Gisele Bundchen shared a rare photo of her husband Joaquim Valente and their baby boy in matching jiu-jitsu uniforms over the weekend. 

The 46-year-old supermodel took to Instagram to celebrate Brazil‘s Father’s Day by posting an adorable snapshot of her husband and their 18-month-old son in matching attire.

She shared the photo on her Instagram Story with holiday greetings in Portuguese, writing: ‘Feliz dia dos pais! Te amamos!’

Valente and his son were lying down on mats for a jiu-jitsu lesson, and the toddler, whose name the couple has not yet publicly revealed, was atop his father’s chest in the candid snapshot. 

Bundchen captured and shared the tender moment of father and son smiling at each other in that moment. 

Just a couple of days earlier, she shared a look into family life with Valente and posted a photo of her baby joining her for a workout on a yacht.

The father-son duo were lying down on mats for a jiu-jitsu lesson, and the toddler, whose name the couple have not yet publicly revealed, was atop his father’s chest in the candid snapshot 

Bundchen welcomed her third child, her first with Valente, in early 2025.

In December 2025, Bundchen and Valente privately tied the knot after nearly two years of dating. 

Bundchen is also mother to son Benjamin, 16, and daughter Vivian, 13, from her past marriage to former quarterback Tom Brady.

Bundchen and Valente’s wedding ceremony came three years after Bundchen’s publicized split from Brady, 49.

In most of her recent social media posts, the catwalk legend has been sharing a look into raising a young child for the third time.

In the caption of her Instagram post on Saturday, she reflected on the ‘responsibility’ of motherhood. 

‘It’s so sweet to see how little they are when they start watching and emulating what we do. They’re learning from us even when we don’t realize it,’ she began. 

Bundchen and the jiu-jitsu instructor welcomed their son, whose name they have yet to publicly reveal, in early 2025; pictured in July 

In December 2025, Bundchen and Valente privately tied the knot after nearly two years of dating

Bundchen and Valente first crossed paths in December 2021 when both she and her children started training at Valente’s jiu-jitsu academy

Their romance was later confirmed in 2024 following her split from Brady and before she welcomed her third child with Valente

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Bundchen is also mother to son Benjamin, 16, and daughter Vivian, 13, from her past marriage to former quarterback Tom Brady

The former couple were married from, and during that time, she was also stepmother to Brady’s 19-year-old son Jack, whom the NFL star shares with his ex Bridget Moynahan

‘Moments like this remind me that my actions matter more than what I say, because so much of who they’re becoming is shaped by the example they see every day.’

‘What a gift and a beautiful responsibility it is to be a mom,’ Bundchen concluded.

Bundchen and Valente first crossed paths in December 2021 when both she and her children started training at Valente’s jiu-jitsu academy. 

Their romance was later confirmed in 2024, and Bundchen briefly touched on the topic during an interview with The New York Times. 

‘This is the first time I am seeing someone that was a friend of mine first. It’s very different. It is very honest, and it’s very transparent.’ 

Bundchen has also flashed her gold wedding band on public outings, including when she attended a Garnier event in Miami in March. 

In June, the star also took to Instagram to share a Father’s Day tribute to Valente, but notably left Brady out of the social media shout-out.

‘Happy Father’s day @joaquimvalente. Thank you for leading by example, and for the values you embody, love, humility, integrity, discipline, kindness and consistency,’ she wrote.

‘You are an incredible role model. We are all so grateful for you, and we love you so much.’

And dad, thank you for your unconditional love, wisdom, and support through every stage of my life. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there,’ she concluded.

The British star is looking to win a third consecutive European title in Birmingham this week

Keely Hodgkinson booked her place in the semi-finals of the women’s 800m at the European Athletics Championships on Tuesday, with the British star left stunned by the standard of her heat.

