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Thomas Frank insists he’s ‘safe’ at Spurs – but can he avoid the sack?

The Tottenham hierarchy now have a huge decision to make.

Thomas Frank’s future at the club is uncertain. That isn’t a secret, of course – it has been the case for weeks.

Large sections of the supporters want him sacked. The boos that rang round Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at full-time were testament to that prevailing feeling from a disgruntled fanbase.

Crucially, there has been a loss of support towards the Dane internally.

So, the fact Frank’s disastrous first season in charge lurched to deeper depths following this defeat by Newcastle may have significant consequences.

If Nottingham Forest, who occupy 17th, beat Wolves on Wednesday night they will go level on points with Tottenham.

Frank is understandably hesitant to admit his side are in relegation fight – but the numbers don’t lie.

That said, it may not be Frank’s problem for much longer – Tottenham‘s latest loss will push the beleaguered manager closer to what appears an inevitable exit.

Indeed, such has been the level of contemplation regarding Frank’s immediate future at Tottenham in recent weeks that this loss will almost certainly trigger further soul-searching from the club’s leadership group.

The fact the Spurs board have stuck by Frank during such a difficult period proves they want the appointment to work.

The easier decision would have been to show Frank the door by now.

However, the Tottenham hierarchy believe Frank has been dealt a rough hand.

There’s an acknowledgment that the season has been disrupted by multiple injuries to key players.

There is also recognition that the squad needs repair work – particularly considering the departures of their two main sources of goals in Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

There is also a sense behind the scenes that the squad is lacking in leadership. It was why they signed England international Conor Gallagher and tried to land Andy Robertson from Liverpool – both with plenty of Premier League experience.

There is also a sense from Tottenham‘s executive team that the club require a period of managerial stability.

But by the same token, sources have told BBC Sport that work towards a contingency plan in the event they make a decision they really don’t want to make illustrates the precarity of Frank’s position.

If the club decide to part with Frank in the immediate aftermath of this Newcastle defeat, they will have 12 days until their next fixture against Arsenal on 22 February.

That leaves Tottenham with a prolonged window to execute their replacement plan and leave Frank’s successor with time to implement a blueprint for the north London derby.

The pressure on Frank is at breaking point. We are about to find out if Tottenham crack.

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Trump says he’s instructed U.S. officials to reopen Venezuelan airspace for commercial travel

President Donald Trump said Thursday he has informed acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez that he’s going to be opening up all commercial airspace over Venezuela and Americans will soon be able to visit.

Trump said he instructed U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and U.S. military leaders to open up the airspace by the end of the day.

“American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there,” the Republican president said.

Venezuela’s government did not immediately comment on Trump’s announcement.

Earlier this week, Trump’s administration notified Congress that it was taking the first steps to possibly reopen the shuttered U.S. Embassy in Venezuela as it explores restoring relations with the South American country following the U.S. military raid that ousted then-President Nicolás Maduro.

In a notice to lawmakers dated Monday and obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday, the State Department said it was sending in a regular and growing contingent of temporary staffers to conduct “select” diplomatic functions.

“We are writing to notify the committee of the Department of State’s intent to implement a phased approach to potentially resume Embassy Caracas operations,” the department said in separate but identical letters to 10 House and Senate committees.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries collapsed in 2019, and the U.S. State Department warned Americans shouldn’t travel to Venezuela, raising its travel advisory to the highest level.

The State Department on Thursday still listed a travel advisory for Venezuela at its highest level, “Do not travel,” warning that Americans face a high risk of wrongful detention, torture, kidnapping and more.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a message Thursday inquiring about whether it was changing its warning.

In November, as Trump was ramping up pressure on Maduro, he declared that the airspace “above and surrounding” Venezuela should be considered as “closed in its entirety.”

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, which has jurisdiction generally over the U.S. and its territories, then told pilots to be cautious flying around the country because of heightened military activity.

After that FAA warning, international airlines began canceling flights to Venezuela because of heightened military activity.

American Airlines, which was the last U.S. airline flying to Venezuela when it suspended flights there in March 2019, announced Thursday that it intends to reinstate nonstop service there from the U.S. in the coming months.

