Lisa Petrie is right to ask why her son’s killer was allowed to roam the streets.

John McNab was a young man with his whole life ahead of him. But at the age of just 22 his life was wiped out when a teenager stabbed him in the street.

Yesterday, a statue, the Knife Angel, was unveiled at the spot where John was killed a year ago as a monument to all victims of knife crime in Scotland. John’s mum, Lisa Petrie, was there to witness the artwork’s official launch and speaks eloquently in today’s Daily Record about the need for action on knife crime.

She has campaigned tirelessly for bleed kits to be installed around the country to help victims survive. Her work will save lives and for that we should all be grateful. But Lisa also wants to know what is being done by our political leaders to tackle the rising tide of knife violence.

The teenager who killed her son was out walking the streets, despite being charged with an earlier knife attack. Lisa wants a fatal accident inquiry into John’s death so that the full circumstances of the killer’s release into the community can be examined.

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It is widely accepted our overcrowded jails do not have room for everyone accused of a crime to be remanded in custody. But when a teenager has already attacked somebody with a knife, it is surely a matter of public safety to make sure they are not simply put back into the community to attack again.

Too many young men carry and use knives, but the process of dealing with these dangerous individuals is not tough enough.

Lisa is right to ask why her son’s killer was allowed to roam the streets. The teenager should have been in a secure unit – not free to kill.

FM’s food cap quest is a folly

Parts of John Swinney’s Programme for Government are welcome and worthy of support. Capping bus fares at £2 is a measure that will ease the pressure felt by low-income families.

Slashing NHS boards from 14 to two should have been done years ago and the First Minister’s instincts on fewer councils are also sound. But his plan for a supermarket price cap looks increasingly ridiculous.

Swinney came up with the gimmick during the heat of an election campaign and it looked ill-considered even then. It looks legally questionable and the SNP government could end up wasting more public money on a doomed court battle.

Swinney will have to challenge vested interests if he is to get his way on rewiring the Scottish state. His political capital should be spent in this area, not in a pointless battle with the UK Government on price caps.

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More than 200 Newnham residents have signed a petition calling for a safety review of the Barton Road and Grantchester Street junction

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Cambridgeshire Live readers are split over a ‘dangerous’ junction, with commenters at odds over who is responsible and what action should be taken.

Cambridge residents have called for a safety review of a ‘dangerous’ junction they claim has been the scene of numerous “near misses”. The junction of Barton Road and Grantchester Street has long been a source of concern for Newnham residents, and despite being redesigned in 2023, many still fear it remains unsafe.

Peter Singleton, chair of the Old Newnham Residents Association, says there are a number of ‘design flaws’ in the current junction that are causing confusion among drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. These include allowing cyclists and pedestrians to cross simultaneously and removing the audible beeping signal indicating it is safe to cross.

The 73-year-old warned that this poses a particular risk to cyclists and pedestrians and has already resulted in accidents and several near misses.

He said: “You’re never going to come up with something that’s going to satisfy everyone, but if we can make it safer, then that’s better. Accidents certainly happen there, and if you like, you could call it a case of more accidents waiting to happen. Particularly in Newnham Croft, there are quite a lot of elderly people who are not so agile.”

He launched a petition at the start of July, which has since gathered more than 200 signatures, sufficient to trigger a debate at Cambridgeshire County Council.

One commenter, Brexit498 quotes: ” ‘Dangerous junction where accidents are waiting to happen’, then they will have to wait a long time because there is no issue here for cyclists, pedestrians or motorists. The road layout is heavily biased towards cyclists and pedestrians (no problem with that), but that group needs to take some responsibility for crossing the road. BTW: how many ‘incidents’ have there been in, say, the last two years?”

Riccy feels: “There is nothing wrong with the junction, it’s the drivers who want to take their tests again and take more care.”

Freddly adds: “Essentially, the problem is one of too many cars and vans, and they are driving too fast for the road conditions. The crossing needs to be on a table which is high and steep enough to damage cars that drive over it at speed. The crossing needs to scrape and damage bunkers if taken at speed, also on SUVs with high clearance.”

