New Zealand rugby union star Jonah Lomu dies aged 40

18 November 2015 Last updated at 01:22 GMT

Jonah Lomu, considered one of New Zealand's finest rugby union players of all time, has died at the age of 40.

According to the former team doctor of the All Blacks, John Mayhew, Lomu's death was unexpected.

He played more than 60 matches for New Zealand before his career was ended by kidney disease.

Eddie Jones: England head coach job moves closer for Australian

Eddie Jones was appointed as Stormers head coach in September

Eddie Jones has moved closer to becoming England's first foreign head coach after talks with Rugby Football Union chief executive Ian Ritchie.

The Australian, 55, is understood to be keen on the role, but needs to secure his release from his job as coach of South African franchise the Stormers.

A senior Stormers source told the BBC this week that Jones had signed a "long-term contract" in Cape Town.

South African Jake White is also been under consideration by the RFU.

However, it is believed White - a World Cup winner with the Springboks in 2007 - is not at the top of the organisation's wish-list to succeed Stuart Lancaster, wholeft the job after England's failed 2015 World Cup campaign.

Jones was only appointed as the new Stormers head coach in September after leading Japan to the World Cup in England, during which they recorded a famous victory over South Africa in the pool stage.

He has had previous experience in charge of Australia and Japan, and fits Ritchie's desire to appoint a man with "proven international experience".

Jones would be able to select his own coaching team, with the former England captain Steve Borthwick a leading contender for the role as forwards coach. The pair worked together at Saracens and with Japan at the recent World Cup.

As well as Jones and White, the Wales coach Warren Gatland has also been linked with the role, although the New Zealander insists he is committed to honouring his contract, which runs until 2019.

Who is Eddie Jones?

Eddie Jones was appointed Stormers head coach in September

Age: 55

Nationality: Australian

Current position: Head coach of South African Super Rugby side Stormers, who he joined after coaching Japan at the World Cup.

Credentials: Guided Japan to a stunning victory over South Africa in their opening 2015 World Cup match. Led Australia to the 2001 Tri-Nations title but was beaten by England in the 2003 World Cup final. Played an advisory role in South Africa's 2007 World Cup triumph.

What he said: Writing in the Daily Mail on 4 October, he said: "If England approached me, would I listen to them? It's not the sort of job I'll go out chasing, but I'd certainly chat to them if they thought I was the right man for the role."

Richie McCaw: All Blacks captain retires from rugby

McCaw is the only man to have captained two Rugby World Cup-winning teams

New Zealand captain Richie McCaw has announced his retirement after a glittering career.

The 34-year-old flanker played a world record 148 Tests, 131 of them wins, and led the All Blacks to two World Cup final victories, including last month's triumph against Australia.

McCaw is also a three-time winner of the World Player of the Year award.

The news, expected for some time, comes 24 hours after the death of iconic All Blacks winger Jonah Lomu.

"Today, I thought about whether it was the right thing to do this," said McCaw. "But I'm going to be hanging up my boots."

Richie McCaw's stellar career in numbers
148	The most number of Tests by any player in rugby union history. His 131 wins are also a record
110	A world record number of matches as captain
132	The number of players to make their All Blacks debut since McCaw's first Test in 2001
2	McCaw lost just two Tests on home soil of the 61 he played in New Zealand
89	McCaw's win percentage as captain
3	A hat-trick of World Player of the Year awards Before the news conference to announce his retirement those present held a minute's silence in memory of Lomu, whose death at the age of 40 was described as "a big shock" by McCaw. "My thoughts and condolences go to his wife and two boys," added McCaw, a former team-mate of the giant winger. "When I became an All Black he was in the team. To play with him was amazing. I remember one of my first games, I climbed off the bus and the mob came towards me and I thought 'this is pretty cool, being an All Black' but they kept going because they only wanted to be near to Jonah. "There are a lot of people round the world hurting at the loss of a great man." McCaw, who now plans to pursue a career as a helicopter pilot, won 130 of his Tests and captained the All Blacks 109 times - both also all-time world records. Only three other players have played more than 130 Tests; McCaw played in 148 Tests, 131 of them wins "My last game was the World Cup final, so the end of something that has been a big part of my life," he said. "I made no secret this year was probably going to be my last, but deep down I didn't want to shut the door totally. I was worried the emotion might get to me in a World Cup year, by leaving that door open it didn't feel final until now. "It has been a hell of a journey over the last 15 years. I've been privileged to do what I love for so long. Here's to new adventures." McCaw said he had played some of his best rugby "in the last few weeks", and All Blacks coach Steve Hansen agreed, saying the World Cup final was "one of his best games". "We will miss him but he has to pick the right time to go and he has done that," said Hansen. "On the top of the heap."

Paris attacks: Bataclan police describe 'hellish' siege

Police who stormed a concert hall during the Paris attacks "really saw hell", a union official has said.

