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Friday morning news briefing: Duke of York clings to Pitch@Palace business role

The Duke of York - AFP
The Duke of York - AFP

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Duke refuses to give up role where he can take cut of every deal

The Duke of York has refused to step aside from all public duties by staying at the helm of an initiative set up at Buckingham Palace that allows him to make money out of tech deals. The Duke, who founded Pitch@Palace, which matches investors with start-up tech companies, is expected to host an event at St James's Palace next month, although a planned trip to Bahrain was cancelled on Thursday night amid the furore. It comes as he resigned from his position as patron of the Outward Bound Trust as the catastrophic fallout his Newsnight interview continues. Royal sources said Pitch@Palace would move to his "private portfolio". Terms and conditions for Pitch@Palace Global Ltd reveal the company – of which the Duke is the "significant" controller – is entitled to a share of any investment deal for three years. Read on for the details.

Prince Andrew has been urged to contact US prosecutors "without delay and without condition" as pressure mounted on him to testify in the Jeffrey Epstein case. The calls came as a fresh victim came forward to allege she was groomed and abused by Epstein, the billionaire financier, when she was a vulnerable 17-year-old in New York. As Boris Johnson and his rivals have been relegated to the inside pages with the Duke of York sex scandal continuing to dominate the headlines, Camilla Tominey reveals how the Prince Andrew fiasco has exposed the palace power struggle between the heirs and the spares. And here is Matt's take on how the Duke might make money in the future.

Grace Millane murder: Man found guilty of killing backpacker

A jury has found a 27-year old New Zealand man guilty of murdering British backpacker Grace Millane following a three-week trial. Her parents, David and Gillian Millane wept after the verdict was read out. The accused stood emotionless, flanked by two corrections officers, as the verdict was read out. Millane, 22, from Wickford, Essex, died after going back to the apartment of a man she met on the dating app Tinder in Auckland. The Crown alleged the defendant strangled her and shoved her body inside a suitcase before burying her in a forested area outside Auckland. Read on for the full story.

Revealed: Who'll play Queen after Olivia Colman in The Crown

The launch of the third series of The Crown has been the subject of many a water cooler discussion this week. Yet days after its launch with Oliva Colman taking over from Claire Foy as the Queen - covering the years of her reign between 1964 to 1977 - and already her successor has been revealed. She will reportedly take over for seasons five and six of the show. Click here for details.

News digest

Isil children | Government conducts rescue of British orphans from Syria

Call for investigation | Fifth of students now get extra time in exams

Viking treasure | Metal detectorists guilty of concealing £3m of old coins

Poor internet access | Third of people have WiFi 'notspots' in their homes

Giant marmot | Town left divided as traditional Christmas tree replaced

Gallery: Jeremy Corbyn unveils Labour manifesto

Elderly people could be forced to pay up to £100,000 to fund the cost of living in care homes under Labour. Here are the details of the party's plan to means-test older people. Melissa Lawford examines how Labour plans to charge owners of holiday homes an annual extra levy and Michael Deacon reveals why the the Tories must make up their minds about how they describe leader Jeremy Corbyn, pictured below at the manifesto launch. See more pictures of the day.

Jeremy Corbyn launches the Labour Party manifesto in Birmingham - Credit: Phil Noble/Reuters
Jeremy Corbyn launches the Labour Party manifesto in Birmingham Credit: Phil Noble/Reuters

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Business and money briefing

'Victory for common sense' | Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin declared he had overcome "the box tickers" after investors backed all of the pub chain's motions at its annual meeting. The company's founder and chairman has come under attack from influential proxy advisers, some of which called for shareholders to vote against a number of board appointments. Details here.

Sport briefing

Special Report | A chilling concussion epidemic is gripping women’s sport with damaging effects. Studies have shown that women are more prone to concussion than men in comparable sports, yet the scale of the problem may be being underestimated. Fiona Tomas reveals the real life impact.

Friday night dinner

Potato hash with figs, cambozola and garlic toast | For this delicious dish, use whatever cheese you like, just make sure it's something fairly soft and good for melting. Click here for the recipe.

And finally...

Historic shift | The traditional sight of an Italian couple stepping out of a church under a shower of confetti while being blessed by a priest is becoming ever rarer, with the number of civil ceremonies overtaking church weddings for the first time in the country’s history. Read on for details.