Wales to host Finland in Euro 2024 semi-final play-off
Wales have been drawn to host Finland in the semi-finals of the qualification play-offs for Euro 2024. The match will take place on Thursday, March 21 at Cardiff City Stadium. Should Rob Page’s men win that single-leg tie, they would then host either Poland or Estonia five days later at the same venue to play for a spot at next summer’s tournament in Germany. Finland finished third in Northern Ireland’s qualifying group – four points behind both Denmark and Slovenia – after winning six of their 10 fixtures. They sit 62nd in the FIFA rankings, 34 places below Wales, and are aiming to qualify for the European Championship finals for only the second time following their debut at Euro 2020. Wales are seeking to secure a third successive appearance at the finals of the competition and reach a fourth major tournament out of the last five after last year ending their 64-year wait to play at the World Cup. They finished third in Group D of qualifying, behind pool winners Turkey and second-placed Croatia. Just three of the 24 places at Euro 2024 remain up for grabs, with Wales attempting to navigate Path A of the play-offs. In Path B, Israel face a semi-final against Iceland following Thursday’s draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, while Bosnia and Herzegovina will host Ukraine. Georgia take on fellow potential tournament debutants Luxembourg in Path C, while Kazakhstan travel to 2004 European champions Greece in the other semi-final of that route. Read More Who are the contenders to replace Stephen Kenny as Republic of Ireland boss? On This Day in 2008 – Ricky Hatton dominates Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas New sponsor to help 460 clubs in Women’s FA Cup market themselves with AI app
1970-01-01 08:00
Bearish Oil Options Hit Record Volumes as OPEC+ Delays Meeting
Oil options trading took a sharply bearish turn as the OPEC+ producer group postponed a pivotal output-policy meeting
1970-01-01 08:00
Riksbank Keeps Interest Rates on Hold in Surprise Move
The Riksbank paused its tightening campaign, refraining from inflicting a ninth increase in borrowing costs on an increasingly
1970-01-01 08:00
Dutch Far-Right Victory Sets Stage for Fraught Coalition Talks
Far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders staged a shock victory in Wednesday’s elections. Now he has to work out
1970-01-01 08:00
Philippine Central Bank Says to Stay Hawkish for a While
Philippine central bank Governor Eli Remolona said monetary policy will remain “hawkish for a while” and authorities could
1970-01-01 08:00
Russia ‘Spits’ on EU Sanctions in Escalating Propaganda Battle
The European Union promised to shut down the flow of Vladimir Putin’s propaganda after Russia invaded Ukraine, slapping
1970-01-01 08:00
Swedish Fund Alecta Faces Prosecutor Probe on Its Property Stake
Pressure is again mounting on the Swedish pension group embroiled in the Silicon Valley Bank fallout this spring
1970-01-01 08:00
Rwanda Central Bank Set to Continue Holding Interest Rates
Rwanda’s central bank paused its current monetary tightening cycle as it expects inflation to ease toward the target
1970-01-01 08:00
Jenna Ortega exits Scream 7 due to scheduling conflicts
Jenna Ortega will not be returning as Tara Carpenter in 'Scream VII' due to scheduling conflicts with the Netflix series 'Wednesday'.
1970-01-01 08:00
Migration to the UK Still Near Record Despite Sunak’s Clampdown
A near-record number of long-term migrants came to the UK in the year ending June, laying bare the
1970-01-01 08:00
Wembley arch unlikely to be lit in support of campaigns or events in future
The Wembley arch is unlikely to be lit in support of campaigns and causes or to mark tragic events in the future. The Football Association faced criticism last month – including from the Cabinet minister responsible for sport – after a decision was taken not to light the arch in the colours of the Israeli flag following attacks on its citizens by Hamas militants. The Israeli government has said 1,200 people were killed in the attacks. FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said on October 19 that his organisation would review its approach to lighting the arch, and the PA news agency understands it is now unlikely to be lit in future except for matters directly related to Wembley’s purpose as a sport and entertainment venue. It is understood this will also mean the arch is not lit in relation to inclusion and diversity matters, such as being lit up in rainbow colours to support the LGBTQ+ community. However, the FA still intends to use the power of the sport to support a range of campaigns and causes in other, meaningful ways. The arch could still be lit in other exceptional circumstances, such as the death of the monarch or an England footballer. Bullingham said last month: “This week has made us question whether we should light the arch and when, and we’ll be reviewing that in the coming weeks. “I recognise that our decision caused hurt to the Jewish community, who felt that we should have lit the arch and that we should have shown stronger support for them. “This was one of the hardest decisions we’ve had to make and the last thing we ever wanted to do in this situation was to add to the hurt.” The FA was heavily criticised by a number of Jewish community groups, while Rabbi Alex Goldberg resigned from an FA faith in football group over its response. The governing body was also criticised by Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Read More ECB releases county cricket schedule for packed 2024 summer Who are the contenders to replace Stephen Kenny as Republic of Ireland boss? On This Day in 2008 – Ricky Hatton dominates Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas New sponsor to help 460 clubs in Women’s FA Cup market themselves with AI app Stephen Kenny believes he leaves behind a ‘great job’ for Ireland successor Stephen Kenny leaves role as Ireland manager after contract is not renewed
1970-01-01 08:00
In Quito and Harare, advice and warnings about dollarization for Argentina
By Tito Correa, Nyasha Chingono and Miguel Lo Bianco QUITO/HARARE/BUENOS AIRES From Zimbabwe's capital Harare to Quito in
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