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Northern Ireland lift World Cup with epic last-leg win over Wales

By in News, Sports News
Jenny Segers/PDC
Francis Keogh
BBC Sport Senior Journalist
Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist

Northern Ireland won the World Cup of Darts for the first time with an epic victory over Wales in a final-leg decider.

Daryl Gurney and Josh Rock were in tears after overcoming two-time champions Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton 10-9 in Frankfurt.

The winning pair, playing together for the first time, picked up a team first prize of £80,000 after keeping their composure despite missing four tournament darts.

“Me and Daryl said when we team up for the World Cup, we’ll win it and we did. We’ve won for our country, we’ve made history,” said Rock, 24.

Clayton, fifth in the PDC’s Order of Merit, and Price, who is 11th, held the rankings advantage over the 17th-ranked Rock and Gurney (25th).

But Northern Ireland started brighter and Rock missed two attempts at a double which would have put them 4-1 ahead, before Clayton checked out on 142 to level the match at 3-3.

The Welsh duo pushed ahead to lead 7-5 but their opponents rallied to win the next four legs.

Jonny Clayton congratulates a tearful Jonny Clayton after the World Cup of Darts finalJenny Segers/PDC

The 2020 and 2023 champions Wales had fought back against the Dutch pair Danny Noppert and Gian van Veen to win 8-5 in their semi-final.

After four titles in the first eight editions of the tournament, the Netherlands had high hopes of a first triumph since Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld’s 2018 success.

The Dutch opened up a 4-2 lead on Wales before being pegged back to 5-5 after missed doubles from Noppert and it proved a turning point, with Price sealing victory in style by hitting double 20 twice.

Northern Ireland reached the final with a 8-1 demolition of hosts Germany, who had posted a shock last-16 victory on Saturday over the English pre-tournament Luke Littler and Luke Humphries.

Gurney averaged 105 as Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko were beaten.

Northern Ireland started Sunday with a comeback victory over the Republic of Ireland, represented by Keane Barry and Willie O’Connor, in their last-eight tie.

Barry and O’Connor were 5-4 up before Rock and Gurney reeled off four consecutive legs to secure an 8-5 victory.

“It was a fantastic game and a great advert for Irish darts,” said former World Grand Prix winner Gurney. “Big credit to Keane and Willie – it takes four to make a great game.”

Germany beat 2022 champions Australia in a decider after Australia’s Damon Heta missed a match dart at double top in the penultimate leg.

Schindler confirmed the host nation’s place in the last four with his first attempt at double 12.

Wales posted a three-dart average of 99.66 in their 8-4 win against Hong Kong.

The Dutch had not lost a leg in their first three matches in Frankfurt, including an 8-0 thrashing of Scotland in the last 16.

Sunday’s World Cup of Darts results

Quarter-final results

Semi-finals

Final

Related topics

  • Darts

Israel-Iran conflict: List of key events, June 15, 2025

By in News, World News

Here’s where things stand on Sunday, June 15:

Fighting

  • Iran fired two separate salvoes of missiles and drones against Israel, including one that struck the Israeli port city of Haifa. At least 15 people were injured.
  • Israel also fired a barrage of missiles against Iran, targeting several locations, including the capital Tehran, a Foreign Ministry building there, a military base of the Defence Ministry in Isfahan, and an aerial refuelling aircraft at Mashhad Airport.
  • In Israel, rescue workers were searching for survivors in the rubble from the previous night’s wave of Iranian strikes. The hardest hit area was the town of Bat Yam, where dozens of buildings were damaged.

Casualties and disruption

  • The Iranian Health Ministry said that at least 224 people were killed and 1,481 were wounded, since Israel attacked Iran.
  • Overnight, Iran struck the Israeli port city of Haifa and neighbouring Tamra, where at least four women were killed.
  • Since the start of the conflict on Thursday, at least 13 people have been killed and 380 have been wounded in Israel.
  • The Israeli Civil Aviation Authority has announced a complete closure of airspace and airports. Iranian airspace is also closed.

