Palermo, Italy – Libya’s rival factions and key international players will meet in the Italian city of Palermo on Monday amid United Nations-led efforts to re-ignite a stalled political process and set the stage for general elections.

The meeting will come just a few days after Ghassan Salame, the UN special envoy for Libya, presented a new roadmap for a national conference and a vote in early 2019.

The talks will be attended by leaders from the rival Tripoli- and Tobruk-based parliaments, including Fayez al-Serraj, head of the UN-backed government in the capital, and renegade General Khalifa Haftar, who controls the eastern part of the country.

Delegates from France, Russia, the United States and other regional players will also be in Palermo at the behest of Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

“Libyans are sick and tired of military adventurism and petty political manoeuvres,” Salame told Security Council in New York on Thursday.

“The time has come to give a wider and more representative group of Libyans the opportunity to meet on Libyan soil, with no external interference, in order to devise a clear path out of the present impasse,” he added, referring to the upcoming national conference.

The process, as envisaged by the envoy, should usher in parliamentary and presidential elections more than seven years after a NATO-backed uprising toppled long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi.

Since then, the country has been deeply fragmented along tribal and ethnic lines and caught up in a spiral of violence at the hands of rival militias.

‘Realistic timeframe for elections’

In Palermo, Salame will seek international support for his plan, aware that conflicting agendas within the international community have only exacerbated internal rifts between tribes and militias.

The summit will offer an opportunity to discuss the UN plan in more detail, as well as address other key issues for Libya’s stabilisation, including the creation of a state-controlled police force and the redistribution of oil wealth.

“The meeting in Palermo is considered a ‘service’ conference in support of the UN plan,” said Arturo Varvelli, an analyst at the Institute for the International Political Studies in Milan and a Libya specialist.

“It means the UN retakes control of the stabilisation process in Libya, setting a more realistic timeframe for elections.”

The new UN roadmap shelves a French initiative to hold the ballot on December 10, which drew criticism for its hastiness and for excluding from the process a broader spectrum of Libyan actors.

“The Italians will try to broaden the platform that was absent in Paris,” said Varvelli, referring to talks held in the French capital in May.

“Minority groups, tribal leaders, militias that contributed to fight ISIS [also known as ISIL], should be included in a pacification process,” he added.

Monday’s conference will also prove an opportunity for Conte to retake the lead of the negotiations after the Libyan factions failed to honour the commitments made in the Paris meeting.

The Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HOR), which Salame described as “largely sterile”, failed to produce both an electoral law and a legislation to hold a referendum on a provisional constitution.

Italy and France have been seeking to lead the pacification process in Libya, with both pursuing a different agenda. But they are not the only ones with a stake in the oil-rich country – other regional players are also trying to influence Libyan politics, including Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

Italy, Libya’s former colonial power, supports al-Ferraj’s Government of National Accord and has invested heavily on the UN-backed authorities to stem the flow of thousands of undocumented migrants arriving from the Libyan shores. 

France, while officially supporting the UN plans, has engaged in a successful campaign over time to legitimise the role of Haftar, head of the self-styled Libyan National Army and an enemy of the Tripoli authorities. Along with Russia, the UAE and Egypt, who consider Haftar a buffer against the advance of Islamist-leaning forces, France has provided him with financial, military and intelligence support.

“France looks at General Haftar as a strong army man, capable of containing the expansion of terrorist groups and maybe securing the southern borders,” said Anne Giudicelli, a former French diplomat and head of consultancy firm Terrorisc.

“France is concerned with the security of the broader Sahel region and its stability. Libya’s open borders have turned the country in a safe haven for terrorist and criminal groups,” she said.

A total collapse of state institutions and public services in the south has left the region and its population prey of criminal gangs and armed groups that have been operating with total impunity.

National conference and new elections

Salame said the upcoming national conference, which is proposed to be held in the first weeks of 2019, will draw on the contributions of thousands of Libyans who participated in 77 preparatory meetings across the country last spring. Their recommendations will set the framework for the electoral process.

However, members of the rival institutions in Tripoli and Tobruk, who stand accused of dragging on the status-quo for their own interests, fear that their grip on power will be lost if new polls take place, according to the UN envoy.

“To both Houses, elections are a threat that must be resisted at all costs,” said Salame, pointing the finger at the two rival parliamentary bodies.

“But to the citizens, elections are means of liberation from the ineffective and increasingly illegitimate authorities.”

