228 bet365
228 bet365
Ireland blamed Northern Ireland Office for ‘damaging leaks’, records showWASHINGTON (AP) — In the two weeks since Donald Trump won the presidency, he’s tried to demonstrate his dominance by naming loyalists for top administration positions, even though many lack expertise and some face sexual misconduct accusations. It often seems like he’s daring Congress to oppose his decisions. But on Thursday, Trump’s attempt to act with impunity showed a crack as , his choice for attorney general, Trump had named Gaetz, a Florida congressman, to be the country’s top law enforcement official even though he was widely disliked by his colleagues, has little legal experience and was accused of having sex with an underage girl, an allegation he denied. After being plagued by investigations during his first presidency, Trump wanted a devoted ally during his second. However, it was never obvious that Gaetz could win enough support from lawmakers to get confirmed. Now the question is whether Gaetz was uniquely unpalatable, or if Trump’s other picks might exceed his party’s willingness to overlook concerns that would have sunk nominees in a prior political era. The next test will likely be Pete Hegseth, who Trump wants to lead the Pentagon despite an allegation of sexual assault that he’s denied. So far, Republicans are , an Army veteran and former Fox News host. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the controversy over Gaetz would have little bearing on Trump’s other choices. He said they would be considered “one at a time.” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, suggested otherwise, claiming “the dominoes are falling.” “The drip drip of evidence and truth is going to eventually doom some others,” he said. Trump’s election victory was a sign that there may not be many red lines left in American politics. He won the presidential race despite authoritarian, racist and misogynist rhetoric, not to mention years of lies about election fraud and his role in sparking the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He was also of falsifying business records to pay hush money, and he was in a civil case. Empowered by voters who looked past his misconduct and saw him as a powerful agent of change, Trump has shown no deference to Washington norms while . The transition team hasn’t pursued for Trump’s personnel choices. While some of his selections have extensive experience in the areas they’ve been chosen to lead, others are who have impressed and flattered Trump over the years. Several have faced . Hegseth is facing the most scrutiny after Gaetz. Once Trump announced Hegseth as his nominee for Pentagon chief, allegations emerged that he sexually assaulted a woman in California in 2017. The woman said he took her phone, blocked the door to the hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing, the report said. However, he paid the woman in 2023. Hegseth’s lawyer said the payment was made to head off the threat of a baseless lawsuit. Trump’s choice for secretary of health and human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has faced allegations of misconduct too. A woman who babysat for him and his second wife told Vanity Fair magazine that Kennedy groped her in the late 1990s, when she was 23. Kennedy did not deny the allegation and texted an apology to the woman after the article was published. That isn’t the only hurdle for Kennedy; he’s spent years spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccines, raising fears about making him a top health official in the new administration. Linda McMahon, chosen by Trump to be education secretary, is fighting a lawsuit connected to her former company, World Wrestling Entertainment. She’s accused of knowingly enabling sexual exploitation of children by an employee as early as the 1980s, and she denies the allegations. Tulsi Gabbard is another person who could face a difficult confirmation battle, but for very different reasons. The former Democratic representative from Hawaii has been a vocal Trump ally, and he chose her to be national intelligence director. But there’s grave concern by lawmakers and national security officials over Gabbard’s history of Critics said she would endanger relationships with U.S. allies. Gaetz was investigated by federal law enforcement for sex trafficking, but the case was closed without charges and Republicans have of a related report from the House Ethics Committee. However, some allegations leaked out, including that Gaetz paid women for sex. One of the women testified to the committee that she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old girl, according to a lawyer for the woman. As Gaetz met with senators this week, it became clear that he would face stubborn resistance from lawmakers who were concerned about his behavior and believed he was unqualified to run the Justice Department. