 2023 Women's World Cup bid

Saudi Arabia will host its first professional women's golf tournament in 2020 with a prize fund of USD 1 million, the Ladies European Tour (LET) announced.
The Jeddah Royal Greens Golf and Country Club will stage the March 19-22 tournament, featuring three-time Tour winner Carly Booth.
Booth and four of her fellow professionals have agreed to act as ambassadors for the tournament despite the divisive issue of women's rights in the conservative kingdom.
"I'm looking forward to being part of history with the other ladies on the tour," said 27-year-old Booth.
"I have visited Saudi Arabia on a number of occasions and been lucky enough to spend some time teaching local women and girls how to play."
The men's European Tour made its first foray into Saudi Arabia this year.
However, superstars Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have both refused to play in the 2020 edition.
McIlroy, who was reportedly offered USD 2.5 million, hinted in a Golf Channel interview earlier this week that "morality" had .

Saudi Arabia to stage first women's pro golf event

Jeremy Corbyn on Friday said he would not lead Britain's main opposition Labour party at the next general election, after predictions of a crushing defeat at nationwide polls.
"I will not lead the party in any future general election campaign," the veteran socialist, 70, said after winning his north London seat for the 10th time.

UK's Corbyn says will not lead Labour at next election

The United States on Thursday urged China not to interfere in elections next month in Taiwan, where President Tsai Ing-wen, a critic of Beijing, is seeking a new term.
David Stilwell, the top US diplomat for Asia, said that tensions have historically risen whenever Taiwan goes to the polls.
"They should not," he said of the tensions.
"The concern always exists for somehow meddling -- interfering -- in internal affairs there."
Stilwell said that the United States, through its policy of providing arms to the self-ruling island while recognizing only Beijing, sought for differences between the two sides to be "resolved through dialogue and without violence or coercion or threats."
"So that's our expectation for this upcoming event as well," he said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Tsai, who has emphasized Taiwan's separate identity and voiced solidarity with Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, on January 11 faces a challenger who favours warmer ties with ...

US calls on China not to interfere in Taiwan election

A team of elite New Zealand soldiers succeeded in retrieving six bodies from the volatile White Island volcano on Friday, in a mission carried out under the ever-present threat of another eruption.
The operation began at first light when two military helicopters set off from Whakatane airport for the offshore volcano, where an eruption last Monday killed at least 16 people and severely injured dozens more.
The eight-strong team was dispatched to recover the remains of eight people still on New Zealand's most active volcano, which sits semi-submerged 50 kilometres (30 miles) out to sea.
After a tense wait of more than five hours, police said they had safely airlifted six bodies to a naval frigate anchored off the coast.
"I would like to acknowledge the recovery team for their efforts and the bravery they have shown today," deputy police commissioner John Tims said in a statement.
Many of the tourists who died on the island were Australians and Canberra's Foreign Minister Marise Payne ..

NZ troops complete daring volcano mission to retrieve bodies

EU leaders on Friday reached an agreement to work for carbon neutrality by 2050 -- but without the agreement of coal-hungry Poland.
"Agreement on climate neutrality by 2050 EUCO reaches a deal on this important goal," EU Council President Charles Michel tweeted. Two EU diplomats said Poland refused to go along with the accord.

EU summit reaches deal on carbon neutrality by 2050

The pound sterling leapt higher on Thursday after exit polls showed Prime Minister Boris Johnson's ruling Conservative Party on track to win a wide parliamentary majority, a result seen as hastening Brexit.
Meanwhile, global stock markets rallied with Wall Street in record territory following reports Washington and Beijing had at long last sealed a partial trade deal and agreed to de-escalate their tariff battles.
The British exit poll suggested the Conservatives would win 368 seats in the 650-seat parliament, with the main opposition Labour party trailing on 191.
Shortly after 2200 GMT, a pound rose about two per cent against the dollar USD 1.3416 and was up 1.6 per cent against the euro at 83.25 pence.
"It gives Johnson the mandate to push over the Brexit," said Shaun Osborne, chief currency strategist at Scotiabank.
"For the UK it provides some clarity for the economy."
Meanwhile in New York, stocks forged into record territory after media reports indicated President Donald Trump ..

