Michael Carrick is preparing for his first full season as Man United boss and he could make a dream start to the 2026/27 campaign.

Manchester United have been handed the ‘easiest’ start to the 2026/27 Premier League season with the fixtures computer lining them up against two newly-promoted teams in their first two games.

Michael Carrick’s side could be off to a flier as they face Hull City away in their first game followed by a tie against Ipswich Town at Old Trafford.

United’s third league match is a more challenging trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium to face Everton, but overall they have by far the easiest opening three fixtures of any team, based on average finishing positions last season.

Fellow Premier League giants Liverpool and Manchester City will also be able to ease themselves into the season with fixtures which are, on paper at least, winnable games.

After United, it is Liverpool who have the ‘second-easiest’ start to the season, based on last season’s standings. Their opening games are Newcastle United (A), Nottingham Forest (H) and Ipswich Town (A).

Manchester City are ranked as having the ‘third-easiest’ start as they face Bournemouth at home followed by Crystal Palace away and then another promoted side, Coventry City, at the Etihad.

However, the Manchester clubs will then face a stern test on the fourth match day as they play each other in the first Manchester derby at Old Trafford on 12th September.

Newly-promoted Ipswich Town have the toughest start to the season. The fixtures computer has set up a particularly challenging start to the campaign for the Tractor Boys, who will be embarking on their seventh season in the top division in August.

Ipswich kick off with a home game against Sunderland, followed by the trip to Old Trafford to face United and then it’s back to Portman Road at the start of September to host Liverpool.

All of their first three opponents qualified for European competition by finishing in the top seven places in the Premier League last season.

Chelsea have the ‘second-hardest’ start to the season, with their first three games against Fulham (A), Brighton (H), and Arsenal (A). They are followed by Everton who face Crystal Palace (H), Bournemouth (A) and Manchester United (H).

Here are the ‘easiest’ and ‘toughest’ starts to the season based on the average finishing position of the first 3 opponents in 2025/26:

Manchester United: 19.7

Liverpool: 16.7

Manchester City: 14

Sunderland: 14

Brentford: 12.7

Tottenham Hotspur: 12.3

Nottingham Forest: 12

Arsenal: 11.7

Aston Villa: 11

Leeds United: 11

Fulham: 10.7

Brighton and Hove Albion: 9.3

Hull City: 9.3

Newcastle United: 9.3

Bournemouth: 9

Coventry City: 9

Crystal Palace: 8.7

Everton: 8

Chelsea: 6.7

Ipswich Town: 5

Thousands of Man United fans upgraded their matchday last season. This is how they did it.

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The prime minister is facing calls to exit Number 10 – but he has insisted he will not ‘walk away’

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has issued a new statement amid calls for him to step aside for a new leader to take control of the party.

On Friday morning, Andy Burnham, a favourite to replace Sir Keir, was declared the winner of the Makerfield parliamentary by-election marking his return to Westminster after serving as Greater Manchester mayor for more than nine years.

Mr Burnham had made his intentions to stand for Labour leader in any upcoming contest known during his campaign. Reports suggest the new Wigan MP is stopping short of formally challenging the PM in the hope that Sir Keir will step down first.

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However, hours after Mr Burnham’s victory, Sir Keir spoke to reporters at an event in north west London, where he insisted that he ‘will not walk away’ from his post.

The prime minister confirmed that he will fight any potential leadership challenge if a contest is triggered.

An election for a new party leader can be triggered if an MP manages to secure 81 nominations from other Labour MPs. If that were to happen, Sir Keir would automatically be entered into the contest, while any other MP wishing to stand would also need to secure the required number of nominations – 20 per cent of the standing MPs according to Labour’s rules.

Speaking to reporters at an event in north London on Friday morning, Sir Keir said: “If there is a contest, then yes, I will stand. I have said repeatedly, I am not going to walk away from that.”

The prime minister congratulated Mr Burnham on the win, before adding: “I think it’s further evidence, actually, if you look at it in the context of other by-elections, that the tide is turning on Reform, that they can’t now win by-elections.

