NEW YORK (AP) — Moments after an Air Canada jet collided at high speed with a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, killing the pilots and hurling a flight attendant from the aircraft, the passengers took their escape into their own hands.

With the smell of fuel in the air and debris dangling from the obliterated cockpit, passengers tore open emergency exit doors, jumped off the plane’s wings and then turned around to catch others coming up behind them, some bleeding or with head wounds.

“Strangely enough, I wasn’t scared or panicked. On the contrary, I think most of us were pretty aware of what happened,” said passenger Clément Lelièvre. “So we all went outside; we got other people out.”

About 40 passengers and crew members on the regional jet from Montreal, and two people from the fire truck, were taken to hospitals. Some suffered serious injuries, but by Monday morning, most had been released, and others walked away without needing treatment.

As investigators continued delving Tuesday into what caused the catastrophic wreck, stories of survival also emerged — including that of the flight attendant, found injured but alive outside the aircraft.

Lelièvre credited the pilots’ “incredible reflexes” with saving lives. The pilots braked extremely hard just as the plane touched down, he said.

The collision late Sunday came after the fire truck was given permission to check on another plane that had aborted its takeoff after reporting an odor on board and started crossing the tarmac. An air traffic controller can be heard on airport communications frantically telling the fire truck to stop.

Roughly 20 minutes later, the controller appears to blame himself. “We were dealing with an emergency earlier,” the controller said. “I messed up.”

A key for investigators will be examining coordination of the airport’s air traffic and ground traffic at the time of the crash, said Mary Schiavo, a former Department of Transportation Inspector General.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said LaGuardia is “well-staffed” but faces a shortage of controllers.

The runway where the crash happened is likely to be closed for “days” during the investigation, Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation, said at a news conference Monday. Investigators need to sift through a lot of debris, she said.

Authorities recovered the plane’s cockpit and flight data recorders by cutting a hole in the aircraft’s roof and then drove them to the NTSB lab in Washington for analysis, Homendy said.

It was too early in the investigation to answer many questions about the accident, but more information was expected to be released Tuesday, she said.

The crash shut down LaGuardia — the New York region’s third busiest hub — during what was already a messy time at U.S. airports because of a partial government shutdown.

Flights resumed Monday afternoon on one runway and with lengthy delays. The shutdown caused some disruptions at other airports, too, especially for Delta, which has a major presence at LaGuardia.

There were 72 passengers and four crew members aboard the Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada, according to the airline. The flight originated at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. Canada has also sent a team of investigators.

The pilot and copilot who died in the first fatal crash at LaGuardia in 34 years were both based out of Canada, said Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.

Jeannette Gagnier, the great aunt of one of the pilots, identified him as Antoine Forest, and said he always wanted to be a pilot.

Air traffic controllers are not impacted by the partial government shutdown that has caused long delays at airport security checkpoints in recent days. They have been affected by past shutdowns.

The FAA has been chronically short on air traffic controllers for years.

LaGuardia is one of 35 major U.S. airports with an advanced surface surveillance system designed to help keep track of planes and vehicles crossing the airport.

An alarm heard in the background of the air traffic control audio was likely from the system and would have alerted the tower to the potential collision, Former FAA air traffic control chief Mike McCormick said.

FAA statistics show there were 1,636 runway incursions last year.

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Associated Press reporters Michael R. Sisak, Anthony Izaguirre and Mae Anderson in New York; Rob Gillies in Toronto; Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.

In the lead-up to the recent men’s Manchester derby, officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and partner organisations were deployed across the city to raise awareness of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and protect vulnerable people.

The United Nations defines VAWG as acts of gender-based violence that cause physical, sexual or psychological harm. While that includes serious crimes such as domestic abuse and sexual violence, experts say casual misogyny and sexist comments can also contribute by reinforcing gender inequality.

Fans in Manchester were encouraged to recognise abuse and challenge it.

Ch Supt Colette Rose – head of specialist operations at GMP – said: “I think VAWG is a societal problem. It’s high on the national agenda. It leaks into every aspect of our society, and that includes sports and football.

“What we tend to see at football is predominantly a male-dominated fanbase. If we can work with males around behaviours that may make women feel unsafe or intimidated and educate people, that will have an impact on wider society.”

Figures released by GMP show the number of reported incidents of VAWG at football matches increased from 18 in the 2023-24 season to 28 last season – and that is expected to rise again.

