England beat New Zealand to reach first World Cup final
| Venue: Cape Town, South Africa Dates: 28 July to 6 August |
| Coverage: Watch live coverage on BBC TV and BBC iPlayer, listen to commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live, 5 Sports Extra & BBC Sounds and follow text commentary of selected matches on BBC Sport website and app. |
England ground down defending champions New Zealand to make history by reaching their first Netball World Cup final.
The match was level after every quarter but England pulled away in dramatic fashion in the last to win 46-40.
There were jubilant scenes on the court as England wound down the clock to edge out the Silver Ferns and reach Sunday’s showpiece in Cape Town.
They will face either 11-time champions Australia, who they beat in the group stages, or in-form Jamaica next.
The final takes place at 17:00 BST and will be live on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.
England held firm throughout the match, overcoming some shaky shooting with solid defence.
They will now compete for their biggest title since the 2018 Commonwealth Games, when they beat Australia to win gold.
An emotional Layla Guscoth, Roses defender and co-captain, told BBC Sport: “I can’t believe it.
“We’ve had so much criticism over the last year [after no medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games].
“We are so grateful to get the chance to play in a World Cup final. We celebrate, we rest and we come back tomorrow.”
‘Pure pride to wear the red dress’
England have faced a year of criticism after they failed to follow up on gold in 2018 and did not win at medal at the Games in Birmingham last year.
When Jess Thirlby took the reins from former coach Tracey Neville after England had won World Cup bronze in 2019, having been beaten in the semi-final by New Zealand, she said some things would need to change.
Focus went on developing a full squad of 12 dependable players and at this tournament England are getting their just reward.
“I know it is predictable but I just feel just pride,” Thirlby said after the win.
“Sometimes you just have to sit tight through the ups and downs, the wins and the losses, and we have done that.
“I think the mental side of our game has massively shifted. Sometimes it takes 58 minutes before you get the reward but they kept at it and got it in the end.”
Co-captain Natalie Metcalf agreed, saying it had been a “tough year” but they had “left no stone unturned” in pursuit of World Cup glory.
“It is just pure pride to wear the red dress and line up alongside the girls every day,” she said.
“We’ve got to celebrate and enjoy the moment, what a moment it is for England netball. But we need to make sure we stick to the processes and remain consistent as we have done the entire tournament.”
Patient England reap rewards
Until their final group match against Australia, England had gone under the radar – securing wins but with plenty still to work on.
However, they have now beaten the top two sides at the tournament, having defeated world number one-ranked Australia on Thursday and the Silver Ferns in the last four.
An evenly contested and low-scoring match saw momentum shifts in both directions as two impenetrable defences faced off.
Roses’ stalwarts Geva Mentor and Guscoth worked tirelessly in defence to win the ball as England’s attackers were made to look hesitant and static against an equally impressive Kelly Jury and Phoenix Karaka in the other circle.
England’s shooters also struggled at times, with Helen Housby and Eleanor Cardwell uncharacteristically missing eight of their 54 shots.
Patience was key as neither side could break the deadlock and, with the score poised at 32-32 going into the final quarter, it was clear a moment of brilliance would be required to prevent extra time.
That came when Fran Williams, who also produced the game-changing moment against Australia, leapt from nowhere to snatch the ball away from Gina Crampton, setting up Housby to score and give England a slender lead.
England’s bench were on their feet with a minute remaining after Imogen Allison produced another superb intercept and the wheels came off for New Zealand.
Fans in the crowd sensed a place in the final was England’s and as the buzzer sounded the players flooded the court, with many in tears as they processed their historic achievement.
Spanish chef admits to Koh Phangan killing: Police
Dismembered body parts found in dump on Full Moon party island after slaying of Colombian plastic surgeon
SURAT THANI: A Spanish chef has admitted to killing his Colombian surgeon lover and dismembering his body before dumping parts in a landfill on Koh Phangan and his head and other parts in the sea, police say.
Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, 29, was taken to the Koh Phangan police station on Friday for questioning in connection with the disappearance of Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, 44, a Colombian national. He initially denied any involvement but eventually admitted to the act after intensive questioning by police, said a source familiar with the investigation.
