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Under-fire Welsh coach gets public backing and URC club launch review after major backlash

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Wales Online

Here are your rugby morning headlines for Wednesday, May 13.

Under-fire Welsh boss gets public backing

Wales scrum-half Keira Bevan has publicly backed under-pressure head coach Sean Lynn ahead of this weekend’s crunch Women’s Six Nations clash with Italy.

Wales head into Sunday’s showdown at Cardiff Arms Park desperate to avoid a third consecutive Wooden Spoon after slipping to a ninth straight defeat in the competition following last weekend’s loss to Ireland.

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Lynn only took charge at the start of last year’s Six Nations campaign after winning three successive Premiership Women’s Rugby titles with Gloucester-Hartpury, but pressure has intensified after a disappointing World Cup campaign and another difficult Six Nations.

Despite the scrutiny, Bevan insists the squad remain fully behind the coach and his staff.

“Yeah, 100%,” she said when asked if the players still backed Lynn. “And the help he has in the background, it’s massive.

“(Defence coach) Tyrone Holmes has been incredible for us. That’s probably one of the shining lights of this campaign, how good we’ve been defensively.

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“And obviously Ash [Ashley Beck] has got such a way of attacking rugby and he wants you to express yourself. We’ve got the right people in the right place, it’s just about us being able to execute what they’re asking.”

Wales have dropped to 12th in the world rankings and criticism has mounted after another winless campaign appeared on the horizon.

Bevan admitted the players understand the frustration among supporters, but urged patience as the squad continues to rebuild.

“Nobody is more frustrated and disappointed than us,” she said. “Yes, we probably haven’t had the wins we want, but we are performing and getting better every game.

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“It’s such a cliché, but stick with it because it’s going to come and hopefully soon.”

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The scrum-half also acknowledged Wales are currently operating without specialist kicking and breakdown coaches, additions she admitted would help strengthen the backroom team.

While there had been positives in earlier defeats to Scotland, France and England, Bevan conceded the performance in Belfast against Ireland felt like “a backwards step”.

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Attention now turns to Italy, who travel to Cardiff full of confidence after impressive displays against Scotland and England.

“We’re under no illusions of what Italy can do,” she said. “It wasn’t a one-off last year because we’ve seen glimpses in this campaign of how physical and dominant they can be, so for us we’ve got to be on it.

“To get the win would be massive. It would set us up nicely heading into pre-season and then obviously the new WXV tournament as well, but we know we’re going to have to work for it.”

URC club launch review after major backlash

Munster Rugby have commissioned an independent governance and organisational review following the backlash surrounding the proposed appointment of New Zealander Roger Randle as attack coach.

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Randle’s arrival was announced on April 15, but controversy quickly followed after a 1997 rape allegation resurfaced. The alleged incident took place in Durban, South Africa, during his time playing for Super Rugby side Hurricanes. The charge was later dropped by the complainant and Randle has always denied the allegation.

The fallout led to a series of resignations within the province. Former players Billy Holland, Killian Keane and Mick O’Driscoll stepped down as independent nominees on Munster’s Professional Game Committee, while members of the club’s voluntary Commercial Advisory Group also resigned.

On April 30, Munster confirmed that Randle would no longer be joining the province, describing the outcome as a “mutual agreement”.

General manager Ian Costello admitted at the time that it had been “a difficult conclusion”, but said it became clear ending the arrangement was “the best course of action for Roger, his family and Munster Rugby”.

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Munster announced on Tuesday that an external review will now “assess the organisation’s governance, leadership, culture and communications structures and provide recommendations back to the board”.

The process will be carried out by The Governance Company, an independent consultancy specialising in corporate governance, and overseen by an independent chairperson who is expected to be appointed in the coming days.

Chief executive Ian Flanagan said: “It is clear that the past number of weeks have been difficult for staff, players, coaches, supporters, and everyone who cares about Munster Rugby.

“We recognise the impact that recent events and decisions have had on our stakeholders. This independent review is an important step in ensuring we can learn from past events and strengthen how we can positively operate going forward.

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“We look forward to working fully with The Governance Company and independent chair to support an effective review process. The primary and clear objective of this important exercise is the overall wellbeing of Munster Rugby.”

Munster are currently sixth in the United Rugby Championship standings ahead of their final regular-season match against Lions on Saturday, May 16.

Lions star accuses South Africa of ‘getting personal’

Mack Hansen has opened up on the fierce rivalry between Ireland and South Africa, admitting clashes with the Springboks become “personal” and leave players feeling like they “hate their guts”.

