Umpires to wear bodycams in bid to combat abuse

Aussie rules umpires could wear body cameras in a new bid to combat abuse from players and spectators.
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RTÉ News​

17 minutes ago

• RTÉ News​

Two into one won't go but Liam O'Brien eyeing 2026 Winter Olympics spot

Australia may be one of the world's sporting strongholds but, similarly to Ireland, it wouldn't fall under the category of winter powerhouse (although their 19 medals are not to be sniffed at!). And yet next February, a Sydney-born short track speed skater is hoping to represent Team Ireland at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina - and if he were to qualify, he wouldn't be the first member of his family to compete at a Winter Games. The athlete in question is Liam O'Brien, whose connections to this island flow through both sides of his family, with his mother hailing from Kingscourt, Co. Cavan before she relocated Down Under in her 20s on a working holiday visa and met his father whose roots are in Meath and Leitrim respectively. As a child growing up in sports-mad and outdoorsy Australia, a young O'Brien dabbled with playing GAA in the Michael Cusacks club in Sydney. But in those days it was soccer and especially cricket that took precedence. "I played a lot of cricket and my pop wanted to get me into hurling but just didn't happen," the 26-year-old says at the Sport Ireland Campus during a recent visit as the road towards next year's Olympics ramps up. A love for cricket makes perfect sense from an Aussie perspective but how in the world did skating slip into his bloodstream? That's where the influence of his sister Danielle, who is eight-and-a-half years his senior, comes into the picture. "She went to a birthday party at an ice rink and just loved skating and kept hassling mum wanting to go back," O'Brien explains. "She went into ice dance and when I was born, I was just born into an ice rink, so I started skating at the age of three - figure skating - and then slowly moved into speed skating." Ice dance wasn't a mere hobby for Danielle and in 2014, she represented Australia at that year's Winter Olympics in Sochi. The entire family travelled to southern Russia to support her and the experience opened doors in her younger brother's imagination. "After watching her compete at the Olympics, it really drove me to want to become an Olympic athlete as well," he explains. "It was only after that that I'd seen really the goal and that target there in short track speed skating and really went for it then. That's when I gave up cricket and soccer as well." Unlike his sister, O'Brien is representing Ireland and that came following a chance meeting between his father and Ice Skating Association of Ireland chief executive Karen O'Sullivan in 2012. "We've kept contact ever since and when the opportunity came up to switch across to Ireland, I took that chance and Danielle and Mum and Dad were all very supportive and well, they loved it." Turbo-charging his pursuit of getting to the highest level in short track speed skating also meant moving away from Australia, with the aim of trying to qualify for Beijing 2022. Which is how he ended up relocating to Seongnam, South Korea in 2019 and enrolling at Dankook University. The country has produced the most Olympic gold medalists in short track ahead of China and Canada, making it a natural hub for anyone wanting to hone their craft. But his time there coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions that came with it, although apart from the difficulty of obtaining masks, he enjoyed the experience and the tougher challenge was learning Korean. "When Covid hit, there were no visas and so my only way to secure a visa was through study and I decided to learn Korean," O'Brien recalls. "That course was taught purely in Korean, and I hadn't actually learned the language up until that stage and I was given 24 hours before I had to do my first exam. I knew how to sound things out, but I didn't know how to write them, so I spent 24 hours learning the alphabet and how to put them all together because it's different symbols where it forms one character. So that was an interesting afternoon." O'Brien quickly became fluent, however the dream of representing Ireland in Beijing would be dashed when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament nine weeks before the qualifiers and although he got back on the ice far quicker than anticipated he would miss the Olympics by the narrowest of margins. "That was a big setback there," he admits. "I tried to keep myself entertained and not think about it at first. I was given 12 weeks of no sport whatsoever, no walking, nothing. "However, I was back on the ice within four weeks. And that was after being in a brace with my knee and not able to walk. And I was unlucky. I missed out by one spot in the end. So there were 36 qualified for the 1500m and we placed 37th." Fast forward to the present and O'Brien is still dreaming of a Games and to further that goal he has followed his Korean coach across to the Chinese city of Tianjin, just outside Beijing, in the last few weeks. "Bit of a move," he jokes. "The coach there is a Korean coach, Kwang-Soo Lee," he adds, "He's coached many junior athletes up into elite athletes there and into the national team. So I followed him across and I was with him before the Beijing Olympics as well. And actually, before I hurt my knee there he had just gone off to China that time." While O'Brien feels he is tracking well towards qualification for Milano-Cortina, two into one doesn't go. That's because Ireland will only have one quota spot in short track speed skating at the Games and Canadian-born Sean McAnuff, who was also in attendance at the Sport Ireland Campus late last month, is also vying for that single spot. "The first time I met Sean was probably when I was actually representing Australia," says O'Brien. "He was there at the 2018 Winter Olympics, the qualifications, and I was representing Australia at that time and we met there and since then now skating together for Ireland. "Sean is based out of Hungary and unfortunately, we don't get to train together, but it's hard as well when you don't have a relay team, you don't have that same, I guess, companionship." And even though they do not favour the same distances - O'Brien is more into the 1500m whereas McAnuff leans more towards the 500m and 1500m - it will still come down to one spot for Ireland if either meet the qualification criteria. "We're both different distances. He likes the shorter distances, where I prefer the longer distances, which makes it hard, where if we both qualify in our respective distance, there's still only the one spot, so it makes it hard in that sense however." The final qualification staging points will come in October and November but given how intrepid O'Brien has been in his short track pursuit to date, no one will be counting him out of being at the start line in Italy next February.