“They’ve reached probably the peak of their support, it is going down. So, very good, congratulations to Andy Burnham, but actually the tide is turning on Reform as well, so this is really important in that respect.”

He told reporters: “There isn’t a leadership contest at the moment, there isn’t one at the moment, but as I’ve said on many, many occasions, I don’t think that’s a good thing for the country, to plunge us into chaos.

“I would also add that now that Andy has won which is really important, really good, he’s a huge asset to us, that now there will inevitably be a Manchester mayoralty by-election starting straight away. It’s important that we pull together for that, but if there is a contest, just to be clear with you, then yes, I will run.”

Earlier today, he posted a message on X congratulating Mr Burnham on his victory. “Voters chose Labour’s campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate,” he said.

Mr Burnham defeated Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon by 9,231 votes, up from 5,399 in 2024, and Labour’s vote share increased by 9.61 per cent. In his victory speech he urged his party to act now, saying there would be no second chance.

He said: “Everyone knows that politics isn’t working. Everyone can feel that the country isn’t where it should be. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point.”

In a direct message to Labour MPs he said: “I do say to my own party: this is a final chance to change. This is what people said directly to me on the hundreds of doorsteps that I stood on. We must hear it, we must act upon it and we must get it right. There will be no second chance.”

Mr Burnham gave up the Greater Manchester mayoralty by becoming Makerfield MP, winning the seat that was vacated by Josh Simons in order to allow him the chance of returning to Westminster and seek to become prime minister.

Ahead of the by-election, Sir Keir warned Mr Burnham not to throw the country into “chaos” by launching a leadership challenge. Speaking to ITV’s This Morning, he said: “I don’t think we should have a challenge, because I think it’ll throw the country into chaos. If there is a challenge, I will fight. I’m not going to walk away from this.”

He added: “We won a landslide victory just two years ago with a clear mandate to change the country, that’s a five-year mandate.”

Sir Keir’s premiership has been under pressure since Labour’s crushing defeats in May’s local elections, which saw Reform UK make big gains across the country.

Former health secretary Wes Streeting and ex-armed forces minister Al Carns have also signalled they would run in any contest to replace Sir Keir.

We’ve all been there, patiently waiting in the airport for a boarding gate, only to see the dreaded words displayed on the big screen overhead: Delayed.

Usually, the inconvenience isn’t too bad, and you end up at your destination an hour or two late.

The only consolation is that if the plane lands three hours or later than scheduled, at least you might be eligible for some money back.

In 2024, 145 million passengers took off from UK airports — with one in three experiencing a flight delay or cancellation.

Around 3.4 million of these were Brits, who ended up being entitled to up to £520 each in compensation, thanks to the UK’s passenger rights protections.

But what happens if you were initially told your flight was delayed due to ‘technical difficulties’ with the aircraft, only to land and the airline claim it was actually ‘adverse weather conditions’?

This is the very pickle one Reddit user found herself in recently.

While getting ready to board a Ryanair flight from Barcelona to London Stansted, she shared she’d received a notification that her flight was delayed by two hours following ‘”technical difficulties” with an aircraft’.

The plane eventually landed in London three hours and 20 minutes late, meaning all passengers were entitled to claim.

When she went to do so however, she found that Ryanair’s website stated she was now ineligible because the flight ‘was delayed due to adverse weather conditions suffered by the operating aircraft on previous sectors, outside of the control of Ryanair’.

The woman was confused, given the Irish carrier had previously claimed the delay had nothing to do with the weather.

But because the Reddit user forgot to take a screenshot of the original message citing technical difficulties, she’s unsure how to prove it.

What do the experts say?

Allana Wilckens, legal expert on passenger rights at Flightright UK, tells Metro that if airlines can prove the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances — such as genuinely adverse weather — and that it couldn’t have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken, they don’t have to pay out.

Still, she says that the passenger appears to have a properly arguable claim for €250 (£217) compensation because the flight arrived more than three hours late.