The British and Irish Lions tourist was discussing Ireland’s growing rivalries on the For the Love of Rugby podcast when he gave a candid insight into the mentality inside the camp before facing the world champions.

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Relations between Ireland and South Africa have intensified in recent years, particularly around the 2023 Rugby World Cup, when Andy Farrell’s side beat the Springboks in the pool stages before later being knocked out by New Zealand in the quarter-finals.

Hansen admitted the animosity ramps up significantly in the build-up to those huge Test matches.

“It does then become so personal leading up to the weeks when we’re playing South Africa or New Zealand,” he said.

“Again, you talk to them off the field and they’re like anyone in rugby — good fellas, you get on with them, they’re great blokes — but leading up to that week you despise them.

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“You’re like: ‘These are some of the worst people in the world at this moment.’

“There’s a lot going on in the world and you’re like: ‘I honestly hate their guts.’ Then once it’s finished, it’s done.”

The full-back insisted that edge is ultimately good for the sport and helps bring the best out of players.

“But I think that’s what’s good about it,” he added.

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“A bit of passion and intensity adds to the game. When you know there are two teams that genuinely dislike each other, you give it your everything.”

The Connacht wing also revealed Ireland’s Six Nations rivalry with Scotland has become increasingly heated in recent seasons.

“Another one in the Six Nations for us is probably Scotland,” Hansen said.

“There’s a bit of a thing going on there. We’ve maybe got the better of them recently, but whenever we’re playing them they’re normally on a bit of a roll, we’re locked into it, we dislike them and we want to beat them.

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“We don’t want them to get one over on us. That’s a testament to them. It adds a lot to you as a person when you have those rivalries going into a game.”

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Two men charged with supplying heroin, ketamine and cocaine

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Two men charged with supplying heroin, ketamine and cocaine

Alistair Warren MacLeod, 29, and Ryan MacLeod, 34, are charged with conspiracy to supply heroin, conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to supply ketamine.

Neither man was asked to enter a plea as the charges can only be tried by a judge and jury and only spoke to confirm their name, dates of birth and addresses.

Alistair MacLeod, of Moor Lane, Copmanthorpe, and Ryan MacLeod, of Hebron Road, Stokesley, were sent to York Crown Court.

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They will appear before the higher court on July 13 for a plea and trial preparation hearing when they will be asked to enter their pleas.

Both were arrested as part of a police operation near Skelton, north of York, during which officers allegedly seized drugs worth £19,500.

Both were remanded in custody.

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World Cup 2026 fixtures, results, full schedule and group standings

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World Cup 2026 fixtures, results, full schedule and group standings

The finals are the biggest ever, with 48 teams and a round of 32. It’s also the first time three nations have co-hosted, with Mexico the first country to host a finals three times.

France, Spain and England look like the most likely teams to triumph, but as ever with summer tournaments the key will be who arrives with the most players fit.

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School stabbing investigation taken over by counter-terrorism police

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School stabbing investigation taken over by counter-terrorism police

Officers were called to reports of a stabbing at a school on Plant Hill Road on Tuesday, June 9.

Following further enquiries, Counter Terrorism Policing North West has assumed responsibility for the investigation, supported by Greater Manchester Police.

Searches connected to the incident remain ongoing.

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Detectives from the counter terrorism unit said they are keeping an open mind regarding the motivation behind the attack.

A 14-year-old girl was arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault and detained under the Mental Health Act.

After being assessed by health professionals, she was released back into police custody.

The three people injured in the incident have all been discharged from hospital and, police said, suffered no serious injuries.

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The incident has not been declared a terrorist attack at this stage.

Chief Superintendent David Meeney, Commander for Manchester, said: “Our local detectives have been investigating this incident at pace ever since we arrested a schoolgirl suspect on Tuesday morning.

“She remains in custody in Manchester.

“This has included ensuring the suspect is checked by health professionals to make an assessment while under the Mental Health Act, and to explore all available evidence to understand why this incident took place.

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“Since our last update, further information has come to light that we have made Counter Terrorism Policing North West aware of.

“I know this update will only continue to make our local community concerned by Tuesday’s events.

“There is no information to indicate any further threat, and our local officers continue to be in the area.

“We are here to listen and to act, so please speak to our officers with any concerns.”

