UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has urged broadcaster TNT Sports to reverse its decision and make next Saturday’s Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris St-Germain free-to-air in the United Kingdom.

Every previous final since the European Cup was rebranded in 1992 has been available to watch free of charge for British viewers.

However, it was revealed last week that fans will need a paid subscription to view all three European club finals this season.

A break in broadcasting tradition

The prime minister has written directly to television executives to formally express his disappointment regarding the unprecedented paywall.

“I was saddened to see that, for the first time since the competition started 34 years ago, TNT Sports has decided that the fixture will not be free to watch for football supporters here in the UK.”

Starmer, a known supporter of the North London club, emphasised that the showpiece event holds immense cultural significance nationwide.

“The Champions League is the biggest club football competition in the world and rightly means a lot to fans in this country – the home of football.”
“I am a firm believer that the final of this competition should remain free to watch, whether Arsenal have made it or not.”

Prioritising the supporters

The government leader highlighted that the occasion transcends club loyalties and brings communities together across the nation.

“This is about supporters of all teams coming together in living rooms and pubs in every corner of the country to watch the most elite players in Europe battle it out.”
“Hard-working people should not have to worry about forking out for a subscription to watch a game of this magnitude.”

He also noted a broader push for fan accessibility, having already encouraged Fifa to ensure affordable ticketing at upcoming international tournaments.

Network defends subscription model

The rights holder required a paid subscription for viewers to watch Aston Villa secure the Europa League trophy last week.

The same restrictions will apply to Wednesday’s Conference League climax between Crystal Palace and Spanish side Rayo Vallecano.

In response to the political intervention, the broadcaster defended its pricing strategy and highlighted the recent success of English teams in Europe.

“Having three Premier League clubs reach the finals shows the strength of English football and something that we are proud to continue to support.”

The network stated that providing access to all three Uefa finals via a monthly streaming pass represents exceptional value for its audience.

British number one Emma Raducanu and 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic headline the opening day of the French Open in Paris this Sunday.

The main draw gets under way on the iconic clay courts of Roland Garros, featuring a host of top seeds and home favourites.

Raducanu is scheduled to play her first-round match on Court 12 against Argentina’s Solana Sierra at approximately 14:00 BST.

The 2021 US Open champion is hoping to make a strong start following a disrupted build-up during the recent clay-court swing.

Djokovic begins historic title defence

In the evening session, the defending men’s champion will step onto Court Philippe-Chatrier from 19:15 BST.

The Serbian great faces a tricky opening test against French hopeful Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in front of a heavily partisan crowd.

He is hunting for a fourth Roland Garros crown and a historic record-extending 25th major championship overall.

British interest and top seeds in action

Fellow Briton Fran Jones also features on the opening Sunday schedule, taking to Court 14 from midday.

The rising Yorkshire star faces a formidable challenge against Brazilian seed Beatriz Haddad Maia.

Elsewhere, fourth seed Alexander Zverev opens his tournament against home player Benjamin Bonzi on the main show court.

Selected Sunday Order of Play

Play officially begins at 10:00 BST on the outside courts and 11:00 BST on Philippe-Chatrier.

Olympic champion Masai Russell fell just 0.02 seconds short of the women’s 100m hurdles world record at the Xiamen Diamond League, clocking a staggering 12.14 seconds.

The American star dominated the race to finish ahead of current global record-holder Tobi Amusan.

Nigeria’s Amusan crossed the line 0.14 seconds behind the newly crowned Paris gold medallist.

Russell had already established herself as the second-fastest woman in history over this distance last year with a time of 12.17 seconds.

“I don’t know when the world record is going to come but I keep getting closer and closer,” Russell said.

“I’m blessed, I’m ecstatic and all the hard work is truly showing.”

Yan Ziyi produces historic javelin throw

Earlier in the Chinese city, 18-year-old Yan Ziyi stunned the home crowd by producing the second-longest women’s javelin effort in history.

The teenager launched her very first attempt to an incredible 71.74m to comfortably win the competition.

Her phenomenal distance also set a brand new under-20 world record.

Only Czech legend Barbora Spotakova has ever thrown further, having set the current world record of 72.28m back in 2008.

“I came to this event with the goal for 65m, so it really blew my mind to see that result,” the young prodigy admitted.

“A flash in the pan is not what I want, I don’t want this 71.74 to be just a one-time thing.”

