Latest news with #Larkin
GMA Network
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
AZ Martinez wishes ex-BF Larkin Castor the best: 'I want to focus more on myself, career'
AZ Martinez revealed in "Fast Talk with Boy Abunda" Wednesday that she has not been in contact with her ex-boyfriend, Larkin Castor, ever since she got out of Bahay ni Kuya. "Hindi na po kami nag-usap and right now focus talaga on what's ahead of me, but I wish him all the best talaga," she said. Tito Boy then brought up the letter that Larkin wrote for AZ while she was a housemate in "Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition," adding that he was hoping she and Larkin would have the chance to talk after the show. AZ, for her part, admitted that she is not ready to speak to him. "Honestly, Tito Boy as of now, I'm not ready yet to talk, I wanna focus muna on... Like I'm not ready to talk to him, but I want to focus more on myself and career," she said. In Larkin's letter, he told AZ how proud he was of her and that he was watching her journey in "PBB." He also told her that he has not given up waiting for her, that she should be happy, and that he loves her. Days later, AZ wrote him a letter in response, telling him that she is finally letting him go. "Kung gusto niya pa rin maghintay Kuya, that's his choice na. Pero ayoko na po siya kontrolin, ayoko na siya pilitin, ayoko na siya habulin or guluhin pa Kuya. Kasi alam ko mas masasaktan, mas masisira lang siya if I leave him hanging," AZ had told Kuya in the confession room. AZ and her Kapamilya duo River Joseph ended their "PBB" journey as the fourth big placers. Following her stint in the show, AZ made her return to music school. She is also set to appear in "Bubble Gang" soon. —CDC, GMA Integrated News
Irish Independent
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Louth boss Kevin Larkin says no patting themselves on the back ‘just yet' after semi-final win
It was a cagey enough opening to the game but once Louth moved into the lead, boosted by Eimear Byrne's goal, the floodgates started to open. 'We know the more patient we are, we will wear down defences because we've great players like Aoife Russell, Eimear Byrne and Kate Flood who will unlock defences so it was all about when that chance came - we took it and in fairness to Eimear, she took a great goal,' said Larkin. 'It's a great feeling and these days are to be enjoyed as well like you know but, we're still in the hunt for that [All-Ireland] trophy so we won't pat ourselves on the back just yet.' With a big lead at the break, Larkin acknowledged the message to his players was to stay focused, not do anything differently and to try and push on in the second half but also, that they needed to tidy up a bit. 'There was a few fist passes and just basic unforced errors that was just a bit silly,' said Larkin. 'It gave Longford a bit of momentum but to be fair to the girls, when they came out in the second half, they tidied that up, they tagged on a few scores and it was just a great performance.' Louth have a few weeks to prepare for the All-Ireland Final which takes place on August 3 in Croke Park (11.45am throw-in). The chance of a Junior Football Championship crown is what Larkin set as his side's main goal at the start of the season – he has that one big objective still to fulfil. 'Look, it's great to get to Croke Park and that's good in itself but we still have unfinished business there and like I said before, we won't be happy until we're watching Áine Breen [Louth captain] walk up the steps and that doesn't change,' said the Louth boss. 'We still have a job to do and I'm just looking forward to the next three weeks because it's a nice thing to have, to be preparing for an All-Ireland final, but by God will we be prepared.' A lot of 'hurt inside from last year' For Aoife Russell too, there is some unfinished business in Croke Park and while she acknowledged there was a lot of 'hurt inside from last year', when Louth lost by a point in the final to Fermanagh, she wants to go back and rewrite the wrongs of 2024. 'We know what we're capable of as a group, we don't believe that we should be playing at the 11.45am time in Croke Park in three weeks, so now we just need to go back there and prove to everyone that we do deserve to be playing at intermediate and go beyond that and play at senior level in the near future,' said Aoife. 'Without being any way cocky, we just believe that we can go further, we deserve to be there and that's the end goal at the end of the day, to keep powering on and to keep pushing on. 'Especially for the younger girls coming through and then the girls coming from the under 16s and minor level, we know that we believe and we deserve to be up playing at a higher level so that is the end goal at the end of the day.' In terms of the Longford game, while the sides were matched in the opening stages once Louth got a run at them, they showed their quality in what was, for the most part, a commanding performance. 'We came here today with utmost respect for Longford,' Aoife said. 'We knew they were going to put it up to us. We knew that at the end of the day we only beat them by a point in the last game but that wasn't us, that wasn't our real performance. 'We had an off day and again we came back here today to prove that that was an off day. 'We should be beating Longford by more than just a point and that's what we did today and yeah, we're going to keep powering on for the next three weeks and hopefully we'll be home with the trophy and that's the goal.' Particularly strong for Louth on Sunday was the midfield paring of Áine Breen and Aoife Halligan who, considering the heat, put in trojan work all over the pitch. Up front, there was a lot of slick passing, some great movement and it was clear that there is a strong understanding between Aoife Russell and her forward colleagues, with the Glen Emmets player herself contributing three points from play. However, with 10 points and producing a performance Longford couldn't deal with, Kate Flood was in scintillating form but, as Aoife agreed, Louth have so many other players who are more than capable of getting into the scoring act. 'Kate's phenomenal, she's an inspiration, a role model to everyone,' Aoife said. 'The girls inside the camp and girls outside the camp but like you said, there's girls there, whether that be wingbacks, full-backs, half-forwards, it doesn't matter who it is at the end of the day, and it doesn't matter who gets on the team sheet, and we always say that every week, it does not matter who gets the scores. 'It doesn't matter whose name is in the paper, at the end of the day, we all contribute to those scores…and that's the main thing.' In terms of the next three weeks and how Louth will approach the final, compared to 12 months ago, Aoife was quite adamant about what that approach will be. 'We keep the routine, keep the same rituals and we go again.'
