Vast heaps of crushed brown rock hem the Indian Ocean at Western Australia’s Parker Point port — each

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has called for their match against Tottenham to be replayed due to the glaring VAR error which cost them the opening goal. The fall-out from the VAR failure in Saturday’s defeat – in which officials wrongly disallowed Luis Diaz’s goal due to a misunderstanding of the on-field decision – is still being felt. The Premier Game Match Officials Ltd released the audio conversation between officials and the VAR after a request from Liverpool, but Klopp said that had made little difference to their thinking. “The audio didn’t change it at all. It is an obvious mistake,” he said. “I think there should be solutions for that. I think the outcome should be a replay. “The argument against that would be it opens the gates. It is unprecedented, it has not happened before. “I’m used to wrong and difficult decisions, but something like this never happened and so that is why I think a replay is the right thing to do.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

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By Fernando Kallas OLIVA, Spain (Reuters) -Spain's World Cup winning-squad agreed to end their boycott of the national team early

Video montages of sash-clad pageant contestants strolling beaches in El Salvador, snapping selfies in front of fireworks and wandering the streets of downtown San Salvador speckled social media this week as celebrations for the Miss Universe 2023 pageant kicked off in the Central American country. “As President (Nayib) Bukele said, El Salvador is changing,” R’Bonney Gabriel, Miss Universe 2022, said in a speech before this year's contestants. “While we’re here, we hope to shine a light on this country for the rest of the world to see." The competition on Saturday night is the latest spectacle touted by Bukele in his effort to change the reputation of his historically violence-torn nation. But opponents and analysts say such displays are also being used by the populist leader to distract from human rights abuses in his crackdown on gangs and steps he has taken to curb criticism. Constitutional scholars and critics warn that he is slowly withering the country's delicate democracy. The Miss Universe pageant comes at a key time for Bukele, just months before a presidential election in February. Bukele is running for reelection despite clear term limits laid out in El Salvador’s constitution, a move that has upset watchdogs both in and out of the country. “You give the public something to showcase to divert attention from the fact that you’re doing it while eroding the rule of law and democratic checks and balances in the country,” said Tiziano Breda, a Central America expert at Italy’s Instituto Affari Internazionali. Bukele’s government did not respond to a written request for comment by the Associated Press. Since Bukele came to power in 2019, he has made drastic changes to the country of 6.5 million people. Most notable has been his war on El Salvador’s gangs that have terrorized much of the country for decades. Following a burst of gang violence last year, Bukele suspended some constitutional rights and has since locked up more than 72,000 people for alleged gang ties without due process. He also has gone after journalists, labor organizers, human rights groups and other critical voices, and mobilized an elaborate communications machine to spread government propaganda. The sharp decline in violence following the assault on gangs gained Bukele strong support from most Salvadorans and polls suggest he will coast to reelection. Observers, however, warn that there is a need to be concerned over human rights abuses and Bukele's consolidation of power. A 2022 report by the U.S. State Department highlighted “significant human rights issues,” and earlier this month several private citizens and opposition parties filed petitions with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal seeking to annul Bukele's reelection bid. Bukele, who once dubbed himself on social media the “world’s coolest dictator,” has taken the criticism in stride. At times he ignores detractors and in other moments he forcefully accuses foreign governments of hypocrisy, all the while making bold spectacles a sort of trademark of his presidency. In 2021, he announced in a recorded message played at a bitcoin conference in Miami that the cryptocurrency would become a national currency in El Salvador. Shortly thereafter, El Salvador became the first nation to take that step. Questions were raised at the time, and the plunge in cryptocurrency's value last year only fed the doubts. The government has not been transparent about its holdings, but analysts believe they remain at a sharp loss. Bukele pivoted to new ventures and kept charging forward. He hosted international surfing competitions and the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games, which experts quickly dubbed a textbook case of “sportswashing ” — using sports to divert attention from controversy or burnish reputations. “Successfully hosting an international event can give a regime confidence to kind of act with impunity. Sport is a bit of a shortcut way to win yourself, not even popularity, just an acceptance,” Alan McDougall, a sports historian at the University of Guelph in Canada, told AP earlier this year. Domestically oriented projects like a new mega-prison for gang suspects and the sparkling national library unveiled this week are also presented to the public in carefully choreographed spectacles. The library event included drones that flew into the sky above the capital and arranged themselves in Bukele’s image. The president does appear to be working to blunt criticism from the Biden administration. Last month, El Salvador slapped a hefty fee on African migrants connecting through its airport as the U.S. government pressured governments in the region to do more to control northward migration. The result has been what Breda, the Central American analyst, described as a “softer public denunciation” by the U.S. and other players in the region. Now, as Bukele faces criticism for seeking reelection, the Miss Universe competition has quite literally taken the spotlight in the Central American nation. “We now have become the safest country in Latin America. We would like to thank the Miss Universe Organization for joining us in this historic process,” Bukele said in a video announcing the event earlier this year. “El Salvador is changing.” Social media influencers are commenting on fashion choices of contestants, others show competitors stepping onto the red carpet in elegant dresses and heels or doing yoga on the beach in their pageant sashes. Contestants like Lisbeth Valverde Brenes, representing Costa Rica, sing Bukele’s tune to local content creators as she walks around the city center, praising El Salvador’s security while adding, “I’ll have to come back.” And mixed in with the videos of the pageant on Bukele’s social media feeds — his preferred form of communication — are photos of him and supporters celebrating his reelection campaign. His critics are pushing back. The rights group Movement for Victims of the State of Emergency announced it will hold a protest on the same day as Miss Universe events wrap up. “El Salvador isn't a country of marvels, Bukele has converted it into a prison,” the group said. Breda, the analyst, cautions that this all cuts two ways. “For Salvadorans, this is a way to rebuild their national identity, seeing their country as one that’s being referred to as a tourist hotspot. … I see the good in that,” he said. But, he added, “If that comes at the expense of democracy, the dismantling of checks and balances, I don’t know if that’s a net positive overall.” Read More South Dakota tribe to declare state of emergency due to rampant crime on reservation In India, 40 workers are trapped in a tunnel for a 7th day as rescuers wait for a new drill Remains found in remote Arizona desert in 1992 identified as missing teen girl, police say Bill Cosby accuser files new lawsuit under expiring New York survivors law Dogs are coming down with an unusual respiratory illness in several US states Federal safety officials launch probe into Chicago commuter train crash

