A number of people were seen arriving at a marina in Gosport, having been transported aboard two RNLI boats late on Sunday evening.

Protesters again gathered in the town amid reports that authorities were preparing for the arrival of a boat.

The dinghy was being shadowed by French rescue vessels until it was met by the RNLI boats in English waters, according to ship tracking data.

The Home Office said 149 migrants were believed to be on board.

A Government spokesperson said: “The Border Security Command works around the clock to protect our border. We have established contingency plans to make sure we can securely disembark, check and process all small boat arrivals.

“Migrants will be transported to short term holding facilities in Kent where they will be processed as normal and undergo stringent health, security and biometric checks.”

On Sunday, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said it had deployed officers to Gosport to “support our partners in the event of an emergency at sea”.

Ambulances and coaches were spotted in the area.

The force has imposed conditions under the Public Order Act as well as powers prohibiting the wearing of face coverings.

Demonstrators had assembled near Haslar Marina where the atmosphere was mostly peaceful.

There were similar scenes last month when protesters gathered in the area expecting migrants to arrive on a dinghy, but they were ultimately taken to Dover by sea.

Departures so far west have been rare in recent years, but it is the third such crossing in the space of a month.

Last month, British rescue boats collected the passengers of a migrant dinghy which had spent around 30 hours at sea after setting off from Normandy.

The 51 migrants, who refused help from the French coastguard, arrived in Dover after being transferred to Border Security Command boats.

It was expected the migrants would be taken to Gosport, with hundreds of protesters gathering after coaches and ambulances were spotted in the area.

Six people were arrested by officers during the evening.

The provisional total for Channel crossings this year is 19,451.

This is down 43% on this time last year and 23% below the figure at this stage in 2024.

The country’s electoral court in Brasilia said neither the 80-year-old incumbent, seeking his fourth non-consecutive term, nor the 45-year-old son of former president Jair Bolsonaro would garner the majority vote needed for an outright win.

The court had Bolsonaro with just over 56 million votes to Mr Lula’s 53.7 million, with 99.8% of the vote reported. The next presidential term is set to begin on January 5.

The winner will be in charge of Latin America’s biggest economy and a population of 214 million. A win for Mr Bolsonaro would increase US influence in Latin America. If Mr Lula wins, Brazil will keep its distance from Washington and continue to deepen its relationship with China.

Mr Bolsonaro addressed the press and a small group of supporters, including some wearing green and yellow Brazil jerseys and one woman wrapped in the Israeli flag, outside his Brasilia house.

“Brazil wants change, that’s the reading of what happened today,” Mr Bolsonaro said. “It’s the end of the Workers’ Party era,” he added, in a reference to Mr Lula’s party.

Mr Lula, seeking to be encouraging ahead of an uphill battle to beat Mr Bolsonaro in the run-off, said the result was “unexpected” as he had thought he could win in the first round.

“Tomorrow we start a new campaign,” Mr Lula said. “I am very good in the knockout stage. We will see who has the best plan.”

Both men will have three weeks to reach moderate voters who did not support them in the first round.

Augusto Cury, a writer who finished in third place with 3.4 million votes, said he would not endorse either in the run-off. Ronaldo Caiado and Renan Santos, two candidates who garnered about 5.3 million votes combined on Sunday, have previously said the same.

In the campaign ahead, Mr Lula is expected to try to capitalise on the popularity of his social policies and his rival’s many legal woes.

While the once widely popular Mr Lula saw his approval ratings plummet during his third term, standing up to the US gave him a boost. And he still enjoys a strong base of supporters who credit his social policies for improving millions of Brazilians’ lives.

But the incumbent faces a tough battle because of an affordability crisis and a corruption scandal that ensnared the same justice who led the investigation into Jair Bolsonaro.

Flavio Bolsonaro will likely lean into his messaging on affordability and link the president to corruption scandals.

He has promised to crack down on Brazilian criminal groups and insisted that Brazil needs to strike better deals with the Trump administration, including in the rare minerals economy, second only to China. Mr Bolsonaro has also campaigned on releasing his father and bringing him back to politics.

Both candidates face image problems: Roughly half of Brazil’s population disapproves of the Bolsonaro family, and roughly half disapprove of Mr Lula’s Workers’ Party, according to multiple polls.

Four years ago, Mr Lula beat then-incumbent Jair Bolsonaro by about 2.1 million votes.

Engineers in Scotland and Japan are planning to put Scotch on a rocket in 2028, sending a satellite containing samples of whisky and its base ingredients on a five-year mission to orbit the Earth.

It is hoped the frequent changes between extreme heat and freezing cold experienced by the whisky as it rotates the planet every 90 minutes could speed up the maturation process.

This could potentially open the door to future production of space-aged whisky, which the scientist behind the project expects to have “very bold” flavours as a result of its unusual journey.

While such whisky would command astronomical prices due to the cost of launching and recovering the liquid, collectors are already known to pay hundreds of thousands for some of the rarest bottles.

Dr Gilles Bailet, of the University of Glasgow, said a number of students have travelled from Scotland to Japan to help to co-design the “cubesat” which will contain the tiny whisky samples and ingredients.

The research is also expected to provide insight into how orbital factories could work, which could develop molecules for medications which are difficult to produce on Earth.

Dr Bailet told Press Association: “We want to see what the effect of a space environment is on the aging of the whisky.”

He added: “We’ve got the best people here in Scotland to be able to inform that, with centuries of experience, so we can bring this whisky experience into space.”

The current plan for the whisky experiment – nicknamed “Space Puffin” – is to launch the cubesat in 2028 on a SpaceX supply mission to the International Space Station, before deploying it into orbit from the Japanese module of the space station.

The science around the process of whisky “breathing” as it ages in wooden casks is not well understood, Dr Bailet said, but the cycles could happen much faster in space – where temperatures can quickly vary between minus 150 degrees to 200 degrees.

Dr Bailet continued: “We build our spacecraft to be able to get an environment which is better for the whisky, but this wood will breathe faster than on Earth.

“And so we are hoping that we’ll be able to accelerate the ageing to be able to get something more interesting.”

The whisky on the cubesat will be monitored while it is in space, feeding data on its colour and chemical composition back to scientists on the ground.

On Earth, whisky is produced by mixing barley with water and yeast.

Yeast breaks down the sugars in the barley, creating ethanol as a byproduct.

The team’s system will demonstrate how ethanol, which plays a role in the production of many drugs, can be extracted in orbit.

While the cubesat will not be recovered at the end of its five-year mission, Dr Bailet said he is keen to scale up whisky maturation in space and develop a system for launching Scotch into space and landing it on Earth after maturation.

He said: “We are really keen to be able to actually fly a full whisky-making system, with a full cask, if we’re able to collaborate with investors or other people interested about it.

“But it’s totally in the realm of possible to bring back something like a litre of whisky within the next three to five years.”

He hopes this process would produce “really bold whiskies” with “extremely complex flavour profiles”.

While whisky has previously been into space as part of an experiment to understand flavour, it did not leave the temperature-controlled confines of the International Space Station.

The cubesat will not have a full whisky cask on board. However the liquid samples will be contained by small wood chips to mimic the cask aging process on Earth.

Different distilleries in Scotland and Japan are expected to contribute the whisky, though these have not been chosen yet.

Dr Bailet said: “Previous research has suggested that the microgravity of space may allow us to grow larger, purer chemical crystals and to fold proteins in new ways.

“Big questions still remain over how we might actually do chemistry in space, however, and this project aims to provide some answers.

“Whisky gives us a very recognisable, very well-understood model for studying and monitoring biological and chemical processes in microgravity.”

The initial visit to Japan is the result of a grant from distillery-design consultancy Allen Associates.

Geoff Nisbet, lead process design engineer at the consultancy, said: “We often say that our fingerprints are found all over Scotland’s distilleries — we never expected the next set might end up in space.

“We’re delighted to support a project which brings together Scotland’s world-renowned whisky industry, engineering innovation and the next generation of engineers.

“There is also something quite fitting about Scotland and Japan being brought together through whisky once again, this time with a project looking far beyond the distillery itself.”

The Conservative leader released an almost 100-page document on the first day of her party’s conference in Birmingham, with the title The Right Way.

In it, Mrs Badenoch warned “living standards have stalled” and added that “regulation has accumulated faster than anyone can remove it”.

On Monday, shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith will unveil the party’s economic policies.

“This will be the most ambitious deregulation project in a generation,” he is expected to say.

“We will be more prepared than ever before.

“We will set out our plans line by line – every bill, every regulation, every chapter.”

To cut the price of a new build property, the Conservatives have planned to ditch the Future Homes Standard and housebuilding rules coming into force next year, which will mean developers must include in their designs low-carbon heating technology such as heat pumps or district heat networks.

Party researchers have pointed to a document published by Birmingham City Council in 2023, which found improved efficiency, heat pumps and comprehensive installation of solar panels could increase the cost of building a detached home by £30,789.

The same document estimated the technologies could cut £2,715 from energy bills each year, effectively paying for themselves within roughly 11 years.

Abolishing the stamp duty tax on property purchases, which is already a Conservative Party policy, is thought to be part of the plan to push house prices down further.

The Conservatives would also replace mechanisms known as section 106 and the Community Infrastructure Levy, which fund infrastructure when developers progress their building plans, with a single charge, in a bid to speed up the approvals process.

Abolishing Natural England and the Environment Agency, taking their functions into the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), would also feature in a future Conservative Party manifesto.

This would represent a “common sense for our countryside and the cost” at a time “of rocketing food prices, record numbers of farms closing and nature in decline”, shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins said.

Elsewhere in Mr Griffith’s plan is a proposal to scrap the extended producer responsibility, which was set up in an effort to make producers pay for the costs of managing packaging when it is thrown away.

Removing it could lift a £1.5 billion burden from businesses, the Conservatives have said.

Mr Griffith will say the UK’s “tax code is a cat’s cradle of complexity”, adding: “Because many of us have worked in business, we understand that time spent filling in a tax return or hanging on an HMRC helpline steals time away from your business, your family – the very reason you work so hard.

“So, as well as cutting taxes, tax simplification will be a mission for every treasury minister.”

He will also back plans to build a third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport.

“We’re ‘all in’ for growth and we will legislate to sweep away the blockers to getting the infrastructure our country needs built,” Mr Griffith will say.

Andrew Bowie, the shadow energy secretary, is expected to challenge a policy by the SNP to block the approval of nuclear power stations in Scotland.

“The SNP’s Luddite approach is costing jobs in Scotland, harming our energy security and ending Scotland’s rich and powerful association with the nuclear industry,” he is expected to say.

“If John Swinney and SNP ministers want to have a fight over any plans that would deliver thousands of jobs and protect energy security, then I say bring it on.”

Bridget Phillipson, the Labour Party’s chairwoman, has warned the Conservatives wanted to take the country “back to a politics that let so many people down over the past 40 years”.

She also said: “The Tories had 14 years in government to grow our economy and help people get on the housing ladder, but they completely failed at every turn.”

Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrats’ Treasury spokeswoman, said: “No-one can take anything the Conservatives say on the economy seriously given their litany of fantasy-land financial pledges.”

And Reform UK Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick said: “The Tories are once again copying our policies.”

But he warned the Conservatives cannot match one of his party’s pledges to raise the personal allowance – the amount a person is allowed to earn before they start paying income tax – from £12,570 per year to £15,000.

He claimed this was because the Conservatives “refuse to cut migrant welfare, net zero subsidies and the ballooning benefits bill”.

Jude Brown noticed blood in the urine of her daughter, Robyn, back in January.

Initially believing it was a urinary tract infection, they quickly realised it was in fact something far worse.

Ms Brown took her daughter to the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, where she was diagnosed with a Wilms tumour on her left kidney.

Ms Brown, from Ayr, South Ayrshire, said: “Everything happened so fast. One minute we were getting ready for a trip to Disneyland, and the next our lives had completely changed.

“From the very beginning, the play team made such a huge difference.”

Robyn was introduced to health play specialist Maureen Houston, who used toy versions of medical equipment to explain to the youngster what procedures she would go through, as a means of breaking it down so the five-year-old would understand.

Ms Brown said: “When we actually went down for the real thing, Robyn was great and knew exactly what to expect and what all the noises sounded like, so it made her totally relaxed about the whole situation.”

Ms Brown recalled having to tell her daughter that she would temporarily lose her hair due to the 10-12 hour chemotherapy sessions.

She said: “I was really upset about it. How do I tell my daughter she is going to lose her blonde curls?

“I spoke to Maureen, and she offered to come and speak to Robyn about it. She brought in a doll that didn’t have hair and explained, in a kind but factual way, that her hair was going to be ‘having a rest’ because of her medicine, but that it would come back.

“Robyn was very accepting of it all, and it made such a difference.

“The days are long, but the play team helps break the days up massively.

“They constantly pop in with toys, games or even just for a chat. As a parent, you’re terrified, but it meant there was someone coming through the door from the Play Team rather than a medical member of staff.”

Ms Brown has credited the play team for helping her daughter feel normal, despite her circumstances.

She said: “The doctors and nurses explain what’s going to happen and when, but it’s the Play Team who help us understand it in a non-scary way.

“If you bump into any of the Play Team, they know Robyn by name and always ask how she is doing.

“Everyone works to make sure that my little girl doesn’t have to think about the fact that her appearance has changed. They make her feel like the gorgeous wee girl she is.”

She added: “Robyn is princess-obsessed, and they would go and try to find the exact thing she wanted.

“They always go above and beyond. I don’t know how they do what they do, especially working with children going through so much, but it never comes across to the children. There is constant positivity and joy from them and I think that’s a really amazing thing.

“The difference they’ve made to Robyn and our family is incredible. They have helped make an unimaginably difficult situation that little bit easier.”

The Health Play Team and programme at the RHC is supported by Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, which funded more than £1 million of play and entertainment projects at the hospital last year.

Jamie Redfern, director of the Royal Hospital for Children, said: “Our Health Play Team plays a vital role in helping children and families navigate what can be an incredibly challenging time.

“Through specialist play, preparation and emotional support, they help reduce fear and anxiety, giving children like Robyn the confidence to understand and cope with their treatment.

“I am incredibly proud of the compassion, dedication and expertise they bring to supporting our young patients every day.”

The brand, which opened its inaugural restaurant in the UK in 2018, is launching its first drive-through in Broughton Shopping Park, north Wales, on October 6, with the site to act as the blueprint for more nationwide.

Boparan Restaurant Group – which runs the master franchise for Slim Chickens in the UK and Europe – is looking to tap into booming demand for the convenience of drive-through fast-food and the ever-growing appetite for fried chicken.

Rich Pigott, managing director for Boparan Restaurants, told the Press Association the group is looking to open between 15 and 20 sites next year across the UK, with the majority set to be in the drive-through format.

With each site employing up to 50 workers, the expansion plans are set to see the firm create between 800 and 1,000 roles in the UK.

It sees the group accelerate its openings, after eight launches in 2026, which has already taken its UK estate to more than 80.

Mr Pigott said: “We’ve got ambitious plans for the drive-through format, and Broughton gives us the opportunity to take everything people love about Slim Chickens… and bring it to guests in a completely new way.”

He added it is “only the beginning for Slim Chickens drive-throughs in the UK”.

He said the drive-throughs will be focused on sites such as retail parks, adding to its current estate in high streets and shopping centres.

Founded in Fayetteville, Arkansas in the US, Slim Chickens’s American chain is largely focused on drive-throughs, and the format is becoming increasingly popular in the UK.

Mr Pigott said: “It’s convenient for people to go to a drive-through and take food home.”

He said it is a competitive market in the hospitality sector as consumers come under pressure amid soaring energy and fuel costs.

“People will reduce their spending habits to reduce their bills,” he said. “But they will still want to go out.

“People might cut back from going to a restaurant two or three times a week to once a week, so you’ve got to be the best in the market to make sure people come to you.”

Boparan Restaurant Group, which also runs brands such as Carluccio’s, Giraffe and Gourmet Burger Kitchen, is also planning expansion further across Europe through company-owned sites and franchise partnerships.

Tom Patrick, marketing director at Boparan Restaurants, said the drive-through launch in the UK is a “huge moment for the brand”.

He added: “We’re excited to be using our new app and new AI technology to make the guest journey in our drive-through as seamless as in-store.”

Despite signs of a “false autumn”, in which drought-stressed tree leaves turn brown and drop early, the ingredients are still there for a colourful season – particularly if the coming weeks bring cooler, settled weather – with the summer sunshine producing strong colour in the healthy foliage that remains.

But it is likely to be more varied than usual, the charity said.

And with some plants responding to recent rain after the hot, dry summer, with fresh growth or a second flowering out of season, there may even be spots where maples are in autumn colour alongside rhododendrons in bloom.

Luke Barley, senior national specialist in trees and woodland at the National Trust, said: “The hot, sunny summer could still provide some of the ingredients for wonderful autumn colour, but the drought means the picture is likely to be more varied than usual.

“The coming weeks will be crucial. Autumn colour always depends on a combination of factors, but after such an extraordinary summer the usual signals are much harder to read.

“Climate change is making our seasons more unpredictable and we’re going to learn more this year about the impact of drought on autumn colour.”

Trees may also have to contend with the impacts of the current super-strength El Nino, which could bring wetter, stormier weather to the UK – as milder conditions could cause them to hold on to their leaves longer and make them more vulnerable to high winds, the National Trust said.

In Stourhead, Wiltshire, famed for its autumn displays, established trees have fared relatively well through the drought and promise good seasonal colour, while in Bodnant, North Wales, some birches and maples have dropped leaves early but a “spectacular” autumn is still anticipated.

Meanwhile, the head gardener at Gibside, near Newcastle, Cail Stewart, is predicting a “rich tapestry of colour”, with reds potentially dominating displays as a result of high levels of pigment anthocyanin that helps leaves filter intense light.

When autumn arrives looks set to vary significantly from place to place, too, the National Trust said.

Gardeners at Cotohele in Cornwall are expecting it three to four weeks later than usual, as its North American ash – one of the first trees to turn, sometimes as early as August – began showing hints of its pink-purple colour only in the third week of September.

Head gardener Dave Bouch said: “Thanks to the high sunshine hours, a lot of sugar should have built up in the remaining leaves, meaning good autumn colour.

“I think it will be a great autumn in Cornwall, but a late one, with colour peaking from mid-October to mid-November.”

But at Mount Stewart in County Down, Northern Ireland, senior gardener Andy Dainty believes the season is three to four weeks ahead of normal, with morning mist, dew, hawthorn and sloe berries already highlighting the arrival of autumn.

Gardeners across the National Trust’s 260 gardens have also reported plants responding to the year’s extremes, with some going into “stasis” over the hot, dry summer, and now putting on fresh growth or a second bloom of flowers in response to the wetter weather.

Bodnant’s head gardener Ned Lomax added: “Many plants went into stasis over summer. If mild and wet conditions persist now, they might take advantage of the late opportunity to put on a growth spurt and to flower.

“We could get a second flush from our herbaceous plants, out-of-season flowering and unusual combinations, like rhododendrons in flower and maples in autumn colour at the same time.”

One of the key signs of autumn – the conker – may be in short supply, with garden and outdoors manager at Dyrham Park, South Gloucestershire, Piers Horry warning drought-stressed horse chestnuts have dropped their seeds early, with a less abundant, noticeably smaller, crop.

He said: “For generations, collecting conkers has been one of those familiar signs that autumn has arrived, but anyone looking for a particularly large, prize specimen this year may have to search a little harder.”

But, as Halloween looms, there is better news for pumpkins, which have grown well at several gardens including Wimpole, Cambridgeshire, and Sizergh in Cumbria, despite the challenging summer, the National Trust said.

It is hoped the project across 136 hectares (336 acres) on former arable land at Speechly’s Farm, in Cambridgeshire, will become home to lapwings, snipe and cranes, water voles and “species nobody sees” such as rare water beetles.

The scheme by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire (BCN) also includes two large fields of “wet farming” or paludiculture, covering 6.5 hectares (16 acres) and growing typha, bulrush, which can be used for everything from puffer jackets to insulation boards.

Rewetting the landscape will stop currently drained peat, currently vanishing at a rate of two centimetres a year as it oxidises in the air, from disappearing and releasing carbon emissions, the charity said.

When it is complete, wildlife habitat will connect two of the last remaining fragments of ancient fen at Woodwalton Fen and Holme Fen for the first time in centuries in a region that has lost 99% of its original wet fen landscape.

Alongside it, the wet farming scheme aims to demonstrate a commercial use for the fens that protects the peat, stores carbon and supports wildlife, the charity said.

The scheme forms part of Wildlife Trust BCN’s Great Fen vision to recreate a vast 14 square mile restored peat landscape for wildlife and sustainable farming.

Wetland creation work has just been completed on next door New Decoy Farm, with channels and pools which have already attracted whimbrel, Chinese water deer, goose, oystercatchers and common terns.

But Great Fen project manager Lorna Parker said the project at Speechly’s Farm, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, was on another scale, greatly increasing the space for wildlife in the area.

And it will link up Holme Fen and New Decoy Farm with other farmland restored to fen around Woodwalton Fen, one of the UK’s first nature reserves which is rich in reedbeds, wet woodland and channels, dragonflies, butterflies, otters and bitterns – to create a vast connected wetland landscape for wildlife.

While other parts of the landscape will be more accessible for visitors, Ms Parker said that at Speechly’s Farm, “because there’s going to be limited public access, you’re creating a protected mecca for wildlife”.

Ms Parker said it would attract lots of wading birds, water voles would be “all over the place” and she hoped cranes would settle there.

It could also become a stronghold for largely unseen species such as the great silver water beetle, an enormous but elusive beetle recently recorded at Woodwalton Fen for the first time in 50 years, while rare aquatic plants from the fens could “creep out through the ditch network”.

She said: “This area will be a mixture of reedbed and fen and swamp and dry grassland, a patchwork that will be managed ultimately by large grazing animals, ponies or cattle or a mixture.

“We also want to have some interesting scrub, alder, willow and bog myrtle.”

And she said: “By raising the water table we can stop the peat from disappearing, stopping the carbon release.”

Diggers are creating channels, pools and reedbeds, and weirs are being installed so water can flow from the main river channel, through the paludiculture fields which will filter out excess nutrients, into the landscape.

The wildlife trust is also working in a local partnership with farmers, the drainage board and Natural England in a funding bid to divert drainage around a wider area of restored land so it can be kept wetter within to create better wetland habitat.

The project comes amid concern about food security and diverting land out of production.

But local farmers are having to battle with drought summers and waterlogged winters as climate change makes weather more extreme, and the fertile peat soils of the fens are a source of carbon emissions as they shrink each year.

So the paludiculture fields aim to demonstrate the commercial viability of a crop such as bulrush, which grows where the water table is much higher.

Wildlife Trust BCN has already run trials of wet farming crops at another fen site, and also wants to look at more foods that could work in wet farming, such as types of rice.

Farmers are passionate about feeding and looking after people, Ms Parker said, so “asking them just to rewild things or go over to nature conservation is not going to appeal to everybody”.

“If we can offer them an alternative, particularly a food crop, what’s not to like.”

For the restored habitat, Ms Parker said: “We don’t have a target that we are working towards, partly because we are trying to build a landscape that works in a future climate and nobody knows what that will look like.

“We think it’s going to be wetland, we are going to put these natural processes back and see where it takes us,” she said.

“In 10 years time, it will look amazing,” she added.

The class action is being brought on behalf of around 20 million UK consumers and businesses who purchased something on the Google Play Store or on an Android phone between October 1 2015 and July 31 2026.

The claim is being heard in the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), with proceedings commencing on Tuesday.

It alleges that Google broke competition law by charging app developers a commission of up to 30% on purchases made through the Play Store, and that this cost was passed onto consumers in the prices they paid.

Paid-for apps, subscription payments like within dating, fitness, music and gaming apps, and upgrades to unlock ad-free versions or features are all included in the claim.

It also includes in-game extras like coins, gems, extra lives and power-ups that people paid money for.

For example, if a Candy Crush player spent £10 on gold bars for extra lives and power-ups then, for most of the claim period, Google kept £3 of that and passed £7 to the game’s maker.

The claim alleges that that £3 was passed onto players through higher prices.

Google says its Play Store offers some of the lowest fees in the market and that it would defend its services “vigorously”.

A spokesman said: “Android gives people more choice than any other mobile platform in deciding which apps and app stores they use, with Play offering some of the lowest fees in the market.

“This lawsuit ignores that choice as well as the competitive market in which we operate, and we will defend our services vigorously.”

The claim is being brought to court by Liz Coll, a consumer tech policy expert and former manager for charity Citizens Advice, and represented by law firm Hausfield.

Legal action was launched in 2021, but it has faced delays amid separate claims being settled, including Google’s owner Alphabet agreeing to pay £260 million in September to settle a class action on behalf of UK app developers.

A similar claim against Apple was won last year when the CAT found the company abused its dominant position in the market by charging about 30% commission on app sales and in-app purchases.

Liz Coll said: “Millions of us have paid for apps, games and subscriptions on our phones without knowing a hidden charge was built into the price.

“This trial is about getting that money back for people who use their phone and apps every day.”

Lesley Hannah, a partner at Hausfield, said: “Google has been able to use its position in the market to charge an excessive commission for well over a decade.

“And it’s the consumer that has paid the price.”

OneKind has reached out to Kirsten Oswald MSP ahead of bonfire night, stating animals across Scotland face being traumatised or injured as a result of the fireworks.

The charity has argued that the Scottish Government’s Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 has not enacted restrictions on when fireworks can be bought and used, and that new training and licensing requirements have fallen short of the mark.

OneKind chief executive Jason Rose said: “Scotland got a new law in 2022 aiming to limit the harms fireworks can cause to people and animals.

“Yet, four years later, two of the key measures in it are not yet in force.

“Creating laws is meaningless unless they are implemented and enforced.

“The public are rightly appalled at the suffering animals must endure during this seasonal free-for-all.

“The Scottish Government have no excuse not to act.

“If we value animals as equals, we must minimise the frightening bangs and flashes they experience.

“Many people are distressed by fireworks, animals even more so.

“Those of us with companion animals can at least make plans to try to comfort and protect them but that only works if we know when and where there will be fireworks going off.”

He added: “The only way to fully protect animals from the intense distress caused by fireworks would be to end their sale entirely – a reserved matter we hope Westminster will legislate on.

“Meantime we should act with the powers we have in Scotland.

“At the very least, the law Holyrood passed four years ago must be fully enacted to reduce suffering now.”

Community safety minister Kirsten Oswald said: “I understand the distress fireworks can cause, especially to animals.

“That is why all local authorities have powers to designate Firework Control Zones, which makes it a criminal offence for a member of the public to ignite fireworks inside the zone.

“This was a major part of the Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Articles (Scotland) Act 2022, the majority of which has been implemented.

“A number of fireworks zones were in place in 2025 and will also be in place this year.”

Rasmus Hojlund struck from the penalty spot after 75 minutes to condemn Wales to a 1-0 defeat in Cardiff.

It was the fourth game in 11 days for Group A4 teams in this extended September and October international window, with Bellamy saying smaller nations like Wales were punished by the new format.

“Physically, I completely agree with the ones who don’t like it,” Bellamy said after Wales had failed to replicate the energy shown in beating Norway on Thursday.

“It makes no sense. Four games at this type of level for the other nations, and we know who the ones are, because I was in the room when they all voted for it.

“I was part of the ones who weren’t because we know it’s a complete disadvantage to us.

“If we have a few injuries, which we have more than one or two, they miss four games off the back of this, whereas we can deal with two. Then the squad will get really tested.

“The intensity of the squad, the athleticism of it, really, I think it’s designed for the elite.

“They can turn these games over really, really quickly and change like for like because they have the numbers. It puts a real stress on a lot of us.”

The September and October international windows were merged into one ahead of this Nations League campaign.

From Lisbon to Copenhagen to Cardiff ✈️

Diolch am eich cefnogaeth anhygoel, Y Wal Goch ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ik4PMyXGIh

— Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (@Cymru) October 4, 2026

Nations now play four games in a single block – and Bellamy said he had spoken about the reconfigured schedule at a UEFA meeting.

He said: “I’ve noticed there are a load of managers who weren’t (at the meeting), and when I saw them after it, they laughed at me for being in it.

“It was like, ‘Well, where were you?’. It was, ‘We don’t go to them’. We’re not important for that. It was interesting, but they’re controlling it.”

Despite losing for the third time in four games, Wales actually moved off the bottom of their Nations League section.

Norway are level on three points with Wales but below them on head-to-head after losing in Cardiff.

Wales finish their campaign away to Norway and at home to Portugal in November.

Denmark get the three points in Cardiff ✊#NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/KOCLWLTgO3

— UEFA EURO (@UEFAEURO) October 4, 2026

On Wales moving off the bottom, Bellamy said: “That’s actually quite nice. That’s brightened up a real rubbish moment.

“It might be (that a draw in Oslo is enough to finish third). That’s the key of coming away with three points at this stage.

“We started well, and then as the game unfolded the intensity started to drop for us. We couldn’t maintain it.

“Then you’re not able to get up to the ball and you allow a lot of diagonals to come in.

“On Thursday we got on the front foot, so we were able to shorten the distance.

“Today we just couldn’t get the energy up enough to have a bigger say in the game.”

Ben Cabango and Sorba Thomas will be suspended for Wales’ trip to Norway after being booked for the second time in the competition.

The former Duke of York has been granted permission to challenge whether the force acted lawfully over the searches relating to his arrest in February, the Telegraph reported.

Andrew’s application for a judicial review is said to have been made earlier this year and recently approved by a High Court judge.

The King’s brother will challenge the legality of search warrants that allowed police to raid his residence on the Sandringham Estate and his former Windsor home, Royal Lodge, the newspaper reported.

A private High Court hearing held in the coming days will decide whether to release certain court documents relating to the judicial review, according to the Telegraph.

Andrew was arrested on his 66th birthday on suspicion of misconduct in public office following allegations he shared sensitive information with Jeffrey Epstein during his time as the UK’s trade envoy.

The King stripped his brother of both his right to be a prince and his dukedom late last year over his association with the convicted sex offender.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Thames Valley Police have been approached for comment.

The bombers have been sent back to their home bases in the US, with aircraft monitoring sites showing B-1 bombers flying out of the base on Sunday.

On Saturday, Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) said a sixth man arrested in connection with events at RAF Fairford had been released on bail.

The 25-year-old, a dual UK-Iranian national, was arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.

Five British nationals, all in their mid-20s, were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and terrorism and then bailed.

Three suspicious vans were spotted near the military site last weekend.

A Pentagon official said on Sunday: “US Air Force bombers routinely operate around the world to support global force readiness and operational requirements.

“While operational security precluded us from confirming the movement of our assets and forces in real time, we can acknowledge now that all US bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have redeployed to their home stations in the United States.

“The airmen that operate America’s bomber force, including B-1s, B-2s, and B-52s, remain ready to deliver precision global strike capabilities – including through operations that launch and recover from the continental United States – anywhere, anytime.”

Senior CTP national co-ordinator Vicki Evans previously said the investigation was “hugely complex”, adding that specialist teams were “interrogating multiple lines of inquiry”.

She added: “As we’ve made clear, we’re looking at all possible angles – including possible foreign state involvement.”

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were “strong indications” that Iran played a part in the incident.

RAF Fairford has been used in recent months by US bombers after former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer granted Washington permission to use British bases for “defensive” strikes against Tehran during the Middle East war.

Counter-terror police have said a quantity of petrol but no explosive devices were found in the vans that sparked the security alert.

On Thursday, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israel had handed Britain intelligence about the suspected terror plot.

Mr Netanyahu said his country warned UK authorities about the “Iranian-sponsored attack” shortly before Britain’s announcement of a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Earlier in the week, US President Donald Trump said he was “disappointed” after the five men were released on bail.

He told reporters: “We were involved in (the investigation), but as you know, your fellow countrymen let them go.

“Well, they didn’t let them go. They put them out on bail. I assume they haven’t watched closely… they should not have done that.”

A number of people were seen arriving at a marina in Gosport, having been transported aboard two RNLI boats late on Sunday evening.

Protesters again gathered in the town amid reports that authorities were preparing for the arrival of a boat.

The dinghy was being shadowed by French rescue vessels until it was met by the RNLI boats in English waters, according to ship tracking data.

French media reported there were around 120 migrants on board.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said it had deployed officers to Gosport to “support our partners in the event of an emergency at sea”.

Ambulances and coaches have been seen in the area.

The force has imposed conditions under the Public Order Act as well as powers prohibiting the wearing of face coverings.

Demonstrators have assembled near Haslar Marina where the atmosphere has mostly remained peaceful so far.

There were similar scenes last month when protesters gathered in the area expecting migrants to arrive on a dinghy, but they were ultimately taken to Dover by sea.

The latest dinghy appeared to have set off from near the Utah Beach area of Normandy on Sunday morning.

Departures so far west have been rare in recent years, but it is the third such crossing in the space of a month.

A Government spokesperson said: “The Border Security Command works around the clock to monitor the Channel and protect our border. It is vital we continue to detain, check and process every small boat arrival.”

Last month, British rescue boats collected the passengers of a migrant dinghy which had spent around 30 hours at sea after setting off from Normandy.

The 51 migrants, who refused help from the French coastguard, arrived in Dover after being transferred to Border Security Command boats.

It was expected the migrants would be taken to Gosport, with hundreds of protesters gathering after coaches and ambulances were spotted in the area.

Six people were arrested by officers during the evening.

The provisional total for Channel crossings this year is 19,451.

This is down 43% on this time last year and 23% below the figure at this stage in 2024.

EVEN in Crossmaglen this will go down as a famous victory. The six-time All-Ireland champions were 14 points down and going nowhere at the break but they surged back into a terrific contest.

A dozen points on-the-trot cut the deficit to two but Clann Eireann weathered the storm and kicked on again and when Rian O’Neill was red-carded it seemed victory would be theirs.

But again Cross rallied and Oisin O’Neill, a man possessed, dragged them back from the brink and his superb two-point free injury-time sent the men in black and amber back to the county final.

