title
stringlengths 13
112
| published_date
stringlengths 10
10
| authors
stringclasses 3
values | description
stringlengths 0
382
⌀ | section
stringlengths 2
31
⌀ | content
stringlengths 0
81.9k
| link
stringlengths 21
189
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Terror threat: UK upgrades armed police response - BBC News
|
2017-05-05
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The UK is embarking on a major programme to upgrade its armed police response to terrorist attacks.
|
UK
|
Britain is upgrading its armed police response to terror attacks, with £114m to fund an extra 1,000 armed police over five years. What capability does this buy, and how prepared is the UK for what is known as a marauding terrorist firearms attack?
Wind the clock back to November 2008 and the answer was - almost totally unprepared.
Over a near two-day period, a 10-man cell of heavily-armed jihadists from Pakistan carried out a prolonged massacre in the heart of India's commercial capital, Mumbai, killing 164 people.
All over the world, police and counter-terrorism officials asked themselves the uncomfortable question: How would we cope if it happened here in our cities?
In Britain there was a realisation that the police would probably be so outgunned that they would likely have to call in military assistance.
At the very least, there would be an unacceptably long time gap between the first shots being fired by terrorists and the threat from them being eliminated, during which time large numbers of hostages could quite possibly have been killed.
The national security response was to massively "up-gun" the police response.
New, mobile armouries were introduced with modern high-powered weapons in the back, capable of bringing concentrated firepower onto a terrorist target.
A series of realistic exercises were staged across the country, codenamed "Wooden Pride", involving police firearms officers, snipers, SAS operatives and even lawyers.
Participants were made to take part in mock law courts where they had to explain to a sceptical "judge" exactly why they had pulled the trigger at certain points during the exercise.
Police have been carrying out exercises to anticipate a wide variety of terror threats
Today, while patently nowhere is entirely safe from terrorist attack, the precautions put in place have dramatically changed the security environment in London and other cities.
Anyone watching the horrific events in Westminster on 22 March could not fail to notice the speed of the armed police response.
Within minutes of a car being deliberately driven into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, and the assailant then running into the Palace of Westminster, the whole area was sealed off by heavily armed specialist firearms officers (SFOs) from the Metropolitan Police's Specialist Firearms Command.
They were carrying a mixture of powerful, recently-acquired weapons comprising the Swiss-made Sig Sauer SG516 5.56mm Automatic Rifle, the MCX Carbine variant with its telescopic stock and red dot sight, and the Austrian-made Glock 17 Pistol, a lightweight 9mm 17-round handgun often seen strapped to the right-hand leg.
Another weapon in the SFO's armoury is the German-made Heckler & Koch G36 Carbine.
All of these weapons have been steadily replacing the older Heckler & Koch MP5 Carbines, a familiar sight at Heathrow Airport and often mistakenly called submachine guns, (they are configured to fire single shots, not bursts of automatic fire).
Police reacted within minutes to the Westminster terror attack
The rapid response on 22 March was hardly surprising given that this attack took place in the heart of Whitehall.
But throughout central London police Armed Response Vehicles (ARVs) are constantly patrolling, using BMW X5s with secured armouries in the back.
In theory, these ARVs should never be more than eight minutes away from the scene of an incident.
Similar arrangements exist in other major cities and regions across the country, such as the West Midlands.
An even more specialised armed police unit involves Counter Terrorism Specialist Firearms Officers (CTSFOs), who reportedly arrived on the scene of the 22 March Westminster attack within six minutes.
Originally formed for the London 2012 Olympics, they are recognisable by their grey uniforms, black Kevlar body armour, ballistic helmets, facemasks. goggles and Velcro patches bearing the CTSFO logo.
They are trained to tackle a wide spectrum of terrorist and hostage situations, including fast-roping down from Eurocopter EC-145 helicopters, and are equipped with a range of specialist equipment.
This includes pump-action shotguns, polycarbonate body shields, chainsaws, crowbars and motorbikes capable of speeds up to 140mph.
The "physical" response is only part of the picture in UK counter-terrorism activities
But all of this "physical" response is, of course, only part of the picture in counter-terrorism.
A major component of stopping attacks takes place out of public sight, much of it in cyberspace, a war waged daily by analysts and codebreakers at GCHQ and MI5.
Tip-offs by the public have also been crucial.
This week the National Police Chiefs Council revealed that in the last two months the police had received more than 3,000 tip-offs by the public about possible terrorist attacks.
Forging that link between the police and communities has taken years of painstaking work in this country, with frequent setbacks, but in several other European countries it is almost non-existent.
So without timely and accurate intelligence no amount of state-of-the-art hardware will prevent the next attack.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39810721
|
England local elections 2017 - BBC News
|
2017-05-05
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
All the latest news about England local elections 2017 from the BBC
| null |
In the run-up to the General Election on 8 June, we’re asking people across the country to tell us what #GetsMyVote.
Earlier today the Liberal Democrats said they wanted to introduce more family-friendly policies such as extended paternity leave. We asked people at Bristol Zoo what would influence their vote.
James, from South Gloucestershire, at the zoo with his son, said parties made lots of promises they couldn't keep.
"It's a bit of a gimmick in terms of if you look at countries like Sweden there's actually something meaningful about paternity leave," the 39-year-old said.
"In terms of the UK I can't see it's really going to swing it for many families, it's just not really applicable.
Quote Message: It's more about tax credits, but again who's going to write these cheques later. It's all promises. It's more about tax credits, but again who's going to write these cheques later. It's all promises.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/42069d65-f3b1-41e2-b3e9-35ac9d799a1a/england-local-elections-2017
|
Analysis: Where the parties stand... so far - BBC News
|
2017-05-05
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
BBC political correspondent Chris Mason on the results so far in the 2017 local elections.
|
UK Politics
|
Early results suggest a good night for the Tories but many votes are yet to be counted
If the final result to be declared in these local elections, much, much later today, is the summit of the electoral mountain, this morning we are barely above sea level.
Flip flops on, we are still on the beach.
But for those of us up all night to witness the nocturnal arithmetic, clear trends began to emerge very quickly.
Let's be more specific: Tories will rejoice on the basis of the results we have so far.
They suggest the national opinion polls, giving their party substantial leads, are an accurate reflection of the sentiment of voters, and so will hope the prime minister's decision to call a general election will be rewarded with a significantly bigger majority next month.
For Labour, the fears of those within the party who thought they would get a kicking are coming true, at least so far.
In February, she fought the Copeland parliamentary by-election in Cumbria for Labour.
It was an area that had returned a Labour MP for more than 80 years.
Gillian Troughton lost out to the Conservatives, twice.
But she lost, to the Conservatives.
Now she's lost her seat on Cumbria County Council to the Tories as well.
The swing from Labour to the Conservatives, across the results we have so far, is substantial.
The party has been wiped out in Lincolnshire, the very spot where its leader Paul Nuttall will fight for a Westminster seat next month, in Boston and Skegness.
What about the Liberal Democrats?
They can point to some high moments: their former MP Tessa Munt beating the Conservative leader of Somerset County Council, for instance.
But, for all their talk of a Lib Dem fight back, it is not amounting to much so far.
There are those key words again though - so far.
The night, and the day to follow it, is young.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39814567
|
David Moyes: Sunderland manager to stay, but Jermain Defoe could leave - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-05
| null |
David Moyes says he will remain as Sunderland manager next season despite the club's relegation to the Championship.
| null |
David Moyes says he will remain as Sunderland manager next season despite the club's relegation to the Championship.
The Black Cats have endured a poor season, winning just five times in the top flight and falling into the second tier with four games still remaining.
"I know what needs to be done to get back in the Premier League," he said.
The Scot also said striker Jermain Defoe, who has scored 14 goals this season, could leave the club.
Moyes, who joined Sunderland on a four-year contract last summer, said: "Jermain has a clause in his contract so it is possible [that he will leave in the summer], but goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is under contract."
Last week, the Scot had said it was "too soon" to commit his future at the Stadium of Light, but the former Everton and Manchester United boss met chairman Ellis Short and chief executive Martin Bain this week.
He added: "We had initial discussions about how we move forward. I wouldn't say it was an uplifting kind of meeting, but we will meet again in a few weeks. Ellis and the board want me to stay.
"We need to make sure we get a good bit of momentum heading into next season by winning a few games.
"Our performances have been good in recent weeks but the results haven't matched that.
"I will know more come the end of the season, once we see exactly what we are able to deal with, what we can work with, then we will know exactly what we can do,"
Last month, Moyes faced calls from supporters to quit, with chants of "We want Moyesy out" heard during their 1-0 defeat against Middlesbrough.
He is also in trouble with the Football Association, being charged for bringing the game into disrepute by telling BBC reporter Vicki Sparks she might "get a slap".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39816835
|
Straws deny Conservatives in Northumberland election - BBC News
|
2017-05-05
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Liberal Democrats win a crucial county council seat following two recounts and the drawing of straws.
|
Tyne & Wear
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The South Blyth seat was decided in an unusual way after two recounts failed to produce a winner
The battle for control of a council ended with the drawing of straws after a dead heat in the crucial final ward.
And the Conservative Party was denied overall control of Northumberland County Council after losing the unusual decider to the Liberal Democrats.
The South Blyth ward result followed two recounts and left the Conservatives with 33 of the 67 seats available.
Liberal Democrat candidate Lesley Rickerby described her defeat of Tory Daniel Carr as "very traumatic".
The Lib Dems won following the drawing of straws
Ms Rickerby said: "It's unbelievable that, when you consider we have a democratic service, that we end up having to draw straws.
"I certainly would have preferred it to be a majority, but the way our system works, after a couple of recounts, we had no choice."
In addition to the 33 seats won by the Conservative party, Labour won 24, the Lib Dems three and Independents seven.
Ms Rickerby added: "The returning officer decides if we would flip a coin or draw straws and he went with straws.
"I certainly don't want to do that again in a hurry - it really was the last straw."
In another result, Labour retained control of Durham County Council despite losing 20 seats.
The party won 94 seats in the 2013 election and that has now fallen to 74. Independent candidates have the second highest number of seats (28) followed by Liberal Democrats (14) and Conservatives (10).
Council leader Simon Henig said he was "very pleased" to have retained a majority in a "challenging" election.
In North Tyneside, Labour's Norma Redfearn was re-elected as the area's directly-elected mayor with 56% of the vote.
Results for seats on Durham County Council are due to be announced later.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-39814634
|
West Ham United 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-05
| null |
Tottenham's hopes of catching Premier League leaders Chelsea are dealt a big blow as Manuel Lanzini earns victory for West Ham.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Tottenham's pursuit of Premier League leaders Chelsea was dealt a big blow as Manuel Lanzini's fierce finish earned victory for London rivals West Ham.
Spurs could have narrowed the gap to a point with victory at London Stadium, but were well below par as the Hammers helped Chelsea close on the title.
Hammers keeper Adrian made first-half saves from Harry Kane and Eric Dier before Lanzini smashed in a loose ball.
Chelsea need two wins from their final four games to be crowned champions.
Tottenham must hope the Blues slip up in a favourable-looking run-in, which includes home games against three sides in the bottom seven.
Antonio Conte's side will secure the title on Friday, 12 May if they beat both Middlesbrough and West Brom.
The Spurs players looked disconsolate as they trudged off the pitch, their heads bowed, while their West Ham counterparts - and the home fans - took great delight in harming their neighbours' title ambitions.
"It was already going to be hard, so now it is going to be even harder," said Dier.
• None Reaction: Title race difficult but not over - Pochettino
Tottenham made the short trip to east London knowing they could heap pressure on Chelsea before their game against Middlesbrough on Monday.
Mauricio Pochettino's side were going for a 10th straight Premier League win, and headed into the game boosted by a 2-0 win against arch-rivals Arsenal last weekend.
But they lacked invention against a well-drilled West Ham side, who won against one of the top eight sides for the first time in 15 attempts this season.
Spurs had scored 71 goals in their previous 34 league games, a tally bettered only by Chelsea, but only briefly tested Adrian with two quick-fire efforts in the first half.
Kane's long-range shot was diverted wide by the Spaniard's left boot, before the home keeper showed quick reactions to block Dier's near-post header from the resulting corner.
Once the Hammers went ahead through Lanzini, the confidence of the visitors appeared to sap.
Spurs trailed 2-1 against the Hammers after 89 minutes at White Hart Lane earlier in the season, only to win 3-2. That never looked like happening at a raucous London Stadium.
Their attacks lacked conviction, only Christian Eriksen going close with a 25-yard effort which flew past the right-hand post, as West Ham saw out the final few minutes to seemingly ruin Spurs' quest for a first title since 1961.
"We are still fighting," said Pochettino. "We must wait but it is now more difficult."
Hammers manager Slaven Bilic's future has come under scrutiny during a season in which they have rarely threatened to match last year's seventh-placed finish.
But nights like these, when West Ham showed they can compete with the Premier League's best, should go a long way to convincing owners David Sullivan and David Gold that he is the right man to take the club forward.
Bilic, 48, enjoyed an excellent debut campaign after replacing Sam Allardyce, but this season has had to carefully handle the acrimonious departure of star player Dimitri Payet, and the long-awaited move to the former Olympic Stadium.
Crucially, he appears to retain the support of his players and many Hammers fans.
"He has my full backing, he is a great man," said skipper Mark Noble.
Victory meant the Hammers passed the 40-point mark, mathematically ensuring their Premier League survival, as they moved into ninth - their joint-highest position of the campaign.
Asked if the win helps secure his future, Bilic said: "I don't care. When my team is playing like this, I'm happy.
"I think I'm doing a good job. I don't like to moan but we have had many obstacles during this season which are quite rare in football."
Tottenham do not play again until Sunday, 14 May, when they host Manchester United at 16:30 BST - and by then the title might already have gone to Stamford Bridge.
Nevertheless, it will be an emotional occasion as it is Spurs' final home game at White Hart Lane.
West Ham also have a nine-day break, returning to action when Liverpool visit London Stadium at 14:15.
"We deserved more from the game. We started well, dominated the first half and created chances but didn't score.
"We started the second half a little bit sloppy and we conceded a lot of space to them.
"When you are fighting for the title you need to try not to concede this type of goal.
"After that we showed a little bit of desperation to arrive quickly into the box, and we tried to play long balls.
"The reality is that we didn't score, not that we had a bad performance."
"We had a game plan, but the way we did it was magnificent. A great team display in terms of character and determination.
"To beat a team like Spurs you need more than that and we also showed quality.
"It was an important one for them and us, and under the lights on a Friday night, against them - you can't beat that feeling."
• None Tottenham have lost their past three Premier League games in May and lost just three of 34 matches between August 2016 and April 2017
• None West Ham have now won three of their past four home Premier League games against Spurs, losing one
• None Lanzini has three Premier League goals against Spurs - only against Crystal Palace (four) does he have more
• None West Ham have kept three consecutive Premier League clean sheets for the first time since December 2015
• None Andre Ayew has been involved in six goals in his past 11 Premier League games (four goals, two assists)
• None This was Spurs' first Premier League defeat to a side who started that day in the bottom of the half of the table since losing 5-1 to Newcastle United in the final match of last season
• None Three of Spurs' past five away Premier League defeats have come when Anthony Taylor has refereed (also Newcastle and Liverpool)
• None Attempt saved. Ashley Fletcher (West Ham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Robert Snodgrass.
• None Kieran Trippier (Tottenham Hotspur) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Offside, West Ham United. Mark Noble tries a through ball, but Jonathan Calleri is caught offside.
• None Attempt missed. Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
• None Attempt missed. Mark Noble (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Manuel Lanzini. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39741514
|
Sulley Muntari: Pescara midfielder who protested at racist abuse has ban overturned - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
Sulley Muntari has had the one-match ban he received after protesting against racist abuse overturned, says world players' union Fifpro.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section European Football
Sulley Muntari has had the one-match ban he received after protesting against racist abuse overturned.
The Pescara midfielder left the field after being booked in Sunday's Serie A game at Cagliari for complaining of being abused.
The Italian Football Federation said it had considered the "particular delicacy" of the case.
"I hope this is a turning point in Italy and shows what it means to stand up for your rights," said Muntari, 32.
"I feel that someone has finally listened to me. The last few days have been very hard for me. I have felt angry and isolated.
"I was being treated like a criminal. How could I be punished when I was the victim of racism?
"I hope my case can help so that other footballers do not suffer like me."
He later thanked all the people who had helped him overturn the ban.
Muntari was initially booked for dissent, then received a second yellow card for leaving the field.
Serie A, although agreeing that the abuse Muntari received was "deplorable", originally said that it could not impose sanctions on Cagliari because "approximately 10" supporters were involved - fewer than 1% of their supporters in the ground.
Ex-Tottenham striker Garth Crooks called on players in Italy to strike in protest against Muntari's punishment.
Anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out said the ruling was "gutless", while Crooks said: "I'm calling on players in Italy, black and white, to make it absolutely clear to the federation in Italy that their position is unacceptable, and if the decision is not reversed then they withdraw their services until it is."
The 32-year-old former Portsmouth and Sunderland player will now be available for Pescara's game at home to Crotone on Sunday.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39826269
|
Granada 0-4 Real Madrid - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
Real Madrid move level on points with Barcelona at the top of La Liga after thrashing Tony Adams' Granada side.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section European Football
Real Madrid moved level on points with Barcelona at the top of La Liga after thrashing Tony Adams' Granada side.
Real made nine changes and were without Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, but took the lead within three minutes and were 4-0 up after only 35 minutes.
James Rodriguez scored from Lucas Vazquez's pull-back, before Rodriguez headed in a second shortly afterwards.
Alvaro Morata blasted in a third and then shot into the top corner for a fourth to seal the easy victory.
• None Relive Real Madrid's thrashing of Granada as it happened
Barcelona had beaten Villarreal 4-1 to move three points clear earlier on Saturday, before Real's dominant victory brought them back level.
Barca, who have two La Liga matches left, are top by virtue of their head-to-head record in matches against Real, but Zinedine Zidane's side have one game in hand as they aim for their first league title in five seasons.
Zidane made nine changes from the side that won 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid, but were 2-0 up inside 10 minutes.
They should have scored more goals as Vazquez hit the crossbar and Casemiro missed an open goal on an easy night for the European champions.
Former England captain Adams was the surprise appointment to take charge of Granada in April, but he has now lost all five of his matches in charge, with the team only scoring one goal in that time.
They were in the bottom three when Adams became the manager, and the club's relegation was confirmed last weekend.
• None Attempt missed. Entrena (Granada CF) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
• None Attempt saved. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by James Rodríguez.
• None Sverrir Ingi Ingason (Granada CF) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Attempt blocked. Adrián Ramos (Granada CF) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Isaac Cuenca.
• None Attempt missed. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Mariano following a fast break.
• None Attempt saved. Adrián Ramos (Granada CF) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Uche.
• None Attempt blocked. Entrena (Granada CF) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Adrián Ramos. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39765522
|
Wales local elections 2017 - BBC News
|
2017-05-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
All the latest news about Wales local elections 2017 from the BBC
| null |
Cardiff council is another one to watch tonight. It's been controlled Labour since 2012, though the party's majority in the capital city has shrunk since then.
“There was a Labour majority here five years ago – the group here has been somewhat fractious to say the least since then.
“As with much of Wales, the twin questions are – how much ground are Labour losing and who are they losing it to?
“Labour is being challenged by different parties – the Tories, Lib Dems and Plaid Cymru - in different parts of the city.
“This council may show us how effective those parties are in challenging Labour.”
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/3c6a4e42-9efd-4440-89df-647121c87452/wales-local-elections-2017
|
Black natural hair: Why women are returning to their roots - BBC News
|
2017-05-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The politics of black hair and the British women supporting the natural hair movement.
|
England
|
Kadian Pow started with a Teeny Weeny Afro when she began growing her natural curls
The natural hair movement embraces black hair that is free from extensions, wigs or straightening chemicals. But why is natural hair seen as political and what kind of support does the movement have in Britain?
When Kadian Pow was visiting London from the US in 2009 she was inspired to have her relaxed hair cut off and grow her natural curls after seeing a Matalan advert featuring a black model sporting an afro.
She says: "I was jealous of a model on a billboard. But I quickly snapped out of it, realising my own hair could do that.
"By the time I returned to the States, I had resolved to stop relaxing the roots of my sleek bob. Four months before moving permanently to the UK in April 2010, I had my hairdresser cut off the relaxed hair.
"I was left with a short crop of curls, what we in the natural hair community call a teeny weeny afro (TWA)."
While she settled into her new life in Britain, where she was a PhD researcher and assistant lecturer in sociology at Birmingham City University, she began looking online for how to take care of her "growing mane".
She says: "No-one ever taught me to properly nourish the kinky hair that naturally grows out of my scalp.
"I was taught only to tame and manipulate it, as if it were some scary beast. And, to be honest, black women are often made to feel that way in professional and casual environments that subscribe to rigid European beauty ideals."
Her experience is echoed by other black women, who have reported being told to straighten their hair for work in the UK, and in the US where natural hair advocates took on the army.
Presumably even someone as prominent as Michelle Obama felt the pressure to sculpt and straighten - last month a rare photograph emerged of her wearing her hair au naturel, in sharp contrast to the years she spent in the White House.
Kadian Pow had her relaxed hair cut off to go natural
Khembé Clarke has been styling natural hair since the age of 15. Now 56, she organises the Return to your Roots natural hair event in Birmingham.
She says she started with a small-scale event in 2008 and since then there has been a "real appetite" for going natural.
When she opened her own salon in 2005 she said hairdressers offering to do natural hair were rare, but they became more in demand as women moved away from the weaves and perming chemicals that can lead to hair loss.
She says: "Weaving places tension on the hairline, which starts to recede; our hair is quite fragile and there was a movement in the States away from perms and weaves and towards going natural.
"There was also a drive towards heritage, identity and a reawakening that our hair is part of who we are.
"There was a political resistance: why change to be accepted or considered professional?"
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Children learnt how to style their own natural hair at a natural hair event
She says that while the US is "way ahead" in terms of the level of support for natural hair, the movement has gained a lot of support in the UK, particularly among young women.
"It's changing slowly, it comes from us not backing down. This is our hair, this is how it grows," she says.
"There has been an unconscious bias and a lack of understanding for how our hair is, with schools thinking perms are standard without realising the regime required to achieve that.
"Professionally too, a lot of our women are concerned - they already feel discriminated against for being black, [they worry] can I go to work and be accepted [with natural hair]?"
Indeed hair care product company SheaMoisture recently faced a backlash over its advertising campaign which was accused of making black women invisible.
Earlier this month a mother from London organised a billboard featuring natural hair to inspire girls like her daughter
The natural hair movement is huge on social media; in the UK vloggers have created hundreds of YouTube tutorials about caring for and styling natural hair.
Shannon Fitzsimmons, from Mitcham, London, who blogs as UK Curly Girl, says women regularly contact her with questions about natural hair.
She says: "The most popular questions people have about going natural are; 'But I don't know if I will like my natural hair?' 'Where can I get my natural hair cut?' and 'What products should I use to stop my hair from becoming dry?'"
She has written a book, titled Get My Curls Back!, which is all about her natural hair journey. It includes a small dictionary of the phrases that have sprung up around natural hair.
Co-wash - Washing your hair using conditioner only, to avoid the harsh chemicals in shampoo and to retain moisture
Pineapple - The style of wearing your hair up in a loose ponytail, which is great for sleeping as it will reduce frizz and keep curls intact
She says when she began blogging in 2014 the natural hair movement in the UK was just beginning to take off but since then it had seen a huge rise in popularity.
"I am so happy to have been a part of the whole scene, seeing some of my favourite natural hair brands going from hard to get a hold of to now being easily accessible to everyone in the UK via mainstream beauty/cosmetic stores."
Shannon Fitzsimmons says there are a number of terms around natural hair, including pineapple - a loose ponytail to reduce frizz while you're asleep
Alongside the videos, women use a variety of hashtags around natural hair to share their own experiences, styles and advice on sites like Instagram and Twitter.
According to social media analysis tool Spredfast there were 554,048 posts using the hashtag #naturalhair on Instagram in the first two months of 2017. The posts received 1,646,842 comments and 81,303,058 likes.
On Twitter for the same period 49,745 tweets used the same hashtag.
It was this online community that Kadian Pow turned to, where she found mostly black and mixed-race women sharing their own journeys and knowledge.
And she says while her reasons for wanting to grow natural hair weren't political, she feels calling it a movement is correct.
"'Movement' is a suitable term for the expanding constellation of natural hair care gurus, businesses large and small, hair care videos, fashion and accessories spawned from the ingenuity of black women.
"There is an economic advantage that has come from all this, but most movements are inherently political, as they involve people working together to advance shared ideals.
"The foundation of the natural hair movement is that the hair curling from our heads is innately beautiful and should be free to exist that way."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-39195836
|
Scotland local elections 2017 - BBC News
|
2017-05-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
All the latest news about Scotland local elections 2017 from the BBC
| null |
Sir Vince Cable: This is the beginning of the fightback
Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable says his party can celebrate "a great victory" in Richmond, where they gained control of the council from the Conservatives. He told reporters: "We are doing extremely well not just here but in northern cities like Hull, Sunderland and Liverpool. "This is the beginning of the fightback, whether it's against Labour or Conservatives. "We are reasserting ourselves as a major national force."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/8201e79d-41c0-48f1-b15c-d7043ac30517/scotland-local-elections-2017
|
BBL: Worcester 195-197 Newcastle (agg) - best five baskets - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
Newcastle beat Worcester in overtime by two points on aggregate despite the biggest second-leg comeback in BBL play-off history, to reach the BBL play-off final.
| null |
Newcastle beat Worcester in overtime by two points on aggregate despite the biggest second-leg comeback in BBL play-off history, to reach the BBL play-off final.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/basketball/39824290
|
Local elections 2017: What should Labour do now? - BBC News
|
2017-05-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Labour has a plan to avert disaster at the general election - and it means we'll be seeing more of Jeremy Corbyn.
|
UK Politics
|
The local elections may not be an exact guide to the general election result but for Labour politicians they have provided either proof of an electoral defeat foretold or an opportunity to mitigate it.
For some of Jeremy Corbyn's opponents, Friday's results suggest that the opinion polls are broadly right and the best approach towards self-preservation in the next month or so, as a general election approaches, is to keep what they hope will be a safe distance from the party leader.
As one former minister put it "I don't want him anywhere near my seat - they should continue to send him to places we won't win".
A senior Labour figure described the party's local election performance as "calamitous".
So much so that some of Mr Corbyn's supporters fear another attempted putsch by his internal opponents.
That doesn't seem likely, though.
That's because many of those who are sceptical about his leadership say there is no obvious mechanism to remove him - and he would use any evidence of a plot to excuse a bad general election result.
Time and again the phrase they use is that those around Jeremy Corbyn must "own" any defeat.
The former Labour group leader in Derbyshire, Dave Wilcox, saw control of his council pass to the Conservatives today.
He told the BBC he wouldn't be calling for Jeremy Corbyn's resignation right now - but if Labour were to suffer a similar defeat nationally on 8 June, the party leader should go.
He told me: "Genuine Labour supporters have been saying we can't vote for this bloke because he doesn't speak for me.
"We heard it time and time and time again on the doorstep. We are not voting for you while you have Jeremy Corbyn as leader."
The party's mayoral candidate in the West Midlands, Sion Simon - close to Labour deputy leader Tom Watson - chose to focus not on the party leader to explain his defeat.
Instead, he said he got "the sense that some of our voters don't have confidence any more that we share their core Labour values".
But Mr Corbyn's allies blame a collapse in the UKIP vote, as well as previous attempts by some of his own MPs to undermine him, for the poor results.
Publicly, the official line from the Labour leadership is that the council elections were disappointing, not disastrous - but privately some of Mr Corbyn's close colleagues have indeed used the word "disaster" to describe the results.
There won't be any wholesale change to their strategy now but there is an unofficial four-point plan to improve the party's standing.
First, they'll redouble their efforts to get younger non-voters registered as they believe they will be more sympathetic to a radical Labour party.
Second - as shadow chancellor John McDonnell made clear in his media appearances today - they are likely to make Jeremy Corbyn more, not less prominent, in the campaign.
The shadow chancellor believes the leader's image so far has been "distorted" by a hostile press but now we are in a formal election campaign, there will be more balanced broadcast coverage.
And, crucially, there will also be more opportunities to see an "unmediated" leader in the raw - and that voters will warm to his decency.
Third, they intend to bolster doorstep campaigning.
Will Labour take a leaf out of Tony Benn's book?
Jeremy Corbyn's office are keen to find out just how much of this had been carried out in areas where council results were poor.
They want more direct conversations with potential voters so their message isn't only seen through the prism of the mainstream media..
And finally, there will be a renewed emphasis on what the late Tony Benn would have referred to as "policies, not personalities".
The Labour leadership believe that when their manifesto is unveiled in 10 days time, popular policies will boost their poll ratings.
But Labour's private polling also suggested that many of the party's individual policies in 2015 were popular - and that didn't guarantee success at the ballot box.
And Labour's five million doorstep conversations with the public at the last election didn't mean that voters liked what they were hearing.
But overall the message is that the leader and his supporters must do more to play to their strengths.
To coin a phrase, there is no alternative.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39826375
|
Mauricio Pochettino: Tottenham boss says title race 'not over' but winning it 'difficult' - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino refuses to concede the title to Chelsea after defeat at West Ham, but says it will be "difficult".
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is yet to concede the title to Chelsea, but admits it will be "difficult" for his side after defeat at West Ham.
Spurs remain four points behind Chelsea after Manuel Lanzini's goal gave the Hammers a 1-0 win at London Stadium.
Chelsea, who host Middlesbrough on Monday, need two wins from their final four games to be crowned champions.
"It is not over. We have to wait but are thinking that it will be difficult to catch Chelsea," said Pochettino.
"I feel calm. But I'm disappointed, of course, that we missed the opportunity to reduce the gap."
Chelsea have long looked on course to win their second Premier League title in three seasons, having led since mid-November.
But Spurs' nine-match winning streak in the league, coupled with defeats for the Blues by Crystal Palace and Manchester United, gave them hope of a first title since 1961.
They could have narrowed the gap on the Blues to just one point by beating West Ham, but produced a below-par performance.
Antonio Conte's men will open up a seven-point gap if they beat Boro - and could win the title on Friday, 12 May.
"Seven points will be difficult with three games to play, but in football have to try your best. It is true it will be difficult," said Pochettino.
"When you have the chance to reduce the gap to one point and you lose it's hard to find the positives."
What the papers say
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39826967
|
#Breaking2: Eliud Kipchoge goes close to sub-two hour marathon at Nike event - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
Eliud Kipchoge misses out on breaking two hours for a marathon by 26 seconds but his time will not be a world record.
| null |
Eliud Kipchoge missed out on becoming the first athlete to run under two hours for the marathon by 26 seconds.
The Kenyan, 32, clocked 2:00.25 but because in-out pacemakers were used, the time will not be recognised as a world record, meaning Dennis Kimetto's mark of 2:02.57 is still the quickest.
But Kipchoge said: "This is history."
Eritrea's Zersenay Tadese and Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia also raced in the behind-closed-doors Nike event in Italy but faded earlier in the attempt.
The three athletes chased the landmark time running 2.4km laps on the Monza Grand Prix circuit, 63 years to the day since Britain's Roger Bannister ran the first ever sub four-minute mile.
Monza was chosen by the sportswear company for its gentle corners and favourable climatic conditions. Small groups of pacemakers ran pre-defined segments of the circuit before handing over to another group, and the trio did not have to slow down for feed stations as drinks were delivered by scooter.
Kipchoge ran each mile at an average pace of around four minutes and 36 seconds. To achieve a sub-two clocking, the Olympic champion would have effectively had to run 17 seconds for 100 metres 422 times in a row.
He lapped 27-year-old Desisa, who finished in 2:14.10, while Tadese, 35, came home in 2:06.51. Kipchoge always looked the stronger and was on target pace with around seven miles to go but he began grimacing in the closing stages and though he tried to sprint up the home straight, his fatigue was obvious.
Pacemakers applauded and encouraged him as he approached the line and the clocking comfortably outstrips his recognised personal best of 2:03.05, set at the London Marathon in 2016.
"I'm happy to have run two hours for the marathon," added Kipchoge. "My mind was fully on the two hours but the last kilometre was behind the schedule. This journey has been good - it has been seven months of dedication."
Only a select few media were allowed in to witness the attempt at the race circuit near Milan and Kipchoge's time was initially reported to be a second quicker until Nike confirmed the 2:00.25 clocking.
The brand paid the three runners to forgo the London and Berlin Marathons this year prompting some criticism of the event given the resources invested and the fact it will not count as a legitimate record.
Nike's big corporate rival, Adidas, is planning its own sub two-hour marathon attempt but wants to do so in a race setting.
Eliud Kipchoge is, I believe, the greatest physical specimen ever to line up on a marathon start line. If he can't run sub-two, then I don't see another athlete that will do it any time soon.
Kipchoge ran close to the legitimate world record in London in 2016, and perhaps would have broken it in Berlin the year before if his shoes that day hadn't lost their insoles.
He's made history of sorts in Monza, and he's right to be proud of pushing the boundaries. What he needs to do now is break the world record on an IAAF-recognised course.
He has the talent to do that and the world record is all that's missing from a phenomenal career.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/39828177
|
Why we still choose to work in our 90s - BBC News
|
2017-05-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
As Prince Philip retires from public duties, we speak to other nonagenarians who still choose to work.
|
UK
|
"Age is nothing but a number," the saying goes, and Prince Philip has shown you can still carry on working into your 90s.
The Duke of Edinburgh has decided to stand down from public engagements at the age of 95, with the full support of the Queen.
He carried out 110 days of engagements in 2016, making him the fifth busiest member of the Royal Family - despite his age.
Here other nonagenarians reveal why they are still working and whether they plan on reaching Prince Philip's milestone.
Ella Towell, 90, works two days a week at the Claire House Children's Hospice charity shop in Mold, north Wales.
Her previous jobs included working in an engineering firm, a canteen and as a factory supervisor.
Ella Towell says it is not difficult to get up for work as she has never needed much sleep
"I decided to start volunteering because I had a look around the Claire House Children's Hospice and was impressed with the nursing staff and I thought, 'Gosh, I'd like to help.'
"I spoke to the manageress of the shop in Buckley and she said, 'Get here now and get your coat off.' I worked every day there for six years.
"My family started grumbling at me that I was always in the shop and wanted to take me out so I decided to retire at 86. I had only stopped two weeks when the area manageress asked me to do two days a week in the Mold shop so I did.
"I still want to do it because of when I went to the hospice. The nurses and volunteers there should have Victoria Crosses.
"It's not difficult getting up and getting into the shop. I'm downstairs before five o'clock in the morning. I don't go to bed early but I've never needed that much sleep.
"I'm still active. My usual routine is get up, first big mug of tea with a tablespoon of whisky in it. I've done it for years and I haven't got arthritis.
"I serve customers behind the counter and I'm on the till at the shop. People aren't surprised I'm working at 90, they know what I'm like.
"I don't have any plans to give it up for good. I still feel I'm able to help the community at large, especially places like Claire House.
"Children's welfare interests me. If someone comes into the shop with a kiddy in a pushchair, I'm there pulling faces.
"If I can carry on until 95 I will do. You can never predict what your health will be like, but I hope so."
She set up the shop with her late husband, Les, 36 years ago.
Irene Astbury, with members of her family, works in a pet shop set up with her late husband
"We opened the shop on 9 March 1981 and took £9 that day. We thought, 'What have we let ourselves in for?' as it was slow to begin with.
"I've been coming to the shop for the last 36 years and don't know any different. It's not hard working 40 hours a week as it's what I know.
"People can't believe and are quite surprised when they hear I'm 90.
"I still serve a few customers and will answer the phone occasionally.
"I enjoy making everyone a cup of tea and toast at brew time and my three great-grandchildren, Evie (six), Isabelle (three) and Harry (one), come to the shop most days. I enjoy seeing them and playing 'shops' with the older two girls.
"I still enjoy working, even at my age. I enjoy meeting people and customers and talking to them as I'm interested in what they're all up to.
"I don't have any plans at all to retire. As long as my legs will still bring me to the shop I have no plans to stop working.
"My gran was 102 when she died so I have a long way to go yet.
"The secret to a long and active life is to keep going, enjoy it, along with good health.
"I can still see myself working up until the age of 95 just like Prince Philip did. Longer if I can."
Cliff Parker, 90, works for Focus Education, a company founded by his daughter, Linda, which provides educational support to primary schools and academies, in Saddleworth, Oldham.
He served in the army during the 1940s and went on to become a grocer, landlord and worked for Oldham Council.
Cliff Parker says he chooses to work because he does not want to sit at home and do nothing
"I choose to still work at the age 90 because it gives me something to get up for in the morning.
"I bind educational books in the mornings, and in the afternoon I deliver books and parcels to schools. I'm the errand boy in the afternoons.
"I like being busy and being around people, no-one can bind books as good as me.
"It's not difficult to get up for every morning for work. I am always up early.
"I could start later in a morning if I wanted to do, but I enjoy going to work and joining in with the staff and I love being with company.
"I don't want to retire, working is what keeps me going. I don't want to sit at home and do nothing.
"People can't believe I am still working at my age, they say it's brilliant.
"I love going to work every morning and it gives me a purpose in life.
"I can definitely see myself working until the age of 95. Unless I pop my clogs first."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39806153
|
Premiership: Wasps 35-15 Saracens - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
Thomas Young's hat-trick helps Wasps beat Saracens to seal Premiership top spot - and a home semi-final with Leicester.
| null |
Wasps sealed top spot with a bonus-point win over Saracens at the Ricoh Arena, which booked a Premiership home semi-final against Leicester.
Sarries scrum-half Ben Spencer was the day's first try scorer with the first of his two tries for the reigning champions and European Cup holders.
But home flanker Thomas Young - son of Wasps boss Dai - scored the first two of his three tries before the break.
Second-half tries from Christian Wade, Elliot Daly and Young sealed victory.
Sarries' other points came from a conversion by Wasps old boy Alex Lozowski and an enormous first-half penalty by Argentina centre Marcelo Bosch.
Third-placed Sarries, who must now travel to Exeter in the semis in a fortnight's time, played a weakened side.
Ahead of their European Champions Cup final against Clermont Auvergne at Murrayfield on 13 May, they were missing their main England quartet of Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and the Vunipola brothers.