According to recent polls, 80 percent of Libyans insist on having elections, said the envoy. 

“Palermo will probably offer a more credible timeframe for the elections. However I strongly doubt they will occur even in 2019,” said Jalel Harchaoui, geopolitics lecturer at Versailles University in Paris.

“All the main actors in Palermo have no interest in changing the status quo in Libya. Containment is the main objective, they fear elections may bring more turmoil.”

Serraj and Haftar confrontation

Meanwhile, the security and economic conditions in the country, especially in the Tripoli area, remain dire. Spiralling prices of basic goods and fuel, widespread violence, human rights violations, attacks and pillaging of institutional facilities at the hands of militias have devastated the population.

The deepening of the economic crisis has also exacerbated relations between the Tripoli-based government and the east of the country, from where Haftar has often threatened a major assault on the capital. In July, discontent over the redistribution of the oil wealth caused a standoff over control of the oil terminals in the oil crescent, and a resumption of violent confrontations amongst militias in Tripoli. 

A UN-brokered ceasefire and the intervention of the international community imposing a freeze on the sale of oil from the oil crescent helped avoid a rupture between the two regions, eventually prompting al-Serraj to pass a series of economic and security measures to contain the crisis.

Al-Serraj also announced a new security plan for Tripoli, with the aim of regaining control of key installations currently in the hands of militias, including the capital’s port, Mitiga airport and a number of official buildings.

Watch live Urban Cycling World Championships – BBC Sport

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Here’s a tip – never play Sol Bamba at poker. He’s an excellent bluffer.

After scoring Cardiff City’s 90th-minute winner in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Brighton, the defender sprinted away and, pretty much immediately, tore off his shirt in celebration.

As we know, by the laws of the game, a player removing their shirt should receive a punishment of a yellow card, just like Demarai Gray did for Leicester last week.

So how did wily Bamba escape such a reprimand?

“The ref said to me ‘did you take your shirt off?’ I said ‘no I didn’t’,” said Bamba after the game. Simple.

It’s odd that Martin Atkinson and his team of officials didn’t spot the Frenchman stripping off because:

1. He definitely took the shirt off (there are pictures and everything).

2. He ran directly towards the referee’s assistant, half naked.

3. He definitely took it off (yes, we’ve said that twice but it’s such an important one it needed to be repeated).

Cardiff boss Neil Warnock seemed bemused.

“I don’t think Martin [Atkinson] will have done that on purpose, if he didn’t see it that is what linesmen are for isn’t it?” he said.

“I did mention to the referee when he warned us before the game about taking your shirt off that I hoped three of my lads got booked for taking off their shirts today, because we don’t score too many goals, do we?”

True, Cardiff have just 11 Premier League goals this term.

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino praised “fantastic” defender Juan Foyth after he scored the winning goal against Crystal Palace – a week after conceding two penalties on his Premier League debut.

The 20-year-old Argentine headed in from close range when he reacted quickest after Harry Kane’s header had been partially blocked.

It was only his second league appearance, after he had conceded two penalties – scored by Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez – during Spurs’ 3-2 victory at Wolves last Saturday.

“He is an intelligent, smart player and he has the potential to be one of the best centre-backs in Europe,” said fellow Argentine Pochettino.

“Of course he was very disappointed last week, he felt responsible but that’s the job of the coaching staff to work with a player and we laughed about the situation. To improve, you have to make mistakes and that is going to help him.

“He has so much potential and only needs time and games to improve. After last week we said ‘you need to forget that situation’ because it has happened and it can happen to footballers.

“His performance today was fantastic. He played so well. He needs to learn and keep improving but he is a very good prospect for us.”

Palace have now failed to win in seven games in all competitions and were left rueing James Tomkins’ failure to hit the target with a free header when it was goalless.

The hosts pushed for an equaliser late on, but Spurs captain Hugo Lloris did well to deny Jeffrey Schlupp, ex-Tottenham man Andros Townsend and substitute Alexander Sorloth as the visitors held on.

The result leaves the Eagles 16th, only out of the relegation zone on goal difference, while fourth-placed Tottenham are two points behind leaders Manchester City, although the top three are all in action on Sunday.

It was not all good news for Tottenham, however, as England international Kieran Trippier, who on Thursday was named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the friendly against the United States and the Nations League game versus Croatia, limped out of the game after only 22 minutes.

Midfielder Erik Lamela also had to leave the field when he suffered a badly cut head as he slid in to challenge Schlupp.

