The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has handed back, or is handing back, money paid by claimants who accepted penalties instead of facing prosecution.
The penalties, known as administrative penalties, can be offered to people suspected of benefit fraud when investigators believe there is enough evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction.
They are calculated at 50% of the overpaid amount, capped at £5,000, and are charged on top of the original benefit overpayment.
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But a DWP review found 197 cases where penalties had been unreasonably offered and should not have been issued.
This included 128 cases from 2023/24 and 69 from 2024/25.
The department said procedural errors, insufficient evidence and circumstances not being fully considered contributed to some of the cases.
A DWP spokesperson said: “In an effort to identify opportunities for improvement, we proactively reviewed our use of Administrative Penalties and identified a small number of cases where they were incorrectly applied.
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“We have put this right by removing and refunding those penalties, contacting affected customers, and strengthening our processes to ensure decisions are made consistently and appropriately in future.”
Your Top 12 Cost of Living Concerns
Earlier this week I asked which cost-of-living areas you most want @andyburnham and @JohnHealey_MP to focus on. Many thousands replied across various of my social platforms. As well as looking at individual suggestions – we’ve now tallied the…
The department has introduced a series of changes following the review, including updated guidance for investigators, revised customer letters and communications, enhanced training and a new permanent independent decision-making panel.
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It has also strengthened quality assurance and oversight and introduced mandatory two-investigator attendance at all Interviews Under Caution.
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Under the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025, the DWP is also introducing independent inspection of end-to-end criminal investigations.
The department said cases from before 2023/24 were not included in the review and no further cases are being examined.
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Importantly, having an administrative penalty removed does not cancel any underlying benefit overpayment.
Any outstanding overpayment will still need to be repaid.
The plans have received their final approval and can now go ahead
A new electric vehicle charging hub will soon replace a hand car wash in Peterborough. Initial plans to redevelop the site into 10 EV charging bays were approved by Peterborough City Council planners in November last year.
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Applicant Moreco Investments Ltd re-applied for planning permission in June with tweaks to the design of the charging hub, including the layout plan, the charging equipment specification, the introduction of a power cabinet, and the removal of inter-bay landscaping and canopies.
“These refinements improve the operational functionality and accessibility of the scheme while leaving its scale, character, and appearance unchanged,” the plans stated.
Council officers approved the plans once again in August, meaning the development can finally go ahead. The site, located at Parkway Sports and Social Club, will see five charging units across the 10 bays, including two fully PAS-compliant accessible bays which will operate 24/7.
A pedestrian walkway will connect the charging bays with the wider area, supporting informal connectivity to the Boulevard Retail Park and surrounding uses.
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“It will provide significant environmental, social, and economic benefits supporting Peterborough City Council’s Net Zero commitments, the CPCA’s regional charging strategy, and the UK Government’s statutory objectives for decarbonisation,” the plans added.
The officer report noted that the proposed scheme was consistent with the policies of the Peterborough Local Plan and aligned with provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework.
It stated: “The site is surrounded by a range of retail, leisure and commercial uses. The proposed development would retain a commercial appearance which is compatible with the character of the surrounding area.”
The Welsh Rugby Union has launched Wales’ first-ever Amazon checkout-free stores in order to slash food and drinks queues at the Principality Stadium.
The new stores will make their debut in Sunday’s Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester City, where more than 70,000 fans are expected to visit the stadium. Named ‘Now in a Minute’, the new stores – located on level 6 of the stadium – will allow fans to tap their payment card to enter before choosing what they want.
Following that, there will be no need to checkout – removing the need to queue at a traditional till.
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Instead, Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology will use sensors to identify what items have been picked up, with the charge added to your card.
Hospitality partner Aramark UK Have worked with the Principality Stadium to introduce the new technology, which is already in use at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Similar technology has been used elsewhere in the world, with travelling British and Irish fans likely to have used the same checkout-free store at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia last summer.
