By SHAYNE BUGDEN, SPORTS EDITOR, AUSTRALIA

Published: 05:01 BST, 5 July 2026 | Updated: 08:29 BST, 5 July 2026

BBC news anchor Jane Hill has become an internet sensation among Aussie football fans who cannot get over the way she pronounced ‘Socceroos‘ after the Australians’ World Cup defeat on Saturday.

The 57-year-old newsreader and journalist was informing viewers of the team’s loss to Egypt in a penalty shootout when she stunned supporters by pronouncing the name ‘Sioh-key-roos’ instead of ‘Soh-kerr-roos’.

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‘No goals in extra time took it to penalties, but then Socceroos missed two spot kicks, allowing Egypt’s Hossam Abdelmaguid to slot home the winning spot kick,’ Hill said.  

Aussies who saw the clip were flabbergasted and highly amused by Hill’s take on the word, with some saying it sounded like she was saying the name of a Greek soccer team.

Others believed Hill mistakenly believed ‘Socceroos’ referred to the surname of one of the Australian players who attempted a penalty. 

‘She pronounced that so crazy I didn’t even hear it the first time,’ one wrote on X in response to a clip of the moment that has been viewed 2.9 million times.

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Pictured: BBC news anchor Jane Hill, who has become a viral sensation with Aussie World Cup fans due to the way she said ‘Socceroos’ after their loss to Egypt

Several fans thought Hill mistakenly believed ‘Socceroos’ referred to a player who missed a penalty during the shootout in Dallas (pictured, Harry Souttar after missing his spot kick)

‘Sokiros skies the penalty,’ another said, referring to Aussie star Harry Souttar sending his shootout attempt over the crossbar. 

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‘Who is Sokirous? Some Greek footballer?’ asked a third.

‘You really have to feel for Sokiros. Missing one penalty in a shootout is bad but to miss two? You can’t come back from that,’ another comment read.

‘I don’t think she realised what she was saying – clearly reading off the autocues and not a football fan!’ said a fifth response.

Other comments included ‘She said Socceroos like a Greek player Brighton just signed’; ‘Hell, let’s start calling them that!’; ‘That autocue programmer owes her a beer’; and ‘I had to watch that three times to even recognize the word.’

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One of the Aussie players who missed a spot kick in the shootout, 18-year-old Lucas Herrington, has since been supported by two of the most famous names in the sport.

The centre-back was left devastated after crashing his penalty against the crossbar in Australia’s Round of 32 shootout defeat in Dallas, with fellow defender Harry Souttar also missing as Egypt progressed to the last 16.

Herrington, who became the youngest Australian to start a World Cup match earlier in the tournament, was immediately consoled by teammates after the final whistle.

Lucas Herrington (pictured) also missed from the spot against Egypt but received support from two of the biggest names in football in Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic

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His courage in volunteering to take one of Australia’s spot-kicks has since earned widespread praise from across the football world.

Among those to reach out was Swedish great Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who delivered an emotional message directly to the Colorado Rapids defender during Fox Sports’ World Cup coverage.

‘Penalty is like lottery. You score, you become a hero, you don’t score, sadly you become zero,’ Ibrahimovic said.

French football legend Thierry Henry echoed those sentiments, while questioning why such responsibility had fallen on an 18-year-old defender.

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‘Don’t be upset; you go there taking it, you miss. I feel for you, but keep your head up,’ Henry said.

‘I’m thinking about the guy that allowed him to go. You should (say), “No, this is not on you. We’re going.”‘

“It’s only tiny but fits in so much”

We can always count on Stacey Solomon to have a clever fashion, beauty or home hack to make our lives that little bit easier. The Sort Your Life Out presenter shared a clever way to keep all of her favourite skincare products fresh for longer back in 2020.

The Loose Woman star revealed she has a beauty fridge solely dedicated to skincare. No, it’s not a massive one that takes up a lot of floor space in the kitchen, it is the StylePro Mini Beauty Fridge that neatly sits on top of a desk or vanity.

The StylePro Mini Beauty Fridge was priced at £54.99 but it is available with an almost 20% saving on Amazon for a limited time. This brings the price down to a modest £44,99, offering a £10 saving.

