FRIDAY THE 13

@Alexandru Happy birthday🎉 I wish you joy and success in your life Have a beautiful day❤️

Guernsey and Jersey's public services should consider working together to save money, an economist has suggested. Chris Brock, principal advisor at research firm Islefact, said it costs about £2bn to run the Channel Islands each year. Mr Brock said, given the combined running costs of the islands public sectors, work was needed to "improve the relationship and perhaps have a combined public service". Pan-Island Commissioner for Standards Dr Melissa McCullough said any collaboration would need "equal partnership". Mr Brock cited healthcare, education and general administration as three areas where the islands could work together more closely. "One of the things I focus on is where best practice is being applied in other islands around the world," he said. "In the past, the Channel Islands in particular had been immune to external pressures - those external pressures are growing daily... there's a problem every week or every month at the moment. "With an ageing po[CENSORED]tion demographic, artificial intelligence, all of the issues that are relevant in both islands, I think it's a perfect opportunity to try and say, 'Right, well where can savings be made?'." About 30% of the £2bn was spent on healthcare, while another 20% was spent on general administration, said Mr Brock. In terms of education, he said there was a labour shortage across both islands and a pan-island plan should be considered. "There are many islands which have got one administration over several islands... that could be applied in Jersey and Guernsey," he said. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4y47xw4lvo

A Devon animal charity said it was spearheading change alongside others in the sector by adapting its model to match evolving community needs. Margaret Green Animal Rescue (MGAR) said as part of celebrating its 60th anniversary it wanted to inspire a positive shift in perceptions for the animal rescue sector. The charity, which has Wingletang Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Tavistock, said it has rehomed more than 60,000 animals since 1965. CEO Nigel Mason said: "Over the past 60 years, MGAR has significantly evolved its sector model in line with dramatic societal changes and demands." https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm202m9jw03o

Manchester United have made a bid for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko with the overall package potentially rising to 85m euros (£73.8m). The offer includes a guaranteed payment of 75m euros (£65.2m). United are yet to get a response but believe it is an appropriate valuation for the 22-year-old Slovenia international and that the player is keen to complete a move to Old Trafford. Newcastle also want Sesko and have a made bid for the striker, which has not been accepted. The offer is seen as significant as there had been suggestions Manchester United did not want to firm up their interest with Leipzig without knowing Sesko was prepared to join them. United are willing to let Rasmus Hojlund leave the club in order to make space for Sesko to come in. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c79l8g84p59o

A park's new outdoor gym has been unveiled as a charity hopes to encourage more people to exercise. Bowel Cancer Guernsey, which paid £15,000 for the kit at Delancey Park, said staying active was important for people who wanted to remain healthy. In 2016, the charity provided similar devices to Saumarez Park to allow the public access to gym-style equipment in the fresh air. Anne Brouard, the charity's chairperson, said: "Part of the message we give out is a healthy lifestyle and particularly in bowel cancer, exercise is important." https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gjd23yn24o

Chris Hemsworth is best known as the hammer-wielding Norse god Thor in Marvel's cinematic universe. But now the Australian actor is trading superpowers for science, introspection and a new set of personal challenges, many of which are far scarier than battling fictional villains. The 41-year-old is back for a second season of Limitless, which sees him confront some of his deepest fears as he explores how to live longer, healthier and better. "The first season almost killed me," Hemsworth tells the BBC. "And I thought, 'never again.'" In season one, Hemsworth tackled physical and mental challenges designed to delay ageing, including free diving, fasting, stress training and walking along a crane 900ft (275m) above the ground. The actor says he chose to "torture" himself again because he had a burning curiosity to "ask bigger and deeper questions" about ageing and the meaning of life. "It was exhausting but also profoundly rewarding," he says. "But now I do have more questions rather than answers!" Season two takes a different path as Hemsworth continues to test himself, but not just physically. With the help of Ed Sheeran, he learns to play a musical instrument for the first time and, inspired by his children's carefree risk-taking, he climbs a 600ft (185m) Alpine dam. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c939ndj5380o

