Vladimir Putin and Russia have a maximum of two years left to fight, according to Ukraine‘s top spy chief. 

Lieutenant General Oleh Ivashchenko claimed this week that a loss of troops, dwindling morale and a struggling economy may impact Russia’s ability to wage war by 2028.

Western intelligence services suggest Putin’s nation is losing 6,000 more soldiers than it can recruit every month. Figures produced by Ukraine, meanwhile, estimate that Russia has lost more than 1.5million troops – with as many as 450,000 deaths – since 2022. 

Speaking at the Ukrainian military’s intelligence service headquarters in Kyiv, Ivashchenko told The Times: ‘Russia has military and economic resources for the next year, but we estimate it will end in 2028.

‘Russia recruits roughly 1,000 people every day, sometimes 1,200, but look at these casualty figures. Yesterday it was 1,410, the day before it was 1,511. Of those, around 60 per cent are killed in action.’   

Another 18 months of fighting would likely result in a further 765,800 Russian casualties, with 459,480 dead and 306,320 wounded, statistics suggest. 

And such startling figures, according to Ivashchenko, have resulted in a lack of enthusiasm for the war effort across the border in Moscow. 

‘Morale is very low because nobody wants to fight,’ he added. ‘Also the morale of the Russian population is very low: most people do not really want war.’ 

Western intelligence services are reported to suggest that Russia is losing 6,000 more soldiers than it can recruit every month

The spy chief dubbed Putin ‘subnormal’ for waging a war in such conditions. ‘Draw your own conclusions about a person who wants to kill other people to seize their territory,’ he said. 

In a separate interview, Ivashchenko suggested that Russia is considerably weaker economically than it was when the full scale conflict launched four years ago. 

Much of Kyiv’s war-time strategy has centred around long-range drone strikes against refineries, oil depots, factories and tankers. 

Only this week, reports suggested an oil refinery in Rostov-on-Don as well as three Russian air defence assets were struck by Ukrainian forces in an overnight operation. 

It came a matter of days after a fire was recorded at the Ryazan Oil Refinery – one of Russia’s largest oil-processing refineries.

Around 40 per cent of Russia’s oil-refining infrastructure has been disabled, according to the Kyiv Independent, leading to fuel shortages and a ban on exports of diesel and gasoline. 

Ivashchenko told the Ukrainian news agency: ‘The main problems facing the Russian economy are a shortage of labour resources, a growing budget deficit and a deteriorating situation in the banking system. 

‘At the same time, it still has enough resources to wage war against Ukraine. We do not rule out that these resources will last through 2027 to 2028.’ 

The lieutenant’s comments came hours after Ukrainian officials claimed five people were killed and 67 others wounded by a Russian drone which targeted a shopping mall in Pavlohrad, a city in Dnipropetrovsk region.

Shops and vehicles were hit in the attack, which Ukrainian Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi said took place ‘when the streets were full of people’.  

Volodymyr Zelensky later echoed that sentiment, accusing Russia of ‘using drones to kill people who were simply standing near shopping centres’. 

Firefighters work at the site of an alleged Russian drone strike on a shopping mall in Pavlohrad, a city in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region

Cars are seen destroyed as smoke billows above the shopping centre on Thursday afternoon

Advertisement

It comes after two other malls – in the cities of Zaporizhzhia and Sumy – were also reported to have been hit by Russian air strikes earlier this week. 

On Tuesday, Zelensky said: ‘Russia deliberately tried to calculate for maximum damage to life. No strike against Ukraine and against life can be left unpunished. Russia must be stopped.

‘Every day we make the case to our partners for our need for interceptors. Ballistic missiles remain particularly difficult to intercept.’

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha meanwhile described Russia’s decision to target his country’s civilians as a ‘tactic of coercion’. 

He added: ‘Russia believes that relentless attacks on civilians can exhaust Ukrainians and force Ukraine into coercion.’ 

Together, Together is the third concert tour by the English singer-songwriter, supporting his fourth album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.

Dates have already taken place in 2026 in Amsterdam, London, Brazil and Mexico City.

A 30-night residency at Madison Square Garden in New York City is ongoing, before this year’s shows finish in Australia in December.

Harry Styles announces new UK tour dates for 2027

Now, Harry Styles has revealed that he will be returning to the UK for more shows next year.