The suspect is the son of the Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho Aguirre and actress Silvia Bronchalo. A well-known chef in his home country, he also has a YouTube channel. The victim operated a successful plastic surgery clinic in Monteria, Colombia.
Police found more evidence believed to be human body parts after searching a hotel room believed to be the place where the killing took place, Pol Lt Gen Surapong Thanomjit, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, said on Saturday.
Forensic officers collected samples of hair, fat and tissue from the room’s drain and sent them for forensic testing in Yala. The results would be known on Sunday, said Pol Lt Gen Surapong.
A police examination of security video from various places on the island famed for its Full Moon parties showed Mr Sancho was linked to the case, the commander said.
The Spanish man was the last person seen with the victim before the human body parts were found. Officers were gathering evidence to seek a court warrant for the arrest of Mr Sancho, said Pol Lt Gen Surapong.
Mr Sancho had gone to the Koh Phangan police station on Thursday night to report that Mr Arrieta was missing. This came after news spread that some human body parts had been found.
Trash collectors on Thursday discovered body parts, including a sawed-off pelvis and intestines weighing around five kilogrammes, inside a fertiliser sack at a garbage dump in Moo 4 of Koh Phangan.
More body parts were found on Friday in a black plastic bag at the same location. The bag contained two legs, a black T-shirt, a pair of shorts and a pair of red boxer shorts. (Story continues below)
The suspect: Spanish chef Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, 29. (Photo: danisanchobanus Instagram)
The victim: Colombian plastic surgeon Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, 44. (Photo: dredwinarrietacirujanoplastico Instagram)
Pol Lt Gen Surapong said relatives of Arrieta told investigators that he had been in a relationship with Mr Sancho for more than one year.
The pair had gone to Koh Phangan in Surat Thani to attend a Full Moon party. When Arrieta’s relatives were unable to contact him, they contacted Mr Sancho but the Spanish man said he hadn’t seen him yet.
The relatives then contacted the tourist police to inspect the hotel room the victim had booked, but there were no traces of him. They later learned that Mr Sancho had checked in at the hotel alone and later checked out before the victim arrived.
“We do not yet know the motive for the murder. We initially believe it might stem from a fit of jealousy,” said Pol Lt Gen Surapong.
“The investigation found that Daniel Sancho had prepared thoroughly by buying other items for concealing the body. After being detained for immigration offences and having his visa revoked, he showed clear signs of stress, but still refused to confess.
“I have instructed police to closely monitor him for fear that he might resort to commit suicide.”
Pol Col Panya Nirattimanon, chief of the Koh Phangan police station, said on Saturday that Mr Sancho looked stressed and did not sleep after he was taken on Friday for questioning in connection with the disappearance of the Colombian national.
A police source said that during questioning, Mr Sancho told investigators that he had taken Arrieta to his room. He claimed the man wanted to have sex with him, but he refused.
In a fit of anger, he punched his friend, causing the victim to fall and lose consciousness after hitting his head on a bathtub. Mr Sancho subsequently decided to cut the body into 14 pieces and put some parts into a travel bag. He also put some parts into plastic bags and dumped them in a garbage bin.
He took the travel bag to dump in the sea at Salad beach near his hotel. After that he returned to his room and checked out at 9am on Thursday.
He later went to a Full Moon party with two women he knew at the hotel. After returning from the party, he went to the police station where he filed a missing person report that his Colombian friend had disappeared.
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Police arrest former Pakistan PM Imran Khan after court gives three-year prison sentence
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Pakistan ex-PM Khan given three-year jail sentence
Ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan given three-year jail sentence over corruption allegations he denies.
A court in Islamabad found him guilty of not declaring money he had earned from selling state gifts.
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Mr Khan’s team says he will appeal against the decision.
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US news outlets ‘misguided’ to expect Singapore to follow either US or China, says ambassador in response to Washington Post article on Lianhe Zaobao
SINGAPORE: A recent article by the Washington Post “wrongly suggests” that Lianhe Zaobao echoes Beijing’s propaganda, Ambassador to the US Lui Tuck Yew said in a letter to the publication, adding that it was “misguided” for American news outlets to expect Singapore to follow either the US or China.