Her Game Too, meanwhile, told us they receive at least one report every matchday.

But Rose does not think that necessarily shows the issue is getting worse.

“I think what is actually happening is we’re calling it out,” she said. “And I think society is starting to see that these behaviours are unacceptable and our partners are really engaged in working with us on this.

“People are reporting it more because they can see that it’s wrong and we shouldn’t just accept it.”

Rose recalls one incident at a match in Germany when she was targeted.

“I had reason to speak to a couple of lads who were exiting the game and were very jubilant, but were singing songs that could have caused real offence in Germany,” she says.

“The barrage of abuse that I got on the back of that was very much about my sex, the way I looked… I was followed around the stadium for a bit and I couldn’t locate a police officer in uniform to support me.

“It shook me to the core. I didn’t realise I could ever feel that vulnerable in a crowd as a police officer, and in fear of that immediate violence towards me, purely because I was a female.

“The language used was very misogynistic and the person perpetrating it was using my vulnerabilities to make me feel the way I did. It’s a horrible feeling.”

Noel Gallagher has revealed an insight into his boozy reunion with little brother Liam as the two Oasis legends celebrated a victory for their beloved Manchester City on Sunday

Noel Gallagher revealed he and brother Liam partied for nine hours this weekend. It was a reunion we could have only dreamed about a few years ago, but any tension between the brothers is firmly in the past.

Just a few months ago, Noel, 58, and Liam, 53, hugged one another on stage in Brazil after their final concert on the mammoth Oasis Live ’25 Tour, a tour nobody ever expected to happen. But after playing 41 shows together and having put their differences aside, the brotherly love is as strong as ever.

This weekend, the Mirror revealed that the two siblings celebrated in style in a fancy box at Wembley Stadium, watching their beloved Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 to win the Carabao Cup Final. A source close to the band told us that it had been “many years” since the brothers attended a match together, and while it was “noisy and lively,” they were “both delighted with the result”.

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Now, Noel has shared an insight into their boozy antics, which saw the Gallaghers come out in force. They were joined by Noel’s two sons from a previous marriage, Liam’s sons Gene and Lennon, and Gene’s girlfriend, Nevey Maya, as well as Liam’s fiancée Debbie Gwyther, 41, who is said to be from a family of Arsenal fans.

“Liam invited me in his box. He was on spectacular form,” Noel said. He added: “We celebrated hard, we were in a boozy box. On either side of us were Arsenal boxes, and let’s put it this way — he [Liam] was letting them know that he was there. All the kids were there, we had a great time.”

Prior to hitting the road last year, Liam had turned his back on booze but found it fitting to have a drink as he soaked in the atmosphere at Wembley Stadium. Meanwhile, Noel joked: “I was out Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I am looking my age this morning.”

Liam, however, was said to be in a boozer close to his home with fiancée Debbie and his two sons at 2pm before they made their way to the stadium. Speaking to The Sun about the reunion over the weekend, a source said: “The lure of reuniting Oasis brought Noel and Liam back together, and now football has done it again.

“Remember, it was only a couple of years ago that Noel and Liam couldn’t bear to be in a room with one another. Then on November 23, they were hugging on stage in Brazil after playing their last of 41 sold-out shows around the world.

Being on tour together reminded Noel and Liam of the love they have for each other, even if they do still wind each other up now and then.”

While many were emotional after seeing Noel and Liam hug for the first time in decades during the opening night, Noel previously said that the band are not the emotional type. “We’re not those kinds of guys, really,” he said. He added: “It’s great to be back with Bonehead and Liam, just be doing it again.

“I guess when it’s all said and done, you sit and reflect on it. But it’s great being back in the band with Liam. I forgot how funny he was.” And while Liam was widely praised for his voice being on top form, Noel joked it was “AI”. Rocker Noel went on to say that he’s the “songwriter” before praising his little brother for “smashing it” on the tour, knowing how “difficult” it is to be the frontman of a band.

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EastEnders’ Nicola Mitchell actress Laura Doddington has revealed emotional scenes ahead on the BBC soap next week as her character goes into labour prematurely

Emotional scenes will take their toll on one EastEnders favourite next week.

Pregnant Nicola Mitchell is left distressed as she goes into premature labour. The character initially experiences pains and tries to keep them to herself.

After a visit to the hospital she heads back to Walford, but soon after a row with Penny Branning, the character is rushed to hospital where she gives birth to a baby girl.

