It took Harry Kane four games and 269 minutes to even manage a shot on target at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

He looked tired early in that tournament and I felt he needed a rest after England’s first two matches.

Things could not be more different this time – he will be on top of the world after scoring twice in the 4-2 win against Croatia.

As a striker, the one thing you desperately want to do at any major tournament is get off to a good start.

I was lucky enough to do that myself for England when we beat Tunisia in our first game at the 1998 World Cup.

Honestly, it was a massive relief – not only for the team to get the win, but to get on the scoresheet myself, as captain and our main goalscorer, when everyone was looking at me to deliver.

For all the same reasons, I know Kane will be feeling exactly the same way after the way he played on Wednesday.

He had to sit all week with the rest of the England squad and watch all the other games, seeing superstars like France’s Kylian Mbappe, Norway’s Erling Haaland and Argentina’s Lionel Messi get up and running, not just with one goal but by scoring at least two.

Kane would have been absolutely desperate to join the party and get off the mark in his first game too, so to do that after only 12 minutes and go on to get another one as well, is huge for him – and for England.

When Kane finally got a shot on target in Qatar, in the last 16 against Senegal, he scored.

This time he has got that feel-good factor from the very start, and we’ve already seen what he does when that happens – at Russia in 2018, Kane scored five goals in England’s first two games to send him on his way to the Golden Boot and help us reach the semi-finals.

With arguably our toughest game in Group L out of the way and Ghana and Panama next, his eyes must be lighting up.

The party is gearing up to take on Labour, Reform UK and the rest

The Green Party has announced its candidate to replace Andy Burnham as Greater Manchester’s mayor. Mr Burnham’s victory in the Makerfield by-election has triggered a vote for a new mayor, to take place on July 30.

Labour will be hoping to defend the mayoralty, while Reform UK is likely to be a significant challenger, having won dozens of council seats across Greater Manchester in May’s local elections. But it is the Green Party which has made the first move in the mayoral by-election, by naming its candidate this afternoon (June 20).

Geraldine Coggins will contest the mayoral by-election for the Greens. She is currently the party’s group leader on Trafford council, where she serves as a representative for Altrincham.

Click here for our dedicated Makerfield by-election newsletter with exclusive interviews and analysis

Councillor Coggins was first elected back in 2018, making her one of Greater Manchester’s first Green Party councillors, long before the recent surge for the party seen since Salford-born Zack Polanski became leader last September. She is described by the party as a ‘straight talking anti-austerity campaigner’.

Coun Coggins had been considered a frontrunner for the nomination. Sources previously told the Manchester Evening News that she had been considered the favourite for members in Greater Manchester due to her ‘extensive’ political and leadership experience.

Mr Polanski has already suggested his party will be the main challenger to Reform UK next month. He wrote on X: “Greater Manchester Mayor is a straight up battle between the Green Party Vs Reform. It’s Hope Vs Hate. We’ve been getting ready for this one.”

The Greens fought off both Reform and Labour in the Gorton and Denton by-election, when Hannah Spencer – herself a former candidate for Greater Manchester’s mayoralty – was voted in as MP. The party also performed well on Manchester council in May’s local elections, winning 17 seats and defending one.

Unsurprisingly, Labour has already disputed Mr Polanski’s claim, issuing a statement on Friday evening describing the upcoming contest as a ‘two-horse race’ between itself and Reform. A Labour source said: “Labour in power in Greater Manchester has seen real improvements for people’s everyday lives.

“From buses back in public control with capped fares, to thousands more homes and additional infrastructure built – all of this progress could be put at risk with Reform. The Greens can’t win this race. It’s time to pass the torch from Andy Burnham, who has delivered for the area, to the next transformational Labour mayor.”

Applications to become Labour’s candidate to replace Andy Burnham are open until 5pm on Sunday, before long and short lists are drawn up by the party’s National Executive Committee and the Regional Executive, ahead of voting starting on Tuesday. Voting will close on Friday, June 26, before the result is announced.

Manchester council leader Bev Craig – who became the first woman to hold that position in 2021 – is currently considered to be the favourite for the nomination, while Salford mayor Paul Dennett is understood not to be putting himself forward. The M.E.N. understands allies close to Mr Burnham fear Labour could lose the mayoralty if Sir Keir Starmer does not set out a timeline for his departure before the by-election takes place.

The Department for Work and Pensions has faced questions around the existing system for people on PIP and DLA

The DWP has issued details over a two-tier system in place for PIP claimants in an update released to Parliament. The Department for Work and Pensions has been asked questions about tax reductions for some people on PIP – Personal Independence Payments – and DLA, which is Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance.

Officials are under scrutiny over the process that disabled people have to go through to qualify for these reductions. There are two issues at play – and the current system leaves some people facing more hoops to jump through to get help.

