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The best tabletop games for 2026 and beyond – and the most expensive jigsaw ever

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The best tabletop games for 2026 and beyond - and the most expensive jigsaw ever
That’s a big jigsaw puzzle (Ravensburger)

Summer isn’t over yet and there’s still a ton of new tabletop games on the way, that includes video game tie-ins for XCOM and Cult Of The Lamb.

Unlike for video games, there is no summer games drought when it comes to tabletop games and the last few months have seen dozens of new releases and announcements. There’s been yet more video game adaptations, as well as animation crossovers for Justice League and Ghost in the Shell, and the latest for Warhammer and the Pokémon trading card game.

At the same time, the Disney Store in Oxford Street had to shut its doors, as crowds from all over Europe tried to get their hands on the latest Lorcana offerings, as Disney’s trading card game becomes ever more popular.

There’s never been so many excuses to hit your local gaming café, and take advantage of their aircon while building the perfect deck or plotting against friends over a cardboard map.

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Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon launch box

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11th Edition already? How time flies when you’re the biggest tabletop gaming company in the world. The battle for Armageddon returns with one of Games Workshop’s biggest Warhammer 40,000 releases in recent years, with a brand new clash between the Imperium and the Orks.

The launch box delivers two complete armies, including Space Marine units such as the newly sculpted lieutenant and tactical squads, alongside a brutal Ork force packed with characterful miniatures including Boyz, Nobz, and heavily armed war machines. The push-fit models make it an accessible starting point for newcomers, while veteran hobbyists have loved the updated sculpts.

Built around the streamlined Warhammer 40,000 11th Edition rules, the set introduces faster gameplay, refreshed mission systems, and smoother army building. With recent rumours about Games Workshop using AI put firmly to bed, this is more than a starter set, it’s a celebration of everything fans love about the 41st millennium.

Out now: RRP £150

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Riftbound: League Of Legends TCG Vendetta

Riot Games is proving it means business with Riftbound: Vendetta, the latest expansion for its League Of Legends trading card game, that pushes competitive play deeper into the world of Runeterra. This set focuses on legendary rivalries, introducing new versions of champions including Shen, Zed, Mel, and Ambessa – alongside more than 160 new cards designed to shake up deck strategies. New mechanics such as flow, burn, and empower give you more ways to control battles, while unit-gear cards add another layer of customisation to champion builds.

Like previous Riftbound releases, the appeal comes from combining tactical card play with the personalities of League’s biggest characters. Whether you prefer aggressive champion-focused decks or slower strategic builds, Vendetta offers plenty of new tools for competitive players.

With stunning alternate art cards and collector-focused Showcase cards, this is another major step forward in Riot’s attempt to challenge the biggest names in the TCG world.

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Out now: Showdown Deck RRP £35

Disney Lorcana - Set 13: Attack of the Vine! key art
Attack on eBay (Ravensburger)

Disney Lorcana – Set 13: Attack of the Vine!

Disney Lorcana is rushing towards Spooky Season with Attack of the Vine, an expansion that brings fresh characters, clever new mechanics, and plenty of reasons for collectors to start hunting for those elusive Enchanted cards.

The 13th set sees the mysterious Vine spreading across the Inklands, introducing a new storyline alongside fan favourite Pixar worlds including Monsters Inc., Up, and Turning Red. The set also introduces dual-named characters, including combinations such as Sulley & Boo (I love their dedicated playmat), creating exciting new deck-building possibilities. While new abilities like temporary shift and floodborn shift add more tactical depth for competitive players.

With more than 200 cards to collect, top chase cards include my favourite Meilin as a singing red Panada using the Karaoke Queen ability and the iconic Belle and Beast card, which can fetch up to $2,000 on eBay.

Out now: starter deck around £20

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Ravensburger Pokémon, 40,000 piece Jigsaw Puzzle
A very expensive puzzle (Ravensburger)

Ravensburger Pokémon, 40,000 piece Jigsaw Puzzle

I definitely don’t have room left in my flat for anything Pokémon related, especially not a 6.8m by 1.9m puzzle, but I really want it even at its eye-watering price. This jaw-dropping 40,320 piece jigsaw puzzle is one of the biggest officially licensed puzzles ever made, turning Nintendo’s monster-catching phenomenon into the ultimate challenge for collectors with far more patience and floor space than me.

Featuring every pokémon area, from Kanto to Paldea, the enormous artwork is a colourful celebration of almost three decades of the franchise, packed with familiar faces including Pikachu, Charizard, Mewtwo, Eevee, Lucario, Greninja, Garchomp, Miraidon and Koraidon. The puzzle arrives split into multiple numbered bags, allowing you to complete individual sections before tackling the mammoth final assembly.

Even so, with a finished weight of around 20kg and a price tag of over £500, it’s a major commitment. But for diehard Pokémon fans looking for the ultimate time waster and display piece, this might just be the most ambitious piece of memorabilia released (so far) this year.

Available from 1st September: RRP £549.99

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Warhammer: The Old World – Fantasy Battles In the World of Legend core set

Featuring an amazingly huge Chaos Dragon, the new Warhammer: The Old World core set finally delivers a true starter box, pitting the disciplined armies of Grand Cathay against the brutal Warriors of Chaos in spectacular rank and file battles. Packed with 54 beautifully detailed miniatures, an updated rulebook, and everything two players need to begin, it’s the strongest entry point the game has seen for those looking to build a new (overpowered) army.