Diplomacy

  • Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran does not seek to expand the conflict to neighbouring countries unless forced to.
  • Araghchi also said Iran has “solid evidence” of the support provided by the United States to Israel’s attacks.
  • Iran’s top diplomat later said: “We will prepare the ground for a return to diplomacy and negotiations if the Israeli aggression stops. We hope that tomorrow’s IAEA governors’ meeting will condemn the aggression against our nuclear facilities.”
  • Talking to Fox News, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seemed to clearly confirm that, saying he informed US President Donald Trump ahead of launching the attacks.
  • Netanyahu also projected that regime change in Iran could be a result of Israel’s attacks.
  • Trump warned Tehran not to widen its retaliation to include US targets and didn’t rule out more direct US involvement beyond the vast arsenal and intelligence the US provides to Israel.
  • Contrarily, the US president also claimed peace could be reached “soon”, suggesting that many diplomatic meetings were taking place.
  • He also said he would be “open” to his Russian counterpart President Vladimir Putin serving as a mediator.
  • French President Emmanuel Macron rebuked that idea, saying it would not be a good idea to have Putin, embroiled in his own war in Ukraine, as a mediator in the Israel-Iran conflict.
  • European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has called a videoconference of EU foreign ministers for Tuesday to discuss the Middle East crisis.
  • Hopes for a diplomatic solution seem distant for now, though they will no doubt be high on the agenda of the Group of Seven summit beginning Monday in Canada.

Bruce Willis’ wife Emma makes heartbreaking admission in Father’s Day tribute

By in Entertainment News, News
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Hollywood icon Bruce Willis’ wife Emma Heming Willis has shared a heartbreaking tribute to the actor to mark Father’s Day as she shared her wishes for things to be different

Bruce Willis’ wife Emma has shared a devastating message(Image: Getty Images)

Bruce Willis’ wife Emma Heming has penned a heartfelt message to mark Father’s Day as she shared her pain. The Hollywood icon, 70, has taken a step away from acting and the spotlight following his frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and aphasia diagnosis.

In February 2023, his family made the heartbreaking announcement the Die Hard and Pulp Fiction actor had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a rare form of the illness, at the age of 67. Prior to this, Bruce had been diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that causes speaking or the ability to understand language is impaired.

Since then he has lived out of the spotlight while he is cared for by his family, including wife of 16 years Emma, ex-wife Demi Moore and the three grown up daughters he shares with Demi – Rumer, 36, Scout, 33, and 31-year-old Tallulah. He also has two younger daughters Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10, with Emma.

Bruce Willis and daughter
Emma shared a photo of Bruce to mark Father’s Day(Image: Instagram/emmahemingwillis)

To mark Father’s Day, Emma shared a touching message alongside a photo of Bruce cuddling one of their little girls. She penned: “Happy Father’s Day to all the dads living with disability or disease, showing up in the ways they can and to the children who show up for them.

“What Bruce teaches our girls goes far beyond words. Resilience, unconditional love, and the quiet strength in simply being present. This photo says so much. Love deepens. It adapts. It stays, even when everything else changes.”

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Emma then shared her own feelings as she added: “But to be fair to myself, these symbolic days stir up a lot. I’m profoundly sad today. I wish, with every cell in my body, that things could be different for him and lighter for our family.

“As they say in our FTD community, “It is what it is.” And while that might sound dismissive, to me, it’s not. It grounds me. It helps me return to the acceptance of what is and not fight this every step of the way like I used to. Today, let’s celebrate the badass dads, those who are here, and those we carry with us. Onward.”

Emma Heming Willis and daughters
Emma has two daughters with Bruce (Image: Instagram/ @emmahemingwillis)

Just last week, Emma revealed how Bruce continued to act despite his diagnosis. In her upcoming book The Unexpected Journey, which is set to be released on September 9, Emma shares intimate details about the measures that were taken to keep Bruce in front of the camera while his cognitive abilities declined.

According to reports, some of the tactics directors used included shortening his dialogue and feeding him lines via an earpiece, which was discreetly operated by a close friend on set.

These behind-the-scenes accommodations allowed the Die Hard legend to complete roles in films like Assassin (2023) and the Detective Knight trilogy (2022–2023).

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“I really wrote the book that I wish someone had handed me the day we got our diagnosis with no hope, no direction … not much. Today life looks different for me and our family because I was able to put support into place,” she said. “This isn’t a memoir, it’s a self-help guide for caregivers, written to hold space for our heartbreak and our healing.”

If you have been affected by this story, advice and support can be found at Dementia UK.