Wasps' four tries not only earned the bonus point which stopped second-placed Exeter sneaking into top spot but took their tally to 89 for the season, surpassing Newcastle's Premiership record of 86, set back in the 1997-98 season.
The best was Young's first try, created by a grubber kick to the left corner from Danny Cipriani, and he then got his second when Sarries were a man down after Sean Maitland was yellow carded for needlessly obstructing Wade.
But Wade's second-half try further helped rewrite the record books, his 17th of the season equalling the 20-year-old Premiership try-scoring record set by Richmond's Dominic Chapman - and Gopperth's 10-point haul ensured that he finished as the league's leading points scorer with 266.
In front of a capacity 32,000 crowd, which caused kick-off to be delayed by 15 minutes, the only sour note for Wasps was the first-half loss of hooker Tommy Taylor with an ankle injury, while prop Jake Cooper-Woolley finished with a foot injury.
But Wasps boss Young, who played for Wales at both rugby codes, was doubly thrilled with son Thomas's treble and hopes that it will guarantee selection by his country for Wales' June Tests against Samoa and Tonga.
"Thomas is not a bad player. I think his mother would be pretty pleased. With the Welsh squad picked on Tuesday I hope he gets his opportunity in the summer.
"He played really well in attack and defence. And I don't know where he gets his pace from. The milkman stopped delivering years ago!
"That win will do us a world of good. Finishing top is a major achievement and we're happy with that. We were the better team but they could have won. Saracens take some shifting. You have to beat them three or four times.
"We left a few points out there, to be honest. We were a bit edgy and you could see we're not quite used to the big occasions. But the more you play them the more comfortable you get. I'm sure Leicester will want to upset the party, but we are looking forward
"Wasps definitely deserved to win. Our effort was good but we made a lot of mistakes and they're not the type of team you want to make handling errors against. We were hanging on for a bit but the effort meant we were always in the fight.
"Whether people do or don't agree with the team we picked, we felt it was the right thing, We take the Premiership very seriously but we had some choices to make. The Champions Cup is a massive competition, so to be in the final again is brilliant.
"The other Premiership semi-finalists all get to rest their players next weekend. We feel we've done the right thing because there were some players who we really felt needed to rest.
"One or two were carrying small injuries who would have played had this been the semi-final, but it would have been a gamble playing them."
Replacements: Johnson for Taylor (18), Swainston for Cooper-Woolley (23) Robson for Simpson (55), McIntyre for Mullan (64), Thompson for Haskell (64), Myall for Symons (69), Bassett for le Roux (72),
Replacements: Du Plessis for Koch (43), Barrington for Lamositele (51), George for Brits (51), Earle for Ellery (54), Goode for Tomkins (57), Isiekwe for Hamilton (60), H Taylor for Maitland (69).
For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39783319
|
England 30-10 Samoa: Wayne Bennett's side record comfortable win - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
England ease to a 30-10 win over Samoa in Sydney in their final warm-up match before October's World Cup.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Rugby League
England recorded a comfortable 30-10 win over Samoa in their final warm-up match before the Rugby League World Cup, which begins in October.
Ryan Hall opened the scoring for his 34th try in 34 Tests and Stefan Ratchford added another before the break as England led 14-0 at half-time.
Samoa threatened after with tries from Joey Leilua and Anthony Milford.
But scores from Josh Hodgson, James Graham and Jermaine McGillvary ensured an easy win for Wayne Bennett's team.
A crowd of just over 18,000, containing largely Samoa supporters, watched the Islanders go behind early.
Bennett's side were in control from the third minute when Leeds wing Hall picked up a looping pass from skipper Sean O'Loughlin to go over in the left corner.
A penalty from Castleford's Luke Gale, who converted all but the last of his side's tries, gave England an 8-0 lead before Warrington full-back Ratchford spotted a hole in the Samoan line to go over.
Samoa were a far more lively attacking proposition in the second period and reduced the deficit when centre Leilua showed great strength to plant the ball with five England defenders grappling. Milford converted.
The teams exchanged tries as Canberra Raiders hooker Hodgson burst through to score before Milford exposed the English defence for his side's second try.
However, England halted Samoa's fightback in the final six minutes as Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs prop Graham barged through a couple of Samoan defenders to touch down before a late fifth try from Huddersfield's McGillvary.
Not the perfect performance, but more than enough for them to look forward to the World Cup with plenty of confidence.
Big raps to Kevin Brown. He may have been a late call-up, but he took his chance superbly with three try-scoring assists in the second half.
Ratchford was also an eye-catcher with his fine individual try-scoring effort in the first half.
Samoa had more possession in the second half and managed to cross through their headline acts - Leilua and Milford. But generally England looked solid in defending their own line.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/39829001
|
Celtic 4-1 St Johnstone - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
Patrick Roberts' brace and a superb Callum McGregor solo effort help Celtic extend their unbeaten domestic record to 43 matches.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Patrick Roberts scored twice as Celtic extended their unbeaten domestic record to 43 matches this season with victory over St Johnstone at Parkhead.
Tom Rogic and teenage debutant Michael Johnston forced Saints keeper Zander Clark into several first-half saves.
Roberts put the champions ahead but Steven MacLean lashed in an equaliser.
Dedryck Boyata headed home a corner and Roberts scored his second before substitute Callum McGregor added the fourth with a sublime individual goal.
Victory moved the champions, who have now gone a year unbeaten domestically, 30 points clear of Aberdeen, who play Hearts on Sunday.
St Johnstone, who suffered a first defeat in 12 'post-split' fixtures going back two years, remain in fourth, six points ahead of Hearts.
Clark, making his first appearance in the Saints goal since the middle of March after replacing Alan Mannus, did not have to wait long to be tested.
Within 40 seconds he was diving low to turn a powerful left-foot strike from Rogic from 25 yards round the post.
Next he denied 18-year-old Michael Johnston, making his first-team debut, as he parried clear the youngster's right-foot 20-yarder.
Rogic, in the advanced central midfield role, was creative and dangerous and another well-struck effort forced Clark to show his quality again with another top-class save.
At the other end, Celtic keeper Craig Gordon, trying to play out from the back, passed the ball straight to Brian Easton but the Saints defender failed to take advantage.
Danny Swanson fired an early 25-yard free-kick over the top of Gordon's bar, but the visitors wasted the best chance of the first half just before the interval when MacLean headed Easton's cross into the path of Blair Alston 12 yards out, but the Saints midfielder sent his shot over the bar.
With Johnston producing flair on the left flank, fellow 18-year-old Anthony Ralston was enjoying his first start for the hosts at right-back, overlapping regularly to add another option to Celtic's attack.
Johnston was at the heart of the move that led to Celtic's opener on the resumption, his pass releasing Roberts, who from just outside the 18-yard box, sent a low left-foot strike into the bottom right-hand corner.
Saints responded within 90 seconds. MacLean's header from Paul Paton's cross was blocked on the line by Gordon, but as the ball broke free MacLean followed up to level the score.
Three minutes later Celtic regained the lead as Boyata rose unchallenged to head home a Roberts corner.
The champions increased their advantage just after the hour after slick build-up play.
Griffiths fired in a shot which Clark parried, but substitute Scott Sinclair reacted swiftly to cut the ball back for Roberts to claim his second of the afternoon from close range.
Celtic were flying now and Sinclair, who had replaced the impressive Johnston, almost produced a magnificent solo goal, eluding numerous challenges before being denied by Clark.
Instead it was McGregor, only on the pitch for a minute after replacing Rogic, who claimed the game's classiest goal with a mazy run that left several Saints defenders in his wake before sweeping a low shot into the net for his third goal in three games.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers: "It was a really exciting performance for the supporters and a joy to watch the team play to that level.
"We were very good for the first 35 minutes without getting the goal, but we started the second half really well, and just switched off for some reason to concede the goal.
"But our response was spectacular. We scored four goals, and maybe could have finished with six or seven if we had been more clinical.
"I've been encouraging Patrick [Roberts] to get into the box because with his quality, he has the ability to score more goals, and it was a great bit of individual skill from Callum [McGregor] - he is performing at a really top level.
"I was delighted with the two young players who made their first starts. You can see the profile of Mikey Johnston, he is very similar to Scott Sinclair - slight, fast, dynamic. With more involvement he will become a bit more prolific and incisive but he was quick and direct and most importantly worked very hard to press the play.
"I thought Tony [Anthony Ralston] was exceptional. You can see the maturity now in his performance; you would think he'd played 50 games already. He's a very good defender, very hard to beat, very strong, but he can play football and has the agility to get forward. It was an outstanding first start from him."
St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright: "I thought Celtic were exceptional, they played particularly well, but I am disappointed that when we got back to 1-1, we gave away a poor goal to put them back in control of the game.
"If you keep it level for 10-15 minutes, then you might get something out of the game. But it was just wave after wave of attack.
"It was a tough day for us, but at 4-1 with 20 minutes to go, it could have been a lot worse. We defended and made sure we came away with a 4-1 defeat and not a heavier one.
"But the second and third goals were poor goals from our point of view."
• None Dedryck Boyata (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• None Attempt saved. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
• None Attempt blocked. Scott Sinclair (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
• None Attempt saved. Stuart Armstrong (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
• None David Wotherspoon (St. Johnstone) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39753995
|
Is live streaming your life good business or dangerous? - BBC News
|
2017-05-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Live streaming is becoming big business for 'creators' and tech firms alike. But is it dangerous?
|
Business
|
Live streaming is becoming big business, with millions of people around the world broadcasting the minutiae of their daily lives in real time to adoring fans - and making small fortunes in the process. But is it safe?
Samantha Firth, a 21-year-old nanny living in Chicago, walks to the subway with her friend. So far, so ordinary.
But she is simultaneously broadcasting her 15-minute journey live via her mobile to thousands of avid followers.
"You guys are lit," she says excitedly as she looks at the stream of rolling messages and emojis that are popping up on her screen from her fans.
"I love you... you guys are the best," she exclaims, before heading onto the subway and zooming the camera in on a spot on her forehead.
It used to be that only film stars would be famous, but thanks to reality TV, YouTube and bloggers, anyone can have their "fifteen minutes" of fame, as Andy Warhol predicted.
The proliferation of live broadcasting tools, pioneered by Meerkat several years ago and followed by the likes of Periscope, Facebook, YouTube and others, has given many young people the chance to broadcast every aspect of their lives - whether they're brushing their hair in their bedroom or out dancing with friends.
In China alone, the entertainment live streaming market is valued at £5bn, according to Credit Suisse.
And in the US, 63% of 18-34 year-olds are watching live content and 42% creating it, finds a study by UBS Evidence Lab.
But for many like Ms Firth, this isn't just narcissistic fun, it's a cash cow.
She joined Live.me - owned by China's Cheetah Mobile - eight months ago after moving from Sydney to Chicago. The live-in nanny has since become one of the most popular broadcasters on the site, amassing 350,000 fans.
These devotees bombard her with virtual gifts - animated stickers that can be converted into "diamonds" and then real money - helping her pull in about $21,000 (£16,300) a month.
"Coming from a different country it has been difficult to make friends, but this app has allowed me to connect with people who have the same interests," she says of her reasons for joining.
"I spend most of my free time broadcasting because it's where most of my friends are."
She is keen to portray a candid version of herself, pimples and all.
"I don't wear make-up, I wear sweatshirts and sweatpants," she says. "Sometimes I cry when someone says something hurtful on a broadcast."
Like Live.me, live streaming platform YouNow enables these citizen broadcasters to make money from fans sending them virtual gifts. Fans of some streaming sites can also subscribe monthly to their favourite live streamers.
Emma McGann thinks her live broadcasts have helped boost her music career
It's been a real moneyspinner for the top broadcasters, who can earn up to $200,000 (£155,000) a year.
Singer Emma McGann, 26, broadcasts live from her studio in Coventry, England, for three to six hours every day. She says her live streams attract about 5-10,000 unique views.
YouNow not only provides her with a good salary - she earns £2,000-3,000 a month via the channel - but it has helped her gain exposure for her music.
"It enabled me to get a single in the iTunes chart," she says. "It's also a great testing ground for new material."
"I like the live element. I like to interact with the audience and take song requests."
Fans can also speak to her over the internet.
While many brands are already running their own live streaming sessions, We Are Social head of strategy Harvey Cossell believes there are opportunities for brands to capitalise on live streaming by co-creating with individuals who have already amassed a loyal audience.
The success of such collaborations in the social gaming world, on sites such as Twitch, are a case in point.
"They would need to identify those people that represent a similar set of values to the brand in question and then find creative ways to partner with them in the production of their content," he advises.
The challenge, he warns, is one of authenticity.
"It's always better for brands either to partner with the right person, or do nothing at all."
Some researchers are forecasting that the live streaming business will be worth $70bn globally by 2021.
But for all its engagement value and monetisation potential, you only have to search online to see that live streaming has its dark side.
Earlier this year, 12-year-old Katelyn Nicole Davis took her own life and broadcast it live on Live.me, while there have been many reports about paedophiles watching live streaming of child sex abuse.
"Live streaming apps and sites can expose young people to graphic and distressing content and can leave them vulnerable to bullying and online harassment," an NSPCC [National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children] spokesman tells the BBC.
"Worryingly, live chat can also be used by groomers to target young people who may be manipulated into sending sexual images and videos."
Khudor Annous, head of marketing and partnerships at Live.me, says the company has a number of safeguards, including a facial recognition tool that can supposedly spot anyone who's under the age of 13 on the app.
"If they are in fact under the age of 13, then we ban the account," says Mr Annous.
"We have also provided users with reporting tools to report a channel if they identify a child in the app. We're typically able to evaluate reports within a couple of hours depending on daily volume."
As for grooming, he says: "Every user has the ability to report any suspicious behaviour before, or any violations of our community guidelines. We also work with the FBI and local law enforcement agencies around the globe to ensure the safety of our community."
But there are also concerns that the broadcasters are themselves exploiting young people.
Clinical psychologist Linda Blair describes the rise of young people live streaming as "very sad".
She adds: "It's an indication of loneliness. They might temporarily feel great but it's only a distraction."
But with millions of people already using live streaming platforms, including Facebook Live, we can expect the number of everyday broadcasters to continue growing.
"I see live streaming following a path similar to social networking, where at first it started as a place for people to connect with each other but eventually evolved into a powerful platform for advertising, marketing, and publishing," says Paul Verna, principal analyst at eMarketer.
Mr Cossell also believes that live video will expand into other formats.
"It will begin to harness emerging technologies such as 360-video and virtual reality more readily," he says.
"Live streaming is clearly here to stay."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39778550
|
Local elections 2017: What results mean for Theresa May - BBC News
|
2017-05-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Local election results don't necessarily translate into a big Commons majority for Theresa May but the ground is prepared.
|
UK Politics
|
It is May's Day. North, South, East and West
The Conservatives have taken ground up and down the land - and found support even in parts of the country like the East End of Glasgow, where the Tories almost went out with the Ark.
David Cameron claimed there were no "no-go" areas for his Conservative Party - but it's his successor, who on these results, seems to be on the verge of making that true.
And despite Labour's official insistence these results are less bad than feared, one senior figure told me there was no way of measuring them that made them less than very bad.
The Conservatives are emboldened by UKIP losing much of its reason for being.
And in Scotland they seem to be the beneficiaries of the SNP's hopes for a second referendum - scooping up unionist votes. The SNP is still clearly the biggest party but have perhaps lost some of their precious sheen.
Much could change in the coming weeks of what's likely to be a brutal general election campaign.
Theresa May insists still that the vote could be close, warning her supporters not to take a majority for granted.
The results don't translate necessarily into a big Tory win. But according to those who put crosses in a box on Thursday, the ground is prepared.
Sorry, your browser cannot display this map
See results and latest news in your area
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39826187
|
England v Ireland: Eoin Morgan praises Adil Rashid for overcoming 'tough' winter - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
Eoin Morgan says Adil Rashid has learned from a "tough" winter after his 5-27 helps England beat Ireland by seven wickets.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Adil Rashid showed he has learned from a "tough" winter by taking 5-27 to help England beat Ireland by seven wickets in Bristol, said captain Eoin Morgan.
Leg-spinner Rashid, 29, struggled for consistency as England lost a Test series in India 4-0 late last year.
He was dropped after the first one-dayer against India but performed well in the West Indies series in March.
"He's a huge asset for us and hopefully he gets it right in the middle of the summer," said Morgan.
Rashid's figures on Friday were the second best by an English spinner in one-day internationals, behind the 5-20 taken by Vic Marks against New Zealand in Wellington in 1984.
"It was a tough time in the winter and he's clearly learned from it," Morgan told BBC Test Match Special. "He's slowly building back enough confidence.
"Coming out with his career-best performance after having a very tough winter in India and starting to put something together in the West Indies - it shows the threat leg-spin has."
England play the second and final one-dayer against Ireland at Lord's on Sunday (11:00 BST).
'You have good days and bad days'
Ireland were 81-2 but lost eight wickets for 45 runs as they collapsed to 126 all out in 33 overs. Seven of those wickets fell to Rashid and part-time off-spinner Joe Root, who took 2-9.
Rashid finished with his first five-wicket haul in ODIs, with the Ireland batsmen struggling to read his variations.
Asked how he rated the performance, Rashid said: "It's probably up there.
"It's a great feeling getting a five-for in any conditions. I feel as though I am improving and hopefully I can carry it on.
"You have good days, you have bad days. It's how you deal with it. Sometimes you don't feel great but you have to find a Plan B, Plan C."
Adil Rashid did the job any captain wants when you open the door into a side. Your leg-spinner comes on and kicks it wide open and that's exactly what he did.
I think he's a very good one-day bowler with the white ball. He knows he can do it and he's confident.
With the red ball, I don't think he's got the confidence - he doesn't believe he's a Test match bowler. As a result, he bowls a lot more bad balls with the red ball."
England have won six of the seven completed one-day matches against Ireland, and eight of their past nine at home.
Morgan's side are scheduled to play 21 matches across all formats by 29 September, plus up to five matches in the Champions Trophy 50-over competition, which begins on 1 June.
"Putting in a clinical performance is as good as we can ask for as a side. It is how ruthless we need to be going forward," Morgan said.
Having almost qualified from their group at the 2015 World Cup, Ireland have struggled recently and are 12th in the one-day rankings, seven places behind England.
They suffered heavy ODI defeats against Pakistan last August, and to South Africa and Australia in September. In March, they lost T20 and ODI series against Afghanistan.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live, Swann said Ireland "fell to pieces" as they lost a succession of wickets to "abysmal shots".
Ireland captain William Porterfield said: "I think we started off pretty positively and wouldn't necessarily have envisaged that spin would do the damage.
"Not taking anything away from Rashid, we should have played it a lot better. That's something we need to mentally put right for Sunday."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/39823715
|
How a row over one word sank an LGBT petition in Australia - BBC News
|
2017-05-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
It was a well-meaning campaign to address bullying, but it ended in a passionate row over "tolerance".
|
Australia
|
Celebrities including Guy Pearce, Missy Higgins and Troye Sivan were attached to the petition
It was a well-meaning campaign designed to address bullying of LGBT students in Australian schools.
But a day after its high-profile launch - backed by some celebrities - the petition was withdrawn following a swirl of controversy.
On Tuesday the open letter, organised by a Sydney man, called on Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to commit A$6m (£4m; $4.5m) to funding a new anti-bullying programme.
With a focus on LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender] issues in schools and domestic violence, the programme would target "all forms of bullying, including that which is based on religion, race, gender, faith, sexuality, disability, skin conditions, social standing or political persuasions", the letter said.
It followed an intensely debated similar scheme, Safe Schools, which was launched in 2014 but was significantly curtailed and then dumped in one state after criticism from conservative politicians, lobby groups and sections of the media. The critics said it raised sexual issues that were inappropriate for teenagers and young children.
LGBT anti-bullying programmes have been intensely debated in Australia
Tuesday's proposal was intended to "de-politicise" and remove "controversy" surrounding LGBT education in schools. Celebrities including actor Guy Pearce and singers Troye Sivan and Missy Higgins attached their names to the petition.
It even attracted qualified support from an unlikely source. The Australian Christian Lobby - a conservative group critical of Safe Schools - said it "cautiously welcomed" the new proposal.
But it attracted immediate criticism for urging "tolerance" - rather than "acceptance".
"Make no mistake of our request: we do not seek a program that seeks approval of the way certain members of our society live. We seek only mutual respect and tolerance," the petition said.
Critics of the wording included LGBT advocates and, quickly, goodwill that might have flowed from passionate supporters of Safe Schools descended into anger.
"It sounds to me like I'm supposed to beg people to be tolerant of my child's existence," Leanne Donnelly, identified as a Sydney mother of a transgender teenager, told the Special Broadcasting Service.
"Equality and acceptance is the starting point, not downgrading to tolerance."
Some celebrities attached to the letter said they had not seen the wording before it was published.
Petition organiser Ben Grubb, a PR adviser, wrote a lengthy apology to the LGBT community following the backlash.
"Acceptance was removed during the drafting after confidentially consulting a Canberra decision-maker on what they believed the government would potentially back to fund such a program," he wrote, adding his involvement in the campaign was personal not professional.
"This is a decision I deeply regret and I am truly sorry for. I am sorry to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex community, many of whom have told me that by doing this represented the letter pandering to conservative views."
He said he would arrange for the petition to be taken down. It and an accompanying publicity video are no longer visible online.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-39801244
|
Hartlepool United 2-1 Doncaster Rovers - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
Hartlepool United are relegated out of the English Football League despite coming from behind to beat Doncaster Rovers.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Hartlepool United's 96-year stay in the Football League ended as they were relegated despite battling back to beat Doncaster Rovers, who missed out on the League Two title on the final day.
Two Devante Rodney goals looked to have kept Hartlepool up, but Mark O'Brien's late winner for Newport County in their game saved the Welsh club instead.
But O'Brien's 89th-minute Newport goal sent Hartlepool to the National League.
Needing to win and hope Newport failed to beat Notts County to survive, Hartlepool's decisive day began badly when James Coppinger's first-half cross was eventually turned in by Williams from close range as defender Carl Magnay sliced his clearance.
With Newport winning at that stage, Hartlepool looked doomed, before an equaliser for Notts County at Rodney Parade lifted the Teesside club.
And Hartlepool's hope turned to ecstasy as 18-year-old substitute Rodney slotted in his first two senior goals in quick succession to temporarily lift United above the drop zone.
But, as the game moved into stoppage-time, news of Newport's late twist brought despair to the Victoria Park faithful.
Defeat saw already-promoted Doncaster, who had needed to better Plymouth's result to finish top, fail to capitalise on Argyle's draw and they eventually finished third, as Portsmouth leapfrogged both their rivals to win the title.
While an extraordinary finish at Rodney Parade was ultimately what sent Pools down, their undoing began much earlier in their campaign.
Hartlepool had won just two of their past 10 games when manager Craig Hignett was sacked in January after 11 months in charge.
Despite that poor run, Pools were seven points clear of the relegation zone when they named former Wolves, Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff boss Dave Jones as their new boss - an appointment that was described as a "no-brainer" and "a real coup for the football club".
But just 13 points were taken out of a possible 51 in his disastrous 17 games in charge, leaving Pools two points adrift of safety when he was dismissed on 24 April, less than 48 hours after club president and Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling issued a message for Jones to leave during a live television broadcast.
Defender Matthew Bates was placed in charge for the final two games of the season, with striker Billy Paynter and coaches Stuart Parnaby and Ian Gallagher forming the rest of a makeshift coaching team.
But, after losing at then-relegation-rivals Cheltenham on the penultimate weekend, they were unable to stop Pools dropping out of the EFL for the first time since 1921.
"I was trying to keep a level head but it was difficult with the results coming in.
"There was nothing wrong with the performance. They went 1-0 up and we had to regroup, but we did and came back at them.
"It was all positive in the dressing room at half-time. The shackles were off and there was no pressure so make yourself heroes.
"We needed to get the fans onside and we did with our performance. I have learned if you give the fans everything on the pitch they will stick by you.
"We got relegated but the fans stayed behind and clapped us off they showed their appreciation but ultimately is that right or wrong?
"The players have been magnificent in the past two weeks. It has been humbling."
• None Attempt blocked. John Marquis (Doncaster Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
• None Joe Wright (Doncaster Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Attempt missed. Andy Williams (Doncaster Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
• None Gary McSheffrey (Doncaster Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Goal! Hartlepool United 2, Doncaster Rovers 1. Devante Rodney (Hartlepool United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Padraig Amond.
• None Carl Magnay (Hartlepool United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39753913
|
Lib Dems pledge 1p income tax rise to fund NHS - BBC News
|
2017-05-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The party says the move would raise around £6bn a year for health and social care costs.
|
Election 2017
|
A Liberal Democrat government would raise income tax to help fund the NHS and social care, the party has pledged.
It said a penny-in-the-pound rise on all income tax bands and on dividends would raise around £6bn a year.
The Tories said 30 million people would be hit by the tax rises. Labour said its NHS plans would be in its manifesto.
The Lib Dem pledge is complicated by devolution, such as Scotland having its own tax-raising powers.
The NHS is facing one of its toughest-ever financial challenges as it struggles with a growing and ageing population.
In the UK, £140bn was spent on health last year and around £25bn on social care.
The proposed tax rises are the Lib Dem's first significant policy announcement of the general election campaign.
Party leader Tim Farron said he wanted "to be honest with people and say that we will all need to chip in a little more".
He told the BBC: "This is an average of £3 a week for the average earner in this country, so a pint of beer a week to pay for a health and social care service that will last us from cradle to grave."
A Lib Dem government would raise all tax bands by one percentage point.
The party estimates someone earning £15,000 would pay an extra £33 a year in tax, with someone on £50,000 paying an extra £383.
This would not apply in Scotland as income tax levels are devolved to the Scottish Parliament, where the Lib Dems are the fifth largest party.
The plans also include a UK-wide rise of 1p on dividend income taxes if you hold shares in a company.
In the 2018/19 financial year, the party says the extra taxes would raise:
The total raised is projected to reach £6.6bn a year by the end of the parliament.
The money would be guaranteed for the NHS and social care in England, but it is up to the devolved governments in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland to choose whether to spend the money on health or elsewhere.
Mr Farron added: "Theresa May doesn't care about the NHS or social care. People are lying on trolleys in hospital corridors and she has done nothing. The truth is you can't have a strong NHS with a hard Brexit."
The Liberal Democrats say the money raised will primarily be invested in social care which will get £2bn a year, as well as care outside of hospital, mental health and public health.
But it says its ultimate ambition is a dedicated health and care tax.
Norman Lamb, for the party, added: "Simply providing more money on its own is not enough and that's why this is just the first step in our plan to protect health and care services long-term.
"We also need to do much more to keep people fit and healthy and out of hospital, and that is why this new funding will be targeted to those areas that have the greatest impact on patient care such as social care, general practice, mental health and public health."
The outgoing Conservative government has promised to increase funding for the health service by £8bn by 2020 and £2bn for social care. The Lib Dems say their extra £6bn a year would be in addition to these plans.
A £6bn a year rise in income for the NHS and social care would be "generous" compared with recent increases in their budgets, but against the historical average it is "quite small scale", the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said.
IFS spokesman George Stoye told BBC News that about half of adults in Britain pay income tax, so a penny in the pound rise would mean incomes in these households cut on average by 0.6%.
Conservative Jane Ellison said: "Now we know - a vote for anyone other than Theresa May means you will pay more tax.
"Jeremy Corbyn, the Lib Dems and SNP will hit 30 million people in the pocket with higher income taxes.
"Only a vote for Theresa May on 8 June can provide the strong and stable leadership we need to get a good deal in the Brexit negotiations, keep taxes low, and secure our growing economy.
"It is the only way we can build on the record funding we've given the NHS."
Labour said its plans for funding the NHS would be in the party's manifesto although it has already said it would halt hospital cuts.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2017-39822306
|
Diamond League: Justin Gatlin & Andre de Grasse beaten in Doha 100m - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
South Africa's Akani Simbine continues his impressive start to 2017 by beating Justin Gatlin and Andre de Grasse in Doha.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Athletics
South Africa's Akani Simbine continued his impressive start to 2017 by beating Justin Gatlin and Andre de Grasse in the 100m at the Doha Diamond League.
The 23-year-old clocked his sixth sub-10 second time of the season as he came home in 9.99, ahead of Asafa Powell.
Gatlin was fourth in 10.14, behind Femi Ogunode (10.13) and ahead of De Grasse, who was fifth in 10.21.
Jamaica's Olympic champion Elaine Thompson beat the Netherlands' Dafne Schippers in the 200m.
The pair were separated by only a tenth of a second in last year's Olympic final, and Thompson triumphed in Doha by 0.26 seconds in a time of 22.19.
Britain's Robbie Grabarz, who took silver in the European Indoors in March, claimed second place in the high jump, clearing 2.31m in his first outdoor event of the season.
• Watch highlights of the Doha Diamond League on BBC One on Saturday at 13:45 BST (not in Northern Ireland).
Olympic champion Caster Semenya claimed a commanding victory in the 800m, coming home in a world-leading time of one minute 56.61 seconds.
Burundi's Francine Niyonsaba, who won silver behind the South African in Rio, was the only other woman to better that time in the whole of 2016.
Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibaba - who broke a 22-year-old 1500m world record in 2015 and won silver over the distance in Rio - was fifth in her first 800m outing.
Olympic champion Thomas Rohler threw 93.90m to win the javelin competition by more than four metres.
The German's throw moves him to second in the all-time list, with only Czech great Jan Zelezny having thrown further.
Desiree Henry was well short of the 22.69 she clocked earlier this year in California as the 21-year-old finished seventh in the 200m.
Holly Bradshaw, who missed the indoor season with injury, finished fourth in the pole vault with a best of 4.55m.
Cindy Ofili finished down in seventh as American world record-holder Kendra Harrison won the 100m hurdles in 12.59, while Andrew Butchart came eighth in the 3,000m and Chris Baker finished seventh in the high jump.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/39824855
|
UK General Election 2017 | BBC News
|
2017-05-06
| null |
All the BBC's coverage of the 2017 UK General Election including news, analysis and results.
| null |
May to form government with DUP backing
Theresa May says she will govern with her Democratic Unionist "friends" and "get on" with Brexit after losing her majority, but rivals say she has caused chaos.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2017
|
Premiership: Home play-offs, fourth place and European spots up for grabs - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
BBC Sport takes a look at how the final day of the English Premiership season is shaping up, with plenty still to be decided.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union
Date:Kick-off:Coverage: Live commentary on BBC local radio and live text, scores and reports on BBC Sport website
After eight months of hard graft, bruises and broken bones, there is still everything to play for as the Premiership enters its final round.
Three teams are battling to finish top of the table, Bath and Leicester will fight it out for the all-important fourth play-off spot and Harlequins and Northampton will aim to secure an automatic European Champions Cup place for next season.
The only certainty is that bottom side Bristol are already relegated.
BBC Sport takes a closer look at how things could shape up once the final whistle blows on Saturday.
It appears so. Over the past 10 seasons, only Saracens (twice), Northampton, London Irish and Leicester Tigers have tasted victory away from home in the semi-finals.
In 2016, Saracens thumped Tigers 44-17, while Exeter edged to a tense 34-23 win over Wasps at Sandy Park.
So who is going to enjoy the home comforts on 20 May?
In short, if Premiership leaders Wasps beat reigning champions Saracens at the Ricoh Arena and Sarries do not take away two bonus points, Wasps and Exeter will get home ties.
A win for Sarries makes sure their semi-final will be at fortress Allianz Park. However, the omens for Saracens fans are not good - Wasps have won all 10 league matches at home this campaign.
Wasps director of rugby Dai Young said he "thought the game would have a prize on it" when he saw the fixture list at the start of the season. The prize could well be a Premiership final if history is anything to go by.
If Exeter overcome Gloucester at Kingsholm, they will guarantee themselves a play-off match in the south west, but their fate could be decided in Coventry.
Since the 2005-06 season when the top four started automatically qualifying for the play-offs, only Saracens, in 2015, have won the trophy after finishing fourth.
In fact, only fourth-placed finishers Leicester, in 2008, and Northampton, in 2013, have made the showpiece event at Twickenham.
On Saturday, 10-time champions Leicester are in prime position to claim the final play-off spot for a third-straight campaign - they effectively need just a losing bonus-point at Worcester.
Bath, runners-up in 2015, must take home all five points at Sale, and hope Warriors do them a favour at Sixways with a big win.
All to play for at Franklin's Gardens
The battle for sixth spot is fairly complicated. If Northampton beat Harlequins and Quins take away no points, Saints will finish sixth and qualify for the European Champions Cup in 2017-18.
A losing bonus-point for Quins, and only four points for Saints, means the two teams finish level on points, but Quins will qualify for Europe on virtue of having more wins.
This is where it gets even more confusing. The team that finishes seventh enters a play-off with the seventh-placed Top 14 club in France, and eighth and ninth-placed sides in the Pro12, with the winner earning a Champions Cup spot.
The play-offs and final take place over the last two weekends in May.
After Saturday's results, Gloucester, Saints, Quins and Newcastle could all finish seventh.
However, if the Cherry and Whites finish eighth in the Premiership, which is likely, and win their Challenge Cup final against Stade Francais on 12 May, they will enter the play-offs for the Champions Cup instead of the seventh-placed side.
Make sense? Hopefully it will all become clearer by the end of Saturday.
Premiership - round 22 (all games kick off at 16:00 BST on Saturday)
For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39794434
|
Would you pay a stranger to dump your partner for you? - BBC News
|
2017-05-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
It is now possible to pay someone to dump your partner, write thank you notes or queue up for you.
|
Business
|
Break-ups are never easy - some people would rather avoid that awkward conversation altogether
Would you pay someone to break up with your partner for you?
That's exactly what 28-year-old Trevor Meyers did.
"I felt like it was easier for someone else to take care of an awkward situation like a break-up," says Trevor, who lives in Canada.
He has used the services of a company called The Breakup Shop more than once to end relationships.
You can choose to pay a stranger to send a text, email or good old-fashioned letter to the person you are breaking up with. Or they can call your soon-to-be-ex to tell them it's over.
"I used The Breakup Shop to end a couple of short-term things when things just didn't mesh with the way I live my life," says Trevor.
"Overall I think they [those broken-up with] get it - it's pretty simple. I haven't had to use it often but I'm glad there is a service for it now."
The Breakup Shop was founded by Canadian brothers Evan and Mackenzie Keast in November 2015.
The idea for the site came about when Mackenzie was "ghosted" by a woman. This is the term for when someone disappears from the life of a person they were previously dating or in a relationship with.
Mackenzie (left) and Evan Keast have ended hundreds of relationships on behalf of other people
"She stopped responding to messages and phone calls, she totally disappeared. She didn't have the courage to break up with him herself," says Evan.
Within a week, The Breakup Shop was launched.
Prices range from 10 Canadian dollars (£6) for a text or email, to C$80 for a "Breakup Gift Box", which includes cookies and wine.
While the messages can be personalised, Evan is keen to stress the company would never relay anything "offensive or damaging".
Over the past 18 months, the brothers have ended "hundreds and hundreds" of relationships while also working full-time jobs in technology and property development.
Evan acknowledges that some people are uncomfortable with the idea of The Breakup Shop but says times are changing.
"We're living in an age of fast communication," he says. "Everything is sudden and abrupt, it's how the next generation communicates."
Dr Bernie Hogan, a research fellow at Oxford University's Internet Institute, says the process of ending relationships has evolved in line with the shifting way they are formed.
"People don't have a context in common with their partners anymore. When you meet someone on the internet or via a dating app, they aren't friends of friends or colleagues to whom you are connected. So when the relationship ends there isn't the added complexity of mutual friends to deal with," he says.
This explains how ghosting can happen, as it's easier to make a clean break.
So perhaps using a third party to end a relationship is better than not officially ending it at all, but Dr Hogan says it is still very much a "violation of norms".
There's always the impersonal touch of your own
Though paying someone to break up with your partner may not be to everyone's taste, it's not the only personal task that you can pay someone else to do.
You don't get much more personal than sending a hand-written letter or thank you card. In this age of digital communication, such correspondence is becoming increasingly rare.
Finding the time to write letters or even having stationery and a stamp to hand can be tricky. So how about getting a machine to do it for you?
Sonny Caberwal is chief executive of Bond, a company that has developed a machine that can hold a pen and write. It can even learn your own style of handwriting.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Bond will write your thank-you notes for you.
The average price for a note is around $5 (£4) and customers can send in the text to be transcribed from their computer, tablet or smartphone.
Sonny says customers range from recently married couples needing help thanking their guests for wedding gifts, through to business people who travel too much to make it to the post office.
While this novel use of technology is decidedly James Bond-esque, the famous spy isn't actually the inspiration behind the name of the company.
"The whole idea of the company was about creating beautiful experiences that bond people," says Sonny.
"Our target customers are the people that love writing notes but simply don't have the time to write them themselves."
Another thing that people don't seem to have the time for is queuing.
Contrary to the popular perception of British people loving a good queue, we in fact do not like standing in a line, according to social historians (unless it's for tickets to the tennis at Wimbledon).
The Wimbledon queue: the exception to the rule
Online errand-running business TaskRabbit says people who will queue up for others - whether in person or online - are in popular demand on its platform.
"We see hundreds of requests for London Taskers to wait online for the latest restaurant and theatre tickets, or wait for a BT or Sky technician to arrive, or even queue for five hours for the latest Yeezy shoe [Kanye West trainers]," says Ian Arthurs, TaskRabbit's chief operating officer.
British users, however, tend to be a bit more reserved than their American counterparts, he says. "We had a task in LA where a customer was looking for someone to impersonate them at a party so they didn't have to go."
Where matters of the heart are concerned, though, it's not just breaking up with a partner that some people seek help with.
On a more uplifting note, Ian Arthurs points to an example of someone in New York seeking TaskRabbit's help to plan and execute a surprise public marriage proposal.
Luckily, it worked. She said yes.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39351286
|
Tyson Fury: Anthony Joshua will be 'my easiest' fight says former world champion - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
Tyson Fury tells BBC Radio 5 live he would not need a warm-up fight before outclassing unified champion Anthony Joshua.
| null |
Tyson Fury says he will deal with unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua "like a cat playing with a ball of wool" when he returns to boxing.