Poppythecat says: “The problem is pretty obvious. It’s motorists speeding to beat the lights and, more than likely, going through red lights altogether. If you’re approaching a pedestrian crossing, you should be slowing down, not speeding up to get through before the lights change.”

Throatwobblermangrove writes: “And guess who redesigned this junction in 2023? The GCP, of course. The same issues were predicted back then, but were ignored by the GCP, who imposed the current design, with massive disruption and inconvenience, taking four months just to build the unwanted new crossing and claiming it would ‘improve walking and cycling links and make it safer for people crossing the road’. Yet again, look how wrong they were.”

Over on our Facebook page, Thalia M comments: “It would help if drivers did not ignore the no right turn to the river, and as always, cyclists ignore everything, lights, crossing points, cycle paths. Please don’t rip it up and spend any more time or money on this.”

Gabriel Bienzobas M believes: “A poorly designed junction which during the redesign had the opportunity to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists, but instead prioritises motor traffic.”

Rachel J feels: “Someone needs to be responsible for ensuring the safest possible designs for cyclists. What about that abomination of a roundabout on Fendon Road near the hospital?! It might work for the Dutch, but it doesn’t work in the UK. It’s so dangerous.”

Do you believe that this junction is dangerous? Comment below or HERE to have your say.

The manosphere is driving a surge in misogyny in schools, with teenage boys refusing to acknowledge female teachers or even mix with girls in their class.

Earlier this year, teaching union NASUWT warned that a ‘masculinity crisis is brewing’ after nearly a quarter of female teachers reported being subjected to misogynistic abuse in the classroom.

That figure has continuously risen over the past four years. Some teachers described feeling ‘humiliated’ and ‘demeaned’ after being ignored by male pupils.

It is something charity founders and filmmakers Alex Williams and Dwayne Gumbs have witnessed first-hand alongside their team on visits to schools to try and tackle those harmful ideologies head-on.

Through their charity Diverse Voices, the London-based pair use their skills to find creative ways to encourage young people from vulnerable communities to express themselves on sensitive topics.

Over the past 16 years, their workshops have been delivered to 40,000 pupils at more than 100 schools up and down the country.

Their work has exposed how harmful views capable of leading to violence against women and girls can be formed at an alarmingly young age.

Children’s views are increasingly being shaped online and in the playground, where they spend most of their time during the week.

Alex tells Metro: ‘We have seen as social media and the online world has developed, that young people have more access to information.

‘The scary part is, who is providing that information? What attitudes are being adopted from the influencers that they are engaging with online?’

This Is Not Right

On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women.

With the help of our partners at Women’s Aid, This Is Not Right aims to shine a light on the sheer scale of this national emergency.

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You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at vaw@metro.co.uk.

Read more:

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Nearly two-thirds of young men watch so-called ‘masculinity’ influencers, according to The Children’s Society.

Manosphere content exposes them to negative attitudes towards women and girls – objectifying them, dehumanising them and portraying them as inferior.

The manosphere is a loose network of digital forums and groups claiming to address men’s struggles.

But it often promotes harmful views of women and girls, while misrepresenting men as the oppressed victims of feminism.

‘A really big change I’ve noticed is the separation between boys and girls,’ Alex says of the workshops.

‘10 years ago, if you said in a classroom, “Guys, let’s get into groups”, there would be mixed groups.

‘Now if you say it, the boys will be on one side, and the girls will be on one side, and when you actually encourage mixing these groups, they are out of their comfort zone.

‘But we see that as an important thing to do because it’s not about singling out any gender around this education – it is about shared attitudes, boys who can become potential perpetrators but also girls knowing what shouldn’t be normalised as attitudes and actually being able to have that conversation in mixed groups.

‘But I think that just seeing that separation is something which, especially over the last three years, is something which has really changed.

‘It’s the culture that they’re exposed to online, the fact that boys are consuming a certain type of media and listening to a certain type of influencer and I guess not being exposed to the views of girls and women.