The 24-year-old is looking for a third consecutive European title in Birmingham and got off to an ideal start as she began her defence with a routine victory in Tuesday’s opening heat. Finishing ahead of Italy’s Eloisa Coiro and Germany’s Smilla Kolbe, Hodgkinson crossed the line in a time of 1.57.28.

Speaking after the race, she said she felt “comfortable” out on the track after taking the first step towards another European crown, but admitted to being taken aback by the standard of the opening heat.

“Relieved isn’t the word I would use at all,” she said. “I’ve worked so hard and the shape has been there all year, it’s just been an unfortunate couple of ends that have led to me being a little bit off.

“But, who cares? The championship is a fresh start, that felt very good, very comfortable. It was a little windy. The standard has gone up – 1.57, in the heats!

“They were pushing me on the shoulder and I was like ‘Guys?!’. But it’s good, it brings out the best in me and I was just excited to get through this round.”

Hodgkinson’s comments came after her interview was briefly crashed by Coiro, who couldn’t resist telling BBC viewers her true feelings on the British star.

As she prepared to answer the opening question, Hodgkinson was interrupted by the Italian runner, who grabbed her and told interviewer Sarah Mulkerrins: “She is such an inspiration.

“Such a cool girl,” she continued. “Such an inspiration, on and off the track, really.”

Coiro then turned to Hodgkinson and said: “You’re the champion for me,” with the Atherton-born runner giggling at her rival’s remarks.

“Aw, bless her,” she explained. “We grew up competing against each other, so it’s nice. She just got a PB as well there.”

Hodgkinson will take to the track again on Thursday afternoon, as the semi-finals get underway.

As the dominant force of women’s 800m in recent years, she hopes to then be part of the line-up for the final on Friday night.

However, she faces competition for her third consecutive European title, with Switzerland’s Audrey Werro seen as her biggest rival for the crown.

Two-time 400m hurdles world champion Femke Broeders-Bol adds further competition, having switched to 800m this season.

The second day of a trial into the alleged murder of a “devoted” father-of-11 is set to begin. Ibrahim Yassin, 64, was pronounced dead after police were called to his home in Cardiff on February 18, 2024.

Mujeeb Hassani, 40, was subsequently arrested. Hassani, of Cliff Court, Butetown, previously entered not guilty pleas to murder and manslaughter. His trial started on Monday, August 10 at Cardiff Crown Court with the prosecution’s case.

Opening his case, Mr John Hipkin KC said that Hassani left his home armed with a knife at around 7am after attending morning prayers at the Butetown Islamic Centre. The jury was told that CCTV footage from the Butetown Islamic Centre on the morning of February 18, 2024, showed that the two men were spotted at the Islamic Centre for morning prayers. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here.

However, no obvious interaction could be seen between them. Read everything that happened on day one of the trial here.

Later than morning Mr Yassin was stabbed at home in Belmont Walk, Cardiff. The attack on Mr Yassin saw stab wounds to virtually all parts of his body, including neck wounds which were severe.

The defendant is alleged to have run off and was captured on CCTV running down Bute Street. The prosecution told the court that he was shown with a knife in his hand wrapped in a pink towel. Hassani attempted to get in a vehicle driven by Anette Watkins who had her grandson in the car.

“Fortunately he could not open the door as the child lock was in operation,” Mr Hipkin said.

It was heard how Hassani then approached a coach driver to ask for help with his injury, before he was arrested on nearby James Street.

During proceedings, the jury heard from Mr Hipkin that Hassani had been detained under the mental health act prior to the incident but was released on February 15, 2024 despite concerns from consultant psychiatrist Dr Matthew Hoskins, who told a mental health tribunal at the time that the defendant posed a risk to himself and others and had ‘poor compliance’ with taking medication.

At the time of his death Mr Yassin was a caretaker at the South Wales Islamic Centre in Butetown and was a popular and well-regarded man among the Somali community in Cardiff.

In a family statement released through police, Mr Yassin’s family described him as a “cherished father, deeply adored by his children”.

