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    Rishi Sunak speech: Prime Minister to give pre-election pitch claiming UK facing ‘dangerous years’ ahead

    Peter Watson
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    Rishi Sunak speech: Prime Minister to give pre-election pitch claiming UK facing ‘dangerous years’ ahead
    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to deliver a pre-election speech (Benjamin Cremel/PA) (PA Wire)

    Rishi Sunak is set to deliver a pre-election speech in a move to pitch to voters after this month’s local election blow.

    The Primer Minister will say he has “bold ideas” that can “create a more secure future” for Britons and restore their “confidence and pride in our country”.

    Speaking from London, he will pledge that “more will change in the next five years than in the last thirty” if the Conservatives get re-elected.

    He will say voters face a stark choice in whom they choose to govern the nation at a time of unprecedented global volatility and technological advancements.

    Touting his leadership in areas such as security, he will seek to draw a dividing line with Labour over defence spending following his commitment to hike it to 2.5% of gross domestic product by 2030.

    It comes as his Conservative Party dropped behind Labour in the polls suffering a mauling in local and regional elections earlier this month.

    Mr Sunak’s worries worsened with the astonishing defection of MP Natalie Elphicke in protest against his record on housing and stopping small boat Channel crossings.

    1715587197

    Labour shadow minister ‘open’ to welcome more Tories

    Shadow schools minister Catherine McKinnell has said she would welcome more Conservatives to the Labour Party.

    Speaking to Sky News, she said: “I think it’s really important that we’re not tribal about politics, that we are open to people coming round to our way of saying things and our way of wanting to do things.”

    Salma Ouaguira13 May 2024 08:59

    1715586795

    PM haunted by Natalie Elphicke defection

    While Rishi Sunak gets ready for the speech, Natalie Elphicke’s defection is still haunting him.

    But some Tories have used the move to slam the Labour Party for accepting the former Conservative.

    Maria Caulfied, a health minister, has said that she believed voters would view Labour as “playing games”.

    She told Sky News: “I think actually it has probably backfired on the Labour Party more than anyone.

    “I just think people will think that Labour are playing games. We are busy as a Government, as I said, tackling obesity, improving maternity care, turning the economy around, we had 0.6 per cent of growth last week, higher growth than France, Germany and Spain.

    “That is what we are focusing on, the PM’s going to be talking about defence later today, meanwhile, Labour are playing games over which MP they can get to cross the floor.”

    Salma Ouaguira13 May 2024 08:53

    1715585978

    Good morning and welcome to our politics blog

    Rishi Sunak is set to deliver a major pre-election speech following elections losses.

    The Primer Minister will attempt to convince Brits to vote Conservative outlining his plan for the next few years.

    He will say: “I have bold ideas that can change our society for the better, and restore people’s confidence and pride in our country.

    “I feel a profound sense of urgency because more will change in the next five years than in the last 30.

    “I’m convinced that the next few years will be some of the most dangerous yet most transformational our country has ever known.”

    Rishi Sunak, pictured hosting a PM Connect event near Oxford on Friday, will say he has “bold ideas” for the country in a speech today in London (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

    Salma Ouaguira13 May 2024 08:39

    Mortgages: More face payments during retirement, data suggests

    Peter Watson
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    Mortgages: More face payments during retirement, data suggests

    Image source, Getty Images

    • Author, Kevin Peachey
    • Role, Cost of living correspondent

    Hundreds of thousands of homeowners have taken out mortgages in the last three years that they will still be paying off into retirement, estimates suggest.

    A surge in mortgage terms beyond state pension age has been seen, particularly in new home loans made to the under-30s.

    Figures from the Bank of England show how the share of new mortgages with a later end date has increased.

    Higher mortgage rates have led many people to choose an extended repayment period to control costs.

    The figures emerged from a Freedom of Information (FoI) request made by Sir Steve Webb, a former pensions minister who is now a partner at pensions consultancy LCP.

    “The challenge of getting on the housing ladder is forcing large numbers of young home buyers to gamble with their retirement prospects by taking on ultra-long mortgages,” he said.

    He suggested that using limited retirement savings to clear a mortgage could leave people at greater risk of poverty in old age.

    Careful thought

    The FoI followed a Bank of England financial policy report that included mortgage data for the fourth quarter of 2023. Mr Webb requested the corresponding data for the fourth quarter of the previous two years.

    The Bank of England’s data shows that in the final three months of 2021, some 31% of new mortgages had an end date beyond state pension age.

    Two years later, some 42% of new mortgages had this end date during retirement, suggesting a rise in popularity of longer-term loans.

    Across the final quarters of all three years, nearly 300,000 new mortgages were in this category.

    A considerable amount can change in homeowners’ financial prospects during their working lives.

    A longer-term mortgage may be replaced by a shorter-term one as someone’s income rises, or they find other ways to pay off their mortgage.

    However, the pressure on young homeowners is clear with a sharp rise in the proportion of mortgages that run beyond pension age.

    The number of homeowners aged under 30 taking out such mortgages more than doubled over the two-year period, while for those aged under 40 the number was up 30%.

    Meanwhile, older age groups saw a decline in such mortgage deals.

    That has occurred during two years of upheaval in the mortgage market. Rates are much higher now than they were at the end of 2021.

    Young homeowners have chosen longer mortgage terms to make repayments more manageable.

    How long such a trend might last will depend significantly on whether mortgage rates drop and settle.

    On Thursday, while holding the base rate at 5.25%, the Bank of England edged towards a rate cut in the summer and hinted at further cuts.

    The Bank’s governor, Andrew Bailey, said he was “optimistic that things are moving in the right direction” regarding the UK economy, leading to speculation of base rate cuts.

    Ways to make your mortgage more affordable

    • Make overpayments. If you still have some time on a low fixed-rate deal, you might be able to pay more now to save later.
    • Move to an interest-only mortgage. It can keep your monthly payments affordable although you won’t be paying off the debt accrued when purchasing your house.
    • Extend the life of your mortgage. The typical mortgage term is 25 years, but 30 and even 40-year terms are now available.
    Get in touch

    Are you affected by issues covered in this story?

    Biden faces bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill over Israel ultimatum

    Peter Watson
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    Biden faces bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill over Israel ultimatum



    CNN
     — 

    President Joe Biden is facing backlash from lawmakers in both parties over his ultimatum that a major Israeli offensive in the city of Rafah would result in a shut-off of some US weapons.

    Biden’s decision to go public with the ultimatum in an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett last week was greeted with pointed criticism across the GOP spectrum on Sunday, and vocal concern among Democrats.

    “On the one hand, they’re saying too many Palestinian civilians have been killed. With the other hand, they’re depriving us of the precision guided weapons that actually cut down on civilian casualties,” Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union,” though Biden specifically mentioned withholding bombs and artillery shells deemed by the administration as indiscriminate and imprecise.