Sadly Nicola is not allowed to see her baby daughter due to an infection, while the baby’s father, George Knight, is on hand to support her. Actress Laura Doddington has said we will see a more vulnerable side to her character as the episodes air, with Nicola left “broken”.

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Laura said: “It takes a significant toll on her, and we see a real vulnerability in her, compared to her usually combative and protective parenting style. This week, the emotional strain and the inability to see her baby leave her broken, and the situation becomes heartbreaking for her, especially knowing that everyone else can see the baby while she cannot.”

It all begins at the start of the week, when Nicola hides the concerns about her unborn child that she’s facing. Laura explained: “She is incredibly distracted because she hasn’t felt the baby move, something that she initially keeps to herself.

“With the Knight Fusion launch being an important moment for George, she wants to support him and avoids raising his worries while trying to manage her own.” After admitting her fears she gets checked over before being allowed to leave.

Back in Walford there’s a moment where Nicola supports pregnant Penny after a run-in with Suki Panesar. Laura said: “From Nicola’s perspective, she was simply trying to speak with Penny when Suki interrupted, which infuriates her!

“Her opinion of Suki is already low given the recent issues involving Ravi and Harry. With Penny in the early stages of pregnancy, Nicola understands the anxieties that come with that experience.

“She also has a soft spot for Penny, who has supported Harry throughout his recent rehabilitation.” But soon Nicola realises Penny’s baby could be her son Harry’s, and not Vinny Panesar’s.

Laura revealed: “Nicola wants clarity as soon as possible on whether the baby is Harry’s. She’s incredibly protective over him and carries guilt about what he has been through.

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“She also feels she has fallen short as a mother, so if the baby is his, she wants to support him from the outset. Harry has hinted that he does want children and is beginning to think seriously about his future. With Harry and Gina still early in their relationship, she feels it’s important to establish the truth now rather than risk a more painful revelation later, once they have invested more in their future together.”

It’s during a confrontation about this with Penny that Nicola is overcome with pains, and eventually learns she is in labour. Laura shared: “Nicola is used to dealing with things on her own and doesn’t want to burden George with any additional worries.

“She is already dealing with loads of concerns that she wants to keep to herself, convincing herself they may not be serious. Having experienced false labour with both Harry and Barney, part of her also believes the pains could simply be another false alarm.”

Teasing what will happen for George and Nicola now that their daughter has arrived, Laura added: “I think they will make an excellent team, as they bring different energies and moral standings that complement each other. They have open and honestly conversations with each other, addressing things head on rather than avoiding them and they have learned from their previous parenting experiences.”

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Lacey Milner from Meadow Park Care Home in Bedlington has received a Long Service Award for her commitment to Barchester Healthcare.

She began working for Barchester in March 2011 and has held a variety of roles over the years.

Adele Keenan, employee services director at Barchester, said: “I’m always pleased to hear stories about the long service of Barchester staff and am delighted Lacey has achieved this milestone.

“It is dedication like this that ensures our residents are provided with the best possible care.”

Colleagues have praised her work ethic and dedication.

Julie Bond, general manager at Meadow Park, said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating 15 years of loyal service with Lacey.

“She has demonstrated her dedication and commitment to this home and its residents year after year.

“I speak for all of us here at Meadow Park when I say that I’m looking forward to many more years of working with Lacey.”

Meadow Park Care Home is part of Barchester Healthcare and provides residential and dementia care for 61 residents from respite breaks to long term stays.

The UK’s latest law on sentencing came into force on March 22. Among other changes, the new law means that, in England and Wales, people who would previously have been sent to prison for short sentences will instead serve those sentences in the community.

This means they will need to attend appointments with probation, do certain rehabilitative activities and may also be restricted from doing certain things or going to certain areas. They might also be required to do a set number of hours of community service.

The new law requires courts to avoid imposing custodial sentences of less than 12 months, except in exceptional circumstances. It also extends the maximum sentence that can be suspended from two years to three. This gives judges discretion to suspend sentences for more serious offences that would previously have required immediate custody.

Possession with intent to supply class A drugs (where a guilty plea can reduce a starting-point sentence to three years); street robbery; the most serious forms of controlling and coercive behaviour; and a third conviction for domestic burglary could now all, in theory, be suspended.

