Ex-Publish Workplace chief govt Paula Vennells has been caught out by her personal electronic mail wherein she seems to counsel “managing the media” was a precedence over reviewing Horizon instances.

Giving proof on the Publish Workplace scandal inquiry for a second day on Thursday, Ms Vennells stated the thought given by former director of communications Mark Davies in 2013 that the Publish Workplace mustn’t assessment historic instances involving the Horizon IT system from “5 to 10 years” in the past as a result of it might be “on the entrance web page” was a “grossly improper perspective”.

But an electronic mail proven to the inquiry revealed that she had replied to Mr Davies on the time: “You might be proper to name this out. And I’ll take your steer, no difficulty. There are two goals, probably the most pressing being to handle the media.

“The second is to ensure we do tackle the considerations of JA [ex-MP James Arbuthnot] and Alan Bates.”

It comes a day after Ms Vennells was accused of crying “crocodile tears” and likewise admitted that statements made in her letters to MPs in response to questions on Horizon had been improper.

The British Olympic swimming champion David Wilkie has died on the age of 70.

Wilkie’s household introduced that the Scottish nice Wilkie, who gained 200m breaststroke gold for Nice Britain in Montreal in 1976, died on Wednesday morning.

A press release learn: “It’s with nice unhappiness that the household of David Wilkie MBE announce that he died peacefully surrounded by his ­household this ­morning, following his courageous ­battle with most cancers.”

In addition to the 1976 gold medal, Wilkie gained two Olympic silver medals and three world titles. Born in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1954 to Scottish mother and father, Wilkie gained his first main medal with a bronze on the 1970 Commonwealth Video games in Edinburgh, representing Scotland.

His first world championship gold adopted in 1973 in Belgrade, and two years later he gained each 100m and 200m breaststroke titles in Cali. Wilkie was topped ­Olympic ­champion after a unprecedented efficiency in Montreal, the place he broke the world file by greater than three seconds. The file, certainly one of 5 he achieved in his profession, stood 5 years, however Wilkie didn’t try to raised it, selecting as a substitute to retire one month after the Video games on the age of twenty-two.

Wilkie was awarded an MBE in 1977 and subsequently grew to become a suc­cessful businessman. He’s survived by his spouse, Helen, and kids, Natasha and Adam.

Adam Wilkie stated: “My dad was a very great man, father, and husband. He achieved a lot in his life and people who knew him will always remember his love for all times, kindness, and great sense of humour.”

The previous British Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies posted on X: “I’m so unhappy to listen to of the lack of Olympic champion famous person breast­stroker, my first crush & positively an inspiration, proud Scotsman David Wilkie who died earlier at this time, sleep tight previous good friend x.”

The primary opinions for Donald Trump film The Apprentice are in, following its world premiere at Cannes.

Directed by Ali Abbasi and written by Gabriel Sherman, the movie follows Sebastian Stan’s Trump throughout his rise to energy in Eighties America, as he’s mentored by firebrand right-wing lawyer Roy Cohn, performed by Succession star Jeremy Sturdy.

The solid additionally contains Borat Subsequent Moviefilm star Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump and Martin Donavan as the previous president’s father Fred Trump Sr.

The film, which at the moment doesn’t have a U.S. distributor, holds a 69 p.c freshness ranking on Rotten Tomatoes as of Tuesday.

Although the Trump marketing campaign has threatened to sue over the movie, Abbasi supplied to display the film for the previous president and speak about it with him, saying, “I don’t essentially suppose that this can be a film he would dislike.”

“Everyone talks about him suing lots of people,” he added. “They don’t speak about his success charge although, ?”

The Hollywood Reporter‘s chief movie critic David Rooney notes that whereas Abbasi’s inclusion of exhibiting Trump present process liposuction and a hair transplant in “in queasy element at a grave second for somebody near him” could be “thought of an affordable shot,” “that type of disconnect from anybody else’s struggling is a key a part of the portrait. What Abassi’s movie reveals most of all is the extent to which the toxicity that’s now an inescapable a part of our modern actuality was formed by the unholy alliance between two males half a century in the past.”

The Guardian‘s Peter Bradshaw writes that Trump “is not going to be the smallest bit fearful by this genially ironic, lenient TV movie-style therapy of his early adventures in ’70s landlordism, property and tabloid movie star,” including that Abbasi’s tackle the tycoon-turned-president appears like a “cartoon Xeroxed from many different satirical Trump takes and figuring out prophetic echoes of his political future.”