The tour will take place across America, in cities such as Dallas, LA and Chicago, before coming to Europe, in Berlin, Paris, Madrid and Rome.

Styles has also confirmed dates in Dublin and London in August.

The shows will take place on August 18 and 20 at Croke Park in Dublin and August 25, 27 and 28 at Wembley Stadium.

Baby Rose will support the shows in Dublin, with Tears for Fears supporting at Wembley, which will be the final shows of the tour.

The announcement comes after the former One Direction star sent an email to fans yesterday teasing new 2027 dates.

In the message, he said: “When we decided to do the 2026 tour I knew it would be special but what you turned it into was far beyond what I could have imagined.

“I love playing music, I love being with all of you and being a part of the love and joy you all create together every night.

“That’s why I wanted you to be the first to know we will be adding 2027 dates, which honestly, at first I found daunting.

“Being an artist is the only life I’ve ever known really, I have been doing this since I was 16 years old, and I feel like the luckiest person in the world to still be sharing these moments with you.”

Styles shot to fame as a teenager in One Direction alongside Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson after the group was formed on ITV singing competition The X Factor in 2010.

They went on hiatus in 2016, almost a year after Malik left, and the Worcestershire-born star launched his solo career.

Until this year, he had kept a relatively low profile since the end of his 2023 tour and recently explained this stemmed from the pressures of a life in the spotlight and needing to take a break from music.

“Tomorrow’s announcement will be the final cities of Together, Together,” Styles continued.

The star hinted about his plans for the future, and added: “After that, I don’t know what comes next for me, but I know that I’m excited to find out.

“I can’t wait for us to keep dancing with all our friends, I hope to see you there.

“Thank you for coming out to see us, and for all the love and support you’ve given me over the years.

“All my love – H.”

Recommended reading:

When do Harry Styles tickets go on sale?

Tickets for Harry Styles’ Wembley shows are on Amex Presale on Tuesday, September 15.

This will be followed by a Fan Presale on Wednesday, September 16.

General sale is the following day, on Thursday, September 17, with all sales beginning at 11am.

Will you be trying to get tickets to Harry Styles’ tour next year? Let us know in the comments.

The final batch of tickets are now on sale for the LaplandUK Christmas experience 2026

Advertisement

The ‘Glastonbury of Christmas’, Lapland UK, is returning to the north west this year – and the final batch of tickets is now being released.

Tickets for the four-and-a-half-hour festive family experience, which sells out every year, will be on sale from midday on Friday (September 11). Now in its 20th year, having opened its first site in Ascot in 2007, LaplandUK will also return to its Cheshire site for 2026.

Last year saw the introduction of ‘Lapland Manchester’ – a northern expansion based at Capesthorne Hall in Macclesfield.

Created as the second doorway to the ‘Elven World’ which owners Michael and Alison Battle created to build their experiences around, it combines ‘breathtaking immersive sets, world-class theatrical production and captivating live performance’ LaplandUK says.

Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter

The experience begins with a special boxed invitation for a child to visit the magical world. On the day of the visit, the journey takes families through the ‘Enchanted Forest’ and into the Elven World. Children will lend a hand making toys in the Toy Factory, decorate gingerbread in Mother Christmas’ Kitchen and explore the Elven Village, before making their way through the snowy forest for their special meeting with Father Christmas.

Unlike the original Ascot ‘doorway’, the Cheshire site is entirely indoors. But Michael and Alison told the Manchester Evening News how incredible effort goes into bringing the outside in.

“Lapland Manchester has its own character, of course, but we’re giving the same experience so it’s seamlessly in line with what we’ve done for 20 years at Ascot. It’s all part of the world that we’ve created.

“Manchester Lapland is all indoors – the site at Capesthorne meant it had to be and we were also conscious of the weather in the north of the country being a bit more volatile. So we worked hard to make sure it still has the feeling of being outdoors so families are transported into the Elven World and the Enchanted Forest in the same way they have been before.

“We brought 320 tonnes of mulch in and had huge trees brought in – which was quite something when we’re covering the size of 22 football pitches. We worked really hard to create that feeling of being outside.”

And the founders said that ‘believe it or not’ Lapland Manchester garnered even greater visitor feedback in its opening year than its well-established south England counterpart.