From villain to hero

Foyth, who joined Tottenham from Argentine club Estudiantes in August 2017 in an £8m transfer, had only played in cup games before making his poor league debut at Molineux last weekend.

He was not in the 18-man matchday squad for Spurs’ 2-1 win over PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Tuesday, but a hamstring injury to Davinson Sanchez gave Foyth another chance.

He made a nervous start when he needlessly conceded a corner under no pressure with a misplaced pass to Lloris, although Palace could not capitalise from the set-piece.

But he became the match winner in the second half, reacting quickest as Palace failed to attack the second ball after Harry Kane’s header had deflected into Foyth’s range.

Tottenham had 65% of the possession and had the best chances in the first half, but Dele Alli headed wide when unmarked, Kane had a 25-yard shot pushed away and Lucas Moura headed over.

After the game, Foyth admitted he had learned a lot from his mistakes against Wolves.

“I think the two penalties I conceded against Wolves, I have to learn from,” said Foyth. “I’ve worked in training but these two penalties helped me with experience.”

Foyth’s team-mate, Dele Alli, added: “Juan deserves a lot of credit. It says a lot about his character after conceding those two penalties at Wolves.

“He works hard every day in training and he’s come in and got the winner.”

Palace lose again when Zaha is not there

For Palace, it continues a remarkable record of results when talisman Wilfried Zaha is not available.

Hodgson said Zaha tweaked his hamstring in the final 10 minutes of the Eagles’ 3-1 loss to Chelsea last weekend, although the Ivory Coast international did manage to finish that match.

And this result means Palace have now lost each of the past 13 games that they have played when the 26-year-old is absent.

His influence has also been shown this season, with him playing a part in five of the eight league goals Palace had scored (three goals and two assists).

However, Roy Hodgson’s side, who last won on 25 September with a 3-0 away win against Championship West Brom in the third round of the Carabao Cup, should have at least earned a point against Tottenham.

Despite the visitors having more of the ball, the home side were a threat at set-pieces in wet conditions.

Tomkins, who later went off injured, should have scored when he lost his marker at the back post but headed narrowly wide following a corner in the second half.

Palace’s best play came in the final 15 minutes, but Lloris, one of six Tottenham changes after he had been suspended for the Champions League tie against PSV, excelled to frustrate Hodgson’s team.

Man of the match – Hugo Lloris (Tottenham)

Spurs beat Palace again – the stats

• Crystal Palace have lost seven consecutive top-flight matches against a single opponent for the first time ever.
• Tottenham have won 1-0 in each of their last five Premier League meetings with Crystal Palace, the longest run of consecutive identical results between two sides in the history of the competition.
• Twenty-six of the last 27 goals scored in Premier League games between Crystal Palace and Spurs have been netted in the second half – there has been one first-half goal scored in the last 15 meetings.
• Crystal Palace are the only side this season yet to score a home Premier League goal excluding penalties.
• Tottenham have won more away Premier League games in 2018 than any other side (12). Only once have Spurs won more top-flight away games in a single calendar year (17 in 1960).
• Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has won nine Premier League games against Crystal Palace – more than he has managed against any other side.
• Tottenham have had 146 different goalscorers in the Premier League, more than any other team in the competition’s history (excluding own goals).
• Juan Foyth is the third Argentine to score for Spurs in the Premier League, after Erik Lamela and Mauricio Taricco.

‘So pleased’ – what they said

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, speaking to BT Sport: “It was a very competitive game. It was an even game and it was tough. Before the game we were talking a lot about how difficult it is to play here.

“I’m so pleased because the team fought well under difficult circumstances and got the three points.”

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson, speaking to Match of the Day: “The gap between us and the top teams isn’t that big – we’ve shown that in the last few games.

“The players aren’t allowing themselves to become disheartened. The attitude throughout was excellent today. In the last 20 or 30 minutes we were laying siege to the Tottenham goal. They will realise that it was quite a fortunate win.

“We go home very dejected because once again we have very little to show for our efforts.”

What’s next?

The international break means neither side are in action again for two weeks, with Crystal Palace playing away at Manchester United on Saturday, 24 November (15:00 GMT kick-off).

Tottenham have another London derby as they entertain Chelsea on the same day (17:30 GMT).

Tony Bellew’s shot at becoming the first Briton to hold four world titles in a weight division ended in failure as Oleksandr Usyk produced a stunning finish in the eighth round at Manchester Arena.