    “So if you’re worried about Palestinian casualties, the stated policy here actually doesn’t make a ton of sense,” Vance said.

    The US is also reviewing the potential sale or transfer of other munitions, including Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits, to Israel. But these transfers are not imminent and would occur in the future, a US official said.

    The president’s announcement last week amounted to a turning point in US-Israeli ties since the seven-month conflict between Israel and Hamas began in October. Still, the president’s aides said the message shouldn’t have been a surprise to their intended recipients in Israel given repeated warnings to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

    Earlier this month, Biden signed off on a pause of 3,500 bombs to Israel that administration officials feared would be dropped on Rafah — where Israel has issued evacuation orders for some of the estimated 1.4 million civilians sheltering there as it appears poised to continue its advancement on the southern Gaza city.

    And last week, Biden told Burnett that if Israel goes into Rafah, “I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem.”

    Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina called the ultimatum “the worst decision in the history of the US-Israel relationship.” A frequent White House critic, Graham called on the Biden administration to “keep the weapons flowing” and sit down with Israel.

    GOP Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, meanwhile, told Fox News on Sunday that Biden’s decision sends “a horrible message for Israel” and claimed that the president is “unfortunately, now part of the pro-Hamas wing of his party.”

    But the backlash hasn’t just fallen along party lines.

    On Friday, a group of 26 House Democrats sent a letter to Biden saying they are “deeply concerned about the message the Administration is sending to Hamas and other Iranian-backed terrorist proxies by withholding weapons shipments to Israel.”

    The group of House Democrats, led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, also requested a briefing from the White House to get more information on Biden’s decision, as well as how and when aid appropriated by Congress for Israel will be delivered.

    Democratic Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, however, highlighted the kinds of weapons being withheld. “The president was not as clear on this in the Erin Burnett interview as he should have been,” he said Sunday on Fox News, adding: “All that has been held back to date are dumb, 2,000-pound bombs because the president feels – and I think rightly – they should not be used in Rafah.”

    Other Democrats have offered more forceful defenses of Biden, who arrived at his ultimatum decision after multiple rounds of phone calls with Netanyahu, starting in mid-February.

    Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut told Bash in a separate interview on “State of the Union” that Biden was “learning the mistakes of US military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

    “What we learned in both of those efforts was that you cannot defeat terrorist ideology. You cannot defeat a terrorist movement,” he said.

    The president, Murphy said, “is telling Israelis we will be partners but you have to understand the pace of civilian casualties, the amount of disaster is, in the long run, going to make Hamas stronger, is going to make it more likely that Israel will be attacked again, and is going to make other terrorist organizations that have designs to attack the United States stronger.”

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday that the US believes Israel has killed more civilians than Hamas terrorists as part of its war in Gaza, and that Israel needs to do more to mitigate civilian deaths.

    “While Israel has processes, procedures, rules, regulations to try to minimize civilian harm, given the impact that this operation, this war in Gaza has had on the civilian population, those have not been applied consistently and effectively,” Blinken said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

    The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported Sunday that the number of people killed in the enclave as a result of Israeli military operations has risen above 35,000.

    Last week, the State Department released a report saying it is “reasonable to assess” that US weapons have been used by Israeli forces in Gaza in ways that are “inconsistent” with international humanitarian law but stopped short of officially saying Israel violated the law.

    Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland told CBS’ Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation” that “I think there’s enough on the books to be able to point to specific cases and make specific determinations. And on that score, the administration did duck the hard questions.”

    Pressed if he fears the report helped give political cover to Netanyahu to continue deadly strikes in Israel, Van Hollen said he worries the administration did not provide “an unvarnished accounting of the facts and the law.”

    The report did not find that Israel has withheld humanitarian aid to Gaza in violation of international law, despite conflicting reports.

    “By not calling that out flatly and saying that there have been arbitrary restrictions put on it [humanitarian aid], I fear that we have set a very, very low bar, a very low standard for what’s acceptable,” Van Hollen said. “And I think that will come back to haunt us.”

    Murphy said the report “could have gone further” but added it does “accurately explain the complexity of this. And let’s just also be clear about that. Yes, I believe that there have been some very disastrous decisions on proportionality created by Israeli military.”

    Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, defending Biden from Van Hollen’s criticisms over the State Department report, said. “I think President Biden has taken forceful action – so much so there’s been a lot of blowback for his recent public statement.”

    This story has been updated with additional context.

    CNN’s Kit Maher, Aileen Graef, Kevin Liptak, Jennifer Hansler and Kylie Atwood contributed to this report.

    Bitcoin, Ethereum: Two levels where a swing trade could be profitable

    Peter Watson
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    Bitcoin, Ethereum: Two levels where a swing trade could be profitable
    • Ethereum has a slightly more bullish bias for the coming week.
    • The Bitcoin consolidation phase was still ongoing, and a revisit to $60k was growing more likely.

    Bitcoin [BTC] traders were going through a relatively tough period after the easy, straightforward rallies that have been the norm since last October.

    Ethereum [ETH] has been more complicated, but BTC’s halving event last month has changed the market conditions to chop and range formations all over the market.

    AMBCrypto investigated what the market sentiment was looking like over the weekend, and where this week’s price action could go.

    One of the two has speculators expectant of bullish returns in the near term

    Source: Coinalyze

    The 10th of May saw an increase in the Bitcoin Open Interest, but the OI has been trending downward since the price spike on the 6th of May.

    Meanwhile, the price also formed a series of lower highs over the past week, descending from $64k to $61.1k at press time.

    The Funding Rate was negative at the start of May when Bitcoin plummeted to $56k. Since then, the Funding Rate has recovered.

    However, in the past few days, it has been barely above zero, which indicated the sentiment was not strongly bullish.

    Source: Coinalyze

    Ethereum also saw Funding Rates slip into the negative territory in early May but has since recovered. The past week’s downtrend saw the funding rate hover around the baseline +0.01 mark.

    A slight bounce from $2980 to $3040 on the 9th of May saw the Open Interest and the funding rate jump higher.

    This did not repeat with Bitcoin despite a similar price bounce, which suggested that speculators were more eager to long ETH than BTC.

    What are the next liquidity pockets that could attract prices?

    Source: CryptoQuant

    The 7-day liquidation heatmap of Bitcoin showed a bright cluster of liquidations at the $60k area. To the north, $61.8k and $63k are the next bullish targets.

    On the 5th of May, we saw prices jump above the $64k mark to collect liquidity before a brutal short-term reversal.

    Similarly, we might see a downward plunge on Monday to collect the liquidity at $60k before rebounding higher. Hence, BTC traders would want to buy the dip to the $50.6k-$60k region.

    However, traders must also be prepared for a move below $59.4k for BTC, and set their stop-losses accordingly in the event of a dip to $60k.

