James Ryan has been handed a three-week suspension after the red card he was shown during Ireland’s 24-13 defeat by South Africa at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday was upheld by an independent disciplinary committee.
Second row Ryan’s yellow card for a high hit on Malcolm Marx in the early stages of the loss to the Springboks was subsequently upgraded to a 20-minute red card.
The independent committee determined that by applying World Rugby’s sanctioning provisions, a mid-range entry point of six weeks was appropriate.
That has been reduced to three weeks, however, in light of Ryan accepting the red card, his clean record and other mitigating factors.
The sanction could be further reduced to two weeks should Ryan complete World Rugby’s Coaching Intervention Programme as a substitute for the final week of his suspension.
That option is aimed at modifying specific techniques and technical issues which contributed to the incidence of foul play.
As it stands, Ryan is ruled out of Leinster’s United Rugby Championship game against Dragons this weekend and the Investec Champions Cup matches at home to Harlequins on 6 December and away to Leicester Tigers on 12 December.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Lakers won their fourth consecutive game Sunday, holding off the Utah Jazz 108-106 in Delta Center behind 33 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists from Luka Doncic.
The Lakers (12-4) nearly squandered a 10-point lead in the final six minutes and 36 seconds, allowing the Jazz to cut the lead to one with 41.3 seconds remaining on a three-pointer from Lauri Markkanen. The Utah Jazz crowd that had been cheering loudly for the Lakers finally erupted for the home team when the Finnish forward knocked down the shot.
Markkanen could have given the Jazz (5-11) the lead with a 17-foot shot in the key, but the midrange jumper rattled out with 11.4 seconds to go. After Doncic split a pair of free throws, the Lakers forced Jazz guard Keyonte George into a contested three at the buzzer to seal the win.
LeBron James, playing in his second game of the year, had 17 points with eight assists. Austin Reaves had 22 points with 10 rebounds and four assists.
Starting center Deandre Ayton missed the second half because of a right leg contusion. He had just two points on one for two shooting in the first half while Doncic still powered the Lakers to a seven-point lead.
The guard continued to struggle with his three-point shot, missing seven of his first eight shots from beyond the arc Sunday, but dazzled with his playmaking again. He intercepted a pass, bounced the ball between Kevin Love’s legs while running the fastbreak and scooped up a lob pass to Jaxson Hayes. The roar from the pro-Lakers road crowd was just as loud as anything the Jazz did.
When Doncic attracted a triple team in the paint, he fired a two-handed, no-look pass backwards over his head to Marcus Smart who knocked down a three that put the Lakers up 55-49.
The Lakers entered the game shooting 33.8% from three, ranked 24th in the league. Doncic and Austin Reaves, the team’s highest volume shooters, have struggled the most. Reaves was one for eight from three on Sunday. Doncic was three for 12, including shots so off course that they barely grazed the rim.
When he finally got a shot to trickle over the rim in the third, Doncic held both arms out in disbelief and relief as the ball bounced up high and then through the net in the third quarter.
Diplomatic dispute deepens between Tokyo and Beijing over Taiwan remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
China will again ban all imports of Japanese seafood as a diplomatic dispute between the two countries escalates, Japanese media report.
Japanese public broadcaster NHK and Kyodo News agency said on Wednesday that the seafood ban follows after China earlier this month lifted import restrictions on Japanese marine products, which were imposed by Beijing in 2023 after the release of treated radioactive water from Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
Kyodo News, referencing sources with knowledge of the matter, said China has told Japan that the reimposition of the ban was due to the need for further monitoring of the water from Fukushima released into the Pacific Ocean.
But the ban comes amid a deepening crisis in relations between Beijing and Tokyo over remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The premier told parliament on November 7 that a Chinese attack on Taiwan, which threatened Japan’s survival, was one of the few cases that could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
Takaichi’s comments were met with a wave of criticism by Chinese officials and state media, prompting Japan to warn its citizens in China to take safety precautions and avoid crowded places.
In a post on X following Takaichi’s comments, the Chinese consul general in Osaka, Xue Jian, threatened to “cut off that dirty neck”, apparently referring to the Japanese prime minister. Tokyo said it had summoned the Chinese ambassador over the now-deleted social media post.
Beijing has also advised Chinese citizens to avoid travelling to Japan and demanded that Takaichi retract her remarks, though Tokyo said they were in line with the government’s position.