Dos Santos outpaces Warholm in hurdles duel

The men’s 400m hurdles provided a thrilling track battle between two Paris Olympic medallists.

Brazilian bronze medallist Alison dos Santos surged past Norwegian silver medallist Karsten Warholm in the closing stages.

The South American crossed the finish line in a rapid 46.72 seconds to claim a prestigious victory.

In the men’s 100m sprint, Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala accelerated aggressively at the halfway mark to win in 9.94 seconds.

He successfully held off a late surge from South African rival Gift Leotlela.

Jackson cruises as Yihune battles to 5000m win

Jamaican sprint queen Shericka Jackson secured her second consecutive weekly victory in the women’s 200m.

Great Britain’s Amy Hunt endured a difficult race, finishing seventh in the nine-woman field.

American Jamal Britt was victorious in the men’s 110m hurdles as compatriot Cordell Tinch faded to fifth.

The men’s 5000m concluded with dramatic scenes as Ethiopia’s Addisu Yihune secured a gritty victory in 12 minutes 57.32 seconds.

The distance runner launched a decisive attack on the final bend before collapsing to the track clutching his knee.

Latvia have handed the United States their third defeat of the Ice Hockey World Championship with a stunning 4-2 victory in Zurich.

Sandis Vilmanis was the hero for the Baltic nation, scoring two empty-net goals in the final stages to seal a memorable upset.

Deniss Smirnovs had earlier broken a 1-1 deadlock early in the third period to set up a frantic climax at the Swiss Arena.

Late drama seals American fate

Desperate for an equaliser, the Americans withdrew goaltender Devin Cooley for an extra attacker in the dying minutes.

Vilmanis capitalised on the empty net with 62 seconds remaining, extending the Latvian advantage to 3-1.

The reigning champions immediately struck back through Mathieu Olivier, who fired home from the slot after being set up by Matthew Tkachuk.

However, any hopes of a miraculous comeback were extinguished just nine seconds later as Vilmanis found the unguarded net for a second time.

Defending champions face uphill battle

Haralds Egle had initially opened the scoring for the underdogs midway through the first period, converting on only their second shot of the contest.

Tkachuk, making just his second tournament appearance after arriving late on Tuesday, levelled the tie with a second-period power-play goal.

The unexpected loss leaves the two-time Stanley Cup winner and his compatriots languishing in fifth place in Group A, sitting one point behind their weekend conquerors.

The United States must now regroup for crucial remaining group stage fixtures against Hungary and Austria to keep their knockout stage hopes alive.

Denmark secure first victory

Elsewhere in Group B action in Fribourg, Denmark recorded their first win of the campaign by shutting out Slovenia 4-0.

The weekend schedule concludes with host nation Switzerland facing Hungary, while Germany take on Austria in Group A.

DR Congo risk being banned from entering the United States for the 2026 World Cup unless the squad maintains a strict 21-day isolation bubble following an Ebola outbreak.

The African nation are currently training in Belgium to prepare for two pre-tournament friendlies ahead of this summer’s expanded 48-team competition.

However, their participation is in severe jeopardy after the World Health Organisation declared a recent outbreak of the Bundibugyo Ebola strain in the region as a public health emergency.

Strict isolation measures required

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, confirmed that uncompromising health protocols have been communicated to the visiting delegation.

“We’ve been very clear to Congo that they should maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can then come to Houston on June 11th,” Giuliani stated.

“We’ve made it very clear to the Congo government as well, that they need to maintain that bubble or they risk not being able to travel to the United States.”

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced a 30-day entry ban on all foreign nationals who have visited Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the past three weeks.

Group stage fixtures in jeopardy

Giuliani emphasised that any symptomatic individuals associating with the travelling party would threaten the entire squad’s ability to compete in North America.

“If there are other people that are going to be coming in, they need to have a separate bubble from that team,” he added.

“If they end up coming, and any of those people end up symptomatic, they are risking the entire team being able to come and compete in this World Cup.”

The Leopards are drawn against Portugal, Colombia, and Uzbekistan in their upcoming group stage campaign.

With their opening fixture against the 2016 European champions scheduled in less than 30 days, any breach of protocol could see their tournament dreams end before they even begin.

Michael Carrick has seen his five-man backroom staff rewarded with permanent Manchester United contracts following an impressive interim spell in charge.

Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans, Travis Binnion and Craig Mawson have all agreed new deals to remain at Old Trafford.

