Republic of Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson bemoaned his side’s “sloppy” and “boring” performance in their 0-0 friendly draw with Luxembourg.
Despite twice hitting the woodwork, it was a laboured performance from the Boys in Green, who lacked the intensity that was evident against Senegal in Dublin on Friday.
Hallgrimsson was disappointed with their showing against a side ranked 31 places below them by Fifa in their last game before the start of World Cup qualifying in September.
“Let’s be honest, we’re not happy with this performance,” the Icelander told RTE.
“It is good to keep a clean sheet, it’s the first one since I have come in, but we all felt the first half we were sloppy and the game was boring.
‘We must play the same way against everyone’
Getty Images
Having endured a difficult start to his reign – which included a resounding 5-0 Nations League loss to England at Wembley – Hallgrimsson has overseen steady progress in 2025.
Two wins against Bulgaria in the Nations League play-off and a credible friendly draw against Senegal helped lift their spirits going into Tuesday’s game.
But while the goalless draw against Luxembourg stretches their unbeaten run to four games, Hallgrimsson called for improvement before September’s qualifiers against Hungary and Armenia.
“We changed in the second half, more tempo and won more duals but not good enough,” he added.
“We go in September and play the higher ranked team first and then the lower ranked team away so this is something we can learn from, we must play the same way against everyone, whether an end of season friendly or a group stage game.
Pop star Taylor Swift has filed a restraining order against a man she claims visited her Los Angeles home multiple times and made concerning statements about her
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Taylor Swift has taken out a restraining order against an alleged stalker, citing “emotional distress” and fears of “immediate harm.”
The pop sensation sought legal protection on June 6 after claiming a man repeatedly turned up at her Los Angeles residence, professing she is the mother of his child. In her court filing, 35 year old Taylor detailed allegations against 45 year old Brian Jason Wagner from Henderson, Colorado, accusing him of making delusional claims about residing at her property.
She further asserted that the man harboured illusions of “being in a relationship with me … believing I am the mother of his son … [and] needing to see me in person.”
The ‘Cruel Summer’ singer branded these assertions as “untrue and disconnected from reality.”
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Her petition recounts that the individual first appeared at her home on July 9, 2024, and allegedly made several more visits within the same month. Taylor’s statement to the court reiterated: “During each of these visits, I am informed that Mr. Wagner made various statements about living at my property (not true), being in a relationship with me (not true), believing I am the mother of his son (not true), and needing to see me in person, all of which are untrue and disconnected from reality,”, reports the Mirror US.
Taylor Swift has taken legal action against an alleged stalker named Wagner, who reportedly showed up at her LA home on two consecutive days, May 21 and May 22 this year. According to court documents obtained by The Mirror US, Taylor stated, “I am informed that on May 21, 2025, and May 22, 2025, Mr. Wagner again appeared at my Los Angeles property asking to see me personally and stating that he was there checking on a friend (again, this is entirely untrue).”
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Taylor Swift arrives to the stadium prior to the AFC Championship game between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (Image: Getty Images)
The ‘Shake It Off’ singer’s security team discovered through a criminal history report that Wagner had been previously jailed, where he penned lengthy writings about his obsession with her, detailing a non-existent romantic relationship and involvement in her personal life.
Swift further claimed that Wagner bombarded her staff with “hundreds of emails with similarly concerning and threatening language” and shockingly altered his driver’s license address to match her LA residence. In a firm declaration, Taylor asserted, “I have no relationship with Mr. Wagner and have never met or communicated with him. There is absolutely no legitimate reason for him to be attempting to contact me or my staff, to approach my home, or to make representations that he lives there.”
Taylor Swift has expressed grave fears over her safety in a recent court filing, claiming, “I do not share publicly where I reside and have never shared my address or the location of my Los Angeles residence with Mr. Wagner. Therefore, the fact that Mr. Wagner has determined where I reside and visited the property several times, refusing to leave and claiming to need access, makes me fear for my safety and the safety of my family.”
Taylor Swift attends the 67th GRAMMY Awards on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Her legal declaration also states, “The fact that both of these recent visits and Mr. Wagner’s inappropriate and threatening communications to my staff about me have escalated in recent weeks creates a fear of imminent harm.”
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A restraining order, issued on June 9 and effective until a court hearing on June 30, strictly forbids Wagner from contact with Swift, maintaining a 100-yard distance from her, her home, her car, and her workplace.
The document asserts, “If an officer has probable cause to believe that the restrained person had notice of the order and has disobeyed the order, the officer must arrest the restrained person.”
Wynne Evans has announced he’s engaged just weeks after he was axed from the BBC after his Strictly Come Dancing scandal. The Go Compare advert star, 53, now has something to celebrate following his career blows.
He popped the question to his partner Liz Brookes, 50, who stood by him amid the scandal, during their romantic holiday to Morocco. Wynne shared his happy news with his followers as he revealed: “Big news… I got engaged!
“This weekend in Morocco, somewhere between the couscous, the camels, and me limping around the souks like a man with no spatial awareness, I proposed to Liz — and she said yes! (No take-backs, I’ve checked.)
