Pope Francis said he is “angry and disgusted” at the burning of the Quran, days after a man tore up and burned a copy of the scripture outside a mosque in Sweden. Iraqi national Salwan Momika was charged with “agitation against an ethnic or national group” after he tore up pages of a copy of the holy book of Islam, wiped them on his shoe and eventually set the book on fire on Wednesday – the first day of Eid – last week. “Any book considered holy should be respected to respect those who believe in it,” the Pope told the United Arab Emirates newspaper Al Ittihad, in an interview published on Monday. “I feel angry and disgusted at these actions.” “Freedom of speech should never be used as a means to despise others and allowing that is rejected and condemned,” the pontiff said. Mr Momika called his act a move to highlight the importance of freedom of speech in a democracy. “It is in danger if they tell us we can’t do this.” Nearly 200 onlookers in the Swedish capital Stockholm witnessed the act at an anti-Quran demonstration. The protest has risked sparking a fresh diplomatic row with Turkey, which has been holding up Sweden’s bid to join Nato. Some of those present at the site of the demonstration shouted “God is great” in Arabic to protest the burning. One man was detained by police after he attempted to throw a rock. Representatives of the mosque were disappointed by the police decision to grant permission for the latest protest on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, mosque director and imam Mahmoud Khalfi said on Wednesday. “The mosque suggested to the police to at least divert the demonstration to another location, which is possible by law, but they chose not to do so,” Mr Khalfi said in a statement. The Swedish police had cleared the anti-Quran demonstration despite rejecting several such applications recently. The country’s court has overruled those earlier police orders, calling them an infringement on freedom of speech. Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson said the protest was “legal but not appropriate” and said it was up to the police to permit it or not. On Sunday, a group of 57 Islamic countries called for collective measures to prevent acts of desecration of the Quran, and sought an international law to bring an end to religious hatred. Read More Biden will host Sweden's prime minister at the White House as the Nordic nation seeks to join NATO Thousands protest in Iraq for a second day over burning of Quran in Sweden Protesters briefly storm the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad in protest over Quran burning Man tears up and burns Quran in protest approved by Swedish police Ruins of Turkish city of Antakya tell story of a rich past

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

A European Championship qualifying game between Switzerland and Israel ended with a 1-1 draw on Wednesday

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Jennifer Lawrence has shared the rather grim aftermath of her Hot Ones interview that went viral for all the wrong reasons. The actor was almost reduced to tears as she fought her way through the rounds of spicy chicken wings - but even when the cameras stopped rolling, the effects didn't. “I passionately threw up after. Violently,” Lawrence told Andy Cohen. “I made it upstairs to my suite. My holding suite. We shot at the Four Seasons downstairs." She added: “My stomach gave me, like, eight minutes to get upstairs and then she… She… [vomited].” Click here to sign up for our newsletters.

Ella Toone has said that England’s Lionesses “all stand behind Jennifer Hermoso” with Luis Rubiales still yet to resign after kissing the Spain midfielder without her consent after the Women’s World Cup final. The president of the Spanish football association (RFEF) has refused to step down from his role after the incident during the medal ceremony that followed Spain’s triumph ver England in Australia. Rubiales, who was also criticised for grabbing his crotch during the final, had been expected to resign last week, but declined to do so at an extraordinary press conference. The saga took another bizarre turn on Monday after the 46-year-old’s mother locked herself inside a church and went on hunger strike, describing the reaction to her son’s behaviour as “an inhuman, bloodthirsty witch hunt”. Manchester United’s Toone, who was part of the Lionesses side beaten in Sydney, believes that Rubiales’s actions and the subsequent outcry have overshadowed Spain’s first Women’s World Cup win. “Spain were unbelievable throughout the tournament and they’ve won the World Cup which should be the main talking point,” Toone said to BBC Breakfast. “Yet it’s overshadowed by something which happened after the game which isn’t acceptable. The Lionesses all stand by Jennifer Hermoso. “A couple of the girls, the leaders in the squad, got together and brought a statement that we all believe in and to show our support and solidarity, to show we’re thinking of Hermoso and show we want the right thing to be done. “It doesn’t just go away with a sorry - which he hasn’t said either. We should be talking about the success of the World Cup and how much we’ve inspired the next generation. Hopefully the right thing is done.” The regional chiefs of the RFEF have now called for the organisation’s president to resign, while Rubiales has been provisionally suspended from all footballing activities for 90 days by Fifa. Read More Luis Rubiales news LIVE: Spanish FA president’s mother’s hunger strike enters second day Luis Rubiales crisis: How Spanish FA president fell from grace Protesters gather in Madrid calling for Spanish football federation president to resign

