Charlene, 43, is currently in South Africa after falling ill following an operation in May. The royal suffered with an ear, nose and throat (ENT) infections – leaving her unable to celebrate her tenth wedding anniversary with Prince Albert, 63, in July. In August, Charlene underwent a four-hour operation but was forced to return shortly afterwards at the beginning of September.
Due to her condition, Charlene also missed her children’s first day of school.
Albert, 63, did travel with the pair’s two twins, Gabriella, and Jacques, both six, to see their mother in August.
Earlier this week, Albert said he expects his wife to return to Monaco very soon.
He also revealed Charlene is getting better ahead of her latest operation.
Speaking to RMC, Albert insisted her situation is “very complicated” despite her progress.
He said: “She is better, although it has been very complicated for her because she has suffered different problems.”
Charlene travelled to her native South Africa earlier in May to raise awareness for rhino poaching.
In July, she explained her trip had been planned for 12 days initially but was extended due to health complications.
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“Obviously, it’s a waiting game for me.”
A Palace spokesperson said this week: “On the evening of September 1, Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco was taken to hospital after fainting due to complications from a serious ORL infection.
“Her Highness is closely monitored by Her medical team who said that Her condition was not worrying.”
Albert claimed his wife is ready to return home after spending so many months in South Africa.
While Charlene goes under the knife for the latest time, Albert was seen at the Sportel Awards Ceremony in Monte Carlo.
Mesut Ozil says he will give British South Asian players a platform to shine after linking up with partners including the Football Association and Bradford City for the launch of the Football for Peace Mesut Ozil Centre.
Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports News last year, former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey spoke about growing up in Leicester and playing football with South Asian kids as a youngster, adding the community has an unquestionable passion for the game.
Yet despite making up around eight per cent of the UK population, less than 0.25 per cent of players across the leagues in England are from a South Asian background, with Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari telling Sky Sports News that this is “the biggest statistical anomaly in football”.
“I have always been surprised why the South Asian Community are only allowed to be fans of the game,” World Cup winner Ozil said.
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Arjan Raikhy’s success in Aston Villa’s FA Youth Cup campaign last season makes South Asian youngsters believe they can also make it in the game, says Punjabi Villans co-founder Ricky Cheema
“Why are we not seeing more players or managers breaking into professional football? I want to promote them, give them an opportunity to be successful both on and off the pitch.
“I myself am from an ethnically diverse background and understand the challenges. I hope the Football for Peace Mesut Ozil Centre will become the platform they need.”
The Mesut Ozil development centre aims to provide pathways into football and education and will be hosted at the University of Bradford, with elite sessions taking place at Bradford City’s training ground.
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Gareth Southgate welcomes the push for greater Asian representation across football as he appears alongside Leicester’s Hamza Choudhury and Manchester United starlet Zidane Iqbal in an FA video series during South Asian Heritage Month
Bradford City CEO, Ryan Sparks, said: “We are delighted to form part of the Mesut Ozil Football for Peace Development Centre, that will facilitate the growth and inclusion of the South Asian community in football. Inclusion and diversity is fundamental to the success of our club and Bradford as a whole – and we pride ourselves on providing a welcoming and warming environment for all.”
FA Board member, Rupinder Bains, said: “The FA is proud to support this important initiative which aligns to our Asian inclusion strategy, Bringing Opportunities to Communities. All people regardless of ethnicity or background should be able to play and enjoy the game.
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Derby County’s Kira Rai says it’s amazing to think she might be able to inspire more South Asian girls to take up the game
“Through this initiative, we hope to see more young people from historically under-represented ethnic backgrounds breaking into academy structures, creating a stronger future pipeline of talent for the professional game. It is a promising step forward.”
University of Bradford vice-chancellor, Professor Shirley Congdon, said: “Through this partnership, we hope to use football to engage with young people in our communities, to show how sport can contribute to resolving pressing social and environmental issues, and to help them become future leaders who will make a difference to societies around the world.”
The Bradford hub is sponsored by Innaree and will be run as a pilot, with more Football for Peace centres co-branded with different players expected to be rolled out in different parts of the country heading into the new year.