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction,” Gaetz wrote on social media when announcing his withdrawal. Sen. Mike Braun, an Indiana Republican, said he believed there were four to six members of the caucus who would have voted against Gaetz, likely dooming his nomination, and “the math got too hard.” He said some of the issues and allegations around Gaetz were “maybe beyond the pale.” “I think there were just too many things, it was like a leaky dike, and you know, it broke,” Braun said. Trump thanked Gaetz in a post on Truth Social, his social media website, without addressing the substance of the allegations against him. “He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect,” Trump wrote. ____ Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Stephen Groves and Lisa Macaro contributed from Washington. Jill Colvin in New York and Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, also contributed.Moody's places Sri Lanka's rating under review for upgrade after bond-exchange offer
Trimble and Mallon sanctioned DUP ministers over rotation planBINGHAMTON, N.Y. (AP) — Chris Walker scored 22 points as Binghamton beat Lancaster Bible 85-60 on Sunday. Walker shot 7 for 8 (4 for 5 from 3-point range) and 4 of 6 from the free-throw line for the Bearcats (6-6). Ben Callahan-Gold added 13 points while going 5 of 9 (3 for 6 from 3-point range) while he also had five rebounds. Tymu Chenery shot 5 of 11 from the field, including 1 for 7 from 3-point range, and went 1 for 4 from the line to finish with 12 points. The Chargers were led in scoring by Reaves Hooks, who finished with 15 points. Jordan Praylow added 10 points and three steals for Lancaster Bible. Camden Hurst also recorded nine points. Binghamton hosts Mercyhurst in its next matchup on Wednesday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Ireland blamed Northern Ireland Office for ‘damaging leaks’, records show
Extensive confidential documents in the lead-up to the collapse of Northern Ireland’s institutions in 2002 have been made available to the public as part of annual releases from the Irish National Archives. They reveal that the Irish Government wanted to appeal to the UK side against “manipulating” every scenario for favourable election results in Northern Ireland, in an effort to protect the peace process. In the years after the landmark 1998 Good Friday Agreement, a number of outstanding issues left the political environment fraught with tension and disagreement. Mr Trimble, who won a Nobel Peace Prize with SDLP leader John Hume for their work on the Agreement, was keen to gain wins for the UUP on policing, ceasefire audits and paramilitary disarmament – but also to present his party as firmer on these matters amid swipes from its Unionist rival, the DUP. These issues were at the front of his mind as he tried to steer his party into Assembly elections planned for May 2003 and continue in his role as the Executive’s first minister despite increasing political pressure. The documents reveal the extent to which the British and Irish Governments were trying to delicately resolve the contentious negotiations, conscious that moves seen as concessions to one group could provoke anger on the other side. In June 2002, representatives of the SDLP reported to Irish officials on a recent meeting between Mr Hume’s successor Mark Durkan and Prime Minister Tony Blair on policing and security. Mr Blair is said to have suggested that the SDLP and UUP were among those who both supported and took responsibility for the Good Friday Agreement. The confidential report of the meeting says that Mr Durkan, the deputy First Minister, was not sure that Mr Trimble had been correctly categorised. The Prime Minister asked if the SDLP could work more closely with the UUP ahead of the elections. Mr Durkan argued that Mr Trimble was not only not saleable to nationalists, but also not saleable to half of the UUP – to which Mr Blair and Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid are said to have laughed in agreement. The SDLP leader further warned that pursuing a “save David” campaign would ruin all they had worked for. Damien McAteer, an adviser for the SDLP, was recorded as briefing Irish officials on September 10 that it was his view that Mr Trimble was intent on collapsing the institutions in 2003 over expected fallout for Sinn Fein in the wake of the Colombia Three trial, where men linked to the party were charged with training Farc rebels – but predicted the UUP leader would be “in the toilet” by January, when an Ulster Unionist Council (UUC) meeting was due to take place. A week later in mid September, Mr Trimble assured Irish premier Bertie Ahern that the next UUC meeting to take place in two days’ time would be “okay but not great” and