“We have a more than 30-year history connecting Venezolanos to the U.S., and we are ready to renew that incredible relationship,” Nat Pieper, American’s chief commercial officer, said in a statement. “By restarting service to Venezuela, American will offer customers the opportunity to reunite with families and create new business and commerce with the United States.”

American said it would share additional details about the return to service in the coming months as it works with federal authorities on security assessments and necessary permissions.

Price writes for the Associated Press. AP reporters Matthew Lee in Washington and Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report.

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King Charles reacts to ‘upsetting’ criticism he’s faced for decades on pressing issue

King Charles has revealed how he was always going to stick to environmental campaigning – despite fierce criticism – in a new documentary for Amazon Prime

Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision teased in trailer

The King has revealed how he refused to be diverted from campaigning on an important issue despite receiving ‘upsetting’ criticism. Charles makes the admission in a brand new Amazon Prime documentary, which looks back at the monarch’s ‘Harmony’ philosophy and his lifelong commitment to green issues.

The 90-minute film, called Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision, sees Charles warn that the situation with the environment is “rapidly going backwards” with mankind “actually destroying our means to survival”. But he also expresses his hope for the future and says that “by the time I shuffle off this mortal coil” that there might be more awareness of the “need to bring things back together again”.

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The documentary sees the King collecting eggs from his chickens at their “Cluckingham Palace” coop on his Highgrove estate, and reveal his love of a crispy baked potato, declaring that “red Duke of Yorks” are the best variety for this.

Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet, who narrates the film, also recounts how Charles was “haunted” by the criticism he faced after he said in a 1986 television interview that he talked to plants.

The documentary describes how the King, as Prince of Wales, emerged as a key figure on the environment over the years, making regular keynote speeches, despite “cries from some that he should take a back seat”, Winslet said.

The King, in new footage, adds: “I just felt this was the approach that I was going to stick to. A course I set and I wasn’t going to be diverted from.”

After an academic comments that the world is not on the “trajectory” needed to limit the worst affects of climate change, Charles remarks: “It’s rapidly going backwards, I’ve said that for the last 40 years, but anyway, there we are…I can only do what I can do, which is not very much – anyway.

“People don’t seem to understand it’s not just climate that’s the problem, it’s also biodiversity loss, so we’re actually destroying our means of survival, all the time. To put that back together again is possible, but we should have been doing it long ago. We’ve got to do it as fast as we can now.”

He adds: “Maybe, by the time I shuffle off this mortal coil, there might be a little more awareness… of the need to bring things back together again.”

The documentary also features archive footage of the King describing how he talks to plants, a comment that narrator Winslet says has “haunted him ever since”.

Ian Skelly, co-author of the King’s 2010 Harmony book, says: “Those criticisms really upset him. He got treated very unfairly, seen very unfairly, and those of us that knew him better were quite upset by that. It was difficult to know how to respond, but I really felt for him.”

Also appearing in the documentary is Prince Harry, who is shown fleeting in archive footage of Charles teaching him how to fish at Balmoral.

Prince William also features, as a small child with Charles at Highgrove, and lying next to his father on the grass as a youngster, and visiting a herd of cows with Charles at Home Farm in 2004, when William was in his twenties.

Prince Charlotte and Prince Louis, with the now Prince and Princess of Wales, are pictured briefly in footage from the King’s Coronation. And the late Queen Elizabeth II is shown filming a young Charles, in archive footage of the future king in home movies.

The documentary explores the origins, evolution and scientific foundations of the King’s “harmony” philosophy, which he set out in his 2010 book Harmony: A New Way Of Looking At Our World. The book will be republished by HarperCollins in March to mark the release of the documentary.

The film also shows how The King’s Foundation, which has its headquarters at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, embraces the harmony approach – the importance of living in balance with nature – through projects focusing on community regeneration, sustainable textiles and traditional skills.

Later tonight, the King and Queen will attend the premiere at Windsor Castle, believed by Buckingham Palace to be the first time a global movie premiere has been held at a royal residence.

A spokesperson for the King said the film was “not a conventional royal documentary”. “There are no golden carriages here; no glittering crowns or crimson robes,” the spokesperson added.

