… is a familiar name to anyone who follows the Premier League: Michael Oliver.
Alan Smith20 June 2026 16:39
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The least weakest link
By its very nature, the World Cup is destined to be described in terms of the best. There is an argument, though, that it is determined by the least worst. Or, to put it another way, by who has the strongest weak link. Go by weak link theory and the tournament will not be decided by Lionel Messi or Harry Kane or Kylian Mbappe; each can be called his team’s finest player. But the 11th name on the teamsheet might be the most important.
Especially because, in international football, there is an ever-present risk the worst player is worse than in the elite club sides. Without a transfer market, without the option of importing anyone, then, even in the diaspora World Cup, national team managers are picking from a limited talent pool.
All of the contenders have their flaws – including the two sides we’re about to watch.
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Richard Jolly20 June 2026 16:24
Race for the golden boot
The first ever 48-team World Cup features an additional round of 32, offering the world’s top strikers an additional opportunity of bagging an extra goal as they dream of embarking on a deep run into the tournament.
If players are tied for goals, the number of assists will determine who ranks higher. If there is still a tie, it comes down to minutes played and the goals-per-minute ratio.
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Here are the latest 2026 World Cup golden boot standings.
Jamie Braidwood20 June 2026 16:18
Full World Cup schedule today and tonight
6pm – Netherlands vs Sweden (Group F)
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9pm – Germany vs Ivory Coast (Group E)
1am – Ecuador vs Curacao (Group E)
5am – Tunisia vs Japan (Group F)
Anyone UK viewers planning on staying up and ticking them all off??
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Alex Pattle20 June 2026 16:11
Netherlands’ recent record at World Cups
In 2010, Netherlands reached their third World Cup final, where they were heartbroken for the third time as well.
That defeat by Spain was avenged in a 5-1 thrashing in Netherlands’ 2014 opener, however, en route to a semi-final penalty loss to eventual runners-up Argentina.
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2018 marked a major disappointment, though, as Netherlands failed to qualify for the World Cup at all.
2022 then brought another penalty loss to Argentina, this time in the quarter-finals – but after a spirited fightback in which the Dutch came from 2-0 down, scoring in the 83rd minute and 11 minutes into added time.
(Getty)
Alex Pattle20 June 2026 16:02
Netherlands in trouble if they struggle against spirited Swedes
If Netherlands were to draw today, they’d be in a precarious position ahead of their final group game with Tunisia.
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If they lost, though…? That would mark real danger for Ronald Koeman’s men.
Of course, though, they’d be helped by the rule that the eight best third-placed teams advance.
Still, a win today would almost certainly take them through with a minimum of 4 points by the end of the group stage.
Alex Pattle20 June 2026 15:50
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Interview: How Potter led Sweden to World Cup – ‘Best night of my career’
Sticking on Graham Potter, here’s an interview with the coach from our own part-Swede, Lawrence Ostlere:
A few minutes after the final whistle blew on the play-off final, euphoria still coursing through his veins, Sweden manager Graham Potter gathered his players around him. “Look at this, this is a f*****g team,” he said, pointing at them, before breaking into a broad grin. “And we’re going to the f*****g World Cup, baby!”
Perhaps it was just a throw away line while high on football’s most potent drug, the World Cup. But Potter’s choice of words offered an insight into the unique task of being an international manager, particularly his task. The Swedish FA gave him one job: ‘Get us to the World Cup’.
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Alex Pattle20 June 2026 15:41
‘Someone scratched me, or bit me’: Potter’s bizarre celebration injury
Potter was jubilant after his Sweden side beat Tunisia but also appeared to have picked up an injury over the course of the match, as he was pictured bleeding from his right ear.
“I don’t know what happened. Someone scratched me, or bit me. I’ll have to analyse the video footage,” he joked, via Swedish publication Sportbladet.
Owen Evans, 45, fell ill on holiday in 2023 and needed life-changing surgery – now he’s raising money for the hospital that cared for him
A man who fell ill on holiday and had to undergo life-changing surgery wants to raise money for the hospital that cared for him. Owen Evans, from Ely, went on his first cruise in June 2023 with his family, and this cruise set sail to the sunny Mediterranean.