Seeking to defuse the row, Masaaki Kanai, Japan’s top official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Asia Pacific region, held talks on Tuesday in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart, Liu Jinsong.
“During the consultations, China once again lodged a strong protest with Japan” over “Takaichi’s erroneous remarks”, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning said.
“Takaichi’s fallacies seriously violate international law and the basic norms governing international relations”, Mao said, adding the Japanese premier’s comments “fundamentally damage the political foundation of China-Japan relations”.
‘Very dissatisfied’
Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu, reporting from Beijing, said the visit by Kanai to Beijing was seen as an effort by Tokyo to de-escalate tensions and communicate to China that Japan’s stance on independently-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory, has not changed despite Takaichi’s remarks.
“It seems there were no concrete outcomes, but what we have seen, though, is some footage following the meeting of these two diplomats parting ways, and I think it really speaks for itself. We have very cold body language from both of these diplomats,” Yu said.
“Liu Jinsong had his hands in his pockets, refusing to shake hands with the Japanese senior diplomat,” Yu said, adding that the Chinese official said afterwards that he was “very dissatisfied” with the meeting.
Liu Jinsong, director-general of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, met with Masaaki Kanai, director-general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, on Tuesday.
Before the most recent seafood ban, China accounted for more than one-fifth of Japan’s seafood exports, according to official data.
The dispute has also engulfed other areas of China-Japan relations, with China Film News, which is supervised by the state-backed China Film Administration, announcing that the release of two imported Japanese movies would be postponed amid the dispute.
The two movies were originally expected to be released on December 6 and November 22, respectively, according to review site Douban.
Chinese state media says distributors made ‘prudent’ decision to postpone releases due to audience sentiment.
Published On 18 Nov 202518 Nov 2025
Share
Chinese film distributors have suspended the release of two Japanese anime films amid an escalating diplomatic row over Taiwan.
Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Super Hot! The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers and Cells at Work! will not be screened in mainland China as originally scheduled, Chinese state-run broadcaster CCTV said on Tuesday.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
The move comes as relations between Tokyo and Beijing are at their lowest ebb in years following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s suggestion that Tokyo could intervene militarily if China attempted to take control of Taiwan.
CCTV said distributors made the “prudent” decision to postpone the releases in view of the overall market performance of Japanese films and “Chinese audience sentiment”.
Film distributors reported that Takaichi’s “provocative remarks” would inevitably affect Chinese audience perceptions of Japanese cinema, CCTV said, adding that the companies would follow “market principles and respect audience preferences” by delaying the releases.
Naoise McDonagh, an expert in economic coercion at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia, said the postponements followed a well-worn playbook in Chinese statecraft.
“China is usually careful to target trade that is non-essential for China, but which will impact Japanese firms, creating both financial costs and symbolic pressure,” McDonagh told Al Jazeera.
Such incidents allow Beijing to signal that parties who act against its interests will face costs, “providing China some degree of influence on other governmental decision-making processes that impact China’s red line,” McDonagh said.
The delayed film releases follow a series of retaliatory moves by Beijing in response to Takaichi’s comments, including an advisory warning its citizens against travel to Japan and the deployment of warships to waters near the disputed Senkaku Islands.
Japan on Monday issued its own travel advisory for China, warning its citizens to respect local customs, avoid crowded places and exercise caution in their interactions with Chinese people.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara on Tuesday told a regular media briefing that its advisories were based on “the social situations” of various countries and its latest statement reflected recent reports on the Tokyo-Beijing tensions.
Kihara also said that Tokyo had an “open stance” on dialogue with China after Beijing said that Chinese Premier Li Qiang had no plans to meet Takaichi on the sidelines of this weekend’s G20 summit in South Africa.
Kihara made the comments as Japan’s top official for Asia Pacific affairs, Masaaki Kanai, met his Chinese counterpart, Liu Jinsong, in Beijing on Tuesday in a bid to calm tensions between the sides.
China considers self-ruled Taiwan part of its territory and has pledged to “reunify” the island with the Chinese mainland, by force if necessary.
Japan views China’s stance on Taiwan with concern due to the island’s close proximity to Japanese territory and its location in waters that carry large volumes of trade.
