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NewsBeat

Brits have worked out the perfect time for a catch up – and it’s oddly specific

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Brits have worked out the perfect time for a catch up - and it’s oddly specific
People relaxing at The Squeeze It Inn, in Shoreditch, London, a pop-up bar designed to encourage impromptu catch-ups with friends (Picture: Ollie Dixon / Madrí Excepcional)

When it comes to meeting up with friends, many of us feel that life, work and commitments at home get in the way. 

But new research has found that the perfect catchup doesn’t need to be lengthy and can be slotted into the average week. 

The ideal time is 84 minutes – which gives ample opportunity to cover key topics such as family (51%), work updates (45%) and relationships (43%), according to research by beer company Madrí Excepcional.

It’s great news for those who feel getting together is increasingly hard, with just 18% managing a casual drink with mates once a week.

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People place the blame on obstacles such as packed schedules (43%), feeling too tired after work (30%), and travel times (20%).

Despite this, 73% of Brits wish they had more casual catch ups with friends.

Madrí Excepcional is bringing the sunny spirit of Madrid to London with a pop-up micropub outside Boxpark, Shoreditch.

The Squeeze It Inn will serve Spanish-style snacks and complimentary samples of Madrí Excepcional 0.0% and the new lemon-flavoured Madrí Excepcional Limón.

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Anca Secara, marketing controller for the brand, said: “Our research shows nearly three quarters of Brits are craving more casual catch-ups with friends, alongside the big, planned get-togethers. 

“And that feeling only grows in summer, with 67% saying the warmer weather makes them more open to impromptu plans. 

“That’s exactly what inspired The Squeeze It Inn in celebration of the new Madrí Excepcional Limón – a nod to Madrid’s vibrant social scene and a celebration of easy-going summer meet-ups, great conversation, and those simple moments of connection.’”

You can win a four pack of the new beer and an Ultimate Garden Catch-Up Kit by following @Madríexcepcional on Instagram.

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Emma Roberts is married! Actress marries Cody John in romantic Idaho ceremony after two-year engagement

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Emma Roberts and Cody John are officially husband and wife

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Emma Roberts and Cody John are officially husband and wife.

After a two-year-long engagement, the couple said ‘I do’ in a romantic ceremony in Idaho, according to photos obtained by DeuxMoi. 

Roberts, 35, and John, 36, exchanged vows outdoors at the actor’s family estate in Sun Valley, per TMZ and Page Six.

The bride, who previously called off an engagement to Evan Peters, wore a custom white gown with asymmetrical sleeves by Monique Lhuillier, as reported by Vogue.

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Following the ceremony, she slipped into an archival after-party dress by the designer.

And for his part, John was dressed in a brown suit. 

Daily Mail has reached out to Roberts’s representatives for comment. 

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Emma Roberts and Cody John are officially husband and wife 

A source told Page Six that the 45-minute nuptials took place outdoors in 95-degree weather. 

The outlet reported that Roberts’s five-year-old son Rhodes, whom she shares with  ex-boyfriend Garrett Hedlund, walked her down the aisle. 

Roberts’s father is Eric Roberts, and her aunt is Academy Award-winning actress Julia Roberts.

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Julia and her husband Danny Moder were in attendance for the wedding, and seen in photos shared by DeuxMoi on Sunday.

The American Horror Story star announced her engagement in 2024 with an Instagram post.

She flashed her diamond ring in a smiling snapshot with John, quipping in the caption: ‘Putting this here before my mom tells everyone.’

The couple began dating in 2022, and John’s sparse Instagram profile is mostly made up of tributes to Roberts.

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This past February he shared pictures of his then-fiancée and wrote, ‘You make everything magic. Happy birthday, Emma,’ to which she replied in the comments, ‘I love you.’