‘Taking that a step further, we’ve had male students who refuse to take instruction from female members of staff. Like, literally stonewall, “I’m not listening, I can’t hear you, I can’t see you”.

‘And yet, a male voice would say something a minute later, and they would react.

‘So, that takes that kind of classroom separation to the next level, where it actually impacts their behaviour and how they engage with teaching staff.’

Dwayne adds: ‘If they’re grouping together in these mini ecosystems around people they feel comfortable having these conversations with, then that just fuels the transfer of misinformation and ignorant views.

‘An important part of what we are really trying to do is to open the conversation up and create an environment where the majority of the learning comes from peer-to-peer conversations, as opposed to us lecturing them about what’s right and what’s wrong.’

To do that, Alex and Dwayne have created short films that feature within a learning portal tailored for both primary and secondary school audiences.

After an initial icebreaker task to encourage everyone to feel comfortable sharing their views, the groups are shown a short film tailored to their ages.

It is accompanied by a discussion on the issues it depicts, including relationships and pressure to have sex, consent, intimate image abuse, self-image and controlling and coercive behaviour.

The young people are asked whether the behaviour shown is ‘acceptable’, ‘unacceptable’ or ‘questionable’.

‘Seeing that through the lens of the film, you really see a lot of bright eyes kind of going, “Ah”, whereas they wouldn’t feel comfortable talking about these things if we were questioning them on what they are doing themselves,’ Alex says.

‘But actually having these characters as a focal point gives them the freedom to say their opinions.’

The conversation is then opened up to feedback on what was discussed in the groups to the whole class, before staff explain healthy approaches and laws surrounding the topic.

‘We’re really empowering them to kind of take ownership of having these discussions, empowering them to feel that their voice is valid and heard,’ Dwayne says.

‘Really, it’s just about facilitating the conversation in a way where a light could be shone on healthy views and opinions that are aired by the students, and really be used to kind of make the point, as opposed to it come directly from the adult in the room.’

The charity also enables schools to continue lessons using resources it has created.

Dwayne says: ‘It’s not an expectation that one conversation is going to change people’s opinions. But it’s continuing that conversation over a period of time and also opening the doors for young people to feel that they can have these conversations with their teachers, with the adults around them, regardless of whether it’s within a program of learning or not.’

Alex says: ‘By the end of that program, they haven’t just been spoken to by a classroom teacher or by us – they’ve actually engaged, interacted, and are now in control of changing the outcomes, which then empowers them to do the same thing in their own lives.

‘We have great results and we have evidence that changes happen. Beyond just those lessons, we have teachers reporting that they overhear the conversations even continuing in the playground.’

The pair emphasise the important role men can play in tackling violence against women and girls.

‘A lot of what we’re actually asking boys to unlearn, they are learning from men,’ Alex says.

‘So, that just puts the responsibility on us as men to actually be positive role models and to affect change.’

For more information on the charity Diverse Voices’ and their resources you can visit https://www.diversevoices.co.uk/ or email info@diversevoices.co.uk

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: Bereaved families urge government to block all killers from early release

MORE: Georgia Harrison: ‘Victims of revenge porn need a social media kill switch’

MORE: Self-proclaimed misogynist banned from incel sites and ‘loitering’ near women’s toilets

As autumn arrives, garden pests become more active

As autumn sets in, squirrels and mice can become more active as they prepare for colder conditions. This can turn them into a greater problem in gardens, where they might dig up lawns and flower beds while searching for food or shelter.

However, there could be a straightforward method to discourage them from lingering. According to experts at Pest Defence, the answer might be found in your kitchen cupboard.

One common household item can be sprayed across the grass to make your garden less inviting to these unwelcome guests.

The experts explained: “If you’ve ever watched squirrels closely, you’ll notice their little noses twitching. That’s because they have a keen sense of smell, something that is crucial for them in finding food and avoiding potential dangers.

“Any strong, unfamiliar or even irritating odour will disrupt their behaviour, sometimes even driving them away. That’s why natural repellents are a smart move as your first step in preventing an infestation.”

