Latest news with #Taylor
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Club World Cup match halted as fans vacate seats and players told to remain calm
Club World Cup match halted as fans vacate seats and players told to remain calm The Club World Cup match between Palmeiras and Al Ahly had to be halted on Thursday afternoon as fans were told to find shelter amid severe lightning in the area Players leave the field after the match was suspended due severe weather warning is given for a storm (Image: Getty Images ) During the Club World Cup encounter between Palmeiras and Egyptian outfit Al Ahly, play was brought to a standstill due to lightning nearby on Thursday. The match was paused shortly after the 60-minute mark by referee Anthony Taylor, well-known among Premier League spectators, who deemed it necessary to interrupt the game. Taylor signalled for all players to return to the changing rooms, while supporters were directed into the covered areas of the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which is set to host the forthcoming World Cup final. Commentary was switched back to the studio as stadium screens cautioned attendees with a message, which also told the players to walk "calmly" off the pitch. The announcement read: "Your attention please. "For your safety, we are going to have everyone leave the Seating Bowl area and take shelter inside the stadium because of severe weather in the area. "Event Staff are available to guide and assist you. Article continues below "Those on the field, please walk calmly to the nearest tunnel, to the West Hall, or to the service corridor." At the cessation of play, Brazilian club Palmeiras was leading two-nil, having scored in their second tournament game during Group A competition. They found the net first at the 49th minute following an own goal by Wessam Abou Ali, with Jose Manuel Lopez increasing their lead soon before the forced break, reports the Express. The delay ensued shortly after, lasting for 48 minutes with the game resuming at 2.15pm local time in the American north-east. Palmeiras managed to maintain their lead until the end of the match, temporarily securing the top spot in the group before Porto's face-off with Inter Miami. Estevao Willian, who celebrated his 18th birthday only in April, was awarded Player of the Match for the second consecutive game, sparking renewed enthusiasm among Chelsea supporters ahead of his anticipated move to Stamford Bridge later this summer. Article continues below Weather disruptions have become an unfortunate yet frequent occurrence at the restructured Club World Cup. On Tuesday night, organisers had to rearrange the schedule due to a thunderstorm, pushing back the kick-off time for the match between Ulsan Hyundai and Mamelodi Sundowns from 6pm local time to 7.05pm. More severe weather conditions hit on Wednesday, causing the match between RB Salzburg and Pachuca to be halted in the 54th minute. The game did not resume for over an hour as officials had to wait for the storm to pass.
Scotsman
4 hours ago
- Health
- Scotsman
Child neglect in Scotland is an epidemic and we need to talk about it
PA If there's a case for another national inquiry, it is this Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Demi-Leigh had 14 teeth removed, some still her baby milk teeth, under general anaesthetic. Her mum had mental health problems and addiction issues and her stepdad was in prison. There was no one to ensure she had a clean toothbrush and toothpaste, much less a bedtime routine, and this was the inevitable consequence. She was eight. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Taylor's mum and dad kept a Rottweiler in a cage in the living room. There was a crossbow in the bedroom, ostensibly by way of protection, because his home was the local drug den. The dog was regularly fed; Taylor was not. Drugs were within his reach in the fridge, food was not. At the age of 10 he was barely attending school, instead spending most of his time in unimaginably filthy conditions in the family flat. Richie, five, was so obese he was unable to toilet on his own and none of his primary one peers would spend time with him. His isolation manifested itself in a violent, biting temper. The violent, biting temper made him more isolated in turn. I have, of course, changed names to protect their identities but Demi-Leigh and Taylor and Richie's stories will be achingly familiar to anyone who sits on the children's panel or works in a school or in a social work department or a hospital or anywhere else young people are. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad These children and thousands like them are victims of a great many things, the chief of which is neglect. Child neglect in Scotland is an epidemic. It ruins childhoods and has serious knock-on effects on wider society and future generations. Yet we don't really talk about child neglect in any coordinated way, despite the efforts of social work experts and academics like, say, Edinburgh University's Brigid Daniel who has been talking about the effect of chronic neglect for decades. And we should talk about it. You might think this would be obvious in and of itself, but if you want to reduce such a thing as childhood to the practicalities of pounds and pence then it makes eminent good sense to tackle neglect at root. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Young people who are well supported flourish. They make a meaningful contribution to society and they fail to trouble the justice system. They are not a burden on the taxpayer but become a fiscal benefit to the state. This week there has been politicking about the will we/won't we matter of holding a public inquiry into child grooming gangs. Keir Starmer sent Baroness Louise Casey to carry out a review into abuse perpetrated by grooming gangs in England and Wales. Starmer has previously said he does not believe a public inquiry into the issue would be worthwhile but has now altered that position in light of Casey's findings. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad His change of heart has caused him problems. He has been accused of u-turning, which is never politically expedient. The opposition is having a field day, saying Labour is failing to tackle the gangs of men who are ruining the lives of girls and young women. Starmer has been accused - again - of merely following where Nigel Farage's Reform UK has first led. And another issue has arisen - should Scotland be included in any grooming gangs inquiry or, if not, should it hold its own? There has been an unedifying spat over the issue between the Labour MP Joani Reid and the SNP's Pete Wishart. Reid, MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven, said it was vital there is a grooming gangs enquiry in Scotland, despite having voted against an inquiry being set up just five months ago. In response to Wishart's allegations of hypocrisy, Reid said her decision to vote against the founding of an inquiry was in response to a Tory amendment to Labour's Children and Wellbeing Bill. Reid was one of 350 Labour MPs who voted down that amendment on January 8 this year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This kind of tit-for-tat helps no one and distracts from the fact the situation in Scotland differs from that of England. In England, eyes were averted from the abuse of young girls by Asian grooming gangs because of both a squeamishness in institutions afraid to be accused of racism and because of institutional misogyny that blamed victims for their own abuse. Girls in Scotland are being exploited, just as they are in England, but there is no real suggestion that organised rape circles are being ignored by officials. We have a judicial system that deals with grooming gangs and child rapists. We also already have an abuse inquiry ongoing now. The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry was set up 10 years ago, has cost millions of pounds and will cost millions more. Reid criticised the Scottish inquiry as being too limited in scope as it only considers children in care. She is only partially right - the definition of 'care' here is extremely wide-ranging. It includes children in, say, hospital or children in fee-paying boarding schools. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It would be possible to expand the inquiry to look for evidence of mass child grooming of the type in England, rather than setting up a new system. The problem with such a long-running and costly inquiry is that the can is kicked down the road, any recommendations are a long time coming and when they do come they are not implemented. Organised child abuse is abhorrent but we should trust the justice system to deal with it. During the Covid-19 lockdown children were returned from foster placements to known situations of family neglect because there was nowhere else to put them, for example. Social workers were unable to enter homes to carry out welfare checks. There are all sorts of knock-on effects from these elements of covid that are being quietly overlooked. What we don't know is the full scale of the devastating impact of child neglect, particularly post-pandemic.
