Patience Healthcare NE Ltd, in Middlesbrough, has earned a spot in the Top 20 Home Care Providers in North East England for 2026.

The award recognises the agency’s commitment to delivering person-centred care that enables clients to remain independent in their own homes.

Jack Baker, director of Patience Healthcare NE Ltd, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been recognised as one of the Top 20 Home Care Providers.

“This award is a testament to the dedication, compassion and professionalism of every member of our team, who go above and beyond every single day to make a genuine difference in the lives of the people we support.

“Our team are immensely proud of this achievement, often going the extra mile to ensure every client receives the highest standard of care.”

The Top 20 Home Care Awards, run by homecare.co.uk, recognise the highest-rated care providers across the UK based on reviews from clients and their families.

Patience Healthcare NE Ltd was one of 20 providers selected from more than 300 providers in the North East.

Homecare.co.uk features more than 13,000 home care services across the UK.

Amanda Hopkins, reviews manager at homecare.co.uk, said: “High-quality home care plays a vital role in enabling people to remain independent and continue living in their own homes for as long as possible.

“Carers provide not only practical support but also companionship, reassurance and continuity, often becoming an important part of a person’s daily life.

“The reviews on homecare.co.uk come directly from people using home care services and their families, helping others make informed decisions when choosing care.

“We would like to congratulate Patience Healthcare NE Ltd on being recognised as one of North East England’s Top 20 Home Care Providers for 2026.”

The demand for home care continues to rise as the UK’s population ages, helping to support individuals with daily living activities such as personal care, medication management, and companionship, while enabling them to remain in familiar surroundings.

To read reviews of Patience Healthcare NE Ltd, visit the homecare website.

Click here to view the full list of winners across North East England.

Tom Stoltman is said to be appearing in the BBC One show’s fourth series, due to begin filming in Sheffield later this month.

The 6ft 8in strongman is one of the UK’s most celebrated strength athletes.

Tom Stoltman reportedly joining the cast of BBC’s Gladiators

“This is a dream opportunity and I’m incredibly proud to become a Gladiator,” he told The Sun.

“I’ve spent my whole life pushing myself to see what I can achieve, and joining this incredible show is the next challenge.”

He aims to bring his trademark qualities to the arena.

He said: “I’m excited to bring my strength, determination and personality to the arena, but most importantly, I want people watching to feel inspired to believe in themselves and take on their own challenges.”

Newsquest has contacted the BBC for comment.

This won’t be Stoltman’s first TV appearance, as he was one of the masked henchmen who lifted Claudia Winkleman on last year’s The Traitors.

Stoltman is a three-time winner of the World’s Strongest Man in 2021, 2022, and 2024.

He also won the national title of Britain’s Strongest Man in the same years, as well as in 2026.

He is nicknamed “The Albatross” due to his sizeable arm span, and is known for his prowess with the Atlas Stones.

He holds the world records for the five Atlas stones (light set), weighing between 100 kg and 180 kg, completing them in 16.01 seconds, as well as the heaviest Manhood stone at 286 kg.

His Gladiator moniker has yet to be announced.

The show will return for season four and a fresh celebrity special next year, with father-and-son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh back as hosts.

Who is your favourite star on Gladiators? Let us know in the comments.

Suggestions around Rashford have been that he is relaxed about the prospect of returning to training at United.

For a start, there is not the same confrontational relationship between the player and his coach.

Ruben Amorim fell out with the forward within weeks of his arrival from Sporting Lisbon. Amorim eventually exiled him, which triggered a loan move to Aston Villa.

Then the head coach put Rashford in his ‘bomb squad’, along with Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho, when pre-season training began last summer.

The other four players have all now left the club.

Amorim’s replacement, Michael Carrick, is a former team-mate of Rashford’s. He has also been his coach and was, briefly, his manager, following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dismissal in 2021. The pair are said to get on well.

Carrick’s only public statement around Rashford, towards the end of last season, was conciliatory in nature, which is in keeping with his general personality.

He is so far yet to be asked what his stance is around the player returning to the fold.

For their part, United are sticking to their refusal to renegotiate a deal with Barcelona on reduced terms or consider a second loan to the Catalan giants.

It is not clear what interest there is in Rashford at the Nou Camp given Barca have already signed England wide-man Anthony Gordon and are about to bring in Germany forward Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund.

The consistency of United’s messaging is being articulated in a summer where they are keen to prove they will not be bullied into overpaying to get deals over the line.