At the end of 2025, there were around 3,500 people serving a prison sentence of less than 12 months in England and Wales. Around 44% of all prison sentences are shorter than 12 months. They tend to be imposed for offences such as shoplifting, common assault or breaches of restraining orders.

People given short sentences have the highest reoffending rates when compared to other sentences. Evidence from Scotland, where a similar legal approach has been in place since 2019, has found that people released from a short sentence are reconvicted nearly twice as often as those sentenced to serve a community sentence.

Short sentences mean that people lose access to families, employment and housing, but they do not allow prisons enough time to provide the support that people need prior to release. As such, they account for more than half of all recalls to prison following release, and have contributed to increases in the prison population in recent years.

People serving short sentences typically have acute and unaddressed needs, such as housing instability, substance misuse and mental health concerns. And evidence shows that people sentenced for similar offences are more likely to offend after a short prison sentence than if they had been given a community sanction.

The changes are intended to alleviate pressure on the prison estate by reducing the number of people given immediate custody. Prisons in England and Wales have been working at capacity for years.

These new powers should also prevent the need for emergency early release schemes, which have failed in the past. Both Conservative and Labour governments have introduced emergency early release schemes in recent years. Under a scheme run by the previous Conservative government from 2023-24, 42% of people released were recalled to custody. This was partly due to an inability to plan for their release, and a shortage of support services such as accommodation.

We do not yet have recall data for the scheme introduced by the Labour government in 2024, which allows people to be released 40% of the way through their sentence. But overall recall rates have remained high.

With the new law in force, we should see a relatively quick decline in the number of people sentenced to custody. A steady reduction in the prison population should follow.

It is also worth highlighting that expanding the use of community sanctions can backfire, resulting instead in unintended net-widening: more people drawn into the penal system overall, rather than just reducing the number of people in prison. This could happen if judges begin to give more suspended sentences to those who would otherwise have been given a fine or community order. They may also sentence people to longer in prison to avoid the requirement to suspend the sentence – what criminologists call up-tariffing.

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Although broadly positive, these changes are not necessarily a silver bullet for the well-documented prisons crisis. For one thing, the reforms will result in more work for the probation service, which is already under pressure. In recent inspection reports, the probation inspectorate has described the service as having “too few staff, with too little experience and training, managing too many cases”.

Introducing more people with higher risk profiles into probation narrows the margin for error considerably. The service has been planning for these changes – by reducing the extent to which people at the end of their sentences are supervised – but how well it copes with these increased numbers remains to be seen.

If probation fails to cope, we may see more people breaching their orders. When this happens, their custodial sanction is activated, and they are swiftly put in custody to serve their sentence.

The effect on crime

There is also the question of whether the act will affect crime levels, which have been decreasing in recent decades. Criminological evidence has repeatedly shown that changing the seriousness of a punishment does not deter people from offending. What is much more important is the perception of whether one is likely to be caught, and the speed with which one might be punished.

In reality, most people who are about to commit an offence – especially those for which shorter custodial sentences are imposed – are not thinking about what sentence they may or may not receive at some undetermined point in the future.

Sentencing severity is a blunt tool for dealing with crime, especially given the complex reasons behind why people offend. The impact on crime will depend on other parts of the criminal justice system. Police performance, court backlogs and the nature of high-volume offending such as shoplifting and online fraud will all have much more immediate effects on crime levels than tinkering around the edges of sentencing.

Short sentences achieve very little beyond disrupting peoples’ lives and relationships and making it more difficult to find housing and employment, both of which are strongly correlated with re-offending rates. If probation copes with the additional workload, if recall rates do not skyrocket, and judges and magistrates stick to the ask, then the reforms could result in a more sustainable prison system that causes less harm than it currently does – that should be better for everyone.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators are discussing a proposal to end the Homeland Security budget stalemate by funding much of the department, including the Transportation Security Administration airport workers going without pay, but excluding ICE’s enforcement and removal operations that have been core to the dispute.

The potential breakthrough came after a group of Republican senators headed to the White House late Monday to meet with President Donald Trump. Senators said they expected the negotiators to work through the night hammering out the details and present written proposals for both parties to discuss Tuesday at their weekly caucus lunches.

“All I can say is that the discussions have been very positive and productive, and hopefully headed in the right direction,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters late in the evening: “Both sides are working in a serious way.”