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In the lead-up to the cruise and in the first few days of the holiday, Owen “didn’t feel right”. On the third day, Owen went into atrial fibrillation – an irregular, rapid heart rhythm.
“I wasn’t breathing right – I was rushed down to the medical centre on the boat,” said 45-year-old Owen. When the ship docked in Spain, Owen was taken to the hospital, and his heart was shocked back to a normal rhythm.
However, things took a turn for the worse when Owen’s heart “became a total mess”. Owen had to be airlifted to a hospital in Brittany, France, where he spent a week in intensive care. He was told he needed urgent surgery. While the France hospital provided “excellent care”, Owen decided to fly back to England and underwent surgery at Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge.
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He said: “It was a surreal moment in my life. They told me I was probably born with the condition. [Papworth] was great. It was a successful surgery and I got back to normal life. My heart was functioning at 22% and I managed to get it up to 50 per cent. Then a year ago, out of nowhere, I had a heart attack and cardiac arrest. I died for nine minutes.”
Owen had to go into Royal Papworth again and he was told he was living with long-term heart failure. Although he has to go for regular checks, take lots of medications and be careful, Owen said things are “generally good”.
Following from the “amazing” care he experienced at Papworth, Owen wants to raise money for the hospital. He said: “Every staff member was brilliant. Their expertise are incredible. Until you go through something, you don’t realise what they do for you.” Before he got ill, Owen was a keen cyclist.
He planned to do a charity cycle from the hospital in Brittany to Papworth with his brother-in-law, however the hospital advised against it. As an alternative, he now plans to motorcycle the 744km route instead. Owen plans to do this with his family and friends next year. Anyone who would like to donate to his fundraiser can do so here.
France will look to make it two wins from two at the 2026 World Cup as they face Iraq in Philadelphia on Monday.
One more win should be sufficient to see them through to the knockout rounds, and they will be fully confident of making that prospect a reality facing Iraq.
An error-strewn performance saw them left on the floor of Group I come full-time, and things will not get any easier against Didier Deschamps’ France.
Date, kick-off time and venue
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France vs Iraq is scheduled for a 10pm BST kick-off on Monday, June 22, 2026.
The match will take place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Where to watch France vs Iraq for FREE
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on BBC One, with coverage starting at 9.30pm BST ahead of a 10pm kick-off.
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Live stream: UK viewers can also catch the contest live online via BBC iPlayer.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog.
Free highlights: World Cup highlights are available on FIFA’s official YouTube channel, along with BBC iPlayer.
France came through their group stage opener with no new injuries and William Saliba completed the full 90 minutes despite coming into camp with a nagging back problem.
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With a tricky match against Norway on the horizon, Didier Deschamps may take this as an opportunity to rest some of his bigger-name players. Bradley Barcola could come into the starting XI, as could Rayan Cherki.
Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace is still waiting to make his World Cup debut, and may get an opportunity to do so here.
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan, Robin Risser, Brice Samba
Defenders: Lucas Digne, Malo Gusto, Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Ibrahima Konate, Maxence Lacroix, Jules Kounde, William Saliba, Dayot Upamenaco
Forwards: Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappe, Jean-Phillipe Mateta, Marcus Thuram
Debut pending: Jean-Philippe Mateta
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Iraq had some concern around forward Ali Jasim after he fell awkwardly against Norway, but he has been cleared and seems fit to return against France.
Graham Arnold will have to name a full-strength side here if he is to have any hope of getting a result out of this match, though he may opt for a more defensive setup as he looks to limit France’s dazzling attack.
Goalkeepers: Fahad Talib, Jalal Hassan, Ahmed Basil
Defenders: Hussein Ali, Manaf Younis, Zaid Tahseen, Rebin Sulaka, Akam Hashem, Merchas Doski, Ahmed Yahya, Zaid Ismail, Frans Putros, Mustafa Saadoon
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Midfielders: Amir Al-Ammari, Kevin Yakob, Zidane Iqbal, Aimar Sher, Ibrahim Bayesh, Ahmed Qasim, Youssef Amyn, Marko Farji
Forwards: Ali Jasim, Ali Al-Hamadi, Ali Yousef, Aymen Hussein, Mohanad Ali
Goalscorer: Aymen Hussein
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France vs Iraq prediction
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There is a good reason France were so widely considered favourites coming into this tournament. Their squad quality is second to none, and that showed plainly as they eased past Senegal last week.
