SPORTS:Live Reporting From BBC.

By Michael Emons and Richard 
All times stated are UK

  • World Cup 2022

    Football
    The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, also responds to claims by the International Trade Union Confederation that more than 1,000 migrant workers have died in Qatar since construction work began, and 4,000 could be dead by the time the World Cup starts.
    "Yes, it's true, we had problems," the Emir adds. "We're solving the problems. We're enforcing the laws; it's not acceptable. We changed the laws. They are enforced and there are many laws that have been changed. And I'm telling you because I am personally hurt about the situation."

  • Ryder Cup update

    Golf
    So this is the latest situation in today's Ryder Cup opening foursomes.
    Justin Rose
    Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson (Europe) four up against Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson (USA) after hole 12.
    Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer (Europe) one up against Rickie Fowler & Jimmy Walker (USA) after hole 11.
    Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed (USA) five up against Stephen Gallacher and Ian Poulter (Europe) after hole 10.
    Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy (Europe) all square with Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley (USA) after hole eight.
    So, in the projected score Europe currently hold a 2.5-1.5 lead.

  • Get involved

    #greatderbymoments
    Steven Gerrard
    Some more of your #greatderbymoments
    George Fisher: Steven Gerrard's hat-trick vs Everton in 2012. Great win and Stevie was loving every minute of it.
    Andrew Hutchinson: A great 'Derby' moment, hammering Forest 5-0 last season, with Craig Bryson bagging a historic hat-trick. We embarrassed them.
    Seb Cohen: Arsenal winning the league at White Hart Lane.

  • Happy birthday

    Serena Williams
    Many happy returns to Serena Williams, who celebrates her 33rd birthday today.
    Other notable members of the sporting world celebrating are former Chelsea and Germany midfielder Michael Ballack (38) and Leeds rugby league scrum-half Rob Burrow (32).

  • World Cup 2022

    Football
    The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, defends his country in the face of criticism of the decision to award it the 2022 World Cup.
    "People should understand that Qatar had the best bid, and Qatar will provide and will do one of the best World Cups in history," the Emir tells CNN. "And I'm sure about that. People don't want to accept, don't want to realise that a small country, Arab, Muslim country, can host a big event like that."

  • Ryder Cup

    Golf
    Europe have made a bright start in the Ryder Cup with Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson four up over Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson.
    Follow all the information from Gleneagles with our dedicated live text commentary.

  • Horrific hair

    Ian Poulter
    With Rickie Fowler having the initials USA shaved into the side of his head, Newsbeat have taken a look at some of the worst haircuts in sport. Find out who joins Ian Poulter's 2003 horror show on the Newsbeat pages.
  • Richard Conway

    Richard Conway

    BBC Radio 5 live sports news correspondent in Zurich

    Fifa executive committee quarterly meeting

    Football
    On the second day of the gathering, Fifa's executive committee members are expected to discuss the report of Michael Garcia, the organisation's chief ethics investigator, into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and whether it should be made public.
    Garcia himself has called for as much of his report as possible to be made available. He has been joined by several leading Fifa executives, including vice-presidents Michel Platini, Jeffrey Webb and Prince Ali bin Al Hussein.
    Fifa president Sepp Blatter is due to speak to the media at around 13:30 BST, when the issue is likely to be raised.
  • BBC Radio 5 live

    BBC Radio 5 live

    'A genius with horses and a warm heart'

    Horse Racing
    BBC Sport presenter Clare Balding has been paying tribute to her uncle and Grand National-winning trainer Toby Balding, who has died at the age of 78.
    "He was so big and warm-hearted and kind and generous. He loved everybody and he loved life. Even after he had his first stroke he still wanted to go to races. Last November at Towcester, when A P McCoy rode his 4,000th winner, in the back of the shot in the winner's enclosure you could see uncle Toby, he was there!
    Toby Balding Legendary trainer Toby Balding was awarded an OBE in the 2011 New Year Honours list
    "The way he hugged you he really wanted to let you know he was thinking of you, to let you know he was pleased to see you. He loved family occasions - we have a big family and he was the leader.
    "He was a genius with horses. You think of Highland Wedding and Little Polveir who won the Grand National, but also Beech Road, who was a tricky horse, and Morley Street, who was probably the best horse he ever trained - he won the Champion Hurdle with both of those. And the making of jockeys... A P McCoy I know is really upset and Adrian Maguire is too. He gave people a chance."