Fury, 28, has dealt with depression and lost his boxing licence since beating Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015.
In a wide-ranging interview, Fury said he will shed eight stone in weight and remove the "fraud from the division".
"Joshua is a big man with a puncher's chance and has no footwork, no speed or stamina," Fury told BBC 5 live boxing.
"He is what you call a boxer's dream. I've had 18 months out and ballooned up to 26 stone. I could come back with no comeback fights and still box rings around that body builder."
• None Fury on Joshua: I'll rid the heavyweight division of a fraud
Fury says he will be back fighting in July, on the undercard of a show at London's Copper Box Arena, if his licence is reinstated by the British Boxing Board of Control.
The BBBofC removed the fighter's licence in October 2016 eight days after he admitted taking cocaine to help him deal with depression.
The sport's British governing body says it would need a "full consultant's report" in considering their position, but the 28-year-old's camp is confident the matter will be worked out.
Fury, who refers to himself as the 'Gypsy King', also faces a UK Anti-Doping hearing on Monday relating to a failed test in June of last year.
He insists he is not "desperate" to return to the sport but wants to meet Joshua, who beat Klitschko on Saturday to unify the IBF and WBA titles before immediately referencing a future bout with Fury.
Fury has sparred with Joshua in the past and added: "I always said Wladimir would be my easiest fight. Now I change the goal posts, AJ will be my easiest fight.
"I've never been more confident or serious when I say something, I will play with Joshua like a cat with a ball of wool - hands behind my back, making a right mug of him.
"We are in the business of sweet science. Sweet science does not consist of a body beautiful, iron pumping big fella. It's feinting, jabbing, moving, gliding around the ring, that's the sweet science."
Fury believes he will take at least eight weeks to return to 18-and-a-half stone - roughly a stone heavier than he weighed in at prior to his shock win over Klitschko - and is currently in Marbella training.
He said he "enjoyed every minute" of the Joshua-Klitschko Wembley Stadium fight, but admitted concern, stating "silly things" Joshua did could have led to a defeat which would have "cost us millions" in scuppering the chances of a future match-up.
Undefeated Fury also believes the result underlines the lack of credit he received for toppling Klitschko to land three of the four heavyweight titles at the same age as Joshua - 27.
He added: "Joshua was supposed to walk right through him as he was old and useless supposedly, but it didn't work like that did it? Klitschko's been out of the ring 18 months and had a 50-50 fight with a so-called killer. I will rip the fraud from the division.
"You get two types of people in boxing, the outlaw and the Mr Nice. I am the outlaw so people love to hate me. That's my personality, love me or hate me you still have to watch me, it works. I've been through depression, life and death positions, and turned it all around."
• The full Fury interview will be available on Monday's 5 live boxing podcast
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/39830357
|
Local elections 2017: The results mapped - BBC News
|
2017-05-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The Conservatives have made gains in the local council elections, with Labour and UKIP losing out, as the results are declared.
|
Election 2017
|
The Conservative Party has made major gains in local elections across Britain, fuelled by a collapse in the UKIP vote and poor results for Labour.
Sorry, your browser cannot display this map
A total of 4,851 seats were up for grabs in 88 councils - all 32 in Scotland, 22 in Wales and 34 country councils and unitary authorities in England.
The Conservatives have made gains while Labour, UKIP, the Lib Dems and the SNP have all lost ground.
Labour has lost more than 380 council seats, UKIP has suffered heavy losses and the Lib Dems have not made the gains they had hoped for.
The Conservatives appear to have been the main beneficiaries of a decline in support for UKIP.
The party is now in charge of 11 more councils having taken Derbyshire from Labour as well as Warwickshire, Lincolnshire, Gloucestershire, the Isle of Wight and Monmouthshire - all of which were previously under no overall control.
They also increased their total number of councillors in Scotland by more than 160.
Sorry, your browser cannot display this map
Meanwhile, it has been a much less successful day for Labour.
The party has lost control of seven councils, including Glasgow, as well as Bridgend and Blaenau Gwent. It also lost the metro mayor contests in the West Midlands and Tees Valley, a traditional Labour heartland, to the Conservatives - but former cabinet minister Andy Burnham scored a big win in Greater Manchester.
Sorry, your browser cannot display this map
The Lib Dems have had a mixed performance, with some seats won and others lost.
Lib Dem former business secretary Vince Cable said the night had been "neutral" for his party.
"We're in a relatively encouraging position, though there hasn't been a spectacular breakthrough," he said.
Sorry, your browser cannot display this map
UKIP suffered a bad night - losing 145 seats. It ended this year's local elections with a single councillor in Lancashire.
Sorry, your browser cannot display this map
The SNP comfortably finished as the largest party in the Scotland, but suffered modest losses, losing control of Dundee.
Conservative advances in Scotland came at the expense of Labour, with the party losing more than 130 councillors north of the border.
Sorry, your browser cannot display this map
Meanwhile, the Green Party has won 40 seats, gaining six in total.
See results and latest news in your area
Produced by Ed Lowther, John Walton, Lucy Rodgers, Nassos Stylianou, Joe Reed, Gerry Fletcher and Prina Shah. Maps built with Carto.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2017-39795422
|
England local elections 2017 - BBC News
|
2017-05-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
All the latest news about England local elections 2017 from the BBC
| null |
In the run-up to the General Election on 8 June, we’re asking people across the country to tell us what #GetsMyVote.
Earlier today the Liberal Democrats said they wanted to introduce more family-friendly policies such as extended paternity leave. We asked people at Bristol Zoo what would influence their vote.
James, from South Gloucestershire, at the zoo with his son, said parties made lots of promises they couldn't keep.
"It's a bit of a gimmick in terms of if you look at countries like Sweden there's actually something meaningful about paternity leave," the 39-year-old said.
"In terms of the UK I can't see it's really going to swing it for many families, it's just not really applicable.
Quote Message: It's more about tax credits, but again who's going to write these cheques later. It's all promises. It's more about tax credits, but again who's going to write these cheques later. It's all promises.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/42069d65-f3b1-41e2-b3e9-35ac9d799a1a/england-local-elections-2017
|
Trumplomacy: What does Tillerson's speech mean? - BBC News
|
2017-05-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
State department employees are well-versed in the trade offs between interests and values - so why did the new Secretary of State tell them as much?
|
US & Canada
|
State Department employees listen to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson deliver an address on Wednesday
When Rex Tillerson announced a town hall meeting at the state department this week, employees were hoping their boss would "man up" and give them details about deep budget cuts that could axe 2,300 jobs.
Instead he spoke generally about the need to adapt institutions to a post-Cold War era, invited them to participate in a "listening exercise" about how to do so, and promised them a "much more satisfying, fulfilling career" when the pain was over.
He also gave them an unexpected tour of his thinking about how "America First" translates into foreign policy, including a breakdown of how human rights and democratic values fit into policy making in the Trump era.
Which, it seems, is not very much.
Here's the quote: "We really have to understand, in each country or each region of the world that we're dealing with, what are our national security interests, what are our economic prosperity interests, and then as we can, advocate and advance our values."
This was decried as an ominous shift in Washington's global outlook by many foreign policy observers.
Separating interests and values in US foreign policy reflects a misunderstanding of both the country's past and its national character, wrote Eliot Cohen, the state department counsellor under George W Bush, in an excoriating take down of the speech.
It's worth reading the full text because Mr Tillerson is still a bit of an unknown quantity, and this is the first comprehensive statement he's made on his strategy
To unpack the meaning of his "America First" balance between values and policies, I turned to Stephen Walt, a professor of international affairs at Harvard and a foreign policy realist.
At one level, he says, there's nothing new here: everyone understands there are trade-offs between security and economic interests on the one hand, and moral interests or democratic values, on the other - no-one better, frankly, than the experienced career diplomats in Mr Tillerson's audience.
At another level, says Mr Walt, if the Secretary of State is signalling that as a matter of policy, the US won't be putting much weight on promoting American values, there is something new here.
The past three presidents all did to some degree, whether it was supporting colour revolutions in Eastern Europe or welcoming the Arab Spring.
Mr Tillerson didn't explicitly say the US was out of that business, and he kept stressing the administration was not abandoning the values that have distinguished US foreign policy.
But it was unusual for him not to "downplay those moments of hypocrisy" inherent in governing, says Mr Walt, and instead place them right at the beginning of his speech, not "buried on page 12 and with a sense of reluctance."
Yes, traditionally it's seen as an undesirable outcome when administrations fail to achieve that difficult balance between values and broader interests. Was Mr Tillerson saying it's not necessary to try and achieve that balance at all?
Whatever he meant exactly - and the former ExxonMobil chief is to some degree still learning on the job - his words were interpreted through and amplified by the actions of his boss.
And so far President Trump has shown a businessman's belief that everything is up for negotiation, a transactional approach to complex matters of international relations, and an an affinity for authoritarian leaders.
Indeed, although all presidents are forced to deal with unsavoury counterparts, Mr Trump has spoken admiringly about several who exhibit decidedly un-American values.
And what of the message all of this sends?
There are two dangers in pushing this line too far, says Mr Walt: one is that it erases any distinction between the US and its adversaries.
The other is that it could encourage some governments to behave even worse, no longer fearing even rhetorical sanction from the US.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39824026
|
British and Irish Lions 2017: Ben Youngs withdraws from squad for family reasons - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
England and Leicester scrum-half Ben Youngs withdraws from the Lions tour to New Zealand as his sister-in-law has terminal cancer.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union
England scrum-half Ben Youngs has withdrawn from the Lions tour to New Zealand after the wife of his brother Tom learned that she is terminally ill.
Ben, 27, is a team-mate of hooker and captain Tom, 30, at Leicester Tigers and the pair will play in the remainder of the Premiership season for the club.
"We are a very close family and, as I am sure everyone can respect, time is now precious together," said Ben.
"The most important thing for me at this difficult time is to be able to offer as much support as I can to Tom and his family in the remaining time we all have together."
Tom Youngs' wife Tiffany was diagnosed with cancer in 2014 and he pulled out of England's tour of New Zealand that year to care for her.
The brothers played in Leicester's 28-23 win over Worcester on Saturday, with Tom scoring the Tigers' try.
Leicester will play at Wasps in the Premiership semi-final on 20 May, with the winners going through to the final at Twickenham on 27 May.
The Lions fly to New Zealand on 29 May and their first match is on 3 June.
Ben, who had been selected in the 41-man squad for his second Lions tour, informed head coach Warren Gatland of his decision this weekend.
"We fully understand and respect Ben's decision to stay at home," said Gatland. "Family comes first and I know from having toured with Tom and Ben in 2013 how close they are. This is a difficult and important time for them and we send Ben, Tom and their family our heartfelt thoughts."
Ben has won 70 caps for England and two for the Lions in the 2-1 series win against Australia in 2013, starting the second Test alongside Tom.
Wales' Rhys Webb and Ireland's Conor Murray are the other scrum-halves in Gatland's squad.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39832093
|
Arsene Wenger: Managers must 'control' criticism of players, says Arsenal boss - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says managers must be "careful" when criticising their own players and "control what you say".
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Arsene Wenger says managers must be "careful" when criticising their own players and "control what you say".
Wenger's Arsenal side face Jose Mourinho's Manchester United on Sunday (kick-off 16:00 BST), battling to reach the Premier League's top four places.
Mourinho has questioned the desire of defenders Luke Shaw, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones to return from injury.
"You can do that in extreme situations but it has to be handled carefully," said veteran Arsenal boss Wenger.
Mourinho questioned full-back Shaw's commitment and focus to the club last month and then said the player used "his body with my brain" after the 1-1 draw against Everton two days later.
The former Chelsea manager was also unhappy with the "cautious" mentality of centre-backs Smalling and Jones for failing to play through pain during the Manchester derby.
Smalling has been struggling with a leg injury, while Jones suffered a toe problem in a training ground tackle made by his team-mate.
This week, former Blackburn striker Chris Sutton said Mourinho was "humiliating" his players by querying their dedication to the Red Devils.
Wenger added: "Ideally you have to be careful with that because you cannot do that in every single game.
"You can do that in extreme situations but it has to be handled carefully because it just makes that stress level worse for them. Top players have a good and objective assessment. They know well where they stand.
"You cannot always say to the players 'we are all in the same boat and in this together to achieve something' and then you jump out of the boat and say, 'it's your fault now', but when it goes well you take the credit.
"You are in a position where you have to be part of it and fight for them when it doesn't go well, you have to control what you say."
United go into the game five points ahead of sixth-placed Arsenal, having played a game more, but are four points adrift of fourth-placed Liverpool, although the Old Trafford club have a game in hand.
Manchester United winger Ashley Young has been ruled out of the game at Arsenal with a hamstring injury.
Young, 31, was injured after coming on as a substitute in the Europa League semi-final win over Celta Vigo on Thursday.
It is not known exactly how long Young will be out for but there are fears he could be sidelined for the rest of the season.
United manager Mourinho has threatened to play youngsters at the Emirates Stadium after deciding to prioritise his side's European campaign.
Four players yet to make a first-team appearance have been included in his travelling squad for tomorrow's game.
Matty Willock and Scott McTominay have been included in recent United squads. They have travelled to London, along with 20-year-old England Schoolboys winger Demetri Mitchell and teenage United States Under-19 international defender Matt Olosunde.
Arsenal could be without midfielder Granit Xhaka who has a calf problem, but defender Shkodran Mustafi could play after returning from a back injury.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39833762
|
Swansea City 1-0 Everton - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
Swansea City climb out of the relegation zone with two games remaining after Fernando Llorente heads the winner against Everton.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Swansea City leapfrogged Hull City to climb out of the Premier League relegation zone with two games remaining after Fernando Llorente headed the winner against Everton.
Llorente got the better of Phil Jagielka to nod Jordan Ayew's cross past goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg from close range - the Spaniard's 13th league goal of the season.
Mason Holgate's last-ditch challenge prevented Alfie Mawson from making it 2-0 before Ayew hit the post from 16 yards.
Hull, who earlier lost 2-0 at home to relegated Sunderland, drop into the bottom three, while this result also means Middlesbrough will be relegated to the Championship if they lose to leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday (20:00 BST).
Everton were poor throughout, Romelu Lukaku going closest when he blazed into the side-netting after a powerful run.
At the other end, Stekelenburg produced a fine stop to deny substitute Leroy Fer from making it 2-0 for Swansea, who are unbeaten in three league games.
Swansea's fate in their own hands
On a dramatic day at the bottom of the table, Swansea took advantage of earlier slips by Hull and Crystal Palace to leave their Premier League future in their own hands.
The Swans are away to relegated Sunderland on 13 May and at home to eighth-placed West Brom on 21 May, the final day. If they win both games they will stay up.
Hull are away at Crystal Palace, who are four points above the relegation zone after a 5-0 defeat at Manchester City, on 14 May before hosting second-placed Tottenham on the last day.
Palace's final match of the season is at Manchester United, who are unbeaten in their past 24 league games.
For the Swans, a passionate fanbase turned into a delirious one before a ball was even kicked in south Wales, after Sunderland's victory over Hull.
That lifted a boisterous Liberty Stadium, but it took almost half an hour before Swansea created a big opportunity in a cagey contest.
When they did, they took it expertly, Llorente heading home from close range after Ayew's twisting run and deflected cross fell perfectly.
Holgate then produced an outstanding challenge to deny Mawson, with a Jagielka block also denying Martin Olsson's effort from an acute angle.
Swansea continued to carve out the better chances, Ayew's volley with the outside of his foot hitting the post, and it was not until the 66th minute that Lukasz Fabianski was seriously tested by Lukaku's 20-yard shot.
The hosts spurned further chances through Llorente and Fer. It might have cost Swansea at the death when their former skipper Ashley Williams was inches away from heading home, but he couldn't quite convert from Kevin Mirallas' flick-on.
Everton stay seventh, two points behind sixth-placed Arsenal but having played three games more than the Gunners.
The Toffees have the feel of a club already building for next term.
Ross Barkley, whose future in unclear as his contract runs down, was dropped by Ronald Koeman as was loanee Enner Valencia.
Barkley's introduction at half-time was evidence that Everton had lacked panache in the final third, with Fabianski entirely untroubled before the break.
Everton had won eight of their past 11 visits to Swansea, but not even returning Wales captain Williams - whose every touch was jeered by a section of the home fans - could inspire the visitors.
'Hull result gave us a lift' - what they said
Swansea boss Paul Clement: "It is one of my proudest moments. What a fantastic, gritty performance. It was so important we got that result after what happened at Hull.
"We have hit some form both offensively and especially defensively. We have played against really good opposition and seven points from three games is a fantastic tally.
"It gave us a lift before the game knowing that result had gone in our favour, we knew if we did something special we could get out of the relegation zone.
"We really defended well."
Everton boss Ronald Koeman: "It was not good enough. The difference is one goal, we had maybe more ball possession, it was difficult to create open chances.
"The final part, we had to be a little bit more aggressive in the box. The problem is in the last few weeks to create chances - we don't score in the last three games.
"In my opinion, seventh position is a good position and next Friday is important to give the fans a win they deserve."
• None Everton have failed to score in their past three Premier League games for the first time since a four-game drought in April 2006.
• None Swansea have taken seven points from their past three league games after picking up just one in the six before that.
• None The Toffees have lost an away league game in Wales for the first time in their past 11 games there (W5 D5), since a 1-0 defeat to Cardiff at Ninian Park in December 1956.
• None This is Fernando Llorente's best goal haul in a league season (13) since 2013-14 (16 with Juventus).
• None Jordan Ayew has provided an assist in three of his past six Premier League games, this after failing to assist in any of his first 36 in the competition.
Swansea visit relegated Sunderland in their penultimate match of the season on Saturday, 13 May (15:00 BST), while Everton host 15th-placed Watford next Friday (19:45 BST).
• None Attempt saved. Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Borja Bastón.
• None Attempt missed. Enner Valencia (Everton) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Leighton Baines with a cross following a corner.
• None Attempt missed. Leighton Baines (Everton) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
• None Attempt missed. Romelu Lukaku (Everton) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Ross Barkley. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39754033
|
6 music legends we can't believe never toured the UK - BBC Music
|
2017-05-06
| null |
From Elvis to TLC, these are the global superstars that got big without having to burn up Britain's motorways
| null |
Previously on BBC Music, we brought you 8 bands you probably didn't know are still touring. Now it's time to turn the spotlight on those you might have assumed had toured the UK at some point in their illustrious careers. A few have made appearances here in some capacity - a one-off gig or TV performance, or in a different guise - but they've never played their music out across the nation. And with regards to the top two on our list, great news - they'll be here soon.
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince will be in the UK in August, playing what Newsbeat called a rare UK date in Blackpool as headliners of this August's Livewire. Ah, Summertime. And although the news seems to have come out of the blue, Will Smith has actually been talking about getting his old hip hop duo back on the road for some time. In October 2015, he was interviewed by Zane Lowe for Beats 1 and said: "Jeff and I actually have never done a full tour... This summer [2016] will be the first time we go out on a full world tour." That didn't happen, but the ambition he showed back then might well translate into more than just one UK show. Keep your eyes peeled on listings.
TLC dominated 90s RnB with hits like Creep, Waterfalls and No Scrubs, resulting in the trio becoming the most successful American girl group of all time (second only to the Spice Girls globally). Then, tragedy: Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes was killed in a car crash in 2002. Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins and Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas continued as a duo. TLC occasionally visit Britain - they were here for the 2012 MOBO Awards - but they've never played a UK gig. Until now. On 9 May, they're making their debut at Koko in London and this year will also see the release of their their first album since 2002's 3D. If you couldn't get a ticket for Koko, fear not - the group have hinted that this might be their last album, but they intend to keep TLC on the road. [WATCH] Zara Larsson covers TLC's No Scrubs in the 1Xtra Live Lounge
Elvis only played three gigs outside of the US, all of them in Canada. It's thought that the illegal alien status of his Dutch-born manager, Colonel Parker, was the primary reason he never performed outside North America, although documents that came to light in 2015, as reported by the Mirror, suggest plans were being made for The King to visit, and possibly play gigs in, Britain and Japan not long before his death in 1977. Elvis did set foot in the UK at least once - at Prestwick airport, South Ayrshire in 1960 on his way home from military service in Germany. In 2008, however, a strange story came to light that perhaps he'd spent the day driving around London observing landmarks with English singer Tommy Steele in 1958. Theatre producer Bill Kenwright revealed Steele's secret on Ken Bruce's Radio 2 show. At the time, Steele was appearing in a production of Dr Dolittle in Woking, Surrey.
We mean post-Beatles, although they gave up gigging in 1966 to concentrate on recording (and because they were tired of the screams). John Lennon never got a taste for touring again and he certainly didn't need to perform to promote his albums with Yoko and as a solo artist. There were infrequent shows and TV appearances - nearly all in North America - and live albums (Live Peace in Toronto 1969, which was recorded before The Beatles broke up, and the posthumous Live in New York City), but to the intense regret of all Lennon's fans, he never got a chance to get back in the bus and tour the UK, or anywhere else.
Lennon's Beatles bandmate George Harrison formed the Traveling Wilburys in 1988 with fellow big guns Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty, and some travellers they were - they never toured at all! That Orbison died soon after their first album was released may have kept them indoors, but they continued as a four-piece and released second album, confusingly called Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3, in 1990. "I don't think we ever considered it, really," Petty once said about touring, but Harrison was keen. In 1991, he said: "That would be something I'd like to experience. I've always played around in my own mind what a Wilburys tour could be."
"Harry Nilsson's position in popular music extended far beyond the chart placings of his many successful songs," began the Independent's obituary when the American singer-songwriter died in 1994. "For a core group of the elite and exceptional of the 60s and 70s, Nilsson was a teacher, almost a guru; they were enlightened by the approach of a pure artist of pop, a seminal songwriter." And yet Harry Nilsson never became as famous as those he inspired, which included all of The Beatles, because he seldom played live - he didn't enjoy it and suffered from stage fright. Easily the most famous footage of Nilsson performing was filmed by the BBC in 1971 at BBC Television Theatre in London (now Shepherd's Bush Empire), but there was no audience present, and Nilsson never embarked on a UK tour. That's no diss to us - he loved it here, and owned a flat in central London. Strangely, both The Who's Keith Moon and Mama Cass of The Mamas & the Papas died there.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/659c86d1-1365-4d61-9c7c-b25e13493218?intc_type=promo&intc_location=news&intc_campaign=nevertouredtheuk&intc_linkname=bbcmusic_ent_article1
|
Manchester City 5-0 Crystal Palace - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
David Silva scores on his return from injury as Manchester City hammer Crystal Palace to move up to third in the Premier League.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Manchester City strengthened their grip on a top-four finish with a convincing win over Crystal Palace that moves them above Liverpool and into third place on goal difference.
David Silva opened the scoring inside two minutes with City's quickest goal of the season, but it took a little longer before the scoreline reflected the home side's dominance.
City could not extend their lead before the break, despite a lacklustre start from a Palace side who are not yet assured of Premier League safety.
The Eagles almost managed an unlikely equaliser with their first effort at goal when Christian Benteke's header brought a fine reaction save from Willy Caballero.
But Pep Guardiola's side made sure of the points after the break, starting when captain Vincent Kompany turned home Kevin de Bruyne's cross with a fine first-time finish into the top corner.
De Bruyne, who also grazed the bar with a free-kick, made it 3-0 with a low shot from the edge of the area that Wayne Hennessey got a hand to, but could not keep out.
Raheem Sterling added a fourth, latching on to substitute Pablo Zabaleta's clever header and smashing his shot into the bottom corner, before Nicolas Otamendi headed home De Bruyne's free-kick to complete the rout.
Guardiola said before kick-off that his side's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League rested on a run of three home games that started with the visit of the Eagles, and the manner of this victory represents the perfect start.
It was City's biggest home win since they thrashed Bournemouth 4-0 in September, back when Guardiola had a 100% winning record with City and his team were top of the table.
Those days are long gone - their title hopes were officially ended by last week's draw at Middlesbrough - but this win, which equalled their biggest of the season in all competitions, was a timely return to goalscoring form.
City are only third on goal difference but they now have a four-goal advantage on Liverpool. And their position in the top four could be strengthened further when the teams in fifth and sixth, Manchester United and Arsenal, meet at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Palace, meanwhile, will anxiously await the outcome of Hull and Swansea's home games later on Saturday.
The Eagles have a six-point cushion above the relegation zone, and a vastly superior goal difference to both of those teams even after this heavy defeat, but they may require another win to make sure of their survival.
On Silva's first appearance since he was injured early in City's FA Cup semi-final defeat by Arsenal, it took one minute and 54 seconds for him to show what a difference he makes to his team.
The Spaniard finished off the move that gave City the lead, but he also started it - feeding Raheem Sterling with a chipped pass, before ghosting into the area to capitalise when Martin Kelly failed to clear Sterling's cross.
That was Silva's 50th goal for City but he has played a part in many more and pulled the strings again as City threatened to take Palace apart.
His link-up play with Leroy Sane and Sterling down both flanks was the biggest reason Palace were chasing shadows for the first half hour, and more composure from his team-mates inside the area would have seen his side out of sight long before half-time.
Palace had already beaten Chelsea and Liverpool away this season, and gone close to stopping Tottenham at White Hart Lane too.
But they never looked like staging a repeat performance against another team from the top four at the Etihad Stadium, where they have now lost on each of their six visits.
It was their lack of attacking threat that was the most surprising aspect of their performance, but few areas of their team emerged with any credit.
"Woeful" was the verdict of BBC Radio 5 live co-commentator Danny Mills, who also suspected at one point the Palace players had "their beach shorts and flip-flops on".
They ended up on the wrong end of their heaviest defeat of the season, conceding five goals for the first time since they lost 5-4 to Swansea in November, but it could have been far more.
• None Crystal Palace suffered their joint-biggest margin of defeat in a Premier League game (also 6-1 v Liverpool in August 1994 and 5-0 v Liverpool in November 1992).
• None Kevin de Bruyne has provided a league-high 15 assists this season; no Manchester City player has registered more in a single Premier League campaign.
• None Sam Allardyce has picked up just one point from his past nine top-flight visits to the Etihad.
• None Since his Premier League debut in August 2010, Silva has been directly involved in 102 goals in the competition (38 goals, 64 assists), more than any other midfielder.
• None Nicolas Otamendi's goal was the 400th by an Argentine in the Premier League [excluding own-goals].
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola: "Our performance was high level. I'm pleased for our people we can finally enjoy a lot of goals here.
"Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, even Everton... it's so important to play in the Champions League. It's in our hands."
Crystal Palace boss Sam Allardyce told BBC Radio 5 live: "Our system did not cause us to concede today's first goal - our defender had to clear the ball and he didn't, and from it they scored. Individuals did not perform to our usual standards.
"My team was unrecognisable from what I've seen over the past two or three months - hopefully that is a one-off and the lads have got it out of their system ahead of the biggest game of the season next week at home to Hull."
City have another early kick-off next Saturday when they host Leicester at 12:30 BST, but they will be taking nothing for granted. The Foxes thrashed them 4-2 at the King Power Stadium in December and won at the Etihad Stadium on their way to winning the title last season.
Palace have the chance to end their relegation worries for good when they face the side directly below them, Hull, at Selhurst Park next Sunday (12:00).
• None Goal! Manchester City 5, Crystal Palace 0. Nicolás Otamendi (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne with a cross following a set piece situation.
• None Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• None Joel Ward (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• None Attempt missed. Fernandinho (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
• None Attempt blocked. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
• None Goal! Manchester City 4, Crystal Palace 0. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Pablo Zabaleta with a headed pass.
• None Attempt saved. Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Fernandinho. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39754032
|
Zlatan Ibrahimovic behind Lewis Hamilton on Sunday Times Sport Rich List - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic enters the list of the richest sportsmen in the UK in second spot, behind 2016 leader Lewis Hamilton.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Sport
Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic has entered the list of the richest sportsmen in the UK in second spot, behind 2016 leader Lewis Hamilton.
The Swedish striker is included in the list of top-earning athletes in Britain after joining United last July.
With a fortune of £110m, he overtakes team-mate Wayne Rooney, who is third on the list with £93m, as Britain's richest footballer.
His fellow driver Jenson Button is fourth on the Sunday Times list, which is published on Sunday.
Five of the top 10 are from football - three players and two managers - with tennis player Sir Andy Murray, golfer Rory McIlroy and basketball player Luol Deng also included.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/39826268
|
This is why you're addicted to your phone - BBC Three
|
2017-05-06
|
Nick Arnold
|
Check out this content on BBC Three.
| null |
In 2015, Max Stossel, 28, had an awakening. He was a successful social media strategist working with major multinational companies.
But that same year, he says, “I realised that some of the work I was doing wasn’t actually in people’s best interests.”
Stossel has since become a pivotal part of the Time Well Spent movement, which "aims to align technology with our human values".
Time Well Spent was co-founded by the former Google 'product philosopher' Tristan Harris, and is made up of “a group of industry insiders”, many of whom have worked for companies like Facebook and Snapchat, but have now aligned themselves with the movement in some way.
Last year, Ofcom, the communications regulator, found that more than half of all internet users in Britain feel they’re addicted to the technology.
“There’s this idea that we’re addicted to our phones, and that we’ve done this to ourselves,” says Stossel. “That is just not true.”
Stossel explains that tech design is increasingly informed by behavioural psychology and neuroscience.
Tristan Harris himself studied at Stanford’s Persuasive Tech Lab, which describes itself as creating “insight into how computing products can be designed to influence and change human behaviour”.
The Lab’s website states, “Technology is being designed to change what we think and do.” It gives several examples of this from Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
There are thousands of people on the other side of your screens whose job it is to keep you as hooked as possible.
“When you understand neuroscience and you understand how to develop apps, you can essentially programme the brain,” Stossel says. “There are thousands of people on the other side of your screens whose job it is to keep you as hooked as possible, and they’ve gotten very good at it.”
I ask Stossel just how good these people are. I control my notifications, I tell him, not vice versa. He bats a simple question back my way: “Do you feel at all stressed when your phone is out of reach and it buzzes?”
Um. Yes. The irresistible curiosity, the little surge of anxiety, which grows the longer I leave my notification unchecked – these are feelings I know well.
Figuring out how to capture my attention like that, is, according to Stossel. “the job of everybody in my industry".
Broadly speaking, tech design seeks to take advantage of our brains' reward system, where dopamine activation leads to feelings of satisfaction and pleasure.
Our brains are programmed to seek more of whatever gives us this pleasure - so much so that we crave it when we don’t have it. The same system that makes us crave drugs or certain foods can also make us crave particular apps, games, sites and devices.
Looks like this post is no longer available from its original source. It might've been taken down or had its privacy settings changed.
But Time Well Spent believes this problem isn’t exclusively a tech one. Stossel points out how the range of ways in which content is actually created – including negative headlines and clickbait tactics - can also fit into this realm of persuasion.
“The problem is that it’s everything,” he says. “It’s all of the life that we live in.”
Life has become an “attention economy,” Stossel explains. “Everybody wants to grab as much of our attention as possible. I was designing notification structures to help take you out of your world and bring you into mine.”
Stossel argues that users are not the customers of technology, but the products– our attention is the thing being sold.
“We use lots of platforms for free,” he says. But lots of advertisers pay the platforms lots of money to get our attention while we’re on there. “We’re not the ones paying, so the things that matter to us will go second place to what matters to advertisers,” says Stossel. “And that’s a big deal.”
What this leads to, according to Stossel, is a fundamental discrepancy between the goals of those who own the technology and the goals of us, the people using it.
Success in the tech world is often measured using the metric of 'time spent'- that is, how long we spend using an app, streaming a service, or browsing a website.
For example, Stossel says, dating apps “measure their success in how long they keep you swiping. But is that actually the goal we have as humans when we’re using dating sites?”
Another example is the way videos auto-play on certain platforms. This keeps more people online for longer but, Stossel says, “That doesn’t mean that they actually want to stay online for longer.”
In fact, in 2016, psychology professor Alejandro Lleras published a study that found that high engagement with our mobile phones and the internet “is linked with anxiety and depression”.
Stossel believes that this incessant clamouring for our attention is making us lose focus on the things that are really important.
3rd party content may contain ads - see our FAQs for more info.
“We’re constantly being buzzed,” he says. “How can we ever focus on bigger issues that matter, like climate change for example, when we’re always being pulled in so many different directions?”
The power to change things lies overwhelmingly with the people 'behind our screens' - the ones designing the apps, games, platforms and devices that we use.
“There’s a code of ethics to consider here,” Stossel believes. “Designers have to take the responsibility they have – of influencing people’s decisions – seriously.”
He tells me that Time Well Spent is currently working on a sort of Hippocratic oath for tech designers, similar to the commitment doctors make to work in their patients' best interests.
The movement is campaigning for designers to make a formal promise to design from a place of good intent.
Their aim is for software that has been designed in accordance with these ethical values to be identified by a form of certification, similar to the label on organic food.
In the days following my conversation with Stossel, I notice how often I get sucked into aimlessly trawling through the Instagram stories of people I don’t even know.
What starts as a mindless scroll through my Facebook feed before bed can easily escalate into huge periods of wasted time (and a lot of frustration at not getting the early night I had promised myself, again).
Looks like this post is no longer available from its original source. It might've been taken down or had its privacy settings changed.
I can certainly see the merit of what Time Well Spent is campaigning for. But the sheer scale of change needed leaves me wondering if their fight might be impossibly idealistic.
“It is absolutely possible,” Stossel counters. “The challenge is getting consumers to demand it.”
He believes technology will manipulate our attention in ever more effective ways.
“VR, AR and more advanced artificial intelligence are all coming,” he says. “The future will be so good at this. That’s why we need to demand this change now.”
Let's build a future where tech enhances humanity, not detracts from it. I don't want to live on the Wall-e ship. pic.twitter.com/Boa6EleNrU — Max Stossel (@MaxStossel) February 24, 2016
Until that change comes, Time Well Spent’s co-founder, Tristan Harris, adheres to certain 'band aids' - lifestyle changes the movement has designed for living better in the attention economy:
He’s turned off almost all notifications on his phone, and has customised the vibration for text messages, so he can feel the difference between an automated alert and a human’s.
He’s made the first screen of his phone almost empty, with only functional apps like Uber and Google Maps - ones that he can’t get sucked into spending hours on.
He’s put any apps he’s inclined to waste time on, or any apps with colourful, attention-grabbing icons, inside folders on the second page of his phone.
To open an app, he types its name into the phone’s search bar—which reduces impulsive clicks.
He also has a sticky note on his laptop. What does it say?
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/item/0a0cb73c-a87a-4c23-8b1d-f145ab76e58b?intc_type=promo&intc_location=news&intc_campaign=phoneaddiction&intc_linkname=bbcthree_fac_article1
|
West Ham United 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
Tottenham's hopes of catching Premier League leaders Chelsea are dealt a big blow as Manuel Lanzini earns victory for West Ham.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Tottenham's pursuit of Premier League leaders Chelsea was dealt a big blow as Manuel Lanzini's fierce finish earned victory for London rivals West Ham.
Spurs could have narrowed the gap to a point with victory at London Stadium, but were well below par as the Hammers helped Chelsea close on the title.
Hammers keeper Adrian made first-half saves from Harry Kane and Eric Dier before Lanzini smashed in a loose ball.
Chelsea need two wins from their final four games to be crowned champions.
Tottenham must hope the Blues slip up in a favourable-looking run-in, which includes home games against three sides in the bottom seven.
Antonio Conte's side will secure the title on Friday, 12 May if they beat both Middlesbrough and West Brom.
The Spurs players looked disconsolate as they trudged off the pitch, their heads bowed, while their West Ham counterparts - and the home fans - took great delight in harming their neighbours' title ambitions.
"It was already going to be hard, so now it is going to be even harder," said Dier.
• None Reaction: Title race difficult but not over - Pochettino
Tottenham made the short trip to east London knowing they could heap pressure on Chelsea before their game against Middlesbrough on Monday.
Mauricio Pochettino's side were going for a 10th straight Premier League win, and headed into the game boosted by a 2-0 win against arch-rivals Arsenal last weekend.
But they lacked invention against a well-drilled West Ham side, who won against one of the top eight sides for the first time in 15 attempts this season.
Spurs had scored 71 goals in their previous 34 league games, a tally bettered only by Chelsea, but only briefly tested Adrian with two quick-fire efforts in the first half.
Kane's long-range shot was diverted wide by the Spaniard's left boot, before the home keeper showed quick reactions to block Dier's near-post header from the resulting corner.
Once the Hammers went ahead through Lanzini, the confidence of the visitors appeared to sap.
Spurs trailed 2-1 against the Hammers after 89 minutes at White Hart Lane earlier in the season, only to win 3-2. That never looked like happening at a raucous London Stadium.
Their attacks lacked conviction, only Christian Eriksen going close with a 25-yard effort which flew past the right-hand post, as West Ham saw out the final few minutes to seemingly ruin Spurs' quest for a first title since 1961.
"We are still fighting," said Pochettino. "We must wait but it is now more difficult."
Hammers manager Slaven Bilic's future has come under scrutiny during a season in which they have rarely threatened to match last year's seventh-placed finish.
But nights like these, when West Ham showed they can compete with the Premier League's best, should go a long way to convincing owners David Sullivan and David Gold that he is the right man to take the club forward.
Bilic, 48, enjoyed an excellent debut campaign after replacing Sam Allardyce, but this season has had to carefully handle the acrimonious departure of star player Dimitri Payet, and the long-awaited move to the former Olympic Stadium.
Crucially, he appears to retain the support of his players and many Hammers fans.
"He has my full backing, he is a great man," said skipper Mark Noble.
Victory meant the Hammers passed the 40-point mark, mathematically ensuring their Premier League survival, as they moved into ninth - their joint-highest position of the campaign.
Asked if the win helps secure his future, Bilic said: "I don't care. When my team is playing like this, I'm happy.
"I think I'm doing a good job. I don't like to moan but we have had many obstacles during this season which are quite rare in football."
Tottenham do not play again until Sunday, 14 May, when they host Manchester United at 16:30 BST - and by then the title might already have gone to Stamford Bridge.
Nevertheless, it will be an emotional occasion as it is Spurs' final home game at White Hart Lane.
West Ham also have a nine-day break, returning to action when Liverpool visit London Stadium at 14:15.
"We deserved more from the game. We started well, dominated the first half and created chances but didn't score.