In the meantime, Kevin Maher at The Sunday Instances of London has a extra optimistic response to the movie, calling it the “Donald Trump film that you simply by no means knew you wanted: filled with compassionate feeling but ruthless in evaluation.” He applauds Stan’s efficiency as Trump, writing, “It’s tough to overstate how nuanced Stan is right here and the way his portrait of Trump evolves in bodily gestures and acquainted mannerisms (saying ‘loser’) with out changing into an Alec Baldwin-style caricature.”

Maher additionally has excessive reward for Sturdy’s portrayal as Cohn, noting that the actor “is extraordinary, using his unblinking hangdog stare and coiled depth to devastating impact.”

Tara Brady at The Irish Instances additionally commends Stan for “incorporating Trump’s mannerisms with out slipping into parody.” Nonetheless, evaluating it to Abbasi’s earlier work, she famous that the movie “lacks the gravitas or influence” of his earlier movies, “nevertheless it’s a nice sufficient doodle because of Stan, Sturdy and numerous interval wigs.”

The Playlist‘s Rafa Gross sales Ross marvels over Abbasi’s skill to “thread the strains between tabloid fodder and veiled endorsement with nice ability. There’s a working comedian vein all through the movie that flirts with mockery whereas bypassing the pastiche, like when the digital camera catches a glimpse of an empty-brained Donald as he sits alone on the massive boys’ desk, with no massive boys to play with or when the broad man bumps into the slim, cool Andy Warhol at a celebration he has no enterprise being in, his inaptitude making him really feel smaller and smaller whereas his ego begins exhibiting the primary indicators of inflation.”

She additionally notes that Stan and Sturdy’s performances are a “nice match,” writing that Sturdy performs Cohn “with a pained reticence that’s directly significantly shifting and deeply efficient in its understanding of how the sickness impacts the dynamic between the duo.” Cohn, who was a closeted homosexual man, died from AIDS in 1986.

Tim Grierson at Display Each day writes that Stan “does a remarkably refined job at capturing Trump’s mannerism and facial tics — the pursed lips, the jerky hand gestures, the cocked head meant to convey toughness — whereas conserving the character appropriately life-sized.” Nonetheless, he identified that total, Abbasi “struggles to discover a compelling arc in Trump’s ascension. There may be some grim fascination to watching an irredeemable egomaniac knock down each impediment blocking his path. However Trump’s heedless quest by no means lends itself to deeper revelations concerning the mogul, nor does it recommend how he symbolizes the darkish aspect of so-called American exceptionalism.”

To Grierson, The Apprentice “finally ends up dramatically flat, the recitation of Trump’s most notorious incidents — together with Ivana Trump’s cost her husband raped her (an accusation she later disavowed) — taking part in out perfunctorily.”

Wilkie turned a star of British swimming after surging to Olympic gold – and a brand new world file by greater than three seconds – within the Males’s 200m Breaststroke on the 1976 Montreal Video games, in addition to claiming silver within the 100m occasion. His Olympic title was the primary time a British man had received a gold within the pool in practically seven a long time, and paved the best way for what has turn out to be a legacy of breaststroke swimming on this nation.

He had beforehand received 200m Breaststroke silver on the 1972 Olympics, whereas his stellar profession included quite a few world titles – a 100m-200m golden double on the 1975 World Championships among the many highlights.

David additionally received European titles and a number of Commonwealth golds for Scotland, along with his achievements seeing him awarded an MBE in 1977.

Paying tribute to Wilkie, Aquatics GB CEO Drew Barrand stated: “David was one of many first British swimming icons – his title synonymous with our sport. An inspiration to many, he captured the hearts and minds of the nation. He will likely be drastically missed by all the aquatics neighborhood and our ideas go to his household and associates at this tough time.”

On Wednesday (twenty second Might), David’s household launched a press release, saying: “It’s with nice disappointment that the household of David Wilkie MBE announce that he died peacefully surrounded by his household this morning, following his courageous battle with most cancers.”

Scottish Swimming Nationwide Coach Ian Wright stated: “David was one of the crucial excellent trailblazers for swimming in Scotland and I’m very sorry to listen to of his passing. As a former coach at Warrender and Nationwide Coach for Scotland, I had the privilege of assembly David on a number of events and his ardour for swimming has by no means wavered.  His world file gold medal profitable swim on the 1976 Olympics nonetheless stands as one of many biggest performances of all time.

“His path to medal success, via a Scottish Membership, continues to encourage our athletes and I sincerely hope his household takes nice consolation from the continued success of our sport and the half David performed in that.”