READ MORE: 55-year-old Amanda Holden shares her salmon ‘shortcut’ to ‘ageing backwards’

READ MORE: I found a £10 eyeliner that’s ‘perfect for mature eyes’ – shoppers in their 50s love it

The mini fridge is also available for £44 at Debenhams, but it doesn’t come with the benefit of free delivery. However, postage and packaging is only 49p on this item, making it marginally cheaper than the Amazon listing.

Debenhams is also offering the Russell Hobbs 4L Mini Cooler in the choice of four colours including pink for £34.99. Designed to fit neatly into smaller spaces, the mini fridge is the perfect size for storing skincare and makeup.

Explaining the reason behind her StylePro Mini Beauty Fridge, Stacey wrote on her Instagram Stories: “I love it when I’ve left my face cream in the car and it’s gone freezing cold and you put it on your skin. So I’ve done some research and found out there is such a thing as a beauty fridge.”

The mum-of-five then proceeds to fill the fridge with her favourite beauty products, such as the Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream, on sale for £55 down from £66, and the Shiffa Healing Balm which is currently unavailable to purchase in the UK. The star then is seen putting the 111SKIN Rose Gold Brightening Facial Treatment Mask, £20 here, into her new beauty fridge.

After organising her skincare, Stacey then uses the side compartment of the fridge to store her cotton wool pads. “It’s only tiny but fits in so much,” she says. “More than I would use at one time.”

Elsewhere, Argos offers the Rio 6L Beauty Skincare Fridge with Mirror for £70. It cools down to 4C to help prevent products melting on warmer days and keep them in optimal condition.

The tempered mirror glass door features a dimmable LED light so you can see what you are grabbing. The carry handle makes it easy to move between your bedroom and bathroom. The removable shelf wipes clean quickly.

Back on Amazon, the StylePro Mini Beauty Fridge has racked up an overall star-rating of 4.3 out of five based on 129 reviews. One satisfied shopper said: “Fridge is smart and perfect for a teen’s beauty products. My granddaughter loved it. It’s roomy inside too.”

A second wrote: “This is a very stylish looking mini fridge indeed, it looks just as good in person as it does in the pictures. We’ve ended up just using it for storing a few drinks in the bedroom, and it holds 6 cans perfectly. There’s a little shelf than can be slid out and you could probably fit too 500ml bottles.

“The door doesn’t have a latch, it’s magnetic which has a really nice feel to it, not too hard to open but closes well. There’s also a heat setting that we haven’t tried, not really sure what you would use that for. It’s quieter than the Dyson in our bedroom so it doesn’t keep anyone awake either.”

“I instantly fell in love with this mini fridge, gorgeous colour and design,” a third penned. “Very easy to use, lightweight and compact. It doesn’t take to much space on my bedroom but enough storage space inside. I have all my creams that need to be stored in the fridge and still have space. Easy to clean and keep it tidy and organised.”

One shopper, however, wasn’t asi impressed with the StylePro Mini Beauty Fridge and gave it a two-star review. It reads: “Unfortunately, the refrigerator buzzes without interruption during cooling mode.”

“A lot smaller inside then expected,” a four-star review reads. “Also a puddle of water at the bottom forms very often.”

But someone else loved their latest Amazon purchase, adding: “This little Beauty fridge is the perfect table top fridge for anyone that needs to store makeup in a cool place. Leave it plugged in an hour and the temp drops easily to five degrees.

“I had it down too 3.8 degrees within an hour and a half. Enough room in the fridge for six tins of juice if you prefer to keep them cool instead.

“If you have the need to heat oils instead then switch the button on the rear off the fridge and instead your fridge turns into a heater. My other half loves this thing and keeps it on her dressing table.”

Another five-star review reads: “Does what it’s supposed to do. It’s lightweight and stylish. Still can’t believe though that keeping your beauty products cool is a thing now.”

By OLIVER SALT, US ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Published: 03:19 BST, 5 July 2026 | Updated: 08:20 BST, 5 July 2026

Kylian Mbappe had a ball thrown at him before a huge brawl broke out on the pitch as tempers flared at the end of France’s ill-tempered win over Paraguay at the World Cup on Saturday.

Les Bleus advanced to the last 16 of the tournament after earning a narrow 1-0 victory in Philadelphia, with Mbappe firing home the winner from the penalty spot in the 70th minute.