"We started the second half a little bit sloppy and we conceded a lot of space to them.
"When you are fighting for the title you need to try not to concede this type of goal.
"After that we showed a little bit of desperation to arrive quickly into the box, and we tried to play long balls.
"The reality is that we didn't score, not that we had a bad performance."
"We had a game plan, but the way we did it was magnificent. A great team display in terms of character and determination.
"To beat a team like Spurs you need more than that and we also showed quality.
"It was an important one for them and us, and under the lights on a Friday night, against them - you can't beat that feeling."
• None Tottenham have lost their past three Premier League games in May and lost just three of 34 matches between August 2016 and April 2017
• None West Ham have now won three of their past four home Premier League games against Spurs, losing one
• None Lanzini has three Premier League goals against Spurs - only against Crystal Palace (four) does he have more
• None West Ham have kept three consecutive Premier League clean sheets for the first time since December 2015
• None Andre Ayew has been involved in six goals in his past 11 Premier League games (four goals, two assists)
• None This was Spurs' first Premier League defeat to a side who started that day in the bottom of the half of the table since losing 5-1 to Newcastle United in the final match of last season
• None Three of Spurs' past five away Premier League defeats have come when Anthony Taylor has refereed (also Newcastle and Liverpool)
• None Attempt saved. Ashley Fletcher (West Ham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Robert Snodgrass.
• None Kieran Trippier (Tottenham Hotspur) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Offside, West Ham United. Mark Noble tries a through ball, but Jonathan Calleri is caught offside.
• None Attempt missed. Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
• None Attempt missed. Mark Noble (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Manuel Lanzini. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39741514
|
Hull City 0-2 Sunderland - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-06
| null |
Hull drop into the relegation zone as they suffer a first home defeat under Marco Silva against relegated Sunderland.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Hull dropped into the relegation zone as they suffered a first home defeat under Marco Silva against relegated Sunderland.
The hosts created several chances, only for Lazar Markovic and Abel Hernandez - most notably - to be denied by impressive away keeper Jordan Pickford.
Sunderland took advantage to go ahead through Billy Jones' close-range diving header after John O'Shea's flick-on from a corner.
And the Black Cats sealed their first win in 11 league matches when Jermain Defoe converted from close range.
Hull fell to 18th place after Swansea beat Everton 1-0 later on Saturday to move one point above the Tigers.
Follow all the post-match reaction from Saturday's Premier League matches
The turnaround in Hull's fortunes since the arrival of former Olympiakos boss Silva has been quite remarkable, giving them more than a fighting chance to retain their top-flight status.
The Tigers had taken 19 points from a possible 21 in the Portuguese boss' seven previous matches at the KCOM Stadium and had identified this game as one which they must win.
The home side worked hard, as you would expect, but lacked confidence and ingenuity in the final third.
And when they did manage to find the target, they were denied by the excellent Pickford.
On-loan Liverpool midfielder Markovic saw a thumping header tipped over by the England Under-21 international, who then stopped Hernandez's sweeping shot from Andrew Robertson's left-wing cross at his near post.
The nervy home crowd provided an atmosphere more of hope rather than expectation from almost the first whistle, and that pretty much turned to resignation after Jones put Sunderland ahead.
"The dressing room is down, we're not happy," said left-back Robertson. "It is not good enough to lose 2-0 at home to a team that has just been relegated."
Sunderland might have already been consigned to Championship football next season by last week's defeat against Bournemouth, but the Black Cats knew they could still have a major influence on who would join them.
David Moyes' men might have hampered Hull's hopes on Saturday, but they can also help the Tigers next weekend when they host Swansea at the Stadium of Light.
If the Black Cats show the same level of fight and determination then Hull's cause might not yet be lost.
It is an attribute that has been missing for most of a woeful season, but they finally gave their 2,000 travelling fans something to cheer with a first win since 4 February.
Moyes says he will remain in charge next season when the Wearside club bid to bounce straight back up and, although there is likely to be a big turnover in playing staff, the Scot will have been encouraged by the energetic performance of young midfielder George Honeyman as he plots the rebuilding process.
"After being relegated, players have to stand up and show some pride for the club, and today they have done that," said Moyes.
"We had a really good team performance. If we had shown the character and level of performance today throughout the season we'd have many more points."
Man of the match Pickford like 'a young Joe Hart'
One man who may not be at Sunderland next season - and not because Moyes does not want him - is Pickford.
The 23-year-old goalkeeper has been the shining light in a gloomy season, producing a number of impressive performances which led to a nomination for the PFA Young Player of the Year.
Unsurprisingly he reportedly interests a host of top-flight clubs who could tempt the Black Cats into selling with a big-money summer bid.
Moyes remains confident Pickford will not leave - warning potential suitors that would have "to pay the price".
Against Hull, Pickford showed again why he is rated as one of the country's top goalkeepers.
His performance meant Hull, following a 3-0 defeat in the reverse fixture, became the first Premier League team this season not to score against the Wearsiders.
"I remember a young Joe Hart when he started - at Everton we were really keen to sign him from Shrewsbury. That's a young Jordan Pickford, he makes saves and comes for crosses and has saved us points throughout the season," said Moyes.
"Honestly, I expect this level of performance from him on a regular basis - that's how highly I think of him."
'There was big tension in some of the team'
Hull manager Marco Silva said: "It's disappointing. We had chances to score in many moments of the game. Ultimately there was big tension in some of the team. We need to be calm in some moments.
"When you don't do this you start to lose focus and we conceded two from set-pieces. Now is the moment to rest and analyse.
"It's an important moment for us. We didn't achieve what we wanted from the match but we have two more games."
No more home comforts for Silva
• None Marco Silva lost a home league match as a manager for the first time since March 2014 while manager of Portuguese side Estoril (W34 D7 L1)
• None Sunderland have secured two wins in the same season against a single club for the first time in 2016-17 and for only the third occasion since 2013-14. The other two occasions were both against Newcastle (in 2013-14 and 2014-15)
• None Billy Jones is Sunderland's eighth different goalscorer in the Premier League this season - which is still two fewer than any other team
• None Sunderland have scored for only the third time in their past 14 Premier League games, winning two of those games, both away from home
• None Jermain Defoe ended his goalless streak in what was his 11th Premier League appearance since he last scored against Crystal Palace on 4 February (1,035 minutes)
• None Sebastian Larsson recorded his 26th assist in the Premier League but his first since a 3-0 win against Norwich in April 2016
Hull go to fifth-bottom Crystal Palace on Sunday, 14 May (12:00 BST). The Eagles are four points clear of City, and have a far superior goal difference.
Sunderland play their final Premier League game at the Stadium of Light - for a season at the very least - when they host Swansea on Saturday, 13 May (15:00 BST).
• None Attempt blocked. Sam Clucas (Hull City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
• None Attempt blocked. Andrea Ranocchia (Hull City) header from very close range is blocked. Assisted by Kamil Grosicki with a cross.
• None Goal! Hull City 0, Sunderland 2. Jermain Defoe (Sunderland) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Sebastian Larsson with a cross following a set piece situation.
• None Fabio Borini (Sunderland) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• None Attempt missed. Evandro (Hull City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
• None Attempt saved. Sebastian Larsson (Sunderland) right footed shot from long range on the left is saved in the top left corner.
• None Ahmed Elmohamady (Hull City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Attempt blocked. Andrea Ranocchia (Hull City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Harry Maguire. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39754030
|
Arsenal 2-0 Manchester United - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Arsenal end Manchester United's 25-match unbeaten run in the Premier League and keep up their hopes of a top-four spot.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Arsenal ended Manchester United's 25-match unbeaten run in the Premier League and kept up their hopes of securing a place in the top four.
After a largely uneventful first half, Granit Xhaka opened the scoring with a deflected shot from distance, which looped over goalkeeper David de Gea.
And they doubled their lead three minutes later when Danny Welbeck headed home against his former club after a pinpoint cross from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Jose Mourinho introduced Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard to try to rescue the game, but they failed to bring the visitors to life.
The result means Arsenal remain in sixth place but are two points off United in fifth and six points off Manchester City in fourth, with a game in hand over both teams.
• None Analysis: 'Why Arsenal beat Man Utd but nobody really cares'
This victory not only reignites Arsenal's chase for a Champions League place, but also ends an unwanted record for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger against Jose Mourinho.
The pair have endured a fractious relationship over the years, and in their previous 15 competitive meetings Wenger had never beaten a Mourinho team, with his only victory coming in the Community Shield in 2015.
Mourinho has won eight times, while the remaining seven were drawn.
Sunday's win ended the hoodoo and earned Arsenal only their 13th league win in 50 outings against the Red Devils.
There is still uncertainty about Wenger's future at the club, despite them still being in with a chance of Champions League football for the 21st consecutive season, and an FA Cup final against Chelsea coming up this month.
When asked by BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce about whether he would be interviewing Wenger next season, the Frenchman joked: "You want me to work for the BBC?"
Both teams had four shots on target during the match but it was Arsenal who made them count.
After a dull start to the second half, the Emirates came alive when Xhaka ran into space and took a shot from 30 yards out which was helped on its way by Herrera and out-smarted De Gea.
The Gunners kept up the pace and exactly three minutes and 11 seconds later, Welbeck had notched his second Premier League goal of the season.
Oxlade-Chamberlain's right-wing cross whistled over the box and Welbeck rose up between the United defence to land a bullet header.
Arsenal offered little in attack after the goals, but they did not need to.
All eyes on the Europa League?
Mourinho revealed before the match he intended to rest key players, with one eye on the Europa League semi-final second leg against Celta Vigo, in which his team have a 1-0 advantage. The European competition could represent United's best chance of reaching next season's Champions League.
The United manager made eight changes in total and his side never looked like causing a major threat.
Goalkeeper De Gea kept them in the match at half-time, producing a low stop to deny Aaron Ramsey's effort, before making a brilliant save from a rasping Oxlade-Chamberlain shot from distance.
United were undone by two quick goals early in the second half, and their only notable efforts after that came from Rooney and substitute Scott McTominay, who tried to poke home late on.
The end of the run for United
• None United's unbeaten league run has come to an end at 25 games (W13 D12), with losses on either side coming in London.
• None Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has provided as many assists for Arsenal this season in the Premier League as in his previous five combined for the Gunners (seven).
• None This was the first time Oxlade-Chamberlain had assisted twice in the same Premier League game.
• None Danny Welbeck has scored in each of his last three appearances against Manchester United for Arsenal in all competitions.
• None Two English players combined for a Premier League goal for Arsenal for the first time since December 2014 (also Oxlade-Chamberlain for Welbeck, v West Ham).
• None Manchester United conceded more than once away from home in the Premier League for the first time since losing 4-0 to Chelsea in October.
• None Arsenal have won successive home Premier League games against the Red Devils for the first time since November 2001.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on a possible top-four finish: "We want to win our games. Some teams that are safe continue to fight. Let's focus to win our games. Every win is important. We had a bad patch and seem to have recovered from it."
On Welbeck's goal: "That's the kind of goal you want from Danny. He has all the abilities a striker needs. Hopefully, that will give him a boost."
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho: "We made eight changes. Of course, we knew we were not coming in our maximum power. That's a decision. We want to try to win the Europa League - it's more important than finishing fourth.
"The last trophy I won was three months ago. I didn't care about that. Thursday is the match of the season. I hope Old Trafford feels the same, because we need Old Trafford."
After the Europa League semi-final second leg on Thursday, Manchester United return to league action at second-placed Tottenham on Sunday, 14 May (16:30 BST).
Arsenal, meanwhile, have a midweek Premier League trip to Southampton on Wednesday (19:45 BST).
• None Attempt saved. Scott McTominay (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Chris Smalling with a headed pass.
• None Attempt blocked. Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Francis Coquelin.
• None Attempt missed. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39760508
|
Badminton Horse Trials: Andrew Nicholson wins at the 36th attempt - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
New Zealand's Andrew Nicholson wins the Badminton Horse Trials at the 36th attempt, two years after suffering a serous neck injury.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Equestrian
New Zealand's Andrew Nicholson has won the Badminton Horse Trials at the 36th attempt, two years after suffering a serious neck injury.
The 55-year-old Wiltshire-based rider was lucky not to have been paralysed after a fall in 2015 and required eight hours of surgery on his neck.
He held his nerve in the show-jumping phase on Nereo to edge out Germany's defending champion Michael Jung.
Overnight leader Ingrid Klimke of Germany dropped from first to ninth.
Tim Price of New Zealand was third while Rosalind Canter was the highest placed Briton in fifth place, with Gemma Tattersall seventh and Kristina Cook 10th.
British rider Emily Gilruth is in intensive care after she was seriously injured in a fall on Saturday.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/equestrian/39837613
|
Antonio Conte: Chelsea boss says Tottenham have 'advantage' over Blues - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte says Tottenham "have an advantage" over his side because Mauricio Pochettino has been in charge of Spurs since 2014.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte says second-placed Tottenham "have an advantage" over the Premier League leaders because Mauricio Pochettino has been in charge at White Hart Lane since 2014.
Conte is close to winning the title in his first season in English football.
His side can move seven points clear with three games left if they beat Middlesbrough on Monday (20:00 BST).
"I think Tottenham have an advantage, if you compare Tottenham to Chelsea," said the Italian.
"This is my first season and I found a lot of situations, a lot of players. Mauricio Pochettino has been working there for three years and has changed a lot of players and is working very well.
"For me, Tottenham are a really strong team and it's normal to see them fighting for the title."
Conte believes Spurs, who were Leicester City's main challengers in 2015-16 before fading to finish third, would have easily won the Premier League this season if it were not for his side's impressive season.
"In this season, if Chelsea had not performed in this way, Tottenham would win the title without difficulty," he said.
"Only this great season from us is pushing them to fight and, maybe, to win or not to win the title."
The former Juventus and Italy boss could lead his side to a league and FA Cup double, 10 months after Chelsea finished 10th, with an FA Cup final against Arsenal on 27 May.
Unlike some of their rivals, Chelsea have not been involved in Europe and Conte thinks it is difficult for English clubs to succeed in the Champions League because of the strength of the Premier League.
In the past six years, five English clubs have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League - fewer than from the Spanish and German leagues.
Conte said: "This league is very difficult. Every single game you must fight a lot and, I think, also for this reason it's not easy to arrive at the end of a European competition.
"It is so clear here, every season will be tougher and tougher to qualify for the Champions League."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39836415
|
'Why Arsenal beat Man Utd but nobody really cares' - Phil Neville - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Ex-Manchester United defender Phil Neville says Arsenal's win over his old side was very different to the epic battles between the two teams in the past.
| null |
When I played for Manchester United, Arsenal was always our biggest game of the season - the build-up was electric and I felt as if I was going into battle against our greatest rivals.
In those days, between 1995 and 2005, it was often a title decider. Everything was completely different about Sunday's game at Emirates Stadium, and it summed up where both teams are at right now.
It was a match between the teams in fifth and sixth place in the Premier League but it felt more like it was ninth versus 10th, in one of those dead rubbers you get at the end of the season.
Yes, Arsenal won, to end United's long unbeaten run, but nobody really cared - including United manager Jose Mourinho.
It was the first time Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has beaten him in a competitive game, at the 16th attempt and after 13 years of trying.
But watching Mourinho afterwards, it was probably the first time in about six months that I have seen him relaxed and smiling.
It was a game that was clearly a nuisance for him, sandwiched between the two legs of United's Europa League semi-final against Celta Vigo that he has made it obvious is his priority.
So, for United, Sunday was just a case of survival - to get off that pitch without getting any more injuries - or at least that was how it looked.
Arsenal were clearly short of confidence, and in a different way they were looking to survive the game too.
They eventually worked out that United were not at full strength and they might be able to win, but for most of the first half they looked nervous, as if they were thinking 'let's not lose and have more fans protests after the game'.
The Gunners might have got the three points but the way they did it did not make any sort of statement about how strong they are.
When I played for United against Arsenal, I always thought I was going into a situation that was totally out of my comfort zone.
It was a matter of life and death, or it felt like it anyway.
This time, Mourinho had been telling us for the past 10 days that his priority was the Celta Vigo tie.
That completely knocked the stuffing out of the build-up and the game matched it - it was completely flat.
I was watching it with former Arsenal defender Martin Keown in the Match of the Day 2 production office, and he agreed that the lack of atmosphere and intensity was the most disappointing thing.
Even in the tunnel beforehand you saw everyone hugging and smiling, which would never have happened when Martin and I played.
Our teams were at each other's throats most of the time - literally on a few occasions.
There is a famous picture of me being throttled by Arsenal defender Lauren in September 2003 - in 'the battle of Old Trafford' - while a few weeks earlier in the Community Shield at the Millennium Stadium I was booked after only 27 seconds for a tackle on Patrick Vieira.
Sunday was a million miles away from that kind of occasion. I tweeted during the game that it was like a testimonial, and it was certainly played at that kind of pace - which is what you would expect from a pre-season friendly between two Premier League teams played in the United States.
It felt like a veterans game but if Martin and I were playing each other now, there would have been more sparks flying than there were at the Emirates.
Mourinho got his priorities right this time
United's eggs are all in one basket now - for them, making the Champions League is all about winning the Europa League.
It makes sense in lots of ways because, as well as looking like the easier route, it gets you straight into the group stage and you avoid starting the season early in the qualifying rounds, which you have to do if you finish fourth.
If they do win the Europa League, then I think Mourinho has had a brilliant season. If not, then that is when the criticism will probably come his way.
The pressure is on them for Thursday, when Celta Vigo come to Old Trafford, and it is a dangerous game to play, but I think Mourinho did the right thing with his team selection against the Gunners.
Some of the players he rested conserved energy and the ones who came back from injury have got some playing time under their belts, which bolsters the squad a little bit.
That sort of performance would not be acceptable from United in normal circumstances, and in general they need to improve when they go away to the top clubs.
Looking at their performances in their 0-0 draws at Liverpool in October and at Manchester City last month, they did not offer enough of an attacking threat.
I think United fans will expect far more in those games from the start of next season, especially because by then it will really be Mourinho's team.
Arsenal have put themselves back in touch with the top four with Sunday's win but I don't think they will make it, from what I have seen of them recently.
I think there is a big job in store for whoever is the Gunners' manager next season, and that is the key issue when you talk about their future.
You cannot assess who Arsenal will buy in the summer until you know who is going to be in charge - if it is, say, Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone then it will be 10 warriors; if Wenger is still manager it will be 10 really nice and pretty footballers.
In contrast, with United, you can predict that Mourinho is going to grab hold of that squad and say to his players that if they are not mentally tough enough, they will be out of the door.
Three or four of the team that lost to Arsenal might not be at the club next season but you know there will be some big characters arriving in the dressing room.
Mourinho is building a team that he can go to war with, and it will not be long until these kind of games are back to being the big battles we all remember.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39840233
|
England v Ireland: John Bracewell says Test issue is putting Irish 'under huge pressure' - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Ireland coach John Bracewell says the looming decision over possible Test status is putting his team "under huge pressure".
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Coverage: Live on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, BBC Radio Ulster MW and the BBC Sport website
Coach John Bracewell says the looming decision over Test status is putting his Ireland team under "huge pressure" in the one-day series against England.
The Irish folded in Friday's opener at Bristol as England won by seven wickets and with 30 overs to spare.
The sides meet again at Lord's on Sunday and Bracewell says his players are now acknowledging the strain.
"I think we were probably sweeping it under the carpet a little bit," said the former New Zealand coach.
"They are having huge external pressure put on them, carrying the nation's hope through hundreds of years of history.
"Yesterday, we really felt that. We were trying to pretend it wasn't there but they've recognised that now.
"If something is in the back of your mind, it's probably in the front of your mind too and you've got to clear that out."
ICC to decide on Ireland Test status in June
Next month could see Ireland granted the Test status they have long sought by the International Cricket Council, but there is now a fear that another drubbing by England at the home of cricket could cause a rethink from the game's governing body.
Ireland's performance at Bristol was in marked contrast to their display six years ago in Bangalore when they stunned England at the 2011 World Cup.
A number of British media reports have been scathing of Ireland's display on Friday, with certain commentators suggesting that several of Bracewell's squad have now "passed their best".
The Irish may be without wicketkeeper-batsman Niall O'Brien on Sunday because of a finger injury, and batsman John Anderson has been added to the squad as cover - with Gary Wilson likely to stand in behind the stumps if O'Brien does not feature.
Adil Rashid's leg-spin caused the Ireland batsmen major problems on Friday and Bracewell says his players are aware they made "poor decisions" in the contest.
"The theme on Sunday will be just 'one more run'," added the Ireland coach.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/39833388
|
Scunthorpe United 2-3 Millwall (agg: 2-3) - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Steve Morison plays a starring role as Millwall come from behind to beat Scunthorpe and reach the League One play-off final.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Steve Morison played a starring role as Millwall came from behind to beat Scunthorpe and set up a League One play-off final against Bradford City.
The Lions had fallen behind to Ivan Toney's tap-in, but Morison headed them level on the stroke of half-time and then set up Lee Gregory for 2-1.
Morison's deflected shot gave the away side breathing space, although Stephen Dawson's strike set up a nervy finish.
Millwall have reached the final at Wembley for the second season in a row.
• None How Bradford and Millwall reached the League One play-off final
Neil Harris' side will now meet the Bantams on Saturday, 20 May - the same team they beat at the semi-final stage of last year's play-offs.
Having been held to a goalless draw in the first leg by Scunthorpe, the Lions looked to be falling short when Toney, on loan from Championship title-winners Newcastle, fired the Iron ahead at Glanford Park.
But, having made it 1-1 moments before the break, 33-year-old forward Morison proved the difference between the sides after half-time.
First he superbly cut inside to tee up strike partner Gregory, before scoring his 18th goal of the season to send Millwall to the final.
• None Attempt blocked. Craig Davies (Scunthorpe United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Josh Morris.
• None Attempt blocked. Jordan Clarke (Scunthorpe United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Murray Wallace.
• None Delay over. They are ready to continue.
• None Delay in match Shane Ferguson (Millwall) because of an injury.
• None Neal Bishop (Scunthorpe United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Attempt missed. Craig Davies (Scunthorpe United) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Josh Morris with a cross. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39765841
|
Nottingham Forest 3-0 Ipswich Town - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Britt Assombalonga scores twice as Nottingham Forest cruise past Ipswich to avoid relegation on goal difference.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Britt Assombalonga grabbed a double as Nottingham Forest avoided relegation on goal difference with an emphatic win over Ipswich at a sell-out City Ground.
Assombalonga's penalty settled early nerves and Chris Cohen's deflected strike made it 2-0 after the break.
With relegation rivals Blackburn and Birmingham both winning, Forest's safety was still not certain.
But Assombalonga then sealed victory with a fine solo strike to ensure Blackburn drop out of the Championship.
• None 'It should never have come to this'
The closing stages were played out in relative comfort, safe in the knowledge that Blackburn's 3-1 lead against Brentford still left Tony Mowbray's Rovers three goals shy of forcing Forest into the third tier of English football for the third time in their history.
Thousands of Reds fans raced onto the pitch to celebrate their survival at the final whistle.
However, despite a blistering Forest start which brought four shots on goal in the first two minutes it was a nervy first half.
Both Rovers and Birmingham led early on and Forest keeper Jordan Smith had to make two magnificent saves - most notably to deny Dominic Samuel's fierce deflected shot.
But Eric Lichaj, who had earlier wasted a great close-range chance, took a quick throw-in and, after the ever-alert Jamie Ward was smashed to the ground by keeper Bartosz Bialkowski, Assombalonga blasted the penalty into the top corner for a half-time lead.
Forest's longest-serving player and club captain Cohen made it 2-0 and Assombalonga made amends for seeing his spot-kick brilliantly saved to add a third following a quickly taken free-kick.
The relief as thousands of fans ran onto the pitch was clear, but the frustration and pain following a dreadful season was equally obvious. The bigger picture is that supporters are resentful it has come to such a desperate situation.
Five years under Fawaz Al Hasawi's ownership have seen the two-time European Cup winners finish progressively lower each season. The promise was to take the club out of the division but not back down to League One.
Increasing anger from fans, amid a backdrop of failed takeovers and a seemingly never-ending succession of managers culminated in this season's miserable relegation scrap.
Another attempt to buy the club by Evangelos Marinakis - the owner of Greek champions Olympiakos - is well advanced.
Reds fans are taking nothing for granted, but the feeling of enough is enough is palpable and a summer of stability under manager Mark Warburton and the new owners - if that deal goes through - is the clear aim.
"We can never allow ourselves to be in this position again. Ever. I said to the boys we must make a vow to make sure this never happens again.
"The last few weeks have hurt but we have to remember this feeling and make sure we never experience it again. It can't be allowed to happen.
"A relegation dogfight is not what we are about and I am confident it won't happen next season, and I say that because I have seen the quality within the squad.
"I've seen enough in the seven or eight weeks I've been here to know that with a good pre-season behind us we can put a marker down next season."
"I thought the first half was pretty even, we matched them. They had the better of the second half and maybe that was because they had more to play for.
"In the end it's brilliant, it's like Nottingham Forest have won the league. The scenes have been brilliant. It was either going to be a wake or a celebration and up until they scored the penalty it could have been a wake. But good for them, good for Mark Warburton.
"In the end that game has probably summed our season up - some good, some bad and some indifferent."
• None Attempt blocked. Kieffer Moore (Ipswich Town) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Grant Ward with a cross.
• None Attempt missed. Grant Ward (Ipswich Town) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Jordan Spence.
• None Ben Osborn went off injured after Nottingham Forest had used all subs.
• None Delay over. They are ready to continue.
• None Delay in match Ben Osborn (Nottingham Forest) because of an injury.
• None Offside, Nottingham Forest. Ben Osborn tries a through ball, but Britt Assombalonga is caught offside.
• None Attempt missed. Zach Clough (Nottingham Forest) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
• None Attempt missed. Britt Assombalonga (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Zach Clough.
• None Offside, Nottingham Forest. Chris Cohen tries a through ball, but Eric Lichaj is caught offside. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39760415
|
Premiership: Wasps 35-15 Saracens - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Thomas Young's hat-trick helps Wasps beat Saracens to seal Premiership top spot - and a home semi-final with Leicester.
| null |
Wasps sealed top spot with a bonus-point win over Saracens at the Ricoh Arena, which booked a Premiership home semi-final against Leicester.
Sarries scrum-half Ben Spencer was the day's first try scorer with the first of his two tries for the reigning champions and European Cup holders.
But home flanker Thomas Young - son of Wasps boss Dai - scored the first two of his three tries before the break.
Second-half tries from Christian Wade, Elliot Daly and Young sealed victory.
Sarries' other points came from a conversion by Wasps old boy Alex Lozowski and an enormous first-half penalty by Argentina centre Marcelo Bosch.
Third-placed Sarries, who must now travel to Exeter in the semis in a fortnight's time, played a weakened side.
Ahead of their European Champions Cup final against Clermont Auvergne at Murrayfield on 13 May, they were missing their main England quartet of Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and the Vunipola brothers.
Wasps' four tries not only earned the bonus point which stopped second-placed Exeter sneaking into top spot but took their tally to 89 for the season, surpassing Newcastle's Premiership record of 86, set back in the 1997-98 season.
The best was Young's first try, created by a grubber kick to the left corner from Danny Cipriani, and he then got his second when Sarries were a man down after Sean Maitland was yellow carded for needlessly obstructing Wade.
But Wade's second-half try further helped rewrite the record books, his 17th of the season equalling the 20-year-old Premiership try-scoring record set by Richmond's Dominic Chapman - and Gopperth's 10-point haul ensured that he finished as the league's leading points scorer with 266.
In front of a capacity 32,000 crowd, which caused kick-off to be delayed by 15 minutes, the only sour note for Wasps was the first-half loss of hooker Tommy Taylor with an ankle injury, while prop Jake Cooper-Woolley finished with a foot injury.
But Wasps boss Young, who played for Wales at both rugby codes, was doubly thrilled with son Thomas's treble and hopes that it will guarantee selection by his country for Wales' June Tests against Samoa and Tonga.
"Thomas is not a bad player. I think his mother would be pretty pleased. With the Welsh squad picked on Tuesday I hope he gets his opportunity in the summer.
"He played really well in attack and defence. And I don't know where he gets his pace from. The milkman stopped delivering years ago!
"That win will do us a world of good. Finishing top is a major achievement and we're happy with that. We were the better team but they could have won. Saracens take some shifting. You have to beat them three or four times.
"We left a few points out there, to be honest. We were a bit edgy and you could see we're not quite used to the big occasions. But the more you play them the more comfortable you get. I'm sure Leicester will want to upset the party, but we are looking forward
"Wasps definitely deserved to win. Our effort was good but we made a lot of mistakes and they're not the type of team you want to make handling errors against. We were hanging on for a bit but the effort meant we were always in the fight.
"Whether people do or don't agree with the team we picked, we felt it was the right thing, We take the Premiership very seriously but we had some choices to make. The Champions Cup is a massive competition, so to be in the final again is brilliant.
"The other Premiership semi-finalists all get to rest their players next weekend. We feel we've done the right thing because there were some players who we really felt needed to rest.
"One or two were carrying small injuries who would have played had this been the semi-final, but it would have been a gamble playing them."
Replacements: Johnson for Taylor (18), Swainston for Cooper-Woolley (23) Robson for Simpson (55), McIntyre for Mullan (64), Thompson for Haskell (64), Myall for Symons (69), Bassett for le Roux (72),
Replacements: Du Plessis for Koch (43), Barrington for Lamositele (51), George for Brits (51), Earle for Ellery (54), Goode for Tomkins (57), Isiekwe for Hamilton (60), H Taylor for Maitland (69).
For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39783319
|
Liverpool: Is Brendan Rodgers better than Jurgen Klopp? - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Why Norwegians trump Brazilians, where Shawcross ranks among 'own-goal' greats, how Rodgers compares to Klopp, and more of the week's stats.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Do Norwegian players have the upper hand over Brazilians in the Premier League? Where does Ryan Shawcross rank in the own-goals table? And is Brendan Rodgers actually better than Jurgen Klopp?
We try to answer those questions and take a look at some of the other interesting stats from the weekend.
Argentine Premier League players past and present had something to chirp about when Nicolas Otamendi scored for Manchester City in Saturday's 5-0 win over Crystal Palace.
The 29-year-old scored the 400th goal by an Argentine in the competition. By contrast, Brazilians have only supplied 322. If only Diego Costa had not chosen Spain, eh?
But where do Argentina rank in the 'Table of nations to have scored goals in the Premier League, not including UK and Ireland'?
Here are your top five:
Yes, Norwegians have scored more goals (507) in the English top flight than Argentines, Brazilians, Italians (407) and Belgians (434).
Forward Ole Gunnar Solskjaer weighed in with a hefty 92 goals during his time with Manchester United. Ex-Chelsea striker Tore Andre Flo, John Carew (Aston Villa and Stoke) and Bournemouth striker Joshua King have added to the tally, and are among the 36 Norwegians to have scored since the competition began in the 1992-93 season.
'You're not yet bad enough for this club, Ryan'
He is a Stoke City stalwart. He has put his body on the line for the club he has captained for more than nine years. Ryan Shawcross is a true braveheart of a defender.
So what do we do? We see where he ranks in the all-time Premier League own-goals charts. Harsh, but necessary for this piece.
The 29-year-old scored an 81st-minute own goal and Bournemouth's second in Saturday's 2-2 draw to join a group of players who have found their own net on five occasions in the Premier League. That list includes former England internationals Phil Neville, Rio Ferdinand and Neil Ruddock.
He will need to ramp up the mishaps to dislodge the king of the own goals.
The Baggies must have been wondering when their goal drought was going to end. They arrived at Turf Moor having gone five league games without finding the net.
But after 530 minutes of not hearing the sound of synthetic leather against their opponents' polypropylene nets, Salomon Rondon ended the barren run in the second half of Saturday's 2-2 draw against Burnley.
But the pain felt by Baggies fans is nothing compared to what the supporters of these clubs experienced:
Everton fans have on two occasions seen their side go six league games without a goal (1994-95 and 2005-06).
It appears it will be all's well that ends well having avoided a comedy of errors for Craig Shakespeare since he took the hot seat at Leicester. Apologies.
On Saturday, he became only the fourth manager to win his first five home Premier League games as the Foxes beat Watford 3-0. The champions had the ignominy of being labelled 'relegation-threatened' until the former assistant came in and changed their fortunes.
However, he lags behind home-win expert Manuel Pellegrini, who won his first 11 games at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium.
But which managers have the worst record?
Step forward, or back, Chris Ramsey (QPR, 2014-15), Mick McCarthy (Sunderland, 2002-03) and Terry Connor (Wolves, 2011-12) - all three failed to win a single point in their first five home games. Their sides were relegated that season - which was more costly than a pound of flesh.
Before Sunday's game against Southampton, current Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and ex-boss Brendan Rodgers had identical Premier League records after their first 65 games in charge of the Reds: W33 D18 L14 (117 points).
We know Klopp drew his 66th game against Southampton.
How did Brendan do?
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39838094
|
Liverpool 0-0 Southampton - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
James Milner misses a penalty as Liverpool's Premier League top-four hopes are hit in a goalless draw against Southampton.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
James Milner missed a second-half penalty as Liverpool's hopes of securing a Premier League top-four spot suffered a blip in a goalless draw against Southampton.
It was a terrible spectacle for the supporters inside Anfield. Liverpool rarely tested Saints keeper Fraser Forster, bar the penalty and Marko Grujic's header late in the game. The visitors, meanwhile, failed to muster even one effort on target.
It is not finished yet - we all have to play our games
The Reds' best chance to score came in the 66th minute when they won a penalty after Southampton's Jack Stephens was judged to have handled Lucas' delivery.
Milner, who had not missed from the spot in the league since November 2009, saw his effort saved by Forster who dived low to his right. Seconds earlier, the England keeper approached the midfielder as he attempted to place the ball on the spot - and the tactic seemed to work.
The draw sees the Reds move up to third, above Manchester City, on 70 points. However, Pep Guardiola's side have a game in hand.
Manchester United are five points behind after losing to Arsenal, who are two points further back.
• None Relive the action from Anfield here
It was dire. Truly dire. Was the first half of this match the worst seen in the Premier League this season?
The home sections at Anfield must have thought they were in for a treat - the sun was shining and they knew their team had to take the game to Southampton with a Champions League spot at stake.
But instead of a siege on Forster's goal, what they witnessed during that opening period were their players joining the Saints on the beach.
The first 45 minutes were slow and ponderous, and the only exertions by the Southampton keeper were three very comfortable saves.
The second half followed a similar pattern up until the penalty, which was a correct decision by referee Bobby Madley with the Stephens' arm moving up to push the ball away.
However, Milner - who last missed a Premier League penalty playing for Aston Villa against Bolton - saw his effort saved by Forster. Was he put off his stride by the keeper confronting him moments earlier?
Forster kept his concentration right up until the final few minutes of the game when he reacted brilliantly to tip over substitute Grujic's header.
The Reds have now played Southampton four times this season and failed to score against them.
Saints play on the back foot but get a point
Southampton boss Claude Puel appeared somewhat surprised this week when he was asked about reports regarding his future.
It had been suggested that some players had become disillusioned with his style of management.
Their Premier League status was only made secure with Hull's defeat on Saturday, and they came into the match on the back of two defeats and a draw.
At Anfield, the team must have bored their travelling fans into submission.
The graphic above shows that they mostly sat in their own half for the opening 45 minutes, and for the first time since they returned to the top flight in 2012 they failed to have a single effort in the first half of a match. An angled strike by Nathan Redmond in the second half was the closest they came to scoring - although it was a few yards wide.
Having been spoilt for entertainment when their team was managed by Ronald Koeman and Mauricio Pochettino, some Southampton fans must be wondering what type of football awaits them next season if Puel stays.
'Southampton did not create anything'
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp: "I thought our performance was good enough to win. Southampton wanted to come here and somehow get a point, or more - I'm fine with defending.
"They did not create anything and we had a hard job to do. To play against 10 deep defending Southampton players is very difficult. We could have scored, that would have opened them up a bit. It is a point more, but it doesn't feel like that.
"It is not finished yet. We all have to play our games. We go to West Ham and try to win, and that's all we can do. We try everything and we do not stop."
Saints manager Claude Puel: "I think it was a fantastic job for us. We defended very well and with quality and good organisation.
"Perhaps we could have done better with the counter-attack, but we showed good energy, spirit and organisation.
"It was difficult for them to come into our box and for me it was a harsh penalty and a good save. It was a deserved point."
• None Liverpool have drawn 0-0 home and away against the same opponent in a Premier League season for the first time since 2008-09 against Stoke.
• None The Reds had 32 shots in the league matches without scoring against the Saints this season.
• None Jurgen Klopp has never beaten Southampton in the Premier League (D3 L1) - indeed, he has now faced them more than any other opponent without winning.
• None Forster saved his first Premier League penalty - Milner's effort was the ninth he'd faced.
• None Forster was the first opposition goalkeeper to save a league penalty at Anfield since Rob Green stopped Steven Gerrard's effort for QPR in May 2015.
• None Indeed, only Vito Mannone (13 for Sunderland in January) has made more saves against Liverpool in a Premier League game this season than Forster (eight).
• None Only Hull (12) have conceded more Premier League penalties this season than Southampton (nine).
• None The Saints failed to have a single shot on target in either Premier League game against Liverpool this season.
The Reds are at West Ham next Sunday (14:15 BST) and the Saints are at St Mary's on Wednesday to face Arsenal (19:45 BST).
• None Attempt blocked. James Milner (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
• None Attempt saved. Marko Grujic (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by James Milner with a cross.
• None Attempt blocked. Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Daniel Sturridge.
• None Dejan Lovren (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card for hand ball.
• None Attempt missed. Emre Can (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Daniel Sturridge.
• None Marko Grujic (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• None Attempt blocked. Ryan Bertrand (Southampton) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Cédric Soares with a cross.
• None Attempt saved. Adam Lallana (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Philippe Coutinho.
• None Attempt missed. Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Nathaniel Clyne.
• None Attempt saved. Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Adam Lallana.
• None Attempt saved. Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Daniel Sturridge. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39760509
|
Medhi Benatia: Juventus player stops interview after hearing 'racist' insult - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Juventus' Morocco defender Medhi Benatia cuts short a post-match TV interview after claiming to hear a racist insult.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section European Football
Juventus' Morocco defender Medhi Benatia cut short a post-match television interview after claiming to hear a racist insult in his earpiece.
