Englandwere applauded for taking a knee at the start of their World Cup Group B opener against Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium on Monday.
Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate confirmed in his pre-match press conference a day earlier that England had decided to perform the gesture at the World Cup.
Kneeling before a game was initially adopted on a regular basis in the Premier League following the death of George Floyd in the United States back in 2020.
Despite it being a show of solidarity against discrimination, it was an initiative that was not universally applauded, with several Premier League clubs jeered for taking part.
It was scrapped as a regular feature ahead of this season, with the Premier League instead announcing the gesture would be reserved for special occasions.
Reports had suggested England players were discussing whether to kneel during Qatar 2022, and Southgate confirmed on Sunday that the squad came to an agreement.
England made their stance during the noisy countdown to kick-off, with the gesture widely applauded some the England fans in the stadium.
However, England captain Harry Kane did not wear the OneLove armband.
Kane and captains from six other nations were initially due to wear the armband at the tournament to promote “inclusion and send a message against discrimination of any kind”.
But the Football Association confirmed before Monday’s game that they had bowed to pressure from FIFA, who “made it very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play”.
A few minutes before, Iran players refused to sing their national anthem, which was also widely jeered by their supporters.
Iran’s participation at the tournament comes amid social unrest in Iran following the death of 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini in police custody two months ago.
As many as 15,000 people have been arrested in the country for protesting against the regime’s oppression of women, and Iran’s refusal to sing has been perceived as an act of solidarity.
In September, Iran covered up their national symbols before a friendly against Senegal in what was also seen as an act of defiance.
England and six other nations have confirmed their players will not wear the OneLove armband at the World Cup.
The move comes after FIFA threatened to book captains if they broke regulations and made their own statements on social issues, rather than following guidelines from the game’s governing body.
OneLove, which promotes “inclusion and sends a message against discrimination of any kind”, has grown in significance in the build-up to the tournament in Qatar, a country in which homosexuality is illegal.
But, following extensive discussions between FIFA and an alliance of football associations – England, Wales,Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands – the armband will now not be worn.
A joint statement read: “FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play.
“As national federations, we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in FIFA World Cup games.
“We were prepared to pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations and had a strong commitment to wearing the armband. However, we cannot put our players in the situation where they might be booked or even forced to leave the field of play.
“We are very frustrated by the FIFA decision which we believe is unprecedented – we wrote to FIFA in September informing them of our wish to wear the One Love armband to actively support inclusion in football, and had no response.
“Our players and coaches are disappointed – they are strong supporters of inclusion and will show support in other ways.”
England open their World Cup campaign against Iran later on Monday.
In a separate statement, the Dutch FA (KNVB) – the OneLove campaign originated in the Netherlands – expressed its anger and disappointment at FIFA’s stance.
It read: “The KNVB and the players of the Dutch national team would like to convey a positive message with OneLove and against all forms of discrimination.
“We wanted to do that at the World Cup together with England, Wales, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark.
“The UEFA working group, of which the KNVB is part, asked FIFA on September 19 to embrace the OneLove captain’s armband. Today, hours before the first match, FIFA has (officially) made it clear to
us that the captain will receive a yellow card if he wears the OneLove captain’s armband.
“We deeply regret that is has not been possible to reach a reasonable solution together.
“We stand with the OneLove message and continue to carry it out, but our first priority at the World Cup is to win matches. You don’t want the captain to start the match by getting a yellow card. That is why we had to decide with pain in our hearts – as a UEFA working group, the KNVB and as a team – to abandon our plan.
“As previously announced, the KNVB would have paid a possible fine for wearing the OneLove captain’s armband but that FIFA would punish us for this on the field was not expected.
“This goes against the spirit of our sport which connects millions of people. In the coming period, together with the other countries involved, we will take a critical look at our relationship with FIFA.”
Bukayo Saka can thrive during England’s World Cup campaign after handling the fallout from his penalty miss in the Euro 2020 final “impeccably”, according to Aaron Ramsdale.
Saka’s spot-kick was saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma after England’s tense draw with Italy last July, ensuring the Three Lions lost on their first major final appearance since the 1966 World Cup.
The winger then endured further disappointment on the domestic stage as Arsenal failed to secure a top-four finish last term, but he has bounced back in fine fashion this season.
With Arsenalflying high at the top of the Premier League table, only five players have bettered Saka’s tally of 10 goal contributions in the competition this campaign (four goals, six assists), and his Gunners team-mate Ramsdale expects him to impress in Qatar.
Asked by ESPN how Saka handled last year’s disappointment, Ramsdale said: “[I’m] trying to find the right words, impeccably, probably.
“The kid’s a lovely boy, he has time for everyone, he works super hard throughout every week.
“He very, very rarely misses a training session and he used all that motivation of criticism, but also the love that everyone gave him, [it] gave him an extra boost.
“Don’t forget he had the pressure of the whole football club on him last year – him and Emile Smith Rowe were our main guys – and he has dealt with that, he’s dealt with everything else.
“He is thriving and I can’t wait to see him thrive over here.”
“I was just able to reflect that the season before they finished eighth, [last] season we finished fifth, and if we go another step again, we will be in the top four. It’s a game of football and there’s a lot more to it.”
Asked whether Saka had become a stronger character in the last year, he added: “Absolutely. There is no doubt about that, off the pitch and on it. He’s a more complete person.”
Former England captain Terry Butcher believes the Three Lions could benefit from scaled-back expectations at the World Cup after enduring a torrid Nations League campaign.
Gareth Southgate’s team are the only nation to reach the semi-finals at each of the last two major tournaments, having been beaten by Croatia in the last four at the 2018 World Cup before losing the Euro 2020 final to Italy.
Despite their strong tournament record in recent years, England arrive in Qatar in poor form after being relegated from Nations League Group A3 following a winless campaign in the competition.
However, Butcher believes England may replicate their feats from four years ago by springing a surprise in Qatar.
He said: “I think a lot of people will see them as less looking like winners, because this year has been very disappointing for England.
“When you look at it and you step back, it’s dropped the expectations. The expectation levels are down now, compared to what they were at the start of the year.
“I think a lot of that is very similar to Russia in 2018, when a lot of people were not expecting them to do particularly well.
“I think there’ll be more determination with the pressure off, like it was in Russia. Then you’ve got the timing of the tournament and English players will be fresh.
“There’s a few injury problems and concerns, but there’s no burnout, and there’s no mental tiredness like there is when it comes to the summer championships. This is unique for the English players as well. So I think that’ll benefit us very much.
“You think well, ‘you’ve had a taste of the semi-finals, you’ve had a taste of the final’, they would have learned a lot from that.”
Despite overseeing two memorable major tournament campaigns since taking charge in 2016, Southgate has been subject to fierce criticism in recent weeks.
However, Butcher believes Southgate’s record cannot be questioned and says the depth of talent at England’s disposal makes them genuine contenders to win the World Cup.
“There aren’t many England managers that have won cups and titles and all that sort of thing,” Butcher said when asked about Southgate.
“He’s got problems in terms of who to leave out as much as who to put in. There is a plethora, if you want to use that word, of talent. It’s about finding the right blend on the day.
“But it’s a lovely position to be in. I just hope now that England can take the shackles off and have that belief that they can win it. That’d be really nice if they could do that.
“There’s no doubt the talents there. Fitness will be there. The mental strength will be there, which I hope has been even made more acute by the failure last year to win the final.”
Phil Foden says England have not seen the best of him yet, while outlining his intentions to reach the levels of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
The 22-year-old heads to the World Cup in Qatar on the back of a fine campaign so far with Manchester City, scoring seven goals and contributing three assists in 14 appearances across all competitions.
Foden is looking to transfer that form to the international stage, where he feels he is yet to perform at his highest level, and refuted suggestions he is comparable to Messi and Neymar– though he aspires to be in the future.
“The people you’ve just mentioned there are way above me at the moment, but I like to think I could be there one day,” he said.
“It’s all about taking small steps in the right direction. I just want to take my club form into the national team. With my club form this year, I’ve been scoring a lot of goals and I want to bring that to the national team.
“I’ve got to score in big games and big finals to be world class. I know I’m capable of doing that, so it’s something I strive for and look forward to.
“Have England seen the best of me? Definitely not. I don’t think it is easy coming into a team and not knowing the players very well.
“You have to learn to play with different players and what they like best – running behind, or wanting balls to feet. Just little details like that. I have had enough experience in the England team to understand the players. Hopefully I can bring that into the World Cup.
“I definitely should have scored a lot more for England really. We have quality in every area on the pitch, so we can’t always rely on Harry [Kane] because teams are going to try to cut him off, because of how good he is.
“It is going to take not just Harry to step up this tournament. Us attacking players are going to have to step up as well as times.”
England commence their World Cup campaign on Monday against Iran, then tackling the United States and Wales in Group B.
Former England midfielders Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are confident the Three Lions can go “all the way” at the World Cup in Qatar.
England begin their Group B campaign against Iran on Monday, looking to cast aside their poor recent form in the Nations League in a bid for their second World Cup triumph.
Gareth Southgatehas led England to at least the final four in consecutive major tournaments – becoming the first manager to do so since Alf Ramsey in 1966 and 1968 – and Gerrard believes the team can build on their recent near misses in Qatar.
“I’m really optimistic. I’ve got a lot of belief and confidence in the boys, I’m sure they’re extremely excited at the moment,” Gerrard told Sky Sports.
“I’m looking forward to going on a journey with them, now that I’m a fan and an ex-player. I’ve experienced where they are right now and I’m really looking forward to, hopefully, a positive start to build belief.
“They were millimetres away from winning the Euros, to get to a World Cup semi-final is a positive performance.
“I think, collectively, they should have belief, they should have confidence and togetherness. They’re a real tight group with a fantastic manager, there’s a lot of talent.
“I think if we get the right bits of luck and the right breaks, and keep the majority of the squad healthy, I’m confident we can go all the way.”
Everton manager Lampard concurs with his former international team-mate, viewing England as one of the favourites to win the tournament.
“We’ve got a squad that has been building for a couple of years, they’ve had a couple of tournaments where they’ve had relative success and they’re getting stronger, in my opinion,” Lampard said.
“I think we can fairly put England as one of the favourites for the tournament, with the talent they have in the squad.
“I think it’ll be about momentum in the tournament itself, who gets through the group, who builds that confidence and momentum, and then that can take you all the way.”
England are the only European nation to have reached the semi-finals in each of the past two major tournaments.