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Halliwell woman charged with handling stolen goods and fraud

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Halliwell woman charged with handling stolen goods and fraud

Carley Buckley, 43, of Faraday Drive, Halliwell, has been charged with one count of handling stolen goods and one count of fraud by false representation.

The charges relate to an incident in Bolton on May 27, 2026.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that Buckley has been bailed and is due to appear before Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court on August 12.

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Court proceedings are ongoing.

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Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson reveals recent cancer scare

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Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson reveals recent cancer scare

Dwayne Johnson has detailed the nerve-racking health scare he had after discovering a lump on his left testicle.

During a new interview with Esquire, the 54-year-old actor, famously nicknamed “The Rock,” recalled noticing the lump when he was taking a shower. He made a doctor’s appointment two days later after hoping, to no avail, that the lump would get better.

“I didn’t even tell Lauren,” he said, referring to his wife of six years. “I didn’t want to worry her before I knew if it was anything to even worry about.”

The Moana star told the outlet that during his appointment, his doctor felt the lump and told him it was probably epididymitis, “an inflammation of the coiled tube at the back of the testicle,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

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However, Johnson said that his doctor did warn him that the growth could be cancerous and urged him to have an ultrasound done. But since Johnson had a promotional event for his new Jumanji movie, alongside co-stars Kevin Hart and Jack Black, the test had to wait.

Dwayne Johnson said he discovered a lump on his left testicle
Dwayne Johnson said he discovered a lump on his left testicle (Getty Images)

“So I had to live with that for those twenty-four hours, not knowing—and I had to be on all day, joking around, making speeches,” he added.

“By the way: I’m fine,” he said, confirming it was a case of epididymitis. “But I didn’t know that then, and the thing was really painful.”

The Smashing Machine star has spoken about his physical health issues in the past. During a 2025 appearance on The Mark Hyman Show, Johnson revealed that he had digestive tract problems for years.

“That was at the beginning of 2024, and I was just getting ready to launch into what would become a nine-month workload for me, nonstop work,” he said. “And I was thinking, ‘Holy s*** how am I going to get through this with my gut issues? I’m not digesting properly.’”

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Host Dr. Mark Hyman said that the health issue occurred after Johnson took multiple rounds of antibiotics, which reduced the amount of Akkermansia — a bacterium that regulates the metabolism— in his body.

Dwayne Johnson said the lump in his left testicle was ‘really painful’
Dwayne Johnson said the lump in his left testicle was ‘really painful’ (AFP via Getty Images)

“We basically rehabbed your gut. Gave you probiotics and plant compounds—pomegranate, green tea, cranberry — to help rebuild,” Hyman said. “And we made you this amazing gut health shake with 10-plus ingredients personalized for you.”

Luckily, Johnson said he’s in a better place physically and emotionally, telling Esquire he’s “worked hard to just be at peace.”

“As dudes, as young men, teenagers, twenties, we’re trying to find ourselves. Then, in the thirties, that teenage bravado and confidence begins to wane because you’re like, Oh s***, I got to figure stuff out,” he said. “You hit your forties and you’re trying to figure who you are. Feels like you got your job locked down. Hopefully you got your family.

“But wait: Who am I? What’s my why? By the time I hit my fifth level—I’m fifty-three—I was working hard just to find what peace meant. Things in my world have become less presentational, less broadcast-y, more ‘I’m going to put in the work, and I’ll keep it as quiet as I can.’”

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Portsmouth is working together for UK City of Culture 2029

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Portsmouth is working together for UK City of Culture 2029

To mark the next stage of Portsmouth’s ambitious bid for the UK City of Culture 2029, hundreds of local people, cultural organisations and businesses are coming together to demonstrate the collective ambition behind the bid and the strength of support building across the city.

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Mexico vs South Africa LIVE: World Cup 2026 result, latest updates and fan reaction

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Mexico vs South Africa LIVE: World Cup 2026 result, latest updates and fan reaction

Midfielder Themba Zwane was shown a red card for violent conduct in the 84th ‌minute as South Africa finished with ​nine men, while Mexico defender ‌Cesar Montes was ⁠also sent off for a foul ⁠in stoppage time. Mexico face South Korea in Guadalajara ‌on Thursday, ​while South Africa ‌play the Czechia.

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Starmer accused of ‘not listening’ as Al Carns becomes second defence minister to resign in 24 hours – live updates

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Starmer accused of ‘not listening’ as Al Carns becomes second defence minister to resign in 24 hours - live updates

Watch: Al Carns’ interview less than an hour before he resigned

Jane Dalton11 June 2026 21:58

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‘We will give our armed forces the capabilities they need,’ Starmer pledges

As he appointed Dan Jarvis to replace John Healey, the prime minister said: “My first duty is to keep the British people safe, and I will always do what is necessary to protect our national security.

