Ireland lost their opening game of the EuroHockey Championships 2-0 to reigning Olympic, world and European champions the Netherlands in Monchengladbach.
Goals from Joosje Burg and Yibbi Jansen were enough for the Dutch as temperatures in north-western Germany edged towards 30C on a brutally hot day.
Ireland coach Gareth Grundie will take plenty of positives from a strong defensive performance that bodes well for the rest of the tournament.
“I think that’s probably the closest we’ve come to them in competition in a long time,” Grundie told BBC Sport NI after the defeat.
The only goal in the first half came with a little luck after nine minutes against the run of play when Ireland were settling in the game.
Ireland goalkeeper Lizzie Murphy made an outstanding save, only to see the ball ricochet off the chest of Sarah McAuley and into the path of Burg who had a simple tap-in.
Roisin Upton and Hannah McLoughlin brilliantly marshalled the Ireland defence as they frustrated the Dutch in the second quarter as the heat began to take its toll on both sides.
A harsh penalty corner call on Upton was punished by the Netherlands in the third quarter when Jansen‘s shot beat Murphy.
Ireland were not deterred, however, and came close through Katie Mullan after great work from Mikayla Power.
Mullan was denied by Dutch keeper Josine Kosing, who was on hand again to save from McLoughlin‘s shot at a penalty corner as Ireland pushed forward and refused to sit back.
“The idea was always to make sure that we were really disciplined,” Grundie added.
“They’re an outstanding side, so the longer that we could stay in the game we knew we might get an opportunity, and if one had gone in then we might have been able to push towards the end.
Syria’s new government will not take part in planned meetings with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Paris, Syria’s state news agency has reported, as tensions mount between the two sides.
SANA’s report on Saturday cast doubt over an integration deal signed this year by the armed group and Syria’s interim government, which took over after the overthrow of longtime President Bashar al-Assad in December.
Quoting an unnamed government source, the news agency said the government wants future negotiations to be held in the Syrian capital, Damascus, “as it is the legitimate and national address for dialogue among Syrians”.
The SDF was the main force allied with the United States in Syria during fighting that defeated ISIL (ISIS) in 2019. In March, the SDF signed a deal with the new government to join Syria’s state institutions.
The deal aims to stitch back together a country fractured by 14 years of war, paving the way for Kurdish-led forces that hold a quarter of Syria and regional Kurdish governing bodies to integrate with Damascus.
However, the agreement did not specify how the SDF will be merged with Syria’s armed forces. The group has previously said its forces must join as a bloc while the government wants them to join as individuals.
Saturday’s report comes a day after the Kurdish administration held a conference involving several Syrian minority communities, the first such event since al-Assad’s removal from power.
The conference’s final statement called for “a democratic constitution that … establishes a decentralised state” and guarantees the participation of all components of Syrian society.
Damascus has previously rejected calls for decentralisation.
In its report on Saturday, SANA said the government “stresses that the SDF conference dealt a blow to the ongoing negotiation efforts” towards implementing the March agreement.
“Accordingly, the government will not participate in any meetings scheduled in Paris, nor will it sit at the negotiating table with any side seeking to revive the era of the deposed regime under any name or cover,” the report said.
Participants in the Kurdish-organised conference also criticised the government over sectarian clashes in Syria’s southern province of Suwayda and the coastal region.
“The current constitutional declaration does not meet the aspirations of the Syrian people. … It should be reviewed to ensure a wider participatory process and a fair representation in the transitional period,” the conference’s final statement read.
The dispute is the latest in a recent conflict between the Syrian administration and the SDF after clashes between the group and government forces this month.
The SDF on Saturday accused government-backed factions of attacking areas in northeastern Syria more than 22 times.
Watch the “extraordinary” moment Will Jacks of the Oval Invincibles stops a certain six for the Manchester Originals, by leaping at the boundary line to push the ball back in to play in the Men’s Hundred at The Oval.
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With only one stump to aim at, Welsh Fire’s Georgia Elwiss produces a brilliant piece of fielding to dismiss Issy Wong for a duck as London Spirit fall to 72-6 in the Women’s Hundred at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.
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The Welsh singer, 85, who was forced to cancel a show in Germany earlier this month due to health issues, headlined Camp Bestival in Dorset
Sir Tom Jones made fans emotional during his performance(Image: Getty)
Sir Tom Jones has delivered another stunning performance, just weeks after being forced to cancel a gig. The legendary singer left audiences in tears whilst belting out his catalogue of beloved hits.