“Mad, disappointed, proud…” said manager Shane Lennon who went through a rollercoaster of emotions during the game.

“We left the dressingroom at half-time and said: ‘Have no regrets’. We weren’t happy with our first half performance, we knew it wasn’t good enough for a Crossmaglen jersey. We wanted a big second half from our leaders and, thank God, they stood up to it.”

As Cross celebrated, shell-shocked Clann Eireann players trudged back to their dressingroom. They had the lead and an extra man for the final 10 minutes but were unable to stem the tide.

“We were well aware what was going to come at us in the second half,” said manager Mark Doran.

“There was a brave breeze blowing and we were aware of their two-point threat… It’s a hard one to take. The most disappointing thing was our game-management near the end, they were a man down and I thought we could manage the game out.

“Unfortunately it didn’t work out that way and to be fair Cross kept going to the whistle.”

There were turnovers at both ends of the field as both sides steamed into tackles and Rian O’Neill and Odhran McCafferty met in a full-blooded clash before Barry McCambridge kicked long and hard towards Conor Turbitt.

The Armagh star controlled the ball, sold Caelan Dillon a dummy, turned and stroked over a two-pointer to open the scoring with a calm finish that set the tone for the first half.

Crossmaglen tested the Clann Eireann defence with a couple of high balls but the Lurgan men had little trouble with them and Dan McCarthy extended their lead with a breakaway point which was followed by a ‘two’ from Tiernan Kelly.

Callum Cumiskey’s shot came back off the post and Cian McConvoille slotted the rebound over to get Cross on the scoreboard but after an Aaron O’Neill shot was blocked by McCafferty, Clann Eireann broke away and Daniel Magee restored their five-point lead.

Aaron Haughey, carrying the fight, replied for Cross but with Shea Heffron keeping tabs on Oisin O’Neill and Rian O’Neill struggling to make an impact, Cross had kicked their third wide by the time Micheal O’Shea pushed up into midfield to win one of their kickouts. McCambridge popped up to take his pass and add another point.

Daniel Magee kicked their third ‘two’ and then Emmet Magee ran onto a Turbitt handpass and lashed a shot past Miceal Murray and into the net.

Aaron Haughey point but Turbitt showed for the kickout and McCambridge sent Cohen Henderson through. His shot whistled just over the bar.

Another ‘two’ from ‘Turbo’ followed after Dan McCarthy got his hands on the Cross kickout and they kept coming. Ruairi McDonald had all the time he needed to stroke over another double that meant Clann Eireann led 1-14 to 0-4 at the break.

What drama was to come.

O’Shea and Conan O’Carroll dived in to block shots from Pearse Blessing and McConville but Aaron O’Neill brought the Cross crowd to life with an early two-pointer.

Harry Cumiskey pulled another one back and then Blessing walloped over another ‘two’ and Oisin O’Neill landed a free to whittle the deficit down to seven.

Clann Eireann lost their grip on midfield and it was all Cross. Oisin O’Neill’s extraordinary two-pointer left five in it and, after a brilliant save from Eoghan Mulholland denied McConville a goal, Rian O’Neill slotted over the 45 and followed that with a ‘two’ of his own to leave his team just a point behind.

A dozen points on-the-trot from Cross was halted when Turbitt slotted over a free and Daniel Magee and Ruairi McDonald added two more to steady the Clann Eireann ship. When Rian O’Neill was shown a straight red for a high-ish tackle on Redmond French it seemed Crossmaglen’s chance had gone.

But Rian’s dismissal inspired his brothers.

Aaron O’Neill hit a two-pointer and it was game-on once more.

Emmett Magee popped up for a Clann Eireann point but Oisin O’Neill hit back, then caught the kickout and Blessing sent Aaron O’Neill charging through. He was tripped and Oisin kicked the free.

The kickout was broken down and Oisin was there to grab the ball.

He was caught high by a desperate Clann Eireann arm and got back on his feet to take the free and you knew he wouldn’t miss. He didn’t.

Clann Eireann: E Mulholland; C O’Carroll, M O’Shea, S Heffron; B McCambridge 0-1, S McCarthy, R French; T Kelly 0-2, E Magee 1-1; D Magee 0-4 (0-2tp), D McCarthy 0-1, O McCafferty; R McDonald 0-3 (0-2tp), C Turbitt 0-5 (0-4tp, 0-1f), C Henderson 0-1

Subs: R Owens for O’Carroll (43), M McGibbon 0-1 for Henderson (53), A McConville for McCarthy (57)

Crossmaglen: M Murray; E McEntee, C Dillon, C Crowley; O Carraher, C Cumiskey, H Cumiskey 0-1; S Morris, P Blessing 0-2tp; A Haughey 0-2, O O’Neill 0-10 (0-4tp, 0-2tpf, 0-4f), R Martin; C McConville 0-1, A O’Neill 0-4tp, R O’Neill 0-3 (0-2tp, 0-1 45)

Subs: C McEntee (HT), P Stuttard for McEntee (50), S Teelan for H Cumiskey (56), P Hughes for C Cumiskey (58), J Murtagh for Dillon (59)

Red card: R O’Neill (53)

Shadow energy secretary Andrew Bowie MP said the SNP’s “effective ban” on new nuclear energy in Scotland “flies in the face of common sense”.

SNP ministers have enforced a ban on the construction of new nuclear power stations in Scotland.

In a speech to the UK Conservative conference on Monday, Mr Bowie is expected to say the UK needs a third large-scale nuclear reactor and that no part of the country should be off-limits for its location, including Scotland.

The sole remaining nuclear power station in Scotland is at Torness, East Lothian, where operations have been extended to 2030.

Before his speech Mr Bowie, MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, said: “The SNP’s effective ban on new nuclear energy in Scotland flies in the face of common sense.

“No part of Great Britain should be missing out on plans for new nuclear renewal.

“That is why I am delighted to announce that the Conservatives will look to see how we can legislate to deliver new nuclear energy in Scotland.

“The SNP’s luddite approach is costing jobs in Scotland, harming our energy security and ending Scotland’s rich and powerful association with the nuclear industry.

“If John Swinney and SNP ministers want to have a fight over any plans that would deliver thousands of jobs and protect energy security, then I say bring it on.”

Scotland’s energy minister Stephen Gethins said: “The Scottish Government is focused on supporting the development of Scotland’s remarkable renewable energy potential – which provides jobs, is safer and doesn’t leave a legacy of nuclear waste.

“For example, industry reports estimate that offshore wind alone could support up to 49,000 jobs in Scotland – that is why it is at the centre of both our energy and our economic ambitions.”

Mr Polanski did not take part in the vote on the motion, having left the party conference after his speech on Friday to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.

Israel accused the Green Party of legitimising “the destruction of the State of Israel” with a “clear antisemitic text”.

In an update on Sunday evening, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Greens’ resolution “constitutes a clear antisemitic text according to the IHRA definition, as it denies the Jewish people’s right to self-determination”.

Following the vote on the anti-Zionist policy at Green Party Conference, the 5 Green MPs, the Leader and Co-Deputy Leaders have issued a joint statement pic.twitter.com/NcB2aljsTK

— The Green Party (@TheGreenParty) October 4, 2026

“Therefore, as a first step, foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar has decided this evening to declare Green Party leader Zack Polanski barred from entering Israel,” a statement said.

“Today, the Green Party in Britain adopted a resolution equating Zionism with racism, legitimising armed struggle against Israel, and calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state “from the river to the sea” – meaning the destruction of the State of Israel,” it added.

In a statement with Green MPs and his deputies, Mr Polanski said there is “no conflict between supporting the rights of Palestinians and the rights of Jewish people”.

Members in Brighton backed the motion with 1,022 votes in favour and 813 against.

It declares the Greens to be an “anti-Zionist party” and sets into its policy that Zionism, the movement to develop and protect a Jewish state in Israel, will be “treated as any other form of racism”.

It also supports the establishment of a “single democratic Palestinian State in all of historic Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital”.

Supporters chanted “say it loud, say it clear, Zionists are not welcome here” as the campaigners behind the motion, Greens for Palestine, gathered to speak to the media.

Asked if the new stance meant Zionists would be kicked out of the party, former councillor Salma Yaqoob said “absolutely not”.

This type of motion does not have a “material impact on governance or disciplinary procedures”, a Green Party spokesperson said.

“This has been a serious and deeply felt debate within our membership. Our members value the ability to bring forward and decide party policy, and conference has now made its decision.

“The Green Party is an anti-racist party and has consistently opposed the illegal occupation of both Palestinian and Syrian land, called for an end to arms sales to the Israeli government and spoken out fearlessly about the devastating situation in Gaza and the West Bank.

“Those positions remain central to our approach. So too does our deeply-held commitment to equality, justice and human rights for all, and opposition to racism in all its forms.”

The members voted against adding a clause to make clear the motion should not be used to “pressure, proscribe or discipline” party members for their affiliation to synagogues or other Jewish groups that describe themselves as Zionist.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the Greens have become “an extremist party”.

“The motion passed by the Green Party today is an attack on the Jewish community,” a statement said.

Jewish leaders said the failure of the Green Party leadership to oppose the move “shows a staggering indifference to the welfare of British Jews”.

The chief executives of the Board of Deputies, Community Security Trust and Jewish Leadership Council wrote a letter to Green Party leaders ahead of the conference airing their concerns and referring back to a warning they issued over the motion earlier this year.

“We also emphasised the implications for the safety and welfare of all British Jews, and our belief that this motion would make the Green Party the first electorally significant UK political party in living memory to adopt what appears to be an overtly antisemitic political platform,” they said.

Two senior Rabbis said the motion was “antisemitic in its formulation and intention”.

“The motion passed by the Green Party today is an attack on the Jewish community. It is an antisemitic platform, based on a grossly offensive distortion and erasure of Jewish experience and identity.”

The full statement by the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish… pic.twitter.com/tq3eWEfUOx

— Board of Deputies of British Jews (@BoardofDeputies) October 4, 2026

Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy said: “By adopting it, the Green Party has made antisemitism party policy and become a racist party.”

The vote has exposed divisions within the party as four of its five MPs – Ellie Chowns, Sian Berry and ex-leaders Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer – came out to publicly reject the motion.

Ms Chowns said in a social media post that she was concerned the motion “risks fuelling division and risks undermining the party’s ability to advocate effectively for justice and peace”.

Afterwards, party leader Mr Polanski and the five MPs released a joint statement saying they would “always uphold universal human rights”.

“We will never tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment.

“We will continue to stand in opposition to genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid and the illegal occupation.

“We will continue to call out the heinous crimes of the Netanyahu government.

“And we will continue to work to ensure that the Green Party is an anti-racist party in every way.

“We know there is no conflict between supporting the rights of Palestinians and the rights of Jewish people.”

The position will become party policy but the Greens do not require all their politicians to back it.

Party leader Mr Polanski is running to become an MP in Sir Keir Starmer’s former seat and the Greens had encouraged members to leave Brighton to support his campaign in London.

Mr Polanski said he believes that the “displacement and genocide of the Palestinian people” is “clearly racism” in an interview with the BBC earlier this week.

But he said he wanted an amendment to call for one Palestinian state in the motion, “because what I want to see is equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians”.

Chair of the Labour Party Bridget Phillipson described the decision as “fundamentally wrong”.

She said: “It is shameful to vote against a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine and to condemn the vast majority of British Jews and Jews around the world as racist for supporting Israel’s right to exist.

“It is fundamentally wrong and the leadership of the Green Party must make clear that this will not be their position moving forwards.”

The Conservatives said it showed the Green Party is “toxic to its core”.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “British Jews should not have to disclaim a belief in Jewish self-determination and the existence of Israel in order to be accepted by a British political party.”

Danny Ward’s second-half error proved crucial as the Wrexham goalkeeper gifted the ball to Gustav Isaksen in his own penalty area.

Ward, attempting to atone for his mistake, went to close down Isaksen but brought down the Denmark forward for a clear spot-kick.

⏰ FT | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 0-1 🇩🇰

Defeat to Denmark.

💻 https://t.co/i5i1zVw6RM pic.twitter.com/e6ao5cH0CQ

— Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (@Cymru) October 4, 2026

Hojlund stepped up to slot the 75th-minute penalty home with ease and secure a Denmark double over Wales after their 2-0 victory in Copenhagen last weekend.

Wales had beaten World Cup quarter-finalists Norway on Thursday, but that victory appeared to take a lot out of Craig Bellamy’s side.

Bellamy tends to make significant changes to his starting line-up, once again doing so in this international window given the short turnaround between fixtures.

But Bellamy made only one alteration to the side that started against Norway, Brennan Johnson replacing Daniel James in attack.

Brentford playmaker Mikkel Damsgaard was absent for Denmark and the visitors lost skipper Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to injury inside the opening 10 minutes.

Ethan Ampadu fired over from 25 yards as his search for a first Wales goal went on and Johnson volleyed wide at the far post.

But Denmark sent an early shot across Welsh bows after Ben Cabango was caught in possession and the off-balance Hojlund fired tamely at Ward.

Wales shaded first-half possession – 54 per cent to 46 – but Denmark carried the greater attacking threat.

Isaksen fell under Ben Davies’ challenge in the act of shooting, with some Denmark players believing the tackle was worthy of a spot-kick.

Morten Hjulmand headed wide and Isaksen was wayward with two attempts in the space of 60 seconds as Denmark pressure grew.

Oliver Provstgaard sent a header over and Wales were relieved to reach the interval level.

This was both teams’ fourth game in 11 days, and the extended programme appeared to be taking its toll as far as the intensity levels were concerned.

Wales were nowhere near as energetic as they had been three days earlier, and they were opened up soon after the restart.

Andreas Skov Olsen broke down the right to deliver a cross which the sliding Hojlund sent goalwards, but Ward produced a fine stop with his legs.

Sorba Thomas was not as prominent as he had been against Norway, but his centre ricocheted off Lewis Koumas’ shoulder and ended up in the grateful hands of Mads Hermansen.

Wales were fortunate to escape when Ward did superbly to push Isaksen’s header on to a post.

Johnson sent an angled attempt over before Cabango collected a second yellow card in the competition, ruling him out of Wales’ trip to Norway in November.

Bellamy tried to inject some urgency with a raft of arrivals from the bench, but Wales still struggled to trouble the well-organised visitors.

The optimism of home fans seeped away after Ward’s error denied Wales a first clean sheet since November.

Wales, however, move up to third place in Group A4 as Norway’s defeat in Portugal sends them to bottom spot on head-to-head results with the Dragons.

The 76-year-old – who has been criticised by supporters for an apparent lack of progress on the pitch – was taking part in the pro-am event on Saturday when the disruption happened on the green of the 15th hole.

Tennis balls with pictures of Desmond’s faces crossed out where thrown on to the green, with Desmond then escorted off the course by security.

The Celtic Fans Collective later released a statement on X, which included video and pictures of the protest, calling for change at the top of the club and more “accountability”.

Dermot Desmond has essentially been allowed to run Celtic Football Club whilst using his wealth to hide from supporters and accountability. Fans took the chance today to send a message that this arrangement cannot continue. pic.twitter.com/Dx3fubN2Xp

— Celtic Fans Collective (@CFC_Collective) October 3, 2026

On Saturday evening, Celtic issued a lengthy and strongly-worded statement against the “premeditated action” which “brought shame upon” the name of the club.

The statement read: “Celtic Football Club has never sought to prevent supporters from expressing criticism of the club, its board or its shareholders. Supporters are entitled to disagree with decisions, to make their views known and to protest peacefully. What occurred at St Andrews represents a significant and unacceptable escalation.

“Those responsible have brought shame upon the name of Celtic Football Club and upon a reputation which generations of Celtic supporters have spent more than a century building.

“The club no longer accepts that the Celtic Fans Collective can credibly claim to represent the wider Celtic support. Those responsible for today’s events certainly do not speak for the many thousands of Celtic supporters who express their views passionately, peacefully and responsibly.”

Celtic said the club would not be “intimidated or coerced by organised acts of disruption”, adding “there is a line between protest and deliberate disruption. Today that line was crossed.”

The statement concluded: “No supporter requires the permission of Celtic Football Club to disagree with its board. But equally, no supporter group has an entitlement to repeatedly disrupt events, intimidate individuals or seek to coerce the club and then claim to do so on behalf of the Celtic support.

“Celtic will continue to listen to and engage with supporters who wish to make their voices heard constructively and responsibly. There are many established channels through which supporters can do so, and today’s decision does not diminish the club’s commitment to meaningful supporter engagement.

“But engagement requires responsibility. The club will protect its employees, directors, shareholders and supporters. The reputation of Celtic Football Club is non negotiable.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 2pm on Saturday, 3 October, 2026, we were aware of tennis balls being thrown on the golf course in St Andrews. There were no reports of injuries. Enquiries are ongoing.”

Martin O’Neill’s side – who claimed the Premiership title ahead of Hearts after a final-day decider last season as part of a domestic double – currently sit top of the table, two points clear of rivals Rangers.

Celtic, though, lost the last three games before the international break – including two defeats by Rangers, one at Parkhead, and were also beaten 3-1 at home by Ferencvaros in their opening Europa League fixture.

Celtic Fans Collective responded in a statement, describing Desmond as “notoriously thin-skinned” and claiming his comments were “a disgraceful mischaracterisation of our organisation”.

CFC added: “This tells Celtic supporters everything they need to know about Dermot Desmond and his priorities.

“He appears furious that ordinary working-class fans have dared to air their grievances in the safe, elitist world of golf, embarrassing him in front of the network of people whose opinions he appears to value far more than those of Celtic supporters.”

Formed in 1968, the English rock band rose to fame the following year with their self-titled album, which featured tracks including Good Times Bad Times, Dazed And Confused and Communication Breakdown.

The band enforced a strict no-single rule in their home country and focused on releasing full albums.

Despite this, after the success of the song Whole Lotta Love in the US – where it was certified gold – Atlantic Records pressed around 500 copies of the single.

The band’s manager Peter Grant ordered the batch to be recalled and destroyed.

However, on the latest episode of Antiques Roadshow – hosted at Caerphilly Castle in Wales – a man turned up with a copy of the 7-inch single.

He told expert Marc Allum it was given to him in a record shop in the early 1970s.

“I was looking for records to start a disco and out of his bag came a couple of records and he went ‘you can have those’,” he said.

Allum said the single was never officially released in the UK and “shouldn’t really exist”.

“There are a lot of myths and stories that build up around these things, and I heard that 500 were pressed and they went out,” he said.

“This came about apparently because there was a kind of disparity between the relationship between the band, the management and the record company, and Led Zeppelin the band hadn’t agreed to have any singles released.”

The owner of the record replied: “Yes, they wanted all of their music on albums.”

Allum said that despite the singles being immediately recalled, some people did not return them.

After inspecting the condition of the record – which had a finger mark and light scratching – Allum said it was “difficult to put a value on”, but added that at auction he estimated it would sell for about £1,000.

Despite its price tag, the owner said he had played it about eight to 10 times at discos and people “weren’t impressed”.

Allum: “It cleared the dance floor, didn’t it!”

After discovering the value of the item, the owner jokingly asked to keep the fact he owned it a secret.

He added: “It’s been with me for 55 years and I will probably give it to my daughters to do what they want to do with it.

“I don’t think I will play it again as it will devalue it.”

Led Zeppelin featured vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bass guitarist and keyboard player John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham.

The band had eight consecutive UK number one albums and six number one albums on the US Billboard 200.

Rolling Stone described them as “the biggest band of the seventies” and they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.

They disbanded in 1980 after the death of Bonham.

Mr Polanski did not take part in the vote on the “Zionism is racism” motion, having left the party conference after his speech on Friday to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.

In a statement with Green MPs and his deputies, he said there is “no conflict between supporting the rights of Palestinians and the rights of Jewish people”.

Members still in Brighton backed the motion with 1,022 votes in favour and 813 against.

It declares the Greens to be an “anti-Zionist party” and sets into its policy that Zionism, the movement to develop and protect a Jewish state in Israel, will be “treated as any other form of racism”.

It also supports the establishment of a “single democratic Palestinian State in all of historic Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital”.

Supporters chanted “say it loud, say it clear, Zionists are not welcome here” as the campaigners behind the motion, Greens for Palestine, gathered to speak to the media.

Asked if the new stance meant Zionists would be kicked out of the party, former councillor Salma Yaqoob said “absolutely not”.

“We’re saying that if you want to champion Zionism, it will be called out as racism.

“But, no, this is not a disciplinary issue. Nobody will be removed, challenged, disciplined, suspended because they put forward or articulate their belief in Zionism.”

This type of motion does not have a “material impact on governance or disciplinary procedures”, a Green Party spokesperson said.

“This has been a serious and deeply felt debate within our membership. Our members value the ability to bring forward and decide party policy, and conference has now made its decision.

“The Green Party is an anti-racist party and has consistently opposed the illegal occupation of both Palestinian and Syrian land, called for an end to arms sales to the Israeli government and spoken out fearlessly about the devastating situation in Gaza and the West Bank.

“Those positions remain central to our approach. So too does our deeply-held commitment to equality, justice and human rights for all, and opposition to racism in all its forms.”

The members voted against adding a clause to make clear the motion should not be used to “pressure, proscribe or discipline” party members for their affiliation to synagogues or other Jewish groups that describe themselves as Zionist.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the Greens have become “an extremist party”.

“The motion passed by the Green Party today is an attack on the Jewish community,” a statement said.

“It is an antisemitic platform, based on a grossly offensive distortion and erasure of Jewish experience and identity. Zionism is anti-racism, creating a refuge for Jews in their ancient homeland after millennia of persecution outside it.

“Branding most British Jews and Jewish institutions ‘racist’ stokes anti-Jewish hatred after a year in which British Jews have been murdered attending their synagogue, stabbed in the streets, and seen their community buildings firebombed.

“With this motion the Green Party has departed far from international consensus and exposed itself as an extremist party. We stand with Jewish Greens, whose concerns have been rejected in the most callous way.

“We welcome the cross-party condemnation and call on wider civil society to now relate to the Green Party for what it has become: an extremist party with a platform of anti-Jewish racism.”

Israel’s foreign ministry said the Greens were giving “legitimacy to terrorism”.

“The Greens have adopted not only the green of Hamas, but also its ideology: the elimination of the State of Israel through armed struggle.”

They added: “This goes far beyond the boundaries of legitimate political debate. As long as this resolution remains in place, it will stand as a stain on the history of the United Kingdom.”

Jewish leaders said the failure of the Green Party leadership to oppose the move “shows a staggering indifference to the welfare of British Jews”.

The chief executives of the Board of Deputies, Community Security Trust and Jewish Leadership Council wrote a letter to Green Party leaders ahead of the conference airing their concerns and referring back to a warning they issued over the motion earlier this year.

“We also emphasised the implications for the safety and welfare of all British Jews, and our belief that this motion would make the Green Party the first electorally significant UK political party in living memory to adopt what appears to be an overtly antisemitic political platform,” they said.

Two senior Rabbis said the motion was “antisemitic in its formulation and intention”.

Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy said: “By adopting it, the Green Party has made antisemitism party policy and become a racist party.”

The vote has exposed divisions within the party as four of its five MPs – Ellie Chowns, Sian Berry and ex-leaders Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer – came out to publicly reject the motion.

Ms Chowns said in a social media post that she was concerned the motion “risks fuelling division and risks undermining the party’s ability to advocate effectively for justice and peace”.

Afterwards, party leader Mr Polanski and the five MPs released a joint statement saying they would “always uphold universal human rights”.

“We will never tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment.

“We will continue to stand in opposition to genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid and the illegal occupation.

“We will continue to call out the heinous crimes of the Netanyahu government.

“And we will continue to work to ensure that the Green Party is an anti-racist party in every way.

“We know there is no conflict between supporting the rights of Palestinians and the rights of Jewish people.”

The position will become party policy but the Greens do not require all their politicians to back it.

Party leader Mr Polanski is running to become an MP in Sir Keir Starmer’s former seat and the Greens had encouraged members to leave Brighton to support his campaign in London.

Mr Polanski said he believes that the “displacement and genocide of the Palestinian people” is “clearly racism” in an interview with the BBC earlier this week.

But he said he wanted an amendment to call for one Palestinian state in the motion, “because what I want to see is equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians”.

Chair of the Labour Party Bridget Phillipson described the decision as “fundamentally wrong”.

She said: “It is shameful to vote against a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine and to condemn the vast majority of British Jews and Jews around the world as racist for supporting Israel’s right to exist.

“It is fundamentally wrong and the leadership of the Green Party must make clear that this will not be their position moving forwards.

“The Labour Party has always been clear that criticism of the policies of the Israeli Government is not antisemitic, and the Labour government has condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank. But today’s vote at the Green Party Conference crosses a line and should be condemned across the political spectrum.

“This vote underlines how important it was that we changed the Labour Party from top to bottom and ripped out the scourge of antisemitism from within the party.”

The Conservatives said it showed the Green Party is “toxic to its core”.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “British Jews should not have to disclaim a belief in Jewish self-determination and the existence of Israel in order to be accepted by a British political party.”

REIGNING champions Newbridge needed a late Sean Young goal to save them from a championship exit on Sunday in night in Find Insurance Owenbeg.

Their victory sets up a semi-final with Glen this weekend, a repeat of the 2024 decider won by the ‘Bridge.

Sunday’s semi-final draw also pairs Magherafelt with Sleacht Néill, as the same four teams remain standing at the semi-final stage for a fourth successive year.

Newbrigde controlled most of the first half with Conleth McGrogan goal putting them into a 1-7 to 0-4 interval lead.

It was a sucker punch for the Tones who missed a chance seconds earlier after a sustained spell of keep ball, only for Newbridge to break at pace before finding the net.

With Peter Cassidy influential at midfield, Bellaghy pulled themselves back into contention.

Two pointers from Charlie Diamond (2), Declan and Paul Cassidy had Bellaghy back on level terms.

In the end, the Newbridge pace was the winning of the game. It was frightening, led by Eamon Young on the break.

Damon Gallagher was taken off before coming back on and his two-pointer put Bellaghy ahead, 0-16 to 1-11, before Sean Young’s goal.

Gallagher had a chance to save the game but dropped his effort short before Cathair McBride added an insurance point.

Sleacht Néill 2-17 Ballinderry 0-11

GOALS from Brendan Rogers and Eamon Cassidy in either half shot Sleacht Néill to victory over Ballinderry.

The Shamrocks led 0-4 to 0-1 thanks to scores from Ryan Bell (two pointer), Niall O’Donnell and Shea McCann.

Shéa Cassidy helped level matters before Rogers’ goal helped open a 1-6 to 0-5 interval lead.

Shane McGuigan kicked 0-5 in the second half before Eamon Cassidy’s goal sealed victory for the Emmet’s.

Their semi-final is a rematch of their round one game Rossa won after Johnny McErlain’s goal turned the tie on its head.

Scorers

Newbridge: S Young 1-2 (1tp), O Doherty 0-4 (2f), Conleth McGrogan 1-0, C McAteer 0-2, S McAteer, M Doherty, D McGreevy and C McBride 0-1 each

Bellaghy: D Gallagher (1tp, 1f), C Diamond (2tpf) 0-4 each, D Cassidy, Paul Cassidy 0-2 (tp) each, O McErlean, E Brown, P Stuart (45) and J Donnelly 0-1 each

Sleacht Néill: Shane McGuigan 0-5 (1tp), B Rogers 1-2 (tp), Shéa Cassidy 0-4, E Cassidy 1-0, C O’Doherty 0-2, C Bradley (f), Sé McGuigan, E Mulholland and P Cassidy 0-1 each

Ballinderry: R Bell (1tpf), G McKinless 0-3 each, R Forbes, N O’Donnell, S McCann, D McGuckin and C Cassidy 0-1 each

Semi-finals (next weekend)Sleacht Néill v MagherafeltGlen v Newbridge

The dinghy was being shadowed by French rescue vessels, but now appears to be in British waters with RNLI boats on the scene, according to ship tracking data.

French media reported there are around 120 migrants on board.

Conservative MP for Gosport Caroline Dinenage said there is “nothing to suggest” the boat will be landing in Hampshire but that police are “making preparations should that situation change”.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said it had deployed officers to Gosport to “support our partners in the event of an emergency at sea”.

Ambulances and coaches are also reportedly in the area.

The force has imposed conditions under the Public Order Act as well as powers prohibiting the wearing of face coverings.

Around 100 demonstrators have assembled near Haslar Marina where the atmosphere has mostly remained peaceful.

Some protesters surrounded police vans chanting “shame on you” and “deport the lot”.

There were similar scenes last month when protesters gathered in the area expecting migrants to arrive on a dinghy, but they were ultimately taken to Dover by sea.

The latest dinghy appeared to have set off from near the Utah Beach area of Normandy on Sunday morning.

Departures so far west have been rare in recent years but it is the third such crossing in the space of a month.

A Government spokesperson said: “The Border Security Command works around the clock to monitor the Channel and protect our border. It is vital we continue to detain, check and process every small boat arrival.”

Last month, British rescue boats collected the passengers of a migrant dinghy which had spent around 30 hours at sea after setting off from Normandy.

The 51 migrants, who refused help from the French coastguard, arrived in Dover after being transferred to Border Security Command boats.

It was expected the migrants would be taken to Gosport, with hundreds of protesters gathering after coaches and ambulances were spotted in the area.

Six people were arrested by officers during the evening.

The provisional total for Channel crossings this year is 19,451.

This is down 43% on this time last year and 23% below the figure at this stage in 2024.

The celebrity hair stylist, 43, had been paired with professional dancer Amy Dowden, 36.

However, their dances on the first two weeks of the show failed to impress the judges – who then sent them home.

The pair left the competition following a movie week dance-off against actress Jaime Winstone and her partner Carlos Gu.

This week’s judges’ scores were added to those from last week’s first live show, when there was no public vote, and were then combined with the results of Saturday night’s public vote to decide the two lowest-scoring couples who would face the dance-off.

When he found out he was in the dance-off, Appleton told host Emma Willis: “I am going to go again, and I will try and bring a little more action.”

Both couples performed their routines again – with Appleton and Dowden doing a cha cha to I’ll Be Ready from Baywatch before Winstone and Gu did the same dance but to Oh, Pretty Woman from Pretty Woman.

When it came to choose who to save, judges Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke all chose to save Winstone and Gu – who won last season with former footballer Karen Carney.

Craig Revel Horwood – who was the judge with the deciding vote this week – said that he would have also saved the same couple as the rest of the judges if he had needed to vote.

After his elimination, Appleton said: “I think it’s been such a whirlwind of emotion. I’m 43 and I got good at doing what I did – which is hair. To come and do something like this, I felt so out of my comfort zone and saw myself in a way I never saw myself, and it challenged me in ways I never knew I could be challenged.

“I am very grateful for everyone who has been involved. It’s been so amazing to be part of something that I grew up watching and got to be a part of it.

“The most important thing I think I will take from this show is having a friend in Amy because I genuinely love her and I am so grateful I met someone who has so much heart and passion.

“I only wish I could have done better for her because she deserves to go further in the competition, but we did put everything into it.”

Dowden added: “Although it was only two weeks, watching Chris grow in confidence, that is what I will take away. Obviously I am heartbroken and this seems to be my luck the last few years, but my heart is only breaking because I don’t get to dance with him on Monday… but I do get a friend for life.”

Posting a series of photos with Appleton minutes after the show, Dowden wrote on Instagram: “I honestly don’t think words can quite describe how proud I am of you. Seeing your Strictly journey come to an end is emotional, but what I’ll treasure most isn’t the result, it’s the friendship, memories and special moments we’ve shared along the way.

“I know unfortunately only too well heartbreak. But I also know that the reason it hurts so much is because of the friendship and bond we’ve formed and that’s something that isn’t going anywhere.

“From the nerves, the laughter and the endless rehearsals to the moments when things felt tough, you gave everything you had. You showed such heart, determination and kindness, and it has been an absolute privilege to share this journey with you.”

Dowden said their time on the show may have ended but their friendship “certainly hasn’t”.

“Chris, you should be incredibly proud of yourself. Thank you for every laugh, every memory, every hug and for simply being you,” she added.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Amy Dowden MBE (@amy_dowden)

The first results show of this season of Strictly also featured a The Devil Wears Prada routine from the Strictly Professionals, plus a performance from Matilda The Musical, with the four young performers who play Matilda singing Quiet alongside composer Tim Minchin.

Throughout his career, Appleton has worked with stars including Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Sofia Vergara, Ariana Grande and Katy Perry.

He and Dowden had performed a tango on their first week of the contest – receiving a score of 16 from the judges.

After performing during movie week, the judges scored them 17 for their cha-cha-cha.

Both Mabuse and Du Beke noticed the hair stylist had shown a “huge improvement” from the first week.

“The performance was another level, and the dancing will keep improving if you keep at it,” Du Beke said.

Speaking soon after finishing the routine, Appleton said he “did not want to let Amy down”, adding: “I am really trying but also really enjoying it.”

Dowden was also eliminated first last season after being paired with The Apprentice contestant and businessman Thomas Skinner.

Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday at 6.15pm on BBC One.

A nine-point lead with 10 minutes of normal time to go was chopped down to four – and could have been the minimum margin as the game entered at least four minutes of added time.

However, Errigal goalkeeper Darragh McAnenly made a brilliant save to turn a penalty kick from Ruairi McCullagh around the post – but even then the champions almost bagged a second goal which would have forced a replay.

“There’s no hooter to work towards and there’s the two-pointers,” said McGinley, “so even when there are four points you’re having to push.

“It is everything that you want to see balanced in terms of the rules or how it works out comes into that final phase. Usually in the old game you locked it down, you controlled that phase, you had 15 men behind the ball in it, and there was no such thing as a two-pointer.

“Now you have the two-pointers, so you have to push out, and that leaves gaps in behind for a team pushing.

“It just is horrible as a manager because you cannot control it, it is the players on the pitch seeing it, trying to put out the fires where they can, and having the resolve if they take a sucker punch, deal with it, move on, it’s the next ball, and thankfully our boys held out in the end.”

