Gsbt

Neymar: Paris St-Germain's new signing said he left Barcelona for a new challenge   Image captionWhat else could you buy for Neymar's £200m? Brazil forward Neymar said he needed a new challenge, as he  joined Paris St-Germain  from Barcelona for a world record fee of 222m euros (£200m). The 25-year-old won seven major trophies in his four seasons at the Nou Camp, including the Champions League once and La Liga twice. He said his father, Neymar Sr, wanted him to stay at Barcelona. "I have won all that a player can win," said Neymar, who will earn 45m euros (£40.7m) a year on a five-year deal. Writing on Instagram, he  added:  "I have conquered everything an athlete can conquer. I have lived unforgettable moments. But a player [me] needs challenges. "And for the second time in my life, I'll contradict my father." Neymar's transfer smashes the previous record set when  Paul Pogba returned to Manchester United from Juventus  for £89m in Aug...

Australian counter-terrorism police conduct raids across Sydney suburb Security has been increased at Australian airports after police foiled "Islamic-inspired" plans for a bomb attack on an aircraft during counter-terrorism raids in which four men were arrested on Saturday, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) have confirmed. "In recent days, law enforcement has become aware of information that suggested some people in Sydney were planning to commit a terrorist act using an improvised device," AFP commissioner Andrew Colvin said during a press conference with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Sunday, adding: "We do believe it is Islamic-inspired terrorism. Exactly what is behind this is something that we will need to investigate fully. "At this time we don’t have a great deal of information on the specific attack, the location, date or time. However, we are investigating information indicating that the aviation industry was potentially a target ......

Image captionReports said the train did not brake when entering the station, hitting the buffers at the platform. At least 54 people have been injured, one seriously, after a train crashed at a station in the Spanish city of Barcelona, officials say. The incident happened during the morning rush hour at the Francia station, in the city centre. Reports said the train did not brake properly when entering the station, hitting the buffers at the platform. Dozens of emergency personnel were sent to the station, with most of the injured being treated on the platform. Emergency services said as well as the seriously wounded person, who does not have life-threatening injuries, 19 people were moderately hurt. They are being treated in hospital. Among them is the driver, who is said to be in a state of shock. The remainder were lightly injured. Image captionEmergency personnel treated some of the injured on the platform Image captionReports suggested many of those injured in the bus...

Image captionSome 4,000 hectares (15.4 sq miles) of land have burned along the Mediterranean coast Wildfires in south-eastern France have forced the evacuation of 10,000 people overnight, officials say. Hundreds of firefighters have been deployed to battle the fires near Bormes-les-Mimoses, in the country's Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. France earlier asked its EU neighbours for more help fighting the fires. Some 4,000 hectares (15.4 sq miles) of land have burned along the Mediterranean coast, in the mountainous interior and on the island of Corsica. "The evacuations, at least 10,000, followed the progression of the fire," a fire official was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency. "It's an area that doubles or triples its population in summer," the official added. One of the worst fires is raging in an area near the popular resort of Saint-Tropez. In Corsica, hundreds of homes have been evacuated. Overall, more than 4,000 firefighters a...

Transatlantic bond 'strongest bulwark' against instability: Mattis Munich, Germany The bond between Europe and America is the "strongest bulwark" against instability and violence, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday as he tried to calm jittery allies seeking clarity from Donald Trump's White House. International partners remain deeply troubled after Trump's campaign rhetoric questioned long-established alliances, and they worry about a growing scandal over possible ties between some of Trump's staff and Moscow. "The transatlantic bond remains our strongest bulwark against instability and violence," Mattis told the Munich Security Conference. "I am confident that we will strengthen our partnerships, confronting those who choose to attack innocent people or our democratic processes and freedoms." Mattis, a retired four-star Marine general who spent years working with international partners, has often taken a divergent tone fr...

PLATO is a European Space Agency telescope set to launch in 2024. The name is an acronym for "PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars." The overall goal of the mission is to figure out under what conditions planets form and whether those conditions are favorable for life.  To do this, PLATO will seek out and investigate Earth-size exoplanets, especially planets that orbit in the habitable zone around sun-like stars. (The habitable zone is usually defined as the area around a star where there is enough energy for liquid water on a planet's surface, although habitability also depends on other factors such as star variability.) It will determine how big their radii are; verify the mass of the planets from ground-based observatories; use astroseismology or "starquakes" to learn about a star's mass, radius and age; and identify bright targets for atmospheric spectroscopy along with other telescopes. If all goes to plan, the mission should be able to provid...

