2+ min ago (1138+ words) Richard Collier-Keywood was appointed as the Welsh Rugby Union's first independent chair in 2023 Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) chair Richard Collier-Keywood says he was "embarrassed" by Wales' 73-0 defeat against South Africa, but wants to continue to lead the organisation. The 11-try hammering was a record home loss and the second worst result in Welsh rugby history following the 96-13 loss against the Springboks in 1998 in Pretoria. Collier-Keywood has been in post since 2023 with Wales losing 21 of the last 23 internationals in the past two years. He is one of the driving forces behind major change in Welsh rugby with plans to cut professional sides from four to three. When asked whether he thought he was still the man to take the WRU forward, Collier-Keywood replied: "Yes, I am. "It's obviously subject to the board and the clubs agreeing with that." Collier-Keywood was asked…...

9+ min ago (437+ words) Sir David Suchet has said that playing an oil company shareholder in a short film was "really terrific" and "so different from anything I've ever done". Best known for playing hero detective Hercule Poirot in a long-running ITV series, Sir David said his character in The Last Gasp was instead the "villain". It was inspired by the true story of an Iraqi villager who launched legal action against oil company BP following the loss of his son to leukemia. It won two awards at the Phoenix Rising International Film Festival in London earlier this month. Mr Cholmondeley said he was also inspired by BBC documentary Under Poisoned Skies, which revealed high levels of potentially cancer-causing chemicals in areas near oil fields. He said: "[The film] is trying to highlight a problem called [gas] flaring. When oil comes out of the…...

13+ min ago (265+ words) Lucas Paqueta joined West Ham from Lyon in 2022 West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta says his "ridiculous behaviour" that resulted in a red card in the 2-0 defeat by Liverpool was a "reflection of everything I've had to endure." A near-two-year Football Association investigation into the Brazil midfielder ended in July when he was cleared of spot-fixing charges by an independent regulatory commission. On Sunday, Paqueta was shown two yellow cards in quick succession for dissent by referee Darren England for arguing over a decision to award a foul against his team with six minutes left to play. "Perhaps this ridiculous behavior is just a reflection of everything I've had to endure and, it seems, have to continue enduring! "I'm sorry if I'm not perfect." The FA had started its investigation in August 2023 and the 27-year-old was charged in May last year…...

13+ min ago (251+ words) Lucas Paqueta joined West Ham from Lyon in 2022 West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta says his "ridiculous behaviour" that resulted in a red card in the 2-0 defeat by Liverpool was a "reflection of everything I've had to endure." A near-two-year Football Association investigation into the Brazil midfielder ended in July when he was cleared of spot-fixing charges by an independent regulatory commission. On Sunday, Paqueta was shown two yellow cards in quick succession for dissent by referee Darren England for arguing over a decision to award a foul against his team with six minutes left to play. "Perhaps this ridiculous behavior is just a reflection of everything I've had to endure and, it seems, have to continue enduring! "I'm sorry if I'm not perfect." The FA had started its investigation in August 2023 and the 27-year-old was charged in May last year…...

13+ min ago (353+ words) About 4,000 people have taken part in a demonstration against government plans to house asylum seekers at a military site in East Sussex, organisers have said. The demonstrators oppose the Home Office's now delayed plan to temporarily house up to 540 male asylum seekers at an army training camp on the outskirts of Crowborough. Earlier, participants, including families with children, waved banners and chanted, walking from the former barracks in Crowborough to the town centre. The Home Office said it was postponing the arrival of the asylum seekers but would continue to "accelerate plans" to move people to the site when it was fully operational and safe. Similar protests have taken place in the town in recent weeks, with Sunday's march having the largest turn out to date, organisers said. They said Crowborough, which has a population of about 20,000, was too small…...

20+ min ago (1046+ words) Manchester United's Mason Mount celebrates scoring the winner against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park It is a long time since Mason Mount completed a full 90 minutes in the Premier League. So long, in fact, he was facing Crystal Palace as a Chelsea player in January 2023. But that has nothing to do with Mount's ability. Such is Ruben Amorim's faith in the 26-year-old he was talking up Mount's qualities earlier this year even though the England international had been ruled out until April with a muscle issue. Explaining his decision before kick-off to recall him for the Premier League trip to Selhurst Park, Amorim reinforced that support. "Mason Mount is really smart," he said. "He gives us more possession. He is intense and he can score goals, so is one more player to be near the box." The remark showed incredible…...

20+ min ago (1045+ words) Manchester United's Mason Mount celebrates scoring the winner against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park It is a long time since Mason Mount completed a full 90 minutes in the Premier League. So long, in fact, he was facing Crystal Palace as a Chelsea player in January 2023. But that has nothing to do with Mount's ability. Such is Ruben Amorim's faith in the 26-year-old he was talking up Mount's qualities earlier this year even though the England international had been ruled out until April with a muscle issue. Explaining his decision before kick-off to recall him for the Premier League trip to Selhurst Park, Amorim reinforced that support. "Mason Mount is really smart," he said. "He gives us more possession. He is intense and he can score goals, so is one more player to be near the box." The remark showed incredible…...

24+ min ago (108+ words) Nicky Devlin's late header gave disjointed Aberdeen victory over Scottish Premiership bottom side Livingston as their unbeaten run extended to six matches. Are Aberdeen slowly building momentumn? Or are the performances concerning? Premier League: Arsenal goalless with 10-man Chelsea at break Verstappen wins in Qatar as F1 drivers' title fight goes to final race - reaction Isak scores as Liverpool stop rot at 10-man West Ham Are Chelsea genuine title contenders? 'Bonds the embodiment of West Ham's spirit' Abject failure becoming the norm - where does Welsh rugby go from here? What next for heavyweight division after TKV win? Newcastle make 'big step forward' for 'fed up' Howe...

34+ min ago (450+ words) It was an emotional homecoming for hundreds of loved ones as the warship HMS Prince of Wales returned to Portsmouth. The "3bn aircraft carrier has been used to showcase the UK's ability to run complex military operations worldwide. The vessel has travelled 40,000 nautical miles since deploying in April, but now 1,600 personnel have returned to cheering crowds at the naval base. The Royal Navy's flagship had been scheduled to return on Monday, but came back early due to bad weather. The aircraft carrier is part of the UK's Carrier Strike Group, which includes Portsmouth destroyer HMS Dauntless, which also returned home from deployment. Crowds gathered early to catch a glimpse of their loved ones and mark the end of their 2025 mission, codenamed Operation Highmast. Among the crowds, parents Vicky and Alan Mackinnon had travelled from Orkney to greet their sons Callum and…...

38+ min ago (358+ words) More than 140 people dressed as elves ran through a park in Scunthorpe earlier to raise money for the mental health charity MIND. It was the first time the Mental Elf 5k Festive Fun Run was held in the town and was hosted in Central Park. The charity's Mental Elf runs take place across England and Wales during November and December. Ms Klusaite said: "Mental health is important all times of year, but I think especially in winter, because the weather is getting colder, it's getting darker. "We really need to take make sure that we do things to take care of our mental health," she explained. The charity runs one to one counselling and runs groups to help people with anxiety, stress and depression. Chloe Jaksics from North Lincolnshire Mind said there is a support group every afternoon and a phone…...