McGinley said that the memory of last year’s last four loss – their only defeat before the final in five seasons now – was still on Errigal minds as this game went down the stretch:

“Look, we lost last year’s semi-final to Trillick and it was all square in the 29th minute [of the second half] and we lost it.

“So that has been a major thing for us all year, that point, and we were back at that stage today, so I’m delighted for the boys.

“There’s so much hard work goes into it to just get back to that point, coming down the line in a championship semi-final and getting you over the line.

“You need your wee shade of luck to get there, but I’m just delighted for the boys.”

In truth Errigal fully merited this win, looking the better side almost throughout, especially when they went from level pegging in the 25^th minute to nine ahead, 0-17 to 0-8, with 50 minutes on the clock.

A two-point free from Loughmacrory ’keeper Oisin O’Kane then lifted the holders, and sub Pearse McDonald banged in a goal, leaving the outcome in the balance.

McGinley was able to laugh about the penalty award – which seemed a good call by referee Sean Hurson – saying:

“I didn’t see the penalty decision, so I’m going to say it was harsh - that sounds like Arsene Wenger, but I’m going to say it was harsh.

“I’ll look back at the video, I was head down in my notebook at that stage, because I thought we’d stopped the initial danger, so I don’t know what happened there.”

Happily for the Ballygawley side McAnenly prevented a second Loughmacrory goal, to McGinley’s relief:

“Look, ‘Sugar’ is a really experienced guy and goalkeeping coach Benny Devlin has come in and he’s doing great work with him - but penalties are always that wee bit of luck too.

“The goalie will make his decision and it was an excellent save down to his right side, he’s usually actually stronger to the opposite side, so I was delighted to see him go to that side and save it.”

Into their 16^th senior final, aiming for a 10^th triumph, Errigal Ciaran will clearly present an awesome challenge for first-time finalists Edendork.

The Belfast Giants completed a weekend double over Dundee Stars on Sunday evening, following a controlled 3-1 road victory with a 4-0 win on home ice to reinforce their position as one of the early pace-setters in the Challenge Cup.

David Goodwin opened Sunday’s scoring on the power play inside two minutes before Nicolas Guay doubled Belfast’s advantage in the second period. Ciaran Long added a third early in the final period and JJ Piccinich completed the scoring late on, with Jake Kupsky recording the shutout.

It leaves Adam Keefe’s side with seven wins from eight Challenge Cup games and adds another convincing weekend to a start which has already included an 8-1 defeat of Dundee and a 6-0 win over Fife.

The qualification that matters is that the Giants have still not played a league game. Their Elite League title defence begins away to Coventry Blaze on Saturday before a trip to Cardiff Devils the following evening, and those fixtures should offer a clearer indication of how this refreshed championship side measures up beyond its Cup group.

There has been plenty to encourage Keefe nevertheless. JJ Piccinich has led the early scoring, Scott Conway has settled quickly into his work and Goodwin continues to create at a high rate, while Mike Lee has offered considerable production from defence. Jackson Whistle and Kupsky have also given Belfast two dependable options in goal.

That depth matters because the ambitions around this team extend beyond simply retaining the league. Last season’s title was won comfortably and represented another considerable achievement under Keefe, but defeats in both knockout competitions left something unresolved. For a club carrying the Giants’ resources and expectations, another league championship would be significant without necessarily making the season feel complete.

The domestic treble will inevitably sit somewhere in the background as the campaign develops. The more immediate task is to keep accumulating evidence that this side can win in different ways.

Friday night in Dundee supplied some of that. Nicolas Guay put Belfast ahead late in an open first period before Long and Christian Berger stretched the lead to 3-0 in the second. Sebastian Bengtsson pulled one back for Dundee with just under 12 minutes remaining, but Belfast managed the closing stages well enough to avoid giving the Stars any genuine route back into the game.

Keefe was not entirely satisfied. He felt Belfast were “good in portions of the game and sloppy in other portions”, pointing to the number of odd-man rushes conceded in both directions.

“There were some big moments in the game for us,” he said, singling out Whistle and Long, whose goal and wider contribution stood out. Keefe was happier with how his side closed the contest than with what had gone before.

“I didn’t mind the third period,” he said. “I thought we did enough in the third period to kind of manage the game.”

The second was another matter. Belfast scored twice in it, but Keefe admitted: “The second period, I didn’t love that. Even though that’s the period where we broke the game open a little bit with some timely goals, but it’s not the way we want to play.”

Sunday was a more complete performance and it never looked in doubt. Goodwin’s early goal settled Belfast immediately, Guay gave them breathing room and Long struck again before Piccinich rounded off a night on which Dundee never found the response they had managed 48 hours earlier.

That should send the Giants into league play in good order. Piccinich is producing, Long has enjoyed an influential weekend and both goaltenders have supplied reasons for confidence.

Keefe’s side already look capable of carrying much of last season’s consistency into another campaign. The next test starts in Coventry: first to prove it over league weekends and across an attritional league season which will test squad depth. Then eventually to show that the same reliability can survive when knockout hockey leaves no room for a second chance.

Demonstrators marched from Tower Hamlets Town Hall in Whitechapel to St George’s Gardens in Cable Street on Sunday to mark the anniversary of the clashes.

The Battle of Cable Street on October 4 1936 saw demonstrators block Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists (BUF) from marching through the East End of London.

The antisemitic BUF’s decision to march through the area, then home to a large Jewish population, was regarded as a deliberate provocation and anti-fascist organisations rallied large crowds to prevent the march.

Protesters at Sunday’s march carried placards which said “Stop Islamophobia, Stop the far right” with pictures of activist Tommy Robinson, as well as others saying “Stop Trump, Stop Farage”.

Those at the front of the march carried a banner reading: “No to: Antisemitism, Islamophobia, all racism. 1936 they did not pass. 2026 they will not pass.”

Other protesters carried “From Cable Street to Garvaghy Road, smash fascism” banners in reference to the Drumcree parade dispute in Northern Ireland.

Groups participating in the march included trade unions such as Unite and organisations including Jewish Bloc for Palestine.

Protesters joined in chants of “Zionists are not welcome here” and “Zionism is fascism”.

There was a brief confrontation between marchers and two counter-protesters carrying flags with “Campaign Against Antisemitism” written on them.

The Metropolitan Police said one man was arrested for breach of the peace and then later arrested for public order offences.

Speaking at a demonstration after the march, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn criticised “racist language used today by Farage and Reform and all the others who are now blaming refugees and migrants”.

Islington North MP Mr Corbyn said: “Anti-racism means we oppose every form of racism, whatever it is, wherever it raises its head, because it destroys the unity that we need in order to improve the living standards of the poorest people within our society.

“The biggest proponents of, now, Islamophobia are the far right across Europe.

“They are funded by Elon Musk. And the big money that flows into those parties, you need to know where it comes from and who is providing it.”

Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman said “migration, immigrants, the indigenous communities together have made Tower Hamlets what it is: a great borough”.

He added: “The 1930s and the early 1940s was a taint of dreadful, dreadful world history.

“Mosley ran riot across the country and tried to run riot in Tower Hamlets.

“Our forefathers said, ‘No, you’re not coming here. You shall not pass’. And they couldn’t pass.

“And we say that again now: the fascists, the far right, will never run riot in Tower Hamlets.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Instead of commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street, those marching today hijacked it.

“In 1936 the British Union of Fascists sought to drive Jews from the streets, and in 2026 at the Unite the Union march attendees shouted ‘Zionist scum off our streets’.

“There were other similarities too: there was no audible intervention from the Government, and the police facilitated the march of these vile bigots rather than taking action.

“Ninety years ago, brave Londoners recognised anti-Jewish racism and stood with their Jewish neighbours against it. Ninety years ago, they did not pass. Today, despite the efforts of a valiant few, they did.”

Clontibret 2-19 Truagh 4-16

The quarter-finals in Monaghan saw three goals in two games. The semis saw ten.

The quarters saw just five two-pointers. Today, Clontibret hit six and came out on the losing side. And not for lack of drama.

For Truagh, it was a battle through adversity. They lost three men to blood subs, Aiden Coyle’s hefty head knock enough to end his game before half-time.

Paudie McKenna was bloodied too, and returned to land a crucial score off the left peg, having hit the insurance score against Carrick last time out, freshly back from a pulled hamstring previously in this campaign.

At this stage, only the body on the line will do, and that’s exactly what saw Henry Kelly remarkably denied three times in a row by a red wall. The last line of defence Shane Clerkin was forced off at that moment, having stood strong.

How many times sub keeper Caolan McGee would have been told to bide his time. Today, his day came. Truagh’s did too, with their panel crucial, as another sub Adam McCarey had a crucial hand in two of their four goals.

Last week, Gary Mohan put one on a plate for Sean O’Connell. This time, the roles reversed. No man before the team.

The evergreen Dessie Mone versus Mohan was the pick of the match ups in the opening 30, as each had their moments, starting with a delightful curled effort from Mohan under the stand to get Truagh off the mark.

The sides then traded goals, as midfielders James McKenna and Brian Greenan bundled in at either end.

Clontibret were twice guilty of breaches, punished for 0-3, so while Aaron Carey and Charlie Mone each struck textbook two pointers from different angles, they looked in bother when the latter was black carded.

And particularly so when the resultant penalty was dispatched expertly by Chrissy McKenna. Yet Truagh struggled a man up. Indeed, they shipped seven points without reply.

Jack Brady, a minor teammate of Mone’s at the St Paul’s tournament last year, showed leadership beyond his years, nailing two two-pointers from play.

As Brian Greenan blocked Cormac McKenna and Ryan Mohan dropped short, Clontibret breezed into the dressing rooms 1-13 to 2-7 ahead.

That was where the darting run of Sean O’Connell was key, finding Gary Mohan just as Mohan had found him a week before for the same result. Palmed home.

Ronan Boyle has arguably been the best defender in the Monaghan SFC, as he held Darragh Keenan scoreless from play in another teak tough display. But chaos still ruled.

Darragh Hughes, just on, won a penalty. In that same play, Conor Boyle was denied by one keeper after an outrageous solo run, before Aaron Carey sent the penalty past another.

Not 60 seconds later, Caolan Tracey ran off Adam McCarey to rifle home the perfect response high into the net, before that triple block on Kelly.

Conor Boyle kept plugging away for his side, kicking a much needed score off the ciotóg to bring it back to two, but from there, it was the Luke Hughie McKenna show.

Truagh hit three in a row, McKenna raising a white and an orange flag and teeing up James McKenna for another, with former Clare midfielder Darren O’Neill and fit again Louis Kelly claiming crucial late kickouts from the big boot of newbie Caolan McGee.

Clontibret netminder Darren McDonnell closed the gap with two late long range frees, but Mark Counihan’s men battled as they had all game to see it out.

Clontibret: Darren McDonnell 0-4 (2 X tpf); S Myers, J Gormley, D Mone; C Mone 0-2 (1 X tp), C Boyle 0-1, J Brady 0-5 (2 X tp); B Greenan 1-1, K Lavelle 0-1; E Treanor, A Carey 1-3 (1 Pen, 1 X tp,), H Kelly; Dean McDonnell, D McDonnell, D Keenan 0-2 (2f).

Subs: D Hughes for D Mone (35), R McGuigan for H Kelly (42), D Boylan for E Treanor (46), S Byrne for D McDonnell (53).

Truagh: S Clerkin; A Coyle, R Boyle, K McKenna; L Kelly, R Mohan, P McKenna 0-2; D O’Neill, J McKenna 1-1; C McKenna, LH McKenna 0-3 (1 X tp), O McElligott 0-2 (1f); Chrissy McKenna 1-5 (1-0 pen, 2 X tpf), G Mohan 1-1, S O’Connell 0-1.

Subs: A McCarey 0-1 for P McKenna (blood, 17), C Tracey 1-0 for A Coyle (inj. 19), C McGee for S Clerkin (inj. 37), P McKenna for Cormac McKenna (45). L O McKenna for O McElligott (59).

Sir Chris Bryant said: “I continue to speak with people of goodwill on all sides and believe a mutually agreeable solution is still possible if people can show leadership based on openness, compromise and magnanimity.”

Meanwhile, after being denied permission to march by the PSNI at lunchtime on Sunday, Portadown District master Nigel Dawson told the Orangemen they had the support of the community, and added: “We continue to abide by the law and continue to show that every single minute and every single hour of the day since we won the court case.

“And of course we still await – and it is important we say this, that we have a police service in Northern Ireland that are at this moment in time unable or unwilling to police a court judgment.”

A police inspector had told them the service recognises the Parades Commission decision was still in force but said it was necessary to close the road for the preservation of peace and order because of circumstances on Garvaghy Road.

After the rally in support of the residents on Saturday, PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Anthony McNally said anyone blocking the Garvaghy Road will still be treated as “participating in an unnotified and therefore illegal protest”.

The senior officer said evidence gathering remains ongoing and anyone found to have broken the law “will face criminal justice consequences”.

Attention now turns to this morning’s new legal challenge at the Court of Appeal in Belfast, which had been pushed back to allow the talks – which ended without agreement on Friday – to continue.

Jamie Bryson, loyalist activist and legal adviser to the Portadown District, previously said the Orangemen will accept the determination of the courts on Monday, challenging Garvaghy Road residents to do the same.

Gowna produced a devastating first-half display to dismantle Crosserlough and advance to their fifth Cavan SFC final in six seasons at Kingspan Breffni.

While Vinny Corey’s men were favourites, a close contest was anticipated.

Instead, it was effectively over inside 20 minutes as Gowna tore into their opponents, opening a 14-point lead which left the large crowd stunned into a muted silence.

By half-time, Gowna led 2-10 to 0-2 and Crosserlough had also lost Paddy Lynch to a straight red card.

It amounted to a chastening evening for the 2020 and 2024 champions, arguably their worst in Senior Championship football since they were relegated in 2010 and certainly their heaviest setback since this team emerged as a major force in 2018.

Gowna, meanwhile, were magnificent, with Daire Madden possibly the pick of a galaxy of stars.

“We knew we were coming up against a really good team, they have an awful lot of quality and have been putting up big scores so the boys were very focused,” Corey said.

“They knew in order to get into the final, they were going to have to produce a hard-working performance and I think that was the key.”

Crosserlough actually opened the scoring through James Smith after seven cagey minutes but Oisín Pierson replied from a free and Gowna took over.

Fiachra Brady cut through and squared for Daire Madden to deftly flick to the roof of the net in the 10th minute. Madden and his brother Tiarnan added points before Crosserlough began to unravel on their own kick-out.

Ryan Donohoe converted a 45 after Cian Boylan had made an excellent goal-line clearance and another turnover was punished by Cian Madden.

The second goal arrived in the 19th minute. Daire Madden delivered a superb pass towards Pierson and, when John Cooke could not retain possession, the Gowna attacker pounced and rifled to the roof of the net on the turn.

Donohoe added a point, Conor Brady landed a two-pointer and Tiarnan Madden made it 2-9 to 0-1 after just 22 minutes.

Lynch was then deservedly dismissed for an off-the-ball incident with Fionán Brady. Pierce Smith converted a free for Crosserlough before Seanie Hartin completed the first-half scoring.

“I thought the first half we kind of got a run on Crosserlough in fairness and they were probably caught a wee bit unawares and we just kept the foot down,” Corey said.

Brandon Boylan landed a two-point free on the restart and, although Conor Casey replied, Gowna never rediscovered the ferocity of their first-half performance.

Crosserlough’s best chance of reducing the deficit arrived in the 42nd minute when Brandon Boylan’s excellent delivery released Harry Boylan, who was fouled by goalkeeper Mark Brady.

Brady immediately made amends with a brilliant penalty save from Brandon Boylan and the resulting 45 was sent wide.

Donohoe and Cian Madden added points before Conor Brady boomed over a huge two-pointer from the left wing to make it 2-15 to 0-4.

Cian Madden added another before substitute Oran Rehill netted a consolation goal. Ryan McGahern, a two-time SFC-winning captain, came forward for a rare point, James Smith replied with a two-pointer and Cian Madden completed the scoring.

Corey, in his second season as Gowna manager and assisted by Mark McKeever and Laois’s Ross Munnelly, was not entirely satisfied with the second-half display.

“I wouldn’t say a complete performance, I didn’t think the second half was good. Especially when we were a man up, I thought we should have pushed on a bit more.

“Maintained would probably be the word rather than push on and do what we had been doing in the first half. Listen, maybe some of it is understandable.

“We’re happy, we got out of it relatively comfortably, more comfortably than we thought, but we’ve been here before and we know the final is a lot different.”

Gowna: M Brady; Fionán Brady, Cillian Brady, E Hartin; Fiachra Brady, Conor Brady (0-4, 2 2pt), T Madden (0-2); R Brady, R Donohoe (0-3, 45); C Casey (0-1), S Hartin (0-1), D Madden (1-1); O Pierson (1-1, 1f), O Madden, Cian Madden (0-4, 1f)

Subs: Conor Madden for O Pierson (40), Cormac Brady for S Hartin (43), R McGahern (0-1) for T Madden (48), C Fitzpatrick for O Madden (53), DJ Madden for C Casey (55).

Crosserlough: T Byrd; J Cooke, C Boylan, D Harten; P Shalvey, P O’Reilly, K Smith; B Boylan (0-2, 2ptf), R Galligan; M Donohoe, D McVeety, H Boylan; S Smith, J Smith (0-3, 2pt), P Lynch

Subs: P Smith (0-1f) for M Donohoe (25), E Boylan for R Galligan (half-time), O Rehill (1-0) for P Shalvey (39), M Costello for S Smith (48), S McManus for B Boylan (48).

Ref: N Mooney.

Ballygalget 2-19 Ballycran 2-12

Ballygalget have made it through to their third consecutive Down SHC final after a super second half showing against Ballycran.

Owen McDermott’s 2-2 and some stout defending from the likes of Ben Taggart, John McManus and Mark Fisher were the foundations for their win as they starved Ballycran of possession in the second period and grabbed the crucial scores at vital times.

The first half was nip and with neither side able to establish a foothold.

However, a goal on 19 minutes saw Ballycran open up a four-point advantage. A long searching ball caused havoc in the Ballygalget defence and Sean McCarthy nipped in to sweep the loose ball into the net.

Ballycran held that four-point until half-time but it didn’t take long for ‘Galget to wipe that out in the second half.

Inside the first minute of the half, Owen McDermott arrowed his stinging drive to the back of the net and after Eoin Pucci levelled it up, McDermott grabbed the go-head point for Ballygalget in the 42^nd minute

However, their advantage didn’t last that long as Ballycran had their second goal a minute later when Conor Dorrian got on the end of a sweeping move to fire past Eoin Clarke in the Ballygalget goal.

That score put Ballycran two points clear but Eoin Pucci brought it back to the minimum with a free with less than 10 minutes to go and the scores were level two minutes later when Tim Prenter split the posts.

Ballycran were finding scores harder to come by in the face of some resolute Ballygalget and the Mitchel’s were dominating the puckouts.

Mark Fisher in particular was proving hard to get and when he cleared his lines on 55 minutes, it lead to Ballgalget’s second goal.

Owen McDermott got on the end of a long ball out of defence to fire his second goal to the net and two quick points from Shea Pucci put the Mitchel’s well in control.

Cathal Coulter and Eoin Pucci added further points and even though there was five minutes of injury time, Ballycran couldn’t find the big scores to get them back into the game.

Portaferry 3-29 Liatroim Fontenoy’s 1-7

The champions were 47-point winners over a much-changed Liatroim side and Portaferry looked to have picked up where they left off last week when they racked up 1-3 in the first five minutes.

The goal came after a goalmouth scramble before Finn Turpin poked the ball into the net with his foot.

However, Liatroim did offer some resistance when they scored a goal of their own a minute later through PJ Davidson.

Portaferry, though, continued to exert their supremacy and a second goal arrived on nine minutes and it was another kicked effort, this time Niall Milligan finishing after Liatroim failed to clear their lines from a free.

Tom Grattan kept Portaferry ticking over from placed ball and the Fontenoys were struggling to live with the champions’ high press.

By the end of the first quarter, Portaferry were 2-9 to 1-1 ahead and well in control.

Liatroim’s frustration showed it itself with a few feisty challenges and Tom McGrattan continued to prove unerring from frees as the champions took a 2-15 to 1-3 into the interval.

Pearse Og, Ruairi and Conor McCrickard tried to ignite a Liatroim fightback with second half points but Portaferry continued to pile on the scores.

Finn Turpin and Tom McGrattan continually split the posts before a third Portaferry, and second for Niall Milligan sealed the win.

The group were thronged by a crowd of thousands who had made their way to the site of the ongoing protest, which has now seen residents and supporters camped out on the Garvaghy Road for more than a week.

It comes as a sustained standoff continues a week on from when an Orange Order march was originally supposed to go ahead.

A major policing operation was in place for the weekend with both sides in the dispute organising rallies to bolster support, with positions entrenched in the run-up to a further legal challenge in the courts on Monday.

The stage where the protest heard from the Mary Wallopers last week and a number of speakers in front of 15,000 on Saturday was empty on Sunday evening.

The group did not take to the stage or make any public comment during their 30 minute public appearance.

But their march up the Garvaghy Road was preceded by a visit to the local Naíscoil and a meeting with local residents which was held away from the glare of the media.

We know that the band members voiced their support to the residents in their ongoing battle to block the Orangemen from going through their area.

After that, Moglai Bap, Mo Chara and DJ Provai took part in a choreographed walk from the nearby community centre to the masses awaiting them.

They were flanked by a security team who encouraged selfies only while they were walking, and had solicitor Darragh Mackin and Breandán Mac Cionnaith of the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition.

Mackin has represented members of the band in high profile cases in the past, and will also be present in court on Monday as the Garvaghy Road residents’ latest appeal is heard.

One Sinn Féin representative on the ground said a decision had been taken by the band not to perform at the protest “not to inflame things” ahead of Monday’s court sitting.

“It’s for the kids,” they said.

The pandemonium that ensued in the half an hour when the trio made their way up and down the road was palpable.

Children were visibly delighted after grabbing their selfies with the band members, one young girl said she thought she was “dreaming” after snapping one with Moglai Bap.

The whole evening felt a bit more like a music festival than a contentious parade protest - a constant stream of traditional music sessions were the centre of attention before the arrival of the west Belfast lads sent the place into raptures.

They are at the peak of their fame and are more than happy to use it to further the causes they believe in. Before they escaped the crowds there was time for one last photo opportunity with Sinn Féin councillor Catherine Nelson as she and the trio raised their fists in unison.

Soon afterwards, a more solemn gathering was taking place at Wilson Street car park in the town where the Portadown District Orangemen held a prayer meeting as part of its own protests at not being able to complete their parade.

On Monday, the battle will depart the streets temporarily and move to the courtroom once again.

Yet although champions Loughmacrory could have forced a replay, Errigal Ciaran deservedly dethroned them, with the winning of this match achieved around in the middle third.

That’s in time, as well as in terms of field position.

A game locked at six points apiece with 25 minutes played swung strongly towards the Dunmoyle men, who outscored the holders by 0-11 to 0-2 up until the 50^th minute.

Young Shea McDermott was key to that, scoring four of his seven-point tally in that period, but his fellow inside-forward Darragh Canavan was also excellent.

The Tyrone senior linked play superbly, regularly nipping out in front of his marker Dara Curran, and scored two of his 0-3 during that timeframe.

The versatile Peter Og McCartan contributed the same amount and with a lead to defend Errigal had the experienced and knowhow to see out the victory.

Errigal seemed to have the slight benefit of the breeze, albeit it was mostly a swirling, cross-field wind, and went for a few pointers – but only veteran Peter Harte was successful with such a score.

Still, that meant 11 separate scores during that significant period of dominance, from six different players, compared to only Gallagher and McElholm registering for Loughmacrory.

Obviously the Errigal defence also did great work, with Cormac Quinn sticking closely to his county colleague Eoin McElholm, while the other corner-back, Ronan O’Sullivan took on a number of marking roles to good effect.

The Loughmacrory attack had looked lively early on, with terrific pace and movement from most of their front six, but Errigal gradually clamped down on them and won more possession from kick-outs at either end.

Yet the men from around Ballygawley still needed a super save from a spot-kick by their goalkeeper Darragh McAnenly in added time to help seal their place in the decider against first-time finalists Edendork.

With the hour up, Loughmacrory midfielder Cathal Donaghy launched a long ball in which was caught by the impressive Cathaoir Gallagher, and when he was dragged down ref Sean Hurson swiftly signalled a penalty.

Ruairi McCullagh stepped up and struck the ball well, but McAnenly guessed right, dived right, and diverted the low shot around the post.

His opposite number Oisin O’Kane, whose two-point free conversion in the 51^st minute had begun the St Teresa’s comeback, sent the subsequent ‘45’ over the bar to leave just a goal between the teams – but the champs could not grab a second one.

The only goal had come in the 54^th minute, a cute handpass from McElholm finding sub Pearse McDonald’s clever run and he fairly lashed his cross-shot to the net.

Following that two-pointer free from O’Kane, Loughmacrory had rapidly reduced a seemingly game-winning nine-point lead for their opponents, 0-17 to 0-8, down to only four.

Darragh Canavan swung over a beauty to ease Errigal concerns. McCullagh and Gallagher scored quick points to keep the pressure on, but a burst forward from O’Sullivan forced a free, converted by McDermott, and Loughmacrory could not fully close down that four-point deficit.

Loughmacrory: O O’Kane 0-3 (2pf, 0-1 ‘45’); D Curran, N Kelly (capt.), M McNamee; S Dobbs, A Donaghy 0-1, A Fox; S Conway, C Donaghy 0-1; R Fox, E McElholm 0-2, C Gallagher 0-3; Eoin Donaghy 0-1, R McCullagh 0-2 (0-1f), G Donaghy.

Substitutes: P McDonald 1-0 for Eoin Donaghy (46); D Gallagher for Fox (51); Enda Donaghy for Dobbs (56).

Blood sub: Enda Donaghy for Conway (39-43).

Errigal Ciaran: D McAnenly; C Quinn, A McCrory, R O’Sullivan; T Colhoun 0-1, N Kelly, P Og McCartan 0-3; B McDonnell, P McGirr 0-1; P Traynor, P Harte 0-2p, A Quinn 0-2; S McDermott 0-7 (0-4f), O Robinson, D Canavan 0-3.

Substitutes: T Canavan for McCartan (46); E Kelly for McDonnell (44); M Kavanagh for Traynor (52); J Oguz for McGirr (56).

Blood sub: C McGinley for O’Sullivan (60-end).

Referee: Sean Hurson (Galbally).

Naomh Conaill were pushed right to the wire by Glenswilly and while they might have needed extra-time to get the job done, the champions are back in another Donegal SFC decider.

Martin Regan’s side now progresses to meet St Eunan’s in the final in two weeks time after the Letterkenny outfit got the better of Gaoth Dobhair in the county’s other last-four clash on Saturday night.

And the boss admits his team will need the next fortnight to prime themselves for that challenge after an energy-sapping 70-plus minutes of hard-hitting action in Ballybofey.

“Listen, there were long stages there that we just couldn’t get it together,” Regan told the Irish News.

“They were really well set up and when you have an outlet like Michael Murphy inside, the alarm bells are always in danger of ringing.

“But to be fair to our lads, when it didn’t look good near the end of normal time, the likes of Shea Malone and Odhran Molloy stepped up with huge two-pointers.

“We were five off the pace with five to go and Ciaran Thompson, who else, was the one looking for the ball and taking on the responsibility right at the end to force extra-time.

“Both sides were cramping up in the last few minutes and we just had to dig in and dig it out. It’s a massive two weeks now for a number of reasons.

“We’ll survey what shape we’re in early in the week back at base and then all attention will turn to St Eunan’s”.

For long periods in Ballybofey on Sunday, Regan’s charges were second best to a Murphy-inspired Glenswilly.

The Glen set their stall out early, with direct ball into their talisman causing huge problems for the Naomh Conaill defence.

And Murphy would land the first of his 10 points from a ‘45 to stroke out an early John O’Malley effort before Kealan Dunleavy pushed Glenswilly in front.

Naomh Conaill responded through Odhran Doherty and Daithi Molloy, but four points in succession opened up a gap.

A huge Murphy two-point free, along with scores from Caolan Kelly and Eoghan Scott, then helped Glenswilly move 0-9 to 0-5 ahead.

Kevin McGettigan and Thompson responded for Naomh Conaill before Kelly and Scott extended the leaders’ advantage.

Thompson did manage to reduce the gap to four at half-time in a lively and sometimes heated opening half hour.

Both sides went close to finding the net early in the second half, but Stephen McGrath denied Reid Kelly while Kealan Curran thwarted Kevin McGettigan.

Murphy and Dunleavy then helped Glenswilly establish a six-point advantage at 0-12 to 0-6, but Naomh Conaill simply refused to fold.

Malone and O’Malley responded before Thompson’s two-point free reduced the gap to three.

Glenswilly again moved five clear, but Malone and Murphy exchanged scores before Malone and Odhran Doherty produced back-to-back two-point efforts to bring Naomh Conaill within one.

And with the clock ticking down, Thompson landed the equaliser to send the game into extra-time.

The margins remained tight in the opening period, but Malone’s two-point free edged Naomh Conaill 0-19 to 0-18 ahead at the interval.

And from there, the reigning champions showed all their guile and experience as O’Malley, Seamus Corcoran and Malone found the target and Naomh Conaill finally pulled clear.

Glenswilly: K Curran; M Toner, J McCauley, C Callaghan; D McAteer, J Gallagher, D Gallagher; S Collum, K Dunleavy (0‑3); E Scott (0‑3, 1tp); R Kelly, S Tinney; C Kelly (0‑2), M Murphy (0‑10, 3×45, 1tpf, 2f), D Gildea.

Subs: L McGinley (0‑1) for D McAteer (39);P Devine for C Callaghan (53);O Crawford for S Tinney (56);M Collum for D Gildea (60);C Callaghan for P Devine (ET);D Gildea for O Crawford (HT, ET);D McAteer for J Gallagher (16 ET);P Devine for D Gallagher (20 ET).

Naomh Conaill: S McGrath; U Doherty, S Roarty, K McGettigan (0‑1); D Molloy (0‑1), F Roarty, M Campbell; J Mac Ceallbhuí, C Thompson (0‑5, 1tpf, 2f); B McDyer, O Doherty (0‑3, 1tp), E Doherty; J O’Malley (0‑3), C McGuinness, S Malone (0‑8, 1tp, 1tpf, 1f, 1×45).

Subs: M McDevitt for C McGuinness (39);K McGill for J Mac Ceallbhuí (51);D Brown for B McDyer (56);A Gallagher for S Roarty (58);C McGuinness for D Brown (ET);J Mac Ceallbhuí for O Doherty (9 ET);S Corcoran (0‑1) for D Molloy (16 ET);B McDyer for J Mac Ceallbhuí (20 ET).

Referee: James Connors (St Eunan’s).

Rossa produced another remarkable upset after they turned a half-time deficit to overcome Cargin in the Antrim Football Championship.

When it mattered most Rossa overturned a five-point half-time deficit before Thomas Morgan struck a dramatic late goal to send the Shaws Road men into the Antrim Senior Football Championship final.

Cargin looked firmly in control for long spells, but Rossa refused to surrender and turned the contest on its head with a devastating finish.

Mick McCann opened the scoring for the Toome men before John McNabb added a 45 and Tom Shivers stretched their advantage.

Rossa eventually settled when Dominic McEnhill converted a free, but Cargin continued to dictate the opening exchanges.

Conhuir Johnston landed a fine point before producing a superb two-pointer moments later, while James Laverty added another two-pointer to put Cargin firmly in command.

Ciaran Bradley extended the lead before Laverty struck again, this time finding the net in the 29th minute to leave Rossa facing a mountain to climb.

However, the Jeremiah’s produced an extraordinary response before the interval.

Gerard Walsh and Colm Fleming both landed two-pointers before McEnhill squeezed a shot into the net to give Rossa genuine hope before the half-time whistle.

Cargin still led 1-11 to 1-6 at the break, but the momentum had shifted.

Rossa came flying out for the second half, with Liam McEnhill immediately reducing the deficit with a superb two-pointer.

Tom Shivers responded for Cargin, but McEnhill continued to torment the Toome defence, adding another score before Eoghan McMenamin hit back for Rossa.

Mick McCann and McEnhill exchanged excellent scores as the game developed into a thrilling shootout.

At 50 minutes, Liam McEnhill struck again to leave just a point between them before Colm Fleming produced a huge two-pointer to put Rossa ahead for the first time.

Pat Shivers quickly restored parity before Conhuir Johnston edged Cargin back in front with a pressure free.

With time running out, Rossa needed something special.

They got it in the 59th minute.

A swift counterattack opened up the Cargin defence and Thomas Morgan kept his composure to thump the ball into the net, sending the Rossa supporters into delirium.

Cargin had three minutes of added time to find an answer, but John McNabb’s late 45 drifted wide.

The final whistle confirmed another astonishing Rossa escape as they prevailed two-point win, completing a comeback that looked highly unlikely when they trailed by five at the interval.

Cargin: J McNabb 0-1; K O’Boyle, K McShane, F Hardy; C Johnston, J Laverty 1-3(1xTP), J O’Neill; G McCann, P Shivers 0-2 (1F); C Bradley 0-1, C Johnston 0-4 (1F), T Shivers 0-2; P McCann, M McCann 0-3, J Gribbin

Rossa: M Byrne; G McGrath, G Walsh 0-2(1xTp), F McDonald; N Crossan, P Moyes, M McEnhill; L McEnhill 0-3 (1xTP), E McMenamin 0-1; C Walsh, D McEnhill 1-5 (2F), D Rogan; C Fleming 0-4(2xTP), T Morgan 1-0

Scotstown 1-18 Inniskeen 3-9

The fear for Scotstown was they may be a little undercooked. Untested. And their touch was a little off their brilliant best early on.

But equally, you can only beat what’s in front of you, and the very reason they had conceded an average of less than 12 points per game up until this point is a large part of the reason they came good in their biggest test to date, against an Inniskeen side John McEntee rightly said ‘died with their boots on’.

