Scotland international Iain McLean is aiming for a record fourth gents ‘ singles title at the Bowls Scotland National Championships, with BBC Sport providing live coverage.
The tournament at the National Centre for Bowling, Ayr, starts on Saturday, 26 July and ends on Saturday, 2 August and four of the finals will be shown on the BBC Sport website and BBC iPlayer.
Blackwood Victoria’s McLean, who secured a record-equalling third title last year, begins his defence in the first round against Wellington Park’s Stephen McLellan on Thursday.
The event culminates with the men’s and women’s singles finals, while the mixed pairs final is on Monday and the para physically disabled open pairs final is on Tuesday.
Selected other matches will be shown live on Bowls Scotland’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
The championships are the largest week-long bowls event in the world, with more than 1, 316 players from 340 clubs competing and around 8, 000 spectators expected to attend the South Ayrshire venue.
Live stream schedule for finals
Monday, 28 July: Mixed pairs final]16: 00-19: 00]
Tuesday, 29 July: Para physically disabled open pairs final]15: 30-18: 00]
Scotland international Iain McLean is aiming for a record fourth gents’ singles title at the Bowls Scotland National Championships, with BBC Sport providing live coverage.
The tournament at the National Centre for Bowling, Ayr, starts on Saturday, 26 July and ends on Saturday, 2 August and four of the finals will be shown on the BBC Sport website and BBC iPlayer.
Blackwood Victoria’s McLean, who secured a record-equalling third title last year, begins his defence in the first round against Wellington Park’s Stephen McLellan on Thursday.
The event culminates with the men’s and women’s singles finals, while the mixed pairs final is on Monday and the para physically disabled open pairs final is on Tuesday.
Selected other matches will be shown live on Bowls Scotland’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
The championships are the largest week-long bowls event in the world, with more than 1,316 players from 340 clubs competing and around 8,000 spectators expected to attend the South Ayrshire venue.
Live stream schedule for finals
Monday, 28 July: Mixed pairs final [16:00-19:00]
Tuesday, 29 July: Para physically disabled open pairs final [15:30-18:00]
Saturday, 2 August: Gents singles final [13:30-15:30] & Ladies singles final [15:30-17:30]
Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, has urged dialogue and cohesion to promote world peace.
He made the call during a two-day summit in England at the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies in Oxford along with leaders from other Muslim countries.
In July 2025, The Sultan visited the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies in Oxford, England.
The event also marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the center, according to a statement released by a Sultan’s delegation official, Danladi Bako, on Friday.
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In his remarks after the meeting, His Eminence Sultan Saad Abubakar urged people everywhere to embrace peace and dialogue in order for us to promote social harmony and peaceful coexistence as our guiding principles, keeping Islam a religion of peace.
Kabir Tafida, the Sultan’s Sarkin Fada, traveled with him to England.
King Charles III, the OCIS’ Grand Patron, opened the event on Thursday with a well-attended ceremony starring a former Turkish President, Abdullah Gul, which included an annual general meeting of the center’s Board of Trustees.
Sultan Nazrin San and Saudi Prince Turki Al Faisal, both of whom are BoT members, were also present at the ceremony.
Iconic singer Cliff Richard says he may have to quit touring after being on the road in 2025 as he tells fans ‘I might be dead the next year’
Sir Cliff Richard appeared to suggest her was getting towards the end of his touring days(Image: Getty Images)
Sir Cliff Richard says he will probably have to quit touring – and the rock ‘n’ roll singer famous for his hip thrusts may only perform a few dance steps on stage at his upcoming shows.
“I don’t want to be an 85-year-old guy trying to be 18,” he said, admitting that he has started to think about his own mortality. Cliff is performing in Australia and New Zealand before returning to the UK in November, a month after he turns 85.
The singer, known affectionately as the Peter Pan of Pop due to his eternal youth, admits that touring can be exhausting and has started to take its toll. He said: “The thing I would have to give up probably at some time is touring. It’s very wearing, and you never know when you wake up in the morning whether your voice is still there.”
Cliff Richard may have to quit touring after being on road in 2025(Image: Getty Images)
Asked if his upcoming Can’t Stop Me Now tour could be a farewell tour or if he could return, he was undecided.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I might be dead the next year! So I don’t even think about it anymore. It’s one of those things. As I get older maybe I’ll become less able to perform, so I can’t say…” However, he does hope to perform some of his trademark dance moves that first endeared him to fans back in the 1950s, when his performances of debut single Move It were deemed “too sexy” for TV.
He is hoping to perform a routine with two backing singers and dancers to his 1962 hit with his former band Cliff Richard and The Shadows, Do You Want To Dance? But acknowledges he is still yet to determine if it will be possible, and hopes to be able to when he starts rehearsals.
He tells New Zealand radio station Coast: “I used to move around a heck of a lot and there was a period when I would get four girl dancers, four guy dancers and I used to dance with them.
“What I don’t want to be is an 85-year-old guy trying to be 18. So, I can still move on stage. And that’s what I do. I’ve got two backing singers, two guys, and they can dance, they can act, they can sing, they can play instruments.
“And I’m going to see, when I get to rehearsals, to just say, ‘let’s talk about maybe doing two songs where you come and join me out front. And while we’re singing something like Do You Want To Dance we do a few steps like that?’
“I don’t want to try and be 18 anymore. I like singing now, I’m as excited now as I was when I came [to New Zealand] last time. And I’m sure the audience will see that we – the big band and I – are friends and almost a family when we’re on tour. So we’ll try and do something that will make it look as though I’m 18! But I’m not.”