The tactical gameplay is deeper and more demanding than Age Of Sigmar or Warhammer 40,000, rewarding careful positioning, clever manoeuvres, and old-school battlefield strategy. It also brings with it another way of playing the game in a more manageable way, with a lower point cost called Battle March.

Grand Cathay’s debut is a particular highlight, with stunning new miniatures that perfectly capture the faction’s elegant Eastern aesthetic, while the revamped Chaos range is every bit as intimidating as fans had hoped. It’s not the quickest game to learn, but for strategy lovers and long-time fantasy devotees, this is a triumphant return to the World of Legend.

Out Now: RRP £150

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The Ghost In The Shell: Tabletop Roleplaying Game

While the new anime on Amazon Prime may have divided veteran fans with its freestyle animation and chortling Tachikomas I’m sold on its cuter style. However, this new role-playing game is based on the original Masamune Shirow manga and puts players in the cyber-enhanced boots of Section 9 operatives dealing with cybercrime, political conspiracies, and the blurred line between human and machine.

Rather than simply recreating the action of the films and series, the game focuses on what makes Ghost In The Shell so popular, with questions about identity, artificial intelligence, and what it means to be human in an increasingly digital world – something we can all relate to. Players can customise their cybernetic upgrades, investigate complex cases, and use advanced technology to tackle threats across a futuristic Tokyo.

With its mix of tactical combat, detective work, and deep world-building, this is a tabletop experience aimed at fans who want more than just another cyberpunk shootout and are looking for more depth than Cyberpunk 2077’s deck builder.

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Out May 2027: Collector’s Bundle £149

XCOM: The Miniatures Game
XCOM lives, kind of (Modiphius)

XCOM: The Miniatures Game

There may never be another XCOM video game, but between this and Star Wars Zero Company, from some of the same developers, this is as close to a renaissance as you’re likely to get. The miniatures game isn’t out until next year, but from what I’ve seen so far it looks like a lot of fun and transforms the beloved strategy series into a tense tactical battle worthy of the franchise.

Anyone who’s ever watched a carefully planned XCOM mission collapse because a soldier missed a 95% accuracy shot will already know the series was practically born for the tabletop. XCOM: The Miniatures Game leans into that brutal tactical tension, swapping the screen for beautifully detailed miniatures while keeping the desperate squad-based action intact. Built on Ivan Sorensen’s excellent Five Parsecs From Home ruleset, you’ll recruit soldiers, research alien tech, expand your base and throw your elite squad into increasingly impossible missions against Sectoids, Floaters, Chryssalids and other familiar horrors.

It’s fully playable solo or cooperatively, while an asymmetric mode lets another player command the alien invasion. The miniatures look fantastic and the campaign promises meaningful progression rather than one-off skirmishes. If Modiphius can capture even half the nail-biting panic of the video games, this could be one of the year’s smartest licensed adaptations and, yes, you’ll probably still blame the dice.

Out January 2027: pre-order £185

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Cult Of The Lamb: The Board Game

Considering I own the plushie and double-fold vinyl for the video game, there’s not a chance that I would be missing out on Paper Fort Games’ Kickstarter, which has somehow bottled Massive Monster’s gloriously twisted mix of cute woodland critters and cult indoctrination into a tabletop adventure that looks every bit as chaotic as its video game inspiration.

And it’s not just another dungeon crawler, with devilishly familiar cute artwork slapped on. Every expedition into the wilderness is balanced by running your increasingly devoted flock back home. That means recruiting followers, constructing buildings, unlocking new doctrines, and making the sort of morally questionable decisions that somehow seem perfectly reasonable when everyone’s wearing tiny animal robes of plastic!

The adorable miniatures are an obvious highlight, but the gameplay looks surprisingly meaty too. Crusades promise tactical combat, meaningful upgrades, and plenty of replayability; while the worker placement mechanics should create just enough friendly sabotage between players.

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Licensed board games don’t always survive the jump from screen to table (did we really need so many tabletop outings for The Last of Us?), but this one seems to understand exactly why I fell in love with Cult Of The Lamb in the first place. Equal parts cute, creepy and satanically unhinged, everyone please get on the Kickstarter and vote for the giraffe follower stretch goal, he’s my fave.

Out December 2027 – all-in pledge £249

Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution-Pitch Black Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box

If you’ve spent as much time as I have this month in the digital queue for the Pokémon Center, trying to get a chance at any of the 30th Anniversary TCG sets, getting hold of Pitch Black was a doddle in comparison. While it doesn’t have the kind of eye-catching chase cards fans coveted from Ascendant Heroes, it can’t be faulted for featuring the darker, more dramatic style of the Mega Evolution era.

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Collectors are already setting their sights on stunning Mega Pokémon ex cards, including Mega Darkrai ex (Special Illustration Rare), Mega Darkrai ex (Mega Hyper Rare), and Morpeko ex (Special Illustration Rare).

With powerful pokémon, eye-catching artwork, and plenty of competitive potential going into the World Championship later this month, Mega Evolution-Pitch Black delivers the perfect mix of nostalgia and fresh strategy, before the deluge of 30th anniversary goodies hit the shelves. Even if you can’t make Worlds this latest Elite Trainer Box has enough tournament-winning cards to keep you happy at home.

Out now – RRP £49.99

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Justice League Unlimited: The Roleplaying Game

The new Justice League game is looking to give DC fans the chance to create their own superheroes and fight alongside legends including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Green Lantern.

Co-written by legendary DC writer Mark Waid, this is the first officially licensed Justice League role-player in almost 20 years and lets you create original heroes from lineages including Kryptonian, Amazonian, Atlantean, and speedster. The system is built around more than just punching villains too, with your hero’s moral code defined through five ‘tacit clauses’, while ‘interlude moments’ encourage role-playing between the universe-threatening set pieces.