He and his coach Tony Kernan move on after a wonderful spell that started in 2022, while for Scotstown, it’s a remarkable 14 county finals in a row now, with Sunday’s win achieved without Ulster winning captain Damien McArdle.

An almost immeasurable loss, or as their sole goalscorer James Hamill put it:

“I don’t remember a championship game without Damien McArdle.”

Shane Hanratty was tasked with following Conor McCarthy and follow him he did. At times the 2023 All-Star may feel aggrieved at just how physically he was hunted by Inniskeen bodies.

He perhaps had a point, but rarely in a half of football has he been turned over so often.

Harry Monahan pouncing on an unsighted Jack McCarron to nab the size five was in many ways the tale of the opening 30.

The last turnover of the first half was a loose hand pass of McCarthy’s, under pressure from Hanratty. Inniskeen broke with abandon. In the wet, Ciaran McNulty’s pass skipped off the surface as though to deny Andrew Woods. In the end, it served only to leave Rory Beggan between a rock and a hard place.

Woods, off the weaker right, went soccer style to tuck it right into the side netting. Scotstown had gone in as 1/10 favourites in some quarters.

No one in the county envisaged a foregone conclusion. The Inniskeen team certainly believed, but perhaps only with their first goal did that belief become infectious with their rapturous faithful.

When Darren Hughes was black carded for a foul on Donal Meegan and Woods tucked away a penalty, the Gardaí were left to scatter some wannabe delinquents through the green smoke behind Rory Beggan’s goals.

But that is where the Inniskeen regret may lie. Beggan finished with 0-9 in all. Max Maguire and Jack McCarron roared into it with a two-pointer apiece, as young guns Mark McCaffrey and Tommy Mallen were consistent throughout, displaying boundless energy at opposite ends.

Beggan nailed a two with Hughes still in the sin-bin, and then a triple whammy came in about 10 seconds. Hughes returned, Seán Óg McElwain was sprung from the bench, and Maguire gave socks to the crowd after nailing a two-pointer. Momentum.

McCarron’s orange flag was his first score with his sixth shot, yet with the wind in his team’s sails he never looked like missing.

The infectious McCaffrey popped up with a score on a rare foray forward, and while Conor Jones’ solo goal will live long in the memory, brother Sean’s late effort to level was punched just over under pressure, with Max Maguire showing a cool head to put the cherry on top.

Scotstown: R Beggan 0-9 (4 X tpf, 1 X 45); M McCaffrey 0-1, R O’Toole, D Murray; D Connolly, K Hughes, C McCarthy; M McCarville, D Hughes; F Maguire, S Carey 0-1, J Hamill 1-0; T Mallen 0-1, J McCarron 0-2 (1 X tp), Max Maguire 0-4 (1 X tp).

Subs: N Sherlock for F Maguire (33), S Óg McElwain for D Connolly (43), J McDevitt for K Hughes (58), J Carey for J Hamill (62).

Inniskeen: R Meegan; S Woods, S O’Connor, C Hanratty; C Meegan 0-1, M Monahan 0-1, S Kindlon; C McNulty 0-2 (tp), H Monahan; G Burns, S Hanratty, O Monahan; D Meegan, Andrew Woods 2-3 (1 pen, 1 X tpf, 1f), Aidan Woods 0-1.

Subs: C Jones 1-0 for A Woods (40), D McConnell for G Burns (46), S Jones 0-1 for S Woods (52).

Moglai Bap, Mo Chara and DJ Provai – Naoise Ó Cairealláin, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh – went to a local school before meeting residents at the Drumcree Community Centre on Sunday.

It comes as a sustained stand-off continues a week on from when the loyal order march was originally supposed to go ahead.

A major policing operation has been put in place for the weekend with both sides in the dispute organising rallies to bolster support, with positions entrenched in the run-up to a further legal challenge.

Kneecap were accompanied by their solicitor Darragh Mackin, who also represents the residents, as well as Irish folk singer Radie Peat.

The dispute arose after Northern Ireland’s Parades Commission gave the green light for the unionist Orange Order – backed by the DUP and TUV – to march through Garvaghy Road for the first time in 30 years.

The stand-off at Drumcree made headlines in the 1990s with incidents of violence for several summers and political tension necessitating a major security operation.

Residents in the largely nationalist area around the road – backed by Sinn Féin, the SDLP and People Before Profit – are opposed to the parade, which was due to start last Sunday morning, and unsuccessfully fought the decision in court last weekend.

Several of the residents then protested by blocking the 35-man contingent of the Portadown District Orange Order from progressing through Garvaghy Road last Sunday morning, resulting in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) refusing to give the march the go-ahead to proceed.

Under parading laws in Northern Ireland, protests must be notified to, and approved by, the Parades Commission adjudication body.

Police have confirmed the protest was unnotified to the commission and therefore unlawful.

Several high-profile politicians, including Northern Ireland First Minister and Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O’Neill, participated in the unnotified protest.

Now on the eighth day of a stand-off, the Orangemen have tried numerous times to begin the march but the road remains blocked by residents.

After being denied permission to march by the PSNI at lunchtime on Sunday, Portadown District master Nigel Dawson told the Orangemen they had the support of the community, and added: “We continue to abide by the law and continue to show that every single minute and every single hour of the day since we won the court case.

“And of course we still await – and it is important we say this, that we have a police service in Northern Ireland that are at this moment in time unable or unwilling to police a court judgment.”

A police inspector had told them the service recognises the Parades Commission decision was still in force but said it was necessary to close the road for the preservation of peace and order because of circumstances on Garvaghy Road.

The talks process saw calls for an international mediator to be appointed and it is also understood that a proposal for a “one-and-done” march, which would see the parade go ahead but without any further applications, was also floated but not agreed to.

A fresh legal bid against the march is to be heard at the Court of Appeal in Belfast on Monday, with lawyers for the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition arguing that the Parades Commission had “materially misdirected itself” on the police assessment of the potential for disorder and had not given an “accurate representation of the evidence received from PSNI” in its decision.

Mr Dawson said they “remain confident” in their legal team ahead of the hearing.

Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant appealed for calm in the run-up to the weekend, stating that he had “hope people can still find further compromise” despite chairing talks during the week which ended without agreement.

Sir Chris’s description of the impasse as being between “a rock and a hard place” was derided as “nonsense” by Ms O’Neill.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday as thousands of people gathered in support of the residents, she said: “The Secretary of State is tone deaf to the needs of Garvaghy Road. He has a superficial understanding of the needs of this community and we’re not going to tolerate it.”

Deputy First Minister and DUP MLA Emma Little-Pengelly described the rally as “electioneering” as she criticised Ms O’Neill and Sinn Féin for a “complete abdication of leadership”.

Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows, a former senior police officer, also described the large-scale gathering as a “carnival of law-breaking and triumphalism” as well as a “serious failure of political leadership” by Sinn Féin.

Sir Chris, who chaired talks with both sides during the week which were unsuccessful at reaching an agreement, said a prolonged stand-off in Portadown is “ultimately in nobody’s interests”.

He appealed for the public to ignore “unhelpful” calls for more people to come to the area “at this time of tension”, as he said he was working to find a “mutually acceptable solution”.

Ms O’Neill said the right outcome “includes no march down this road” as Sinn Féin called on Sir Chris to use his powers to prohibit the march.

However, at a rival gathering at the loyalist Edgarstown Estate, backers of the Orangemen argued that the permission for the parade is still live and needs to go ahead.

Mr Dawson told the Press Association: “We’re still waiting for the chief constable to do his job and put the parade down the road as per our legal determination and backed up by a High Court judge.”

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher and the British Government were criticised by several speakers at the “Let Them Home” community gathering, including loyalist activist and legal adviser to the Orangemen, Jamie Bryson, and TUV leader Jim Allister.

Both men argued that either the parade should be allowed to go ahead or the Northern Ireland Executive should be collapsed.

Mr Allister said there was a “fundamental challenge to political unionism” and particularly the DUP, stating: “It is either the Portadown Orangemen come home or the Executive is gone.”

The TUV leader also accused the chief constable of a “gross abdication of duty” over not allowing the parade to go ahead thus far, adding that Sir Chris is “dithering and doesn’t want to do his job”.

DUP Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart, whose party is in powersharing with Sinn Féin in the Executive, told the gathering: “We stand in Northern Ireland at a crossroads for the PSNI and the British Government.

“They either accept mob rule or the rule of law – and I can tell you now if mob rule wins there’s no going back for the chief constable.”

After the rally in support of the residents on Saturday, PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Anthony McNally said anyone blocking the Garvaghy Road will still be treated as “participating in an unnotified and therefore illegal protest”.

The senior officer said evidence gathering remains ongoing and anyone found to have broken the law “will face criminal justice consequences”.

Mr Bryson previously said Orangemen will accept the determination of the courts on Monday, challenging Garvaghy Road residents to do the same.

In a speech on Saturday, Breandán Mac Cionnaith, of the Garvaghy Road Residents’ Coalition, said there was “no logical reason” why the Orange march should proceed “through the heart of this community”, contending an alternative route “back the way they came” was available.

“Garvaghy Road was solved in 1998, it does not need to be solved again.”

Mr Mac Cionnaith said: “Westminster thinks we must make concessions – we have nothing left to concede.”

He added: “Only one decision that’ll be acceptable: There should be no Orange march – none at all.”

The pair headlined England’s 7-0 demolition of Croatia in the Nations League on Saturday, with Kane grabbing two goals and an assist while Bellingham scored one and made three, including Kane’s opener.

Together they propelled England to the World Cup semi-finals but their relationship on and off the pitch has blossomed further since the tournament, aided by the threat of wingers Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka.

“They were good in the World Cup,” Tuchel said of his main men.

“They get better and better. They love playing with each other. They understand each other better.

“We adjusted the positions after the tournament slightly, but it’s a front four first of all, and the movements and the counter-movements are on the highest level.

“It’s always a team performance, and it was a team performance on the highest level against Croatia.”

Bellingham has moved further up the pitch in the opening three Nations League games since the World Cup, playing further up than Kane at some points.

“I think he almost plays a little bit more offensive for us (than Real Madrid),” Tuchel added.

“That’s where I see him in the most dangerous position. We can overload both sides now.

“Like I said, we adjusted our positioning a little bit after the World Cup.

“Jude plays on a high level together with everyone else, and yeah, I’m happy about individual performances, but I’m even more happy about the complexity of the team performance.”

Alex Scott also excelled in Rijeka, putting in an impressive performance in midfield on his first start.

He appears to have jumped ahead of Myles Lewis-Skelly in the pecking order and impressed Tuchel so much that the German says he is in direct competition with the injured Declan Rice for the shirt.

Asked whether he can challenge the Arsenal regular, Tuchel said: “Of course, and he does, we need performances like this.

“This is just the nature of it, and we will not survive on two central midfielders.

“And the more, the better. And it’s always about the guys who are in camp.

“Declan knows about his importance, and he’s one of the very best midfielders in Europe. Nothing will change that.

“But it’s exactly what we need. We need more, more, more, more variety.

“We need more, more, more options. In the end, it’s always about the guys who are on the camp. And Alex was at the highest level.”

Scott renewed a winning partnership with Elliot Anderson in midfield, with the pair starring in England’s victory at the Under-21s European Championships last year.

“I guess it helps. Even their characteristics and not only as players but even in their character, they’re a good mix and match.

“And Alex had a fantastic match, and we need to be strong in the middle of the pitch.

“I’m very happy with the level that Alex trained at, and the players are on the highest level.”

Speaking at Saturday’s rally in Portadown, he claimed the Orange Order “treat other people lesser than themselves”, insisting the residents he represents “are not a lesser people”.

The rally came ahead of a court hearing for the residents’ fresh legal bid aimed at stopping the parade.

It had been due to take place on Friday but was postponed until Monday.

In his address, Mr Mac Cionnaith referenced the 90^th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street, telling the large crowd that sectarianism, fascism and racism-were of the “same mindset”.

The Garvaghy Road residents’ spokesperson drew parallels between events in east London on October 4 1936 when members of the British Union of Fascists were attacked when marching through an area with a large Jewish population.

“Those of you who know your history, and the fight against fascism, and the fight against right-wing parties will know that the fascists who tried to march through minority communities in Cable Street were beaten and chased,” he said.

“There’s another fascist right-wing organisation here in Ireland. There’s no other way to describe it. Why else should an organization exclude almost every Catholic in this country from its membership? Sectarianism, fascism, racism, they’re the same mindset. They treat other people lesser than themselves. We are not a lesser people.”

Noting the level of support the residents have received from across Ireland, Mr Mac Cionnaith said there was “no logical reason” for the parade to proceed.

He said the dispute was resolved in 1998 and did “not need resolved again”.

“We have used legal means, we have used physical means by sitting on that road and physically blocking it, we have done it peacefully; we haven’t threatened anyone,” the residents’ spokesperson said.

“Yet those that sit in Westminster, who sit in Hillsborough, somehow think that we must make concessions. We have nothing left to concede. We have absolutely nothing left to concede.”

In relation to Monday’s court hearing, he said the only outcome acceptable to residents would be “no Orange march”.

After being denied permission to march by the PSNI at lunchtime on Sunday, Portadown District master Nigel Dawson told the Orangemen they had the support of the community, and added: “We continue to abide by the law and continue to show that every single minute and every single hour of the day since we won the court case.

“And of course we still await – and it is important we say this, that we have a police service in Northern Ireland that are at this moment in time unable or unwilling to police a court judgment.”

A police inspector had told them the service recognises the Parades Commission decision was still in force but said it was necessary to close the road for the preservation of peace and order because of circumstances on Garvaghy Road.

Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has accused Sinn Féin of a “lack of sincerity” and “overly simplistic” view on resolving the Drumcree dispute.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald previously called on Mr Martin to tell British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Secretary of State Chris Bryant that they have a responsibility to stop the march on Garvaghy Road.

On Saturday, the taoiseach said he does not agree that the dispute can be resolved by telling Mr Burnham to stop the march.

Mr Martin was criticised at Saturday’s rally on the Garvaghy Road. There were also boos and chants of “shame” at the mention of the taoiseach by Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín, who accused the Fianna Fáil leader of “standing idly by”.

Mr Tóibín concluded his speech by saying: “They (the Irish government) have a moral responsibility to be here with you to defend your rights and to make sure that this march never comes on this road again.”

Mrs McDonald and Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O’Neill applauded the remarks.

Asked about being booed at the rally and the calls for action from Sinn Féin, Mr Martin said: “I met with the leader of Sinn Féin and I met with the first minister last week, and I worry about their sincerity at times in respect of these issues.

“Because I met them in good faith but the meetings seem to be more about press choreography than substance.”

He added: “I just feel that the meeting last week lacked a degree of – at the end of the day – sincerity, because there were comments made before the meeting, there was comments made after the meeting.”

Separately, Mrs McDonald has said she and her party will “of course” co-operate with the PSNI over any potential investigation into the Garvaghy Road protest.

The Sinn Féin leader said “there’s no question of us co-operating with any process that that will unfold” as she defended her party’s participation in the protest, which police have described as unnotified and therefore unlawful.

Asked about the legality of the protest, which was also attended by Ms O’Neill, she said: “Others will determine whether or not that is in fact the case.”

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Politics, Ms McDonald said: “This comes down to right and wrong.

“This comes down to a simple calculation by all of us as to what is right and just and what is in the best interests of our communities.”

She added: “There are moments in life where you have to take a stand and this is one of those moments.

“Michelle O’Neill and I – as Sinn Féin leaders, as political leaders, as people who care passionately about the society that we can live in and the future that we can build collectively, collaboratively for everybody – know that for that to happen, we have to stand foursquare with the community of the Garvaghy Road.”

Pressed on whether that commitment remains even if it means breaking the law, Mrs McDonald replied: “Whatever that means, that is the right call.”

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly accused Sinn Féin of “electioneering” and “whipping up harder and harder positions of ‘no, nay, never’”.

She said: “Unionism has remained dignified and calm – asking for the law to be upheld, with all engaging honestly and openly with the process.

“The behaviour of Michelle O’Neill and her party has been disgraceful. A complete abdication of leadership.”

Derrygonnelly Harps 0-23 Enniskillen Gaels 1-15

Derrygonnelly produced a strong finish as they came from six points down to secure a five-point win over Enniskillen and set up a semi-final meeting with Belnaleck in the Mannok Fermanagh Senior Football Championship.

Enniskillen were in control for long periods of the contest, leading by four at half time and extending that out to six as the game moved into the final quarter.

However, a pair of two pointers from the outstanding Ronan McGovern swung the momentum Derrygonnelly’s way. And a Jack Kelly two point free moved the Harps two ahead as the tie moved into added on time and they pushed on with three late points to grab the victory.

Derrygonnelly began to game brightly as Gary McKenna landed two points to help them into an early 0-3 to 0-1 lead.

A two-point free from Gaels goalkeeper Ross Bogue levelled up matters and as the half progressed the game was increasingly played on Enniskillen’s terms as Conor Love, Conor McShea and Neil McDermott knocked over points.

The key score of the half arrived in the 26th minute as Enniskillen swept from one end of the pitch to the other following a Brandon Horan block close to his own goal and Horan was then involved again in teeing up Conor Watson who tucked the ball to the net to make it 1-8 to 0-6.

Shane McGullion and Gareth McGovern registered points for Derrygonnelly as the half drew to close but at the break Enniskillen led 1-10 to 0-9.

The Gaels remained in charge on the resumption as they were able to keep Derrygonnelly at arm’s length throughout the third quarter. Watson and Love knocked over two points apiece while Aidan Duffy slotted over two for the Harps to leave it 1-14 to 0-11 by the 48th minute.

The two McGovern two pointers though were the turning point of the clash and when Rory Smyth then drilled over a free it left the sides level.

Love rattled over a wonderful point to nudge Enniskillen back ahead, but Derrygonnelly replied immediately through Niall Maguire before Kelly converted a two-point free to put the Harps in front.

And substitutes Jarlath Flanagan, Ronan McHugh and Lee Jones all tagged on late scores as Derrygonnelly wrapped up a 0-23 to 1-15 win.

Mannok SFC Semi Finals

Belnaleck v Derrygonnelly

Erne Gaels v Ederney

To be played next weekend

The woven record of the Norman Conquest recently returned to the UK for the first time in almost 1,000 years, going on display at the London museum on September 10.

A British Museum spokesperson said: “The response to the Bayeux Tapestry has been extraordinary, and we are delighted by the excitement and interest it has generated.

“We also know that some visitors have faced longer queues than we would have wanted, so we are introducing a series of measures – including an audio guide, clearer signage, additional seating and longer opening hours – to make the experience smoother and give more people the time they need to enjoy the tapestry.”

Two weeks ago, the museum announced visitors were no longer allowed to take photos of the 70-metre artefact after people stopping to take snaps caused significant delays.

Many ticket-holders have complained after they were turned away because of backlogs.

The British Museum has offered refunds and a priority booking slot for a rearranged time for ticket-holders who have been turned away.

From Monday there will be an audio guide to help visitors experience the tapestry with extra detail, as well as more signage to explain the different parts of the exhibition.

The museum will also extend opening hours to help ease queues during the day and to space out allotted bookings.

Additional seating will also be added.

Before it went on display, the British Museum said demand to see the “once-in-a-generation exhibition has already been unprecedented”.

When general admission tickets went on sale in July, the museum recorded the biggest day of ticket sales in its history, generating more than £2.4 million in the first 24 hours.

Tickets are sold out until the next release on October 21.

Adult tickets cost £33 during peak times and £27 at off-peak hours, while children under 16 can visit for free.

The tapestry usually costs 12 euros (£10) to see at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Bayeux, Normandy, and will return there when the museum reopens after renovation.

The tapestry is considered to be one of the wonders of the medieval world and offers an insight into life in 11th century England before and after the conquest – from castles, warfare and ships to clothing, food and furniture.

It was likely to have been commissioned by a Norman patron and made by English embroiderers, using manuscript drawings from Canterbury.

The Bayeux Tapestry is at the British Museum until July 11 next year.

Mrs Badenoch cast her party as a “new” Conservative outfit to that which lost the last election, as she opened its annual gathering in Birmingham.

She harked back to how her predecessor Margaret Thatcher built support for the Conservatives in the late 1970s with a political treatise called “The Right Approach”.

Mrs Badenoch’s 95-page document, called “The Right Way”, similarly lays out her own basis for how a future Conservative government would act should it seize power.

Speaking at the opening of the party conference in Birmingham, Mrs Badenoch said: “When we win the next election, and we will, we are going to need to hit the ground running.

“We will need to be ready from day one, having already shown people what kind of government we are going to be, and that is why today I have published The Right Way.”

Referring to ex-prime minister Baroness Thatcher’s The Right Approach, a document published in 1976, Mrs Badenoch said: “We governed for 18 years after that, because we started with the right foundations, and we are going to do the same again.”

Mrs Badenoch said the late Sir Alex Younger, a former head of MI6, had spoken to the Conservative Parliamentary Party in February, and advised them to set out tenets for governing to avoid entering power in future without an agenda.

A major line of thought throughout Mrs Badenoch’s new political bible appears to be that government should not spread its resources too thinly, but should be strong in the areas in which “the state is required”: defence, borders, public order, the rule of law and essential infrastructure.

“There is always an emergency. There is always a good reason to spend government money or time on something, but we don’t have unlimited resources. Government is about making tough choices, deciding how you will spread your resources, what you are going to focus your time on,” Mrs Badenoch told the conference.

The “fundamental analysis” at the heart of the document is that government needs to create the conditions for economic growth, and then get out of the way to allow businesses “the freedom to grow our economy”, the Tory leader added.

The document also acknowledges failures in the approach of previous Conservative governments to net zero, immigration and how Brexit was delivered.

Mrs Badenoch’s analysis of how to change the country comes a week after Prime Minister Andy Burnham set out a series of major policy interventions at Labour’s party conference in Liverpool.

The Tory leader sought to offer a foil to the Prime Minister, who has described his offer to the electorate as underpinned by a “clear theory” of economic growth.

She disagreed, and suggested Mr Burnham’s promises will “all come to nought”.

The Tory leader added: “Keir Starmer didn’t have a plan. That’s why he’s gone.

“Andy Burnham doesn’t have one either and that is why I know the announcements he is making will all come to nought.

“We have to be different, different from Labour, and different from the party we were two years ago.”

As she arrived at the conference on Saturday, Mrs Badenoch cast the Tories as a “new Conservative Party”, adding: “We’re not the party that the public said no to in 2024.”

Heading into the conference, the Tories have announced plans to build 50,000 new prison places, and axe the upper limit for 30 days’ free childcare a week, so wealthy parents can access the offer.

Despite an apparent optimism among senior Tories about their future prospects, the party remains behind both Labour and Reform UK in opinion polls.

The probe into the alleged failure to register an interest resumed after he won the Clacton by-election.

Mr Farage told the Sunday Times he had been interviewed by Daniel Greenberg, the parliamentary commissioner for standards.

The 30-minute interview took place in the Palace of Westminster last month, he said.

Under Commons rules, new MPs are required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where it “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities.

Mr Farage has said the gift was not political and insisted he has done nothing wrong.

Mr Harborne is one of two crypto-billionaires who donated £72 million to Reform.

The twin £36 million gifts from Ben Delo and Mr Harborne reignited calls for a blanket cap on donations, going further than legislation aimed at restricting donations from overseas sources.

Mr Farage told the Sunday Times he thought the reaction to the donations would be “far worse” but had actually resulted in “some grudging respect… the fact that I managed to pull off a coup of that magnitude, I think people were quite impressed”.

Mr Harborne was based in Thailand, but in June he was reported to have registered to vote in Hampshire.

Cairde na hÉireann, meaning Friends of Ireland, and other republican groups, flocked to the stairs outside Buchanan Galleries in the city centre, with members from loyalist groups on the other side of the stairs.

A line of police officers separated both groups, though there did not appear to be any intimidation from either side, and Police Scotland later confirmed no arrests were made.

The republican side was protesting against the recent decision from the Parades Commission, which gave the go-ahead to the Orange Order to parade down Garvaghy Road for the first time in 28 years.

The loyalist side was there in support of the decision.

Additionally, the republican side flew pro-Palestine flags and banners, while the loyalist side protested against illegal immigration.

Both sides appeared to protest peacefully, with no obvious taunting or slurs heard exchanged between the two groups.

A handful of passers-by shouted their support for whichever side they favoured, but no violence took place.

A week after being overwhelmed early by Edinburgh, the trip to Scotstoun looked daunting. Glasgow, on their own patch and among the URC’s established heavyweights, were expected to ask even harder questions.

Ulster arrived with the air of plucky underdogs and left with something more valuable than the three league points they had earned: evidence they could stand toe-to-toe with one of the competition’s best sides and, for long stretches, dictate the terms of the fight.

The frustration was that they did enough to show they belonged in the ring, but not quite enough to win it.

Control without the knockout blow

The most striking feature of Ulster’s performance was the extent of their control.

They finished with 67 per cent territory and 54 per cent possession, made 187 carries to Glasgow’s 120 and forced the hosts into 236 tackles. Much of that possession came in useful areas, with 78 per cent of Ulster’s ball played inside the Glasgow half.

Those are the impressive numbers of a side imposing itself away from home.

The problem was turning control into damage. Ulster’s attack was more fluent, their forwards linked impressively and they repeatedly shifted the point of contact, yet Glasgow needed fewer opportunities to make a bigger impression on the scoreboard. That is partly due to an Ulster defence that remains leaky.

Plenty of control from Richie Murphy’s men, but Glasgow ruthlessly punished lapses in concentration and poor tackle technique.

Ulster come out swinging

If Ulster’s first priority was to avoid another slow start, they could hardly have responded better.

Matthew Devine set the tempo from scrum-half, moving the ball quickly, threatening around the fringes and preventing Glasgow’s defence from settling. Ulster landed the first blow inside four minutes and looked like the side dictating the pace.

That urgency fed into a much more fluent attack. Ulster were willing to hold the ball, play through phases and keep shifting the point of attack rather than settling for a procession of one-out carries. Their forwards were particularly effective as link players, using short passes, tip-ons and balls out the back to keep defenders moving and create better opportunities further out.

Ethan McIlroy was central to some of the best work in the backs, scoring one try and producing deft handling in the build-up to scores for Jack Murphy and Chay Mullins.

The 187 carries reflected more than Ulster’s share of possession. There was a clear determination to build pressure through the ball rather than continually hand it over through the boot.

It was a marked change from Edinburgh. Ulster were on the front foot from the outset, putting combinations together and forcing Glasgow to react.

Caught on the counter

For all that fluency, Ulster repeatedly left their guard down at the breakdown.

They lost possession through turnovers 13 times, a significant number for a side whose game depended so heavily on keeping the ball alive and building pressure through phase after phase.

Each turnover interrupted the thing Ulster were doing best. An attack would gather momentum, Glasgow would be forced to fold and reload, then a poorly protected ruck, fractionally late clearout or isolated carrier would allow the hosts to break their rhythm.

Kyle Rowe and Gregor Hiddleston both produced first-half breakdown steals, and the problem became particularly costly late on. With Glasgow under pressure and eventually reduced to 13 men, Ulster surrendered possession repeatedly when patience and ball security should have been their greatest weapons.

It was the rugby equivalent of a boxer putting together an impressive combination before leaving himself open to the counter.

One hand tied behind their back

The contest changed dramatically when Ulster, having dictated much of the fight, were suddenly asked to do it with one hand tied behind their back.

Ben Carson and Ethan McIlroy were sent to the sin-bin within two minutes of each other. Ulster had led 26-14. Within minutes, that advantage had become a 33-26 deficit.

Glasgow were ruthless. Against 13 defenders, the hosts recognised and exploited the opportunity immediately, attacking before Ulster could slow the game down.

Jamie Dobie scored within 88 seconds of McIlroy’s yellow card. Sam Talakai followed, before Kyle Rowe delivered the final blow with a long-range score that completed the swing from 12 points behind to seven ahead.

The more revealing comparison came when the roles were reversed.

Dan Lancaster had been yellow-carded in the first half, while Rory Darge and Talakai later went to the bin within 91 seconds of each other. Ulster scored during both periods, but Glasgow managed the damage far better.

Remarkably, Glasgow won Lancaster’s sin-bin period 7-5 despite playing with 14 men. When reduced to 13 late on, they conceded one converted try. Ulster therefore gained only seven points from their two-man advantage, while Glasgow’s own spell of numerical superiority produced the burst that transformed the match.

That contrast goes to the heart of the result.

Glasgow recognised vulnerability and attacked it quickly. When they were the side having to defend with their backs against the ropes, they absorbed pressure, disrupted Ulster’s momentum and limited the damage.

Missing the knockout punch

Ulster were hardly short of firepower. Nathan Doak, James McNabney and Juarno Augustus gave them considerable strength from the bench and helped them stay in the fight deep into the final rounds.

What they lacked at times was a player capable of turning a half-chance into a clean break.

Jacob Stockdale’s late withdrawal mattered in that regard. Ulster were already without Stuart McCloskey, James Hume and Jude Postlethwaite among their midfield options, while Robert Baloucoune and Michael Lowry would also have offered some X-factor threat in the wider channels.

That left Ben Carson and Jamie Benson doing much of the heavy lifting in midfield. They carried 17 and 15 times respectively, but there were moments Ulster needed someone to beat the first defender, draw another one or two and create the space outside.

The final play captured some of that frustration. Zac Ward backed his power on the outside and was bundled into touch with the game there to be won. It would be unfair to reduce the result to one decision, but it reflected an attacking naivety that surfaced elsewhere. Sometimes the better option is simply to stay alive, cut back inside and give the attack another phase.

Glasgow also won the aerial battle. Ulster deliberately kicked less and showed a clear preference for keeping possession. That suited much of their attacking game, but when the sides did go to the boot Glasgow were more productive. The host retained three of their kicks, while Ulster retained none.

Ulster showed at Scotstoun that they can put combinations together. What they still need is more knockout power in the wider channels and another way of hurting opponents when those combinations do not prise the defence open.

The tempo was there, as were the territory and set-piece platform. More encouraging still were the signs of an attacking identity built around continuity, handling and keeping the ball alive.

The remaining step is ruthlessness. They controlled plenty of rounds and proved they could live with one of the competition’s heavyweights.

Now they have to turn those rounds into wins.

The Grange man has been part of the senior panel since 2013 when Paul Grimley was manager, but it was his conversion from half-forward to goalkeeper that saw him become a vital part of the Kieran McGeeney’s Armagh side.

He played in the Ulster final defeats on 2023 and 2025 and was part of the panel for the 2024 All-Ireland win, however, Blaine Hughes had assumed the number one jersey following an injury to Rafferty.

The Grange man did play in his county’s Ulster SFC tie with Fermanagh and in the two All-Ireland SFC games against Louth and Kerry.

However, last year’s rule changes appear to have curtailed his roaming role as a goalkeeper and after Rory Grugan and James Morgan called time on their county careers, Rafferty (32), who is also an All-Ireland road bowls champion, has now followed suits.

He said in in an interview with RTE Sport: “Obviously the changes didn’t suit me personally. They looked to change the game to make it faster - and it did make it faster - but it was sending it back to the more traditional role of goalkeeping.

““When the rules changed it maybe wasn’t as appealing to me individually. I was getting better at all the aspects of goalkeeping, but it just wasn’t the same coming into that role as an outfielder.

“I’m in no way saying my time is at an end for those reasons, it has just come to a natural conclusion.”

He added: “It’s been a journey of tough days and good days and I’ll sit back in a few years with fond memories.

“We can look back on it together and be happy we did something special together.”

Russell Findlay told the Conservative Party’s UK conference that a divided UK is “a gift to our enemies”.

Scottish First Minister John Swinney is pushing for a second independence referendum before the end of the current Holyrood term in 2031 but Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there is “no clear consensus” for such a vote.

Mr Findlay accused the SNP of “putting petty nationalism over what’s best for Scotland” and said that talk about independence is irresponsible in the current climate.

Addressing delegates in Birmingham, he said: “We face grave threats from China, Russia, Iran, and others. We’re already under attack in cyberspace.

“We face Russian hostility in our waters and Iranian plots on our streets.

“These totalitarian regimes want a divided United Kingdom. And we have SNP politicians who share that aim.

“They want to shut down Faslane. They oppose Britain’s armed forces. They would make us less safe.

“In today’s volatile world, relentless SNP chatter about independence is no longer just a dangerous distraction.

“It is now dangerously irresponsible.”

He also criticised SNP leader John Swinney for forming an “alliance” with Sinn Féin at a summit in Cardiff earlier this month, saying it was a “disgrace” that Mr Swinney was working with them to “destroy the United Kingdom”.

Mr Findlay also used his speech to launch Scottish Conservative plans for a Benefit Fraud Bill to fix the SNP’s “broken” benefits system.

He said the SNP’s approach “traps people on the misery of Benefits Street and gives a green light to chancers and crooks”.

The Scottish Conservative leader said that by 2031, Scotland’s benefits bill will be more than £9 billion and that social security should be there for times of need and should not be a “lifestyle choice”.

Mr Findlay said: “We will introduce a Benefit Fraud Bill to help recover overpayments. We will demand taxpayers get their money back, instead of just asking nicely.

“Overpayments could be taken directly from bank accounts, as happens elsewhere in the UK.

“Driving licences could be confiscated if refunds are not forthcoming. Our law would double the maximum sentence for benefit fraud to 10 years.

“Our Bill will end the irresponsible tick-box approach for claims and create a statutory aggravator for benefit-related fraud. This means that prosecutors would take a stronger approach when taxpayers have been robbed.

“Benefits should be for those suffering genuine hardship. That would deliver true fairness, dignity and respect.”

Later in the afternoon, Mr Findlay also addressed the issue of Scottish independence in a separate speech on the main stage at the conference, where he warned that those who say the threat to the Union has passed are “dangerously complacent”.

He said that the SNP have never respected the result of the 2014 independence referendum result but pledged that he and UK Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch would stand up to them.

Mr Findlay said: “I’ll keep fighting for Scotland. I’ll stand up to divisive nationalism.