A new exhibition will examine how car sounds make us feel. The British Motor Museum said this could mean everything from the quality of the sound system to engine noise. It said the centre piece of the exhibition at the Rubery Owen Gallery in Gaydon, Warwickshire, would be a white 1965 Rolls-Royce Phantom V which was once owned by John Lennon and appeared in the Beatles film, Let It Be. The museum has invited visitors to submit their favourite driving tunes, which will be added to a playlist that will be updated during the course of the exhibition. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp86e16k2x7o

Economies in Asia were among those hit hardest by tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump on "Liberation Day" in April. From traditional US allies like Japan to the Asean bloc spanning South East Asia, many - particularly export driven economies reliant on the US markets - have been scrambling to strike deals before a 1 August deadline. So how did they fare in the latest announcements and which economies were hit the hardest? https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c04r711q53zo

A former dog breeder has been banned from keeping cats and dogs for two years, after she ran her business without a licence. Linda Moran, 64, used to operate A1 Boarding Kennels and Cattery from her home in Brompton on Swale, near Richmond. Between 4 and 10 April 2023, she was found to have bred dogs and advertised her services without having a licence. York Magistrates' Court heard North Yorkshire Council licensing officers inspected the premises in April 2023 and discovered 61 dogs there. Ms Estelle Chambers, prosecuting, said: "They had visited the kennels after officer Katie Beyer found adverts for puppies for sale placed by the defendant which described Moran as a licensed breeder. "The advert also included an invalid breeding licence number." The defendant was also found to have sold a Lhasa Apso puppy without a licence. Mr Coniah, defending Moran, said she now worked as a dog groomer and no longer ran a breeding and boarding kennel. "The number of years she has been involved with dogs reflects her dedication and love for dogs - you can see that in the number of character references submitted to the court," he said. "There has been a window of one to two years where there have been licencing breaches but there have been no further offences since April 2023." At a hearing on Tuesday, Moran was sentenced to 120 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay costs of £800 and a victim surcharge of £114. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq5822d4vd2o

benjamin Proud won silver in the 50m freestyle, finishing behind Olympic champion Cameron McEvoy at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. Proud bettered his time of 21.61 seconds that he put up in the semi-finals, touching second with a time of 21.26secs but it wasn't enough to upset Australian McEvoy. It was a repeat of the Paris Olympics performance with the two again finishing first and second in an impressive field. US sprinter Jack Alexy completed the podium with a third-placed finish. Elsewhere, nine-time Olympic champion Katie Ledecky ended Summer McIntosh's hopes of joining Michael Phelps as the only swimmers to win five gold medals in a single world championship. Ledecky took gold in a dramatic 800m freestyle with a championship record time of 8:05.52, 0.36secs ahead of Lani Pallister in second. It was the first time two women had ever gone below 8:06.00 in the same 800m freestyle. Eighteen-year-old McIntosh claimed bronze with a time of 8:07.29. https://www.bbc.com/sport/swimming/articles/c8ry5yje8xxo

A campaigner who has been calling for an outdoor pool to reopen since its closure in 2002 says a resolution on its future is needed. Sally Wainman wants the the owner of the Ipswich's Broomhill Pool - the borough council - to find a new operator for it after a revamp to the abandoned site was plunged into fresh financial doubt. The National Lottery Heritage Fund said £6.8m of funding that it had pledged was being pulled because work had still not started. A spokesperson for the Labour-run council, said: "We are disappointed, but we remain committed to the restoration of the much treasured Broomhill Lido and pledge to find a way forward." https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz092vm32mko

Could this be the first time in history a social media spat triggers nuclear escalation? President Donald Trump, offended by posts by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, says he's ordered two nuclear submarines to move closer to Russia. So, how will Moscow respond? Are we on a path to a nuclear standoff between America and Russia? An internet-age version of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis? I doubt it, judging by initial reaction in Russia. Russian news outlets have been rather dismissive of Trump's announcement. Speaking to the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper, a military commentator concluded that Trump was "throwing a temper tantrum". A retired lieutenant-general told Kommersant that the US president's talk of submarines was "meaningless blather. It's how he gets his kicks". "I'm sure Trump didn't really give any orders [about submarines]," a Russian security expert suggested to the same paper. Kommersant also mentions that in 2017, Trump said that he'd despatched two nuclear submarines to the Korean peninsula as a warning to North Korea. Yet not long after, Trump held a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. So, bizarrely, might Donald Trump's latest submarine deployment be a precursor to a US-Russia summit? I wouldn't go that far. But the reaction from the Russian authorities has been interesting. At time of writing, there hasn't been any. Not from the Kremlin. Not from the Russian foreign ministry. Nor the defence ministry. And I've seen no announcement about Russian nuclear submarines being positioned closer to America. Which suggests that either Moscow is still studying the situation and working out what to do, or that Moscow doesn't feel the need to react. The Russian press reaction I mentioned earlier suggests it's the latter https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly4kgv9238o

