Liliam Thuram urges France to ban Patrice Evra

　　

　　Thuram made 142 appearances for France in his career

　　French World Cup winner Liliam Thuram has said current captain Patrice Evra must never play for France again.

　　Defender Evra played an integral role in a players' revolt following Nicolas Anelka's expulsion from the World Cup for insulting coach Raymond Domenech.

　　The full-back was then stripped of the captain's armband and was dropped for France's 2-1 defeat by South Africa.

　　"I demanded that the players be harshly punished and that Evra never returns to the France squad," said Thuram.

　　France's disastrous World Cup campaign descended into farce after Anelka was sent home and the team refused to train in protest, prompting French Football Federation (FFF) president Jean-Pierre Escalettes to resign.

　　

　　Evra was complicit in the protest and was involved in a row with fitness coach Robert Duverne, a stand-off that was filmed by stunned French media gathered at the team's training base in Knysna.

　　It was left to Domenech to read a team statement to the gathered media while the players returned to the team bus.

　　Manchester United defender Evra was subsequently dropped from France's final match against the hosts, but Thuram believes his exclusion should be permanent.

　　Speaking at the FFF's general council on Friday, World Cup 1998 winner and Euro 2000 winner Thuram said: "When you are captain of the France team, you must have a responsibility to the jersey and the people.

　　"When the players shut themselves in the bus, and the fact that it was the coach who read the statement, that showed that the coach was no longer respected.

　　"In any group there are leaders and people who follow, and others who do not agree and do not dare say no."

　　France officially confirmed Laurent Blanc as Domenech's successor on Friday.

 

Capello's England won only one of four games at the World Cup

　　

　　Capello's England won only one of four games at the World Cup

　　Fabio Capello is to continue as England manager despite England's unsuccessful World Cup campaign, the Football Association has confirmed.

　　The Italian, 64, found himself under pressure after England's tournament ended with a 4-1 defeat by Germany.

　　On Monday Capello was told he would learn his fate in two weeks, only to be given full FA backing four days later.

　　"We remain convinced that Fabio is the best man for the job," said Club England chairman Sir Dave Richards.

　　Capello, whose contract runs until Euro 2012 and is worth a reported £6m a year, has hinted that some of the players who underperformed in South Africa might find themselves replaced as he looks to blood younger players during the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers.

　　

　　"I can assure the fans I am now fully focused on our European qualifying fixtures, starting with the friendly against Hungary in August," he stated.

　　"We will look to introduce new players to give the team new energy and I will use all my experience to take England forward.

　　"I am extremely proud to be the England manager, it means so much to me and I am determined to succeed."

　　Capello has previously championed the talents of, among others, Arsenal's 18-year-old midfielder Jack Wilshere, 19-year-old Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell and 22-year-old Manchester City winger Adam Johnson and they could come into a squad that, at 28.7 years, had a higher average age than any other in South Africa.

　　The make-up of the squad had been only one of a number of criticisms aimed at the former AC Milan manager as his position had appeared to be in the balance after his side were humbled by Germany to end a World Cup campaign that never truly got going.

　　In the immediate aftermath of the exit there were calls for a new man to take charge, with former England captain Alan Shearer among those suggesting Capello would be replaced by the time England face Hungary in August.

　　However, Capello stated that he was keen to remain in the post at a media conference on Monday and, with senior FA members including David Sheepshanks and Phil Gartside publicly backing him this week, the association has decided Capello is still the right man for the job.

　　"We are all still extremely disappointed at our performance in South Africa, and we believed it was important that we took some time to reflect on everything in a calm and considered manner back in England," Richards added.

　　"He went into the World Cup with a reputation as one of world football's finest managers and we are confident Fabio will benefit from his first international tournament experience and this will undoubtedly make us all stronger for the Euro 2012 campaign."

　　The FA's decision may have been influenced by Capello's impressive performance prior to the World Cup, with England winning all their competitive fixtures until qualification had been ensured - including an aggregate score of 9-2 against Croatia in two games against them.

　　On the back of that record, and with speculation he might take the then-vacant Inter Milan job after the World Cup, Capello was given a new contract, minus an exit clause, that ran until 2012 - a decision that was retrospectively criticised in some quarters as England struggled in South Africa.

　　Had the FA chosen to part company with Capello it would have been forced to pay him a hefty compensation package, bringing back painful memories of the severance deal it was forced to pay to former boss Sven Goran Eriksson in 2006.

　　There was a tabloid clamour for Capello to be replaced by an Englishman - an about turn that failed when Steve McClaren was installed post-Eriksson and promptly missed out on qualifying for Euro 2008.

　　But when Roy Hodgson left Fulham to become Liverpool boss on Thursday, it left few viable English options as potential alternatives to Capello.