The Ukrainian, initially cautious and behind on the cards, found rhythm around the midway point and, after following a jab with a brutal left hook, he was already smiling as Bellew tried to get back to his feet, to no avail.

Usyk’s IBF, WBO, WBA and WBC world cruiserweight titles were safe, despite Bellew’s solid counter-punching early on, when the undefeated and undisputed champion struggled with the Briton’s movement.

Referee Terry O’Connor waved the bout off and while 35-year-old Bellew appeared dazed in the moments after, he quickly stated he had given “everything” he had.

It was a conclusive finish, befitting of a much-hyped champion, who is now expected to chase the glamour names of the heavyweight division.

“He is just so hard and so awkward. He is big and he overpowers you. I tried my best and he is probably the best cruiserweight that ever lived,” Bellew told BBC Radio 5 live.

“It is heartbreaking because I gave it everything I had. Heavyweights stay away, he takes a great shot and I don’t even know if I hurt him.”

The Briton confirmed it would be his last fight, saying: “I have been doing this for 20 years, and it is over.”

Brutal end for Bellew

In what was just the sixth bout in men’s boxing history where all four world titles were on the line, 31-year-old Usyk briefly appeared frozen but the pedigree which took him to Olympic gold at London 2012 shone through.

All week he cut a figure at ease, a man so confident in his sublime skill-set. Against Bellew, he simply would not be drawn into a brawl which could level the playing field. There was no room for the chance attached to a slugfest.

He was tentative early on in a bear-pit atmosphere. Through four minutes the champion barely threw a punch. After landing a solid counter-right, Bellew beat down on his shorts with both hands as if to urge his rival to attack.

As he was in the early stages of his first encounter with David Haye, Bellew was comfortable with his back to the ropes, pulling his right hand to counter repeatedly.

Usyk – just 16 fights into his career – was being forced to think about every move, though he landed a stinging left hook to the middle of Bellew’s face in the fourth, forcing the Briton on to the back foot.

It was tense. The world’s first four-weight world champion Tommy Hearns sat two rows from the ring. Enthralled like the masses, with his eyes wide as Usyk started letting his hands go by halfway.

His caution ebbed away, each shot landing added belief and, with Bellew suddenly breathing more heavily in the eighth, Usyk threw shots which served to create space for the hook, sending Bellew down, his head in the ropes.

The fairytale career the Liverpool fighter has enjoyed was brutally ended but he had taken on a challenge few believed he could overcome.

One step too far on a remarkable journey

Bookmakers had made Usyk as short as 1-7 to defeat a man known for upsetting the odds.

Boxing simply to impress his father as a child, Bellew’s mother said he would be “too soft” in this most vicious of sports.

And yet the Evertonian rose from the canvas to land the WBC cruiserweight title at his beloved Goodison Park in 2016, upset David Haye twice at heavyweight and somehow found himself starring in a Rocky movie.

But to topple a man as refined between the ropes as Usyk, Bellew would need every ounce of the ring craft acquired over his previous 33 outings.

Few in the sport study like he does, lending hope he would deliver on his words and “find a way” to fell a “monster”.

Nine minutes in he appeared in with a shout, beating a mover at his own game by gallantly taking up a position on the ropes, often pivoting right before throwing the right hand.

The early rounds seemed to go his way but suddenly the sheer pressure that comes with concentrating against one so dangerous took its toll.

A three-time British amateur champion, and a British, Commonwealth and world champion as a professional, the Bellew journey in the ring is over. What a journey it has been.

For Usyk, the most exciting part of his own career looks set to unfold.

Analysis – ‘Bellew went out on his shield’

BBC Radio 5 live boxing analyst Steve Bunce

That was the best opening three rounds of Tony Bellew’s career. He made Usyk look ordinary. Then through the third and fourth rounds, something special began to happen. That was absolutely sensational finishing from Usyk.

Former WBC super-middleweight champion Richie Woodhall on Radio 5 live

Bellew will be heartbroken because you are when you lose a world title fight, but he couldn’t have done any more. He gave everything and tactically he got it spot on, but he just couldn’t maintain it. He can be proud of his career and his performance but he was beaten by an exceptional boxer.

I think to sum him up, Tony Bellew has been a true world champion who has come from nothing. He has been a tremendous advert for British boxing and he went out on his shield against an undisputed champion.

Here’s how software engineer Garth Kidd defined the “Tetris effect” in his 1996 paper, “Possible future risk of virtual reality,” for The Risks Digest.