They added: “He was not only a guiding light in their lives, offering unwavering love, guidance, and support through every triumph and trial they faced together. Mr Yassin was known as a generous and compassionate pillar of the community, always ready to lend a hand and spread love wherever he went.”

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke advised that the trial might extend into next week. Hassani appeared via video link from Ashworth High Secure Hospital in Liverpool.

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Kyla Black, Boots Opticians Director of Optical Practice, is reminding the public about the risk of permanent eye damage ahead of the eclipse on Wednesday, August 12, which will be visible across the UK.

The event will see up to 90 per cent of the sun obscured by the moon in some areas.

Ms Black said: “Even when most of the sun is covered, it is never safe to look directly at it with the naked eye during a partial solar eclipse.

“Looking at the sun without the correct protection can damage the retina, which may lead to permanent vision loss.”

She explained that the reduced brightness during an eclipse can fool the eye’s natural defences, causing the pupil to dilate and allowing more harmful UV light to reach the retina.

This can result in serious and irreversible damage.

Ms Black recommended using only certified eclipse glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2 safety standard.

She said: “There are several safe ways to enjoy the eclipse, such as wearing certified eclipse glasses that meet the international ISO 12312-2 safety standard.

“Another option would be to watch the solar eclipse from the comfort of your own home on a livestream.”

For those hoping to capture the event, Ms Black advised caution with photography equipment.

She said: “Those that are looking to use a camera and take some photos can use specially designed solar filters.

“The same filters can also be used for the secret astronomers amongst us who own a telescope or simply a pair of binoculars.”

She warned that regular sunglasses, even very dark ones, do not offer adequate protection and that makeshift filters, such as smoked glass or X-ray film, are not safe alternatives.

Ms Black also advised parents to closely supervise children if they plan to view the eclipse.

She said: “Parents should be particularly careful if they are going to let their children view the eclipse and ensure they supervise them closely.”

The optometrist said the eclipse is a reminder of the value of good eyesight and the importance of regular eye care.

She said: “The solar eclipse is a wonderful opportunity to appreciate just how important our eyesight is.

“Taking a few simple precautions will help ensure you can enjoy the incredible event safely.”

A section of the M25 was closed today amid fears of an ‘explosion’ from an industrial estate fire that was raging next to the motorway.

The motorway was shut between Junction 22 and Junction 21a near St Albans for nearly an hour, with thick clouds of smoke wafting across the road. 

One person injured in the blaze has been taken to Watford General Hospital, while two others were treated at the scene. 

Firefighters requested that National Highways shut the section of the M25 at around 11.20am due to a ‘risk of a secondary explosion’ as they battled a warehouse fire in nearby Ventura Park. 

The section of the motorway was reopened at 12.15pm. 

Three ambulances, three ambulance office vehicles, the Hazardous Area Response Team, and two air ambulances also rushed to the area.   

Locals were urged to keep their doors and windows closed and were told to avoid the area.

Motorists had been warned to expect delays of more than an hour with miles of congestion and a diversion route in place.  

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Mark Barber said firefighters were ‘working hard to bring the situation under control’.

He said: ‘Fire Control has received a significant number of calls regarding this incident, and I would like to reassure residents that firefighters are working hard to bring the situation under control.

‘As a precaution, we are asking people living nearby to keep their doors and windows closed and to avoid the area while emergency services continue to deal with the incident.

‘I would like to thank the public for their patience, understanding and cooperation. Please continue to follow our advice and avoid the area to allow emergency crews to work safely and effectively.’

Fifteen fire engines and an aerial ladder platform battled the blaze after a 999 call was made at around 9.21am. 

The industrial estate in Colney Street houses 15 units, including OMA V Film Studios – which has produced shows such as Slow Horses and The Essex Serpent. 

Health and beauty firm Malibu Sun’s warehouse is also at the site. A message has appeared on its website today saying it is not taking any orders due to a ‘technical issue with our website’.  

It is not known which units are impacted by the fire.  

