‘This type of language and leadership has no place in English football, and we believe most fans will feel the same’

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s claim that the ‘UK has been colonised by immigrants‘ has been described as ‘disgraceful’ by Kick It Out. The billionaire, who is founder and chairman of one of the world’s largest chemical companies, Ineos, said in an interview with Sky News that politicians needed to ‘do some difficult things with the UK to get it back on track’.

Sir Jim also claimed that the UK population has swelled by 12 million since 2020, drawing a strong reaction from football’s leading anti-discrimination body, who said in a statement: “Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comments are disgraceful and deeply divisive at a time when football does so much to bring communities together.

“In addition to the inaccurate figures mentioned, it’s worth reminding him that Manchester United has a diverse fan base and plays in a city whose cultural history has been enriched by immigrants. This type of language and leadership has no place in English football, and we believe most fans will feel the same.”

Ratcliffe said in the interview with Sky News: “You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in. I mean, the UK is being colonised. It’s costing too much money. The UK has been colonised by immigrants.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the comments ‘offensive and wrong’ and has called on Ratcliffe to apologise.

The billionaire, who also described the Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as an ‘intelligent man’ with ‘good intentions’, bought a minority share in United in late 2023 and his Ineos group has since taken control of football operations. He has presided over a variety of contentious changes since becoming part of the ownership, with ticket pricing and availability causing particular anger among United fans.

A protest against the club’s owners – including towards Ratcliffe as well as the majority owner the Glazer family – took place before Manchester United’s recent home game against Fulham. Ratcliffe has made a string of controversial cuts during his two years at Old Trafford, as well as sacking two managers in that period, Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim.

“I’ve seen quite a bit of this at the football club,” he said. “If you do difficult things, which we felt that we had to do at Manchester United… we felt like they were the right things to do. But you do become very unpopular for a while.

“Well, I’ve been very unpopular at Manchester United because we’ve made lots of changes. But for the better, in my view.

“And I think we’re beginning to see some evidence in the football club that that’s beginning to pay off.”

Manchester United have been contacted for comment by the Press Association.

Eleven days after the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie vanished from her home in the foothills outside Tucson, Arizona, investigators had yet to identify a suspect or even a person of interest Wednesday.

What seemed like a major break Tuesday — when authorities detained a person for questioning — fizzled when the man was released hours later. The detainment followed another potential break earlier in the day when investigators released video footage showing a masked and apparently armed man at Nancy Guthrie ’s doorstep the night of her disappearance.

The overall lack of progress has generated pressure and questions for local and federal investigators who haven’t held a news conference in days. From the outside, it might seem like solving the case and finding the 84-year-old Guthrie is growing unlikely, but investigators may be further along than they let on.

It’s not uncommon for cases to seem dead in the water at the outset and still eventually get solved, said Mary Ellen O’Toole, a former FBI profiler who worked on the yearslong search for the “Unabomber.”

So how do investigators tackle cases like this?

Advertisement

The masked figure and the Unabomber

Surveillance footage released Tuesday showed a person on Guthrie’s porch wearing a ski mask, backpack and what looked like a holstered handgun.

It offered the best opportunity yet for the public to help identify the suspect, said O’Toole, thinking back to the hunt for Ted Kaczynski, known as the “Unabomber,” who was caught in 1996 after a yearslong search.

Kaczynski, who carried out a 17-year bombing campaign that killed three people and injured 23 others, wrote a manifesto that was published in The New York Times and The Washington Post before he was caught.

His brother recognized Kaczynski’s tone in the screed, tipped off the FBI, and Kaczynski was arrested in a cabin outside Lincoln, Montana.

Similarly, Luigi Mangione, who allegedly shot the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in New York, was arrested five days later when someone recognized him at a McDonald’s and called in a tip.

In Guthrie’s case, the release of the surveillance footage and Savannah Guthrie’s plea for the public’s help is the same strategy, O’Toole said.

Someone who knows the suspect may have noticed them acting unusual, such as not going to work, following the news closely or making offhand comments about the case.

If they recognize anything familiar about the masked person on camera, that could confirm their suspicions and lead them to tip off investigators, O’Toole said.