insisted he was not planning to play any “big game”. It was at that meeting that he made the bombshell announcement that the UUP would pull out of the Executive if the IRA had not disbanded by January 18. The move came as a surprise to the Irish officials who, along with their UK counterparts, did not see the deadline as realistic. Sinn Fein described the resolution as a “wreckers’ charter”. Doubts were raised that there would be any progress on substantive issues as parties would not be engaged in “pre-election skirmishing”. As that could lead to a UUP walkout and the resulting suspension of the institutions, the prospect of delaying the elections was raised while bringing forward the vote was ruled out. Therefore, the two Governments stressed the need to cooperate as a stabilising force to protect the Agreement – despite not being sure how that process would survive through the January 18 deadline. The Irish officials became worried that the British side did not share their view that Mr Trimble was not “salvageable” and that the fundamental dynamic in the UUP was now Agreement scepticism, the confidential documents state. In a meeting days after the UUC announcements, Mr Reid is recorded in the documents as saying that as infuriating as it was, Mr Trimble was at that moment the “most enlightened Unionist we have”. The Secretary said he would explore what the UUP leader needed to “survive” the period between January 18 and the election, believing a significant prize could avoid him being “massacred”. Such planning went out the window just weeks later, when hundreds of PSNI officers were involved in raids of several buildings – including Sinn Fein’s offices in Stormont. The resulting “Stormontgate” spy-ring scandal accelerated the collapse of powersharing, with the UUP pulling out of the institutions – and the Secretary of State suspending the Assembly and Executive on October 14. For his part, Irish officials were briefed that Mr Reid was said to be “gung ho” about the prospect of exercising direct rule – reportedly making no mention of the Irish Government in a meeting with Mr Trimble and Mr Durkan on that day. The Northern Ireland Secretary was given a new role and Paul Murphy was appointed as his successor. A note on speaking points for a meeting with Mr Murphy in April showed that the Irish side believed the May elections should go ahead: “At a certain stage the political process has to stand on its own feet. “The Governments cannot be manipulating and finessing every scenario to engineer the right result. “We have to start treating the parties and the people as mature and trusting that they have the discernment to make the right choices.” However, the elections planned for May did not materialise, instead delayed until November. Mr Trimble would go on to lose his Westminster seat – and stewardship of the UUP – in 2005. The November election saw the DUP emerge as the largest parties – but direct rule continued as Ian Paisley’s refused to share power with Sinn Fein, which Martin McGuinness’ colleagues. The parties eventually agreed to work together following further elections in 2007. – This article is based on documents in 2024/130/5, 2024/130/6, 2024/130/15GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — Tai'Reon Joseph scored 28 points off the bench to lead UTSA over North Dakota 95-85 on Sunday. Joseph shot 8 of 11 from the field, including 6 for 8 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 7 from the free-throw line for the Roadrunners (5-5). Primo Spears scored 16 points while shooting 4 for 12 (3 for 5 from 3-point range) and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line. Damari Monsanto finished 4 of 4 from 3-point range and 3 for 4 from the line to finish with 15 points. The Fightin' Hawks (4-8) were led by Treysen Eaglestaff, who finished with 24 points, four assists and two steals. Dariyus Woodson added 23 points. Deng Mayar contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds. UTSA took the lead with 19:02 to go in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 39-34 at halftime, with Monsanto racking up nine points. UTSA used a 9-0 run in the second half to build a 13-point lead at 55-42 with 15:16 left in the half before finishing off the win. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Last month, Microsoft announced that , thanks to a recent ruling, it would allow people buy and play Xbox games directly from the Xbox App on Android starting in November. But, as we reach the end of the month, it looks like those plans will have to wait a bit. Xbox President Sarah Bond announced on X/Twitter on Wednesday that "a temporary administrative stay recently granted by the courts" has delayed the functionality. Still, Bond added that they're ready to launch with the feature as soon as they have the legal go-ahead. At Xbox, we want to offer players more choice on how and where they play, including being able to play and buy games directly from the Xbox app. I recently shared our ambition to unlock these features first with the Google Play Store on Android devices in the U.S. while other app...