The stores will include a range of food and drink, including pies, confectionary, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages.
Former Wales international Scott Quinnell was among the first to try out the new stores, with the WRU posting a video of his experience.
The launch is the latest phase of ongoing investment to enhance the experience for visitors through new hospitality and retail innovations.
The stadium recently installed more than 20 self-service eBars.
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“We’re continually looking for new and innovative ways to enhance the experience for the millions of fans who visit Principality Stadium each year,” said Tomos Grace, the WRU’s chief commercial officer.
“The introduction of our new ‘Now in a Minute’ stores gives supporters a faster and more convenient way to access food and drink on event days.”
Tom Ford, VP Marketing, Strategy and Culinary at Aramark UK, added: “When we launched our partnership with Principality Stadium and the Welsh Rugby Union, we spoke about our ambition to put fans and visitors at the heart of everything we do.
“The launch of ‘Now in a Minute’ is another important step on that journey, combining innovative technology with great hospitality to make the matchday experience even better.
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“By making it quicker and easier for supporters to access food and drink, we can help reduce queues while enabling our teams to focus on delivering great service and creating memorable moments for guests across the stadium.
“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved together so far and excited about what’s still to come.”
Francis Noakes shared the advice on his YouTube channel, Driving School TV, explaining that drivers can use sign size and street lighting as key indicators, particularly in urban areas.
He encourages motorists to look out for whether or not the road contains bigger or smaller speed limit signs.
Driving instructor’s trick for knowing speed limit on UK roads
The driving instructor explains that the speed limit in England and Scotland is generally 30mph in built-up urban areas where there is street lighting.
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UK speed limits explained
However, local councils can vary the speed limit if they want to.
He says a big speed limit sign signals a change in speed limit, while smaller ‘repeater’ signs are used to remind drivers of the speed limit when travelling through an urban area where the speed limit differs from 30mph.
Mr Noakes said: “In the UK, if we’re in a built-up urban area and there’s street lighting, the speed limit is 30, but councils can vary that speed limit if they want to.
“If the speed limit is 40mph, there’s speed limit repeaters all the way down the road because it’s not the urban speed limit.
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“Same with this road, the speed limit is 20mph so there’s repeaters all the way down the road.
10 Obscure driving laws you may not know
“There’s no hard and fast rule of how often they should be repeated, but you will find repeaters.
“Some good advice that I say is wait 30 seconds to a minute, if you haven’t seen a repeater sign then your speed limit is 30mph.
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“Why? Because if it’s not 30 mph then they will not repeat the sign, it’s the urban speed limit.”
The Highway Code supports this, with Rule 124 stating: “The presence of street lights generally means that there is a 30 mph (48 km/h) speed limit unless otherwise specified.”
Government guidance also confirms that this applies to all single and dual carriageways with street lighting in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, unless signs indicate otherwise.
However, in Wales, the default speed limit on lit roads has been reduced to 20mph unless otherwise signed.
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Mr Noakes also clarified the difference between large and small speed limit signs.
He said: “If you’ve been going at 30mph down this road [which is a 20mph speed limit] and then slow down once you spot the repeater sign, then you’ve already been caught speeding.
“The big signs signal a change in speed limit.
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“The little ones are just a repeater sign, reminding you of the speed limit.”
The government says repeater signs for a 30mph speed limit are used only on roads with no street lighting.
Repeater signs for the national speed limit (60 mph) are used only on roads with street lighting.
The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and three penalty points on your licence.
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Have you noticed the bigger and smaller speed limit signs in your local area? Let us know in the comments below.
London is sweltering in its fifth heatwave of a record breaking summer, with temperatures hitting 34C on Friday.
The Met Office issued a rare amber “extreme heat” warning from 9am until midnight on Thursday, warning of a risk to life.
The hottest temperature of the year in the UK was recorded in London earlier this week, with the mercury hitting 38.1C in Kew Gardens on Thursday afternoon.