DNA and the University of Idaho murders

Investigators said DNA from blood on Guthrie’s porch matched her, and O’Toole said investigators will still be casing the area for DNA from a possible suspect, including hair or fingerprints, which have helped solve other cases.

Bryan Kohberger, the criminology student who sneaked into a home and stabbed four University of Idaho students to death in 2022, was arrested after trace DNA was found on a knife sheath left on one of the victim’s bed.

That DNA didn’t yield any results from standard law enforcement databases, so investigators turned to publicly available genealogy services, searching for possible relatives.

After homing in on Kohberger by tracking his car using surveillance footage near the crime scene, investigators got a Q-tip from the trash outside his family’s home and tested the DNA.

It matched the father of the person whose DNA was on the knife sheath.

Strange encounters and the Brown University shooting

In the days after a shooter killed two people at Brown University in 2025, investigators didn’t appear any closer to identifying the suspect.

When police eventually shared images of a person of interest, a man started posting on Reddit that he recognized the person and that police should look into a gray Nissan.

The source, named only as “John” in a police affidavit, told investigators that he’d bumped into a man in the bathroom and thought his clothing was “inappropriate and inadequate for the weather.” John saw him again outside acting nervous and jumpy near the Nissan.

John’s tip about the car helped identify the shooter, Claudio Neves Valente, six days later, leading investigators to a storage unit where he was found dead from suicide.

It’s unclear if John took the $50,000 reward for information that was offered in the case. The FBI is offering the same amount for information in Guthrie’s apparent abduction and hoping a tipster like John may come forward. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Wednesday that they have received nearly 18,000 calls since the day Guthrie was reported missing.

Connor Hagan, a spokesperson for the FBI, said in a previous statement: “Someone has that one piece of information that can help us bring Nancy home.”

Manchester United are leaning towards making an external managerial appointment despite Michael Carrick’s impressive return to Old Trafford.

United have taken 13 points out of a possible 15 since Carrick was appointed caretaker manager last month, winning four games in a row before Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with West Ham.

Manchester United were sixth in the Premier League when they decided to pull the plug on former boss Ruben Amorim, who had a disappointing 14-month reign.

While that represented a marked improvement on a team that finished 15th last season, United were still struggling for consistency, exiting both domestic cup competitions at the earliest possible stage.

It was not only underwhelming performances that cost Amorim his job but also his public criticism of those above him at Old Trafford in the days leading to his sacking.

Champions League qualification appeared unlikely at the time of Amorim’s departure but Carrick has taken the Red Devils back into the top-four.

Carrick’s tenure as caretaker manager started with impressive wins over title rivals Manchester City and Arsenal, before United beat Fulham and Tottenham.

Manchester United were not at their best against West Ham but Benjamin Sesko’s injury-time equaliser maintained Carrick’s unbeaten record.

Carrick’s return to Old Trafford was initially only expected to be temporary, with United always planning to make a permanent appointment at the end of the season.

But United’s brilliant form under the ex-midfielder has led to calls for Carrick to be named as Amorim’s full-time replacement.

England legend Wayne Rooney, for example, has suggested Carrick will become ‘impossible’ to ignore if United’s current form continues until the end of the season.

But according to Sky Sports, Manchester United are not accelerating their plans to appoint a new manager and still do not view Carrick as the favourite for the job.

The likes of Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti, Mauricio Pochettino, Oliver Glasner, Luis Enrique and Roberto De Zerbi have all been linked with United since Amorim’s sacking.

The Manchester Evening News claim England boss Tuchel is emerging as the ‘preferred choice’ of Old Trafford decision-makers.

Tuchel took charge of the Three Lions last year but is only contracted to England until after this summer’s World Cup, meaning he will likely be available come July.

Before becoming England manager, Tuchel had spells at Bayern Munich, PSG, Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea, where he won the Champions League and Club World Cup.

While much could change before the end of the season, overlooking Carrick would be fairly surprising as he already appears to have the backing of the United squad.

Captain Bruno Fernandes has repeatedly praised the former England midfielder since he took over and goalkeeper Senne Lammens followed suit after the West Ham draw.