Workforce Scotland added on Twitter: “We’re deeply saddened to listen to of the passing of one among Scotland’s sporting greats in David Wilkie. From Commonwealth bronze age 16 in entrance of a house crowd, to Olympic glory in 1976, he was an inspiration to so many. Our ideas are along with his household and associates right now.”

We will verify the beginning line-ups and substitutes for our post-season pleasant with Newcastle United in Melbourne, Australia (kick-off 10.45am UK).

Ange Postecoglou has made two modifications to the aspect which began our last day victory over Sheffield United.

Brandon Austin comes into the beginning XI with Guglielmo Vicario starting the sport amongst our substitutes. In the meantime, with Cristian Romero lacking the journey for private causes, Emerson Royal is available in to switch him.

Amongst our substitutes there are locations for eight Academy graduates with the now extra senior Oliver Skipp joined by Alfie Devine, Leo Black, George Abbott, Rio Kyerematen, Tyrese Corridor, Dane Scarlett, Yago Santiago and Jamie Donley.

Right here is our full line-up…

Beginning XI: Austin, Pedro Porro, Dragusin, van de Ven, Royal, Bentancur, Sarr, Maddison, Kulusevski, Son (c), Johnson.

Substitutes: Vicario, Whiteman, Phillips, Black, Skipp, Devine, Abbott, Kyerematen, Corridor, Bryan, Scarlett, Santiago, Donley.

Newcasttle line-up as follows…

Beginning XI: Pope, Trippier (c), Joelinton, Isak, Barnes, Krafth, Corridor, Almironn, Anderson, Burn, Bruno.

Substitutes: Gillespie, Wilson, J. Murphy, Ashby, De Bolle, Kuol, White, Diallo, Turner-Cooke, A. Murphy, Parkinson, Thompson, Charlton, Hernes.

The Los Angeles Police Division confirmed Tuesday that there’s an open prison investigation into Matthew Perry’s dying from acute results of ketamine.

The LAPD stated with the help of the Drug Enforcement Company and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, it’s persevering with its investigation into the circumstances of the actor’s dying, particularly trying into the supply of the ketamine present in Perry’s system.

Perry, 54, was discovered unresponsive at his dwelling on Oct. 28, 2023 “floating face down within the heated finish” of the pool.

The “Mates” sitcom star had gone out to play pickleball round 11 a.m. the morning of his dying and returned dwelling two hours later, witnesses instructed police.

Based on LAPD, his assistant had gone out to run errands shortly afterward — the final time Perry was seen alive — and located the actor useless after returning. Perry was pronounced useless at 4:17 p.m.

The Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Workplace post-mortem report stated the dying was unintentional along with his reason behind dying listed because the “acute results of ketamine,” with contributing elements listed as “drowning, coronary artery illness and buprenorphine results.” 

The post-mortem report discovered hint quantities of ketamine in Perry’s abdomen, however the quantity present in his bloodstream was the identical as could be used normally anesthesia.

The actor, who struggled with dependancy, had been receiving medically supervised ketamine therapies for melancholy and nervousness. On the time of his dying, Perry had been clear for 19 months. The post-mortem report famous that his final prescribed ketamine remedy was every week and a half earlier than his dying.

The report concluded that Perry’s reason behind dying was not from his prior infusion remedy because the drug’s half-life is simply 3 to 4 hours, however reasonably the ketamine was taken in one other method.

Ketamine has been permitted by the FDA as an anesthetic because the Seventies, and analysis reveals it might assist some sufferers when used as a medically supervised remedy for melancholy and nervousness. 

Consultants say it additionally has dangers. The drug has a dissociative impact, seemingly separating the thoughts from the physique, and might trigger hallucinations. It’s identified for its use in nightclub and social gathering tradition. The DEA warns that an overdose of ketamine could cause unconsciousness and dangerously slowed respiration.

Lookman’s gorgeous hat-trick brings Atalanta their first trophy in 117 years and an finish to ‘Neverlusen’s’ unbeaten run.

Ademola Lookman scored a surprising hat-trick as Atalanta beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 within the Europa League closing to win simply the second main trophy of their 117-year historical past and finish the German champions’ outstanding unbeaten streak.

Lookman, who struggled to ascertain himself within the English Premier League with Everton, Fulham and Leicester Metropolis earlier than reviving his profession in Italy beneath Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini, struck twice inside the primary 26 minutes earlier than sealing the win quarter-hour from full-time on Wednesday evening.

