CONOR MCGREGOR is set to own part of the UFC after transcending the sport and stepping over to box undefeated hero Floyd Mayweather. The Irish sensation is the poster boy for the four-billion dollar MMA company after Ronda Rousey’s fight career collapsed and light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones failed another drugs test. McGregor is set to earn around £85million for his Las Vegas showdown with the original Money Man on Saturday. And UFC boss Dana White admits an unprecedented offer of shares in the MMA company might be the only way to keep the Dublin star on the books when contract talks open up soon. White said: “Yes I have a feeling we will be having that conversation and I don’t mind it –he deserves to have that conversation. “It has never been done but anything is possible. “There are a lot of people who think they are worth this and worth that but we know what this kid is worth.” McGregor’s global appeal not only secures the … [Read more...]

Under a moonless, starless, benighted sky, head torches were switched on and we struck out across the riverside meadow. We had walked for several sure-footed minutes along a closely grazed towpath where white yarrow rosettes glowed like solar garden lights. The only hazards on that firm ground had been the nearly invisible giant plates that I stepped on and found to have hard crusts and soft hearts. Country diary: Sandy, Bedfordshire: The river is my guiding light Read more Down in the thick, lush, grass of the meadow, my torch beam made an excellent pat detector, spotting every cow splat before it was first-footed. The herd had not long been taken off the meadow and it was easy to see why. Though the grass grew tall, fearsome thistles grew taller. However, every head was nodding, a sign of chemical weed-wiping and a shrivelled destiny ahead. We might have crossed a field that held nothing more sinister than cow poo and prickles but I was thankful for my light, … [Read more...]

SOCIAL MEDIA users were left furious this morning after another disastrous Carabao Cup draw. Fans were already unhappy with the 4:15am start time, but also bemoaned the fact there was no stream and that it seemed to take an eternity. Sky Sports News were supposed to be showing the draw in Beijing, but the channel stuck with their regular news updates and updated the ties in their ticker at the bottom of the screen. That meant the only way to follow the draw was via the Carabao Cup‘s Twitter feed. And fans were bemused as to how long it took for the matches to be revealed. The first tie between West Brom and Man City was tweeted at 4:36am with the 16th game between Bournemouth and Brighton coming out at 5:08am. One Twitter user said: “This Carabao Cup draw is more painstaking that Eurovision.” Another commented: “Got a 40 minute drive to work now and I’m not convinced they’ll have actually finished the Carabao Cup draw by the time I get … [Read more...]

The Nine Entertainment Co has posted a $203m loss for the 2017 financial year after exiting a loss-making content deal with Warner Bros and writing down the value of its free-to-air television business. The “onerous” Warner Bros deal accounted for $87m of the loss and obliged Nine to buy Hollywood’s drama and comedy programs even if they didn’t suit its audience and performed badly. Seven West Media posts $744m loss and cuts chief Tim Worner's pay Read more NEC – which includes the television channels Nine, 9Go!, 9Gem and 9Life, catch-up TV service 9Now, streaming video-on-demand company Stan and digital properties nine.com.au, 9Honey and Pedestrian TV – reported revenue of $1.23b for the financial year, including a decline in television advertising revenue of 4.4%. Nine reported the decline in revenue is largely due to the soft free-to-air market and the competition from the Olympics on Seven. The total advertising market … [Read more...]

For those approaching the border crossing from the Lithuanian side, the Russian guards and military personnel are obscured by a bend in the road and the trees of the Ramoniškiai forest. Only a towering communication pole, watching and listening, shows how close they are. Barely 50 vehicles a day pass through here making their way between Lithuania, once part of the Soviet Union, and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea. Wedged between Lithuania to its north and east, and Poland to its south, Kaliningrad is about 800 miles (1,300km) from Moscow. This doesn’t look or feel much like a modern-day version of Berlin’s Checkpoint Charlie. Yet the 45km of land border on which the Ramoniškiai crossing sits – between the watery demarcation provided by the rivers Lepona to the south and Neman to the north – has become a worry for the government in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, a swift tank ride away. Kaliningrad map In a few weeks Russia … [Read more...]