“I’ll back oil and gas, just as we did in the Aberdeen South by-election.

“And with Kemi, we’ll show the people of Scotland there is another way.

“Of educational excellence, fairer taxes, lower benefits, efficient public services and a strong economy.”

SNP MSP Alex Kerr said: “Nothing will strengthen Scotland’s standing in the world more than becoming an independent country and rejoining the international community in our own right for the first time in over 300 years.

“In May of this year the SNP were returned to government for a historic fifth term on a pledge to give the people of Scotland a referendum on independence – while Russell Findlay led his party to its worst ever Scottish Parliament election result.

“Russell Findlay is completely obsessed with the SNP, so it’s no surprise he’d rather spend his conference speech talking about us, rather than what he has to offer the people of Scotland – which is clearly very little.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Public bodies in Scotland already have a duty to ensure that public funds are properly authorised and controlled and deliver value for money.

“Taxpayers’ money is subject to appropriate scrutiny and parliamentary accountability.

“Every benefit application is subject to a robust decision-making process, with applications assessed thoroughly ensuring support only goes to those who are eligible.

“All intelligence on suspected fraud is thoroughly investigated, with appropriate actions taken.”

Here, the Press Association looks at the key talking points ahead of the game.

Encore please

Friday’s impressive 3-0 win over Ukraine in Slovakia was another huge step forwards for this young Northern Ireland team, who have gone from never having won away in the Nations League to doing it twice in the space of a week. Michael O’Neill’s side were excellent from back to front in the sort of performance any manager would love to be able to bottle. But with the fatigue of all the travel involved in this window catching up, can they replicate it in front of a home crowd at Windsor Park?

Clean sheets

The foundation of Northern Ireland’s success to date has come at the back. Despite the step up in opposition in League B, O’Neill’s men are yet to concede a goal despite the loss of key defender Dan Ballard in their opening game. Young centre-backs Tom Atcheson and Ruairi McConville have impressed alongside the reliable Ciaron Brown, but Northern Ireland have also defended from the front with a series of mature, disciplined displays. Atcheson joined Brodie Spencer in sitting out training on Sunday in what O’Neill said was a precautionary move.

Georgia’s woes

It is only a week and a half since Northern Ireland won 1-0 in Tbilisi thanks to Shea Charles’ stoppage-time goal, but a lot has changed for Georgia since then. Willy Sagnol was sacked following that defeat, with Ramaz Svanadze stepping up from his role with the under-21s in his place. However, their fortunes have not improved much yet, drawing 0-0 at home with Ukraine before Friday’s 1-0 loss away to Hungary left them three points adrift at the bottom of the group. They travel to Belfast desperate for a win to get back in touch in this group.

Galbraith returns

Ethan Galbraith was named player of the match in last week’s goalless draw with Hungary but missed the trip to face Ukraine after travelling home to be with his partner, who has given birth to a baby boy. The Stoke midfielder was back with his team-mates for training in Belfast on Sunday, and O’Neill was looking forward to having the 25-year-old playmaker for Monday’s match.

The kids are alright

Somehow this Northern Ireland team keeps getting younger. Winger Kieran Morrison was one of the standout players on Friday night as he made his first competitive appearance for Northern Ireland in Trnava. The 19-year-old, who helped bring the average age of the starting XI down to a post-war record of 22, was involved in the first two goals before Ceadach O’Neill had a late chance to score off the bench. Fellow teenager Braiden Graham will now hope for his chance to make an impact.

The aerial war has intensified, with Moscow menacing cities across Ukraine with hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones, while Kyiv has been striking Russia’s oil industry and businesses.

About a billion euros (£850 million) of the package is military aid, including long-range strike weapons, combat drones and satellite technology, “so that Ukraine can also target Russian launch pads”, Mr Merz said at a news conference.

Germany is also providing 350 million euros (£300 million) in energy aid ahead of winter for generators, substations and repair work, he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the two countries also signed 15 agreements worth more than 8.5 billion euros (£7.2 billion), mostly covering security co-operation, weapons production and procurement, as well as a deal to expand joint counter-drone efforts.

“This is weaponry that will help right now,” Mr Zelenskyy said, adding they also discussed the need for air defence, which he called “key” at this time.

At the news conference, Mr Zelensky said Mr Merz’s visit amid Russian attacks was “an important signal of support for Ukraine and of the courage of Germany and all of Europe”.

Germany will fund the joint production of drones designed to intercept Russia’s jet-powered drones, Mr Merz said, adding that “significant technical breakthroughs” in recent weeks were speeding up production.

“This will quickly and tangibly strengthen Ukraine’s air defence. And this strengthening is urgently needed.”

Mr Zelensky called jet-powered drones a growing challenge, saying Russia had launched 900 this week alone and Ukraine was able to intercept only around half.

He highlighted the role of F-16 fighter jets in countering the threat and said he would speak with US President Donald Trump about securing more ammunition.

He accused Moscow of avoiding meaningful peace talks, while saying Ukraine and Germany were working to advance diplomacy with European participation.

The Russians are escalating. I am not surprised by Russia’s hatred of Ukraine, but I am surprised by this approach. They struck our warehouses – Nova Poshta, Ukrposhta, and others. We gave them a fitting response with Wildberries.

Now they are striking bridges. Do they really… pic.twitter.com/eMtTs4Mb8E

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 4, 2026

Germany is Ukraine’s largest donor, sending Kyiv more than 43.3 billion euros (£36.8 billion) since the war began, along with equipment and weapons.

The two leaders visited a building of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in central Kyiv which was damaged in a Russian attack that killed two people on Monday.

“These barbaric attacks on the civilian population of Ukraine must stop. These are daily war crimes,” Mr Merz said at the site, a few hundred metres from the German Embassy.

He urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end “this senseless war”, adding: “We’re ready to talk.”

Speaking in English, Mr Zelensky called the attack on the academy “absolutely terrible” and noted that Moscow was carrying out strikes even while the chancellor was in Kyiv. He thanked Mr Merz for the visit, saying Ukraine was buoyed by its “strong partners”.

Mr Merz said Russia’s aggression towards Germany went beyond a failed drone attack at Leipzig Airport in early August, pointing to daily attacks on the country’s data centres and data networks.

“None of this will stop if we stop helping Ukraine,” he said. “On the contrary, it will only get worse after that.”

Germany has blamed Moscow for the incident at Leipzig and in early September announced the closure of the German Consulate in St Petersburg, the latest in a cycle of tit-for-tat moves.

Mr Merz said Germany would take further steps to defend itself, including against Russia’s shadow fleet of tankers in the Baltic Sea and North Sea, air space violations and drone attacks.

He also accused Moscow of waging systematic disinformation campaigns in Germany through bots and collaborators. “This is the political battle of ideas that we must wage in Germany,” he said, adding that he was “more determined than ever” to fight it because the country’s “peaceful and free future” was at stake.

The German and Russian foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s annual meeting last month in what was believed to be the first such face-to-face meeting since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Russia’s Sergei Lavrov rejected German calls to ease off its “dangerous path of escalation” and accused Berlin of being Ukraine’s main sponsor and seeking to be a leading military power in Europe.

Russian attacks damaged Kyiv’s Northern Bridge over the Dnipro River again on Sunday. Video circulating on social media showed a drone striking the bridge and exploding as vehicles crossed. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were wounded.

Russian assaults since Thursday have forced the full or partial closure of three of Kyiv’s six road bridges, suspending traffic and causing tailbacks in Moscow’s latest effort to disrupt life in the Ukrainian capital.

One person was killed and 16 wounded on Sunday in a Russian aerial bomb attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, local officials said.

Danielle O’Keane was left with a serious brain injury after the crash in Dublin’s North Wall Quay area last Saturday evening.

The 37-year-old mother-of-two had been in the city with friends to attend a Westlife concert and was returning from the 3Arena to meet her husband and her friends’ partners when the crash occurred.

She was rushed to the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, where it was determined after testing, she had been left with a “life ending brain injury”, her brother-in-law said during the week.

It is understood the motorised rickshaw clipped the divider between a cycle lane and a main road before overturning, with Danielle falling into the path of an oncoming car.

At their gig in Newcastle Upon Tyne on Saturday, band members Kian Egan, Nicky Byrne and Shane Filan dedicated ‘Flying Without Wings’ and ‘You Raise Me Up’ to Mrs O’Keane.

During the concert at the Utilita Arena, Nicky said there are ‘no words’ for what has happened and that the bands thoughts go out to the ‘whole entire family’ before they sang ‘Flying Without Wings’.

Before they performed ‘You Raise Me Up’, Shane said: “This song is sung tonight to everybody who has lost somebody they love and for Danielle. We are going to celebrate them all up here, right now.”

As of Sunday, an online fundraiser to support Danielle’s family has raised over £129,000.

Max Verstappen navigated his way through the chaos to claim his first triumph of the year. Kimi Antonelli took second with Lewis Hamilton completing a fine comeback drive from 18th to the final spot on the podium. George Russell retired from third with an engine issue to leave his world championship dream all but over.

However, the race at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia was overshadowed by embarrassing and unprecedented scenes when this season’s new cars – which have already faced stern criticism – effectively failed to work in the wet.

Forty minutes after the initial getaway was already pushed back following a deluge of rain, F1 bosses had to abandon the start when a number of drivers, including Verstappen and Hamilton, were struck by gremlins – directly linked to the controversial 50-50 split between combustion and battery power – on the formation lap, and could not get their cars to operate.

Pole-sitter Verstappen was the first to complain that he could not accelerate. His crawling pace had a knock-on effect. Hamilton, running behind Verstappen, then hit trouble in his Ferrari.

“I am pressing the throttle, and nothing is happening,” said Hamilton before stopping at the side of the track. A whole host of other drivers were also struggling to keep their engines running in the first meaningful wet running for this generation of car.

Verstappen, who has threatened to quit the sport because of his disdain of the new regulations, was eventually able to get up to speed. He laughed and shook his head upon seeing some of the cars parked at the side of the track.

‘I’ve never seen a mix-up like this!’ 🤯

A chaotic formation lap causes a huge delay to the Bahrain GP in Malaysia! pic.twitter.com/5SqR6hbWEm

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) October 4, 2026

“Look at this,” he said over the radio.

The grid eventually limped back to the pit-lane, and a further 53 minutes passed before the green light was given by the sport’s chiefs to restart the race. An explanation for the lengthy delay was not offered at the time, although it later emerged that new software had to be downloaded to the cars.

Two laps then followed behind the safety car before a standing start. Verstappen took the chequered flag 2.3 seconds clear of Antonelli.

“These engines are so complicated, and a lot of software is implemented,” said Verstappen as he reflected on the chaos that puts the sport’s contentious rules firmly back in the spotlight. “I triggered it first, and then I looked in my mirror, and I was like, ‘Wait, are they waiting for me?’”

Hamilton, sitting next to Verstappen in the post-race news conference, said: “It was like the Lego race (before the British Grand Prix).”

Verstappen continued: “What can you say? That’s not what you want for the sport.”

Hamilton added: “I had to stop on track and stop the car and engine and restart it. I’ve never done that before. I hope there is a lesson learned.”

The FIA said in a statement on Sunday: “On the formation lap an unprecedented combination of low engine speed, low-grip conditions, wet-weather energy management settings and the Sepang circuit’s sector configuration led to an unintended loss of power for a number of cars.

FIA statement following the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. #FIA #F1 #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/yzEHH9EBlq

— FIA (@fia) October 4, 2026

“As a result, the FIA Technical Department removed the energy limit constraint in the affected sectors through an updated software release distributed to all competitors during the race delay caused by heavy rain enabling teams to make the necessary changes to the power unit before the start of the race.

“This issue had not been detected by the FIA or the teams during testing or during the laps to the grid. The FIA, together with the teams and power unit manufacturers, will undertake a full review of the issue.”

Russell’s failure to finish leaves him 84 points behind his team-mate with only seven scheduled races, and a possible 183 points remaining.

“The whole day felt like a bit of a faff, with the delay, the red flag, and endless laps behind the safety car,” he said. “It didn’t feel very ‘F1’ today. And I would have been disappointed if I was in the stands and watching that unfold.”

The impasse has been ongoing since the Parades Commission gave the green light for the first time in almost 30 years for the Portadown District of the unionist Orange Order – backed by the DUP and TUV – to complete its traditional route along the Garvaghy Road.

However, a coalition of residents in the largely nationalist area – backed by Sinn Féin, the SDLP and People Before Profit – is opposed to the march going ahead and took legal action which failed before starting a sustained days-long protest to prevent the parade from taking place.

A fresh legal appeal by the residents is set to be heard in the Court of Appeal on Monday.

Police have said a major public safety operation will continue in Portadown over the weekend while Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant said he would “especially urge calm this weekend”.

Mr Bryant, who chaired talks with both sides during the week which were unsuccessful at reaching an agreement, said his door remains open for further engagement.

He said: “Everyone across Northern Ireland wants a peaceful resolution to the situation in Portadown.

“I’m continuing to work to find a mutually acceptable agreement and I’m grateful to everyone who has offered help and has taken part in the discussions so far.

“My door remains open and I repeat my calls for people to support further compromise.”

He added: “I would also encourage people to ignore calls for more people to come to the area at this time of tension.

“Such calls are unhelpful and are likely to put further strain on police resources which are already stretched.”

Thousands of people attended a rally against the parade on Garvaghy Road on Saturday, including first minister Michelle O’Neill who spoke to the crowd.

A separate gathering in support of the Orange Order, organised under the name of the “Let Them Home Festival”, took place at the loyalist Edgarstown Estate from 4pm.

On Thursday night, Loyalist activist and legal adviser to the Orangemen Jamie Bryson said they will accept the determination of the legal appeal on Monday as he challenged residents of Garvaghy Road to commit to walking away if their bid fails.

Breandán Mac Cionnaith, of the Garvaghy Road Residents’ Coalition, told reporters the Secretary of State wants residents and the Orange Order to reach agreement, but contended that “the reality is” there is “no such thing as half a march”.

While reporting from 10 different countries on four different continents, he has interviewed two US Presidents, three Irish Presidents, four British Prime Ministers and five Irish Taoisigh.

He currently has US President Donald Trump’s personal mobile number saved in his phone.

David (55) says his experience dealing delicately with the at times tetchy Rev Ian Paisley has been excellent training for navigating the equally volatile Donald Trump.

These days he may well spend an enormous amount of time in the White House, but his beginnings in the media couldn’t have been more different.

“My first journalism job was with the Banbridge Chronicle,” he says. “Usually when someone is starting out they get to cover light stories. But this was Northern Ireland, so I was sent out to cover shootings and bombings.

“On my very first day as a reporter on Downtown Radio and Cool FM the Shankill bomb exploded. I went straight there, and it was absolute pandemonium. There were police officers and local men trying to claw through the rubble to reach people who were trapped.

“I was asked to record an eyewitness account for the bulletin at the top of the hour. I remember freezing with the sheer magnitude of what I was witnessing before my eyes. I just didn’t know what to say.

“My late friend and dear colleague Stephen Walker told me to just ‘say what you see’ and that is what I did.

“I remember midway through that recording the body of a young female was carried past me by the emergency services. It was horrific. For a long time after that, I couldn’t get that scene out of my mind and had recurring nightmares about it.”

David moved on to Sky News, where his first ever live broadcast was from Drumcree Church three decades ago.

He says he has spent the last week remembering the harrowing stories from that time.

“I don’t hear the word Drumcree,” he says. “I feel it in the pit of my stomach. It induces memories I thought we’d long consigned to history.

“They are memories of working all night, every night, for a week or 10 days while Northern Ireland teetered on the brink of anarchy.

“They are memories of being on Garvaghy Road when riot police moved in to clear it of protesters in the small hours of the morning.

“I have memories of my first live broadcast for Sky News, breaking the news that Michael McGoldrick had been shot dead by loyalist paramilitaries.

“Those of us who have covered the peace process see it for what it is – a failure of politics and a failure of power-sharing.

Those of us who have covered the peace process see it for what it is – a failure of politics and a failure of power-sharing

“Mandatory coalition might have silenced most guns and bombs but it did not produce reconciliation, so round and round Northern Ireland goes.

“When power-sharing is obligatory, not voluntary, leaders retreat from the centre to their old territorial positions at the first sign of trouble.

“Social media has poured petrol on the fire – elevating the most extreme voices, and setting the tune for political parties to dance to.

“None of our three children was born when the Drumcree issue was at its height and two of them are now parents themselves. Why would anyone want a whole new generation that has grown up in peace to experience the tension, the unrest, the murder we witnessed?

“Drumcree wasn’t just another story I covered. It was my lived experience. I grew up in Portadown and understand how deep it runs on both sides. Only twice in my career did Sky have to put security outside my home – the first time being during the so-called ‘Siege of Drumcree’.

“But the greater good does not require there to be a winner and a loser. It requires compromise and compromise requires leadership.”

David says navigating the complexities of Northern Ireland was a good training ground for his work in the US now.

“The politics of the United States is so polarised, now more than ever,” he says.

“And one thing you learn very quickly when you come here is that the media landscape, the news media landscape, is just as polarised. People who vote Republican watch particular channels. People who vote Democrat watch their own channels. And so those channels, in my opinion, often are preaching to the choir.

“Whereas it’s been good to come in with a history of striving for impartiality. We’ve always attempted to be unbiased, to be neutral, to give both sides of every story. And that is often missing in the US media. And so I think Northern Ireland has equipped me for that.

“I don’t quite know how, but I managed to do 25-plus years of reporting in Northern Ireland without falling out with Sinn Féin or the DUP. I like to think that’s because I tried to be fair and I tried to be neutral and unbiased. And so, I suppose, we are trying to practice that on this side of the Atlantic now.”

More accustomed to the corridors of Stormont, David says Trump’s White House and the relentlessness of his presidency does take some getting used to.

Although he adds that his experience dealing with Northern Ireland’s biggest political characters has given him great experience in dealing with the leader of the free world.

“Trump isn’t a story a day, he’s a story an hour,” he says. “And you haven’t got the slightest idea where that story’s going to go in the next hour. He is completely unfiltered and this presidency is without precedent for so many reasons.

“As far as the White House goes, when you go into The Oval Office it is much tinier than you think. It’s so much smaller than when you see it on movies or TV. It’s also unrecognisable because it’s just gold everywhere now, because the President seems to be a bit obsessed with gold.

“But in many ways covering the presidency is a bit like covering Northern Ireland politics in that you walk this fine line.

“It’s our job as journalists to hold the president accountable for the people, to hold the administration accountable. But this president doesn’t like to be held accountable. He has attempted to ban CNN, NBC, Politico from the White House. So, I’m always conscious that there is a very fine line between accessibility and accountability.

“People will say, “Why don’t you push him harder? Why don’t you push back when he’s saying things that are obviously untrue?” My view is, if you lose your access, then you can’t even attempt to hold him accountable.

“It was a bit like that in Northern Ireland. I often think back to covering press conferences with the Reverend Ian Paisley where if you wanted to ask a very difficult question, you had to be careful how you asked it or you mightn’t be allowed into the next press conference.

“We haven’t fallen out with President Trump yet, but we’re conscious that he’s easy to fall out with. But this is an unusual presidency in that right now I have his mobile number on my phone. I would say 50 per cent of the journalists in Washington DC have the President’s own mobile number. He does pick up.

“I personally have not called him, but my colleague Mark Stone in Washington has, and he’s picked up and talked to him. He normally talks to you for about a minute, and then he says he’s got to go and hangs up. I think that it is just extraordinary that journalists can have that level of access to the President of the United States.”

David was at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner when a gunman attempted to assassinate President Trump.

He says he was the first to hit the deck, recognising gun shots from his experience in Belfast.

“There are so many guns in America, that it does feel more dangerous than Northern Ireland,” he says.

“Back home, there were always small groups who had access to weapons, but because of the US Constitution, anyone here has the right to bear arms. And it seems that a huge proportion of the nation have decided to exercise that right. And so you do sense that an argument can very quickly turn into something violent on the streets.

“We were at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner and we heard gunfire just outside the door where the Secret Service were exchanging fire with the gunman who was attempting to assassinate the President.

“It took everyone else a few moments before they got down. I was on the floor within seconds because I recognised the sound. I had heard it before on the streets of Belfast during some of the violence in the mid-’90s that erupted as a result of the parade being forced down the Garvaghy Road.”

It took everyone else a few moments before they got down. I was on the floor within seconds because I recognised the sound. I had heard it before on the streets of Belfast during some of the violence in the mid-’90s that erupted as a result of the parade being forced down the Garvaghy Road

David says having had a break from Northern Ireland and being totally immersed in the American way of life, there are a few things he misses greatly about home – one of them being rain.

“I miss the fresh air because it’s very humid in Washington DC for much of the year,” he says.

“I miss a little bit of rain. I’ve seen very little rain for months now in Washington. I was home in August and there was nothing I enjoyed more than walking on the beach on the north coast and walking in Clare Glen Forest Park in Co Armagh, not far from home. That was just lovely, that little bit of normal air, as I would call it.

“And how I miss the food. There’s much more processed food in America, so I missed good Northern Irish fresh-from-the-farm kind of food. When you order food to eat in America, you end up eating about half of it because the portion sizes are enormous.

“Life is very different here. At home in Co Armagh, I live in a more rural part of the country. Here I’m living in a big city, so that’s a big change I’ve got used to.

“Also just the pace of the story here takes some getting used to. We had busy days in Northern Ireland with breakthroughs and breakdowns, but it tended to wane a little. Here it’s relentless. It’s just a constant treadmill of global news.”

David says he does try to switch off, with one of his favourite past times being strolling along the Washington Mall.

“I may not look like it, but I swim a lot, which actually is one of the ways I switch off,” he says.

“But also there is one part of this city that’s absolutely stunning – the Washington Mall. It’s that two-mile walk from the Capitol Building right down to the Washington Monument, down to the Lincoln Memorial where Abraham is sitting in his chair in the little temple. You can go right out to the Jefferson Memorial as well.

“It’s like a walk through the history of the United States. And the monuments and statues are everywhere. There are museums on either side of you. It is just breathtaking, and you recognise as you walk past, places from movies that you’ve watched.”

David says he’s in the ‘twilight’ of his career, but having covered stories from so many different countries, he’d like to be remembered as a person who put the viewer first.

“Every journalist wants to be remembered for fairness, accuracy and balance,” he says.

“But also, a lot of people say this to me, and, and it is something I do consciously try to do. I’ve always tried to make very complicated stories understandable and relatable for everyone.

“I’d like to think that people would look back at my career and think that they understood Northern Ireland better, and that they understood America better because of the way I’ve tried to report it to them. I’ve tried to talk to the man and woman on the street.”

David is married to Ruth (53) and together they have three children – Sarah (28), James (26) and Josh (22) -–and three grandchildren, as well as another one on the way. He says the thing he is most proud of in life is his family.

“I think I’m most proud of persuading Ruth to marry me all those years ago,” he says.

“Ruth used to work for a mental health charity and is the most empathetic person I’ve ever met. And if there is one thing we have achieved well is that we have brought up children who are enormously empathetic, non-judgemental and take people at face value. They are able to stand in someone else’s shoes.

“They have grown up without knowing division because they have grown up in a very different Northern Ireland to the one their mother and I grew up in. And for that I’m very grateful. I would hate to see Northern Ireland lose that.”

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald previously called on Micheál Martin to tell British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant that they have a responsibility to stop the march on Garvaghy Road.

Ms McDonald and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill, the party’s deputy leader, met Mr Martin to discuss the impasse during the week.

On Saturday, the Taoiseach has said he does not agree that the dispute could be solved by telling Mr Burnham to stop the march.

Mr Martin had been criticised at a rally on the Garvaghy Road on Saturday which was held in support of the residents against the Orange Order march.

The rally, organised by residents and featured speeches by Ms McDonald and Ms O’Neill.

There were also boos and chants of “shame” at the mention of the Taoiseach by Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín, who accused the leader of the Irish Government of “standing idly by”.

Mr Tóibín concluded his speech by saying: “They (the Irish Government) have a moral responsibility to be here with you to defend your rights and to make sure that this march never comes on this road again.”

Ms O’Neill and Ms McDonald applauded the remarks.

Asked about being booed at the rally and the calls for action from Sinn Féin, Mr Martin said: “I met with the leader of Sinn Féin and I met with the First Minister last week, and I worry about their sincerity at times in respect of these issues.

“Because I met them in good faith but the meetings seem to be more about press choreography than substance.”

He added: “I just feel that the meeting last week lacked a degree of – at the end of the day – sincerity, because there were comments made before the meeting, there was comments made after the meeting.

“Every meeting can’t be about a press release.”

Speaking at a Fianna Fáil event in Dublin, Mr Martin added: “They think Drumcree could be sorted by me simply telling Andy Burnham what to do, and that’s it.

“Now I think that’s overly simplistic, and I don’t agree with them on that.”

Mr Martin said the approach and language used by Sinn Féin would not help “bring about a united Ireland”.

The Taoiseach said it was the Government view the dispute would be resolved through continuing dialogue.

“We’ve been in close contact all week with the British Government.

“There have been talks between the community and between the Orange Order. They do not yield a result, there are further legal actions.”

He added: “Everyone needs to be calm, and everybody needs to be very sensitive in terms of what they say right now, because we simply do not want to go back to the visions of the past.”

He said both Governments were “very keen” for mediation and building a foundation for reconciliation.

Ms McDonald said “there’s no question of us co-operating with any process that that will unfold” as she defended Sinn Féin’s participation in the protest, which police have described as unnotified and therefore unlawful.

Asked about the legality of the protest which was also attended by First Minister and Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O’Neill, she said: “Others will determine whether or not that is in fact the case.”

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Politics Northern Ireland, Ms McDonald said: “This comes down to right and wrong. This comes down to a simple calculation by all of us as to what is right and just, and what is in the best interests of our communities.”

She added: “There are moments in life where you have to take a stand and this is one of those moments.

“Michelle O’Neill and I – as Sinn Féin leaders, as political leaders, as people who care passionately about the society that we can live in, and the future that we can build collectively, collaboratively for everybody – know that for that to happen, we have to stand foursquare with the community of the Garvaghy Road.”

Pressed on whether the commitment remains even if it means breaking the law, Ms McDonald replied: “Whatever that means, that is the right call.”

Just nine, and only learning tricks of the trade that would deliver him to the game’s biggest stage - carving out a place as one of the Orchard’s greatest forwards along the way - that 1988 day left no imprint as the boys in green and black slipped to a convincing defeat at the hands of Pearse Og.

“It’s a lifetime ago,” he says, “I actually don’t remember it because I was only starting my football career…

“There was a book on the history of Killeavy brought out about 10 years ago, written by a great man, Oliver McDonald. Unfortunately he passed away about five weeks ago, but the boys would have seen pictures of the team that represented Killeavy.

“Apart from that, they wouldn’t have known or heard too much about it.”

Fast forward 38 years, and McDonnell won’t forget the next time Killeavy made it to a county final.

This is his third year in charge of the club, his previous two attempts ending in quarter-final agony against Clan na Gael then Clann Eireann.

On Saturday night, however, it was third time lucky. Except there was very little luck – Fergal Boylan’s second goal aside – about the manner in which McDonnell’s men swatted aside Dromintee to end that long wait for a shot at the Gerry Fagan Cup.

They were on it from the first whistle, with just 38 seconds on the clock when Callum O’Hare fired over a two-pointer.

There was a major boost too as Armagh star Conor O’Neill – back from Australia in recent weeks, back from the ruptured Achilles’ tendon that has taken away so much of the last two years – made his first championship appearance since 2023.

Picking up rising star Diarmaid O’Rourke, there was no room for any ring rust. Yet O’Neill looked as though he had never been away, even clipping over a free for good measure as Killeavy moved through the first half gears.

“He’s a very naturally gifted footballer,” said McDonnell, “but, for a naturally gifted footballer to be given the job of tagging a man… ‘Geezer’ [Kieran McGeeney] used to give him those type of jobs when he was with Armagh as well.

“It just shows the honesty and the class of the guy. I thought he was exceptional tonight.”

An eighth minute goal from the brilliant Boylan really set the wheels in motion after a nip and tuck start – the razor-sharp forward nudging Conor Dunne side as he collected Lee Rice’s pass before burying beyond Dylan McGahon-Malone.

When Boylan found the net for a second time 10 minutes before half-time, Dromintee were really up against it. There wasn’t the flowing finesse of his first, this time a two-point effort dropping just under the bar and, with Rice rushing in, the ball eluded McGahon-Malone on its way into the net.

In typical forward fashion, Boylan was in no doubt whose goal it was.

“I asked him there and he definitely told me that he got two goals,” smiled McDonnell, “if I was in that position, I’d be saying the same.”

In that first half hour, Killeavy looked every inch championship contenders – quick and direct in attack, tenacious in defence, athletic around the middle. Some of their play was a joy to behold, while the experience of all those previous near misses gave them a bank of experience that this young Dromintee outfit does not yet possess.

In truth, the second half was something of a non-event. Trailing by seven at the break, Dromintee resisted a couple of early opportunities to take scores, instead trying to work their way closer to goal.

They needed a spark, and they needed it fast – but the two goal chances Dromintee did create, for Michael O’Neill and Jack McArdle, were well blocked by Shea Magill.

Their sole point of the half was a late 45 from McGahon-Malone but, even though Killeavy’s standard slipped far beyond that of the first half, they still comfortably coasted across the line.

Their last final appearance may have been 1988, but the last time Killeavy were senior county champions? That was way back in 1948. One big box has been ticked, but another remains unchecked as this generation of players looks forward to the biggest day of their club careers.

“Some of these boys have been beaten in two semi-finals. I was beaten in two semi-finals myself when I played and it’s not a nice feeling,” said McDonnell, whose son Kealan featured in Saturday night’s victory at the Athletic Grounds.

“The boys carried a lot of heart into the game… I wouldn’t say it was our best performance ever, but semi-finals are all about winning. My emotion now is just relief - we’re delighted to be there.”

Dromintee: D McGahon-Malone 0-5 (2tpf, 1 45); D Crilly, P Martin, S McGenity; M O’Neill, A McKay, T Fox; C Dunne, G Kilgallon 0-1; E McKeever, K McArdle, O Loughran; D O’Rourke 0-1, C McKenna, J McArdle 0-1. Subs: F Toale for Crilly (27), S McArdle for McKeever (HT), R Quinn for McArdle (42), F Toale for Loughran (45), D McKenna for McGenity (54)

Killeavy: S Magill; C Magennis, K Mallon, C O’Neill 0-1 (1f); L Rice, G Murphy, C McKinney; E Boyd, C Boylan 0-1; C O’Hare 0-3 (1tp), K McDonnell, C O’Hanlon 0-1; F Boylan 2-1 (1f), R McGuinness 0-1, A Magennis 0-4. Subs: C McConville for McGuinness (39), N Magennis for O’Hare (48), C Cosgrove for O’Neill (52), T Brown for McDonnell (52). J Cosgrove for Magennis (60+1)

Referee: S Murphy

The Bournemouth midfielder was handed his first start in Rijeka and looked every inch an international midfielder with an energetic display alongside Elliot Anderson as Tuchel’s side ran riot in the Nations League clash.

Tuchel said: “First start and what a start, what a performance.

“He is so smooth on the ball, his decision making is at the highest level.

“He plays with so much confidence. He is so active, so confident. The work rate off the ball.

“He is just the complete package. He gave us a lot of mobility and a lot of variety and work rate in the centre of the pitch.”

The four players playing ahead of him did not do bad either as they tore Croatia apart.

Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka both scored twice, Jude Bellingham scored one and made three more, while Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers also bagged.

“The movements in the last line are at the highest level and are getting better and better,” Tuchel said.

“That’s why I didn’t want to change so much from match to match, to get the fluidity going and to get the movements going and to get the automations right within the front four.

“They are very good together at the moment and they enjoy playing together. These are complete performances.

“It’s a team effort but the front four look very dangerous.

“They just want to play like this. It’s their belief and it’s also their wish and conviction to play like this.

“So this is not something that we have to convince them to do. It’s just the way they want to play.

“We still think that we have a certain edge that we play on the front foot.

“It’s just what the team likes, what the players want, what they’re going to buy into.”

Tuchel added to his squad ahead of the final game of the camp against Czechia on Tuesday by calling up Manchester City right-back Rico Lewis.

The aerial war has intensified, with Moscow menacing cities across Ukraine with hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones, while Kyiv has been striking Russia’s oil industry and businesses.

Mr Merz said he travelled to the Ukrainian capital on his second trip as chancellor to demonstrate his country’s solidarity with Ukraine.

Germany is Ukraine’s largest donor, sending Kyiv more than 43.3 billion euro (£36.8 billion) since the war began, along with equipment and weapons.

“If Russia is not stopped, its war machine will sooner or later turn against us,” he said in a statement on Sunday, adding that he told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: “You can continue to count on our help.”

Mr Merz said the partnership between the two countries was “not a one-way street”, pointing to German and Ukrainian companies jointly developing technologies that benefit both sides.

“This makes us safer and stronger,” he said.

In a post on X, Mr Zelensky thanked Germany and said the two countries would make “important agreements” during the visit to strengthen Ukraine’s defences and those of the rest of Europe.

“Russia must be stopped together,” he wrote.

Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Mr Merz would hold talks with Mr Zelensky.

Writing on X, Mr Sybiha said the agenda would focus on “strengthening Ukraine, our defence and resilience, and our shared European security”.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday it would continue to carry out “mass retaliatory strikes” on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, urging foreign nationals and diplomats to leave the country.

It previously issued a similar warning in May.

The German and Russian foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s annual gathering of world leaders last month in what was believed to be the first such face-to-face meeting since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Russia’s Sergey Lavrov rejected German calls to ease off its “dangerous path of escalation” toward the country, and instead accused Germany of being Ukraine’s main sponsor and seeking to be a leading military power in Europe.

Ties between Russia and Germany have soured even more in recent weeks, following an attempted drone attack in early September at Leipzig airport.

Germany has blamed Russia for the incident and announced the closure of the German consulate in St Petersburg, the latest in a cycle of tit-for-tat moves.