Iraq, meanwhile, struggled to even keep pace with Norway, let alone beat them. This match will bring a certain step up in terms of quality, and they showed little last time out to suggest they will be able to cope with the onslaught.
We expect France to produce a decisive victory.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
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This will be the first meeting between these two nations.
France vs Iraq match odds
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A whopping £6.4m jackpot is up for grabs as the National Lottery Lotto numbers are called for Saturday’s draw. There’s another massive cash prize of £500,000 to be won in the Thunderball draw, called out shortly after the main draw.
The biggest ever Lotto winner was created in April 2016 when an anonymous player banked £35m. In January 2016 two ticket-holders walked away with £33m each.
Before that, a main Lotto game jackpot of £42,008,610, was drawn in January 1996 and split between three anonymous winners with each being awarded £14,002,870. A single ticket won £26.4m on the New Year’s Eve lotto in 2016.
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The UK National Lottery was first drawn on November 19, 1994. Half of all money spent by players goes to the prize fund with 28% to good causes, 12% to the Government as duty, 5% to retailers, and 5% which has operated the lottery throughout its history.
Firefighters have warned people of the danger of leaving candles unattended
Candles left unattended have led to two house fires in Cambridgeshire this week. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue has warned people not to leave candles unattended, after firefighters were called to two house fires this week.
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One took place on Keynes Road in Cambridge on Tuesday (June 15), just before 3pm, while the other took place on New Barns Avenue in Ely just after 12.30am on Thursday (June 18).
In a social media post, a fire spokesperson said: “Candles in a home may feel cosy, but they can quickly become a serious fire risk if not used safely. Please take a moment to follow these simple steps to protect your home: never leave candles unattended; make sure you have a good bedtime routine, checking candles are fully out before you sleep; place candles in a draught-free area away from curtains, furniture and other flammable surfaces; leave plenty of space above and around the candle and its holder and keep candles out of reach of children and pets.
On the Cambridge fire, the fire spokesperson added: “Wearing breathing apparatus, firefighters used a hose reel to extinguish the fire and cleared the smoke using a positive pressure ventilation fan.
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“The crews returned to their station by 4.40am. The cause of the fire was accidental.” Firefighters also used a hose reel to extinguish the Ely house fire, and returned to the first stations by 2.40am. This fire was also deemed to be accidental.
Adapted from the 2023 novel of the same name, the drama centres around a father imprisoned for murdering his young son.
While serving his sentence, he receives information that indicates – in true Harlan Coben fashion – that his son may still be alive.
I Will Find You has been called “maddeningly watchable” by critics despite its “ludicrous” plot twists and red herrings – yet we can’t stop watching it.
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Netflix’s previous Harlan Coben adaptations, including Missing You, Run Away and Fool Me Once, have become known for their cast of famous faces – and this new show is no different.
I Will Find You marks his first American-set show, and with that comes an all-new international cast of film stars and character actors you’re sure to recognise.
Here is where you may have seen the cast of I Will Find You before…
Sam Worthington
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Sam Worthington is best known to cinema-goers for his work in the Avatar film franchise
Australian actor Sam Worthington is perhaps best known for playing Sully in James Cameron’s Avatar franchise.
He followed up his role in 2009′s Avatar with leading performances in Clash Of The Titans and its sequel, Wrath Of The Titans, in addition to the thriller Man On A Ledge and the biographical survival film Everest.
Sam has also starred in Kevin Costner’s magnum opus Horizon: An American Saga, as well as appearing with Riz Ahmed in the thriller Relay and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the action flick Fuze.
I Will Find You marks a rare foray into television for Sam, whose past work primarily consists of film projects.
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However, he did appear in the action show Cleaners, the anthology series Manhunt and in 2022’s Under The Banner Of Heaven alongside Andrew Garfield, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Wyatt Russell.