Image: Mesut Ozil poses with former Pakistan and Oxford United footballer Kash Siddiqi
Ozil is a long-term supporter of Football for Peace, a global organisation backed by the United Nations and co-founded internationally by British South Asian and former Pakistan international footballer Kash Siddiqi.
Ozil teamed up with Siddiqi during lockdown last year with the pair arranging for the delivery of 500,000 meals across the UK that were set to go to waste management from Wembley Stadium.
Siddiqi said: “Football has given me so much, and working with Mesut we want to create a platform that will provide a framework inside the football pyramid between professional clubs and also our community.
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England manager Gareth Southgate says football must revisit its approach to scouting and creating opportunities for British South Asian talent
“Whilst it is important to see greater representation in professional sport, it is also vital to recognise the power football can have on communities. Our ongoing engagement with young people and communities also seeks to contribute to reduce the devasting effects of Covid-19 which has also led to reduced sports participation, especially within the South Asian community.”
British South Asian community ‘often overlooked’
The centre also enjoys the support of national charity Sporting Equals, who formed the British Asians in Sport and Physical Activity Board (BASPA) in 2018 to examine why British South Asians are grossly under-represented at the highest level of sport.
Just seven athletes (out of 630) from a South Asian background competed for Team GB across the 2016 Rio Olympic games and Paralympic Games. Five years on, the situation has worsened – wheelchair rugby gold medallist Ayuz Bhuta was the only British South Asian athlete across both the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
BASPA coaching vice-chair, Manisha Tailor, MBE said: “The issues of talent pathways and support extended to British South Asian communities have been long-standing. While other ethnically diverse communities are able to find their way into elite-level sports, the British South Asian community is often overlooked.
“There is also a lot of misinformation and outdated stereotypes about our community, which has created unconscious bias towards our energy and passion for sports that aren’t just cricket or hockey.”
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QPR’s Manisha Tailor features in Sky’s British South Asians in Football
Khalsa Football Federation chairman, Gurdawar Singh Dhaliwal added: “The lack of representation at the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament, many would infer there isn’t an interest from our community to engage in football or perhaps we aren’t talented enough. This simply isn’t true – in 1996, Jas Bains and Raj Patel highlighted the dangers of this misinformation and attempted to rectify this with the ironically named report ‘Asians Can’t Play Football’.
“It’s sad that 25 years on, whilst the desire and talent persists within British South Asian communities, a lack of understanding, engagement, empathy and support for elite talent pathways and specific community engagement continues to block our community from reaching the professional levels we know we are capable of attaining.”
‘Proud’ Mishra wants more South Asian coaches
Meanwhile, Charlton Women assistant manager Riteesh Mishra has spoken of his pride at representing British South Asian coaches at the top level of football.
Mishra is assistant to Karen Hills at Championship side Charlton Women, making him the highest-ranked South Asian coach in the elite game in England.
“I’m very proud, for my family name and for myself, that I’m able to represent the community in women’s football and elite football in general,” Mishra told Sky Sports News.
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Sikh brothers Bhups and Sunny Singh Gill spoke to Sky Sports News ahead of making English Football League history as the first pair of British South Asians to officiate in the same Championship game
“On the other hand, it’s quite disappointing that there haven’t been others – especially at the top end of the game – who have been able to break through. We are starting to see good progress, and I just hope the fact that I’m speaking to you can give younger coaches just the idea that you can make a profession in professional football.
“It is tough. But we can see there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes to help coaches like myself get to the top – and then it’s about our quality, our resilience and our endeavour to try and stay there once you get into those jobs, that’s really important.”
British South Asians in Football
For more stories, features and videos, visit our groundbreaking South Asians in Football page on skysports.com and stay tuned to Sky Sports Newsandour Sky Sports digital platforms.
PETROL SHORTAGES have reached a “critical” point in London and the south east of England hours before the army is due to hit the streets, experts warn.
Charlton’s Riteesh Mishra is proud to represent British South Asian coaches in elite football but says there is more work to be done to create a level playing field in the game.
Mishra is assistant to Karen Hills at Championship side Charlton Women, making him the highest-ranked South Asian coach in the elite game in England.
Chorley first-team coach and fellow British South Asian Irfan Kawri told Sky Sports News earlier this year that you need a “thick skin” to make as a coach in the English game. Mishra agrees and says he has needed resilience and perseverance on his journey in coaching.