‘We can be happy with the first five games with him as a coach,’ Amorim’s £18m summer signing said.

Gary Neville reveals Man Utd’s ‘official position’ on manager search

‘I actually spoke to the club, because ultimately the club get asked all the time from journalists and broadcasters, what’s the position of the club.

‘It’s a very difficult situation, you’ve got a massive movement now with what’s happened towards giving Carrick the job, saying that really he should be considered.

‘That’s only going to build the more that he wins and the more that he gets closer to Champions League football. I asked the club what is the official position of the football club in terms of what you’re saying publicly to everybody else.

Advertisement

‘I have to say I thought their answer was pretty good. They said they’ve actually begun the process now, starting to look for another manager, which I thought right.

‘It’s a very difficult situation, you’ve got a massive movement now with what’s happened towards giving Carrick the job, saying that really he should be considered.

‘That’s only going to build the more that he wins and the more that he gets closer to Champions League football. That’s good to hear because you need to plan for everything.

‘They’ve started the process of speaking to and looking at other managers, building all the sorts of data and analysing who should be the next manager of the football club.

Advertisement

‘But what they’ve said is they’re not going to be bounced into – irrespective of wins or draws or losses on the pitch in this next couple of months – making an appointment.

‘They’re going to wait until towards the end of the season.’

Gary Neville speaking on his Sky Sports podcast

Advertisement

‘The West Ham result was a little bit disappointing because we wanted to continue winning and now, being two weeks without a game, we wanted to go in that period with a good feeling.

‘But it’s a little bit less bad because we scored at the end. One of his [Carrick’s] strong suits is communication, being clear about what he wants. We knew what we had to do and executed the plan.

‘Man City and Arsenal were different kinds of games because we didn’t really have to make it ourselves.

‘It was more about being compact, playing from the counter and creating chances, which is one of our strong suits. We know we can do well against those teams.

‘Against Fulham and Tottenham we had to play more of our game. It was not always the prettiest, but the result was there, which is the most important thing, and something we haven’t really done all season.’

Due to being knocked out of the FA Cup by Brighton, Manchester United have almost two weeks off before they return to Premier League action on February 23 against Everton.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MORE: Erling Haaland update after injury in Manchester City win over Fulham

MORE: The games Kai Havertz will miss as Arsenal star suffers new injury

MORE: ‘Has to wait’ – Mikel Arteta urged to bench Arsenal star against Brentford despite fitness hint

Armed police were seen escorting gorillas from the Bristol Zoo Project in Clifton to their new home at Easter Compton, which is set to open to the public this spring

Armed police were spotted at a former city zoo as gorillas moved out of their enclosure.

Staff at Bristol Zoo Project are relocating the gorillas from the Clifton site to their new home on the outskirts of the city. Lorries and vans from JCS Livestock – the country’s leading transportation firm for large wild animals – were seen leaving the site on Wednesday afternoon, escorted by armed police, Bristol Live reports.

Eight western lowland gorillas have lived at Clifton since the zoo closed three and a half years ago. The last animals remaining at the site will soon move to a purpose-built home at Easter Compton, near junction 17 of the M5 at Cribbs Causeway.

A spokesperson for the Bristol Zoological Society said the move will take place gradually over the course of several weeks. “The planning for the move of the zoo’s troop of Critically Endangered western lowland gorillas is extensive and being overseen by the expert team at Bristol Zoological Society to ensure the highest possible animal welfare,” the spokesperson said.

READ MORE: Met Office snow forecast names 55 places facing 4 inches on Thursday and FridayREAD MORE: All you need to know as British family slam US police failings after dad shot daughter

“Operational preparation for the move has been planned to take place over several weeks. The date of the move won’t be made public to ensure that it progresses without interruption, and the gorillas’ welfare is not impacted. As soon as the move is complete, we will share information with our supporters, volunteers, and members.”

Last month, the zoo unveiled images of its new “African Forest habitat”, including an indoor ‘gorilla gym’, ahead of its planned opening in the spring. The timber structure spanning three indoor areas was crafted using “oak sourced sustainably from Devon”. It features resting platforms, nests and a ‘biofloor’ of bark chip mulch, which the zoo says will encourage natural behaviours like climbing and nesting.

