A Republican candidate for US Congress interrupted a Muslim community day at the Texas Capitol building, shouting deeply offensive Islamophobic hate speech from a podium. Valentina Gomez infiltrated the event by wearing a hijab, which she removed before yelling racist tropes.
European Challenge Cup: Edinburgh v Bath
Where: Hive Stadium, Edinburgh When: Saturday, 3 May Time: 15: 00 BST
There’s a smile on the face of Grant Gilchrist when the chat turns to Finn Russell and what Edinburgh might have in store for the Scotland fly-half when Bath come to town on Saturday for the semi-final of the European Challenge Cup.
The veteran lock, close to 14 years an Edinburgh man, knows all about Bath’s status as the runaway leaders in England’s Premiership. He has seen the footage of the landslide wins, the 40, 50 and 60-pointers, all inspired by the marvel in the 10 jersey.
That is why he is smiling. Russell’s homecoming is a very big deal and the bid to stop him wreaking havoc is what is floating Gilchrist’s boat.
“This can be a tough place to play, whoever you are”, he says, on the latest Scotland Rugby Podcast.
“We’ve got so much respect for Finn and for Bath as a team, but they’ve got a proposition on their hands if they think they’re coming up here just to have a walk in the park.
Gilchrist is not just one of Edinburgh’s leaders, he has, too many times, been the man who has had to step forward and explain the non-performances and near-misses that are in the DNA of the club.
They are the great underachievers and they know it. For Gilchrist, who has been an Edinburgh fan since he was a boy, it has been an emotional ride.
The pride he feels in wearing the jersey is absolute, as is the dejection he has shown when things have gone wrong. He wears his heart on his sleeve. The search for a trophy has almost become an obsession at this point.
He has played in a Heineken Cup semi-final and a Pro14 semi-final, both against Ulster and both lost. And here he is again, still fighting and still believing, even when most pundits reckon that Bath will have too much for them.
What do Edinburgh have to get right against Russell’s boys?
A few weeks back, a Sharks squad containing 10 World Cup winners and six double World Cup winners came to Edinburgh and tried to” bully us”, as Gilchrist puts it.
The Sharks won late, late in the day, but it was a battle and Edinburgh went toe-to-toe in the physical stakes.
Finding that consistency has been their issue for years”. We’ve spoken about that being a kind of DNA moment, “he says of recent performances against South African packs.
” That’s got to be every week. That can’t just be when a big South African team comes here to bash you, or when a big English team like this weekend comes to bash you. “
Bath can scrap, but they would rather out-play you with their pace and vision, with Russell pulling all the strings.
In 16 games in three different competitions this season, they’ve hit the 40-point mark. They put more than 50 on Newcastle Falcons and Gloucester – and more than 60 on Gloucester and Saracens.
Gilchrist knows what is coming if Edinburgh allow them to play.
” We’re gonna have to defend unbelievably well, “he said”. We’re gonna have to be as connected as we’ve been. Our first-phase defence is gonna have to stop them on the gainline.
“I’ve seen teams trying to go after Finn, focusing on him and trying to smash him, but he’s too good a player for that. His passing game is too good.
The Edinburgh players decided unanimously that they wanted this game played at the Hive rather than in the main stadium at Murrayfield. They want the place to be full and raucous.
It is also going be” a little bit out of the comfort zone for Finn to come here with a different atmosphere to what he might expect”.
Gilchrist talks about the motivation to win, not just for himself or the current squad but for all the others who have gone before, reams of players who have” given their heart and soul “to Edinburgh without ever having had any title to show for it.
There is a mammoth task staring them in the face on Saturday”. Glasgow, rightly, got all the plaudits last season (when they won the URC), but we’ve got to write our own story – and our own story is this weekend, “Gilchrist added.
Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, has experienced the strongest winds in a decade, putting forth a red warning in the area. After hours of heavy rain, the southern island of the nation declared a state of emergency.
Beginning on June 1, 2025, transgender women will no longer be able to play football, according to England’s governing Football Association, which made the announcement on Thursday.
Following last month’s UK Supreme Court decision regarding the Equality Act, the FA announced an update to its policy.
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Scottish Football Association announced on Thursday that it would also implement a similar ban starting in the 2025/26 season.
Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney’s news conference descended into a shouting match when the pair came together for the first time since their controversial fight in April 2024.
Garcia and Haney, both 26, are fighting at welterweight in separate bouts on Friday with the view to staging their rematch later this year if they win.
Garcia has just served a one-year doping ban after testing positive for banned substance ostarine following his victory over Haney, which was overturned into a no-contest.
With both men at the top table promoting the Times Square fight night in New York, Haney took aim at his rival.
“His voice changed back. Your physique changed. Those muscles gone, your voice is gone”, Haney said.
The heated exchange was sparked by a question about what happened between Garcia and Haney’s father and trainer Bill at the open workouts on Tuesday.
Bill had heckled Garcia, with the fighter saying: “He was coming at my physique, but it’s all good.
” They were saying the same thing last time and they got whooped last time, too. And you’ll get whooped again. “
The verbal melee continued with Bill chiming in:” What happened to Ryan Garcia. This not the same Ryan Garcia, at all. “
With light-welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez, wearing a silver wrestling mask, chanting” Oscar “with the crowd, De La Hoya responded to Bill.
” Everybody’s a great fighter here, “De La Hoya said.
” There are three main events, three great fights. Sit down, learn how to promote. We can have four if you want. Me and you. “
Garcia is the main event in New York, fighting Rolly Romero while Haney will take on Jose Carlos Ramirez.
What better way to celebrate this spring heatwave’s sunny weather and rising temperatures than taking a refreshing dip in the pool? With tomorrow (2nd May) set to be the hottest day of 2025, sitting back and relaxing in cool water could be just what you, your family, and your friends are looking for as the temperatures rise.
If you’re worried that buying an above-ground pool big enough for all of your nearest and dearest to enjoy will break the bank, think again. Thanks to this Debenhams spring sale, a family-sized pop-up pool is available for a whopping £110 less, bringing its price tag all the way down from £181 to £70.
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This outdoor swimming pool from Living and Home is currently sporting a major 61% off in this Debenhams sale, saving shoppers £110.
Perfect for the spring and summer months when you fancy chilling in the pool but don’t want to leave your garden, this pool promises fun for the whole family with its generous size and durable frame, meaning there’s plenty of room for water-based games when your kids need entertaining.
This pool is set to keep you feeling cool even with the higher temperatures. It lets your kids splash around and cool off under the scorching sun. Plus, it provides an easy and safe place for your kids to play that’s convenient for you and won’t cost a fortune.
This above-ground pool is super sturdy and comes with a bonus that it’s effortlessly easy to assemble. So you can get ready for fun in minutes—no waiting hours for it to inflate and no arduous instructions needed. With built-in drainage holes, taking it down is also super convenient, so the pool doesn’t have to stay constructed in the garden all season, it can easily be popped up or popped away whenever suits you.
For stability and durability, the pool boasts thickened PVC sidewalls and a strong metallic frame, ensuring fun never ends with damage or deflating, and it’s an investment that won’t just see you through this spring and summer, but plenty more to come.
Hurry to Debenhams to catch this covetable deal. You can save £110 on this must-have pool and relax in cool water for the rest of the heatwave.