The sudden shift in the monthlong standoff comes as U.S. airports are jammed with long lines after routine Homeland Security funding was halted, leaving TSA understaffed during the spring travel season. Democrats are refusing to fund Homeland Security without restraints on Trump’s immigration enforcement and mass deportation operations after the deaths of two U.S. citizens during ICE protests in Minneapolis.

Trump took the extraordinary step over the weekend of ordering Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to provide airport security, drawing alarm from some lawmakers that it could escalate tensions.

The contours of the deal under consideration would fund most of Homeland Security, but exclude funding for one main part of ICE — the enforcement and removal operations that are core to Trump’s deportation agenda.

Under the package being floated, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations would be funded as well as Customs and Border Protection, but with new guardrails to position officers from those divisions in their traditional roles, rather than as they have been used more recently in immigration roundups in cities. It would also include a number of changes in immigration operations that Democrats have demanded, including mandating that officers wear body cameras and identification.

Since so much of ICE is already funded through Trump’s big tax breaks bill, and immigration officers are still receiving paychecks during the partial government shutdown, senators said the new restraints would also be imposed on operations that rely on that funding source, as well.

“I’m going to be working through the night,” said Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, a chief negotiator who returned from the White House meeting hopeful they had a solution to “land this plane.”

“We’re going to be working diligently,” she said.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who was not part of the group at the White House, said his understanding was that there was a “sense of urgency” coming from the talks.

Coons described various choices before the senators at this point — from no money at all for ICE but also no restraints on the agency operations, to fully funding ICE but with more of the restraints Democrats have demanded, to a middle option of funding most of DHS excluding ICE’s enforcement and removal operations. That middle option is what he and other senators understood was broadly on the table after the White House talks.

“First step is to get the proposal in writing,” said Sen. Angus King, the Independent from Maine. “I want to see exactly what that means.”

Senators late Monday also confirmed Markwayne Mullin as Homeland Security secretary. He takes over for Kristi Noem, who led the department’s immigration enforcement operations that erupted with the public outcry and the funding standoff.

Mullin provides a potentially new face for the immigration operation. During his confirmation hearing last week, Mullin touched on another key demand Democrats want — ensuring a judge has signed off on warrants that immigration officers use to search people’s homes, rather than simply relying on administrative warrants issued by the department.

“This is significant,” Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said about the progress toward changes. “Noem is gone. That’s a big deal.”

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said he was hopeful senators could work things out. “Look, there’s a lot of different variables in the equations,” he said. “I’m hopeful we’ll get there.”

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Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.

Israeli settlers have injured at least 10 Palestinians, as well as smashing cars and setting fires, as they rampaged through villages in the West Bank.

The violence on Sunday night came after the funeral of Yehuda Sherman, an 18-year-old Israeli settler, who was killed in a collision with a Palestinian vehicle in the area.

Among those wounded in the unrest was a 45-year-old man shot in the foot and a woman suffering from smoke inhalation, according to The Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

Videos from the scene showed cars and homes were set ablaze as army flares lit up the sky above the village of Deir al-Hatab.

A day earlier, simultaneous attacks were reported in at least six West Bank communities overnight by the official Palestinian news agency, WAFA.

The settlers claim that the crash which killed Sherman was deliberate. Police say they are investigating.

Three Palestinians were also killed and 10 people injured after an Israeli strike hit the central Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, officials at Awda Hospital said.

Hours earlier, another Palestinian had been killed in a strike in northern Gaza.

Israeli strikes on Gaza declined in the days after the Iran war began on 28 February, but locals say they have started to rise again.

At least 680 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since the October ceasefire, including dozens in recent weeks, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

Read more:
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Israel, meanwhile, claims four of its ​soldiers in Gaza have been killed in the ​same period. Both sides accused each other of violating the truce.

The uneasy ceasefire brought a close to a war lasting more than two years, which reportedly claimed over 70,000 lives.

It was sparked by Hamas attacks on southern Israel on 7 October, 2023.

On Sunday, Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, criticised a social media post by Steffen Seibert, the outgoing German ambassador, for mentioning the death of the teenager alongside a condemnation of the violence.

Mr Saar welcomed the imminent departure of Mr Seibert, claiming that his “obsession” with settlers in the West Bank had stopped him from condemning the death of the Israeli.

“Seibert finds it very difficult to condemn attacks against Israelis without bringing up the Palestinians,” wrote Mr Saar.