It was reported that Roberts's five-year-old son Rhodes, whom she shares with ex-boyfriend Garrett Hedlund, walked her down the aisle; the now-newlyweds pictured in 2023

It was reported that Roberts’s five-year-old son Rhodes, whom she shares with ex-boyfriend Garrett Hedlund, walked her down the aisle; the now-newlyweds pictured in 2023

The blonde beauty and her man confirmed their relationship in August 2022; seen in March 2024

The blonde beauty and her man confirmed their relationship in August 2022; seen in March 2024

The now-newlyweds previously confirmed their relationship in August 2022 after they were seen kissing in New York City.

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Days later, the duo made things Instagram official with a photo John posted of them sharing a kiss on a yacht.

The caption read: ‘sweet sweet.’

At the time, a source close to the pair told ET that New York native Roberts was ‘very content with Cody, and they’re enjoying their relationship and time together.

‘Their friends and family are happy for the both of them and think they make a great couple,’ the insider dished.

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Since then, the low-key couple has managed to keep their relationship private. 

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Leigh homeowner proposes new build to demolish existing home

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Leigh homeowner proposes new build to demolish existing home

Detailed plans have been submitted for the construction of a detached house on Wenlock Road, Leigh.

The project, which lists MOJO Architects as the agent, includes additional parking spaces, enhanced landscaping, and an extension of the current driveway.

The proposal plans to demolish the existing home and garage to make way for the new development.

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The Property Demolition Report found the building has suffered severe subsidence, causing major structural movement and leaving it unsafe.

It warns the property poses a risk to residents, workers, neighbours and the public, with full demolition deemed necessary.

Plans to replace the property are considered justified by the agent, removing a dangerous structure while keeping the site in residential use.

The proposal would see a new family home built in an area already established for housing, without any loss of residential provision.

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The application suggests the new house will be adorned with brickwork that mirrors the existing local style and colour.

The roofing is proposed to be clad with grey-style roof tiles.

The new windows will be black double-glazed.

It was confirmed in the application that the home is currently used as residential space.

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After the projected development, there will be no change of use, as the new house will also be a residence.

Parking arrangements appear to be a significant component of the new plan.

The application notes that the current number of parking spaces will double from two to four as a result of the development.

Plans also show the inclusion of a waste storage area to the rear of the property.

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The new house will have five bedrooms compared to the previous three.

Each new bedroom on the first floor is measured at 14 sq. metres on the drawings for the planned layout.

There will be two en suite bathrooms and a family bathroom on the first floor, a gain from the one shared family bathroom currently.

The addition of a second floor will create a master bedroom of 17 sq. metres, with a walk-in wardrobe and a master en suite bathroom.

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The application was made valid on July 16, after being received on June 2, 2026.

The full plans, supporting documents and drawings can be found on Wigan Council’s planning portal via the reference number A/26/101007/FULL.

For more notices affecting YOUR area, visit our Public Notice Portal: https://publicnoticeportal.uk/leigh-journal

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Lando Norris claims first win of season at Hungarian Grand Prix

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Lando Norris claims first win of season at Hungarian Grand Prix

“Max is really slow,” bemoaned Hamilton, unable to find a way past Verstappen. Hamilton attempted the undercut by stopping one lap before Verstappen, and it worked. However, Verstappen caught Hamilton off-guard to snatch the place back at the first corner – a turn renamed after Verstappen’s father-in-law, Nelson Piquet. A major blow for Hamilton having initially made the strategy work.

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Michael Carrick is still waiting to see if Manchester United’s new transfer strategy works

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Manchester Evening News

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick is aiming to redefine a key area of the pitch this season

As introductions to a new club go, Andrey Santos’ arrival at Manchester United could not have gone much better. The Brazilian midfielder arrived from Chelsea with opinions firmly split. Many questioned spending an initial £48m on a 22-year-old who was third choice at Stamford Bridge last season.

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But two games in, Santos has shown he can add something different to United’s midfield. “I’ve watched him from afar, since he’s obviously broken into the first team at Chelsea,” Mason Mount said on Friday about his new teammate, following the 5-0 win over Rosenborg. “I think he’s a really good player. As you said, he reads the game very well.