Officers who entered the Bataclan are not allowed to speak on camera about what they saw, but police union spokesman Nicolas Comte has recounted their story to the BBC.

He said: "Inside the Bataclan, there was someone who was talking to the police by phone. He was hiding in a technical area. He told us he could hear more shooting, he could hear they were still executing people."

Mr Comte said specially trained police then began their assault on the building.

"At first they thought they were walking in water, then they realised it was blood," he told the BBC's Damian Grammaticas.

"They had to make their way in the dark, stepping over bodies.

"The wounded lying there saw the police. They were calling out to the officers, moaning, begging them. They tried to catch hold of my colleague as [he] went past but the officers couldn't help them."

Speaking in French, Mr Comte said the police had to "neutralise the terrorists before they could save everyone".

He said the attackers fired at the advancing police, and 27 rounds hit a metal shield officers were using to protect themselves.

"There were around 20 hostages between them and the attackers," he said.

"The officers realised they had to finish things quickly. They managed to shoot one and soon, as he saw that, the second one blew himself up."

Officers took in the full horror of the scene after the attackers were dead, Mr Comte said.

"They saw there were tens and tens of bodies lying on top of each other, some with terrible injuries," he said.

"Many of them were very very young. My colleagues told me: 'We really saw hell tonight'."

Dr Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Permanent Representative of the UAE International Renewable Energy Agency and Director of Energy and Climate Change at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi. Ravindranath K / The National

UAE’s science talent takes to the international stage

ABU DHABI // The UAE depends on its youth to bring about solutions to climate change – that was the message from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mofa) to a roomful of engineering students from Masdar Institute and New York University Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, director of energy and climate change at the ministry, said that while international expertise was crucial in the development of the UAE’s clean energy sector, local development must also be brought to the fore.
“We here in the UAE, we look at the whole situation as opportunities,” he said.
“So far we’ve depended on the international science community to help us, but now we want to develop our students to come up with answers.”
Dr Al Zeyoudi and his team will be part of the international community gathering at the Conference of Parties 21 (Cop21) meeting in Paris, where countries at the United Nations event will form a legal agreement to mitigate climate change.
The main issue at the 12-day meeting which starts on November 30 is how to keep global warming to less than two degrees Celsius before 2050.
As part of the UAE delegation, Dr Al Zeyoudi will be accompanied by some of the students he addressed at Masdar.
“Students are always coming up with ideas. Having them involved in our negotiations and in our delegation is really going to give them the exposure to these problems and give us new ideas.”
Mohammed Al Ghailani is studying for his masters degree at Masdar in chemical and environmental engineering. He is part of the ministry delegation going to the French capital. “It will make me a better engineer, this is for sure,” the 23-year-old said. “I think that a very important part for us as engineers is that we don’t really realise negotiations and how we can push our ideas forward.”
As it is common for engineering students to be “stuck in the lab all day”, he said, opportunities such as Cop21 gave context to their work, which is more often than not lost in academia.
“I’m not saying that the lab isn’t important, of course it is. But there are many other factors that play into it, and bringing these ideas together, that’s what I want to be a part of.”
Dr Al Zeyoudi said that the students would be exposed not only to fellow engineering students but also to members of the community involved, from legislative authorities to NGOs.
“They will have been exposed to the delegation. They will be able to speak to members there and be exposed to what’s going on in the world.”
He said the students would see that they were a part of a wider community and that they might be able to improve upon their research while there.
Dr Steven Griffiths, vice president of research at Masdar Institute, said that the students would be part of an important agreement as decisions made at Cop21 would be legally binding.
“Students are going to earn great experience, as they’ll see what leaders are looking at as far as their commitments. What can be taken away from that is what actions will be taken in the coming years in technologies and policy solutions.”
He said the UAE was differentiating itself from other Gulf nations in terms of renewable energy policies, an aspect that the students could look to as they tried to secure employment in the sector.

 