However, since winning the World Cup on home soil in 1966, England have only progressed beyond the quarter-finals of the competition on two occasions – finishing fourth in 1990 and 2018.
Former England captain Terry Butcher believes the Three Lions could benefit from scaled-back expectations at the World Cup after enduring a torrid Nations League campaign.
Gareth Southgate’s team are the only nation to reach the semi-finals at each of the last two major tournaments, having been beaten by Croatia in the last four at the 2018 World Cup before losing the Euro 2020 final to Italy.
Despite their strong tournament record in recent years, England arrive in Qatar in poor form after being relegated from Nations League Group A3 following a winless campaign in the competition.
However, Butcher believes England may replicate their feats from four years ago by springing a surprise in Qatar.
“I think a lot of people will see them as less looking like winners, because this year has been very disappointing for England,” Butcher told Stats Perform.
“When you look at it and you step back, it’s dropped the expectations. The expectation levels are down now, compared to what they were at the start of the year.
“I think a lot of that is very similar to Russia in 2018, when a lot of people were not expecting them to do particularly well.
“I think there’ll be more determination with the pressure off, like it was in Russia. Then you’ve got the timing of the tournament and English players will be fresh.
“There’s a few injury problems and concerns, but there’s no burnout, and there’s no mental tiredness like there is when it comes to the summer championships. This is unique for the English players as well. So I think that’ll benefit us very much.
“You think well, ‘you’ve had a taste of the semi-finals, you’ve had a taste of the final’, they would have learned a lot from that.”
Despite overseeing two memorable major tournament campaigns since taking charge in 2016, Southgate has been subject to fierce criticism in recent weeks.
However, Butcher believes Southgate’s record cannot be questioned and says the depth of talent at England’s disposal makes them genuine contenders to win the World Cup.
“There aren’t many England managers that have won cups and titles and all that sort of thing,” Butcher said when asked about Southgate.
“He’s got problems in terms of who to leave out as much as who to put in. There is a plethora, if you want to use that word, of talent. It’s about finding the right blend on the day.
“But it’s a lovely position to be in. I just hope now that England can take the shackles off and have that belief that they can win it. That’d be really nice if they could do that.
“There’s no doubt the talents there. Fitness will be there. The mental strength will be there, which I hope has been even made more acute by the failure last year to win the final.”
Sven-Goran Eriksson believes England’s current squad is not only another “golden generation”, but might even be better than the teams he managed.
Eriksson was in charge of the Three Lions between 2001 and 2006, a period during which England’s selection of players was labelled a “golden generation”.
Despite managing the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard, David Beckham, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney, Eriksson could only reach the quarter-finals of both the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, as well as being eliminated at the same stage of Euro 2004.
Ahead of the 2022 World Cupin Qatar, the Swede has praised the talent available to current manager Gareth Southgate, who he suggested might have even better options at his disposal.
“I think the squad here with England, that’s a golden generation as well,” Eriksson told The Mirror. “Some of these players maybe will not play in the next World Cup, so they have a lot of experience, and they are really, really good.
“They have a born goalscorer [Harry Kane], they have experience, and they have pace, a lot of pace in the squad. That’s important in modern football. I think we talk in the past here, 2006, England had a really, really strong squad.
“A little bit unlucky that Rooney was coming from injury, so at that time I thought England could have reached the final and won it. I think it’s the same now. But now, I think that England has more options, very, very strong, good options.
“Maybe it’s even more difficult for Southgate because he has even more options than we had I think, good options… the team I picked was very, very strong and once again, 2006, we should have done better.”
England lost to Portugal on penalties in the last eight at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and Eriksson admitted he should have planned more for the eventuality of spot kicks.
“In 2006, I should have taken in sports psychologists to mentally coach for penalty shoot-outs,” he said. “I thought about it, we talked about it, but I thought the squad was so experienced and they had done these big tournaments before.
“So I thought it was not necessary. That was a mistake.”
Southgate’s men get their 2022 World Cup campaign underway against Iran on Monday.
The leading think tank forthe north of England, IPPR North, has calculated that £1 in every £13 allocated through the Levelling Up and Shared Prosperity Funds will be lost to inflation.
They say the chancellor’s move not to “inflation-proof” levelling up – a flagship policy of the Conservative’s 2019 manifesto – means that £560m will be lost from these two key pots of funding:
£223m will be lost from the Shared Prosperity Fund, the government’s replacement for EU structural funds over the next three years.
£340m will be lost from the Levelling Up Fund, named after the government’s flagship agenda, over the same period.
Zoë Billingham, director of IPPR North, said the government is showing an “ever-weakening grip” on levelling up the north.
She said: “This autumn statement leans on local government to raise council tax, just as people are suffering from the soaring cost of living, double digit inflation and stagnant economic growth. This is the wrong call.
“Progress on agreeing devolution deals around the country is welcome, as is the decision to effectively scrap investment zones, as IPPR North has called for, and replace them with university led clusters.
“Overall, the government is showing an ever-weakening grip on levelling up the country.
Investing in and growing our regions is how we grow the UK economy. Northern Powerhouse Rail inskeleton form and levelling up funding eroded by high inflation won’t cut it.”
UEFA confirmed it received three preliminary bid dossiers to host Euro 2028 and 2032 before Wednesday’s deadline.
A joint bid from the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland was submitted for the 2028 tournament, while Turkey also threw its hat in the ring having never hosted a major tournament.
Football associations from England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland put forward a proposal and promised to organise an “unrivalled” tournament.
The bid from the English FA comes after much criticism over its handling of fan disorder at the Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium, with an independent review describing it as a “day of national shame”.
Turkey also bid for the 2032 edition, as well as Italy, which has not been chosen as a sole host of a major tournament since the World Cup in 1990.
The deadline for submitting final dossiers is April 12 2023, before the hosts will be chosen in the European autumn of that year.
🏆 UEFA has received three preliminary bid dossiers to host #EURO2028 and #EURO2032.
🗓️ The submission deadline of the final bid dossiers is 12 April 2023. The appointment of hosts will be made next autumn.
Former Chelsea and England defender Gary Cahill has announced his retirement from football.
Cahill made 22 Championship appearances for Bournemouth last season, but the last of those came in January and he was released following their promotion to the Premier League in May.
Having made his name during spells with Aston Villa and Bolton Wanderers, Cahill enjoyed a successful seven-year stint with Chelsea, making 191 Premier League appearances for the Blues.
Cahill won eight major trophies during his time at Stamford Bridge, including two Premier League titles and the Champions League – starting in Chelsea’s final win over Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in 2012.
In a statement posted to Twitter, Cahill wrote: “Football is a game that has given me so much enjoyment and success and as I make the decision to hang up my boots, I can honestly say I gave it everything I had.
“I’ve achieved things I once dreamt of, creating some incredible memories. From amazing highs like winning the Champions League and Premier League, to the privilege of captaining my country and Chelsea in an FA Cup-winning team.
“I’ve had time to consider my options and after much deliberation and reflection, I feel now is the time to move on to the next stage of my career.
“Football will always be part of who I am and what I love, so this is just the end of this chapter. For me, it’s important to look forwards, not backwards, as a new chapter in my life begins.”
Cahill won a total of 61 senior caps for England during his career, and appeared for the Three Lions at World Cups in 2014 and 2018, as well as at Euro 2016.
Speaking to Sky Sports after announcing his retirement, the 36-year-old revealed he received several offers to continue playing this campaign, but had opted to prioritise family matters.
“Obviously, it’s been a tough decision in some aspects but I think I just knew the journey had to come to an end at some stage – I just got the feeling that now is the right time,” Cahill said.
“I did have options. I could have played in the Premier League with one side, and I had a couple of options in the Championship which is flattering, to still get the offers.
“But at the moment, as well as my career, my kids are settled at school and it would’ve meant moving again.”
British football fans have revealed they will not be able to resist taking a cheeky look at the scores while at work during the World Cup.
As we all know, there is nothing worse than the thought of goals flying in when you cannot keep an eye on proceedings.
That is precisely why LiveScore commissioned a survey to see the lengths people go to to keep up with what is happening when their minds really should be elsewhere.
And it seems FOMS, the fear of missing scores, is only too real. From weddings to hospital appointments, some supporters will do whatever is necessary to find out how their team is getting on — regardless of where they are.
Even World Cupwinner Emmanuel Petit, ambassador for our FOMS campaign, will have a sly look at how the action is playing out when his attention should be elsewhere.
Petit, 52, who netted the third goal as Les Bleus beat Brazil 3-0 to lift the trophy on home soil in 1998, said: “It’s happened to me many times.
“Even when I’m working on TV, on live, I just have a quick look at my mobile. I try to avoid anybody looking at me.”
The data collected shows many fans have a one-track mind when it comes to the world’s most popular sport, with 36% of the 2,000 Brits we spoke to claiming they cannot think of anything else if a match is on and they are unable to watch it.
That means they have to get creative to keep up with what is happening when social plans clash with the football.
And 54% of respondents said their partners tell them off for looking at scores on their phones, while 37% confess to sneaking to the toilet to keep track while out and about.
With England’s World Cup campaign kicking off against Iran at 1pm on Monday, 52% of fans told us the match times in Qatar are inconvenient because of work commitments, while 19% revealed their bosses are not flexible when it comes to letting them watch games during working hours.
The opening two rounds of group fixtures in the first mid-season tournament will also see kick-offs off at 10am, 4pm and 7pm in the UK, while the final group matches and knockout ties will take place at 3pm and 7pm.
Last but by no means least, the final gets under way at the Lusail Iconic Stadium at 3pm on December 18.
Commenting on the FOMS findings, LiveScore marketing director Ric Leask said: “This year’s tournament is going to be like no other in history.
“With work, childcare responsibilities and festive social plans, it’s going to be even harder for football fans to juggle the fixtures around their daily lives.
“While our data shows many supporters have a real fear of missing Scores when they’re unable to watch games, the good news is that regardless of whether it’s for league fixtures during the season or major tournaments, LiveScore can keep them close to the action with real-time score updates throughout.”
Top 20 places football fans have checked scores
1. As a passenger in a car
2. During work
3. In the supermarket
4. On the toilet
5. At a family meal
6. At another football match
7. On a sun lounger while on holiday
8. Visiting the in-laws
9. During a birthday party
10. In hospital
11. A wedding
12. While seeing a doctor
13. During a work meeting
14. At a gig
15. While trying to get the kids to sleep
16. When the children are in the bath
17. At the dentist
18. Helping kids with their homework
19. Immediately before/after sex
20. On a plane, having paid for Wi-Fi to do so
Where is the wildest place you’ve ever checked the football scores? 📱👀
The meeting which took place at the Windsor Castle ws confirmed by a tweet on the official handle of the Royal Family.