“I know he’s young, but he’s very experienced in going out on loan and playing in the Premier League as well. He reads the game very well. He’s a little bit more defensive, so it allows me to push on a little bit more forward in these last two games and work off him.

“I think defensively as well, we’re both players that want to get around it, want to put tackles in and win the ball back and be aggressive.”

Despite adding bite to the midfield, Santos is not your quintessential defensive midfielder who can protect the back four. For that matter, neither is Youri Tielemans. United fans have not seen Belgium’s captain in action yet, but they are already familiar with what he will offer them next season. At the World Cup, Tielemans was a box-to-box midfielder and we know he will offer the Reds strength both in and out of possession.

United still want to add a third midfielder this summer but they are more relaxed about that prospect than they were in June. Santos and Tielemans’ arrivals have relieved some of the pressure.

What’s more, there is not a great rush to sign a like-for-like replacement for Casemiro either. Carrick is looking to change United’s midfield this summer. The goal is to cram the midfield with players with high-level technical ability. He wants his side to control the game and set the tempo. Playing proactively, rather than reactively.

This will be music to the ears of United fans. The glory years were defined by a team who asserted their style on matches. But going for this approach is undeniably risky.

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Against Rosenborg, the new system worked perfectly. United grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. Against those lesser opponents, this new strategy can flourish. But this season, Carrick’s side are not always going to be the aggressor.

When up against better quality opposition, United will be forced backwards at times and they will need to dig in. That’s where a Casemiro-esque midfielder is needed. It will be those matches against Premier League title challengers and European football’s elite, when United could need to alter their plan.

With just over a month to go before the transfer window closes, United could still add that more traditional defensive midfielder. A lot could depend on Real Madrid who are sniffing around Rodri. Were the Manchester City man to move to the Bernabeu, that could open the door to Aurelien Tchouameni for United. He is considered the Reds’ dream signing and would fit that defensive midfield role more traditionally.

But as things stand, Carrick is setting out a bold vision for United and it will only be during those major games this season that we shall see if this new strategy works.

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People Are Sharing The Weird Things They Said During Sex

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People Are Sharing The Weird Things They Said During Sex

If you’ve ever blurted out something during sex and immediately wished you could take it back, you’re not alone.

Whether it’s calling someone the wrong name, making a wildly untimely observation or asking a question that absolutely could have waited until later, people have said some pretty embarrassing things during sex more often than they’d like to admit.

According to Todd Baratz (@yourdiagnonsense), a sex therapist at LUBELIFE, these slip-ups are completely normal. “Sex isn’t like a scene out of a movie; it’s not a choreographed dance,” Baratz told HuffPost. “The reality is that sex is not only about the physical aspect of embodiment, but it is also about emotions, relational dynamics and a whole lot of psychology.

“When you combine all those elements, some awkward moments are inevitable.”

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eclipse_images via Getty Images

Awkward moments are almost inevitable in close, intimate relationships. But you’re certainly not alone when you have them.

Here are a few of the funniest, most absurd and most mortifying things people accidentally said during intimate moments.

*To allow the embarrassed to be a little more candid and protect their privacy, individuals are identified by only their first names.

‘How’s the air up there?’

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Erica still has no idea why one particular name got stuck in her head while she was having sex.

“I was sleeping with a guy, and for some reason I couldn’t get the name Frank out of my head, even though the guy I was having sex with wasn’t named Frank and I didn’t know anyone named Frank,” she said.

The more she tried not to think about it, the worse it became.

“All I could hear in my head was, ‘Frank, Frank, Frank, Frank, Frank,’” she said. Terrified she’d accidentally moan the wrong name, she desperately searched for literally anything else to say.

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The solution she said: “So instead I blurted out, ‘How’s the air up there?’ while he was hovering over me.”

The comment earned her a confused look, but she still considered it a better outcome than accidentally calling him Frank.

Later, however, curiosity got the better of her, so she asked whether he happened to know anyone named Frank.

“He told me that was the name of a family member who had just passed away,” she recalled. “So that was really weird.”