Meanwhile, Mr Merz’s power inside Germany has taken a blow after a string of state election defeats last month, including losses to the anti-migration and Russia-friendly Alternative for Germany party.

However, he said he intends to remain chancellor.

On Sunday morning, Russian attacks continued with a drone hitting Kyiv’s Northern Bridge over the Dnipro River again, Mr Zelensky said.

Video circulating on social media showed the drone flying into the bridge and the explosion as vehicles crossed.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were wounded in the attack.

The latest strike came after Russian assaults forced the full or partial closure of three of Kyiv’s six road bridges over the Dnipro River earlier this week, suspending traffic and causing tailbacks in Moscow’s latest effort to disrupt life in the Ukrainian capital.

Previously, Russia has hit apartment blocks, supermarket warehouses, petrol stations and data centres, among other targets.

One person was killed and 16 wounded on Sunday in a Russian aerial bomb attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, local officials said.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Sunday it would intensify its strikes “against military and military-industrial facilities, as well as related infrastructure, in Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine” in response to Mr Zelensky’s comments, in an interview with Reuters published on Saturday, that Ukraine would escalate its attacks on Russian oil refineries.

Russia invaded its neighbour more than four-and-a-half years ago, and there are no concrete signs that a peace settlement might be possible.

Fighting along the roughly 1,250-kilometer (780-mile) front line snaking through northern, eastern and southern Ukraine has been virtually deadlocked in recent months.

The Tory leader cast herself as the “no-nonsense mum” to Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s “cheesy uncle” as she insisted the Conservatives had changed after suffering their worst-ever electoral defeat in 2024.

Dismissing suggestions that her focus on cutting benefits and building more prisons signalled a return of the Conservatives as the so-called “nasty party”, she said: “It’s the common sense party. That’s what we’re doing.

“And, quite frankly, if we were doing so well the old way, then why did we have such a terrible issue in 2024?”

She told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “I am a classic old-school conservative. I believe in common sense: people working hard and being rewarded for that effort.”

Despite wanting to draw a clear line under mistakes of the past, Mrs Badenoch said some principles were “timeless” and should continue to guide the party.

“The principles and the values never change,” she said.

“Personal responsibility is not a 1980s idea.”

Asked how she would characterise herself and Labour leader Mr Burnham after she described Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as a “grumpy grandpa”, she said: “Andy Burnham is the cheesy uncle. I think he’s the cheesy uncle who does all the dad jokes.

“And what am I? Someone else has to do that. It’s very difficult… They probably see me, you know, as the no-nonsense mum. No nonsense, (that’s) probably me.”

The Conservatives have made a series of policy announcements in the days approaching the annual party conference in Birmingham, as they seek to broaden their platform for government ahead of the next general election.

The party has pledged to end a childcare “cliff edge”, which currently means parents earning more than £100,000 do not qualify for the entitlement.

All parents working 16 or more hours a week would be eligible to get 30 hours of free care a week under the Tories’ proposals.

The policy is estimated to cost £700 million a year, which party officials say could be funded by cutting the number of public servants at arms-length bodies.

Mrs Badenoch indicated people earning as much as £1 million a year would still be eligible for the entitlement but insisted the pledge was targeted at earners around the £100,000 threshold.

Asked whether the policy should be tapered or means-tested in some way to avoid taxpayers subsidising incredibly wealthy parents, she told the BBC: “I believe that the number of people who have very small children who are earning tens of millions of pounds is negligible.

“What I think we need to focus on is the reality of most people out at work today, and what you’re going to see at this conference is how we’re having policies for everybody.

“Whether you don’t earn, whether you earn a little, whether you earn a bit, whether you earn a lot, we want everyone in this country to know that if you are out there working, the Conservative Party has got a plan for you that we’re going to get fit and working again.”

Elsewhere, the Conservatives also announced a plan to tighten access to student loans for non-UK nationals – a policy they say would save the taxpayer £900 million a year.

The proposals would also block EU Settled Status (EUSS) claims, a system the Tories said is being “abused”.

The Tories have also pledged to deliver 50,000 new prison places by slashing the overseas aid budget to £1 billion a year in a bid to end the early release of offenders.

Over the 14 years the Conservatives were in power, around 500 net prison places were created, which takes into account 14,142 added in existing and new jails, as well as 13,660 lost mainly to dilapidation and closures.

The early release of offenders that began under the Tories to ease jail overcrowding has been continued by the Labour Government, which Mrs Badenoch accused of letting out “dangerous” criminals and “papering over the cracks” in the system.

The party leader also hinted she was open to cutting inheritance tax but only if it were fiscally responsible, describing the move as “morally right” in an interview with the Sunday Times.

Amid questions over the Conservatives’ long-term commitment to the triple lock policy after senior party figures including former chancellor Jeremy Hunt, shadow foreign secretary Tom Tugendhat and shadow housing secretary Katie Lam suggested it was unsustainable, Mrs Badenoch insisted the Tories were “keeping” the policy.

Asked about Ms Lam’s comments, the Tory leader said: “She is not wrong about growth, we are not growing.

“But why is she saying that? Because we’re not growing. We keep avoiding the fundamental question about growing the economy.”

In a 95-page guide to her political philosophy published on Sunday, Mrs Badenoch said Government should be strong in the areas in which “the state is required”, which she named as “defence, borders, public order, the rule of law and essential infrastructure”.

“It should not spread itself thinly across responsibilities that others can carry, where adults, families, communities and businesses should be free to make decisions they can reasonably make for themselves,” she says.

The booklet, titled The Right Way and inspired in part by a similar document setting out the tenets of Thatcherism in the 1970s, says there were failures in the approach of previous Conservative governments to net zero, immigration and how Brexit was delivered.

“(The Right Way’s) first purpose is to reset and reclaim the intellectual foundations of the Conservative Party,” Mrs Badenoch says.

“Faced with almost any problem, the easy answer is to demand government do something. I want to see proper questions asked first.”

It seeks to draw a clear dividing line with Labour under Mr Burnham, who used the party’s annual conference to attack Margaret Thatcher’s record and pledge to reverse her ban on public ownership of water companies, paving the way for nationalisation of firms that do not “serve the public interest”.

Mrs Badenoch arrived at the conference on Saturday afternoon, her second as Conservative Party leader, at which she will hope to set in motion a platform to reverse the party’s fortunes after losses in this and last year’s local elections.

As she arrived, she was asked by reporters about the public’s opinion of the Tories, who find themselves behind Labour in the polls despite an uptick in her personal approval ratings.

She replied: “I think that people will see that we have gone on a journey. We’re not the party that the public said no to in 2024. We are a new Conservative Party.

“I’ve got a strong team. So much of my shadow cabinet are here, and they are going to be showing all the wonderful plans we have to get this country working again.”

Evan Tweed top scored for the home side with two goals in the opening five minutes and it was one-way traffic from then on.

“We had a fantastic work ethic and got our just rewards. Everything worked a treat,” said former Derry City captain and manager Hutton.

Annagh – who only missed out on a place in this season’s top flight after a play-off penalty shoot-out defeat – moved a point clear at the top thanks to a 1-1 draw with Warrenpoint Town at Milltown.

In the evening game, Glenavon beat Moyola Park 3-0 at the HAJ Stadium to move into second, a point behind Annagh.

New boys Rathfriland stunned Paul Kee’s Welders at the Blanchflower Stadium, winning 3-1 to move off the foot of the table.

Queen’s University had an excellent 2-0 victory over Dundela at Wilgar Park, while Loughgall defeated Newry City 2-1 at Lakeview Park.

Ballinamallard drew 1-1 with Ards at Ferney Park.

Strabane Athletic and Armagh City drew 0-0 at Limavady Showgrounds on Friday night.

RESULTS

Moyola Park 0 Glenavon 3; Ballinamallard 1 Ards 1; Dundela 0 Queen’s University 2; H&W Welders 1 Rathfriland 3; Institute 7 Newington 0; Loughgall 2 Newry City 1; Warrenpoint 1 Annagh 1

FIXTURES

Friday October 9 (7.45pm)

Newry City v Dundela; Rathfriland v Armagh City

Saturday October 10 (3pm unless stated)

Institute H&W Welders; Loughgall v Moyola; Newington v Ards; Queen’s v Ballinamallard; Warrenpoint v Strabane; Annagh v Glenavon (5.30pm)

Cuirtear ‘Gaeilgeoir Swift’ ar Lisa Murray, ceoltóir as Gaeltacht Chontae na Mí, agus ní haon ionadh é an teideal sin. Tá a céad albam, ‘Abhaile’, eisithe anois, agus “faoiseamh agus buíoch” ar an dá mhothúchán is mó ag an phop-amhránaí dátheangach.

Le scéalaíocht ‘folklore’, dóchas ‘Fearless’ agus buillí ‘1989’ (gan trácht ar an ghlib ghruaige!), tá tionchar Taylor Swift le mothú ar cheol Lisa, ach tá a guth féin aici gan dabht. Is mór an obair agus an croí a chuir sí isteach san albam, a phléann an cinneadh a rinne sí bogadh ar ais ó Londain go Baile Ghib, an ceantar Gaeltachta arb as di i gcontae na Mí.

Ach ní bogadh fisiciúil amháin a bhí i gceist leis an albam. Bhí aistear éagsúil ag Lisa, a bhfuil máistreacht sa léiriúchán ceoil ó Choláiste Ceoil Berklee aici, agus í ag fágáil a ról mar léiritheoir ceoil le Sony, agus an saol a bhí aici i bpríomhchathair Shasana: d’fhill sí ar a teanga dúchais. Is é “Uaigneach”, singil a eisíodh in 2024, an chéad amhrán a scríobh sí i nGaeilge riamh, agus as sin a d’aimsigh sí a stíl féin leis an chumadóireacht dátheangach, agus a d’fhorbair sí a grá don Ghaeige arís.

“Thuig mé go raibh rud in easnaimh i mo shaol, agus gur an teanga a bhí ann. Tógadh mise go dátheangach agus nuair nach raibh mé ag labhairt i nGaeilge, bhí mé ag fágáil leathchuid de mo phearsantacht ar an tábla agus ar leataobh, agus ní raibh mé ceangailte liom féin go hiomlán.”

Chaith Lisa míonna fada ar an chumadóireacht, taifeadadh, léiriúchán agus pleanáil ar an seoladh agus ar an chamchuairt, ach díreach cúpla lá roimh an eisiúint, tháinig fógra ó Taylor Swift... Bhí sí féin le ceithre thraic nua a eisiúint ar an lá ceanann céanna. Agus ar chuir sin eagla ar Lisa?

“Ní raibh mé in ann ach gáire”, a deir sí, agus an smaoineamh ba mhó a bhí ar a intinn: “An bhfuil mé cócaráilte?”. Chuir sí físeán in airde ar na meáin shóisialta faoi, agus dar léi gur chuidigh sin léi aird a tharraingt ar ‘Abhaile’, seach as cur isteach ar an seoladh. Is léir gur chuidigh, nó tá os cionn 60 míle sruth faighte ag an albam cheana féin.

Ach dar le Lisa, “Is éacht éagsúil é a bheith i d’ealaíontóir neamhspleách sa lá atá inniu ann”, agus dúshláin go leor os comhair a leithéid. Cé go bhfuil “níos mó saoirse” ag baint leis, tá dualgais agus brúnna breise uirthi. Measann sí go bhfuil post “seisear” ar bun aici: cumadóir, amhránaí, léiritheoir, bainisteoir, poiblitheoir, eagraitheoir camchuairte. Chomh maith leis sin, is lena cuid airgid féin amháin a mhaoinigh sí léiriúchán an albaim.

Ach an dúshlán is mó atá roimh cheoltóirí neamhspleácha, dar le Lisa? Ní hé ceoltóirí móra le rá, ag eisiúint traiceanna nua ar an lá chéanna leat, agus lipéidí ceoil mhóra taobh thiar

dóibh. Ní hé fiú cúrsaí airgid, cé go bhfuil sin i gcónaí ar intinn, agus “géarghá” le maoiniú do na healaíona - cosúil leis an mhaoiniú a fuair Lisa ó Chultúr Éireann leis an chamchuairt a chur i gcrích.

Dar léi, is é bagairt an Intleacht Shaorga (AI) an baol is mó do cheoltóirí eile cosúil léi.

“Caithfidh muid daonnacht an cheoil a chothú”, a deir sí, le dul i ngleic leis an “AI slop” a bhfuil “go leor airgid taobh thiar dó”. Maíonn sí gurb é an gné is tábhachtaí den ealaíon ná “mothúcháin a roinnt ón ealaíontóir go dtí an éisteoir”, agus go bhfuil gá le “guth agus fírinne” sa cheol.

Tá guth, fírinne, ceol agus spiorad Lisa le mothú go suntasach san albam seo. Is féidir ‘Abhaile’ a shruthú anois, nó a cheannach ach cuairt a thabhairt ar mheáin shóisialta @lisawiththefringe

St Brigid’s pulled off a major scalp defeating Dunloy in the Antrim Senior Football semi-final after a dominant second half at Dunsilly to secure their place in the Antrim Senior Football Championship final.

The sides were locked at 0-5 apiece at the break, but the South Belfast side outscored the champions 0-12 to 0-3 after the restart to seal a convincing nine-point victory.

Dunloy opened the scoring after just two minutes when Conal Cunning clipped over a neat point, but JJ Higgins quickly replied for St Brigid’s.

The Biddies then hit two quick scores through Joseph Finnegan and Niall Duffy to move 0-3 to 0-1 ahead.

Dunloy responded in style when Seaan Elliott marked his first touch with a superb two-pointer, before Cunning added another to put the champions back in front.

Keelan Molloy stretched the Dunloy advantage to two with a free, but St Brigid’s refused to let them settle.

Finnegan produced another fine clipped effort before Higgins curled over from the corner to bring the sides level.

Neither side could find a decisive score before the break, leaving the teams level at 0-5 apiece.

The complexion of the game changed immediately after the restart.

Dara Quinn restored St Brigid’s lead within a minute, only for Cunning to respond for Dunloy.

Higgins then put the Biddies back in front before Niall Duffy landed an excellent score to make it a two-point game.

From there, St Brigid’s began to take control and the second half was a one-way game.

Joe Logan produced one of the scores of the evening when he twice used his feet to dummy his marker before calmly splitting the posts.

Shay Campbell followed with another point to open up a four-point advantage, while Higgins continued to punish the Dunloy defence with another well-taken score.

Dunloy needed a response and Eoin McFerran provided it with a fine point in the 47th minute, but St Brigid’s immediately answered through James Smith.

Paul Bradley then fired over a superb two-pointer to put the Biddies firmly in command with ten minutes remaining.

Higgins added yet another score in the 57th minute as St Brigid’s maintained their grip.

Elliott converted a late free for Dunloy, but James Smith had the final say for St Brigid’s as they closed out a nine-point win and booked their spot in their very first final.

Dunloy: C McMahon; C Kinsella, A Crawford, R Cunning; A McGarry, R McGarry, L McFerran; C Cunning 0-3, E McFerran 0-1; E O’Neill, S Elliot 0-3 (1xTP), T McFerran; B McCloskey, K Molloy 0-1 (1F), N Elliot

Subs: Eoin McGrath on for Eoin O’Neill, Charli Cunning on for Tom McFerran

St Brigid’s: D Heery; O Downey, J Morgan, S Campbell 0-1; S Downey, J Finnegan 0-2, R McGrady; J Dowling, P Finnegan; R Boyle, D Quinn 0-2, P Bradley 0-2 (1xTP); N Duffy 0-2, J Smith 0-2, JJ Higgins 0-5

Subs: Joe Logan 0-1 on for Ronan McGrady

Last year, the 74-year-old actress appeared on the first season of the hit spin-off series alongside other famous faces including Alan Carr, Paloma Faith and Stephen Fry.

One notable moment from the season came when Imrie broke wind during one of the challenges – which left her fellow contestants in fits of laughter.

A year on, she has now reflected on how her flatulence became a defining moment of the series.

“I am guilty of doing anything for a laugh, but I didn’t mean to fart,” she said when speaking to The Times.

“I was nervous. I can’t believe it became such a huge thing and I don’t want to be defined by it.”

Assigned as a faithful, Imrie made it halfway through the season before being murdered in episode eight – a result she said still frustrates her.

“I was a bit annoyed that I didn’t win The Celebrity Traitors,” she said.

Last week the second season of the show was released, with Imrie revealing fellow actor Richard E Grant asked her for advice.

“Richard rang me up and asked what it was like. I said I didn’t quite know what I was letting myself in for, but it was good fun, although it’s very strict and there is an element of cruelty about the game,” she said.

“It’s hard always being on, keeping the brain working, but I’m pleased I did it, especially because I have a whole new fan base, lots of younger people.”

After the fart, which was picked up by microphones, presenter Claudia Winkleman said: “What just happened?”

Imrie responded: “I just farted, Claudia. It’s nerves, but I always own up.”

TV sports presenter Clare Balding later called the fart the highlight of her time on the show, which she said was “so funny”.

Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway also later recalled how it was “so loud”.

“How could somebody so elegant, so petite, so gracious, let off that huge sound, and it was so nerve-racking in a serious moment,” she said on GMB.

“It was my favourite, favourite moment in that cabin, which was deeply unpleasant. She’s adorable, we salute you.”

Traitors Uncloaked host Ed Gamble also said the show-stopping fart was the highlight of the season, joking it “altered the dynamic of guffs”.

The comedian, who hosts the podcast that accompanies the hit show, said the moment the veteran actress audibly passed wind will be the moment he will remember.

He told BBC Breakfast: “I’m going to have to say Celia’s fart. I know there’s so much more that goes into this show, it’s such an incredible team, it looks beautiful, these huge, sweeping shots of the beautiful Highlands, but there’s nothing funnier than a fart, especially when it comes from a national treasure.”

Carr – who won the season – even mentioned the fart on stage at the Bafta TV Awards in May.

After picking up the award for TV memorable moment of the year for the moment he won the series, he said: “Sometimes, when I’m a bit sad, I’ll sit there and remember the laughter. You know, I can even still smell Celia’s fart.”

Imrie is best known for appearing in films including the Bridget Jones series, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, and The Thursday Murder Club.

Swatragh 3-22 Lavey 1-10

Bellaghy 3-14 Ballinascreen 2-12

BELLAGHY held off Ballinascreen on Saturday afternoon to reach their first Errigal Contracts Derry senior final since the last of their six titles away back in 1993. Earlier in the day Swatragh were emphatic winners over Lavey in Maghera.

Three goals towards the end of the first half gave the Wolfe Tones the upper hand in their clash with the ‘Screen at Castledawson. The first was claimed by Orla McCartney while Leah Cassidy scored the other two to give Bellaghy an interval lead of 3-7 to 1-7.

Áine Barton had scored the Ballinascreen goal and most of the points in the opening half and she continued to clip over frees as well as add a second half goal that brought the gap down at one stage to two points. However Cassidy (two) and Orlaith Hull (four) kept tagging on points to keep Bellaghy out of trouble.

In Glen Lavey couldn’t live up to the heroics of their quarter-final a fortnight ago when they knocked out holders Sleacht Néill. In the end 2024 champions Swatragh were comfortably through to the decider.

Nevertheless Lavey, who last appeared in a final when completing a three-in-a-row 17 years ago, took an early lead of 0-3 to 0-1 with points each from Carla and Emma Collins and Aoife Shaw.

But once teenagers Emma Quinn and Mary Therese McCullagh got going, they were in trouble. Quinn split the posts on six occasions in the first half and McCullagh added four points as Swatragh went in at the break with a lead of 0-13 to 0-6, Carla Collins frees accounting for half of Lavey’s total.

There was a glimmer of hope for the challengers when Caitriona Toner buried a 36^th minute goal. But McCullagh quickly fired over three points to cancel it and Dara McGuckin killed the game off with a 48^th minute goal.

Substitute Máiréad McNicholl then fired in a quick goal and a point and McGuckin iced the cake with her second goal two minutes into added time.

The final is scheduled for Sunday 18^th October.

Bellaghy: L Cassidy 2-4, O McCartney 1-1, O Hull 0-7, 5fs, E Doherty 0-1

Ballinascreen: Á Barton 2-9, 0-9fs, J Donnelly 0-2, M Clarke 0-1

Swatragh: D McGuckin 2-0, M McNicholl 1-1, E Quinn 0-10, 4fs, MT McCullagh 0-7, 6fs, A McWilliams, S O’Doherty, G McAtamney and D O’Kane 0-1 each

Lavey: C Toner 1-1, C Collins 0-6, 5fs, E Collins 0-2, A Shaw 0-1

The suspect was arrested at the scene and is not believed to be part of the hunting party, police said in a statement.

The injured victim was flown to a hospital for treatment.

The shooting occurred near Halden, which is about 96 kilometres (60 miles) from Oslo and near the Swedish border, on Sunday.

Other details were not immediately available.

The incident took place on Saturday evening when police were patrolling the Glider network.

Officers spotted a juvenile on an e-scooter on the Andersonstown Road ‘goading’ police and putting himself and road users at risk.

It was confirmed to the PSNI that parents purchased the e-scooter and let the child use it. Police say a social services referral is to be made to establish any potential child welfare concerns.

The juvenile is also being investigated for alleged motoring offences.

The PSNI said: “Officers observed a juvenile riding an e-scooter along a very busy stretch of the Andersonstown Road. The juvenile appeared to be goading Police from across the road while putting himself and other road users at risk.

“Unbeknown to the juvenile, another officer was approaching him out of sight. The e-scooter was seized, and the juvenile will now be investigated for committing motor offences.

“The parents of the juvenile were informed, they confirmed they purchased the e-scooter and were aware their child used it. A social services referral will now be made to establish any potential child welfare concerns regarding this action.

“We are not out to spoil anyone’s fun, but we would rather contact parents to inform them an e-scooter has been seized than inform them their child has been knocked off one as a result of a collision.”

Verstappen navigated his way through the chaos to claim his first triumph of the year. Kimi Antonelli took second with Lewis Hamilton completing a fine comeback drive from 18th to take the final spot on the podium. Russell had been running in third when he retired with just five laps left to leave his title dream all but over.

But the race at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia was overshadowed by embarrassing scenes when this season’s new cars – which had already faced stern criticism – effectively failed to work in the wet.

OUR TOP 10 IN SEPANG 👇#F1 #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/DlVhWT8Pl6

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 4, 2026

Forty minutes after the initial getaway was pushed back following a deluge of rain, Formula One bosses had to abandon the start when number of drivers, including Verstappen and Hamilton, were struck by software gremlins – directly linked to the controversial 50-50 split between combustion and battery power – and could not get their cars to operate.

The grid limped back to the pit-lane, and although the rain had long since stopped, a further 53 minutes passed before the green light was given by the sport’s chiefs to try again. An explanation for the lengthy delay was not offered. And by now, the track was largely dry.

Two laps followed behind the safety car before a standing start. Verstappen slipped to third but cleared Antonelli after another safety car period on the 13th lap and took the chequered flag 2.3 seconds clear of the championship leader. Russell’s failure to finish leaves him 84 points behind Antonelli with only seven scheduled races, and a possible 183 points remaining.

The rearranged round in Malaysia, because of the conflict in the Middle East, marked the first meaningful wet-weather running this year and it unravelled in spectacular fashion.

Pole-sitter Verstappen was the first to complain that he could not accelerate. That meant the following pack were virtually crawling around the Sepang circuit before Hamilton, second on the grid, then hit trouble in his Ferrari.

“I am pressing the throttle, and nothing is happening,” he complained before stopping at the side of the track. And behind, a whole host of other drivers were also struggling to keep their engines running.

Attempting to explain the unprecedented scenes, Mercedes test driver Anthony Davidson said on Sky Sports: “What’s effectively happening is if you are off throttle for too long, the turbo spools down and when the driver puts their foot back down, it uses all the engine juice.

“As soon as the battery goes flat, you are down to internal combustion engine power only. It’s incredibly complicated and you fall into this horrible trap where the engine can’t reaccelerate because you are being penalised by this regulation.”

Verstappen, the leading critic of this season’s rules, was eventually able to get up to speed. He laughed and shook his head upon seeing some of the cars parked at the side of the track.

“Look at this,” he said over the radio.

Lewis 🤜🤛 Max#F1 #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/nBqa82l5f1

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 4, 2026

Double world champion Fernando Alonso criticised the decision to abandon the start.

“Why did they put out the red flag?” he said. “This is racing.”

The grid hobbled back to the pit-lane and an almost one hour-long delay ensued despite no further rain, and the track initially declared fit for racing.

At 4.33pm local time – the fixture had been due to begin at 3pm – Verstappen peeled out of the pit-lane. Red Bull and Mercedes elected for the intermediate tyres, while Ferrari and McLaren punted for slicks. It backfired for Ferrari and McLaren.

Russell leapt from seventh to second at the start with Antonelli assuming the lead, while Hamilton, desperately struggling on the dry tyres, fell back to as far as 18th and 80 seconds behind.

Valtteri Bottas beached his Cadillac on the ninth lap and a safety car was deployed. In came the leaders to change from inters to dry tyres, with Verstappen now ahead of Russell and in second. The Dutchman then mastered the restart to swat Antonelli aside. Russell also moved ahead of his team-mate only for Antonelli to move back past for second on lap 21.

A lengthy safety car followed late in the fixture when Alex Albon stopped and his car, stuck in gear, could not be moved by the marshals. Then, Russell’s afternoon, and quite possibly his title bid, came to an end as his power unit expired. But there were no such dramas for Verstappen, while Hamilton completed a fine afternoon by passing Hadjar at the end to take his first podium since the British Grand Prix in July.

Alex Norris said introducing legislation for judge only trials would have been “complicated to implement”, slowing down the “whole package” of reforms.

The decision is a U-turn on proposals introduced under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership in a bid to tackle the court backlog.

Former justice secretary David Lammy, who championed the move, had told MPs the reforms were “desperately needed” to prevent victims facing “agonising delays”.

Mr Norris insisted the backlog will still fall without cutting jury trials – but would not say by how much.

He told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: “The element that we’ve removed, the Crown Court Bench Division, the so-called judge-only trials, that was always going to be the most complicated to implement, and would hold the whole package up.

“The backlogs will start falling in this Parliament, and I’ll be publishing alongside what I publish to Parliament are assessments going forwards that mean that over the next decade that backlog falls significantly as a result of the changes we’re making.

The Government has been warned that pushing thousands of more cases on the already overstretched magistrates’ courts amounts to “restricting juries by the back door”.

The the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) warned the proposals will shift 25,000 cases a year, including 5,500 jury trials, on magistrates.

The cases will include complex assaults, sexual assaults and child abuse which volunteer magistrates are “completely unequipped to try”, the CBA said.

Magistrates courts do not have juries, with cases heard by a panel of three trained volunteers or a single paid professional district judge.

The backlog of open court case in the magistrates’ courts has surged by 16% annually—and up to 40% in some regions, meaning they do not have the resources to take on thousands of more sensitive cases, according to the CBA.

Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy described the proposals as “restricting juries by the back door, scrapping the right to elect one and dumping those cases on magistrates whose backlog is at a record high.”

Mr Norris said he decided to “change course” after hearing the “strength of feeling on the proposals”.

Barrister Karl Turner, who had the Labour whip suspended after he criticised the plan, welcomed the decision and thanked the Prime Minister “for his support during my campaign”.

Mr Turner, MP for East Hull, told the Press Association he had “engaged directly with the Justice Secretary” about the issue in recent weeks.

MoJ figures showed there were 80,829 cases still to be dealt with at the end of June, with the backlog almost doubling since 2020.

Claire Waxman, victims’ commissioner for England and Wales, said victims “are being asked to place their faith in a plan that ministers themselves previously argued would not be (enough)”.

Liberal Democrat justice spokeswoman Jess Brown-Fuller said the proposal “should never have been introduced in the first place” while Green MP Sian Berry said the U-turn is “a victory for justice and fairness”.

Magherafelt 1-15 Lavey 1-13

MAGHERAFELT came from behind to see off the brave challenge of Lavey on Saturday night in Find Insurance Owenbeg.

Late points from Cahir Spiers and Conall Higgins were the key scores in a pulsating finish.

The sides were level at half-time, 0-7 each, despite Magherafelt pulling to goal chances wide.

James Sargent led the Lavey charge back from a 0-5 to 0-2 deficit with Rossa hitting nine first half wides.

A brilliant finish to the net from Conor Mulholland shot Lavey 1-9 to 0-10 with Pattrick McGurk steering most of their play.

Lavey twice led by three points before a Conall Higgins two pointer began the moment that change the game.

Magherafelt won the next Lavey kick-out before Cahir Quinn had a shot deflected to the net for a 1-13 to 1-11 lead.

Ryan Mulholland hit back with a two-pointer but two Lynch kick-outs to Conor McCluskey paved the way to Rossa’s killer late scores.

Magherafelt: Conall Higgins 0-4 (1tp), E McEvoy 0-3 (1tp), S Heavron (2f), P McLarnon 0-3 each, C Quinn 1-0, C Spiers and A McCluskey 0-1 each

Lavey: J Sargent 0-3 (tp), C Mulholland 1-0, R Mulholland (tp), P McGurk, N Toner 0-2 each, C Hendry, M Downey (f), C Downey and J McGurk 0-1 each

Glen 1-16 Kilrea 1-6

LED by the Doherty brothers, Glen brushed clear of Kilrea in the final quarter to book their place in the last four.

Three quick points from Conleth McGuckian (2) and Conor Convery in as many minutes set them on their way.

Much of Glen’s play went through Ethan Doherty, with brothers Alex and Jack among the scorers as they led 0-9 to 0-5 at half-time.

Emmett Bradley and Conor Glass combined to turn in an own goal after a Daniel Madden run and Kilrea were back in the game.

Tommy Rogers brought the sides level before a drab and scoreless 10-minute spell.

At the other side of it, Glen – who were without Ciaran McFaul and Danny Tallon - hit five points in as many minutes to pull clear before Alex Doherty took his championship tally 5-16 with a late goal

Scorers:

Glen: A Doherty 1-5 (1tpf, 1f), E Bradley 0-3 (1f), C McGuckian, J Doherty 0-2 each, C Convery, J McGuckian, P Gunning (f) and C Glass 0-1 each

Kilrea: Own goal 1-0, J Kielt 0-3 (1tpf, 1f) and T Rogers 0-2

After taking a break in 2026, the event will return next year on June 23-27 at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset.

The general sale tickets went on sale at 9am on Sunday – but sold out by 9.45am.

Posting on Instagram, the festival’s official page said: “Tickets for Glastonbury 2027 have now sold out.

“Thank you to everyone who bought one and we’re sorry to those of you who missed out on a morning where demand greatly exceeded supply.

“There will be a resale of any cancelled or returned tickets in spring 2027.”

See Tickets said: “Tickets for Glastonbury Festival 2027 are now SOLD OUT. Confirmation emails are going out now. Thank you to everyone who bought tickets this morning and sorry to those who missed out.”

On Thursday the first lot of tickets – coach tickets – went on sale at 6pm BST, but they sold out in less than half an hour.

General admission tickets for next year’s festival cost £408 – an increase of £29.50 from 2025.

In a bid to prevent touting, Glastonbury customers had to register in advance to buy tickets for the event – and were able to book up to six tickets per transaction.

Tickets for @Glastonbury Festival 2027 are now SOLD OUT. Confirmation emails are going out now. Thank you to everyone who bought tickets this morning and sorry to those who missed out.

— See Tickets (@seetickets) October 4, 2026

Once the sale went live, fans were “randomly assigned a place in a queue” rather than having to refresh the holding page.

They were also told tickets found to be purchased through intermediaries would be cancelled.

Tickets cost £408 including a £5 booking fee per person and £11.25 postage per order.

The record for the festival’s fastest sellout time happened in 2014 when the 15,000 pre-sale tickets for the 2015 festival sold out in 15 minutes while the other 120,000 other tickets were snapped up in 26 minutes.

Following a fallow year, the headliners for the 2027 festival are yet to be announced.

Despite heavy speculation from fans, both Oasis and organiser Emily Eavis have confirmed the band are not lined up to perform.

However, she did confirm in August that all of the headliners had been booked.

“We’re very excited about it. It’s all coming together really well,” she said on BBC Radio 4’s PM programme.

The 1975, Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts, and Olivia Rodrigo headlined the 2025 festival.

That year, punk duo Bob Vylan and Irish rap trio Kneecap were also assessed by Avon and Somerset Police.

Bobby Vylan, of Bob Vylan, led crowds on the festival’s West Holts Stage in chants of “death, death to the IDF” before a member of Irish rap trio Kneecap joked fans should “start a riot” outside his bandmate’s upcoming court appearance, and led the crowd on chants of “f*** Keir Starmer”.

The 2025 festival also saw surprise sets from alternative pop star Lorde, who played her album Virgin in full, Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi, who played two years after a set at the festival during which he struggled to manage his Tourette syndrome symptoms, rock trio Haim and Britpop band Pulp.

Brat star Charli XCX also headlined the Other Stage on the Saturday while Sir Rod Stewart performed in the Sunday legends slot, bringing out former Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood for Stay With Me, Lulu for Hot Legs and Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall for a performance of his band’s If You Don’t Know Me By Now.

DURING the week, Niall Morgan had given his father Marty one job to do.

“I said to him on Friday, it’s important if we win you keep everybody off the pitch, we didn’t want it to look like we were celebrating early.”

It was an impossible task.

Wouldn’t it be a dry adventure altogether if joy was only found in the ultimate successes? No smiling until the cup’s home lads.

It doesn’t work that way.

This was a monumental night for Edendork. They felt it the last fortnight.

Several players of present and past referenced afterwards how the club had gone into previous semi-finals in 2001 and 2018 hoping they might win, whereas they came to this one expecting that they would.

It was a perfect storm. Going to a replay with Carrickmore ate into Donaghmore’s prep time and the manner of their incredible 19-point win in that replay fed a misguided notion around the place that this would be a formality.

Maybe it would have been had Edendork not pulled a tactical rabbit from the hat.