Daily Record
5 hours ago
- Daily Record
Victims of illegal puppy trader open up on heartbreak of desperate attempt to save dogs
New owners fell in love with defenceless pups and were immediately faced with a desperate fight for life - and huge vet bills. Victims of illegal puppy trader Julie Taylor have told how they battled to save the lives of their tiny dogs. The dog owners have spoken out after the SSPCA's Special Investigations Unit busted Taylor, who was running an unlicensed 'puppy shop' from a filthy home in Ayrshire. The Daily Record told yesterday how Taylor was branded 'cruel and abhorrent' and banned from keeping animals for ten years as she was nailed in court. We told how one dog died, leading the new owner - an off duty police officer - to call in the animal charity's SIU to bring Taylor to justice. Another dog lover to have a nightmare ordeal due to the appalling conditions Taylor was subjecting pups to was Gillian Linton, 35, from Clydebank. The civil servant told how she instantly fell in love with a tiny Spaniel she called Primrose. She ended up paying more than £2,000 in vet bills after forming a powerful bond with the tiny pup, which almost died but eventually pulled through. Gillian, who bought Primrose at Taylor's home in Stewarton on Christmas Eve, 2023, said: 'We were meant to be getting a Blenheim Spaniel but the pup turned out to be a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. 'When she was presented to us she was stinking and her tummy was distended. She was in a bad way. Julie said she had just been fed but alarm bells were ringing loudly. 'The wee dog dropped flat on the floor and started crawling along in a strange way. She was lost and distressed. 'I picked her up and she snuggled into my neck and I was probably committed to her from that point, with no way of going back because I just couldn't leave her there. 'I had to rescue her - and I can't help but wonder how many other dog lovers felt the same way with other pups. Gillian transferred £795 to Taylor on the spot. She said: 'I asked to use the bathroom upstairs and I could see the house wasn't normal, with big piles of stuff in rooms and flooring had been ripped up. I guessed it had just been transformed by the puppy farm trade that was going on. 'As soon as we got Primrose home she started to cough and she would stop breathing for a but then produce a hacking cough that was awful to watch. 'She was really ill and we thought she was going to die.' Gillian said she had to take Primrose to the vet on New Year's Day because she thought the pup would die otherwise. She said: 'She was full of worms and her ears were infected and foul smelling. She was a poor wee soul. ' Gillian added: 'Primrose is 18 months old and really good now - but that's a miracle after the start she had in life. 'To think that people have been mistreating defenceless pups so badly for quick cash makes me feel very sad and it's good that the SSPCA shut these people down.' Eleanor Sullivan, 66, also said she immediately felt a duty to rescue the Cavapoo pup - which she called Jax - due to its pitiful condition when shown it. Former school worker Eleanor, from Cumbernauld, said: 'Jax was a bit of a sorry state, with terrible ear mites and a cough but I had to rescue this defenceless animal. 'I had a dog cage at the bottom of my bed but when I locked the door the pup went mad, throwing himself at the cage door.' Eleanor said the dog looked 'lost' and behaved like it had never interacted with humans before. She said: 'It was shaking and looked terrified. It was obvious from the start that the pups weren't right and Jax looked a lot younger than the eight weeks Julie said she was. 'I also discovered that different adverts were appearing online, supposedly selling the same dogs but with different phone numbers. I think it was just a conveyor belt of pups. 'These people rely on people like me forming an instant attachment. They shouldn't be allowed to have anything to do with animals.' The Record told yesterday how PC Elaine McArthur's cockapoo pup Marley fought for life then died of deadly parvo virus, three days after leaving Taylor's home. Distraught mum Elaine turned the tables on Taylor by calling in SSPCA investigators, who raided the trader's home and shut the operation down. Taylor, 41, was caught red handed with 16 terrified dogs, of various breeds, being held in a filthy toilet and covered in dog waste. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Taylor admitted cruelty and operating without a licence, which saw her banned from keeping dogs for 10 years at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court. Taylor's defence lawyer Graeme Cunningham said he could not deny that she was the front of an 'abhorrent' puppy farm operation, where dogs were badly treated then sold on for large amounts of cash. Taylor was also given a Community Payback Order to include unpaid work of 240 hours. She will also face a Proceeds of Crime investigation and could have thousands of pounds clawed back.
Glasgow Times
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Greg Taylor spotted with Celtic FC player on boat in Spain
The Scottish footballer, 27, was pictured in Formentera with pal and Hoops player Luke McCowan. Taylor's football future is currently unknown after his contract at Celtic ended last season. However, that didn't stop the footie ace from enjoying the sunshine with 27-year-old Luke. READ MORE: Celtic star jetted off on lavish holiday after Scottish Cup READ MORE: Celtic star left fans BAFFLED after sharing holiday snaps (Image: Instagram) In a picture on Instagram, the pair posed for a topless snap together while on a boat. In the image, the duo, both from Inverclyde, looked chuffed as they basked in the Mediterranean heat, donning trendy swim shorts. Taylor joined Glasgow's Celtic in 2019 after leaving Kilmarnock FC, where he played from 2016 until 2019. At the Hoops, the star made over 150 appearances and netted several goals for the club. Meanwhile, his pal McCowan joined Celtic several years after Taylor in 2024. The youngster has since only made over 30 appearances at the club.