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‘God, you’re so smart.’

Stu recounted having sex with a woman in college while the two were locked in an affectionate gaze.

“She had her glasses on,” he said. “I don’t know what my brain was thinking because I just lovingly told her, ‘God, you are so smart!’”

He immediately saw the confusion on her face, and just carried on in bed. “It’s amazing the connections your brain makes,” he said.

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Some awkward moments can be really weird and off-putting — but some can also be secretly adorable.

PictureNet Corporation via Getty Images

Some awkward moments can be really weird and off-putting — but some can also be secretly adorable.

‘You might want to get that mole looked at.’

Stu has another story that’s just as unforgettable.

“We were having sex doggy style, and I noticed a mole,” he said. “I pointed out that she might want to get it looked at.”

Looking back, he admits it wasn’t exactly the right time.

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“Maybe not the best place to say it. It just struck me as important at the time. Totally unfiltered moment,” he said. Thankfully, she laughed – and got her mole looked at.

Accidentally calling your partner by the wrong name.

For Samer, the nightmare scenario that most people dread actually happened. After dating his boyfriend for about three months, the couple finally decided they were ready to have sex.

“In the heat of the moment, I called him John,” Samer said. The problem? “His name is Manny.”

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Even worse, Samer has no idea who John is. “Don’t ask me who John is because I have no idea. The name just blurted out of my mouth,” Samer said.

Fortunately, Manny didn’t hear it. The next day, though, Samer confessed what had happened.

“He laughed and said he never heard me,” Samer recalled, “but in my own head I was yelling at myself, ‘How could you, you idiot?’”

Reddit users also had their fair share of awkward confessions.

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If the stories above sound painfully relatable, they’re hardly unique. In a Reddit discussion from last year about the most embarrassing things people have said during sex, hundreds of users shared the awkward comments that still make them cringe years later.

One user said that when their partner asked them to “talk dirty,” their brain completely froze and jumped to the literal: “She said talk dirty… I started telling her about my rock collection.”

Another recalled trying to respond after their partner complimented their size. “She said, ‘Oh my God, you’re so big,’ and I panicked and said, ‘No you are.’”

Some brains simply gave up on making sense altogether. “I meant to say ‘seriously’ since I was about to cum. It somehow came out ‘Stop celery.’” Their partner immediately stopped and asked, “Did you call me celery?” The two laughed for 15 minutes before continuing.

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Sometimes these OMG-worthy moments can even launch a hilarious inside joke that eventually becomes part of your relationship lore.

Koldunov via Getty Images

Sometimes these OMG-worthy moments can even launch a hilarious inside joke that eventually becomes part of your relationship lore.

One couple accidentally turned foreplay into meal planning. “I asked her to say something sexy and she said, ‘What would you like for dinner tomorrow?’” According to the Reddit user, the phrase has since become the couple’s code for an early night together.

For another couple, a compliment unexpectedly turned into a karaoke moment. “I told my wife, ‘I like the way you work it.’ Without missing a beat she replied, ‘No diggity.’” They laughed so hard they had to stop having sex.

Perhaps the most shocking confession came from one user who suddenly had an unsettling realisation mid-sex. “While I was having intercourse I stopped moving, stared at my (much older) boyfriend and with a very a-ha! tone simply said, ‘I just realised you could actually be my dad.’” Needless to say, he didn’t take it well.

Why saying something weird during sex feels especially embarrassing.

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The embarrassment usually has less to do with what was actually said than the meaning we attach to it, according to Baratz.

“A feeling of embarrassment usually comes less from what actually happened and more from the meaning we assign to it,” he explained. “We worry our partner will think we’re unattractive, inexperienced or bad at sex, and if something happens, it can feel like confirmation of those fears.”

Many people also approach sex as though they’re being evaluated rather than participating in a shared experience, he said.

In healthy sexual relationships, awkwardness is something you navigate together, not something you get judged for.