“I am pleased to appoint Dan Jarvis as Defence Secretary as we strengthen our armed forces and meet the growing threats facing our country.

“This Labour government is delivering the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War.

“In a dangerous and volatile world, we will give our armed forces the capabilities they need to defend Britain and keep our nation secure.”

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Jane Dalton11 June 2026 21:41

Day of drama in government: A timeline

12.09pm: John Healey resigns as defence secretary, telling the prime minister the financial settlement for defence plan fell “well short of what is required”, with extra support coming after 2030 when the “imperative to speed up readiness to fight is in the first two years”

6.35pm: Sir Keir Starmer issues a strong defence of his spending plans, telling Mr Healey Labour had implemented the highest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, adding: “You are also right that we have to go further. The defence investment plan does just that.”

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7.44pm: Pamela Nash, Mr Healey’s parliamentary private secretary, resigns, describing the “delays and difficulties” that had dogged the Defence Investment Plan as “the latest issue that is damaging to the trust of the public in us”

8.22pm: Al Carns resigns as a defence minister, saying he could not defend “a level of investment I know to be inadequate to the task”

9.07pm: Dan Jarvis appointed new defence secretary

Jane Dalton11 June 2026 21:35

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Analysis: Starmer faces end game as Healey and Carns resign

Jane Dalton11 June 2026 21:22

Jarvis was tipped to replace Healey

The Independent’s Whitehall editor Kate Devlin earlier tipped Dan Jarvis as a successor to John Healey:

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Jane Dalton11 June 2026 21:11

Dan Jarvis is new defence secretary

Breaking news: Dan Jarvis has been appointed Defence Secretary, Downing Street has announced.

Jane Dalton11 June 2026 21:07

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Carns slates ‘budget written for calmer world’

Labour MP Al Carns, who has been touted as a possible future leadership candidate, told Sir Keir Starmer as he resigned: “While I had no hand in the defence investment plan, that distance does allow me to say plainly that it is not built for the threat we face.

“It is neither transformative enough nor sufficiently funded. We are asking our armed forces to operate in a more dangerous world on a budget written for a calmer one.”

Jane Dalton11 June 2026 21:00

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Change I pushed for won’t come, says Carns as he quits

In his letter to the prime minister standing down as defence minister, Mr Carns said it had become clear that the spending he had wanted would not come.

He wrote: “It has been the privilege of my life to serve this country, first in uniform and then in government.

“I have said that there are issues facing this department that do not lend themselves to easy answers, and that there needs to be agreement throughout the Government about the scale of the challenges we face. It has become clear to me that the change I had pushed for is not going to come. Given the situation, I have decided to resign as minister for the armed forces.

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“We face a more unstable and dangerous world than at any point in recent decades, and having spent most of my adult life in uniform, I understand what public service in such a moment demands.

“It is for this very reason I cannot continue.

“I have watched, as a Marine, what war looks like now. I have spoken to those who have seen it up close in Ukraine. The lesson is uncomfortable and it is unambiguous.

“The character of conflict is changing faster than our procurement can keep up with. We are still purchasing capability suitable for the last war while our adversaries arm for the next one. Platforms that cost billions can be defeated by systems that cost thousands. Any serious defence investment plan has to start from that reality.”

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Jane Dalton11 June 2026 20:57

Carns: I could not defencd inadequate defence funding

Mr Carns said he quit because he could not “in good conscience” defend a level of investment he knew “to be inadequate to the task”.

He wrote: “I have sat in the rooms, seen the assessments, and spoken to the commanders who will be asked to do more with less, and I cannot in good conscience stand at the dispatch box and defend a level of investment I know to be inadequate to the task.

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“A serious country funds its defence to meet the threat it actually faces, not the threat it wishes it faced.”

Jane Dalton11 June 2026 20:54

Al Carns resigns as a defence minister in another blow to Starmer

Al Carns has resigned as a defence minister, he has announced in a letter to the Prime Minister shared on social media, following John Healey’s exit as defence secretary.

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Maryam Zakir-Hussain11 June 2026 20:28

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US puts up $750K to evacuate American exposed to hantavirus on ship

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US puts up $750K to evacuate American exposed to hantavirus on ship

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration put up $750,000 to charter a private yacht to evacuate a single American citizen from a remote South Pacific island after she had been aboard a cruise ship at the center of a deadly hantavirus outbreak, a move that has further strained the State Department’s emergency budget.

