Gary Lineker expected to leave BBC sooner than planned after antisemitism row
We're getting reaction from the sport and media world. Football journalist Henry Winter says Lineker "has been an accomplished presenter for the BBC... [he] brings insight, calm and wit, and effortlessly gets the best from studio pundits and guests".
But, says Winter, "Lineker has become increasingly associated with non-footballing issues which overshadow his role as a football presenter.
"He's absolutely entitled to his views (whether people agree with them or not) but they've become a distraction...
"When the story-teller becomes the story there's usually only one ending. It's sad it's ending this way."
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BBC News
15 minutes ago
- BBC News
Why are so many world-famous music stars performing in Essex?
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We're building the reputation that Essex has an appetite for well-managed, well-run events with high-profile artists," Mr Young said."This isn't by chance, it's by hard work through building our reputation for hosting large-scale events. That's been over a five- or six-year period." The first of the big-name acts to come to Essex is 10-time Grammy winner Justin Timberlake, who performed at Chelmsford City Live last Duran, Chic and Nile Rogers, Olly Murs and Blue will also play at the racecourse venue this weekend. Described as "a major new-music festival in Essex headlined by global superstars and award-winning musicians", it is the first time the site has hosted such a large-scale Reynolds, 29, from Writtle, said she was "honestly shocked, and a bit confused" when she first learned Timberlake would be playing in her home city."It's Chelmsford - usually big artists like that would be in London," she told the BBC."Why shouldn't they come here? We've got events facilities like the racecourse, they hold all sorts of events - so why not continue inviting big artists if there's demand?"Everyone's really excited because it feels almost nostalgic, we listened to JT when we were at school together." Chelmsford City Council leader Stephen Robinson theorised that city status - which Chelmsford gained in 2012, followed by Colchester and Southend in 2022 - had helped to put the area on the live entertainment map."It hasn't made any difference to the budget or structure of Chelmsford City Council but it's been a labelling exercise which had perhaps raised the profile of those places," he said."And Chelmsford's easy to get to by train, helped by the Elizabeth Line."Transport's part of it, city status is part of it, and generally the reputation takes time to build up." 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Colchester Events operations manager Mr Young agrees about the draw of having events on people's doorsteps."They can walk into town, as they say, and experience high-profile artists who've played all over the world. "We see the economic benefits to the city, businesses are doing better, we want to retain skills here. "That buzz of Colchester and Essex can only be good for the economy, for mental health, for people's wellbeing - that's our aims and objectives." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Independent
15 minutes ago
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A new addition to the cycling rulebook may add to the drama at this year's Tour de France. Cycling's governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), has recently introduced a new yellow card system to crack down on reckless or dangerous behaviour in races. The system was trialled last season and has been integrated at World Tour (the top level) and Pro level races throughout this season, with the 2025 Tour the first to see it in action. Race commissaires - officials operating at the Tour and other races - can issue these yellow cards 'whenever the behaviour concerned is susceptible of causing a risk for safety', according to the UCI rulebook. A list of behaviour that may earn a yellow card includes a 'sticky bottle' - holding onto a team car for too long while taking on food - or taking sustenance outside a designated feed zone; sheltering in the slipstream of a race vehicle; assaulting or intimidating a fellow rider or spectator; and irregular sprinting. That covers deviating from your chosen line coming into a sprint, which could obstruct or endanger other riders. Mark Cavendish's history-making 35th stage win at the Tour de France, when he swung left across the road into empty space, may well have been hit with a yellow card for deviating from his line, were the regulations in place last summer. A new addition to the rulebook is most relevant to lead-out riders during a sprint: 'decelerating during a sprint and endangering other riders', i.e. riders pulling off having completed a lead-out and blocking the road or forcing other riders to go round them. There have been 159 yellow cards issued so far this season, and the UCI notes that the minority have been doled out to riders - 42%. 'Team staff (including mechanics and Sport Directors) account for 37% of yellow card issued, media/TV representatives (15%) and other motorbikes (6%),' it says, with unsafe driving by team cars, unsafe behaviour of staff in feed zones - handing out food and drink to riders - in particular warranting yellows. For riders, the most common cause of a yellow card has been irregular or dangerous behaviour in sprints, and that's where we're most likely to see any possible yellows at the Tour. How will it work? Unlike in, say, football, riders won't be brandished with a physical yellow card at the time of the offence - there will be no referees on wheels keeping tabs on the peloton. Instead, the yellow card offences will be published in race communiques after the race, as is common, where riders, teams and support staff are frequently hit with fines or other sanctions for breaking UCI rules. What are the consequences? Yellow cards may be handed out either as punishment on their own or in addition to any fines, relegation in race results, or time penalties awarded. Significantly, two yellow cards within 30 days warrant disqualification from the race and suspension for seven days. Three yellows in 30 days will result in a 14-day suspension. This could be huge during the Tour; a rider who receives a yellow for obstructing another's sprint on day one in Lille will endure a nervous rest of their race. So far one rider has been suspended, Alpecin-Deceuninck's Oscar Riesebeek, who was given two yellows in three days in May. What could go wrong? While the system has been put in place to ensure rider safety, there have occasionally been moments where it has come under fire for race commissaires over-policing behaviour, and there's an element of subjectivity to it too. When is jostling for position in a sprint part and parcel of bike racing, and when does it veer into dangerous or reckless territory? Certain officials will have different ideas. So far this season we've seen riders penalised for sitting up and celebrating teammates' wins during a sprint - the rulebook explicitly covers 'celebrating in the bunch, or taking hands off handlebars while in the bunch' - so there's certainly potential for controversy when the system makes its Tour debut.