Similarly, Tim Riley, Managing Director of True Traveller and Chairman of the UK Travel Industry Association, tells Metro: ‘If passengers believe their flight delay was caused by a technical issue over adverse weather, they can challenge the airline’s decision through the appropriate Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process.’

From a travel insurance perspective though, Tim warns that a delay of just over three hours is unlikely to trigger a payout under most UK policies — even if it is the law.

Rather, he says, delay benefits only typically apply after much longer disruptions, often 12 hours or more.

Allana adds that the early claim of technical difficulties is an important factor here, because ordinary technical problems are generally not regarded as extraordinary circumstances.

Equally, there may have been more than one cause for the delay. For example, weather may have delayed the aircraft on an earlier sector, while a later technical or operational issue caused further delay.

‘If that is the case, Ryanair should explain how much of the delay was caused by each issue rather than attributing the whole delay to weather,’ she explains.

As for the initial screenshot? Allana says that just because the passenger forgot to take a photo, it doesn’t mean the claim should fail.

In fact, she argues Ryanair should retain records of the notifications sent through its app, as well as the operational and technical records relating to the flight, adding: ‘It’s for the airline to prove that the extraordinary circumstances defence applies.’

As such, the travel expert concludes that if Ryanair cannot properly evidence its defence, compensation should be paid.

What has Ryanair had to say?

Metro put the claims to Ryanair, which reiterates that the flight from Barcelona to London Stansted on June 10 was ‘delayed due to adverse weather conditions at London Stansted Airport.’

According to the budget airline, this prevented the inbound aircraft scheduled to operate this flight from departing Barcelona on time.

However, it also adds that the same flight was subsequently delayed ‘ahead of take-off due to a minor technical issue with the aircraft.’

A spokesperson said: ‘Passengers booked on this flight received communications via email, push notifications and received updates via the Ryanair app, and were issued with refreshment vouchers during the delay.’ 

To minimise disruption, Ryanair states that it arranged for a replacement aircraft to operate the flight to London Stansted, which departed at 10.45pm local time.

Ultimately though, it states the passenger is ‘not entitled to compensation’ because the ‘delay was weather-related, which is outside of Ryanair’s control.’

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Getting enough exercise is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Yet many people around the world are not active enough. Around one in three adults fail to meet the recommended levels of physical activity, while four in five children aged 11–17 do not achieve the recommended average of 60 minutes a day.

A lack of physical activity increases the risk of long-term conditions such as type 2 diabetes. It can also affect cognitive function: the mental processes that help us learn, remember, concentrate and make decisions. For children, these skills are closely linked to educational achievement and future opportunities.

Parents can find it particularly difficult to stay active. The demands of family life often leave little time for exercise, and becoming a parent can make it harder to maintain moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Because physical inactivity affects both generations, families are an important focus for interventions designed to improve health and wellbeing.

Obstacles and inspirations

In our recent research, we interviewed 24 families to explore what helps or hinders physical activity and whether experiences differed according to socioeconomic background.

Many of the barriers were unsurprising. Families frequently cited the cost of organised activities and a lack of free time as obstacles to being active together. Families from less affluent backgrounds also described limited access to local sports and leisure facilities, while families from more affluent backgrounds often viewed local facilities as an important support for staying active.

Children consistently told us that seeing their parents being active encouraged them to join in. But the influence worked both ways. Parents from less affluent backgrounds often described their children as role models, explaining that their children’s enthusiasm for movement motivated them to become more active.

This suggests that physical activity within families is not simply something parents encourage in their children. Parents and children can inspire one another, creating positive habits that benefit the whole family.

Building on these findings, we developed a family-based physical activity programme designed to help parents and children exercise together. We chose tag rugby because it is fun, adaptable and non-contact, making it suitable for people of different ages to participate together.

We then wanted to find out whether a single 45-minute session could produce measurable short-term benefits for physical health and cognitive function.

Benefits to brain and body

Sixteen families took part in the study. On one occasion, families completed a 45-minute tag-rugby session involving a warm-up, skills activities and small games. On another occasion, they completed a comparison session involving seated rest.