The France-born player, 30, was speaking to Italian broadcaster Rai after Saturday's 1-1 draw with Torino.
"What stupid person is speaking?" said Benatia before ending the interview.
The incident comes a week after another Serie A player, Pescara's Sulley Muntari, walked off the pitch after claiming he was being racially abused.
Benatia, who is on loan at Juventus from Bayern Munich, has not commented publicly on what happened during the television interview.
The broadcaster has since apologised and promised to find out who made the "unacceptable" comments.
"Rai is sincerely saddened by the deplorable episode of racism involving the Juventus player during the broadcast of Champagne Football," it said on Sunday, adding that the insult had not been heard by the viewers.
Benatia has made 17 league and cup appearances for Juventus, who are closing in on a sixth successive Serie A title and are in the Champions League semi-finals.
Juventus released a statement, saying: "Following the regrettable insult Medhi Benatia heard through his earpiece during Calcio Champagne, Juventus Football Club wishes to express its concern over the incident.
"While acknowledging the Rai statement expressing solidarity, everyone - and the player first and foremost - deserves an explanation about what occurred."
Meanwhile, Muntari was an unused substitute as relegated Pescara lost 1-0 at home to fellow strugglers Crotone on Sunday.
The former Portsmouth and Sunderland player was cleared to play after a one-match ban he received for protesting against racist abuse in last weekend's match at Cagliari was overturned.
Muntari was initially booked for dissent, then received a second yellow card for leaving the field.
Before the ban was overturned, former Tottenham striker Garth Crooks called on players in Italy to strike in protest against Muntari's punishment.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39837872
|
Hartlepool United 2-1 Doncaster Rovers - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Hartlepool United are relegated out of the English Football League despite coming from behind to beat Doncaster Rovers.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Hartlepool United's 96-year stay in the Football League ended as they were relegated despite battling back to beat Doncaster Rovers, who missed out on the League Two title on the final day.
Two Devante Rodney goals looked to have kept Hartlepool up, but Mark O'Brien's late winner for Newport County in their game saved the Welsh club instead.
But O'Brien's 89th-minute Newport goal sent Hartlepool to the National League.
Needing to win and hope Newport failed to beat Notts County to survive, Hartlepool's decisive day began badly when James Coppinger's first-half cross was eventually turned in by Williams from close range as defender Carl Magnay sliced his clearance.
With Newport winning at that stage, Hartlepool looked doomed, before an equaliser for Notts County at Rodney Parade lifted the Teesside club.
And Hartlepool's hope turned to ecstasy as 18-year-old substitute Rodney slotted in his first two senior goals in quick succession to temporarily lift United above the drop zone.
But, as the game moved into stoppage-time, news of Newport's late twist brought despair to the Victoria Park faithful.
Defeat saw already-promoted Doncaster, who had needed to better Plymouth's result to finish top, fail to capitalise on Argyle's draw and they eventually finished third, as Portsmouth leapfrogged both their rivals to win the title.
While an extraordinary finish at Rodney Parade was ultimately what sent Pools down, their undoing began much earlier in their campaign.
Hartlepool had won just two of their past 10 games when manager Craig Hignett was sacked in January after 11 months in charge.
Despite that poor run, Pools were seven points clear of the relegation zone when they named former Wolves, Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff boss Dave Jones as their new boss - an appointment that was described as a "no-brainer" and "a real coup for the football club".
But just 13 points were taken out of a possible 51 in his disastrous 17 games in charge, leaving Pools two points adrift of safety when he was dismissed on 24 April, less than 48 hours after club president and Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling issued a message for Jones to leave during a live television broadcast.
Defender Matthew Bates was placed in charge for the final two games of the season, with striker Billy Paynter and coaches Stuart Parnaby and Ian Gallagher forming the rest of a makeshift coaching team.
But, after losing at then-relegation-rivals Cheltenham on the penultimate weekend, they were unable to stop Pools dropping out of the EFL for the first time since 1921.
"I was trying to keep a level head but it was difficult with the results coming in.
"There was nothing wrong with the performance. They went 1-0 up and we had to regroup, but we did and came back at them.
"It was all positive in the dressing room at half-time. The shackles were off and there was no pressure so make yourself heroes.
"We needed to get the fans onside and we did with our performance. I have learned if you give the fans everything on the pitch they will stick by you.
"We got relegated but the fans stayed behind and clapped us off they showed their appreciation but ultimately is that right or wrong?
"The players have been magnificent in the past two weeks. It has been humbling."
• None Attempt blocked. John Marquis (Doncaster Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
• None Joe Wright (Doncaster Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Attempt missed. Andy Williams (Doncaster Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
• None Gary McSheffrey (Doncaster Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Goal! Hartlepool United 2, Doncaster Rovers 1. Devante Rodney (Hartlepool United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Padraig Amond.
• None Carl Magnay (Hartlepool United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39753913
|
Heart of Midlothian 1-2 Aberdeen - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Aberdeen all but secure second spot in the Premiership with victory over 10-man Hearts at Tynecastle.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Aberdeen all but secured second spot in the Premiership with victory over 10-man Hearts at Tynecastle.
The Dons led through Adam Rooney after keeper Jack Hamilton parried Peter Pawlett's effort into his path.
Esmael Goncalves levelled after the break before Anthony O'Connor replied and Hearts' Jamie Walker was sent off.
The Dons are nine points and 23 goals better off than third-placed Rangers with three games to play, meaning they are virtually uncatchable.
Fifth-placed Hearts, meanwhile, remain six points behind St Johnstone in the battle for a top-four finish and European football.
Undefeated in their three previous meeting with Hearts this season, Aberdeen started with plenty of confidence and Andrew Considine should have done better than nod wide from eight yards after three minutes following excellent set-up work from Jonny Hayes.
Dons winger Niall McGinn was causing the home defence problems with his pace and after bursting clear of Krystian Nowak he tried his luck on goal. However, Hamilton reacted quickly to palm the ball away for a corner.
The Hearts keeper could not repeat that feat after 21 minutes and it cost his side a goal.
Pawlett won possession in midfield, drove forward and unleashed a fine drive that Hamilton parried straight into the path of Rooney, who produced a cool finish.
Walker was having one of his quieter afternoons for Hearts but when he tumbled to the ground in the box after a challenge by Ash Taylor there were claims for a penalty. Referee Willie Collum was unmoved.
Pawlett went off at the break with O'Connor coming on, while Hearts boss Ian Cathro sent on Liam Smith for Andraz Struna.
Youngster Smith provided the delivery for Hearts' equaliser just after the hour, with Goncalves sneaking in between defenders Taylor and Shay Logan to head the ball beyond Joe Lewis.
The home fans' joy lasted all of three minutes.
Hayes floated a free-kick high into the area and O'Connor rose brilliantly to nod the ball back across Hamilton and into the net.
McGinn had a chance for a third when slack play by the home defence allowed the winger a clean sight of goal, but he was unable to keep his effort down.
Bjorn Johnsen was introduced for Hearts with Don Cowie making way, a decision that brought a huge round of boos from the Tynecastle faithful.
Rooney then fired another chance wide before referee Collum sent Walker off for a second yellow card.
Aberdeen are now almost certain to finish second in the table for the third year in a row and it is no more than Derek McInnes and his charges deserve.
At times lethal in attack and so often solid at the back, the Dons look to have passed the test that came with Rangers' promotion to the Premiership in the summer with a bit to spare.
With the Scottish Cup final ahead against Celtic, the challenge facing the Pittodrie men is to ensure they do not finish the season as runners-up in all three domestic competitions.
• None Second yellow card to Jamie Walker (Heart of Midlothian) for a bad foul.
• None Moha (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick on the left wing.
• None Mark Reynolds (Aberdeen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Liam Smith (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
• None Attempt blocked. Bjorn Johnsen (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
• None Attempt missed. Adam Rooney (Aberdeen) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
• None Attempt missed. Anthony O'Connor (Aberdeen) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
• None Attempt blocked. Bjorn Johnsen (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39760495
|
Brentford 1-3 Blackburn Rovers - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Blackburn are relegated to League One on goal difference, despite beating Brentford, after Nottingham Forest and Birmingham win.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Blackburn were relegated to League One on goal difference, despite beating Brentford at Griffin Park, after Nottingham Forest's win over Ipswich.
Rovers began in the final relegation place, level on points with Forest with an inferior goal difference.
Charlie Mulgrew's free-kick and Danny Guthrie's strike put Rovers ahead, before Lasse Vibe flicked one back.
Craig Conway's spot-kick made it 3-1, as Bees' Harlee Dean saw red but Forest and Birmingham wins sent Rovers down.
• None 'It should never have come to this'
With Birmingham only leading 1-0 against Bristol City at Ashton Gate, a goal for the Robins would have sent Blues down instead of Blackburn - but Harry Redknapp's side held on.
Blackburn had lifted themselves out of the drop zone earlier in the day thanks to Mulgrew's superb free-kick into the top corner.
Guthrie's scuffed effort, which Bees keeper Daniel Bentley should have kept out, doubled their lead, but Britt Assombalonga's goal to put Forest ahead at the City Ground dropped Rovers back into the bottom three.
There was further anguish for Tony Mowbray's side when Vibe got in front of a defender at the near post to turn in Dean's delivery.
Mowbray threw on attack-minded Lucas Joao, Marvin Emnes and Conway in a bid to improve their goal difference.
Emnes was then fouled in the box by Dean, who was given his second yellow card, and Conway blasted home the penalty.
But Rovers, with an inferior goal difference to Forest of just two goals, were relegated to the third tier for the first time in 37 years.
It has been a season-long struggle for Blackburn, both on and off the pitch, having failed to rise above 20th in the table all season.
Supporters have also protested against owners Venky's, who have seen the club slide from the Premier League to the third tier in their seven years at the helm.
Some fans voiced their concern prior to the match that relegation this season could lead to potential administration.
Away from the boardroom, the Lancashire side began the season with Owen Coyle at the helm, who could claim he was not backed in the transfer market, having spent £250,000 of the £10m he recouped in the transfer market.
Coyle left in February after losing just under half his matches in charge and was replaced by Mowbray with the club three points off safety with 15 games to play.
Mowbray had moved to Ewood Park five months after resigning as manager of League One side Coventry, a club that were also relegated this term and with controversial owners of their own.
The new manager's change to a back three proved important in Rovers giving themselves a chance of survival, but it was too late for the 1994-95 Premier League winners.
"I am disappointed now but we have to try to keep the spirit we showed here and, if we do, the club will be very strong in League One next year.
"It's decided over 46 games and at the end of the season everyone at the club from the players to the medical team and the analysts have not been good enough to stay in this division.
"We have to take it on the chin. It's going to be a huge summer for us in terms of recruitment, and conversations with the owners are coming - we have to recruit well, be strong next year and bounce back.
"We need to keep our under-contract players. If we do, we will hopefully be too strong for a lot of clubs in League One. We just need to turn the ship around and get promotion."
"We wanted to finish the season on a high but there were a lot of tired legs out there - at the end they were putting their bodies on the line and that showed how much it mattered to do their best for the other clubs down there.
"It was what we were doing when we didn't have the ball that annoyed me in the first half. I gave them a rocket at half-time and we started the second half quite well but couldn't make our possession count.
"I feel for Tony. He has done a great job there and if he's allowed to keep the players he has, and the club keep him, then I'm sure they'll be knocking on the door to come back up next season."
• None Attempt saved. Elliott Bennett (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Craig Conway.
• None Attempt blocked. Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Craig Conway.
• None Attempt missed. Craig Conway (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a corner.
• None Attempt blocked. Lucas João (Blackburn Rovers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Marvin Emnes.
• None Attempt missed. Marvin Emnes (Blackburn Rovers) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Jason Lowe with a headed pass.
• None Attempt blocked. Marvin Emnes (Blackburn Rovers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
• None Goal! Brentford 1, Blackburn Rovers 3. Craig Conway (Blackburn Rovers) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the high centre of the goal.
• None Second yellow card to Harlee Dean (Brentford) for a bad foul.
• None Penalty conceded by Harlee Dean (Brentford) after a foul in the penalty area. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39760414
|
Swansea City: Players to pay for fans' tickets at Sunderland - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Swansea's players will cover the cost of 3,000 away tickets for the club's match at Sunderland next Saturday.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Swansea players will cover the cost of 3,000 away tickets for the club's match at Sunderland next Saturday.
Swans boss Paul Clement said after his team's crucial 1-0 win over Everton on Saturday: "It is a shame we can't bring all the fans.
"The players paying for the supporters' tickets came from Leon Britton and I thought it was a brilliant idea.
"That's been done by the players and led by Leon and we hope they get up there safely."
Fernando Llorente scored the only goal as Swansea's win combined with Hull's defeat against already-relegated Sunderland saw the Welsh club climb out of the bottom three with two games remaining.
Britton has not been a regular in recent weeks but started against the Toffees, and Clement added: "Leon was fantastic and he has been really great ever since I have been at the club.
"The fact he didn't play until the Stoke game, yet remained so professional and supported the players and did that even when he was out the squad.
"He helped me as club captain. He came in, did his job and you can see he has a fantastic connection with the crowd. It was really nice to see."
Britton himself, who has made more than 500 appearances for the Welsh club, said he was often amazed by the Swansea supporters.
"The support we've had at home and away has been amazing considering how tough it's been at times," Britton told Swansea's official website.
"That support has been there not just over the course of this season, but for a number of years.
"If there was ever a time that we need one another more than ever, it's now, over these last few games of the campaign.''
Clement said the victory over Everton has given his players a huge lift, but insisted the job is not yet finished.
Swansea still have to travel to Sunderland before facing West Brom on the final day, while Hull face relegation rivals Crystal Palace before entertaining Tottenham Hotspur.
"It was a fantastic win for us at this stage in the season, when the stakes are so high," Clement added.
"I had a feeling the atmosphere would be good and I thought they were unbelievable today, getting behind the players against a really good team.
"We knew Hull would play first and we said in the meeting that whatever happened, we needed to win.
"The message was we have an opportunity, don't waste it. It ended up being a positive weekend, but we know how quickly it can swing the other way."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39831266
|
England v Ireland: Eoin Morgan's moment of fortune at Lord's - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Some good fortune here for Eoin Morgan as the ball hits his stumps but doesn't dislodge the bails, during England's ODI against Ireland at Lord's.
| null |
Some good fortune here for Eoin Morgan as the ball hits his stumps but doesn't dislodge the bails, during England's ODI against Ireland at Lord's.
MATCH REPORT:Root and Bairstow star as England beat Ireland to wrap up series
Available to UK users only.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/39829616
|
British and Irish Lions 2017: Ben Youngs withdraws from squad for family reasons - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
England and Leicester scrum-half Ben Youngs withdraws from the Lions tour to New Zealand as his sister-in-law has terminal cancer.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union
England scrum-half Ben Youngs has withdrawn from the Lions tour to New Zealand after the wife of his brother Tom learned that she is terminally ill.
Ben, 27, is a team-mate of hooker and captain Tom, 30, at Leicester Tigers and the pair will play in the remainder of the Premiership season for the club.
"We are a very close family and, as I am sure everyone can respect, time is now precious together," said Ben.
"The most important thing for me at this difficult time is to be able to offer as much support as I can to Tom and his family in the remaining time we all have together."
Tom Youngs' wife Tiffany was diagnosed with cancer in 2014 and he pulled out of England's tour of New Zealand that year to care for her.
The brothers played in Leicester's 28-23 win over Worcester on Saturday, with Tom scoring the Tigers' try.
Leicester will play at Wasps in the Premiership semi-final on 20 May, with the winners going through to the final at Twickenham on 27 May.
The Lions fly to New Zealand on 29 May and their first match is on 3 June.
Ben, who had been selected in the 41-man squad for his second Lions tour, informed head coach Warren Gatland of his decision this weekend.
"We fully understand and respect Ben's decision to stay at home," said Gatland. "Family comes first and I know from having toured with Tom and Ben in 2013 how close they are. This is a difficult and important time for them and we send Ben, Tom and their family our heartfelt thoughts."
Ben has won 70 caps for England and two for the Lions in the 2-1 series win against Australia in 2013, starting the second Test alongside Tom.
Wales' Rhys Webb and Ireland's Conor Murray are the other scrum-halves in Gatland's squad.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39832093
|
Champions Trophy 2017: England deserve to be favourites - Graeme Swann - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
England are "justified favourites" for the Champions Trophy on home soil next month, says former spin bowler Graeme Swann.
| null |
England are "justified favourites" for the Champions Trophy on home soil next month, says ex-spinner Graeme Swann.
They beat Ireland by 85 runs at Lord's to complete a 2-0 win - their seventh one-day series victory in two years.
"England have got such a strong-looking squad, especially with the bat," Swann told Test Match Special
"It's not long ago they were being thrashed by everyone and insisting they were playing the right way with their 1970s brand of one-day cricket."
Swann, who took 104 wickets in 79 one-day internationals, was referring to the 2015 World Cup when Eoin Morgan's team were humbled by a group-stage exit, in which they only won games against minnows Scotland and Afghanistan.
Since then, England have won series against World Cup runners-up New Zealand, Pakistan (twice), Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, West Indies and now Ireland. They only lost to Australia and South Africa by the odd game in five.
They hammered Ireland despite the absence of key men Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, who are playing in the Indian Premier League.
Swann added: "They have such a strong middle order. Especially when you consider they can bring in Jos Buttler - one of the best in the world - and add him to that middle order and then Ben Stokes, who is arguably the best player in the world in all formats.
"Eoin Morgan and (head coach) Trevor Bayliss ripped up that piece of paper from 2015 and said 'that's nonsense', we'll get the right personnel in, fill them with confidence, back them to the hilt and ask them to try and post 400 when they bat.
"They scored 328 against Ireland and the captain said he felt they were 40 runs short. That's amazing to hear. Not too long ago, England captains and teams of old would have been cock-a-hoop with a score of 328."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/39839215
|
Arsene Wenger: Managers must 'control' criticism of players, says Arsenal boss - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says managers must be "careful" when criticising their own players and "control what you say".
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Arsene Wenger says managers must be "careful" when criticising their own players and "control what you say".
Wenger's Arsenal side face Jose Mourinho's Manchester United on Sunday (kick-off 16:00 BST), battling to reach the Premier League's top four places.
Mourinho has questioned the desire of defenders Luke Shaw, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones to return from injury.
"You can do that in extreme situations but it has to be handled carefully," said veteran Arsenal boss Wenger.
Mourinho questioned full-back Shaw's commitment and focus to the club last month and then said the player used "his body with my brain" after the 1-1 draw against Everton two days later.
The former Chelsea manager was also unhappy with the "cautious" mentality of centre-backs Smalling and Jones for failing to play through pain during the Manchester derby.
Smalling has been struggling with a leg injury, while Jones suffered a toe problem in a training ground tackle made by his team-mate.
This week, former Blackburn striker Chris Sutton said Mourinho was "humiliating" his players by querying their dedication to the Red Devils.
Wenger added: "Ideally you have to be careful with that because you cannot do that in every single game.
"You can do that in extreme situations but it has to be handled carefully because it just makes that stress level worse for them. Top players have a good and objective assessment. They know well where they stand.
"You cannot always say to the players 'we are all in the same boat and in this together to achieve something' and then you jump out of the boat and say, 'it's your fault now', but when it goes well you take the credit.
"You are in a position where you have to be part of it and fight for them when it doesn't go well, you have to control what you say."
United go into the game five points ahead of sixth-placed Arsenal, having played a game more, but are four points adrift of fourth-placed Liverpool, although the Old Trafford club have a game in hand.
Manchester United winger Ashley Young has been ruled out of the game at Arsenal with a hamstring injury.
Young, 31, was injured after coming on as a substitute in the Europa League semi-final win over Celta Vigo on Thursday.
It is not known exactly how long Young will be out for but there are fears he could be sidelined for the rest of the season.
United manager Mourinho has threatened to play youngsters at the Emirates Stadium after deciding to prioritise his side's European campaign.
Four players yet to make a first-team appearance have been included in his travelling squad for tomorrow's game.
Matty Willock and Scott McTominay have been included in recent United squads. They have travelled to London, along with 20-year-old England Schoolboys winger Demetri Mitchell and teenage United States Under-19 international defender Matt Olosunde.
Arsenal could be without midfielder Granit Xhaka who has a calf problem, but defender Shkodran Mustafi could play after returning from a back injury.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39833762
|
Swansea City 1-0 Everton - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Swansea City climb out of the relegation zone with two games remaining after Fernando Llorente heads the winner against Everton.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Swansea City leapfrogged Hull City to climb out of the Premier League relegation zone with two games remaining after Fernando Llorente headed the winner against Everton.
Llorente got the better of Phil Jagielka to nod Jordan Ayew's cross past goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg from close range - the Spaniard's 13th league goal of the season.
Mason Holgate's last-ditch challenge prevented Alfie Mawson from making it 2-0 before Ayew hit the post from 16 yards.
Hull, who earlier lost 2-0 at home to relegated Sunderland, drop into the bottom three, while this result also means Middlesbrough will be relegated to the Championship if they lose to leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday (20:00 BST).
Everton were poor throughout, Romelu Lukaku going closest when he blazed into the side-netting after a powerful run.
At the other end, Stekelenburg produced a fine stop to deny substitute Leroy Fer from making it 2-0 for Swansea, who are unbeaten in three league games.
Swansea's fate in their own hands
On a dramatic day at the bottom of the table, Swansea took advantage of earlier slips by Hull and Crystal Palace to leave their Premier League future in their own hands.
The Swans are away to relegated Sunderland on 13 May and at home to eighth-placed West Brom on 21 May, the final day. If they win both games they will stay up.
Hull are away at Crystal Palace, who are four points above the relegation zone after a 5-0 defeat at Manchester City, on 14 May before hosting second-placed Tottenham on the last day.
Palace's final match of the season is at Manchester United, who are unbeaten in their past 24 league games.
For the Swans, a passionate fanbase turned into a delirious one before a ball was even kicked in south Wales, after Sunderland's victory over Hull.
That lifted a boisterous Liberty Stadium, but it took almost half an hour before Swansea created a big opportunity in a cagey contest.
When they did, they took it expertly, Llorente heading home from close range after Ayew's twisting run and deflected cross fell perfectly.
Holgate then produced an outstanding challenge to deny Mawson, with a Jagielka block also denying Martin Olsson's effort from an acute angle.
Swansea continued to carve out the better chances, Ayew's volley with the outside of his foot hitting the post, and it was not until the 66th minute that Lukasz Fabianski was seriously tested by Lukaku's 20-yard shot.
The hosts spurned further chances through Llorente and Fer. It might have cost Swansea at the death when their former skipper Ashley Williams was inches away from heading home, but he couldn't quite convert from Kevin Mirallas' flick-on.
Everton stay seventh, two points behind sixth-placed Arsenal but having played three games more than the Gunners.
The Toffees have the feel of a club already building for next term.
Ross Barkley, whose future in unclear as his contract runs down, was dropped by Ronald Koeman as was loanee Enner Valencia.
Barkley's introduction at half-time was evidence that Everton had lacked panache in the final third, with Fabianski entirely untroubled before the break.
Everton had won eight of their past 11 visits to Swansea, but not even returning Wales captain Williams - whose every touch was jeered by a section of the home fans - could inspire the visitors.
'Hull result gave us a lift' - what they said
Swansea boss Paul Clement: "It is one of my proudest moments. What a fantastic, gritty performance. It was so important we got that result after what happened at Hull.
"We have hit some form both offensively and especially defensively. We have played against really good opposition and seven points from three games is a fantastic tally.
"It gave us a lift before the game knowing that result had gone in our favour, we knew if we did something special we could get out of the relegation zone.
"We really defended well."
Everton boss Ronald Koeman: "It was not good enough. The difference is one goal, we had maybe more ball possession, it was difficult to create open chances.
"The final part, we had to be a little bit more aggressive in the box. The problem is in the last few weeks to create chances - we don't score in the last three games.
"In my opinion, seventh position is a good position and next Friday is important to give the fans a win they deserve."
• None Everton have failed to score in their past three Premier League games for the first time since a four-game drought in April 2006.
• None Swansea have taken seven points from their past three league games after picking up just one in the six before that.
• None The Toffees have lost an away league game in Wales for the first time in their past 11 games there (W5 D5), since a 1-0 defeat to Cardiff at Ninian Park in December 1956.
• None This is Fernando Llorente's best goal haul in a league season (13) since 2013-14 (16 with Juventus).
• None Jordan Ayew has provided an assist in three of his past six Premier League games, this after failing to assist in any of his first 36 in the competition.
Swansea visit relegated Sunderland in their penultimate match of the season on Saturday, 13 May (15:00 BST), while Everton host 15th-placed Watford next Friday (19:45 BST).
• None Attempt saved. Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Borja Bastón.
• None Attempt missed. Enner Valencia (Everton) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Leighton Baines with a cross following a corner.
• None Attempt missed. Leighton Baines (Everton) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
• None Attempt missed. Romelu Lukaku (Everton) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Ross Barkley. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39754033
|
Scott Sinclair named SPFA player of the year as Celtic win four awards - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Scott Sinclair leads a clean sweep of awards for Celtic as he is named the Scottish Professional Footballers' player of the year.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Scott Sinclair led a clean sweep of awards for Celtic as he was named PFA Scotland's player of the year.
Sinclair, 28, has scored 25 goals in his debut season as the Scottish champions chase a domestic treble.
He beat team-mates Moussa Dembele and Stuart Armstrong, as well as Aberdeen's Jonny Hayes, to the award, which was voted for by his fellow professionals.
Celtic's Kieran Tierney was voted young player of the year, while boss Brendan Rodgers was named manager of the year.
The former Liverpool boss, who won the League Managers Association prize in 2014, has not lost a domestic game since arriving in Scotland.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here," Rodgers said. "I have obviously been fortunate to have really good experiences and I was fortunate enough to win a similar award down in the Premier League in England, and that was very satisfying.
"And likewise here. It's a prestigious award and you only need to look at the people who have won it before me and the great history of Scottish coaches. I received it with great pride."
Parkhead striker Dembele made it four awards on the night for the club when his third goal in the 5-2 win over St Johnstone in February was voted goal of the season.
Hibernian's John McGinn claimed the Championship player of the year award after the Scotland midfielder helped the Easter Road side win promotion and reach the Scottish Cup semi-finals.
Livingston's Liam Buchanan won the League One player of the year award, with Shane Sutherland of Elgin City taking the League Two award.
The Scotland women's national team also won a special merit award after reaching this summer's European Championships.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39839913
|
Newcastle United 3-0 Barnsley - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Newcastle clinch the Championship title with victory over Barnsley, after Brighton concede a late equaliser at Aston Villa.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Newcastle United clinched the Championship title with victory over Barnsley, after Brighton conceded a late equaliser at Aston Villa.
Ayoze Perez, Chancel Mbemba and Dwight Gayle scored in a comfortable victory, but it was Jack Grealish's 89th-minute goal which sealed the Magpies' title.
Perez's flicked finish made it 1-0, before Mbemba smashed in to double the lead from a Perez rebound.
Gayle added a late third before Grealish's goal handed them the title.
It was a comfortable win for Rafael Benitez's side - yet it looked like it would not be enough to seal top spot, after Glenn Murray's penalty had put league leaders Brighton in front at Villa Park.
However, despite being down to 10 men following Nathan Baker's red card, Grealish beat Brighton keeper David Stockdale to send the Magpies above Brighton in the table.
• None How the final day of the Championship season unfolded
At St James' Park, DeAndre Yedlin terrorised Barnsley down the right-hand side and it was his cross which Perez guided into the bottom corner to open the scoring.
Christian Atsu forced Barnsley goalkeeper Adam Davies into two strong diving saves with powerful shots and Massadio Haidara smashed a good chance over the crossbar from Perez's cut-back as the hosts dominated.
Davies kept out Jack Colback with his legs, but the Magpies got a deserved second when Davies pushed Perez's shot out perfectly for Mbemba to smash home his first goal for the club.
Jonjo Shelvey struck the post before Aleksandar Mitrovic's header sent substitute Gayle through to complete the scoring with a confident finish past the onrushing Davies.
Under manager Benitez, Newcastle brought 12 players to the club after dropping into the Championship last summer, with Matt Ritchie and Gayle moving down a division to sign five-year deals.
More than £50 million was spent in transfer fees alone, but these were offset by the sales of Andros Townsend, Moussa Sissoko and Georginio Wijnaldum among others.
Nevertheless, the Magpies were still under pressure to achieve promotion - a feat they managed with two games to spare.
Benitez's side have battled with Brighton throughout the season for top spot, but since the Seagulls achieved promotion on 17 April they have dropped off the pace dramatically.
Ultimately it was three straight wins for Newcastle and three matches without three points for Chris Hughton's side that told, giving the Toon the perfect end to the campaign.
• None Attempt missed. Elliot Lee (Barnsley) right footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Matthew James.
• None Goal! Newcastle United 3, Barnsley 0. Dwight Gayle (Newcastle United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Aleksandar Mitrovic with a through ball.
• None Attempt saved. Elliot Lee (Barnsley) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by George Moncur.
• None Attempt blocked. Elliot Lee (Barnsley) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
• None Attempt saved. Marley Watkins (Barnsley) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Josh Scowen.
• None Attempt missed. Mohamed Diamé (Newcastle United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Jack Colback. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39760419
|
Madrid Open: Johanna Konta suffers first-round defeat to Laura Siegemund - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Johanna Konta's struggles on clay continue as a final-set slump sees her lose to Laura Siegemund in the Madrid Open first round.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Johanna Konta's struggles on clay continued as a final-set slump saw her lose to Laura Siegemund in the first round of the Madrid Open.
Sixth-seed Konta, 25, was 3-0 up in the decider but German Siegemund took five straight games to progress 3-6 7-5 6-4.
The match ended at 02:17am local time and defeat means British world number seven Konta has still won just three games on the surface in her career.
The world number 30 won the second WTA Tour title of her career last week at the Stuttgart Open.
She started poorly in the Spanish capital as Konta broke serve twice to take the opening set but then fought back to claim a tie-break in the second having been 5-4 down.
And she showed the same battling qualities in the decider, fighting back from three break points that would have given Konta a 4-0 lead to win the game and subsequently the match.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/39834594
|
England v Ireland: Joe Root stars with bat and ball as hosts seal series at Lord's - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
England seal a series whitewash over Ireland in their two-match ODI contest courtesy of an 85-run victory at Lord's.
| null |
Joe Root starred as England sealed a series whitewash over Ireland in their two-match one-day international contest courtesy of an 85-run win at Lord's.
Root scored 73 in a partnership of 140 with Eoin Morgan (76) before Jonny Bairstow's rapid 72 propelled England to 328-6 at the home of cricket.
Paul Stirling struck 48 but Root's 3-52 swung the game the home side's way.
Will Porterfield (82) gave Ireland a glimmer of hope but his dismissal spelt the end and they were all out for 241.
Root's Yorkshire team-mate Liam Plunkett helped clean up the tail and ended up with figures of 3-21.
However, it was a much-improved display from the tourists after Friday's seven-wicket defeat in Bristol in front of a healthy away following and one they can use as further proof of their suitability for Test status.
After Friday's first ODI, England captain Eoin Morgan spoke of the need for his players to find form before June's Champions Trophy on home soil, for which England are currently bookmakers' favourites.
He has no worries over Root, who scored at a run a ball during his innings, the majority of which was spent in a partnership with his equally efficient skipper, and retains the ability to take timely wickets with his seemingly innocuous off-spin.
Following the loss of Hales and Roy, who is England's biggest concern after adding an unconvincing 20 to his fifth-ball duck in Bristol, Root and Morgan took England past 200 before both fell in the space of three overs.
A brief lull followed, during which England also lost Sam Billings, before Bairstow and Adil Rashid (39) restored the momentum and pushed the score past 300.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Bairstow is a fixture in the Test side but has failed to nail down a regular spot in what is a congested England limited-overs middle order.
However, with Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler both at the IPL, the 26-year-old was given an opportunity to excel that he did not waste.
Demonstrating the clean-hitting that had seen him score a 113-ball 174 for Yorkshire in a recent One-Day Cup win over Durham, Bairstow took over from county colleague Root, acclimatised quickly and then accelerated to propel England beyond a 300 total that had previously looked in doubt.
It took him 38 balls to reach his fourth ODI 50 before fully cutting loose, adding another 22 runs in just six deliveries that included three big sixes.
With the three-game home series against South Africa to come later this month, before the start of the Champions Trophy, Bairstow is providing England with a nice selection dilemma to resolve.
Ireland have had a bad couple of months, during which they have lost a one-day series and an ICC Intercontinental Cup fixture to chief rival associate nation Afghanistan, and both games in this series.
In Bristol, they looked weighed down by what coach John Bracewell described as the "huge pressure" of the impending decision over their potential Test status, which should be made next month.
However, they played with greater freedom and application on Sunday, rising to the challenge of their first encounter against England at Lord's.
They were energetic in the field but unfortunately lack bowling depth beyond Tim Murtagh, who used his experience of Lord's from 10 years as a Middlesex player to keep England in check, especially in an initial spell of 1-16 off his opening six overs.
Barry McCarthy (2-61) and Peter Chase (2-69) had their moments but lacked consistency and wilted under Bairstow's late onslaught.
The lack of depth is mirrored in their batting. Stirling, Joyce and Porterfield are a talented top three but as England have shown over two games, there is little below them.
Stirling and Joyce (16) added 68 for the opening wicket but both fell in the space of two and a half overs, the former to Jake Ball and the latter to Root, who would also claim the wickets of Niall O'Brien and Gary Wilson to help reduce Ireland to 154-5.
Porterfield's clean striking carried the tourists past 200 until he was bowled by Mark Wood attempting a ramp shot, leaving the Durham seamer and Plunkett to clean up the tail.
'Sterner tests to come' - What they said...
England coach Trevor Bayliss, speaking to Sky Sports: "We know we have sterner tests coming up, against South Africa and in the Champions Trophy. We can do no more than play and win well.
"We will go into the three games against South Africa wanting to win that series. If we are 2-0 up with a game to go we will look at the team then."
England captain Eoin Morgan: "Bristol was a more convincing win and today presented us with different challenges.
"There was some cloud cover this morning and the openers got us off to a fantastic start. I shared in a good partnership with Joe Root and then Jonny Bairstow and Adil Rashid saw us home after a little wobble."
Ireland captain Will Porterfield: "I thought we were much improved today.
"We put a lot of things right - we bowled well and kept going when the big partnership got going and it took Jonny Bairstow to play well to get them to that big total.
"I think with the bat we were just a couple of wickets behind and that stopped us going for it at the end."
'8.5 out of 10 from England'
Ex-England spinner Graeme Swann on BBC Test Match Special: "It's been a very professional performance from England. They haven't taken their foot off the gas at any point in the series. 8.5/10 from England."
Ex-England batter Ebony Rainford-Brent on BBC Test Match Special: "I'm not sure England can take too much out of this series. It's good to see Bairstow play the way he does - but we know he's a quality player - and it's good to see Wood back. Perhaps I'd like to have seen more from him? But there's not much more we didn't already know."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/39835844
|
This is why you're addicted to your phone - BBC Three
|
2017-05-07
|
Nick Arnold
|
Check out this content on BBC Three.
| null |
In 2015, Max Stossel, 28, had an awakening. He was a successful social media strategist working with major multinational companies.
But that same year, he says, “I realised that some of the work I was doing wasn’t actually in people’s best interests.”
Stossel has since become a pivotal part of the Time Well Spent movement, which "aims to align technology with our human values".
Time Well Spent was co-founded by the former Google 'product philosopher' Tristan Harris, and is made up of “a group of industry insiders”, many of whom have worked for companies like Facebook and Snapchat, but have now aligned themselves with the movement in some way.
Last year, Ofcom, the communications regulator, found that more than half of all internet users in Britain feel they’re addicted to the technology.
“There’s this idea that we’re addicted to our phones, and that we’ve done this to ourselves,” says Stossel. “That is just not true.”
Stossel explains that tech design is increasingly informed by behavioural psychology and neuroscience.
Tristan Harris himself studied at Stanford’s Persuasive Tech Lab, which describes itself as creating “insight into how computing products can be designed to influence and change human behaviour”.
The Lab’s website states, “Technology is being designed to change what we think and do.” It gives several examples of this from Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
There are thousands of people on the other side of your screens whose job it is to keep you as hooked as possible.
“When you understand neuroscience and you understand how to develop apps, you can essentially programme the brain,” Stossel says. “There are thousands of people on the other side of your screens whose job it is to keep you as hooked as possible, and they’ve gotten very good at it.”
I ask Stossel just how good these people are. I control my notifications, I tell him, not vice versa. He bats a simple question back my way: “Do you feel at all stressed when your phone is out of reach and it buzzes?”
Um. Yes. The irresistible curiosity, the little surge of anxiety, which grows the longer I leave my notification unchecked – these are feelings I know well.
Figuring out how to capture my attention like that, is, according to Stossel. “the job of everybody in my industry".
Broadly speaking, tech design seeks to take advantage of our brains' reward system, where dopamine activation leads to feelings of satisfaction and pleasure.
Our brains are programmed to seek more of whatever gives us this pleasure - so much so that we crave it when we don’t have it. The same system that makes us crave drugs or certain foods can also make us crave particular apps, games, sites and devices.
Looks like this post is no longer available from its original source. It might've been taken down or had its privacy settings changed.
But Time Well Spent believes this problem isn’t exclusively a tech one. Stossel points out how the range of ways in which content is actually created – including negative headlines and clickbait tactics - can also fit into this realm of persuasion.
“The problem is that it’s everything,” he says. “It’s all of the life that we live in.”
Life has become an “attention economy,” Stossel explains. “Everybody wants to grab as much of our attention as possible. I was designing notification structures to help take you out of your world and bring you into mine.”
Stossel argues that users are not the customers of technology, but the products– our attention is the thing being sold.
“We use lots of platforms for free,” he says. But lots of advertisers pay the platforms lots of money to get our attention while we’re on there. “We’re not the ones paying, so the things that matter to us will go second place to what matters to advertisers,” says Stossel. “And that’s a big deal.”
What this leads to, according to Stossel, is a fundamental discrepancy between the goals of those who own the technology and the goals of us, the people using it.