“This afternoon, The King welcomed the President of Ghana to Windsor Castle for an Audience,” the caption accompanying a photo of the two gentlemen shaking hands read.
Akufo-Addo is in the United Kingdom on a private visit. He is expected back in the country today.
Per GhanaWeb tracking, Akufo-Addo becomes the third African leader to meet the King after Ali Bongo of Gabon and Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria respectively.
Dozens of African leaders were in the UK in Septemberto attend the funeral of the King’s late mother, Queen Elizabeth II who spent seven decades as the monarch.
Harry Kane believes England are no longer scared of admitting they can win the World Cup, where he thinks the Three Lions’ poor form may work in their favour.
Gareth Southgate’s side reached the 2018 World Cup semi-final and lost on penalties to Italy in the Euro 2020 showpiece in what was England’s first major final in 55 years.
But they head to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup short of form after being relegated from the top tier of the Nations League following three draws and three losses in Group A3.
Southgate’s team have not won since a 3-0 friendly victory over Ivory Coast in March but captain Kane says the Three Lions will not shy away from outlining their hopes of lifting the World Cup.
“We have to believe we can win it,” the Tottenham striker told Sky Sports.”I look back at England 10, 15 years ago and it was almost [like] we were scared to say we wanted to win it.
“I think one of the big shifts that we’ve made over the last four or five years with Gareth is not being afraid to say that.
“Look, we’re going to this tournament to win it because we believe we can. It’d be wrong to think otherwise. What’s the point of going to a World Cup and not believing that you can bring the trophy home?
“It’s going to be tough and we’re going to have to work extremely hard, have a little bit of luck and have a lot of things go our way to achieve that.
“But I think it’s important not to be afraid to say that that’s what we’re going there to do.”
Pressure has mounted on Southgate after a dismal Nations League showing, yet Kane says the winless run has lowered expectations and may help England in their November 21 opener against Iran.
“The first game’s really important, for sure,” Kane added. “Of course it hasn’t been the greatest period in a long time for England. Since Gareth took charge – we haven’t had a spell like we’ve had.
“But in a way, before a major tournament that can be a really good thing because it allows you not to be carried away, or even the media or the press to get carried away.
“I feel like if we won every game leading up to this tournament it would’ve been, ‘We’re guaranteed to win it’ and ‘We’re going to win it’, and that can come with a different pressure.
“We feel like being judged on major tournaments is the main thing and the last two we’ve had have been good.”
As for the fitness of Kane, who has been ever-present for Tottenham in the Premier League, the 29-year-old believes the mid-season tournament will help him hit the ground running.
“For sure, I’d rather be going into it playing loads of games where you feel match fit,” he continued. “Sometimes after the season in the summer you have a break and then you have to gear back up to play and you haven’t played a lot of games.
“You can try and train as much as you can but the bottom line is you need to be ready to have all your energy ready for the game, and that’s what I’m trying to do.
“I think major tournaments test you the most in terms of the high pressure. Playing for England is always high pressure but in a major tournament there’s always that added incentive.
“The mentality of being away from home, being in camp for five or six weeks but this one is fairly quick because it’s during the season. Normally you’re away four or five weeks before the tournament and then you’re away four or five weeks in the tournament, so it is a long period of time where you’re just outside your comfort zone.
“But I guess what separates the top nations and the winning nations from the others is who can deal with that the best.”
Englandhas suffered heartbreak again after losing to New Zealand for the fifth time in the Rugby World Cup final.
Despite a strong start, the first-half sending off of winger Lydia Thompson proved crucial after a reckless tackle on Portia Woodman in the 18th minute.
A hat-trick from hooker Amy Cokayne off the rolling maul and tries from flanker Marlie Packer and fullback Ellie Kildunne had kept England ahead for all but 15 of the 80 minutes.
However. winger Ayesha Leti-l’iga scored a try nine minutes from time to give New Zealand a 34-31 victory.
It secured a sixth world title for the Black Ferns at a packed Eden Park.
England skipper Sarah Hunter said: “I’m gutted. I’m so proud of the team. We came out fighting.
“We had our backs against the wall for 60 minutes of that game but we never gave up, we kept coming out.
“One result doesn’t define the squad that we are, the people that we are and hopefully what we’ve created.”
Black Ferns captain Ruahei Demant: “I can’t even put it into words. All I can say is thank you – I am so proud of our team.
“It has been really challenging. Most people don’t even know that last year we went on a northern tour and got pumped. The way the players have turned themselves around – there’s a lot that is unseen.
“We’ve sacrificed so much to get one chance in a lifetime, to win a World Cup at home, and we did it.”
Earlier, France won the bronze medal after a 36-0 demolition of Canada, scoring five tries.
The T20 World Cupcould be shared between Pakistan and England if weather forecasts are to be believed.
The final of the tournament is scheduled to take place at the MCG on Sunday after Pakistan beat New Zealand and England overcame India in the semi-finals.
However, according to the Bureau of Meteorology in Australia, there is a 95 per cent chance of rain in Melbourne on Sunday, with predicted rainfall of up to 25mm and chances of thunderstorms.
Should no play be possible on Sunday, the final could take place on Monday, though that forecast is not much better with rain again deemed likely.
At least 10 overs per team are required to complete a final – up from five overs in the group stage – the failure of which would see the strange occurrence of Pakistan and England being crowned joint champions.
In what has been an otherwise exciting tournament, it would be the fourth match lost to rain at the iconic MCG, which saw three matches washed out by the weather in the group stage, including England’s clash with hosts Australia.
Chelsea boss Graham Potter believes Reece James and Ben Chilwell will react well to the disappointment of missing out on England’s squad for the World Cup in Qatar.
James sustained a knee injury in a Champions League game against Milan last month, and an estimated eight-week timescale for his recovery immediately threw his World Cup hopes into doubt.
The right-back initially vowed to do everything in his power to feature, but Gareth Southgate said there were simply “too many unknowns” concerning James’ recovery as he left him out of the Three Lions’ 26-man squad.
Fellow Blues full-back Chilwell will also miss the tournament after suffering a hamstring injury, and while Potter says the duo are understandably down, he believes they will bounce back.
“It’s a natural reaction, they’re disappointed. Reece thought he would be close and did everything he could to give himself a chance, but in the end, he fell a little bit short,” Potter said on Friday.
“Obviously, I can understand the decision and understand Reece’s frustration and disappointment. We just have to focus on the rehab on try to get them back as soon as we can.
“It’s normal, World Cups don’t come around very often and to miss them is disappointing, but they’re strong characters. They’ll be fine.”
After Saturday’s trip to Newcastle United, Chelsea are not in action until they face Bournemouth in the Premier League on December 27 – having been eliminated from the EFL Cup in midweek – and Potter hopes to use that break to nurse his injured stars back to fitness.
“If you’re going to look at the positives, it’s a time to do the rehab as thoroughly as possible without a timescale hanging over them,” Potter said. “Hopefully, we have them when we restart and they’re fit, strong and well.
“I wouldn’t say I’m really looking forward to it, but we have to use it as what it is, and it’s an opportunity to take stock.
“It’s been incredibly intense, we’ve learned a lot. It’s a chance to reflect. It would be stupid of me not to use that time to rejuvenate, to recover and to improve.”
Midfielder Conor Gallagher was included in England’s squad after making 17 appearances for Chelsea this season, and Potter believes he deserves it after breaking into the Blues’ first team.
Asked if Gallagher’s selection was a surprise, Potter said: “It’s not something I really gave too much thought, to be honest; it’s just nice for us and great for Conor. He’s going to have a really positive experience, I think.
“He’s worked really hard, and he’s a fantastic person, so it’s nice. It’s a fantastic honour for him, everyone is really pleased.
“It’s a nice story, he’s been out on loan and come through the club, so to get the chance to play at the World Cup is great news for him.”
England’sall-time leading goalscorer Wayne Rooney hopes Harry Kane smashes his record during the World Cup.
Kane heads to the tournament with 51 goals for the Three Lions, two behind Rooney’s record hail, with the pair standing as the only England players to have hit the half-century mark.
Having scored six times in Russia four years ago to win the Golden Boot, Kane will be confident of surpassing Rooney’s tally in Qatar.
While others may wish to hold onto such a record, Rooney is fully behind Kane taking a record that is “there to be broken”.
“I’m delighted for him, I think he’ll go on and smash the record, I think he’ll end up on 70-odd goals,” Ronney told TalkSPORT.
“He deserves it for the work he puts in. It’s a huge honour to have the record but the record is there to be broken and I couldn’t think of anyone better to take that record.
“Hopefully, he gets it during this World Cup because it will mean he’s doing well for England.”
6 – In the UEFA Champions League this season, only Lionel Messi (8) has created more chances directly following a carry than Jack Grealish (6). Inventor. #ThreeLionspic.twitter.com/htUisrYxmq
Kane was one of the sure-fire picks for Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad, which was named on Thursday, though the England manager’s selection of Harry Maguire has come under some criticism.
Rooney, who took up a coaching role with D.C. United in MLS earlier this year, believes Southgate has made the right choice in picking the Manchester United centre-back, though he questioned the exclusion of Milan’s Fikayo Tomori.
“Harry has been great in the last two tournaments. When I was in the squad, Gareth reiterated to me that he is picking players on form and I wasn’t playing, so I didn’t get picked, but he seems to have gone away from that now,” he added.
“There’s a couple of players within the squad who haven’t been playing but I think Harry is a very good professional, he’ll start the games, I have no doubt, and I’m sure he won’t let England down.
“The squad is probably as strong as it could be, if I’m being honest. The only one really is Tomori, from my point of view. He was the one who was pushing to be in the squad, and he will be disappointed that he is not. Everything else is really what I expected.
“With Maguire not playing as much as he wants, I think Southgate might go for the protection with three centre-backs and that is obviously why he’s gone with Eric Dier ahead of Tomori, because he fits into the back three.
“I hope we go for four [at the back] and get an extra attacker on the pitch but I think he might go for the back three.”
England kick-off their group stage campaign against Iran on November 21, then tackle the United States and Wales in Group B.
Gareth Southgate says Harry Maguire is one of England’s “best centre-backs” after the defender was named among the Three Lions’ Qatar 2022 World Cup squad.