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Paraguay’s physical approach was a brutal one at the home of the NFL’s Eagles, where they somehow escaped without a yellow card despite lashing out at several France players on the night.

Mbappe in particular was targeted by the likes of Andres Cubas, Matias Galarza and Juan Jose Caceres, including when the latter kicked him in the shin in the 77th minute, which triggered the fiery scenes at full time. He was also seen laughing when Galarza confronted him at one stage in the match.

Once the final whistle went, Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill tried to shake Mbappe’s hand, only to throw a ball at his back when he ignored him.

The Real Madrid star had appeared to taunt Gill after he tucked away the winning penalty roughly 20 minutes earlier, before the pair exchanged some heated words.

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Kylian Mbappe had a ball thrown at him at the end of France’s ill-tempered win over Paraguay

A brawl also broke out near the center circle as tempers flared after the game in Philadelphia

And following the ball-throwing incident, several players from both sets of teams were involved in a fracas near the center circle.

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Mbappe said after France’s win: ‘I think that today, the match we had, the way we played it, was very good. We showed that we’re not just a team that knows how to play attacking football. 

‘If we have to get our hands dirty, we’ll get our hands dirty, excuse the expression. We have no problem with that.’

Gill, meanwhile, admitted he briefly lost his temper when his handshake offer was snubbed.

‘I gave him my hand to congratulate him but he ignored me. Obviously I entered a heated moment, but that’s all I did. After that, I calmed down,’ he explained.

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‘I just wanted to congratulate them. The truth is, they’ve had an excellent campaign as they’re the favorites to be world champions.’

‘From the very first moment, we set out to make our presence felt on the pitch – to play hard,’ Gill added about Paraguay’s violent approach.

‘If the ball gets through, the man doesn’t. And, honestly, I think the team handled itself well.’

France players were seemingly left frustrated with Paraguay’s violent approach on the field

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Mbappe was seen laughing while being confronted by Paraguay’s Matias Galarza at one stage

France felt otherwise. ‘They pull out every trick in the book,’ France coach Didier Deschamps said. ‘It’s not the kind of football that draws people to the stadium.

‘Each team played the way they want. But there were insults from the other bench that I could do without.’

‘We fought a battle,’ France defender William Saliba said. ‘We won the battle.’

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After coming through that war, France will now take on Morocco in a mouthwatering last-16 tie on Thursday.

Plans published by Wigan council refer to The Red Lion building on Westleigh Lane, Leigh.

GTTD Properties Ltd have applied to pull down the vacant pub building and erect three homes on the plot.

The mid-19th century building , which has accommodation to the upper floors, sits at the junction of Nel Pan Lane.

A design and access report produced on behalf of the applicant states the building is ‘a derelict old and dilapidated detached pub building which has

been vacant for many years, predominantly consisting of hard standing scrub land and gravel with limited shrub vegetation’.

If the plans are approved permission would be in place to build one detached and two semi-detached homes.

A heritage report on the building said: “The building is derelict and has been subject to a number of fires and anti-social, rough sleeping.

“The building appears to have been compromised with widespread roof leakage, structural damage to some room timbers and the attached former small stable completely gutted from fire.

“Overall, the building is in an extremely poor condition.

“The building dates from at least 1849. “It has been suggested that the building is considered to be a building of local interest.

“However, no publicly available local list is available in order to determine its assessment.”

The report examined whether due to its age and local prominence the building could be classed as a non-designated heritage asset (NDHA).

The report concluded: “Taking account of its current condition, I conclude that on heritage grounds, the building has low significance and does not meet

the minimum criteria to be considered as a NDHA.

“It has been structurally compromised in places, the building appears unlikely to be retained within any form of viable development.”

Planners at Wigan council will decide on the plans in the coming weeks.

The Polish mum, who wants to remain anonymous, has lived on Edgemoor Road in the Firthmoor area since 2011. She says windows at her house have been smashed multiple times, her children’s bikes repeatedly stolen and her car and home vandalised.

The Darlington resident believes her family is being singled out because of where they are from and says she now feels “safer dead than alive” in the place that was meant to be their home.

Damage from the bb guns (Image: SUPPLIED)

She said: “For the past five years I have been living with ongoing harassment in the community where I live. During this time, my home and my family have been repeatedly targeted.