Britt Lower
Britt Lower as Helly R in Severance
You’ll likely recognise Britt Lower for her Emmy-winning role as “Helly R” in Apple TV+’s Severance.
Outside of Severance, Britt has been consistently working since 2010. She previously had a role in the TV rom-com Man Seeking Woman, and made minor appearances in the sitcom Ghosted, the sci-fi comedy Future Man and a 2022 episode of American Horror Stories.
On film, she recently starred in Sender, alongside Pluribus’ Rhea Seehorn and Jamie Lee Curtis, in which she played a woman who receives unnerving packages she never ordered.
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Milo Ventimiglia
Milo Ventimiglia as Jack in This Is Us
NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Milo Ventimiglia has now been a heartthrob on our screens for almost three decades, although newer TV viewers will probably recognise him for playing patriarch Jack Pearson in This Is Us.
Before playing Jack, Milo found fame as brooding teen Jess Mariano on Gilmore Girls, after which he was cast as Peter Petrelli in Heroes.
Since then, Milo has had small appearances in Amazon Prime shows The Marvellous Mrs Maisel and Countdown.
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Meanwhile, Milo’s biggest movie role to date came when he played Sylvester Stallone’s on-screen son in 2006’s Rocky Balboa.
His other big-screen credits include the Adam Sandler films That’s My Boy and Grown Ups 2, the Jennifer Lopez rom-com Second Act and 2019’s The Art Of Racing In The Rain, in which he co-starred with Amanda Seyfried.
Logan Browning
Logan Browning as Samantha White in Dear White People
PATRICK MCELHENNEY/NETFLIX
I Will Find You is far from Logan Browning’s first time starring in a Netflix project.
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Between 2017 and 2021, she appeared in Dear White People, which followed Black students at an Ivy League university.
Her other TV credits include the Tyler Perry-produced sitcom Meet The Browns, the sports drama Hit The Floor and the superhero show Powers.
In film, she played Sasha in Bratz: The Movie and appeared as a promising cellist in the Allison Williams-led horror The Perfection, the latter of which was another Netflix production.
Erin Richards
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Erin Richards as Barbara Kean in Gotham
Warner Bros/DC Comics/Kobal/Shutterstock
Welsh actor Erin Richards is best known for her role as Barbara Kean, Jim Gordon’s gangster girlfriend, in Gotham.
More recently, she played Dodi Fayed’s ex-girlfriend, Kelly Fisher, in the final two seasons of The Crown and starred in the Welsh-language crime drama Ar Y Ffin.
Her other credits include minor roles in the BBC fantasy series Merlin, the Channel 4 comedy-drama Misfits and the Michael Sheen-penned drama The Way.
Jonathan Tucker
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Jonathan Tucker in Westworld
Jonathan Tucker will be a well-known face to fans of indie cinema thanks to his roles in films like The Virgin Suicides and In the Valley Of Elah.
He regularly appears in horror movies, starring in the 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the Wes Craven-penned Pulse in 2006 and The Ruins in 2008.
To television audiences, he is most famous for his roles as Bob Little in the comedy Parenthood, Jay Kulina in the MMA drama Kingdom, Confederados military officer Major Craddock in the dystopian drama Westworld and pilot Matt McDonald in the crime drama Snowfall.
Madeleine Stowe
Madeleine Stowe in the It prequel series Welcome To Derry
Madeleine Stowe has been a recognisable face in American cinema since her breakout in the 1987 comedy Stakeout.
Some of her most notable performances include starring alongside Daniel Day-Lewis in The Last Of The Mohicans, as well as appearing in Robert Altman’s adaptation of Short Cuts and Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys, which co-starred Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt.
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TV fans will also recognise Madeleine for playing the antagonistic Victoria Grayson in Revenge. Before I Will Find You, her most recent role came in last year’s It prequel Welcome To Derry, where she played both Ingrid and her unsettling clown alter-ego, Periwinkle.
Clancy Brown
Clancy Brown in The Penguin
Clancy Brown has more than 350 film and TV credits to his name, so you are almost certain to recognise him from something.
Some of his famous roles include the immortal The Krugan in Highlander, Captain Byron Hadley in The Shawshank Redemption and Cassie’s father in Promising Young Woman.