Festival-goers at Camp Bestival in Dorset described the Welsh headliner’s voice as ‘phenomenal’ and ‘incredible’ as he brought the curtain down on the 2025 festival. The triumphant show comes just weeks after Jones fell poorly and was forced to pull out of a German concert.
On July 22 the Welsh crooner announced on social media that he wouldn’t be able to take to the stage in the German city of Bremen due to illness. It comes after pictures emerged of inside Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash’s luxurious £30k family holiday at ‘second home’.
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Tom performed in Spain
However, he bounced back with a cracking performance in Dundee at the Discovery Festival, and Cardiff is set to welcome him later this month at Cardiff Castle.
Camp Bestival organisers revealed that “there wasn’t a dry eye in the house” as Sir Tom took to the stage on the final evening of the event. They commented: “The incredible @realsirtomjones closed the Castle Stage last night, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. What a legend. Thank you Sir Tom for a very memorable end to the weekend,” reports Wales Online.
Tom is scheduled to appear at Cardiff Castle on August 20 and August 21. The duo of Cardiff Castle concerts arrive just two years after Tom graced the same venue with three performances.
During his visit, he addressed the audience saying: “I would like to say it feels great to be home. Oh yes!” before diving into songs from his 2021 album Surrounded By Time and timeless hits like It’s Not Unusual and What’s New Pussycat?
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Last month, Tom had to cancel his gig after falling ill. He shared in a statement: “Hello to all the fans in Bremen. Unfortunately, I must postpone my show this evening, as I’ve contracted an upper respiratory infection that needs treatment and rest.
“I know this is really disappointing and will cause inconvenience to you all, and I’m very sorry about that. But the show will now go ahead on Monday 28th July, so I look forward to seeing you then. All tickets will remain valid for the re-scheduled date. Until then, thank you for your understanding. Love, Tom.”
A fan got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend during Oasis’ gig at Murrayfield last night with fans thrilled for the pair and celebrated with the couple throughout the night
Oasis performed another sold out show in Edinburgh on Friday night(Image: Tony Nicoletti/Daily Record)
Oasis mania has been reaching new heights with each gig from their comeback tour and last night’s sold-out show in Murrayfield was no different. Liam and Noel Gallagher took to the stage for the first of three shows in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Up to 70,000 fans made their way to Scotland’s home of rugby for eagerly-anticipated two-hour show, featuring 23 songs from the duo’s impressive discography. During the show, a pair of fans got engaged while the hit song Slide Away was being performed.
In a clip shared on social media, Liam, 52, can be seen on stage crooning away to the 1994 classic before the camera pans to the audience. While he sings the lyrics “Now that you’re mine”, a man gets down on one knee and asks a woman to marry him.
The lady in question is wearing and Oasis t-shirt and a bucket hat as she excitedly says yes to the proposal as he pops the ring on her finger and they kiss in the adorable moment. It comes after Paul Weller reveals the unusual reason he refuses to watch Oasis concerts.
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A couple got engaged during the show in Murrayfield(Image: Gigs in Scotland)
The social media page Gigs in Scotland shared the sweet clip on their feed and captioned it: “We caught a very special moment during Slide Away. Huge congrats to the happy couple!”
Fans flocked to the comments section to share their thoughts as the bride-to-be herself expressed: “Thank you @gigsinscotland for filming and sharing our special moment.”
Somebody else gushed: “Aww stop it, that’s so cute,” while another social media user commented: “Imagine Oasis performing at your proposal.” Someone else wrote on Instagram: “Love this! They’ll get to watch this back forever now.”
Oasis will continue their shows in Edinburgh tonight (Saturday 9 August) and Tuesday (12 August) before heading to Ireland to play two shows at Croke Park in Dublin on 16 and 17 August.
Liam and Noel are in the thick of their sold-out tour(Image: Tony Nicoletti/Daily Record)
Liam and Noel, 58, will then travel to Canada and America for shows in Toronto, Chicago, LA and Mexico City before coming back to London for two more big gigs at Wembley towards the end of September.
The brothers will follow up their action-packed schedule with Asia, Australia and South America before ending their comeback tour on 23 November in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The Oasis Live’ 25 Tour began on 4 July at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff before they headed to their native Manchester with five shows at Heaton Park. They then did five shows in London’s Wembley’s Stadium before their current dates in Scotland.
The brothers announced their comeback tour in August 2024, with them sharing the news on social media and saying: “This is it, this is happening. The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.”
This is the first time Liam and Noel have performed together in 15 years, following their highly-publicised fall-out which led to them icing each other out of their lives.
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Fans have been going gaga for Oasis all over the world, with tickets selling out within minutes and thousands descending on each city to see the much-loved duo.
