Latest news with #MarkSmith
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pochettino says Tottenham links are ‘not realistic' after USMNT loss to Turkey
Mauricio Pochettino has been the head coach of USA since late 2024 and says he is used to be linked with the Tottenham job. Mauricio Pochettino has been the head coach of USA since late 2024 and says he is used to be linked with the Tottenham job. Photograph: Mark Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images Mauricio Pochettino pushed back against suggestions he is a candidate to take over the newly-vacant Tottenham Hotspur managerial position, telling reporters on Saturday that it was 'not realistic' for him to leave his current role as US men's national team manager. Pochettino had been considered a possible candidate to replace Ange Postecoglou, who was sacked by Tottenham on 6 June despite him leading the club to Europa League glory – the club's first trophy in 17 years. However, Tottenham finished 17th in the Premier League, their lowest position since 1977. Advertisement Related: Shorthanded United States let lead slip in soggy 2-1 defeat to Turkey Pochettino enjoyed a successful run at Spurs from 2014 to 2019, challenging for the Premier League title in 2016 and advancing to the Champions League final in his last season. He was let go because of Tottenham's league performance – the club finished 14th. 'After I left [Tottenham] in 2019, every time [the manager position] is free … my name appeared on the list,' Pochettino said following USA's 2-1 loss to Turkey in a friendly on Saturday afternoon. 'If you have seen the rumors, I think we are 100 coaches on the list of the club. Don't be worried about that. If something happens, we for sure will see. But we cannot talk about this type of thing because I think today it's not real. I think it's not realistic. And look – where I am, where we are? The answer is so clear, no?' Pochettino took over the US national team at the end of 2024 and has overseen a mixed bag of performances in his first nine months. Saturday's friendly was seen mostly as a way to regain the team's footing after a pair of far below-par outings in March's Nations League finals, with the team losing to Panama and Canada and looking generally listless throughout. Even though they lost, the US played with far more verve against Turkey than they had in March. Pochettino has called in a younger and less-experienced squad for this summer's games, with several of the team's first-choice stars out – either by choice, for health reasons, for personal reasons, or due to their club's participation in the Club World Cup. Jack McGlynn, one of those newcomers, opened the scoring on Saturday with a signature curling effort from outside the box. Later that half, two defensive miscues in about three minutes doomed the Americans, with both resulting in goals.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Eurostar says there's no room for rivals at its depot – I went to judge for myself
'I think of it as like entering Hagia Sophia for the first time,' says Gareth Williams, Eurostar's General Secretary, as we enter the main shed at Temple Mills. There's more heavy machinery, fewer intricate mosaics, sure, but I get his point. This depot, fringing the east side of Hackney Marshes in East London, is vast: more than a quarter of a mile long, wide enough to house eight Eurostar trains side-by-side, tall enough to hoist them high up into the air. For around 400 people, this temple of engineering is the office. Every day of the year (Christmas Day included), Eurostar trains roll in and out for maintenance. Toilets are deep cleaned, lights tinkered, electrics rewired, wheels replaced. Sometimes, damage caused by foxes or wild boars must be attended to. Nowhere else in the country is equipped to service high-speed trains, and throughout its 18-year history, the Temple Mills depot has slipped happily under the radar (previously, Eurostar's trains were serviced at North Pole depot in West London, before operations moved from Waterloo to St Pancras). But recently, Temple Mills has been making headlines. In the last 12 months, a suite of rival rail operators – including Virgin Trains, Gemini (a start-up that plans to co-brand with Uber) and the state-owned FS Italiane Group, alongside Spanish operator Evolyn – have launched bids to run trains through the Channel Tunnel. All of these bids hinge on an important question: where will their trains be stored and serviced? So all eyes, naturally, are on Eurostar's existing depot at Temple Mills, but there is disagreement as to whether there is capacity for any more trains. The future of cross-Channel rail travel lies within these walls. My tour of Temple Mills begins on a mezzanine walkway overlooking the main shed. On this Wednesday evening there are five trains being serviced across eight roads. Between now and midnight another six will roll in. Eurostar has drivers whose sole job is to move the trains in and out of the facility, a process described as 'train Jenga' and choreographed in a small nerve-centre control room. Running this depot is a logistical undertaking for one rail firm, let alone two, but this week the Office of Road and Rail gave a preliminary verdict that there's potential capacity at Temple Mills for one more operator 'at most', or for Eurostar to grow. 