Russia is preparing to mount what could be one of its biggest military exercises since the cold war, a display of power that will be watched warily by Nato against a backdrop of east-west tensions. Western officials and analysts estimate up to 100,000 military personnel and logistical support could participate in the Zapad (West) 17 exercise, which will take place next month in Belarus, Kaliningrad and Russia itself. Moscow puts the number significantly lower. The exercise, to be held from 14-20 September, comes against a backdrop of strained relations between Russia and the US. Congress recently imposed a fresh round of sanctions on Moscow in response to allegations of interference in the 2016 US election. The first of the Russian troops are scheduled to arrive in Belarus in mid-August. Moscow has portrayed Zapad 17 as a regular exercise, held every four years, planned long ago and not a reaction to the latest round of sanctions. Nato headquarters in Brussels said it had no plans to … [Read more...]

Many people just put up with stomach pain and discomfort from these conditions.However, experts claim the gut and the brain are very closely linked - for example stress has been linked to IBS. However, Dr Joan Ransley, nutritionist and cook reveals why we should listen more closely to our guts because they can indicate warning signs of other conditions. “The gut is actually the body’s second brain and plays a vital role in our overall health and wellbeing,” she said. “Listening, tasting, seeing, smelling and feeling can help us identify what it is telling us and any warning signs.”Dr Ransley has listed a number of signs to look out for.    Sound: The rumbles and groans generated in your abdomen are caused by the propulsion of gas and fluid through different regions of the gut. The fluid is a mixture of food, drink and digestive juices. The gas may either be swallowed air, carbon dioxide generated by the combination of acid and alkaline … [Read more...]

Hair is being dyed red when it is not naturally that colour. The fashionable colour is quite a startling shade, and lest there be any mistake that it is dyed, it goes with a white face and lips rather redder than is strictly natural. How Elizabeth I made red hair fashionable – in 1558 Read more Indeed, to be natural in colour, as far as Paris is concerned, is not to be seen at all. The delicate complexion, with suggestions of rosé leaf or lilies, has gone with the delicate shades in colours and people who wear orange and scarlet and magenta, and perhaps all three together, would disappear behind thee insipidity of their own completion alone. Of course it is all a great tax of time and energies. The face and hair have to be dressed to tone in with a particular colour scheme, and, just as pictures are being painted to go with particular wallpapers, so hair and faces are being coloured to go with particular materials. It is very amusing; it also links up … [Read more...]

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been together for year and many expect the fifth in-line to the British throne will soon be engaged to the actress.An expert in the field of astrology has revealed her interpretation of the pair’s birth charts, giving Express.co.uk and exclusive and intimate insight into the romance between a British royal and a US TV star.Sara Delphi claims the couple’s birth signs are fascinating, but that they are both interesting subjects. She said: “They are quite complex characters I must say - very interesting, very different but similar in so many ways.”What are their signs?Harry is devoted to service, communication and being a team player, as is demonstrated by his committed work in the army in previous years, Sara revealed.She said: “He is a Virgo, an earth sign and Mercury is his ruling planet, the planet of communication, travel and learning, and it rules the Sixth House, the house of work service, team work, vocation and … [Read more...]

Consternation, mourning and national soul-searching greeted the temporary silencing of Big Ben last week, but at least another favourite fixture of the nightly and early morning radio is to continue. The hymnal cadences of Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, through Shannon, Rockall, Malin all the way to south-east Iceland, will be heard as usual on Thursday, as the shipping forecast celebrates 150 years of uninterrupted service. Shipping forecast map The shipping forecast, the longest continuous weather forecast ever made, has been a public service since 1867 when it was used to warn of storms. The warnings were first issued using the electric telegraph until radio became available. Storm warnings were sent over the telegraph wires to harbours, where signals were hoisted to warn ships at sea. When the BBC was formed in the 1920s, the maritime forecast became a fixture of the daily wireless programme where it would remain with occasional modifications and a break during the war when … [Read more...]