TUE, 14 FEB 2017 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - ROUND OF 16 - 1ST LEG Paris St G 4 Barcelona 0 Di María (18'minutes, 55'minutes), Draxler (40'minutes), Cavani (71'minutes)FTHT 2-0 Former Manchester United forward Angel di Maria took his tally for the season to eight with his two goals Angel di Maria scored twice as Paris St-Germain stunned Barcelona to leave the Spanish side in danger of failing to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in a decade. PSG dominated this last-16 first-leg tie throughout and took the lead through Di Maria's curled free-kick. Julian Draxler added a second with an angled drive before Di Maria curled an effort into the top corner. Edinson Cavani then sealed a famous win with a powerful fourth. A lacklustre Barcelona - with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar largely anonymous - did not produce an effort of note until seven minutes before the end when Samuel Umtiti headed onto the post. The defeat leaves ...

Jide Alaka Cavani  Photo: SkySports In the city of love [Paris], on the day dedicated to love [Valentine’s Day], PSG need some love against five-time champions Barcelona – a team they have been unlucky to be paired with in the last three seasons. Both are lagging behind in their respective championships but both have found form in 2017. Unai Emery was wobbling with his team just before the winter break but have now gone on a four-match winning run that has seen them score 12 goals. For Barcelona, what else can you say apart from the dreaded MSN triangle? Lionel Messi, Neymar and especially Luis Suarez have been raking in the goals and the trio have already scored 41 goals in La Liga this season. Key factors for victory Edinson Cavani has scored in each of his last six matches in all competitions but another one on Tuesday against Barcelona would be the cherry. Also Emery has not found a way to stop Barcelona, wherever he has coached but this seems the best opportu...

Sweden's Deputy Prime Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate Isabella Lovin delivers remarks at the ''Our Ocean'' conference at Georgetown University in Washington, U.S., September 16, 2016. REUTERS/GARY CAMERON FILE PHOTO: Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Deputy Prime Minister Isabella Lovin speaks to the media during a news conference in Stockholm, Sweden July 2, 2016. TT News Agency/Johan Jeppsson/via REUTERS/FILE PHOTO (Reuters) - Eight countries have joined an initiative to raise millions of dollars to replace shortfalls caused by President Donald Trump's ban on U.S.-funded groups around the world providing information on abortion, Sweden's deputy prime minister said. Isabella Lovin told Reuters a conference would be held on March 2 in Brussels to kick-start the funding initiative to help non-governmental organizations whose family planning projects could be affected. The Netherlands announce...

British Prime Minister Theresa May (Photo by AFP) The government of British Prime Minister Theresa May says Scotland should not launch a new independence referendum, arguing that the Scottish people have already voiced their opposition to secede from the UK over Brexit. "We don't believe that there should be a second referendum. There has been a referendum, it was clear, decisive, it was legal, and both sides agreed to abide by the results of that referendum," May's spokesman told journalists on Wednesday, referring to the country’s previous attempt to become independent. Scotland held its first referendum in 2014, when over 55 percent of the people voted against independence. However, talks of a new referendum gained momentum following a spat between Britain and Scotland over the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union (EU). Although nearly 52 percent of Britons opted to leave the bloc during the EU referendum in June last year, some 62 percent of the Scottish ...

Brighton's Connor Goldson wants to return after heart surgery Connor Goldson has made eight first-team appearances for Brighton this season Brighton defender Connor Goldson is determined to return to playing after being diagnosed with a heart issue. The 24-year-old  requires preventative surgery after the problem was discovered in routine cardiac screening by the Championship club. "Football has always been my life but at 24 this has put my life into perspective," he posted on Twitter. "I know I'm strong enough to recover and determined to be back on a football pitch where I'm happiest." Goldson has been ruled out for the rest of the season by the Seagulls, and a precise timescale for his recovery has not been given. Heart defects previously forced former Bolton midfielder  Fabrice Muamba  and ex-England and Nottinghamshire cricketer  James Taylor  to retire. Goldson thanked his team-mates, Albion staff, girlfriend and family for their support ...

Craig Burley and Mark Donaldson dissect the winners and losers of the UCL round of 16 draw. Arsenal have been drawn against Bayern Munich in the Champions League's round of 16, while Barcelona will take on Paris Saint-Germain. Defending champions Real Madrid will play Napoli and Manchester City face Ligue 1 side Monaco. Arsenal, who won their group this season for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign, will be aiming to reach the quarterfinals of the competition for the first time since 2009-10. The Gunners meet Bayern again after facing them in the group stage last year and being dumped out at the round-of-16 stage by the Germans in 2012-13 and 2013-14. PSG, meanwhile, won their first meeting against Barca in the quarterfinals of the 1994-95 competition, but the Catalan club won the quarterfinal meetings in 2012-13 and 2014-15. The two clubs also met in the group stage in 2014, when PSG won at the Parc des Princes and Barca won at the Camp Nou. PSG director of football...