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Russian scientists have warned that powerful solar flare activity on Monday may cause significant disruption for satellite and radio communications. Three solar flares observed on Sunday by the Fedorov Institute of Applied Geophysics in Moscow lasted up to 14 minutes, signalling abnormally large geomagnetic disturbances on Earth. The institute forecasted the arrival of class X flares for Monday, which are the most energetic type of solar radiation, capable of damaging electronics. Earlier this month, a giant sunspot named AR3354 grew to a size roughly 10 times larger than Earth, unleashing an X-class flare aimed directly at Earth that triggered radio blackouts in some parts of the US. The latest solar activity is expected to interfere with short-wave radio communications, used by military, maritime and emergency operators. Increased solar storm activity in recent years has led to fears of an impending solar superstorm, which some astronomers warn could lead to an “internet apocalypse”. Such powerful storms occur approximately once every 100 years, with the last major one taking place in 1921. Nasa predicts that the next peak in the Sun’s 11-year activity cycle will arrive at some point in 2025, though it is not clear yet whether this will be the once-in-a-century event that some astronomers fear. The worst on record, referred to as the Carrington Event, took place in 1859 and resulted in fires at telegraph stations. “If the Carrington Event happened today, it would have even more severe impacts, such as widespread electrical disruptions, persistent blackouts, and interruptions to global communications,” the US space agency warned in a recent blog post. “Such technological chaos could cripple economies and endanger the safety and livelihoods of people worldwide.” Research published in 2021 assessed the robustness of internet and communications infrastructure against severe space weather events The study found that coronal mass ejection events could risk disconnecting Europe from the US, with the authors urging more to be done to improve the resilience of global telecommunication networks. In March this year, Nasa announced a new artificial intelligence model capable of predicting where on Earth a solar storm may strike, giving scientists up to 30 minutes of advanced warning. Vishal Upendran, from the Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics in India, who was involved in the AI’s development, said: “With this AI, it is now possible to make rapid and accurate global predictions and inform decisions in the event of a solar storm, thereby minimising – or even preventing – devastation to modern society.” Read More Once-in-a-century solar superstorm could plunge the world into ‘internet apocalypse’, study says Powerful solar flare responsible for blackout in US What to expect from India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission to Moon’s south pole India launches historic mission to Moon’s south pole

Former sparring partners Lawrence Okolie and Chris Billam-Smith will meet in a world-title fight this weekend. Okolie enters Billam-Smith’s hometown of Bournemouth with the WBO cruiserweight belt and an unbeaten record, but the challenger will be buoyed by great support at Vitality Stadium – home to his beloved AFC Bournemouth. In his most recent fight, Okolie outpointed David Light in March, with the beaten New Zealander suffering a ‘mild stroke’ but expected to make a ‘full recovery’. Meanwhile, Billam-Smith produced a knockout-of-the-year contender against Armend Xhoxhaj in December. Okolie (19-0, 14 KOs) said of Billam-Smith (17-1, 12 KOs) this week: “Chris, I love you, but I have to get the KO in this one.” Here’s all you need to know. When is it? The fight will take place at Vitality Stadium, home to Premier League side AFC Bournemouth, on Saturday 27 May. The main card is set to begin at 7pm BST (11am PT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET), with ring walks for the main event expected at approximately 10pm BST (3pm PT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET). How can I watch it? The event will air live on Sky Sports in the UK, with the broadcaster’s website and Sky Go app also streaming the fights. No US broadcaster has yet been confirmed for the event. Odds Okolie – 2/7 Billam-Smith – 11/4 Draw – 14/1 Full odds via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Lawrence Okolie (C) vs Chris Billam-Smith (WBO cruiserweight title) Mikael Lawal (C) vs Isaac Chamberlain (British cruiserweight title) Lee Cutler vs Stanley Stannard (super-welterweight) Mace Ruegg vs Dean Dodge (super-featherweight) Sam Eggington vs Joe Pigford (super-welterweight) Michael McKinson vs TBA (welterweight) Tommy Welch vs TBA (heavyweight) Karriss Artingsall vs. Jade Taylor (featherweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Wood vs Lara live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend Katie Taylor’s long reign as boxing queen over despite heroic last stand ‘Daylight robbery’: Vasiliy Lomachenko’s team plan to appeal Devin Haney defeat Joe Rogan is right: Tyson Fury has ‘no chance in hell’ against Jon Jones How to watch Okolie vs Billam-Smith online and on TV this weekend What time does Wood vs Lara start in UK and US this weekend? How to watch Wood vs Lara online and on TV this weekend

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Felipe Mora netted the only goal of the second half to rally the Portland Timbers to a 3-3 draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy