Great Britain’s women’s flag football team made a winning start to their World Games debut in China on Thursday.
GB came into the tournament ranked fifth in the world and claimed a 26-13 win over Italy in their opening group game in Chengdu.
The tournament is seen as crucial for GB’s development before flag football makes its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028.
The World Games is a global multi-sport event showcasing sports not currently on the Olympic programme.
It featured flag football events for both men and women for the first time in 2022, although neither GB men or women qualified.
There is no men’s event this time round, but GB women booked their spot after securing seventh place at last year’s Flag Football World Championships.
Italy, who were eighth at the Worlds, took the lead in 34C heat in China as quarterback Maria Carolina Sgroi threw a touchdown pass to Giada Zocca.
But GB replied with Hannah Elliott running in a touchdown right after a big catch by Marta Mathews, and GB went in front just before half-time as quarterback Jessica Allen found receiver Emily Kemp.
Sgroi and Zocca connected again early in the second half to make it 13-13, before Mathews made an important interception on defence for GB.
Moments later Kemp ran in her second touchdown then GB secured victory as Allen made her second touchdown pass to Kemp, one of two US-born players in the squad along with BBC NFL analyst Phoebe Schecter.
Newcastle are close to signing Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey in a deal worth about £40m.
BBC Sport reported on Wednesday that the clubs were in advanced talks over the proposed deal for the 24-year-old.
An agreement in principle has now been reached, with just finer details left to complete.
Once signed off, Ramsey will complete the formalities, including a medical, of the move to St James’ Park.
Villa host Newcastle in their opening Premier League game at 12:30 BST on Saturday.
Ramsey, a former England Under-21s international, has scored 17 goals in 167 appearances for Villa since earning his senior debut in 2019 and was a regular for Unai Emery’s side last season.
Newcastle have also signed winger Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest and AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw on permanent deals this summer.
Bindi Irwin has given an update after she was rushed to hospital in the US for emergency surgery earlier this year, and said she finally has some ‘answers’ about her health
Steve Irwin’s daughter Bindi shared a health update on social media(Image: Getty Images)
Bindi Irwin, the 27-year-old daughter of the late Crocodile Hunter star Steve Irwin, has given her fans a crucial health update after undergoing emergency surgery in the US earlier this year. In an emotional Instagram post, she revealed that she is “finally feeling better” following her procedure and now has some answers about her long-standing battle with endometriosis after “waiting 13 years.”
In May, Bindi was rushed to hospital in severe pain while visiting the US with her mum, Terri Irwin, and brother, Robert Irwin, for the annual Steve Irwin Gala in Las Vegas. She had emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix, and during the operation, she also received further treatment for her endometriosis.
In an Instagram post shared this week, the Australian native said she is “genuinely healing” after an astonishing 51 endometriosis lesions were removed along with a “chocolate cyst”, which is a type of ovarian cyst filled with old blood.
She penned: “13 years of fighting for answers. 51 endometriosis lesions, a chocolate cyst, and my appendix were all removed across two surgeries with @seckinmd. My hernia from giving birth that was unzipping – was taken care of.
“I can FINALLY say that I’m feeling better. Genuinely healing. I can function in everyday life without wanting to throw up or pass out from the pain. Slowly, slowly gaining my strength back.”
Bindi Irwin has had several surgeries for endometriosis(Image: @bindisueirwin/Instagram)
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Bindi went on to say she “felt ashamed” as a teenager when she was told the pain she experienced was “just part of being a woman”, and is committed to campaigning for women’s health to be taken seriously.
She continued: “I cannot express the gravity of my emotions as I am beginning to recognise myself again. I felt utterly ashamed as a teenager and young adult being told that my pain was just part of being a woman. I felt lesser. I felt hurt. I felt weak. That is not ok.
“Young girls and women shouldn’t feel alone with pain in the driver’s seat of their lives. We need to take away the stigma of talking about women’s health. It’s time to have open discussions and make change on a global scale.”
Followers responding to Bindi’s post applauded her for speaking out about endometriosis and championing the battle for women’s health, with many saying they are “proud” of her efforts.
One person said: “So proud of you for speaking up and sharing your journey.”
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Another added: “I applaud you for raising awareness about this. It’s time women stopped being gaslighted about this and other women’s health issues. I’m glad you’re feeling better and hope the future is brighter and easier when your daughter is your age. Bravo, you!!”
A third stated: “So happy you are healing Bindi and sharing your journey to encourage discussion about this horrific disease.”
Bindi has previously opened up about her struggle to get a diagnosis for endometriosis. She revealed that she had been living with the condition since she was 13, but it took a decade before she underwent her first surgery.
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Despite visiting numerous doctors and undergoing “every test you could imagine”, all results came back clear, suggesting she was a “healthy young woman”, despite the excruciating pain she experienced during her periods.
Former Pop Idol contestant Darius Campbell Danesh died suddenly at the age of 41 in August 2022
Darius Danesh died at the age of 41 in 2022(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Darius Campbell Danesh’ ex-wife has paid tribute to the late singer on the third anniversary of his death.
The former Pop Idol contestant died suddenly at the age of 41 in August 2022 after inhaling chloroethane – also known as ethyl chloride – at his Minnesota apartment.
Three years on from the tragedy, 50-year-old Canadian actress Natasha Henstridge – who filed for divorce from the Colourblind hitmaker in 2013, after just over two years of marriage – has admitted she still misses him dearly.
Alongside a series of pictures of Darius, including one of the couple posing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, she penned on Instagram on August 11: “Love and light always. Miss you today…. Sending love to the Danesh’s and everyone whose life he touched.”
According to his girlfriend, Darius had been “living with a broken neck” and an undiagnosed heart condition when he died.
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Darius Danesh was eliminated from the show after a bizarre performance(Image: ITV)
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Lauren Cheek explained that an autopsy revealed that his heart was “twice the size” it should have been and that she believes he used the recreational anaesthetic to alleviate the pain.
She told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: “Darius was living with this heart condition that he didn’t know he had. So many things could have taken him, but this one thing did, and he died in his sleep.
“His mum told me they only found out after they did the autopsy. His heart was twice the size it was supposed to be, which was fitting, because that is genuinely how he was — he had so much love.
“The autopsy also found he was living with a broken neck, but he refused to get help or complain about it. I think he used (chloroethane) because he was in so much pain and he didn’t want to take pills, not even aspirin. That’s what killed him — the substance mixed with his heart and he couldn’t take it.”
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Lauren went on to add that Darius – who shot to fame when he gave a memorable rendition of Britney Spears’ hit ‘…Baby One More Time’ on the ITV talent show Popstars before releasing a string of hit singles and eventually going on to star in the West End – had sustained his injuries whilst racing with Hollywood actor Gerard Butler and always “refused” when she urged him to see a doctor.
She added: “He was with Gerry (Butler) in Monaco for the Grand Prix and they slammed into a wall during a race with the Prince of Monaco. I don’t think it ever fully healed and then he rebroke it because he got hit by a car in London a year or two before he died when he was riding a bike.
“And then he got into a car accident with his dad in Scotland. D was in the passenger seat, his dad was driving and someone drove into them.
“He was always in pain and I would beg him to see the doctor, but he refused. He was trying to find a natural remedy.”
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Refusing surgery
Darius was battling chronic pain in his neck as a result of two car accidents. The first occurred in Spain in 2010 when he suffered a broken neck. Speaking about the crash to HELLO! he previously told how he came just ‘three millimetres from death’. The singer had been on a lads driving holiday at the time and was on the motorway in sweltering heat. “Because of the haze, we didn’t see that there was a diesel spill on the road. Before we could work out what was going on, it was already too late,” he explained. “The car careered out of control on a bend, and we smashed into a wall at 70mph. My first recollection is my friend, the driver, asking if I was ok.”
He went on to say he remembered feeling a “sharp pain” in his neck before collapsing. Following the accident, Darius is said to have been offered an operation on his neck that could have proved life-changing, however, the singer and actor famously declined the procedure because there was a risk that it could impact his vocal chords.
A Chinese mountaineer died while descending the world’s second-highest peak, with Pakistani rescuers waiting on Thursday for weather conditions to improve to recover her body.
Guan Jing was descending from the summit of K2 on Tuesday night when falling rocks hit her, Deputy Commissioner for Shigar district Arif Ahmad told AFP.
“An army aviation team is ready for the recovery of the body and is waiting for better weather conditions,” he said.
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According to the Alpine Club of Pakistan, which monitors local climbing expeditions, Guan is the fourth casualty of the country’s summer climbing season.
Guan was among 30 climbers who reached the summit of K2 on Monday before beginning her fatal descent.
“The incident occurred on the Abruzzi Spur route between Camp I and Advanced Base Camp — a section notorious for frequent rockfalls,” the Alpine Club said.
At 8,611 metres (28,251 feet), K2 on the Pakistan-China border sits 238 metres shy of world-topping Himalayan giant Everest but is considered more technically challenging.
Home to five of the world’s 14 mountains above 8,000 metres, Pakistan typically welcomes an influx of summer climbers from early June until late August.
This season, four deaths have been reported, including two on K2, one on Nanga Parbat, and one on the lesser-known Laila Peak in the Karakoram range, where German Olympic biathlete Laura Dahlmeier died after being hit by falling rocks last month.
“I was going to give the stock answer,” the Newcastle United head coach said, when asked how his summer had been. “But it has been stressful…”
That is an understatement.
Newcastle went into the transfer window with no CEO and no sporting director, which Howe said was “not ideal”.
CEO Darren Eales handed in his notice last autumn because of a serious health problem and is yet to be replaced, while Paul Mitchell announced in May he was leaving his role as sporting director.
During the transfer window, Newcastle have missed out on several targets, including strikers Benjamin Sesko, Hugo Ekitike and Joao Pedro, and goalkeeper James Trafford.