China insists that countries, in order to have diplomatic ties with Beijing, must not officially recognise Taiwan. Most countries follow China’s demand, but many maintain economic and semiofficial diplomatic ties with Taipei.
LIAM Gallagher isn’t a fan of sharing his food – just ask Paul Gascoigne.
The Tottenham and England legend told FourFourTwo about snaffling a steak from the Oasis rocker – and it didn’t end well.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Paul Gascoigne has recalled the moment he stole Liam Gallagher’s steak — and sparked a fiery showdown with the furious rockerCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdLiam grabbed the extinguisher after Gazza snaffled his steakCredit: Getty
Recalling a run-in during the Nineties, Paul said: “I was in a restaurant and a guy said, ‘Liam Gallagher’s over there’.
“I went up to him, he was sitting on his own having a steak.
“He said, ‘F***ing hell sit down mate, how are you doing? Do you want something to eat?’
“I said, ‘No I’m not hungry, I’ll have a drink though’. He went for the drink and I ate his f***ing steak. He went f***ing off at me, going ‘Where’s my f***ing steak, man?’ I went, ‘I’ve ate the c***t.
Taylor Swift’s handwritten letter to Liam Payne, supporting his solo career, is to be auctionedCredit: Reuters
A handwritten letter from Taylor Swift to Liam Payne supporting his solo career is going up for auction.
She gave the late One Direction singer the note ahead of his performance at Capital’s 2017 Jingle Bell Ball.
Taylor headlined the annual bash at London’s O2 Arena. Liam, who died in October last year, was also on the bill.
The letter reads: “Liam, long time no see.
“I’m so excited for you, you’re crushing it out there.
“I’m obsessed with Bedroom Floor.
“It’s so cool to see you from afar.
“I’m always cheering you on.
“Good luck tonight!”
Speaking on the red carpet at the event eight years ago, Liam revealed Taylor also sent him a “lovely little hamper of new Reputation gear”.
He added: “She’s got very good handwriting if she did write it.”
British auction house Omega Auctions will sell the letter on December 2.
It is expected to fetch between £5,000 and £10,000.
Gabriella Cilmi is returning to music after 12 years, recording a new albumCredit: Instagram
Gabriella Cilmi is back, 12 years after her last album.
She had a string of hits in the late Noughties with Sweet About Me, Warm This Winter and On A Mission.
The Aussie singer, who is name-checked by Ed Sheeran on his 2011 song You Need Me, I Don’t Need You revealed she has been living in the English countryside and is returning to music.
She said on TikTok: “I’m super-excited to announce I’ve recorded a new record.
“We recorded it under the full Harvest Moon and it was a magical experience, going back to basics, playing live.”
Ellie: My break-up torment
Ellie Goulding opens up on her marriage breakdown to Caspar Jopling as she releases new song DestinyCredit: Getty
Speaking about her new song Destiny, Ellie said: “I first heard this track when I had recently separated from my husband.
“This was at a really turbulent time for me because I was trying to navigate what felt like a separation of all separations.”
The singer added to NME: “It was a marriage, not just a relationship.
“I didn’t know what else to do other than make music.”
Ellie and Caspar tied the knot in 2019.
They had their son Arthur in 2021, but sadly separated in 2023.
Emeli Sande was joined by acts including Boy George and Ali Campbell of UB40 at a charity gig for victims of Hurricane Melissa.
They played A Concert For Jamaica, at Koko in Camden, London.
DJ Robbo Ranx praised Jamaicans for standing strong after being battered by the storm.
Much of the island is still without water or electricity.
Aussie accused of Ari scare
Australian-born Johnson Wen boasted about meeting the pop star at the event, when in actual fact he scared the living daylights out of ArianaCredit: AFPAriana was thankfully protected by the one-woman muscle machine that is Cynthia ErivoCredit: AFP
Married At First Sight viewers are set to witness an explosive reunion as hidden truths are finally exposed
MAFS UK (Image: Ellie Merridale/Channel 4 )
Married At First Sight is set for an explosive reunion as one bride storms off set in tears after a heated row with another co-star
The E4 hit dating show, comes to an end for another year and it’s safe to say the series has been full of explosive moments from the jump.
We’ve seen secret partner swaps outside the experiment, true love blossoming between a handful of couples and plenty of fiery rows spill on and off screen.
However it was one moment that sparked controversy after Julia-Ruth recently made a shocking admission about another groom.