And it’s scorching again on Friday, with highs well above 30C in the capital.
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Tourists in Westminster fan themselves during the fifth heatwave of the season
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More than 70% of the country is now in drought following a record dry July, and an August that has so far seen just 5% of expected rainfall.
London’s parks have been turned into “tinderbox” parched lands where wildfires can easily spread.
Sir Sadiq Khan has urged Londoners to create fire breaks in their gardens to protect their homes, while the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has also warned of the dangers that major blazes could start in people’s gardens.
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Now, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has urged retailers to withdraw disposable barbecues from sale in an effort to prevent wildfires as the heatwave continues.
The Prime Minister urged “all retailers big and small” to pull the barbecues from their shelves as he warned extreme heat conditions “could be with us for some weeks yet”.
More than 1,000 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales this year, according to data shared by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), the same as last year’s record-breaking total.
Temperatures are due to fall to the mid 20s over the weekend, giving a welcome respite from the extreme heat for many.
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But is this the final heatwave of an especially hot summer? Or is more boiling weather round the corner?
Will there be another heatwave in London this year?
According to BBC Weather’s 14-day forecast for London, temperatures aren’t expected to exceed 26C from Saturday until at least August 26 – except for Monday, when 27C is forecast.
And we could even see a little rain next week, with some tipped to fall on London on Wednesday.
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A person uses a portable fan on an underground train in central London
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The Met Office, however, states that late August could see the return of high pressure, bringing hot and dry conditions yet again.
In their long term forecast, which covers August 28 through to September 11, the national forecaster says that temperatures will likely be above average and that some spells of hot weather and heatwaves are possible.
So while the extremely high temperatures may nearly be over for now, there remains a good possibility of a sixth heatwave later this summer.
Tyler Reid, 15, is taking on the challenge to raise money for the children’s cancer fund
A Belfast teenager is aiming to become the youngest person to take on the UK Four Peaks challenge in 36 hours while raising money for an important children’s charity.
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Tyler Reid is no stranger to feats of endurance, having already completed seven full marathons and three ultra marathons at just 15 years old.
He developed a passion for these challenges after training alongside his father Ian Reid and Connor Ferguson who have raised thousands to support armed forces and veterans’ charities through their ‘Big Danders’ where they walked and ran around the UK and Ireland.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Tyler said he was looking for something to do to raise money for an important charity, The Children’s Cancer Fund, but wanted a challenge someone his age had never done before.
After some research he found that no teenager had taken on the four peaks challenge in 36 hours and has spent the past eight months training, with his two friends Kai McCullough and Dylan Nasr helping him along the way. They will also be taking on the final peak, Ben Nevis, with Tyler.
He said: “I had been looking for a challenge to take on in order to raise money for charity and discovered that no teenagers had ever done the Four Peaks in under 36 hours and felt that was something that I would be able to do.
“I have chosen the Cancer Fund for Children to support for personal reasons and it is such an important charity.
“This isn’t the first time that I have taken on an endurance challenge like this as I did my first when I was 10 and walked 56 miles from Carrickfergus Castle to Portaferry. Since then I have gone on to complete seven or eight full marathons and three ultra marathons, but I still feel the Four Peaks could be the toughest one yet.
“My Granda, dad and uncle are going to be supporting me along the way in a camper van and I just hope that everything works out well on the day.”
The EFLChampionship is one of football’s most unpredictable and entertaining competitions, and the 2026/27 season is set to continue that trend as teams battle to reach the promised land of the Premier League.
Betting on the Championship presents its own unique challenges and this season’s Championship could throw up more surprises than usual following the decision to extend the play-offs, with the teams finishing seventh and eighth now also qualifying.
The Standard’s betting experts have put together a guide on the Sky Bet Championship betting markets, including live match odds and outright markets, all in one place, with prices from leading UK betting sites.
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There are 552 regular-season matches in the Championship, plus the play-offs, and bettors will be able to find live odds for each and every game on this page.