Image copyright Getty Images British Standards-approved smoke alarms have "wildly varying" response times, according to a new study by Which?. An investigation by the consumer group found some alarms could take twice as long to sound as others, with one brand failing to go off at all - despite having BSI Kitemark certification.Which? said the delays could lead to "unthinkable consequences".BSI - formerly known as the British Standards Institution - said its tests ensured "adequate warning" was given. Smoke alarms 'fail to wake children' Hand on a stick to test fire alarms Which? carried out four controlled tests with different burning materials - smouldering wood, solvent, plastic and cotton - on 15 different smoke detectors. The Devolo Home Control Smoke Detector - one of the most expensive products on the list - did not sound in two of the tests. The company said the detector had passed test procedures … [Read more...]

CONOR MCGREGOR will push the rule book to limit in his bid to bid to beat Floyd Maywesther with the aging boxer’s arms a target. British MMA pioneer Dan Hardy expects the Irish UFC sensation to test the patience of 74-year-old referee Robert Byrd when the two clash on Saturday night. Mayweather retiring with damage to his wrists, elbows or shoulders would still be a stunning debut win for the Dublin star. And the Sky Sports analyst expects the Notorious One to try to do damage to the 49-0 icon in any way he can. Hardy told SunSport: “I think there are a lot of things that Conor can do that Floyd will be surprised about. “In boxing the typical thing to do is to overhook the arms to control punches, if Conor can do that then that is a gift for an MMA fighter because we are used to having to fight for that position to exploit our opponents. “Obviously there are a lot of things Conor cannot do but there is a long list of things Conor can do in there.” Hardy … [Read more...]

MANCHESTER UNITED will begin their Carabao Cup defence against Burton Albion at Old Trafford. The third round draw for the League Cup took place this morning with the big boys entering the fray. And Jose Mourinho’s holders landed a favourable draw against the Championship side. Liverpool, meanwhile, will travel to Leicester in one of the ties of the round while Manchester City visit West Brom. Arsenal and Chelsea were both handed home draws against Doncaster Rovers and Nottingham Forest respectively. Tottenham will be forced to wait for their third round tie as the face the winner of the Barnsley vs Derby clash on September 19. The third round ties will take place in the week beginning September 18. The draw took place in Beijing at the insanely early time of 4.15am BST, 11.15am local time. West Brom vs Man City Everton vs Sunderland Leicester vs Liverpool Manchester United vs Burton Albion Brentford vs Norwich Wolves vs Bristol Rovers Burnley vs Leeds Arsenal vs … [Read more...]

The head of Australia’s largest youth drug and alcohol rehabilitation service has warned the government’s plan to test welfare recipients will force more people into drug dealing. “That’s why this is a stupid, stupid idea that is not based on evidence but is based on someone not looking at the literature and pretending they have the answers,” the chief executive of the Ted Noffs Foundation, Matt Noffs, said. The government has faced significant criticism over its proposal to drug test welfare recipients, which is still before parliament and largely hinges on the support of the Nick Xenophon Team. Welfare recipients in south-west Sydney first to be targeted by drug testing Read more The social services minister, Christian Porter, and the human services minister, Alan Tudge, have rejected the views of experts and drug support workers, saying the policy is a trial only and its effectiveness will later be assessed. The government argues it … [Read more...]

The French president has ruffled feathers by questioning the bloc’s “posted” workers policy which allows European companies to send employees to work in another EU member country while continuing to pay benefits and taxes in their own country.Higher-wage countries such as France argue this amounts to “social dumping” by allowing companies with lower costs to compete unfairly with local firms.Many central and eastern European states see the planned changes as nothing more than veiled protectionism and are vehemently opposed.Macron said: “The single European market and the free movement of workers is not meant to create a race to the bottom in terms of social regulations.“I think that Europe should protect [its citizens], and in that way, the European integration project should get a new meaning. Ultimately our citizens want to free themselves from the pressures of globalisation.“A Europe that protects is also in the position to solve the … [Read more...]