— BondSarahBond (@BondSarah_Bond) November 27, 2024 "At Xbox, we want to offer players more choice on how and where they play, including being able to play and buy games directly from the Xbox app," Bond wrote. "I recently shared our ambition to unlock these features first with the Google Play Store on Android devices in the U.S. while other app stores adapt to meet consumer demand." "Due to a temporary administrative stay recently granted by the courts, we are currently unable to launch these features as planned," she continued. "Our team has the functionality built and ready to go live as soon as the court makes a final decision. We are eager to launch and give more choice and flexibility to players." Microsoft announced its plans following a recent decision by a U.S. judge that forces Google to open up its Play Store to competitors for three years . Per the ruling — the latest victory in Epic Games' long-running antitrust battle against Google — Google will have carry third-party Android app stores in the Play Store and grant third-party app stores full access to Google Play's catalogue of apps. Google, however, vowed to appeal the decision in a subsequent blog post . For Microsoft, the ruling meant that, in theory, it would free to sell Xbox games on Android devices and allow them to be streamed as soon as they're purchased from within the same app without having to use Google Play Billing. However, it's currently unclear what this court order will mean for Microsoft's plans beyond just delaying them. The ability to expand purchasing to the Google Play Store was only one of Microsoft's recent moves to grow Xbox's footprint in the mobile space. In May , Bond announced that Microsoft was planning to launch its own mobile game store in July, although that's been delayed. In the wake of Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which owns Candy Crush maker King, the company certainly has more firepower to bring to the mobile landscape. Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.Those wanting to update their bathrooms can now get 40 per cent off a 'fabulous' shower tower from Debenhams, which has been described as a 'splendid bit of kit'. The 'amazing' and 'stylish' panel previously cost £261.67, but the price has now been dropped to £157.50. Debenhams said the Living and Home shower tower would "bring stunning designer style" to a bathroom and provide a "sensational shower experience". The product description said it was made from "premium quality stainless steel for long-lasting durability", and had a "beautiful, curved design in a brushed silver finish". There were four functions to use - rainfall, waterfall, massage jets, and a handheld shower head - which could be "easily selected by means of a knob". All of the shower tower's functions could be used independently or simultaneously. READ MORE: Amazon drops 17% off scales that 'unlock a whole new area of fitness tracking' with free app A five-star review from a Sutton Coldfield customer said the shower tower pane l was "stylish" and "exceeded expectations". They added: "It’s amazing, my plumber said he wants one too. As long as you have good water pressure it’s fabulous." Adam also gave five-stars and said: "Very impressed for the money - good value for money." Pete echoed his views and said: "Best price around for the item purchased by a long way." Rose wrote: "Didn’t expect Debenhams to sell shower towers , so was pleasantly surprised that they did and at a very good price. The item was well packaged and arrived quickly. It looks lovely and exactly what I wanted. So impressed that I’ve ordered another one for the main bathroom." The shower tower was a "splendid bit of kit", according to Emmanuel from Tamworth , who added: "It's durable, it's amazing. Just what I was looking for." Ritah added: "Lovely panels. Photos don’t do them justice. Delivery was so quick too." However a one-star review was left by Alen, who said: "Disappointed, cheap parts, etched wording on front, spelling errors. Be surprised if lasts the year." The shower tower can be purchased here while stocks last. Alternatives include the Milan shower tower panel from Victoria Plumbing , now £269.95 down from £329.95. Amazon also has an Evolve thermostatic shower panel for £149.99.OTTAWA - Canada got back in the win column at the world junior hockey championship. It wasn’t pretty. Oliver Bonk, Caden Price and Mathieu Cataford, into the empty net, scored as the wobbly host country picked up an unconvincing 3-0 victory over Germany on Sunday. Carter