“I’m very proud, for my family name and for myself, that I’m able to represent the community in women’s football and elite football in general,” Mishra told Sky Sports News.
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Highlights of the Women’s Super League match between Manchester United and Chelsea
“On the other hand, it’s quite disappointing that there haven’t been others – especially at the top end of the game – who have been able to break through. We are starting to see good progress, and I just hope the fact that I’m speaking to you can give younger coaches just the idea that you can make a profession in professional football.
“It is tough. But we can see there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes to help coaches like myself get to the top – and then it’s about our quality, our resilience and our endeavor to try and stay there once you get into those jobs, that’s really important.”
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Chorley first-team coach Irfan Kawri wants better engagement to allow diverse communities to improve their understanding of pathways into football
Mishra was one of the most promising players at Nottingham Forest’s academy when his career was cruelly cut short as a teenager due to injury. But rather than dropping out of the game altogether, Mishra turning to coaching, eventually linking up with Charlton in 2013.
Asked if there were any South Asian coaches he could look up to and try and emulate during his early coaching years, he said: “The short answer is no. Coaches, managers, players – my role models were all people who were who didn’t look like me.
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Derby County Women’s winger Kira Rai says beating the odds to make it in football makes the journey even sweeter
“That was quite challenging because often you go through times within professional football, either as a player or as a coach, where you need somebody who really understands perhaps where you’re coming from and what you’re going through.
“That was tough, but at the same time, that help me build a lot of resilience. I was forced to expand my network and just be comfortable in professional football – that has also helped me growing up. It is tough and you need people to kind of work with you and support you through that journey. And I want to do that for those who are now going through the system.”
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Brentford board member Preeti Shetty tells Sky Sports News she hopes her recent appointment offers South Asian women hope that they can be whatever they want to be
Mishra says he feels lucky to work in an environment where his talent can flourish, and hopes stakeholders across the board can redress a historical imbalance and come together to tackle South Asian under-representation in the game.
“It’s about equal opportunity, being treated like an equal and feeling like you’re an equal,” he said. “That’s really hard in professional football when you’re at the elite end.
“There’s a lot of pressure but I’m quite fortunate at a club like Charlton where I feel valued every day, it’s a club that I love. I’ve been here for a long time, I feel very close to a lot of people here and the values of the club are kind of rooted deeply in me.
Image: Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari told Sky Sports News last year the under-representation of British South Asians in the game is ‘the biggest statistical anomaly in football’
“But as much as it is about me as a South Asian proving my worth and others who are South Asian proving you’re good enough, we also need people who are decision-makers, who are not from our community to understand that we need extra help, extra support, and we need those opportunities.
“We might need an extra helping hand to get there, so as much as it’s down to us to prove ourselves to South Asians. It’s also down to those who are in key decision-making positions within elite sport to really think about diversity and inclusion and make sure that everybody has equal opportunity to coaching positions and academies in the senior setup.
“And then if you’re good enough, hopefully, you have the equal opportunity to interview and get a job. And then it’s about you staying there and you know, you can stay there.”
British South Asians in Football
For more stories, features and videos, visit our groundbreaking South Asians in Football page on skysports.com and stay tuned to Sky Sports Newsandour Sky Sports digital platforms.
19 July 2021, South Staffordshire – Mental Health Matters (MHM) have successfully launched a new Mental Health and Peer Support (MAPS) service in South Staffordshire.
Developed in partnership with Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust (MPFT) and Staffordshire Adults Autistic Society (SAAS), the service will provide support to individuals with autism who are also struggling with their mental health.
Clients accessing the service will be supported by a Peer Support Worker who can draw on their own experiences to help clients navigate the uncertainty of a diagnosis, create a care plan and access broader services.
Jane Hughes, CEO of MHM, said: “We are excited to launch a support service that is guided by those with lived experience. Working in partnership with MPFT and SAAS allows us to combine our range of expertise to design a service that places clients at the heart of their support”.
Salwa El-Raheb-Booth, Chair of Staffordshire Adults Autistic Society, said: “Expertise by Experience (peer support), is finally acknowledged, and funded. As a Society run by autistics for autistics, SAAS is only too pleased to work with MHM and MPFT in delivering a useful and forward-looking support service for people on the spectrum”.