When things do go wrong, the clever entropy system and crisis die can throw the entire campaign into chaos with surprise alien invasions, time travellers, or other comic-book curveballs. The lavish miniatures are packed with fan favourites, alongside villains including Darkseid, Lex Luthor, and The Joker (I love his purple and green dice). Throw in two brand-new canon villains, created by Mark Waid exclusively for the game, and this already feels like a love letter to DC fans rather than another licensed cash-in.

Out May 2027 – all-in pledge $320 (£238)

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Suri steps into the spotlight… Tom’s girl makes stage debut treading the boards at the Fringe

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Debut: Suri dresses the part for her show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

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She might not have spoken to him for a decade but Suri Noelle can’t escape her A-lister dad in the looks department.

Oscar winner Tom Cruise‘s youngest daughter appeared a dead ringer of him as she smiled while arriving at a dress rehearsal for her forthcoming Edinburgh Fringe show, which begins on Thursday for a 13-day run.

As the daughter of Dawson’s Creek star Katie Holmes and Cruise she has decided to follow in her acting parent’s footsteps and is making her theatrical debut in a queer adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Seen for the first time in her character, Suri, 20, who it was revealed last week had legally changed her name from Cruise, sported a pillbox fascinator, a yellow shirt with a purple corset and matching skirt.

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Suri appears to be as hard-working as her 64-year-old Top Gun star father too. She spent more than three hours preparing for her big debut in a venue on Edinburgh’s St Andrews Square alongside eight of her fellow students from Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The show, Midsummer!, is described as ‘bursting with queer transformative joy’.

Cruise, a devout and leading member of the Church of Scientology – a religion that is profoundly homophobic – will no doubt feel uncomfortable watching this modern translation.

But the Rain Man actor is a known fan of Scotland, having played golf in St Andrews.

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Debut: Suri dresses the part for her show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 

Estranged: Tom Cruise with young Suri and Katie Holmes in 2011

Estranged: Tom Cruise with young Suri and Katie Holmes in 2011 

Suri is making her theatrical debut in a queer adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

Suri is making her theatrical debut in a queer adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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However, it is unlikely he will be attending the show as Cruise has reportedly been estranged from his daughter for years following his 2012 divorce from Holmes, 47, and her decision to cut ties with Scientology.

According to the voter records, the actress registered in Pennsylvania, where she currently lives, under her mother’s middle name, Noelle.

It was previously reported she was pursuing a degree in fashion, but it appears the nepo-baby has pursued her parent’s profession two years after graduating from New York City’s prestigious Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.

After their six-year marriage broke down, Ms Holmes was given full custody of their child, who she raised in New York and Cruise could get visits – paying £298,000 a year until her 18th birthday to meet living expenses.

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Cruise previously admitted he had not seen the then six-year-old for 110 days over the previous summer, immediately following the breakdown of the marriage.

He agreed that over a five-month period, he saw Ms Noelle for ten days in total, six of which were a father-daughter bonding trip to Disney World.

Instead, he flew between Pittsburgh and London for an annual Scientology event and spent several days holidaying in Croatia with friends.

A source close to the actor has repeatedly denied the father and daughter are estranged.

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During her parents’ marriage, Ms Noelle was raised as a Scientologist but after the divorce she and her mother split from the church, turning to Catholicism.

Infamous for discouraging its members from having family relationships with those outside the religion, it is believed Scientology is the reason behind Cruise and his daughter’s fractured relationship.

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Elderly woman fed dog food by care workers before death in ‘litany of errors’

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Daily Mirror

An investigation was opened after concerns were raised by the woman’s family as she was left alone for ‘prolonged periods’ with ‘inconsistent’ care in the months leading up to her death

A woman was fed dog food by care workers months before her death as they made a ‘litany of errors’.

Portsmouth City Council have apologised for the incident, after care workers employed by Radis, who were contracted to provide home care for the council did not provide ‘sufficient’ care for the elderly lady.

It has been determined that the care she received amounted to a “significant personal injustice” following a report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

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The woman, referred to as Mrs Y, received at-home care from GP Homecare Ltd, known as Radis.

Her care, after she was left with reduced mobility and confined to her bed following a fall in April 2024, raised concerns from her family.

She was often left for prolonged periods of time, with her son noting a “lack of management oversight at Radis”.

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He said staff did not refer to her care plan, visits were not recorded accurately and a ‘Do Not Attempt Resuscitation’ document was found “scrunched up in a cupboard”.

Following these complaints, a Section 42 safeguarding enquiry was opened by the council, with Radis also launching an internal investigation.

In this period, Mrs Y suffered a mini-stroke and it was agreed she needed a “soft diet due to the increased risk of choking”.

But, in mid-June 2024, a care worker was caught feeding her dog food, recorded as a “lamb dinner”.

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The incident occurred when two care workers attended Mrs Y’s home, with one raising concerns about witnessing this error.

The care worker “only realised the meat was dog food when they noticed the packaging in the kitchen”.

They initially attempted to contact a senior colleague to report the issue but their call was not answered so they waited and reported the incident in person the following week.

When they did so, a senior manager asked “why they did not remove the dog food” during the visit and “why they did not report the incident on the day it happened”.

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The care worker was also told to remove the dog food from Mrs Y’s freezer “to prevent any other care workers doing the same”.

It was later revealed that the care worker “fed three mouthfuls of microwaved dog food to Mrs Y”.