Success in the tech world is often measured using the metric of 'time spent'- that is, how long we spend using an app, streaming a service, or browsing a website.
For example, Stossel says, dating apps “measure their success in how long they keep you swiping. But is that actually the goal we have as humans when we’re using dating sites?”
Another example is the way videos auto-play on certain platforms. This keeps more people online for longer but, Stossel says, “That doesn’t mean that they actually want to stay online for longer.”
In fact, in 2016, psychology professor Alejandro Lleras published a study that found that high engagement with our mobile phones and the internet “is linked with anxiety and depression”.
Stossel believes that this incessant clamouring for our attention is making us lose focus on the things that are really important.
3rd party content may contain ads - see our FAQs for more info.
“We’re constantly being buzzed,” he says. “How can we ever focus on bigger issues that matter, like climate change for example, when we’re always being pulled in so many different directions?”
The power to change things lies overwhelmingly with the people 'behind our screens' - the ones designing the apps, games, platforms and devices that we use.
“There’s a code of ethics to consider here,” Stossel believes. “Designers have to take the responsibility they have – of influencing people’s decisions – seriously.”
He tells me that Time Well Spent is currently working on a sort of Hippocratic oath for tech designers, similar to the commitment doctors make to work in their patients' best interests.
The movement is campaigning for designers to make a formal promise to design from a place of good intent.
Their aim is for software that has been designed in accordance with these ethical values to be identified by a form of certification, similar to the label on organic food.
In the days following my conversation with Stossel, I notice how often I get sucked into aimlessly trawling through the Instagram stories of people I don’t even know.
What starts as a mindless scroll through my Facebook feed before bed can easily escalate into huge periods of wasted time (and a lot of frustration at not getting the early night I had promised myself, again).
Looks like this post is no longer available from its original source. It might've been taken down or had its privacy settings changed.
I can certainly see the merit of what Time Well Spent is campaigning for. But the sheer scale of change needed leaves me wondering if their fight might be impossibly idealistic.
“It is absolutely possible,” Stossel counters. “The challenge is getting consumers to demand it.”
He believes technology will manipulate our attention in ever more effective ways.
“VR, AR and more advanced artificial intelligence are all coming,” he says. “The future will be so good at this. That’s why we need to demand this change now.”
Let's build a future where tech enhances humanity, not detracts from it. I don't want to live on the Wall-e ship. pic.twitter.com/Boa6EleNrU — Max Stossel (@MaxStossel) February 24, 2016
Until that change comes, Time Well Spent’s co-founder, Tristan Harris, adheres to certain 'band aids' - lifestyle changes the movement has designed for living better in the attention economy:
He’s turned off almost all notifications on his phone, and has customised the vibration for text messages, so he can feel the difference between an automated alert and a human’s.
He’s made the first screen of his phone almost empty, with only functional apps like Uber and Google Maps - ones that he can’t get sucked into spending hours on.
He’s put any apps he’s inclined to waste time on, or any apps with colourful, attention-grabbing icons, inside folders on the second page of his phone.
To open an app, he types its name into the phone’s search bar—which reduces impulsive clicks.
He also has a sticky note on his laptop. What does it say?
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/item/0a0cb73c-a87a-4c23-8b1d-f145ab76e58b?intc_type=promo&intc_location=news&intc_campaign=phoneaddiction&intc_linkname=bbcthree_fac_article1
|
Maria Sharapova to face Eugenie Bouchard at Madrid Open - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-07
| null |
Maria Sharapova will play Eugenie Bouchard after a first-round win at the Madrid Open on Sunday.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Maria Sharapova set up a match against Eugenie Bouchard with a first-round win at the Madrid Open on Sunday.
Canadian Bouchard called Sharapova "a cheater" prior to the Russian's return to competitive action in April after a 15-month doping ban.
Bouchard, who beat Alize Cornet on Saturday, believes the five-time Grand Slam winner should be banned for life.
Sharapova beat Croat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 4-6 6-4 6-0, which comes after reaching the semi-finals in Stuttgart.
The 30-year-old, who won this tournament in 2014, will take on world number 59 Bouchard on Monday, from 19:00 BST - a match you can listen to on BBC Radio 5 live Sports Extra.
In October 2016, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said Sharapova was not an "intentional doper".
"When you're out of the game for a long time you just want to play as many games as possible," said Sharapova.
World number two Angelique Kerber eased into round two with a convincing 6-4 6-2 win over Hungary's Timea Babos.
The German is the top seed in the draw with world number one Serena Williams absent because the 23-time Grand Slam champion is expecting her first child.
Kerber's form has been inconsistent this season, but she was rarely troubled in wrapping up victory in just over an hour on court.
Caroline Wozniacki took nearly three-and-a-half hours on court to eventually overcome Monica Niculescu 7-5, 6-7, 6-4.
Sharapova's conqueror in Stuttgart, Kristina Mladenovic, is also safely through after Croat Ana Konjuh retired when the French world number 17 levelled at one set all.
Defending champion Simona Halep cruised past Kristyna Pliskova 6-1, 6-2. However, home favourite and French Open champion Garbine Muguruza's disappointing form this season continued as she was blown away 6-1, 6-3 by Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/39837599
|
Rich List 2017: Six surprising ways to make money - BBC News
|
2017-05-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Egg farmers and pet food makers appear alongside bankers on this year's Sunday Times Rich List.
|
Business
|
If you want to get rich fast, then donning a pinstriped suit and heading for the City has traditionally been seen as the most straightforward path to wealth.
Unsurprisingly this year's ranking of the UK's richest 1,000 people by the Sunday Times continues to be dominated by financiers, hedge funders and property tycoons.
Yet delve a bit deeper and the list reveals some less obvious ways to become one of the super-rich.
We look at six of the career choices which you wouldn't typically bet on to bring in the big bucks.
William Dean's firm started out as a door-to-door egg seller in rural Hertfordshire
"The egg market is big" - that's how egg producer Noble Foods put it.
In the UK, we eat a staggering 30 million eggs every day and as chairman of Noble Foods, Peter Dean has amassed a £212m fortune from the family egg business, putting him at 534 on the list.
The company was started in the 1920s by his grandfather William Dean, who sold eggs door-to-door in rural Hertfordshire.
The firm rapidly moved from packing and selling a small amount of eggs for local grocery stores into a national business.
Always ambitious, the firm bought several other companies to speed up its growth. Just over a decade ago, Dean Food Group merged with Stonegate, controlled by lifelong egg producer Michael Kent, to create Noble Foods.
"Bringing eggs to life," is the tagline of the company, whose brands include Happy Egg and Big & Fresh as well as luxury pudding brand Gu.
Never underestimate how much people love their pets. Most owners think of their animals as members of the family and are willing to spend big to prove it, making it a lucrative industry.
British husband and wife duo Tony and Christina Quinn - listed at number 446 with a £255m joint fortune - set up their business catering to pampered pets after emigrating to Australia.
Their chilled pet food business VIP Pet Foods focused on the gourmet end of the market for cats and dogs, offering a "Fussy Cat" range and vacuum-packed fresh minces.
The pair sold the business in 2015 for AU$410m - the equivalent of £250m today.
Over a quarter of all bakery products eaten in the UK are produced by Warburtons
Thomas Warburton and his wife Ellen opened a grocery shop in 1870. When sales fell in 1870, Ellen switched to baking bread, with her loaves becoming an instant success.
Almost 150 years on, Warburtons is still a private family owned business managed by the fifth generation of Warburtons Jonathan, Ross and Brett.
The firm now sells £500m a year's worth of bread, crumpets, fruit loaf, muffins, tea cakes and wraps. It claims over a quarter of all bakery products eaten in the UK are produced by them.
Their enduring popularity has made them plenty of dough - putting the Warburton family at 225 on the list with a £545m fortune.
Everyone needs to wash. Soap brand Imperial Leather has helped power Anthony Green, former chairman of household products firm PZ Cussons, and the Zochonis family, descendants of company owner George Zochonis, to 170th on the list with a £541m fortune.
The Manchester-based company is now behind a range of household products from Charles Worthington hair care to self-tanning brand St Tropez.
The firm actually started out as a commodities trader in the 1880s, but by 1948 had switched to manufacturing, opening its first soap factory in Nigeria.
The Tetra Pak packaging was reportedly inspired by sausages
Boxes of juice may seem a pretty everyday item now. But back in the 1950s, sterile and watertight containers were seen as a novel alternative to glass bottles.
Tetra Pak founder Ruben Rausing came up with the idea after watching his wife make sausages by tying up the ends, and wondering if a similar system would work for milk, according to the New York Times.
The invention has made the Rausing family rich, propelling Ruben's son Hans Rausing and family - who have now sold their 50% stake in the business - to number 11 on the rich list with a £650m fortune.
Starting out as a market trader isn't an obvious route to wealth, yet at least one person on the list started out this way.
Former market trader Chris Dawson founded the Range discount stores which he describes as "the working man's John Lewis". Together with his wife Sarah Dawson, he's now worth £1.9bn and ranked 67th on the list.
The "pile it high, sell it cheap" approach has helped three other discounters make the grade.
Home Bargains chain founder Tom Morris and family rank 39th with a wealth of over £3bn, followed by Simon, Bobby and Robin Arora - the brothers behind the B&M discount store chain. Together the brothers are listed at 65, and are collectively worth £1.92bn.
Poundstretcher owners and brothers Rashid and Aziz Tayub and family - which now have over 400 stores in the UK - come 453rd on the list with £250m.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39835224
|
Chapecoense: Brazilian team win first title since plane crash - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-08
| null |
Chapecoense win the state championship less than six months after the majority of the team were killed in a plane crash.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Chapecoense have won their first title since most of their team were killed in a plane crash.
Only three of the Brazilian club's players survived November's crash, when 71 of 77 people on board died.
Top clubs from Brazil and Argentina offered to loan players to Chapocense, who signed 25 new players this season and promoted nine from the youth team.
They lifted the Santa Catarina state championship on Sunday for the second straight year, despite losing to Avai.
Chapecoense were beaten 1-0 in Sunday's final play-off, but their 1-0 victory in the first leg meant their better record over the course of the season was decisive.
The club dedicated the win to those who were killed, with new coach Vagner Mancini saying: "We knew that Chape would have a lot of difficulties because of the rebuilding of the team, but because of the work we reached the title, beating opponents who are rivals and difficult to beat."
The crash happened on 29 November as the squad travelled to face Colombian side Atletico Nacional in the final of the Copa Sudamericana. Nineteen players and staff died.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39843585
|
Antonio Conte: Chelsea boss says Tottenham have 'advantage' over Blues - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-08
| null |
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte says Tottenham "have an advantage" over his side because Mauricio Pochettino has been in charge of Spurs since 2014.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte says second-placed Tottenham "have an advantage" over the Premier League leaders because Mauricio Pochettino has been in charge at White Hart Lane since 2014.
Conte is close to winning the title in his first season in English football.
His side can move seven points clear with three games left if they beat Middlesbrough on Monday (20:00 BST).
"I think Tottenham have an advantage, if you compare Tottenham to Chelsea," said the Italian.
"This is my first season and I found a lot of situations, a lot of players. Mauricio Pochettino has been working there for three years and has changed a lot of players and is working very well.
"For me, Tottenham are a really strong team and it's normal to see them fighting for the title."
Conte believes Spurs, who were Leicester City's main challengers in 2015-16 before fading to finish third, would have easily won the Premier League this season if it were not for his side's impressive season.
"In this season, if Chelsea had not performed in this way, Tottenham would win the title without difficulty," he said.
"Only this great season from us is pushing them to fight and, maybe, to win or not to win the title."
The former Juventus and Italy boss could lead his side to a league and FA Cup double, 10 months after Chelsea finished 10th, with an FA Cup final against Arsenal on 27 May.
Unlike some of their rivals, Chelsea have not been involved in Europe and Conte thinks it is difficult for English clubs to succeed in the Champions League because of the strength of the Premier League.
In the past six years, five English clubs have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League - fewer than from the Spanish and German leagues.
Conte said: "This league is very difficult. Every single game you must fight a lot and, I think, also for this reason it's not easy to arrive at the end of a European competition.
"It is so clear here, every season will be tougher and tougher to qualify for the Champions League."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39836415
|
British and Irish Lions: Warren Gatland will speak to Mike Brown over omission - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-08
| null |
British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland says he is happy to speak to England's Mike Brown about his squad omission.
| null |
Warren Gatland has offered to talk to Mike Brown about his omission from the British and Irish Lions squad after the full-back cited a lack of "feedback".
Harlequins' Brown was left out of the 41-man group which will play 10 matches in New Zealand from 3 June to 8 July.
He played all of England's games as they won the Six Nations and called the lack of explanation "disappointing".
"I am more than happy for him to give me a call if he feels he's been hard done by," said head coach Gatland, 53.
"I can understand the frustration and the disappointment. There are a number of players in the same situation."
• None I'm going to have to keep mascot Billy close to me - youngest tourist Itoje
Gatland revealed he had previously asked his assistant - and Harlequins forwards coach - Graham Rowntree to speak to Brown and reiterated staff are happy to take calls from omitted players.
Brown, 31, told the Rugby Paper: "I've had no feedback about being on standby, which is disappointing, so I'm not going to keep up false hopes.
"Instead I'll reset my goals and concentrate fully on England and the excitement of going on a tough Argentina tour."
Gatland urged those not selected to stay sharp as he feels history shows "six to 10" of the current squad will need to be replaced due to the physical demands of the tour.
But he says he does not have a defined list of back-up players and that decisions are not always based on "rugby content".
'The game of your life'
Two-time Lions captain Martin Johnson told BBC Sport that bonding the squad quickly "is huge" if they are to secure a first series win in New Zealand since 1971.
Johnson - the only man other than current captain Sam Warburton to lead two tours - says players need the "game of their life" to win Tests on Lions duty.
"You have to come together as a team very quickly," said Johnson. "Tactics apart, if you're not a team you've got no chance. When the All Blacks are there, the people will want them to win and will let you know about it, so you have to use that in the right way.
"What happens in the Six Nations gets you on the flight but you have to be fast out of the traps because no one in that team is guaranteed anything. It's a chance for the players to do something very, very special."
Nothing wrong with 'first day at school'
Saracens criticised the timing of Gatland's squad get-together on Monday, with boss Mark McCall calling it "unbelievable" to host the meeting five days before his side play Clermont in the European Champions Cup final.
McCall cancelled training with six of his players attending, while Gloucester, who meet Stade Francais in the European Challenge Cup final on Friday, were without Ross Moriarty and Greig Laidlaw.
But Gatland called the day "very important", adding: "We haven't had any requests from anyone to move this date [which was] communicated months ago."
"It does really make a big difference for us. It's exciting, but also a very important day for us.
"Every Lions squad goes through this organisation day. I've spoken to most of the players, it's like the first day of school."
The Lions fly out to New Zealand on 29 May and will play the first of three Tests against world champions New Zealand on 24 June.
The Lions have already been forced into one squad change with Scotland scrum-half Laidlaw replacing Ben Youngs, who withdrew from the tour on Saturday after the wife of his brother Tom learned that she is terminally ill.
Gatland said it was "really tough" for the 27-year-old England scrum-half.
"As far as I'm concerned family comes first, he's made that decision and we know how close they are and we fully respect that decision and understand it," Gatland added.
Laidlaw, 31, missed the final three matches of Scotland's 2017 Six Nations campaign after injuring his ankle in round two against France, which Gatland said was "one of the reasons" he was not included in the original squad.
"It was obviously not ideal for him, but he's here from day one which is a bit easier than a later introduction to the squad," said Gatland.
"It's a sensitive situation but he has experience and also leadership experience and I'm sure he'll do well."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39842638
|
UKIP will survive, says Nigel Farage - BBC News
|
2017-05-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
UKIP figures rally around leader Paul Nuttall after the party lost 145 seats in local elections.
|
UK Politics
|
UKIP "will survive" as an electoral force despite a drubbing at last week's local elections, former leader Nigel Farage has said.
He told ITV's Peston on Sunday that his successor Paul Nuttall was "doing fine" and said UKIP was still needed, to prevent any "back sliding" on Brexit.
Neil Hamilton, UKIP leader in the Welsh Assembly, told the BBC "cosmic forces", not Mr Nuttall were to blame.
Mr Nuttall says UKIP voters who backed the Tories will come back to his party.
UKIP won 3.8 million votes at the last general election in 2015 but, after the UK voted to leave the EU in last year's referendum, many believe that its vote will be badly squeezed on 8 June, with the Conservatives being the main beneficiary.
All the 145 UKIP councillors defending their seats in local elections last week were beaten, although the party did pick up one seat in Burnley.
In Lincolnshire, where Mr Nuttall is standing in the general election in Boston and Skegness, UKIP went from being the official opposition to having no seats at all as the Tories gained 23 seats.
The results prompted the party's former donor Arron Banks - who is no longer a party member - to say it was "finished as an electoral force" under its current leadership.
Sorry, your browser cannot display this map
But former leader Mr Farage told the ITV show that while Prime Minister Theresa May had adopted many of the arguments he had been making for years - she had failed to deliver on immigration targets in her previous job as home secretary.
"UKIP is going to survive, it has to survive, " he said.
"It's all well and good for Mrs May who gives wonderful speeches and sounds very reassuring, but... UKIP needs to be there in case there is back sliding on Brexit.
"If, in two and a half years' time Mrs May has delivered the kind of Brexit that voters wanted, then I think you can ask the question: What is UKIP's future, where does it go from here?
He said Mr Nuttall, who was elected party leader in November 2016, had been "strong and reassuring" after a "tough" 24 hours following last week's local elections.
"It's difficult for him... because the Conservative Party have taken our agenda, for now. It's also difficult because when you follow on from someone - and I was a dominant, some of my critics would say domineering leader of UKIP - it's always difficult to step into someone else's shoes - he's doing fine."
On BBC One's Sunday Politics, Mr Hamilton said the prime minister was a "very acute tactician" by calling the election now, but said once Brexit negotiations had been concluded "the focus will be on bread and butter issues" and UKIP had domestic policies which "will be popular with ordinary working people".
He said "cosmic forces beyond the control of any individual" were to blame and it was "certainly" not Mr Nuttall's fault: "I think our prospects in the future will be very rosy because I don't believe the Tories will deliver on many of the promises they are now making."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39836196
|
'Why Arsenal beat Man Utd but nobody really cares' - Phil Neville - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-08
| null |
Ex-Manchester United defender Phil Neville says Arsenal's win over his old side was very different to the epic battles between the two teams in the past.
| null |
When I played for Manchester United, Arsenal was always our biggest game of the season - the build-up was electric and I felt as if I was going into battle against our greatest rivals.
In those days, between 1995 and 2005, it was often a title decider. Everything was completely different about Sunday's game at Emirates Stadium, and it summed up where both teams are at right now.
It was a match between the teams in fifth and sixth place in the Premier League but it felt more like it was ninth versus 10th, in one of those dead rubbers you get at the end of the season.
Yes, Arsenal won, to end United's long unbeaten run, but nobody really cared - including United manager Jose Mourinho.
It was the first time Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has beaten him in a competitive game, at the 16th attempt and after 13 years of trying.
But watching Mourinho afterwards, it was probably the first time in about six months that I have seen him relaxed and smiling.
It was a game that was clearly a nuisance for him, sandwiched between the two legs of United's Europa League semi-final against Celta Vigo that he has made it obvious is his priority.
So, for United, Sunday was just a case of survival - to get off that pitch without getting any more injuries - or at least that was how it looked.
Arsenal were clearly short of confidence, and in a different way they were looking to survive the game too.
They eventually worked out that United were not at full strength and they might be able to win, but for most of the first half they looked nervous, as if they were thinking 'let's not lose and have more fans protests after the game'.
The Gunners might have got the three points but the way they did it did not make any sort of statement about how strong they are.
When I played for United against Arsenal, I always thought I was going into a situation that was totally out of my comfort zone.
It was a matter of life and death, or it felt like it anyway.
This time, Mourinho had been telling us for the past 10 days that his priority was the Celta Vigo tie.
That completely knocked the stuffing out of the build-up and the game matched it - it was completely flat.
I was watching it with former Arsenal defender Martin Keown in the Match of the Day 2 production office, and he agreed that the lack of atmosphere and intensity was the most disappointing thing.
Even in the tunnel beforehand you saw everyone hugging and smiling, which would never have happened when Martin and I played.
Our teams were at each other's throats most of the time - literally on a few occasions.
There is a famous picture of me being throttled by Arsenal defender Lauren in September 2003 - in 'the battle of Old Trafford' - while a few weeks earlier in the Community Shield at the Millennium Stadium I was booked after only 27 seconds for a tackle on Patrick Vieira.
Sunday was a million miles away from that kind of occasion. I tweeted during the game that it was like a testimonial, and it was certainly played at that kind of pace - which is what you would expect from a pre-season friendly between two Premier League teams played in the United States.
It felt like a veterans game but if Martin and I were playing each other now, there would have been more sparks flying than there were at the Emirates.
Mourinho got his priorities right this time
United's eggs are all in one basket now - for them, making the Champions League is all about winning the Europa League.
It makes sense in lots of ways because, as well as looking like the easier route, it gets you straight into the group stage and you avoid starting the season early in the qualifying rounds, which you have to do if you finish fourth.
If they do win the Europa League, then I think Mourinho has had a brilliant season. If not, then that is when the criticism will probably come his way.
The pressure is on them for Thursday, when Celta Vigo come to Old Trafford, and it is a dangerous game to play, but I think Mourinho did the right thing with his team selection against the Gunners.
Some of the players he rested conserved energy and the ones who came back from injury have got some playing time under their belts, which bolsters the squad a little bit.
That sort of performance would not be acceptable from United in normal circumstances, and in general they need to improve when they go away to the top clubs.
Looking at their performances in their 0-0 draws at Liverpool in October and at Manchester City last month, they did not offer enough of an attacking threat.
I think United fans will expect far more in those games from the start of next season, especially because by then it will really be Mourinho's team.
Arsenal have put themselves back in touch with the top four with Sunday's win but I don't think they will make it, from what I have seen of them recently.
I think there is a big job in store for whoever is the Gunners' manager next season, and that is the key issue when you talk about their future.
You cannot assess who Arsenal will buy in the summer until you know who is going to be in charge - if it is, say, Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone then it will be 10 warriors; if Wenger is still manager it will be 10 really nice and pretty footballers.
In contrast, with United, you can predict that Mourinho is going to grab hold of that squad and say to his players that if they are not mentally tough enough, they will be out of the door.
Three or four of the team that lost to Arsenal might not be at the club next season but you know there will be some big characters arriving in the dressing room.
Mourinho is building a team that he can go to war with, and it will not be long until these kind of games are back to being the big battles we all remember.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39840233
|
The hospital errors leaving new parents devastated - BBC News
|
2017-05-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Around 1,400 mistakes are recorded in maternity units in England each week - some of them are life-changing.
|
Health
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
More than 1,400 mistakes are being recorded by maternity staff in hospitals in England each week on average. For some families, those errors can have life-changing consequences.
"Every single day we have to live with the fact that we're a victim of the NHS," Adam Asquith tells the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme.
Adam and his fiancee, Sarah Ellis, were expecting their first child in 2014.
"When I first fell pregnant, everything was amazing. We were over the Moon," Sarah says.
When she went into labour, the pair headed to Calderdale Royal Hospital, in Halifax.
But once there, Sarah was left waiting on a busy maternity ward - even though she told staff she was concerned she couldn't feel her baby moving.
"We were left for six hours, we didn't really know anything, they just told us and reassured us that everything was OK," she says.
But Sarah and Adam's joy quickly turned to despair.
Sarah and Adam can't understand why so many mistakes were made
"One of the doctors pulled me to one side and just said, 'He's not in a good condition, he was born in a really bad condition, and if he does pull through, he's going to be very badly brain damaged,'" Adam says.
"I was in the corridor with Sarah's mum and dad and I just said, 'How am I going to tell Sarah that he's not all right?'"
Gino was placed on a life-support machine. But just days later, Sarah and Adam were advised to withdraw treatment.
"The words used were that he was 'unrecoverable' and that was when we knew he wasn't going to get any better," she says. "We had to make a joint decision that we would turn the machines off."
The inquest later showed Sarah should have had an emergency Caesarean section hours before she finally did.
A report found medical staff had failed to act on warning signs and Gino had been severely starved of oxygen.
The coroner said the hospital had missed four opportunities to save Gino's life.
"Everyone makes mistakes - I do, we all do - but to see so many people make so many different mistakes within six hours is just shocking," Sarah says.
"People who you put your trust in, your life is in their hands, and Gino's life was in their hands and they didn't take care of him."
Sarah and Adam decided to take legal action against the hospital trust and were paid compensation.
"Every single day I think, 'Why? Why us?" Adam says.
Lucas was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after being born
An investigation by the Victoria Derbyshire programme has found an average of more than 1,400 mistakes a week were recorded in England's NHS maternity units between 2013 and 2016.
Figures from 81 NHS trusts out of the 132 in England - obtained through a Freedom of Information request - showed 305,019 adverse incidents had been recorded in the four-year period.
These incidents are when unexpected harm, injury or death has occurred, and include anything from records being lost to a mother or baby dying.
Figures from 39 trusts, for the same four-year period, showed 259 deaths of mothers or babies had been recorded as avoidable or unexpected.
In April, the BBC revealed that England's Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt had ordered an investigation into a number of deaths and other maternity errors at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Hospital Trust.
Seven baby deaths, later deemed as avoidable, took place at the trust between September 2014 and May 2016.
Jade Penny, 26, is currently suing her local hospital trust, after her eldest son was left with cerebral palsy.
Lucas, now seven, was born three months prematurely, cannot walk or talk and is partially blind and deaf.
Jade's lawyers argue that Lucas's brain damage is due to a lack of oxygen when he had his intubation tube replaced. The NHS trust is defending the claim
"Imagine laying down and not being able to breathe, but you can't tell someone," Jade says.
"It must be the most horrible thing to go through ever, and he couldn't tell anyone.
"I think that's what upsets me the most.
"He's still alive, but he doesn't have the quality of life that other kids have.
"For the rest of my life, I'm going to be angry. And I'll never ever forgive anyone for that."
The NHS trust is defending the claim.
The Department of Health said it could not respond to the figures regarding maternity ward mistakes due to the pre-election purdah period.
But it said plans were in place to halve rates of stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal deaths and brain injuries in babies by 2030.
As part of that, the government has launched a new £8m maternity safety training scheme.
Writing in October, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the government had invested almost £40m since 2010 to make "tangible physical improvements" to maternity units.
He said: "Dedicated and hardworking NHS staff do an incredible job - 24 hours a day, every day of the year - of bringing new babies into the world and achieving great outcomes for women, newborns and their families."
The Royal College of Midwives says safety is being compromised by the pressure maternity services are under.
Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the college, said: "The simple truth is we do not have enough midwives working in them right now, we are also seeing more leaving the profession because of stress and a slight reduction in the number of student midwives training.
"We need to reduce the number of mistakes to an absolute minimum," she added. "We can't deliver the safest possible care if we don't have enough midwives and doctors working here."
Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39794204
|
Why are TV singing contests still popular? - BBC News
|
2017-05-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
A look at why the format remains so popular as Will Young and Bebe Rehxa gear up for new BBC talent show Pitch Battle.
|
Entertainment & Arts
|
Pitch Battle's judging panel will include Will Young and Bebe Rexha - who sang vocals on David Guetta and Nicki Minaj hit Hey Mama
Pitch Battle will become the latest singing contest set to hit our TV screens this summer but, 16 years on from ITV's Popstars, why is the format still so strong?
Putting Kelis, Gareth Malone, Chaka Khan and Mel Giedroyc together in the same room is, quite simply, a magnificent idea.
Having clearly recognised this, BBC One has duly recruited this dream team to appear in its upcoming singing contest Pitch Battle.
Judges Kelis and Malone will be joined by a different guest judge each week, with Chaka Khan, Will Young, Bebe Rexha and Seal lined up to critique the contestants.
Choirs and a capella groups will be pitted against each other in a format you just might recognise from the many, many other talent shows which have preceded it.
"I remember seeing Popstars back in 2001 and it being a genuinely fresh and exciting idea," says Julia Raeside, TV critic for The Guardian.
Hear'Say, made up of (l-r) Noel Sullivan, Suzanne Shaw, Myleene Klass, Kym Marsh and Danny Foster, won the first series of Popstars in 2001
"To watch the hopes and dreams of these young kids, it didn't feel quite so manipulated back then, and the concept of a judge being a bit of a villain was relatively new."
But, perhaps inevitably, the success of the show sparked a new wave of singing contests such as Popstars: The Rivals, Pop Idol, The X Factor and The Voice.
A number of successful groups and singers such as Girls Aloud, Little Mix, Leona Lewis and Olly Murs came out of these shows over the years - but there were also plenty of potential careers which never took off.
The Observer's pop critic Kitty Empire says: "If you are an artist, quite often going on TV talent shows might not be the best idea for your career, because for every One Direction there are a thousand No Directions.
"If you want a career in music, that sometimes doesn't happen as a result of going on a talent show. However, if you're more versatile and more willing to go on the West End stage, you can certainly turn the TV exposure to your advantage."
It's true - there are plenty of contestants who applied for talent contests as singers, and ended up taking their careers in totally different directions after receiving the TV exposure.
Rylan released an autobiography, The Life of Rylan, last year
Rylan-Clark Neal was something of a novelty act in the 2012 series of the show, but has gone on to be a successful TV presenter and even released an autobiography last year.
Elsewhere, 2005 X Factor winner Shayne Ward and Popstars' Kym Marsh can now be seen acting in Coronation Street.
While Marsh's bandmate Myleene Klass is now a radio presenter and X Factor 2008 victor Alexandra Burke has starred in multiple theatre productions.
Certainly some of these former contestants have had success, but Empire points out: "There is a wider issue of whether great art is being made.
"For a country that produced people like David Bowie, who is universally acclaimed, we're not seeing that quality of talent on TV shows.
"People are just entertained by these programmes, and a singing contest is something that lends itself to TV watching by all generations. It gets kids and grandparents in front of the TV, in an age when most people are on YouTube.
"So it's much more about the format being successful TV than it is about creating meaningful musical careers."
A successful TV format it clearly is, but it's perhaps surprising that 16 years on from Popstars, singing contests continue to dominate TV schedules.
Girls Aloud formed after winning Popstars: The Rivals in 2002
"I understand the heavy reliance on singing contests - the idea that a show needs a result to make you tune in for the next instalment," Raeside says.
"But I think it's a shame that, by now, light entertainment producers haven't come up with something to replace it.
She adds: "I used to work in TV development, and the wheels do tend to move quite slowly.
"Back then, they were trying to work out what was going to be the next Big Brother. Similarly, these singing shows have a shelf life, and some would argue they've already reached their sell by date."
Empire agrees: "Increasingly now the talent show formula can get a little tired, and I think many people have realised winning these shows perhaps isn't always the best thing to do.
"In Britain we particularly embrace this format, partly because we love an underdog story, like Paul Potts [the mobile phone salesman who won the first series of Britain's got Talent].
"In America, the underdog stories don't play so well - it's the shiniest people with the straightest teeth who win. Whereas in Britain we love unlikely success stories, so it really serves our market.
Looking ahead to Pitch Battle, Raeside says she can see the appeal of using choirs instead of individual singers to attract viewers and thinks it's a good way to get more mileage out of the talent show format.
"There was something quite shrieky about a show like The Voice, because it's one singer trying to make their mark in a 90-second audition, and there's something unrelaxing about watching that," she says.
"When you watch a choir it has a much more positive feeling, so it could have the edge over a show where teenagers are trying to get their break."
Empire agrees that, on paper at least, Pitch Battle "looks like it's a winner".
"Before Glee, it was a very American phenomenon, but now people getting together and harmonising doesn't seem like such a weird thing to do anymore," she says.
"The idea that there will be choirs and a capella groups battling it out means that you're getting quite a variety of people into the TV studio, and presumably they'll be doing mash ups and cover versions, so I can see how the format has been thought up to appeal to the broadest audience."
But, Raeside adds: "I don't know how much longer these shows can keep going for. I can't see where else they'd take this format now, it feels like we're coming to the end of the line."
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39843214
|
Anne of Green Gables: The most popular redhead in Japan - BBC News
|
2017-05-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The Canadian stories have become a feminist touchstone in Japan and inspired their own Japanese cultural spinoffs.
|
US & Canada
|
The entrance to Canadian World in Hokkaido, Japan
With two red braids hanging from her straw hat, Anne of Green Gables may just be the most recognisable ginger-haired girl in the world. But in Japan, the orphan from Prince Edward Island is more than just a quaint Canadian import - she's a national heroine.
As he approached the farmhouse with the forest green shutters and opened the old-fashioned wooden door, Terry Dawes readied himself for what he was about to see inside. Having grown up in Prince Edward Island, Canada's smallest province, Mr Dawes had visited the famous "Green Gables" historic site many times throughout his life.
But this building that Mr Dawes was about to enter wasn't that house at all - it was an exact replica built 9,700km away, in Hokkaido, Japan. At its peak, the house - one of the main attractions at Japan's Canadian World theme park - drew 40,000 visitors a day.
Now, the park is largely abandoned, a ghost of Japan's economic heyday in the 1990s.
"I've sort of likened it to having a dream, like an uncanny dream, where you're walking down a familiar street but something's off," Mr Dawes told the BBC.
The house of Green Gables in Hokkaido, Japan is an exact replica of the real house in Prince Edward Island.
The very existence of the Green Gables replica, and of Canadian World itself, is a testament to Japan's deep love for Anne of Green Gables, says Mr Dawes, who visited Japan in 2014 to film a documentary on that subject.
This love began just before the outbreak of the Second World War, when a Canadian missionary gave her student Hanako Muraoka a copy of the book. It continues to this day with an anime series, manga comics and several Japanese movies inspired by the story.
In this way, Anne became not just a Western cultural import, but a part of Japanese culture itself, interpreted and re-interpreted by Japanese artists and writers for a primarily Japanese audience.
"Generally speaking, we are good at imitating," says Yukari Yoshihara, a literature teacher at the University of Tsukuba who includes Anne in her first-year curriculum.
"Anne of Green Gables is a part of this larger culture of adaptations."
Anne is popular with Japanese women especially, Ms Yoshihara says, because the world of Green Gables is filled with "kawaii", which means the quality of being cute, romantic and beautiful in Japanese.
"They love the story because it is full of beautiful scenery and puff sleeves and cute things, like tea parties," she says.
A Japanese tourist takes a photo outside the real Green Gables house in Canada in 2011.
But not everyone who loves Anne is a girl. Go Takahashi, a student of Ms Yoshihara's, is also a devoted fan of Anne and is writing his university thesis on the books.
"I like Anne's character. I feel attracted to a person who talks a lot, makes a little trouble, and considers others' feelings. So Anne is perfect for me," he said.
Like many other Japanese readers of the Anne stories, Mr Takahashi has made the pilgrimage to Prince Edward Island, where he visited many of the sites written about in the books - the original Green Gables house, Lovers Lane and the Haunted Wood.
About 3,500 Japanese tourists visit Prince Edward Island - population 150,000 - annually, which makes Japan one of the largest source of overseas tourism on the island.
"They come for weddings, they come to see the wildflowers, they come for theatrical or musical offerings," says the province's Premier Wade MacLauchlan.
Tourism from Japan tends to spike when a new Anne-related production is broadcast. Premier MacLauchlan expects Netflix's new series, Anne, will draw large crowds once it launches on 12 May. The co-production with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is helmed by Breaking Bad alumna Moira Walley-Beckett, and makes ample use of the book's feminist subtext, choosing to portray Anne more as a survivor than a saint.
Anne (Amybeth McNulty) waits at the train station in the latest retelling of Anne of Green Gables, airing on CBC and coming to Netflix 12 May.
This subtext is also essential in Japan, Ms Yoshihara says. In class, she likes to teach Anne because the book is a kind of gateway for getting students to talk about gender, which is often considered taboo in Japanese society.
"We do not usually teach kids about how gender is related to our day to day issues, like education, or fashion or how we behave," she says.
It's for this reason that Anne was probably published in Japan in the first place, she adds. Citing Japanese scholar Hiromi Ochi, Ms Yoshihara explains that Anne may have been a key part of America's plan to rapidly democratise Japan after the war.
Published in 1952 by Muraoka, who translated the story secretly during the war, the book was widely distributed in libraries run by the US State Department in Allied-occupied Japan. Its central story, about an orphan girl who proves her heart and mind is just as good as any boy's, served as a kind of benign liberal propaganda aimed at freeing women from traditional Japanese gender roles, she says.
Anne (Amybeth McNulty) stands on the cliffs of Prince Edward Island
It seems that core reading of Anne is still prevalent today. In his interviews with Anne fans in Japan, Mr Dawes heard over and over again how people, especially women, identified with her.
"I think Anne Shirley provides a way of acting out, to a point, without ever transgressing fully," he says. "Ultimately, she does the right thing by her family, her adopted family."
Anne is both a conformist and revolutionary, a romantic and a radical.
"In a sense we are tricked into believing that Anne of Green Gables is a dream story of liberation," Ms Yoshihara says, laughing.
But that doesn't mean Anne is loved any less.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39809999
|
Arsenal 2-0 Man Utd: Tunnel images annoy Phil Neville and Martin Keown - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-08
| null |
Match of the Day 2 pundits Phil Neville and Martin Keown criticise Arsenal and Manchester United players for hugging and laughing in the tunnel before the Gunners' 2-0 victory.
| null |
Match of the Day 2 pundits Phil Neville and Martin Keown criticise Arsenal and Manchester United players for hugging and laughing in the tunnel before the Gunners' 2-0 victory at the Emirates on Sunday.
WATCH MORE: Ozil & Sanchez have acted like children - Keown
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39840515
|
The Falklands penguins that would not explode - BBC News
|
2017-05-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The minefields laid in the Falkland Islands 35 years ago have been a blessing for penguins, which are not big enough to trigger explosions. But now the time has come for their home to be demined.
|
Magazine
|
The minefields laid in the Falkland Islands were intended to kill or maim British soldiers, but over the last 35 years they have become de facto nature reserves for penguins. For better or worse, however, the time has now come for their home to be demined, reports Matthew Teller.
I'm following a crunching gravel path leading up over a headland.