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– Todd Baratz, certified sex therapist

“In healthy sexual relationships, awkwardness is something you navigate together, not something you get judged for,” he said. If an awkward moment happens, Baratz recommends acknowledging it, laughing if it feels natural and moving on.

“The best response is often the simplest one,” he said. “You’re probably much more focused on the awkward moment than your partner is.”

In fact, those imperfect moments can become part of what makes intimacy meaningful.

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“When two people acknowledge something embarrassing, laugh together and continue to be present with each other, it’s a demonstration of trust and emotional safety,” Baratz said.

“The goal isn’t to eliminate awkwardness completely, but to become comfortable enough with yourself and your partner that it doesn’t ruin the experience.”

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Trump posts AI image of CNN’s Kaitlan Collins as Dylan Mulvaney following WHCD trans joke

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Trump posts AI image of CNN’s Kaitlan Collins as Dylan Mulvaney following WHCD trans joke

President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image of CNN’s Kaitlan Collins seemingly morphed with transgender actress and influencer Dylan Mulvaney — days after comparing the two with a bizarre joke during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

The 80-year-old president went after Collins, a frequent target of his wrath, during his speech at the Correspondents’ Dinner, which was rescheduled for Friday after a shooting disrupted the original April event.

Trump congratulated Collins for winning the 2026 WHCA award for broadcast for her coverage of Trump’s contentious meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in February 2025, saying that she “shouldn’t get the award. It was a fake, but I didn’t mind.”

He then compared Collins with Mulvaney, who drew national headlines after her 2023 campaign with Bud Light prompted a conservative boycott of the beer brand.

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“She never smiles,” Trump said of Collins during his speech Friday. “I said, ‘Kaitlin, do you ever smile?’ Smile. You have a nice position. You’re at CNN fake news. You should be a happy person. So smile, Kaitlan. Just smile.”

President Donald Trump shared the bizarre, seemingly AI-edited image of Collins’ face plastered on top of Mulvaney’s body, on Truth Social Sunday
President Donald Trump shared the bizarre, seemingly AI-edited image of Collins’ face plastered on top of Mulvaney’s body, on Truth Social Sunday (@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social)

Trump continued, saying that he thought Collins had “made it big with a major new sponsorship, but then I informed her that it wasn’t her on the Bud Light can, it was Dylan Mulvaney.”

The president appeared to compare Collins with Mulvaney again on Sunday, sharing a seemingly AI-generated image featuring Collins’ face on Mulvaney’s body. The original image was of Mulvaney during her partnership with Bud Light in 2023, and was widely circulated online at the time during the backlash.

This is a breaking news story, check back for updates…

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The Hundred Manchester Super Giants vs Birmingham Phoenix: Jos Buttler’s 90 – best shots

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Jos Buttler playing a shot

Jos Buttler scores 90 off 50 balls, in an innings that included five sixes, as he helps his Manchester Super Giants side reach 187-5 against Birmingham Phoenix in the men’s Hundred.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Hundred – Phoenix chasing 188 against Super Giants after Buttler’s 90

Available to UK users only.

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Horrific moment man in his 30s is stabbed in front of crowd during afternoon in busy Soho street

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A video from the Soho street showed an altercation taking place behind a car

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A man was allegedly stabbed in a Soho street after a row broke out in the queue for a pop-up event by American singer Latto.

The victim, a man in his 30s, was treated for stab wounds to the leg after the incident in Greek Street, Soho, at around 4.30pm on Thursday.

Angela Dean, a witness in her 50s, said ‘chaos erupted’ as she queued with her 14-year-old son.

She said people attempted to jump the queue and she captured footage of the incident.

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A video appeared to show two men involved in a confrontation, with one holding what looks like a knife.

Angela, a full-time carer from Essex, said: ‘Everyone was running and pushing – there was no crowd control.

‘I had to run out of the queue to alert the bouncer at the club to what was happening.

‘My child has been left deeply traumatised by what he witnessed.’