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
'A massive failure': Maple Leafs slammed by NHL analyst over disastrous offseason and lack of Mitch Marner replacement
NHL analyst Matt Larkin has strongly criticized the Toronto Maple Leafs' offseason moves (Getty Images) The Toronto Maple Leafs' offseason has drawn sharp criticism from NHL analyst Matt Larkin, who labeled it a "massive failure" following Mitch Marner's departure. Larkin believes new additions Matias Maccelli and Nicolas Roy can't offset the loss, despite projecting them to make the playoffs, raising concern about the team's scoring depth, defensive identity, and competitiveness in the Atlantic Division. NHL analyst torches Maple Leafs' offseason as a 'massive failure' The air around Toronto's hockey club is thick with dread following a agitated period of roster adjustments. One prominent hockey observer, Matt Larkin, didn't mince words, delivering a stern critique of the organization's summer maneuvers. He declared the team's recent strategic decisions to be "a massive failure," a sentiment that resonates with a perceptible sense of disappointment among fans and mentors alike. The void left by Mitch Marner's exit bulks large. While Larkin acknowledged that "Matias Maccelli and Nicolas Roy were savvy additions," he quickly confronted that they "don't come close to replacing Marner's production." This stark reality puts enormous strain on existing stars. As Larkin pointed out, "Now the Leafs' top-end scoring will largely depend on Auston Matthews fighting off (a) chronic injury, while they'll hope John Tavares can repeat a 38-goal season at 35 years old." The leadership, particularly General Manager Brad Treliving, is under scrutiny for not sufficiently addressing the critical need for elite wing scoring. A glimmer of hope remains for their postseason aspirations, inspite the gloomy outlook. Larkin stated, "If I'm placing a bet, I still have the Leafs making the playoffs next season – calm down – but they may slide back in a highly competitive Atlantic Division." Yet, the team's overall composition remains a worry. Larkin even interrogated their defensive solidity, suggesting last season's metrics were escalated by stellar goaltending. He concluded with a clear warning: "If they don't add another top-six forward by any means necessary between now and October, GM Brad Treliving's offseason is a massive failure." The pressure is assuredly on to utilize their remaining cap space to reinforce the roster. Also Read: Edmonton Oilers accused of sabotaging future by dumping Sam O'Reilly for 'overhyped' Isaac Howard For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Manika Batra's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 3. Watch Here!