 

Wimbledon 2010: Rafael Nadal beats Andy Murray in semi

　　Coverage: Live on BBC One and Two, HD, Red Button, BBC Sport website (UK only), Radio 5 live, 5 live sports extra; live text commentary online and on mobile phones; watch again on BBC iPlayer Full details of BBC coverage

　　

Rafael Nadal delivered the performance of a seven-time Grand Slam champion to end Andy Murray's hopes of reaching his first Wimbledon final.

　　Murray had hoped to become the first British man since 1938 to reach the final but Nadal was stronger in the key moments as he won 6-4 7-6 (8-6) 6-4.

　　The Spaniard made the decisive move in a superb second set tie-break.

　　Nadal will meet Czech Tomas Berdych in Sunday's final after the 12th seed beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets.

　　"It was a very, very good match for me," the world number one told BBC Sport.

　　"To beat Andy you have to play your best tennis, it's always a big challenge and it was an amazing victory for me against one of the toughest opponents in the world."

　　Deflated Murray still targets Grand Slam title

　　The Majorcan, who was unable to defend his 2008 title last year because of injury, extended his winning streak at the All England Club to 13 matches as he reached his fourth straight final.

　　The defeat sees Murray miss out for the second year in a row on ending the 72-year wait for a successor to Bunny Austin, Britain's last male finalist, and ensures it will be at least 75 years before there is a successor to Fred Perry as a British Wimbledon men's singles champion.

　　"I'm not feeling like I played terrible," said Murray. "I'm disappointed to have lost, I didn't play a bad match at all. I've had some good wins against Rafa where I played great tennis.

　　"It's not like I played badly. He played great, and that was the difference."

　　Nadal showed exactly why he is the world number one with a breathtaking display of huge forehands and turning defence into attack.

　　David Beckham caused a ripple of excitement with his arrival among the Centre Court crowd before the start of the second semi-final but there was already electricity in the air - it felt like the heavyweight contest the tournament had been waiting for.

　　

　　606: DEBATE

　　Andy Murray was outplayed by a player who hit top form and was able to play the crucial points to perfection

　　legandkillar

　　Both men were sharp from the outset, Murray sealing his second service game with two aces and a lob volley, but he failed to capitalise on the first half-chance when presented with a second serve at 30-30 in game eight and Nadal quickly made him pay.

　　The Spaniard fired a forehand into the corner to earn the first break point of the match at 4-4 and a nervous Murray forehand into the tramlines gave Nadal the chance to serve out the set, which he duly did after 37 minutes.

　　Murray continued to hold the edge on serve early in the second set, making an impressive 76% of first serves as he won his first three service games to love, but he could not break Nadal's resistance from deuce at 2-2 and 3-3 as the former champion held him off brilliantly.

　　Finally, a superb defensive lob brought Murray his first break points of the day at 4-3, 15-40, but a big first serve, a succession of heavy forehands and a vicious backhand winner got Nadal out of trouble.

　　The match remained as tight and tense as it had been in the opening moments, with every winner feeling like a victory and each error a disaster, and the stakes were raised even further as the second set came down to a tie-break.

　　

　　Murray will win Grand Slam very soon - Nadal

　　Murray had won three of his previous seven matches against Nadal but had never come back from a set down against the Spaniard, let alone two, and it was crucial that he took the chance to level.

　　A raking backhand return put the Scot into an early 2-0 lead but when he hooked a forehand into the net for 2-2, the better part of 15,000 spectators let out a collective groan.

　　Nadal's resistance seemed to have finally cracked when he double-faulted at 5-5 but Murray could not find a first serve on set point, and the world number one levelled with a brilliant volley.

　　He then brought Murray to the net and got a slice of luck with a net cord that helped his backhand pass avoid the Briton's flailing racquet, and a brilliant angled forehand gave Nadal the tightest of sets.

　　It was a hammer blow for Murray, but Nadal gave his opponent - and the crowd - a huge lift just when hopes were fading by dropping serve to love at the start of the third set.

　　But it was a long way back for Murray and, as his first serve dipped below 50%, the irrepressible Nadal struck back to make it 4-4.

　　The former champion was simply unstoppable, a fizzing forehand helping him to match point in game 10, and Murray fired over the baseline to end the battle after two hours and 21 minutes.

　　

　　Nadal wins scintillating rally

Major fire tackled on cargo ship in Lochaber

　　

　　The fire broke out on a conveyor belt on the ship Firefighters are tackling a major fire on a cargo ship on the west coast of Scotland.

　　The 100,000 tonne bulk carrier Yeoman Bontrup had been loading material at the Glensanda quarry on the Morven peninsula in Lochaber.

　　No-one has been seriously injured but the vessel is believed to have been extensively damaged.

　　A coastguard spokesman said the fire broke out on a conveyor belt and had caused explosions on board.

　　The blaze took hold on the Bahamas-registered ship at about 1530 BST on Friday on the conveyor belt used to carry material from the quarry to the ship.

　　Continue reading the main story

　　This is a fierce fire which has caused a couple of explosions on board

　　Richard Morgans Clyde Coastguard

　　Because of Glensanda's remote location, firefighters had to travel by barge.

