West Ham United's 'humiliations' under manager Julen Lopetegui are 'acceptable', according to The Guardian's Jacob Steinberg, reacting to their first-half performance against Liverpool . The Hammers went into the break 3-0 down after some shambolic defending from Lopetegui's side. Although Liverpool have been in excellent form this season, the capitulation at the London Stadium will have been a major disappointment for the supporters. It's a common theme throughout the season for West Ham, with Lopetegui treading on thin ice. The Spanish manager has been under immense pressure throughout the campaign, but he's managed to wiggle his way out of trouble on numerous occasions. Lopetegui is 'Getting Away With it' at West Ham Reacting on social media at half-time, Steinberg suggested that Lopetegui has been getting away with too many humiliations at West Ham throughout the season. The respected journalist added that it's 'beyond acceptable', regardless of the opposition on this occasion. "How many humiliations in half a season does one manager get away with? Beyond acceptable, even if Liverpool brilliant. Barely competing. And West Ham lucky during that four-game unbeaten run that opponents didn’t punish them." It's a bit of a damning verdict from Steinberg, hinting that Lopetegui has been getting away with it for too long now. Although the Hammers narrowly defeated fellow struggles Southampton last time out, some of their performances this season have been unacceptable, especially in front of their own fans. West Ham shipped five goals at home to Arsenal and three to Chelsea at the London Stadium, while also suffering heavy defeats at Tottenham in the Premier League and Liverpool in the EFL Cup. The supporters have regularly voiced their frustrations at Lopetegui's style of football, and it's no surprise after big investment during the summer transfer window. Lopetegui has struggled to get the best out of the likes of Crysencio Summerville and Jean-Clair Todibo, while we've barely seen young starlet Luis Guilherme in action. It will be interesting to see how the West Ham board react after another disappointing performance from the Hammers, but they've shown faith in the manager so far this season. West Ham United are interested in signing Manchester City midfielder James McAtee in January.
At least 179 people have been killed after a passenger plane skidded and crashed while trying to land at Muan International Airport in South Korea in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters. The Boeing 737-800 Jeju Air flight crash-landed at an airport in South Korea on Sunday. Rescue team carry the body of a passenger at the site of a plane fire at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea [Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo] A total of 179 of the 181 people onboard the flight were killed, with just two survivors, both cabin staff, pulled from the burning wreckage. The plane landed at Muan International about 290km southwest of the capital Seoul. Video footage has been released of the plane seen skidding off the runway and crashing into a wall in a fiery explosion. Flight 2216 had been returning from Bangkok, Thailand with six crew and 175 passengers, many of them holidaymakers. Distraught families gathered in the airport’s arrival hall in tears, as they waited for bodies to be identified. Some of those killed have only been identifiable by their fingerprints. Maeng Gi-su, 78, told the BBC his nephew and his nephew’s two sons had been on the plane. It was the family’s first trip abroad, to mark the youngest son finishing his college entrance exams. “I can’t believe the entire family has just disappeared. My heart aches so much,” he said. The passengers included 173 South Koreans and two Thai nationals. They were aged between 3 and 78, although most were in their 40s, 50s and 60s, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported. The National Fire Agency reported that the crash is believed to have been caused by “contact with birds, resulting in malfunctioning landing gear” as the plane attempted to land at the airport. The South Korean government has declared seven days of national mourning over the plane crash. Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims. Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been ordered to investigate if Thai passengers were on the plane and to provide “assistance immediately”, the prime minister said in a post on social media. Jeju Air, one of South Korea’s largest low-cost carriers, which was set up in 2005, issued an apology for the crash, saying it would “do everything in our power in response to this accident. Author Recent Posts Former US President Jimmy Carter Dies at 100 - December 30, 2024 South Korea plane crash kills 179 in one of country’s worst aviation disasters - December 30, 2024 NZ:Hero mum dies saving daughter and nephew from rip at a Northland Beach - December 28, 2024 RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR Former US President Jimmy Carter Dies at 100 A Beautiful Christmas Message from His Highness the Head of State of Samoa St Joseph’s College Appoints New Principal LEAVE A REPLYThe United States population grew by 1% from 2023 to 2024, sending the population north of 340 million. International migration played a central role in the population increase, with newcomers spread across all states and the District of Columbia . But when it comes to internal migration, the biggest beneficiary was the South, which received more internal migrants than every other region combined. Here are the states that saw the biggest gains and losses from internal migration, according to census data: Biggest gains Texas In 2024, 85,267 residents moved to Texas from other states, making it the biggest beneficiary of internal migration. Migrants were drawn by high-paying jobs in technology, energy, and manufacturing sectors and the state's comparatively low cost of living. Texas is distinguished by having the most Fortune 500 companies of any state. North Carolina Close behind Texas, North Carolina saw the relocation of 82,288 residents in 2024. Migrants are drawn by the state's low taxes, business opportunities, and warm weather. In Charlotte, the largest city in the Tar Heel State, the average low only reaches below freezing in January. Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, was named the second-fastest-growing city in the country by the Census Bureau in May. Charlotte came in as the 11th-fastest-growing city in the country. South Carolina South Carolina saw an increase of 68,043 residents through internal migration in 2024. Hannah Hopewell, South Carolina Chamber of Commerce membership and communications manager, cited a good economy as the primary reason for the migration. “People are moving to the state for the low taxes, warm weather, a good quality of life, and reasonable housing prices,” she said . “Many are also attracted to the jobs that are being created in our economy.” The average price of a house in South Carolina is about 14.6% lower than the national average, hovering around $380,900. Biggest losses California California saw the continuation of an exodus of residents, far more than the closest competitor — the state lost 239,575 residents through internal migration. Despite this, the population of the state actually grew significantly through international migration, with 361,057 migrants moving in from abroad. The reasons for California's exodus vary, with the high cost of living, high taxes, natural disasters, crime, and expensive housing all playing significant roles. New York New York lost 120,917 people through internal migration, though, like California, its population grew overall due to international migration. According to the Adirondack Almanack, 630,000 people have left New York since 2020. The reasons for leaving are similar to California, including high taxes, a high cost of living, and expensive housing. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Illinois Though not losing nearly as much as California or New York, Illinois lost 56,235 people in 2024 through internal migration. High taxes have been cited as the No. 1 reason for leaving the state. Illinois boasts one of the highest tax rates in the country.