Throughout the series, Julia-Ruth was open about her lack of interest in her matched husband Divarni, and they left the show before final vows.
She later left her fellow brides speechless when she revealed that she went on holiday with Maeve’s ex husband Joe after leaving the experiment.
Things took a turn for the worse when she went on to share that the pair were also intimate during their getaway together.
As expected things are about to turn explosive during the highly anticipated two-part reunion special, with the first episode set to air tomorrow (November 13) night.
In a preview clip shown at the end of tonight’s episode, all the couples that took part in the experiment reunited for a final dinner party as they got to finally find out which marriages had flourished and which had fallen apart.
It’s clear Maeve is still not over Joe and Julia-Ruth’s brutal betrayal as she left everyone shocked when she announced: “I heard that Julia-Ruth and Joe got matching tattoos.”
Things got heated at the table as Maeve was quick to ask Julie Ruth: “Would you want to be in a relationship with Joe, yes or no?
Julie-Ruth decided not to engage in conversation as she replied: “I’m not talking to you.” Meave snapped: “Well I’m talking to you.”
In a tense moment, Julie-Ruth started waving her hands in Meave’s face and it was clear that it didn’t go down well with the Geordie bride as she shouted: “Don’t put your hands to me like that man, don’t do it.”
Julia-Ruth is seen storming off in tears as fellow groom Davide follows right behind her.
Elsewhere, more hidden truths were exposed as Nelly dropped a bombshell to her fellow co-star as she said: “Seven lied to me, he lied to everyone and the experts.”
She added: “I found the evidence and I sent it to everyone because I’m not going to be made out to be crazy by someone like you.”
You can catch up on Married At First Sight on Channel 4
LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer refused to say Wednesday whether he would urge President Trump to drop his threat to sue the BBC for a billion dollars over the broadcaster’s edit of a speech he made after losing the 2020 presidential election.
During his weekly questioning in the House of Commons, Starmer was asked by Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, whether he would intervene in the row between Trump and the British public broadcaster, and to rule out the idea that the British people would hand over money to the U.S. president.
Instead of responding directly, Starmer reiterated the government’s line since the BBC’s director-general, Tim Davie, announced his resignation on Sunday because of the scandal.
“I believe in a strong and independent BBC,” he said. “Some would rather BBC didn’t exist, I’m not one of them.”
However, he added that “where mistakes are made, they do need to get their house in order.”
In an interview that aired Tuesday on Fox News, Trump said he intended to go through with his threat to sue the BBC, a century-old institution under growing pressure in an era of polarized politics and changing media viewing habits.
“I guess I have to,” he said. “Because I think they defrauded the public and they’ve admitted it.”
The president’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito, sent the threat to the BBC over the way a documentary edited his Jan. 6, 2021, speech before a mob of his followers stormed the U.S. Capitol. The letter demanded an apology to the president and a “full and fair” retraction of the documentary along with other “false, defamatory, disparaging, misleading or inflammatory statements” about Trump.
If the BBC does not comply with the demands by 5 p.m. EST Friday, then Trump will enforce his legal rights, the letter said.
The row centers on an edition of the BBC’s flagship current affairs series “Panorama,” titled “Trump: A Second Chance?” days before the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
The third-party production company that made the film spliced together three quotes from two sections of the 2021 speech, delivered almost an hour apart, into what appeared to be one quote in which Trump urged supporters to march with him and “fight like hell.”
Among the parts cut out was a section where Trump said he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully.
BBC Chairman Samir Shah apologized Monday for the misleading edit that he said gave “the impression of a direct call for violent action.”
In addition to Davie’s resignation, the news chief Deborah Turness quit Sunday over accusations of bias and misleading editing.
Vit Krejci scored a career-high 28 points off the bench, Kristaps Porzingis added 20 and the Atlanta Hawks opened a four-game trip with a 105-102 victory over the Clippers on Monday night.
Jalen Johnson had 16 points and 10 rebounds as the Hawks overcame a 17-point deficit to win consecutive games for the second time this season. Krejci made a career-best eight three-pointers in 10 attempts.
Porzingis (illness) and Johnson (quad) both returned after missing Sunday’s 20-point home victory over the Lakers, while Trae Young (knee) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (back) remained out.