The Manchester United captain will head to his third major tournament with the national team, following Russia 2018 and Euro 2020, despite struggling for regular minutes at club level.
One of a dozen players retained from the squad that reached the semi-finals four years ago, Maguire has been a regular for England under Southgate.
That experience in major knockout encounters has helped him keep his spot despite underwhelming for United, with inclusion indicating the strong support Southgate has for his player.
“He’s one of our best centre-backs,” he stated. “I think within the squad, we’ve got a lot of players that have been to tournaments, have performed at that level, and know what’s required.
“We’ve got other players who are playing well, who are in form right at this moment, and we’ve got to balance all of that when picking our team.”
19 – Eric Dier has made more interceptions in the Premier League than any other Tottenham Hotspur player (19) this season. Anticipation. #ThreeLionspic.twitter.com/2GB9Nbj4ID
Maguire’s selection was expected but has nevertheless raised eyebrows amid the promising form of younger understudies, such as Milan’s Fikayo Tomori and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.
Southgate suggested that, despite limited opportunities for Maguire, his youthful rivals had not shown enough to dislodge his faith in Maguire and others, such as Everton loanee Conor Coady.
“We’ve picked our more experienced defenders,” he added. “In this moment in time, the younger ones have got some really good qualities.
“But we don’t think they’ve done quite enough to push the more experienced ones out. With the tournament we’re going into and the level of the matches, that had to be the pecking order.”
James Maddison has been called up to the England squad for the World Cup by Gareth Southgate.
Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher is the other surprise inclusion in the 26-man group, with in-form Newcastle striker Callum Wilson and Arsenal centre-back Ben White also earning spots.
Wilson’s inclusion means Tammy Abraham and Ivan Toney miss out, as do defenders Fikayo Tomori and Marc Guehi.
There is space for Manchester Cityduo Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips despite fitness concerns, while Marcus Rashford — who last played for the Three Lions in the Euro 2020 final — is in as expected.
Trent Alexander-Arnold will also travel to Qatar following the injury to Reece James, but Luke Shaw is the only left-back in the squad.
England World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) Conor Coady (Everton) Eric Dier (Tottenham), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Ben White (Arsenal)
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Declan Rice (West Ham)
Forwards: Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Tottenham), James Maddison (Leicester), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea), Callum Wilson (Newcastle)
The clamour for Maddison’s inclusion has been growing by the week as he continues to excel for Leicester.
Last season, in a team struggling for consistency, he scored 18 goals and set up 12, while he has carried that on this term with six goals and four assists.
But he has not been included in any England squads since he made his debut three years ago as a sub against Montenegro.
James Maddison is called up to England’s World Cup squad 🏴🦁
Just a month earlier, Maddison was pictured in a casino watching a 6-0 win in Bulgaria after he pulled out of the squad with illness.
That appeared to blot his copybook in Southgate’s mind and with the likes of Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Mason Mount performing well, he looked set to miss out.
But now Southgate has opted to call him up, the 25-year-old playmaker will be hoping to force his way into the starting line-up.
The England boss said: “He’s playing really well. He’s a good player, we’ve always said he’s a good player. He’s earned the right. He can give us something slightly different to the other attacking players.
“He’s playing as well as any attacking player in this country. I did speak to James this morning because there was a lot of speculation he wouldn’t be with us. We decided a couple of weeks ago that he would.”
Striker shock
It felt like Toney and Wilson were battling it out to join both Harry Kane and Abraham in Qatar.
But Southgate has opted to select only one of them — and Wilson’s red-hot form has forced his hand.
Six goals in 10 Premier League games, including three in his last three, have proven enough to leapfrog the Roma and Brentford men.
With Rashford firing on all cylinders for Manchester United again, Wilson will provide a different option up top.
Southgate added: “Tammy’s had a poor run of scoring form at the wrong time really. It isn’t a case where we’re three or four weeks away from the first game, we’re 10 days away.
“Form could be more important. We don’t really know where they are form-wise. We’re watching their club form but we don’t know where they are until we see them face-to-face.”
The White stuff
Ben White has been included in England’s squad on the back of strong form for Arsenal
After just missing out on the Euro 2020 squad, White has forced his way into the World Cup group with consistently excellent displays for Arsenal.
The Gunners defender, 25, has only been named in one squad since England lost to Italy in the final 16 months ago, yet has moved ahead of Tomori and Guehi in the queue.
Key to his inclusion could be his versatility, which has seen the ex-Brighton man used at right-back by Mikel Arteta this season instead of his preferred central position.
India fail to take a single wicket as England advance to Sunday’s final against Pakistan thanks to a magnificent innings by Jos Buttler and Alex Hales.
England advanced to the T20 World Cup final after defeating India by 10 wickets.
England made 170 runs without losing thanks to the highest partnership in tournament history between Jos Buttler (80) and Alex Hales (86).
The pair hunted down the 169 target in impressive fashion, securing a spot in the final on Sunday.
Hales got to half a century in 28 balls and ended up hitting seven sixes, while Buttler needed 36 deliveries to get to 50 and rounded off the win by smashing a maximum.
India’s innings at the Adelaide Oval saw Hardik Pandya score 63 off 33 balls (including five sixes) as they ended on 168/6. However, it proved too little to set up a game against fierce rivals Pakistan.
England only narrowly made the semi-final after beating Sri Lanka with two balls to spare.
Now though, they will head to Melbourne full of confidence as they hope to lift the trophy they last won in 2010.
Pakistan made the final after comfortably beating New Zealand on Wednesday.
It will be a double World Cup final for England this week as the women’s rugby union team play hosts and reigning champions New Zealand on Saturday.
Data from England’s NHS shows that, a record number of people waited at least four hours from the decision to admit to A&E.
In October, the number of people waiting reached a high of 150,922, up from 131,861 the previous month.
In October, more than 30% of people had to wait more than four hours to be seen in A&E, with 45% attending Major A&Es (excluding minor injuries units and specialist centres).
The operational standard requires that at least 95% of A&E patients be admitted, transferred, or discharged within four hours, but this has not been met nationally since 2015.
The number of people waiting more than 12 hours in A&E departments in England from a decision to admit to actually being admitted has also risen to a new record high.
New NHS England data shows that 43,792 people waited longer than 12 hours in October, up 34% from 32,776 in September and the highest number in records going back to August 2010.
It comes as the number of people in England waiting to start routine hospital treatment has risen to a new record high.
A total of 7.1 million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of September, NHS England said.
This is up from 7.0 million in August and is the highest number since records began in August 2007.
Meanwhile, 401,537 people have been waiting longer than a year to start hospital treatment, up from 387,257 at the end of August and equivalent to around one in 18 people on the entire waiting list.
Very long waits of more than two years have fallen slightly, while the number of people waiting 18 months for treatment hasdropped by almost 60% in one year, NHS England said.
England right-back Reece James admits he is “devastated” after confirming he will miss the World Cup through injury.
The Chelsea defender, 22, hurt his knee against AC Milan last month and was in a race against time to be fit for the Qatar showpiece.
Unfortunately for the Three Lions, he has now confirmed he will have to watch the side’s efforts in the Middle East from afar.
But James also appeared to suggest that boss Gareth Southgate should have taken a risk by including him in his final 26-man squad, which is due to be announced tomorrow afternoon.
The Blues ace tweeted: “Devastated. The minute I injured my knee, I knew the turnaround to make the World Cup would be tight, but I always felt it was possible.
“I’ve worked harder than I ever thought I could to give myself the best chance of going and truly believed I could help the team.
“I appreciate there was risk on both sides but it was one I was willing to take.
“Good luck to the boys. I’ll be back soon. Stay safe and sending love.”
James joins Chelsea team-mate Ben Chilwell in missing out on a first appearance at a World Cup tournament, with the left-back suffering a hamstring injury against Dinamo Zagreb last week.
England kick off their Group B campaign against Iran on Monday before tackling the USA and Wales.
Southgate is also sweating over the fitness of Manchester City pair Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips.
Kalvin Phillips hopes to make England’s squad for the World Cup tournament which starts in the next two weeks after “recovering as fast as I possibly can” from shoulder surgery.
The Manchester City midfielder left Leeds United in the last transfer window to join Pep Guardiola’s side, but he has only played 14 minutes for the Premier League champions this season.
That has largely been down to a shoulder issue that required surgery in September and left him as a doubt to make Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad for the World Cup.
Guardiola confirmed Phillips will be among the substitutes against Chelsea in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, though, and the 26-year-old hopes a timely recovery will see him make Southgate’s travelling party.
“The shoulder’s perfectly fine now,” Phillips told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Speaking on the Monday Night Club, he added: “I have gone through a seven-week process of recovering as fast as I possibly can for the World Cup. Everything is going great.
“I’ve obviously not done it for quite a long time now, but I’ve kept my fitness up, and I’d like to think I could play 90 minutes.”
England face Iran in their first game at the World Cup on November 21, but Phillips’ place may be far from guaranteed after making just three substitute appearances since joining City.
When asked about his chances of boarding the plane to Qatar, Phillips said: “I’m not too sure yet. I’m very hopeful that I can be involved. We will have to wait and see.”
While chances have been limited for the England international at City, battling with the likes of Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan for a midfield spot, Phillips praised Guardiola’s management during his injury issues.
“Pep has been great, and he has spoken to me quite a lot. It is part of football, and he understands that,” Phillips said.
“After my first full contact session the other day, he said he would hopefully try and get me minutes against Chelsea.
“[Following surgery] I spoke to Gareth and told him about my situation. I said I understood if he didn’t select me, but he reassured me that ‘as long as you’re fit enough, and you prove you’re progressing well, there’s always a chance you will be called up’.
“I’ve done everything in my power to be as fit as possible, and hopefully I will be involved.”
New Zealand earned a 35-run win over Ireland to move into prime position for a spot in the T20 World Cup semi-finals.
The result sends the Black Caps top of Group 1 and, although England and Australia can both move level on seven points, Kane Williamson’s men are in a position of strength due to their superior net run rate.
It was captain Williamson’s 61 from 35 balls that set the tone for his side’s innings of 185-6, with Josh Little (3-22) the pick of Ireland’s bowlers as he claimed a hat-trick in the 19th over.
Still, there was little the underdogs could do to limit the damage, as Finn Allen (32), Devon Conway (28) and Daryl Mitchell (31 not out) also made valuable contributions.
