BBC Says Sorry For 'Sexist' Wimbledon Remark

The BBC has been forced to apologise after presenter John Inverdale suggested the women's Wimbledon champion was "never going to be a looker".

The BBC presenter made the disparaging remark on Radio 5 live shortly after French player Marion Bartoli defeated Germany's Sabine Lisicki on Centre Court.

Bartoli, 28, fell to her knees after she won the title and then made a beeline for the player's box where she hugged her father and former coach, Walter.

Inverdale reportedly told listeners: "Do you think Bartoli's dad told her when she was little, 'you're never going to be a looker, you'll never be a Sharapova, so you have to be scrappy and fight?"

The comments sparked outrage among social media users where some called for Inverdale to be stripped of his job.

Inverdale was accused of being a 'sexist dinosaur'

Richard Kent said on Twitter: "John Inverdale needs to go. @bbc5live Are you going to allow him to carry on? Comments re Bartoli are appalling."

Another Twitter user said: "Ooops John Inverdale maybe falling on his sword me thinks, sexist dinosaur!"

The BBC later apologised for the comments.

"We accept that this remark was insensitive and for that we apologise," a spokesman said.

Inverdale was presenting from the women's final at Wimbledon on Saturday.

Earlier, he told his listeners that he poked fun at the player's looks "in a nice way".

He added: "She is an incredible role model for people who aren't born with all the attributes of natural athletes".

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Newlywed Brit Killed In Cancun Hit-And-Run

A newlywed has died in a suspected hit-and-run crash while he was on his honeymoon in Mexico.

Ray Cottam, 55, died in Cancun, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said.

Mr Cottam, of Middlestown, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was on holiday with his new wife Karen after their marriage at a hotel near Pontefract last Saturday, according to reports.

He reportedly worked for Fox's Biscuits in Batley, but had previously run a fish and chip shop in nearby Ossett.

Janet Barnes, 56, of Ossett, who worked with him at the chip shop and attended his wedding reception, said she was struggling to come to terms with what had happened.

She told the Yorkshire Evening Post: "He was a diamond - a one in a million. He would do anything for anyone.

"Him and Karen were made for each other. It is a total shock and we still can't believe it."

An FCO spokesman said: "We were made aware of the death of a British national in Cancun, Mexico, on June 30.

"We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time."

Mrs Cottam is now back home in Middlestown being comforted by family.

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Michael Parkinson: Chat Show Host Has Cancer

Chat show host Sir Michael Parkinson has revealed he is being treated for prostate cancer but has no intention of stopping working.

The television star, 78, is currently undergoing radiotherapy but is expected to make a full recovery.

Sir Michael, who was diagnosed in May after a routine medical last October, said he was confident of fighting the disease.

He said: "It was a great shock, but I have been told to expect to make a full recovery."

He told The Sun On Sunday: "Of course mortality is on the mind. But I'm not afraid.

"My wife Mary has been a tremendous support and while she has been, of course, very upset, she can see how I have approached this.

"Once she realised I wouldn't let it affect me, Mary was fine.

"I don't feel ill. And I will keep working. I have no intention of stopping working."

The presenter, affectionately known as "Parky" to his legion of fans, has been having five sessions of radiotherapy a week.

He is also backing a campaign to help raise awareness of the disease.

Sir Michael said: "All that concerns me now is for men around the country to stop and take notice of any symptoms that might save their lives.

"I'm not a softy. If you show the symptoms of this dreadful disease, get help. Men need to get themselves checked. It will save lives."

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Saatchi To Divorce Nigella After Neck Row

Art collector Charles Saatchi has announced he has filed for divorce from Nigella Lawson - citing her refusal to defend his reputation after he was pictured with his hand around her neck at a restaurant.

In a statement, the 70-year-old told The Mail On Sunday: "I am sorry to announce that Nigella Lawson and I are getting divorced.

"I feel that I have clearly been a disappointment to Nigella during the last year or so, and I am disappointed that she was advised to make no public comment to explain that I abhor violence of any kind against women, and have never abused her physically in any way."

The couple were pictured on June 9 during an argument at Scott's restaurant in Mayfair, central London.

Images showed Mr Saatchi with his hand around the 53-year-old celebrity chef's throat.

Ms Lawson, the daughter of former chancellor Lord Lawson, was reportedly seen weeping following the episode. She did not make a complaint to police.

Mr Saatchi voluntarily attended a central London police station and accepted a caution, saying he did not want the incident "hanging over all of us".

But he claimed his wife has refused to answer calls after apparently leaving the family home with her two children, Cosima, 19, and Bruno, 17, from her previous marriage to journalist John Diamond, who died of throat cancer in 2001.

Mr Saatchi, who made his name in advertising, said: "This is heartbreaking for both of us as our love was very deep, but in the last year we have become estranged and drifted apart.