Irish Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Katie Taylor expected to announce retirement after Amanda Serrano fight
Katie Taylor's 2025 Croke Park window isn't just closing fast. There doesn't seem any movement in recent weeks about pinning it down to a 2025 or early 2026 date, leading to speculation the Irish star will announce her retirement next month. The 38 year-old, says insiders, is ready to call it a day in the aftermath of her next fight, win or lose, with Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Gardens on July Bray-native has previously said of fighting in Croke Park: "That would be the pinnacle of my career to have a chance to actually fight in Croke Park. I'm still hanging on to that hope, but we'll see what happens."But it's a narrative that hasn't sat well with the GAA who claim the Taylor camp have never come forward with a concrete proposal and/or a date."Katie Taylor is a magnificent athlete and I think everyone is very, very proud of what she's achieved as an athlete," said Croke Park Stadium Director Peter McKenna earlier this year."But to fill Croke Park with 80,000, you need an undercard, you need a whole razzmatazz to go with it .Those things can't be done in a short period of time."It is thought that were Taylor to take on another 2025 fight capable of attracting close to 80,000, it would be a September-October-November date against Clarissa Shields who won 2012 and 2016 Olympics gold medals and has a 16-0 professional record."The calendar," notes McKenna," really there's not a lot of space to say, 'yeah, we could fit it in on that weekend'. What time of the year would it be on? We have Oasis and Robbie Williams [in August]."Even getting an event management plan together, getting the City Council to approve it and so on, there'd be a fair bit of work in that. So I think it's a kite-flyer rather than genuine. I can't see it happening because we haven't heard about it."Taylor's forthcoming fight with Serrano will be shown on Netflix, a contest fight where the just-turned 38 year-old Irish girl will be marginal underdog on the bookies board, Serrano being priced in and around 3/ will be defending WBA, IBF, WBC, WBO, Ring titles, taking in a 24 wins/one loss professional record which contains six knockouts. Her only defeat was against Chantelle Cameron in May will be up against a 36 year-old who holds the similarly unified featherweight belts on the back of a 47 wins/three losses/one Taylor-Serrano bill will be MSG's first ever all-women's boxing event, also featuring undisputed super featherweight champion Alycia Baumgardner against Jennifer Miranda over 10 Cameron, who lost last time out to Taylor, will fight Jessica Camera with Scotney-Mercado, Marshall-Green and Johnson-Metcalf also on the ensemble of Cameron, Taylor, Serrano and Baumgardner represents four of the top six pound-for-pound women boxers in the world according to the three accepted list collators, Ring Magazine, ESPN and and Serrano first met at MSG in MSG in April 2022, the first women's fight to headline the historic boxing venue with Taylor winning by a split decision over 10 also won the second fight, staged in November 2024 at the home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, by a unanimous decision, again over 10 that have engendered a great animosity between the duo not least as Serrano claims she should have won both Taylor, speaking at the weigh-in for this fight in April concluded: "The first two fights were absolutely epic, two of the most exciting fights of the year, and I'm pretty sure number three is going to deliver again."I am 2-0 against Amanda. She has to respect the decisions. If you look at those fights, you can clearly see that I won those two fights. It's insane. It's ridiculous really. It's really, really insane that she thinks she won those fights."Of course I won. It was an amazing fight. We've had two of the best fights in the history of boxing. Two very, very close fights, but I think that the margins at the top are always very tiny, but I did come out as the deserved winner."I am 2-0 here and I'm in the driver's seat. That's only right at the end of the day. Amanda needs this fight a lot more than I do. I have a long history of big fights against big names and a line of people queued up to fight me for the payday."You need this fight a lot more than I do."You know that. This is another legacy-building fight for myself and Amanda but I just want to prove myself once more."Serrano said: "She has to prove to everybody and to herself that she beat me, convincingly. Both those fights."And I need to go out there and prove to those judges like, 'come on - what are you watching?' So it's going to be a great fight between both of us. We're not going to disappoint."