“This was vacuum packed dog food stored by Mrs Z in Mrs Y’s freezer. The food was labelled as “fresh take on dog food” and “for adult dogs and puppies”.”

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After this, a meeting between Radis and the family, concluded a new care provider would be hired.

However, in July 2024, Mrs Y’s health declined and her family decided to delay the new provider’s start date, meaning Radis continued to provide end-of-life care.

Mrs Y’s daughter alleged that “footage from Mrs Y’s home camera showed evidence of a care worker force feeding Mrs Y”.

In late July 2024, Mrs Y died and it was concluded she “died from frailty of old age”.

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In response to complaint’s from the elderly woman’s family Radis accepted fault in the care provided and ensured action was taken against the care workers involved.

The council’s investigation also found that Mrs Y was “left unattended for prolonged periods and on occasions left wet or in darkness overnight”

The report stated that staffing was “inconsistent”, with concerns raised about workers “attitude, compassion and respectful communication”.

There were also “Allegations that staff falsified records and that some visits had not taken place despite being recorded”.

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The ombudsman proposed the council apologise, refund the care fees, and offer a symbolic payment of £1,000 to the family to “recognise significant distress” and the “delays” in the safeguarding investigation.

Councillor Matthew Winnington, cabinet member for community wellbeing, health and care, said: “We accept the Ombudsman’s findings in full and recognise the seriousness of what happened in this case. We ended our contract with Radis early and we no longer work with, or commission services from them.

“The care described in this report is not the standard anyone should expect, particularly at such a vulnerable time in someone’s life. We have apologised to the family and are very sorry for the distress they have experienced; we know this has been deeply upsetting for the family.

He added: “These events happened two years ago, and since then we have taken action to strengthen how we oversee care providers…Our adult social care services recently received a ‘good’ rating from the Care Quality Commission, reflecting the wider positive experiences of residents, the strength of partnership working across the city, and the support available to help people remain independent.”

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Upset Wisconsin Democrats mull whether to back mainstream choice for governor

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Upset Wisconsin Democrats mull whether to back mainstream choice for governor

NEW GLARUS, Wis. (AP) — Sarah Miller, a software engineer from the liberal stronghold of Madison, has heard all of the chatter about a civil war in the Democratic Party between progressives and moderates. But all she cares about is winning.

That’s why Miller said she is voting in Tuesday’s gubernatorial primary for David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive endorsed by two-term Gov. Tony Evers. He faces democratic socialist Francesca Hong in a contest that will be the latest test nationally of how far Democrats are willing to swing to the political left.

Wisconsin’s primary comes a week after progressive Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s U.S. Senate primary, setting up a crucial test for progressives in November in a key battleground state. Also on Tuesday, voters in Minnesota will decide another U.S. Senate contest featuring a centrist and a progressive.

In a year where voters upset with the Democratic Party mainstream have propelled outsider candidates to victory across the country, Crowley is hoping to buck the trend in Wisconsin. He’s banking on the support of Evers, one of the state’s most popular elected officials, to make up ground in the waning days of the chaotic primary.

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Crowley said that El-Sayed’s slim margin of victory “does give me a little bit of hope.”

“We’re going to focus on those undecided voters,” Crowley said.

Wisconsin Democratic voters grapple with electability, chaotic primary

“The divide is real,” Miller, 49, said of the struggle between progressives and more mainstream Democrats. But her focus remains on November, when the winner of the primary will face Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump and one of the most conservative members of Congress.

Miller, who described herself as a progressive, called Hong a “very, very weak candidate” and described her popularity as “a little bit of a mirage.”

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“I don’t think she can win,” Miller said at a Crowley campaign stop a week before election day at a winery in the rolling hills of New Glarus.

Crowley is banking on more voters feeling that way. A Marquette University Law School poll of Wisconsin Democratic primary voters conducted in late July, before former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes dropped out, showed Hong with a significant lead over the other candidates. More than 112,000 absentee ballots had already been returned by the day the poll was released.

Complicating the path for Crowley is the fact that he withdrew from the race on July 8 and only got back in 10 days later, with the backing of Evers, after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez ended her candidacy. Then, 12 days later, Barnes also ended his campaign amid allegations of inappropriate behavior.

Barnes and Rodriguez, who were both seen as potential front-runners, remain on the ballot and votes already cast for them can’t be undone.

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“We’ve created a mess,” said Michael Gebben, a 64-year-old Democrat who voted absentee for Rodriguez before she dropped out. “Hopefully we can get out of it.”

Hong bats down controversies as Crowley makes a final sprint

As Crowley sprinted across the state to capture undecided voters, Hong was batting down controversies.

Hong, a single mom and former restaurant cook, faced questions about past social media posts where she called for canceling Thanksgiving because “we should stop celebrating colonialism,” disparaged Valentine’s Day as “another day capitalism tells you how to show love” and repeatedly called for defunding the police.

She has backtracked or clarified many of those past statements in recent days, now saying that she does not support abolishing the police.

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Tiffany pointed to Hong’s comments on Thanksgiving and said she wants “to destroy the traditions and culture that unite us.” Tiffany, who had 10-times more cash on hand than either Hong or Crowley did entering August, has portrayed the race as a contest between chaos and common sense.

“Wisconsinites can’t afford for November to come down to the most extreme things Tom Tiffany and Francesca Hong have said online,” Evers’ spokesperson Britt Cudaback said this week in a social media post explaining why the governor endorsed Crowley.