His recent film appearances include playing The Harbinger in John Wick: Chapter 4 and Miller’s grandfather Hank in the Colleen Hoover adaptation Regretting You.
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On TV, his most memorable roles include playing Dr. Ellis West in ER, Methodist minister Justin Crowe in Carnivale and Attorney General Waylon “Jock” Jeffcoat in Billions.
He has found a resurgence in genre television, with appearances as Kurt Caldwell in Dexter: New Blood, Rich Brink in Gen V and Salvatore Maroni in The Penguin.
Aaron Ashmore
Aaron Ashmore in Smallville
Aaron Ashmore is probably best known for his role as Jimmy Olsen in Smallville, but he’s been a regular on our screens since the early 2000s.
Since his Smallville days, Aaron has had recurring roles in the US Marshall drama In Plain Sight, the space western Killjoys and Netflix’s sci-fi offering Locke & Key.
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His most recent role saw him returning to Netflix, playing the abusive Gil Timmins in the popular drama Ginny & Georgia.
If you still haven’t worked out where you know Aaron’s face from – it may not actually be him that you’re thinking of. His twin brother, Shawn Ashmore is also an actor, and played Iceman in the X-Men movies.
Chi McBride
Chi McBride in Pushing Daisies
Abc-Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock
Chi McBride has been a prominent character actor in film and TV for over three decades.
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Some of his more prominent roles include playing Steven Harper in Boston Public, Emerson Cod in the short-lived Pushing Daisies and Captain Lou Grover in the recent Hawaii Five-0 reboot.
His film work has seen him in roles like the driving instructor Donny in Gone In 60 Seconds, cargo handler Joe in Spielberg’s The Terminal and Lt. John Bergin in Will Smith’s I, Robot.
Hugh Thompson
Canadian actor Hugh Thompson has most recently been seen playing the corrupt Officer Baker in Amazon Prime’s Reacher.
His other recent TV credits include the Canadian drama Forgive Me, the detective show Murdoch Mysteries and the Stephen King adaptation Chapelwaite.
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As for his film work, he has appeared in Stage Mother, Little Lorraine and last year’s What We Dreamed Of Then.
Peter Outerbridge
Peter Outerbridge in Orphan Black
Peter Outerbridge is best known for playing the head of the Gogol Ari Tasarov in Nikita, season two bad guy Hank in Orphan Black and the Black Mask in Batgirl.
A regular in science fiction projects, he also appeared in The Umbrella Academy, It: Welcome To Derry, and, most recently, The Vampire Lestat, where he plays The Marquis de Lioncourt.
Peter’s most prominent movie performances are as insurance executive William Easton in Saw VI and as a supporting character in 2023’s Close To You, alongside Elliot Page.
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Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson in Fifty Shades Freed
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Eric Johnson is best recognised for playing Det. Luke Callaghan in the police procedural Rookie Blue.
You may also know him for playing Dr. Everett Gallinger in period medical drama The Knick and Erik the Red in season six of Vikings.
On film, Eric played the antagonistic Jack Hyde in Fifty Shades Darker and its sequel. In 2018, he starred as Blake Likely’s character’s deceased, abusive husband, Davis, in A Simple Favor.
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Greg Bryk
Greg Bryk in Frontier
Ddeyoung/Netflix/Discovery/Kobal/Shutterstock
Greg Bryk is another Canadian actor known for his work in genre television, having appeared in projects like fantasy drama Bitten, sci-fi The Expanse and the horror Channel Zero: The Dream Door.
He also played the lead role in Canadian historical drama Frontier and recently also appeared in Reacher as the drug dealer Darien Prado.
Kate Vernon
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Kate Vernon in Malcolm X
Warner Bros/Largo International/Kobal/Shutterstock
Kate Vernon found fame in the iconic 1980s show Falcon Crest before landing supporting roles in LA Law as DDA Belinda Fox, Battlestar Galactica as Ellen Tigh and The 100 as Diana Sydney.
On the big screen, Kate starred as the stuck-up Benny in Brat Pack classic Pretty In Pink, an early girlfriend of the civil rights leader Malcolm X in Spike Lee’s biopic and Liam Hemsworth’s mother in the Miley Cyrus movie The Last Song.