“Many people, after playing Tetris for more than an hour straight, report being plagued by after-images of the game for up to days afterwards, an ability to play the game in their head, and a tendency to identify everything in the world as being made of four squares and attempt to determine ‘where it fits in.’”

In the more than two decades since that term started kicking around (it was actually first coined a couple years earlier, in a Wired story), the game of Tetris has existed in many different shapes and sizes. But not one of those games has ever tried to capture the feeling that Kidd described. Until now.

Tetris Effect, from Enhance (the folks behind Lumines Remastered), is a 2018 take on the planet’s most ubiquitous video game. Drenched in shifting neon lights that pulse along with ambient techno soundtrack, this is Tetris by way of… well… Lumines.

The stylistic similarities between the two are hard to ignore, though not in a bad way. Lumines is an entrancing Tetris-inspired puzzle game in which the falling blocks and swirling psychedelic backgrounds sync up around rhythmic interactions with the soundtrack. Tetris Effect takes that vibe even further. 

In one stage, a pod of dolphins swims along underneath your field of falling blocks. Every time you clear a line, all five of the oceanbound mammals leap out of the water in unison. Another one opens on a desert scene and a line of marching camels stretching out to the horizon.

Your every act in Tetris Effect produces a result. Move or rotate a tetromino and the soundtrack  responds. Clear a line and expect to be treated to a burst of color and another audio cue. In the desert stage, wiping out a line produces a burst of wind and a cloud of sand particles. Clear enough lines and the camera shifts to a higher angle, then an even higher one, and finally, a view from the surface of the moon.

Journey’s 27 stages are subdivided into smaller groups of three, four, and five. You “complete” a stage by clearing a certain number of lines, at which point you’re immediately punted to the next one. Once you clear an entire group of stages, a results screen delivers your numerical score along with a letter grade.

This is Tetris by way of Lumines.

In a neat twist, reaching tougher stages in Tetris Effect doesn’t merely translate to “faster falling blocks.” The game’s speed fluctuates over time, in 10-line-clear increments. You might start out one stage feeling overwhelmed as blocks stream down at a breakneck place, only to hit that 10th line clear and see them immediately slow to a crawl.

The variable difficulty keeps you on your toes. High scores are the goal in Journey, but it’s tough to clear a full group of stages without failing, especially once you reach the later groups. If you do fail in the middle of a group, you can pick up at the stage you left off and keep going to clear that group and make your way to the next one. But your score suffers for those failures.

Separate from Journey is a group of “Effect” modes, a lengthy playlist offering different types of challenges. There’s a minor online component here: as you play and earn points, your profile levels up and unlocks music and avatar customization, the latter of which you’re able to show off online.

If Journey is where Tetris Effect feels like a game, Effect is where it embraces more of a self-help vibe. The list of different Effect modes — each of which serves up a varying assortment of stages and rules — has a look and feel that wouldn’t be out of place in a meditation or binaural beats app.

The “Classic” options are your more traditional Tetris challenges, prioritizing speed and score. “Relax” options, meanwhile, do away with “Game Over” and emphasize stages backed by ambient beats. “Focus” challenges push you to zero in on strategy by aiming for things like combos and “All Clears.” Finally, the “Adventurous” Effect modes go for the element of surprise, employing unexpected and sometimes shifting rules.

Tetris Effect is great on its own, but it really shines the brightest when you have a PlayStation VR headset handy, along with some nice headphones for pumping the game’s tranquil beats directly into your brain. The psychedelic backdrops expand outwards in virtual reality, with swirling flashes of light seeming to physically wash over you after each line clear.

It’s a powerful experience. Video games, and virtual reality especially, are all about immersing the player in a digital landscape. This goes a step further, delivering an audiovisual feast that syncs up perfectly with the game and your physical relationship to the controls. You don’t just play Tetris Effect; you feel it.

Tommy Seymour scored a hat-trick of tries as Scotland weathered an early storm to blow Fiji away at Murrayfield.

Allan Dell, Fraser Brown and Seymour touched down as Scotland edged to a 17-14 lead at the interval.

Tries from Viliame Mata and Semi Radradra had Fiji in front briefly but they had no answer to the hosts’ composure, fitness and control.

Seymour plunged over twice in a second-half rout, with Sean Maitland, Jamie Ritchie and Adam Hastings also scoring.

