World News
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UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific embarks on diplomatic mission to China and Hong KongUK's Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, embarks on a comprehensive visit to China and Hong Kong, commencing this Friday. The purpose of her visit is to advance andRead More...
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Israel strikes Iranian airbase amid escalating tensionsIsrael strikes back at Iran: explosions rock airbase in city linked to Tehran's nuclear program, US denies nuclear facilities targeted.Read More...
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UK Prime Minister Sunak set to meet Polish counterpart for security talksRead More...
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk revealed to reporters on Thursday evening that he will be welcoming the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, to Poland in the near future. -
UK and Vietnam forge closer partnership to combat illegal migrationIn a bid to address the escalating issue of illegal migration and prevent perilous journeys across the English Channel, the UK has inked a significant agreement with Vietnam, marking a pivotalRead More...
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Foreign Secretary to urge G7 partners to maintain pressure and bolster support for UkraineAt the forthcoming Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Italy, the Foreign Secretary will rally G7 allies to sustain pressure on Putin amid his ongoing unlawful aggression against Ukraine.Read More...
Culture
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Salvator Rosa painting stolen from Oxford, recovered in Romania, and returned to UKA painting valued at EUR 2 million, stolen from an art gallery at Oxford University approximately four years ago, has been recovered in Romania and returned to UK judicial authorities,Read More...
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Plans to demolish former Museum of London site put on pauseA last-minute intervention from Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has halted plans to demolish the former Museum of London site.Read More...
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June’s London Fashion Week returns with fresh conceptThe British Fashion Council has unveiled an innovative approach for the upcoming London Fashion Week in June, aiming to spark a cultural phenomenon. Set to take place fromRead More...
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London's inaugural Taiwanese culture festival explores island's identity and historyLondon's vibrant Notting Hill district is about to experience a taste of Taiwanese culture with the launch of the 16-day Taiwan Festival on Friday, April 12.Read More...
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Soho showcase: The Art of Banksy unveils London's largest collectionThe largest collection of original Banksy artworks is set to make its debut in London's Soho, featuring over 150 pieces from the enigmatic Bristol-based artist. Opening at 100 CharingRead More...
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Taylor Swift joins billionaire elite: a look at the wealthiest of 2024Taylor Swift has ascended to the ranks of the world's wealthiest individuals, marking her debut on the billionaire list alongside luminaries such as Elon Musk. This revelation comes courtesy of aRead More...
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JK Rowling challenges police to "arrest her" amid Twitter controversy surrounding Scotland's Hate Crime ActThe Hate Crime and Public Order Act has officially taken effect in Scotland, sparking a fiery debate over free speech and expression. At the center of this controversy is renowned authorRead More...
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UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement unlocks royalty windfall for British artistsBritish artists are poised to receive a substantial boost in royalties from their work sold in Australia, thanks to the recently enacted UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement.Read More...
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Controversial Prince Philip statue to be removed from CambridgeA contentious £150,000 sculpture depicting Prince Philip is set to be dismantled after the city council labeled it as potentially the lowest-quality artwork ever submitted.Read More...
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Freddie Mercury’s former London residence hits the market for £30 millionGarden Lodge, the esteemed London abode once inhabited by rock icon Freddie Mercury, is now available for purchase, beckoning those with a penchant for legendary rock history and a heftyRead More...
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Katie Price declared bankrupt again over £750,000 unpaid tax billKatie Price, the 45-year-old former glamour model, has faced bankruptcy for the second time due to her failure to settle over £750,000 in unpaid tax. Unless she can repay the amount owed toRead More...
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Princess Anne presents the Gold CupNesea, situated in Palmanova just 300 meters from the beach and adjacent to the La Vila shopping center, offers an ideal location for those seeking to reside a mere 3 minutes away fromRead More...
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Glastonbury line-up 2024: Dua Lipa, Coldplay, SZA, and Shania Twain top the billDua Lipa, Coldplay, and SZA are set to headline this year's Glastonbury Festival, as announced by organizers.Read More...
British Queen celebrates
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Sport
Nick Blackwell said he was in the “toughest fight of his life” after waking from an induced coma following his British middleweight title defeat by Chris Eubank Jr.
Tyson Fury will defend his World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Organisation (WBO) heavyweight titles in a re-match against Wladimir Klitschko in Manchester on July 9, the British boxer's trainer and uncle Peter Fury announced Friday.
Fury senior tweeted that the rematch would be confirmed later on Friday, saying: "(On) 9th July Tyson Fury vs Klitschko is coming to Manchester Uk.
"Official announcement coming 12 noon (UK time, 1100 GMT)."
Hamburg-based Klitschko lost his WBA, IBF, IBO and WBO belts to Fury on points in Duesseldorf last November as the Ukrainian suffered his first defeat in more than a decade.
Fury, from Manchester, northern England, was stripped of the IBF belt for agreeing to face Klitschko in a re-match.
Talks, however, proved protracted. Fury suffered a minor back injury last month and recently said that he thought the delay was due to Klitschko's hope he will gain weight in the time between bouts.
England's Joe Marler has apologised publicly for calling Wales prop Samson Lee a "gypsy boy" as he insisted he was not a racist ahead of a World Rugby misconduct hearing on Tuesday.
Harlequins front-row Marler was reprimanded by England coach Eddie Jones for his comment to Lee, who is from a traveller community background, during a 25-21 win over Wales at Twickenham last month but escaped any disciplinary action from Six Nations tournament chiefs.
"I'm not a racist," Marler tweeted Monday. "What I said to Samson was out of order and wrong and I am sorry it was said, we shook hands at the end of the game and looked to move on.
"Whatever happens to me tomorrow I will accept," the 25-year-old prop added.
"I'm sorry to anyone who was offended, saying it was in the 'heat of the moment' isn't an excuse, but one comment, one mistake, does not make me a racist.
"My wife, kids, family and friends (yes, I do have some friends) know this," insisted the 42-times capped Marler.
"Thanks to the people who have supported me and have understood that I made a mistake and sorry again to the people I offended."
Russia is "changing deckchairs on the Titanic" rather than working to overturn an international ban on its athletes, ex-World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president Dick Pound told AFP on Wednesday.
Russian athletes were banned from competing internationally last year after an independent commission chaired by Pound found evidence of state-sponsored doping in the country.
The country still hopes to participate at this year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, but Pound says that there remains a "wall of denial" about the extent of doping in Russian sport.
"We said at the time, you're not going to like much of what we say about athletics in your country," the Canadian lawyer told AFP during the Tackling Doping in Sport Conference at London's Twickenham Stadium.
Cycling bosses are investigating the possibility of testing riders in the middle of road races as they continue to combat the threat of mechanical doping in the sport.
Belgian teenager Femke Van den Driessche was discovered to have a motor inside the frame of her bike at the recent cyclo-cross World Championships, a revelation that sparked speculation that the problem may be more widespread.
UCI president Brian Cookson insists that the world governing body is on the ball when it comes to "technological fraud" and even considering drastic new testing procedures.
"The technology that we have now allows testing perhaps not literally on the move, but it's very flexible, it's very lightweight," said Cookson, who is at the track World Championships in London.
"It can even be attached to an iPhone, certainly an iPad. We will be testing before, after and, if necessary, during (races) from time to time.
"We have an open mind at looking at the opportunities for that. We will maybe have a commissaire on a motorbike who will stop with a rider who is changing a bike.
Boxing idol Muhammad Ali's gloves from the "most important sporting event in history" and pieces of his childhood home are among the artefacts at an exhibition in London honouring "the greatest".
The vast show opening on Friday at London's 02 Arena traces the story of the boxer from his childhood, through his glittering and brutal career to his elevation as a cultural and political icon.
The 100 items at the "I Am The Greatest" show include one of his robes, embroidered with his famous "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" mantra and a dazzling rhinestone and jewelled boxing gown given to him by rock'n'roll legend Elvis Presley in 1973.
Visitors will also be able to see the wooden doorframe from his childhood home in Louisville, Kentucky, and white boots used during his fight with Jimmy Young with soles worn from repeated "Ali shuffles".
On show in the city where they became infamous are Ali's gloves from his bout against British fighter Henry Cooper at Wembley Stadium in 1963, the left one carrying a large rip.
Real Madrid star James Rodriguez has been fined 10,400 euros ($11,343) for fleeing from police after being caught speeding at 200 kilometres per hour, a government delegate confirmed on Tuesday.
The Colombian was followed by police to Madrid's Valdebebas training ground in the north of the city on January 1 after being caught speeding by an unmarked police car.
"He has been sanctioned for not obeying the agents that tried to detain him on various occasions," Concepecion Dancausa said in a press conference.
On top of the fine, the 24-year-old faces a separate judicial process for speeding.
Brazilian midfielder Alex Teixeira became China's third record signing in just over a week on Friday when Jiangsu Suning snapped him up for 50 million euros ($56 million) -- following earlier interest from English giants Liverpool.
China's latest monster move came only three days after Guangzhou Evergrande paid 42 million euros for Atletico Madrid's Jackson Martinez, and nine days after Jiangsu's 28-million-euro purchase of Ramires from Chelsea.
The hat-trick of record deals pushed China's spending in its current transfer period, which closes on February 26, to 258.9 million euros, higher than the 247.3 million euros spent by English clubs in the now-closed January transfer window, according to the transfermarkt website which tracks the sport's commercial dealings.
Teixeira's signing on a four-year deal from Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk also shows China now has the clout to attract players in the prime of their careers. The 26-year-old had been linked with a move to Liverpool, one of the world's top teams.
"Everyone has always known that I want to stay in Europe and transfer to a club in the English league. But unfortunately all the offers I received from them weren't serious and didn't contain anything specific," Teixeira told the Shakhtar Donetsk website.
"I now received a serious offer from China. I am of course moving there."
British athletics' senior administrator has insisted London has "nothing to hide" over its successful bid to stage the 2017 World Championships.
French investigators have opened a preliminary inquiry into the bidding procedure for the 2021 world championships in Eugene, amid allegations global governing body the IAAF was involved in widespread corruption and the covering up of several doping cases.
London defeated Doha in the final vote for the 2017 championships, the Qatari capital being awarded the 2019 edition.
But UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner said Friday: "All I know is that London's bid was completely by the book and through the front door in a classically British way.
"We have nothing to hide and we would be delighted to spend any amount of time going through our processes with the investigators if that helps root out any miscreants."
FIFA's ethics tribunal said Saturday it had provided Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini with the reasons for its decision to ban them from football for eight years, clearing the way for them to appeal against the decision.
"The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee ... has notified Mr Joseph S. Blatter and Mr Michel Platini of the grounds for the decisions passed in December 2015," the body said in a statement.