Michael and Alison added: “Childhood is a precious and fleeting moment, and we created Lapland to honour those magical years. We truly cannot wait to welcome Small Folk back into our world this Christmas and help families create treasured memories that we hope will stay with them for a lifetime.”

When asked whether returning visitors will notice any new aspects to Lapland Manchester this year, the answer was simple: “We’re always improving.”

Those improvements, they say, will come in the form of a shift to ‘slow magic’ – with longer dwell time, more personalisation and deeper storytelling, reflecting what families “increasingly want from premium festive experiences“.

How to get tickets

An initial batch of tickets went on sale in March, priced between £65 and £195 per person – with tickets the same price for both adults and children. Now families will have the final chance to get tickets for this year’s most-sought-after Christmas event when the last batch of tickets goes on sale at midday on September 11.

Tickets will be available via www.laplanduk.co.uk, with families encouraged to move quickly to secure one of Father Christmas’ final invitation

Lapland Manchester opens 7 November to 24 December.

What’s new for 2026?

New Invitation Box

A newly redesigned, premium invitation box – completed earlier this year – means March bookers will receive their invitations by end of summer, ready to be hidden ahead of the magical delivery moment.

This comes in response to complaints from some families last year that they were left waiting for their invites as their entry date got close.

Reindeer Stables

Every child will now get to make their own magical reindeer food with the Elves (included in ticket), to take home for Christmas Eve. Last year, this was at an additional cost.

Mother Christmas’ Kitchen – Extended Time

There will be more time in the kitchen for gingerbread decorating and a longer, more intimate storytime with Mother Christmas and the Elves.

The Elven Village – More Time to Explore

Guests will also now have extended time in the Elven Village – which is one of the most popular spots in the attraction.

This is where you can go ice skating, as well as letter writing in the post office, visit shops and also purchase hot and cold meals and drinks.

One of the criticisms last year was that parents felt they had to rush in this area, Ticketholders were previously allocated timeslots to move through to the next area – which is the Reindeer Stables after 90 minutes – and then head on to meet Santa.

Last year, families were told to expect around 4.5 hours inside the experience, so this year you can expect to stay inside longer if you wish.

Returning Portal – Enhanced Finale

Bosses say they have made significant Investment into the “portal” moment “returning Human Folk to the UK” at the end of the Lapland experience.

They say they aim to “create a bigger, more emotional end to the experience”.

New toy

The founders also confirmed in their Facebook video on Tuesday night that there will be a “new toy” that children will make in the Toy Factory to help out Father Christmas and the Elves.

At last year’s attraction, children all made a polar bear toy at this stage. No further details were given about the new toy though, so that’s set to be a big talking point come November.

By ISABELLA MACHIN, REPORTER

Published: 23:22 BST, 10 September 2026 | Updated: 02:11 BST, 11 September 2026

Israel has blown up a key tunnel network built by the Hezbollah group in Lebanon, causing a 4.1 magnitude tremor from a blast that filled the night sky with flames and billowing plumes of smoke. 

The explosion on Thursday, which sent shockwaves rippling across the region for miles, obliterated the major underground complex built by the Iran-backed terrorist organisation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday evening it had demolished the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. It is understood 1,100 tons of explosives were used.

Footage released by Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz shows the dark night skies emblazoned with orange fire as smoke billows out from the destroyed tunnels. The video was captioned: ‘We promised and we delivered. The terrorists were eliminated and the Ali Taher tunnels were destroyed. Kudos to the IDF.’

Advertisement

Meanwhile, the operation was captured by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Israeli sources said dozens of Hezbollah fighters were found dead inside the tunnels – which have long been seen as a flashpoint in the Israel-Hezbollah war. 

‘This is strategic terrorist infrastructure that was built over two decades, with Iranian funding and planning,’ said a joint statement by Netanyahu and Katz.

The destruction ‘completes the achievement of operational control over the Ali al-Taher ridge – above and below ground,’ the statement added.

The United States Geological Survey meanwhile reported a 4.1 magnitude tremor in the area, after Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that Israel carried out a ‘massive explosion’ on the Ali al-Taher ridge in the Nabatieh region, ‘causing tremors and a powerful rumble’.