    Source: CryptoQuant

    Read Bitcoin’s [BTC] Price Prediction 2024-25

    On the other hand, Ethereum has a cluster of liquidity nearby to the north at $2950. This was close to the current market price of $2928. A dip to the $2860 region would likely present a buying opportunity.

    The liquidation levels around the $3.1k-$3.2k area present an attractive target. A drop below $2.8k would likely herald a strong short-term downtrend, and traders can cut their losses in this scenario.

    Crypto market’s weekly winners and losers – TON, RNDR, BONK, CORE

    Peter Watson
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    Crypto market’s weekly winners and losers – TON, RNDR, BONK, CORE
    • Toncoin, Render, and Akash Network had the biggest gain in the past week.
    • Core, Bonk, and Pendle were the biggest losers in the past week.

    This week, Toncoin [TON] emerged as the top gainer, leading the charge among cryptocurrencies. Other notable gainers included AI and computing-related tokens, which also performed well in the market.

    However, the charts indicated that the trend of meme coins has subsided, at least for now.

    Bonk [BONK] was highlighted as one of the biggest losers over the past week, signaling a downturn for meme coins in the current market conditions.

    Biggest winners

    Toncoin

    AMBCrypto’s analysis of Toncoin’s price movement revealed a steady climb throughout the week, starting at approximately $5.9 on the 5th of May and reaching around $6.8 by the 11th of May.

    CoinMarketCap’s data indicated a 24.35% increase over the past seven days, positioning TON as the top gainer for the week. Toncoin surpassed $7 at one point before settling around $6.8 at week’s end. 

    As of this writing, TON was trading at around $6.9, boasting a market capitalization exceeding $24 billion.

    However, its trading volume has decreased by over 60% and was around $267.5 million at the time of this writing.

    Render

    AMBCrypto’s look at Render’s [RNDR] chart showed a strong performance over the past week.

    According to AMBCrypto’s assessment of the daily timeframe chart, RNDR started the week with a strong 10.28% surge, elevating its price from approximately $8.9 to $9.8.

    Subsequently, on the 9th of May, it experienced another significant increase of over 9%, driving its price to around $10.85. Despite some declines during the week, its overall uptrends compensated for any losses.

    Although it closed the week in the red, its price remained at around $10.9.

    Source: TradingView

    Also, CoinMarketCap data confirmed a notable 20.80% increase in the week for Render, making it the second-highest gainer.

    Similar to TON, RNDR also witnessed a decline in trading volume over the past 24 hours, with a reduction of over 50%.

    As of this writing, its volume was around $210.5 million, with a market capitalization of around $4.2 billion. However, it was trading at around $10.8 as of this writing, with around a 0.6% decline. 

    Akash Network

    Akash Network [AKT] emerged as the third-largest gainer in the past week, boasting an impressive 18.33% increase, as reported by CoinMarketCap.

    Analyzing AKT’s price trend revealed that it started the week trading at approximately $5. However, it experienced downturns on the 7th and the 8th of May, falling to as low as $4.2.

    Nevertheless, the token rebounded on the 9th of May, concluding the week at around $5.7.

    At press time, it traded within the $5.7 price range, with a market capitalization was around $1.3 billion, although it has declined by over 3% in the last 24 hours.

    Additionally, its trading volume has decreased by over 50% during the same period, at around $122.3 million at press time.

    Biggest losers

    Core 

    Core [CORE] experienced a significant decline of 14.62% in the past week, placing it among the top losers, as indicated by data from CoinMarketCap.

    CORE’s price trend revealed a challenging trajectory, with the token starting the week at approximately $1.9 and subsequently experiencing a steady decline. By the week’s end, its price had plummeted to around $1.5.

    However, there are signs of a potential uptrend as of the current writing, with the token attempting to recover and trading at around $1.7.

    Additionally, its market capitalization was around $1.5 billion at the current time, showcasing an almost 5% increase in the last 24 hours.

    Despite this attempted recovery, Core’s trading volume has decreased by almost 5% in the last 24 hours, currently at around $66.7 million. 

    Bonk

    Bonk, once considered a high-flying memecoin, has faced negative performance in the past week.

    AMBCrypto’s examination of its daily timeframe price trend revealed a negative pattern resembling a declining staircase, indicative of a notable decline. 

    Source: TradingView

    The week began with a stark decline of over 4%, with BONK trading at around $0.000026.

    Subsequently, it witnessed three consecutive days of declines until experiencing a slight uptick on the 9th of May, where it saw an over 5% increase.

    However, by the end of the week, its price had dropped to around $0.000022, marking it as the second-largest loser of the week with a decline of 14.44%, according to CoinMarketCap data.

    As of press time, Bonk’s market capitalization was around $1.45 billion, representing a decrease of over 2%.

    Additionally, its trading volume has decreased by over 50% to approximately $103.5 million, indicating reduced market activity. 

    Pendle

    Pendle [PENDLE] experienced a downturn this week, emerging as the third-biggest loser according to CoinMarketCap data, with a 13.55% loss in value over the past week.

    The price trend analysis revealed that the week started at around $5.0, with a brief surge to over $5.3 on the 6th of May.

    However, from the 7th of May onward, the price began to decline steadily, ultimately settling around $4.3 by the week’s end.

    At the time of writing, Pendle’s market capitalization had decreased by over 3% in the last 24 hours, standing at approximately $1 billion.

    Furthermore, trading volume witnessed a nearly 50% decline within the same period, reaching around $25.7 million.

    Conclusion 

    Here’s the weekly recap of the biggest gainers and losers. It’s crucial to bear in mind the volatile nature of the market, where prices can shift rapidly.

    Thus, doing your own research (DYOR) before making any investment decisions is best.

    Blinken delivers some of the strongest US public criticism of Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza

    Peter Watson
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    Blinken delivers some of the strongest US public criticism of Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza

    WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday delivered some of the Biden administration’s strongest public criticism yet of Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza, saying Israeli tactics have meant “a horrible loss of life of innocent civilians” but failed to neutralize Hamas leaders and fighters and could drive a lasting insurgency.

    In a pair of TV interviews, Blinken underscored that the United States believes Israeli forces should “get out of Gaza,” but also is waiting to see credible plans from Israel for security and governance in the territory after the war.

    Hamas has reemerged in parts of Gaza, Blinken said, and that “heavy action” by Israeli forces in the southern city of Rafah risks leaving America’s closest Mideast ally “holding the bag on an enduring insurgency.”

    He said the United States has worked with Arab countries and others for weeks on developing “credible plans for security, for governance, for rebuilding’’ in Gaza, but ”we haven’t seen that come from Israel. … We need to see that, too.”