Wynne popped the question this weekend in Morocco ( wynneevans/Instagram)
“She’s clever, she’s kind, she’s got excellent taste in men. Absolutely no idea how I pulled that off, but here we are! Feeling very lucky, very happy, and just a tiny bit smug.”
Following the news, a source told the Sun: “It has been a tumultuous six months for Wynne but Liz has been his absolute rock throughout. Finally, some wonderful news for Wynne and his inner circle to celebrate, and everyone is chuffed for them both.
“He secretly bought an engagement ring and squirrelled it away for their holiday, and then popped the question over champagne.” Wynne had received the support of Liz over the past few months as she had his back during the investigation.
Liz, who runs her own events company, met Wynne at one of her hen dos in Wales 18 months ago. He was keen and asked her out for a coffee the next day. Their whirlwind romance has blossomed ever since.
The couple met 18 months ago and are ready to tie the knot ( wynneevans/Instagram)
Last month, the host confirmed he’s leaving his role at BBC Radio Wales after the broadcaster “decided not to renew” his contract. It was recently announced he had been removed from his daytime show after apologising for making what he claimed to be an “inappropriate and unacceptable” comment during the Strictly Come Dancing live tour launch.
The BBC said Evans “is not returning to the mid-morning show on BBC Radio Wales and there are currently no plans to work with him.” Evans, 53, was filmed making a sexualised remark at the Birmingham Arena as the group huddled together for a picture on stage.
“My language was inappropriate and unacceptable, for which I sincerely apologise,” he said in a statement. Wynne hit the headlines for multiple reasons during his time on the BBC dance show.
He was shown grabbing his professional partner Katya’s waist before she pushed his hand away, but he later insisted it was a joke. Wynne then came under fire for using the term ‘spit roast’ to Janette Manrara during a Strictly photocall, but he later insisted it was directed at Jamie Borthwick and had nothing to do with Janette.
Liz supported Wynne through his Strictly scandal ( wynneevans/Instagram)
As a result of the comment, he was axed from the Strictly tour – and then a video emerged of him sending a sex toy to his co-star Jamie, which both were heavily criticised for.
Back in January, Wynne issued a message to say he was taking some time away. He said at the time: “I’ve agreed with the BBC that I’ll take some time out from my radio show and the Strictly Live tour, as well as my other public commitments, to prioritise my wellbeing.
“I am deeply sorry for the pain my inappropriate actions have caused, and plan to take this time for self-reflection. Apologies to those I won’t get to see at the remaining performances and I’m grateful to my fellow tour gang for all the amazing support.”
At the time, Wynne was also grieving the loss of his brother Huw and said he found out about the BBC’s decision to originally suspend him when his BBC pass no longer worked and had been deactivated without warning.
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Florian Wirtz set for Liverpool medical, Martin Zubimendi’s Arsenal delay explained, Manchester United might use Joshua Zirkzee in Victor Osimhen offer.
Florian Wirtz is set for a Liverpool medical after theyagreed a deal in principle with Bayer Leverkusen for the 22-year-old Germany midfielder, worth £127m including add-ons. (Fabrizio Romano)
Arsenal have agreed a fee of about £59m with Real Sociedad for Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi, 26, with the move to be completed after 1 July to help with meeting Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. (AS – in Spanish)
Manchester United are evaluating an offer for Napoli’s Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, 26, using Netherlands forward Joshua Zirkzee, 24, as part of the deal. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian)
RB Leipzig’s 22-year-old Slovenia striker Benjamin Sesko – a reported target for Arsenal – rejected a move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal before Tuesday’s transfer deadline. (Star)
Leipzig are holding firm on receiving the full release clause for Sesko, now understood to be more than £65m. (Independent)
Hungary left-back Milos Kerkez, 21, is on the verge of a £45m move to Liverpool after Bournemouth agreed a deal to sign France left-back Adrien Truffert, 23, from Rennes. (Telegraph – subscription required)
NewcastleUnited have opened negotiations with Burnley about signing English goalkeeper James Trafford, 22. (Times – subscription required)
Gianluigi Donnarumma wants to stay with Paris St-Germain despite Manchester United and Inter Milan enquiring about the Italy goalkeeper, 26. (ESPN)
Brighton will accept a bid of £50-60m for 23-year-old Brazil forward Joao Pedro, who is a target for Newcastle United. (Football Insider)
Chelsea are open to offers for Benoit Badiashile, 24, and fellow France defender Axel Disasi, 27. (Football Insider)
Inter Milan are keen on signing 21-year-old Paraguay midfielder Julio Enciso from Brighton this summer. (Teamtalk)
Thousands of activists from across the globe are marching to the Gaza Strip to try to break Israel’s suffocating siege and draw international attention to the genocide it is perpetrating there.
Approximately 1,000 people participating in the Tunisian-led stretch of the Global March to Gaza, known as the Sumud Convoy, arrived in Libya on Tuesday morning, a day after they departed the Tunisian capital, Tunis. They are now resting in Libya after a full day of travel, but do not yet have permission to cross the eastern part of the North African country.