  • County Championship final day preview

    Cricket
    Away from the drama at Old Trafford (see 08:51), champions Yorkshire will be hoping to continue their recovery against Somerset at Headingley, resuming their second innings on 148-2, still trailing by 36. England Test pair Gary Ballance (50 not out) and Joe Root (17 not out) will carry on from where they left off on Thursday evening.
    Already relegated Northants are likely to have to bat out the majority of the final day if they are to avoid their 13th defeat of the season. Sussex will resume on 209-3, leading by 283, with Luke Wells just nine runs away from following up his first-innings 81 with a century.
    The only remaining fixture of the Division Two season is at Canterbury, where Kent are facing likely defeat against Gloucestershire. They are 95-4, requiring another 353 runs for victory.

  • Get involved

    #greatderbymoments
    Andy Johnson
    Some more of your #greatderbymoments. Keep your suggestions coming in to us.
    Aliu John: Everton beating Liverpool 3-0 with a Reina howler late in the game to allow Andy Johnson head home freely.
    Suzanne Hendry: Scottish Cup final HIBS 1 HEARTS 5 #neverletthemforget
    Dave Worley: Wolves 1 West Brom 5. Scoring five on their patch.

  • Nigel Pearson news conference

    Crystal Palace v Leicester (15:00 BST, Saturday)
    Leicester's Leonardo Ulloa
    Leicester manager Nigel Pearson also had words of praise for club record summer signing Leonardo Ulloa, who has scored five times in his first five games since moving from Brighton in an £8m deal.
    "He's done exceptionally well so far and he's well liked at the club," Pearson adds. "He's a popular character. I'm pleased for him."

  • Tour of Yorkshire scheduled for May

    Road Cycling
    The Tour of Yorkshire will make its first appearance on the cycling calendar next May after the county's successful staging of the 2014 Tour de France Grand Depart.
    It was confirmed in July - just before the Tour began in Leeds - that the three-day event would be held and it has now been confirmed that it will run from 1-3 May.

  • On this day

    Golf
    Bobby Jones
    In 1930, feted amateur golfer Bobby Jones completed a unique grand slam when he added US Amateur Championship success to his victories in the British Amateur Championship, the Open Championship and US Open.
    Some of the players to have emulated Jones by winning one or more of those tournaments are in action on the opening day of the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. You can keep up to date with our live text commentary. Just don't tell the boss...

  • Arsene Wenger news conference

    Arsenal v Tottenham (17:30 BST, Saturday)
    More from Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger: "We are playing at home and we want to win our home games. Tottenham have less new players than this time last year and have a quality manager (Mauricio Pochettino) - he has shown that at Southampton.
    "These (derby) games are important moments in the season. Over the years Tottenham have always had a good team and for us to be on top of them means we can fight for the top of the league."

  • Today's newspapers around the world

    Spain - AS
    AS front page
    Still in Spain, Madrid-based AS have Iker Casillas congratulating goalkeeping rival Keylor Navas on his first Real Madrid appearance.

  • Nigel Pearson news conference

    Crystal Palace v Leicester (15:00 BST, Saturday)
    "Crystal Palace will be a tough game," Pearson adds. "They had a great result last weekend [winning 3-2 at Everton] and we've got to make sure we get our performance right. I know [manager] Neil Warnock pretty well and he's a really good fit for the club. He's a lot of experience and understands the game.
    "We've shown a capacity to learn as we go along in the Premier League. I'm looking for the right level of performance on Saturday."