Our Championship odds come from leading football betting sites, and any changes made by bookies to the prices will be instantly reflected here.
EFL Championship winner odds
One of the most popular outright markets, in this section you will find the current title odds for the 2026/27 EFL Championship.
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Clubs relegated from the Premier League in recent years will receive parachute payments that make a huge difference financially, meaning this market is currently led by the recently demoted duo of West Ham and Wolves.
However, the winner doesn’t always come from the recently relegated trio, with Coventry finishing top of the pile in the 2025/26 season.
Championship promotion odds
Here you can find the latest prices on which clubs will go up to the Premier League at the end of the 2026/27 season – covering both the two automatic promotion spots and the play-off winner.
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The Championship regularly throws up a surprise package, so there is often each-way value to be found on betting apps.
A prime example is last year’s play-off winners, Hull, who had started the campaign priced at 20/1 to go up.
Sky Bet Championship top 8 finish odds
What used to be the top six finish market has been expanded to become the top eight with the expansion of the play-offs. The sides finishing in seventh and eighth will now qualify for the play-offs, with those sides facing the teams who finished in fifth and sixth in a one-off play-off tie.
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The winners of those games will go on to face the sides that ended the season third and fourth in a two-legged semi-final, with the winners advancing to Wembley and the Championship play-off final.
Championship top scorer odds
The unpredictability of the Championship is often proven by the eventual top goalscorer. Some big-name strikers have claimed the Golden Boot, but plenty of relative unknowns have also scooped the honour, and you can see the latest Championship top scorer odds here.
Despite there being 46 games for strikers to grab goals, the last five winners have finished with a total of between 19 and 27 goals – Swansea’s Zan Vipotnik scored 23 last season to claim the Golden Boot.
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Championship relegation odds
Above are the current Championship betting odds for clubs to be relegated to League One.
Sides newly promoted from the third tier and the Championship’s smaller-budget clubs typically lead the market. However, as Leicester proved last year, you do get surprises – the Foxes were priced at 8/1 to be relegated earlier on in the campaign.
Championship to finish bottom odds
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Sheffield Wednesday’s off-field issues and 18-point deductions over the course of last season made this market a non-starter as the Owls finished at the foot of the standings on zero points.
This year, the to finish bottom market is a competitive betting heat with Lincoln City looking to prove the doubters wrong having been pegged as the most likely team to be propping up the rest of the division come the end of the campaign.
Where to bet on the Championship
Bookmaker
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Football bet features
Sky Bet
Official Sky Bet Championship title sponsor; AccaFreeze; Ghost Leg; frequent price boosts; Super 6 free-to-play
BetVictor
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Daily football price boosts; £30 in free bets with welcome offer; Lucky Dip; Bet Builder
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Exchange betting, 90-minute guarantee; Bet £10, get £10 on the exchange, cash out
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Money-back specials; enhanced odds; free-to-play games
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£50 in free bets for joining; Double Delight/Hat-Trick Heaven; money back on losing bet builders; Acca Flex
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Free bets club (stake £25 on accas or bet builders for a £10 free bet); boosted odds; 4 to Score Game; Fixture Frenzy
Second only to the Premier League in England, the Championship is a highly competitive league with non-stop action, leading to plenty of promotions and offers from UK bookmakers.
Title sponsors Sky Bet stand out with their AccaFreeze, helping your accumulators come through at the weekend. Betfred’s Double Delight and Hat-Trick Heaven can provide extra value on first goalscorers, while Betway’s free bets club rewards punters with £10 in free bets when they wager £25 or more the previous week.
We’ve featured these six bookmakers for their strong EFL coverage, competitive outright prices, and useful football tools such as price boosts, acca insurance, and money-back offers.
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What makes the Championship different to bet on
Each side in the Championship plays 46 league games, naturally leading to a packed schedule when cup runs are also factored in. Squad depth, rotation, injuries and team consistency tend to matter more than the quality of a first XI.