Time of India

an hour ago

• Time of India

UGC NET Admit Card 2025 Released for June 25 Exam: Check steps to download and other key details at ugcnet.nta.ac.in

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has issued the admit cards for the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test ( UGC NET ) scheduled on June 25, 2025. Candidates appearing for the exam can download their hall tickets from the official website — . Admit cards for candidates appearing on later dates will be made available soon. The admit card contains important information such as the candidate's name, roll number, photograph, examination date, shift timing, subject code, and full address of the examination centre. It is compulsory to carry a printed copy of the admit card along with a valid photo ID to gain entry into the exam hall. The UGC NET exam will be conducted in two shifts daily, from June 25 to June 29, 2025. Prior to releasing the admit cards for the June 25 exam, the National Testing Agency (NTA) issued the UGC NET exam city intimation slips for the exams scheduled on June 25, 26, and 27. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Aussie Hearing Device Has Experts Stunned! Smartek Learn More Undo How to Download UGC NET 2025 Admit Card Candidates can follow the steps below to access their admit card: Step 1: Visit the official website: Step 2: Click on the link for 'UGC NET June 2025 Admit Card' Live Events Step 3: Enter your Application Number and Date of Birth to log in Step 4: Your admit card will be displayed on the screen Step 5: Download it and take a printout for future reference Details to Check on Admit Card Candidates should carefully verify the following details on their admit card: Name and Roll Number Photograph and Signature Exam Date and Time Slot (9 AM–12 PM or 3 PM–6 PM) Subject and Paper Code Full Address of Exam Centre Important Exam Instructions UGC NET Exam Day Guidelines: To ensure a smooth experience, candidates must keep the following instructions in mind: Carry a printed copy of the admit card Bring a valid photo ID (Aadhaar, PAN, Passport, etc.) Arrive at the exam centre at least one hour before the reporting time Electronic devices, bags, and study materials are strictly prohibited Follow all guidelines and instructions printed on the admit card. For the latest updates and additional information related to UGC NET 2025, candidates should visit the official website —

Daily Mail​

6 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

Australian swimming legend Michael Klim opens up on devastating battle with rare autoimmune disorder and symptoms he wishes he hadn't ignored

Michael Klim has revealed details about his five-year battle with a rare autoimmune disorder which left him unable to walk - and the symptoms he wishes he took more seriously. The Aussie swimming legend, 47, was diagnosed with the neurological disorder chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) in 2020. The former triple Olympian has spoken openly about the challenging diagnosis, which saw him lose the ability to walk in just six months and left him bedridden. He says he didn't treat the condition with the gravity it deserved when he first got symptoms. 'I neglected a lot of my symptoms at the onset and I think in a very typical male fashion didn't act fast enough,' he told News Corp. 'So, if anything comes out of our chat, I hope it's going to see a doctor even if the symptoms are as simple as getting cold feet when you go to bed or having numbness in your toes or your feet. I neglected some of those. 'I had a great team around me but something that was instilled in me as an athlete was that we push through a lot of our discomforts and I continued to do that even in life after sport, which didn't really lend itself to longevity in life. 'Unfortunately, I had my very heart stop when I lost the ability to walk and I think it took me about two years to come to terms with accepting the fact - or almost, it was like there was a grieving period of two years of accepting the fact that my physical ability may never be the same, I may never be able to walk like a normal person, I will be compromised. 'But finding a new purpose in life - I was always very driven and active and very quantitative in that I was very opportunistic and attending many things and being involved in many projects. CIDP causes the body to attack its own tissue - the myelin sheaths which insulate and protect the nerves - causing weakness and lack of feeling in the arms and legs. Klim says batting the disorder has taught him a lot. 'There was a lot of time of darkness because there is no cure and you're living in a period of uncertainty - not just yourself as a patient, but your entire support network. 'That was the hardest thing. Previously, my injuries - if I had a rotator cuff injury or sprained ankle - I knew the protocol and knew exactly when I'd be back. 'But this has been something different and something new and it's definitely taught me a lot of lessons.' Klim says his rare condition has made him more aware of other people and what they might be going through. 'Let's say 30% of people with CIDP may make a full remission, 30% - where I seem to be fitting at the moment - remain stagnant for the rest of their life, and then 30% of people end up with paralysis, full paralysis or in a wheelchair. 'Even when I wear my braces and I've got my pants on, most people look at me and say, "Gee, you're so fit". 'I've got my upper body and am still trying to look after myself, but you just don't know what hardship people are going through underneath.'