Cliff, who has sold more than 260 million records worldwide, has previously said he has no plans to retire, and spoke of his hopes to still be on stage in his 90s.
Article continues below
Cliff’s upcoming Can’t Stop Me Now tour will include two dates at the Royal Albert Hall, where he holds a record for performing 32 dates in two batches. He is also the only artist to have a top 5 album in eight different decades.
* Dates and details for Cliff’s shows on the Can’t Stop Me Now tour can be found at https://www.cliffrichard.org/latest-tour/
Iconic singer Cliff Richard says he may have to quit touring after being on the road in 2025 as he tells fans ‘I might be dead the next year’
Sir Cliff Richard appeared to suggest her was getting towards the end of his touring days(Image: Getty Images)
Sir Cliff Richard says he will probably have to quit touring – and the rock ‘n’ roll singer famous for his hip thrusts may only perform a few dance steps on stage at his upcoming shows.
“I don’t want to be an 85-year-old guy trying to be 18,” he said, admitting that he has started to think about his own mortality. Cliff is performing in Australia and New Zealand before returning to the UK in November, a month after he turns 85.
The singer, known affectionately as the Peter Pan of Pop due to his eternal youth, admits that touring can be exhausting and has started to take its toll. He said: “The thing I would have to give up probably at some time is touring. It’s very wearing, and you never know when you wake up in the morning whether your voice is still there.”
Cliff Richard may have to quit touring after being on road in 2025(Image: Getty Images)
Asked if his upcoming Can’t Stop Me Now tour could be a farewell tour or if he could return, he was undecided.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I might be dead the next year! So I don’t even think about it anymore. It’s one of those things. As I get older maybe I’ll become less able to perform, so I can’t say…” However, he does hope to perform some of his trademark dance moves that first endeared him to fans back in the 1950s, when his performances of debut single Move It were deemed “too sexy” for TV.
He is hoping to perform a routine with two backing singers and dancers to his 1962 hit with his former band Cliff Richard and The Shadows, Do You Want To Dance? But acknowledges he is still yet to determine if it will be possible, and hopes to be able to when he starts rehearsals.
He tells New Zealand radio station Coast: “I used to move around a heck of a lot and there was a period when I would get four girl dancers, four guy dancers and I used to dance with them.
“What I don’t want to be is an 85-year-old guy trying to be 18. So, I can still move on stage. And that’s what I do. I’ve got two backing singers, two guys, and they can dance, they can act, they can sing, they can play instruments.
“And I’m going to see, when I get to rehearsals, to just say, ‘let’s talk about maybe doing two songs where you come and join me out front. And while we’re singing something like Do You Want To Dance we do a few steps like that?’
“I don’t want to try and be 18 anymore. I like singing now, I’m as excited now as I was when I came [to New Zealand] last time. And I’m sure the audience will see that we – the big band and I – are friends and almost a family when we’re on tour. So we’ll try and do something that will make it look as though I’m 18! But I’m not.”
Cliff, who has sold more than 260 million records worldwide, has previously said he has no plans to retire, and spoke of his hopes to still be on stage in his 90s.
Article continues below
Cliff’s upcoming Can’t Stop Me Now tour will include two dates at the Royal Albert Hall, where he holds a record for performing 32 dates in two batches. He is also the only artist to have a top 5 album in eight different decades.
* Dates and details for Cliff’s shows on the Can’t Stop Me Now tour can be found at https://www.cliffrichard.org/latest-tour/
Noni Madueke’s controversial signing by Arsenal came in at a reported 48 million pounds ($65 million).
Despite complaints from Arsenal supporters, Madueke agreed to a five-year contract with the Gunners when he relocated to the Emirates Stadium.
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli will square off on Mikel Arteta’s side against the 23-year-old.
Fans who don’t think Madueke is worth the price tag have harsh opinions about his switch to London, which could eventually exceed $69 million with performance-related add-ons.
More than 5, 000 Arsenal fans have signed a petition against the ban on Madueke, and graffiti on the walls of Emirates washed up with “Arteta out” slogans.
Last Friday saw the completion of Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup-winning campaign at the United States for Madueke to go through his medical at Arsenal.
“Noni is a young player who is exciting and powerful, with consistently high-quality performances and stats in recent seasons. One of the Premier League’s most gifted wide players, according to Arteta.
Noni, 23, already has extensive club and international football experience, and he is a master of the Premier League. We’re extremely excited that Noni will be joining us because we’ve closely monitored his performances over the past few seasons.
Noni joins a group of well-known England players and familiar faces from his own team. He will immediately feel at ease. His arrival will significantly improve our squad. We’re all delighted to have him here.
It’s a great moment for me, said Madueke, who was raised in north London. I’m so happy to return home and spend time with my parents. My mother must miss me inside the house, I am aware!
“It’s already a fantastic team with a clear identity, and I’m eager to adapt my style and try to assist the boys as much as possible in that direction.”
I want to win every competition we’re involved in. We are undoubtedly capable of doing that, in my opinion.
Madueke totaled 20 goals in 90 appearances for Chelsea overall last season, up from 11 in all competitions.
He also made his first England appearances, helping Chelsea to earn the title and win the UEFA Conference League last term.
Madueke is the latest close-season signing from Arsenal following the signings of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and midfielders Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard. He recently left PSV Eindhoven for 30 million pounds ($40 million at current rate) in 2023.
He adds about 120 million pounds ($161 million) to Arsenal’s current spending, with the finalization of Valencia’s 13 million ($17.5 million) acquisition set for the same period.
Viktor Gyokeres, a striker for Sporting Lisbon, is another possibility Arsenal has on the books.