Spain by road

From the north to the sun-soaked south, adventures begin behind the wheel 

Given that Spain is the number one holiday destination for British tourists, it is a wonder that not more of us visit the spectacular northern regions, which span the Pyrenees in the east, to the spiritual city of Santiago de Compostela, a little more than 400 miles to the west. The variety of the four semiautonomous regions – the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia means that the north of Spain has something to offer most holidaymakers.
The best way to see everything is by road. The regions are well served by low cost carriers (to Bilbao, Santander, Oviedo, Santiago de Compostela and Vigo), and for those with sea legs, car ferries operate between Portsmouth and Bilbao and Santander, which also saves on the cost of hiring a car. I began my trip in San Sebastián, which as well as being as pretty as any seaside city in Spain, will also be next year’s European Capital of Culture (dss2016.eu/en). A stay at the Barceló Costa Vasca, costs around €80 room only (08 000 211 256; barcelo.com).
If culture is not enough to lure a traveller to San Sebastián, then surely it is the food. In the Basque country, the restaurants and bars have preparing pinxtos, tapas-like bar snacks, down to an art form. San Sebastián is second only to Tokyo in holding the highest number of Michelin stars per square metre.
An hour and a half west down the E80/E70 is Bilbao (bilbaoturismo.net), a city that has come alive since the opening of the Guggenheim museum in 1997. A hired bike, from Tourné Bilbao (00 34 944 24 94 65; tournebilbao.com) costs €10 for four hours, and is a great way to see the sites when you have finished with the modern art of the Guggenheim (00 34 944 35 90 80; guggenheim-bilbao.es). Stay in the old city – perhaps at the Petit Palace Arana (00 34 944 156 411; en.petitpalacearanabilbaohotel.com; doubles from €80 room only) to be on the doorstep of the city’s winding, charismatic streets.

Given that Spain is the number one holiday destination for British tourists, it is a wonder that not more of us visit the spectacular northern regions, which span the Pyrenees in the east, to the spiritual city of Santiago de Compostela, a little more than 400 miles to the west. The variety of the four semiautonomous regions – the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia means that the north of Spain has something to offer most holidaymakers.
The best way to see everything is by road. The regions are well served by low cost carriers (to Bilbao, Santander, Oviedo, Santiago de Compostela and Vigo), and for those with sea legs, car ferries operate between Portsmouth and Bilbao and Santander, which also saves on the cost of hiring a car. I began my trip in San Sebastián, which as well as being as pretty as any seaside city in Spain, will also be next year’s European Capital of Culture (dss2016.eu/en). A stay at the Barceló Costa Vasca, costs around €80 room only (08 000 211 256; barcelo.com).
If culture is not enough to lure a traveller to San Sebastián, then surely it is the food. In the Basque country, the restaurants and bars have preparing pinxtos, tapas-like bar snacks, down to an art form. San Sebastián is second only to Tokyo in holding the highest number of Michelin stars per square metre.
An hour and a half west down the E80/E70 is Bilbao (bilbaoturismo.net), a city that has come alive since the opening of the Guggenheim museum in 1997. A hired bike, from Tourné Bilbao (00 34 944 24 94 65; tournebilbao.com) costs €10 for four hours, and is a great way to see the sites when you have finished with the modern art of the Guggenheim (00 34 944 35 90 80; guggenheim-bilbao.es). Stay in the old city – perhaps at the Petit Palace Arana (00 34 944 156 411; en.petitpalacearanabilbaohotel.com; doubles from €80 room only) to be on the doorstep of the city’s winding, charismatic streets.

Travelling west of Santander, the region of Asturias is breathtakingly beautiful. It is possible to stick to the coastal route on the E70 (which becomes the A8 for periods of the trip), but much better to travel inland and witness the region’s exhilarating scenery. With beaches that rival any other on the northern Spanish coast, and mountains in the Picos de Europa that reach peaks of more 2,600 metres just 20 kilometres from the seaside, it is still an undiscovered treasure. Mountain walking, climbing and fell running all catered for here. The area is also famous for cabrales, a blue cheese that locals say rivals stilton. It is possible to visit the factories where the cheese is made, and the caves in the mountains where it is stored for months until it is just right. The village of Arenas de Cabrales is good starting point, and easily accessible from the coastal road. The capital Oviedo is also worth exploring for its rich medieval and religious architecture and (turismoviedo.es).
After the Picos, I made way along the Costa Verde (Green Coast) into Galicia, which is so green it could easily be mistaken for Ireland or Scotland. Setting out from the rural Hotel Rural 3 Cabos (00 34 985 92 42 52; hotelrural3cabos. com; doubles from €85, b&b), I spent a day walking part of the renowned pilgrimage trail, the Camino de Santiago. Known as the seafood coast, Galicia’s Rias Altas is at the northwesternmost tip of the Iberian peninsula. It is home to stunning scenery and superlative seafood, which even in the smallest restaurants is usually exquisite. I stayed in Cedeira, a fishing town to the east of the main city of La Coruña, and would recommend sitting in one of the many coastal restaurants, sampling that day’s catch and watching the world go by. My base was Casa Cordobelas (cordobelas.es), a tranquil retreat with doubles from €72.
For the more adventurous, the steep hills around the town are easily accessible by car, and, so long as the weather is agreeable, a great day’s walking or mountain biking can be had. La Coruña is well worth a visit, particularly for the impressive 57-metre Tower of Hercules (torre deherculesacoruna.com). From there it is a picturesque drive following the E70, and then the E1, to ancient Santiago de Compostela, where the Camino ends (santiago turismo.com). The cathedral and the old city are beautiful. If you can, book a room at the San Francisco Hotel Monumento (00 34 981 58 16 34; sanfranciscohm.com; doubles from €88 room only), which is owned by an order of Franciscan monks, and who still live in the cloisters next door.