"The row photographed at Scott's restaurant could equally have been Nigella grasping my neck to hold my attention - as indeed she has done in the past."

Mr Saatchi insisted his actions were not violent, saying that while he had his hands around Ms Lawson's neck, "there was no pressure applied to her".

He said the pictures gave a "wholly different and incorrect implication", adding: "I am sorry that we had a row. I am sorry she was upset. I am even more sorry that this is the end of our marriage."

Ms Lawson became a household name in 1998 with her first cookery book, How To Eat. She married Mr Saatchi in 2003.

Her spokesman said: "There is no comment from Nigella."

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Falkirk Row: Miliband Vows 'To Mend' Union Ties

Labour leader Ed Miliband has tried to play down the rift between his party and the Unite union after a row over the way election candidates were selected in Falkirk.

Writing in the Observer, Mr Miliband said he wanted to "mend ... not end" Labour's relationship with the trade unions as he promised further party reforms to prevent a repeat of a highly-damaging row over candidate selection.

The Labour leader, who is engaged in a bitter dispute with the leader of the party's biggest union donor over claims it sought to rig a ballot, said he wanted to increase the involvement of individual members.

He dismissed earlier suggestions - which allegedly came from Labour sources - that he was looking at ending the historic formal ties with the unions.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey meanwhile showed no signs of calming the row when he urged Mr Miliband to "step back from the brink of a ruinous division" and stop "playing into the hands" of the Tories.

Mr McCluskey again rejected any suggestions of criminal wrongdoing by Unite after the party called in the police to investigate alleged irregularities in the Falkirk selection.

Len McCluskey remains locked in a row with Ed Miliband

The case centres on alleged attempts to swell the Falkirk party with Unite members to ensure the success of its favoured candidate - some apparently signed up for Labour membership without their knowledge.

In the Sunday newspaper article Mr Miliband said events in Falkirk "have betrayed the values of our party" and confirmed the public's worst suspicions that politicians were "in it for themselves".

Reforms to be announced soon would ensure future selections "are always fair, open and transparent", he said, making sure the Falkirk episode  "never happens again" and making Labour "more worthy of your trust".

News that Mr Miliband was poised to make a speech addressing those issues had sparked suggestions he would announce major changes to the party's relationship with the unions which helped set it up in 1900.

"Some people will ask whether these changes mean we should break the link with the trade unions," Mr Miliband wrote - citing perceptions that they were increasingly irrelevant, unrepresentative and a "problem" for Labour.

"But the presence of ordinary working people - from shopworkers to nurses, engineers to scientists, construction workers to classroom assistants - in a political party should be its biggest asset.

"To cut these individuals loose would be to make politics more out of touch, not less, more remote from working people.

"What people in both the party and the trade unions understand is that far too few of these working people are actively engaged in our party at the local level as individuals. So we should mend the relationship, not end it."

Unite, Britain's biggest union, donates millions of pounds to Labour

The row has plunged Mr Miliband into the most testing challenge of his leadership - with the Conservatives exploiting it to press home claims that he is too "weak" to stand up to the party's significant financial backers.

In a sign of the depth of the breakdown in relations, the two men - who penned separate articles in Sunday newspapers - are said not to have spoken directly since the beginning of June.

Mr Miliband defended the referral to the police and the suspension of two people including Unite's preferred candidate in Falkirk, demanding Unite "accept the results of the inquiry that has taken place and take responsibility for getting its own house in order".

But Mr McCluskey said Mr Miliband's response was a "shambles".

"Labour's attack on Unite is alienating tens of thousands of decent people from the party at a time when we should all be pulling together to take on this rotten Government and its policies causing so much misery," he wrote in the Sunday Mirror.

"So I urge Ed Miliband: step back from the brink of a ruinous division," he said.

Unite was happy to co-operate with any police probe but "reject the idea that any criminal wrongdoing has occurred", Mr McCluskey added, dismissing the internal review - which has not been made public - as a "shoddy fraud".

In the wake of the Falkirk case, Labour axed a scheme that allowed unions to pay the fees of newly-recruited party members for an initial period, conceding that it was open to abuse.

A code of conduct for would-be candidates and seeking selection and restrictions on the sums allowed to be spent on selection campaigns are reported to be among other measures to be announced.

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Church Of England To Apologise For Sex Abuse

The General Synod is expected to formally endorse an apology later for Church of England failures over clerical child abuse.

Members of the Church's national assembly will be asked to back an apology issued by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu over failings in procedures to protect children, young people and adults from physical and sexual abuse by clergy and others.

The apology also covers the "failure to listen properly to those so abused".

It will be discussed during a debate at the General Synod's meeting at the University of York.