George made 25 saves to register the goaltender’s second straight shutout for the Canadians, who were coming off Friday’s stunning 3-2 upset loss to Latvia in a shootout. Nico Pertuch stopped 33 shots for Germany, which dropped its Group A opener at the men’s under-20 tournament to the United States 10-4 before falling 3-1 to Finland. Canada entered with a 17-0 record all-time and a combined 107-26 score against Germany at the world juniors, including last year’s 6-3 victory in Gothenburg, Sweden, and an 11-2 drubbing at the 2023 event in Halifax. Despite another sub-par performance, the victory sets up a New Year’s Eve matchup against the U.S. for first place in the pool after the Americans fell 4-3 to the Finns in overtime earlier Sunday. Canada suffered one of the powerhouse nation’s worst defeats in tournament history Friday when Latvia — outscored 41-4 in four previous meetings at the event — shocked the hockey world. And while the plucky Latvians were full marks for their victory, the Canadians were largely disjointed and surrendered the middle of the ice for long stretches despite firing 57 shots on goal. There was more of the same Sunday. Head coach Dave Cameron made a couple of changes to Canada’s lineup — one out of necessity and another for tactical reasons. With star defenceman Matthew Schaefer, who could go No. 1 at the 2025 NHL draft, out of the world juniors after suffering an upper-body injury against Latvia, Vancouver Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio drew in. Cameron also sat forward Porter Martone in favour of Carson Rehkopf. Canada opened the scoring on the power play, which also had a new look after going 1-for-7 through the first two games, when Bonk scored from his normal bumper position in the slot off an Easton Cowan feed at 9:40 of the first period. Sam Dickinson then chimed a one-timer off the post on another man advantage before George, who was in goal for Canada’s 4-0 opener against the Finns, made a couple of stops on the penalty kill inside a red-clad Canadian Tire Centre. Petruch made a big stop off Tanner Howe in the second before also denying Calum Ritchie from the slot on a power play, but the Canadians again looked completely out of sorts against what was a decidedly inferior opponent on paper. Berkly Catton hit another post for Canada early in the third. Tanner Molendyk also found iron. Unable to register a 5-on-5 goal against either Latvia or Germany through more than 120 minutes of action, Price scored on a shot that caromed off the end boards and went in off Pertuch with 4:58 left in regulation to make it 2-0 before Cataford iced it into the empty net on another nervy night for the 20-time gold medallists. LATVIAN REACTION The U.S. beat Latvia 5-1 on Saturday, less than 24 hours after the Europeans’ upset of Canada. American captain Ryan Leonard said the Latvians were impressive — even on short rest. “That team’s no joke,” said the Washington Capitals prospect. “You can’t really treat anyone different, especially in this short of a tournament.” UP NEXT Germany will meet Latvia on Monday in a crucial game at the bottom of the Group A standings. Canada now turns its attention to Tuesday’s clash against the U.S. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2024. Read more on the World Junior Hockey Championship at thestar.com
The UK Government was warned that a “save David campaign” for UUP leader Lord Trimble would ruin progress made under the Good Friday Agreement. Extensive confidential documents in the lead-up to the collapse of Northern Ireland’s institutions in 2002 have been made available to the public as part of annual releases from the Irish National Archives. They reveal that the Irish Government wanted to appeal to the UK side against “manipulating” every scenario for favourable election results in Northern Ireland, in an effort to protect the peace process. In the years after the landmark 1998 Good Friday Agreement, a number of outstanding issues left the political environment fraught with tension and disagreement. Mr Trimble, who won a Nobel Peace Prize with SDLP leader John Hume for their work on the Agreement, was keen to gain wins for the UUP on policing, ceasefire audits and paramilitary disarmament – but also to present his party as firmer on these matters amid swipes from its Unionist rival, the DUP. These issues were at the front of his mind as he tried to steer his party into Assembly elections planned for May 2003 and continue in his role as the Executive’s first minister despite increasing political pressure. The documents reveal the extent to which the British and Irish Governments were trying to delicately resolve the contentious negotiations, conscious that moves seen as concessions to one group could provoke anger on the other side. In June 2002, representatives of the