North to south

 

Santander is the gateway to northcentral Spain, served by both Brittany Ferries(0330 159 7000; brittanyferries. co.uk) from Portsmouth and Ryanair (0871 246 0000; ryanair.com) from Stansted and Edinburgh. It is the starting point for an astonishing journey through the hills of Cantabria, pausing at the fine university of Salamanca (salamanca.es), then into the wilds of Extremadura - off the map for many tourists – along the E803. Any visit should take in Badajoz (right) on the Portuguese border and its famous 11th-century Moorish citadel, the Alcazaba (turismo badajoz.es). Further south Seville comprises the triumphant conclusion – with the option of carrying on by ferry to the Canaries for a few more days in the sunshine, whatever the time of year.

Andalucia

There are several routes through Spain’s southern heartland, but a week is easily enough time to drive around Andalucia and see what this sun-soaked region has to offer (andalucia.org). From some of the best beaches in Europe, one of the tallest mountains in Spain (Mulhacén in Granada) and Moorish cities, there are plenty of places to explore along the way. Fly to Málaga – well served by flights from the UK - which has much more charm than it gets credit for, and travel immediately inland along the A356 and then the A92 to Granada to see the wonders of the Alhambra (alhambradegranada.org).
Go first thing in the morning and watch the sun come up from the spectacular gardens. From Granada, you can easily drive to the Sierra Nevada mountains. After a day or two exploring, travel west to the Ronda (left), which boasts some of the best hiking routes in country, and then on to Seville and Cordoba, with its cream of all the Moorish-era cathedrals, the Mezquita.

Driving essentials

The variety offered by northern Spain means that driving is one of the best ways of visiting. By sticking to the main roads, largely the E70 and A8, the journey can be done quickly and without missing the main centres. A week is easily enough time. But if you have a little longer, the real joy of this trip is turning off on to the minor roads, which give even the driver opportunity to take in the magnificent views and stunning scenery. It also means that across the trip, visitors will continually happen on the small fishing villages, or in Asturias the mountain hamlets, which dot the northern Spanish coastal regions.
The other advantage of travelling along the smaller roads is avoiding the tolls that come with driving along the autopistas (highways). This also applies to journeys further afield in Spain. Several hire companies, such as Hertz (hertz.co.uk), allow you to rent a car in one location and then drop it off at another, without incurring a penalty.

The Mediterranean coast

 

There are few places as well explored by Britons as Spain’s Costa Blanca, but amid the beaches and nightlife, there are some less well- known gems. Alicante is well-served by flights from the UK and the town is well worth exploring. The historic barrio de la Santa Cruz has photogenic coloured houses and narrow cobbled streets, while the medieval Santa Barbara castle offers memorable views of the Mediterranean coast. From Alicante, use the AP7 to drive north, bypassing a number of the resorts that pepper the coastline. The pretty village of El Campello is worth a visit as is Dénia, with its sandy coloured fort that overlooks white-washed fishermen’s houses (costablanca.org). Valencia, with its ancient and futuristic architecture and fine food would make a fitting finale, exploring the spectacular City of Arts and Sciences (cac.es), the covered food market (mercadocentralvalencia. es) and the numerous restaurants that pay homage to Valencian creation, paella.

Historic centre

Fly to Madrid, and, whether or not your trip takes in the capital, central Spain boasts some stunning historic sites, all within a few hours’ drive. Travel south for 70km along the A42 to Toledo (above), where the clash of its Christian, Muslim and Jewish heritage make for a spectacular visit (toledo-turismo.com).
Heading north, and circumventing Madrid, along the N403, little more than a hours’ drive away is the Roman city of Avila, and the breathtaking nearby palace and monastery at El Escorial. Travelling in a loop around the capital, you could take in Segovia, with its Roman aqueduct, the university-town of Salamanca, Valladolid, Burgos and Soria, before heading back to Madrid (turismocastillayleon.com).

Catalonia and the Pyrenees

Fly to Barcelona or Girona, and then drive east to the Catalan coast, along the N11, to pretty coastal villages such as Begur and Sa Tuna before moving on to Figueres, home of the Dali museum and theatre (salvador-dali.org), and then on to see his home in Cadaques and the stunning Cap de Creus Natural Park with its wild coastline of cliffs and coves (en.costabrava.org).
From there, a journey could wind up through the Pyrenees on the N260 to stunning villages for a couple of days’ hiking or skiing, before finishing off the holiday in Barcelona, where La Rambla, Gaudi’s architecture and the Sagrada Familia all await.

