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Liverpool have agreed a £12m fee with Saudi Arabian side Al Ettifaq for the potential sale of captain Jordan Henderson.

The England international will reportedly earn £700,000 a week with the Saudi Pro League side, managed by his former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard.

The 33-year-old midfielder is yet to agree personal terms.

Henderson’s move to Saudi Arabia is controversial because he has been a vocal ally of the LGBT community in football.

He wore rainbow laces during England’s run to the Euro 2020 final and has repeatedly voiced his support for greater inclusivity in the game.

However, homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death in the Gulf state where he will now play football.

3LionsPride, a fan group for LGBT England supporters, said it was “beyond disappointed” after the deal was reached.

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They had earlier criticised Henderson as rumours of a move to Saudi Arabia circulated last week.

The group said in a statement: “Our joy for Mr Henderson when he scored against Ukraine in the Euros (quarter-final) was, in part, due to his kindness and his ‘lucky’ rainbow laces.

“A banner was created to commemorate the low bar he had achieved in being outspoken on our right to support England and show visibility on the pitch.

“If the rumours are true, then that banner will be consigned to the depths of history.”

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Analysis: Many will be feeling betrayed by a man who seemed like a true ally

By Melissa Reddy, Sky Sports News senior reporter

The criticism will intensify. Jordan Henderson has been so vocal in his support, he felt like a true ally.

There was a community that looked to him, he was a beacon of light, a reference point for footballers, who took his lead and look to him for guidance on these matters.

He has been such an advocate for Rainbow Laces, he has been a football ally at the LGBT awards before, so there are so many things that just jar when it comes to this move.

Henderson will expect the criticism that is coming and will have thought long and hard about this. But I don’t think there is anything he can say or do to stop people from feeling betrayed, from feeling he folded at the first chance to make a stand.

There might be some who say this money changes his life, it doesn’t, it changes his legacy.

Henderson has been in Germany with Liverpool on their pre-season tour but was left out of manager Jurgen Klopp’s squad to face Karlsruhe in their first friendly on Wednesday.

He has made 491 appearances since signing for Liverpool from Sunderland for £20m in 2011 and skippered the side to Premier League and Champions League titles.

He has also won the FA Cup and two League Cups.

Henderson joins high profile names such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante in agreeing to move to Saudi Arabia.

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Man arrested on suspicion of murder after woman shot dead in Talbot Green, South Wales

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Man arrested on suspicion of murder after woman shot dead in Talbot Green, South Wales

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 40-year-old woman was shot dead in South Wales.

The woman was found with serious injuries just after 6pm on Sunday and died at the scene despite the efforts of emergency services.

She was discovered in the Green Park area of Talbot Green, a town about 15 miles west of Cardiff.

A 42-year-old local man is in police custody.

Detective Chief Inspector James Morris said: “I understand the concern this will cause the local community, and I want to reassure people that a team of experienced detectives are already working at pace to piece together the events of last night.”

Read more from Sky News:
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Murder charge over shooting of 16-year-old near station

South Wales Police said a number of crime scenes have been set up and road closures are in place.

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Drivers ‘confused’ by transition to electric vehicles, ministers warned

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Drivers 'confused' by transition to electric vehicles, ministers warned

UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.

Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.

In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.

Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.

More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.

The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.

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What you can do to reach net zero

In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.

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Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.

Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.

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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.

Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.

There are more EVs – but will people buy them?

In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.

But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.

The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.

It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.

“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.

Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.

“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.

“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.

“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.

“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”

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Man charged after climbing Big Ben’s Elizabeth Tower

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Man charged after climbing Big Ben's Elizabeth Tower

A man has been charged after climbing up the tower of Big Ben, the Metropolitan Police has said.

Daniel Day, 29, of Palmerston Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, faces charges of intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance and trespassing on a protected site.

He will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later today.

Police were called to reports of a man climbing up Elizabeth Tower at 7.24am on Saturday.

The man was carrying a Palestinian flag and remained barefoot on a ledge for more than 16 hours before being lifted to the ground in a cherry picker just after midnight.

Read more from Sky News:
Man arrested after woman shot dead in South Wales
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Westminster Bridge was forced to close to traffic during the morning, as tourists in central London stood around watching the spectacle.

Police said specialist officers worked with the fire brigade “to bring this incident to a close as quickly as possible whilst minimising risk to life”.

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