Nicola Correia-Damude
Nicola Correia-Damude in The Boys
Nicola Correia-Damude is known for playing Queen Maeve’s girlfriend in The Boys.
She also had a prominent role in Shadowhunters, where she played Maryse Lightwood, and in The Strain, as Dutch Velder’s girlfriend, Nikki.
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Most recently, Nicola played Detective Lena Torres in Resident Alien, a comedy-drama about aliens crash landing in a small Colorado town.
Billy MacLellan
Billy Maclellan in Nobody
Billy MacLellan’s television credits outside of I Will Find You include the sci-fi TV shows Defiance, 12 Monkeys and The Expanse.
You may have recently seen Billy in his role as Deputy Mike Nelson in the recent action-comedy Normal, directed by Ben Wheatley and starring Bob Odenkirk.
Prior to that, he starred with Bob in 2021’s action film Nobody, playing his character’s hapless brother-in-law.
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All episodes of I Will Find You are currently streaming on Netflix.
It is no secret that Cambridgeshire is full of culinary delights and selecting a restaurant worthy of a special occasion can take some thought. Thankfully, the Muddy Stilettos Regional Awards 2026 may help to narrow down your search, as one charming restaurant in Cambridge has been named as the best in the region.
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The restaurant taking the crown as the ‘best’ across Suffolk and Cambridgeshire is Margaret’s on Chesterton Road. Sibling to Michelin-starred Restaurant 22, which was also shortlisted, Margaret’s is a modern British bistro which offers a “produce led shared and set menu that elevates locally sourced ingredients”, according to its website.
The lifestyle magazine, which announced the winners on Tuesday, June 16, has run its regional awards for 13 years. They aim to celebrate and show appreciation to the multitude of local businesses across the UK.
Each year the magazine asks its millions of readers to nominate their favourite local businesses in 28 counties nationwide across 21 categories. The shortlisted finalists were revealed in April 2026, with a highly anticipated wait until the winner was crowned.
Margaret’s, which only opened in June 2025, offers a seasonal set menu and prides itself on using local ingredients from a range of suppliers. As the menu changes regularly, a sample menu is available to give potential customers an idea of the dining experience they’d be in for.
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The sample menu features a selection from Yorkshire pork loin served with Romano peppers and wild asparagus, to a Suffolk chicken supreme with spring vegetables & its own garden herbs.
The highly-commended finalists in Cambridgeshire included Ancient Shepherds in Fen Ditton, Midsummer House in Cambridge, Restaurant 22 in Cambridge, The Teller’s Table in St Ives, and Vanderlyle in Cambridge.
One previous guest at Margaret’s wrote: “Words are not enough to describe what a brilliant experience this was. First I’ll start with the obvious; the food was phenomenal. You can tell that the chefs really put thought into everything that they prepare.
“The flavours were incredibly well balanced. The food came out hot which is such an importance to me.”
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Another commented: “We’ve always been a huge fan of Restaurant 22 and have been looking forward to trying since opening. Very pleased to say that the quality of food and level of service has been mirrored at Margaret’s.”
Meanwhile, another previous diner said they were “absolutely blown away” by Margaret’s roast. The review added: “The beef cheek stuffed Yorkshire pudding and the Australian truffle cauli cheese were both proper highlights.
“This is an elevated, delicious and seasonal experience – every single element was exquisite, with combinations I couldn’t even dream of. The staff were super attentive and so friendly.”
“Looks stunning on the steps to my house. Certainly different from an ordinary plant pot.”
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Shoppers are rushing to snap up a reduced ‘traditional’ milk churner as a replacement for their ‘ordinary’ plant pots, saying it ‘looks stunning’. The Ivyline Galvanised Milk Churn Plant Pot is currently available from Dunelm for £27.20, down from £34.
Described as being of ‘premium quality’, the brand says this galvanised milk churner is rust-resistant and frost-resistant, meaning it is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. It is also lightweight and features in-built drainage. It is UV stable, too, and the pot’s dimensions are 28cm x 28cm x 43cm. It could be the perfect addition to the garden this summer.