The letter, made available on the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) website on Saturday (Aug 5), was issued to the editor of the Washington Post in response to its article In Singapore, Loud Echoes of Beijing’s Positions Generate Anxiety.
The article published on Jul 24 said Lianhe Zaobao was “once a reflection of Singapore’s careful neutrality between China and the United States”.
However, it now “routinely echoes some of Beijing’s most strident falsehoods, including denying evidence of rights abuses in Xinjiang and alleging that protests in Hong Kong and in mainland China were instigated by ‘foreign forces’,” said authors Shibani Mahtani and Amrita Chandradas.
In his Letter to the Editor dated Jul 26, Mr Lui said that Singapore was a multi-racial and multi-religious country.
“Singapore’s mainstream media, including Lianhe Zaobao, reflect our distinct societal concerns, cultural history and perspectives. They report local and global news for Singaporeans and play a crucial role in preserving the voices of our multi-cultural communities.
“In my former role as Singapore’s Ambassador to China, I have often heard its readers of various nationalities affirm Lianhe Zaobao’s balanced coverage and uniquely Singaporean viewpoints. I’m therefore not surprised that Lianhe Zaobao has categorically rejected how it was wrongly portrayed in the article and clearly explained its editorial stance,” he added.
He also wrote that it was “misguided for American news outlets to expect Zaobao to resemble the Washington Post or for Singapore to follow either the US or China”.
Mr Lui added that Singapore’s media and society are unique, and offer “valuable perspectives” that contribute to the global dialogue.
“It bears repeating that Singapore conducts its foreign policy based on our own interests. We do not pick sides but uphold consistent principles.
“This position enjoys strong public support. A July 2022 poll by our Ministry of Communications and Information showed that 86 per cent of Singaporeans felt their government should always act in Singapore’s best interest and not take sides between the US and China.
“Only 4 per cent felt Singapore should lean towards China, and 4 per cent towards the US. This is despite Singaporeans consuming news from a wide variety of sources. In fact, American and British media are by far the main sources of international news consumed by Singaporeans,” said the ambassador.
The Washington Post has not responded to Singapore’s request to publish the ambassador’s letter, said MFA.
George Goh ‘made a mistake’ about role of the CIO in investment management businesses: Ng Kok Song
“THARMAN WAS THE POLICYMAKER, I WAS THE MONEY MAKER”
Mr Ng also said on Saturday that he empathised with Singaporeans who are feeling the pain of the higher cost of living.
“But we are very fortunate in Singapore, that we can keep down the cost of living… It’s because we have a strong Singapore dollar,” he added.
The strength of the Singapore dollar is related to the country’s financial reserves, he said. “Because our financial reserves is strong, we are able to command the confidence of investors, and they like to invest in the Singapore dollar.”
The President has an important role to play in safeguarding Singapore’s reserves, he added.
“I want to become the President so that I can look after our reserves.”
When asked by a journalist if his and Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s careers were similar, having both served in GIC and the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Mr Ng stressed that he served as a public service officer, not a political leader or minister.
“So we both had different roles to play. You might say that Mr Tharman was a policymaker … But as the chief investment officer of GIC, I helped to make the recommendations that go to the board, and then the board approves the policies.
“Mr Tharman was the policymaker, I was the money maker.”
Mr Ng, who submitted his application for a certificate of eligibility via the public sector deliberative track on Wednesday, said he has already gathered his proposer, seconder and eight assenters.
He previously confirmed that he had listed former Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo as one of his three character references in his eligibility papers.
On when he plans to announce the identities of his assenters, he said “the right time” would be on Nomination Day.
Electoral rules require each presidential candidate’s nomination papers to be signed by a proposer, a seconder and at least four other people who are registered voters. Mr Tharman announced his proposer, seconder and eight assenters on Jul 26.
“I’m very fortunate that I already have the full list of assenters, together with some reserves. We need some reserves because all of the assenters have to be physically present in Singapore, so in case they are travelling, I need reserves,” said Mr Ng.
“I have the list of assenters, but I think it’s too early because I have not even gotten the certificate of eligibility.”