  • Nigel Pearson news conference

    Crystal Palace v Leicester (15:00 BST, Saturday)
    Nigel Pearson is refusing to dwell on Leicester's 5-3 victory over Manchester United last Sunday.
    "I don't want to spend too much time talking about it," he says. "It's now about how we negotiate the next one."

  • Arsene Wenger news conference

    Arsenal v Tottenham (17:30 BST, Saturday)
    Arsenal are currently fourth in the Premier League, but have defensive problems after right-back Mathieu Debuchy was ruled out for three months after undergoing surgery on an ankle injury.
    "Our start has been decent but we enter the second block of games now which will be crucial," says Wenger.
    "We have been unlucky to lose Monreal and Debuchy, but it's very difficult to buy defenders in this market."

  • Today's newspapers around the world

    Spain - Mundo Deportivo
    Mundo front page
    Mundo Deportivo takes an in-depth look at Luis Suarez's preparations ahead of his full Barcelona debut next month.

Popular posts from this blog

UK GENERAL ELECTIONS:Inquiry announced into memo alleging Sturgeon wants Tory election victory.

Image
Civil service instigates investigation into leaked memo from Foreign Office about supposed comments made in February Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, with David Cameron in her office at the Scottish parliament earlier this year. Photograph: WPA Pool/Getty A civil service inquiry into a leaked memo which claimed that Nicola Sturgeon privately wanted to see David Cameron remain in power after the general election has been instigated following calls from the First Minister. Ms Sturgeon described the allegation as “100% untrue” and accused Whitehall of “dirty tricks”.
Read more