Crowley’s mention of the Evers endorsement drew a round of applause at both of his campaign stops in New Glarus and Madison this week, but similar votes of confidence haven’t always been decisive in other primaries. In Michigan, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer endorsed the moderate Stevens who came up short.

Even with Evers’ backing, Crowley insists he is not an establishment Democrat despite having served more than three years in the Legislature and as the top elected official in Milwaukee County, the state’s largest, since 2020.

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“When people try to call me the establishment, I look at that as a slur, particularly as an African American candidate,” said Crowley, who is looking to become Wisconsin’s first Black governor. “I have never run for office to protect the establishment. I’ve always been here to protect people.”

Voters say message from progressive candidates resonates

Hong supporter Chris Vestin has heard the concerns about electability before.

To him, the fears about Hong’s chances against Tiffany in November sound like a repeat of those who pushed Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential race. Sanders defeated Clinton in the Wisconsin primary by 13 points that year, before losing the presidency to Trump. Trump carried Wisconsin in 2016, lost it in 2020 and then won it again in 2024.

“It frustrates me when they say that person is unelectable,” Vestin said of Hong, who is vying to become Wisconsin’s first woman governor and first Asian American governor. “A lot of times it’s racist, it’s sexist.”

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Vestin, 54, called Evers’ endorsement of Crowley “counterproductive.”

“Establishment Democrats want to take the choice away,” Vestin said.

On Tuesday in Minnesota, voters will choose between moderate U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate that’s playing out in the aftermath of Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement surge in the state.

But the stakes are even higher in Wisconsin.

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Democrats are trying to hold onto the governor’s office and flip both chambers of the Legislature to have full control for the first time since 2010.

Republicans transformed Wisconsin by enacting a wide array of conservative priorities, including effectively doing away with public worker collective bargaining, when they had full control from 2011 to 2018.

“We need a trifecta,” Crowley told his supporters at the New Glarus rally. “And who is at the top of the ticket matters.”

Crowley supporter Lindsey Lee, 61, of Madison said before the rally there that he believed previously undecided Democrats were coalescing around Crowley.

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“It’s like the last 50 yards of a horse race,” Lee said. “Hong is obviously in the lead but Crowley is coming up on a side lane. I think it will be a photo finish.”

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Westhoughton secures mobile CCTV unit to deter crime

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Westhoughton secures mobile CCTV unit to deter crime

The mobile camera will be dispatched to various locations around Westhoughton in an attempt to prevent anti-social behaviour and, if necessary, track down potential criminals.

Westhoughton has been without CCTV for several years due to a number of issues, most recently the collapse of National Car Parks, which ended recent efforts to have Westhoughton’s CCTV system merged with Bolton’s.

The NCP car park at the Octagon Theatre (Image: Newsquest)

Cllr John McHugh said: “We have funds now for mobile CCTV in Westhoughton, which we’ll be using on Market Street.

“The camera will be used to target known hot spots that are affecting residents, local businesses and property.

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“Monitoring will be controlled by the anti-social behaviour team in the council and local police. The camera will be moved to different locations where incidents have been reported.”

Westhoughton has been without CCTV for several years due to a series of issues.

The town has been seeking to upgrade its systems since 2023, planning to merge them with Bolton’s systems, meaning they would both be monitored together.

Ditchfield Gardens Car Park, Westhoughton, would have been the site of new CCTV cameras if NCP had not gone bust in March (Image: Google Maps)

A recent report called Westhoughton’s system ‘out of date’, with some cameras no longer working.

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The necessity for more cameras was also raised in 2025 after a series of incidents of car vandalism in Westhoughton car parks.

Earlier this year, Bolton Council finally agreed to the proposal to join Westhoughton’s CCTV system up with Bolton’s, where both systems would be managed centrally from Topp Way, Bolton.

The scheme was agreed at a Cabinet Leader Portfolio meeting on March 4.

However, almost as soon as this scheme was agreed, National Car Parks (NCP), who operate and monitor Bolton’s CCTV cameras, went bust.

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The back of Library Street Car Park, Westhoughton (Image: Google Maps)

This put several years of work by Westhoughton Town Council in jeopardy as they struggled to get updates from either Bolton Council or NCP themselves.

This latest move will be the first update to Westhoughton’s CCTV system in several years, allowing problem hotspots to be targeted.

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The names and faces of Bolton’s most wanted – August 5, 2026

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The names and faces of Bolton's most wanted - August 5, 2026

Cameron Wroe (Image: GMP)

CAMERON WROE, 31, is wanted on recall to prison.

Tony Meek (Image: GMP)

TONY MEEK, 36, is wanted on recall to prison.

Gareth Bentley (Image: GMP)

GARETH BENTLEY, 38, is wanted on recall to prison.

Craig Manuel (Image: GMP)

CRAIG MANUEL, 40, is wanted for twice failing to appear at court.

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A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “Anybody found harbouring any wanted person or helping them to evade justice will be arrested themselves and face possible court action and a criminal record.”

These wanted people are not to be approached.

In the event of any sightings, please ring 999, while anyone with any information can leave a message on the police social media pages, or call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Man arrested after boy attacked by man in York street

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Woman charged with possession of knife and Class B drug

North Yorkshire Police on Wednesday evening (July 5) said a man has been arrested in connection with the reported incident in Moss Street on Sunday.

The force said the man was released on police bail.

It comes after police issued an appeal for information about the alleged attack which reportedly happened near Moss Street’s junction with Caesar Court at about 12pm on Sunday.

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A police spokesperson said the boy was “strangled, pushed and kicked” during the reported assault.