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Analysis: What options does Iran have in its conflict against Israel?

By in News, World News

Iran has now withstood three days of Israeli attacks, which have killed more than 240 Iranians, including several members of its military leadership.

But its own response has been to hit back in a manner that Israel has never had to experience – with Iranian missiles causing devastating damage in Israel’s biggest cities – including Tel Aviv and Haifa.

How much damage both sides have caused – and in many cases what sites have exactly been hit – is unclear, with accurate facts hard to come by due to the information war that has accompanied the military conflict.

It is also hard to know how many missiles and munitions both sides still have in their stockpiles, and how long Israel and Iran can sustain this fight.

What we do know is that Iran is believed to have the largest missile programme in the Middle East, with thousands of ballistic missiles available with varying ranges and speeds. At the current rate, Iran could likely carry on attacking Israel for weeks – enough time for Israel to experience significant damage, which its population is not used to after years of only really being exposed to attacks from weaker armed groups in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Yemen.

Iran is also revealing how effective its more advanced missiles can be. The Haj Qassem missile, used for the first time against Israel on Sunday, was able to evade Israeli air defences, and footage from Israel clearly shows the difference in power and speed compared to the older missiles that Iran had been using in its earlier barrages.

Of course, Iran does not have an unlimited amount of these more advanced missiles, and ultimately will have to ration their use, but coupled with its more standard missiles, and thousands of drones, Iran has enough military ability to cause Israel damage – and confound those who believe that Iran does not have the strength to continue the fight in the short term.

Avoiding a US fight

Israel’s Iron Dome is being severely tested by Iran’s missile barrages, but it has been able to lean on its principal ally, the United States, to provide assistance in intercepting the attacks.

The US, led by President Donald Trump, has insisted, however, that it is not a party to the current conflict between Israel and Iran, and has threatened that the consequences will be severe if Iran does attack US interests in the region, which include military bases dotted throughout the Middle East.

For Iran, any attack on US bases or personnel is a worst-case scenario that it wants to avoid. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has typically made cautious moves and will not want a direct fight with the US, or to give an excuse for Washington to add its own offensive military might to Israel’s.

A joint Israeli-US attack would likely have the ability to destroy Iran’s most well-protected nuclear sites, and give the Israelis a far stronger position.

It would also likely involve attacks against US bases located in countries – such as Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye – that are not direct enemies of Iran, and which Tehran will not want to bring into the conflict. These countries are also valuable to Iran as potential mediators.

But Iran has other options. It has has repeatedly threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, which lies between itself and Oman, immediately stopping the transit of millions of barrels of oil a day. Oil prices – which have already briefly shot up to a high of $78 per barrel on Friday before falling back – would likely rise higher than $100 if that were to happen, experts believe.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is a strong card the Iranians have to play, and is a possibility in the short term should the fighting continue.

Off-ramps

But ultimately Iran will be looking for an off-ramp that would end a conflict that has the potential to escalate into a regional war against two nuclear powers – Israel and the US – and cause untold damage to its own economy, with the possibility of domestic unrest as a result.

Iran will also know that while Israel will have its own limit on how much fighting it can endure, the support of the US gives it the ability to replenish munition stocks easier than Iran can.

The Iranian government has already made it clear that it will reciprocate if Israel stops its attacks, and is willing to return to nuclear talks with the US. “Once these [Israeli] attacks come to a stop, we will naturally reciprocate,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday.

This, however, depends on the US and its unpredictable president. Trump will need to put pressure on Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop, and it is unclear whether the US president is willing to do so.

Trump’s rhetoric on the conflict is constantly changing. On one hand, he has repeated calls for an end to the fighting, while at the same time threatening Iran.

Iran also knows that Trump is not someone who can be trusted or relied on. The US was involved in the deception prior to Israel’s attack last week, with the Americans maintaining the pretence that nuclear talks with Iran would go ahead on Sunday despite secretly knowing that Israel was planning to attack.

Soccer Aid fans divided as they point out ‘annoying issue’ with Louis Tomlinson on the pitch

By in Entertainment News, News
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Soccer Aid, which has been running for more than two decades and has raised more than £100 million overall, had Sam Matterface as the commentator, with Iain Stirling joining him

Soccer Aid viewers ‘annoyed’ as they point out Louis Tomlinson ‘issue’(Image: PA)

Soccer Aid 2025 fans were divided as they pointed out what happens every time One Direction star Louis Tomlinson has the ball. The singer joined a slew of famous faces on the pitch but the audience seemed to have their focus on the star as they screamed and cheered every single time he was passed the ball.