The same principle works for mice. These creatures also possess a highly developed sense of smell, which they rely on to locate food and navigate. Yet this can equally be exploited to repel them.

What to use to deter squirrels and mice?

Pest Defence recommends using peppermint oil, as the minty aroma is exceptionally powerful to squirrels and can irritate their noses. Unlike vinegar, which can be unpleasant to humans and damage your lawns and plants, peppermint has a bearable scent yet proves effective when applied properly.

Rather than buying a peppermint deterrent online, you can create your own mixture by diluting pure peppermint essential oil with water in a spray bottle. To apply the spray properly, “coat the perimeters of raised beds, the rims of containers, and the poles or bases of bird feeders”.

However, gardeners should avoid spraying bird food or feeding ports directly, as strong essential oils can irritate the birds they welcome.

To stop squirrels from becoming accustomed to the mint, apply the spray at least two to three times weekly. It is also recommended to alternate with cayenne pepper for a week before switching back to peppermint.

A writer at Homes and Garden also suggested: “Soak cotton balls in pure peppermint essential oil and tuck them directly into the soil of vulnerable containers, raised beds, or near the base of prized plants.

“Because the oil is shielded slightly by the cotton, it holds its scent longer outdoors than a topical spray.”

Does it actually work?

Peppermint oil has limitations. It may deter squirrels, but it does not form a complete barrier.

Hungry or territorial squirrels may disregard the scent if they have a compelling reason to remain, reported the West Side Journal. Properties with settled squirrel populations are more difficult to safeguard than those with only sporadic visits.

Squirrels may continue returning to dependable food sources, nesting spots, or well-known pathways despite the scent.

Ultimately, peppermint oil creates discomfort rather than rendering an area completely inaccessible, particularly when food is scarce.

By SAMEER SURI, US SENIOR SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER

Published: 19:04 BST, 1 September 2026 | Updated: 05:59 BST, 2 September 2026

Madonna could scarcely be recognized in the latest jaw-dropping suite of age-defying photos she posted to her Instagram page.

The 68-year-old’s makeup and voluminous blonde hairdo had an air of Pamela Anderson, 59, about them as she posed for the new images.

One snapshot allowed her to showcase her enviably toned physique to full advantage in a clinging scarlet jumpsuit as she strolled down a hallway.

In a behind-the-scenes glimpse from a recent photoshoot, the Queen of Pop slid her statuesque frame into a nude bodysuit and black lace corset.

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‘Paint me with your memory, and not with your eyes…….,’ she wrote alongside her new album, which also featured close-ups of her astonishingly smooth complexion.

Admirers flooded into the comments bubbling with praise for the pictures, including her fellow popstar Ricky Martin, who gushed: ‘Yessss.’

Madonna could scarcely be recognized in the latest jaw-dropping suite of age-defying photos she posted to her Instagram page 

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The 68-year-old’s makeup and voluminous blonde hairdo had an air of Pamela Anderson, 59, about them as she posed for the new images

Julia Garner, whom Madonna handpicked to play her in a planned self-directed biopic that eventually fell through because of a budgetary dispute, squealed: ‘Wow!!!!’

Madonna’s latest post comes two weeks after the MTV Video Music Award (VMA) nominations were announced and she emerged as the artist with the most nods.

The Material Girl is in competition for a staggering 11 prizes, narrowly beating out Taylor Swift, who has nods in nine categories.

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Swift, 36, and Beyonce, 44, are currently tied as the most decorated artists in the history of the VMAs, each with 30 gongs to their name.

Inasmuch as Beyonce has no nominations this year, all Swift has to do is win a single prize in order to become the reigning record-holder, via the Associated Press. 

Madonna famously performed at the first-ever VMAs in 1984, bursting from a gigantic wedding cake while dressed in a bridal gown for a rendition of Like A Virgin.

She has emerged as a reliable engine of memorable moments at the extravaganza, where she ignited a fan frenzy in 2003 by kissing Britney Spears on the lips.

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Over the course of her more than four-decade career, Madonna has earned a total of 19 VMAs, meaning that in order to equal Swift and Beyonce’s current record she will have to triumph in every category in which she is nominated this year.