They said the boy was taken to hospital for treatment for injuries to his throat and neck after the alleged incident.

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Village pub told it can’t build eight homes they said were ‘critical’ to keep afloat

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Cambridgeshire Live

The British Queen pub in Meldreth applied to build the homes last year but South Cambridgeshire District Council rejected them

A Cambridgeshire village pub’s plan to build new homes they said were “critical” to keep them afloat has been struck down on appeal.

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The proposal for eight homes behind the British Queen pub in Meldreth was put to South Cambridgeshire District Council last year and, after first delaying a decision, councillors refused the scheme.

A representative of the pub owners said funds raised from the development would be invested into expanding the facilities at the pub, adding that it would be a “disaster for the village” if the pub had to close. An appeal was launched after the plans were refused with a final decision made last month.

Inspector Zoe Raygen said the Grade-II listed pub is an “early example of architecture in the village” with “historic and social significance as a public house”.

Although she found the proposed homes to be “of an acceptable design and not overly large” they would still “diminish the verdant character and appearance of the area”.

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The proposed access road would also be close to a tree which was protected by a Tree Preservation Order put in place when the council was considering this application.

Inspector Raygen said it was “a splendid, large sycamore tree with a large, low canopy which contributes substantially to the character and appearance of the area.”

She said: “It is not surprising therefore that the tree has been categorised as A1 in the appellant’s most up to date Tree Survey, a tree of the highest quality.”

The inspector raised concerns that two gardens extend to the edge of the river Mel, which could harm the habitat of bats that use the area for feeding.

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Two bedrooms in one house and one bedroom in another would also “have only rooflights providing light and outlook” which she said “could lead to gloomy, oppressive conditions, particularly in the winter or poor weather conditions”.

Inspector Raygen said the pub owners’ claim that the development could secure their future was an “admirable proposal” but she could only give it “very limited weight”.

She said this was due to the lack of detailed information surrounding past trading, projected income from the project and how this would be spent.

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Scots drivers hit out as images from AI ‘spy’ cameras could be passed to police

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The Record revealed earlier this year how the national transport agency was spending £350,000 on a scheme testing technology which snares drivers using smartphones or failing to wear seatbelts.

Drivers have hit out after AI ‘spy’ cameras appeared on busy routes in Scotland’s capital as it emerged images from the cameras could be passed to police.

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The Record revealed earlier this year how the national transport agency was spending £350,000 on a scheme testing technology which snares “distracted drivers” using smartphones or failing to wear seatbelts behind the wheel.

Previous roll outs elsewhere in the UK have seen thousands of motorists caught out in a matter of days and privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch has branded the Scots pilot “creepy and intrusive”.

But transport chiefs said the trial was part of a plan to make the country’s roads safer.

At the time of its launch in March, Transport Scotland said it could not confirm whether data would be passed to Police Scotland.

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But after the cameras appeared on Calder Road and Silverknowes Parkway in Edinburgh in recent days, it confirmed the force could be alerted to serious offences picked up by the technology.

Reacting to the new Edinburgh cameras, one member of the public wrote on Facebook: “1984 is coming true….”

Another said: “Another control system for the working man keep us in check and monitored.”

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A third added: “Given the state of AI in its current condition, I wonder how many instances it will alert to where the person(s) isn’t actually doing anything wrong. Who fixes that?”

But others were supportive of the scheme. One said: “Wear your seatbelt. Stay off your mobile phone. No problems!”

Another said: “Good, the amount of people still using phones and obviously looking down to use them when driving is unreal, cars have tech now to still use a phone but without actually touching it.”

Drivers can be fined up to £500 for not wearing a seatbelt, in addition to penalty points, and up to £1,000 and six penalty points for using a mobile phone.

Transport chiefs said the Scots pilot, being carried out by Edinburgh-based firm AECOM, was focused on helping “determine the scale and extent of specific driver behaviours”.

Labour MP Dr Scott Arthur has assured the public, saying the camera systems will use AI software to identify potential offences before human verification.

He said: “Images will be anonymised. However, if there are any serious issues detected these may be shared with Police Scotland.”

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The cameras were earmarked for 12 Scottish locations at the start of the pilot and have so far appeared at nine across the country.

The six-month pilot is expected to draw to a close in the coming weeks.

Jake Hurfurt, Head of Research and Investigations at Big Brother Watch said: “Drivers should not be monitored and potentially criminalised by AI-powered video analysis. This kind of surveillance is creepy and intrusive, and treats every driver it captures as a potential suspect.

“We should all be able to go about our lives without being analysed by faceless and unaccountable AI. The Information Commissioner has expressed concern about how the adoption of immature biometric surveillance tools could lead to discrimination. Public bodies need to be careful to ensure they are not using privacy-threatening algorithms in place of human decision making.”

IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Standards Nicholas Lyes previously said the pilot was a “positive step” for road safety in Scotland.

The Department for Transport ran a trial of the kit across the UK in 2023, which featured some sites in Scotland, but the pilot is the first of its kind.

Transport Scotland confirmed information may be passed to Police Scotland for further investigation in the most serious cases but said the main purpose of the survey is to collect data to “inform enforcement strategies in the future”.