To one side stretches a sweeping curve of white sand, backed by tussocky dunes, the coarse grass mixed with a low-growing plant bearing tartly sweet red berries that the locals call diddle-dee.
But it's the sound that startles. Overlaying the booming ocean is a comical honking noise coming from thousands of Magellanic penguins. One, guarding its burrow beside the path, stretches its neck up at me, then lets out an ear-splitting, wing-waggling bray of displeasure.
I can see why these penguins are known locally as jackasses.
The beach, also dotted with waddling clusters of Gentoo penguins, looks tempting, but between me and the birds stretches a barbed-wire fence marked with signs warning of danger.
This is Yorke Bay, just outside Stanley, capital of the Falkland Islands. Once a popular leisure beach, it was here, at 04:30 on the morning of 2 April 1982, that Argentine naval commandos landed, marking the start of a full-scale invasion.
By the time British forces retook Stanley 74 days later, 907 people had lost their lives, most of them Argentine conscripts.
During the occupation, one of the Argentine military's first actions was to lay tens of thousands of land mines across the uncultivated countryside to slow a British counter-attack - especially a seaborne attack via the beaches around Stanley, including Yorke Bay.
Fortunately, the landmines aren't a problem for the penguins - at least, not the little Magellanics and Gentoos of Yorke Bay.
"They don't seem to be heavy enough to set them off," says Esther Bertram, chief executive officer of Falklands Conservation.
Behind their fences, shielded from human encroachment, the penguins have had decades of peace and quiet in their minefield. Native flora has regrown around them.
"Natural systems have returned to not quite a pristine state, but a state where you've reached climax communities in certain parts," says Paul Brickle, director of the South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute.
"The mines are horrible things, and very difficult to remove - you essentially have to get on your hands and knees to do that, remove bits of earth and dunes, and disrupt the ecosystem. There's a bit of a trade-off in thinking: what are the benefits of having them removed?" he asks.
Initially at least, not everyone in the islands' tiny, close-knit population of 3,000 was supportive.
"Falkland Islanders weren't enthused by the idea, to put it bluntly," says Barry Elsby, a member of the Falklands Legislative Assembly.
"We would rather have left the minefields as they were. They are all clearly marked, clearly fenced. No civilian has ever been injured. We said to the British government, 'Don't spend the money here, go to some other country where they have a much greater need to free up farming land.'"
"Unfortunately," Elsby adds, "the British government have signed up to the Ottawa convention, which puts a duty on them to do this."
The 1997 Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty compels signatories - which include the UK - to clear minefields in territory under their control.
So whatever the locals - and the penguins - thought, the mines had to go.
Since 2009 the British government has spent tens of millions of pounds on mine-clearance in the Falklands. Guy Marot of the Falkland Islands Demining Programme Office oversees a team of largely Zimbabwean operatives, highly valued for their long experience of demining in their home country and further afield.
He takes me out to one of the clearance sites. In a setting of wide open moorland, battling gales and driving rain, demining specialist Innocent Mudzamiri, fully kitted out with protective clothing and visor, explains how he approaches his job, lying prone in the boggy peat, painstakingly clearing dirt from around devices that could blow up in his face.
"It's just caution. You have to do it gently, so that you don't disturb the mine," he says.
"Your mind must be free - no thinking of home, or thinking whatever, but just concentrate."
Zimbabwean demining expert Farai Beghede at work on a bleak moorland in the South Atlantic
So far, Mudzamiri and his colleagues have cleared more than seven million square metres of mostly rough countryside. But now, Phase 5 of the demining programme is seeing sensitive sites of environmental concern, such as Yorke Bay, come up for clearance.
The Falkland Islands Government is part of the way through drawing up an environmental impact assessment, examining the risks and benefits from demining wildlife-rich sites.
Yorke Bay is particularly difficult, since in 1982 mines were placed on top of the sand dunes, but, over 35 years, the dunes have changed shape and shifted with the wind. Even with the detailed charts handed over by Argentina to the UK after the war, it's impossible now to know where the mines might be - they could have drifted far from their original position or become buried deep below the surface.
The deminers are facing having to dig up the entire beach, perhaps with armoured machinery, and sift it all. The idea is to do that during the winter, while the penguins are out at sea. But their habitat, and the wider ecosystem, could be entirely destroyed.
Another potential hazard is tourism, a key driver of the Falklands economy. About 50,000 people visit the islands annually, most of them day-trippers from cruise ships plying the waters around South America and Antarctica.
Each time a cruise ship docks, hundreds of passengers at a time come ashore to see the wildlife. If Yorke Bay is reopened, its easy-to-reach location - barely 10 minutes' drive from Stanley - could make it a magnet for tourist traffic.
Another source of worry comes from the locals. Most beaches in the Falklands are on private land. But Yorke Bay is publicly owned - and opening it up could revive its pre-war status as one of Stanley's most popular getaways. There are already concerns about quad-biking and livestock grazing on public land outside the Yorke Bay fences. Whether the rejuvenated land within the minefield could be protected when the fences come down remains uncertain.
In 2010 Marot oversaw the clearance of Surf Bay, another beach near Stanley, which held 1,800 mines. Today, as locals ramble over dunes and on to its sandy beach to walk their dogs, it's hard to discern the damage that was done.
"The re-establishment is remarkable," says Marot. "The processes used at the time included blowing up the anti-tank mines in situ. The holes here were 10m deep in some places - this was a moonscape. But then we put all the sand back on top, and tried to do it in a way that would allow nature to eventually recover completely, which is what you see now."
So the Falklands is facing a head-on clash between the obligation to clear mines and the imperative for environmental conservation.
Meanwhile the honking jackasses behind the Yorke Bay fences are thriving, ironically because of one of the worst things humanity can do - start a war.
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-39821956
|
George Groves 'struggling' with Eduard Gutknecht's condition - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-08
| null |
British fighter George Groves tells BBC Radio 5 live of his struggle to deal with the injuries Eduard Gutknecht of Germany suffered in their bout.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Boxing
George Groves says the injuries sustained by Eduard Gutknecht in their super-middleweight bout will haunt him until he retires from boxing.
Briton Groves beat Gutknecht on points in December and the German was taken to hospital with a bleed on the brain.
Gutknecht's wife Julia revealed in April that the 34-year-old was not able to walk or talk.
"Selfishly, while I'm still fighting I'm always going to struggle with his situation," Groves told 5 live boxing.
"It's a horrible thing. I struggle with it, my wife struggles with it."
• None Listen to the full George Groves interview on the latest BBC Radio 5 live boxing podcast
In her interview in Germany, Gutknecht's wife said he had made "little progress" and had also had "several strokes".
She explained the right hemisphere of his brain - which controls the left side of the body - is "almost completely damaged" and she also highlighted her battle to finance home care.
Groves, who visited Gutknecht in hospital, said he had not seen him since the German left the UK.
"It's very distressing," the 29-year-old said. "We don't know if his situation will deteriorate or if anything will happen.
"We feel for him, his wife, kids and family. It's horrible."
London-born Groves has not fought since that bout but will go for his first world title when he meets Russian Fedor Chudinov at Bramall Lane in Sheffield on 27 May.
The contest is part of the undercard as Britain's Kell Brook, who is from Sheffield, defends his IBF world welterweight title against American Errol Spence Jr and will be Groves' fourth attempt at winning a world crown.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/39834817
|
Tax is only one part of the deal for those in work - BBC News
|
2017-05-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Other issues, such as fair pay and quality of work, are moving up the agenda.
|
Business
|
Shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, wants to talk about "real" pay.
How much tax you pay, and what for, is one of the most fundamental relationships between the state and the citizen.
It was John Locke who said that "governments cannot be supported without great charge".
This weekend Labour pledged that people earning under £80,000 would not face increases in income tax and national insurance.
And that there would be no rises in the standard rate of VAT.
The Liberal Democrats said that they would increase income and dividend taxes by 1p in every pound, and that the money raised would be used to support the NHS in England, with the devolved assemblies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland left to choose where any extra funding is spent.
As I have written before, the Tories are looking to "reduce the tax burden" although it is not yet clear if the aspiration will fit into a neat manifesto promise.
But a more complicated debate - which could well be as important for voters - is taking shape.
And it is not just about the income you receive from work - and the tax you pay on it.
It is about the quality of that work.
Last week, the Conservative peer and trade minister, Lord Price, published a book called Fairness For All.
In itself, not that headline grabbing. But the fact that the book has the full blessing of Number 10, and was published in the middle of an election campaign, ups its significance.
And once again reveals that government and business have - since the financial crisis - become uneasy bedfellows.
The Prime Minister has said ordinary working class families have borne the brunt of sacrifices
In his book, Lord Price, the former head of Waitrose, argues that firms need to shape up and look at how they treat their workforces.
He admits that trust has broken down and that issues such as mega-high pay have poisoned the debate about profit-making firms.
This is an issue central to the "offer" Theresa May has made to the electorate.
And therefore one the Prime Minister is presumably happy to be tested on.
Mrs May has spoken about stagnating pay and said that the economic "sacrifices" made since the financial crisis have not been borne by "the wealthy" but by "ordinary working class families".
On Tuesday, Matthew Taylor, the former special advisor to Tony Blair and the person tasked by Number 10 to look at the changing world of work from zero-hours contracts onwards, will make a speech in which he will argue for a fundamental change in the attitude to employment.
Yes, Britain has been good at creating jobs.
But has quality been sacrificed for quantity?
And what rights do we have to a "good" job - however elastic such a definition may be?
Lord Price told me this was not a "party political" argument.
And to an extent he is right.
All the major parties have spoken about the need to reform work, whether its banning zero hours contracts (Labour) or "transparency over pay" (the Liberal Democrats).
On Sunday John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, said that "families across the country" have seen real pay (adjusted for inflation) fall by more than at any time since the industrial revolution.
And he said that it's all very well for Mrs May to talk about a "fairer Britain" and a strong economy, but it is the Conservative government which has allowed the problem to fester.
Lord Price admitted to me that there needed to be change - but said that persuasion rather than compulsion was the best way forward.
He argues that the "happiness" and satisfaction of employees is the key to increasing productivity, profitability and economic wealth.
"Business has to recognise that instead of taking a short term view or quarterly profits and rewarding shareholders, a long term view needs to be taken of what we need as we move from an industrial era to the digital era," he said.
"What I don't want to do - what I think would be wrong for the economy - is for any government to go to war with business, to make business afraid of them," said Lord Price.
"We have got to embrace business now - working collaboratively with business as a force for good."
Vince Cable says the Liberal Democrats want more employee engagement, fair contracts and transparency over pay.
This is not necessarily about being "anti" or "pro" business, Lord Price insisted.
And he strongly denied the claim by Iain Conn, the chief executive of Centrica which owns British Gas, that some people at the heart of government "just don't believe in free markets".
Although, privately, Lord Price knows that there are those with the ear of the PM who think that some markets - such as the one that governs energy bills - deserves the firm smack of state action.
In an election campaign dominated by Brexit and "tax bombshells", it is sometimes easy to forget that for many voters, incomes (being squeezed) and the world of work (often stressful and uncertain), is what actually matters day-to-day.
And it will be interesting to see how much is made of this major economic theme in each of the parties' manifestos.
"Under this Conservative government, the input and well-being of employees has been pushed aside too often," said Sir Vince Cable, who is standing to try to win back his former seat of Twickenham for the Liberal Democrats.
"The prime minister claims to be for the 'just about managings', but has done nothing to protect their rights and incomes, even in the face of major scandals about working practices.
"The Liberal Democrats are calling for more employee engagement, fair contracts and transparency over pay. When we get the balance right, everybody wins."
For Labour, the minority of poorly behaving businesses is the issue.
Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary, said: "Labour is a proud supporter of British business, but we also realise that the decisions made by a small minority of British boardrooms have undermined Britain's ability to become a nation of world-leading, successful, long-term businesses.
"Scandals like BHS show how the long-term growth of a company, and the welfare of its workers, can be sacrificed for short-term gain.
"Labour will tackle the short-termism of some by reforming corporate governance.
"We will support long-term investment and productivity growth to ensure that businesses work for the many, rather than the short-term interests of the few."
Corporation taxes on businesses are set to rise if Labour wins on 8 June.
An economy "that works for everyone" or "the many" are certainly bold ambitions.
And who is responsible for delivery?
Or politicians, whose frustrations on this most vital matter are clear for all to see and hear?
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39839374
|
Rupert Murdoch gives robust response to BBC questions - BBC News
|
2017-05-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
As Ofcom investigates the planned Sky takeover, Rupert Murdoch remains robust as he answers BBC questions in New York.
|
Entertainment & Arts
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The media mogul was leaving work in Manhattan, New York
As Ofcom explores whether Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox should be allowed to press on with its planned takeover of Sky, we thought the company might agree to an interview with the BBC. But they said no.
So we paid Rupert Murdoch a surprise visit at his headquarters in Manhattan.
Outside the Fox News building, I asked him if he was worried about whether Ofcom would take a close interest in what's happening at his cable news network as it made its decision.
First he waved a finger at me and responded: "You should be worried about what's happening at the BBC."
But once inside his car, he clarified: "Nothing's happening at Fox News. Nothing."
Murdoch's claim that there was nothing going on at Fox News, (aside from the "record ratings" he was very keen to mention) put me in mind of the wonderful Monty Python sketch about what the Romans have ever done for us.
Alas I didn't have time to engage him more fully, but I suppose I could have said that - aside from the departures of the founder and chief executive, and the most high-profile and popular host on the channel, and the co-president who was a senior figure for decades - then, yes, nothing's happening at Fox News.
Rupert Murdoch answers questions outside his New York offices
Except of course, for the 20-plus legal actions that are now lodged against Fox News, from former employees claiming to be victims of racial and sexual harassment. Oh, and the internal investigation by legal firm Paul, Weiss, which unearthed such things as caused the aforementioned senior figures to depart. The allegations against O'Reilly and Ailes are strongly denied by them, and there are no allegations against Bill Shine.
So apart from all that, yes I suppose there is nothing going on at Fox News. Oh, but forgive me - there's also the federal investigation into whether or not they concealed from investors the details of settlement payments for alleged harassment.
Apart, then, from the departures of Roger Ailes, Bill O'Reilly, and Bill Shine, the federal investigation, an internal investigation, dozens of claims of sexual or racial harassment, an advertising boycott following the New York Times's brilliant investigation into O'Reilly, and a month of terrible headlines, I suppose it is true to say that "nothing's happening at Fox News. Nothing."
As for the instinctive threat that it's the BBC that should be worried, I blame myself for this. Instead of saying "Amol Rajan, BBC News", I should have said - channelling my inner Troy McClure - "You may remember, Rupert, we first met at Barry Diller's garden party in Los Angeles during Oscars weekend in 2015, but then Graydon Carter sauntered over to say hi with Anjelica Houston, and I just couldn't compete."
I can't blame Mr Murdoch: faced with a choice between speaking to myself, or Graydon Carter and Anjelica Houston, I would definitely have chosen the latter option. No wonder I didn't leave much of an impression. Had I done so, perhaps we could have conversed like old pals.
Instead, Mr Murdoch simply told me that he was "not worried at all" about what's happening. But his family and company's long-standing desire to take full control of Sky makes the timing of this scandal, and the series of visitors to Ofcom, rather annoying.
That's not to say that Ofcom will indeed rule against the latest bid for full control of Sky. There is, after all, a strong response from 21st Century Fox. In several conversations in Manhattan with those following this story closely, including representatives of Fox, the message comes back loud and clear, even if it is contradicted by Mr Murdoch's comment to me.
That message is that Fox has taken swift and decisive action; that the allegations remain unproven; that there is so much more to Fox than Rupert Murdoch; and that the generational change now under way is harbinger of a very different corporate culture.
Lawyer Douglas Wigdor will give evidence to Ofcom this week
Even if all that is true - and of course there are many who say it is rubbish - the man at the top was not on message when I spoke to him as he left work, doubtless to the annoyance of those trying to maintain message discipline on this ever-spreading scandal.
Douglas Wigdor, the lawyer representing more than 20 of the individuals who have launched cases against Fox, told me that Fox only got rid of O'Reilly because of the looming Ofcom scrutiny and because the advertising boycott was hurting them financially.
Fox vigorously denies these claims. The trouble for the company is that, on Thursday, Wigdor is going to spend rather a long time in the inner sanctum of Ofcom providing the kind of detail that cannot be good news for the Murdochs' latest bid.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39852404
|
Superstar economics: How the gramophone changed everything - BBC News
|
2017-05-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
How technology turns small gaps in quality into vast gaps in pay.
|
Business
|
Who is the best paid solo singer in the world? In 2015, according to Forbes, it was probably Elton John, who reportedly made $100m (£79m).
U2 apparently made twice as much as that, but there are four of them. There's only one Elton John.
If we'd asked that question 215 years ago, the answer would have been Mrs Elizabeth Billington, to some the greatest English soprano who ever lived.
Sir Joshua Reynolds once painted Mrs Billington holding a book of music, listening to a choir of angels. The composer Joseph Haydn thought the portrait an injustice: the angels, said Haydn, should have been listening to her.
Elizabeth Billington was something of a sensation offstage too.
A scurrilous biography of her sold out in less than a day.
It contained what were purportedly copies of intimate letters about her famous lovers - including, they say, the Prince of Wales.
Such was her fame, she attracted a bidding war for her performances.
The managers of London's leading opera houses at the time - Covent Garden and Drury Lane - fought so desperately for her that she ended up singing at both venues, alternating between the two, pulling in at least £10,000 in the 1801 season.
But in today's terms, it's a mere £687,000, or about $1m - just 1% of Elton John's earnings.
So why is Elton John worth 100 Elizabeth Billingtons?
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy highlights the inventions, ideas and innovations that helped create the economic world.
Almost 60 years after Elizabeth Billington's death, the great economist Alfred Marshall analysed the impact of the electric telegraph, which then connected America, Britain, India, and Australia.
Thanks to such modern communications, he wrote: "Men who have once attained a commanding position are enabled to apply their constructive or speculative genius to undertakings vaster, and extending over a wide area, than ever before."
The world's top industrialists were getting richer, faster.
The gap between themselves and less outstanding entrepreneurs was growing.
But not every profession's best and brightest could gain in the same way, Marshall said.
Take the performing arts. "[The] number of persons who can be reached by a human voice," he wrote, "is strictly limited." And so, in consequence, was vocalists' earning power.
But just two years later, in 1877, Thomas Edison applied for a patent for his phonograph, the first machine that could both record and reproduce the human voice.
Nobody seemed quite sure what to do with the technology at first.
The French publisher Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville had already developed the phonoautograph, a device intended to provide a visual record of the sound of a human voice - a little like a seismograph records an earthquake.
But it doesn't seem to have occurred to Martinville that one might try to convert the recording back into sound again.
Soon enough, the application of the new technology became clear: you could record the best singers in the world, and sell the recordings.
At first, making a recording was a bit like making carbon copies on a typewriter: a single performance could be captured on only three or four phonographs at once.
In the 1890s, there was great demand to hear a song by the American singer George W Johnson.
He reportedly spent day after day singing the same song till his voice gave out - but even singing it 50 times a day churned out a mere 200 records.
When Emile Berliner introduced recordings on a disc, rather than Edison's cylinder, it opened the way to mass-production.
Then came radio and film.
Performers such as Charlie Chaplin could reach a global market just as easily as the men of industry described by Alfred Marshall.
For the Charlie Chaplins and Elton Johns of the world, new technologies meant wider fame and more money.
But for the journeymen singers, it was a disaster.
In Elizabeth Billington's day, many half-decent singers made a living performing in music halls.
After all, Billington herself could sing in only one hall at a time.
But when you can listen to the best performers in the world at home, why pay to hear a merely competent act in person?
Thomas Edison's phonograph led the way towards a winner-take-all dynamic in the performing industry.
The top performers went from earning like Mrs Billington to earning like Elton John.
But the only-slightly-less good went from making a comfortable living to struggling to pay their bills: small gaps in quality became vast gaps in income.
In 1981, an economist called Sherwin Rosen called this phenomenon "the superstar economy".
Imagine, he said, the fortune that Mrs Billington might have made if there had been phonographs in 1801.
Satellite television has massively boosted the average wages of Premier League players versus those in the lower divisions
Technological innovations have created superstar economics in other sectors, too.
Satellite television has been to footballers what the gramophone was to musicians, or the telegraph to 19th Century industrialists.
If you were the world's best footballer a few decades ago, no more than a stadium-full of fans could have seen you play every week.
Now, your every move can be watched by hundreds of millions on every continent.
And as the market for football expanded, so has the gap in pay between the very best and the merely very good.
As recently in the 1980s, footballers in English football's top tier used to earn twice as much as those in the third tier, playing for - say - the 50th best team in the country.
Now, average wages in the Premier League are 25 times those earned by the players two divisions down.
Technological shifts can dramatically change who gets what, and they are wrenching because they can be so abrupt - and because the people concerned have the same skills as before, but suddenly have very different earning power.
Throughout the 20th Century, new innovations - the cassette, the CD, the DVD - maintained the economic model created by the gramophone.
But at the end of the century came the MP3 format, and fast internet connections.
Suddenly, you didn't have to spend £10 on a plastic disc to hear your favourite music - you could find it online, free.
David Bowie recognised the seismic effect digital technology would have on the music industry
In 2002, David Bowie warned his fellow musicians that they were facing a very different future.
"Music itself is going to become like running water or electricity," he said.
"You'd better be prepared for doing a lot of touring because that's really the only unique situation that's going to be left."
Bowie seems to have been right.
Artists have stopped using concert tickets as a way to sell albums, and started using albums as a way to sell concert tickets.
But we haven't returned to the days of Mrs Billington.
Amplification, stadium rock, global tours and endorsement deals mean that the most admired musicians can still profit from a vast audience.
Inequality remains alive and well - the top 1% of artists take more than five times more money from concerts than the bottom 95% put together.
The gramophone may be passe, but the ability of technological progress to change who wins - and who loses - persists.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39443187
|
Eugenie Bouchard beats Maria Sharapova at Madrid Open after calling her a "cheat" - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-08
| null |
Eugenie Bouchard beats Maria Sharapova - the woman she called a "cheat" - in a marathon three-setter in the second round of the Madrid Open.
| null |
A "motivated" Eugenie Bouchard beat Maria Sharapova - the woman she called a "cheat" - in a marathon three-setter in the second round of the Madrid Open.
Bouchard criticised Sharapova as she made her comeback from a 15-month drugs ban at the Stuttgart Open in April.
The Canadian finally came through a brutal encounter 7-5 2-6 6-4 after almost three hours on court.
"I was inspired because I had a lot of players coming up to me privately, wishing me good luck," said Bouchard.
"They were players I don't normally speak to and I got a lot of texts from people in the tennis world that were just rooting for me. I wanted to do it for myself, but also for all these people."
Bouchard will play Angelique Kerber, who is set to replace Serena Williams as world number one, in the third round.
"Some girls in the locker room were coming up to me and really wishing me good luck which doesn't normally happen," added the world number 60.
"It showed me that most people have my opinion and they were just maybe scared to speak out."
Speaking after Sharapova made her return from a ban for the use of meldonium in Stuttgart, Bouchard said: "She's a cheater and I don't think a cheater in any sport should be allowed to play again.
"I think from the WTA it sends the wrong message to young kids: cheat and we'll welcome you back with open arms.
"I don't think that's right and she's not someone I can say I look up to any more."
When Bouchard's comments were put to her, Sharapova said that she was "way above" responding.
Though there was no apparent frostiness between them as they entered the court and knocked up, what followed was a fluctuating and full-blooded encounter in which both players refused to give ground.
With breaks exchanged in the first set, Bouchard looked to have blown a huge chance in the 11th game when she missed a forehand into open court with Sharapova stranded.
But the former Wimbledon finalist recovered to take her fourth break point at the end of a 12-minute game and served out to win a first set that last for 70 minutes.
Sharapova, though, found an extra gear in the next stanza, winning four straight games to take the second set as mistakes crept into Bouchard's game.
The decider was a sapping affair, with each player coming from 0-40 down to avoid being broken - in Sharapova's case, the Russian did it in successive service games.
A third save from 0-40 was too big an ask for Sharapova, but even then it was not decisive for Bouchard, who surrendered her serve in the next game.
But, from 40-15 up, Sharapova was broken again and, in the next game, Bouchard took her second match point for her first victory over the five-time Grand Slam champion at the fifth time of asking.
After two hours and 51 minutes, the players exchanged the briefest of handshakes at the net.
"She said 'well played'," said Bouchard. "And I think she's been playing really well in her so-called comeback, if you want to call it that."
For Bouchard, this represents her biggest win and best run at a tournament since reaching the semi-finals in Sydney in January, while Sharapova still has work to do secure a place in Wimbledon qualifying.
"I think I would be worried about myself if I sat here and said I'm pretty happy with losing a tennis match, no matter who I face, no matter what round it is, whether it's the first round or final of a Grand Slam," said Sharapova.
"I'm a big competitor. What you work for so many hours every single day is to be on the winning end of matches.
"Today was just not that day. Of course, I'm disappointed. That's what's going to make me a better player. That's what's going to win me more tournaments and more Grand Slams."
Two hours and 51 minutes full of fabulous and often ferocious rallies - and ultimately a surprising winner. Bouchard has been in horrible form, but she played here with the confidence she showed en route to the Wimbledon final of 2014, and did not seem remotely fazed when Sharapova ran away with the second set.
Bouchard then remained on the front foot when she appeared for her media conference: choosing to detail how many good luck messages she had received from unlikely sources prior to the match.
The defeat leaves Sharapova some way adrift of direct entry into the Wimbledon main draw. She will need to reach the semi-finals in Rome next week to make sure. And a first round defeat could cost her a place in qualifying unless the All England Club steps in with a wildcard.
Andy Murray v Marius Copil in the Madrid Open round of 32 will be live on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra on Tuesday from 16:00 BST.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/39851644
|
Why May is keeping immigration target - BBC News
|
2017-05-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Whether it is practically achievable or not, there are clear political reasons for the prime minister to stick with the "tens of thousands" goal.
|
UK Politics
|
Privately lots of Tories have said for years, six years in fact, that the chances of getting immigration down to under 100,000 were small.
And for as long as we were in the European Union, the UK government had no way of guaranteeing it would happen in any case.
The job prospects for young Spaniards, Poles, Italians, were arguably a bigger determinant for UK immigration than anything the UK government could do about European immigration at least.
For as long as we have freedom of movement, part of the deal of being in the EU, we can't put a limit on the numbers, nor the rest of the EU put a limit on the number of Brits who could move around the EU.
It's also worth saying that immigration from the rest of the world, on its own, has also been well over the target of "tens of thousands" - and remember, that's the bit that is easier to control. You can see the numbers here, since the Tories came into government in 2010:
Once we are out of the EU, controlling those numbers will in theory be easier. It will be the UK that decides how many people can come from around Europe, as they currently do with the rest of the world.
But while Theresa May has staunchly recommitted to the target she, as home secretary, missed for six years in a row, ministers have been also busy reassuring businesses they will be able to get the people they need, whether builders, bankers, or fruit pickers. If the economy needs them, they will be allowed to come.
That doesn't sound like a recipe for getting the numbers down to Theresa May's preferred level. And even though we are on our way out of the EU, there is still huge scepticism over whether the target is remotely achievable. So why keep it?
Sometimes in politics it's useful to ponder what would happen if they did the opposite.
Ditch the immigration target after the referendum when public concern about the levels was so obvious? Ditch it when the Tories want to pick up as many former UKIP voters as possible? Ditch it when Theresa May has spent years, with limited success, trying different ways of getting it down?
One source told me "it's just too ingrained". The political, if not the pragmatic, reasons for keeping it become clear pretty fast. Whether the target is suddenly achievable however is an entirely different debate.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39845154
|
Players Championship: Will Sawgrass event become a major? - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-08
| null |
It is becoming harder to find reasons why this week's Players Championship will not eventually evolve to being a major, writes Iain Carter.
| null |
Coverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website on Saturday and Sunday.
What makes a major? The question arises because it is becoming harder to find reasons why this week's Players Championship will not eventually evolve to that elevated level.
The four men's majors are the benchmark of the game.
The Open Championship is the world's oldest and most prestigious event, the Masters has become the game's most glamorous tournament, the US Open is America's national championship and the PGA? Well, it is the PGA.
Chronologically it is last of the big four and is regarded as such in significance - this despite always boasting the top 100 players in the world, which is more than the other three majors are able to do.
Gaining major status only genuinely happens when there is universal agreement that a tournament deserves such status.
The stature of the US Open has never been in doubt while on these shores, The Open's lustre only wobbled when American professionals became reluctant to travel in the 1950s.
Arnold Palmer's continued support of The Open ensured its elite status was preserved and never again ignored by any of the world's leading stars.
The Masters only truly acquired its major standing in the post-Second World War years and the US PGA Championship needed to switch from its original matchplay format in 1958 to maintain its relevance.
It is also the preserve of the PGA of America, one of the most powerful bodies in the sport and the organisation that runs the US Ryder Cup team.
All majors have in common a place in sporting history, large prize funds, deep fields populated with players desperate to win, a resonance that stretches beyond the golfing village and the ability to identify the best players in the world.
And this neatly brings us to the 44th Players Championship, which will be played at TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida from Thursday.
Which of those boxes is not ticked by the Players?
Its history has built year on year. This is the 36th time it will be played on Pete Dye's famous Stadium Course, relaid and refined this year, and the closing stretch of holes including the famous island-green 17th have become as familiar as any on the golf calendar.
In financial terms it is every bit as lucrative as any other tournament on the planet. This year it is worth $10.5m (£8.1m) and it is little surprise that it attracts the PGA Tour's strongest field of the season.
And it resonates. The fact that it returns to the same course every year helps and it generates memories that stick with us.
Remember Hal Sutton's "be the right club, be the right club, today" as he fired his tournament-winning approach to the 72nd green to hold off Tiger Woods in 2000? Or Fred Funk slamming his cap into the green upon completing his 2005 victory?
Sandy Lyle has been Britain's only winner, and his victory is still fondly remembered even though it was achieved 30 years ago. More recently the nerveless play-off wins by Sergio Garcia (2008) and Rickie Fowler (2015) are easier to recall than many a decisive moment in, say, the PGA Championship.
And there can be little argument over the pedigree of its champions. The Players is rarely won by anyone other than the highest calibre of golfer.
Jack Nicklaus triumphed three times, including the inaugural tournament in 1974, and the roster of champions includes; Woods, Greg Norman, Nick Price, Fred Couples, David Duval, Adam Scott, Martin Kaymer and last year's winner Jason Day - all world number ones.
Sawgrass messes with golfers heads. It demands precision and the correct angles of attack. "It tests basically everything from a mechanical and hitting standpoint, as well as to a mental approach," said Duval, the champion in 1999.
For this year's event the course has been relaid with new grasses and several greens have been altered.
The 12th hole now becomes a driveable par-four to provide a kickstart to the fireworks that inevitably occur on the water dominated par-five 16th, short 17th and dramatic par-four closing hole.
Until 2007, the tournament occupied a March date and was recognised as the first genuine gathering of the world's best golfers before the Masters. Then came the move to its current timing in May.
Many have debated the wisdom of the schedule change. "I don't believe the golf course has quite lived up to how they have wanted it since the move to May, with the condition of it," Duval said.
"It should go back to March," he added, saying such a move is more likely to yield firmer and faster playing conditions. "It's been a bit of struggle and so I hope it does go back."
Duval may well get his wish. The proposed restructuring of the golfing calendar would see the PGA shift from its August date to take the Players Championship slot in May, as it moves back to the original pre-Masters timing.
Tellingly, the Players is at the heart of the conversation on finding the most attractive schedule for the men's game. It, therefore, is already sitting at golf's top table.
And, while the sport might not need another major - and certainly not another in the United States - it feels more and more as though we are arriving at a tipping point.
Right now it is "the four majors and the Players" when we discuss the most prized events in the game, but for how much longer might this distinction be drawn?
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/39839666
|
Liverpool: Is Brendan Rodgers better than Jurgen Klopp? - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-08
| null |
Why Norwegians trump Brazilians, where Shawcross ranks among 'own-goal' greats, how Rodgers compares to Klopp, and more of the week's stats.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Do Norwegian players have the upper hand over Brazilians in the Premier League? Where does Ryan Shawcross rank in the own-goals table? And is Brendan Rodgers actually better than Jurgen Klopp?
We try to answer those questions and take a look at some of the other interesting stats from the weekend.
Argentine Premier League players past and present had something to chirp about when Nicolas Otamendi scored for Manchester City in Saturday's 5-0 win over Crystal Palace.
The 29-year-old scored the 400th goal by an Argentine in the competition. By contrast, Brazilians have only supplied 322. If only Diego Costa had not chosen Spain, eh?
But where do Argentina rank in the 'Table of nations to have scored goals in the Premier League, not including UK and Ireland'?
Here are your top five:
Yes, Norwegians have scored more goals (507) in the English top flight than Argentines, Brazilians, Italians (407) and Belgians (434).
Forward Ole Gunnar Solskjaer weighed in with a hefty 92 goals during his time with Manchester United. Ex-Chelsea striker Tore Andre Flo, John Carew (Aston Villa and Stoke) and Bournemouth striker Joshua King have added to the tally, and are among the 36 Norwegians to have scored since the competition began in the 1992-93 season.
'You're not yet bad enough for this club, Ryan'
He is a Stoke City stalwart. He has put his body on the line for the club he has captained for more than nine years. Ryan Shawcross is a true braveheart of a defender.
So what do we do? We see where he ranks in the all-time Premier League own-goals charts. Harsh, but necessary for this piece.
The 29-year-old scored an 81st-minute own goal and Bournemouth's second in Saturday's 2-2 draw to join a group of players who have found their own net on five occasions in the Premier League. That list includes former England internationals Phil Neville, Rio Ferdinand and Neil Ruddock.
He will need to ramp up the mishaps to dislodge the king of the own goals.
The Baggies must have been wondering when their goal drought was going to end. They arrived at Turf Moor having gone five league games without finding the net.
But after 530 minutes of not hearing the sound of synthetic leather against their opponents' polypropylene nets, Salomon Rondon ended the barren run in the second half of Saturday's 2-2 draw against Burnley.
But the pain felt by Baggies fans is nothing compared to what the supporters of these clubs experienced:
Everton fans have on two occasions seen their side go six league games without a goal (1994-95 and 2005-06).
It appears it will be all's well that ends well having avoided a comedy of errors for Craig Shakespeare since he took the hot seat at Leicester. Apologies.
On Saturday, he became only the fourth manager to win his first five home Premier League games as the Foxes beat Watford 3-0. The champions had the ignominy of being labelled 'relegation-threatened' until the former assistant came in and changed their fortunes.
However, he lags behind home-win expert Manuel Pellegrini, who won his first 11 games at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium.
But which managers have the worst record?
Step forward, or back, Chris Ramsey (QPR, 2014-15), Mick McCarthy (Sunderland, 2002-03) and Terry Connor (Wolves, 2011-12) - all three failed to win a single point in their first five home games. Their sides were relegated that season - which was more costly than a pound of flesh.
Before Sunday's game against Southampton, current Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and ex-boss Brendan Rodgers had identical Premier League records after their first 65 games in charge of the Reds: W33 D18 L14 (117 points).
We know Klopp drew his 66th game against Southampton.
How did Brendan do?
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39838094
|
What is Marx's Das Kapital? - BBC News
|
2017-05-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Labour's John McDonnell says there is much to learn from reading Karl Marx's Das Kapital. What is it?
|
UK Politics
|
Karl Marx published the first volume of Das Kapital in 1867
Labour's shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said there is much to learn from reading Das Kapital. What is it?
Written in the middle of the 19th Century by German philosopher and economist Karl Marx, Das Kapital is essentially a description of how the capitalist system works and how, Marx claims, it will destroy itself.
Marx had already set out his ideas on class struggle - how the workers of the world would seize power from the ruling elites - in the Communist Manifesto and other writings.
Das Kapital is an attempt to give these ideas a grounding in verifiable fact and scientific analysis.
It is not an easy read. The product of 30 years of work, and Marx's study of the condition of workers in English factories at the height of the industrial revolution, it is part history, part economics and part sociology.
As Marx's biographer Francis Wheen has pointed out, it reads at times like a Gothic novel "whose heroes are enslaved and consumed by the monster they created".
In simple terms, Marx argues that an economic system based on private profit is inherently unstable.
Workers are exploited by factory owners and don't own the products of their labour, making them little better than machines.
John McDonnell is a keen student of Marx's most significant work
The factory owners and other capitalists hold all the power because they control the means of production, allowing them to amass vast fortunes while the workers fall deeper into poverty.
This is an unsustainable way to organise society and it will eventually collapse under the weight of its own contradictions, Marx argues.
He is not clear about when this will happen, only that it is inevitable. Neither does he explicitly spell out what the communist society that will replace capitalism will look like, only that it will free workers from their servitude (he did not complete work on his theories before his death in 1883 so perhaps he ran out of time).
Marx published the first volume of Das Kapital in 1867, by which time he had settled in London with his family, and was being financially supported by Friedrich Engels, the rich son of a cotton mill owner.
He continued to refine the ideas set out in the first volume for the rest of his life, although the next two volumes would not appear in print until after his death.
The ideas contained in Das Kapital would go on to inspire revolutions in Russia, China and many other countries around the world in the 20th Century, as ruling elites were overthrown and private property seized on behalf of the workers.
They would also exert a powerful influence over many in the Labour Party and the trade union movement, even if they did not always share his vision of a global workers' revolution.
Marxism became a way of interpreting the world - the simple idea at its core that history was a battle between opposing social classes could be applied to everything from the study of literature and film to the education system.
It also became a byword for totalitarianism - as one-party states and dictators proclaimed Marxism as their guiding philosophy.
Some argued that this was a perversion of Marx's ideas as set out in Das Kapital, and that the Soviet Union, for many the ultimate example of a Marxist state, was really just a form of state capitalism, where the factory owners had been replaced by government bureaucrats.
But the Soviet Union's collapse in the early 1990s dealt a major blow to the credibility of Marxist theory and it went out of fashion on university campuses and in mainstream left-wing political parties that aspired to gain power in the West, such as the Labour Party.
