ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier: Guernsey v Scotland
Scotland’s T20 World Cup hopes suffered a blow as their opening match of the Europe Qualifier against Guernsey was rained off without a ball being bowled.
Heavy rain delayed the toss at Voorburg Cricket Club in the Hague and with no break in the weather, the match was abandoned.
With the Netherlands and Italy having beaten Jersey and Guernsey respectively on Saturday, Scotland will now have to play catch-up in the round-robin format.
Doug Watson’s side take on the Dutch on Tuesday before facing Italy on Wednesday. They wrap up the qualifier against Jersey on Friday.
Scotland head coach Watson told BBC Scotland: “Not ideal, but it is what it is.
“It is disappointing. The players have worked hard and trained hard.
Harvey Price, 23, who has complex needs, has been raised by his mother Katie Price and is now moving into independent living after the local authority cut his college funding
Katie Price had a short-lived relationship with the Premiership star(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)
Katie Price often divides opinion, but everyone can agree that she is a devoted mother to her eldest son Harvey, who regularly features on her social media accounts.
Harvey, 23, has Septo-optic Dysplasia, autism and Prader-Willi syndrome, which means he needs round-the-clock care.
Katie, 47, recently revealed she was forced to withdraw her son from a £350,000-a-year college after the local authority cut his funding, deeming he had “no healthcare issues”. Now, Harvey is going “into the real world,” the former glamour model said.
Speaking on the Katie Price Show podcast, the mum explained: “Harvey is doing the countdown for his new place. He’s got his leavers ceremony where they give out certificates and then it’s the ‘real world’ Mr Harvey Price. “
The reality star has always been open about the difficulties of caring for her disabled son, who has complex needs. But little is said about Harvey’s biological father.
READ MORE: Katie Price heartbroken after ‘sad and angry’ Harvey Price sends her a text
Katie shared a difficult message from Harvey asking not to go back to college
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The mum-of-five has admitted, however, that former international and Premier League footballer Dwight Yorke, 53, doesn’t maintain contact with her eldest child.
Katie got pregnant when she was briefly dating Dwight; their relationship was short-lived when she allegedly discovered Dwight had cheated. The model once told how she was on a lingerie photoshoot when she heard that the sportsman had been partying with other women.
During a 2009 interview, Dwight addressed the allegations, admitting he wasn’t the ‘perfect partner’. “I think anyone who’s in a relationship would like their partner to be faithful and I’m saying I wasn’t the perfect partner, she knows that,” he said.
The two warring exes endured a rocky relationship throughout the rest of her pregnancy, with Dwight denying paternity until a DNA test proved otherwise. The footballer did turn up to the hospital to visit his son, and also put his name on the birth certificate while trying to insist that Harvey should take his surname.
However, his visits with his son became few and far between, with Dwight admitting: “It is a combination of different things, one my time schedule and being based up in Manchester and a footballer on an everyday basis.
Dwight admitted that he wasn’t a perfect father when Harvey was very young
“Not sitting here and say I’m a total perfect father, I’ve made mistakes along the way and I would love to turn the clock back. “
But in his own book published the same year, Born To Score, he painted a very different picture of his feelings towards his son.
“From the moment I set eyes on the little fella, I have loved my son like I could never ever have imagined possible,” he wrote. “I am not going to hear anymore that I did not care for Harvey, or have any understanding of his needs or that I was not interested in his welfare.
Katie has said that Dwight ‘doesn’t deserve’ his son (Image: Daily Mirror)
“Over the years I have heard Katie saying how [Peter] Andre is Harvey’s dad and what a terrible, uncaring father I have been, all of which sticks in my throat. Maybe if she had not made life so difficult for me, might have been able to take a far more proactive role. “
At the time, Katie’s then-husband Peter Andre wanted to adopt Harvey, but Dwight was furious and wrote that he wanted to “throttle” him.
But five years later, Katie claimed that Dwight had no relationship with Harvey. She wrote in her 2014 autobiography: “The last time Harvey’s biological father Dwight Yorke saw him, which was around eight years ago, the first thing he asked was why was Harvey so big. Why was I overfeeding him?
“I’d explained Harvey’s condition to Dwight many times, but he refused to understand it and kept going on about him being fat. It’s sad that he’s unable to accept Harvey for who he is and seems unable or unwilling to work within his limitations. On that occasion, I think Dwight wanted to blame someone for the fact that his son is disabled.
“I have always said that if Dwight could see what a courageous and talented boy Harvey is then he would enjoy being with him so much. ” Katie claimed she has made multiple attempts to reach out to Dwight over the years, insisting it’s “never too late” to be in their son’s life.
