Eurovision: I was misquoted, Spanish entrant insists - BBC News
Spain's Eurovision entrant has denied reports she was asked not to win by her country's public television channel.
Pastora Soler told the BBC she had been misquoted by a "very bad" journalist.
Her comments followed a widely circulated story that quoted her as saying Spain would struggle to host the event if she were to win this weekend.
Speaking on Friday, she insisted that "Spanish public television want to win and me too".
"We want to win this Eurovision," Soler told the BBC World Service. "If we win, Spain be very happy with us."
It is written in the contest rules that the public broadcaster of the nation that wins must host the following year.
"Spain have a lot of place to have the competition," the singer went on. "It's not a problem for us."
Her remarks followed an earlier interview she gave to ABC Punto Radio in which she said Spain's TVE channel would find it "really difficult" to stage the contest.
"If we were to win, it will be impossible because of the costs," she said, in an interview translated from her native tongue.
During the interview she joked that the broadcaster had asked her not to win, but immediately added that "of course" they had not actually done so.
FavouritePastora Soler will sing her ballad Quedate Conmigo (Stay With Me) at Saturday's final, to be held in the Azerbaijan capital of Baku.
Spain last won the competition in 1969, when it shared a four-way tie with the UK, the Netherlands and France.
Thursday saw 10 more countries named finalists in the second semi-final held ahead of Saturday's main event.
Swedish entrant Loreen, considered by some to be the favourite this year, was among the successful acts to go through.
Lithuania, Malta, Norway and Turkey were among the other nations to join the 26 finalists.
The evening saw eight countries eliminated from the competition, among them Bulgaria, Croatia, Portugal and the Netherlands.
Walker eyes Spurs Premier League title - Football
Published: 25 May 2012 - 13:47:02
Kyle Walker thinks Tottenham can challenge for the title next season, but acknowledges their chances of success will be reduced if they lose their top players like Luka Modric and Gareth Bale this summer.
Spurs kept pace with both Manchester sides for the first two thirds of last season, but a dramatic slump towards the end of the campaign meant they finished fourth in the Barclays Premier League and missed out on the Champions League due to Chelsea claiming European Cup glory.
Now Bale and Modric are once again being linked with moves away from White Hart Lane, and Walker said at an event to promote Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Grudge Match: "I think it's vital (we keep them). The chairman showed last season that we are not a selling club. We can challenge next year for the title, definitely. We will be up there."
He added: "We can achieve anything with the squad we have got. When I look around the changing room there's Gareth, Aaron Lennon, Rafa van der Vaart, Emmanuel Adebayor and even the likes of Louis Saha, Brad Friedel. There are world-class players there, experienced heads and they have helped me a lot this season. It's only upwards for Tottenham."
Tottenham looked certain qualifiers for the Champions League following an impressive 11-match unbeaten run towards the end of 2011 - a sequence Walker played a big part in putting together.
Ultimately, their efforts proved in vain, however, thanks to UEFA's rules that state only four teams from one country are allowed to compete in the Champions League.
Knowing some members of the Chelsea squad, Saturday was a night of mixed emotions for Walker, but he insists Tottenham must move on quickly from their unfortunate disappointment and not spend their time wondering what might have been.
"Obviously Saturday is football. That's what happens in the game," the 21-year-old said.
"I had mixed emotions as I know Ryan Bertrand, he was making his debut and Chelsea are an English team, but I want to test myself at the highest level so I favoured Bayern a little.
"It didn't work out as we would have liked but we just have to pick ourselves up now, dust ourselves down and challenge next year."
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Decision on proposed Wirral development delayed until site visit (From Wirral Globe) - Wirral Globe
Decision on proposed Wirral development delayed until site visit
11:22am Friday 25th May 2012 in News By Stephanie Cureton
WIRRAL councillors have agreed to a site visit over a social landlord's plans to build a new development on an open green space.
The council's planning committee said they want to visit Bridge Court, West Kirby before giving Wirral Partnership Homes their decision.