Scottish sites where AI cameras have been set up under the pilot

  • Calder Road, Edinburgh
  • Silverknowes Road, Edinburgh
  • A96 Colpy
  • Skene Road, Aberdeen City
  • A84 Blair Drummond
  • M80 J7
  • M8 J25-27
  • Kingsway, Dundee
  • A1 Haddington

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Gianni Infantino REFUSES to resign as FIFA president: Under-fire chief apologises and vows to fight on as he breaks cover after being forced to abandon World Cup sale plans

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FIFA president Gianni Infantino (right) and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström (left) appeared in high spirits while watching a women's AFCON game on Wednesday night

Shameless Gianni Infantino has been given the ‘full support’ of FIFA’s top brass – and is set to remain as president – after summoning execs to crisis talks in Morocco. 

At the end of another extraordinary day in the World Cup sell-off scandal, which saw Luis Figo become the latest high-profile name to call for Infantino’s head in a blistering attack in Daily Mail Sport, a FIFA statement suggested its under-fire supremo survives, for now. 

In a searing 601-word assault Figo had described Infantino’s now-aborted plan to flog a stake in the World Cup to private investors as the ‘lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed’ and a ‘grubby, underhand plot’. 

His explosive words ramped up the pressure on Infantino, who had called a crisis meeting in Rabat as he attempted to cling to power. 

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It would now appear, however, that he has managed to do so. A lengthy statement from FIFA late on Wednesday night admitted mistakes were made, but said they have now apologised in a letter to the various football associations and that a ‘review’ will be carried out. 

The statement said that, following the meeting, FIFA’s secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, who had criticised Infantino, and other management board members in attendance ‘reaffirmed their full support for the president’. 

FIFA president Gianni Infantino (right) and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström (left) appeared in high spirits while watching a women’s AFCON game on Wednesday night 

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For good measure, it added: ‘FIFA will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process and will take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation. 

‘There are always lessons to be learned, and FIFA will continue to improve its processes in light of this experience. In this instance, however, it is important to stress that, although mistakes were made, everything that was done was done in full compliance with the FIFA regulatory framework.’ 

Figo, the former Barcelona and Real Madrid star, who initially backed Infantino in 2015, branded the Swiss a ‘relic who should have no part in football’s future’ and accused him of ‘a litany of abuses’. 

Aside from the World Cup sell-off, he referenced the decision to suspend the ban for USA striker Folarin Balogun after his red card at the World Cup and the half-time show during the final which ‘broke the laws of the game’. 

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‘Infantino has debased the office of FIFA president he promised to elevate,’ he wrote. 

‘He has lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve.’ 

Figo’s comments came after an attack by UEFA, which said it had lost confidence in Infantino, calling his proposal to flog commercial and event operations a ‘shabby, back room, opaque deal’. 

Amid heavy criticism and calls for Infantino to go, Grafstrom sent an all-staff memo describing the situation as ‘sad and reproachable’ and adding ‘individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go.’ 

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However, second-in-command Grafstrom was pictured laughing and joking with Infantino at a women’s Africa Cup of Nations game following the meeting, ahead of the release of the statement. 

Should he survive, Infantino would face re-election in March, and would need 106 votes from Fifa’s 211 members to win another term in charge of the global game.

Infantino arrived at the crunch meeting in Morocco earlier on Wednesday amid mounting pressure.

He had summoned senior FIFA officials to the Moroccan city of Sale for crisis talks after plans to sell £3.1billion in World Cup stakes leaked last week

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The Swiss football administrator has since scrapped the proposals after widespread opposition – including an internal rebellion at FIFA.

UEFA and CONCACAF – the body for North and Central America and the Caribbean – are both calling for Infantino to step down, with Europe declaring a lack of confidence in the FIFA president.

Pressure grew further after Jordan FA president Prince Ali bin Hussein accused him of blackmail, becoming the first Asian nation to rebel against the FIFA president.

Jordan became the 91st member association to move against Infantino, assuming all UEFA and CONCACAF nations follow the stance set by their continental bodies. 106 nations are needed to depose Infantino as president.

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FIFA President Infantino arrived at an emergency meeting in Sale, Morocco on Wednesday

FIFA President Infantino arrived at an emergency meeting in Sale, Morocco on Wednesday

Infantino is facing mounting pressure over his failed plan to sell off stakes in the FIFA World Cup

Infantino is facing mounting pressure over his failed plan to sell off stakes in the FIFA World Cup

Football legend Luis Figo became the latest high-profile individual to call for him to resign, while Arsene Wenger distanced himself from Infantino's plans

Football legend Luis Figo became the latest high-profile individual to call for him to resign, while Arsene Wenger distanced himself from Infantino’s plans

A car carrying Infantino was seen arriving at FIFA’s Africa regional office in Sale on Wednesday.

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The meeting comes hours after Figo became the latest major name in football to demand his resignation.

In an explosive piece for Daily Mail Sport, which further ramped up the pressure on the under-fire FIFA chief, the Portuguese legend described his now aborted World Cup sell-off as the ‘lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed’ and a ‘grubby, underhand plot’.

Across 600 no-holds-barred words Figo, who had initially backed Infantino in 2015, brands the disgraced exec a ‘relic who should have no part in football’s future’ and accuses him of ‘a litany of abuses’, also referencing the now-infamous suspension of the ban behind Folarin Balogun’s red card and the half-time show at the World Cup final which ‘broke the laws of the game’.

‘Infantino has debased the office of FIFA President that he promised to elevate,’ the former Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan star writes. ‘He has lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve.’

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Figo, now 53, is viewed by many as a potential successor to Aleksandr Ceferin, head of UEFA which is leading the war against Infantino.

Figo and Jordan’s Prince Ali had both previously stood against former FIFA president Sepp Blatter in the 2015 elections. 

