Legions of fans queued for hours at Accor Stadium on Thursday to secure official merchandise ahead of the pop star's first Sydney show on Friday. Fans exchanged friendship bracelets and sung Swift songs as Swifties from across Australia and the globe gathered for her four sold-out shows. Some 300,000 people are expected to attend her Sydney concerts over the weekend.
Richard Hawley, whose career flourished in the Britpop scene of the 1990s when he featured in Longpigs and Pulp, is visiting the city's Barrowland Ballroom this summer. The 57-year-old will stop by the iconic East End venue on June 2, 2024. It comes after the release of his new album In This City They Call You Love, which will be released on May 31. Speaking about the record, Richard said: “I’ve made three albums where I had the title before I'd even begun to record, where I had an agenda. "Another was Standing At The Sky's Edge when I wanted to turn everything up and make the music a lot more aggressive, and then this one.
A dog trapped in the roaring waters of Bolivia's Orkojahuira River was rescued by a construction worker hanging from a crane. The Orkojahuira is one of several rivers in the country's capital city of La Paz that have flooded due to recent rain. Heavy rain has triggered several landslides in western Bolivia over the past week, resulting in casualties and leaving dozens homeless, local media reported
Heavy rains in Bolivia have triggered landslides along the banks of a swollen river in La Paz, leaving several houses damaged and at risk of collapse. A resident told Reuters that on Tuesday night the Irpavi River began to swallow the 25 metres (82ft) separating her house from the waterbed, damaging her home. Several buildings in the area are still at risk of being washed away. Authorities mobilised workers and heavy machinery to different areas of La Paz to carry out mitigation and emergency works
Footballer Dani Alves has been jailed for four-and-a-half years after being convicted of raping a woman at a Spanish nightclub. The disgraced former Barcelona star learnt his fate this morning after being driven to the Barcelona court where he was tried earlier this month in a police van. He had been held on remand at Brians 2 Prison near the Catalan capital since his arrest in January last year. 'The victim asked Dani Alves to let her leave, making it clear she wanted to get out of there, but he didn't let her. Spain's second deputy PM Yolanda Diaz said today: 'I hope this prison sentence serves as an exemplary measure for all the sexist behaviour women suffer in all areas.'
Get Stuffed Glasgow have taken to social media to reveal they will be opening in The Braes Shopping Centre in the city's Southside. An opening date for the venue has not been revealed, however, they teased it will be soon. "Cafe opening soon." We previously reported that the shopping centre is set to be completely revamped. A planning application detailing the transformation of the facility in Castlemilk was recently accepted by council planning officials.
Ipswich Town columnist Joey Sadler described Tuesday’s victory against Rotherham United as ‘ugly’. In fact it was really ugly in parts. Credit to Rotherham, who I was convinced would crumble after we’d turned it around and headed into the break 3-1 up. Three points and that’s three consecutive wins now on the board, with a big chance to make it four on Saturday. I have no doubt young Omari is going right to the very top and am glad we get to enjoy him for a little longer.
Songwriter Anaïs Mitchell starting working on these ideas in the mid-2000s in Vermont, before taking the songs to the studio to record 2010’s lo-fi folk album Hadestown. It’s no surprise that the show’s return to the UK – and its West End debut, at the Lyric Theatre – is being greeted with some fanfare. However, most people will come to see a musical for the music – and this is where Hadestown truly excels. The band is excellent, too – reminiscent of a New Orleans jazz band, the musical style is unlike anything else on the West End. It’s quite unlike anything else in the West End right now – well worth a visit, and be prepared for these songs to stay in your head long after you’ve left the theatre.
City, as a result, are now back above Arsenal in the standings and targeting Liverpool at the summit. The trip to the Vitality Stadium marks the beginning of a crucial four-game run for City ahead of the final international break of the season next month. The following weekend, City face Liverpool themselves before heading to Brighton & Hove Albion ahead the final pause before the sprint to the finish line. They also face Arsenal immediately after the hiatus on March 31 at the Etihad. Arsenal and Liverpool have already gone toe-to-toe twice this season, meaning City could potentially hold all the cards in that respect.
Advocates urge California's attorney general to address the state's pesticide regulation system, which they claim disproportionately affects farmworkers and violates civil rights. In short:A coalition has accused California pesticide regulators of civil rights violations due to the disproportionate impact of pesticides on farmworker communities. The "People's Tribunal on Pesticide Use and Civil Rights in California" highlighted the systemic failures in protecting these communities from hazardous pesticides. Local advocacy groups are burdened with addressing the state's shortcomings in pesticide regulation and enforcement. Why this matters:The call for reform is not just about pesticide regulation but a broader fight against environmental racism and for the health and safety of all Californians.
The European Union has revised its air pollution regulations, setting stricter limits on harmful pollutants, although these new standards still don't meet the World Health Organization's recommended levels. In short:The EU has lowered annual limits for PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide, aiming to significantly reduce air pollution's health risks. Despite these changes, the set targets remain double what the WHO advises for safe air quality levels. The good news is that clean air policy works, and our air quality is improving." However, ongoing research continues to add to growing evidence that current air pollution laws are inadequate.
'Need to be solid, don't give gifts' Wolves v Sheff Utd (Sun, 13:30 GMT) WolvesFirst up is Wolves boss Gary O'Neil on the importance of keeping things tight at the back against the Premier League's bottom side Sheffield United:"The importance of being really solid in situations around our goal is huge because of the lift we gave Brentford - we gave them a lead and it was going to be tough enough at 0-0. "But keeping pushing at 0-0 and trying to find a way to get yourself in front is a much better feeling than giving them a soft goal and having to fight your way back. "I think the Burnley game was what we need to be like - as tough as they were to break down, we didn't give them anything silly. We managed to stay in control of the game, keep pushing and then, when we found our moment, it was enough to win it for us. "So we need to make sure we are really solid around our box, really well-drilled, not giving anyone anything soft and then using the attacking talent we have had to try to create as many chances as possible."
’The transaction is expected to close in mid-2024,’ says brokerAon’s acquisition of NFP is on course to be completed in mid-2024 after the deal passed a key test in the US. In an update on the £10.6bn purchase, Aon said that the waiting period over the deal had now expired under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976. While the waiting period for Aon’s purchase of NFP has finished, the deal is still subject to the receipt of other applicable regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. “The transaction is expected to close in mid-2024 and, until closing, Aon and NFP will continue to operate independently,” Aon said. On completion of the deal, NFP will operate as an independent but connected broking business, going to market as ‘NFP, an Aon company’.
Major League Soccer referees protested outside the league's headquarters after being locked out ahead of the beginning of the 2024 season. The lockout, a denial of employment by an employer during a labor dispute, was imposed on the referees after they overwhelmingly voted to reject a tentative new union contract agreement in a 95.8% vote, with 97.8% of the 260 union members voting. The union has also alleged unfair labor practices against the MLS and the Professional Referee Organization. The union cited members rejected the deal in part due to an attempt by the MLS and PRO to add a no strike and no lockout deal for the 2024 season and would have frozen wages, rolled back job security protections, and not addressed issues such as high workloads and travel for referees.
“We know that the cost of living is having a big impact in Cornwall and want to ensure that children, in particular, are safe in the water. Recent research from Sport England indicates a clear correlation between family affluence and a child’s ability to swim 25m, with those from wealthier families significantly more likely to achieve the milestone. That’s a worrying statistic.