The longer season is a bigger sample than the Premier League’s 38 games, which makes form and home/away splits more reliable. However, that also means title and promotion prices are a long-term hold, not a quick turnaround.
Promotion, play-offs and parachute payments
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Promotion from the Championship has changed this season. The top two still go up automatically, but there’s a new play-off structure with two extra teams entering the end-of-season showdown.
Teams that finish third to eighth now qualify for the play-offs, with the winner of the final at Wembley earning the last promotion spot.
Parachute-payment clubs – sides recently relegated from the Premier League – have a huge financial advantage over the competition, usually retaining top-flight quality and snapping up proven Championship talent from rivals.
The fact that a side can now surge into the play-offs with a late burst in form makes choosing a play-off final winner even trickier, but this unpredictability can provide more value to each-way promotion prices over outright winners.
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During pre-season, the outright markets, such as overall winner, promotion, relegation, and top scorer, usually offer the best prices, before results and form sharpen the prices.
Traditionally, value hunters have focused on each-way options in the markets for promotion, top-six finish (now top eight) and top scorer.
All the bookmakers listed on this page will provide responsible gambling tools to help bettors stay in control of their gambling.
Responsible gambling tools available include deposit and loss limits, session time reminders and time-outs, plus access to GAMSTOP registration for self-exclusion across multiple bookmakers.
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Using these tools helps punters maintain responsible gambling practices, whether you are wagering on Championship football, using casino sites or playing the latest online slots.
Our betting experts also recommend setting a budget, researching bets, and not chasing losses.
Betting should only be viewed as a source of entertainment, and never as a reliable income.
Championship odds – frequently asked questions
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Who is the favourite to win the Championship?
You can see the latest favourites to win the Championship on this page, which is updated throughout the EFL Championship campaign.
The relegated Premier League clubs, led by West Ham and Wolves, open as favourites, thanks to their squad quality and financial advantage.
Which teams are favourites for promotion?
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The promotion market covers the two automatic spots and the play-offs. Clubs recently relegated from the Premier League enjoy financial advantages due to parachute payments, explaining why they lead the market. However, the play-offs will feature five teams – meaning there could be a surprise winner at Wembley.
Which teams are favourites for relegation?
Newly promoted sides from League One and established Championship clubs with smaller budgets head the relegation market. That being said, the Championship is unpredictable with former Premier League champions Leicester going down in the 2025/26 season.
Throughout the season, we’ll update this page with the latest Championship relegation odds as well as dedicated club relegation-odds pages.
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Who is the favourite for the Championship top scorer?
The best Championship teams have the best players, which leads to more chances. As such, the top scorer market usually favours strikers at the promotion-chasing clubs.
Under the Championship top scorer odds you will see prices for the golden boot market updated throughout the campaign.
When is the best time to bet on Championship outright markets?
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EFL Championship outright markets such as overall winner, promotion, relegation, and top scorer tend to provide the best value during pre-season, before the league table properly shapes up.
That being said, it can be beneficial to return to this page to check odds, as there is occasional in-season value after surprise results, but prices will shorten quickly during run-ins and the play-off race.
What is the new Championship play-off format?
The teams that finished third to eighth will go into the play-offs this season. The sides that finish third and fourth will qualify automatically for the play-off semi-finals, with the teams that ended the regular season seventh and eighth travelling to the sides in fifth and sixth for a one-off eliminator.
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The winners of those matches will advance to the semi-finals, where they will face the third and fourth placed teams over two legs. The second leg will be played at the home of whichever team finished highest in the league.
The winners of those ties will go on to Wembley to contest the play-off final at the end of May with the winner promoted to the Premier League.
We aim to offer every online gambler and reader of The Standard a safe and fair platform through unbiased reviews and offers from the UK’s best online gambling companies.
Gambling can be addictive, always play responsibly and only bet what you can afford to lose. Gambling sites have a number of tools to assist you to stay in control, including deposit limits and time outs. If you think you have a problem, advice and support is available for you now from BeGambleAware or Gamcare.