The scheme would see two four-storey apartment blocks and a new health centre at the site but some residents are fiercely against it.
More than 100 people opposed the proposals amid fears of losing 11 different species of tree and the prospect of "having to live adjacent to affordable housing units," according to planning documents.
However WPH's plans also attracted support from local residents who cited construction job and an improved health centre among their reasons.
Planning officers recommended the scheme for approval with a total of 23 conditions attached.
But Cllr Brian Kenny, planning committee's Labour spokesman, said members wanted to have a better idea of the site before making decision.
He said: "There is lot of opposition to the plans but there is also a lot of support so in that sense, it is quite a controversial scheme.
"We would much rather go to West Kirby and see the site for ourselves rather than make the decision based solely on what is in the planning report.
"We will have made a decision by the next time the planning committee meets."
Following it original application, WPH scaled down its plans to build 48 two bedroom apartments instead of 58.
The planning committee will meet next on June 28.
Elton John cancels Vegas shows on doctors' orders - BBC News
Sir Elton John has pulled out of three performances of his current Las Vegas residency, after being taken to hospital with a respiratory infection.
The singer was admitted to Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre on Wednesday, but released the same day.
Doctors have advised the 65-year-old star against working while he completes a course of antibiotics.
The remaining 11 concerts of his Million Dollar Piano residency at Caesars Palace take place in October.
"Elton developed a serious respiratory infection last weekend while performing at The Colosseum on Sunday, May 20," said a statement by his publicist, Fran Curtis.
"This week the condition worsened, even with medication and rest, resulting in Elton being hospitalised."
The statement added that the singer underwent "extensive tests" and was recommended to take "complete rest" for "approximately seven days... to cure his respiratory infection and prevent any damage".
Sir Elton added his own apologies: "All I can say to the fans is 'sorry I can't be with you'."
"I love performing the show and I will be thrilled when we return to the Colosseum in October to complete the 11 concerts."
Sir Elton was previously forced to cancel two concerts in February, after he came down with food poisoning.
Gibb dedication
The singer, whose hits include Your Song and Candle in the Wind, began his three-year headlining stint in Las Vegas in September last year.
Earlier this week, he dedicated his track Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me to Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb, who died at the weekend.
"The Bee Gees were part of my life when I was growing up; they were a huge influence on me as a songwriter," he told the audience. "Travel well Robin - you were amazing. God bless you."
The singer is expected to perform at The Queen's Diamond Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace on 4 June, before embarking on a tour of Europe in June and July.
He returns to the United States and Canada for a series of concerts in September, before completing the Las Vegas residency.
Sepp Blatter labels penalty shoot-outs a tragedy - Football
Published: 25 May 2012 - 11:17:06
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has labelled penalty shoot-outs "a tragedy" and challenged Franz Beckenbauer to come up with an alternative.
Beckenbauer, honorary president of Bayern Munich, is also head of the Football Task Force 2014 which has been charged with recommending rule changes and Blatter said the body should now look at penalty shoot-outs.
Blatter told the FIFA Congress in Budapest: "Football can be a tragedy when you go to penalty kicks. Football should not go to one to one, when it goes to penalty kicks football loses its essence. Perhaps Franz Beckenbauer with his football 2014 group can show us a solution perhaps not today but in the future."
Two major tournaments last season were decided by shoot-outs - Chelsea's Champions League triumph over Bayern Munich and the African Nations Cup when Zambia beat Ivory Coast.
Meanwhile, the decision on the introduction of goal-line technology is now expected to take place in Zurich in July rather than the day after the Euro 2012 final in Kiev.
The International FA Board had been due to meet in the Ukraine capital on July 2 but instead the meeting has been rescheduled for July 5 in Zurich due to logistical issues in organising the meeting so soon after the climax of the tournament.
Tests are being carried out on two goal-line systems including an experiment on the Hawkeye system at England v Belgium at Wembley next month.
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