Dwight spoke to Harvey on his 10th birthday then told Katie he didn’t want anything to do with him(Image: Rex Features)
In November 2018, Katie shared a series of baby pics as she acknowledged the struggle of bringing up a child with complex needs – and told Dwight the “door is always open”. Katie made a more desperate plea to her ex in December 2019, claiming Harvey “didn’t deserve it” as she shared a heartbreaking video of her son asking for his dad.
When asked who he would want to write a message to on Instagram by Katie, Harvey replied: “Daddy Dwight.” “I love you Daddy Dwight. You look beautiful,” added Harvey when asked what he would say.
Katie then wrote to her two million followers in the caption: “Anyone who knows @Officialdwightyorke19 please get him to contact his son Harvey doesn’t deserve this, he sees his other son Tiger so I don’t understand! He does charity work for different kids charity yet doesn’t see or support his own son. I don’t get it! “
In 2020, Katie revealed drastic plans to introduce Harvey to Dwight after supposed years of no contact. Chatting with pal Mel, Katie said: “What I would like to do is turn up at his dad’s place – Dwight Yorke’s – ring the doorbell and be there with Harvey, for him to see Harvey. That’s what I would like to do and I will do that. I think Dwight should start entering Harvey’s life, it’s been years. “
Katie hasn’t heard from Dwight since they went for food in Cheshire to discuss Harvey in 2012
Accusing Dwight of having not seen his son since he was four, Katie added: “I would love Dwight to come into contact with Harvey. How can you not want to know Harv? He’s so funny. “
In 2021, Katie revealed in her book that Dwight had actually spoken to Harvey over the phone on his tenth birthday – and she was “shocked” that it happened. “But I think Dwight was even more shocked when Harvey asked him, ‘When am I seeing you? ‘,” she said.
Katie said the last time she saw Dwight was when she met up with him at a restaurant in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, in 2012. They spoke about what Harvey had said on the phone, then Dwight told her he didn’t want to be in Harvey’s life.
“Even after he said that, I was still trying to be persistent. I wanted Harvey to have his dad in his life, but he just wasn’t interested in any of it,” Katie explained. “This isn’t about me. This is your son and your flesh and blood. But he just didn’t give a s**t.
“There’s only so much you can try before you realise you’re flogging a dead horse. I got up and left and that’s the last time I saw him. I haven’t heard from him since. “
Katie has brought Harvey up singlehandedly without Dwight for the last 20 years
Despite Dwight not stepping up, it was revealed by Harvey’s maternal grandmother, Amy Price, that his agent has enquired about his son numerous times. In Katie’s 2021 book, Amy said: “I think it’s sad that Dwight isn’t in Harvey’s life. His agent has always been in contact with me.
“If Harvey isn’t well, she’ll message me and ask how he is. But Dwight never asks himself.” The year prior, Harvey was hospitalised and was really poorly in intensive care, and Dwight’s agent rang Amy to ask “how bad he was”.
“I said, ‘Look, this has got to stop now. If Dwight wants to know about Harvey, he’s got our number and he should ring us himself’,” Amy wrote. “He shouldn’t be going through his agent. It’s about time he took some responsibility. But we’ve heard nothing from Dwight, which is a shame.
Tyrone coach Ciaran Gourley says it is “unfortunate” that West Ham footballer Joel Kerr was not available to play in Sunday’s All-Ireland Minor final against Kerry.
Kerr played a key role in the Red Hands’ progression to the final on Sunday, but was not able to feature for Gerard Donnelly’s side as his contract with the Premier League side started on 1 July.
The 16-year-old had balanced playing gaelic football for Tyrone and was also an underage player with Irish Premiership side Glentoran.
There were reports in the build-up to the final that Kerr would not be allowed to play after his move to the Premier League side was finalised, but he was surprisingly named in the Red Hands’ starting team before throw-in.
However, Gourley confirmed that Kerr was not available to feature and said it was “unfortunate” for the teenager.
“We had hoped during the week there might have been an opportunity for us,” Gourley told TG4 before Tyrone’s decider.
“Look, he signed with them on 1 July so he’s their [West Ham’s] player.
“You have to respect that it’s a big opportunity over there and you can’t maybe jeopardise that for this one game.
The Hezbollah chief says the Lebanese group remains open to peace, but it will not disarm or back down from confronting Israel until it ends its air raids and withdraws from southern Lebanon.
“We cannot be asked to soften our stance or lay down arms while [Israeli] aggression continues,” Naim Qassem told thousands of supporters gathered in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday for Ashura, an important day in the Shia Muslim calendar.
Ashura commemorates the 680 AD Battle of Karbala, in which Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussein, was killed after he refused to pledge allegiance to the Umayyad caliphate. For Shia Muslims, the day symbolises resistance against tyranny and injustice.
The Beirut area, a Hezbollah stronghold, was draped in yellow banners and echoed with chants of resistance as Qassem delivered his speech, flanked by portraits of his predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by Israel in September last year.