Before and after each session, participants completed a series of computer-based tasks designed to assess cognitive function, including working memory, attention and information processing. We also measured how their bodies responded to a standardised lunch by monitoring blood-sugar and insulin levels.

Insulin is a hormone that helps the body regulate blood sugar. After the tag-rugby session, parents had lower insulin concentrations following the meal than they did after the resting session, even though their blood-sugar responses were similar. This suggests that their bodies were able to manage the meal using less insulin.

We also found short-term improvements in cognitive function. Children performed better on a working-memory task immediately after exercise. Parents showed improvements in information processing immediately after the session, with benefits continuing for up to 45 minutes.

These findings need to be interpreted cautiously. Our study involved a relatively small number of families and examined the effects of a single exercise session. It does not show whether the benefits would persist or accumulate if families took part regularly.

But the results provide a useful starting point. Whether we are learning in school, concentrating at work or managing everyday family life, we rely on memory, attention and information-processing skills throughout the day. A form of exercise that families can enjoy together may also be easier to sustain than an activity that places additional demands on already busy parents.

Our findings suggest that family-based physical activity could offer a practical way to support physical health and cognitive performance while giving parents and children an opportunity to spend enjoyable time together. In a world where many adults and children are struggling to be active enough, creating accessible opportunities for families to move together deserves further attention.

The overhaul involves demolishing the existing pavilion building and removal of two bowling greens, followed by adding four containers, manager dugouts, floodlighting, fences and a new 3G football pitch.

Councillors have unanimously approved a project to upgrade Whifflet Park, the home ground of grassroots club Burnbank FC.

The overhaul, which was the subject of a planning application submitted to North Lanarkshire Council on behalf of the club, involves demolishing the existing pavilion building and removal of two bowling greens, followed by adding four containers, manager dugouts, floodlighting, fences and a new 3G football pitch.

The upgraded Coatbridge facility will also have 35 parking spaces.

A report to the council’s planning committee recommended granting the application on the grounds that it would not represent a significant detriment to the surrounding area.

The planning application attracted 13 objections expressing concerns over the effect of floodlighting on nearby properties, noise, complaints about the consultation process and an alleged disregard from the club for engaging with the community, traffic, loss of open space and also trees which are more than 100 years old, anti-social behaviour and the operating hours of the clubhouse.

These issues have been addressed in conditions attached to the planning permission, removal of the clubhouse and spectator stands during revision of the proposals and clarification that matters such as anti-social behaviour are not planning considerations. No objections to the plans were made by the council’s various departments.

The report also noted that the club positively affects the mental and physical health of those involved, and overall there was no reasonable justification for refusing the application.

The committee agreed and unanimously granted planning permission subject to conditions.

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Keith Richards is synonymous with rock’n’ roll excess, to the point that his living to the age of 82 is regarded as something of a modern miracle.

The Rolling Stones rocker recently became a great-grandfather for the first time, and is preparing for the release of the band’s 25th studio album, Foreign Tongues – neither feat being something naysayers predicted he’d live to see.

In a new interview, Richards reveals that it was only six years ago that he quit smoking – and the only reason was that he viewed it as “childish”.

“I tended to listen to my body just before it screamed for help,” he told The Guardian of his hard-living years. “I mean, I wasn’t far from the end of the runway before I screamed for help. But you tend to slow down if you want to keep going; you pace yourself.”

Of quitting smoking, he said: “Suddenly, I felt like after all these years of smoking – because, you know, a man smokes – I was sat around with this silly thing in my mouth thinking: how childish. It was that that put me off more than anything, although I smoke a lot of weed.”

Richards said he still drinks “in moderation”, joking: “So yeah, it’s only a ton of heroin a day now.”

The legendary guitarist has been open about his hedonistic antics over the years, most notably in his 2010 autobiography, Life.

In one anecdote, the musician detailed how he only gave up cocaine aged 62, after he split his head open falling from a tree while foraging for coconuts – requiring him to undergo brain surgery.

He described running around Swinging London fuelled by speedballs, a cocktail of cocaine and heroin that he once dubbed “the breakfast of champions”.