Given what happened to them the last time they played Fiji – a bruising loss in Suva in the summer of 2017 – Scotland will have been glad to get this one out of the way. And with an amount of style in the end.

The longer it went on, the more Scotland powered away and the more Fiji suffered. The visitors’ ill-discipline cost them two yellow cards and a whole world of trouble. When their energy tanks started to empty, their pain only intensified.

Finn Russell, piling on the unpredictability and the class on his return, and Seymour exploding back into try-scoring form were some of the headlines, but there were others.

Ritchie was terrific in the back-row against Fiji’s man mountains. Sam Skinner, on his debut, was deeply impressive. Stuart Hogg’s first game back after injury was a reminder of what Scotland miss when he’s away.

It was a frenetic Test, a comfortable start for the home team, then a wobble, then a level of dominance that squeezed all the hope out of the Fijians.

The visitors took the lead with a Ben Volavola penalty, but Scotland quickly replied with a Dell try courtesy of patience and accuracy close to the line – features that were singularly absent in last weekend’s loss in Cardiff – and then a close-range shunt from Brown.

Even from the back of the stand you could hear Pete Horne’s sigh of relief when the hooker piled over. In the preamble, Horne had Seymour running free outside him close to Fiji’s 5m line and chose, in a rush of blood, to ignore him.

Captain Greig Laidlaw was good with both conversions and the Scots were ahead 14-3.

Just when things looked tidy for Scotland, it got messy. A miscommunication at a line-out gifted front foot ball to the visitors and when these lads are on the front foot and running into open country then it normally ends in a score.

Peceli Yato, the giant of Clermont, took it on and linked with Mata who drove on under the posts. Six minutes later, they were at it again. Leone Nakarawa burst through a ruck and when he got a touch lucky with his offload his team made the most of it.

Frank Lomani took Fiji into Scotland territory, Tevita Cavubati took Dell to the cleaners in support and found Radradra for the try. All of a sudden, Fiji had hit the front.

The rest? A constant blue wave. Cavubati saw yellow amid a Scottish siege, then Nakarawa went the same way. Seymour punished them before the end of the half after a beautiful skip pass from Russell, who then pored it on for the rest of the day.

Maitland struck just after the restart to put Fiji well and truly on the ropes and Seymour virtually knocked them out just before the hour after being slipped in by Laidlaw.

The scores kept coming. Seymour’s hat-trick score was a beauty, a counter-attack off a loose Fiji kick involving Horne, Russell and Chris Harris.

Scotland were rampant. Ritchie went over from close-range with two minutes left and Hastings, following more Russell excellence, took it beyond 50 points a few moments later. From a Test that looked tricky, it had long since become a stroll.

Scotland: 15-Hogg, 14-Seymour, 13-Dunbar, 12-P Horne, 11-Maitland, 10-Russell, 9-Laidlaw; 1-Dell, 2-Brown, 3-Nel, 4-Skinner, 5-Gilchrist, 6-Wilson, 7-Ritchie, 8-Fagerson

Replacements: 16-McInally (for Brown, 52 mins), 17-Allan (for Dell, 55 mins), 18-Berghan (for Nel, 55 mins), 19-J Gray (for Wilson, 61 mins), 20-Strauss (for Fagerson, 30 mins), 21-G Horne (for Laidlaw, 61 mins), 22-Hastings (for P Horne, 71 mins), 23-Harris (for Dunbar, 49 mins).

Fiji: 15-Tuicuvu, 14-Talebula, 13-Radradra, 12-Vatabua, 11-Goneva, 10-Volavola, 9-Lomani; 1-Maafu, 2-Matavesi, 3-Saulo, 4-Cavubati, 5-Nakarawa, 6-Waqaniburotu, 7-Yato, 8-Mata

Replacements: 16-Dolokoto (for Matavesi, 60 mins), 17-Mawi (for Maafu, 60 mins), 18-Tawake (for Saulo, 50 mins), 19-Tuisue (for Cavubati, 68 mins), 20-Kunatani (for Yato, 63 mins), 21-Seniloli (For Lomani, 61 mins), 22-Veitokani (for Talebula, 63 mins), 23-Vasiteri (for Tuicuvu, 24 mins).

Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)

Touch judges: Luke Pearce and Karl Dickson (both England)

TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)

Rihanna has struck a blow to the Donald Trump team by denying their rallies the rights to play her music. But the fight may not be over yet.