That financial discipline may have consequences – while the feeling was Elliot Anderson would have joined Manchester City anyway, United did not countenance paying the £116m Nottingham Forest eventually sold him for.

The same is true of Mateus Fernandes and his £85m switch from West Ham to Tottenham.

Nevertheless, Manchester United’s enhanced used of data through director Michael Sansoni and his dedicated team means the club feel bullish about their chances of landing alternative targets who offer better value.

Police, paramedics and fire crews were called to the scene in Salford on Saturday

A person has sadly died on the train tracks in Salford.

A large emergency services response was pictured at the scene near the Salford Crescent station on Saturday afternoon (July 18). British Transport Police (BTP) confirmed officers were called to reports of a casualty on the tracks just before 4.15pm.

Sadly, a person was pronounced dead at the scene. Their death is not being treated as suspicious, the BTP spokesperson added.

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A file will be prepared for the coroner. Police, ambulance and fire service vehicles were pictured lining Middlewood Street and Oldfield Road amid the incident on Saturday afternoon.

The line at Salford Crescent blocked, with trains cancelled or delayed. Northern previously shared a post on X about the disruption.

In a statement, a BTP spokesperson said: “Officers were called the line near Salford Crescent railway station at 4.12pm on Saturday (18 July) following reports of a casualty on the tracks. Paramedics also attended, however sadly a person was pronounced dead at the scene.

“The incident is not being treated as suspicious. A file will be prepared for the coroner.”

Roy Keane was brutally honest about the half-time show at the World Cup final on Sunday night. 

The sports pundit, 54, left the rest of the panel in hysterics when he branded the music extravaganza ‘anti-climactic’, but cheekily added: ‘It’s always nice to see Shakira’. 

Shakira joined Madonna, Justin Bieber and the Muppets for a half-time show at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. 

The singer, 49, flaunted her toned abs in a pink and yellow sequined bodysuit to perform her hit Dai Dai with Burna Boy. 

When asked about what he thought of it, Roy replied: ‘It was a bit of an anti-climax, but I think the people in the stadium probably enjoyed it more than us. But it’s always nice to see Shakira.’

The comment prompted laughter from his fellow ITV sports pundits Gary Neville and Ian Wright and host Mark Pougatch. 

The sports pundit, 54, left the rest of the panel in hysterics when he branded the music extravaganza ‘anti-climactic’, but cheekily added: ‘It’s always nice to see Shakira’ 

Ian echoed Roy’s comments as he said: ‘I felt like maybe he should have been a little bit more upbeat and livened us up a bit. It felt a bit down.’ 

But Gary said: ‘I quite enjoyed it. Let’s hope the second half picks up and there’s loads of energy.’

Amused by Roy’s comment, fans joked on X: ‘Roy Keane happy to see Shakira. Man of taste I see.’ 

‘Roy Keane spoke for all of us in regards to Shakira. She has still got it.’ 

‘Roy Keane was a big fan of Shakira’ and ‘ When Roy Keane approves of Shakira too. Those hips don’t lie’.  

The futuristic segment began with Madonna, 67, singing Music, accompanied by giddy World Cup legends Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho. 

The toned music legend showed off her legs in stockings as she embraced the soccer icons, before they drove her out into the stadium, and held hands. 

Justin, 32, made a starkly different impact on the crowd as he stepped out with nothing but a guitar to sing a World Cup themed version of his song, Everything Hallelujah.

The star looked relaxed as he casually walked onto the pitch before belting out his hit track, adding the final line, ‘it’s the World Cup, Hallelujah.’

K-pop sensations BTS regaled the crowd with Dynamite.

Spain went on to be crowned the 2026 World Cup champions, after Ferran Torres scored the winning goal against Argentina during extra time.

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Amused by the Roy’s comment, fans joked on X: ‘Roy Keane happy to see Shakira. Man of taste I see’ and ‘Roy Keane spoke for all of us in regards to Shakira. She has still got it.’

The singer, 49, flaunted her toned abs in a pink and yellow sequined bodysuit to perform her hit Dai Dai with Burna Boy

Wayne Rooney has savaged the 2026 World Cup final halftime show as he described the performance as ‘c**p’ and said the ‘best part was when it ended’ live on BBC  

The show delivered a spectacular mix of music, nostalgia and global star power, with the likes of Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira and the Muppets all performing under one roof

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Spain were crowned the 2026 World Cup champions, after Ferran Torres scored the winning goal against Argentina during extra time 

Wayne Rooney also became a viral sensation when he joked his favourite part of the show was ‘when it finished’.