    Blinken also said that as Israel pushes deeper in Rafah in the south, where Israel says Hamas has four battalions and where more than 1 million civilians have massed, a military operation may “have some initial success” but risks “terrible harm” to the population without solving a problem “that both of us want to solve, which is making sure Hamas cannot again govern Gaza.”

    Israel’s conduct of the war, he said, has put the country “on the trajectory, potentially, to inherit an insurgency with many armed Hamas left or, if it leaves, a vacuum filled by chaos, filled by anarchy, and probably refilled by Hamas. We’ve been talking to them about a much better way of getting an enduring result, enduring security.”

    Blinken also echoed for the first time publicly by a U.S. official the findings of a new Biden administration report to Congress on Friday that said Israel’s use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law. The report also said wartime conditions prevented American officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.

    “When it comes to the use of weapons, concerns about incidents where given the totality of the damage that’s been done to children, women, men, it was reasonable to assess that, in certain instances, Israel acted in ways that are not consistent with international humanitarian law,” Blinken said. He cited “the horrible loss of life of innocent civilians.”

    Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, in a call Sunday with his Israeli counterpart, Tzachi Hanegbi, raised concerns about a military ground operation in Rafah and discussed “alternative courses of action” that would ensure Hamas is defeated “everywhere in Gaza,” according to a White House summary of the conversation. Hanegbi “confirmed that Israel is taking U.S. concerns into account,” the White House said.

    The war began on Oct. 7 after an attack against Israel by Hamas that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians. About 250 people were taken hostage. Israel’s offensive has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

    U.S. and U.N. officials say Israeli restrictions on food shipments since Oct. 7 have brought on full-fledged famine in northern Gaza.

    Tensions between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about how the war, as well as domestic tensions about U.S. support for Israel with protests on U.S. college campuses and many Republican lawmakers saying that Biden needs to give Israel whatever it needs. The issue could play a major role in the outcome of November’s presidential election.

    Biden said in an interview last week with CNN that his administration would not provide weapons that Israel could use for an all-out assault in Rafah.

    Blinken appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” and NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

    Apple apologizes for ‘Crush’ iPad Pro ad after creators react

    Peter Watson
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    Apple apologizes for ‘Crush’ iPad Pro ad after creators react

    Apple has a history of iconic commercials, but its most recent video ad, posted on YouTube and X to promote the new iPad Pro went too far for some, as it dealt a crushing blow to many art forms.

    play

    Apple‘s latest advertisement crushed it – and not in a good way.

    The 1-minute ad meant to highlight the thinness of the new iPad Pro touched a nerve among some in the creative community – maybe because the analogy hit too close to home at a time when artificial intelligence threatens creators.

    In the ad, an imaginary trash compactor-like contraption crushes musical instruments, a record player, a TV, a video game arcade machine, a sculpture and a painting, a chess board, computers, books, sketches and cans of paint – with a rainbow of colors spilling over the side like blood – to produce an iPad.

    Entitled “Crush!,” the ad landed Tuesday on YouTube and CEO Tim Cook’s account on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. It was meant to promote the tech giant’s event Wednesday about all the new iPad developments.

    Keep an eye out for creeps: Hidden camera detectors and tips to keep up your sleeve

    But reaction was so negative that on Thursday, the company issued a mea culpa.

    “Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and it’s incredibly important to us to design products that empower creatives all over the world,” Apple marketing vice president Tor Myhren said in a statement to Ad Age. “Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad. We missed the mark with this video, and we’re sorry.”

    Apple did not respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY.

    What was wrong about the new Apple iPad Pro advertisement?

    Some took how Apple destroyed tools of creativity and art forms literally – a notion many thought Apple should have been sensitive to.

    “The destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley,” actor Hugh Grant posted on X.

    The ad “turned my stomach. Then, it made me incredibly angry. Then, I was just sad,” Shelly Palmer, a tech/media/marketing consultant and professor of advanced media in residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, wrote in his newsletter and on his blog Friday.

    Despite the ad’s supposed intention “to demonstrate how all of the tools we use to create and consume art and music are combined to create an iPad,” Palmer said. “To me, it is a horrifying declaration of how Apple thinks about the creative community.”

    To Cook, he said, “I’m asking you directly: Is this what you think of the creative community? Is it your goal to crush us? To crush the life out of our instruments? To literally crush our souls?”

    Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Nick Anderson posted on X a drawing of an emoji representing creatives getting squished.

    In a column, Julian Sancton, the senior features editor at The Hollywood Reporter wrote, “You can imagine the pitch: ‘All of human creation compressed into one impossibly sleek tablet.’ But the end result feels more like: ‘All of human creation sacrificed for a lifeless gadget’.”

    Sancton, who is the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit alleging copyright infringement by OpenAI and Microsoft, added: “Indeed, at a time of bipartisan skepticism about tech and its destructive effects on society – and, in the case of generative AI, its callous disregard for human creators – it seems designed to offend as many people as possible.”

    Garr Reynolds, a professor of management and communication design at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan, and author of Presentation Zen, made this comparison on X: “This new iPad ad is to Apple commercials what the 1978 ‘Star Wars Holiday Special’ was to Star Wars. Toss this iPad commercial in the trash and let us never speak of it again. Alternatively, rerelease it with the first 57 seconds removed: the last 3-seconds were great.”

    Not everyone was verklempt over the ad. “I can both think the new iPad Pro ad was a big miss AND think the twitter reactions to it are downright stupid,” Jack Appleby, author of the Future Social newsletter on social media strategy, posted on X.

    “Yeah, it’s a bad ad,” he continued. “But you all understand the point of the ad. And worse? None of you could do your jobs without these Apple products.”

    Contributing: Reuters.

    Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.

    What’s everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day

    BAFTA TV Awards 2024 Winners Unveiled

    Peter Watson
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    BAFTA TV Awards 2024 Winners Unveiled
    'Happy Valley's Sarah Lancashire accepts the BAFTA TV Award for best leading actress.

    ‘Happy Valley’s Sarah Lancashire accepts the BAFTA TV Award for best leading actress.


    Courtesy of Getty Images

    The 2024 BAFTA Television Awards have taken place in London on Sunday evening, bringing much excitement and glamor to the British capital.

    The Crown and Black Mirror led the nominations, unveiled in March, with eight and seven, respectively, followed by Happy Valley, Slow Horses, and The Sixth Commandment with six each. Other multiple nominees include the likes of The Last of Us, The Long Shadow, and Succession.

    In the performance categories, 17 of the 44 nominees received their first BAFTA TV Awards nomination, including the likes of David Tennant (Good Omens), Hannah Waddingham (Eurovision Song Contest 2023), Harriet Walters (Succession), Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us), and Elizabeth Debicki (The Crown).

    Sunday’s honors follow the recent BAFTA Television Craft Awards 2024, which were handed out in London in late April. Black Mirror, The Last of Us, and Slow Horses were among the big winners that night.