The group, which mostly comprises citizens of the Maghreb, the Northwest African region, is expected to grow as people join from countries it passes through as it makes its way towards the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza.
(Al Jazeera)
How will they do it? When will they get there? What is this all about?
Here’s all you need to know:
Who’s involved?
The Coordination of Joint Action for Palestine is leading the Sumud Convoy, which is tied to the Global March for Palestine.
In total, there are about 1,000 people, travelling on a nine-bus convoy, with the aim of pressurising world leaders to take action on Gaza.
Sumud is supported by the Tunisian General Labour Union, the National Bar Association, the Tunisian League for Human Rights, and the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights.
It is coordinating with activists and individuals from 50 countries who are flying into the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on June 12, so that they can all march to Rafah together.
Some of those activists are affiliated with an umbrella of grassroots organisations, including the Palestinian Youth Movement, Codepink Women for Peace in the United States and Jewish Voice for Labour in the United Kingdom.
How will they reach the Rafah crossing?
The convoy of cars and buses has reached Libya. After taking a brief rest, the plan is for it to continue towards Cairo.
“Most people around me are feeling courage and anger [about what’s happening in Gaza],” said Ghaya Ben Mbarek, an independent Tunisian journalist who joined the march just before the convoy crossed into Libya.
Ben Mbarek is driven by the belief that, as a journalist, she has to “stand on the right side of history by stopping a genocide and stopping people from dying from hunger”.
Once Sumud links up with fellow activists in Cairo, they will head to El Arish in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and then embark on a three-day march to the Rafah crossing to Gaza.
Tunisians wave the Palestinian flag as they gather in Tunis early on June 9, 2025, before the departure of the Global March to Gaza to break the siege on the Strip [AFP]
Will the activists face obstacles?
The convoy has yet to receive permission to pass through eastern Libya from authorities in the region. Libya has two rival administrations, and while the convoy has been welcomed in the west, discussions are still ongoing with authorities in the east, an official from the convoy told Al Jazeera on Tuesday.
The activists had previously told The Associated Press news agency they do not expect to be allowed into Gaza, yet they hope their journey will pressure world leaders to force Israel to end its genocidal war.
Another concern lies in Egypt, which classifies the stretch between El Arish and the Rafah border crossing as a military zone and does not allow anyone to enter unless they live there.
The Egyptian government has not issued a statement on whether it will allow the Global March to Gaza to pass through its territory.
“I doubt they would be allowed to march towards Rafah,” a longtime Egyptian activist, whose name is being withheld for their safety, said.
“It’s always national security first,” they told Al Jazeera.
If the convoy makes it to Rafah, it will have to face the Israeli army at the crossing.
Why did the activists choose this approach?
Palestine supporters have tried everything over the years as Gaza suffered.
Since Israel’s genocidal war began 20 months ago, civilians have protested in major capitals and taken legal action against elected officials for abetting Israel’s mass killing campaign in Gaza.
Activists have sailed on several humanitarian aid boats towards Gaza, trying to break a stifling blockade that Israel has imposed since 2007; all were attacked or intercepted by Israel.
In 2010, in international waters, Israeli commandos boarded the Mavi Marmara, one of the six boats in the Freedom Flotilla sailing for Gaza. They killed nine people, and one more person died of their wounds later.
The Freedom Flotilla kept trying as Gaza suffered one Israeli assault after another.
Israel’s current war on Gaza prompted 12 activists from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to set sail on board the Madleen from Italy on June 1, hoping to pressure world governments to stop Israel’s genocide.
However, the activists were abducted by Israeli forces in international waters on June 9.
From left: Suayb Ordu, Baptiste Andre, Greta Thunberg, Thiago Avila, Marco Rennes, and Yasemine Acar, six of the Madleen activists, before departure from Catania, Italy, on June 1, 2025 [Fabrizio Villa/Getty Images]
Will the Global March to Gaza succeed?
The activists will try, even if they are pretty sure they will not get into Gaza.
They say standing idle will only enable Israel to continue its genocide until the people of Gaza are all dead or ethnically cleansed.
“The message people here want to send to the world is that even if you stop us by sea, or air, then we will come, by the thousands, by land,” said Ben Mbarek.
“We will literally cross deserts … to stop people from dying from hunger,” she told Al Jazeera.
How bad are things in Gaza?
Since Israel began its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, it has strangled the food and supplies entering the Palestinian enclave, engineering a famine that has likely killed thousands and could kill hundreds of thousands more.
Israel has carpet-bombed Gaza, killing at least 54,927 people and injuring more than 126,000.
Legal scholars previously told Al Jazeera the suffering in Gaza suggests Israel is deliberately inflicting conditions to bring about the physical destruction of the Palestinian people in whole or in part – the precise definition of genocide.
Global outrage has grown as Israel continues to kill civilians in thousands, including children, aid workers, medics and journalists.