The victory ended Gasperini’s personal two-decade-long pursuit of main silverware as his facet completely outplayed Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen – or ‘Neverlusen’ as that they had been dubbed after going an unimaginable 51 video games unbeaten.

However simply as they did in opposition to Premier League heavyweights Liverpool and three-time finalists Olympique de Marseille within the earlier two rounds, Atalanta didn’t give their opponents a sniff and marked their first European closing with a well-known victory.

“We would have liked to be attacking. It was not sufficient simply to defend. We all know these groups are nice at attacking. Everybody was extraordinary,” Gasperini advised Sky Sports activities Italia, referring to the groups his facet beat to change into the primary Italian winners of the competitors since Parma 25 years in the past.

“The best way we did it was crucial factor. We deserved it with out a shadow of a doubt in opposition to such a robust crew. Profitable the Europa League is a rare achievement.”

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A part of historical past ⚫️🔵#UELfinal pic.twitter.com/CJIIg5FZUk

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) May 22, 2024

Leverkusen began the sport wanting decidedly not sure of themselves and a few uncharacteristically sloppy play handed the primary probability of the sport to Gianluca Scamacca, who didn’t get sufficient on his header from a nice Matteo Ruggeri cross.

It was an early warning shot, and the purposeful Italians struck inside minutes when Davide Zappacosta was allowed far an excessive amount of house down the suitable earlier than Lookman beat a flatfooted Exequiel Palacios to the cutback to stroke residence the opener.

Lookman was mobbed by his teammates and substitutes who had been in dreamland 14 minutes later.

One other Leverkusen error gifted possession to the Nigerian ahead, who skipped previous one defender and curled a wonderful right-footed shot into the bottom-right nook from simply outdoors the field.

‘The most effective nights of my life’

The surprised Germans confirmed temporary flashes of how rapidly they might flip it on in assault, however little got here of it – and it was Charles De Ketelaere who got here closest on the break as Atalanta didn’t present a shred of debut closing nerves nor any results from the absence of injured captain Marten de Roon.

Leverkusen swapped defender Josip Stanisic for prime scorer Victor Boniface at halftime, nevertheless it modified little as each units of travelling followers continued to create the type of Aviva Stadium noise matched solely by a few of the Irish rugby groups’ well-known wins or memorable worldwide soccer nights of years passed by.

Leverkusen had solely failed to attain as soon as throughout the run that featured 42 wins in all competitions and 17 objectives scored in or after the ninetieth minute, however there was no such comeback on Wednesday in opposition to the resolute Atalanta backline.

“The normality is to not get defeated within the 52nd recreation. Usually it occurs a lot earlier within the season. It’s been fairly distinctive what now we have achieved, and now we have to be actually proud,” Alonso advised a information convention.

“We had been lacking many issues for positive. It’s very demanding to play in opposition to Atalanta, loads of twin conditions, very bodily … It occurs, it’s soccer, right now wasn’t our day. They had been higher.”

Lookman, who accomplished his hat-trick with one other gorgeous strike into the highest nook, this time together with his left foot, grew to become the sixth individual to attain three objectives in a serious European closing and first since Jupp Heynckes’ for Borussia Monchengladbach within the 1975 UEFA Cup.

He was flung into the air by his teammates when the ultimate whistle blew, and the Bergamo membership ended the 61-year wait since their 1963 Italian Cup triumph.

“It’s top-of-the-line nights of my life,” Lookman, who cradled the match ball as he collected his winners’ medal, advised TNT Sports activities.

“It was a tremendous efficiency from the crew. We did it … We made historical past tonight.”

The supply of Matthew Perry’s ketamine is a part of an “open investigation” into the loss of life of the actor in October, Los Angeles police confirmed Tuesday.

The Los Angeles Police Division mentioned it’s working with the Drug Enforcement Administration as a part of a evaluate of the case involving the “Associates” star, who was 54 when authorities say he died from the acute results of ketamine. TMZ first reported that investigators have been specializing in the supply of the ketamine; the DEA declined additional remark Tuesday.

Perry’s sudden loss of life got here after his very candid struggles with alcohol and opioid habit and a number of stints in rehab. In 2022, he revealed a memoir, “Associates, Lovers and the Large Horrible Factor,” wherein he described an habit to Vicodin after a 1997 jet-ski accident and the way he almost died in 2019 after his colon burst due to opioid abuse.

A Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Workplace report famous in December that the actor had reportedly been clear for 19 months earlier than his loss of life. His live-in assistant advised police he was out working errands when he returned to Perry’s Pacific Palisades house and located him unresponsive within the pool.