A Melbourne doctor who promotes “natural healing” and who helps parents to avoid compulsory vaccinations for their children is reportedly being investigated by Australia’s health watchdog. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) is reportedly investigating Dr John Piesse, who boasted at meetings of anti-vaccinators that he can help parents jump through hoops to get their children exempt from Victoria’s “no jab, no play” legislation. The legislation means children cannot be enrolled in early childhood daycare or education unless their carers have proof they are fully immunised, on a recognised vaccination catch-up program or unable to be fully immunised for medical reasons. Conscientious objection is not an exemption. It's time to inject some sense into the nonsense peddled by the anti-science crowd | Melissa Davey Read more Piesse also helps his patients avoid federal “no jab, no pay” legislation … [Read more...]

The 36-year-old got back behind the camera lens for the September issue of CR Fashion Book, a magazine run by Vogue Paris editor Carine Roitfeld.Kim's daughter North West made her debut in the publication aged just one, but now was mum's time to shine.The 90s themed issue saw Kim strip off á la Lil' Kim.The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star shared some jaw-dropping behind the scenes photos on her website, kimkardashianwest.com.And with Celine Dion, Victoria Beckham and Lily-Rose Depp all set to appear in the fashion bible, Kim had to pull out the big guns. KIMKARDASHIANWEST.COM PRETTY IN PINK: Kim channelled Lil' Kim for a 90s themed shoot The hottest reality TV stars on the planet   The hottest reality TV stars on the planet in pictures, Kim Kardashian, Coco Austin, Megan McKenna...we've got the lot here. … [Read more...]

Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption The typhoon brought Hong Kong to a standstill with many businesses staying closed A powerful storm has swept across southern China, leaving 12 dead and hundreds of people injured.Typhoon Hato made landfall at noon on Wednesday near Zhuhai city in Guangdong province, bringing with it strong winds and lashing rain.Hong Kong raised its typhoon warning signal to 10, the highest level. The territory and nearby Macau were brought to a standstill.The storm caused widespread flooding, blackouts and destruction. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionWeather authorities raised the hurricane threat to 10, the highest level, for the first time in five years Chinese state media … [Read more...]

Typhoon Hato has killed at least 12 people after it tipped across southern China on Wednesday, battering Hong Kong skyscrapers, flooding streets and forcing thousands to flee to shelters. Hato triggered Hong Kong’s most severe typhoon 10 warning, only the third time a storm of such power has hit the financial hub in the past 20 years. Eight people were killed in the gambling mecca of Macau, where local media showed cars underwater and people swimming along what are normally streets. The enclave’s famed mega-casinos were running on backup generators. Asian typhoons becoming more intense, study finds Read more Three men aged 30, 45 and 62 were killed in falls and accidents related to the heavy rain and gusting winds. Details on the other fatalities were not available. Hato came within about 37 miles (60km) of Hong Kong on Wednesday morning before the storm headed westward into mainland China. An 83-year-old man was initially reported to have been swept … [Read more...]

Thousands of Atlantic salmon may have escaped into Pacific waters after a net pen holding 305,000 of the fish was damaged at a farm in Washington state, leading wildlife officials to call for anglers to catch as many of the fish as possible. The fish farm’s owner, Cooke Aquaculture, said on Wednesday that several thousand Atlantic salmon may have ended up in the waters around the San Juan Islands after part of a net suffered a “structural failure”. The billionaire behind the world’s first genetically modified salmon Read more The Canada-based company – which purchased the 30-year-old farm last year – blamed Saturday’s incident on “exceptionally high tides and currents coinciding with this week’s solar eclipse”. The company initially told wildlife officials that an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 of the fish in the net pen had escaped, but said that the exact number would be determined once tidal conditions … [Read more...]