SDLP reported to Irish officials on a recent meeting between Mr Hume’s successor Mark Durkan and Prime Minister Tony Blair on policing and security. Mr Blair is said to have suggested that the SDLP and UUP were among those who both supported and took responsibility for the Good Friday Agreement. The confidential report of the meeting says that Mr Durkan, the deputy First Minister, was not sure that Mr Trimble had been correctly categorised. The Prime Minister asked if the SDLP could work more closely with the UUP ahead of the elections. Mr Durkan argued that Mr Trimble was not only not saleable to nationalists, but also not saleable to half of the UUP – to which Mr Blair and Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid are said to have laughed in agreement. The SDLP leader further warned that pursuing a “save David” campaign would ruin all they had worked for. Damien McAteer, an adviser for the SDLP, was recorded as briefing Irish officials on September 10 that it was his view that Mr Trimble was intent on collapsing the institutions in 2003 over expected fallout for Sinn Fein in the wake of the Colombia Three trial, where men linked to the party were charged with training Farc rebels – but predicted the UUP leader would be “in the toilet” by January, when an Ulster Unionist Council (UUC) meeting was due to take place. A week later in mid September, Mr Trimble assured Irish premier Bertie Ahern that the next UUC meeting to take place in two days’ time would be “okay but not great” and insisted he was not planning to play any “big game”. It was at that meeting that he made the bombshell announcement that the UUP would pull out of the Executive if the IRA had not disbanded by January 18. The move came as a surprise to the Irish officials who, along with their UK counterparts, did not see the deadline as realistic. Sinn Fein described the resolution as a “wreckers’ charter”. Doubts were raised that there would be any progress on substantive issues as parties would not be engaged in “pre-election skirmishing”. As that could lead to a UUP walkout and the resulting suspension of the institutions, the prospect of delaying the elections was raised while bringing forward the vote was ruled out. Therefore, the two Governments stressed the need to cooperate as a stabilising force to protect the Agreement – despite not being sure how that process would survive through the January 18 deadline. The Irish officials became worried that the British side did not share their view that Mr Trimble was not “salvageable” and that the fundamental dynamic in the UUP was now Agreement scepticism, the confidential documents state. In a meeting days after the UUC announcements, Mr Reid is recorded in the documents as saying that as infuriating as it was, Mr Trimble was at that moment the “most enlightened Unionist we have”. The Secretary said he would explore what the UUP leader needed to “survive” the period between January 18 and the election, believing a significant prize could avoid him being “massacred”. Such planning went out the window just weeks later, when hundreds of PSNI officers were involved in raids of several buildings – including Sinn Fein’s offices in Stormont. The resulting “Stormontgate” spy-ring scandal accelerated the collapse of powersharing, with the UUP pulling out of the institutions – and the Secretary of State suspending the Assembly and Executive on October 14. For his part, Irish officials were briefed that Mr Reid was said to be “gung ho” about the prospect of exercising direct rule – reportedly making no mention of the Irish Government in a meeting with Mr Trimble and Mr Durkan on that day. The Northern Ireland Secretary was given a new role and Paul Murphy was appointed as his successor. A note on speaking points for a meeting with Mr Murphy in April showed that the Irish side believed the May elections should go ahead: “At a certain stage the political process has to stand on its own feet. “The Governments cannot be manipulating and finessing every scenario to engineer the right result. “We have to start treating the parties and the people as mature and trusting that they have the discernment to make the right choices.” However, the elections planned for May did not materialise, instead delayed until November. Mr Trimble would go on to lose his Westminster seat – and stewardship of the UUP – in 2005. The November election saw the DUP emerge as the largest parties – but direct rule continued as Ian Paisley’s refused to share power with Sinn Fein, which Martin McGuinness’ colleagues. The parties eventually agreed to work together following further elections in 2007. – This article is based on documents in 2024/130/5, 2024/130/6, 2024/130/15
Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Belfast News Letter, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Kate Hoey was reacting to comments from the CEO of the Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland , Conal Heatley, in an interview with the News Letter. Mr Heatley had said that one of the reasons he wanted to drop the flag as the official emblem of Team NI was because it had been placed on the homes of ethnic minority people as part of a bid to force them out, and “that is not something we want to be associated with”. Advertisement Advertisement He said that the flag is offensive to “a considerable section of the community”, and had prepared to discuss a replacement for the Ulster Banner at the body’s AGM on Wednesday night. Baroness Hoey is an independent member of the Lords who had served as the Labour government’s minister for sports from 1999 to 2001. Reacting to Mr Heatley, she said: “The comments by the chief executive of the Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland were insulting to the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland who see the Ulster Banner as the flag to rally round in many sporting events. "We all shared in Rory McIlroy’s gesture of draping himself in the flag when winning a major golfing championship and the Northern Ireland football team celebrations with the flag in achieving qualification for the Euros. Advertisement Advertisement "There will always be a tiny minority who disgrace the flag but that is no reason to change its use in the Commonwealth Games. “The Republic of Ireland has chosen not to be one of the 56 independent countries of the Commonwealth, yet those athletes in Northern Ireland who choose to compete for Ireland in the Olympics are still able to compete for Northern Ireland in the Commonwealth Games. "I have yet to hear of any past eligible team members refuse a place because of the Ulster Banner flag. Rather the opposite: there is great enthusiasm to represent Northern Ireland in every Commonwealth Games from every sport. “Mr Heatley would be better spending his time ensuring that everyone in Northern Ireland has the right to choose who to compete for, as currently in many sports there is no option to compete for the British team at the Olympics unless moving to GB, because of the all-Ireland governing bodies of the sports. Advertisement Advertisement "I know of tennis clubs in Northern Ireland who would prefer to be affiliated to the Lawn Tennis Association in Britain rather than, or as well as, Tennis Ireland, but cannot because it is an all-Ireland governing body.” Mr Heatley said he did not wish to respond to Baroness Hoey. Making similar comments earlier on Wednesday was the leader of the DUP, Gavin Robinson. Speaking on Good Morning Ulster, he too had been asked about Mr Heatley’s remarks on racism and the flag. Advertisement Advertisement "I think that last comment was an appalling comment to make. Remember, there'd been a protest in front of City Hall during the summer on race issues, and a gentleman was holding an Irish tricolour, yet I don't hear such political commentary in that direction. "I think in Northern Ireland we've recognised over many years that sport unites people. And yet here we have somebody who's charged wth encouraging success through sport engaging in politics in the most unhelpful way. "I don't think this is a good initiaitive on his part. I don't think this assists in sport, nor does it assist in bringing people together, when this chief executive appears to believe it's his role to pick scabs on identity. "There are people in Northern Ireland who have the proud ability to showcase their talent be it for Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games, Team GB in the Olympics, or Team Ireland – and they do that without any thought whatsoever about constitutional politics. "He should leave it to politicians.” Advertisement Advertisement In his News Letter interview, published on Wednesday, Mr Heatley had been asked if he was planning to drop the Ulster Banner because of an upsurge in requests to do so. "There's always been chatter,” he said. "I'm trying to choose my words very carefully. "The Ulster Banner of late, and I'm sure people would be very aware of that, has been misappropriated by a small number of people. "And I refer to newcomers. We've had newcomers, NHS staff, chased out of their homes by having the Ulster Banner put on their windows. That is not something we want to be associated with. "And that's been part of the thought process where we need to be looking and saying 'How can we have something that is inclusive? How can we invite these people to take part in our sports and our clubs if that's the imagery that's around it?’" Advertisement Advertisement Mr Heatley told BBC News NI today that his organisation had received some “threatening and abusive language on social media” over the past couple of days since news of his flag plans had emerged. “For the safety of staff and the public who may be using the office, we have decided to keep it closed for the next few days and have reported those to the police,” he said.