Lewis Hamilton explains hat throwing incident with Nico Rosberg

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg after the US Grand Prix GETTY IMAGES Lewis Hamilton has played down the spiky incident between himself and team-mate Nico Rosberg that saw the latter throw a cap in the direction of the freshly crowned F1 champion.
The incident occurred in the moments after Hamilton's victory in the United States Grand Prix, a win that saw the British driver claim his third drivers' championship title.
Hamilton managed to win the race after capitalising on a mistake by Rosberg, which Hamilton pinpoints as the source of his team-mate's obvious frustration.

"I picked up the three caps and mine was at the back, the one with No 1 on the side, so I gave one to Sebastian (Vettel, who was third) and one to Nico (who was second)," Hamilton explained.
"I said, 'Here you go mate', and then it came back at me. I can understand in many respects how it is. It was tough.
"He was disappointed with himself for making a crucial mistake. I guess that, when you come in after the race and are disappointed, the emotions are sometimes unbearable. I don’t take anything from it. I’ve seen Nico in lots of different lights over the years.
"So the hat came past me and I was like, 'No problem'. I’m completely oblivious to it."
Watch the incident below...

Birmingham replaces the brutal old with urban meadows and fountains

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vic regeneration: £500m is being spent on the Paradise scheme

Birmingham has finally broken its “concrete collar”. The inner ring road that sliced between office blocks in the 1960s is being rerouted and old street patterns relaid as part of a multibillion pound redesign of Britain’s second-largest city.

Vast areas that were transformed by the concrete brutalism of the 1960s and 1970s are being changed again.

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“The road acted as a barrier that restricted the city centre,” says Ian Stringer, regional director of Bilfinger GVA property consultants. “Now, it can grow again and that has a ripple effect throughout the city.”

Paradise is a £500m scheme that will demolish the 1970s library, a famous concrete inverted ziggurat, incorporating a shopping centre, and replace both with buildings ranged round the city’s great civic space, Chamberlain Square.

This will see by early 2018 two new grade ‘A’ office buildings, both likely to be seven floors and with 170,000 square feet of space. First-stage planning permission was granted on September 18.
It is a joint venture between the city council and Hermes Real Estate, part of the BT pension fund.

A pedestrian walkway will lead to the conference quarter and Arena Central, HSBC Bank’s new UK retail headquarters. It is another £500m scheme with more than 1m sq ft of space featuring an urban meadow and fountains in front of the award winning £180m new library. The first phase opens in 2018.

Jonathan Wallis, of Miller Developments, which is involved with Arena Central, says HSBC has historic roots in the city and was won over by the welcome the city offered, as well as its growing young workforce. “Occupiers tell us the way they have been met and treated by the council has been excellent.”
Yet property consultants expect a squeeze within a couple of years, because of the growing number of businesses in the city. More than 1m sq ft has been taken up in the past 12 months. The city has 18.5m sq ft in total, according to Bilfinger GVA. It expects a “tipping point” next year that will drive up rents. For the four years up to 2014, prime headline rental values had remained at about £27.50 a sq ft but have now reached £30 a sq ft. It peaked at £33 per sq ft in 2008 and will hit that level again within a year.
The surge of development follows a long hiatus. In the late 1990s, the city council built the International Conference Centre and Symphony Hall. Then followed Brindley Place, a canalside development of offices and restaurants, and mixed use schemes such as the Mailbox, until the recession hit in 2009.

The latest wave was again helped by the council. It borrowed £83m against the future uplift in business rates to allow the traffic and other public works. Chris Taylor, head of private markets at Hermes, says that without initial site preparation, the Paradise scheme would not have happened.

But it was the arrival of HSBC and Deutsche Bank, which now has 1,500 staff, and the future move by HS2, the high speed rail company — which is taking 99,000 sq ft — that were crucial.
“Those big three gave the feeling that Birmingham had turned the corner,” says Mr Stringer. “It also created a demand that local occupiers moving in could not. That encouraged developers to put spades in the ground.”
The arrival of the HS2 line to Curzon Street in 2026, with a new station, has also created a vast potential office and retail area near the Bullring shopping centre.
The scheme aims to create 36,000 jobs, 600,000 sq ft of employment floor space and 4,000 homes supported by £600m of local infrastructure investment. Ben Kelly, Jones Lang LaSalle’s director of capital markets, says: “To investors, infrastructure investment flags up an opportunity for capital growth. Combined with prime Birmingham yields being some 75-100 basis points below yields at the top of the market in 2007, it offers a sign that their assets will move in the right direction.”
Legal & General has spent £300m on property in the city in the past six months. Bill Hughes, head of real assets for the pension provider, says the £500m total investment was its largest outside London.
“We have bought into the renaissance of Birmingham. There is an excellent skillset coming out of the universities and, critically, local government is showing signs of being more progressive and engaged.”
Thousands of apartments are being built, some converted from offices, as younger workers choose to live centrally. The council has also earmarked 70 hectares of greenbelt land for 80,000 family homes by 2030, subject to public approval.