Luka Modric won the Ballon d’Or on this day in 2018, marking the first time since 2007 the award did not go to either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. The Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder broke the stranglehold placed on France Football’s prestigious award by Messi and Ronaldo in the previous decade at a ceremony in Paris. Argentina forward Messi and former Real team-mate Ronaldo and had each won the Ballon d’Or on five occasions since Brazilian Kaka did so in 2007. In his acceptance speech, Modric said: “It’s a unique feeling. I am happy, proud and honoured. I have sensational emotions at the moment that are really hard to describe in words. “First of all, I would like to thank my team-mates and coaches at Real Madrid and all the people who work for Real Madrid, all my coaches and team-mates with the national team, all those who voted for me and of course, my family, my wife and kids. “They are fulfilling me as a person and helping me in all aspects to be successful as a professional. “As a kid, we all have dreams. My dream was to play for a big club, to win important trophies. I dreamed about it, but the Ballon d’Or was more than a childhood dream for me and it’s a real honour and a privilege to hold this trophy.” Modric’s recognition was reward for a fine 12 months during which he helped his club lift the Champions League for the third successive season before playing a key role in Croatia’s surge to the 2018 World Cup final. He won the Golden Ball for his contribution in Russia and was named the Best FIFA Footballer of the Year, and was the first Croatian to claim the Ballon d’Or. Modric, now 38, is still playing for Real Madrid and helped his country to the World Cup semi-finals last year in Qatar. Read More Eddie Howe salutes performance as Newcastle end gruelling week with Man Utd win Ding Junhui beats Judd Trump to set up UK final showdown with Ronnie O’Sullivan Pep Guardiola knows Man City fans will be behind team if ‘bad moments’ arrive Win ‘blows belief into Everton’ after points deduction – Sean Dyche Dwight McNeil fires Everton to morale-boosting win at Nottingham Forest Paul Heckingbottom stands by his work as Sheffield United lose again

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Plus-size model Ashley Graham took to the runway in a glamorous corset for the Harris Reed show. The show marked the informal start of London Fashion Week – officially running from September 15-19. Graham donned a black gown with a shimmering gold corset and a sweeping shawl, as part of the 10 look show. This isn’t the first time Reed has worked with Graham, 35, having dressed her in a sculptural pale pink and black gown for the 2023 Met Gala. Reed’s catwalks are typically dramatic – previous shows have had performances from actor Florence Pugh and singer Sam Smith – and this season was no different. Entitled ‘Duet’, the collection was inspired by Old Hollywood styles, mixing together masculinity and feminity. Designs on the catwalk used deadstock black velvet and white duchess satin with pops of gold, and played around with exaggerated proportions. One of the standout looks of the show was a black and white evening gown with statement shoulders and a revealing low cut-out at the back – which could have been inspired by the low-slung ‘bumster’ trousers popularised by Alexander McQueen in the Nineties. The largely monochrome nature of the collection was punctuated by metallic accents, with silver and pearl half-moon breast cups on one look, showcasing Reed’s partnership with London-based jewellery brand Missoma. The show was accompanied by vocals from Cosima, a Peckham-born singer-songwriter who wore an off-the-shoulder black and white gown to perform. Watching front row at the Tate Modern in London were activist and model Monroe Bergdorf, Game Of Thrones actress Maisie Williams and Bridgerton’s Charithra Chandran. The show was inspired by Virginia Woolf’s 1928 historical novel Orlando, often seen as one of the earliest representations of trans identity in English language literature. Reed cited the quote: “Different though the sexes are, they intermix. In every human being a vacillation from one sex to the other takes place, and often it is only the clothes that keep the male or female likeness, while underneath the sex is the very opposite of what is above.” Backstage, Reed expressed the need for LGBTQ+ representation. “It’s more important today than ever, because we are seeing so much more hate on the streets. I think it’s getting rapidly more aggressive and more unsafe to be queer and queer presenting in the city,” the Evening Standard reported him as saying. “Casting trans and non-binary individuals in my show potentially runs the risk of turning off some of my Middle Eastern and Asian clients. “As a designer, I walk a very fine balance of not offending too many people to equal sales and build my brand, but I still need to stand behind my messaging.” Reed’s designs are often concerned with gender fluidity and theatricality, both at his eponymous label and in his role as creative director of French fashion house Nina Ricci. In January 2024 he will publish his first book, called Fluid: A Fashion Revolution. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Football legend Michael Owen: My four kids all have opinions about my fashion choices How homeowners are creating pet-specific stylish spaces Sex Education season 4: How vintage finds help characters get their unique style