The music publishing company Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) has backed up Rihanna’s efforts to stop President Trump from using her songs at his rallies, according to Rolling Stone.  That could have implications for other artists, like Guns N’ Roses, that have pushed back against Trump’s use of their music

Unfortunately, the legal world of music licensing is so thorny that Trump rallies still might be able to bump Rihanna’s jams.

On Nov. 4, Rihanna indicated in a tweet that she would attempt to stop Trump rallies from playing her songs, after she learned that a recent Tennessee rally featured her 2008 single “Don’t stop the music.”

One day later, reports surfaced that Rihanna had sent the Trump administration a cease and desist letter. The letter, via Rolling Stone, read:

“It has come to our attention that President Trump has utilized [Rihanna’s] musical compositions and master recordings, including her hit track ‘Don’t Stop the Music,’ in connection with a number of political events held across the United States.” 

“As you are or should be aware, Ms. Fenty has not provided her consent to Mr. Trump to use her music. Such use is therefore improper.”

Then, on Thursday, BMI sent a similar cease and desist to the administration. This time, BMI referenced the specific “Political Entities License Agreement” that allowed the Trump campaign to play BMI-licensed music. It said that the agreement no longer covered Rihanna’s music, as she had revoked her permission. Also via Rolling Stone:

“BMI has received a communication from Robyn Fenty, professionally known as ‘Rihanna,’ objecting to the Trump Campaign’s use of Rihanna’s musical works.”  

“As such … this letter serves as notice that Rihanna’s musical works are excluded from [an agreement between BMI and the Trump Campaign for song usage], and any performance of Rihanna’s musical works by the Trump Campaign from this date forward is not authorized by BMI.”

No more RiRi at rallies, right?! Not so fast.

“You have to look at the scope of the letter,” music attorney Kamal Moo said. 

The political entities license is a blanket agreement that covers how politicians can use the BMI catalogue. Based on the political entities license that BMI has online, it appears that artists do have the right to revoke permission — so Rihanna exercised this right.

“BMI would be well within their right to revoke the campaign’s use of Rihanna’s songs pursuant to this language,” Moo said.

However, Moo explained that that license may fall under the category of a traveling license, which means it covers campaign events on the road.

BMI also has licensing agreements with specific venues. So if a politician holds a rally at a BMI-licensed venue, such as the Los Angeles Staples Center, that politician might still be able to use music from the BMI catalogue, including Rihanna.

“That could be an issue,” Moo said. “I would hope that they would be clear that they can’t play this in any venue at all.”

Mashable has reached out to BMI to learn if the agreement covers all events, whether at a BMI-licensed venue, or not, and will update this story when and if we hear back.

Music attorney Doron F. Eghbali disagrees with Moo, and thinks that the revocation should cover all events; revoking privilege should be enough. But he sees another issue that could prevent Rihanna from barring her music from Trump rallies: that cease and desist letters are legally toothless.

“Cease and desist does not have an enforcement mechanism,” Eghbali said. “It’s just a notice that they’re going to take you to court. But just by receiving cease and desist, it doesn’t do anything. It has to have a court order behind it to back it up.”

Eghbali said that actual legal action is unlikely. The process would be costly, and Rihanna’s team would have to prove damages to win an injunction.

However, RiRi’s never been one to shy away from a fight. And, let’s be honest: hers is not the team we’d bet on to lose.

As thousands set off from Leicester city centre on a march towards the King Power Stadium in memory of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the heavens opened. By the time they reached their destination, the sun was shining and a rainbow threw a spectacular arc across the sky.

The changing moods of the weather were symbolic of a day that made the journey across every emotion, from sadness to celebration. There was also commemoration, as fans and club legends remembered the 60-year-old Leicester owner and the four others who died in a helicopter crash outside the stadium after the draw with West Ham United a fortnight ago.

The sweeping blue and white carpet of flowers and tributes that had formed an increasing spread outside the King Power Stadium was relocated to a designated area on Friday in readiness for the return of football to an arena that had witnessed spectacular deeds before this sorrow.

In reality, for the second week in succession, this was not about the result of Leicester City’s football match.

It was about events surrounding it, about a city still in shock and recovery after the death of the Thai businessman simply known as The Boss, whose vision, ambition and investment led to arguably the biggest surprise success story in the history of British sport when Leicester City won the Premier League in 2016.