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A video from the Soho street showed an altercation taking place behind a car

One man appeared to make aggressive movements after approaching another man behind the car

One man appeared to make aggressive movements after approaching another man behind the car

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘Police are investigating the stabbing of a man in the centre of Soho.

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‘At 4.28pm on Thursday, 23 July, Met officers were called by the London Ambulance Service to Greek Street, Soho, following reports of a stabbing.

‘At the scene, a man in his 30s was treated by paramedics and taken to hospital with a stab wound to the leg.

‘His condition has since been confirmed as non-life-threatening and non-life-changing.

‘There were no other reported injuries.

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‘At this early stage of the investigation, no arrests have been made.

‘Urgent enquiries are ongoing.’

Latto is a Grammy-nominated rapper from Atlanta known for her hit Big Energy.

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“Most important country on the planet” Americans stunned over 16 revolutionary inventions from Scotland

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Daily Record

‘Scotland may be the most important country on the planet. Who knew the Scots were this impressive?’

Two American podcasters have been left stunned after discovering how many things the Scots have invented, declaring that Scotland “may be the most important country on the planet”.

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It’s well known that Scotland boasts it’s fair share of notable inventors, with Alexander Graham Bell inventing the first working telephone and Alexander Fleming changing modern day medicine after discovering penicillin.

However, the Scots invented a whole series of other groundbreaking inventions too, much to the Americans’ surprise as they questioned: “Who knew the Scots were this impressive?”

Podcast hosts Brian Conz and Zach Misischia run their show ‘The Makeshift Project’ which is popular in the US. The pair recently posted a video on Tiktok of their conversation about Scottish inventions which has now gone viral online.

Captioning the video ‘Scotland: Why This Small Country Matters To The World’, Conz begins by listing 16 groundbreaking inventions we couldn’t live without today which all originated from Scotland.

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In a bid to convince co-host Misischia, he says: “Scotland may be the most important country on the planet. I’m going to list 16 things that that country invented and you’re going to tell me, are they the most important country or not?”

He begins: “They invented penicillin. That’s the most important medicine ever created. They invented the telephone”, as his friend butts in and asks: “I thought Alexander Graham Bell did that.” Conz replies: “He’s from Scotland!”

He continues: “They invented the television. This is insane, did you know this about Scotland? They invented the lightbulb.”

Misischia contests this by asking: “I thought it was Edison?” However, it was actually Scottish inventor James Bowman Lindsay who built an early constant electric incandescent light prototype in 1835 decades before Thomas Edison created the modern day lightbulb.

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Conz returns to his list: “They also invented the raincoat and it’s a good invention. This one way is way more important, they invented the MRI scanner. They also invented the refrigerator.

“They invented the colour photograph. They invented contact lenses and they’ve invented the flushing toilet.”

In amazement, he adds: “They invented the steam engine. They invented the fingerprint classification. They did all this. Who knew that Scots were this impressive?

“They invented the ATM. Thank god for that or we would be in trouble in the casino. They invented the encyclopedia and this one might be the most important, they invented the kaleidoscope.”

He finishes off by listing one of Scotland’s most proud inventions: “And this one I think is gonna sell you, they invented the game of golf.”

The podcasters were left visibly stunned by how many great things have come from Scotland as they included a lengthy caption explaining Scottish history, inventions, culture, science and modern global roles.

Proud Scots rushed to the comments and in true Scottish fashion, pointed out all the great inventions they’d missed including venoms and square sausages.

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One replied: “Thank you Scotland. You deserve to be an independent country.” Another joked: “And just imagine what we could have done if we’d been sober!”

A third offered another Scottish invention: “Football was also invented in Scotland. A Scottish man introduced football to Argentina and Brazil.”