Israel launched a wide-scale assault on Lebanon on October 8, 2023 – a day after Palestinian group Hamas, which counts Hezbollah as an ally, stormed the Israeli territory, killing some 1,100 people and taking about 250 others captive.
The Hamas attack was immediately followed by Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The Israeli genocidal campaign was accompanied by a brutal blockade on entry of food and medical aid, bringing the enclave’s 2. 3 million residents to the brink of starvation.
Israel’s simultaneous attack on Lebanon escalated into a full-scale war by September 2024, killing more than 4,000 people, including much of Hezbollah’s top leadership, and displacing nearly 1. 4 million, according to official data. A United States-brokered ceasefire nominally ended the war in November.
However, since the ceasefire, Israel has continued to occupy five strategic border points in southern Lebanon and has carried out near-daily air strikes that it says aim to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its capabilities. Those strikes have killed some 250 people and wounded 600 others since November, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health.
“How can you expect us not to stand firm while the Israeli enemy continues its aggression, continues to occupy the five points, and continues to enter our territories and kill? ” Qassem said in his video address.
“We will not be a part of legitimising the occupation in Lebanon and the region. We will not accept normalisation,” he added, in an apparent response to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar saying his government was “interested” in such a move.
Qassem said Hezbollah’s weapons would not be on the negotiating table unless Israel “withdraws from the occupied territories, stops its aggression, releases the prisoners, and reconstruction begins”.
“Only then,” he said, “will we be ready for the second stage, which is to discuss national security and defence strategy. ”
On Saturday, Israeli drones carried out four strikes on southern Lebanese towns, killing one person and wounding several others. Most of the Israeli attacks have targeted areas near the border, but Israeli warplanes have also hit residential neighbourhoods in Beirut’s southern districts, causing panic and mass evacuations.
Qassem’s speech came as the US envoy to Turkiye and Syria, Tom Barrack, was expected in Beirut on Monday. Lebanese officials say the US has demanded that Hezbollah disarm by the end of the year. Israel has warned it will continue striking Lebanon until the group is disarmed.
The Chase star Darragh Ennis, also known as The Menace, has shared a ‘genius’ trick to help you fall asleep quickly and get a better night’s rest – and it’s super easy to do
Darragh is known for appearing on ITV’s The Chase but is also a neuroscientist(Image: (Image: ITV))
Tweaking just a single element of your nightly routine could revolutionise your sleep, according to The Chase star Darragh Ennis. Known to viewers as The Menace on the popular ITV quiz show, Darragh is also a neuroscientist and has penned a book delving into the wonders of the human body titled ‘The Body: 10 Things You Should Know’.
In his most recent TikTok video, Darragh explains why so many of us find it tough to nod off at night and shares a foolproof tip for ensuring a peaceful sleep. It turns out there’s only one small change we need to make to our bedtime ritual.
Darragh points out that pre-sleep scrolling on smartphones can be detrimental to our ability to fall asleep due to the way our brains respond to the light emitted by these devices.
He explained: “Did you ever wonder why it is that looking at your phone at night can make it hard to go to sleep? It’s all to do with light. Backlit screens emit a lot of light, and we’ve evolved to be active during the day. “
He continued: “Our bodies tend to get tired when it’s dark outside. Our brain does this by using signals from our eyes about how much light there is, but also what colour light we see. If we take in blue light, a lot of which comes from backlit screens, the production of the hormone melatonin decreases. Melatonin is one of the key things that helps make us sleepy. “
Many modern phones and gadgets now come with blue light filter options that can be set to kick in at certain times, aimed at blocking blue light to ease eye strain in the evenings. However, Darragh points out that these settings might not be as helpful for sleep as one might hope.
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He shared: “The blue light filters and things don’t seem to have much impact either. Lots of studies have shown this because [with] other parts of the light spectrum, particularly yellow light, our brain thinks that it is coming from midday sunlight. This also stops us from getting sleepy. “
For those struggling with nocturnal restlessness and looking for a simple fix, Darragh recommends ditching your phone before bed.
His advice: “If you really want to get better sleep, it has been shown that the best thing you can do is not look at a backlit screen at all. If you want to read or anything, it’s better to put your phone down and read a book. “
How to sleep better
The NHS’ Every Mind Matters campaign offers several tips to help you fall asleep faster and enjoy a more restful sleep. Their guidance includes:.
1. Establish a consistent sleep routine
Creating a regular sleep pattern can greatly enhance sleep quality. Often referred to as sleep hygiene, a solid sleep routine should involve setting specific times for winding down and going to bed, as well as waking up consistently each day.
2. Relax and try meditation for better sleep
Steer clear of electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime, as mobiles, tablets and computers emit blue light that hinders sleep. If you struggle to drift off, reading, listening to calming music or a podcast, or practising sleep meditation can all be beneficial.