The start of the service was temporarily disrupted as a man was arrested on suspicion of assault.

The man was restrained within metres of the Most Rev Welby and Dr Sentamu.

The Church of England said the man, who was held at the back of the Minster before being removed by police, was not a protester.

A spokesman said two people suffered minor injuries in the scuffle - a member of Dr Sentamu's staff, Dave Smith, who had a bloodied face and a steward who suffered a bump to the back of his head.

The move to back an apology follows the publication in May of a final report into the operation of child protection policies following a series of scandals involving clergy within the Diocese of Chichester.

The report comes after the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, now Lord Williams, ordered an inspection of the diocese in December 2011.

At the time the report was published, the Most Rev Welby renewed his apology to the victims of clerical abuse for their "pain and hurt".

The Government's welfare reform programme, and whether to back a call rejecting the "misleading characterisation" of all welfare recipients as "scroungers", will also be debated by General Synod members.

A briefing document drawn up for the General Synod by Philip Fletcher, chairman of the Church's Mission and Public Affairs Council, has accused Government spokesmen of making "political capital" out of presenting unemployment as a "strivers" versus "scroungers" debate.

The Most Rev Welby and Dr Sentamu, backed a letter to the Daily Telegraph earlier this year criticising the Government over benefit cuts.

The letter, signed by 43 bishops, opposed to a 1% cap on benefit rises saying this could push 200,000 children into poverty.

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Sizzling Sunday Is Hottest Day Of The Year

Sweltering temperatures are being recorded across Britain, making it the hottest day of the year so far.

Highs of 28.8C (83.8F) at London's Heathrow Airport and 28.5C at Bournemouth were recorded this afternoon - and temperatures are expected to rise further, forecasters say.

Sky News Weather Producer Jo Robinson said: "I wouldn't be surprised to see 31C somewhere across southeast England by the end of the day.

"West London currently looks the most favoured spot.

"England's east coast and parts of the south-east will be a touch cooler tomorrow, whereas Scotland and Ireland will be warmer."

An elephant covers himself in dust to protect himself from the sun

Tennis fans at Wimbledon have feeling the heat with people suffering from a variety of weather-related ailments.

"We've had a busy weekend at Wimbledon, with the hot weather contributing to ailments including dehydration, sunburn and heat exhaustion," Katherine Eaton, regional events manager for St John Ambulance London, said.

"Our volunteers are determined to be the difference by making sure that everyone has access to essential first aid; and we would like everyone who is visiting to make themselves aware of where they can seek help should they begin to feel unwell."

Today's heat follows highs of 27.5C at London's Heathrow airport on Saturday afternoon. It put the previous high of 27.2C, also at Heathrow last month, in the shade.

A number of Wimbledon visitors have been treated for heat-related ailments

Sky News Weather Presenter Sarah Pennock warned: "There will be plenty of sunshine across England and Wales - but if you are enjoying the outdoors prepare for high UV levels and a high pollen count."

Pennock said it will remain warm this week in much of England and Wales, although North Sea coastlines will turn cooler from Tuesday with an onshore breeze.

It means the UK is on course to enjoy its longest spell of hot weather since 2006, when temperatures were above 28C (82F) in many areas for around a fortnight.

The average maximum temperature in England at this time of year is 20.9C (69F).

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Abu Qatada Denies Terrorism Charges In Jordan

Radical preacher Abu Qatada has pleaded not guilty to terror charges - just hours after his deportation from the UK to Jordan.

After landing at an isolated airstrip near the Jordanian capital Amman, Qatada was driven by police escort to the heavily guarded State Security Court.

There he was charged by military prosecutors with conspiracy to carry out terrorist acts.

The 53-year-old denies involvement in a plot to attack American and Israeli tourists and faces a retrial.

Qatada leaves Amman's State Security Court in a police vehicle

No reporters were allowed into the hearing, but a court official said Qatada was remanded in custody for 15 days at the maximum security Muwaqqar prison, which houses dozens of convicted terrorists.

His lawyer, Taysir Diab, said he would be lodging an appeal on Monday for Qatada to be released on bail.

It is understood Jordanian authorities allowed Qatada's family to greet him on his arrival in Amman.

Home Secretary Theresa May told Sky News that she was "very pleased" to have finally succeeded in deporting the cleric.

The military plane carrying Qatada arrives at Amman Airport in Jordan

"He is now where people wanted him to be - which is not in the UK, but back in Jordan," she said.

Accompanied by four police officers, Qatada left for Jordan in the early hours on a military plane from RAF Northolt in west London.

It marks the end of an eight-year legal battle to remove Qatada, described by the Government as a "truly dangerous individual" and a "key player" in al Qaeda-related terrorism.