A coroner mentioned Perry had reportedly utilized ketamine infusion remedy, which has grown more and more widespread to deal with psychological well being points, and had final achieved so 1½ weeks earlier than his loss of life. Perry used the anesthetic remedy for melancholy and anxiousness, in response to the report.

However the ranges of ketamine nonetheless in his physique have been excessive — round what’s used for basic anesthesia throughout surgical procedure — and the coroner mentioned it was unclear why the drug would nonetheless be in his system because it metabolizes inside hours.

The coroner finally dominated his loss of life an accident, and mentioned “contributing elements” included drowning, coronary artery illness and the results of buprenorphine, which is “used to deal with opioid use dysfunction.”

On the day of his loss of life, Perry’s assistant mentioned, the actor had been enjoying pickleball and had not complained about his well being or confirmed proof of alcohol or drug use. Whereas there was no indication of foul play within the aftermath of his loss of life, an investigation was ongoing, legislation enforcement had mentioned.

It is not unusual for legislation enforcement to analyze the supply of a celeb’s drug-related loss of life. Costs have been filed towards the one that provided the counterfeit oxycodone medication that led to the 2018 overdose loss of life of rapper Mac Miller and towards a drug vendor who provided actor Michael Okay. Williams with the fentanyl-laced heroin that killed him in 2021.

The loss of life of Perry, greatest identified for taking part in the sarcastic Chandler Bing on “Associates,” triggered a right away outpouring of shock and grief amongst his former co-stars and followers.

Novak Djokovic returned to the court docket after his troublesome expertise in Rome with a milestone 6-3, 6-3 win in opposition to Yannick Hanfmann to succeed in the quarter-finals of the Geneva Open as he seems to be to achieve important match follow earlier than his French Open title defence.

The victory marks Djokovic’s 1,one hundredth profession win on the ATP tour, an achievement he attained on his thirty seventh birthday. Djokovic is the third participant in historical past to succeed in 1,100 ATP wins, behind solely Jimmy Connors (1,274) and Roger Federer (1,251).

Having produced the most effective seasons of his profession in 2023, successful three of the 4 main titles, this yr has been troublesome for the world No 1. He’s nonetheless trying to find his first title of 2024 and his hopes of making ready nicely in Rome for the French Open have been thwarted by a straight-sets defeat in opposition to Alejandro Tabilo within the third spherical of the Italian Open.

Two days earlier than that defeat Djokovic had been signing autographs after his first win when a metallic bottle fell from a fan’s backpack within the crowd and struck him on the top. Djokovic stated he had skilled nausea, dizziness and his head bled that evening. Whereas the signs appeared to abate the subsequent day, Djokovic stated he felt like a “utterly completely different” participant on court docket throughout his defeat in opposition to Tabilo and he would bear medical examinations.

Djokovic additionally skipped the Madrid Open earlier than Rome, that means he would have been extraordinarily low on matches going into Roland Garros, the place he’s the defending champion. He opted to take a wildcard into Geneva. “I really feel like I want extra matches, even when it’s one match, two matches, three, 4 hopefully,” he stated. “It’s good for me, as a result of that’s the way in which for me to attempt to discover that form of kind that I want for Roland Garros.”

Regardless of some difficulties, Djokovic actually appeared like himself as he managed the match till the top. After closing out the primary set in a dramatic, prolonged last sport that was damaged up by a rain delay, Djokovic trailed 0-3 within the second set earlier than reeling off six video games in a row to shut out the match. After the match, the Swiss crowd sang Completely happy Birthday to the highest seed earlier than he obtained a big cake. He’ll face both Denis Shapovalov or Tallon Griekspoor within the quarter-finals.

In the meantime Dominic Thiem’s profession at Roland Garros got here to an finish as he was defeated 6-2, 7-5 by Otto Virtanen within the second qualifying spherical. After the match, which was performed out to a packed crowd on Court docket Suzanne-Lenglen, the 30-year-old gave a farewell speech and obtained a commemorative trophy from Amélie Mauresmo, the match director.

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The French Tennis Federation has obtained criticism in latest days for not granting Thiem, a two-time French Open finalist, a wildcard into the principle draw. The match opted to order its singles wildcards for French gamers together with its reciprocal offers with the Australian and US Opens.

Within the males’s doubles match, nevertheless, the FFT broke with custom by granting Andy Murray and Dan Evans a main-draw wildcard in doubles. Murray will use the chance as doubles follow for the Olympic Video games, the place he hopes to play with Joe Salisbury.