3. Give mindfulness a go for improved sleep
Anxiety, worry and stress can all impact the quality of our sleep. Fortunately, there are daily practices you can adopt to manage your worries, such as confiding in someone you trust or jotting down your concerns in a notebook.
If you frequently find yourself lying awake with worries, allocate some time before bed to compile a to-do list for the following day – this can be an effective way to ease your mind.
4. Cultivate the ideal sleep environment
Generally, it’s easier to fall asleep in a quiet, dark, and cool setting, but the perfect sleep environment is subjective. So, experiment with different conditions to see what suits you best.
You might discover that wearing earplugs and silencing your phone helps you eliminate distractions and fall asleep quicker.
Good-quality curtains or blinds can keep a room dark and prevent unwanted light from clocks or phones by keeping them out of sight or face-down. Some people also find it helpful to play sleep-inducing music, such as ambient sounds like rainfall, soothing tunes or white noise.
5. Avoid forcing sleep
If you find yourself wide awake, struggling to drift off, don’t force it. If you’re weary and relishing the rest, sleep might naturally ensue.
However, if sleep eludes you, rise and settle in a cosy spot to engage in a calming activity such as reading or listening to soothing music.
6. Enhance sleep with proper diet and exercise
Maintaining a balanced diet and engaging in regular physical activity can aid relaxation and improve sleep quality. Refrain from consuming large meals before hitting the sack, and aim to eliminate caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine prior to bedtime.
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The general guideline is to steer clear of stimulants 1 to 2 hours before retiring for the night.
It was labelled Back to the Beginning, but it was most certainly the end of an era for Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. As the curtain came down on an industry defining career, a full day of metal with the biggest names in the genre a stone’s throw from Ozzy’s childhood home was a fitting way to call it quits.
I can’t confess to being one of the staunchest of followers of the Prince of Darkness – fans arrived from all over the world, including Brazil, Estonia and USA to name a few. But, it was clear I was a part of history at Villa Park as Ozzy and co took to it for one last time. Sitting trying to take it all in after the show had finished, I joined fans in questioning what we had just witnessed.
Ozzy Osbourne took to the stage one final time last night
Will this ever be repeated? Will there ever be another? I highly doubt it. It really felt like the perfect celebration – and one both the fans and Ozzy himself clearly needed.
He might not have been the rocker of old, his frail body confined to his bat-adorned chair, but he was still able to keep the adoring crowd in the palm of his hand at ease. He brought many fans to tears as they tried their best to soak it up in their dream-like state for the final time.
While it was an emotional day for those watching on, some conflicted on the appearance due to his physical wellbeing, it was obvious that Ozzy was feeling it too.
He regularly thanked fans, with the sincerity touching. But he still threw it back with his expletive urges for the crowd to get louder, of course. While his struggles were obvious, he left it all out on stage. Ozzy’s glares and demonic stares were also on hand to roll back the years with his iconic appearance.
His health issues have been well documented, with the 76-year-old’s Parkinson’s disease taking its toll. But while some fans were left torn when it came to his wheeled out performance, I personally hold nothing but respect for the icon and the efforts made to entertain his crowd one last time despite his ailments.
The Mirror’s Jamie Roberts went to Black Sabbath’s final gig last night in Birmingham
Let’s face it, who else in this genre could have such a pull? Over 40,000 packed into the football stadium of his beloved Aston Villa for a once-in-a-lifetime concert. Where else would you see so many legendary bands take to the same stage?
I happily avoided the many mosh pits throughout the day but enjoyed watching on as the jubilant fans on the pitch went hell for leather. Rather them than me! Although, I hope you weren’t one of those hit by a flying trainer from the Lamb of God lead singer as he launched his footwear after his set.
For me, it was the drum-off and Super Band B’s entrance that really got the party started. Three of the world’s best – Travis Barker of Blink 182, Tool’s Danny Carey, and Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ Chad Smith – mesmerized with their skills.
And calling what followed a Super Band was an understatement. I started to lose track of all the iconic names that were being welcomed to the stage. Billy Corgan, Tom Morello, Nuno Bettencourt, KK Downing, Rudy Sarzo and Sammy Hagar to name just a few.
Throw in Ronnie Wood and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler for good measure and I was in awe, if not not fully believing what was going on.
Ozzy performed from a bat-themed throne (BBC)
And how could we forget Hollywood royalty Jason Momoa? The metal fan was the announcer for the day. Surreal, right?
He told the crowd this music is in our DNA as he explained how it has helped in every movie role he has been in before surprisingly joining the moshers near the stage for Pantera’s set.
It was a day for the ages, that’s for sure. It’ll long live in my memory and just goes to show the true impact Ozzy has had on the world throughout his 57-year career. As bow outs go, you’ll be pushed to see any better.
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