“Instead, this is a deeply personal exploration of ideas that have shaped His Majesty’s life and work: the interconnectedness of all things, the wisdom of traditional knowledge, and the belief that we can build a future that works in partnership with nature rather than against it.” The spokesperson added that it “sets a new high watermark for royal documentaries”.

Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision will be released on February 6 on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

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Chart-topping dance star CANCELS tour after revealing he’s secretly battling health issues and needs emergency surgery

A TOP DJ has scrapped his upcoming tour after doctors warned him he’d need emergency surgery.

The Algerian-French music star, 39, told fans a health issue he’d been battling “finally caught up with me” and that he can’t “push or delay” further treatment.

A top DJ has been forced to scrap his upcoming gigs after being told he needs emergency surgeryCredit: Getty
DJ Snake released a statement on social media where he told how a health issue had ‘finally caught up with me’Credit: Getty
His surgery means shows in India and Canada will be cancelledCredit: Getty

DJ Snake, whose real name is William Sami Étienne Grigahcine, then revealed he’d “need a month to fully rest and recover”.

While the In The Dark hitmaker did not reveal the exact nature of his illness, it has prompted him to postpone tour dates in Canada and India.

The record producer, who produced Lady Gaga‘s hit Applause alongside the tracks of many other well-known stars, posted a statement on social media to reveal the worrying news.

He wrote in a post with black text on a white background: “Hey guys.

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“I’ve been battling a health issue for a while and it’s finally caught up with me.

“After talking with my doctors I need to have surgery in early February.

“It’s something I can’t push or delay anymore, and I’ll need a month to fully rest and recover after that.

“This means cancelling all my shows, including the India tour and that decision has been incredibly hard.

“But I need to get back to 100 per cent and this is the only way.”

DJ Snake, whose debut track Turn Down For What with Lil Jon was released to huge acclaim in 2013, added: “Thank you for your love and understanding.

“I will be back soon, stronger than before. William.”

He finished his upload with a white love heart Emoji icon.

Fans on X were quick to react and one wrote: “Wish you all the best. Get well soon”.

A second posted: “Hope it goes smoothly,” as a third uploaded: “Get well soon’.

One then added: “Get well soon DJ. Waiting for your great comeback”.

This isn’t the first time DJ Snake has cancelled a show.

In 2015, he was sadly injured in a car crash alongside electronic producer Tchami, and the pair were forced to miss Toronto’s Monster Mash Festival.

SNAKE SUCCESS

Previously, DJ Snake told how his stage name came about following a nickname in his youth.

It was sparked after he was known for graffiti and avoiding the police in his youth.

He said of his moniker: “When I started DJing, everyone called me Snake in my city first, I was like DJ Snake, OK let’s go for it.

“The name sucks, but it’s too late now.”

He also revealed to Rolling Stone Magazine the real reason for his sunglasses-clad look.

He told the publication: “In the clubs, people were dancing, but now they were just looking at me, like I was gonna do some magic tricks or some s**t, so I was panicking for real.

“I was petrified of making a mistake, and one of my friends told me to wear some sunglasses so that I couldn’t see the whole crowd.

“Now it helps me stay in the zone, stay focussed.”

He is a Grammy Award nominee, having scooped the nod in 2012 for Lady Gaga’s Born This Way album.

In 2016, he was also named on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.

Five years later, he slammed French side PSG for using one of his tracks as a walk-out song.

He was unimpressed after the Ligue 1 heavyweights dropped their traditional Phil Collins entrance track – even though they replaced it with one of the DJ’s own hits.

PSG have taken the field to the sound of Collins’ 1985 hit ‘Who Said I Would’ for almost 30 years.

But in 2021, the Paris club dropped the song in favour of DJ Snake’s ‘Intro Mixed’.

The DJ then claimed the bespoke track was initially only intended for the one-off video to announce the arrival of superstar Lionel Messi that year.

The In The Dark DJ told how he’d ‘need a month to fully rest and recover’Credit: Instagram
He has worked on Lady Gaga track Applause, to name a fewCredit: Splash News
DJ Snake, whose real name is William Sami Étienne Grigahcine, recently told of the reason behind his sunglasses-clad lookCredit: Getty

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