Elsewhere the former Rover car plant at Longbridge in the south of the city is also being transformed. St Modwen, the listed property business based in Longbridge is investing £1bn in creating an entire community from houses to offices. A new town centre is anchored by a 150,000 sq ft Marks and Spencer.

And the Longbridge business park is almost ready for occupiers.
It is the largest manufacturing site in the Midlands, covering 43 acres and can accommodate up to 1m sq ft of manufacturing space at a time when it is in short supply.

MotoGP Valencia Grand Prix 2015: Jorge Lorenzo starts from pole position in the final Grand Prix of the season

 MotoGP Valencia Grand Prix 2015: Jorge Lorenzo starts from pole position in the final Grand Prix of the season
Valentino Rossi will start at the back of the grid

Going into the last race of 2015, Jorge Lorenzo trails his teammate by a narrow seven points. Giving himself the best possible chance, he readily claimed pole position with five minutes still on the clock of the 15-minute qualifying session, posting the fastest lap of the weekend and breaking the circuit record with a lap of one minute and 30.011 seconds.
The Repsol Honda’s of Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa will line up on the front row respectively. At the start of qualifying the Spaniard seemed to have visor issues, something that has crippled him twice this year already. Remaining on his bike for the duration of the session which included two pit-stops, the 28-year-old kept his focus.
Valentino Rossi took part in Q2 though his positioning would be negligible after being handed a penalty from the last round that requires him to start the race from the back of the grid in 26th place. With less than two minutes left on the clock however, Rossi managed to lose the rear of his Yamaha M1 and ended the session in the gravel, no doubt doing nothing for confidence for tomorrow’s race.

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP's Spanish rider Jorge Lorenzo rides ahead of the chasing pack

Under clear blue skies of Valencia, the temperature was unusually high for Spain, reflecting the recent antics of the MotoGP circus as record numbers of flocked to the grandstands to watch today’s action. With the official press conference on Thursday cancelled by the organisers, Dorna, the teams held individual press conferences themselves instead but were instructed to only speak of this race weekend.
Valentino Rossi’s appeal to CAS for his penalty, given for ‘dangerous riding’ that contributed to Marc Marquez crashing out of the previous race in Sepang, was rejected earlier this week. The 36-year-old appeared to use the free practice sessions to focus on race pace. He commented on feeling relaxed whilst riding this weekend, knowing he has to overtake as many riders as possible to get to the front if he is to win the championship that he has dominated since the first race. If Lorenzo wins tomorrow’s race, Rossi will need to finish in second place to win the championship title.
The second row of the grid will be led by Suzuki’s Aleix Espargaro who made it into Q2 after qualifying in first place of Q1. British riders Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith complete the second row. The factory Ducati’s of Andrea Iannone and Andrea Dovizioso sandwich the Tech 3’s Pol Espargaro on the third row.
In Moto3, John McPhee starts from pole position, whilst fellow Brit and title contender Danny Kent is in 18th position on the grid. His closest rival Miguel Oliveira will start the race from fourth place.
All race classes will be broadcast on BTSport2 tomorrow. Moto3 at 9am, Moto2 at 10:20 and the main event at 1pm
 

Athletics doping: London 2012 medallists 'suspected cheats'

London 2012 medallists are among suspected Russian drugs cheats who escaped bans when bribes were allegedly paid to the heads of world athletics.

The Sunday Times  claims it has obtained a list of eight athletes who officials recommended should be banned in 2011.
But it is alleged Lamine Diack, then head of athletics' world governing body the IAAF, and Dr Gabriel Dolle, the ex-anti-doping chief, received payments.
On Wednesday the pair were placed under investigation by French prosecutors.
Diack, who was in charge of the International Association of Athletics Federations for 16 years until the 82-year-old stepped down in August, is alleged to have received one million euros in payments in 2011. An additional 200,000 euros was allegedly paid to Dolle, to cover up positive doping tests.
Diack, Dolle and the former's legal adviser, Habib Cisse, face preliminary charges of corruption by France's financial prosecuting body. Diack also faces charges of money laundering.
New IAAF president Lord Coe, who has offered to co-operate with French police, gave his first response to the sport's latest crisis on Saturday evening. He said: "That people in our sport have allegedly extorted money from athletes guilty of doping violations is abhorrent."
The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) was already investigating the IAAF following allegations made in a German TV documentary in December 2014 of systematic doping and cover-ups in Russia. It passed on information to French authorities in the summer.
The agency is due to report the findings of its year-long inquiry in Geneva on Monday, with one investigator saying it will reveal "a whole different scale of corruption" compared to an ongoing scandal at football's world governing body, Fifa.
On Friday, international sports lawyer Richard McLaren, who is one of three Wada independent commissioners to have co-authored the report, said their findings were "going to be a real game-changer for sport".
"You potentially have a bunch of old men who put a whole lot of extra money in their pockets - through extortion and bribes - but also caused significant changes to actual results and final standings of international athletics competitions," he said.
He added his team had "found evidence to support what was said in the documentary"