It comes amid a wildfire tearing through the historic New Forest, which is continuing to rage today after a van burst into flames, and more than two-thirds of England being gripped by drought conditions. 

A section of the M25 has been closed amid fears of an ‘explosion’ from an industrial estate fire that is raging next to the motorway

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The motorway was shut between Junction 22 and Junction 21a near St Albans with thick clouds of smoke wafting across the road

Padel and wellness club Encourt, which is situated in one of the units, announced it would be closing for the rest of today because of the blaze at a ‘neighbouring premises’. 

In a post on its Instagram page, it said ‘the situation is now being brought under control by the emergency services’.

‘The safety of our members, guests and staff is our priority, and we will reopen once we have confirmation that it is safe to do so,’ a spokesperson said. 

They added that all of today’s bookings would be fully refunded. 

An East of England Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘We were called at 9.25am to a fire at a large industrial unit in Ventura Park, Old Parkbury Lane, Colney Street, St Albans.

‘Three ambulances, three ambulance officer vehicles, the Hazardous Area Response Team and two air ambulances were sent to the scene.

‘One patient was transported by road to Watford General Hospital for further treatment. A further two patients were assessed and discharged on scene.’

The blaze at the New Forest has spread to surrounding vegetation and engulfed 250 acres.

Firefighters are managing to contain the fire, but a change in wind direction is making efforts more challenging, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said.

Another UK wildfire raged as Britain’s sixth heatwave of the year will build from today to a 36C peak this Thursday – with no rain in the forecast and almost three-quarters of England now in drought.

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) amber heat health alerts will be active for most of England from this morning until Friday evening, warning of a ‘rise in deaths’.

Motorists were forced to abandon their cars and walk miles down a main road in searing heat to escape the major wildfire near the New Forest on Sunday.

Around two dozen vehicles were left on the A31 near Ringwood, Hampshire.

Around 250 acres of heathland, about the size of 140 football pitches, is alight or has been burned or damaged as 1,300-litres per minute of water is taken along a five-mile pipeline from Hightown Lake to fight the flames in the Bratley Wood area.

More than 120 firefighters have been tackling it over the past 72 hours.

The public has been told to avoid the area completely, while the A31 has also been badly damaged and will need repairs before it can reopen, according to National Highways.

It comes amid a van catching fire in the New Forest which spread to the tinder-dry foliage by the A31 at Ringwood

Scorched and smoking heathland sparked by the burning van, dry conditions and strong winds

Drivers were ordered to abandon their vehicles and walk down the side of the road as the fire raged on the fire on the A31 in Hampshire 

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The giant New Forest fire in protected heathland is still burning on Tuesday, with smoke visible 30 miles away in Portsmouth.

Police urged drivers to leave their cars if they wanted to ‘stay alive’ as the road was cleared to avoid the vehicles becoming ‘bombs’. Some 23 cars were abandoned, with mothers wheeling children in prams among those forced to evacuate. 

At one point 26 fire engines were battling to bring the flames under control, with crews unbolting the central reservation to get vehicles off the road.

The emergency services had received more than 160 calls relating to the fire just before 5.30pm on Sunday.

The fire has affected 247 acres – one square kilometre – of heathland, which is being monitored with the help of police drones.

The fire service said in a statement: ‘Crews have worked tirelessly throughout the night, a change in wind direction provided a challenge to the firefighting operations but thanks to the efforts of firefighters we are managing to contain the fire.

‘We have been using a mix of fire engines and off-road vehicles to damp down and cool the edges of the area involved in the fire to prevent spread and escalation.

‘The police drone is being used to enable us to prioritise hotspot areas and manage flare-ups.

‘Overnight we had a slightly reduced presence with seven fire engines on site plus water carriers, off road vehicles and support vehicles but are planning to increase this for a larger scale attack today.

‘We are maintaining water supply to the site through combination of water carriers and the High Volume Pump (HVP) system.

