Archive October 1, 2025

BBC to show live Women’s Champions League matches

Images courtesy of Getty

Women’s Champions League broadcasting from this season will be a five-year contract with BBC Sport.

Up to seven live games, including the final, will be available to watch each season on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website and app under the terms of the contract, which runs until 2030.

One semi-final and four matches from earlier will be played in addition to the other matches.

The best moments from other games will also be accessible on BBC Sport’s social media and digital platforms.

The first match of the BBC’s coverage of Manchester United’s upcoming Premier League game against Paris St-Germain will be on November 12, followed by Chelsea’s encounter with Barcelona on November 20.

Throughout the season, BBC Radio 5 Live will continue to provide live commentary on the biggest games.

This is a fantastic time for BBC Sport and women’s football, according to BBC Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski.

Our digital offering is what truly transforms the Uefa Women’s Champions League, though it is huge to bring it to a free-to-air audience.

Fans will experience the best moments, goals, highlights across our website, app, and social media platforms while benefiting from our multi-platform strategy, according to “our multi-platform strategy.”

Ellen White, Jen Beattie and Ben Haines
The Women’s Football Weekly podcast returns for another season featuring Ben Haines, Ellen White, and Jen Beattie. On the Women’s Football Weekly feed, you can find interviews and additional content from the Women’s Super League and beyond as well as new episodes that are available every Tuesday on BBC Sounds.

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Leigh ‘do not intend to fulfil’ Wigan semi-final

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The Warriors have informed Wigan that Leigh Leopards “do not intend to fulfill” Friday’s Super League play-off semi-final.

Leigh chairman Derek Beaumont wrote to Wigan on Tuesday to say that his side won’t play because he thinks the ticket allocation is “unacceptable” and that he had written to them.

At 20:00 BST, Wigan will host their regional rivals for a spot in the Grand Final.

Following Wigan’s statement, Leigh published a post on X with the hashtag “Two days until the semi-final.”

According to Wigan, Leigh Leopards’ Derek Beaumont wrote to our club at 10.37pm on Tuesday, September 30 to inform them that they do not intend to play in Friday’s semi-final game.

Leigh Leopards had the option of choosing 4, 600 seats with no reservation or 5, 400 seats with reserved seats in the North Stand, according to “we can confirm.”

Following consultation with the police, Wigan claimed that the independent Safety Advisory Group and the club’s Ground Safety Officer had decided the allocation.

They claimed that Super League “required separate safety advice” and “completely supported this approach.”

Wigan added that the amount offered was almost twice the minimum of 10% for away supporters.

Our club is legally and professionally bound to follow the instructions of our Ground Safety Officer and the terms of our Ground Safety Certificate, Wigan continued.

All supporters’ safety and welfare must come first, they say. This is the basis for every decision we make, and it is not open to negotiation.

As the situation develops, we will keep providing more details about Friday’s semi-final.

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  • Rugby League
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Five-time All-Star accuses WNBA of ‘self-sabotage’

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Napheesa Collier, a five-time All-Star, has accused the WNBA of “self-sabotage” and failing to prioritize the players’ well-being.

The Minnesota Lynx guard claimed that WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert displayed “the worst leadership in the world” and that the league had exhibited “lack of accountability.”

Engelbert expressed her “utmost respect” for Collier and pledges to “ensuring a bright future” for the players and the WNBA.

Collier’s frustrations come after a mistake occurred in the Lynx’s 84-76 loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Friday in the third game of their play-off semi-final series.

The 29-year-old collided with Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas in the final seconds, but no foul was awarded.

Collier was dismissed for contesting the decision, and Cheryl Reeve, the team’s coach, was given a one-game ban for vile remarks made after the game.

The Lynx were eliminated on Monday after losing game four without Collier.

Collier stated in a press conference, “I want to make it clear that this conversation is not about winning or losing.”

It’s about a much bigger issue. Money is not the real threat to our league. It isn’t physical play, missed calls, or even ratings. The league office doesn’t have any accountability, either.

You’ve heard the concerns about officiating since I’ve been in the league, which has now hampered our sport and undermined the integrity of its operations.

It’s true self-sabotage to not care about the product we put on the floor, but the league cares about the health of our players is one thing.

Collier claimed that Engelbert should be “grateful” for what they earn in a conversation about pay in February with star players like Caitlin Clark of Indian Fever and Angel Reese of Chicago Sky.

The current collective bargaining agreement, which expires at the end of this month, is being discussed by the league and the WNBA Players Association.