The Armoy road race has become a staple part of the Irish motorcycling calendar since its inception in 2009 and this weekend's event looks set to produce more thrilling racing for the thousands of spectators who attend. In an exciting new venture for the event, as a pilot, Saturday's racing will be streamed live on BBC iPlayer and worldwide on the BBC Sport website for the first time, allowing fans from across the globe to enjoy the high-speed action from the three-mile public roads circuit in the county Antrim countryside. Coverage of the main day of racing, culminating in the feature 'Race of Legends', will begin at 09:30 BST. As the meeting prepares to rev into life with qualifying and two scheduled races on Friday, BBC Sport brings you the lowdown on the po[CENSORED]r Irish road race. https://www.bbc.com/sport/motorsport/articles/cx24xr9355ro

Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is launching a new political party to "take on the rich and powerful" and campaign for the redistribution of wealth. The independent MP for Islington North said the party - which does not yet have a name - would offer an alternative to the "control freaks" of Labour and the "dangerously divisive" politics of Reform UK. Earlier, Corbyn issued a joint statement with Zarah Sultana, who recently quit Labour to become an independent MP, saying: "It's time for a new kind of political party - one that belongs to you." Responding to the launch, a Labour Party source said: "The electorate has twice given its verdict on a Jeremy Corbyn led party." https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdeze706jw8o

council has rejected plans to move a family-run animal charity to a new site. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), more than 900 people supported the application to relocate Holbrook Animal Rescue in Holbrook Lane, Horsham, to Jackrells Lane, in Southwater. Supporters said the move would "prevent the closure of a long-standing charity that benefits both animals and people". At a Horsham District Council meeting on Tuesday, councillors rejected the plan after officers said it would be "detrimental to the rural landscape character of the area" and cause noise and disturbance to neighbours. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0zrr8g3x9o

Newcastle United have rejected an opening offer from Liverpool for striker Alexander Isak. The Magpies value the Sweden international at about £150m, with the Reds' offer falling below that figure. There has been no confirmation as to the level of Liverpool's bid but there are reports it is worth £110m plus add-ons. Isak was left out of the Newcastle squad for their pre-season tour of Asia as he wants to explore a move away - despite the club qualifying for this season's Champions League. The bid from Liverpool has been lodged while Isak trains alone at former club Real Sociedad, amid continued uncertainty around his future. The 25-year-old joined Newcastle in a £60m move from La Liga club Real Sociedad in 2022. BBC Sport reported in July that Liverpool were considering a move for Isak worth up to £130m. Newcastle have maintained he is not for sale this summer, but that has not prevented Liverpool from taking a major interest. The Premier League champions made an approach to Newcastle last month and have now lodged an official bid. It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will make an improved bid for Isak, but manager Arne Slot is very keen to add the striker to his squad before the new season. There have already been a number of additions to the Dutchman's squad during a heavy summer of spending by the Anfield club. They have signed Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Armin Pecsi for a combined total of about £265m without add-ons. Meanwhile, regular first-teamers Luis Diaz, Jarell Quansah, Caoimhin Kelleher and Trent Alexander-Arnold have departed for an initial £115m. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c5yl7epeyv0o

A Surrey children's farm that has been operating for more than 40 years has announced its closure. The owners of Elm Nursery in Guildford, which covers two acres (0.8 hectares), said they made the decision to retire with "heavy hearts". It is a family-run farm with alpacas, goats, Shetland ponies, pigs, ducks, chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs, and other attractions including its farm shop, café and nursery. "After 42 years of 7 days a week, we are finally hanging up our wellies," they said. "Running a business like ours is a lifestyle, not just a job." https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd781zjl874o