Senegalese Lamine Diack, 82, was placed under formal investigation by French prosecutors this week

Diack ended his reign as IAAF president in August, when Briton Coe, a double Olympic 1500m winner, was elected as his replacement.
Meanwhile Diack's son, Papa Massata Diack, is among four men including Dolle, charged by the IAAF over breaches of its ethics code.
The charges relate to covering up Russian marathon runner Liliya Shobukhova's doping violations, the IAAF ethics commission chairman said, and were announced on Friday after the lifting of reporting restrictions.
Papa Massata Diack is a former consultant to the IAAF. The other two charged men are: the former president of the All-Russia Athletic Federation (ARAF) Alexei Melnikov and Valentin Balakhnichev, a former chief ARAF coach for long distance walkers and runners.
Hearings to consider their cases will take place in London next month.
In a separate development, Kenya has been warned by Wada that it is serious about a possible four-year ban - that would prevent the country's athletes from taking part in international competitions - unless the African nation's anti-doping efforts are stepped up.

The World Anti-Doping Agency has been investigating the IAAF since a German TV documentary in December 2014 that made allegations of systematic doping and cover-ups in Russia - a report will be published on Monday

Andy Murray beats David Ferrer to reach Paris Masters final

Andy Murray has reached four Masters series finals this year

Paris Masters final - Andy Murray v Novak Djokovic
Date: Sunday, 8 November Start: 14:00 GMT (approx) Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, text commentary on BBC Sport website

Britain's Andy Murray reached the Paris Masters final for the first time with a 6-4 6-3 win over Spain's David Ferrer.

The second seed won the last five games of the match to seal victory in one hour 35 minutes.
The 28-year-old Scotsman said: "I played aggressive tennis and was particularly successful at the net."
In Sunday's final he will play world number one Novak Djokovic, who beat French Open champion Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland 6-3 3-6 6-0.
Murray will finish the year second in the world rankings if he defeats Djokovic.
He faces a challenging end to the season, with the ATP World Tour Finals in London only eight days away, followed by Britain's first Davis Cup final since 1978, which gets under way in Belgium in three weeks' time.
He added: "It would be nice to achieve my highest-ever year-end ranking, but it is more about seeding for the Australian Open in January. It will help my chances more than if I was seeded three or four.
"I've still got the Davis Cup final to look forward to and these are two things I have never achieved before. It will help keep me motivated."

Murray starts and finishes quickly

Murray holds a 11-6 lead over Ferrer in career matches

The world number three has made a habit of starting quickly in Paris this week and broke his opponent's first service game for the fourth successive match.
It spurred eighth seed Ferrer into action and the Spaniard levelled for 3-3 when two unforced errors gave him the break back.
In a see-saw opening set, Ferrer set up four more break points in the eighth game but Murray saved them and went on to steal the Spaniard's serve after he made a string of unforced errors.
The Briton, who now holds a 11-6 career lead over Ferrer, finished a superb exchange at the net with a fine sliced lob to set up two set points. On the first one, Ferrer netted a routine backhand.
However, Ferrer stayed focused and raced to a 3-1 lead in the second set.
Murray dug deep and discovered his range again, finding gravity-defying angles to earn three more breaks of the Spaniard's serve, wrapping up the victory on his first match point when Ferrer netted a drop shot.

BBC Tennis correspondent Russell Fuller
"Murray's successful week in Paris does not come without its drawbacks. He will go straight on to the clay on Monday afternoon to do four days of preparation for the Davis Cup final and has told BBC Sport "it's far from ideal".
"Murray is planning to revert to hard courts at the end of the week to get ready for the World Tour Finals, which begin the following Sunday.
"But that may not happen if Murray's clay-court practice doesn't go to plan, or he has any concerns about his back."

The Scot was rewarded for taking the initiative from the outset and hit 26 winners to just 10 from his 33-year-old opponent.
Murray added: "There were a couple of periods where I made more mistakes than usual. In one game I missed four backhands, but when you play high-risk tennis that is what happens.
"I played a good match, apart from the errors."
Murray was able to report a clean bill of health after complaining of a stiffness in his lower back after his punishing three-set victory over Richard Gasquet on Friday.
He added: "My back felt better today. It was a bit stiff when I got up, but I spent a couple of hours with the physio this morning and that helped.
"As a result, I was able to serve bigger and more consistently than yesterday and earn more free points."