Ireland, who stunned pre-tournament favourites Englandearlier in the Super 12s, were 68 without loss in reply at one stage but crumbled to 150-9 in the face of a fine New Zealand bowling attack and are now out of the competition.
Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi accounted for Ireland’s top four between them and there was scant resistance lower down the order, with George Dockrell’s 23-run cameo ended by the impressive Lockie Ferguson (3-22).
Williamson leads by example
Skipper Williamson was back to his best for New Zealand with an aggressive knock that included five fours and three maximums.
He laid the foundations to set a daunting total for Ireland, who were not to be taken lightly after also overcoming West Indies amid an impressive campaign.
Reflecting on the victory, he said: “It was a good team effort really, that Ireland team has been playing beautifully, they’ve got a really well-rounded side, and it was a good match and good to get the win.”
It may ultimately have come in a losing effort, but a hat-trick is always a thing of beauty and Little’s was a joy to behold.
In three consecutive deliveries in the penultimate over he accounted for Williamson, James Neesham and Santner, becoming only the sixth man to rack up a World Cup treble.
That feat further enhanced the fast bowler’s already glowing reputation and franchises around the world will certainly have taken note.
Australia’s narrow win over Afghanistan on Friday sent New Zealand through to the T20 World Cup semi-finals and set England a straightforward target to join them.
England need only a victory against Sri Lanka in Saturday’s final Group 1 match to be sure of a place in the last four.
Hosts and defending champions Australia had been facing an uphill battle to improve their run rate ever since an 89-run thrashing at the hands of the Black Caps in their opener.
With their meeting with England rained off, the margin of victory in other matches was going to prove pivotal.
Although Australia survived a scare in beating Afghanistan by four runs, that tight affair left their net run rate at -0.173, below England’s mark of +0.547, which will improve further with victory over Sri Lanka.
The home nation therefore need Sri Lanka to defeat England and keep them in the top two on seven points.
Stand-in Australia captain Matthew Wade said: “We’ll stay the extra night here and watch that game. We’ll be hoping for a little bit of an upset there, obviously.
“That’s tournament play – we put ourselves in this situation straight from the get-go this time. Although we’ve been trying to chase a little bit of run rate, it just hasn’t really gone our way.
“We’ve been a little bit slow getting out of the blocks in this tournament. Hopefully it doesn’t cost us.”
New Zealand become the first team to qualify for the #T20WorldCup 2022 semi-finals 🔥
Glenn Maxwell struck a similar tone, saying: “We’ll certainly be following it. We’ve obviously put ourselves in this situation, but hopefully Sri Lanka can do the job for us.”
Although Maxwell scored an unbeaten 54 off 32 against Afghanistan, he added: “It was quite hard to press the issue.
“We probably got to about the 12-over mark, where we just had to put a total on the board to make sure we gave ourselves a chance of winning the game.
“Even though we were trying to go hard at the back end, they bowled extremely well.”
If Sri Lanka can do Australia a huge favour, Wade is “very hopeful” skipper Aaron Finch and all-rounder Tim David will return for the semi-finals.
David was “really, really close” but failed a late fitness test on Friday, Wade added.
New Zealand earned a 35-run win over Ireland to move into prime position for a spot in the T20 World Cup semi-finals.
The result sends the Black Caps top of Group 1 and, although England and Australia can both move level on seven points, Kane Williamson’s men are in a position of strength due to their superior net run rate.
It was captain Williamson’s 61 from 35 balls that set the tone for his side’s innings of 185-6, with Josh Little (3-22) the pick of Ireland’s bowlers as he claimed a hat-trick in the 19th over.
Still, there was little the underdogs could do to limit the damage, as Finn Allen (32), Devon Conway (28) and Daryl Mitchell (31 not out) also made valuable contributions.
Ireland, who stunned pre-tournament favourites England earlier in the Super 12s, were 68 without loss in reply at one stage but crumbled to 150-9 in the face of a fine New Zealand bowling attack and are now out of the competition.
Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi accounted for Ireland’s top four between them and there was scant resistance lower down the order, with George Dockrell’s 23-run cameo ended by the impressive Lockie Ferguson (3-22).
Williamson leads by example
Skipper Williamson was back to his best for New Zealand with an aggressive knock that included five fours and three maximums.
He laid the foundations to set a daunting total for Ireland, who were not to be taken lightly after also overcoming West Indies amid an impressive campaign.
Reflecting on the victory, he said: “It was a good team effort really, that Ireland team has been playing beautifully, they’ve got a really well-rounded side, and it was a good match and good to get the win.”
It may ultimately have come in a losing effort, but a hat-trick is always a thing of beauty and Little’s was a joy to behold.
In three consecutive deliveries in the penultimate over he accounted for Williamson, James Neesham and Santner, becoming only the sixth man to rack up a World Cup treble.
That feat further enhanced the fast bowler’s already glowing reputation and franchises around the world will certainly have taken note.
Warning: This story contains details of child sexual assault.
A culture of misogyny and predatory behavior, fuelled by poor vetting standards, is “prevalent” in police forces across England and Wales, according to a police watchdog.
Wednesday’s report by the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary comes more than a year after the March 2021 death of Sarah Everard, who was killed by Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens.
He was last year jailed for life for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of the 33-year-old in a case that exposed the failings of the police force.
Police were criticised for neglecting to take any action after Couzens allegedly exposed himself in 2015 and was involved in another incident in 2002.
Sarah Everard [File: Metropolitan Police/AFP]
The interior minister at the time, Priti Patel, ordered the police watchdog to investigate misogynistic and predatory behaviour within forces.
In some of the most concerning cases Wednesday’s report cited, police officers who had been hired without thorough checks had gone on to sexually abuse children.
A force in Cheshire, for instance, failed to properly vet a candidate who was accused of rape.
In October 2017, months after Ian Naude had been hired, the then 30-year-old answered a call to a domestic abuse emergency where he ended up meeting a 13-year-old girl.
Three days later, while “her mother was out, he drove the child to a secluded country lane and raped her, filming the offense on his mobile phone” the report said.
“Over the last decade, there have been many warning signs that these systemsaren’t working well enough. Some police officers have used their unique position to commit appalling crimes, especially against women,” the report said.
Female officers were surveyed and the report found that an “alarming number” of women reported “appalling behavior by male colleagues”.
This included allegations of sexual harassment and “serious sexual assault”.
“We concluded that far too many women had, at some stage in their career, experienced unwanted sexual behavior towards them,” the report added.
The watchdog looked at 11,277 police officers and staff and examined 725 vetting files.
Inspectors called for minimum standards for pre-employment checks and for changes to the law dealing with police complaints and disciplinary procedures.
‘Too easy’
Lead inspector Matt Parr found that “it is too easy for the wrong people to both join and stay in the police” and that there were “significant questions” over the recruitment of “thousands” of officers.
While most police officers and staff meet the required standards of behaviour, the report found “systemic failings, missed opportunities, and a generally inadequate approach to setting and maintaining standards in the police service.
“It is too easy for the wrong people to both join and stay in the police. If the police are to rebuild public trust and protect their own female officers and staff vetting must be much more rigorous and sexual misconduct taken more seriously,” said Parr.
The London force tweeted in response that it would be “ruthless in ridding the Met of those who corrupt our integrity”.
Inspectors also found cases where incidents such as indecent exposure were dismissed as a “one-off” and where applicants with links to “extensive criminality” in their families had been hired.
The report said that “over the last three or four years, the number of people recruited over whom we would raise significant questions is certainly in the hundreds, if not low thousands”.
Patel’s successor Suella Braverman said the report shines a “stark light” on problems within the police, adding it was “unacceptable” that women “continue to experience misogynistic and sexist behaviour”.
England and Scotland will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first international football match with a repeat fixture at Glasgow’s Hampden Park in 2023.
The two teams played out the inaugural game, officially considered the maiden encounter in the sport’s international history by FIFA, on November 30, 1872.
As part of the celebrations marking 150 years since that 0-0 draw at Hamilton Crescent in Glasgow, they will face off in the same city next year on September 12.
“Any meeting with Scotland is always special,” England manager Gareth Southgate said.
“Ourselves and Scotland are the oldest of rivals, and passions are sure to be high at Hampden.
“But this milestone is much bigger than our two nations, as it is also an opportunity to celebrate 150 years of international football.”
The neighbouring nations met in the group stage of Euro 2020, with that match finishing goalless. Their last encounter at Hampden Park came in 2017, when Harry Kane struck in injury time in a 2-2 draw.
A visit to Old Trafford in June and a 150th Anniversary Heritage Match with Scotland in September 🗓
“This fixture is enshrined in history,” Scotland manager Steve Clarke added. “I will be proud to lead our team out at Hampden as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of our national game.
“This next chapter of the oldest rivalry in football will be a special occasion for our players and fans, especially after the recent experience at Wembley during Euro 2020.”
Alongside the announcement, the Football Association (FA) confirmed England will play their Euro 2024 qualifier against North Macedonia at Manchester United’s Old Trafford on June 19.
While Scotland failed to qualify for the upcoming World Cup, England are making their preparations for Qatar, with Southgate set to name his squad by November 10.
The Three Lions will take on Iran, the United States and Wales in the group stage.
The storm is expected to move eastwards on Tuesday, resulting in a wet day for much of the UK, with Wales and areas in southern and central England predicted to see the most frequent rainfall, the Met Office added.
Neil Armstrong, the chief meteorologist, said: “The biggest impacts from Storm Claudio are expected in northern France, which is why is has been named as a system by Meteo-France.
“What it means for us in the UK is for some high winds to be possible along much of the southern coast of England.
“Some isolated and especially exposed coastal areas could see gusts in excess of 70mph, while much of the warning area will see gusts of between 50 and 60mph.”
Forecasters say conditions are unlikely to improve by mid-week as low pressure comes in from the west and is predicted to bring in wet and windy weather.
Irish Sea coastal areas are likely to feel the strongest winds, including western Wales, northwest England, and southwest Scotland, as well as the east coast of Northern Ireland.
🎃 It’s turning into a wet #Halloween in some southern areas
🚗 Showery rain, heavy at times, is moving north. As well as some sudden downpours, there’s also some thunder and #lightning in places, giving locally tricky driving conditions and spray on the roads pic.twitter.com/jOvsE6i8Id
Steven Keates, Deputy chief meteorologist said: “This weather is associated with low pressure moving towards the northwest of the UK, which is bringing with it some heavy rain on Wednesday, especially across parts of southwest Scotland, Cumbria, and western Wales, although much of the UK will see some rain through the day.