The quintet have provided crucial support since the former midfielder took the managerial reins.

When the United boss collected the Premier League Manager of the Month award in January, he was quick to highlight their collective contribution.

Holland brings vital experience

Assistant manager Holland has played a pivotal role on the touchline alongside the head coach.

The former England assistant guided the Three Lions to a World Cup semi-final and two European Championship finals under Gareth Southgate.

Before his international stint, the highly respected tactician accumulated significant pedigree at Chelsea.

He previously assisted elite managers including Jose Mourinho, Rafael Benitez and Antonio Conte at Stamford Bridge.

The current Old Trafford manager recently praised his number two.

He is a very wise man.

Defensive specialists and academy links

Woodgate and Evans have taken dedicated control of the defensive unit during recent Carrington training sessions.

The former Real Madrid centre-back also utilises his fluent Spanish to build strong connections with the squad’s Hispanic contingent.

Meanwhile, Binnion has focused heavily on developing the attacking players.

The former Under-21 manager officially served as the academy’s head of player development before being elevated to the senior setup.

He continues to act as a crucial bridge between the youth system and the first team.

Goalkeeping continuity

Mawson has been retained as the club’s dedicated goalkeeper coach.

The 47-year-old originally joined the Red Devils from Burnley in 2019.

He provides vital continuity in the department following the recent departure of Ruben Amorim.

Club hierarchy believe this diverse blend of personalities and coaching skillsets has created a formidable dynamic behind the scenes.

Two-time world champion Shericka Jackson produced a dominant display to win the 200m at the Xiamen Diamond League on Saturday, smashing the meeting record with a time of 21.87 seconds.

The Jamaican sprinter narrowly missed out on the world-leading time by a mere 0.01 seconds after taking early control of the race.

Bursting from the blocks, the reigning world title holder showed immense strength on the bend to pull away from a highly competitive field.

Miller-Uibo and Richardson trail the pace

Bahamian Olympic gold medallist Shaunae Miller-Uibo finished a distant second, posting a season’s best time of 22.04 seconds.

American runner Anavia Battle secured third place with her own season’s best of 22.29 seconds, though neither athlete looked capable of catching the race leader.

The 2023 world 100m champion, Sha’Carri Richardson, also recorded her fastest time of the campaign to cross the line fourth in 22.38 seconds.

Great Britain’s Amy Hunt, who holds a sprint relay world silver medal, finished seventh out of the nine elite competitors.

Teenage sensation Yan makes javelin history

Elsewhere at the Chinese athletics meeting, 18-year-old local prospect Yan Ziyi delivered a historic performance in the women’s javelin.

The teenage thrower launched the implement to the second-furthest distance ever recorded in the history of the discipline.

Building upon her previous world junior record set at age 17, the Chinese athlete simultaneously shattered the Diamond League, Asian, and world under-20 benchmarks with a single phenomenal throw.

Four-time Formula One world champion Alain Prost has suffered a head injury after being physically assaulted during an armed robbery at his home in Switzerland on Tuesday.

Violent confrontation in Nyon

Masked intruders forced their way into the family residence in Nyon on the shores of Lake Geneva at approximately 08:30 local time.

Swiss newspaper Blick reports that the armed men threatened the household before forcing one of his sons to open a safe.

The assailants completely emptied the safe’s contents before fleeing the scene, leaving the racing icon with reported head injuries.

While the exact value of the stolen goods remains unconfirmed, the French former driver is known to maintain close ties with luxury watch manufacturers.

A growing regional security issue

Neither the family nor any associated brands have publicly commented on the terrifying ordeal while the suspects remain at large.

The incident raises serious questions regarding security around the Lake Geneva area, a luxury landmark that has already recorded 18 robberies in 2025.

Authorities reportedly suspect that highly organised, cross-border criminal networks are specifically targeting wealthy residents in one of Switzerland’s most exclusive neighbourhoods for high-value items.

An iconic motorsport legacy

The 71-year-old remains one of the most decorated figures in motorsport history, having dominated the sport for 13 years between 1980 and 1993.

Known affectionately as ‘The Professor’, he secured 51 race victories and 106 podium finishes during stints with Williams, McLaren and Ferrari.

He is perhaps best remembered for his fierce and historic rivalry with the late Brazilian great Ayrton Senna throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Despite retiring over three decades ago, the four-time champion remains deeply invested in the sport and actively supports the next generation of driving talent.