Howe is also dealing with the fact striker Alexander Isak remains determined to join Liverpool after the champions had a £110m bid rejected earlier this month.
Isak situation ‘not healthy’ for Newcastle
Isak continues to train away from the rest of his team-mates – and his absence has been felt.
Not only has the Swede been Newcastle’s talisman, he was also popular in the dressing room.
“I don’t think it’s been healthy for us,” Howe said. “I don’t deny that’s been a big challenge.
“Alex, for me, is one of the best strikers in the world – if not the best. To miss him from your squad leaves a huge gap.”
The situation remains “ongoing”, and Howe recognises Newcastle will “have to find a way without him” for their opening Premier League game against Aston Villa.
Howe acknowledged there had been a “negativity around us” during the transfer window which they had to “try to repel and not absorb”.
And with things unsettled behind the scenes, he has made it clear to his players they have to be “more together than ever”.
“I think morale was certainly affected early on during pre-season,” he said. “There was nothing I could do to affect that – it was always going to be there.
“When you have a player that good who is not part of your group, it’s difficult for the players to fully understand it and to know what’s going on and how to react.
“But, as time has gone on, there has been an acceptance this is the squad and we have got to make the best of the situation. That’s always been my train of thought.
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‘Our appetites are whetted’
Prior to this week, Anthony Elanga and Aaron Ramsdale had been Newcastle’s only senior additions this summer.
But it feels like progress has been made in recent days, with Newcastle close to signing Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey in a deal worth about £40m having already added defender Malick Thiaw from AC Milan.
“I’m really excited by Malick,” Howe said. “I think he is a great age. He’s full of potential and the best of his career is yet to come.
“He’s an imposing character. He’s 6ft 4in, quick, athletic, good on the ball. Those types of players are very rare to find. He’s a good character as well so I’m very excited by what he can bring.
“I like all our signings. Anthony will bring his unique mix of pace, speed and creativity. Aaron is a real character. We have known him for a long time, but he’s a very good goalkeeper.
“I’m still hoping for more. I think we need more. We have got some big gaps within the squad still.”
Callum Wilson left the club when his contract expired in the summer, and Howe acknowledged “centre-forward is an issue”.
“We have been looking to replace Callum for some time,” he said. “He was such a good servant for us and, of course, we have had issues with Alex’s situation this year so that position is definitely a cause for concern.”
Understandably so. Newcastle remain interested in Brentford striker Yoane Wissa, and Anthony Gordon looks set to lead the line against Aston Villa.
Starting the season with a winger up front was never part of the plan, but Howe’s determination is palpable as Newcastle look to build on qualifying for the Champions League and ending their 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy.
“When you experience that and you have the feeling of winning, you think it’s going to be great but, let me tell you, the experience is even better than I thought it would be,” he said. “It does make you hungrier for more.
“It does make you appreciate the role you’re doing, the job you’re doing, and the ability to affect the people around Newcastle in the way we did.
Howe driven by mum’s memory
A few months have passed since Newcastle’s Carabao Cup final victory over Liverpool.
After the game, a tearful Howe reflected on “the people that aren’t with you” – including his late mum Anne.
She was a single parent who raised Howe and his siblings while holding down several jobs, and encouraged Howe to follow his dreams.
“She’s still with me every day,” he said. “It’s a difficult one because you’re not consciously thinking about her on a minute-by-minute basis or even a day-by-day basis to a degree.
“But I know that her spirit, her courage and her determination is with me in so many different ways in how I act and behave. I know she’s willing me on from somewhere, and very proud. I just hope to do her justice in the way that I work.
“I feel I have a duty to protect her legacy by how I conduct myself in what I do. I’m very driven for more success. I’m very determined to do my best, which is all I can do, and hopefully that will be good enough.”
Howe is also intent on making those closest to him proud after they followed him up from the south coast.
His wife Vicki and sons Harry, Rocky and Theo have certainly bought into life on Tyneside.
Howe said: “I asked my youngest to do something yesterday and his answer was: ‘Howay dad!’ I always have a little second glance and check their language.
“It’s brilliant that they’re fully immersed in the Newcastle way of life, the language, the way of thinking. It’s such a great area with such positive, driven and motivated people. I’m very proud that they are going to be adopted Geordies.”
Howe acknowledged his family are one of a small group of people who see the “down days” and said they were “very supportive”.
“They know when to leave dad alone just for a few minutes and let him digest what has just happened,” he said. “Sometimes they can be brutal with a joke that actually lifts the atmosphere. You take it in a light-hearted way because it’s coming from such a good place.
“They are absolutely vital in enabling me to work and enjoy my life. They’re part of it and I’m very proud of them.”
Howe, undoubtedly, has had a challenging summer but remains determined to make this season another one to remember.
“If you can’t be excited by what we have to come – the Champions League, all the competitions we are going to be in – there is something wrong,” he said.