    This Sunday, the BAFTA TV Awards ceremony, held at London’s Royal Festival Hall, and also airing on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer later in the evening, is being hosted by comedians Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan.

    Among the award presenters unveiled ahead of Sunday’s ceremony were the likes of Jeff Goldblum, Lashana Lynch, Martin Freeman, Aidan Turner, as well as Baby Reindeer duo Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning.

    Follow along as THR updates the winners, highlighted in bold, of the 2024 BAFTA TV Awards below.

    LEADING ACTRESS

    ANJANA VASAN Demon 79 (Black Mirror) – Broke & Bones / Netflix

    ANNE REID The Sixth Commandment – Wild Mercury Productions, True Vision / BBC One

    BELLA RAMSEY The Last of Us – Sony Pictures Television Studios, PlayStation Productions,, Naughty Dog, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, HBO / Sky Atlantic

    HELENA BONHAM CARTER Nolly – Quay Street Productions / ITVX

    SARAH LANCASHIRE Happy Valley – Lookout Point, AMC / BBC One (WINNER)

    SHARON HORGAN Best Interests – AC Chapter One / BBC One

    LEADING ACTOR

    BRIAN COX Succession – Project Zeus, Hyberobject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions, Hot Seat Productions, HBO / Sky Atlantic

    DOMINIC WEST The Crown – Left Bank Pictures / Netflix

    KANE ROBINSON Top Boy – Cowboy Films / Netflix

    PAAPA ESSIEDU The Lazarus Project – Urban Myth Films / Sky Max

    STEVE COOGAN The Reckoning – ITV Studios / BBC One

    TIMOTHY SPALL The Sixth Commandment – Wild Mercury Productions, True Vision / BBC One (WINNER)

    ENTERTAINMENT PERFORMANCE

    ANTHONY McPARTLIN, DECLAN DONNELLY I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! – Lifted Entertainment / ITV1

    BIG ZUU Big Zuu’s Big Eats – Boom, Big Productions / Dave

    GRAHAM NORTON The Graham Norton Show – So Television / BBC One

    HANNAH WADDINGHAM Eurovision Song Contest 2023 – BBC Studios / BBC One

    JOE LYCETT Late Night Lycett – Rumpus Media, My Options Were Limited / Channel 4 (WINNER)

    ROB BECKETT, ROMESH RANGANATHAN Rob & Romesh Vs – CPL Productions / Sky Max

    SCRIPTED COMEDY

    BIG BOYS Jack Rooke, Jim Archer, Bertie Peek, Ash Atalla, Alex Smith – Roughcut TV / Channel 4

    DREAMING WHILST BLACK Thomas Stogdon, Dhanny Joshi, Adjani Salmon, Ali Hughes, Nicola Gregory, Yemi Oyefuwa – Big Deal Films, A24 / BBC Three

    EXTRAORDINARY Emma Moran, Toby MacDonald, Sally Woodward Gentle, Lee Morris, Charlie Palmer, Jennifer Sheridan – Sid Gentle Film / Disney+

    SUCH BRAVE GIRLS Kat Sadler, Simon Bird, Catherine Gosling Fuller, Jack Bayles, Phil Clarke – Various Artists Limited / BBC Three (WINNER)

    DRAMA SERIES

    THE GOLD Production Team – Tannadice Pictures / BBC One

    HAPPY VALLEY Sally Wainwright, Sarah Lancashire, Jessica Taylor, Faith Penhale, Will Johnston, Fergus O’Brien – Lookout Point, AMC / BBC One

    SLOW HORSES Saul Metzstein, Will Smith, Jane Robertson, Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Iain Canning – See-Saw Films / Apple TV+

    TOP BOY Production Team – Cowboy Films / Netflix (WINNER)

    SINGLE DOCUMENTARY

    DAVID HOLMES: THE BOY WHO LIVED Dan Hartley, Kevin Konak, Simon Chinn, Jonathan Chinn, Vanessa Davies, Amy Stares – Lightbox / Sky Documentaries

    ELLIE SIMMONDS: FINDING MY SECRET FAMILY Jasleen Sethi, David Thompson, Colleen Flynn, Kathryn Jein, Nick Underhill – Flicker Productions / ITV1 (WINNER)

    HATTON Daniel Dewsbury, Paul Yoshida, Sam Bergson, Ian Davies, John McKenna – Noah Media Group, Sky Studios / Sky Crime

    VJERAN TOMIC: THE SPIDER-MAN OF PARIS Jamie Roberts, Dan Reed – Amos Pictures / Netflix

    P&O CRUISES MEMORABLE MOMENT AWARD (voted for by the public)

    BECKHAM David teases Victoria about her ‘working class’ upbringing – Studio99, Ventureland / Netflix

    DOCTOR WHO Ncuti Gatwa being revealed as the 15th Doctor – Bad Wolf, BBC Studios Productions / BBC One

    HAPPY VALLEY Catherine Cawood and Tommy Lee Royce’s final kitchen showdown – Lookout Point, AMC / BBC One (WINNER)

    THE LAST OF US Bill and Frank’s Story – Sony Pictures Television Studios, PlayStation Productions, Naughty Dog, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, HBO / Sky Atlantic

    THE PIANO 13-year old Lucy stuns commuters with jaw dropping piano performance – Love Productions / Channel 4

    SUCCESSION Logan Roy’s death – Project Zeus, Hyberobject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions, Hot Seat Productions, HBO / Sky Atlantic

    FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT

    CELEBRITY RACE ACROSS THE WORLD Production Team – Studio Lambert / BBC One (WINNER)

    THE DOG HOUSE Production Team – Five Mile Films / Channel 4

    ENDURANCE: RACE TO THE POLE Alexis Girardet, Mike Warner, Adam Bullmore, Martin Long – October Films / Channel 5

    PORTRAIT ARTIST OF THE YEAR Production Team – Storyvault Films / Sky Arts

    SOAP

    CASUALTY Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One (WINNER)

    EASTENDERS Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One

    EMMERDALE Production Team – ITV Studios / ITV1

    DAYTIME

    LOOSE WOMEN AND MEN Production Team – ITV Studios Daytime / ITV1

    LORRAINE Production Team – ITV Studios Daytime / ITV1

    MAKE IT AT MARKET Martin Connery, Aman Mistry, Iain Robson, Kim Merrick, Lauren Elliott, Andrew Snowball – Flabbergast TV / BBC One

    SCAM INTERCEPTORS Production Team – BBC Studios Documentary Unit / BBC One (WINNER)

    INTERNATIONAL

    THE BEAR Christopher Storer, Joanna Calo, Josh Senior, Matty Matheson, Tyson Bidner – FX Productions / Disney+