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  • Basketball

Five-time MVP accuses WNBA of ‘self-sabotage’

Images courtesy of Getty

Napheesa Collier, a five-time MVP, has accused the WNBA of “self-sabotage” and failing to prioritize the interests of players.

The Minnesota Lynx guard claimed that WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert displayed “the worst leadership in the world” and that the league had exhibited “lack of accountability.”

Engelbert expressed her “utmost respect” for Collier and pledges to “ensuring a bright future” for the players and the WNBA.

Collier’s frustrations come after a mistake occurred in the Lynx’s 84-76 loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Friday in the third game of their play-off semi-final series.

The 29-year-old collided with Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas in the final seconds, but no foul was awarded.

Collier was dismissed for contesting the decision, and Cheryl Reeve, the team’s coach, was given a one-game ban for vile remarks made after the game.

The Lynx were eliminated on Monday after losing game four without Collier.

Collier stated in a press conference, “I want to make it clear that this conversation is not about winning or losing.”

It’s about a much bigger issue. Money is not the real threat to our league. It isn’t physical play, missed calls, or even ratings. The league office doesn’t have any accountability, either.

You’ve heard the concerns about officiating since I’ve been in the league, which has now hampered our sport and undermined the integrity of its operations.

It’s true self-sabotage to not care about the product we put on the floor, but the league cares about the health of our players is one thing.

Collier claimed that Engelbert should be “grateful” for what they earn in a conversation about pay in February with star players like Caitlin Clark of Indian Fever and Angel Reese of Chicago Sky.

The current collective bargaining agreement, which expires at the end of this month, is being discussed by the league and the WNBA Players Association.

related subjects

  • Basketball

Deadly earthquake hits Philippines: What we know so far

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit the central Philippines late on Tuesday night, killing at least 69 people and injuring more than 140, according to local authorities.

Here is more about what happened and why the country is vulnerable to earthquakes.

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Where did the earthquake hit and how bad is it?

At 9:59pm local time on Tuesday (13:59 GMT) a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck 12 miles northeast of Bogo City in Cebu province in the country’s central Visayas region.

Earthquake monitoring agencies say the depth of the earthquake was about 10km (6.2 miles), making it a shallow quake.

Earthquakes that are considered “shallow” usually cause more damage because the epicentre is close to the Earth’s surface – at a depth of between 0 and 70 km, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The USGS said it has recorded four aftershocks of magnitude 5 or higher since the first quake in the Philippines on Tuesday. People in the Visayan Islands, which include Cebu, Biliran and Leyte, felt the impact.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) issued a tsunami alert for the regions of Leyte, Biliran and Cebu province, but said on Wednesday morning that it has now lifted the alert, citing no unusual wave activity.

(Al Jazeera)

How bad is the damage?

Local authorities placed parts of Cebu province in a “state of calamity” after the powerful earthquake brought down buildings and also cut power across Cebu and nearby islands, according to the country’s national grid.

Bogo city in Cebu, which has about 90,000 residents, was the worst hit with more than 20 confirmed deaths including four children. Several residential properties and commercial buildings were badly damaged.

Casualties have also been reported in the nearby towns of Medellin and Tabuelan and in the municipality of San Remigio, a 16-minute drive from Bogo City.

According to local media outlet SunStar Cebu, seven people including personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection and three from the coastguard were killed at the San Remigio Sports Complex and evacuation centre, when parts of the roof collapsed during a basketball game.

The earthquake has also brought down historical churches and buildings in the Cebu province.

Local media videos circulating on social media showed how the ancient Saints Peter and Paul Parish on Bantayan Island in Cebu trembled and then collapsed when the earthquake struck.

Radyo Pilipinas, a radio station owned by the Presidential Broadcast Service, also showed images of how the earthquake had reduced a 139-year old church in Daanbantayan, north of Bogo, to debris.

“The current situation in Daanbantayan highlights the severe impact of the earthquake on heritage structures, which form part of Cebu’s rich cultural and spiritual identity,” Cebu Governor Pam Baricuatro said in a post on Facebook.

What rescue efforts are under way?

According to local media reports, Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr has offered his condolences to the families of the earthquake victims and said the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Philippine National Police are assisting in rescue and recovery efforts, while the Department of Energy is working to restore power to affected regions.

Hospitals have been overwhelmed in Bogo City and some patients have also been evacuated as a result of the aftershocks which have shaken hospitals.

