Foot in Mouth.

Oh DEAR!

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk Prime Minister Gordon Brown has apologised after being caught on microphone describing a voter he had just spoken to in Rochdale as a "bigoted woman". After being played the recording on Radio 2's Jeremy Vine show, Mr Brown said he "apologised profusely" and would apologise to Gillian Duffy personally.

BBC Sport - Snooker - Rapid Ronnie century sees off Williams challenge

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Amazing stuff from Ronnie!

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Leeds 12-10 Worcester

This is brilliant news for the Leeds Union team!

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk Leeds ended Worcester's six-year stay in the Premiership despite a brave second-half fightback by the visitors. Leeds led 12-0 after 25 minutes at a rainy Headingley courtesy of four Ceiron Thomas penalties. With 10 minutes left Alex Grove scored, Matthew Jones converting to make it 12-10, but Jones missed a penalty and drop-goal inside the last five minutes. The win means Leeds retain their Premiership status after being promoted at the start of the season, while Worcester have to face up to life out of the top flight.

BBC Sport - Snooker - Amazing Davis double helps to end Higgins' reign

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Well done Steve!

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BBC News - UK airports set to reopen

All UK airports can reopen from 2200 BST on Tuesday, the Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has said.

Lord Adonis made the statement after consultation with the Civil Aviation Authority and a reassessment of the risk to aircraft from volcanic ash.

Some restrictions will remain in place, but they will be much smaller than those enforced under the current ban.

Lord Adonis said after the ban was lifted it would be up to airlines to bring flight schedules back on track.

Dame Deirdre Hutton of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said there had been detailed consultation with experts to reassess the tolerance of planes to the ash cloud.

The CAA said it was a "situation without precedent" and that decisions had been made based on "thorough gathering of data and analysis".

"The major barrier to resuming flight has been understanding tolerance levels of aircraft to ash," the CAA said.

"Manufacturers have now agreed increased tolerance levels in low ash density areas."

Lord Adonis emphasised that safety remained paramount.

He said: "It is essential that we guarantee to the travelling public that the airlines are safe and that planes can safely fly."

Despite the lifting of the ban, it will be some time before flights return to normal.

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Good News at LAST!

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BBC Sport - Cricket - England representatives anxious over World Cup safety

By Oliver Brett

Security has been exceptionally tight since the bomb blasts in Bangalore

England player representatives are growing increasingly worried about the security of players ahead of the 2011 Cricket World Cup in the subcontinent.

Leading figures at the Professional Cricketers' Association have reacted after bombs exploded outside an Indian Premier League match in Bangalore.

India hosts 29 of the 39 matches in the World Cup, from 19 February 2011.

"It's absolutely right for everybody to be concerned about safety," PCA chief executive Angus Porter told BBC Sport.

Following the double explosion outside Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium, the match, which featured Kevin Pietersen's Bangalore Royal Challengers outfit, went ahead following a delay.

A third device was defused in Bangalore on Sunday and the IPL has since moved the semi-finals from Bangalore to Mumbai. The final itself, and the third-fourth play-off, were already scheduled for Mumbai.

Pietersen will remain involved in the final stages of the IPL

The final group game of the tournament takes place on Monday, and it is almost certain that the Royal Challengers will make the mid-week semi-finals. Pietersen, whose wife is in the final stages of pregnancy with the couple's first child, is expected to remain involved with the squad.

Porter said all of the IPL's overseas players had received a fresh security briefing delivered by the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (Fica), the umbrella group that represents all the individual players' associations.

That briefing follows reports that players were left to make their own snap decision on whether to play in Saturday's match despite being given sketchy assurances over safety.

Porter added: "We are keen to remind the IPL about agreements that have been struck about what should happen and that players have the most recent information to hand.

"We are suggesting that the point of vulnerability to players is the transit of players from hotels to stadiums and we are suggesting players should be accommodated at hotels close to the stadiums. There are a couple of decent options in Mumbai."

Reflecting on the ongoing potential for danger in India with the World Cup on the horizon, he added: "I think it would be wrong to press the panic button.

Despite this setback, we're confident the semi-finals and finals will be successfully contested and provide a fitting finale to a remarkable tournament IPL chairman Lalit Modi

"At the moment the focus is on making sure that this particular tournament is concluded without further incident. After that a time will come for a good, cool review about how to proceed."

Shashank Manohar, the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) told BBC Sport that the players had been reassured by the response of the authorities to the incidents in Banglaore.

"The semi-finals have been moved to Mumbai, so we are very happy with the security situation now," he said.

"The police are carrying out an investigation into the incident and will give us a report once it's completed. The players are happy now."

IPL chairman Lalit Modi also played down the significance of the security situation.

"The incidents were assessed by local police and the IPL's security agency as being of a minor nature but they have forced our hand," said Modi.

"This decision is naturally disappointing for the people of Bangalore but has been taken with the tournament's best interests, and the interests of its many varied stakeholders, in mind.

"Despite this setback, we're confident the semi-finals and finals will be successfully contested and provide a fitting finale to a remarkable tournament."

Fica boss Tim May told BBC Radio 5 live his group had "significant concerns" about the response to Saturday's events.

He said: "Our player associations have contacted teams within the IPL. The concern level of the players at the moment is extremely high.

"The IPL had publicly committed itself to a position where what they regarded as foolproof security would be provided throughout the tournament.

606: DEBATE We've got to give it to the Indian fans in Delhi and Dharamsala for turning out in huge number even after the blast in Bangalore pensacric

"The fact there were numerous bombs and devices discovered on the perimeter of one of the venues would suggest that there was something significantly wrong or there were significant breaches of the security for the event."

"Obviously, our concern at that is significantly high."

One of the most emotive responses came from the PCA's legal director, Ian Smith.

Interviewed by the Press Association about the potential for further security breaches at the World Cup, he said: "I would just be another western tourist, and I'm nervous now.

"Imagine what it's like going around in a giant bus, in that traffic, with 'England' emblazoned over everything, saying 'attack me, attack me'.

"It's becoming a more and more dangerous place, the risk profile is only headed in one direction. If it's not safe today, what makes us think it's going to be safe in a year's time?"

In March 2009, eight Sri Lankan cricketers were injured in a bomb blast in the Pakistan city of Lahore when masked gunmen opened fire on the team bus.

A driver and six policemen lost their lives in the attack and Pakistan subsequently had its World Cup fixtures removed, with eight games being awarded to India, four to Sri Lanka and two to Bangladesh.

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Hope all goes well--been wonderful entertainment so far!

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BBC News - Icelandic volcanic ash alert grounds UK flights

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No Air Traffic at LEEDS airport since 7am!

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Today: Apollo 13 remembered

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Unbelievable--40 years ago!

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BBC Sport - Horse Racing - Tony McCoy wins Grand National on Don't Push It

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Glad McCoy has won it at last!

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BBC Sport - Football - Leeds Carnegie Ladies v Chelsea

The women are definitely on a roll!

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk Leeds Carnegie Ladies host Chelsea Ladies in the Premier League on Sunday.

MP's Expenses.

Mmmmm?

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk Labour minister Shahid Malik said he was "incredibly relieved but not surprised" at being cleared of abusing expenses over office expenditure. Shahid Malik has been cleared of abusing office expenses Parliamentary Standards Commissioner John Lyon had launched an inquiry into Mr Malik's claims for office expenses at his home and at a Dewsbury address. Mr Lyon said the arrangements for a second constituency office were "within the rules of the House". Mr Malik has previously repaid about £1,300 in other expense claims. His appeal against a ruling ordering this repayment, relating to a claim for a TV and an armchair, was rejected.