It underwent something of a revival in the wake of the 2008 global financial crash, however, which some saw as a classic example of capitalism in crisis, just as Marx had predicted.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2017-39837515
|
Maro Itoje: England, Lions & Saracens forward would be 'proud' to be role model - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-08
| null |
Saracens and England forward Maro Itoje says he will be "proud" if he can be a role model for young black rugby players.
| null |
Maro Itoje: England, Lions & Saracens forward would be 'proud' to be role model Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union
Saracens and England forward Maro Itoje on the Lions, his hero Muhammad Ali, and faith Coverage: Commentary on Radio 5 live and live text coverage on the BBC Sport website. England forward Maro Itoje says he will be "proud" if he can be a role model for young black rugby players. The 22-year-old faces Clermont Auvergne in Saturday's European Champions Cup final, as Saracens look to defend their title at Murrayfield. Itoje, the youngest tourist with the British and Irish Lions this summer, says as a kid he looked up to former England wings Ugo Monye and Topsy Ojo. "If I want to be honest, it's because they were black," said Itoje.
• None Listen to the full Itoje interview on Radio 5 live's Rugby Union Weekly podcast Speaking to 5 live's Rugby Union Weekly podcast, Itoje, who was was born in Camden to Nigerian parents, added: "They were the guys I looked up to and who I had a natural affinity to. "You look around at the type of schools I went to, there are not many black guys playing rugby, or as many black guys when you watch Premiership and international games - though it is changing a little bit now. "You see before games at Allianz Park these mini rugby festivals, I tend to look around and see who is playing and there are a lot more BAME [black, Asian and minority ethnic] kids about. So it's good, and it is definitely improving." In a wide-ranging interview, Itoje also discussed being the youngest member of the Lions squad, Muhammad Ali, and the importance of his faith. Despite only being 22, Maro Itoje is the reigning European Player of the Year 'Lions is going to be eye-opening' Itoje made his England debut in 2016 and his 12 caps have included two Six Nations titles - including a Grand Slam in 2016 - plus a 3-0 series whitewash of Australia down under last summer. His performances for club and country have earned him a place in Warren Gatland's 41-man Lions squad to face New Zealand this summer. As the youngest member of the squad, he will have the responsibility of looking after the soft-toy tour mascot, Billy. "I've heard that players try and sabotage it," he said. "I am going to have to keep quite it tight to me, I don't think I can trust anybody, I heard there are some severe punishments." Speaking about the tour, he added: "I am looking forward to the whole experience. I think it is going to be a real eye-opening experience for me. "A lot of these guys, I know who they are but I don't really know them - so it will be interesting to get to know these guys, build new relationships and new bonds. And from what I hear, these bonds tend to last a very long time." Muhammad Ali was a three-time heavyweight champion of the world Itoje says his sporting idol is the three-time world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, who died last year aged 74. Aside from his sporting achievements in the ring, Ali was also a civil rights campaigner who transcended the bounds of sport, race and nationality. "Obviously his skills in the ring are unbelievable, but what makes him so impressive was his mind," added Itoje, who has lost just once in his England career. "How he was able to captivate an audience and speak to a crowd. Whether you liked him or not you still respected him. For me, he is well and truly the greatest. "For me the biggest [thing] was how he put his religious and political beliefs before the boxing. He wasn't afraid of speaking out, when other athletes were afraid of speaking out. "He wasn't doing this at the end [of his career], he started doing this when he was 21, when he was world champion. He's just an incredible person to look up to." Itoje, who is a devout Christian, added: "Once you reach a certain level - play for your club and your country - naturally you get a bit of a following and have people of a younger generation looking up to you. "You go on the pitch and try and play your best and give the best representation of yourself. The by-product of doing that stuff well is people of a younger generation will follow, in the way that when I was a younger player, watching the greats of the past were the same kind of inspiration." 'Champions Cup is going to be special' Maro Itoje was named man of the match in last year's Champions Cup final as Saracens beat Racing 92 Itoje, who can play lock or blind-side flanker, was named man of the match as Saracens became champions of Europe for the first time as they beat Top 14 side Racing 92 in Lyon last May. On Saturday in Edinburgh they face two-time runners-up Clermont, who have finished second in France's top division regular season to qualify for the play-offs. "Their fans are probably the loudest, most passionate group I've come across," said Itoje. "Big games are always different," added the reigning European Player of the Year. "There is always an extra edge and everyone is a bit sharper and more switched on during the week. There is more of a build-up, a bit more anxiety in the lead-up to the game. "It's going to be special. Clermont are a top side. We are going to prepare unbelievably well. We will leave no stone unturned and make sure we are the best we can be."
• None Get all the latest rugby union news by adding
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39838606
|
Facebook - the secret election weapon - BBC News
|
2017-05-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The social network is largely unregulated and unaccountable when it comes to politics, critics say.
|
UK
|
Facebook was a key influencer in the outcome of the 2016 US presidential election and the Brexit vote, according to those who ran the campaigns.
But critics say it is a largely unregulated form of campaigning.
Those in charge of the digital campaigns for Donald Trump's Republican Party and the political consultant behind Leave EU's referendum strategy are clear the social network was decisive in both wins.
Political strategist Gerry Gunster, from Leave EU, told BBC Panorama that Facebook was a game changer for convincing voters to back Brexit.
"You can say to Facebook, 'I would like to make sure that I can micro-target that fisherman, in certain parts of the UK, so that they are specifically hearing that if you vote to leave you will be able to change the way that the regulations are set for the fishing industry'.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC Panorama's Darragh MacIntyre asks Facebook whether they have made money from fake news.
"Now I can do the exact same thing for people who live in the Midlands who are struggling because the factory has shut down. So I may send a specific message through Facebook to them that nobody else sees."
Gary Coby, the director of advertising for the Republican Party, says Facebook was also the key to Trump's victory.
He said the party used data about potential voters to reach them on social media, adding: "So if you are on Facebook, I can then match you and put you into a bucket of users that I can then target."
Mr Coby confirmed the official Trump campaign alone had spent in the region of $70m on Facebook over the election period.
"The way we bought media on Facebook was like no one else in politics has ever done."
Panorama has also been told Facebook had teams of people working directly with both the Democratic and Republican campaigns.
Targeted campaigning helped the Leave campaign get its message to voters
Simon Milner, Facebook's head of policy UK, confirmed that people from Facebook worked with the two campaigns, but declined to say how many.
"One of the things we are absolutely there to do is to help people make use of Facebook products. We do have people whose role is to help politicians and governments make good use of Facebook.
"I can't give you the number of exactly how many people worked with these campaigns. But I can tell you that it was completely demand driven, so it was really up to the campaigns."
The social network says it complies with all regulations but the platform, which is also expected to play a key role in the British general election on 8 June, has been criticised for being unaccountable when it comes to politics.
Teams of people from Facebook were working on both Trump and Hillary Clinton's campaigns
A quarter of the world's population now use Facebook, including 32 million people in the UK. Many use Facebook to stay in touch with family and friends and are unaware that it has become an important political player.
For example, the videos that appear in people's news feeds can be promoted by political parties and campaigners.
The far-right group, Britain First, has told Panorama how it paid Facebook to repeatedly promote its videos. It now has more than 1.6 million Facebook followers.
Damian Collins, chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in the outgoing parliament, says Facebook needs to be more accountable.
"Historically, there have been quite strict rules about the way information is presented and broadcasters work to a very strict code in terms of partiality and there are restrictions on use of advertising.
"But with something like Facebook you have a media which is increasingly seen as the most valuable media in an election period but which is totally unregulated."
Facebook says it is committed to assisting civic engagement and electoral participation, and that it helped two million people register to vote in the US presidential elections.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39830727
|
Sulley Muntari says Fifa and Uefa 'not taking racism seriously' - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-08
| null |
Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Muntari says he would walk off the pitch again, adding that Fifa and Uefa are "not taking racism seriously".
| null |
Last updated on .From the section European Football
Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Muntari says he would walk off the pitch again, adding that Fifa and Uefa are "not taking racism seriously".
The Pescara player, 32, was sent off after leaving the field claiming he was racially abused during a Serie A game.
In a BBC interview, the ex-Portsmouth player claims racism is "everywhere and getting worse", and encourages players to go on strike to combat it.
"I went through hell, I was treated just like a criminal," he said.
"I went off the field because I felt it wasn't right for me to be on the field while I have been racially abused," he told BBC Sport's David Ornstein.
Muntari was initially banned for one game after asking referee Daniele Minelli to stop the Italian top-flight game at Cagliari on 30 April.
The ex-Ghana international was instead booked for dissent in the 89th minute, prompting him to leave the pitch in protest, and he then received another yellow card.
He angrily confronted Cagliari fans, shouting: "This is my colour."
Muntari had the one-match ban overturned after the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said it had considered the "particular delicacy" of the case.
He says he would walk off the pitch again if he was racially abused and he has urged other players to do the same.
"If I had this problem today, tomorrow or the next game I would go off again," he said.
"And I'd recommend it to others. If they are not feeling it they should walk off."
Italian football's reputation around the world has been damaged by the incident, said FIGC anti-racism advisor Fiona May before Muntari's suspension had been reversed.
Meanwhile, Juventus' Morocco defender Medhi Benatia cut short a post-match television interview on Sunday after claiming to hear a racist insult in his earpiece.
World governing body Fifa and Uefa, its European counterpart, point out that the Muntari case was dealt with by the FIGC.
Muntari believes the two organisations are "not taking racism seriously", but backs Fifa president Gianni Infantino, who replaced Sepp Blatter in February 2016.
"Fifa and Uefa only care about what they want to care about. If they want to fight racism they should be able to jump right in and tackle it," he said.
"But they have nothing to say about it. This is a big deal.
"Maybe the new president Infantino will do something about it. He has a different mind.
"I think he is capable of doing something in a good way to fight racism. I want him to fight racism."
A Uefa statement said: "The fight to eliminate racism, discrimination and intolerance from football is a major priority for our organisation.
"Uefa condemns such deplorable behaviour and has always shown zero tolerance for any form of racism and discrimination."
Last week, Fifa said it would "like to express full solidarity with Muntari."
"Any form of racism on or outside the field is totally unacceptable and has no place in football. As to the disciplinary consequences, this falls under the jurisdiction of the relevant national body," it added.
'Other countries need to follow England's example'
Former Portsmouth and Sunderland player Muntari says he never experienced racist abuse in the Premier League and has urged other countries to follow England's example of combating the problem.
"I never heard anything like that in England because I think they don't tolerate it," he said.
"The people who are racist are really scared to do it in a stadium because they will get prosecuted or banned. But in Italy they go free.
"England is the example for the world. If a country doesn't tolerate it then it means you get rid of it."
Foreign players are more likely to experience some form of discrimination than domestic footballers, a survey by world players' union Fifpro found in 2016.
The survey, of nearly 14,000 players in 54 countries, found that 17.2% of players based abroad have experienced discrimination, with the figure rising to 32% in Italy.
Muntari said his ban was overturned after an outpouring of support, and he praised former Tottenham striker Garth Crooks who had called on players in the Italian league to strike if his one-match suspension had not been withdrawn.
"Last week I heard a comment from the ex-Tottenham player and I was really pleased with that - saying if they don't lift my ban all the players should go on strike - that's a brave move right there," he said.
"He changed a lot of things by saying that, he changed a lot. I really have great respect for him. He has just fought maybe a per cent of racism right there by speaking out.
"All players, if they think it's right and we want to fight racism, we have to come together and do it."
We arranged to meet Sulley Muntari in Milan, a city he and his wife love in a country they adore. They feel at home - accepted, respected, happy. An ideal place to raise their two-year-old son.
Muntari suggested his favourite hotel in the centre of town, where the tranquillity inside contrasted to the bustle all around; an environment that aptly reflects how the Ghanaian himself was feeling after a week he described as "hell".
Eight days after he was abused by spectators watching him playing a game of football, handed a one-match ban for protesting and walking off the pitch - only for that ban to be rescinded after an outpouring of support - Muntari was serene. Anger was replaced by calm, confusion by clarity.
He was energised, passionate and articulate. He has turned negative into positive and is desperate to use his experience as a defining moment in the fight against discrimination.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39848079
|
Chelsea 3-0 Middlesbrough - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-08
| null |
Chelsea are one win away from claiming the Premier League title as they relegate Middlesbrough with a dominant victory.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Chelsea moved to within one win of the Premier League title and confirmed Middlesbrough's relegation with a consummate performance and emphatic victory at Stamford Bridge.
Antonio Conte's side can become champions with victory against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on Friday night while Middlesbrough must contemplate a future back in the Championship after they were swept aside on Monday.
The Blues had already created a succession of chances before Diego Costa turned in man of the match Cesc Fabregas' pass after 23 minutes.
And the contest was effectively over when Marcos Alonso scored at the far post via the legs of Middlesbrough keeper Brad Guzan 11 minutes before the break.
Fabregas created Chelsea's third which Nemanja Matic converted as the hosts laid siege to Boro's goal, with the final whistle bringing contrasting emotions.
• None 'We are showing that we deserve to win the league' - Chelsea boss Conte
Chelsea on the brink of glory
In this mood it is hard to see the league title coming from anywhere other than at West Brom on Friday night.
Baggies manager Tony Pulis was watching from the stand at Stamford Bridge and will have gone away with plenty of food for thought after a Chelsea display that oozed class and intent.
Middlesbrough - downhearted, defeated and on their way back to the Championship - were little more than cannon fodder here.
From the opening moments when Guzan turned Alonso's shot on to the bar, Chelsea were rampant, nerveless and played with the swagger, poise and menace of the best team in the Premier League.
Chelsea's nerves may have shown momentarily in those defeats at home to Crystal Palace and at Manchester United in April, but the response has been magnificent, reeling off wins in the FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham and in the Premier League against Southampton, Everton and now Middlesbrough.
It is a question of when, rather than if the ebullient, effervescent Conte claims the title in his first season in England - and Chelsea will be fully deserved champions.
Chelsea's fans talk about Fabregas wearing a "magic hat", but all the magic was in his boots as he picked the visitors apart here at Stamford Bridge.
The 30-year-old was a key purchase from Barcelona when Jose Mourinho brought the title back to Chelsea to two seasons ago. But this season he will be a different kind of title-winner.
The signing of N'Golo Kante from Leicester City and Chelsea's subsequent success has meant Fabregas, who would have been first choice in almost every other Premier League side, has been marginalised and unable to claim a regular place.
When he has, however, the Spain midfielder has shown the class and quality that has made him one of the game's enduring talents in the recent era.
Fabregas stepped in here for the injured Kante and gave a midfield masterclass, and when he created Chelsea's opener for Costa he became the first player to record 10 Premier League assists in six different seasons.
He also created Chelsea's third for Matic with a glorious instinctive flick that unlocked Middlesbrough again.
Fabregas may wish to seek more regular first team football elsewhere despite being on course to claim another Premier League title winners' medal - and on this evidence there will be no shortage of takers.
Middlesbrough go down without a fight
Middlesbrough knew they were fighting against all the odds to try and avoid the defeat that would send them back into the Championship - and it was a battle they never looked like winning.
They were on the back foot from the first whistle and were simply overwhelmed by a Chelsea side who would not be denied. The Middlesbrough fans, who were stoic throughout, were applauded by Conte after the final whistle.
The feeling will remain that Middlesbrough have simply come and gone without contributing a great deal to this Premier League season. Could they have been bolder in pursuit of survival?
Boro have proved stubborn in defence on many occasions but have been totally undermined by a failure to score goals - and a failure to cure that obvious problem.
Aitor Karanka, the man who brought Middlesbrough up but who left in March as the decline started to accelerate, was backed by chairman Steve Gibson in January but his attacking purchases were never going to provide the answer.
Rudy Gestede arrived from Aston Villa and Patrick Bamford from Chelsea, but neither are of Premier League quality and the price was paid with relegation.
Middlesbrough look to currently have a good squad for the Championship - but this was a horribly tame end to their Premier League ambitions.
'The fans deserve Premier League football' - What the managers said
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte: "We must be pleased. It was a great performance, my players showed commitment and work-rate for three important points.
"At this stage it was important to win and exploit Tottenham's defeat. Now, another step to the title. We have to rest well and prepare for West Brom."
Middlesbrough boss Steve Agnew: "I am absolutely gutted and bitterly disappointed with the result and we have now lost our Premier League status which we took great pride in.
"I have just left a very silent dressing room.
"We haven't had enough wins and that's the key to the whole thing. Scoring goals wins football matches and we haven't done that enough this season.
"I have to say the fans all season have been outstanding - home and away has been top class and the least they deserve is Premier League football."
Boro make it four relegations - the stats
• None Chelsea have become the third club to win 300 Premier League home games, after Manchester United (347) and Arsenal (306)
• None Middlesbrough have been relegated from the Premier League for the fourth time - no side has suffered the drop more often since its inception [level with Crystal Palace, Norwich City and Sunderland]
• None Diego Costa became the third player to score 20+ goals in a Premier League season for Chelsea on two occasions [Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in 2000-01 & 2001-02 and Didier Drogba in 2006-07 & 2009-10]
• None Costa has also scored the opening goal of a Premier League game on seven occasions this season - no other player has done so more
• None Middlesbrough have failed to score in 11 Premier League away games this season, more than any other side in the division
Chelsea will win the title if they beat West Brom on Friday. Even if they do not, they have two more opportunities to wrap up the title against Watford and Sunderland at home.
Middlesbrough will finish life in the Premier League by hosting Southampton on Saturday before going to Liverpool on Sunday, 21 May.
• None Adam Clayton (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• None Attempt missed. Nemanja Matic (Chelsea) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Cesc Fàbregas following a corner.
• None Patrick Bamford (Middlesbrough) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None David Luiz (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the right wing. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39767793
|
Will Macron mean the blues or a boost for Brexit? - BBC News
|
2017-05-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Emmanuel Macron's role as president of France may not necessarily mean bad news for Brexit.
|
UK Politics
|
The received wisdom is that the election of Emmanuel Macron as president of France is bad for Britain's Brexit negotiations.
Like much received wisdom, it may just be wrong. For the arrival of this young financier-turned politician in the Elysee could actually make a deal between Britain and the European Union easier.
Yes, President Macron is a devoted pro-European. His belief in the idea and the institutions of the EU is part of his core.
In his election manifesto, he described Brexit as a "crime" that will plunge Britain into "servitude".
As such, he will brook no Brexit-induced dilution of the single market and all its works.
After he met the prime minister in February, he told reporters in Downing Street: "Brexit cannot lead to a kind of optimisation of Britain's relationship with the rest of Europe. I am very determined that there will be no undue advantages."
Macron will thus, so the argument goes, stiffen sinews in Brussels and re-invigorate the Franco-German motor that has lain dormant in recent years. He has made utterly clear that he wants Britain to pay top whack when it exits the EU.
He has spoken of reforming the Le Touquet agreement that allows British immigration officers to check passports in Calais. And he has been shameless in his ambition to lure French workers and money back to France.
So Macron on paper could look like no friend of Britain in the Brexit stakes.
And yet his election is actually better news for Theresa May than she might imagine.
Theresa May will face tough Brexit negotiations with France's new president
Some Conservative ministers had been quite open in their preference for Francois Fillon, the former centre-right candidate with whom they had more natural, partisan commonalities. But they know they can live with Macron.
The new president is not going to be as Brexit obsessed as some imagine. He has other fish to fry.
He has to build support and coalitions in the National Assembly where polls suggest his new party may struggle to form a majority in next month's elections.
He has huge economic problems to deal with at home. And his efforts in Brussels will be focused on gaining support for his own proposals to reform the EU and the eurozone.
Brexit is just one issue on his to-do list. His priority is dealing with France's difficulties and stopping Marine Le Pen winning in 2022.
Now, of course, when President Macron does focus on Brexit, he will naturally be tough on Britain. But that is already the position of the French government. Whitehall has long ruled out any favours from Paris. In many ways, Macron represents continuity.
And just think of the alternative. If Marine Le Pen had won, the EU would be in chaos.
The EU's focus may have shifted from Brexit had Marine Le Pen won the French presidency
Her election would have been seen by some as an existential threat to the EU. Brexit would have become a second order issue.
EU politicians would have had less bandwidth to spend on Brexit. And as such, a deal would have been less likely, or at the very least much harder. Compare that to the stability that a Macron presidency may provide.
For here is the real point. The election of Macron may just make the EU a little more confident or perhaps a little less defensive. Many in the EU will conclude - maybe over-optimistically - that the global populist surge has now peaked with Trump and Brexit.
The electoral failure of anti-establishment politicians in Austria, the Netherlands and now France will give them hope that the troubled EU project is not quite so threatened as they had imagined.
They may feel a little less fearful that Brexit could presage the breakup of the EU. And a less vulnerable EU may feel less determined to make an example of Britain in the negotiations. And that can only be good for Brexit, however hard or soft you want it.
So the election of President Macron will of course send shivers of relief through the corridors of Brussels. But it won't make the challenge of Brexit any more enormous than it already is.
And just perhaps, it might make the task a little easier.
• None Five reasons why Macron won the French election
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39842424
|
Champions Trophy 2017: England deserve to be favourites - Graeme Swann - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-08
| null |
England are "justified favourites" for the Champions Trophy on home soil next month, says former spin bowler Graeme Swann.
| null |
England are "justified favourites" for the Champions Trophy on home soil next month, says ex-spinner Graeme Swann.
They beat Ireland by 85 runs at Lord's to complete a 2-0 win - their seventh one-day series victory in two years.
"England have got such a strong-looking squad, especially with the bat," Swann told Test Match Special
"It's not long ago they were being thrashed by everyone and insisting they were playing the right way with their 1970s brand of one-day cricket."
Swann, who took 104 wickets in 79 one-day internationals, was referring to the 2015 World Cup when Eoin Morgan's team were humbled by a group-stage exit, in which they only won games against minnows Scotland and Afghanistan.
Since then, England have won series against World Cup runners-up New Zealand, Pakistan (twice), Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, West Indies and now Ireland. They only lost to Australia and South Africa by the odd game in five.
They hammered Ireland despite the absence of key men Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, who are playing in the Indian Premier League.
Swann added: "They have such a strong middle order. Especially when you consider they can bring in Jos Buttler - one of the best in the world - and add him to that middle order and then Ben Stokes, who is arguably the best player in the world in all formats.
"Eoin Morgan and (head coach) Trevor Bayliss ripped up that piece of paper from 2015 and said 'that's nonsense', we'll get the right personnel in, fill them with confidence, back them to the hilt and ask them to try and post 400 when they bat.
"They scored 328 against Ireland and the captain said he felt they were 40 runs short. That's amazing to hear. Not too long ago, England captains and teams of old would have been cock-a-hoop with a score of 328."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/39839215
|
Reality Check: Are there 6,700 fewer mental health staff? - BBC News
|
2017-05-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Labour says the extra planned 10,000 NHS staff should be seen in the context of 6,700 cut since 2010.
|
UK Politics
|
The claim: At least 6,700 mental health nurses and doctors have been cut from the NHS in England since 2010.
Reality Check verdict: That's about right.
The Conservative Party is promising there will be 10,000 more staff working in mental health treatment in England by 2020.
But Labour's former shadow minister for mental health Luciana Berger tweeted to say that the number of doctors and nurses working on mental health had actually been cut by 6,700.
In an answer to a parliamentary question from Ms Berger, Health Minister Philip Dunne provided figures showing that the number of nurses working in mental health in England had fallen from 45,384 in 2010 to 38,774 in July 2016 - a fall of 6,610.
On the figures for doctors, if you look at the monthly NHS England workforce statistics in the psychiatry group, there were a total of 8,676 people listed from consultants to clinical assistants in January 2017, compared with 8,699 in May 2010, so that's a fall of 23.
But that may not cover all of the doctors working on mental health.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39836506
|
Manchester United: Jose Mourinho says he is happy Arsenal fans can celebrate - BBC Sport
|
2017-05-08
| null |
Jose Mourinho says he is "happy" for Arsenal fans after the Gunners' 2-0 victory over Manchester United - Arsene Wenger's first in 16 competitive meetings with him.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Jose Mourinho said he was "happy" Arsenal fans could finally celebrate beating one of his sides as the Gunners kept alive their top-four hopes with a 2-0 victory over Manchester United.
The win was Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's first in 16 competitive meetings with United boss Mourinho.
"I left Highbury and they were crying, I left Emirates and they were crying," Mourinho said of past games at Arsenal.
"Finally today they sing, they swing the scarves. It's nice for them."
He added: "It is the first time I leave and they are happy. Before they were walking the streets with their heads low.
"The Arsenal fans are happy and I am happy for them."
• None Analysis: 'Why Arsenal beat Man Utd but nobody really cares'
Wenger's only previous win over Mourinho came in the 2015 Community Shield, when the Portuguese was in his second spell at Chelsea.
The managers first met in December 2004 - when the Gunners were still playing at their former ground Highbury - in a 2-2 draw.
"To have that record of winning so many matches is not normal. Normal is win, lose, draw," Mourinho said.
"Do you think I enjoy the fact a big club like Arsenal is not winning trophies? I am not enjoying that. It's a big club.
"Wenger is not a small manager. He is a big manager. So it's not normal and I really don't care about it."
'Almost impossible to make top four'
Sunday's defeat leaves United four points behind rivals Manchester City in fourth place, and five points from Liverpool in third, albeit with a game in hand over the Anfield club.
However, with a spot on offer to the winners of the Europa League, United could finish outside the top four and still qualify for the Champions League.
United conclude their Europa League semi-final against Celta Viga at Old Trafford on Thursday, having beaten the Spanish side 1-0 in the first leg on Thursday.
"We want to try to win the Europa League - it's more important than finishing fourth. I think it will be almost impossible to qualify through the Premier League," Mourinho said.
"Trophies make history. Not league positions. We go with everything to get into that final.
"Thursday is the match of the season. I hope Old Trafford feels the same, because we need Old Trafford."
'We could not afford to lose'
Wenger - who needs teams above Arsenal to slip up if he is to secure a 21st consecutive season of Champions League football for the club - played down the significance of a first competitive win over Mourinho.
"It's between the two teams. At the end of the day, that's what I make of it," he said.
"Overall, you play Manchester United and it's another big game. We could not afford to lose today.
"It was important because we lost at Tottenham - that didn't happen many times."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39839264
|
The man who reportedly faked a terror plot to get out of a holiday - BBC Three
|
2017-05-08
| null |
Check out this content on BBC Three.
| null |
How far would you go to get out of a holiday with a partner?
Would you pay a small cancellation fee? Or affect the symptoms of a mystery illness? Or would you just play it safe and fake a terror plot?
Forget post-holiday blues, it was pre-holiday blues that got one married man’s trunks in a twist. According to a Hyderabad City Police report, 32-year-old Motaparthi Vamshi Krishna went to the extraordinary lengths of faking a terror plot to ensure he didn’t have to go on holiday with his girlfriend.
Mr Krishna emailed Mumbai police claiming to be a woman who had heard six men at a hotel plotting to hijack planes in the cities of Hyderabad, Chennai and Mumbai. Extra security was put in place at the cities three airports as a result.
Mr Krishna ended up admitting he made the entire thing up after being traced by the IP address of the computer the email was sent from.
During the police interrogation, he said his online girlfriend had proposed the holiday but he didn’t have the money to make it happen. So, instead of believing that honesty may indeed be the best policy, he created a fake airline ticket and emailed it to his girlfriend before tipping the police off about the hoax hijacking.
Despite his best efforts, it’s thought no flights were disrupted. Mr Krishna was arrested on four charges, including impersonation and providing false information.
And, presumably, he now faces the wrath of two women.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/item/95df04e2-b85d-43aa-b920-2a1870b197f4?intc_type=promo&intc_location=news&intc_campaign=faketerrorplottogetoutofaholiday&intc_linkname=bbcthree_fac_article1
|
Kenny Rogers prepares to hang up his microphone - BBC News
|
2017-05-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
As he continues on his farewell tour, the country singer looks back on his long music career, business ventures, and sometimes chaotic personal finances.
|
Business
|
Rogers has sold more than 100 million records
It's funny the things you covet most when you are a child - for country music superstar Kenny Rogers it was water sprinklers.
Growing up in poverty on a federal housing estate in Houston, Texas, on his walks to and from school he'd go past wealthy houses, and be amazed by the big jets automatically watering the immaculate lawns.
So when he first made his millions back in the 1970s, he knew exactly how he would celebrate.
Building a massive house with its own 18-hole golf course, he fitted the grounds with hundreds of automated water sprinklers.
Now 78, Rogers says: "I would drive a golf cart out, right into those sprinklers, and it was great fun.
"If I had to pick one word [to describe the feeling], I'd say it was... satisfaction."
Rogers and close friend Dolly Parton had a smash hit in 1983 with Islands in the Stream
Currently on a farewell tour in the US, Rogers has been in the music industry for 60 years.
Over that time he has released more than 70 albums, and sold more than 100 million records.
Thanks to hit songs such as The Gambler, Lady, Coward of the County, and Islands in the Stream (a duet with Dolly Parton), and a parallel acting career, he was a household name in the late 1970s and 1980s.
A keen businessman, Rogers has also led several business ventures over the years, mainly in property and the restaurant sector.
Married five times, Rogers' divorce settlement to fourth wife Marianne Gordon, pictured, was worth $60m. He says she deserved every cent
The successes have brought Rogers wealth he could not have dreamed of as a child, and he is now worth an estimated $250m (£195m).
But in a story that could be told in a country and western song, he has had some financial rock bottoms along the way.
While some business bets failed, and he has had four expensive divorces, Rogers admits that living too extravagantly - even for someone earning a fortune - left him "broke" both when he was 30, and again when he was 50.
"You don't think it [wealth] will have that impact on you, but it really did," he says.
Releasing his first single in 1958, Rogers remembers that he was always focused on the business side of the music industry.
He recalls pop singer and mentor Kirby Stone warning him that "if you don't treat it like a business it'll eat you up".
Rogers first enjoyed popularity in the 1960s
So fast-forward to the late 1960s when Rogers was having success as the lead singer in the psychedelic rock band Kenny Rogers And The First Edition, he was happy for the group to promote US aluminium giant Alcoa.
Going solo again in 1976 Rogers says he wanted to release pure country albums to match those of artists he admired, such as Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard, but because he didn't think he could be as good as them he came up with a different plan.
"I really studied the music business, and I realised there's only two ways to compete," he says.
"You can do what everybody else is doing and do it better - and I didn't like my chances - or you could do something nobody else is doing, and you don't invite comparison."
Rogers has joked in interviews that he would probably look worse without the plastic surgery
So instead of recording pure country albums, Rogers developed his own sound - a country and pop crossover - that sold by the bucketload.
"I did something different, and I was lucky it was successful."
Fast-forward to the 1990s, and with his record sales slowing, Rogers was spending more time looking after his business interests.
In 1991 he launched what would ultimately turn out to be his most high-profile business failure - rotisserie chicken restaurant chain Kenny Rogers Roasters (KRR).
Rogers was inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013
Co-owned with a former boss of Kentucky Fried Chicken, KRR was initially a great success, and grew strongly.
Within five years it had more than 400 restaurants across the US, Canada, the Middle East and Asia, and was so well-known in the US that it was even the central focus of one episode of hit comedy show Seinfeld.
However, the chain had over-expanded, and in 1998 had to file for bankruptcy protection.
KRR no longer has any restaurants in North America, but now Malaysian owned, it is still popular in Asia, and Rogers receives annual payments.
He says: "It's a good product. They are still using my name. God bless 'em you know."
Rogers performed at the UK's Glastonbury Festival in 2013
In 1998 Rogers' music was introduced to a new audience when cult movie The Big Lebowski made good use of his version of the song Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In).
It helped put more younger faces in the crowd as he continued to tour intensively.
Despite his enduring love of performing, Rogers says his current tour really will be his last because he wants to retire to spend more time with his wife Wanda and their 12-year-old twin sons.
While Wanda is Rogers' fifth wife, and 28 years younger than him, they have now been married for 20 years.
Rogers says he is looking forward to spending more time with his wife and kids
Musicology professor Mark Samples from Central Washington University says that Rogers is a great example of a "star 20th Century performer" who was able to diversify his business interests "beyond just playing music".
"He leveraged his musical brand as a down-to-earth, world-wise, straight-talker into multiple successful film characters, and even a chain of fast food restaurants."
As Rogers looks forward to putting his feet up a bit more, his advice for anyone in business or life in general is to do something for a living that "you care about".
"I think what it really boils down to for newcomers, the best advice I can give you, is pay your taxes, put 20% away, and then have some fun."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39784924
|
General election 2017: Could UKIP's immigration policy work? - BBC News
|
2017-05-09
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Paul Nuttall says his party would bring UK net migration down to zero, but is this possible?
|
UK Politics
|
The claim: UKIP says it will reduce net migration into the UK to zero by introducing an "Australian-style points-based system".
Reality Check verdict: UKIP has set itself a very ambitious target - but, depending on the strictness of the criteria, it could be achieved. Australia's system has led to a 3% net increase in the past year.
The UKIP leader, Paul Nuttall, says his party would bring net migration down to zero.
This would mean the number of people arriving into the country would be about the same as the number leaving.
Mr Nuttall says one way of achieving this would be to introduce an Australian-style points-based system.
Applicants score points for youth, qualifications, and English-speaking ability if applying for a skilled job.
Unless they are being sponsored by an employer, they must also be applying to work in one of the trades or professions set out in a list by the Australian government.
And the numbers for each of these trades and professions are capped.
The UK already has a points system for non-EU migrants seeking skilled employment in the UK.
It was introduced by the Labour Party, under Gordon Brown, back in 2008 and caps the total number on an annual basis at 20,700.
There are other routes for coming to the UK that are not subject to an annual cap, such as students arriving to study and migrants who move for family reasons.
Under UKIP's plans, unskilled and low-skilled labour would be banned for five years while skilled workers and students would need visas based on the points system.
Presently, EU migrants are allowed to work in the UK under the principle of freedom of movement.
But once the UK leaves the EU and if free movement no longer applies, then its citizens would be subjected to the same rules as non-EU migrants.
Depending on the strictness of the criteria, there is no reason in theory why the numbers could not fall to the levels UKIP wants.
UKIP says it wants to implement its policy over the next five years, which would represent a very ambitious target given the current numbers.
In the last set of official statistics, produced by the Office of National Statistics, immigration was estimated to be 596,000 in the year up to September 2016 - made up of 268,000 EU citizens, 257,000 non-EU citizens and 71,000 British citizens.
Some 323,000 people were thought to have left the UK, meaning that annual net migration stands at 273,000.
• None UKIP want 'one in, one out' migration
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39847685
|
General election 2017: How much do the parties know about you? - BBC News
|
2017-05-09
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
From leaflets, to social media posts, election material is increasingly targeted at individual voters.
|
UK Politics
|
From the campaign leaflet pushed through your letterbox, to the party message on social media, election material is increasingly targeted at individual voters. So, just how much do political parties know about you?
You can expect to receive a lot of communications from political parties in the coming weeks, as they prepare for June's election.
It's the same for everyone on your street, a place full of different characters - some with children, some younger, some older.
There is likely to be just as much political difference among your neighbours, from the loyal party supporters to those changing their vote at each election.
In other words, whether your constituency is described as a "middle class suburban seat", a "traditional working class community", or a "Remain voting area", there are still significant differences between individual voters.
The election leaflets you receive may depend on what the parties know about you
This matters a great deal to the parties and it's highly likely that friends and neighbours will receive very different campaign messages from the parties - even different ones from the same party.
For several elections now, parties have been making use of many different sources of data to target information at voters.
This use of big data has become very important to them for three key reasons.
First, we voters have changed quite a bit. In fact, we've been changing quite a bit for the last 40 years.
Traditional allegiances between voters and parties have declined rapidly and while there are still strong party loyalists, there are far fewer than there used to be.
This means more voters are unsure as to how they'll cast their vote - a big opportunity for the parties, because winning the backing of these voters means they will not just be relying on their core support.
As a consequence, parties have been targeting seats much more intently and with greater precision.
The second reason is that while membership of many political parties has risen in recent years, they have generally had fewer volunteers that they can call on come election time.
This means that technological developments such as using data to target voters have provided a useful alternative.
Thirdly, parties have become more efficient.
There is little point in seeking to convert voters who are committed to another party, or indeed strong supporters already on your side.
Instead, parties are increasingly focused on the "waverers" and "undecideds" - the people whose votes are going to win elections.
To do this, the parties go to great lengths to combine a whole range of data sources.
First, they use their own canvass returns - information about voting intentions - collected on the doorstep and the telephone over the course of a few years.
The most recent information collected from voters is now uploaded in real time.
This tells the parties if the would-be voter is a committed supporter, "waverer" or "undecided".
They then combine this with market research data, which tells them more about the individual - demographic characteristics such as age, sex, education level, income and family size.
This is the information which has led parties to create key target groups at past elections - so-called "Essex Man" or "school gate mums", for example.
In turn, these are then combined with further information the parties have gathered on the doorstep, from telephone calls and social media engagement.
Tailored leaflets and other messages reflecting the voter's interests and concerns can soon follow.
So, while a family with young children might receive a leaflet about what has been done for primary schools in the area, their retired neighbour may receive a different circular about what is being done to help pensioners.
Facebook is increasingly important, offering the possibility of sending targeted messages to certain groups of voters and different messages to those with other concerns.
So does it make any difference? The short answer is yes.
This use of big data to target key voters and decide where to focus resources invariably leads to stronger electoral performances.
This was well illustrated at the last general election, where all three of the main parties improved their performance as a result of their targeting strategies.
All three parties ran their most intensive campaigns in the seats that mattered most.
Indeed, had Labour and the Liberal Democrats not targeted voters so well, their results would have been even worse.
Yet for all that, big data alone will not win elections.
Over the last six elections, the one approach that works better than all others when persuading voters is face-to-face contact.
Face-to-face contact - still the best way to connect with voters
So, while the use of big data matters - and makes election messages more personal - it plays a supporting role to human contact, rather than replacing it.
All of which makes this election a particularly interesting one.
Campaign techniques which focus on big data usually begin long before polling day - maybe six or nine months before.
But this snap election doesn't afford that luxury and there is a danger in bombarding voters with the same volume of communications in four weeks.
So ironically, this election may prove to be more traditional - still informed by big data, but with a stronger focus on the human touch.
This analysis piece was commissioned by the BBC from an expert working for an outside organisation.
Justin Fisher is professor of political science at Brunel University London. Follow him @justin_t_fisher.
His research on election campaigning has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39779158
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.