Advertisement

Israel has blown up a key tunnel network built by the Hezbollah group in Lebanon on Thursday

 The explosion on Thursday, which sent shockwaves rippling across the region for miles, obliterated the major underground complex built by the Iran-backed terrorist organisation

Footage released by Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz shows the dark night skies emblazoned with orange fire as smoke billows out from the destroyed tunnels

Advertisement

AFP journalists in south Lebanon also said they heard ‘huge explosions’ on Thursday evening. ‘We were sitting there and everything shook,’ Joelle Fares, who recently moved to Majayoun, said.

The Israeli army said the Hezbollah infrastructure extended for more than two kilometres (1.2 miles) and contained ‘dozens of Iranian-made rockets, missiles, and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), as well as machine guns, dozens of anti-tank missiles, and hundreds of mines and explosive devices’.

The underground compound also included a command centre of Hezbollah’s ‘Badr’ unit, the army added.

A military official said that some of the militants that had operated in the area of the ridge had abandoned it, while others were ‘eliminated by aerial strikes and artillery fire’.

Advertisement

Israel announced last week that it had captured the Ali al-Taher ridge. Located about 15 km (10 miles) from the Israeli border, the hills have a commanding view of a broad sweep of southeastern Lebanon.

In March, Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the Middle East war in support of its backer Iran. There had been a lull in violence after the understanding reached between Iran and the United States in June, followed by an agreement between Lebanon and Israel.

But strikes have increased in intensity in recent days. During negotiations, the United States, which sponsored the talks, proposed that the Lebanese army take control of the Ali al-Taher ridge, but Hezbollah refused, a source close to the parties told AFP.

Beirut authorities say Israeli strikes have killed more than 4,300 people in total since March, and Israeli forces continue to occupy a so-called ‘security zone’ in the south.

Advertisement

The Ali al-Taher ridge was controlled by the Israeli military from 1982 to 2000 during its occupation of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah is believed to have built an extensive underground network following the Israeli withdrawal. 

Reuters reported earlier this month that Iran had warned the United States against an Israeli attack on the ridge. 

READ MORE: Inside the weapon-filled tunnels beneath a Lebanon castle which was long a Hezbollah stronghold and used to launch deadly strikes and drones

Japan has protested a new world map adopted by the UN after it showed the disputed Kuril Islands as part of Russia.

Japan’s government demanded a correction to the map, known as the Equal Earth cartographic projection.

The UN General Assembly voted on Friday to adopt a new map of the world, passed with the support of 164 nations, including France and the UK, while the US voted against it.

The new map fixed the discrepancy with the Mercator map, which was created in 1569 and showed the African continent as being of similar size to Greenland – even though it is in reality about 14 times larger.

However, Japan is among several countries that have disputed the new map because it shows the Kurils, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, in the same colour as Russia.

Japanese government spokesperson, Minoru Kihara, said the new map “contained a depiction contradicting the Japanese government’s position”.

“We lodged a protest with the map site’s operator through our diplomatic channel to demand the correction of this depiction,” Mr Kihara told reporters.

He said Japan “needs to prevent misconceptions of our territories and geographical names from spreading”.

The island has remained a bone of contention between Russia and Japan after a chain of islands was seized by the former Soviet Union in 1945, which then expelled the Japanese population.

Last month, Japan protested after Vladimir Putin made his first visit to the disputed Kuril Island in August. It marked his first visit to the island, sparking condemnation from prime minister Sanae Takaichi, who said the Russian president’s visit “offends the sentiments of the Japanese people”, and that it was “absolutely unacceptable”.

She insisted the islands were “an inherent part of Japan’s territory, both historically and under international law”.

Moscow responded by “categorically” rejecting the statement, “which we consider politically inappropriate, insulting and, of course, legally unfounded”.

Relations have deteriorated sharply since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, after which Japan joined its Group of Seven partners in imposing sanctions on Moscow.

Ukraine last week abstained on the map in the UN vote after it showed annexed Crimea in a different colour to the rest of the country. Ukraine said it opens a “Pandora’s Box” violating the UN Charter and international law.

While India voted in favour of the map the foreign ministry said “an inaccurate or misleading depiction is unacceptable” after the new map showed India’s border with Pakistan, the Line of Control, as a separate dotted line.