Sandhurst's sheikhs: Why do so many Gulf royals receive military training in the UK? A parade outside the building at Sandhurst Continue reading the main story In today's Magazine The death list that names 5,000 victims Is this woman an apostate? Voices from a WW1 prison camp The Swiss selfie scandal Generations of foreign royals - particularly from the Middle East - have learned to be military leaders at the UK's Sandhurst officer training academy. But is that still a good idea, asks Matthew Teller. Since 1812, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, on the Surrey/Berkshire border, has been where the British Army trains its officers. It has a gruelling 44-week course testing the physical and intellectual skills of officer cadets and imbuing them with the values of the British Army. Alongside would-be British officers, Sandhurst has a tradition of drawing cadets from overseas. Many of the elite families of the Middle East have sent their sons and daughters. Perhaps the most notable was King Hussein of Jordan. Continue reading the main story Find out more Matthew Teller presents Sandhurst and the Sheikhs, a Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4, on Wednesday 27 August 2014 at 11:00 BST It will be available on iPlayer shortly after broadcast Four reigning Arab monarchs are graduates of Sandhurst and its affiliated colleges - King Abdullah of Jordan, King Hamad of Bahrain, Sheikh Tamim, Emir of Qatar, and Sultan Qaboos of Oman. Past monarchs include Sheikh Saad, Emir of Kuwait, and Sheikh Hamad, Emir of Qatar. Sandhurst's links have continued from the time when Britain was the major colonial power in the Gulf. "One thing the British were excellent at was consolidating their rule through spectacle," says Habiba Hamid, former foreign policy strategist to the rulers of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. "Pomp, ceremony, displays of military might, shock and awe - they all originate from the British military relationship." Sheikh Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, King Abdullah, Sultan Qaboos Sandhurst alumni: King Hamad of Bahrain, King Abdullah of Jordan and Sultan Qaboos of Oman It's a place where future leaders get to know each other, says Michael Stephens, deputy director of the Royal United Services Institute, Qatar. And Sandhurst gives the UK influence in the Gulf. "The [UK] gets the kind of attention from Gulf policy elites that countries of our size, like France and others, don't get. It gives us the ability to punch above our weight. "You have people who've spent time in Britain, they have… connections to their mates, their teachers. Familiarity in politics is very beneficial in the Gulf context." "For British people who are drifting around the world, as I did as a soldier," says Brigadier Peter Sincock, former defence attache to Saudi Arabia, "you find people who were at Sandhurst and you have an immediate rapport. I think that's very helpful, for example, in the field of military sales." The Emir of Dubai Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum with his son after his Passing Out Parade at Sandhurst in 2006 Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Emir of Dubai, with his son in uniform at Sandhurst in 2006 Her Majesty The Queen's Representative His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, The Emir of Qatar inspects soldiers during the 144th Sovereign's Parade held at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on April 8, 2004 in Camberley, England. Some 470 Officer cadets took part of which 219 were commissioned into the British Army Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar until 2013, inspects soldiers at Sandhurst in 2004 Emotion doesn't always deliver. In 2013, despite the personal intervention of David Cameron, the UAE decided against buying the UK's Typhoon fighter jets. But elsewhere fellow feeling is paying dividends. "The Gulf monarchies have become important sources of capital," says Jane Kinninmont, deputy head of the Middle East/North Africa programme at the foreign affairs think tank Chatham House. "So you see the tallest building in London being financed by the Qataris, you see UK infrastructure and oilfield development being financed by the UAE. There's a desire - it can even seem like a desperation - to keep them onside for trade reasons." British policy in the Gulf is primarily "mercantile", says Dr Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, of the Baker Institute in Houston, Texas. Concerns over human rights and reform are secondary. The Shard at dusk The Shard was funded by Qatari investors In 2012 Sandhurst accepted a £15m donation from the UAE for a new accommodation block, named the Zayed Building after that country's founding ruler. In March 2013, Sandhurst's Mons Hall - a sports centre - was reopened as the King Hamad Hall, following a £3m donation from the monarch of Bahrain, who was educated at one of Sandhurst's affiliated colleges. The renaming proved controversial, partly because of the perceived slight towards the 1,600 British casualties at the Battle of Mons in August 1914 - and partly because of how Hamad and his government have dealt with political protest in Bahrain over the last three years. A critic might note that the third term of Sandhurst's Officer Commissioning Course covers counter-insurgency techniques and ways to manage public disorder. Since tension between Bahrain's majority Shia population and minority Sunni ruling elite boiled over in 2011, more than 80 civilians have died at the hands of the security forces, according to opposition estimates, though the government disputes the figures. Thirteen police officers have also lost their lives in the clashes. "The king has always felt that Sandhurst was a great place," says Sincock, chairman of the Bahrain Society, which promotes friendship between the UK and Bahrain. "Something like 20 of his immediate family have been there as cadets. He didn't really understand why there was such an outcry." David Cameron and King Hamad David Cameron meeting King Hamad in 2012... A protester is held back by police ... while protesters nearby opposed the Bahrain ruler's human rights record Crispin Black, a Sandhurst graduate and former instructor, says the academy should not have taken the money. "Everywhere you look there's a memorial to something, a building or a plaque that serves as a touchstone that takes you right to the heart of British military history. Calling this hall 'King Hamad Hall' ain't gonna do that." Sandhurst gave a written response to the criticism. "All donations to Sandhurst are in compliance with the UK's domestic and international legal obligations and our values as a nation. Over the years donations like this have saved the UK taxpayer a considerable amount of money." But what happens when Sandhurst's friends become enemies? In 2001, then-prime minister Tony Blair visited Damascus, marking a warming of relations between the UK and Syria. Shortly after, in 2003, Sandhurst was training officers from the Syrian armed forces. Now, of course, Syria is an international pariah. Journalist Michael Cockerell has written about Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi's time at the Army School of Education in Beaconsfield in 1966: "Three years [later], Gaddafi followed a tradition of foreign officers trained by the British Army. He made use of his newfound knowledge to seize political power in his own country." Ahmed Ali Sandhurst-trained Ahmed Ali was a key player in the Egyptian military's removal of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi That tradition persists. In the 1990s Egyptian colonel Ahmed Ali attended Sandhurst. In 2013 he was one of the key figures in the Egyptian military's removal of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, now rewarded by a post in President Sisi's inner circle of advisers. In the late 1990s there were moves by the British government under Tony Blair to end Sandhurst's training of overseas cadets. Major-General Arthur Denaro, Middle East adviser to the defence secretary and commandant at Sandhurst in the late 1990s, describes the idea as part of the "ethical foreign policy" advocated by the late Robin Cook, then-foreign secretary. Tony Blair and Robin Cook Tony Blair and Robin Cook at one point planned to end Sandhurst's training of overseas cadets The funeral of King Hussein in 1999 appears to have scuppered the plan. "Coming to that funeral were the heads of state of almost every country in the world - and our prime minister was there, Tony Blair," says Major-General Denaro. "He happened to see me talking to heads of state - the Sultan of Brunei, the Sultan of Oman, the Bahrainis, the Saudis - and he said 'How do you know all these guys?' The answer was because they went to Sandhurst." Today, Sandhurst has reportedly trained more officer cadets from the UAE than from any other country bar the UK. The May 2014 intake included 72 overseas cadets, around 40% of whom were from the Middle East. "In the future," says Maryam al-Khawaja, acting president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, "people will look back at how much Britain messed up in the [Middle East] because they wanted to sell more Typhoon jets to Bahrain, rather than stand behind the values of human rights and democracy." "It's one thing saying we're inculcating benign values, but that's not happening," says Habiba Hamid. Sandhurst is "a relic of the colonial past. They're not [teaching] the civic values we ought to find in democratically elected leaders." line Who else went to Sandhurst? Princes William and Harry, Winston Churchill, Ian Fleming, Katie Hopkins, Antony Beevor, James Blunt, Josh Lewsey, Devon Harris (From left to right) Princes William and Harry Sir Winston Churchill Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond (but did not complete training) Katie Hopkins, reality TV star Antony Beevor, historian James Blunt, singer-songwriter Josh Lewsey, World Cup-winning England rugby player Devon Harris, member of Jamaica's first bobsleigh team line Sandhurst says that "building international relations through military exchanges and education is a key pillar of the UK's international engagement strategy". Sandhurst may be marvellous for the UK, a country where the army is subservient to government, but it is also delivering militarily-trained officers to Middle Eastern monarchies where, often, armies seem to exist to defend not the nation but the ruling family.