“Plans to create a new conservation zoo at Bristol Zoo Project continue to progress, as work is close to completing on the new African Forest habitat for some the world’s most endangered species,” the spokesperson said.

“Completion of African Forest enables the much-anticipated arrival of the zoo’s existing troop of Critically Endangered western lowland gorillas. They will be joined by Endangered cherry-crowned mangabeys in a UK zoo first for the two species.

“African Forest will also be home to Critically Endangered slender-snouted crocodiles, Endangered African grey parrots and several extremely threatened species of West African freshwater fish.

“African Forest will open to the public in spring 2026 and the gorilla move has been carefully planned to enable a period for the animals to settle into their new habitat prior to the public opening.”

Since the Clifton site closed to visitors in September 2022, keepers have continued to care for the gorillas daily, although occasional break-ins by “urban explorers” have caused the animals distress, the Bristol Zoological Society previously said.

Advertisement

Last month, a campaign to reopen the Clifton site as a zoo was relaunched, with campaigners telling a packed public meeting that time was running out to stop the final sale of the land to property developers.

The campaigners said Bristol Zoological Society will only be able to complete the sale of the Clifton Zoo Gardens site to Acorn Property Group once the gorillas have been moved, as the deal requires vacant possession.

The society overcame a legal challenge last year over plans to build 198 new homes on the former zoo site, with proceeds from the sale funding the expansion of the Bristol Zoo Project in South Gloucestershire.

An 18-year-old girl was identified as the person who fatally shot six people at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and two other people at a private residence Tuesday in one of Canada’s deadliest mass shootings in history.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a press conference Wednesday afternoon that Jesse Van Rootselaar killed her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at the private residence before opening fire at the school.

Six people were killed at the high school – a 39-year-old female educator, three 12-year-old female students, a 12-year-old male student and a 13-year-old male student. RCMP have not publicly identified the names of the victims yet.

At least 27 people were injured in the mass shooting, two of whom were airlifted to hospitals and are in critical condition.

Students and faculty at the high school, located in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, spent hours barricaded inside classrooms, offices and other corners of the school after the principal directed everyone to lock their doors.

Investigators have not identified a motive for the shooting, but said that police had responded to calls at the residence multiple times over the last several years due to “concerns” about the suspect’s “mental health.”

In Photos: Tumbler Ridge reels from devastating mass shooting

Independent Staff11 February 2026 23:00

Advertisement

Young female altered police to home shooting

Authorities said a young female resident living in the home where the shooter killed their mother and younger stepbrother went to a neighbor’s house to call police.

McDonald said police received a call from the home around 2:47 p.m. local time – after receiving an alert from the school of an active shooter.

Ariana Baio11 February 2026 22:30

Advertisement

Watch: Canada school shooting leaves nine dead as female suspect is identified

Independent Video11 February 2026 22:00

Authorities recovered a long gun and modified handgun

Two firearms were recovered from the scene – a long gun and a modified handgun.

It is unclear who the firearms were registered to. While the suspect had a gun license that expired in 2024, she did not have any firearms registered to her.

Advertisement

Authorities said the home where the suspect lived had a history of secured firearms.

Ariana Baio11 February 2026 21:30

Son of pastor is among the victims

The 12-year-old son of Pastor Abel Mwansa and Bwalya Chisanga is among the children who were fatally shot in a mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on Tuesday.

Advertisement

The boy was identified as Abel Mwsana Jr. in a Facebook post by Burning Bush Ministries, City of Grace Chapel.

“The loss has brought profound grief to the family, the church, and all who knew and loved him.”

Ariana Baio11 February 2026 21:00

Advertisement

Police revise death toll numbers to nine

Police in Canada said Wednesday afternoon nine people, including the shooter, had died in the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting – revising earlier numbers that claimed 10 people died.

Officials said in a press conference that an individual who was critically injured was believed to have died on the way to the hospital. However, that individual is still alive and in critical condition.