“In addition to high winds in the warning area, many parts of the UK will experience strong and gusty winds, at least for a time, during Wednesday.”
Storm Claudio comes after the UK enjoyed above-average temperatures in October, with temperatures reaching the low 20s in some parts of the country resulting in mild conditions for this time of the year.
Suella Braverman claimed earlier today that migrants crossing the Channel were “invading” England.
According to the home secretary, approximately 40,000 people will arrive on England’s south coast in 2022, more than doubling the number of arrivals via the English Channel in 2021.
“Let’s be clear about what’s going on here: the British people deserve to know which party is serious about stopping the invasion on our southern coast and which party isn’t,” she said.
“Some 40,000 people have arrived on the south coast this year alone. Many of them are facilitated by criminal gangs, some of them actual members of criminal gangs.
“So let’s stop pretending that they are all refugees in distress. The whole country knows that is not true. It’s only the honourable members opposite who pretend otherwise.
“We need to be straight with the public. The system is broken. Illegal migration is out of controland too many people are interested in playing political parlour games, covering up the truth than solving the problem.”
Now, the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants has condemned Ms Braverman’s comments.
They said the minister’s “dehumanising language” and decision-making were “putting lives at risk”.
Kalvin Phillips and Kyle Walker are “optimistic” they can feature for England at the World Cup but are unlikely to play for Manchester City beforehand.
Phillips has played just one Premier League game for City since joining from Leeds United owing to a shoulder injury.
Walker, meanwhile, has not played since the October 2 win over Manchester United because of a groin issue on which he underwent surgery, giving England a problem at the right-back position, which has come under great scrutiny in the lead-up to the tournament.
England play their first game in Qatar against Iran on November 21.
PEP 💬 They (Walker and Phillips) are not ready for Leicester. They are better, Kalvin especially.#ManCity
Asked about Phillips and Walker, City manager Pep Guardiola said at a press conference ahead of their game with Leicester City: “They are not ready for Leicester.
“I think they are getting better, Kalvin especially, but they are out. Until after World Cup, they will not be ready [to play for City].”
On Phillips, he added: “He feels really well, his mobility in his shoulder is perfect. He has to avoid contact with his team-mates at the moment.
“We are surprised how quick his development [has been]. If he’s fit and I believe he can play and he’s ready, maybe he can take minutes but I don’t know right now.
England manager Gareth Southgate’s final 26-man squad for the World Cup will be announced on November 10.
“They are positive, optimistic,” said Guardiola. “They are in touch with Gareth. I don’t know, hopefully they can be ready to be selected.”
Jordan Pickfordhas leapt to the defence of “brilliant” England boss Gareth Southgate and insists the Three Lions will head to the World Cup full of confidence.
The Qatar showpiece kicks off on November 20, with England currently enduring a six-game winless run.
They kick off their campaign against Iran on November 21 before further group clashes with USA and Wales.
Southgate’s men reached the semi-final at the 2018 World Cup before going one further at Euro 2020, but their troubled recent form has cast doubt over their potential to be contenders in the Middle East.
But speaking to the PA news agency, Pickford, 28, said: “Gareth is a brilliant manager.
“We will go to the World Cup positive. We will give it our best shot and hopefully bring the cup home.
“I think for us it is about making the nation proud and doing our best in the tournament.
“We know what we are capable of doing and we have great squad togetherness.
“Togetherness gets you so far, so I think if we haven’t won in six, it is not the end of the world and we will still be going to Qatar as positive as anything after the last two tournaments.”
England are on a six-game winless streak ahead of the World Cup
Raring to go
Everton goalkeeper Pickford has starred for England during their last two tournaments but has missed his country’s last four games due to rotation and an injury.
But with the stopper now fighting fit ahead of Qatar, he expressed his eagerness to pull on a Three Lions jersey again.
He added: “I can’t wait. I was injured for the last camp, which was unfortunate, but I have got myself fit and I am raring to go.
“I am playing for Everton again now so in a good run of form leading up to the World Cup and looking forward to the World Cup itself.
“We played the Nations League and, you know, we are playing Italy, the Euro champions, Hungary are a very good side so that is what the Nations League is good for, because you are playing in competitive matches.
“As a footballer you are never going to win every game. You want to win every game but you can’t win them all and the run we’ve had with England over the last four to five years has been sensational.
“Yeah, the results haven’t gone our way but we will rectify that come the World Cup.”
European champions England will face off against Copa America Femenina champions Brazil at Wembley in the inaugural Women’s Finalissima next year.
The clash on April 6 has been organised between UEFA and CONMEBOL to follow on from the success of the men’s Finalissima in June, where South American champions Argentina defeated European title-holders Italy in front of a sold-out crowd at Wembley.
A cross-continent fixture has also taken place at youth level, with UEFA Youth League winners Benfica overcoming Uruguay’s Club Atletico Penarol at the Estadio Centenario in August in Montevideo.
The clash will give both England and Brazil the opportunity to clinch a further title before the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, leading Three Lionesses head coach Sarina Wiegman to outline her excitement for the fixture.
“The great games keep on coming for us. This time, we have the opportunity to welcome Brazil to Wembley and it will be another big moment after the Euros and USA match,” she said.
“Like us, they will be thinking about the World Cup next summer. This is a chance to again test ourselves against another top 10 team in the world, an opportunity to win another trophy and give our fans something special to watch, hopefully in a packed-out Wembley.”
England’s Euro success was only the second senior title they have ever lifted, while Brazil’s triumph against Colombia in the Copa America was their fourth in a row and eighth in the nine editions of the tournament.
The first-ever Women’s Finalissima will take place on Thursday 6 April 2023 😍
Tickets for 🏴🆚🇧🇷 at @wembleystadium will go on sale from Monday…
Pep Guardiolaremains hopeful Kyle Walker will be fit to feature at the World Cup as he offered positive updates on fellow England internationals John Stones and Kalvin Phillips.
Walker has not featured for Manchester City since suffering an abdominal injury in the Premier League champions’ 6-3 win over Manchester United earlier this month.
The 32-year-old subsequently underwent surgery, leaving his chances of making the trip to Qatar in the balance and dealing Gareth Southgate another selection headache.
Chelsea right-back Reece James also faces a race against time to make the squad, while Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold has been in poor form this season.
However, Walker offered hope to England supporters last week, telling BBC Radio 5 Live he was “confident” of returning to action before the tournament begins.
Speaking ahead of City’s Premier League meeting with Brighton and Hove Albion, Guardiola offered an update on the condition of his England trio, saying: “I haven’t spoken to the doctors about Kyle.
“Hopefully it can happen, if he’s selected, that he can go to the World Cup.
“John has trained for the last two days with us, tomorrow, he’s on the list. Kalvin is incredible, he’s much better as well. They are recovering very well.”
As players we have to appreciate injuries are part and parcel of the game we love. My operation on Tuesday was a success and now I can concentrate on my rehab and getting back to full fitness. I will be supporting my team mates every day in any way I can. 💙 pic.twitter.com/BcwIAjkb8B
City fell to their first defeat of the campaign against Liverpool last Sunday, but are expected to get back on track against a Brighton side yet to taste victory under new boss Roberto De Zerbi (D2 L2).
On Saturday, De Zerbi could become the first Premier League coach to fail to win any of his first five games at the helm since Scott Parker in April 2019, but Guardiola has backed him to have a “massive” impact in the competition.
“I’m really happy he is here, I saw the last two games he had here, and he is already playing the way he wants to play,” Guardiola added. “His impact in England will be massive in the future.
“He was counter-cultural in his country. In Italy, they mainly play in an incredible way which gave them a lot of success as a country, but he plays a completely different way to Italy.
“His Sassuolo team was an incredible example that no matter the quality or investment that you have, if you believe in something 100 per cent, the way your team plays, you can do it.
“He’s a really good example for every manager. At the start, it doesn’t matter about the results, what matters is the way you believe and the way you want to see your team playing football.”
City have won their last nine Premier League home games, scoring at least three goals in each. There have only been two longer such runs in English top-flight history, both recorded by Aston Villa (12 in 1897 and 13 in 1930-31).
Harry Brook and Ben Stokes impressed as England stormed to a six-wicket triumph over Pakistan at the Gabba in their final warm-up fixture before the T20 World Cup.
Pakistan set England a target of 161, led by opener Shan Masood top-scoring with 39 runs off 22 deliveries, while David Willey impressed with the ball by taking two wickets for England.
England opener Phil Salt was bowled by Naseem Shah for just one run, but a rapid innings from Stokes (36 off 18), coupled with Liam Livingstone’s 28, put England in good stead to secure victory by the time of their dismissals.
Brook scored 45 not out from 24 balls and Sam Curran smashed an unbeaten 33 from just 14 to finish the job as England chased down Pakistan’s total in just 14.4 overs.
With their openers producing a combined 10 runs off 16 balls, it fell on the middle order to win England the match, and they did so in thrilling fashion.
Stokes, Livingstone, Brook and Curran smashed the ball to all areas and accounted for all 12 of their team’s sixes.
Each of that quartet finished with strike rates of at least 175 to help England to a morale-boosting victory before their World Cup campaign gets underway against Afghanistan on Saturday.
Jordan improves after tough start
Pakistan ended up on 160-8 from 19 overs, with the match shortened slightly due to a brief rain stoppage.
They had threatened a bigger total, with Chris Jordan smashed for 27 off his first two overs without taking a wicket, but the England bowler steadied the ship to finish with figures of 1-36 from four, including a final over which went for just three runs and included the wicket of Mohammad Wasim (26).
Jordan’s bowling at the death ensured England’s target was achievable, and they then chased it down comfortably.
Head coach Jones said: “There are a number of disappointed players who have been left out. Their job is to make sure they go back to their clubs and play so that they have to be selected. They all know what they have to do.
“This is a very strong, vibrant squad and a number of good players have been left out. We are pleased with the depth and strength of the squad.”
England squad:
Forwards: Alex Coles, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Tom Curry, Ellis Genge, Joe Heyes, Jonny Hill, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam, George McGuigan, Val Rapava Ruskin, David Ribbans, Bevan Rodd, Sam Simmonds, Kyle Sinckler, Jack Singleton, Hugh Tizard, Billy Vunipola, Mako Vunipola, Jack Willis.