“Bogo City has already reached its maximum capacity but patients are still pouring in,” a representative of Senator Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the Philippines’ Senate committee on health, which is overseeing relief operations, told Al Jazeera.

The senator’s staff said they visited the provincial hospital in Bogo City where local medic Dr Yurangco said the hospital had not incurred any major damage, but hospital staff had been overwhelmed by an influx of patients.

The senator’s staff also told Al Jazeera that they are currently focusing on delivering two trucks of water to the hospital because of the need for drinking water in the vicinity.

The Philippine Red Cross told CNN that it has been helping with medical treatment and has treated at least 60 people for injuries in three provinces.

Hours after the earthquake, local authorities in Cebu province appealed to the wider country as well as national and international aid organisations for water and equipment to assist search and rescue efforts.

“It is raining heavily and there is no electricity, so we really need help, especially in the northern part, because there’s a scarcity of water after supply lines were damaged by the earthquake,” Alfie Reynes, the vice mayor of San Remigio town, told DZMM radio.

Meanwhile, in case of further aftershocks, Cebu governor Baricuatro who has been visiting areas hit by the earthquake, has urged residents to “stay calm and move to open areas”.

In a Facebook post, she told people to “keep away from walls or structures that may collapse and stay alert for aftershocks”. She added that the provincial government was assessing the situation and reaching out to municipal officials.

earthquake
A woman takes a photo of a damaged McDonald’s store in the aftermath of a magnitude 6.9 quake in Bogo City, Cebu, the Philippines, on October 1, 2025 [Eloisa Lopez/Reuters]

Why is the Philippines prone to earthquakes and is the country prepared?

The Philippines lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a tectonic belt of volcanic arcs and oceanic trenches in the Pacific Ocean.

The country experiences mild earthquakes and volcanic activity almost daily because the Ring of Fire is sensitive to the regular movement of the Earth’s tectonic plates colliding or sliding past each other.

Indonesia, New Zealand, Japan, the United States, Canada, Russia, Guatemala, Peru and Chile are also countries located within the Ring of Fire.

Phivolcs has been developing guides to alert residents about earthquakes and make them resilient to natural disasters. An alert about the latest earthquake was sent out on the country’s civil defence Facebook group as well as on other weather alert groups.

The United Nations, through its Anticipatory Action Pilot Programme, has also been working with the government to empower local communities to respond to earthquakes and other natural disasters.

Alison Hammond’s £45 flattering Bake Off shirt dress is still in stock on this one website

On the Great British Bake Off last night, Alison Hammond donned a flattering orange shirt dress, and we’ve managed to locate the one website that still has it available.

Alison Hammond, who hosted the show in a flattering shirt dress, continued her reign as one of the best-dressed presenters on television with last night’s episode of The Great British Bake Off. The Izabel printed long-sleeve midi shirt dress in orange is her specific dress, and despite the apparent sellout, it is still available directly from the Izabel website.

The dress costs only £45, and Izabel’s website still has it in stock in sizes 10 to 18, as well as in sizes 22 and 26. You might want to order this dress quickly since other sizes are currently sold out.

To support Keir, Lady Victoria Starmer rents a £10 red Karen Millen dress.

READ MORE: We discovered the only store that still has Fearne Cotton’s tartan waterproof jacket.

While filming in the summer heat, Alison’s Printed Long Sleeve Midi Shirt Dress might have been the ideal choice for the perfect cool-toned look. However, it’s also a great option for the fall. You could easily pop on a pair of knee-high boots underneath for a little extra warmth because the material is light and breathable.

You can wear it with a pair of heels and some statement jewelry, as well as some heels or boots to work in the office, making it a great casual piece to have in your wardrobe for days like weddings.

The tie-waist belt allows you to cinch the dress in to create a flattering fit, and the abstract orange print’s clever angles give it movement and shape. The Printed Long Sleeve Midi Shirt Dress, according to Izabel, was created to “flatter all figures” and has a “flattering” sizing range that ensures everyone feels great while wearing it.

You can wear a printed shirt dress for any occasion, any season, and there are plenty of other great options on the high street. It will also work really well in your wardrobe. The Cecily Cotton Midi Dress is available at Boden for £139 in three different prints, along with long, regular, and petite lengths.

Continue reading the article.

The Khaki Geometric Long Sleeve Midi Shirt Dress from Next is priced at £60 and is available in six to 26 sizes, with options for tall and regular that are almost all still available. The Green Graphic Print Midi Shirt Dress from New Look is a very affordable option that has a matching belt and all-over print for just £34.99.