Join the discussion

Has Madonna’s ever-changing appearance enhanced her artistry or overshadowed her legacy?

Admirers flooded into the comments bubbling with praise for the pictures, including her fellow popstar Ricky Martin, who gushed: ‘Yessss’ 

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Madonna’s VMAs coup comes after she earned a burst of critical acclaim and fan adoration for her latest album Confessions II, which was released July 3 and serves as a sequel to her 2005 smash hit Confessions On A Dance Floor.

During the promotions for Confessions II, Madonna went viral for describing John F Kennedy Jr as one of the best lovers she ever had. 

Madonna was asked to reveal her ‘best f***,’ and after insisting she would ‘only name dead people,’ whispered: ‘John Kennedy Jr.’

The Queen of Pop indulged in a dalliance with ‘America’s Prince’ in the 1980s, to the purported dismay of his mother Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

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Madonna paid her compliments to JFK Jr’s bedroom skills while appearing in a video for the gay hookup app Grindr, with which she had launched a Pride month partnership as an advertisement for Confessions II.

On the increase of the core funding, Mr Tomlinson added: “That reflects this bottom-up assessment that has taken place, looking across the needs of the Royal Household and making sure that it is being funded adequately for the work, for the public duties that His Royal Highness the King and the royal family carry out.

Alan Eccles, from Giffnock, near Glasgow, had his practising certificate renewed last year despite child abuse chats coming to light.

A paedophile lawyer who engaged in child abuse chat online could finally be struck off after being allowed to keep working more than a year after admitting his vile crimes.

We told how a “disgusted” legal insider had called for an urgent probe after Alan Eccles, from Giffnock, near Glasgow, had his practising certificate renewed last year after being spared jail for “despicable” offences.

Eccles, a former lawyer for the Scottish Youth Parliament, was sentenced to 300 hours of community service after admitting to engaging in online conversations about the sexual abuse of children as well as sharing indecent photos of kids and an intimate picture of a woman in 2023.

But Law Society of Scotland procedures means a sentence of less than a year in prison does not trigger a suspension and Eccles’ licence to operate was renewed in November, sparking outrage.

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Now the Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal (SSDT), which has the power to barr a lawyer from practising, has brought misconduct proceedings against Eccles, with a hearing scheduled for later this month.

But it’s understood Eccles will continue to be allowed to work until the process is complete – which could take several more months.

A Law Society of Scotland spokesman said: “Where we have reason to believe that one of our members has not met the high professional standards expected of them we will take action.

“By law, we have powers to suspend a solicitor from practice in limited circumstances, which include where a solicitor has been convicted and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 12 months or more. Other disciplinary measures are available where that threshold is not met but a solicitor is still able to practice pending the conclusion and outcome of the disciplinary process.

“Due to our successful lobbying… we will have enhanced powers to suspend solicitors in the future.”

In June last year, Eccles was tagged for eight months as he was handed his community-based sentence at Paisley Sheriff Court, which included a three-year supervision order. He was also added to the sex offenders register for three years.

His lawyer John Scullion KC told the court the offences took place when his mental health was poor, saying: “He accepts full responsibility.”

Sheriff Bruce Erroch told first offender Eccles his behaviour was “despicable”.

Eccles’s profile was removed from the Law Society’s pages following his conviction but later reinstated.

The society’s new practice year began in November, with details of Eccles’s Hillington-based business remaining on the register after his certificate was renewed.

His webpage still features references from legal professionals, describing him as a “consummate professional” as well as “caring” and “empathetic”.

The decision to allow Eccles, 45, to work again was branded “shameful” at the time but Eccles told the Record there was “nothing unusual” that he still had a practising certificate.

Scottish Conservative spokeswoman for victims and community safety Sharon Dowey said the public would be “appalled” to learn that the “predatory offender” had not only escaped jail but, “as a result of his lenient sentence, is able to continue practising law”.

Scottish Labour justice spokeswoman Pauline McNeill said it was “worrying” that Alan Eccles was still freely practising, saying it was vital appropriate safeguards are in place.