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — After losing to San Francisco in the playoffs three of the last five seasons, the Green Bay Packers wouldn’t mind seeing the 49ers get left out of the postseason entirely. The Packers (7-3) could damage San Francisco’s playoff hopes Sunday by beating the 49ers at Lambeau Field. San Francisco (5-5) dropped to .500 after losing at home to the Seattle Seahawks, though the 49ers remain just a game behind the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West. “I think we’re motivated to keep winning more than anything,” Packers center Josh Myers said. “Obviously, they have knocked us out quite a bit. There’s that extra motivation behind it, but at this point, we’re just trying to churn out wins.” Green Bay is third in the NFC North and two games behind the Detroit Lions, but the Packers appear on track to at least earn a wild-card playoff berth. History suggests their path to a potential Super Bowl would get much clearer if the 49ers aren’t standing in their way. The 49ers trailed 21-14 in the fourth quarter before rallying to beat the Packers 24-21 in the divisional playoffs last year on Christian McCaffrey’s 6-yard touchdown run with 1:07 left. Now it’s the 49ers who are struggling to protect late leads, as they’ve blown fourth-quarter advantages in three games against divisional opponents. “You could look at, ‘Hey, we’re three possessions away from being 8-2,’ but you can’t really live like that,” 49ers tight end George Kittle said. “Those are the mistakes that we’ve made to be 5-5. It’s not exactly where we want to be. It is frustrating. The nice thing is we have seven games left to go out there and play Niners football and take advantage of those opportunities.” Green Bay’s recent history of playoff frustration against the 49ers also includes a 13-10 loss at Lambeau Field in the 2021 divisional playoffs and a 37-20 road defeat in the 2019 NFC championship game. Even the Packers who weren’t around for last season’s playoff loss realize what this game means. “I think one of the first meetings that I was in here, we had a conversation about the Niners beating us,” said Green Bay safety Xavier McKinney, who joined the Packers this season. “So I understand how important it is, and we all do.” Both teams must figure out how to convert red-zone opportunities into touchdowns. The 49ers are scoring touchdowns on just 48.8% of their drives inside an opponent’s 20-yard line to rank 27th in the NFL. The Packers are slightly worse in that regard, scoring touchdowns on 48.7% of their red-zone possessions to rank 28th. In their 20-19 victory at Chicago on Sunday, Green Bay drove to the Bears 5 without scoring on two separate series. Kittle expects to play Sunday after missing the Seahawks game with a hamstring injury, but four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Nick Bosa’s status is uncertain after he hurt his left hip and oblique in that game. Seattle scored both of its TDs after Bosa left in the third quarter with an injury and averaged 2.7 additional yards per play after he got hurt. Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander didn’t play in the second half of the Bears game due to a knee injury that also prevented him from playing in a Nov. 3 loss to Detroit. Green Bay’s defense feasted on turnovers the first part of the season, but hasn’t been as effective in getting those takeaways lately. The Packers have 19 takeaways – already exceeding their 2023 total – but haven’t forced any turnovers in their last two games. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan hasn’t eased McCaffrey back into the lineup in his return after missing the first eight games with Achilles tendinitis. McCaffrey has played 91% of the 49ers’ offensive snaps the past two weeks. Jordan Mason, who rushed for 685 yards during McCaffrey’s absence, has just five snaps on offense the last two games. Shanahan said he’d like to get Mason more opportunities, but it’s hard to take McCaffrey off the field. Green Bay nearly lost to the Bears because of its third-down struggles on both sides of the ball. The Packers were 1 of 5 on third-down opportunities, while the Bears went 9 of 16. The Packers’ defense could have a tough time correcting that problem against San Francisco, which has converted 45.4% of its third-down situations to rank fourth in the league. AP Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLTrimble and Mallon sanctioned DUP ministers over rotation planColman Domingo Details Why ‘The Madness’ Is a Drama for Today’s Era of Media Feeding Frenzies
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