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Addiction expert Dr Robert Lefever told the BBC in 2010 that there was only one possible explanation for Richards’ longevity: “He must have the constitution of an ox.”

Meanwhile, writer and music journalist David Quantick agreed that Richards must be made of sterner stuff: “It’s almost as though others die so Keith Richards may live,” he said.

However, he added: “Still, it’s not as though any children are going to think he’s a good example. Just look at him: he’s got a face like a prune’s wallet.”

Richards was the subject of a number of drug busts over the years, most infamously at his Redlands in Sussex, England, in 1966, when he, Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull were coming down from an acid trip.

“There’s a knock on the door, I look out the window, and there’s this whole lot of dwarves outside,” wrote Richards. “I’d never been busted before, and I’m still on acid.”

The two bandmates were brought up on drug charges and received brief prison sentences that were eventually overturned.

Foreign Tongues, the new Rolling Stones album, will be released on 10 July.

If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here.

In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP

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Today, Labour’s Andy Burnham wins the Makerfield by election – so how could we see a challenge to Keir Starmer as Labour Party leader?

Burnham won almost 25,000 votes, beating Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon by more than 9,000 votes. In his victory speech Andy Burnham said “Everyone knows that politics isn’t working, and has previously said he would seek to enter any Labour leadership contest.

So what happens now?

Adam and Chris are joined by Kevin Fitzpatrick political reporter for Radio Manchester and Luke Tryl Director of More in Common.

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Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren. The social producer was Jem Westgate and Beth Pritchard. The technical producer was Antonio Fernandes. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Police charged a third suspect on Friday with an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue that was allegedly directed by Iran.

The 20-year-old man was one of three masked offenders who broke into the Adass Israel Synagogue, doused the interior with flammable liquid then set it alight in the early hours of Dec. 6, 2024, a police statement alleged.

The fire caused extensive damage to the synagogue and a worshipper sustained minor injuries.

The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, which brings together federal and state police with a spy agency, charged the man, who has not been named, with offenses including arson.

He was charged in a Melbourne jail where he was already being held in custody on unrelated offenses. Police declined to elaborate on those offenses.

His co-accused Giovanni Laulu, 21, was arrested in July last year and another suspect, Younes Ali Younes, 20, was arrested a month later.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last year accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guard of directing the synagogue fire and an arson attack two months earlier at a Sydney kosher eatery, Lewis’ Continental Kitchen.

Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the nation’s main domestic spy agency, said the Revolutionary Guard used a “complex web of proxies to hide its involvement” in both antisemitic attacks.

Iran’s ambassador to Australia and another three Iranian diplomats were expelled. Tehran has denied Australia’s allegations.

Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Peter Crozier told reporters on Friday that investigators were working with international partners in the continuing investigation.

Police were also investigating whether the three alleged arsonists knew who ordered the attack.

“They may not actually be aware of the people who are directing or the principals of these investigations. That remains a key line of inquiry for us,” Crozier said.

Victoria Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul O’Halloran said police had informed the local Jewish community of the third arrest before the news was made public.

The Australian government has established a public inquiry to investigate a rise in antisemitism across the country, including the killing of 15 people when two gunmen opened fire on a Sydney Hanukkah celebration in December.

Andy Burnham (Labour): 24,927 (54.81%)

Rob Kenyon (Reform) 15,696 (34.51%)

Rebecca Shepherd (Restore) 3,111 (6.84%)

Michael Winstanley (Conservative) 997 (2.19%)

Sarah Wakefield (Green) 308 (0.68%)

Jake Austin (Liberal Democrat) 163 (0.36%)

Count Binface (Binface) 95 (0.21%)

Howling Laud Hope (Loony) 45 (0.10%)

John Dyer (Independent) 37 (0.08%)

Peter Ward (Rejoin) 35 (0.08%)

Dan Clarke (Libertarian) 18 (0.04%)

Ed Gemmell (Climate) 18 (0.04%)

Robert Pownall (Independent) 18 (0.04%)

Paul Gould (Independent) 8 (0.02%)