Djokovic had not lost a set since the US Open final against Roger Federer

Djokovic awaits

Defending champion Djokovic extended his winning run in this competition to 21 matches after ousting Wawrinka in one hour 51 minutes.
The 28-year-old, seeking his 10th title of the year, has now won 19 of his 23 contests against the world number four.
Wawrinka ended Djokovic's 29-set winning streak to level the match, but fell away in the decider, failing to win a game.
Djokovic has triumphed in five of his six encounters with Murray this year, including the Australian Open final, and has won 20 of their 29 overall meetings

 

 

Novak Djokovic beats Andy Murray to win Paris Masters title

Murray has now lost to Djokovic in 21 of their 30 matches

World number one Novak Djokovic secured his 10th title of the year with an emphatic victory over Britain's Andy Murray at the Paris Masters final.

The 6-2 6-4 win, achieved in just over 90 minutes, also ensured the Serb claimed a record fourth title in Paris.
He is the first player to win six ATP Masters series events in the same year.
Murray, 28, made too many unforced errors against an in-form Djokovic, who has now beaten him in six of their seven encounters this year.
The British number one competed better than he did in Shanghai in October against the 28-year-old - when he was on the end of a 6-1 6-3 rout in the semi-finals - but he was still unable to break the hold the Serb seemingly has over him.
"It's progress," said Murray of reaching his first Paris Masters final. "We'll try next year to go one better.
"Congratulations to Novak for another fantastic week. He fully deserves the number one spot. Hopefully I can get a bit closer next year."

Can anyone topple Djokovic

 

World No1 Novak Djokovic won his first grand slam title with victory at the Australian Open in 2008

Djokovic, this year's Australia, Wimbledon and US Open champion, was guaranteed to finish the year as the world number one for the fourth time in five years, regardless of the outcome of this match.
Enjoying one of the most successful years in tennis history, Djokovic had already become the first player to reach 14 consecutive Tour finals in a calendar year and only Ivan Lendl has a better record with 18 finals over two calendar years.
Victory over Murray - his 10th win over the Scot in their last 11 matches - has extended Djokovic's winning run overall to 22 matches.
And the Serb, who has not lost since the Cincinnati final in August, will be the overwhelming favourite to win the ATP World Tour Finals in London later this month.

Russell Fuller, BBC Sport tennis correspondent
There was a period midway through the second set when Murray threatened to do to Djokovic what only Stan Wawrinka has managed since the US Open - and that's win a set. But Djokovic did not flinch when Murray broke him back to love and moved to within two points of opening up a 4-2 lead.
The match may have been much more competitive than their semi-final in Shanghai, but the world number one was a comfortable winner once more.
In 2011, Djokovic won three Grand Slam titles and his first 41 matches of the year. It's a measure of his utter domination that he no longer considers that the best season of his career.

Djokovic dominant

Djokovic, who has lost only five matches this year, dominated the first set, breaking in the third and seventh games, to confidently go a set up within 42 minutes.
World number two Murray, who made 19 unforced errors in the opening set, had not progressed beyond the last eight in Paris prior to this year.
But he offered stiffer resistance in the second set, despite Djokovic breaking in the third game.
The Scot broke back to love to level at 2-2, but the world number one punished Murray's dip in intensity in the seventh game to secure the critical break.

Murray is the third British player to play in a Paris Masters final, following Greg Rusedski (1998) and Tim Henman (2003)

Murray, though, had made it clear before this tournament that his priority for the rest of the year is the Davis Cup final against Belgium in Ghent at the end of November, when Britain will attempt to win the trophy for the first time since 1936.
"It was a tough match and I wish Andy all the best for the rest of the season, both in London and the Davis Cup final. I know you want to to do well," said Djokovic to his rival.

Moeen Ali helps England to easy victory over Hong Kong

Moeen Ali had a disappointing average of 14 in the recent Test series

Tour match, Abu Dhabi:

England 342-8 (50 overs): Moeen 71, Hales 64

Hong Kong 173 (40.2 overs): Hayat 78, Willey 4-43

England won by 169 runs

Scorecard (external site)

Moeen Ali returned to form as England beat Hong Kong by 169 runs in their warm-up match in Abu Dhabi before the one-day series against Pakistan.

Eoin Morgan's team batted first and set their associate opponents a tough target of 342-8.
David Willey struck twice with the new ball to see off both Hong Kong openers as he finished with 4-43.
The only worry for England before the series opener on Wednesday was a finger injury suffered by Jos Buttler.
Buttler, who had made 38 in his side's innings, hurt the ring finger on his right hand while keeping wicket and may need a scan.
Moeen (71) and Alex Hales (64) both had confidence-boosting time at the crease while Jason Roy provided most of England's early momentum, with 42 off 32 balls in an opening stand of 63 with Hales, as England's batsmen all reached double figures.
Hong Kong struggled with their response as Willey dismissed both Kinchit Shah and Anshuman Rath in consecutive overs, and although Babar Hayat (78) and Chris Carter (34) had a useful third-wicket stand of 81, they were never in danger of challenging the England total.