‘To be honest, mine was when it finished I like a lot of those artists but to be honest I thought it was c**p’, he told Gabby Logan. 

‘I did honestly. It just didn’t get me going, I wanted the football to be back on. It was a bit flat. I like Burna Boy I like Shakira I like Bieber but that was too flat.’ 

Meanwhile Liam Gallagher savaged ‘This is like a bad trip’, before adding: ‘It’s a good job I’ve got my spiritual socks on or that halftime entertainment could have tipped me over the edge’.

Elsewhere, Sam Thompson shared his frustration on Instagram, writing: ‘Half time show… absolutely the last thing a football game of this magnitude needed. No one’s in the right headspace now, not even the fans.

‘Imagine the players watching Sesame Street whilst cramping up and needing to warm up again’. 

Even Lorraine Kelly had something to say about The Muppets guest appearance as she penned: ‘Just seen ANIMAL on the drums during half-time – all is almost forgiven FIFA – but get on with the footie FFS’.  

By KATE MCGREAVY, EXECUTIVE SPORTS EDITOR

Published: 06:27 BST, 20 July 2026 | Updated: 08:27 BST, 20 July 2026

Argentina and Tottenham defender Cristian Romero completely ignored US President Donald Trump after collecting his World Cup runners-up medal.

Trump joined FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to present various awards to players and match officials on stage following Spain’s 1-0 World Cup final win over Argentina in extra time.

Before presenting the World Cup trophy to Spain captain Rodri, the pair handed out silver medals to runners-up Argentina. 

After receiving his medal around his neck from Infantino, Romero snubbed Trump by not shaking his hand, instead he walked straight past him to join his team-mates.

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The cold shoulder was spotted by fans with footage circulating on social media. 

Argentina defender Cristian Romero snubbed President Donald Trump after collecting medal

Trump then went on to ignore a call by Infantino to leave the stage at MetLife Stadium as Spain lifted the World Cup trophy. 

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The US President presented the prestigious title to Spain captain Rodri, who took great pleasure in raising it aloft in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Much like when he presented the Club World Cup title last summer, Trump stood awkwardly alongside the Spain squad as they lifted the trophy and celebrated wildly.

It seemed as though, when Spain were about to perform the trophy lift, Infantino had attempted to usher Trump away from the players – though the President remained. 

He stood to the side of the squad as the confetti cannons went off at MetLife Stadium, clapping and grinning while Infantino laughed off Trump’s awkward cameo.

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There were an estimated 1.5-1.8 billion viewers tuning in to watch the summer tournament’s showpiece finale, where Trump and Infantino took center stage once again. 

Loud boos had come from the stands when Infantino and Trump made their way onto the pitch, as fans made their feelings on the duo undoubtedly clear. 

The presentation came after Ferran Torres struck in the 106th minute with the decisive goal.

It was Spain who dominated the final and looked the most likely winners as disruptors Argentina committed 24 fouls and saw Enzo Fernandez sent off at the end of normal time.

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Trump took center stage as Spain lifted the World Cup trophy on Sunday 

It appeared as though FIFA chief Gianni Infantino attempted to usher Trump away – but the President remained

Join the discussion

Should athletes use the world stage to make statements by snubbing political figures at major events?

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But the European champions could not make the breakthrough until the second half of extra time when Torres smashed home from close range.

It was enough to seal the ultimate prize in football but when the final whistle blew the game descended into ugly scenes.

Some of Argentina’s players lost their heads as Spain’s substitutes and staff ran on to the pitch to celebrate their 1-0 win against the South Americans.

Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes was sent off for punching Eric Garcia and pushing Gavi to the ground.

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Argentina’s Nahuel Molina also punched Rodri in the torso as he was running by, while Thiago Almada was involved, too.

A diversion route will be signposted and residents within the work zone will still be able to access their properties

A road closure will be in place in a Cambridgeshire village to allow gas works to take place. Cadent said the works are “essential” to replace 700 metres of gas main from 1950 with new pipes.

The road closure will be in place on Rampton Road from the junction of Newington to the junction of Blackpit Drove in Willingham. A diversion route will be signposted and access will remain for residents within the work zone.

