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German and World Cup football legend Franz Beckenbauer has died, aged 78.

The German defender – nicknamed “Der Kaiser” because of his sublime talent – was regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, winning a World Cup with West Germany as both a player and a manager.

He was also famed for carving out his own role as a sweeper – now often known as a “Libero” – sitting slightly behind his team’s defensive line and sweeping up any man or ball that broke through.

Former England striker Gary Lineker, paying tribute to Beckenbauer, described him as “one of the absolute greats of our game”.

“Very sorry to hear that Franz Beckenbauer has died. Der Kaiser was the most beautiful of footballers who won it all with grace and charm. RIP,” he wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

FILE - West Germany captain Franz Beckenbauer holds up the World Cup trophy after his team defeated the Netherlands by 2-1, in the World Cup soccer final at Munich's Olympic stadium, in West Germany, on Jul. 7, 1974. German soccer great Franz Beckenbauer has died at 78, news agency dpa reports. (AP Photo, File)
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Franz Beckenbauer holds up the World Cup trophy in 1974. Pic: AP

Former England goalkeeper also paid tribute, writing: “Very sad to hear that the great Beckenbauer has sadly passed away.

“He was a fantastic player reaching world-class status. RIP legend”

Clash of the titans with Charlton

Across a nearly two-decade-long career – much of it spent at his boyhood club Bayern Munich – Beckenbauer won an array of trophies, including four Bundesliga titles and three European Cups.

But it was performances on the international stage that many football fans will remember, including lifting the European Championship in 1972 and the World Cup with West Germany in 1974.

He narrowly missed out on the Jules Rimet Cup eight years earlier at Wembley, with England clinching an extra-time victory in the 1966 World Cup final.

It was during that final that Beckenbauer, not yet at the peak of his powers, was told to man-mark England star Bobby Charlton, pitting two of the world’s greatest footballers together.

Franz BECKENBAUER plays against Bobby Charlton at the 1966 FIFA World Cup final at Wembley, London, England - West Germany 4:3 on 30 July 1966. | usage worldwide Photo by: SVEN SIMON/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
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Clash of the titans: Franz Beckenbauer faces off against Bobby Charlton in the 1966 World Cup final. Pic: AP

In the end, such were both their talents, they cancelled each other out, and it was Geoff Hurst who starred, scoring a hat-trick to help England to a famous victory.

“The message he [Beckenbauer] sent out was: ‘Don’t even try it. Coming out to face me is a waste of your time,” Charlton later said of their match-up.

Coach of West Germany Franz Beckenbauer, left, talls with English football hero Bobby Charlton, during an interview for a TV company at the German headquarters in Queretaro, Mexico, on June 26, 1986, before the Football World Cup Final against Argentina. (AP Photo/Staff/Endlicher)
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The pair reunited ahead of the 1986 World Cup. Pic: AP

As well as trophies, Beckenbauer won an array of personal honours, including two European Footballer of the Year awards as a defender – a rarity at the time and still to this day.

He also finished runner-up twice and third placed in 1966 – won that year by his World Cup final nemesis, Charlton.

From pitch to the boardroom

After hanging up his boots for the final time – following a short second stint in the US at the New York Cosmos – Beckenbauer turned to management, guiding West Germany to victory in the 1990 World Cup.

FILED - 08 July 1990, Italy, Rom: Franz Beckenbauer (2nd from left) celebrates winning the World Cup as coach of the German national soccer team in the Olympic Stadium in Rome, surrounded by his players. Germany had beaten Argentina 1:0 in the final. Franz Beckenbauer is dead. The German soccer legend died on Sunday at the age of 78, his family told the German Press Agency on Monday. Photo by: Frank Kleefeldt/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
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Beckenbauer later took up management, guiding West Germany to World Cup success in 1990. Pic: AP

He was one of three men, along with Brazil’s Mario Zagallo, who passed away this month, and France’s Didier Deschamps, to have won the World Cup as both a player and as a manager.