‘We recognise that the hoses that have been laid as part of this system do in places go across access to homes in the area and we thank residents for their support and patience.

‘The HVP allows us to move large amounts of water over a longer distance, helping crews maintain a continuous supply while they work to bring the fire under control.’

It comes during a record-breaking dry spell in England, with 27million people subject to a hosepipe ban and a sixth heatwave of the year set to arrive later this week.

Further areas are set to be placed into an official drought last night – which is declared when an area has gone more than 50 days without rain.

The area hit by the blaze is protected heathland which is home to a number of rare species including reptiles, according to the New Forest National Park Authority.

The Ballad of Mulan will be performed at York Theatre Royal’s Studio on September 12 at 7.45pm and September 13 at 2pm and 7.45pm.

The play explores the real story behind the legend of Hua Mulan, who disguised herself as a man to join the Chinese army.

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Commissioned by and starring Yorkshire born British-Chinese actress Michelle Yim, the production has been supported by Arts Council England.

A spokesman for York Theatre Royal said: “Woman, warrior, legend. For ten years Mulan disguised as a man, has fought for the Chinese Empire.

“Now the fighting is coming to an end, one last battle and she will be going home – but can she return to her old life, become a woman again. A search for identity in a violent world.”

Hua Mulan (Image: Ross Ericson)

The play is produced by Grist to the Mill in collaboration with British East Asian theatre company Red Dragonfly Productions – the team behind the sell-out Edinburgh Fringe show The Unknown Soldier.

Tickets are available via the York Theatre Royal box office or online at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

“The UK’s food and drink manufacturers work hard to absorb costs where they can, but are already grappling with rising costs as a result of war in Ukraine and in Iran, so we expect the additional upward pressure of reduced crops will be reflected in retail prices into next year.”

The summer break offers teachers something in short supply during term time: downtime.

Our research explores the factors important for teachers’ wellbeing.
For many, summer is an essential opportunity to recover from the exhaustion accumulated across the year. There is time to sleep properly, reconnect with family and step away from the constant decision-making that school life demands.

However, mentioning summer holidays to non-teachers can provoke strong reactions. We recently carried out research analysing social media commentary on reports of teacher stress. The dominant online discourse was that teachers “have it so easy” and are a pampered bunch. “Burnout from what exactly? A few tough days with 30 kids and a whiteboard?” But this bears little resemblance to the lived reality of teaching.

Teaching is hugely emotionally demanding. Many teachers across Ireland and the UK report high rates of stress, burnout and intentions to leave the profession.

Teachers do more than teach. They plan learning and assessment, manage classrooms that are growing more complex in terms of needs and student support, care for pupils’ emotional needs, communicate with families and respond to administrative requirements and ongoing policy changes. They are expected to do all this while remaining calm, empathetic and enthusiastic, even under pressure.

What protects teachers’ wellbeing?

The summer break gives school leaders and policymakers a chance to consider what teachers will be returning to. Rest matters, but it cannot indefinitely compensate for working conditions that repeatedly deplete staff. If we wish to retain the brilliant and committed teachers we have in the profession, and attract new teachers to join, then the question of occupational wellbeing can no longer be ignored.

In a 2025 study, we asked more than 900 primary and secondary teachers in the Republic of Ireland what protected their wellbeing at work.

Teachers described personal efforts to protect their health through exercise, sleep, eating properly, meditation, prayer, gratitude journaling and quiet reflection. Many also tried to establish boundaries between work and home. They made efforts to avoid weekend emails, switch off school-app notifications and limit administrative work to a set time. They tried to mentally “switch off” after leaving school.

These practices can regulate stress and replenish depleted resources, but they cannot remove the organisational conditions creating that stress. For example, most said overwhelming workloads made it difficult to avoid working late and weekends. Others described having to “wolf down” lunch because of competing and cascading tasks. Some said the setting of boundaries was not respected or upheld by school management. Similar findings have emerged in recent studies of teacher wellbeing in Scotland.

