Tottenham fans demand Levy answers

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust has called on chairman Daniel Levy to explain the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas and also outline "his plans moving forward."Villas-Boas parted company with Tottenham on Monday after Sunday's 5-0 Premier League defeat at home to Liverpool, and Tim Sherwood has since been placed in temporary charge.
The likes of Ajax's Frank de Boer and former Spurs boss Glenn Hoddle have been linked with the vacant role, although it is unclear when an appointment will be made.
The Times quotes the club's main fan group as frustrated by the lack of communication from Levy and Spurs' parent company Enic.
“Following the departure of Andre Villas-Boas on Monday morning and defeat in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday evening, the Board of THST believe it is paramount that the chairman, Levy, explain[s] the rationale behind the manager’s dismissal and his plans moving forward,” the Trust said in a statement.
“We believe that now, more than at any time during Enic’s ownership, the level of frustration and anger being shown by fans renders this request fully warranted. It is made in the best interests of our club.”
The Times also reports that Villas-Boas has been approached by AC Milan, whose current coach Massimiliano Allegri is under pressure following a disappointing 2013-14 season so far.

Adebayor smiling again

Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor claimed he cannot stop smiling after he was handed a return to the Spurs first-team following the sacking of manager Andre Villas-Boas.Adebayor was frozen out by Villas-Boas for much of this season and his future at the club appeared to be bleak so long as the Portuguese tactician remained at the helm.

Yet just 48 hours after Villas-Boas was fired, Adebayor was back scoring at White Hart Lane, and while his return ultimately ended in a disappointing Capital One Cup exit at the hands of West Ham, the Togo striker is relieved to be playing once again.
“I’ve still got my smile on my face. I got a chance, I took it well. I’m very happy,” stated Adebayor, who received a warm reception on his return to the team.

“I was hanging in there waiting for my chance. Tim [Sherwood, Spurs’ interim coach] gave me the chance to play football again. Now the most important thing is me scoring goals, confidence is back.”

Adebayor is hoping to start Sunday’s Premier League game against Southampton after claiming his team-mates can turn around their season if they play with passion at St Mary’s Stadium.
“We just have to keep working hard, put more heart into it and it will be better,” he added. “Hopefully this Sunday we’ll have a chance to win it. We have to get out there with confidence, with belief and take the three points.”
Meanwhile, Spurs midfielder Mousa Dembele stressed there is no need for Tottenham players to allow their season to unravel, as he admitted he shares a sense of responsibility for Villas-Boas’ sacking.
“I think everyone feels guilty and that’s a normal thing,” said the Belgium international. “It’s a team sport, it’s not one guy that’s responsible, everybody is responsible. We are one team, all together.
“We don’t have to be negative. It is not that bad. We expect so much of ourselves and we know we can achieve big things. When it doesn’t happen you’re very disappointed.
“In the last few games we could have done much better, so we have to stay with the same motivation. It has been a tough few days but everybody is still positive. You could see that out on the pitch.”

 

 

 

 

Wenger: 'Nothing to lose' against Bayern

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger claimed his side have “nothing to lose” in their Champions League re-match with Bayern Munich next February.
Wenger’s men will take on Bayern for the second season running in the last-16 of the Champions League, with their near miss in a tie against the eventual winners of last season’s competition fuelling his hope that they can go one better this time.
Arsenal came close to overturning a 3-1 first leg lead as they beat Bayern 2-0 in Munich, but Wenger suggested the gap between the two sides may have tightened further since then.
“We have all to win and nothing to lose. We can show that we have moved forward since last season,” Wenger told the Arsenal website.
“It is the same draw as last year and we have a good challenge. We have to be one goal better this time instead of being one goal worse and I believe it's an interesting challenge because we have an opportunity to show we have learned from it.”
Wenger went on to suggest Bayern have deployed a more attacking style since Pep Guardiola replaced Jupp Heynckes last summer.
“We are different and they are different. How much different are they,” he asked. “I don't know but they look to play a bit more adventurously and more going forward, and we do as well I must say.
“We certainly have more offensive potential with [Mesut] Ozil coming in and we have to find our defensive security back which we have lost over the weekend, but it will be a very interesting challenge.”

Egypt's Morsy to stand trial on terror charges, state-run media says

Egypt's public prosecutor has ordered ex-President Mohamed Morsy and members of the Muslim Brotherhood to stand trial, according to a state-run media report Wednesday.