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Having been involved in a stunning, end-to-game with Clonoe that ended 3-25 to 4-15, and shown no signs in the horrid rain against Ardboe that they had any other intention, Brian McGuckin’s side came out armed with a very different set of terms and conditions.

They dropped off the minute they lost the ball. Every kick-passing lane Donaghmore wanted to go down was congested, every runner shown into the dark alleys of Dungannon and stripped of their possessions.

When they had the ball, Edendork were so composed. They were happy to keep it but they never kept it for keeping it’s sake. It was about making Donaghmore impatient, making them step out of the line.

It all orbited on Conn Kilpatrick. Sick during the week, he dropped off in defence, made himself a brick wall on the arc, and he decided when their attacks would switch up the pace.

Take the example of a sublime two-pointer from Niall Morgan towards the end of the first half. Morgan was hanging out about eight, nine metres from the right-hand side of the arc.

It was pretty obvious why he was there. Donaghmore saw him. They watched him like a hawk.

But Kilpatrick saw them seeing Morgan and saw them also keeping him off his own right foot.

So he dropped the shoulder, drove forward 15 metres on his left side. Three blue shirts, terrified of letting him up the middle, congregated.

And at that, he stops dead, turns back and pops the ball to Morgan, who’s been able to encroach another five yards and is now completely unmarked because Kilpatrick had drawn the flies to a different light. The goalkeeper’s third two-pointer of the half flies over and it’s 0-10 to 0-5.

Edendork just did the right things at the right times. They mixed it up. Having effectively conceded the Donaghmore kickout in the first half (they were 9/9), Edendork won four in the space of ten minutes after half-time. In doing so, they took a sledge to the one platform Donaghmore would have felt they had ownership of that might allow them to build their way into it.

If you’d said at the start of the evening that Edendork would be comfortable winners, you’d have been questioned.

But to add in that Darren McCurry would score just two points and they’d still win by eight, people would have been worrying about you.

McCurry still made the ball stick and buzzed around but enormous credit has to go to Jamie McCann, who matched his every step.

Brian McGuckin, who has had Conleith Gilligan back alongside him in recent weeks, fed his side for two weeks on healthy portions of disrespect he felt they’d endured in the lead-up.

“I just felt that a lot of people were just talking about our main players, our county players, and how dependent we are on them. By all means, we are dependent on them, but we have a hell of a team and a hell of a squad and it took them all tonight,” said the St Malachy’s boss.

Through the shadows cast by their big names, the lights of particularly Luke Ferguson, Ben Cullen, Fionn Devlin and Neil Kilpatrick shone. Steven Corr coming on to kick four points, including a brilliant two-pointer, added to it.

For Donaghmore, it is an enormous disappointment. Having run Loughmacrory so close last year and then been so impressive against Carrickmore last week, they came with serious hope of reaching what for them would have been a first senior final in 66 years.

They just didn’t see Edendork bringing what they brought, and they couldn’t adapt. It ended up a very subdued evening for them. They should have had a penalty that might have cut the gap to four with six minutes left but that would be clutching hard at straws, particularly given Kieran Eannetta put in a pretty solid display on the whistle.

Along with Jamie McCann’s good night, Ryan Cush tried his best to spark life into them and Cormac McCann did well with the bits of space he manufactured up front.

The day was done by the time McCurry punched the air in celebration at landing the game’s final score.

Marty Morgan was powerless to implement his son’s wishes.

The Edendork camp were very conscious afterwards of not going overboard, that they hadn’t played their final here.

There’s enough experience in and around their changing room to ground them and see them through the psychological challenges they’ll face now.

They’ve already made history. They’d just like to make a bit more of it in a fortnight.

MATCH STATS

Edendork: N Morgan 0-6 (0-4tpf, 0-2tp); D Maneely, F Devlin 0-1, N Kilpatrick; C Mallon, B Cullen 0-1, C Bell 0-1; C Kilpatrick 0-2, H Óg Conlon; L Ferguson, P McLernon 0-1, J Ferguson 0-2; D McCurry 0-2, D Conway, R Nelis

Subs: S Corr 0-4 (0-2tp) for D Conway (37), F Nelis for R Nelis (46), J McLernon for J Ferguson (56)

Donaghmore: C McGreevy; J McCann, B Hughes, D McCann; P McKenna, J Clarke 0-1, C O’Neill 0-2; R Cush 0-2, T Drayne; N McKenna 0-1, R Cassidy 0-1, R Donnelly; N Grimes, C Cush 0-2 (0-1f), C McCann 0-3

Subs: L Shields for N McKenna (39), F Donaghy for R Donnelly (46)

Referee: K Eannetta (Omagh)

St Eunan’s don’t make it easy on themselves but the Letterkenny men are back in another Donegal SFC decider after a dramatic two-point win over Gaoth Dobhair in Ballybofey.

Having surged 12 points up inside the opening quarter, Eunan’s were on the rack late on as Gaoth Dobhair squandered a goal chance in injury time that could easily have pushed them them over the line.

Stephen McFadden’s two-pointer on the hour mark left just one in it at 2-17 to 1-19. And with Gaoth Dobhair raiding in on goal right at the death, the rug seemed destined to be pulled, unceremoniously, out from under the feet of the pre-game favourtires.

But Ethan Harkin’s attempt to source Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhríde in front of the net failed and the chance to snatch victory evaporated just as quickly as it had appeared.

And with Eunan’s countering, Oran Winston fisted over on the whistle to seal the deal.

Speaking after, a relieved Kieran Donnelly admitted he was just relieved to see his side get over the line.

“Gaoth Dobhair showed serious spirit and heart out there,” he said.

“I felt we dominated the first half but only found ourselves five up at the end of it going in.

“We’d a good second half start with the goal from Ciaran Moore but it was still live right to the end. And we were just glad to manage those final moments and get across the line”.

Donnelly will be back at MacCumhaill Park on Sunday to see what comes his team’s way in the decider as champions Naomh Conaill clash with Glenswilly.

“The quality in Donegal at this moment is excellent. So we’re going to have to improve from today if we’re to compete in the final.

“We’ll be back to get a look at that and you’re talking about two serious outfits.

“There is a two-week lead in now to the final so the pressure is off right now and we can have a really good look at that game.

“I’m looking forward to it. Glenwilly are on a great run and Glenties are Glenties so let’s see what comes our way.”

Donnelly’s charges, much like in their previous victory over Dungloe, threatened to run away with things early on as they went 1-9 to no score up inside the opening quarter with Dylan Doogan rattling in the game’s opening goal.

Ten minutes out from the break, and with Shane O’Donnell pulling the strings, the Black and Amber were still firmly in the driving seat at 1-12 to 0-3.

But Gaoth Dobhair would soon break that stranglehold and with the likes of Eoin De Búrca, Eamon Ó Colm, Daire Ó Baoill and Ethan Ó hEarcáin all stepping up, the Magheragallon men were out to 0-7 for the evening, and now eight off the coattails of the leaders.

O’Donnell fied back for Eunan’s but Gaoth Dobhair rallied down the stretch and with Ó Baoill rattling in from the spot in injury time, just five points split the teams at the interval.

Ciaran Moore rammed in a second goal on the resumption for the leaders but Gaoth Dobhair deserve serious credit for refusing to fold.

Ethan Harkin, Eamon Collum and Eoin De Burca all helped gnaw away at the Eunan’s lead and in a desperate attempt to find the right man around the edge of the arc nearing the end, McFadden launched from distance to set up a grandstand finish.

But just when Gaoth Dobhair needed it most, their luck deserted them and that last-ditch and intricate attempt to engineer a killer goal just failed at the crucial moment.

Gaoth Dobhair: P Mac Giolla Bhríde; J Gribben, G McFadden, N Mac Giolla Bhríde; A Breathnach, F Coyle (0‑1), C Mac Aoidh; D Mac Giolla Bhríde (0‑2, 1tp), A Mac Íomhair; D Ó Baoill (1‑2, 1‑0 pen), E de Búrca (0‑3), F Coyle; C Gillespie (0‑1), E Harkin (0‑3), E Collum (0‑5, 3f).

Subs: S McFadden (0‑2, 1tp) for A Breathnach (39);O Mac Niallais and C Ó Dochartaigh for F Coyle & C Gillespie (both 43);C Ó Gallchóir for J Gribben (52);J Coll for F Coyle (57).

St Eunan’s: S Patton; N Barrett, C Ward, J Hay; K Tobin, C O’Donnell Snr (0‑1), O Winston (0‑2); S McGettigan, E Dowling; D Doogan (1‑0), S O’Donnell (0‑5, 1tp), L McGuinness; E McGeehin (0‑2), C Moore (1‑1), C O’Donnell Jnr (0‑4, 2f).

Subs: N O’Donnell (0‑1) for D Doogan (ht);J Kelly for S McGettigan (39).

Referee: A McCallig (Naomh Ultan).

Local MSP Martyn Day claimed that “not a penny” of £200 million earmarked to support industry at the Grangemouth site has been spent.

It comes as chemical manufacturer Syngenta revealed on Thursday it is considering ceasing all operations in the area, placing 377 jobs at risk.

The company said that while no final decision has been made, it had now entered in formal consultation with trade unions and employees at the site.

It follows a year after more than 400 workers lost their jobs as the Grangemouth oil refinery, Scotland’s last, closed.

Mr Day said: “Firstly, my thoughts are with all the workers of Syngenta and their families at this hugely challenging time.

“The SNP is clear that we firmly oppose the industrial closures at Grangemouth and we will continue to push bosses to reconsider this decision.

“The workers of Grangemouth and surrounding areas have once again been betrayed by this UK Labour Government – the same Labour Government that has spent billions saving industrial jobs in England, but stood back and did nothing when Ineos and Mossmorran went under – we cannot have a repeat of that at Syngenta.

“Labour promised £200 million of support for industry in Grangemouth, but not a penny of it has been delivered.”

He added: “Grangemouth needs that money and it needs it now – Andy Burnham must immediately tell the people of Grangemouth exactly when that money is coming and exactly how it will be spent.

“People in Grangemouth and across Scotland are fed-up with being treated as an afterthought by Westminster.

“It is only with the fresh start of independence that we can build a stronger and wealthier country, where Scotland’s industry will always be the priority.”

The UK Government has been approached for comment.

Following a deluge of rain, the start-time for the round – which is taking place in Malaysia – was pushed back by 40 minutes.

But when they attempted to get the race underway a number of drivers were hit by technical problems on the formation laps.

Today’s round marks the first time this season’s new cars – a 50-50 split between combustion and battery power which had already faced severe criticism – have run in the wet, in either qualifying or a race.

🚨 RACE CONTROL: The starting procedure has been suspended

The drivers return to the pits #F1 #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/U6kq7wMDJ9

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 4, 2026

Pole-sitter Max Verstappen was the first to be struck down by gremlins as he complained he could not accelerate.

That meant the following pack were crawling around the Sepang circuit before Lewis Hamilton, second on the grid, then hit trouble in his Ferrari.

“I am pressing the throttle and nothing is happening,” complained the seven-time world champion as he stopped at the side of the track.

Behind Hamilton, other drivers also struggled to move in embarrassing scenes for Formula One.

The start was suspended as the drivers limped back to the pits.

Explaining the bizarre developments, Mercedes test driver Anthony Davidson said on Sky Sports: “What’s effectively happening is if you are off throttle for too long, the turbo spools down and when the driver puts their foot back down, it uses all the engine juice.

“As soon as the battery goes flat, you are down to internal combustion engine power only. And because it can’t reach the drivers’ torque demand anymore, because the engine is not creating the power because you have no turbo, you go outside of the FIA regulation.

“It’s incredibly complicated and you fall into this horrible trap where the engine can’t reaccelerate because you are being penalised by this regulation.”

Fifty-three minutes passed before the race restarted after two laps behind the safety car.

Ederney booked their place in the semi final of the Mannok Fermanagh Senior Football Championship with a four-point win over neighbours Irvinestown on Saturday.

Goals arrived at key times for the St Joseph’s outfit as the excellent Declan McCusker and Lughaidh Donnelly netted late in the first half to put them into a nine-point advantage at the break.

And Niall Maguire’s 53rd minute goal stymied an Irvinestown comeback as Ederney eventually got across the line and into the last four.

Ederney got off to a flying start to the contest as they raced into a six-point lead by the eighth minute.

Paul McCusker rattled over a two pointer while Shay Deazley, Shaun McCarron and Declan McCusker also chipped in with points as they dominated early on.

However, Irvinestown finally settled to the task and dictated the next 15 minutes as they hit back to level through frees from Mattie McDermott and a Conor O’Hanlon two-point effort.

It was Ederney though who finished the half the stronger as Declan McCusker rifled over a fine two pointer before he then held off a challenge to slot to the ball to the net in the 28th minute to make it 1-19 to 0-7.

Moments later midfielder Donnelly lashed a shot to the top corner of the Irvinestown net and when Finbar Gillen tagged on a point it left Ederney with a 2-10 to 0-7 lead at the interval.

The gap was out to ten as Deazley knocked over at the start of the second half, but Irvinestown dug in and having gained a degree of control of the ball they began to eat away at the Ederney lead.

Josh Largo Elis fired over a two pointer, and this was followed by a goal by the impressive McDermott.

The young Fermanagh attacker added three further points, including a two-point free as they trimmed the deficit back to the minimum, 2-11 to 1-13, by the midway stage of the half.

Matthew Maguire provided a much-needed point for Ederney, their first in 20 minutes, and Niall Maguire then prodded home the crucial third goal for his side from close range to push the lead back to five.

Declan McCusker, Paul McCusker and Deazley added further scores and although McDermott fired over two late two pointers for Irvinestown, bringing his personal tally to 1-9, it wasn’t enough to deny Ederney who had four points to spare at the finish.

One year ago, on September 11, Marcus Fusco was rushed to hospital with a brain bleed after being struck by a van on Bangor’s High Street.

The now 21-year-old went on to make a ‘miraculous’ recovery.

However, just months later, the Fusco family was dealt another devastating blow when a fire ripped through the family business, Fusco Vehicle Sales.

The family had already lost Marcus’s grandfather, Alfie Fusco, the previous August.

One year on from his accident, Marcus recalls his hardest moments.

He told The Irish News: “Waking up out of my coma was the hardest. I was placed on suicide watch. It was very tough for me, not having a clue about anything anymore.

“One minute I was very confident, enjoying my life, and then I woke up and it had all been torn apart, with no memory of how.

“I was having panic attacks, getting in my own head that I would never leave hospital.

“It was mental torture. When I went to the brain unit in Musgrave, no one was younger than 77, and visitors were allowed for two hours a day. I felt so isolated.”

Marcus came out of the coma at the end of September but remembers gaining proper consciousness later in October. He was discharged from hospital the day before his 21st birthday in November.

“Your 21st is meant to be the biggest party. You start having plans for your life, but for me it was the opposite,” he said.

Marcus now has one final major operation ahead of him, which will involve having screws inserted into his spine.

Speaking ahead of the surgery, he said it feels as though he is finally approaching the end of his recovery and gives a message of hope.

He added: “I’m excited for surgery. Without it, I would be constantly worrying, not being able to play sport and living in constant fear that a simple fall would become fatal. So, the journey is almost done, I hope.

“It isn’t over until you decide it’s over. Months ago, if I had decided, ‘This is the best I’m going to get,’ then I wouldn’t have made the recovery I’ve made.

“It might be uncomfortable, but keep trying, keep pushing yourself.”

His sister, Holly Fusco, was at a wedding in Scotland when she received the call telling her that her younger brother had been knocked down.

“It was the worst day of my life,” she told The Irish News.

“We didn’t know what was going to happen. We were told he would have some sort of disability; we just didn’t know what that would be

“Marcus and I have always been close. He said to me in hospital, ‘You’re my best friend in the whole world, Holly,’ and it broke my heart.”

But just months after Marcus returned home, the family suffered another set back, when a fire tore through Fusco Vehicle Sales, destroying 90% of the building.

“I remember just bursting into tears and asking myself, ‘Is everyone going to die?’” Holly says.

Reflecting on the past year, she added: “It’s the most unimaginable thing to go through. You’re in the middle of living a normal life and then everything changes and the world stops.

“Everyone has been so invested in Marcus’s recovery and been so supportive of our family, so we feel so lucky and blessed to be able to give a positive story to all of those who were thinking of him and us when we were going through the worst time of our lives.”

Mum Denise spoke of her pride that her son has defied the odds.

She said: “We are so grateful to have the same cheeky chappy Marcus. To see him walking and talking, all our fears have been quashed.

“You never know what’s going to happen, and for a parent to fear they are losing their child. But we pushed through as a family.

“All you can do is hope for the future. Although it might be a slightly different future, you try to make the best version of it.

“We want to thank all who supported and prayed for us both during Marcus’s recovery and after the fire.

“It’s been a harrowing year, but Marcus has defied the odds.”

Johnson, hosting for the third time, used her opening monologue to reflect on relationships with singer Role Model and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

The actress joked that since last hosting the US sketch show, she had been through “two very public, very lame breakups with two very awesome musicians”.

“Some people leave concerts with merch; I leave concerts with a two-and-a-half-year relationship,” she joked, before praising her “supportive” friends.

Swift, who recently appeared alongside the actress in the music video for her new song Patient Zero, then joined her on stage to huge applause from the studio audience.

“Ladies and gentlemen, my literal therapist,” Johnson said as she introduced the singer.

Swift disputed the title, joking: “I’m not your therapist, actually. You just show up once a week at my house with an empty bottle of wine and ask if I want some.”

The singer added Johnson would “flop” on her couch and overshare while she occasionally responded, “Damn, that’s crazy”.

Swift continued: “Then I go: ‘Well, you know, it’s getting late, I should really go to bed’. And then you say…”

Johnson jumped in: “Sleepover, yay!”

“Then I give you a Pedialyte and my security drives you home,” the singer joked.

Swift reappeared at the end of the episode, presenting Johnson with a cake in celebration of her birthday.

The Patient Zero music video also stars actor Colin Farrell as Johnson’s husband, with Swift playing his dead ex-wife.

In the video, Swift’s ghost follows Johnson to warn her that Farrell’s character is trying to kill her the way he ultimately killed Swift’s character.

The video, which premiered at the MTV Video Music Awards, was shot by Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, known as Chivo, and Swift wrote on Instagram: “The Patient Zero video is finally out in the world!”

She added: “I want to thank @dakotajohnson and Colin for trusting me with their time, taste, and talent (Giggling with your friend because you’re twinning for an entire shoot was a new and truly delightful experience).”

The new single was the first of four new songs on Swift’s expanded version of the album The Life of A Showgirl, which marks her first new music since she married NFL star Travis Kelce on July 3.

Tracey Jeffery set up Tracey’s Farmhouse Kitchen in 2016, inviting visitors to her converted barn at Ballymorran Bay to make their own soda bread while learning about its history.

“It was really important to me to do something that is truly of Northern Ireland, something that’s just unique to us,” she told The Irish News.

“I’d been to loads of cookery classes where you sat back and watched but didn’t take part. I wanted people to be able to roll up their sleeves and actually do it themselves.”

Tracey said baking soda bread gives her a chance to introduce visitors to a part of the north’s food history that many of them know little about.

“I did research and learned things myself, like the word ‘farl’. I didn’t realise it meant one of four, or a quarter, because we cut the bread into four farls.

“A lot of Americans think soda bread is made the same way across the whole island of Ireland. I tell them that in the south they call brown bread soda bread, but they don’t make it on a griddle the way we do here and they’re always fascinated.”

Visitors from Northern Ireland are often more surprised by how quickly they can make it.

“People wouldn’t necessarily know that it’s as quick as anything to make,” Tracey said. “By the time you’ve gone to the shop to buy bread, this is ready.”

The eldest of five children, Tracey grew up helping her mother bake for the family at home in Co Antrim.

“We didn’t have much money, so my mum was constantly making things that were quick, easy and would last for a while, like corned beef hash and things like that.

“Or sometimes we’d come in from school and she’d have made all sorts of traybakes for us which were amazing.

“And I think my love for baking stemmed from there, I just loved being in the kitchen making sweet things with her.”

Tracey went on to study languages at Queen’s University Belfast and trained as a teacher, although she admits her desire to do something with food was always at the back of her mind.

While studying, she worked in a patisserie in France, where she learned to make macarons.

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It was really important to me to do something that is truly of Northern Ireland, something that’s just unique to us

Tracey Jeffery

When she returned home, she began making them for weddings and farmers’ markets. But the precision required was a far cry from the baking she most enjoyed.

“You had to be perfect about your measurements, down to the last gramme,” she said. “I did it for weddings for a while, but I found it quite stressful.”

Eventually Tracey began looking for a way to share her love of local food. A friend suggested holding classes at home, but she was unsure whether people would make the trip to Ballymorran Bay.

“My worry was that I was stuck out in this rural part of Co Down,” she said.

“I thought, ‘Will coaches come down here? Will people find this, or will they just give up?’

“But it’s worked. Now tour operators bring people here as part of their itineraries. By the time they get down here on a coach, they’re like, ‘Where are we?’ because it’s so rural. Then I bring them into my home and they just love it.”

Visitors make soda bread, eat around the kitchen table and take their own baking home with them.

Americans and Canadians are among Tracey’s regular guests, and she said many keep in touch once they have gone home.

“The first thing they say is, ‘I want to do this when I go back home.’

“If I could show you the number of emails and pictures I’ve had from people who’ve made it at home, it’s amazing.”

Ten years after she began, Tracey’s Farmhouse Kitchen has received a five-star visitor experience rating from Tourism NI and been shortlisted for Best Food and Drink Experience (Small) at its Giant Spirit Awards.

The experience has also featured in Tour de Fred: Northern Ireland, with Tracey welcoming First Dates star Fred Sirieix into her kitchen and teaching him how to make soda bread.

“It really doesn’t feel like 10 years,” she admitted.

“I was looking through newspaper articles and thought, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe 2016 is when I actually started.’”

As a result of the business’s success Tracey and her husband Joe have also expanded what they offer at Ballymorran Bay. Visitors can now go canoeing or paddleboarding with Joe on the lough before returning to the farmhouse for pizzas he makes in their pizza oven.

“We’re right beside the water, so it made sense,” Tracey said.

“They go out around the little islands with Joe, then come in and sit down to a piping hot pizza.”

The couple have also recently launched Strangford Zero Gin, having made their own fruit-infused gins from sloes, damsons and rhubarb for years.

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“We thought, wouldn’t it be great to have something that is a gin, but you don’t get a sore head the next day?” she said.

“People think it’s just flavoured water, but it’s distilled in a copper pot still with juniper, cardamom and all the ingredients you would get in gin, just without the alcohol.”

An Invest NI innovation grant helped the couple develop the drink, although Tracey said perfecting the product and its packaging had been a long process.

They hope to keep building that side of the business, but she has no plans to stop welcoming people into her kitchen.

“If anybody had told me at 50 that I was going to be making soda bread, I would have said, ‘Wise up, that will never happen,’” she said.

“But I get such a buzz out of it. I feel passionate about it.”

For more information on Tracey’s Farmhouse Kitchen visit traceysfarmhousekitchen.com.

I didn’t actually have any of this.

Well, I did have a baby six weeks ago, but photographic evidence of his trip home two days later shows a tiny little creature with two exhausted, shell-shocked and terrified adults, who seem both very in love with the creature and completely flummoxed as to what they’re actually meant to do with him.

It’s lucky I have this evidence really, because the whole thing was a slightly out-of-body experience for me, which passed in a blur.

Before you have a baby, everyone tells you that being a parent is the hardest thing you will ever do. And if you are anything like me, you respond by thinking “Well it can’t be that hard. I certainly will not find it hard, at least. I am very capable and smart and hard-working.”

Then you have a baby and within days, if not hours, you realise that nobody was lying or exaggerating: it is the single hardest thing I have ever done in my life.

And I have lived in London, co-existing almost entirely with English people, for over a decade.

The other thing people tell you – and if you are anything like me, you probably don’t believe – is that you fall in love with your child the instant you see them.

I am someone who rarely cries at funerals or during break-ups and who thought the movie Marley and Me was a bit overwrought, and yet I inevitably burst into genuine tears the instant I looked at my son.

In my head while I was pregnant I had created an idea of a baby; broad sketches of a cartoon infant that I could ruminate on when I bought baby-gros or tried to build furniture.

In reality he was so much more than what I imagined: a real, chubby, bloodied, crying person with my eyes and his dad’s lips.

I would like to say that everything from that moment onwards has been smooth sailing.

Actually there have been plenty more tears (not all from the baby), sick stains, sleepless nights, endless Googling, and all of the other anxieties that are not specific to me or my baby but feel to me and my baby more important than anyone else’s problems have ever been or will ever be.

There is no instruction manual to being a new parent – or an old one – and nobody gives you a checklist. So I will try to create an abridged one here, a few pearls of wisdom to pass on.

There is no instruction manual to being a new parent – or an old one – and nobody gives you a checklist. So I will try to create an abridged one here, a few pearls of wisdom to pass on

My best friend told me early doors that she had saved her relationship with a rule for the newborn trenches: Whatever you say to each other in the middle of the night does not count in the morning.

They say a good marriage means never going to sleep on an argument, but anyone who ever says this presumably has never had a baby.

Another tip: if someone you know has a baby and you ask them ‘Do you need anything’ and they say ‘no’, by this they mean ‘Bring us food, please, we do not have time to cook or eat’. I would recommend making them a big lasagne.

Some of the things people say about having babies will turn out, on the other hand, not to be true at all.

“Bouncing back” is a myth made up by Big Ozempic to sell you off-label GLP-1s, and yet I’m not above buying into it.

The “newborn glow”, much like the “pregnancy glow”, is a misnomer for what is actually a thin sheen of postpartum sweat and the hazy-eyed look of someone who has not slept in a stretch longer than three hours for weeks.

It is a truism to say that the hardest thing you can ever do is also the most rewarding, but that doesn’t make it any less accurate.

Believe other people when they say it, and trust me when I say that no matter how cool or interesting or above it all you think you are, you too will sing heads, shoulders, knees and toes for hours on end, and cheer when your child finishes a bottle.

It’s inevitable when it comes to the business of babies.

The pair took over the Buck’s Head in 2024, bringing Alex back to the kitchen where he first began washing dishes and preparing vegetables.

Since then, they have won a number of awards and earned a place in the Michelin Guide.

Now, they are preparing to open three luxury guest rooms in the listed building beside the restaurant, which they hope will be ready later this autumn.

Previously the general manager of the Deanes Restaurant Group, Bronagh has been overseeing the rooms, while Alex has been working on a breakfast menu exclusively for guests.

His idea is to turn a familiar morning routine into something more considered.

“If you think about it, people are usually having three courses for breakfast anyway,” he explains.

“Maybe they start off with fruit, yoghurt, something like that, then they order something cooked from the menu and maybe finish off with a pastry.

“What I’m trying to do is take that idea and just refine it a little bit and structure it into a menu.”

It is the kind of thinking people have come to expect from a chef whose inventive dishes have taken him from the Michelin-starred Eipic to the Great British Menu banquet.

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But Alex says his love of cooking was slower to develop than his career might suggest.

“I think sometimes people like to paint a romantic story of how important things happen in their life,” he says.

“But when it comes to me and cooking, it wasn’t that sort of start. It wasn’t like, ‘Oh yeah, I was in the kitchen and loved it from day dot.’

“The reality is, I was in the kitchen, I was getting paid to do a job and I enjoyed it. But the love for it didn’t really come until I was probably 14 or 15.”

At the time, the Buck’s Head belonged to Alison and Mike Crothers, who Alex credits with playing an important part in his early career.

“Alison brought me into the kitchen and said, ‘Now, if you keep your head down, Mike and I will retire someday and this could be yours.’

“But then, she used to say that to everybody,” he laughs.

He can, however, trace his love of food back to his family’s farm. His grandfather reared beef cattle, and Alex began wondering what he could make with cuts his grandmother did not usually cook.

“She either cooked topside or silverside or braised a bit of shin or had sirloin steaks. That was it,” he says.

“There were loads of cuts that came off it that my grandmother certainly didn’t cook, and that kind of fascinated me.

Alison brought me into the kitchen and said, ‘Now, if you keep your head down, this could be yours.’ But then, she used to say that to everybody

Alex Greene

“So I always say it’s born through beef. My love for food and what you can do with it was born through beef.”

His career has since taken him through kitchens in London, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. In London, he worked under Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s and Pétrus. The hours were punishing, but Alex says the experience was worth it.

“It was an education that you couldn’t have paid for,” he says. “You’re working with the best of the best, and you’ve just got to suck up the information.”

He admits he was tempted to stay in New Zealand, which he describes as “Ireland on steroids”. But even with a life he loved there, he found himself drawn back home.

“I was like, this is a very attractive life now,” he laughs.

“I loved it, but I think home is like a drug. No matter what you do, or where you go, there’s always something pulling you back.”

After returning home, Alex became head chef at Michael Deane’s Michelin-starred Eipic, where he was given the freedom to develop his own food.

“Michael never ever once told me what to do,” Alex says.

“Without him, I wouldn’t be where I am. You need all these people in your life to get places.”

It was during his time at Eipic that Alex appeared on Great British Menu. He competed in series 14 and 15 and returned for a Christmas special, cooking alongside chefs whose work he had admired for years.

“I came out of the studio and I was like, ‘This is not real,’” he recalls.

He became particularly well known for his banquet-winning Incredible Edible Book dessert, inspired by Belfast author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers.

“GBM was amazing,” he says. “It was brilliant for my career. People know me from it and have followed what I’ve been doing since because of it.

“It can be difficult to establish that kind of platform as a chef, and I never could have anticipated how much it was going to do for me.”

But the ambition he kept returning to was having his own place. When Alison and Mike retired, Alex had the opportunity to make the Buck’s Head his own, just as she had suggested more than a decade earlier.

“When we heard Alison and Mike were retiring, I remember thinking back to what she’d said when I was younger about it one day being my own place, so taking over really felt like a no-brainer,” he recalls.

“Honestly, from the minute I set foot in here, I have always felt connected to it.”

However, taking it over meant leaving the security and creative freedom he had enjoyed at Eipic.

“Michael gave me everything I’d ever wanted,” he explains.

“I didn’t want for nothing. It was very hard to walk away from. Do not get me wrong, it was extremely hard to walk away from.”

While he is ultimately glad he made the move, Alex admits running the business has brought its own challenges.

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“It’s been the toughest outing of my life,” he says.

“I’m very lucky to have Bronagh, because I don’t know anyone else in the world that does what she does.

“We don’t always agree and it was tough finding our feet as two business partners, but now we sit down, we talk and it works really well.”

Together, they are working towards something that reaches beyond the dining room and the new accommodation.

Alex recently inherited his family farm and is rearing cattle for the restaurant. He and his uncle are also planning to grow vegetables, bringing more of the food they serve into a cycle they can nurture themselves.

“It’s creating that life cycle of the whole thing,” Alex says.

“And that is my life.”

He has other ideas for Dundrum, although he is not ready to reveal them yet. He is also interested in creating a channel about food, farming and hospitality in Northern Ireland. For now, he is focused on making the Buck’s Head everything he believes it can be.

“This hasn’t just happened three or four years ago,” he says.

“It’s been 15, 20 years in the making. And we’re only getting started.”

Visit Alex and Bronagh online at thebucksheaddundrum.co.uk

Emily McGowan’s family has farmed at Millbank in Killinchy for more than a century. While she is determined to continue that legacy, doing so has meant taking the business in a different direction.

“I don’t want to be the one to drop the ball,” she told The Irish News.

“Dad always sort of said that when he was growing up and taking over the farm, he didn’t want to drop the ball. So now he’s been able to pass it on, I don’t want to be the one to drop it either.”

The youngest of three sisters, Emily found herself drawn to farming while her siblings pursued other careers.

For 40 years, her father Adrian grew vegetables for supermarkets, including Lidl and Tesco. The family has since moved away from that large-scale production, developing a farm shop in Saintfield and hosting events which bring visitors to Millbank.

Emily said adapting the business was necessary to secure its future and allow her to work alongside her parents.

“If you want to actually progress, you know, things needed to change,” she said.

The idea for the farm shop began to take shape while she was studying agriculture with business at Harper Adams University.

“During my placement year at uni, I had the opportunity to set up a farm shop and I really enjoyed the whole experience,” Emily recalled.

“Then about six months into that placement, we were approached about the premises in Saintfield and I knew it would be a great space for a farm shop, so we just went for it.”

Millbank Farm Shop opened on June 19 2019, with Emily still completing her studies.

Dad always said that when he was taking over the farm, he didn’t want to drop the ball. So now he’s passed it on, I don’t want to be the one to drop it either

Emily McGowan

“I had to finish my placement year while remotely managing this,” she explained.

“But then Covid hit, so I was able to come home and get an extension on my dissertation while we got the shop off the ground.”

Although the pandemic brought uncertainty, the shift towards shopping locally helped the young business establish itself.

The farm shop also created a way to sell the farm’s produce directly to customers, allowing the family to move away from supplying supermarkets.

More recently, that model has changed again, with other local growers now supplying much of the shop’s vegetables.

“At the start, we supplied the majority of the veg, and we now don’t,” Emily explained.

“There are so many good local guys who are supplying us.”

That network allows the shop to continue offering local produce while Adrian steps back from some of the more physically demanding work.

“Dad’s retiring. Well, when I say retiring, he’ll never retire, but he’s starting to step away from some of the more labour-intensive jobs, like being in a leek field at minus one during the winter.”

Running the shop, pantry and farm events also depends on having people around her whom she can trust.

“You can’t do it by yourself, my goodness,” she said.

“You need help. You do need a good team behind you.”

Locating the shop in Saintfield has brought another advantage, as Emily believes the town’s growing range of independent businesses helps attract visitors who might otherwise have had little reason to stop.

“Kin and Folk and places like that have been able to bring customers that we never would have brought to the town,” she said.

“So there is a great community in Saintfield.”

Alongside the shop, Emily has been developing events to bring in another source of income for the family business.