'Today's report is great news for passengers on both sides of the Channel,' Virgin Trains responded. 'It confirms what we already knew – that there is the capacity Virgin needs at Temple Mills – bringing the Group even closer to unlocking competition on the cross-Channel route.' Evolyn, Gemini and FS Italiane Group declined the opportunity to respond, but Mark Smith, the Man in Seat 61, says: 'Evolyn/Trenitalia seem front runners as Trenitalia have some Hitachi Frecciarossa 1000s in the pipeline, which could be added to or diverted for this service. The other contenders are starting from scratch.' The message from Eurostar, however, is quite different. 'The depot is essentially full,' Gareth Williams says, as we walk past a series of pink bikes used by depot staff to travel around the vast complex. 'If you move the furniture about, what the report says is that one, maybe one and a half of these roads will be potentially available.' It is thought that these 1.5 roads could handle an additional fleet of five trains at most, but Virgin Trains plans to invest in a dozen trains and the other operators are likely to put in orders for at least ten. Eurostar has 17 e320 trains that are serviced at this depot, while its eight e300s are serviced at Le Landy depot near Paris. We enter a warehouse store room described as the 'Ikea Zone' with more than 80,000 components stacked on high shelves. Nuts, bolts, windscreens, coffee machines. If another operator moves in, they will need their own warehouse space. Another canteen. More trains. More blocks in the game of Jenga. This store room is an example of what moving another operator into Temple Mills would entail. There are other nuances in the discussion of capacity at Temple Mills. There are two 'Cripple Roads' at Temple Mills that house old Eurostar trains that are stripped for parts, and the ORR's initial report suggested the roads in the reception area could plausibly be put to more effective use. But when the independent regulator says there's potential space for another operator to squeeze in, this is not the same as saying such a squeeze is practically viable for all parties. And anyway – Eurostar has its own plans for expansion. The French-owned firm plans to invest up to £1.5bn in a new 50-train fleet and new facilities at Temple Mills, as well as increasing capacity at stations including St Pancras International. They say that there are a number of other suitable sites available for competitors, including one at Stratford not far from Temple Mills. 'There's got to be an answer that gives everyone else who is prepared to invest the same opportunity to build their own facilities,' says Williams. 'A solution needs to be found, but it's not going to be found on one road in this shed.' For passengers, the sooner things get sorted in Temple Mills, the better. Competition would likely mean more destinations on the map. All of the rival firms have hinted at plans beyond the current Eurostar map featuring Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Lille, which has seen stops like Lyon, Marseille and Disneyland Paris crossed out over the years. Potential new routes to Bordeaux, Milan, Zurich and Frankfurt are all on the table. Even Eurostar agrees competition is no bad thing: 'It's not competition that kills companies, it's stagnation,' says Gareth Williams. Tickets could become cheaper too. The infrastructure consultancy firm, Steer, predicts that growth in capacity in the Channel Tunnel (from 11m to 35m by 2040) could see ticket prices go down by up to 30 per cent. There is also the potential that the overall service would be improved as well. Eurostar has had a monopoly on the line since 1994. Any new pretenders will be keen to offer unique services, whether it be quicker Wi-Fi, more leg-room, greater eco-credentials or finer dining options, to set them apart. For now, that's all hypothetical, as the rail firms have this week been ordered to file final submissions 'at pace' to allow the ORR to make a decision, by October, as to whether they will be granted access to Temple Mills, or if Eurostar will be given the nod to expand. As I left the Temple Mills complex, something about its carbuncular boxy exterior made me reflect on the Hagia Sophia comparison once again. For the first thousand years of its existence, Istanbul's most iconic holy building was used as a church, before being converted into a mosque in the 1300s, a museum in the 20th century, and more recently, a mosque once again. It is an example of how buildings can be repurposed and adapted through the ages as dynasties rise and fall. In a matter of months, we will know whether the throwaway comparison was more prescient than Eurostar's General Secretary intended. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. Fourth Quarter and Full Fiscal 2025 Financial Release and Conference Call Alert