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Any offers or odds listed in this article are correct at the time of publication but are subject to change. Terms & Conditions apply to all offers.
Chicago’s Chicken, in Linthorpe Road near St Barnabas Church, has been told to up its game – with a spokesperson saying it will be undergoing a re-inspection shortly.
The inspection, which took place on June 10, 2026, found standards across the board to be lacking.
In all three separate categories, “major improvement” was deemed necessary. These categories were hygienic food handling, cleanliness and condition of the facilities and building. and management of food safety.
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A rating of zero is at the bottom of the Food Standards Agency scale, which goes up to five.
Middlesbrough-based Chicago’s Chicken advertises paninis, wraps, desserts, sandwiches and of course, fried chicken on the store frontage.
A spokesperson for the business, which also sells ‘buckets’ and ‘nugget meals’ among other items, confirmed the establishment would be undergoing a re-inspection within three months of the initial check, in a bid to improve the rating.
The representative said the firm was content that improvements had been made in the meantime.
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Google reviews rate the takeaway highly with 4.6 out of 5 stars. One reviewer said: “Great quality chicken kebab. Flavour, quality, quantity and freshness all on point.”
Man Utd play their final friendly of pre-season against AC Milan in Wroclaw on Saturday and they have confirmed their squad for the game.
Marcus Rashford could make his first appearance for Manchester United in 20 months after being included in the squad for Saturday’s friendly against AC Milan.
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Rashford hasn’t played for United since December 2024, but he returned to pre-season training this week and the 28-year-old is set to feature against Ruben Amorim’s Milan in Poland.
Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo also return to the squad for the first time this summer, having both reported for pre-season training in Ireland this week.
United are travelling to Wroclaw from Dublin on Friday afternoon after training for the final time at their County Kildare training base earlier this morning.
They took a large group over the Irish Sea for that camp, but some players have returned to Manchester and a smaller squad will travel to Poland for the fixture against the Italian giants.
The presence of Amorim in the Milan dugout adds some extra spice to the occasion. Amorim was the head coach who discarded Rashford at Old Trafford, while he also overlooked Mainoo during his 18 months in charge at United.
A baby who endured an extraordinary medical ordeal has finally returned home to his family after weeks of uncertainty
14:30, 14 Aug 2026Updated 14:32, 14 Aug 2026
A baby who was pronounced dead before being discovered alive inside a body bag has finally returned home to his family after almost a month in hospital.
Noah Gabriel da Cruz Santos was discharged on Wednesday, August 12, following weeks of intensive treatment after the extraordinary incident in Brazil.
The two-month-old was welcomed back to his home in Rio Claro, São Paulo, where his family marked the occasion with cake, snacks, balloons and a celebratory sign.
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Noah’s relatives also thanked those who had followed his story and supported them with prayers and messages throughout his ordeal.
“God was faithful in every detail and continues to watch over our little miracle. Thank you to everyone who prayed, sent messages, and followed our story. This victory belongs to you, too!” his father Lenildo Santos wrote on social media.
Despite being back with his family, Noah remains in recovery and is currently being fed through a small tube. His relatives said he cannot yet have visitors or be taken into crowded environments because of recent episodes.
His ordeal began on July 15, when Noah, then just one month old, suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest while receiving treatment in the intensive care unit at Santa Casa de Rio Claro.
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Doctors reportedly attempted to resuscitate him for around 45 minutes before he was pronounced dead.
After spotting movement inside the taped-up body bag, she opened it and found Noah alive.
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“I opened it, and the baby started moving even more; he was making a noise, as if trying to breathe,” Regina recalled.
She said she had never experienced anything comparable during her 17 years working in the funeral industry.
“It was a shock, an overwhelming feeling, to realise that we had gone to collect someone who was dead, only to find him alive,” she said.
Her colleague Matheus Batagello was also there and immediately called for medical assistance.