Figo ultimately withdrew from the process, while Prince Ali pulled out after the second round of voting. Blatter announced his resignation four days after re-election amid a vast backlash.

Infantino is facing his own backlash following his World Cup plans, with FIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour saying he was ‘deceived’ by the project and others, including chief of global football development Arsene Wenger, have distanced themselves from the hastily dropped plan.

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Figo branded Infantino as a ¿relic who should have no part in football¿s future¿ in an explosive article for Daily Mail Sport

Figo branded Infantino as a ‘relic who should have no part in football’s future’ in an explosive article for Daily Mail Sport

Figo, who had initially backed Infantino in 2015, claimed the Swiss official has 'debased the office of FIFA President'

Figo, who had initially backed Infantino in 2015, claimed the Swiss official has ‘debased the office of FIFA President’

With morale among staff said to be ‘rock bottom’ according to insiders, secretary general Grafstrom sent an internal email to staff citing ‘a sad and reproachable series of events’ and perhaps tellingly pointing out that ‘individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go’.

Figo, a former FIFA presidential candidate, starts: ‘I could write 10,000 words on the problems at FIFA. But the solution needs only three: Infantino must go.’

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He adds: ‘I have loved football all my life. I was a professional player for 20 years. And believe me, I have met some rogues in my time in the game. But what I have seen exposed in the last ten days is the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed. The man who would do that – the man who would try to force through such major changes just to enrich himself and his friends – is a relic of the game’s past and should have no part in its future.’

The Portuguese, who won 127 caps for his country, then rounds on Infantino for a lack of transparency. ’If it was such a good idea, why not tell your members when you had them all in a room before the World Cup Final?’ he asks.

‘If it was such a robust plan, why not tell your members the risks as well as what you describe as the benefits?

‘If the scheme was a no-brainer, why not be honest about the fact that it was going to give you a $30m a year job at the end of it?’

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Figo adds: ‘None of this was done. Because it’s not a good idea. It’s not robust when you fail to be transparent about the crippling returns that private equity always seek.

‘It’s not bold when you fail to explain that once you have sold your share it is gone forever and you have disinherited your successors from ownership of the World Cup.

FIFA legends have reportedly declined to publicly support Infantino amid the backlash to his plans

FIFA legends have reportedly declined to publicly support Infantino amid the backlash to his plans

‘And it’s not honest when you fail to mention that, after you have delivered the head of the World Cup on a platter to your mates in DC, they are going to give you a job worth five times your current salary.’

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Figo then highlights FIFA’s staggering level of wealth, asking how many shares the $5billion in its reserves ‘could buy in this grubby, underhand plot’.

‘Infantino has debased the office of FIFA President that he promised to elevate,’ he writes. ‘He has lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve…he should go. Now.’

According to The Times, allies of Infantino had been trying to persuade ‘FIFA legends’ to publicly support Infantino, but have been unsuccessful.

The FIFA legends are among former international players who have been paid to appear at the governing body’s events.

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Swap mayonnaise for better ingredient to make egg salad lighter and creamier

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A food creator shared how swapping out mayonnaise for a light alternative in egg salad makes it just as creamy, with the added benefits of more protein

Salads and sandwiches remain lunchtime staples, and while the choice of ingredients and fillings is virtually limitless, eggs have long been a popular addition. Egg salad traditionally relies on mayonnaise to provide creaminess and boost flavour, yet this often results in an overly greasy texture.

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However, cook and recipe creator Claire from Eat With Clarity has discovered a superior alternative to pair with eggs — Greek yoghurt. Following some experimentation, she opted to try Greek yoghurt, and this healthier take on egg salad was the result.

She said: “I was kind of sceptical at first, but honestly, it’s so good, and with the other ingredients in here, you can’t tell the difference between this version and the classic.”

Any variety of plain, unsweetened Greek yoghurt will suffice — whether dairy-free or regular — provided it contains no added sugar or flavourings.

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Greek yoghurt not only serves as an excellent protein source, but is also typically lower in fat and calories than mayonnaise, making it a more nutritious choice without compromising on flavour, reports the Express.

Egg salad

Ingredients

  • Six large eggs
  • 50g of plain Greek yoghurt
  • 25g of diced green onion
  • One to two teaspoons of Dijon mustard
  • Half a teaspoon of salt
  • Quarter teaspoon of black pepper
  • One to two stalks of celery, diced (optional)

Method

Begin by placing your eggs in a large pot of water and bringing to the boil. Should you encounter difficulty removing the shell, Claire recommends adding approximately one teaspoon of baking soda to facilitate easier peeling.

Once boiling, remove from the heat and leave to rest for approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle.

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Carefully remove the shells and discard. Set the eggs aside to cool for around 10 minutes.

Once cooled, chop each egg into chunky pieces. The size is entirely down to personal preference; Claire favours a combination of larger and smaller pieces.

Some prefer to separate the yolks, mashing them to lend the salad a creamier consistency, before chopping up the whites separately.

Claire’s preferred method is to chop everything together — slicing the egg in half lengthwise, then in half again lengthwise, before cutting each quarter into two to four further chunks. There is no definitive right or wrong approach.

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Once everything is combined, the yolks tend to break down and mash naturally anyway.

Transfer to a bowl with all the remaining ingredients and stir thoroughly until well combined. This is also the stage at which to fold in your diced celery, should you be using it.

Taste and adjust the seasoning as required, adding more salt, pepper, or perhaps a pinch of dill or red pepper flakes to suit your palate.

This wholesome egg salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to five days. Give it a thorough stir prior to serving to restore its satisfyingly creamy texture.

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