The map carried a disclaimer that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not been agreed upon by India and Pakistan, even as India depicts Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh within its boundaries.

Plans to join a row of three shops in Church Lane, off Spurriergate, together to form a single unit have been approved by City of York Council.

An application from Bench Mark Designs stated the works would see detritus including wall lights, artwork and graffiti-style rendering removed and the buildings’ crumbling façades rebuilt.

Council planning officers stated the changes would help preserve and enhance the features of the buildings and the wider area.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Plans approved by the council would see access to the upper floors of the buildings created from Church Lane.

Dividing walls on the ground floor would be removed, with the application stating that a larger space would be more attractive to potential tenants.

Toilets and kitchen facilities would also be provided.

Shop fronts would be altered including by creating a new shared entrance, removing the current graffiti-style paintwork and repainting the render.

Plans stated the shop fronts were currently a mixed bag of styles.

The application stated: “At present the shops are in a very poor condition, various tenants have embellished them.

“The intension is to remove all the detritus.”

Council planning officers stated the latest plans were an improvement on ones for the works which had previously been refused.

Officers stated: “The revised design would be in keeping with the character of the building and the surrounding conservation area.

“The works would support the reuse of the commercial unit and enable a complaint access to the upper floors.

“The reoccupation of the vacant ground floor units would contribute positively to the appearance of the streetscene.”

There are also concerns the doctors are already under pressure and schools are ‘oversubscribed’

Plans for just six new homes near a hospital have been slammed by neighbours over traffic fears. Residents living near Doddington Hospital have raised concerns that more traffic will make walking “more dangerous because of the lack of passing areas”.

Mr Cutteridge is seeking permission in principal from Fenland District Council to build the homes on land south west of The Stables in Hospital Road. Doddington Hospital is located about five-minutes away from the site location by walking or a short drive away.

According to a planning document, the site is not within a flood zone, conservation area or within ground of a listed building. The application said the development would deliver more “executive type properties”, meaning ones that are intended to provide its occupants with higher-than-average levels of comfort, quality and convenience.

All properties would feature a third garden area, the applicants propose. The planning documents state there is a “significant planning history” along Hospital Road under Fenland’s current Local Plan with a number of these properties having been built out.

Since its submission in July, the plans have seen local backlash and several formal objections have been lodged with the council. One person said that over recent years, applications have been accepted for “at least 12 properties plus the expansion of the garden centre” along the single track road. They said the council appears to “totally disregard when it comes to upkeep”.

The objector said the single track road should be upgraded before “any expansion that will encourage more traffic”. The resident explained that Hospital Road is also part of the village’s circular footpath and “increased traffic is making walking along Hospital Road more dangerous because of the lack of passing areas”.

Similarly, another resident lodged concerns about increased traffic. They said that the area is “well-known by many in the village and surrounding areas as a lovely place to walk your dogs, take horses out hacking, or to exercise safely while enjoying the scenery”.

They noted that there are reportedly currently no footways in the area and claimed that they have been “forced to significantly reduce using the areas” for exercise. They fear increased traffic flow will result in “someone being struck”.

They also raised concerns that other properties on the rural lane have been separately approved or proposed adding, “surely it must be accepted that this offers itself more as an estate than a small extension to what was a lovely small village”.

Another local lodged an objection regarding concerns that new properties would “destroy” wildlife’s homes as well as the surrounding countryside. Additionally, they said that “doctors are already under immense pressure and are over subscribed” and the local school reportedly “struggles to accommodate those already within the catchment meaning people are having to travel out of area”.

Alternatively, some people have expressed their support towards the plans. One person said it is a “lovely location for new homes”, adding that “they will be an asset to the village”.

Another person said it would be a “gentle expansion of the village” meanwhile someone else said it would “provide several benefits to the village”.

By JAMES COHEN, SPORTS REPORTER

Published: 01:45 BST, 11 September 2026 | Updated: 02:33 BST, 11 September 2026

Furious NFL fans have ripped into the ‘worst rendition ever’ of the Star-Spangled Banner prior to the 49ers-Rams clash in Australia on Thursday. 

Prior to the action getting underway at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, New York-based ‘soft rock’ band Infinity Song took to the stage to perform the national anthem.

However, their performance fell flat among viewers watching back on US soil – with hundreds of them swiftly rushing to social media to offer their criticisms.