After stepping back from the dugout, Beckenbauer entered into punditry, including for Sky Germany, as well as taking up executive roles at Bayern Munich and with the Germany Football Association.

Pele with fellow football legends Sir Bobby Charlton and Franz Beckenbauer in 1999
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Pele with fellow football legends Sir Bobby Charlton and Franz Beckenbauer in 1999

It was during his spearheading of Germany’s successful 2006 World Cup bid that Beckenbauer became embroiled in controversy, with authorities launching an investigation into allegations of fraud and money laundering in connection with the bid.

He was accused by the Swiss Attorney General’s office of paying Qatari former FIFA executive Mohamed bin Hammam £8.4m before the 2006 World Cup.

Beckenbauer and three other men accused in the investigation denied any wrongdoing, and it was later closed without a verdict in 2020 as the statute of limitations expired.

FILE - German soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer, head of Germany's organising committee for the soccer World Cup, plays with the Golden Ball for the World Cup in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, on April 18, 2006.
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After stepping back as a player and then a manager, Beckenbauer spearheaded Germany’s sucessful 2006 World Cup bid. Pic: AP

Beckenbauer was later immortalised in a film – titled Der Kaiser – made about his life in 2022.

In a statement announcing his death, his family said: “It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family,” the family said.

“We ask that you be able to grieve in silence and refrain from asking any questions.”

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Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault, has died, her family says

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Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault, has died, her family says

Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault, has died aged 41.

In a statement to Sky’s US partner network NBC News on Friday, her family said she took her own life in Neergabby, Australia, where she had been living for several years.

“It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia,” her family said.

“She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.

“Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors.

“In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight.”

Ms Giuffre sued the Duke of York for sexual abuse in August 2021, saying Andrew had sex with her when she was 17 and had been trafficked by his friend, the billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The duke has repeatedly denied the claims, and he has not been charged with any criminal offences.

In March 2022, it was announced Ms Giuffre and Andrew had reached an out-of-court settlement – believed to include a “substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights”.

Prince Andrew attends the Royal Family's Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene's church. File pic: Reuters
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Prince Andrew has denied all claims of wrongdoing. File pic: Reuters

‘An incredible champion’

Sigrid McCawley, Ms Giuffre’s attorney, told NBC News that she “was much more than a client to me; she was a dear friend and an incredible champion for other victims”.

“Her courage pushed me to fight harder, and her strength was awe-inspiring,” she said. “The world has lost an amazing human being today.”

“Rest in peace, my sweet angel,” she added.

Dini von Mueffling, Giuffre’s representative, also told the outlet: “Virginia was one of the most extraordinary human beings I have ever had the honour to know.

“Deeply loving, wise, and funny, she was a beacon to other survivors and victims. She adored her children and many animals.

“She was always more concerned with me than with herself. I will miss her beyond words. It was the privilege of a lifetime to represent her.”

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Ms Giuffre said at the end of March she had four days to live after a car accident, posting on social media that “I’ve gone into kidney renal failure”. She was discharged from hospital eight days later.

Raised mainly in Florida, she said she was abused by a family friend early in life, which led to her living on the streets at times as a teenager.

She said that in 2000, she met Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite who was convicted in 2021 on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Ms Giuffre said Maxwell then introduced her to Epstein and hired her as his masseuse, and said she was sex trafficked and sexually abused by him and associates around the world.

‘I am now a survivor’

After meeting her husband in 2002, while taking massage training in Thailand at what she said was Epstein’s behest, she moved to Australia and had a family.

She founded the sex trafficking victims’ advocacy charity SOAR in 2015, and is quoted on its website as saying: “I do this for victims everywhere.

“I am no longer the young and vulnerable girl who could be bullied. I am now a survivor, and nobody can ever take that away from me.”

:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.

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Fighter jets, a naval destroyer and guns on show: The ‘unprecedented’ security operation for Pope’s funeral

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Fighter jets, a naval destroyer and guns on show: The 'unprecedented' security operation for Pope's funeral

As the line of mourners moves slowly along behind him, Ciriaco Sarnelli peers at me from beneath the immaculate brim of his cap.

The military police chief looks, by any standards, magnificent – shoulders back and proudly wearing the black uniform of the Carabinieri.

“Our history goes back more than 200 years,” he says. “We remember our past, and our place. The only people with black uniforms are the priests, the judges and the Carabinieri.”

He leaves the rest unsaid – the Carabinieri sit at the heart of Italian cultural life.

Ciriaco Sarnelli, Carabinieri military police chief
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Ciriaco Sarnelli, Carabinieri military police chief

Pope latest: Security ramping up ahead of funeral

Once, they defended the borders of a young nation. Now, they have a new challenge that has its own weighty burden – to keep St Peter’s Square safe during the funeral of Pope Francis.

This is no easy task. Hundreds of thousands will descend upon the Vatican for the event.

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Many of the world’s best-known politicians and dignitaries will be welcomed into St Peter’s Basilica.

Inside will be Donald Trump, Sir Keir Starmer, Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron, Prince William and dozens upon dozens of other dignitaries.

Outside will be the Carabinieri.

They won’t be alone – there are thousands of other police officers due to be assigned to protect the event – but the Carabinieri are affiliated to the military; the most highly-trained officers on duty.

Read more:
How Pope Francis’s funeral will unfold
Pope’s doctor reveals pontiff’s last regret

Security on horseback
Anti Drone gun for the Pope's funeral
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A member of the security personnel wields an anti-drone gun for the Pope’s funeral

“This is an extraordinary operation,” says Sarnelli, as we look out over the crowd. “So we have employed some special units that belong to Carabinieri – the bomb squad, a dogs unit, snipers and helicopters. We want to assure the people who are arriving here that they can take part in this event in the best way, in a secure way.”

He says they are ready for “common crimes” – like pickpockets in the crowd – but also “the biggest, terrifying events”.

He says there is “excellent coordination” with police forces from other countries.

Around him, his officers are smiling, chatting to tourists and Romans alike.

The security here is overt but friendly, even if I’m told there are also plenty of plain-clothed officers mingling within the crowd.

Guns and grins both on show.

A police helicopter circles above. In the port of Rome, a naval destroyer has been primed for action; there are fighter jets ready to take off.

You can watch full coverage of the funeral live on Sky News on Saturday

Crowds to see the Pope
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Huge crowds have come from around the world to see the Pope’s body

If the impression is relaxed, the reality is different. The classic swan.

All the strands are pulled together from one place and, what’s more, it offers a perfect view of Vatican City.

From where I’m standing, I can see the front of St Peter’s Basilica, the side, and the roads around it. I can see the crowds coming in, and the crowds going out.

And I can see an anxious policeman drumming his fingers.

But we are not in St Peter’s and not even in the Vatican.

This is the high-security control room on the fifth floor of Rome’s police headquarters.

And from here, you can see everything.

Rome Police control room
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The control room from where security officials can see across the Italian capital

Rome Police control room

An array of screens are in front of us and, watching them, men and women, huddled over screens and all wearing contrasting uniforms.

Some are military, some national police, some wear the clothes of firefighters. A few are in plain clothes and there is even a man wearing the badge of the prison officers’ service.

This centre is a hub for collaboration and decision-making and it brings together every service that is involved in ensuring the safety and security of the funeral.

There is a Carabinieri officer here, as well as the Guardia di Finanza national police and the Roman force. The government’s secret intelligence service is represented here, too.

Elisabetta Accardo is from Rome’s police department. We talk against the gentle hubbub in the control room, colleagues pointing at screens and agreeing plans.

Elisabetta Accardo, Rome Police control room spokeswoman
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Elisabetta Accardo, Rome Police control room spokeswoman

I ask when Italy last had to deal with a security operation on this scale, and she laughs. “Hundreds of years,” she says.

“It is unprecedented. The level of security is at the maximum.” She describes the plan as “structured three-dimensional security”.

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It is a plan that has been long in the making, but which has been reshaped over the past few days to react to the whims of the Pope’s final wishes.

It is, after all, more than a century since a pope was buried outside the walls of the Vatican.