As an alternative option, shoppers could grab this You Garden Tin Milk Churn Planter (15cm) from Very, which is currently priced at £14, down from £17. Made from tin with two sturdy handles, the site says this is ‘the perfect way to bring classic British garden heritage style to your outdoor space’.
The Ivyline Galvanised Milk Churn Plant Pot is available from Dunelm
Or on Amazon, there’s the MYMULIKE Two Pack Raised Garden Bed Planter Box for £34.84, reduced from £40.99. This is listed as an Amazon’s Choice product, and the brand says it offers ‘ample space to grow a variety of your favourite vine flowers or climbing vegetables’.
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The Ivyline Galvanised Milk Churn Plant Pot from Dunelm, however, has been rated highly, with an overall average score of 4.7 out of five. One reviewer said: “(Lovely) pot for the garden.
“It’s a lovely size and very robust. Well worth the money.”
A second said: “Absolutely love it, bought two. Looks like the traditional ones.
“Has a drainage hole in built. Not too heavyweight, put a good layer of stones in before the compost, looks lovely planted up.”
A third person added: “I’m really pleased with the milk churn. It arrived promptly and looks great.
“I shall be planting it up soon to make a lovely display.” Someone else commented: “Great quality as usual from Dunelm.
“Looks stunning on the steps to my house. Certainly different from an ordinary plant pot.”
Others deducted a star, with one writing: “Big, looks good, better when I plant it up I think.” Another wrote: “This is a great plant pot.
“Small sized churn, looks great, but the metal is very thin.”
If there’s one thing we all know about toddlers, it’s that they are capable of throwing some epic wobblies, over seemingly small things.
Of course, to a two-year-old, their banana breaking (or – even worse – you cutting it up for them when they wanted it whole) is a life-shattering ordeal.
But how’s best to respond when young kids do have the meltdown to end all meltdowns?
One therapist previously said asking them a “tiny, non-threatening question” can help distract in the moment (I’ll be honest, I don’t think my child would even hear me over the screeching).
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For parenting coach Gen Muir, verbalising what you’re seeing – from the reason they’re having a tantrum, to the emotions they’re experiencing – can help. (She used this with her children and said it vanquished a banana-induced meltdown in seven seconds).
Parents tried ignoring a tantrum and said it worked
One parent shared on Reddit how their toddler was refusing to eat dinner and then threw a hissy because she’d been told there were no other things to eat.
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Despite throwing what her parent called “the biggest tantrum” they “ignored her, continued to eat and when we finished, we started cleaning up”.
Their child, meanwhile, calmed herself down, got back on her chair and ate her dinner.
The parent noted that “ignoring” their daughter’s tantrums – instead of making demands or trying to calm her down – has “worked really well”.
Other parents agreed this strategy has worked for them, too. “Our nearly 3yo [3-year-old] has been really pushing it lately. Ignoring has helped MY sanity as much as anything.”
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Another said: “Ignoring also worked well with my toddler! They’re not really capable of using logic when they’re in a state like that so I realised pretty quickly that trying to reason with her or talk her down was only making it drag out longer.”
What do experts think of the ignoring technique?
Therapist Heidi Soholt, who is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), said: “It’s not so much ignoring that is the key to being able to diffuse a tantrum – it’s more to do with being able to stay calm.
“By doing this you are communicating to your child that you can handle and contain their big emotions, and that they are safe.”
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Young children in the throes of a tantrum often feel completely overwhelmed with emotion and need help to feel calm. Staying close, and calm, can help them regulate, added the therapist.
Dr Sasha Hall, senior educational and child psychologist, suggested that ignoring a tantrum can be an “effective strategy” in some situations, particularly when a child has learned that a certain behaviour results in extra attention, negotiation or a change in boundaries.
It might even reduce power struggles and help children learn that certain behaviours will not change their parent’s decision.
“However, it is important to distinguish between ignoring a behaviour and ignoring a child,” she warned.
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“Young children learn about relationships through repeated interactions with their caregivers. During moments of distress, they are not only learning about rules and expectations, they are also learning what to expect from the adults around them.”
There is a risk of parents interpreting this approach as withdrawing connection whenever a child is upset – and that’s not advised.