Positive workplace relationships

Relationships were among the strongest protective factors for teacher wellbeing. Teachers valued trusted colleagues who listened, shared resources and helped solve problems. Collaboration helped to distribute planning and other responsibilities. In supportive schools, the staffroom offered solidarity and a space to decompress.

Leadership was equally important. Teachers felt they could flourish when managers were accessible, listened seriously, treated staff fairly and recognised their work.

However, as with positive emotions, relationships were not always protective. Some teachers work in conditions of conflict and bullying. Teachers in our study also mentioned avoiding shared spaces that were dominated by “nay-sayers”.

Relationships with pupils were central to teachers’ sense of meaning. Participants described the satisfaction of seeing a pupil understand something, gain confidence or succeed with an idea. These moments reconnect teachers with why they entered the profession.

But meaningful work can also create vulnerability to overextension. Teachers may take on unsustainable responsibilities because they do not want pupils to lose out. A sense of vocation therefore can strengthen resilience, but make boundaries harder to maintain. Schools should be cautious about relying on goodwill and vocational commitment as substitutes for adequate staffing and manageable workloads.

Teachers experienced engagement and accomplishment when they were prepared, able to collaborate and given control over their work. Yet this depended on context. It was harder to feel effective when technology failed, quiet spaces were unavailable or buildings were of poor quality. Accomplishment depended on whether systems enabled teachers to do their jobs properly.

One striking finding was the limited reference to formal wellbeing provision. Teachers relied mainly on colleagues, family, friends and their own recovery practices. Several were sceptical of what they considered “tokenistic” initiatives, such one off wellbeing workshops or gratitude practice cards.

All of this is important because work-related stress should not simply be recognised as a private or individual difficulty, but as an organisational risk.

This shifts attention to the systems that generate stress, rather than asking workers to adapt indefinitely. Mindfulness, counselling and other initiatives may help, but they cannot replace action on preventable organisational harm.

Across Europe, the political debate has rarely looked more polarised. Media narratives frequently describe societies as becoming sharply divided between younger progressive and older conservative generations.

A growing body of research also suggests that political attitudes are becoming more divided by gender, particularly among younger cohorts. Young women seem to be adopting more liberal positions than young men on issues such as climate change and immigration.

Using data from the European Social Survey, which I have led since 2013, my team has examined the truth of these claims. We’ve done this by looking at long-term trends across eastern, western and northern Europe between 2002 and 2023 in relation to political orientation, climate change fears and attitudes towards immigration.

Political orientation over time by age and gender

Across all country groups, younger respondents consistently place themselves further to the left on the political orientation scale than older respondents.

Yet while older respondents’ political views have been relatively stable in northern and western Europe, in eastern Europe we’ve seen more fluctuation and a clearer shift towards the right in recent survey rounds.

Younger respondents in eastern Europe are shifting in the opposite direction. This suggests an emerging generational divide in political orientation within the region.

Gender patterns in political orientation also vary considerably across age groups in Europe as a whole. Among older respondents, men and women generally mirror one another in their ideological positioning over time. Among younger cohorts, however, gender gaps are substantially wider.

The divide is most pronounced in northern Europe. Young women there consistently position themselves further to the left than young men. By contrast, young men and women in eastern Europe appear to be becoming somewhat more ideologically aligned over time – though young women there are still more leftward aligned.

The political views of young women, particularly in western Europe, also fluctuate more across survey rounds. These shifts have coincided with major political and economic events, including a modest movement towards the right around the period of the global financial crisis in 2008 and a shift leftwards during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Worry about climate change over time by age and gender

Across all regions, survey rounds and age groups, women have consistently expressed greater worry about climate change than men. The size of this gap differs between regions and by age.

Between the generations, we see moderate differences in climate concern. But our findings do not consistently follow the common expectation that younger people are more worried than older generations. In eastern and western Europe, older respondents have often reported levels of worry equal to, or marginally exceeding, younger groups.

