- Associated Press
Russian trainers move to Niger airbase where small number of US troops remain
Russia has moved some troops onto an airbase in Niger where a small number of U.S. forces remain after most American troops left the base in the nation's capital, Niamey, a U.S. official said Thursday. The arrival of Russian trainers in the West African country about three weeks ago came in the wake of Niger’s decision to order out all U.S. troops. The order dealt a blow to U.S. military operations in the Sahel, a vast region south of the Sahara desert where groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group operate.
- Associated Press
Paying college football players could reverse trend of bowl game opt-outs, boost non-CFP postseason
With the expanded College Football Playoff locked in through 2031, questions still remain about what the rest of the postseason will look like. “College football cannot have a postseason that only provides 12 opportunities,” Nick Carparelli, executive director of Bowl Season, the organization that advocates for bowl games, said Thursday. Carparelli has some ideas to keep bowl games robust and relevant, including creating more freedom for games to make the most interesting matchups.
- BBC
Aston Villa 2-4 Olympiakos: Europa Conference League semi-final blow for Unai Emery's side
Aston Villa captain John McGinn says "everything that could have gone wrong did" after a chaotic Europa Conference League semi-final first-leg defeat to Olympiakos.