Fans noticed how much louder the stadium got when he had the ball and took to social media to share their divided opinions on the cheering. One fan said on X: “Take that 1D kid off people screaming for him is becoming annoying and making this match unwatchable,” while another person more kindly said: “I love the applause that so louder when Louis has the ball.”

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Louis Tomlinson
Fans cheered extra loud for Louis Tomlinson(Image: ITV)

“That constant screaming for Louis Tomlinson is already annoying af. I think a wave go around and that’s saying something,” one viewer commented.

Another posted: “You can tell when Louis has the ball as the crowd go absolutely wild,” with a laughing emoji. “The audible squeal with Louis Tomlinson gets the ball is hilarious! These girls have never watched a full 90 minutes!”

However, one disgruntled football fan said: “do these one direction fans have to scream every time louis touches the ball ffs.”

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Soccer Aid
Viewers at home were divided by the screaming(Image: ITV)

The event, which has been running for more than two decades and has raised more than £100million overall, had Sam Matterface as the commentator with Iain Stirling joining him.

England’s coaching team include the likes of Tyson Fury (Boxer), Harry Redknapp (Former football manager), Vicky McClure (Actor), David James (Former footballer) and Sam Thompson.

Former Made In Chelsea star Sam was meant to be on the pitch with the rest of the team but had to step aside after sustaining an calf injury during his gruelling 280-mile charity mission from Stamford Bridge to Old Trafford.

There will be plenty of well-known faces
There are plenty of well-known faces in the match

Meanwhile, the players include the likes of Steve Bartlett, Alex Brooker, Jermain Defoe, Toni Duggan, Sir Mo Farah, Angry Ginge, Tom Grennan, Joe Hart, Steph Houghton, Aaron Lennon, Dame Denise Lewis, Paddy McGuinness, Gary Neville, Sam Quek, Wayne Rooney, Paul Scoles, Jill Scott and Louis Tomlinson.

The World XI team, which is coached by Peter Schmeichel, has a few big names with the likes of Noah Beck, Tony Bellew, Leonardo Bonucci, Tobi Brown, Martin Compston, Richard Gadd and more.

Bryan Habana, Dermot Kennedy, Harry Kewell, Kaylyn Kyle, Gorka Marquez, Nadia Nadim, Livi Sheldon, Carlos Tevez, Edwin van der Sar, Nemanja Vidic, Billy Wingrove and Big Zuu are also part of the World XI team.

This year’s game is held at Old Trafford after previously being held at Stamford Bridge. Soccer Aid was also held at Old Trafford between 2010-2018 as well as most recently in 2023.

However, other venues have also been used in the past such as Wembley, Stamford Bridge, City of Manchester Stadium and London Stadium.

Soccer Aid was first launched in 2006 by former Take That star Robbie Williams and Jonathan Wilkes. It initially took place every two years but is now an annual event.

Females were first allowed to play in the game in 2019 and it is the only mixed-sex match officially sanctioned by The Football Association. 2020 saw the event held behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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You can watch Soccer Aid 2025 live on ITV1 and ITVX will have you covered for a live stream on mobile devices*

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Meghan Shares Videos Of Kids In Father’s Day Message To Prince Harry

By in Entertainment News, News

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, has posted a rare video of her husband, Prince Harry playing with their two children, Archie and Lilbert.

Meghan posted the video on her Instagram handle on Sunday celebrating the Prince on Father’s Day.

The footage showed a mix of photos and videos with Jason Mraz’s ‘Have It All’ as the background music showing Prince Harry dancing with their son, Archie, in his arms.

She captioned the video, “The best. Happy Father’s Day to our favorite guy”.

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Another clip showed Prince Harry teaching his son, Archie, how to ride a bicycle with his daughter, Lilibet, running behind them. In other clips, the Prince is seen playing with his kids on a swing, reading a book, and playing on a lawn, as well as on a farm, looking at animals in a pen.

The duo are known for guarding their children’s privacy on the internet.

While some clips in the video showed their smiles and faces, others only showed their back view.