Overall, however, worry about climate change appears either stable or gradually declining across most demographic groups. But while gender gaps among older cohorts remain relatively small, they are substantially wider among younger respondents – particularly in northern Europe.

Young women in this region are the only group for whom worry about climate change shows a modest upward trend over time. This reflects a growing divide between young men and young women in this region. Climate concern among young men has declined while concern among young women has remained stable or increased slightly.

Levels of worry in eastern and western Europe display greater similarity across age and gender groups, with men and women showing declining levels of climate concern in recent years.

Taken together, these findings suggest that worry about climate change is not strongly divided along generational lines. Instead, it is structured through gender differences within younger cohorts, particularly in northern Europe.

Immigration tolerance over time by age and gender

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Attitudes towards immigration differ more by region than by gender and generation alone. In eastern Europe, attitudes towards migrants have shifted more substantially than other regions over time.

Tolerance of immigration in eastern Europe dropped around the period of the 2015-16 migrant crisis. A notable but relatively short-lived increase in tolerance is then visible around 2020.

This fluctuating pattern may reflect changing political and social contexts, including the COVID pandemic and subsequent displacement of Ukrainians following the start of the war there in 2022. It may also reflect what we call mode effects, which refers to differing opinions as a result of there being an interviewer or not.

Attitudes towards immigration in northern and western Europe have remained comparatively stable and, perhaps surprisingly given the anti-immigrant rhetoric of the media and politicians in some of these regions, are generally becoming more positive over time.

Gender differences over immigration are relatively small among older respondents across all regions, with older men and women tending to follow very similar trends. However, gender differences remain evident among younger cohorts.

Young women in northern Europe consistently express substantially higher levels of tolerance towards migrants than their male counterparts, reinforcing the broader pattern of a growing gender divide in views among younger people there.

Overall, our findings show that Europe’s political polarisation is indeed generational. But rather than being shaped by generation alone, political attitudes in Europe seem to be increasingly shaped by an interacting combination of generation, gender and regional differences.

Manchester United’s squad are in Dublin, Ireland ahead of their penultimate pre-season fixture against Leeds at Croke Park

Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire has praised academy defender Dan Armer for his performances during this summer’s pre-season. Due to the World Cup, United have relied upon a number of teenagers from the academy to fill gaps in the first-team squad – some of whom arrived as unknowns to supporters.

As pre-season has progressed, a number of academy players have dropped out of the travelling squads. The likes of Chido Obi, Jacob Devaney, Toby Collyer and Dan Gore have not featured since the win over Rosenborg while JJ Gabriel did not travel to Gothenburg to face Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday. However, one constant has been Armer.

He was an unused substitute against the Champions League holders but did have a brief cameo against Atletico Madrid, the week before. Speaking to United’s website, Maguire praised the teenager who has yet to make a senior, competitive appearance for the club. “I think Dan’s been brilliant,” the experienced centre-back said.

“18 years old, playing in tough games and playing for this club for the first time. He’s been magnificent at centre-back and, hopefully, he can continue to progress, keep enjoying working with us. There have been so many good performances from the younger boys.”

“The one thing in pre-season is that, if you’re a young lad, you get given opportunities,” Maguire added. “And I must say, the young boys came back really, really fit, all looking really sharp, every one of them.

“The running tests on the first day, they all blew everyone away. They were really in great condition, all of them, so great credit to them.”

Next up for United is a clash with Leeds at Croke Park. “We’ve got a great game on Wednesday against Leeds, which we always know is a big game, whether it’s a friendly or not,” he concluded. “So that’s one we’re looking forward to.

“Our Irish fans, they’re unbelievable, so it’s great to see them. We know that they’re going to be in full support in the stadium against Leeds.”

After Leeds, the Reds will play one final pre-season fixture against AC Milan in Wroclaw, Poland on Saturday. United then begin their Premier League campaign away at Hull City the following week on August 22.