“If children repeatedly experience adults becoming emotionally unavailable during moments of distress, they may begin to learn that expressing big feelings leads to disconnection,” said Dr Hall.
“Not all tantrums are the same. A child protesting a limit is different from a child who is overwhelmed, frightened, exhausted or struggling to regulate their emotions.”
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In these situations, she suggested ignoring the behaviour may not address the underlying need.
What to try instead
For Dr Hall, the most effective response is to hold the boundary while remaining emotionally present. This could mean sitting nearby but staying firm in whatever it is they’re sad or angry about – whether that’s you not letting them have ice cream for dinner, or the fact you wouldn’t let them wee on your drive (yes I’m absolutely speaking from experience).
“While you certainly don’t need to be giving into your child’s demands, children do benefit from adults remaining emotionally available, predictable and responsive, even when they are holding a firm boundary,” she added.
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Experts recommend checking in after a tantrum has passed to talk over what happened and what they could do to help manage their big feelings next time.
Bukayo Saka was the only player not involved in group training as England continued preparations for their second match of the World Cup against Ghana.
The Arsenal winger spent Saturday’s session indoors working on an individual programme as he continues to deal with an Achilles issue he has been managing since March.
England meet Ghana in Boston on Tuesday (21:00 BST) with both sides having started Group L with a victory.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel was on the training pitch at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City with 25 of his 26 players as baseball team the KC Royals watched on alongside opponents St Louis Cardinals after the two had played on Friday night.
Before the tournament, Tuchel said Saka would require managing through the opening stages because of what is understood to be an Achilles tendinitis issue.
Saka has insisted he was ready to play and was prepared to “gamble” on his fitness to help the team during the World Cup.
However, Tuchel said the 24-year-old is unlikely to start until the final Group L game against Panama in New Jersey on Saturday, 27 June (22:00 BST).
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“Bukayo is ready and will get more and more ready,” Tuchel said. “I think once we go to the last game of this group he will be ready.”
Saka has been carrying the issue for some time, and while there was concern behind the scenes at Arsenal, they deemed the forward fit enough to start regularly during their triumphant title run-in.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is often very guarded with regards to his players’ injury concerns and has generally kept information about Saka’s condition in-house.
But Tuchel’s admission the 24-year-old has to be managed through at least part of the World Cup has thrust the winger’s fitness into the limelight.
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Tuchel’s latest comments appear to show that the German is protecting Saka, knowing the winger will likely be a crucial asset during the latter stages of the tournament – but could also start against Ghana if required.
The care home previously had complaints about safeguarding in 2024 but has now been rated ‘good’ in its latest inspection
A care home that previously had concerns raised about resident safety has improved its inspection rating. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out an unannounced inspection at Aria Court care home in Coronation Close, March, between April 28 and May 1.
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CQC previously found the care home in breach of regulations relating to safe care and treatment, safe staffing and governance at its last inspection in 2024. The care home has improved on this, with CQC stating that it is no longer in breach of the regulations.
The care home was previously rated good in only effective, caring, and responsive in 2024, and requires improvement in safe and well-led, with an overall requires improvement grade. This has improved to good in all areas and is an overall good grade.
Sreeja Vijayan, home manager at the care home, is “absolutely delighted” with the inspection. Sreeja added: “This recognition reflects the dedication, compassion and hard work shown by our entire team every day!”
“We are incredibly proud of this achievement and would like to thank our residents, families and colleagues for their continued trust and support.” Inspectors acknowledged there had been improvements made to governance oversight, leadership assurance, incident review, staffing arrangements and quality monitoring systems.
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This “provided assurance” to inspectors that action had been taken. Inspectors spoke to people’s experience of the service and this was “largely positive”.
The report added: “People told us they were happy with the care they received and felt staff knew them very well.” A family member told CQC that the staff were “kind and friendly” while another said care was delivered in a “calm and unhurried way”.
During the visit, inspectors said people appeared comfortable, well-presented and settled. People also had good access to care, activities and support, including those who were nursed in bed or were unable to communicate verbally.
Overall, CQC said people experienced “kind, personalised and responsive care” and they felt “safe, respected and supported”.
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