Sky News correspondent Mark White said: "He has been a thorn in the side of five home secretaries who have tried to get rid of him. As far as the British Government and senior politicians are concerned, there will be quiet celebration that he has finally left the country."

Qatada glances out of the military plane flying him to Jordan

Qatada used his human rights to make a series of costly challenges to moves to deport him to his native country.

The case became a national embarrassment, with critics of European human rights legislation claiming it rendered UK politicians powerless to remove someone who they believed to be a clear threat to national security.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: "I am absolutely delighted. This is something this Government said it would get done and we have got it done.

"It is an issue, like for the rest of the country, has made my blood boil. That this man, who has no right to be in our country, who is a threat to our country, and that it took so long and was so difficult to deport him.

"But we've done it, he's back in Jordan, that's excellent news."

The Home Office spent a total of £1.7m on legal fees from the many court proceedings.

Qatada was taken from Belmarsh to RAF Northolt under police escort

Mrs May said the Jordanian national's departure marked "the conclusion of efforts to remove him since 2001 and I believe this will be welcomed by the British public".

She added: "I am glad that this government's determination to see him on a plane has been vindicated and that we have at last achieved what previous governments, Parliament and the British public have long called for.

"This dangerous man has now been removed from our shores to face the courts in his own country.

"I am also clear that we need to make sense of our human rights laws and remove the many layers of appeals available to foreign nationals we want to deport. We are taking steps - including through the new Immigration Bill - to put this right."

Qatada had became an object of hate to many

It was a treaty signed between the UK and Jordan that finally secured Qatada's departure, giving him the assurances he needed to leave his taxpayer-funded home behind.

The agreement, announced by Mrs May earlier this year, aimed to allay fears that evidence extracted through torture will be used against the father-of-five at a retrial.

In a shock move, Qatada pledged in May to leave Britain with his family if and when the treaty was fully ratified, a process that to the relief of many concluded earlier this week.

It is understood he will be held in solitary confinement in prison, until the Jordanian authorities can put him on trial.

Jordanian information minister Mohammed Momani said the country "is keen on credibility and transparency" in handling Qatada.

Theresa May believes Qatada's departure will be widely welcomed

He added the deportation of the Palestinian-born cleric "sends a message to all fugitives that they will face justice in Jordan".

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "Abu Qatada should have made this decision to face justice in Jordan before, as this has dragged on far too long, but it is extremely welcome news that this saga is now at an end."

Qatada originally fled the Middle East and arrived in the UK in 1993. He was granted asylum the following year.

His increasingly radical sermons caught the attention of the security services in Britain and in numerous other countries.

A Spanish judge described him as the "spiritual head of the mujaheddin in Britain".

A number of people arrested on terrorism offences, including British born "shoe-bomber" Richard Reid, admitted seeking religious advice from him.

His sermons were found in the Hamburg flat used by a number of the 9/11 hijackers.

In 2001, on the eve of tough new British anti-terror laws allowing for the detention without trial of foreign terror suspects, Qatada went on the run, before later being arrested and held in Belmarsh prison.

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Crewe Alexandra Players Held Over 'Sex Assault'

Seven Crewe Alexandra football players have been released on bail after being arrested over a suspected sexual assault.

It is alleged to have taken place at a property in Redruth, a town in Cornwall where the League One club had been on a pre-season training camp.

Police made the arrests after receiving a complaint of sexual assault against a woman in her early 20s.

Three men aged 18, 19, and 35, and two aged 24 were held in Redruth on Saturday in connection with the allegation.

Later that day, a 21-year-old man was detained in Cheshire.

And on Sunday, a 20-year-old man was also held in Cheshire.

All seven suspects have been interviewed and have been released on bail pending further inquiries.

They have been told to return to police station on dates between September 30 and October 8.

A spokesman for the football club earlier confirmed some Crewe players were being held.

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Andy Murray Wins Wimbledon Title

Andy Murray has become the first Briton to win the men's singles trophy at Wimbledon for 77 years, with a straight-sets victory over the world number one.

With the hopes of the nation resting on his shoulders, the Scot beat world number one Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 on Centre Court.

Murray, 26, raised a standing ovation on Centre Court where crowds roared their support as he sealed a thrilling victory.

The Scot broke down in tears of joy as his triumph sank in before sprinting across the famous lawn to embrace his girlfriend Kim Sears, 25, in the player's box.

Murray won his first grand slam at the US Open last year and is keen to take the title at Wimbledon after losing to Roger Federer in an emotional final last year.

Thousands of people descended on the famous All-England club, including Prime Minister David Cameron, Scotland First Minister Alex Salmond, Victoria Beckham and Wayne Rooney, while millions tune in to watch the action on television.

On Murray Mount, fans held union flags and Scottish Saltires as they squeezed on to the steep bank to watch the tense tie.

More follows...

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