‘Is this the worst version of the US national anthem ever??,’ one fan wrote on X.  

Advertisement

Another disgruntled viewer wrote: ‘This might be the worst performance of a National Anthem ever holy s***.’

‘These people sound terrible singing the national anthem!’, another said online.

Furious NFL fans have ripped into Infinity Song’s rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner 

Advertisement

They took to the stage prior to the 49ers-Rams clash at Melbourne Cricket Ground

Immediately after Infinity Song took the stage, fellow singer Cody Simpson performed the Australian national anthem – leading to high praise from those same online fans. 

‘Dude who sang the Australian national anthem smoked the boots off the American national anthem rendition,’ one fan said. 

Another wrote: ‘Based on National Anthem performances, its 1-0 Australia. Come on NFL you could have represented the U.S. better than that!’ 

Advertisement

Infinity Song is an American ‘soft rock’ band based in New York City composed of siblings Abraham, Angel, Israel and Momo Boyd. 

The group has released three albums under record label Roc Nation. 

Their performance came just one day after fans were left baffled by a wordless performance of the Star-Spangled Banner prior to the NFL’s season opener.

Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready performed the unique version of the anthem before the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 13-10 in a Super Bowl rematch at Lumen Field.

Advertisement

The American anthem was performed after Washington native, The Mwango Sisters had delivered a stirring rendition of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’, better known as the ‘Black National Anthem’ before the game and received a mixed reception online.

But McCready was widely slammed for his guitar anthem, with viewers online even going as far as to call the performance a ‘disrespectful’ way to start the new season.

Advertisement

Fans were quick to rush to social media and voice their frustrations with the anthem rendition

It came just one day after a wordless performance of the Star-Spangled Banner on Wednesday 

One disgruntled fan wrote: ‘As someone who has played guitar my whole life and loves the instrument… An electric guitar should never be used to play the national anthem in this way. This is a disgrace. 

‘There are many ways to express the anthem uniquely, but also respectfully. Chris Stapleton did that phenomenally well – expressing his own unique angle on the anthem while still articulating it with the dignity and reverence it deserves. 

Advertisement

‘But this is simply a self-indulgent disgrace. There is no thought behind this. He doesn’t even have the decency to stay in the key as he vandalizes the melody – going to stupid out-of-key canned pentatonic riffs for no reason. 

‘I would be insulted if I bought tickets to see this as a musical performance, let alone listening to this as a rendition of our national anthem. Just terrible.’

Manchester United won 4-0 against Sabah in the Champions League on Thursday night as Patrick Dorgu started at left-back.

Michael Carrick’s experiment with Patrick Dorgu didn’t go to plan during Manchester United’s win against Sabah.

Dorgu started at left-back for the first time since his transfer from Italian side Lecce, having played at wing-back under Ruben Amorim, and he looked more like a winger.

The Denmark international assisted Matheus Cunha’s opening goal with a beautifully weighted first-time cross, but he struggled in a handful of defensive scenarios, further evidence of which role he’s best suited to.

The assist was a timely boost for Dorgu, who did not make a good start to the game. Sabah forward Kaheem Parris caused Dorgu problems in the opening 20 minutes, skipping beyond him on the wing on a few occasions.

Dorgu also misjudged a floated pass on the halfway line and attempted to win it when Parris was bound to get there first. The attack came to nothing, but it was another example of him not looking convincing at left-back.

The fact that Dorgu’s best moment in the game came around the opposition’s box will not be wasted on Carrick, who stayed calm and did not react on the touchline when the defender suffered a few rocky moments.

Dorgu started at left-back in the absence of Luke Shaw, who was omitted from the squad as a precaution. “He came off the other day with a little bit of cramp, so we didn’t want to take any risks really,” Carrick explained. “We tried to manage him, but we’ll see how he is after this one.”

United failed to sign a left-back in the summer transfer window, despite knowing that Shaw can not cope with two games per week, which is why Carrick wanted to cast his eye over Dorgu in that position on Thursday night.

Carrick hinted at frustration over not signing a cover for Shaw when he spoke after the transfer window had closed, pointing to the club’s finances, but he said he would try to get “the most out of” the current squad.