    BEEF Lee Sung Jin, Steven Yeun    , Ali Wong, Jake Schreier, Ravi Nandan, Alli Reich – A24 / Netflix

    CLASS ACT Bruno Nahon, Tristan Séguela, Olivier Demangel, Laurent Lafitte – de Passe Entertainment / Netflix (WINNER)

    THE LAST OF US Production Team – Sony Pictures Television Studios, PlayStation Productions, Naughty Dog, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, HBO / Sky Atlantic

    LOVE & DEATH Production Team – Lionsgate, David E. Kelley Productions, Blossom Films, Texas Monthly / ITVX

    SUCCESSION Production Team – Project Zeus, Hyberobject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions, Hot Seat Productions, HBO / Sky Atlantic

    NEWS COVERAGE

    CHANNEL 4 NEWS: INSIDE GAZA: ISRAEL AND HAMAS AT WAR Esme Wren, Federico Escher, Helene Cacace, Matt Frei, Secunder Kermani, Millicent Teasdale – ITN / Channel 4 (WINNER)

    SKY NEWS: INSIDE MYANMAR – THE HIDDEN WAR Production Team – Sky News / Sky News

    SKY NEWS: ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR Production Team – Sky News / Sky News

    CURRENT AFFAIRS

    INSIDE RUSSIA: TRAITORS AND HEROES (STORYVILLE) Paul Mitchell, Anastasia Popova, Mikhail Kozyrev, Daria Olevskaya, Monica Garnsey, Emma Hindley – BBC News World Service, Ronachan Films / BBC Four

    PUTIN vs THE WEST Norma Percy, Tim Stirzaker, Lucy Hetherington, Lotte Murphy-Johnson, Max Stern – Brook Lapping / BBC Two

    RUSSELL BRAND: IN PLAIN SIGHT (DISPATCHES) Production Team – Hardcash Productions / Channel 4

    THE SHAMIMA BEGUM STORY (THIS WORLD)  Joshua Baker, Sara Obeidat, Sasha Joelle Achilli, Sarah Waldron, Simon McMahon, Mustafa Al-Ali – BBC Current Affairs / BBC Two (WINNER)

    LIMITED DRAMA

    BEST INTERESTS Production Team – AC Chapter One / BBC One

    DEMON 79 (BLACK MIRROR) Charlie Brooker, Richard Webb, Jessica Rhoades, Bisha K. Ali, Annabel Jones, Toby Haynes – Broke & Bones / Netflix

    THE LONG SHADOW George Kay, Lewis Arnold, Matt Sandford, Sarah Lewis, Sacha Szwarc, Willow Grylls – New Pictures / ITV1

    THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT Derek Wax, Brian Woods, Sarah Phelps, Saul Dibb, Frances du Pille – Wild Mercury Productions, True Vision / BBC One (WINNER)

    FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY

    BRIDGET CHRISTIE The Change – Expectation / Channel 4

    GBEMISOLA IKUMELO Black Ops – BBC Studios Comedy Productions, Mondo Deluxe Productions / BBC One (WINNER)

    MÁIRÉAD TYERS Extraordinary – Sid Gentle Films / Disney+

    ROISIN GALLAGHER The Lovers – Drama Republic / Sky Atlantic

    SOFIA OXENHAM Extraordinary – Sid Gentle Films / Disney+

    TAJ ATWAL Hullraisers – Fable Pictures / Channel 4

    MALE PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY

    ADJANI SALMON Dreaming Whilst Black – Big Deal Films, A24 / BBC Three

    DAVID TENNANT Good Omens – BBC Studios Comedy Productions, Narrativia, The Blank Corporation / Prime Video

    HAMMED ANIMASHAUN Black Ops – BBC Studios Comedy Productions, Mondo Deluxe Productions / BBC One

    JAMIE DEMETRIOU A Whole Lifetime with Jamie Demetriou – BBC Studios Comedy Productions, Guilty Party Pictures / Netflix

    JOSEPH GILGUN Brassic – Calamity Films / Sky Max

    MAWAAN RIZWAN Juice – Various Artists Limited / BBC Three (WINNER)

    SPORTS COVERAGE

    CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL DAY ONE Richard Willoughby, Paul McNamara, Mark Demuth, Bridget Toomey, Rob Oldham, Dionne Robinson-Smith, Andrew Hill – ITV Sport / ITV1 (WINNER)

    MOTD LIVE: FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 2023 Production Team – IMG / BBC One

    WIMBLEDON 2023 MEN’S FINAL Production Team – BBC Sport, Wimbledon Broadcast Services / BBC One

    LIVE EVENT COVERAGE

    THE CORONATION CONCERT Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One

    EUROVISION SONG CONTEST 2023 Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One (WINNER)

    ROYAL BRITISH LEGION FESTIVAL OF REMEMBRANCE Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One

    REALITY

    BANGED UP Production Team – Shine TV / Channel 4

    MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT UK Danielle Lux   , Murray Boland, Rachel Viner, Susy Price, James Kayler, Dermot Caulfield – CPL Productions / E4

    MY MUM, YOUR DAD Production Team – Lifted Entertainment / ITV1

    SQUID GAME: THE CHALLENGE Stephen Lambert, Tim Harcourt, John Hay, Nicola Brown, Toni Ireland, Stephen Yemoh – Studio Lambert / Netflix (WINNER)

    FACTUAL SERIES

    DUBLIN NARCOS Benedict Sanderson, Claire McFall, Sacha Baveystock, Edmund Coulthard, Megan Taylor, Laura Dunne – Blast! Films / Sky Documentaries

    EVACUATION Production Team – Wonderhood Studios / Channel 4

    LOCKERBIE Nancy Strang, John Dower, Claire McFall, Barnaby Fry, Dejan Cancar, Charlie Hawryliw – Mindhouse Productions / Sky Documentaries (WINNER)

    ONCE UPON A TIME IN NORTHERN IRELAND Production Team – KEO Films, Walk On Air Films / BBC Two

    SPECIALIST FACTUAL

    CHIMP EMPIRE James Reed, Matt Houghton, Callum Webster, Matt Cole – KEO Films, Underdog Films / Netflix

    THE ENFIELD POLTERGEIST Jerry Rothwell   , Al Morrow, Stewart le Maréchal, Nicole Stott, Jonathan Silberberg, Davis Guggenheim – MetFilm, Concordia Studio / Apple TV+

    FORCED OUT Production Team – Dragonfly / Sky Documentaries

    WHITE NANNY, BLACK CHILD Andy Mundy-Castle, Natasha Dack Ojumu, Rochelle Newman, Zeb Achonu, Ross Leppard, Rachael McLean-Anderson – Doc Hearts, TigerLily Productions, BFI / Channel 5 (WINNER)

    SHORT FORM

    MOBILITY Jack Carroll, Thomas Gregory, Akaash Meeda, David Simpson, Sam Ward – Tiger Aspect Productions / BBC Three (WINNER)