The works will take place over six weeks from Monday, July 20, until Friday, August 28. If required, reinstatement work may take place on Saturdays.

Eleanor Buxton, head of work management at Cadent, said: “In this part of Willingham, around 80 per cent of homes have gas central heating. Upgrading these pipelines will ensure we can continue to distribute gas safely to them, for many decades to come.

“These upgrades also have big environmental gains, as they reduce methane emissions and enable a move to more renewable gases like biomethane. This is essential for a cleaner future – the UK will need energy to come from a range of sources to meet demand and be sustainable.

“We have worked with the local highways team, as well as local authorities, to create a traffic management plan that will minimise disruption whilst we carry out these essential works. I thank everybody for their patience as we take the measures needed to ensure our engineers can carry out these works as safely and as efficiently as possible.”

The proposed housing development will be designed to be ‘in-keeping with the local area’, developers said

An applicant is seeking permission to build up to 180 homes in an area on the outskirts of a Cambridgeshire city. Stantec UK Limited has submitted an EIA screening opinion request on behalf of O&H Properties Limited to build the housing development.

The housing development is proposed on land at Hampton East, near Broadway Business Park in Peterborough. If approved, O&H Properties Limited would deliver up to 180 homes alongside open space and infrastructure.

During a pre-application meeting in June 2025, Peterborough City Council confirmed to the applicant that the development would unlikely be an EIA development, but that a formal request should be submitted. An EIA development is one likely to have significant effects on the environment by factors such as its nature, size, or location.

It is anticipated that the homes would be accessed from the B1091 to the south or the north. However, it is being determined based on traffic surveys.

The housing development will be designed to be “in-keeping with the local area” and the layout will also be designed to maintain connections to the wider green infrastructure network. It aims to provide a “high-quality relationship between built development and adjacent open spaces”, according to the planning document.

The request has been submitted prior to its outline planning application to approve the development. The site falls within flood zone one land, meaning it is unlikely to flood.

Planned working hours to deliver the homes would be from 8am until 6pm between Monday and Friday and between 8am to 1pm on Saturdays. However, work outside of these hours may be required for construction.

Argentina’s sulking stars turned their backs on World Cup winners Spain yesterday as the newly crowned champions lifted the trophy. 

The South Americans were outplayed by Luis De La Fuente’s side in a drab encounter at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with Lionel Messi and his team-mates unable to disrupt their rivals with the same aggressive, physical tactics that unsettled England in the semi-final.

Barcelona star Ferran Torres bagged the winning goal in extra time to seal Spain’s second World Cup triumph – after first winning the trophy in 2010 – leaving Messi, 39, in tears at the final whistle.

The 2022 champions collected their silver medals from FIFA boss Gianni Infantino and US President Donald Trump on the stage but opted not to watch as Spain lifted the trophy – despite it being customary in finals of major tournaments.

Instead, the Argentina players, coaching team and staff walked over to the end where the majority of their fans were sat and turned their backs as their rivals celebrated.

Footage shows Spain players holding the World Cup trophy aloft as gold confetti explodes behind them, with the Argentina team facing the other way.

Argentina’s snub came came after the final descended into violence at full time, with a brawl breaking out between the two sides. 

The move came after ugly scenes at the end of the game which Spain won 1-0 after extra time 

Some of Argentina’s players lost their heads as Spain’s substitutes and staff ran on to the pitch to celebrate their victory.

Torres’s 106th-minute winner came after Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off in the 93rd minute following a reckless challenge on Pau Cubarsi – which summed up the South Americans’ deplorable approach to the game.

At full time, Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes was sent off for punching Eric Garcia and pushing Gavi to the ground.

Argentina’s Nahuel Molina also hit Rodri in the torso as he was running by, while Thiago Almada was also involved.

In the aftermath of the ugly brawl, DAZN Spain claimed Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi complained to Rodri about Las Rojas’ pre-match comments alluding to officiating concerns ahead of the final.

The South Americans had benefitted from a series of questionable decisions heading into the showpiece event, with the Manchester City midfielder raising concerns before the final.

‘You and [Spain team-mate Aymeric] Laporte. Both of you,’ he said to Rodri. 

Spain shared fears of roughhouse tactics from Argentina, and their concerns came to fruition with Enzo Fernandez sent off for a shocking challenge on Pau Cubarsi

‘You spent the time crying and complaining about the referees, my friend. But you shouldn’t have spoken before the match, you know that? Didn’t you see what he said this week?’