This was their first match at the King Power since those tragic events and the stadium is still a shrine to Srivaddhanaprabha’s achievements. Thousands of shirts, flags and banners – from the colours of giants Barcelona to local youngsters’ club Dunton and Broughton United FC – make a kaleidoscope of colour as the ground comes into view through the Raw Dykes cutting, the aqueduct for old Roman Leicester.

There was an atmosphere of near silence in the build-up to kick-off as the great and good from Leicester City’s past came to pay their respects.

Former manager Nigel Pearson was among the first arrivals along with former director of football Steve Walsh, before Claudio Ranieri – the humble and popular Italian architect of that title win – entered with his successor Craig Shakespeare and that outstanding Leicester manager of the past, Martin O’Neill.

As they assembled, the thousands were making their way to join them, led by Leicester City stars including England World Cup hero Harry Maguire and James Maddison, who were not involved against Burnley.

The 5,000-1 Walk, named after Leicester’s odds at the start of their title-winning season, made its way from Jubilee Square to the King Power Stadium. Estimates of how many took part varied, but they came in huge numbers.

Snooker player and Leicester City fan Willie Thorne led the speeches, saying: “Today is all about celebrating the life of Vichai. Is there any other chairman in the world who would be so supported? He should never be forgotten.”

He will not be forgotten in these parts. Once inside the stadium, the giant screens flashed up his image accompanied by messages of thanks and tribute from around the globe.

The others who lost their lives, staff members Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, and pilots Eric Swaffer and Izabela Roza Lechowicz, were also remembered.

And even behind the scenes, among those who make the match days at Leicester go smoothly, there was still an unmistakeable air of a club that remains in shock after the events of the last fortnight.

The playing surface was framed by hundreds of shirts, flags and banners, while each seat was bedecked with a blue and white Leicester scarf with “Mr Chairman” on one side and “Forever In Our Hearts” on the other.

Tears started to flow when long-time club ambassador and former player Alan Birchenall, an ever-present pre-match figure here, paid his own personal tribute, saying: “Without him none of this would have been possible. He allowed us to fulfil our dreams.”

There followed a video navigating the Vichai journey at Leicester.

It was initially watched in complete silence – a pin could have been heard, had one dropped – until applause broke out halfway through this very moving record of his time at the club as it showed him mixing affectionately with the players and standing at the front of the bus during the title parade.

There were more tears as those golden, glorious memories were revisited and replayed.

As the tributes continued, his son Aiyawatt laid a wreath for both his father and the forthcoming Remembrance Sunday before a two-minute silence, when the dignitaries were joined by Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore and Football Association chairman Greg Clarke.

When Aiyawatt, known as Top, returned to his usual place, there was the poignant sight of an empty seat to his left where his father had watched the joyous, spectacular events that perhaps even he could not have envisaged when he bought Leicester City.

They had written and shared this story together, this emotive image emphasising that the son will now be inheriting the club his father did so much to shape in his eight-year reign.

In a 100-page memorial match programme, Aiyawatt wrote: “We will never be able to repay what he did for us – for me as his son, us as his family, everyone connected to Leicester City and beyond – but we are committed to honouring his memory and upholding his legacy.

“Our continued growth as a club, our state-of-the-art new training ground and our planned stadium expansion will help realise his vision for Leicester City.”

On the pitch, Leicester were fuelled by raw emotion in the opening half-hour but, inevitably, they lost impetus as the game progressed. These players and so many of the staff have endured physical and emotional stresses in the last fortnight, including a 12,000-mile round trip to Bangkok to attend Vichai’s funeral.

Burnley and their supporters played their part, with manager Sean Dyche dignity personified after the game, revealing he had made a visit to the King Power Stadium on Friday night to pay his own respects.

After the final whistle, Aiyawatt made his way on to the pitch to take the warmth of the Leicester fans who have provided such support – and there was a show of unity, as well as celebration among the sadness, in that final chapter of this day.

Draped in the flag of Thailand, he acknowledged the crowd and they returned his gesture with a prolonged standing ovation while the players remained to join him on a lap of the stadium – along with a clearly moved Ranieri, Pearson and Shakespeare, as well as title-winning defender Robert Huth and Argentine midfield man Esteban Cambiasso, who played his own part in the Leicester story.

It was a fitting conclusion to a moving day conducted with class by Leicester City, Burnley and all involved.

The game itself was, in the wider context, incidental. A low-key goalless draw.

This day, though, was not about that.

It was a day to pay tribute and to remember Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and all he brought to this city. It was a day that did him and Leicester proud.