The service is being commissioned by Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust (MPFT).
Lisa Agell, Operations Director for Unplanned Care and Mental Health MPFT, added: “It has been fantastic to work in partnership with SAAS to shape these services. Using lived experience and putting the client at the centre of their care plan will make a huge difference to people with autism who are struggling with their mental health”.
Mental Health Matters (MHM) is a third sector organisation providing a wide range of support to people with mental health needs offering a welcoming, safe, comfortable, non-judgmental, and non-clinical environment. Learn more: www.mhm.org.uk/
Staffordshire Adults Autistic Society (SAAS) is a charity that aims to use knowledge of those on the autism spectrum to aid and facilitate independent and happy lives by providing support to people on the autism spectrum, and to promote better understanding and acceptance of the autism spectrum disorder.
Press release distributed by Pressat on behalf of MHM, on Monday 19 July, 2021. For more information subscribe and follow https://pressat.co.uk/
A secure, stable and prosperous South Caucasus region is in the interest of the EU, President of the European Council Charles Michel wrote on his Twitter page, Trend reports.
“At the Martyr’s Alley in Baku I paid homage to the victims of Soviet aggression against Azerbaijan.
A secure, stable & prosperous South Caucasus region is in the interest of the EU and an integral part of our Eastern Partnership.
Azerbaijan celebrates 30 years of independence,” he wrote.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — More than 18 months before the first presidential primary of 2024, most potential Republican candidates are just getting a sense of the political landscape, tiptoeing through early voting states and trying to make friends in key places. Then there’s Kristi Noem.
The South Dakota governor has come out swinging as she tries to carve a niche among an early crowd of possible GOP rivals for the White House. Her combative style, no surprise to those who follow her, is evidence of how competitive the nomination race will be if Donald Trump stays on the sidelines.
Noem charged into Iowa on Friday singing a battle hymn and armed with barbed comments for her fellow GOP governors. At a conservative gathering in Des Moines, she told the crowd she “really hates this America” under President Joe Biden’s leadership, then led them in singing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
But Noem didn’t just take aim at political foes. She also unleashed sharp-edged comments on those within her own party, accusing fellow GOP governors of “rewriting history” by claiming they kept their states open during the pandemic.
“To pretend that they didn’t take actions that they had no authority to take isn’t standing on truth,” she told reporters Friday.
It’s easy to see why the 49-year-old governor, who is known as a scorched-earth campaigner in her home state, is elbowing out anyone trying to claim a more hands-off approach to the pandemic. She doesn’t have the experience of working alongside Trump, like Mike Pence, Nikki Haley or Mike Pompeo – all of whom have visited the presidential-proving ground of Iowa in recent days. Other potential rivals like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have the advantage of governing states that figure prominently in national politics.
The pandemic was rocket fuel for Noem‘s political rise. While she had been laying the groundwork to build a national profile and looking for ways to make South Dakota a testing ground for conservative policies, she jumped on decrying coronavirus restrictions early.
Conservatives nationwide have since made efforts to try to halt the pandemic’s spread into a favorite punching bag. At the Family Leadership Summit, where Noem spoke alongside Pence, Pompeo and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, speakers warned that government restrictions were eroding personal liberties. DeSantis has even begun selling “Don’t Fauci My Florida” merchandise to raise money for his gubernatorial reelection campaign, taking aim at another favorite target, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Noem didn’t mention DeSantis by name during a Sunday speech at another conservative conference in Texas, but seemed to single him out when she accused other GOP governors of “pretending” they didn’t shut down their beaches.
“All I’m saying is that we need leaders with grit. That their first instinct is to make the right decision,” Noem told the audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
But as an early wave of virus cases hit her state in the spring of last year, Noem initially showed a willingness to step in and use the force of her office. She declared an emergency and told schools to close, urged a meatpacking plant to temporarily shutter after an outbreak among workers, and even issued a stay-at-home order in two hard-hit counties for people over 65 or vulnerable to the virus.
While Noem never ordered businesses to close, many did so anyway. And city leaders, frustrated with Noem‘s inaction, issued their own orders that forced many to shutter for weeks in the spring.