The SSDT decides whether a solicitor is guilty of professional misconduct and on any sanction. It can censure, fine or restrict solicitors’ practice and, in the serious cases, trike a solicitor off the roll.

The procedural hearing of Eccles’ case will be heard privately later this month.

The SSDT said a hearing had been set to hear legal submissions on the case, which require to be heard in private “in the interests of justice”.

It said depending on what the tribunal decides, future hearings of this case may be made public.

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It wasn’t the usual blood and thunder Belfast derby because the Blues boss made 10 changes to the team that defeated Limavady United at the weekend

Declan Devine’s Glentoran booked their place in round two of the ToalsBet Senior Shield following a 3-1 victory over a youthful Linfield side at the BetMcLean Oval.

It was striker Jordan Jenkins, who was the tormentor in chief, bagging a delicious double within the first six minutes! Substitute Carl Weatherup put the icing on the cake late on with a third.

But it wasn’t the usual blood and thunder Belfast derby because Blues boss David Healy made 10 changes to the team that defeated Limavady United at the weekend, using mostly Under-20 personnel.

They did, however, produce a gutsy showing that heralded a fine strike by Charlie Chapman in the second half.

“We selected a team based on trusting what we have in and around the U20s and in and around the squad. Part of their learning and part of their journey is to come to places like this when you are up against it,” said Healy.

“Glentoran picked a pretty strong team. We got off to the worst start but credit to the players, after 10 or 15 minutes we realised we could cope, we could play.

“We got ourselves back into the game. More positives than negatives. Our most important game is going to be Saturday (Carrick Rangers).”

Most of the talk around the old stadium centred on Glentoran’s new signing Conor McMenamin, who was yesterday snapped up from Coleraine, with Joe Thomson going in the opposite direction.

The former St Mirren man, however, wasn’t involved. No doubt, there are good days up ahead to come form the Northern Ireland international.

Instead, it was Jenkins who had the home fans eating out of his hand.

He required only two minutes to open his goal account for the season.

James Douglas was given time and space on the edge of the box to lay the ball off the the striker and his vicious low drive arrowed into the bottom corner, giving goalkeeper Aidan Glavin no chance.

The home fans were on their feet again four minutes later.

This time, Ryan Cooney drilled in a trademark free kick from the right that was cleverly headed back into the box by Daniel Larmour and Jenkins scored with the flick of his head.

The youthful Linfield side were caught cold.

In fact, the could have been three goals down after only nine minutes only for a miraculous double save from Glavin.

First, he kept out a Jenkins header and when the ball broke to John Daniels, his header was also kept out.

Linfield showed little up front in terms of attacking possibilities. Their only foray forward came on 20 minutes when Dylan Wells showed great feet on the left before looping over a cross that ended in the roof of the netting.

But it was the Glens who almost extended their advantage just after the half-hour. Cooney was again the provider only for Josh Kelly’s wicked low drive to force Glavin into a fantastic low save.

The Blues were almost back in it four three minutes after the interval.

Wells was right out of luck with a 25-yard free kick that had goalkeeper Billy Crellin beaten all ends up only for the ball to strike the outside of the post.

But the visitors were back in it on 56 minutes.

Chapman showed strength and hunger in the box and, when he tried his luck with a low drive, it deflected off the boot of Ethan Brown before nestling in the bottom corner.

Sean Brown then tried his luck with an audacious 30-yard effort, that flashed over.

But it was the Glens who almost increased their lead on 63 minutes. Daniel found Cooney, whose curling effort had Glavin at full stretch, the big shot stopper managing to flick over the top.

They did get a third 14 minutes from time. Cooney’s long throw fell to Weatherup and he cleverly flicked the ball past Glavin.

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Prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner Joshua Wong has pleaded guilty to collusion with foreign entities, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of life in prison under Beijing’s sweeping National Security Law (NSL).

The 29-year-old, who has become the poster child for political activism in Hong Kong, is already serving a sentence of four years and eight months after being convicted of subversion – another NSL violation – in late 2024.