    THE SKEWER: THREE TWISTED YEARS Production Team – unusual / BBC iPlayer

    STEALING UKRAINE’S CHILDREN: INSIDE RUSSIA’S CAMPS Production Team – VICE UK / VICE News

    WHERE IT ENDS Jack Robertson, Fergal Costello, Sam Ward, David Simpson – Tiger Aspect Productions / BBC Three

    COMEDY ENTERTAINMENT

    THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW Graham Norton, Graham Stuart, Jon Magnusson, Toby Baker, Catherine Strauss, Pete Snell – So Television / BBC One

    LATE NIGHT LYCETT Production Team – Rumpus Media, My Options Were Limited / Channel 4

    ROB & ROMESH VS Danielle Lux, Murray Boland, Jack Shillaker, Bill Righton, David Taylor, Graham Proud – CPL Productions / Sky Max (WINNER)

    WOULD I LIE TO YOU? Peter Holmes, Rachel Ablett, Jake Graham, Zoe Waterman, Liz Clare, Barbara Wiltshire – Zeppotron / BBC One

    ENTERTAINMENT

    HANNAH WADDINGHAM: HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Hannah Waddingham, Hamish Hamilton, Katy Mullen, Moira Ross, Raj Kapoor, Nick Todisco – Done + Dusted / Apple TV+

    LATER… WITH JOOLS HOLLAND Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC Two

    MICHAEL MCINTYRE’S BIG SHOW Christian Fletcher, Dan Baldwin, James Pratt, Lisa Kirk, Sarah Mittell, Simon Staffurth – Hungry McBear / BBC One

    STRICTLY COME DANCING Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One (WINNER)

    SUPPORTING ACTOR

    AMIT SHAH Happy Valley – Lookout Point, AMC / BBC One

    ÉANNA HARDWICKE The Sixth Commandment – Wild Mercury Productions, True Vision / BBC One

    HARRIS DICKINSON A Murder at the End of the World FX Productions / Disney+

    JACK LOWDEN Slow Horses – See-Saw Films / Apple TV+

    MATTHEW MACFADYEN Succession – Project Zeus, Hyberobject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions, Hot Seat Productions, HBO / Sky Atlantic (WINNER)

    SALIM DAW The Crown – Left Bank Pictures / Netflix

    SUPPORTING ACTRESS

    ELIZABETH DEBICKI The Crown – Left Bank Pictures / Netflix

    HARRIET WALTER Succession – Project Zeus, Hyberobject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions and Hot Seat Productions, HBO / Sky Atlantic

    JASMINE JOBSON Top Boy – Cowboy Films / Netflix (WINNER)

    LESLEY MANVILLE The Crown – Left Bank Pictures / Netflix

    NICO PARKER The Last of Us – Sony Pictures Television Studios, PlayStation Productions, Naughty Dog, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, HBO / Sky Atlantic

    SIOBHAN FINNERAN Happy Valley – Lookout Point, AMC / BBC One

    Mike Tyson receives firm warning about his lifestyle ahead of huge Jake Paul fight

    Peter Watson
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    0
    Mike Tyson receives firm warning about his lifestyle ahead of huge Jake Paul fight

    Mike Tyson has been warned about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle ahead of his seismic showdown with Jake Paul later this year.

    It will be the 57-year-old’s first fight in four years, having last fought Roy Jones Jr back in 2020.

    Tyson has given up sex and cannabis as he looks to beat Paul, with the boxing icon also updating fans with clips of him working in the gym.

    Yet former boxing star Vitor Belfort has warned Tyson that, in order to beat Paul, he shouldn’t be maintaining a healthy lifestyle for just a few months.

    Mike Tyson has been warned about his lifestyle and the need to maintain a healthy one as he looks to beat Jake Paul later this year

    GETTY

    He instead thinks Tyson should have been looking after himself for a long period in order to boost his chances of glory.

    Belfort told World Boxing News: “It is good business for both fighters.

    “They generate a lot of money for each other, which is good for the sport.

    “But only Mike can answer that question. I don’t think it would be a good idea if he only trained for this fight.

    “A fighter always has to keep up a healthy lifestyle. I hope that he is.”

    Belfort previously fought Evander Holyfield in an exhibition match back in 2021.

    Addressing comparisons between that showdown and the upcoming fight between Tyson and Paul, he continued: “When I fought Holyfield, he was very strong and very fit, but I was the better man on that night.

    “If he hit me, I could have gone down – that is the nature of the sport.

    “However, I hit him first.

    “This fight feels more like an exhibition, and I don’t think Mike is the same fighter he used to be.”

    ​Tyson, meanwhile, has also been speaking as the showdown approaches.

    And the 57-year-old has revealed he’s hoping hypnosis can give him an edge as he looks to wind back the years in two months’ time.

    “I’m an exponent of hypnosis,” he recently told Nick Kyrgios.

    “I was raised off of hypnosis since I was 13, 14, to the end of my career. I always had hypnosis before I fought.

    “It only works with, and only certain people get it. Not everybody gets it.

    Mike Tyson

    Mike Tyson has been training hard in the gym as he prepares for his fight with Jake Paul

    INSTAGRAM

    “I guess that’s what life is all about. Not everybody’s the same, but I got it, and it’s all about reaching your self conscious.

    “You have a connection with your self-consciousness and your ferociousness.

    “Everything’s about being connected and using that for your fighting. Everything’s love. Everything is connected to love.

    “Even us that’s going to war. I got hooked back. And it’s war, and there’s love. Everything’s love.”

    While Tyson has given up sex, Paul has revealed he won’t be following suit.

    Jake Paul

    Mike Tyson is coming out of retirement to face off against Jake Paul later this year

    GETTY

    He said on his podcast: “If I didn’t have sex for like… if I restrain myself for like two weeks I start having wet dreams because my body’s like, ‘Get this out!’

    “It’s not weird, it just means that I’m normal.”

    Manchester United 0 Arsenal 1: Title race still alive, Trossard key again, Casemiro blunder

    Peter Watson
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    0
    Manchester United 0 Arsenal 1: Title race still alive, Trossard key again, Casemiro blunder

    Arsenal beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford to return to the top of the Premier League, with just one match remaining for Mikel Arteta’s side this season.

    Leandro Trossard scored the all-important goal from close range following Kai Havertz’s pass. It now means the title race will go to the final day with Manchester City — who are a point behind Arsenal on 85 — playing their game in hand against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.

    United, meanwhile, are in eighth on 54 points, three points behind Chelsea and Newcastle United, with two games remaining.

    Carl Anka, James McNicholas and Liam Tharme break down the key talking points from the game…

    Trossard turns up when it matters… again

    Neither Gabriel Jesus nor Gabriel Martinelli have been as effective in front of goal as expected this season, with just 10 league goals between them. Fortunately, someone else has stepped up: Trossard. He tucked home the opener for his 12th Premier League goal this season — his 17th in all competitions.

    His form has seen him displace Martinelli as first choice on the left wing, and he justified Arteta’s faith at Old Trafford with another critical contribution. Trossard is arguably the most natural finisher in the Arsenal squad and has a habit of delivering big moments even when he appears to be on the periphery of the game.

    Typically, Trossard scoring has been a positive omen for Arsenal. Heading into this game, Arsenal had won their last nine Premier League games when the Belgian scored and were without a defeat in the last dozen games in which he found the net.

    James McNicholas

    It has been a week to forget for Casemiro. The 32-year-old was beaten and bullied by Crystal Palace players in Monday’s 4-0 defeat before he was dropped from the Brazil squad for the 2024 Copa America on Friday.

    The formerly imperious defensive midfielder has been struggling for United all season as injuries, tactical adjustments and other oddities have left him a shadow of his former self.

    This is not the Casemiro that was a controlled frenzy of a man, patrolling Real Madrid’s midfield on his way to winning five Champions League titles. This is not the man who waved away Marcel Sabitzer in February 2023, comfortable in the knowledge few Premier League attackers could beat him.

    This season’s Casemiro has been slow to recognise footballing dangers and naive when reacting to them. Arsenal’s opener in the 20th minute saw Casemiro — who was again moonlighting at centre-back — dawdling by the byline when Andre Onana attempted a short goal kick.

    Arsenal’s aggressive counter-press recovered the ball quickly but Casemiro had barely meandered past the edge of Onana’s penalty area by the time Havertz came into space on the right.

    Instead of sprinting at top pace to join his team-mates and possibly set an offside trap, Casemiro moved without urgency.

    Havertz’s pass found Trossard at the near post and Arsenal found themselves a goal up. The (reasonably) good work United had done up to that point had expired. As Gary Neville said on commentary for Sky Sports: “That is a basic error. You have to get up quicker, and he ambles out. There is no excuse for that.”

    What Erik ten Hag’s side gained from Casemiro’s long passing from deep (he nearly set up Rasmus Hojlund with a pass over the top in the game’s opening 10 minutes), was balanced by everything else.

    Casemiro is not a centre-back — nor would he, or anyone associated with United, have gone into the season expecting him to play there in an injury-enforced emergency. However, at a time when Ten Hag needs big performances from his most experienced players, Casemiro keeps making juvenile mistakes.

    Carl Anka

    Saliba and that tackle

    What’s the biggest difference between Arsenal this time last year and Arsenal now?

    There are a few possible answers: Declan Rice, a growing sense of maturity, going blow for blow with City rather than holding onto a lead. But the biggest of all might be the availability of William Saliba.


    Saliba was imperious for Arsenal (Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

    The centre-back’s value to Arsenal was shown during the second half when he executed a sublime tackle on Alejandro Garnacho. With the Argentina international bearing down on him, Saliba backtracked before stepping in with perfect timing. If a tackle can be a thing of beauty, then this was surely it.

    During last season’s run-in, Arsenal lacked composure. Saliba epitomises it. In a game in which Arsenal were some way short of their best, they could still rely on the 23-year-old to keep United at arm’s length.

    James McNicholas

    An Arsenal of options

    “We know the difficulty and the history,” said Arteta pre-match, of a ground where Arsenal had only won four times in 31 Premier League visits.

    An injury-hit United side or not, it was a professional performance compared to how they came unstuck and faded away to Bayern Munich and Porto in the Champions League. Arsenal started the game sitting off, forcing United to try to play through the compact mid-block, then hitting with the sucker-punch goal.

    There were a couple of heroics in Arsenal’s own box — notably Saliba’s tackle (as described above) — but it took more than 67 minutes for United to register a shot on target.

    Arsenal showed their different faces throughout, pinning United back at the start of the second half with possession upfield, counter-pressing aggressively to win it back as quickly as they lost it. There was also some slick build-up using Havertz as a false nine and wingers running inside him, and the other end of the tactical spectrum with wingers defending deep in a back six.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Arsenal’s rest defence is the most underrated weapon in the title race

    Never mind only a second Old Trafford Premier League win since 2007, Arsenal made it 42 points, 13 wins, 11 clean sheets and only 13 goals conceded in Premier League away games in 2023-24 — their best season on the road since the 2003-04 Invincibles…

    Liam Tharme

    Any crumbs of comfort for United?

    The last few weeks have seen Ten Hag at pains to express the impact injuries have had on United’s season. The Dutchman had ambitions to turn United into a transition-based side, but a litany of ailments have made him unable to field his best XI for large sections of the season.

    At the start of the game, Ten Hag had gone through 14 different centre-back combinations this season. Arsenal, for comparison, had used three.

    United are a team low in confidence and lacking familiar passing rhythms — as seen in a second half which saw multiple misplaced passes from United players in the final third, with individuals unsure of where to go and what to do in the rare moments they had possession in dangerous areas.

    If there are any crumbs of comfort, they will likely be in United’s midfield balance.

    Sofyan Amrabat was afforded a rare start in central midfield and was tasked with collecting the ball from United’s centre-backs during the build-up. The Moroccan would also sit next to Kobbie Mainoo when the side did not have the ball, creating a simple but not always seen screen ahead of the front four.

    United were not the inconsistent and often incoherent pressers they have been in the past against Arsenal, instead staying in a more-compact-than-usual 4-4-2 shape when their opponents were looking to recycle possession.

    Amad — who had to be substituted in the 70th minute with what looked to be an impact injury — did look dangerous in parts when progressing the ball in attacking areas. It may have been his first Premier League start, but he has made a case to get more game time soon (health permitting.)

    Carl Anka

    What did the managers say?

    We’ll bring you this after both Ten Hag and Arteta have spoken at their post-match press conference.

    What next for Arsenal? (… supporting Spurs?)

    Sunday, May 19: Everton (H), Premier League, 4pm UK, 11am ET

    After Manchester City fans endured watching this game hoping for a United win, Arsenal supporters face the unedifying prospect of having to support Spurs when they host City on Tuesday night. Arsenal know that if they’re to win this title, they need a favour from elsewhere.

    Arteta’s side then face Everton at the Emirates, who they’ve only lost to twice at home in the Premier League era (31 matches), winning 24 and drawing five.

    What next for Manchester United?

    Wednesday, May 15: Newcastle United (H), Premier League, 8pm UK, 3pm ET

    With Newcastle only having a solitary league win at Old Trafford since 1972, history is with Manchester United. Yet, Eddie Howe’s much-depleted Newcastle beat United 3-0 there in the Carabao Cup in November.

    Recommended reading

    (Top photo: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

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