Backs: Henry Arundell, Joe Cokanasiga, Owen Farrell, Max Malins, George Furbank, Will Joseph, Jonny May, Cadan Murley, Guy Porter, Raffi Quirke, Marcus Smith, Freddie Steward, Manu Tuilagi Jack van Poortlviet, Ben Youngs.
Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes impressed before Englandwere denied the chance to press for a 3-0 series clean sweep against Australia by rain in Canberra.
Captain Buttler cracked 65 from 41 balls as England posted 112-2 from 12 overs in the third T20I, their innings having been disrupted twice by downpours at Manuka Oval.
Buttler’s fellow opener Alex Hales made a disappointing duck, while Dawid Malan scored 23 and Ben Stokes added an unbeaten 17.
The fifth over of England’s innings saw a minor flash point as Australia paceman Starc appear to threaten a ‘Mankad’ dismissal when he claimed Buttler, later named player of the series, was leaving the crease at the bowler’s end too early.
England held a 2-0 lead coming into the final match of the series, after posting eight-run wins in Perth and the first leg of a Canberra double-header, and they had another victory in their sights, particularly when the home team made a dreadful start to their reply.
Australia lost Aaron Finch to the first ball of their innings, with the captain reaching outside off stump and flogging Chris Woakes to Harry Brook at deep point.
Woakes had two wickets in two balls when Mitchell Marsh fell, Mark Wood taking the catch after the batter looked to be caught in two minds and got a leading edge to short third man. Steve Smith fended off the hat-trick ball.
Australia got to 30-3 in their reply from 3.5 overs, with Woakes (3-4 from two overs) having also dismissed Glenn Maxwell, when rain stopped play again.
Five overs needed to be completed for a result to be called, but there was no prospect of play resuming, the teams denied what could have been a useful finale to the contest ahead of the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup campaign.
Reece James is set to see a specialist this weekend to assess the injury he suffered in Chelsea’s midweek victory over Milan, amid reports he could miss the upcoming World Cup.
James was forced off in the victory at San Siro and the Daily Mail has subsequently reported he sustained ligament damage, which could rule him out for between six and eight weeks.
Chelsea boss Graham Potter was questioned on James’ situation ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Aston Villa, but was unable to provide a definitive timeframe for the defender’s recovery.
“Reece is due to see a specialist over the weekend so until we get that information there’s not too much I can add. We will wait and see,” Potter said in Friday’s news conference.
“There’s discomfort so we just need to check and see a specialist.
“When we spoke yesterday he didn’t feel so bad, but you need to get things checked and see the way forward.”
Any long-term absence for James would represent a severe blow for Gareth Southgate’s England, particularly with fellow right-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kyle Walker also battling injuries.
Fingers crossed it’s not a bad one 🤞🏾 Love for all the messages, I appreciate you all 💙🫶🏽 pic.twitter.com/2DvHS5r4lM
After the success of the National Booking Service during COVID, the NHS in England is exploring whether people can schedule their flu vaccinations online.
For 12 million individuals aged 50 to 64, reservations for the autumn COVID booster shot will be available on Friday.
Appointments will be available to book online or by phone after the successful trial of the National Booking Service during the COVID vaccination program. Those who are unable to get online will be given alternative ways to book.
The service is also testing whether flu jabs can be booked in a similar way, with people at 200 sites across the country offered the chance to book this way.
People can still book flu vaccinations through their GP practice or by visiting a pharmacy delivering the jabs.
Around 33 million people in England will be eligible for a flu vaccine this year, including some children who will be given the flu nasal spray.
Since the COVID booster programme began a month ago, seven million people have come forward for their vaccine.
Some 26 million people are eligible for the COVID booster and people have been urged to get the jab amid a warning of a potential “twindemic“ of flu and COVID.
Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, said “the rollout is off to a flying start”, adding that it is vital to get protected against COVID and flu in what could be an “extremely challenging winter for the NHS”.
Steve Russell, director for vaccinations and screening, said more than seven million autumn COVID boosters have been administered so far.
He is urging people between the ages of 50 and 64 to log on and book an appointment.
Dr Susan Hopkins, the chief medical adviser at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “The double threat of widely circulating flu and COVID this year is a real concern, so it’s crucial that you take up the free flu vaccine as soon as possible if you are offered it.
“It will help protect you from severe flu this winter, and even save your life.
“All those over 50 are now eligible for the jab, many of which will have low natural immunity due to COVIDrestrictions over the last two years.”
A half-century knock from Dawid Malan steered England to an eight-run victory in their latest T20 World Cup warm-up against Australia on Wednesday.
The Yorkshire top-order batsman posted a superb 82 off 49 balls, and combined with Moeen Ali for a fifth-wicket stand of 92 at Canberra’s Manuka Oval against the world champions for a total of 178-7.
The hosts looked to threaten a successful chase throughout, with Mitchell Marsh (45) forming the bedrock of their pursuit, ably supplanted by Tim David (40) following his dismissal.
Pat Cummins supplied a late burst of pyrotechnics too, smashing a six at the start of the final over into the scoreboard to set up a nerve-jangling last act.
But Sam Curran’s taut bowling, with figures of 3-25, ultimately kept any resistance at bay, to make it two wins from two for the tourists ahead of this month’s tournament as Australia finished with 170-6.
Victory hands England the three-match series, with a dead rubber third encounter to come on October 14, before they play their last warm-up against Pakistan on October 17.
Having bowled the final over in the first T20I to keep Australia out at the death, it was more of the same from the Surrey left-hander, who dismissed Marcus Stonis, Glenn Maxwell and David.
If there is any doubt about his position now, it looks to have been mostly eradicated, with the 24-year-old likely to make the cut for their opener against Afghanistan on October 22.
Finch reinforces position
Back at the top of the order after Cameron Green partnered David Warner against the West Indies, Australia captain Aaron Finch appears to not be moving from his spot now.
The 35-year-old played his part in claiming the T20 World Cup last year and will do so again from his preferred position, despite a lacklustre 13 off as many balls.
The Bank of England’s governor has ruled out extending its bond-buying support for pension funds beyond Friday’s deadline, prompting a dramatic fall in the value of the pound.
Andrew Bailey told an event in Washington that funds had “three days left… to get this done” after a series of interventions to support the “dysfunctional” market in the wake of the wider meltdown over the government’s mini-budget.
The latest action, on Tuesday, saw the Bank snap up index-linked gilts, government bonds with interest payments in line with inflation.
They are heavily used by pension funds.
The Bank had already been buying up long-dated gilts – a type of government bond that make up a large proportion of pension pots – to steady market jitters.
They saw yields – the rate demanded to hold government debt – shoot up as pension schemes tried to raise hundreds of billions through firesales of government and corporate bonds to meet cash calls – the latest coming from providers of so-called liability-driven investment strategies.
They are demanding funds put up more money to support new and older hedging positions.
Mr Bailey told an event organised by the Institute of International Finance that the intervention must be temporary.
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Are we set for another era of austerity?
“We have announced that we will be out by the end of this week. We think the rebalancing must be done.
“And my message to the funds involved and all the firms involved managing those funds: You’ve got three days left now. You’ve got to get this done.”
Industry body the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association had earlier urged the Bank to extend the bond-buying programme until 31 October – the new date for the publication of the government’s debt plan – at least.
Mr Bailey’s clear stance on the issue saw the pound, which had been trading higher on the day versus the dollar earlier, sink by more than one and a half cents to below $1.10.
What on earth is happening in UK markets?
This is starting to look a little… unnerving.
The government bond market is – in the UK and elsewhere – best thought of as the bedrock of the financial system.
The government borrows lots of money each year at very long durations and these bonds are bought by all sorts of investors to secure a low but (usually) reliable income over a long period of time.
Compared to other sorts of assets – such as the shares issued by companies or for that matter cryptocurrencies – government bonds are boring. Or at least, they’re supposed to be boring.
They don’t move all that much each day and the yield they offer – the interest rate implied by their prices – is typically much lower than most other asset classes.
But recently the UK bond market (we call them gilts as a matter of tradition, short for gilt-edged securities, because in their earliest embodiment they were pieces of paper with golden edges) has been anything but boring.
On Monday the Bank announced a potential doubling of the amount it was willing to spend every day on long-dated gilts.
Gilt yields, the interest rate payable on government bonds, rose on Monday, near the 5% highs of 27 September, the day before the Bank made its first intervention.
They fell when news of the latest operation was announced but long-dated yields later rose higher again.
That took place when the Bank revealed it had bought £1.947bn of index-linked bonds on Tuesday, adding that it had rejected £466.9m of offers to sell to the central bank.
It also bought up £1.363bn in long-dated bonds – also well below the £5bn possible.
The yield on 30-year bonds rose back to 4.8% for a short time, having been down at 4.4% around lunchtime.
The benchmark 10-year yield remained around the 4.4% level.
“Things seemed calmer again today,” Mr Bailey told the event.
“We will see,” he added.
The Bank announced on 28 September a temporary and emergency buying programme of long-dated gilts that are to be repaid in 20 to 30 years time, in the wake of chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget announcement.
Bond buying period due to end on Friday
Market turmoil that stemmed from the mini-budget led to the unprecedented intervention from the regulator to prevent part of the pension market collapsing as the cost of interest on gilts surged.
Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said of the scheme’s expansion before Mr Bailey’s remarks: “The Bank of England hopes to avoid a crisis in the market by being a willing buyer of bonds from pension funds who are under pressure.
“These pension funds will welcome today’s move, but whether the broader market shares the same enthusiasm remains to be seen.
“The key sticking point is that the support measures are only scheduled to last until Friday.
“Will that be long enough, or will the Bank of England extend the support scheme? Extending it could go one of two ways – the market either applauds the move and breathes a sigh of relief or it gets even more worried, thinking that the extra time suggests the crisis is more severe than originally thought.”
After accepting a salary offer from the government, criminal barristers in England and Wales voted to end their strike.
The end of the industrial action, which led to the suspension of numerous cases, was confirmed by the Criminal Bar Association (CBA).
In a statement on Twitter, it said: “The Criminal Bar has voted to accept the proposal made by the government.
“With 57% voting to accept the offer made by the government, action is suspended from 18.00hrs this evening.”
It comes after the justice secretary proposed more reforms to fees for legal aid work, which the government said amounted to another £54m.
The CBA said the criminal justice system remained “chronically underfunded” but that it would respect the decision of its members and end the strike.
Barristers will be able to accept new cases from Monday evening and will return to court on Tuesday.
They had originally been offered a 15% fee rise from the end of September – an extra £7,000 per year – but were told it would only apply to new cases.