People on the enhanced rate mobility component of PIP qualify for free vehicle tax and can sort this transaction online, free of annual paperwork, because the DWP and DVLA systems work together for this tier. But people on the standard rate, who qualify for a 50 per cent reduction, face a more laborious process.

Their reduction does not renew automatically each year. In addition, they can be required to go through V10 forms, Post Office visits and DWP award letters.

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The DWP has now explained what it would like to do to improve the system. But it has admitted there will be a sizeable wait for any changes to occur.

The issue has come to light after a parliamentary question from Mike Martin, Liberal Democrat MP for Tunbridge Wells). He asked the Department for Transport what steps it is “taking to integrate DVLA and DWP data systems so that disabled people who qualify for vehicle tax reductions through receipt of PIP or DLA are not required to complete a separate annual renewal process with DVLA, given that their eligibility is already subject to review by DWP.”

In a response this month, Simon Lightwood, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport), replied to explain the current rules and what could happen in the future. He said: “The law requires that entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is checked when a vehicle is taxed.

“The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) remains committed to working with the Department for Work and Pensions to review and improve the process for customers who receive the standard rate mobility component of PIP, which entitles them to a 50 per cent reduction in the rate of vehicle excise duty payable. Customers who receive the enhanced rate mobility component of PIP and whose vehicles are licensed in the disabled taxation class can already transact online.

“The DVLA will look to develop and introduce a full digital service for customers in receipt of the standard rate of PIP but this work will not start until after the delivery of electric Vehicle Excise Duty changes in 2028.”

The different processes for PIP standard and enhanced rate recipients

Vehicle Excise Duty is a legal requirement for most vehicles in the UK. A car tax reduction can see the rate dropped by 50 per cent or cut out altogether.

Government rules mean disabled people can benefit from these reductions. They often rely on a car for essential travel.

The gov.uk website says “you can get a vehicle tax exemption for one vehicle, if you’re eligible. The vehicle must be registered in the disabled person’s name or their nominated driver’s name.

“The vehicle must be used for a disabled person’s personal needs. It cannot be used by the nominated driver for their own personal use.” You can get a 50% reduction in vehicle tax on one vehicle if you are eligible, officials say.

The vehicle must be registered in the disabled person’s name or their nominated driver’s name. You can apply for a full exemption if you receive:

• War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
• enhanced rate mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• enhanced rate mobility component of Adult Disability Payment (ADP)
• higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• higher rate mobility component of Child Disability Payment
• Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance

For more details, see the gov.uk website.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Saturday lashed out at Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, insisting that she asked “over and over” for a photo with him at the recent Group of Seven summit and criticizing what he said was Italy’s lack of cooperation during the Iran war.

The remarks deepen the spat that began this week with the Republican president’s interview with an Italian broadcaster, during which Trump claimed Meloni “begged” for the photo during the G7 meeting in France. Meloni has called that “completely fabricated.” The dustup led Italy’s foreign minister to cancel a planned trip to the United States as Meloni’s government lined up in her defense.

“Italian Prime Minister Gigiorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France,” Trump wrote on his social media platform while spending the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat. He misspelled her first name in the initial post, which he later corrected.

He continued: “She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a Nuclear Weapon (But so did NATO, for that matter!).”

Trump’s comments were aired Friday on the La7 network. A correspondent had asked the president about Ukraine, but Trump raised Meloni and made the claim about the photo. Trump said he was not obliged to take the picture with her but that he felt sorry for her and agreed, La7 said. The broadcaster put a dubbed version of the conversation online, but not the original English audio.

In his post, Trump also complained that Meloni would not allow the U.S. to use Italy’s landing strips or runways during the Iran war even though the U.S. is a leader in defense spending among NATO allies. That is a long-standing complaint about the military alliance and one that Trump raised before his White House meeting Wednesday with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and the NATO summit in Turkey next month.

Italy, a key logistics hub for the U.S., declined in March to allow American bombers headed for the Middle East to use a base in Sicily without parliamentary approval. Trump vented his frustration about Meloni and on Saturday claimed that she “wants to be friends again” in light of the initial deal between the U.S. and Iran to end the war.

A 36-year-old man has been arrested after a series of incidents across west Edinburgh and Leith on Friday evening left four people injured and taken to hospital, with police saying there is no further risk to the public.

Four people are in hospital after a topless man who appeared to be wielding a large knife marched through the streets of Edinburgh.

A number of locations were locked down following what police have described as a “series of incidents” at a number of locations across the west of Edinburgh and Leith.

Four people were injured and have been taken to hospital.

Police confirmed a 36-year-old man had also been arrested.

We previously reported how a topless man was caught on a video which has been shared online in which he appeared to be marching along the Leith Walk with a blade.

Another clip appeared to show a man with several blades attempting to gain entry to a shop by smashing the window as staff fled and locked themselves inside before lowering the shutter.

Another video appeared to later show a man lying on the ground being treated by paramedics.