Argentina were thuggish throughout the World Cup final, just as they had been when they beat England in the semis.

Astonishingly, Fernandez complained against his dismissal for a second yellow, despite it being a clear foul, before attempting to get Chelsea team-mate Marc Cucurella sent off for covering his face while talking to Messi.

New laws state that footballers who cover their mouths when speaking to a player from the opposing team must be sent off, but replays showed Cucurella was simply scratching his nose as he spoke to Argentina’s captain.

Paredes was also fortunate to not be sent off for a second bookable offence in regular time for a foul on the edge of the box which presented Lamine Yamal with a last-gasp free-kick before extra-time.

Argentina only had two shots in the entire match, with the first of coming in the 117th minute.

Donald Trump took centre stage as Spain lifted the World Cup trophy on Sunday afternoon

It appeared as though Infantino attempted to usher Trump away – but the President remained where he was

There were an estimated 1.5 to 1.8billion viewers tuning in to watch the summer tournament’s showpiece finale, which saw Trump take centre stage during the trophy lift.

The US President refused to step aside to allow the victorious Spaniards to have their moment in the spotlight. 

Trump and Infantino handed out various awards to match officials and players, before officially welcoming Spain’s players up to the stage to lift the World Cup trophy.

The President presented the prestigious title to Spain captain Rodri, who took great pleasure in raising it aloft.

Much like when he presented the Club World Cup title last summer, Trump stood awkwardly alongside the Spain squad as they lifted the trophy and celebrated wildly.

It seemed as though, when Spain were about to perform the trophy lift, Infantino had attempted to usher Trump away from the players – though the President remained where he was.

He stood to the side of the team as the confetti cannons went off at MetLife Stadium, clapping and grinning while Infantino laughed off Trump’s awkward cameo.

Loud boos had come from the stands when Infantino and Trump made their way onto the pitch, as fans made their feelings on the pair undoubtedly clear.

Fans noted that one Argentina star – Tottenham defender Cristian Romero – completely ignored the President as he collected his medal from Infantino.

In a video which swiftly went viral on social media, the Argentinian could be seen receiving his silverware from Infantino before waltzing past Trump on stage.

Meanwhile, the President also presented a trio of awards to Spain’s stars; including the Young Player of the Tournament, the Golden Glove and the Golden Ball – which were claimed by Pau Cubarsi, Unai Simon and Rodri respectively.

There was a degree of irony in regards to Trump presenting Spain with the World Cup trophy, after previously launching a stinging attack on the country at a UN summit earlier in July for not contributing enough money to NATO.

‘Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. They don’t participate. They don’t pay. I don’t want anything to do with Spain. Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits,’ he said. ‘Don’t even talk to them. They’re hopeless, bad people.’

Then, on his way back to the United States on Air Force One, Trump said Spain had tried to improve their standings with him.

‘I did have issues, and ​I still do. But Spain, they came back all the way today. Spain was very generous today,’ he said.

Wayne Rooney savaged the 2026 World Cup final halftime show as he described the performance as ‘c**p’ and said the ‘best part was when it ended’ live on BBC  

The show delivered a spectacular mix of music, nostalgia and global star power, with the likes of Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira and the Muppets all performing under one roof

‘They honoured a request for lots of payments, and if they didn’t, we wouldn’t have even ⁠talked to them.’

Earlier in the day, Trump and his wife Melania were seen taking in the action inside a packed MetLife Stadium suite – alongside FIFA president Infantino, Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney and Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum.

Trump also shook hands with Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez as Infantino stood beside them.

Spain’s Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI also greeted the president. Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, reportedly watched the game from home due to ‘superstition,’ The New York Times reported.

Trump also waved at the crowd from behind the glass.

Inside the private suite, Infantino posed for pictures with the President’s son, Eric Trump, his wife, Lara, and their children. Barron Trump also showed up for the big game.

The World Cup final also saw a bizarre half-time show, with Madonna, Coldplay, Justin Bieber, The Muppets and Shakira performing during the 27-minute interval, which was described by Wayne Rooney as ‘c**p’. 

‘To be honest, mine was when it finished I like a lot of those artists but to be honest I thought it was c**p’, he fumed. 

‘I did honestly. It just didn’t get me going, I wanted the football to be back on. It was a bit flat. I like Burna Boy I like Shakira I like Bieber but that was too flat.’