The court said Wong would be sentenced at a later date. His earlier jail term is due to end early next year.

Wong was at the forefront of the Umbrella Movement in 2014 and massive pro-democracy protests in 2019.

The latest charge accuses Wong of conspiring with other campaigners, including exiled activist Nathan Law, to ask foreign countries and entities outside China to impose sanctions or blockades against Beijing.

These include activities that took place between July and late November 2020, the court heard. That was the year China introduced the controversial NSL, which critics say has created a climate of fear and quashed dissent in Hong Kong.

Beijing and Hong Kong authorities argue the law is necessary to maintain stability and deny it has weakened autonomy.

On Tuesday, the court heard that Wong and Law had participated in “international lobbying on numerous occasions”, including via visits to the US, Germany and Italy.

The duo are among several leaders who founded the pro-democracy party Demosistō in April 2016, and ran for the Hong Kong Legislative Council elections that year.

Among other things, prosecutors on Tuesday also accused Wong, along with Law, of promoting the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act: a US federal law that came into force in November 2019, during Donald Trump’s first administration. The Act compels the US government to impose sanctions against mainland China and Hong Kong officials if they are deemed responsible for human rights abuses in Hong Kong.

Even after Demosistō disbanded, Wong had maintained that he would not abandon his political stance and would continue to seek support from the international community, the prosecutors said.

Wong, dressed in a dark blue shirt and dark-rimmed glasses, did not dispute these allegations.

About 40 of Wong’s supporters, including fellow activists and some of his close friends, gathered in court on Tuesday. Some shouted: “Hang in there, Joshua!”

Wong was seen smiling and nodding in response from the dock.

Tsang Kin-shing, a former member of the now-dissolved League of Social Democrats, said he hopes the court will impose a lenient sentence, noting that Wong has by now spent more than 2,000 days in prison.

Fellow activist Louis Lee said Wong and his supporters were disheartened that he was handed another NSL charge while already serving time in prison.

Wong has continued seeking out new interests while in prison, including learning how to play the guitar and working out.

“I hope everyone can learn from him,” Lee says.

Now, they are off the back of a third-place finish in the Premier League and club bosses are talking fancifully of a tilt at the Premier League and Champions League. But have they given Michael Carrick the tools to achieve those ambitions?

Last season ended with chief executive Omar Berrada stressing the need to be “really disciplined” in the transfer market. In fact, he predicted what was coming over the following few months.

“I think the template for what we did last summer will be replicated in many ways,” Berrada said in an in-house interview. He probably didn’t mean it quite so literally, but that is how this summer has panned out.

After Casemiro’s departure, it was always the plan to revamp the midfield this summer, and it was always likely that three new faces would arrive. Part of that was contingent on Manuel Ugarte leaving, but his World Cup injury, which will rule him out for the majority of the season, saw his wages covered by FIFA, allowing United to press on with their midfield search.

The surprise is that more hasn’t been done. United intended to strengthen their left-hand side, and this has happened with the return of Marcus Rashford, but the failure to sign a left-back could yet prove costly.

Rashford dominated the early part of the summer. Barcelona’s decision to spend £69million on Anthony Gordon blindsided the 28-year-old and his camp. The Catalan club considered another loan move and even weighed up lowballing United with an offer half the size of the £26million option.

By June, United had become exasperated with Barcelona’s approach and resolved not to sanction another loan and not to consider an offer of less than £26million. Fairly swiftly, options for Rashford withered, and both parties became open to reintegration.

There was a meeting between United officials and Rashford’s camp during the World Cup and Michael Carrick made contact with his former teammate and someone who he had coached while on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s backroom staff. Even before he returned to pre-season training, sources close to the discussions this summer felt United had decided that keeping Rashford was now their best course of action.

Rashford’s return means Patrick Dorgu could be freed up to play at left-back, although internally he is viewed as a winger, and people close to Dorgu believe he will eventually end up as a right-winger rather than a left-back. That leaves right-backs Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui as the only senior cover for Luke Shaw, as well as 19-year-old Harry Amass, who hasn’t made a matchday squad this season.