Abortion providers in North Carolina have filed a federal lawsuit that challenges several provisions of a state law banning most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy

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Steve Clarke has not sought any kind of guarantees from Elliot Anderson about the midfielder’s Scotland future. The Whitley Bay-born Newcastle United player, who has a Scottish grandmother, has played at youth level for both Scotland and England. The 20-year-old was called up by the Scotland boss for the first time for the Euro 2024 qualifier against Cyprus in Larnaca on Friday and the challenge match against England at Hampden Park next week after deciding against switching allegiance to England following positive discussions with Clarke. However, Anderson officially withdrew from the squad on Wednesday night after picking up an injury in training. Asked at the pre-match media conference in Cyprus if he had sought any assurances from Anderson, the Scotland boss said: “No. He just went home.” The Scotland boss had already been asked if he had any fears surrounding international allegiances, and had said: “It is not something I can control. “There’s not a lot I can do about it. “Obviously (disappointing not to have the chance to work with Elliot), that’s why we brought him into the squad. “Disappointing to lose Elliot and Liam (Kelly) on the same day but that’s part and parcel of international football, you deal with it. “Obviously we had to replaced Liam because we couldn’t come with two goalkeepers so we brought in young Robby (McCrorie). who has been part of the squad before, he understands. We didn’t need to replace Elliot because we have enough midfielders.” Scotland top Group A with four wins from four and have gone eight competitive games without defeat. An expected victory against Cyprus, who were beaten 3-0 at Hampden Park, could see Scotland qualify for a second successive Euros next Tuesday if results elsewhere go their way. However, Clarke – whose side is expected to be backed by around 6,000 fans in a stadium which has a capacity of 8,058 – played down the exciting prospect of going to Germany next summer. He said: “I am not really the excitable kind, am I? Just concentrating on the game coming up. “The players are in a good place, they are a good place in the group. “At halfway we have maximum points, you can’t do much better than that. “Some of the moments within the game we can improve on. “We don’t think for a minute that we are the finished article, we will look to improve and the players have said that we will. “We want to keep improving and improving but always respect the opponent. “It will be difficult. They are a proud team, proud to represent their country, Cyprus. “They are always difficult opponents for us. “Two late goals probably put a little gloss on the scoreline (at Hampden) so we expect a tough game.” Much is being made of the high temperatures in Cyprus but Clarke was relaxed about the 9.45pm local time kick-off. He said: “When we came off the plane last night at the back of 10 the conditions were OK. “It was pretty hot in Norway when we went there so we have some experience and it was nice and sunny in Glasgow when we left so you just have to deal with the conditions as they are and make sure we get the result that we want.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ben Stokes excited about ‘really good plan’ to fix knee problem after World Cup Ireland’s Rob Herring ‘raring to go’ ahead of overdue World Cup debut Warren Gatland says Wales ‘looking sharp’ ahead of World Cup opener against Fiji