Image
Generations of foreign royals - particularly from the Middle East - have learned to be military leaders at the UK's Sandhurst officer training academy. But is that still a good idea, asks Matthew Teller. Since 1812, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, on the Surrey/Berkshire border, has been where the British Army trains its officers. It has a gruelling 44-week course testing the physical and intellectual skills of officer cadets and imbuing them with the values of the British Army. Alongside would-be British officers, Sandhurst has a tradition of drawing cadets from overseas. Many of the elite families of the Middle East have sent their sons and daughters. Perhaps the most notable was King Hussein of Jordan. Four reigning Arab monarchs are graduates of Sandhurst and its affiliated colleges - King Abdullah of Jordan, King Hamad of Bahrain, Sheikh Tamim, Emir of Qatar, and Sultan Qaboos of Oman. Past monarchs include Sheikh S
Read more

Ebola Outbreak: Guinea Declares Emergency As Overall Deaths From Ebola Rise To 1,069

Image
Health workers take passengers' temperatures infrared digital laser thermometers at the Felix Houphouet Boigny international airport in Abidjan on Aug. 13, 2014. Ivory Coast on Monday banned air travellers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the three countries worst-hit by the Ebola outbreak, and ordered its flagship carrier Air Cote d'Ivoire to cease flights to and from them. Reuters/Luc Gnago Guinea, one of the worst-hit West African nations in the ongoing Ebola outbreak, announced a state of emergency Wednesday. The World Health Organization, or WHO, also  said  that four new people died in Guinea between Aug. 10 and Aug. 11. The total death count in Guinea from the latest epidemic was estimated at 377 by WHO while the number of cases reported had risen to 510. Overa
Read more