Irish Independent
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Louth ladies boss Kevin Larkin happy with performance after Louth see off Sligo challenge
Louth were marginally the better side over the hour and manager Kevin Larkin was more than happy with how his side performed. 'We're happy with the performance; that's what we talked about all week, just putting in the performance and the result will look after itself,' was Larkin's immediate reaction after the game. 'But the work-rate, there's big moments where Louth players, Ciara Nolan at the end there, she made two bursts forward when it's easy to sit back, she took the game by a scruff of the neck, Rebecca (Lamb Fegan) in goals, just magnificent. 'Sligo are a very, very good team as well and we're just really happy to get up the line and on to the semi-final.' Larkin acknowledge the fact that you both sides had already qualified for the All-Ireland semi-finals but that had not impacted his preparations coming into the game. 'We spoke about that and what was really important for us was our momentum. Irrespective of the result, you want to keep the momentum going,' he said. 'I know people say that, but I haven't even looked at the other results. I don't care who we play in the semi-final. You have to beat every team in the competition. 'So the most important thing for us was not topping the group or whatever, it was keeping our momentum going which we have done today.' Trailing 2-6 to 0-5 at the break by Sligo pinned Louth back for a greater part of second half but it was Larkin's sides ability to keep the scoreboard ticking over at the right time that proved crucial in the end. 'It's funny because that's what we spoke about, just keep that scoreboard ticking over and if you know the goal chance is on, you can take it,' said Larkin. 'But it's important to keep the scoreboard ticking over and we did it brilliantly; the scores at the end, Kate [Flood] taking the free and some of our defending was just absolutely fantastic. 'They're brilliant, they really are. They work so hard. They're talking to each other. I think our defence has probably been our strongest point all year and it was proved out there today because to keep Sligo scoreless in terms of a goal, to keep a clean sheet is a great achievement because they're a very good attacking team.' It did look like at times in the second half that Louth were about to get in on goal three or four times but a slightly misdirected pass or a Sligo hand in to intercept denied Larkin's side. 'Ah yeah, look I suppose the important thing, we spoke about that at half-time, we're creating the chances and that's really important,' the Louth boss said. 'We were just really happy in terms of the chances and if it's on, just keep that scoreboard ticking over and that's what we did.' There was certainly a difference in Louth's performance on Sunday from those earlier in the championship, and indeed in the league, and it was clear that the side is progressing at just the right time. 'The progress you've made through the championship, we've been working really hard in training and trying to see out games and things like that, because we're at the do or die end of the season now,' said Larkin. 'High pressure games in training translate out onto the pitch here. Every day we arrive to Darver we're improving and they're just a great team to work with and just loving every second of it.'
Malay Mail
15-06-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Drip by drip, Johor's ‘Kopi Tenggek' reclaims its place among coffee icons
JOHOR BARU, June 16 — Despite facing competition from modern coffee brands and international franchises, Kopi Tenggek, a local favourite known for its distinctive character, continues to hold a special place among coffee enthusiasts who appreciate the authentic, original taste of coffee. Kopi Tenggek is traditionally served with a small metal filter containing 10 grams of coffee powder, perched on the rim of a glass. Hot water, heated to 97 degrees Celsius, is then carefully poured into the filter, allowing the rich coffee essence to slowly drip, drop by drop, into the glass below. This unique method of preparation, with the filter seemingly 'perching' on the glass, remains a captivating ritual for both local and international coffee lovers, despite the rapid rise of hipster cafes across the state. Kopi Tenggek stands out as a nostalgic, artisanal experience. Ainun Hajar Kamaruddin prepares a measured serving of coffee for a customer during the new Kopi Tenggek Tanjung Piai outlet's opening in Larkin June 15, 2025. — Bernama pic Coffee lover, Rafidah Jaes, 43, said she likes the taste of Kopi Tenggek because of its simplicity and authenticity, with the unique taste of Liberica coffee which is slightly sour. The aroma and 'kaw' taste of real coffee give its fans a different experience. 'The taste of this coffee is not too 'fancy', and the way it drips into the cup makes us appreciate every sip more. It is not too bitter, not too sweet, just perfect for hardcore coffee lovers,' she told Bernama. For Datuk Mazlan Aliman, 59, a former advisor to the National Association of Felda Settlers' Children, Kopi Tenggek is more than just a drink, it's a cherished memory. 'It reminds me of my late father, the village stall, and that laid-back kampung atmosphere. Modern machines sometimes strip away the natural oil from the coffee. This one feels authentic,' he said. As for Hazim Salim, 33, who resides in the village, he prefers Kopi Tenggek not only for its affordability but also for its distinctive balance of bitterness, sweetness, and rich aroma. Owner Ghazaley Ayiub crafts a cup of Kopi Tenggek for a customer at Kopi Tenggek Tanjung Piai's second branch in Larkin June 15, 2025. — Bernama pic Kopi Tenggek Tanjung Piai business owner, Ghazaley Ayiub, 58, said he was inspired to run the coffee business following a visit to Saigon, Vietnam, where he observed motorcycle vendors selling coffee using a similar method. However, what sets Kopi Tenggek Tanjung Piai apart is its use of Johor-grown Liberica coffee beans, roasted in-house at carefully controlled temperatures. 'We blend Liberica with Arabica to create a balanced flavour between medium and dark roast. Liberica has a slightly fruity taste, some taste like mango. That's what keeps people coming back,' he said when met at the opening of his second branch outlet in Larkin, Johor Bahru, recently. The Pontian native shared that the first branch in Kampung Serkat, Tanjung Piai, Pontian, attracts between 1,000 and 1,500 visitors every weekend, reflecting the strong public support for Kopi Tenggek. Among Ghazaley's most treasured memories is the honour of receiving visits from His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, who has stopped by his shop three times, and the Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail, who has visited twice with the Johor Darul Ta'zim football team. — Bernama