It began with an open farm event in 2019, held shortly before the shop opened. A sunflower field fundraiser followed, before the family developed Flower Fest, a paid visitor attraction at Whiterock Bay, which also raises money for charity.

Over the years, the event has grown to include dahlias, wildflowers and cosmos, alongside a maize maze, coffee dock and activities for children.

For Emily, watching families enjoy the fields has become one of the most rewarding parts of the business.

“We’re outside every day and I think you can take that for granted sometimes, but seeing other people come and spend time in the fresh air and enjoy themselves is lovely,” she said.

She also likes the thought that those visits become part of a family’s own history.

“We love seeing all the pictures people take when they come to the likes of Flower Fest. It’s such a privilege to play a small part in helping them make memories by having events like this.”

The next plan is to extend the flower season into spring, with an order for 40,000 tulips placed ahead of a planned March event.

“Next year will be the first year we’ll run a flower fest in March as well as in the summer,” she said.

“We’ll see how that goes.

“It’s a bit of a risk, but we have to try it.”

Beyond that, Emily hopes to open a bigger shop one day. But for now, she is focused on finding new ways to develop the business and build on what her family has created.

“The plan really is to just keep evolving every year, keep trying things and taking on the opportunities come your way,” she said.

“I would love to have a bigger shop later down the line, that would be the dream. But you need to evolve into that.

“For now what we have it works.”

For more information about Millbank Farm visit millbankfarm.com.

The Tory leader suggested she was open to changes to inheritance tax, the levy paid on most estates worth more than £325,000, but only if it were fiscally responsible.

Speaking to the Sunday Times ahead of the conference, Mrs Badenoch was asked if she planned to abolish the tax.

She replied: “It is morally right that people don’t get taxed twice. It is morally right that if you work hard and want to give something to your children the Government doesn’t take it away.”

Mrs Badenoch later added: “I am not going to announce tax cuts unless we can show how we pay for them… tax cuts are a good thing but you’ve got to be fiscally responsible.”

The Conservatives have made a series of policy announcements in the days approaching the annual party conference in Birmingham, as they seek to broaden their platform for government ahead of the next general election.

The party has pledged to end a childcare “cliff edge”, which currently means parents earning more than £100,000 do not qualify for the entitlement.

All parents working 16 or more hours a week would be eligible to get 30 hours of free care a week under the Tories’ proposals.

The policy is estimated to cost £700 million a year, which party officials say could be funded by cutting the number of public servants at arms-length bodies.

Mrs Badenoch told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: “What we want to see is that people who work harder don’t get punished for doing so.”

Elsewhere, the Tories also announced a plan to tighten access to student loans for non-UK nationals – a policy they say would save the taxpayer £900 million a year.

The proposals would also block EU Settled Status (EUSS) claims, a system the Tories said is being “abused”.

Mrs Badenoch arrived at the conference on Saturday afternoon, her second as Conservative Party leader.

As she arrived, Mrs Badenoch was asked by reporters about the public’s opinion of the Tories, who find themselves behind both Labour and Reform UK in the opinion polls.

She told replied: “I think that people will see that we have gone on a journey. We’re not the party that the public said no to in 2024. We are a new Conservative Party.

“I’ve got a strong team. So much of my shadow cabinet are here, and they are going to be showing all the wonderful plans we have to get this country working again.”

The Conservative leader arrived at the conference venue in the centre of Birmingham alongside her husband, Hamish Badenoch, a banker.

The decision is a U-turn on proposals introduced under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership in a bid to tackle the court backlog.

Only some fraud and financial offences will now be allowed to be heard before a judge alone without a jury, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said.

Justice Secretary Alex Norris said he decided to “change course” after hearing the “strength of feeling on the proposals”.

The plan faced opposition from MPs and legal professionals concerned over fairness, curtailing rights, and a lack of evidence the move would even help bring down the backlog.

Barrister Karl Turner, who had the Labour whip suspended after he criticised the plan, welcomed the decision, and thanked the Prime Minister “for his support during my campaign”.

Mr Turner, MP for East Hull, told the Press Association he had “engaged directly with the Justice Secretary” about the issue in recent weeks.

Former justice secretary David Lammy, who championed the move, had told MPs the reforms were “desperately needed” to prevent victims facing “agonising delays”.

MoJ figures showed there were 80,829 cases still to be dealt with at the end of June, with the backlog almost doubling since 2020.

Mr Lammy wanted to reserve jury trials for “indictable-only” offences such as murder and rape, and lesser “either-way” offences with a likely sentence of more than three years in prison.

Other cases would instead have been heard by a single crown court judge.

It was supported by MPs at the first Commons hurdle earlier this year.

Mr Norris insisted that scrapping the proposal would allow the Government to reduce the backlog faster, as it would require less structural change.

Another change announced by the MoJ will see criminals accused of “relatively minor crimes” losing the right to choose a Crown Court jury trial rather than a magistrates one, with courts having the final say on where “either-way” offences are sent.

The Justice Secretary said: “This Government inherited criminal courts on the brink of collapse, with victims waiting years for their day in court.

“I remain committed to bringing down the backlog and delivering swifter justice for those who so desperately need it.

“But I have heard the strength of feeling on the proposals for increasing the number of judge-alone trials in the crown court and have made the decision to change course.

“This allows us to start that work far earlier, ensuring that under this Government we do not have victims waiting endlessly for justice.

“Justice delayed is justice denied, and I am committed to maximising efficiencies in our system alongside record investment. I remain committed to structural reform which is crucial if we are to bring down the backlog.”

The changes will be made to the Courts and Tribunals Bill, due back in Parliament later this month.

The proposed reforms were a response to recommendations made by Sir Brian Leveson to overhaul the courts system.

In his review, the former senior judge found there is “no constitutional or common law” right, or right within European human rights law, for a defendant to be tried by a jury, and so there was no need to limit reforms because of this.

Responding to the Government’s decision, Mr Turner told the Press Association: “I strongly welcome the fact that the new Justice Secretary, Alex Norris, has rightly binned the unworkable plans to curtail jury trials pursued under the previous Labour prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer.

“I have been pleased to engage directly with the Justice Secretary and his political advisers in recent weeks, and those discussions have been constructive and encouraging.

“While we must await the detail of the Government’s plans before judging how effective they will ultimately be in practice, I am pleased that Prime Minister Andy Burnham has honoured the commitment he gave me to drop the proposed Crown Court Bench Division (CCBD), a new tier of criminal court that I believe would have been unworkable, unjust and undemocratic.

“I have consistently made the case that people facing serious criminal charges deserve the fundamental safeguard of a jury trial, and I am hugely grateful to Andy Burnham for his support during my campaign against David Lammy’s proposals.

“I also want to place on record my thanks to Justice Secretary Alex Norris for engaging with me so positively and constructively.

“But the Government should be in no doubt that if its eventual proposals are unworkable, fail to protect the right to a fair trial or undermine access to justice, they will not secure the support they need in the House of Lords.

“I will continue to press the Government to ensure that any reforms to our criminal courts strengthen access to justice, protect the right to a fair trial and command the confidence of the public.

“This is an important step, but the fight to protect access to justice and ensure justice is properly served for both victims and the accused does not end here”.

Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy said: “This is a major victory for everyone who fought to defend trial by jury, and Conservatives led that fight from day one. Labour have been forced to abandon its central attack on jury trials in the Crown Court.

“Labour are restricting juries by the back door, scrapping the right to elect one and dumping those cases on magistrates whose backlog is at a record high.”

Mark Evans, president of the Law Society of England and Wales said: “Too much time has been wasted to reach this common-sense position while the backlogs in the Crown and magistrates’ courts have remained unacceptably high.

“Investment in infrastructure and technology is encouraging but this must be new money coming into the criminal justice system.

“We remain concerned that putting more cases into the magistrates’ court, which also faces record backlogs, without increasing capacity places even greater strain on an already overburdened system and risks serious cases facing summary justice.”

Claire Waxman, Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, said victims “are being asked to place their faith in a plan that ministers themselves previously argued would not be (enough).”

Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Jess Brown-Fuller said the proposal “should never have been introduced in the first place”, while Green MP Sian Berry said the U-turn is “a victory for justice and fairness”.

The Scottish Conservative leader will speak later on Sunday at a party conference in Birmingham, where he will discuss “irresponsible” independence, and the recent “separatist summit” in Cardiff.

Mr Findlay is expected to say: “Since Mr Swinney was a teenager, all he’s cared about is breaking up the United Kingdom. Sorry Mr Swinney, and your new friends in Sinn Féin, but we won’t let that happen.

“I’ve been speaking with families who’ve lost loved ones to IRA terrorism. They’re angry and upset at Scotland’s First Minister forming a pact with the IRA’s former political wing.

“Let’s not forget that Sinn Féin has never denounced the IRA slaughter of innocent men, women, and children. Or the murder of many brave service men and women, including Scottish soldiers.

“Or the bomb they planted at this very conference in 1984 – murdering five people including Muriel Maclean, the wife of former Scottish Conservative president Sir Donald Maclean. Yet Mr Swinney works with them to destroy the United Kingdom. A disgrace.”

He will add: “Just last week, Putin’s foreign minister was talking up the Cardiff gathering of Swinney, Sinn Féin and Welsh nationalists. That tells you everything you need to know. A divided UK is a gift to our enemies.

“We already know that many of the most noisy and aggressive Scottish nationalists are in fact Iranian regime bots.

“Furiously tweeting about freedom not from Troon or Twechar, but Tehran.

“John Swinney is still backing a proposed Chinese wind turbine factory in the Highlands despite concerns about its threat to national security.”

Mr Findlay will also discuss jobs at Faslane, international security threats from China, Russia, and Iran, and that these nations would see an independent Scotland as an opportunity.

He will conclude his statement by saying: “These totalitarian regimes want a divided United Kingdom. And we have SNP politicians who share that aim. They want to shut down Faslane. They oppose Britain’s armed forces.

“In today’s volatile world, relentless SNP agitation about independence is no longer just a dangerous distraction. It is now dangerously irresponsible.

“Can you imagine what kind of foreign policy an independent SNP-run Scotland might have?

“One that puts Sinn Féin over IRA victims, Chinese interests over national security and pro-Palestine posturing over the safety of Scotland’s Jews.”

Commenting, SNP MSP Alex Kerr said: “Nothing will strengthen Scotland’s standing in the world more than becoming an independent country and rejoining the international community in our own right for the first time in over 300 years.

“In May of this year the SNP were returned to government for a historic fifth term on a pledge to give the people of Scotland a referendum on independence – while Russell Findlay led his party to its worst ever Scottish Parliament election result.

“Russell Findlay is completely obsessed with the SNP, so it’s no surprise he’d rather spend his conference speech talking about us, rather than what he has to offer the people of Scotland – which is clearly very little.”

A new survey of leading entrepreneurs found 55% back the government’s position.

With Labour having pledged not to issue new licences for oil and gas, almost two-thirds (62%) of the 1,350 questioned as part of the latest UK Business Leader survey said that Labour’s plan to phase out fossil fuels would either have a positive impact on businesses, or no impact at all.

Similarly, 62% said phasing out oil and gas would either benefit the UK economy or make no difference – with 35% fearing there could be a negative economic impact.

The figures were released ahead of Conservative Party conference getting underway on Sunday, with Kemi Badenoch’s party vocal champions of continued developments in the North Sea.

However, Uplift executive director Tessa Khan raised concerns that a dependence on oil and gas was seeing both businesses and households being “squeezed by unaffordable energy bills”.

Her comments came in the wake of the average price of diesel in the UK going above £2 a litre for the first time.

Meanwhile, the start of October also saw another rise in the energy price cap, with the prospect of further steep rises in bills in January.

Ms Khan argued that “business leaders want a clean energy system that cuts costs, strengthens the economy and benefits their customers”, adding that they also want “clear signals from government – including an end to new drilling – that show the UK is serious about the shift to renewables”.

She insisted: “Those demanding more drilling are increasingly out of step with the majority of businesses in this country.

“If this government is serious about energy security and economic growth, it must double down on a clean, electrified energy system and break our dependence on fossil fuels for good.”

James Alexander, chief executive of the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF), meanwhile said: “Businesses clearly recognise that breaking the UK’s long-term reliance on fossil fuels makes financial sense.

“We’ve seen just this year how oil and gas dependency can leave companies exposed to sudden price shocks, driving up operating costs and squeezing profit margins.

“Countries that are shifting to clean energy now will be far better placed to convince global markets they are a stable destination for investment in the years ahead. Policymakers must ensure they fully recognise the business consensus on this issue.”

Rachel Solomon Williams, executive director of the Aldersgate Group, stated: “Our business members are clear that clean power and greater electrification are a key route to investment, competitiveness and energy security in the UK.

“The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is yet another reminder of how exposed UK firms remain to volatile international fossil fuel prices.

“The best protection is to make clean electricity more competitive with gas, moving policy costs off electricity bills and onto general taxation, progressing grid development and connection reform, and accelerating economy-wide electrification.

“Above all, businesses need clear, stable, and long-term policy signals to commit the investment needed. With climate impacts already adding costs for businesses, delay is not a cheap option.”

Scott Arthur, Labour MP for Edinburgh South West, said: “This polling confirms that businesses want a clean energy future, not one hooked on fossil fuels.

“The rollercoaster of international oil and gas markets has undermined competitiveness and reduced resilience.

“For Scotland, the transition to clean energy offers huge potential for investment, growth and reindustrialisation.

“With this Government’s industrial strategy, we are offering a route off the rollercoaster, and towards a better future for business.”

The impressive Scots eased to a deserved 2-0 Nations League triumph in Skopje, ensuring a trip to the Balkans to cherish for captain Andy Robertson as he notched his 100th cap to move within two of record holder Sir Kenny Dalglish.

Bowie’s impressive early opener ended Scotland’s 422-minute scoring drought, and it should have been the signal for the floodgates to open as they went on to spurn several opportunities to kill off their meek hosts either side of half-time.

Pocognoli’s side eventually doubled their lead through a 69th minute penalty from John McGinn, who moved up to joint-fourth in the national team’s all-time scoring charts, alongside Lawrie Reilly on 22.

The shine was taken off an otherwise smooth night for the Scots when Scott McKenna was sent off in the closing stages for denying a goalscoring opportunity, although it paved the way for Stoke centre-back Luke Graham to come off the bench for a late debut.

Pocognoli made two changes to the side that started Tuesday’s loss to Switzerland, Stephen Welsh replacing suspended centre-back Jack Hendry and winger Ben Gannon-Doak coming in at right wing-back for Nathan Patterson.

While much had been made of the fact Scotland arrived in Skopje on a run of four games without a victory, or even a goal, since defeating Haiti in their first group-stage match at the World Cup in June, North Macedonia had not previously won a match for 13 months.

The beleaguered hosts soon found themselves on the back foot as Robertson surged forward twice inside the opening five minutes to get shots away from the angle of the box, the second of which brought a fine save from home keeper Stole Dimitrievski.

Scotland’s purposeful start was rewarded in the seventh minute.

Billy Gilmour slipped an incisive pass forward to Bowie, who produced some deft footwork to evade both of the home centre-backs before unleashing a stunning low strike from 25 yards into Dimitrievski’s bottom left-hand corner.

Robertson, whose Scotland form had become the subject of scrutiny in some quarters, looked in the mood and had registered a further two attempts at goal by the 13-minute mark.

The entry of a stray dog on to the pitch allowed the hosts a brief reprieve from the Scottish pressure they were enduring as “Pocognoli’s Tartan Army” rang out from the 2,500 travelling supporters enjoying their night on the banks of the River Vardar.

After Bowie and Gannon-Doak missed brilliant chances, North Macedonia head coach Goce Sedloski made a double substitution on the half-hour in a desperate attempt to stem the tide.

Within minutes, Bowie and Gannon-Doak both threatened again and the half-time whistle was met with jeers from the sparsely-populated home end.

Scotland continued in the ascendancy and after having a penalty awarded then overturned in the 51st minute, they were eventually given a chance to stretch their lead from the spot.

Rangers forward Bojan Miovski was deemed to have handled from a Bowie effort and McGinn made no mistake.

McKenna’s 83rd-minute dismissal for bringing down Agon Elezi after a slack Robertson pass was not enough to derail the Scots.

The 32-year-old skipper was serenaded by 2,500 Tartan Army footsoldiers at Skopje’s National Arena before, during and after the match as he became only the second Scottish player to bring up his century.

An impressive early strike from Kieron Bowie and a second-half penalty from John McGinn ensured Robertson – now within two caps of record-holder Sir Kenny Dalglish – was able to celebrate his big night with a victory.

"It's a special night for me and everyone connected to me."

Go behind the scenes in the Scotland camp as Andy Robertson was presented with his 100th cap ahead of kick-off in Skopje.#MKDSCO pic.twitter.com/8dkv2mQqij

— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) October 3, 2026

The Tottenham left-back was clearly in the mood to make an impact as he managed to get four shots at goal within the opening quarter of an hour – although his misplaced pass did lead to team-mate Scott McKenna being shown a late red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity.

“He was close to scoring tonight which should be a nice gift for himself and for us but he played a good game, always with a good energy and the desire to get a good result to make his 100th cup even more beautiful,” said Pocognoli, who savoured his first win since being appointed head coach in August.

“He was happy with the performance and he got a fantastic standing ovation from the supporters, so it was a nice day for him.”

After taking just one point from his opening two games against Slovenia and Switzerland, Pocognoli was pleased that his team were able to enjoy the “mental boost” of such an assured victory in Skopje, where they had enough opportunities to record a more emphatic scoreline. 

“We played a good game, it was a good performance but we still have to improve many things,” said the Belgian.

“It’s impossible after two, three weeks, that everything is perfect. I saw many good things that it’s not easy to see after three weeks.

“Today it was a positive answer and we chose to make a good game and to take the game in our hands, so I’m very pleased.

“It was very important to have a positive moment together because it’s quite long, it’s nearly three weeks now and in one moment you need also a mental boost and the best medicine is to get a win.

“Everything makes sense, the players were happy and I think it gives a lot of confidence for the next game (against Slovenia on Tuesday) and we want to have a good feeling before the next game in November.”

Pocognoli praised 24-year-old Sassuolo forward Bowie, who fired home his first goal for his country from 25 yards.

“I’m very happy with Kieron’s performance,” he said. “He scored probably the most difficult shot of the game but I’m very pleased for him because the topic about goalscoring is now off (as the drought is over) but actually we should have scored more goals.”

Eglish 0-20 Naomh Treasa Dungannon 0-9

FOR the 24^th year in a row Eglish are the NR Trucks Tyrone senior champions after they eased past Naomh Treasa Dungannon in Coalisland on Saturday. It brings to 57 their trophy haul in the O’Neill county on the 60^th anniversary of their first title in 1966.

The Dungannon outfit had taken them to a replay two years ago, but that never looked on the cards at any stage in this decider with veteran Ciara Geoghegan stepping up to the plate in the first half to split the posts on six occasions as Eglish took a 0-9 to 0-6 lead into the break.

Róisín McErlean responded with four points before the break and two of the three in the second half, but the holders pressed on with Geoghegan adding another five points while Reagan Fay operating at corner-forward claimed three scores.

Meanwhile in the Intermediate final played before the senior decider, Edendork were 3-11 to 2-8 winners over Brocagh who had stepped up from Junior last season.

Edendork dominated the opening half and were in control at the break thanks to two goals from Catherine Moohan. Brocagh came right back into contention in the second half and it took a late Bronagh Moohan 45 that went all the way to the net for the Edendork supporters to breathe easier in the last few moments.

In the Junior decider Omagh came through to claim their maiden title with a 2-11 to 2-8 win over Fr Shields’ whose former Ballycastle forward Samantha McCullagh (née McKillen) collected the player of the match award.

The Cunningham sisters delivered the key scores for Omagh, Emer with 1-3 and Áine with five points, while Eva Ní Dhoibhlin set them on their way with an early goal.

Eglish: C Geoghegan 0-11, R Fay 0-3, O Farley and C Goodfellow 0-2 each, G Daly and K Gallagher 0-1 each

Naomh Treasa: R McErlean 0-6, G McErlean 0-2, B Jones 0-1

All parents working 16 or more hours a week would be eligible to get 30 hours of free care a week under the Tories’ proposals.

The Conservatives estimate the policy would cost £700 million a year, which party officials say could be funded by cutting the number of public servants at arms-length bodies.

Some £1.6 billion could be saved by the end of the decade through reducing headcount at organisations such as Arts Council England and the Environment Agency, party officials say.

NHS bodies would not be included in the savings, the Tories said.

Under existing rules, families with young children in which both parents earn less than £100,000 a year can receive 30 hours a week of care, but lose the entitlement if one parent crosses this threshold.

Announcing plans to abolish the limit entirely on the eve of Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham this weekend, Tory leader Mrs Badenoch described the system as “absurd” and a disincentive to work more.

“Conservatives believe that you shouldn’t be punished for working more, but this childcare cliff edge does exactly that,” she said.

“I’m a mum of three and I’ve had to make the same choices many families have had to make on work and childcare. Those choices are difficult already, Government should not be making them harder.

“No one should be turning down a promotion or a pay rise because they literally cannot afford to earn more.

“It is often women who end up carrying more of the childcare responsibility so a system that makes it harder for them to progress in their careers is not helping families, it is not helping women and it is definitely not helping the economy.”

Responding to the proposal, a Labour Party spokesperson said: “No government has ever put so much focus or investment into the early years as this Labour Government.

“It tells you everything you need to know about the Tories that the first of their own tax policies they want to unpick is one helping higher earners.

“They clearly don’t want to admit that they set the thresholds in the first place.

“Labour is already helping parents with 30 hours of government-funded childcare and expanding free primary school breakfast clubs, as part of our wider plan to give families more breathing space.

“Through our Childcare Review we will reform early years provision and further support working families.”

The Australian singer, 41, has been paired with professional dancer Kai Widdrington, 31, on this season of the BBC series.

After coming second with a score of 29 on last week’s show, they are currently topping the leaderboard following their performance on Movies Week.

The pair performed an American smooth to I’ll Never Love Again from A Star Is Born, earning a score of 30 points this time around.

They are now sitting at the top of the leaderboard with a total score of 59.

Judge Motsi Mabuse told Goodrem she had a “special talent to give feeling”.

“You’ve got everything it takes. I believe in you,” she said, while head judge Shirley Ballas called her a “force to be reckoned with”.

Fellow judges Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood said they “loved” the performance.

Ahead of the first elimination of the season, Gavin And Stacey actress Melanie Walters is at the bottom of the leaderboard.

She and partner Aljas Skorjanec performed a waltz to Edelweiss from The Sound Of Music and were awarded 15 points, bringing their total score from the first two shows to 30.

Currently trailing behind Goodrem is “The Dogfather” Graeme Hall and his partner Lauren Oakley – who were given a score of 31 for their waltz to The Godfather Waltz from The Godfather.

Mabuse called it “mesmerising” while Du Beke said: “I think you could become one of the best ballroom dancers we’ve ever had on Strictly.”

Speaking to the couple after their performance, host Johannes Radebe even held back tears while praising their efforts.

Sitting in equal second place with 55 points is EastEnders’ Lacey Turner and partner Vito Coppola.

They scored 28 for their quickstep to I Knew It, I Knew You from Toy Story 5.

An improvement of one point from last week, Du Beke said their level had “shot up so immediately”.

Sitting at the other end of the leaderboard are Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden with a total score of 33.

This week they tackled a cha cha to I’m Always Here from Baywatch.

Mabuse and Du Beke said they saw “huge improvements”, with the latter adding: “The performance was another level, and the dancing will keep improving if you keep at it.”

Appleton – a celebrity hair stylist – said he did not want to let his partner down, adding: “I am really trying but also really enjoying it.”

Sitting third from the bottom are Big Brother host Will Best and his partner Dianne Buswell.

After opening the show last week, they took on a foxtrot to Old Time Rock & Roll from Risky Business, earning 19 points. They now have a total of 37.

The first performance of the night came from former Love Island winner Dani Dyer and her professional partner Nikita Kuzmin, who performed a foxtrot to Beauty And The Beast from the film of the same name.

The pair were awarded a score of 23, with Du Beke saying he “loved the attention to detail” and calling it a “joy to watch”.

They were followed by John Nellis and Katya Jones, who topped last week’s leaderboard with 31.

This time around they had a couple’s choice to An Irish Party In Third Class from Titanic.

Revel-Horwood said it was “too heavy-footed” and called the end an “entire tragedy”, as the couple were awarded 23 points.

Last week former England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips and his partner Alexis Warr were one of the couples at the bottom of the leaderboard with 15 points.

Closing the show, the pair did a salsa to You Should Be Dancing from Saturday Night Fever, which Mabuse said was a “huge improvement” from a week ago.

“You improved off the charts,” Ballas added. They were awarded 25 points.

Strictly Come Dancing continues on Sunday at 7.10pm on BBC One.

Tuchel’s side dismantled their familiar opponents in the Nations League clash in Rijeka, with a rampant front four of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon making hay.

It was the sort of attacking performance that England fans were longing for in the summer, with the pain of the semi-final defeat to Argentina still raw.

The numbers behind tonight's emphatic victory in Croatia! 🔢#ThreeLions | @chase_uk pic.twitter.com/Jc5TlNXQof

— England (@England) October 3, 2026

But Tuchel said the manner of the display can point towards a brighter future as he said: “This is the only way to move forward, even if you still feel pain.

“You have to play with the pain if you still feel the disappointment, you have to play with it, that is the nature of sport.

“It was not an easy camp in the beginning after this long tournament for multiple reasons.

“But straight away, the first training session on Tuesday, the build-up to the Spain game, we had an excellent performance against Spain but not the result [losing 3-2], the reaction to the result in Czechia [winning 2-0] and now the build-up [here].

“The focus in the meetings, the translation of the meetings onto the pitch and to bring it within these circumstances in Croatia, to win with this dominant performance, that is the way to move on.

“I’ve said many times, we will always have a scar, we will always feel pain and disappointment. That is the way it is but this is the way to move forward.

“We adjusted some stuff after some things after the World Cup and we played in the same manner in all three matches. We are getting better at it and the team buys into it, this is the most important.”

England were irresistible as they inflicted a biggest ever defeat on Croatia, described by Tuchel as a ‘complete’ performance.

Kane and Saka both scored twice and got an assist, Bellingham notched one and made three others, while Gordon scored one and created another. Substitute Morgan Rogers added a late seventh.

Bellingham was the standout player with another virtuoso performance and Tuchel admitted: “At the moment, it seems like [he’s gone to another level] and you always need to.

“The level you showed last week is never enough in the next week, that’s just the nature of football.

One goal. Three assists. The outstanding @BellinghamJude is your England Player of the Match connected by @EE! ✨

Jude was presented with the award by Steven Moore – an England fan who hasn't missed a #ThreeLions game in 25 years ❤️👏 pic.twitter.com/KzpV0X2f8W

— England (@England) October 3, 2026

“You can never stand still, If you stand still, it is like (being) on an escalator, If you walk against it, you have to walk to even maintain your level.

“You have to push for the next level, otherwise other teams will catch up. That’s why it is always necessary to reach for the next level.

“It was a fantastic victory, the performance was on the highest level from the first to last minute.

“The hunger off the ball was the very highest level. I’m very happy about the attitude. We were never arrogant, always humble. It was a complete 90-minute performance.”

Croatia are a far cry from the golden generation which saw them reach the 2018 World Cup final and semi-final four years later.

Slaven Bilic said: “I cannot offer any excuses. England were too good for us. We were not up to the level.”

The Warriors fell behind to an early close-range try from Bryn Ward after four minutes, but were soon back on level terms when full-back Josh McKay was sent away.

Glasgow fly-half Dan Lancaster was shown a yellow card in the 19th minute for a deliberate knock on and Ulster soon scored another try when Ethan McIlroy powered through, but the hosts again produced a quick response as Kyle Rowe touched down in the corner, with George Horne adding the extras to edge the hosts in front.

Fly-half Jack Murphy scored a third try for Ulster following an offload from Ben Carson in added time before the break, which he also converted to give the visitors a 19-14 half-time lead.

Winger Chay Mullins went over two minutes into the second half to secure Ulster’s bonus-point try, before both Carson, for head contact in a tackle, and McIlroy, for a deliberate knock on, were then sent to the sin bin.

Glasgow took advantage as Jamie Dobie sprinted into the corner before tries either side of the hour from Sam Talakai and winger Rowe, who again showed great pace to burst clear.

Glasgow then had replacements Rory Darge and Talakai pick up yellow cards to finish the game with 13 men and it proved costly as Augustus scored Ulster’s fifth try with seven minutes left, which Nathan Doak converted to level things up. Horne then saw his late penalty hit the post as the points were shared.

Liatroim 1-13 Portaferry 2-13 AET

Clonduff 3-24 Ballycran 1-6

A GOAL scrambled to the net by Eimear McCarthy midway through the second half of extra time was enough to set up a repeat of the last two Canal Court and Spa Down senior camogie finals. Holders Clonduff had claimed the expected victory in the early game, but the second tie went to extra time in Fontenoy Park with two late frees from Aimee McAleenan.

McAleenan edged her team ahead with the only two scores of the first extra ten minutes. But Ciara Doran landed a point before the goalmouth scramble and then scored two late frees to secure victory for Portaferry.

It was a nip and tuck game from the start, three frees from McAleenan and a point each in reply from Caileigh McConnell and Frances Toner were the scores over the first ten minutes. Then Eimear McCarthy’s first goal was followed by two Doran frees and Portaferry looked to be in control.

However Liatroim finished the half strongly with two more McAleenan frees and then an added time goal from Corra Croskery to lead 1-5 to 1-4.

Although Toner and Doran edged the Ports ahead on the re-start, Croskery (two) and another McAleenan free put the Fontenoys two up. However they failed to score for the next 14 minutes and three points from Doran and one from sub Erin McGrattan had Portaferry’s noses in front. But they couldn’t hold the lead and McAleenan took the game to extra time where it was her own team couldn’t manage to hold out.

Clonduff and Ballycran were meeting for the second week running in the earlier tie in Hilltown. It was a similar outcome, only this time a more emphatic win for the champions who led by 2-11 to 0-5 at the break.

There was an early goal from Ellen Shields, a string of points from Sara Louise Graffin and then a goal from Ceallagh Byrne who ended the half with 1-3.

Sophie McGrath scored four of Ballycran’s five points. Despite a goal from Molly Lennon in the second half, Clonduff dominated the half hour and the scoring, this time with a wider range of scorers that included three from Orlaith McCusker and a late point from Paula O’Hagan on her return to the team after the recent birth of her second child.

Graffin finished top of the scoring charts with 1-10 as the holders close in on a 12^th title.

Portaferry: E McCarthy 2-0, C Doran 0-9, 8fs, F Toner 0-2, C McConnell and E McGrattan 0-1 each

Liatroim: C Croskery 1-2, A McAleenan 0-10, 9fs, D Magee 0-1f.

Clonduff: S L Graffin 1-10, 0-5fs, C Byrne 1-3, E Shields 1-1, O McCusker 0-3, K McGilligan and N McConville 0-2 each, O Gribbin, C Cowan, T Cowan and P O’Hagan 0-1 each.

Ballycran: M Lennon 1-1, S McGrath 0-4, 3fs, N McCullagh 0-1

Details emerged during a large event in Portadown on Saturday afternoon.

The protest came just days after the Orange Order rejected British government proposals to end the stand-off.

During the rally Garvaghy Road residents spokesman Breandán Mac Cionnaith said: “Sectarianism, fascism, racism are the same mindset that treat other people lesser than themselves.”

He added: “We are not a lesser people, we never were and we never will be.”

He urged the Orange Order to use the alternative route available.

“There’s no logical reason on this earth why an Orange march of any size or any description should seek to proceed through the heart of this community,” he said.

“No reason at all.

“There is an alternative route, we have always said, ‘take that alternative route, you can have your Orange march, you will not offend anyone here.”

Mr Mac Cionnaith said the British government has suggested over recent years that Garvaghy Road needs to be solved.

“Garvaghy Road was solved in 1998, it does not need resolving,” he said.

During the height of the Drumcree dispute 21 people, mostly Catholics, were killed by loyalists and the British army.

These include the Quinn brothers who died in a UVF arson attack in July 1998.

Two years earlier Catholic taxi driver Michael McGoldrick (31) was shot dead by the UVF amid loyalist protests linked to the dispute.

Mr Mac Cionnaith said that his widow visited the Garvaghy Road this week.

“She hasn’t spoken publicly ever about this, about the murder of Michael,” he said.

“She chose to raise her son away from all of this.

“But she came to visit the community centre the other day and her and me spoke.

“She said she had kept her silence for all those years and now she felt she had to speak.

“Her message was simple, ‘there should be no Orange march along Garvaghy Road’.”

Earlier Sinn Féin First Minister Michelle O’Neill told those attending the rally they were taking a stand against “sectarianism, intimidation and triumphalism”.

She said: “The British government has the power to stop this unwanted march.

“So far, they have failed to intervene.

“I heard the Secretary of State the other night talk about being between ‘a rock and a hard place’.

“I never heard such nonsense.

“This is the difference between right and wrong, it’s very simple.”

Former SDLP assembly member Dolores Kelly also spoke.

The former MLA, who was present in the area during the disputes of the 1990s, said her party never thought they would “have to be out on the Garvaghy Road to say ‘no, no going back and no Orange parades on the Garvaghy Road’.”

“Like many of you I suspect, I don’t have a law degree,” she added.

“But, I know the difference between right and wrong.

“And it is right that each and any one of you have come here today and over the past week to give solidarity and support to these amazing people, this amazing community on the Garvaghy Road.”

People Before Profit assembly member Gerry Carroll said the Orange Order was “was a “sectarian and bigoted force”.

“Literally created to create divide and rule,” he said.

He said they are “longing for the days gone by when they enjoyed privileges above others.

“And no-one on this island is a second-class citizen and will be treated as such,” he said.

Others who addressed the rally included for PSNI officer turned SDLP election candidate Linzi McLaren.

She was one of around 1,300 people from the Protestant community who signed a letter this week calling on the Orange Order to abandon its planned parade plan.