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“It was a desperate moment, but also a relief,” he said.
Matheus initially questioned whether the movement might have been a spasm, but alerted nurses and urged them to examine the baby.
“Look, I need you to go check, because he’s moving and making a sort of hiccuping sound, like he’s choking. So I need you to go over there and make sure,” he told them.
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Noah was rushed back into intensive care before being transferred to a specialist hospital in Bauru on July 17.
He was treated at a University of São Paulo-affiliated facility specialising in craniofacial conditions and was also due to undergo surgery for a cleft palate.
By July 31, he had been removed from a ventilator and was breathing without mechanical assistance.
Santa Casa de Rio Claro has maintained that there was no error in declaring Noah’s death, saying all technical and legal procedures had been followed.
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“The Brazilian protocol for confirming death is recognised for its high standards of rigor and safety,” the hospital said.
Medical manager Nelson Horigoshi told Fantástico that the circumstances could potentially be linked to Lazarus syndrome, an extremely rare phenomenon in which circulation returns after resuscitation attempts have stopped.
However, he stressed just how unusual Noah’s case appeared to be.
“It usually takes minutes. Roughly 70% of those who return do so within five minutes. Just look at how exceptional this child’s case is. We are talking about hours,” Horigoshi said.
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After weeks of treatment and uncertainty, Noah is now recovering at home, where his family said his progress will continue to be monitored “in the comfort of home”.
Mollie Gallagher is leaving Weatherfield as she takes on a new project on stage
Coronation Street star Mollie Gallagher celebrated her theatre debut as her exit as Nina Lucas will air later this month on the ITV soap.
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The actress made her debut as Nina Lucas, the niece of Weatherfield favourite Roy Cropper, in 2019, quickly becoming a regular presence on the ITV soap.
Mollie was soon at the centre of some of the show’s biggest storylines, including a harrowing hate crime plot that resulted in the death of Nina’s boyfriend, Seb Franklin. Her powerful portrayal earned her a National Television Award for Serial Drama Performance.
Last month, after six and a half years on the famous cobbles, it was confirmed that Mollie would be leaving the Salford-based soap to make her stage debut as Clarice Starling in the UK and Ireland tour of The Silence of the Lambs.
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Now, Mollie has revealed that the opportunity to take on the iconic role played a key part in her decision to leave. Speaking to Inside Soap, she said it was a difficult choice because of how much she loves Corrie, the cast and crew, and Nina.
She explained: “Yeah, it was a tricky one because I love Corrie so much. I love everyone there and I love Nina, too. When I graduated from drama school and got the audition for Corrie, I thought that Nina was a dream character for me to play.
“I was really passionate about portraying this alternative character. We kept her quite similar the whole time, which was important to me. I never wanted Nina to lose her goth look and who she is – I think the audience have always really appreciated that.
“So it was a really hard situation, but as an actor, you do want to challenge yourself by trying new things. This new job is completely different because it’s theatre. It was sad – in an ideal world I’d be doing both, but that just wouldn’t work!”
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Taking to her Instagram, Mollie shared a stunning snap of herself on the red carpet for her theatre debut. She gushed: “Theatre debut complete @curve_leicester
“The most brilliant rehearsal process with @nikolaifostertheatre @juliathomas967 @bentleighmarie and the brilliant writer @gina_gionfriddo_ I haven’t been on a stage since I left drama school 7 years ago, so it’s been amazing to learn from some of the best. I’m v excited to keep being able to learn and grow on stage.
“I still can’t believe I get to be part of this amazing play as my first ever theatre job!!! Here’s to a year of Clarice Starling and @sotlplay Book ya tickets- Dr Lector is waiting”.
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Her Corrie co-stars rushed to show their support as Sally Carman penned: “Oh I’m SO EXCITED to see you in this!!!” and Sue Devaney added: “So so proud of you our Mols! Can’t wait to see you shine my darling xxxxx Have the best run xxxx”
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