James Harden had 35 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in the Clippers’ fifth straight loss. Ivica Zubac added 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Derrick Jones Jr. and Kris Dunn each scored 11 points for the Clippers, who were without star Kawhi Leonard (ankle) for a fourth consecutive game, while Bradley Beal (hip) was ruled out.
Krejci’s biggest three-pointer came with 36 seconds remaining and gave the Hawks a 105-98 lead. Harden converted a four-point play with 25 seconds remaining to get the Clippers within a possession but missed a tying three-point attempt with 12 seconds left.
The Clippers led 36-19 early in the second quarter before the Hawks erased the deficit with a 20-3 run to take a 42-41 lead with 4:09 remaining before the half. Krejci made four three-pointers in the run, including three consecutive at one point.
The score was tied at 52 at halftime after Krejci made six of Atlanta’s seven three-pointers over the first two quarters. The Hawks pushed in front 79-76 after three quarters.
Harden tied the score 92-92 with 5:01 remaining on consecutive three-pointers before another three-pointer from Krejci put the Hawks up 95-92 with 4:25 remaining. Harden scored 19 points in the fourth quarter on six-of-10 shooting and four of seven from three-point range.
Strictly Come Dancing fans rushed to social media as they felt the judges were ‘overmarking’ the contestants during tonight’s show which they felt was not reflective of the performance
19:50, 08 Nov 2025Updated 19:50, 08 Nov 2025
Fans fume over ‘overmarking’ in tonight’s strictly(Image: BBC)
Strictly Come Dancing fans were left fuming after judge Motsi Mabuse awarded Karen Carney ten points following her performance of the Charleston, with her professional dance partner Carlos Gu.
Viewers felt that they noticed flaws in her performance, however that did not appear to be reflected in the judge’s scores. Taking to X, one fan wrote: “sure not a 10, the lifts were pretty ropey #strictly.” Another person said: “F**** OFF Motsi and Anton! #Strictly.”
A third added: “What’s with Motsi and that 10? #Strictly.” Meanwhile a fourth penned: “10?!!! did we just watch the same performance #strictly.”
And a fifth fan took to the social media platform and chimed in saying: “Oh come on Motsi – never a 10, too frenetic #Strictly.”
“10??? What??? #Strictly,” said a sixth. Another added: “#Strictly shut up motsi. Its not a 10! Its messy with lots of faults #Charleston.”
And another fumed: “Motsi giving Karen a 10 for a dance which wasn’t perfect is wild #Strictly.”‘
Stars on this year’s line-up have left viewers gripped to their TV screens as they compete to make it to the final and hold up the coveted glitterball trophy.
But for one star, it looks as though joining the BBC ballroom show was more of a tough decision than once thought.
Vicky Pattison, who made her name starring on reality TV show Geordie Shore, recently explained that joining the show pushed back her plans to start a family with new husband Ercan Ramadan.
The couple tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in August last year.
In an interview with The Mirror, she admitted: “At the start of this year, I said to Ercan, I’m either gonna do Strictly, a second series of Honesty Box, or we’re going to have a baby. When I got the call for Strictly, he was over the moon. Kids are definitely on the cards next year. He probably thinks I’ll be at home a bit more, which he’s thrilled about.”
And while Ercan may have been left disappointed by her career decision, Vicky was adamant that he has been her biggest supporter.
Ercan has been providing Vicky with electrolytes and collagen every morning.
Last month, Tess and Claudia left die hard viewers heartbroken as they announced their departure from the BBC show.
Their announcement came with a video which they posted on social media. Claudia was the first to start speaking as she said: “Hi it’s Claud and Tess. There have been some rumblings and we want you to hear this from us…”
Tess added: “Yeah we have news. After 21 wonderfully joyful years on Strictly we have decided the time is right to step aside and pass on the baton…”
Claudia then chimed in saying: “The very sparkly baton…” Turning to Tess, she continued: “You’ve been here since the beginning…”
Tess, who is a mum of two and married to radio host Vernon Kay, kicked off her Strictly journey when she hosted the show alongside the much loved Bruce Forsyth.
Tess went on to say: “2004 with Brucey – lovely Bruce. That’s over two decades ago and a lot of that time has been with you. It’s been a huge part of our lives, hasn’t it? Since our children were literally babes in arms and now they’re young adults and I think, genuinely we have cherished every second.”