Ariana Baio11 February 2026 20:45

Advertisement

Five students, aged 12-13, were killed

Canadian officials said that a total of five students were killed in Tuesday’s shooting, ranging from 12 to 13 years old.

Three 12-year-old female students were among those fatally shot, as well as a 12-year-old male.

Another male student, 13 years old, was also killed.

Ariana Baio11 February 2026 20:22

Advertisement

Shooter fatally shot mother and younger sibling

Police said the adult woman and male youth who were found deceased at the private residence were identified as the mother and brother or stepbrother of the suspected shooter.

Ariana Baio11 February 2026 20:04

Advertisement

Suspected shooter identified as Jesse Van Rootselaar

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police identified 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar as the suspected shooter.

Police said they had visited the home of the suspected shooter in the past due to “mental health issues.”

The suspected shooter is believed to have fatally shot her mother and younger male sibling at her home before opening fire at the school, police said.

Dwayne McDonald, the deputy commissioner for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in British Columbia, said that the suspect was born biologically male but had begun transitioning to a woman approximately six years ago.

Advertisement

Ariana Baio11 February 2026 20:00

Carney cancels trip to Munich

Prime Minister Mark Carney has canceled a planned overseas trip to Munich, Germany, for the Munich Security Conference this week after the deadly mass shooting.

“The prime minister is remaining in the National Capital Region at this time, and we can confirm that previously announced travel for the coming days has been cancelled,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

Advertisement

In his place, the defence minister, foreign affairs minister and AI minister will travel to Germany.

Ariana Baio11 February 2026 19:30

Endo’s injury is more bad news for Slot, who has been limited by injuries throughout this campaign. Club-record signing Alexander Isak has missed most of the season with various issues, most recently with a broken leg, while another summer signing, centre-back Giovanni Leoni, ruptured his ACL on debut.

Erling Haaland was substituted at half-time during Manchester City’s 3-0 win against Fulham, leaving fans concerned that he’d suffered an injury ahead a crucial period

Pep Guardiola will wait to discover the extent of Erling Haaland’s ‘problems’ after taking the Manchester City star off at half-time against Fulham. Haaland, 25, scored to help City race into a 3-0 lead on Wednesday, meaning that the contest was largely done and dusted by the break.

When the Norwegian returned to the dressing room, he informed City staff that he felt ‘uncomfortable’. Guardiola didn’t want to take a risk on Haaland and replaced him with Omar Marmoush for the second half.

City saw out their dominant victory and moved within three points of Premier League leaders Arsenal, who have a game in hand. It also made it three wins in a row for Guardiola’s side after a tricky January.

Asked why he took Haaland off, the City manager replied: “Niggles, some problems. He didn’t feel comfortable. It was 3-0, of course.

FOLLOW OUR MAN CITY FB PAGE! Follow our Manchester City Mirror Football Facebook page

READ MORE: Jack Grealish hit with £1,000 fine for what he did the night before Everton matchREAD MORE: Martin Keown shares intriguing Arsenal title theory after dramatic Man City win

“The reason why? Many games. (Marc) Cucurella is injured, right? For Chelsea, he’s injured. You know the reason why, right? I didn’t speak with the doctors.

“I don’t know exactly what he has. He was just struggling, fatigue or something, I don’t know. He said he didn’t feel comfortable, it was 3-0. Common sense.”

Guardiola was delighted with City’s display, as they extended their winning run in home games against Fulham to 20 games. “A really good performance; one of the best of this season,” Guardiola hailed. “After important, emotional games like Anfield, the next one is always tricky.”

Advertisement

BACK THE MIRROR! Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search

Fulham boss Marco Silva bemoaned his team’s display, saying: “We know normally in these types of games we have to be clinical. It was too easy for them to score the goals. At 1-0, we had a big chance and to equalise probably a different game. We have to be at our best level in these types of games and we weren’t and that is why we lost the game.”

Both teams’ focus will turn to the FA Cup fourth round. On Saturday, City host League Two side Salford before Fulham travel to Championship outfit Stoke on Sunday.

Advertisement

They’ll then return to Premier League action. City will host Newcastle while Fulham, who’ve now lost four of their last five games, make the journey to Sunderland.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us – and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.