In the clip a male voice can be heard exclaiming: “Oh my days – holy s**t,” as the individual gets closer.

A clip uploaded to TikTok shows several marked police SUVs and cars as well as ambulances on scene with concerned passersby watching from behind police tape.

A black vehicle can also be seen within the cordon with the driver side door wide open with officers appearing to be searching it.

Leith Walk was closed by police following the incident on Friday night and a large cordon was put up while buses in the area were diverted.

Elsewhere in the city a delivery rider was pictured lying injured on the pavement on Telford Road earlier in the evening.

Locals also reported Sighthill Park being taped off by police following a serious incident.

Police Scotland have now confirmed a 36-year-old man has been arrested. They’re also no further risk to the public.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A 36-year old man has been arrested following a series of incidents at a number of locations across the West of Edinburgh, and Leith, during the evening of Friday, 19 June, 2026.

“Four people were injured and taken to hospital for treatment. “Enquiries are ongoing, however, we believe there to be no further risk to the public at this time. “Members of the public are thanked for their assistance.”

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The flight from Athens to Luton left dozens stranded at the airport in hot temperatures.

Ryanair passengers have been left stranded in Greece after their flight back to the UK took off without them.

The flight travelling from Athens to London Luton, took off with between 20 and 50 passengers, still waiting landside at the airport.

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Budget carrier Ryanair blamed border delays for the chaos, while the airport attributed the disruption to congestion caused by “additional processing requirements”. One traveller described to the BBC witnessing a “mega queue” stretching several hundred people deep at both security and passport control, all enduring scorching conditions.

“These poor people were pleading with the Ryanair staff to let them through – one guy was crying, another guy looked like he was about to explode,” they recalled. Airport authorities stepped in “to maintain orderly operations” after “a number of passengers expressed their dissatisfaction”, officials acknowledged.

A spokesperson explained there had been “periods of congestion at passport control in the departures area due to high passenger volumes and the additional processing requirements associated with travel to non-Schengen destinations”.

They added: “As is currently the case at many European airports, passenger flows on certain routes may experience increased processing times as new border-control procedures continue to be implemented and refined.”, reports Birmingham Live. Another passenger voiced their fury on Twitter, condemning Ryanair as “utterly disgraceful you left my daughter (and half your passengers) at the gate in Athens today”.

In response, Ryanair issued a statement confirming that “a number of passengers” failed to board on time “due to delays caused by border control at Athens airport”.

The airline continued: “All passengers that were at the boarding gate when this flight from Athens to London Luton boarded, travelled without incident.”

Greece has now backtracked on its commitment to spare British holidaymakers from the European Union’s forthcoming biometric border controls. Britons will instead face identical Entry/Exit System (EES) registration requirements as all other non-EU arrivals this summer.

The Greek Foreign Ministry acknowledged the reversal, confirming it possessed no information suggesting that “specific nationalities are temporarily exempt from the relevant procedure.”

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Residents may have already seen the sign, but this Wednesday (June 24) will be residents’ first opportunity to try the new Smashbox takeaway on Market Street.

Howfeners can head down during the restaurant’s first week for a 25 per cent discount on all items, from shakes to the famed smashburgers themselves.

Owner Muhammed Haque said: “We’re really looking forward to opening – we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to get everything ready.

(Image: Smashbox)

(Image: Smashbox)

“This is going to be our fourth location, and we’re looking at potentially opening another one soon too.

“We’ve got smashburgers, smashboxes, loaded fries, shakes, treats, sides – everything.”

(Image: Smashbox)

The Smashbox sign first appeared on Market Street in April, taking the spot formerly occupied by Indian takeaway Balti Taste.

But until now there was no indication of when the spot would finally be open to the public.

Westhoughton is an increasingly popular destination for food and drink.

(Image: Smashbox)

SSmashbox is located only a few doors down from Loft 24, which features food from the ever-popular Chip ‘n’ Go, as well as indie steakhouse It Sear.

The famous Hive Bakehouse is only a short walk away, as is Provenance Artisan Food Hall.

It is understood that 38 people were on board the ship at the time.

A cruise ship worker has died after falling from a ship in the Sound of Mull near Oban.

The male worker fell from the Hebridean Princess on Tuesday evening.

The Oban Coastguard Rescue Team were called out to the water at 8pm.

It is understood that 38 people were on board the ship at the time.

Hebridean Island Cruises, which operates the ship, said its thoughts were with the crew member’s family, friends and colleagues.

They said an immediate response was initiated on board the ship, and HM Coastguard and Police Scotland were notified.

A spokesperson told the BBC: “We are supporting the relevant authorities in their inquiries.

“The individual’s next of kin have been informed, and our thoughts are with their family, friends, and colleagues.

“No further details will be provided while inquiries are ongoing.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said they received a report of a man’s body in the water near Corran Esplanade in Oban about 8.30pm on Tuesday.

“His death is not being treated as suspicious, and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal in due course.”

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