The Government is cracking down on vape marketing targeted towards children and young people, Rishi Sunak has said. The news comes days after the Prime Minister spoke about his concerns his own daughters would potentially be targeted by vape marketing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain. Ministers have now pledged to close a loophole allowing retailers to give free samples of vapes to children in England, amid concerns over the proportion of children trying e-cigarettes. There will also be a review into banning retailers selling “nicotine-free” vapes to under-18s, and the Government will look at the rules on issuing fines to shops that illegally sell vapes to children. The Prime Minister said he was “deeply concerned” about an increase in children vaping and was “shocked by reports of illicit vapes containing lead getting into the hands of schoolchildren”. Sunak said: “That is why I am taking further action today to clamp down on rogue firms who unlawfully target our children with these products. “The marketing and the illegal sales of vapes to children is completely unacceptable and I will do everything in my power to end this practice for good.” Why is vaping bad for children’s health? “We could argue vaping doesn’t have the amount of toxins cigarettes have – up to 70 of these cause cancer – but vaping is not completely harmless,” says GP Dr Anita Raja. “It’s very important to protect your organs, especially your lungs and brain. Vaping can be particularly detrimental to people under the age of 18 who are still developing.” Most vapes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and can cause can cause an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, flow of blood to the heart and a narrowing of the arteries. “It can become very difficult to get off the nicotine – so why would you want to be addicted at such a young age?” Raja asks. The other problem with vaping is that experts don’t yet fully understand the long-term risks because it’s such a new phenomenon, she adds. “Let’s not forget when cigarettes were introduced many decades ago we didn’t know that they could cause cancers and long-term irreversible lung damage.” How to talk to your children “First up, learn about the facts of vaping yourself. Get information from a reliable source,” says parenting expert Liat Hughes Joshi, author of Help Your Child Cope With Change. “So that when you do end up discussing this with your teenager you’re coming at it from a place of knowledge and you’ll feel more confident.” The conversation could be tricky, so approach it calmly. She advises: “Choose your time in place carefully. Don’t pounce on your teenager when they’re in the middle of something or when they are stressed about an exam. Choose a time where you’re both feeling relatively relaxed.” “Instead of telling them not to, what you are much better doing is giving them that information about the real risks and the downsides of vaping, so that they can hopefully make a decision of their own which is the right decision,” Hughes Joshi says. “It’s definitely worth talking to them about ideas around [peer pressure] and giving them the confidence to push back and say, ‘I don’t have to copy all my peers if they are vaping’.” Similarly, if you know or suspect that your child has already vaped, try not to fly off the handle. “Don’t automatically scold them,” says private GP Dr Suhail Hussain. “Find out why they tried it, and then listen. Be understanding and informative, not angry and disappointed that they would do this in the first place.” What about if you vape yourself but don’t want your child to follow suit? “We need to lead by example,” says Raja, who believes vaping should be used only as a way for adults to quit smoking. “It is almost impossible to convince your children to not vape if they see you doing it. If you don’t want your child to vape, then you shouldn’t vape, or certainly not vape in front of them.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live How to make a small garden feel bigger How not to get ripped off when upgrading your kitchen The best scented plants to enhance your balmy summer evenings

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Microsoft has been given approval to buy Call of Duty developer Activision, clearing the way for one of the biggest ever tech deals. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the Xbox owner could go ahead with the takeover after agreeing to buy Activision without cloud gaming rights. It puts an end to a half-year long battle between the watchdog and Microsoft, having moved to block the deal in April. But businesses and their advisors should be in no doubt that the tactics employed by Microsoft are no way to engage with the CMA Sarah Cardell, CMA's chief executive The new deal, which was initially worth 69 billion US dollars (£56.6 billion at the current exchange rate), will stop Microsoft from having a “stranglehold” over the UK cloud gaming market, the CMA said. The regulator said it would preserve competitive prices for gamers and make sure consumers get more choice. Assassin’s Creed video game maker Ubisoft is set to buy Activision’s cloud gaming rights instead. But the CMA criticised Microsoft for “dragging out” proceedings during its investigation into the merger. Sarah Cardell, the CMA’s chief executive, said: “With the sale of Activision’s cloud streaming rights to Ubisoft, we’ve made sure Microsoft can’t have a stranglehold over this important and rapidly developing market. “But businesses and their advisors should be in no doubt that the tactics employed by Microsoft are no way to engage with the CMA. “Microsoft had the chance to restructure during our initial investigation but instead continued to insist on a package of measures that we told them simply wouldn’t work. “Dragging out proceedings in this way only wastes time and money.” Brad Smith, the president of Microsoft, said the group is “grateful” for the decision to approve the acquisition which he believes will “benefit players and the gaming industry worldwide”. Additional reporting by agencies Read More Incels using TikTok to spread ‘hateful beliefs’, research suggests Duke and Duchess of Sussex call for overhaul of social media Google to trial AI in UK traffic light systems to reduce stop-and-go emissions Broadband customers face £150 hikes because of ‘outrageous’ rises – Which? Rise of AI chatbots ‘worrying’ after man urged to kill Queen, psychologist warns William hails ‘amazing’ eco-friendly start-up businesses

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The Pac-12 is dying, so is #Pac12AfterDark.

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