Maryville, Tennessee--(Newsfile Corp. - June 5, 2025) - Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: SWBI), a U.S.-based leader in firearm manufacturing and design, today announced it plans to release its fourth quarter and full fiscal 2025 financial results on Thursday, June 19, 2025, after the close of the market. The full text of the press release will be available on the Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. web site at under the Investor Relations section. The company will host a conference call and webcast on June 19, 2025 to discuss its fourth quarter and full fiscal 2025 financial and operational results. Speakers on the conference call will include Mark Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Deana McPherson, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The conference call may include forward-looking statements. The conference call and webcast will begin at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (2:00 p.m. Pacific Time). Interested parties in North America are invited to participate by dialing 1-877-704-4453. Interested parties from outside North America are invited to participate by dialing 1-201-389-0920. Participants should dial in at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. A live and archived webcast of the event will be available on the company's website at under the Investor Relations section. About Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: SWBI) is a U.S.-based leader in firearm manufacturing and design, delivering a broad portfolio of quality handgun, long gun, and suppressor products to the global consumer and professional markets under the iconic Smith & Wesson® and Gemtech® brands. The company also provides forging and machining services to third parties. For more information call (844) 363-5386 or visit Contact: investorrelations@ 747-3448 To view the source version of this press release, please visit
The Herald Scotland
6 days ago
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Letting libraries crumble is attacking the vulnerable
Libraries have always been more than shelves and silence. They're vital spaces for the whole community and one of the few places where you're not expected to buy a coffee just to sit down. In today's digital world, they're a lifeline for those who can't afford broadband or don't have access to a printer. We talk about levelling up, tackling isolation, improving literacy, supporting mental health – libraries do all of that and more with far too little credit. It's not just short-sighted to let them crumble; it's attacking the vulnerable. If we're serious about building a fairer, more equal Scotland, we need to stop treating libraries like optional extras. They are – and always have been – lifelines. Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, Tayport. Read more letters Definition of a hate crime To be a hate crime in Scotland, something must first be a crime. Then, for any crime, if it is proven in court that the motive was prejudice on grounds such as race, religion or sexual orientation, the crime is recorded as a hate crime. The motive can then be taken into account by the sheriff in deciding an appropriate sentence. That's been the law for 15 years and more. Tearing down the street decorations for a parade is likely to be the crime of vandalism. In the case of the Arran Pride march ("A hate crime on Arran? No, just a sign of where we are", Mark Smith, The Herald, June 2), the fact that it was an LGBTI+ event and was targeted in that way suggests that it may in fact have been a prejudice-motivated crime. In that case it's right that the police look into that. Whether it ends up recorded as a crime, and potentially prejudice-motivated, depends on what evidence there is. Mark Smith suggests that the perpetrator may have been a gay person who doesn't like the rainbow flag. Hypothetical, dare I say imaginary, based only on his own views about trans people it seems, and frankly a great example of victim-blaming. Disliking what a flag represents suggests more than a dislike of the colours or design, it suggests disliking the inclusion of those that the flag represents – the wide and diverse LGB+ community alongside the people of colour who founded the LGBTI+ movement, those lost within the AIDS crisis and of course, trans people. It's hardly surprising that the police might consider this flag being torn down to have been motivated by prejudice and hate. The Equality Network's Scottish Trans team were at Arran Pride, and we're happy to report that despite the vandalism the night before, everyone had a really great time with locals – celebrating everyone's diversity and calling for a better Scotland for everyone. Rebecca Don Kennedy, CEO, Equality Network, Edinburgh. Glasgow's transport shame I fully agree with Stuart Neville (Letters, June 3) who comments on the fact that Subway travel in Glasgow is a difficult and confusing experience if you are not familiar with all the stations on its circular route, due mainly to the lack of any visual indication of which station the train is approaching, in spite of over £28 million spent on its upgrade. As Mr Neville says there are the occasional spoken announcements, some of which are understandable and some not. I am also somewhat puzzled as to why after this lengthy and expensive revamp the service frequency is less than in the days of the previous "Clockwork Orange" system. Another obvious drawback is the fact that the service stops operating at 6pm on a Sunday, something that was previously blamed on the need for extra maintenance to keep ageing rolling stock and infrastructure working. Sadly the Subway seems to be like the rest of our city's disjointed and expensive public transport in that passengers come, by some distance, a poor second to what suits the various operators in Glasgow. The city centre is no longer the thriving and busy place it once was as retail, hospitality, theatres and music venues suffer from the lack of footfall. Surely it is obvious that easy-to-use and affordable public transport is a must to help Glasgow get back to being the city it once was. William Gold, Glasgow. A train on the revamped Glasgow Underground (Image: SPT) Educating Nigel AJ Clarence (Letters, June 2) remarks on Nigel Farage's likeness to one Joe E Brown. As one of your older readers, I have always thought Mr Farage unnervingly like 1950s ventriloquist dummy Archie Andrews, in oh so many ways. Rosemary Parker, Troon. Memories of Canada scheme In the "100 years ago" section today (The Herald, June 3) mention is made of a scheme for young boys to go to Canada. My mother's brother was sent to Canada aged 16 with £2 in his pocket in 1929 under this scheme. It was run by the British Immigration and Colonisation Association of Canada (BICA). It would be considered very controversial nowadays as its slogan was "Keep Canada British". They had an office in Bath Street, Glasgow. Boys aged 14 to 18 were recruited to work as farm hands for 10 shillings a week with full board. Boys who went out under this scheme and who saved £100 by the age of 21 would receive a loan of £100 from the Canadian Government to set up their own farm. My uncle returned to Glasgow in 1931 having completed his first three years. He returned under the scheme in late 1931. However the coldest weather on record hit East Ontario in late December 1933 and my grandmother paid for his return home. He spoke about his time in Canada often. It was not easy for many of the young farm labourers. Some were badly treated and lived in wooden shacks. There was very little supervision of essentially a fairly wild bunch of teenage lads from modest backgrounds. He was aware of one lad who had not been paid, was molested by the farmer, and stole food. Then he found himself in prison and was deported. However my relative struck lucky and was well treated. Eric Flack, Glasgow.
Local Germany
27-05-2025
- Business
- Local Germany
Why booking international train tickets in Germany is set to get easier
Buying tickets for train journeys through Europe should get a bit easier for travellers coming from or go to Germany this year as Deutsche Bahn (DB) is set to connect to a new booking system for international fairs. By the end of 2026, DB will be able to "sell tickets from all major railways in our neighbouring countries directly via and the DB Navigator app," the company told DPA. This comes as the latest development in a broader European push to simplify cross-border train travel led by the EU Transport Commission. So far the Austrian and Swiss Federal Railways (ÖBB and SBB) have been the first to be connected to the new pan-European booking system. In the coming months, more partners are expected to join -- including DB from autumn of this year. The goal is that ticket booking on virtually all routes across Europe will be possible in one-step through the usual sales channels by the end of next year. Isn't DB already selling international tickets? Passengers can already buy tickets for trains that connect Germany to surrounding countries through the DB website or app. But for many international journeys tickets may need to be bought individually from different companies. In some cases, they also come at a heftier price. Mark Smith, founder of the European train travel website, The Man in Seat 61 , told The Local that "DB is one of the best operators when it comes to offering through tickets to from or across Germany, including connections from Amsterdam to Prague or Zurich to Copenhagen." Advertisement But he added that DB's current ticket selling portal falls short on a lot of trans-European routes. "Annoyingly it can't do cross-Germany tickets to/from Paris, at least not at sensible prices," Smith said. "Ask it for Paris-Vienna and you'll only see silly-money Flexpreis fares for a journey with a change at Frankfurt. But if you asked it for Paris-Frankfurt and then Frankfurt-Vienna on exactly the same trains it would happily sell affordable advance-purchase Sparpreis fares for both sectors." READ ALSO: 5 tips for surviving Deutsche Bahn's new Paris to Berlin 'direct' train link In other cases, you may find a possible international journey offered on the DB website that says "Determine Price." In these cases DB essentially sells a bundled ticket that includes fairs for multiple journeys, some of which are provided by other railway companies. Advertisement But Smith warned that the "determine price" button "is often a sign you should be booking on some other operator's site -- not DB's!" All in one ticket Assuming everything goes to plan -- and yes, with Deutsche Bahn that is quite the assumption -- all of the aforementioned issues will be dealt with by autumn, when passengers can expect to buy tickets across multiple countries at standard prices through the DB platform. Michael Peterson, long-distance transport board member at DB, told DPA that the goal is to offer everything on one ticket. He added that, "International long-distance transport is booming." DB reported it's strongest year for cross-border ticket sales in 2024, with a 22 percent increase compared to the pre-Covid year of 2019.