However, an improved offer from the Ministry of Justiceapplied the increase to the “vast majority of cases currently in the crown court”.
Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis said he was “glad that barristers have now agreed to return to work”.
He added: “This breakthrough is a result of coming together and restarting what I hope to be a constructive relationship as we work to drive down the backlog and ensure victims see justice done sooner.”
The High Court had warned recently that strike delays might not be a good enough reason to keep defendants on remand in custody if the dispute dragged on past November.
Barristers started their activities in the summer – initially on alternate weeks and refusing certain work – before escalating it to a continuous walkout last month.
The CBA argued that real-terms pay had decreased on average by 28% since 2006.
Some barristers said they sometimes earned minimum wage for government-funded work when accounting for the number of hours they put in.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says defender Ben White can “make the step up” to be part of England’s 2022 World Cup squad.
The 24-year-old centre-back was left out of Gareth Southgate’s last England squad for the Nations League games against Italy and Germany.
Right-back Kyle Walker’s groin injury has opened up the possibility of a World Cup recall for the versatile White, who has played that role with the Gunners this season.
“Ben would be very comfortable playing on the right side of a back three as well as in the middle or as a full-back,” Arteta said.
“If you ask me if he is ready to make that step [to England], then the answer is yes because he is a very confident boy, he gives you absolutely everything, he is always available and he has the courage to play under real pressure.”
White, who has four caps for England, was a replacement for the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold in the Euro 2020 squad after initially missing the cut.
Alexander-Arnold will be part of the Liverpool side to face Arsenal on Sunday and looms as one of the strongest contenders for the England right-back role.
“He is a very special talent,” Arteta said about Alexander-Arnold. “What he adds offensively to the team every year is difficult to find in that position.”
White, who was Brighton and Hove Albion’s Player of the Season in 2020-21 before joining Arsenal, has made eight Premier League starts this term.
Manager Sarina Wiegman said England “don’t win a World Cup now” just because they defeated the United States – but their victory at Wembley suggests they could be the team to beat next summer.
The USA have won back-to-back World Cups and have long held the edge over England on the big stage.
But as European champions brimming with confidence, England showed on Friday they are right up there with the best with only 10 months to go until the 2023 World Cup.
The result extends England’s unbeaten run to 23 games under Wiegman – winning 15 of them in a row – and was their first victory against the USA since 2017.
It also ended the USA’s unbeaten run – they had won 18 and drawn three of their last 21 matches in all competitions, winning 13 consecutive games prior to Friday’s defeat.
England were fortunate on occasions as the USA had a goal disallowed, a penalty award overturned and a spot-kick given against them following VAR reviews.
But it was the manner in which England imposed themselves on the USA which proved they have come a long way since the two teams last met in 2020.
“I think the USA will be looking at us and thinking ‘wow, that’s how you play in possession’,” former England midfielder Karen Carney told ITV.
“In my career, we never really had that. We were always looking at the USA and were scared of them. But [on Friday] they came on our home soil and saw us play them off the park at times.”
England have an “aura” about them now, added Carney, and Wiegman believes confidence has grown during her time in charge – helped by their success at Euro 2022.
This match against the USA may only have been a friendly but it comes 10 months out from the World Cup and will help to build momentum.
“It was a good measure. It’s good to have a test against the USA as they have won so many things over so many years. But it’s now October and not July yet,” said Wiegman.
Asked if England’s unbeaten run has given them belief they can beat anyone in the world, Wiegman added: “We have proved to ourselves that we can do it. In the Euros we showed we could beat anyone.
“It’s a thin line between winning and losing but we could bring on something that could win against the best opponents and that’s what we showed again [against the USA].”
England have still not lost a game under manager Sarina Wiegman and have won 15 matches in a row
It was a victory earned without injured striker Alessia Russo and captain Leah Williamson, though the USA were also missing key players and are in a transition period with several younger stars coming through.
Wiegman wanted her side to control the ball and create chances which they managed to do for large periods.
The USA were also a threat and there were nervous moments in the game for England, who were put under pressure in a frantic and explosive encounter.
Wiegman, usually so relaxed, joked she was “not calm at all” when midfielder Keira Walsh kept the ball inside her own area at one point before passing it back to goalkeeper Mary Earps to hastily clear.
“She loves to play out but I would have preferred her to do it a little higher up the pitch!” Wiegman added.
But former England defender Stephen Warnock believes the hosts showed enough quality and nerve to prove they can compete with the best.
“We brought to Wembley the most successful international team to challenge them. It showed the standard of the [women’s] game,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
There is still a long way to go until next summer’s World Cup though, and Wiegman is keen to stay grounded.
When asked if England can be considered the best team in the world right now, she said: “You are the best team in the world when you have won the World Cup. We didn’t.”
Meanwhile, USA boss Vlatko Andonovski “absolutely believes” England are contenders to win next year’s tournament, though he hopes his side will be the team to stop them.
“They have an incredible squad and they showed once again they are very good,” he added.
“If you give them space, they have players who can make a difference. They have an incredible coach and I wouldn’t mind facing them again in the final!”
The most recent statistics, this summer’s heatwaves caused more than 2,000 additional deaths, which is the largest ever recorded number since a new heatwave plan was adopted in 2004.
In England, the predicted overall excess mortality for people 65 and older, excluding COVID-19, was 2,803 deaths.
This is the highest excess mortality figure during heat periods observed since the introduction of the Heatwave plan for England in 2004.
In July, some places in England recorded temperatures of over 40C for the first time in recorded history, prompting the UKHSA to issue its first-ever Level 4 Heat Health Alert.
Kyle Walker’s availability for the World Cupis up in the air after Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola declared the England right-back suffered an abdominal injury that will keep him out “for a while”.
Walker, 32, was substituted in the first half of City’s 6-3 derby win against Manchester United on Sunday after making his seventh start from his side’s eight Premier League fixtures this campaign.
He also started four of England’s six UEFA Nations League games since the beginning of June, resulting in three defeats and a draw.
However, Walker is now set for “weeks” on the sidelines in the shadows of the World Cup, according to Guardiola.
“[He will be out] for a while,” he told reporters following City’s 5-0 Champions League thrashing of Copenhagen on Wednesday. “I don’t know exactly, but weeks.
“Something abdominal, so he will be a while. We don’t know how long. Maybe the club will make a statement in the next day, but for a while he will be out.
“I don’t know [about availability for the World Cup]. I cannot say anything else, I don’t know.”
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand declared “we haven’t seen” a player like Jude Bellingham at his age after the Borussia Dortmund teenager helped guide his team to a 4-1 Champions League win at Sevilla.
Bellingham scored one and assisted one as Dortmundeased to victory in Spain on Wednesday, with other goals coming from Raphael Guerreiro, Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt, while Youssef En-Nesyri pulled one back for the hosts.
Bellingham, 19, who captained the Bundesliga side, became just the second teenager to score in the first three games of a Champions League campaign.
The only other player to achieve that feat is his former BVB team-mate Erling Haaland, who did so with Salzburg in the 2019-20 season.
Bellingham’s tally of three Champions League goals this season is already a joint-high among English teenagers for a single campaign, along with Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney, back in 2004-05.
“What he’s doing in his position at his age, we haven’t seen,” Ferdinand said, working as a pundit for BT Sport.
“The best of our generation, [Frank] Lampard, [Steven] Gerrard, [Paul] Scholes, [Patrick] Vieira, Roy Keane, they weren’t doing this.
“He’s still got to go on and prove it over a long period of time, but they weren’t doing what he is doing right now [at the same age].
“Influencing games at this level, captaining teams at this level, and mentally this kid’s a beast.”
Fellow pundit and former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole added: “Along with Erling Haaland, he’s the best young player in the world, that’s for sure.
“I watched him play for England over the two [Nations League] games [against Italy and Germany] and he was our best player.
“His dad I believe was a semi-pro footballer so he’s obviously been guided right… When we grew up with Frank [Lampard] and his dad was a footballer obviously, a top footballer, and Frank had this maturity about him… Bellingham’s got that as well, coupled with his undoubted God-given talent and his drive, he’s unstoppable.”
Bellingham has long been linked with a move back to England, having joined Dortmund from Birmingham City in 2020, with Liverpool, Manchester City, United and Chelsea all reportedly keeping an eye on developments, along with LaLiga giants Real Madrid.
“One thing that’s for sure – whoever gets him – is [his] temperament,” Ferdinand said.
“When you’re making big transfers and big moves like that in the spotlight, temperament is a key element you need to get right. This kid has already proved that it isn’t a question mark.”
The Prince of Wales paid a visit to St George’s Park today to mark the 10th anniversary of the home of England’s national teams.
Along with chatting to Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate, His Royal Highness observed training sessions involving the men’s senior deaf team and the men’s powerchair development squad before meeting girls and boys from community clubs.
Since opening in 2012, St George’s Park has made a huge contribution to the success enjoyed by sides at all levels, most recently highlighted by the Lionesses winning Euro 2022.
FA CEO Mark Bullingham said: “St George’s Park continues to deliver on the vision we set out 10 years ago to provide consistent world-class support for our England teams.
“Since St George’s Park opened, our teams have won 12 tournaments and we are confident that our best-in-class facilities, coaching and learning will support more success for future generations.
“Our investment supported by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Sport England and the National Lottery continues to drive success for the English game.”
The Staffordshire facility now hosts over 80 England team camps a year across men’s and women’s seniors, development and para squads.
They all benefit from 13 outdoor pitches, full-size indoor 3G pitch and indoor Futsal arenas, strength and conditioning gym and facilities such as cryotherapy, hydrotherapy and physiotherapy suites.
Alongside its role in delivering a pathway for England’s elite teams, St George’s Park is also home to the FA’s education arm, England Football Learning.
Did you know?
Before it became a centre of world-class football, the St George’s Park site had a rich history. It went from being used as a hunting ground where wolves and wild boars roamed free to entertaining the aristocracy.
The land was purchased in 2001 and plans for St George’s Park were first put in place. In 2008, the FA reignited the project after two-and-a-half years of planning and extensive research.
St George’s Park was officially opened by the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on October 9, 2012. The final build costs were £105million.
In 2015, the senior women’s team won bronze at the World Cup. An extra-time penalty goal ensured England beat Germany for the first time in 31 years.
History was made earlier this year as the Lionesses ended 56 years of hurt, becoming English football’s first senior trophy winners since 1966 by emerging victorious on home soil at Euro 2022.
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