　　Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service said the fire spread to the ship and set off an explosion involving gas cylinders on board.

　　The coastguard said all crew members were safe, however the area of the vessel housing the crew quarters suffered significant damage.

　　One man was taken to Oban Hospital for treatment to injuries which are not thought to be life threatening.

　　A number of crew members were also treated for the effects of smoke inhalation and for minor injuries.

　　Specialist team

　　Richard Morgans, Clyde Coastguard's watch manager said: "This is a fierce fire which has caused a couple of explosions on board.

　　"We are working with Glensanda harbour master and the Highlands and Islands Fire Service to tackle the blaze and minimize the threat of pollution."

　　The eight-man specialist Highlands and Islands maritime firefighting team (Mirg) has been at the scene since 2015 BST.

　　They were transported there by an RAF rescue helicopter from Lossiemouth, with the assistance of coastguard rescue officers from the Portmahomack team.

　　Highlands and Islands Fire Service have three appliances at the scene, assisted by a further three appliances from Strathclyde.

　　The coastguard rescue tug Anglian Sovereign was on its way to the scene to help with the recovery of the vessel.

Thousands expected at London's Pride celebrations

　　

　　Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to march through London Up to one million people are expected in London later to take part in the annual Pride celebrations.

　　The event, which celebrates lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender culture, is one of the largest of its kind in the world.

　　This year it is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Gay Liberation Front, a pressure group which organised the city's first Pride parade.

　　The parade will begin in Baker Street and proceed to Trafalgar Square.

　　Entertainment will be provided en route by a variety of DJs, dance, comedy and music acts while a street party will be held in Soho.

　　'Streets thronged'

　　Among those attending the event will be the Liberal Democrat equality minister Lynne Featherstone, who earlier this week disclosed that the government was considering allowing same-sex couples to include hymn singing and religious readings in civil partnership ceremonies.

　　The openly gay Conservative policing minister Nick Herbert and Mayor of London Boris Johnson will also attend.

　　Mr Johnson said: "This weekend, the streets of London will be thronged with people from all walks of life taking part in one of the most highly anticipated events of the year.

　　"I am pleased to support our city's Pride celebrations and proud of London's reputation as a place where you can be yourself."

Otunbayeva sworn as Kyrgyz leader in historic first

　　

　　Mrs Otunbayeva is the region's first female president Interim leader Rosa Otunbayeva has been sworn in as president of the troubled republic of Kyrgyzstan.

　　Mrs Otunbayeva took power after bloody street riots in April which ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

　　The former foreign minister becomes the first female president of an ex-communist Central Asian country.

　　The inaguration comes days after a referendum on the country's new constitution which makes it the region's first parliamentary democracy.

　　She took the oath of office at a Soviet-era concert hall in the capital Bishkek.

　　In April thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed and an estimated 400,000 people - many of them from the minority ethnic Uzbek community - were displaced.

　　The violence has abated but the country's Uzbek and Kyrgyz populations remain deeply divided.

 

Videla trial opens in Argentina

　　

　　Jorge Videla ruled the country from 1976 to 1981 Former Argentine military ruler Jorge Videla has gone on trial for the murders of more than 30 political prisoners in 1976.

　　The 84-year-old, who is already serving a life sentence for abuses committed during military rule, is one of more than 20 defendants.

　　A presidential pardon given to him in 1990 was recently overturned by the supreme court.

　　Up to 30,000 people were tortured and murdered between 1976 and 1983.

　　As the head of the military junta until 1981, Videla is considered to have been the main architect of what became known as the "Dirty War".

　　The case now being heard relates to the killing of a group of left-wing activists who were taken from their jail cells in the central city of Cordoba and shot dead shortly after the military took power.

　　The army said at the time that they were killed while trying to escape.

　　Convictions restored

　　Now 84 and with prostate cancer, Videla was sentenced to life in prison for torture, murder and other crimes in 1985 when many of Argentina's military leaders were tried for human rights abuses.

　　He was pardoned in 1990 under an amnesty given by the president at the time, Carlos Menem.

　　In April the supreme court upheld a 2007 federal court move to overturn his pardon, restoring Videla's convictions and clearing the way for other new cases against him.

　　Since he is already serving a life sentence, any new conviction will not mean more years of prison, the BBC's Candace Piette reports from Buenos Aires.

　　But the prosecution hopes the trial in Cordoba will bring some relief to the families of the dead, our correspondent says.

　　World Cup cover

　　The families of the victims are being represented by Miguel Ceballos, a lawyer whose father was among those killed.

　　"When they came looking for my father at the prison, he knew he would be killed," he said.

　　"He said goodbye to his friends and left a photo of his family so they could tell us what happened."

　　During his five-year administration, Videla organised the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.

　　Argentina's victory was used to try to clean the international reputation of the military government at a time when reports of massive human rights violations had been seeping out, our correspondent says.

　　Videla also faces charges in Italy, Spain France and Germany for the murder of some of their citizens in Argentina.