The woman, who may have been exposed to the virus while aboard the Dutch MV Hondius cruise liner in April, had gotten off the ship and then flown to San Francisco before traveling to the isolated British territory of Pitcairn Island through Tahiti, according to two U.S. officials and an internal government document obtained by The Associated Press.

The exact amount of the total evacuation payment is still being assessed because the operation is still underway. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a medical case covered by U.S. privacy laws.

The costly effort to pick up the woman has added to the expense of rapid evacuations for diplomats and private U.S. citizens from the Middle East since the start of the Iran war as well as preparations for possible evacuations from Ebola-stricken countries. All have stressed the State Department budget for unforeseen emergencies, known as the “K Fund,” and brought its balance to the lowest level in seven years.

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State Department emergency budget strained by multiple evacuations

Another internal document said the State Department is looking at transferring as much as $50 million into that emergency fund from other accounts — $35 million from the budget for embassy security, construction and maintenance and an additional $15 million from an account that pays for broader diplomatic programming. No decision on the transfers has yet been made.

One of the officials said the State Department has another option, to ask Congress to replenish the fund. However, the official said the department is expected to be able to handle payments for both ongoing and “emerging contingency needs.”

The official would not say what the potential shortfall is but insisted that the department is “well positioned” to support diplomats, other U.S. government employees and private Americans who have been forced to leave the Middle East because of the Iran confict, as well as U.S. citizens who may need assistance due to developments such as the Ebola outbreak in Africa.

How the US is evacuating an American exposed to hantavirus from a remote island

The State Department declined to comment on the specifics of the woman’s case on Pitcairn Island but said that “when an American is at risk abroad and unable to access commercial transportation, the Department of State seeks to provide appropriate assistance to get them home to the United States or to another safe location.”

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After the woman departed the cruise liner where the hantavirus outbreak occurred, the ship continued to other destinations in the South Atlantic, with some passengers falling ill and at least three dying. The unidentified American woman was stuck on Pitcairn, an island with only about 50 inhabitants, no airport and infrequent maritime options to depart.

Pitcairn is well-known as the island on which Fletcher Christian and other British mutineers from the HMS Bounty took refuge after the 1789 events that toppled Capt. William Bligh, which have entered into the public lexicon with books and films about the “Mutiny on the Bounty.” Their descendants make up most of the island’s current population.

Complicating matters, British authorities had sought urgent American assistance in evacuating the woman from the island, which is their territory, according to the government document about the cost of the evacuation and the second U.S. official.

But initial attempts to send her to Tahiti, a French dependency, about 1,350 miles (2,160 kilometers) — or a 30-hour sea journey — from Pitcairn, were rejected by French Polynesian authorities. They did not want to allow her in because she had not disclosed her exposure when she transited the island on her way to Pitcairn.

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The U.S. is transporting the woman, who was not symptomatic, from Pitcairn to Easter Island, another remote location in the Pacific about 1,400 miles (2,253 km) away, which is a territory of Chile and has direct flights to Santiago, so she can return to the United States for any necessary treatment.

All of those factors mean the process of getting her moved from Pitcairn to Easter Island took many weeks to arrange, the officials said.

The government document, which was confirmed as accurate by the two officials, said moving the woman from Pitcairn eventually was arranged via the “Titaina Explorer” trimaran yacht owned by a wealthy Frenchman, who uses it for personal exploration in the South Pacific. Pitcairn has no airport and only limited sea access.

The officials said the woman had no political or celebrity connections and they did not know exactly when she will return to the U.S. Maritime tracking sites show that the Titaina Explorer departed Pitcairn Island on June 5. The voyage to Easter Island can take up to 10 days depending on the speed of the boat and the weather.

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World Cup 2026: How late are London pubs staying open to screen the games?

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World Cup 2026: How late are London pubs staying open to screen the games?

World Cup 2026 is here, promising a festival of football on a scale never seen before.

With the tournament being hosted in the USA, Mexico and Canada, all the matches will kick off between 5pm and 5am UK time. While most footy fans will be pleased that the games are outside of normal working hours, the late (and very early) kick-offs pose a challenge for people keen to soak in the atmosphere in a pub.

England fans watching football in the pub (Chris Radburn/PA)

England fans will be able to watch late-night football in the pub

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