You get the impression that the people designing the security plan could rather have done without having to add an hour-long procession through Rome into the plan.

But so be it.

By Saturday night, it will be done. Rome can start to get back to normal; the foreign leaders will be on their way home.

And the Rome police will breathe just a little bit easier.

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Kremlin blames Ukraine for car bomb killing of Russian general near Moscow – as Trump envoy meets Putin

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Kremlin blames Ukraine for car bomb killing of Russian general near Moscow - as Trump envoy meets Putin

The Kremlin has blamed Ukraine for a car bomb that killed a Russian general near Moscow hours before Donald Trump’s envoy was due to meet Vladimir Putin in the capital.

The death of Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik is the second such fatal attack on a top Russian military officer in four months.

Russia’s top criminal investigation agency said he was killed by an explosive device placed in his car in Balashikha, just outside the capital.

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Pic: Russian Ministry of Defence
Image:
Yaroslav Moskalik. Pic: Russian Ministry of Defence

Moskalik was a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff of the Russian armed forces.

“The Kyiv regime once again simply shows its true nature. The Kyiv regime continues to be involved in terrorist activity on the territory of our country,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

He didn’t offer any evidence.

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“It shows once again that, despite the peace talks, we must be on guard and understand the nature of this regime.”

Ukraine has not responded to the killing.

Investigators at the scene where Lt Gen Yaroslav Moskalik was killed. Pic: AP
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Investigators work at the scene where Lt Gen Yaroslav Moskalik was killed. Pic: AP

Investigative committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said the explosive device was rigged with shrapnel, adding that investigators were at the scene.

Videos showed a vehicle burning in the courtyard of an apartment building and a body covered in a sheet could be seen on the pavement nearby.

Deadly attack is not a great look for the Kremlin

Explosions like this are happening with increasing frequency in Moscow. There have now been four since last summer, with high-ranking military figures the target each time.

The latest victim was another senior officer called Yaroslav Moskalik. He was a lieutenant general, and deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff of Russia’s armed forces.

It’s unclear why he was targeted – it may simply be because of his seniority and apparent vulnerability.

As with previous the bombings, there is an obvious question: is it because of the war in Ukraine?

Kyiv hasn’t commented on this bombing, but they did claim responsibility for the one in December that killed a top Russian general.

Speaking to Sky News, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called it a “terrorist attack”, echoing language Moscow has used when describing similar attacks in the past.

The timing feels significant – coinciding with Steve Witkoff’s visit to the Russian capital to meet Vladimir Putin.

If it was Ukraine, could it be a way of signalling their displeasure at the way peace talks are progressing? Or an attempt to demonstrate how Moscow can still be hurt?

Either way, it’s not a great look for the Kremlin.

It comes after Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov was killed in December when a bomb hidden on an electric scooter parked outside his apartment building exploded as he left for his office.

Russian authorities blamed Ukraine for the killing of Kirillov, and Ukraine’s security agency acknowledged that it was behind that attack.

Kirillov was the chief of Russia’s radiation, biological and chemical protection forces, the special troops tasked with protecting the military from the enemy’s use of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and ensuring operations in a contaminated environment.

His assistant also died in the attack.

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Talks bring Russia and US ‘closer together’

Friday’s bombing came as Mr Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff met Mr Putin in Moscow to discuss a US-brokered peace plan for Ukraine.

The talks allowed Russia and the United States to “further bring their positions closer together” on “a number of international issues”, a Kremlin aide said.

The two sides discussed “the possibility of resuming direct negotiations between representatives of the Russian Federation and Ukraine”, Yuri Ushakov said.

The talks in Moscow lasted for three hours and were “constructive and useful”, he added.

Speaking on a flight to Italy for the Pope’s funeral, the US president said he hadn’t been fully briefed on Mr Witkoff and Mr Putin’s meeting – but added it was a “pretty good meeting”.

The meeting was their fourth encounter since February.

Russia and Ukraine have not held direct talks since the early weeks of the war, which began in February 2022.

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