Although Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot can play at left-back, it was logical for Carrick to start the first game without Shaw with Dorgu in the role, given he regularly played at left wing-back in Amorim’s system.

Carrick hoped to see Dorgu deliver a convincing defensive performance, along with quality in attack. The 21-year-old passed the latter test, but it’s fair to see he was less than convincing in the defensive department.

The performance indicated that Dorgu will be able to cover at left-back in some games, but it showed that United may be left vulnerable down that side if Shaw is ruled out at some stage.

Shaw’s injury record suggests that is a real possibility. The 31-year-old became just the fifth United player to start every Premier League game last season, but the Reds played their fewest fixtures for 115 years.

United fans understandably slammed the club for failing to sign a left-back when the summer window closed. It unfortunately seems predictable that Shaw’s body will let him down this term, meaning United’s failure to sign cover could come back to bite them.

Carrick would have liked what he saw from Dorgu when he was in Sabah’s half, but he still has more to work on to improve defensively. The good news is that Dorgu has the right attitude to improve.

When Dorgu lost his starting role last season, he responded by getting his head down at Carrington and doing extras after training sessions. He tirelessly worked on improving his crossing because he knew he needed to provide quality from wide areas as a left wing-back under Amorim.

It’s that hard work that saw him transition into a forward, but it now looks like he will have to polish the defensive side of his game for when he is needed to cover for Shaw this season.

Dorgo was shown a yellow card around the hour mark and was replaced by youngster Harry Amass with 20 minutes remaining. Amass looked confident during his cameo and should be considered for more minutes.

Carrick seems likely to persevere with Dorgu at left-back when Shaw is not available, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him relocated to the wing sooner rather than later.

Donald Trump rounded out the final night of his two-day Republican midterm convention in Dallas by leading his audience in a mock version of the Pledge of Allegiance in which he made his followers promise to vote for his allies in the upcoming elections.

The president urged his followers to raise their right hand, as if they were swearing an oath of public service, before directing them to repeat: “I pledge to the greatest president in the history of the United States that loves us so much he can’t even breathe, that I will go out with my family, my friends. I’ll do it anyway– I don’t care if I’m registered or not. I’m going to try and cheat like hell, like they do.”

The bizarre pledge continued a moment later, after Trump acknowledged some of his fans in the front row.

“So we swear that on November 3rd we are going to go out and vote. And you know what? If you want, you can vote Democrat, but I don’t think there’s one person in this room that’s going to vote [for them],” Trump continued.

He finished with a threat: “You know what happens if you don’t vote? You go to hell, you know that? Okay? You go to hell, and I don’t want that to happen to you.”

The spectacle concluded a meandering address that was comparatively shorter than the marathon speech Trump gave to end night one of the two-day gathering in Dallas, but still managed to be long enough to cast a shadow on the address given moments earlier by JD Vance, his vice president, who’d earlier given an impassioned memorial to conservative activist Charlie Kirk and urged Republican voters who were wavering from the president’s side to keep the faith.

Trump’s address was less focused and was typical of his second-term addresses to the media and his supporters. Unable to stay on any one topic, the president often follows a pattern in his public remarks that hits every issue in the headlines, and some that aren’t — which he semi-jokingly calls “the Weave”.

As his remarks finished on Thursday, opera music blared in the Dallas convention hall while balloons dropped from the ceiling and the president’s supporters clapped and waved. An announcer urged attendees to get home safely.

The end of the convention in Dallas marks the beginning of the end for the 2026 campaign season. With primaries out of the way and just two months left until the midterm elections, the president’s approval rating is registering in the mid to low thirties as Republican candidates struggle in key races around the country and battlegrounds in red-purple states like Texas become more favorable ground by the day for their Democratic opponents.

In Texas, Ken Paxton was a guest for the second night of the convention after delivering his address to the crowd Wednesday evening. Trump’s abbreviated address closing out the ceremonies still managed to hit Paxton for his appearance, as the president had done to greater lengths the night before in a sign that the president recognized the jab’s potential to get laughs from his audience.

Paxton sat next to Michael Whatley during the proceedings Thursday evening. Whatley, the GOP nominee for Senate in North Carolina, was trailing his Democratic opponent by double digits in an Elon University/YouGov poll released Thursday that signals an easy Senate seat pickup opportunity for Democrats this fall.