A spokesperson for Germany’s Foreign Ministry stated on Monday that the ministry stands behind its outgoing ambassador.

An NHS service has raised concerns about the potential impact of the new homes being built in a Cambridgeshire town

Twelve new homes could be built in a Cambridgeshire town, but concerns have been raised about the impact on local doctors. RCKA has submitted plans to Fenland District Council to build 12 new homes on land of 53 to 69 in Grounds Avenue in March.

The proposed homes include one block of flats with 10 apartments and two houses. A shared garden, secure cycle parking and waste storage is proposed.

Twelve car spaces, including two accessible, also form part of the plans. The site was previously used for garages, and the developers said the homes would “re-use previously developed land and under-utilised space”.

The developers added that the “high-quality” homes will be in a “highly suitable location”. In 2022, plans were approved on the same part of land to build six new homes.

The developers said even though more homes are proposed in 2026, they said they are “smaller in size to meet a specific local need”. The plans have not received any public objections so far, however some concerns have been raised by the NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System (CAPICS).

A NHS spokesperson said the development is “likely to have an impact” on three GP services in the area. The spokesperson said: “These practices do not have capacity to take on additional patients and this development of 12 dwellings would see an increase patient pressure of circa 28 new residents.”

To “mitigate” the potential impact, the NHS seeks a contribution from the developers. The NHS requested a contribution of £10,316.65, to match up with a possible extension and refurbishment it may need.

The NHS added: “Payment should be made before the development commences. CAPICS therefore requests that this sum be secured through a planning obligation linked to any grant of planning permission – in the form of a Section 106 planning obligation – with the proposal that the sum be used to fund a project which increases clinical capacity at one of the GP.

“Practices in the vicinity of the development, or any project at an alternative premises in the vicinity of the Practices/development which increases primary healthcare capacity.”

Ireland face a World Cup play-off against Czechia in Prague on Thursday and the former England striker has been speaking with a couple of old pals.

Ireland have been handed a World Cup thumbs up – from former England striker Michael Owen.

The ex-Anfield star has revealed that some of his old Liverpool teammates are very nervous ahead of the World Cup play-offs.

Owen lined out for the Reds alongside Czech legends Patrik Berger and Vladimir Smicer, and he was in touch with the pair recently.

Czechia have gone through a rocky spell, and their World Cup qualification campaign was so poor that they ditched manager Ivan Hasek.

He lost his job after they finished six points behind group winners Croatia, and only four points ahead of the Faroe Islands, who were just five minutes away from a draw in Czechia, before they pulled off a sensational win in Torshavn in October.

After axing Hasek, the Czech FA went on the hunt for a high-profile replacement, but were snubbed and eventually appointed 74-year-old Miroslav Koubek, who never managed outside of his country.

Owen said that his old pals weren’t exactly brimming with confidence ahead of Thursday’s play-off semi-final.

Speaking with the Irish Mirror, the ex-Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle and Manchester United striker, who now represents Casino.org, a resource designed to help players compare the top online casinos in Ireland, said: “If Ireland keep the form of the last few games up, then absolutely [they can win].

“The Czechs aren’t as good as Portugal and Hungary, that you’ve just beaten in recent times.

“The Czechs, the football there is on a bit of a low. I was only with Patrik Berger and Vladimir Smicer the other day and they were telling me about the recent history of the team.

“It’s not in a great position at the minute. So absolutely Ireland have a chance. Then you are one tie away from getting to the World Cup.

“Personally I think you have got more of a chance than the Czechs of qualifying, with the momentum you’ve got and the feelgood factor that you’ve got. So yeah, it’s pretty exciting.”

He added: “When I spoke to [Berger and Smicer], they weren’t too confident about their team.

“Long gone are the days of Smicer and Poborsky and Berger and Nedved, and all those. Long gone are those days.

“[Tomas] Soucek has been their player of the year for the last handful of years.

“I would struggle to name five players in the Czech team these days.”

Owen added that he would struggle to name too many of Heimir Hallgrímsson’s squad, but that momentum could swing the tie in favour of the Boys in Green.

“Let’s be frank, the same goes for Ireland. 20 years ago Ireland were feared throughout the world. You didn’t want to be playing Ireland at a World Cup,” he said.

“With all due respect, they’ve not got the household names that they did have.

“You could say both teams were in a similar position, however it just feels like recent momentum could carry Ireland a little bit.”

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