Pound jumps as exit poll shows Conservative majority in British vote

The US Congress on Thursday formally recognised the 1915-1917 murder of up to 1.5 million Armenians as genocide.
The Senate's passage of the repeatedly stalled resolution is expected to anger Turkey, which denies there was a genocidal mass murder, insisting the Armenians died as a result of World War I.
In passing the resolution, the United States joined 30 other countries recognising Armenia's claim of genocide, which took place in the final years of the Ottoman empire that was centered in Istanbul.
"It is fitting and appropriate that the Senate stands on the right side of history," said Senator Robert Menendez, who pushed the resolution through.
"I am thankful that this resolution has passed at a time in which there are still survivors of the genocide who will be able to see the Senate acknowledges what they went through," he said, fighting back tears.
Armenian President Nikol Pashinyan called the Senate move "a victory of justice and truth."
"This is tribute to the memory of 1.5 ...

US Congress recognises Armenian genocide

Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg gave back as good as she got Thursday after President Donald Trump dismissed her Time Person of the Year award with the snarky suggestion that she "chill" and go to the movies.
Trump joined Brazilian right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro and Russian strongman President Vladimir Putin on the list of world leaders who recently patronised the 16-year-old when he reacted to her Time honour.
"So ridiculous," 73-year-old Trump tweeted.
"Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!" Thunberg, who has shot to global fame since launching her "Fridays For Future" climate crisis protests, had a quick comeback.
"A teenager working on her anger management problem. Currently chilling and watching a good old fashioned movie with a friend," she wrote as her new Twitter bio.
Thunberg, from Sweden, is rapidly gaining experience in fending off barbs from unfriendly world leaders.
Putin ...

Snarky Trump tells Greta Thunberg to 'chill' and see movies

The United States tested a medium-range ballistic missile on Thursday, the second test in four months of an offensive missile that would have been banned by a US-Russia arms treaty that Washington exited in August.
The Air Force launched the conventionally configured missile from Vandenberg Air Force Base northwest of Los Angeles at about 8:30 am local time (1630 GMT), according to a base spokesperson.
The prototype ground-launched missile flew more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) before plunging into the Pacific Ocean, the Pentagon said.
"Data collected and lessons learned from this test will inform the Department of Defense's development of future intermediate-range capabilities," said Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Robert Carver.
Thursday's test was the second of a ground-launched, medium-range nuclear-capable missile since Washington exited the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Moscow.
The INF would have forbidden testing of the missile, as well as a cruise 

US tests ballistic missile over Pacific

A team of elite New Zealand soldiers landed on a volatile volcanic island Friday on a perilous mission to retrieve bodies left when an eruption hit visiting tour groups earlier this week, police said.
AFP witnessed two military helicopters set off from Whakatane airport at first light for White Island, the offshore volcano where an eruption last Monday is believed to have killed at least 16 people.
At the same time, police took grieving families out near the volcano on a boat to perform a Maori blessing and locals chanted karakia, or prayers, on the shore as the island smouldered in the distance.
Authorities say eight bodies remain on the volcano, which sits semi-submerged 50 kilometres (30 miles) out to sea.
After coming under pressure from distraught families a recovery mission was approved despite a 50-60 per cent chance of another blast from the volcano in the next day or so.
As the eight-strong military team wearing protective clothes and gas masks attempt to extract the bodies, .

NZ troops land on volcano in daring body retrieval mission

US stocks got a second shot in the arm on Thursday afternoon following media reports that US and Chinese officials have struck a partial trade deal that awaits President Donald Trump's approval.
The reports followed a Trump tweet earlier in the day that claimed the two sides were close to a "BIG DEAL" on trade, but since the tweet stocks had pared some gains.
Bloomberg and CNBC reported the two sides have an agreement in principle, two months after Trump first announced a "phase one" bargain had been struck.
Trump has agreed not to impose tariffs on USD 160 billion in Chinese imports on Sunday, according to various reports.
At 2000 GMT, the benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.7 per cent at 28,116.48, while the broader S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq had each gained 0.6 per cent at 3,160.35 and 8,701.82 respectively.
Earlier in the day, investors also digested commentary from the European Central Bank, which on Thursday tweaked its eurozone growth forecasts and said a ...