As the response to the virus became increasingly politicized, however, Noem moved to the forefront of governors railing against government orders. By June of 2020, her message had shifted: “More freedom, not more government is the answer.”
With an eye on the economic and mental health ripple effects of the pandemic, she frequently touted the fact that her state has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation and a growing economy.
But even as virus cases and deaths surged last year, she refused to urge people to wear masks in public. Instead, the state spent more in federal coronavirus funds on an ad campaign inviting tourists to visit than it did on public health advertising.
As her appearances on Fox News increased, conservatives across the country began suggesting she run for president. Noem has demurred when asked publicly about her White House ambitions and says she is focused on next year’s gubernatorial campaign. But recent actions – from registering a federal political action committee to hitting the nationwide speaking circuit – show she has her sights set beyond South Dakota.
It’s not clear how her record on the virus would play beyond the Republican base. South Dakota recorded the nation’s 10th highest COVID-19 death rate. Although some states with far more aggressive approaches to mitigating the pandemic saw similar outcomes, South Dakota had the worst mortality rate in the Midwest. But that hasn’t stopped Noem from bragging about it.
“When I ran for governor I ran on it being an example to the nation,” she told the crowd Friday. “I had no idea that that was going to happen through a pandemic.”
Every match from the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa is exclusively live on Sky Sports; fans who don’t have Sky will be able to catch all the action via streaming service NOW, which offers day/monthly passes
Last Updated: 17/07/21 10:46pm
Sam Warburton captained the Lions on two tours
The Lions played their final warm-up game before the Test series against the world champion Springboks starts next weekend.
Following Wednesday’s loss to a Springbok heavy South Africa ‘A’ side, the Lions bounced back with a solid 49-3 win over the Stormers.
Plenty of players stuck up their hands for selection and the Lions coaches will have a tough decision to see who makes the starting XV to face South Africa.
Two-times Lions captain Sam Warburton gives his views on who should start for the Lions in Cape Town next Saturday.
The Pack
Sam Warburton’s Lions forwards
“Mako Vunipola starts at loosehead, he is the most industrious loosehead we have. He has massive physicality and great ball-handling skills to allow the Lions play wide. He has massive experience and he is good in defence.”
“Luke Cowan Dickie, again is the most physical hooker we have got. He contributes brilliantly at set piece and in the loss. Tadhg Furlong is in at tighthead for me – I think he is everyone’s tighthead.
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“Maro Itoje has been great and I think Alun Wyn Jones comes straight back in to captain the team – I think that is what Warren Gatland will want.
“I did originally have Hamish Watson and Tom Curry in, but Tadhg Beirne proved to me that he should play six. He just contributes so much in the lineout, in the wide channel and his offloading game as well as the breakdown.
5:01 Highlights as the British and Irish Lions faced Stormers in their final warm-up of the South Africa tour
Highlights as the British and Irish Lions faced Stormers in their final warm-up of the South Africa tour
“Taulupe Faletau is just phenomenal in the 50m channels when he gets space and his experience ast the base of the scrum will be crucial. Curry is the most physical No 7 we have got and has been brilliant. I think Watson will be phenomenal off the bench – he will be exactly the energy the Lions will need.
“I think this is a pack who can physically dominate SA.”
The Backs
Sam Warburton’s Lions backs
“In the backs, Conor Murray and Dan Biggar have probably played together the most. Murray’s kicking game has been good – I think on Wednesday [Against South Africa ‘A’] there was one kick that was not ideal.
“With Bundee Aki you need to have a slammer and a banger in centre somewhere. I don’t think Robbie Henshaw did quite enough on Saturday.
“I worked backwards with my centres because I have Josh Adams, Liam Williams and Anthony Watson at the back. If a Stuart Hogg was in there, then perhaps go with Chris Harris in the centre. But you need some creativity in the centre. Given that the Lions may have a 6-2 split on the bench [six forward and two backs], Elliot Daly’s creativity means he could cover the back three as well.
“If he does play at 13, it will be his fourth start there so I think he will be able to cope there.
“Watson and Williams are the best three players we have got aerially, they are safe hands under the box kicks that will come from the Springboks. Watson and Adams are lethal finishers and are very physical in the breakdown and in defence.”