The deposed leader and 35 Muslim Brotherhood members will be tried, accused of collaborating with foreign organizations to commit terrorist acts and revealing defense secrets, according to the al-Ahram newspaper.

HRW: Arrests taken to new level in Egypt

Morsy is accused of spying for the Palestinian group Hamas, which the United States classifies as a terrorist organization, and assisting in acts of terror inside Egypt, judicial sources told al-Ahram.

His 35 co-defendants, who include former presidential advisers and prominent members of the Muslim Brotherhood, will face a court for "collaborating with foreign states to commit terrorist acts in Egypt, revealing defense secrets to foreign countries, funding terrorists and military training to achieve the purposes of the international organization of the Brotherhood," a statement from the prosecutor-general's office said.

The accusations seem to be in connection with Morsy's escape from prison during the 2011 uprising that ousted longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.

Morsy has been in custody since being pushed out in July. He already faces charges of incitement to murder in connection with protests against his rule last December. Morsy has refused to recognize the court.

Morsy took power as Egypt's first popularly elected president in June 2012. But his time was marked by continued unrest, much of it targeting him and the Muslim Brotherhood, the once-banned Islamist organization he once led.

Conditions in the North African country have not improved significantly since the military forced out Morsy and assumed control. Authorities have taken various steps to quell the social unrest, including legislation passed barring unauthorized protests.

Morsy's supporters have called for his reinstatement as president.

 

Fugitive leader denies coup attempt

 

South Sudan opposition leader Riek Machar rejects government accusations that he tried to stage a coup, amid ongoing fighting.

NBC's planning another live musical for 2014

The only "Sound" NBC heard after its risky live musical event on Thursday was the deafening response of ratings.

The network may have been criticized for its live "Sound of Music" starring Carrie Underwood, but it could still boast that 18.6 million viewers tuned in.
And now, they want to see if they can pull that off again.

According to the New York Times, NBC is looking to adapt another Broadway classic for the small screen in 2014. (Before "The Sound of Music" was a 1965 movie starring Julie Andrews, it was a stage production.)
Like "The Sound of Music Live!," next year's show would also air around the holidays, and would be produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. What they don't yet know is just which musical they'll take on.
The duo, along with NBC entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt, are "circling a couple of" family-friendly musicals, and could potentially turn this into an annual event.
As far as all of the snark that erupted online during Thursday's hate-watching, Greenblatt welcomes it.
“There is no snarkier universe than the Broadway world. It just sort of invites it," he told the Times. "It’s OK. I’d rather have people deeply engaged than ignoring it. Somebody I once worked for said to me once, ‘Everybody hated it but the audience.’ And I’ll take that.”

Rumors fly about Khloe K.'s love life

Khloe Kardashian is reportedly moving closer to Single Lady status, and rumors are spreading fast about with whom she might be playing the field.

But the 29-year-old, who just filed for divorce from husband Lamar Odom last week, isn't moving that fast, sources tell E! News

Miley Cyrus gets real with Barbara Walters about Liam

There are several reasons why Barbara Walters would consider Miley Cyrus to be one of the most fascinating people of 2013, but it seems that list also includes her relationship with "The Hunger Games'" Liam Hemsworth.

Cyrus and Hemsworth were set to be married just a year ago when, after persistent rumors suggesting their relationship was over, the two stars confirmed in September that the engagement was off.
The news was just one more headline for Cyrus to add to her pile, as she was also in the midst of intense album promotion. So when Walters sat down with the 21-year-old singer/actress as part of her annual "Most Fascinating People" special, the two got real about how much the split really impacted Cyrus' year.

Although Cyrus wrote the single "Drive," on her album "Bangerz," about a tumultuous point in her romance with Hemsworth, she told Walters that listeners shouldn't take the lyrics to heart.
"I don't think there was any lies," Cyrus said of their relationship. "I was so scared of ever being alone. And I think conquering that fear this year was actually bigger than any other transition that I had this entire year. I don't ever want to have to need someone again, where you feel like without them you can't be yourself."
But, Walters countered, that's "being in love" and perhaps wanting to get married. Does she no longer desire those things?
"I think I'll want that in the time that it needs to be," Cyrus responded. "I don't think I realized what 19 truly is. I got engaged at 19. I definitely wouldn't change being engaged, it was so fun wearing a fat rock for a few years. But now, I just feel like I can actually be happy. I wait for those moments of silence when I'm just at my house, by myself."
Walters' full interview with Cyrus, as well as her other "Most Fascinating" picks for 2013, will air on December 18 at 9 p.m. on ABC