Wall Street gets another boost on reports US, China deal reached

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on an army camp in Niger which left 71 military personnel dead, the SITE intelligence group said Thursday.
Hundreds of jihadists attacked the camp, near the border with Mali with shells and mortars on Tuesday, killing 71, injuring 122 and leaving "others missing," according to the defence ministry.
The attack in Inates in the western Tillaberi region was the deadliest on Niger's military since Islamist militant violence began to spill over from neighbouring Mali in 2015.
"The Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP) claimed credit for the deadly raid on the Inates military base in Niger," SITE, which monitors jihadist media, said in a statement Thursday.
It added that ISWAP claimed it had killed "over a hundred soldiers".
The attack was carried out by "heavily armed terrorists estimated to number many hundreds", the defence ministry said Wednesday, adding that "a substantial number of terrorists were ...

IS claims responsibility for Niger attack which killed 71: SITE

Some rich and developing countries are barring progress in vital United Nations climate talks, the COP 25 host Spain said Thursday.
Nations gathered in Madrid are struggling to finalise the rulebook of the 2015 landmark Paris climate accord, which aims to limit global temperature rises to "well below" two degrees Celsius and to a safer cap of 1.5C if possible.
"There are two very clear visions," Spain's minister for energy and climate change Teresa Ribera told reporters on the penultimate day of the two-week negotiations.
"There are those that want to move quicker and those that want to hide behind things which aren't working, so as not to advance things." The consensus-based talks are bogged down in politically charged wrangling over the architecture of carbon markets, timetables for the review of carbon-cutting pledges and a new fund to help poor countries already reeling from climate impacts.
Ribera said that some wealthier nations were slowing progress as their governments ...

Countries blocking progress at crunch UN climate talks: hosts Spain

Britain's Andy Murray has cancelled his training block in Miami because of a groin injury that has left him unable to practise on the court, according to a report on Thursday.
The former world number one suffered a bruise to his pelvic bone during Britain's Davis Cup campaign in Madrid last month, The Times newspaper said. He played one singles match before missing the rest of the event.
Murray's Grand Slam comeback at next month's Australian Open, which starts on January 20, is apparently not in doubt, however.
The three-time Grand Slam champion, ranked 126 in the world, will likely receive a wild card to compete in Melbourne.
The Scot, 32, is due to travel to Australia in late December to prepare for the new ATP Cup team competition, which starts on January 3.
Earlier this year he broke down in tears, saying the 2019 Australian Open could be his last tournament but he returned to the court after hip resurfacing surgery and beat fellow veteran Stan Wawrinka in the final of the ...

Murray's pre-season training interrupted by groin injury

Ferrari chief executive officer Louis Camilleri said Thursday that it was premature to talk about a possible move of six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton to the Italian team.
Camilleri confirmed that Mercedes driver Hamilton has had "conversations" with Ferrari chairman John Elkann, but not with him nor Team Principal Mattia Binotto.
"It is common knowledge that Lewis has had conversations with (Elkann)," Camilleri told reporters at Ferrari headquarters at Maranello.
"(But) that was a little exaggerated. While it was at a social event, they have mutual friends," said Camilleri, adding that "it would be premature to decide anything today."
The 34-year-old Hamilton, who comes to the end of his Mercedes contract next season, will be bidding for a record-equalling seventh world title in 2020.
Meanwhile, Camilleri pointed out that Ferrari have a "long-term agreement" with Charles Leclerc, the 22-year-old driver from Monaco who joined the team in 2015 and is under contract until the 2022 .

AFP

AFP

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