The listed Scottish inventions and their inventors

  • Discovery of penicillin – Alexander Fleming
  • The telephone – Alexander Graham Bell
  • The television – John Logie Baird
  • The lightbulb – James Bowman Lindsay
  • The raincoat – Charles Macintosh
  • The refrigerator – William Cullen
  • Colour photographs – James Clerk Maxwell and photographer Thomas Sutton
  • First disposable contact lenses – Ron Hamilton
  • Flushing toilet – Alexander Cumming
  • Steam engine – James Watt
  • Fingerprint classification – Henry Faulds
  • ATM – James Goodfellow and John Shepherd-Barron
  • Encyclopædia Britannica – Colin Macfarquhar, Andrew Bell, and William Smellie
  • Kaleidoscope – Sir David Brewster
  • Golf – evolved in Scotland during the Middle Ages

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A fatal attack on Berlin’s Pride festival leaves locals wondering how their city will recover

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A fatal attack on Berlin's Pride festival leaves locals wondering how their city will recover

For Ali Darwich, the deadly attack on the Berlin Pride Festival was an attack on the city of Berlin and everything it stands for: its diversity, its tolerance and its belief in freedom.

On a personal level, it also was an attack on everything the Berliner embodies.

“Born a Muslim, living as a gay man, working as a police officer,” Darwich said, as he tried holding back the tears, “this terror attack touches so many aspects of who I am.”

Saturday night’s van ramming and stabbing near Berlin’s Pride festival that left one person dead and many others wounded is believed to have been an Islamic extremist terror attack, authorities say.

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The suspect in the attack remains at large. Authorities issued a wanted notice and warned people against approaching Abdul Ballout, a 21-year-old German citizen with Lebanese roots, saying that he may be armed and dangerous.

On Sunday, Darwich, 34, watched sadly as more and more members of the LGBTQ+ community came to Tiergarten park, where the attack took place. They put down flowers, hugged each other and looked in disbelief at the crashed van, which still stood cordoned off behind dozens of police officers.

Like Darwich, many of them had been celebrating life and love just hours earlier, protesting for equality and warning of an increase of hate crimes against their community.

“I was wearing my rainbow-colored shirt, carried a banner at the parade saying ‘why are some people afraid of love but not of hate?,’ and was about to go to an afterparty last night, when friends started calling me to check if I was OK,” he said.

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When he understood that there had been an attack, he canceled the party and went home filled with sorrow. But it was only after he woke up on Sunday morning that he truly grasped the significance of the attack.

“I asked myself, why as a police officer I did not run to the scene of the crash to help my colleagues. I asked myself as a gay if we will have to live with more fear now even though we are already experiencing bullying and hatred. I asked myself as a Muslim if our community will be exposed to even more racism now.”

Darwich, who was born in Berlin and has Lebanese and Palestinian roots, expressed worry that the attack would polarize German society even more.

“I’m actually feeling desperate this morning,” said Darwich, who also works as a gay Muslim influencer and posts many videos on social media that usually try to strike a positive note. “We can’t get rid of the hatred some people feel, and it’s just getting worse and worse.”

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But at the same time, he said he did not want to let hate win and that deep inside he still hoped that “the people of Berlin will make the best of it, that they will work together, and that, hopefully, all of this will lead to an even better Berlin.”

Others, who had come to the impromptu vigil at Tiergarten, also expressed anger and shock, but also resilience.

“We are simply stunned by what happened yesterday,” said Andre Lehmann, a top official with the main national LGBTQ+ association, LSVD+. “This suspected attack hits the heart of the queer community.”

The attack “affects people who took to the street in Berlin this weekend to fight for their rights, their diversity and their rights, and of course with that it is a political act and does not just affect people celebrating,” he said.

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Lehmann said that there has been “a tenfold increase of anti-queer hate crime in Germany within a few years.” He added that “for years, to be honest, nothing has happened and also, to be honest, for years there has been no outcry from society.”

Ashley Jump, a 26-year-old U.K. resident, had traveled to Berlin for Saturday’s Pride parade but had left the celebrations before the attack. Jump, still in shock, returned Sunday to leave flowers at a memorial near the crime scene.

“They’ll never erase us, we’ll never be gone,” they said, their voice shivering from pain. “As long as humanity has existed, we’ve existed. And as long as humanity exists, we will exist. We will not be removed.”

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