“What should have been a place of safety has instead become a source of fear, anxiety and constant distress.”

She described a recent attack on July 1, when masked youths came to her house in broad daylight and smashed her house and car windows with BB guns.

Pictures of the damage show holes through the windows, the car window entirely smashed in, and both the house and vehicle pelted with eggs.

Damage from the bb guns (Image: SUPPLIED)

Damaged from the bb guns (Image: SUPPLIED)

She said ball bearings were found on the ground and inside the car after she heard what she believed were shots as she returned home with one of her children.

She said: “After it happened, I was scared to even go out of the house to check. I keep thinking what if that had hit my head or my eye, or even worse if it happened to my child. That is not a joke. I cannot even imagine what could have happened.”

Ball bearings were found on the ground and inside the car after she heard what she believed were shots (Image: SUPPLIED)

She says her children no longer feel safe doing everyday things like going to the shop.

She said: “They are even scared to go to the local shop, which is maybe 50 metres from the house. They cannot ride their bikes because they are scared the boys will steal them again.

“No child should have to grow up frightened to walk around their own neighbourhood or go to the shop to buy an ice cream.”

Their car has been pelted with eggs. (Image: SUPPLIED)

Their car has been pelted with eggs. (Image: SUPPLIED)

She says the family have been subjected to racist abuse, told to “go back to your country” and called slurs about being Polish whenever they walk through the area.

The mum said: “We are regularly shouted at, insulted, laughed at, mocked and humiliated. These hateful words made us feel unwelcome in the place we have called home for years.

“Even something as simple as walking to the local shop or taking my children to school has become a distressing experience.”

She says she has reported incidents to the police “many times” over the years but feels she has been left to face the ordeal alone.

She said: “I never received the support, protection or care that any victim should expect. Time after time, I felt abandoned by those who should have protected us. Every institution and every person I turned to for help let me down. The only advice I hear is to move out.

“I have got to the point now where I have had enough and I just want to move. I truly believe there is no other option for me and my family now. I feel helpless. I do not want justice or revenge. I just want to move somewhere quiet where my kids can be safe.”

Years of threats and attacks have also taken a heavy toll on her mental health.

She said: “Living like this has had a devastating impact on my mental and emotional wellbeing. My home no longer feels like a safe place. Instead it has become somewhere I never truly feel at peace. Sometimes I feel like I want to die because I cannot live like this anymore.

“I am not asking for sympathy, I am asking to be heard. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own home, regardless of where they come from.

“I simply want my children to have the childhood they deserve, without being shouted at, threatened, attacked or humiliated just for stepping outside the front door.”

Durham Police have been contacted for comment about the ongoing incidents.

The school was praised for its ‘broad and ambitious curriculum’

A secondary school has been rated ‘strong standard’ in all areas assessed by Ofsted. Hinchingbrooke School in Hinchingbrooke has been praised by inspectors for its “broad and ambitious” curriculum which means “pupils’ attainment is above national averages”.

The school, on Brampton Road, underwent an Ofsted inspection in May and has been rated as at a ‘strong standard’ across seven areas. These areas are: achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and governance, personal development and wellbeing and post-16 provision.

Hinchingbrooke School, part of The Cam Academy Trust, was rated an overall ‘good’ in its previous inspection. Inspectors praised the secondary school for its “consistently high expectations” which are “clearly understood by pupils, who impressively rise to the challenge”.

The report, published on July 3, emphasises that pupils enjoy coming to school because “they feel part of a community” and that they enjoy “positive relationships with staff that are built on respect”.

The report states: “Pupils know that staff want them to achieve well. These high expectations are balanced with effective support for pupils’ wellbeing. Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. They are keen to be in school each day. They feel known and supported as individuals.”

According to the school, the outcome places it among the strongest performers nationally, with inspectors recognising both the quality of education and the culture of the school community.

Inspectors praised leaders for having a “carefully designed” curriculum to prepare pupils for life beyond school. According to the report by the education watchdog, pupils in key stages four and five benefit from a range of options taught by subject specialists.

The report adds: “Pupils are confident, independent learners who are well prepared for their next steps, including in advanced study, training or work. They move on to a range of destinations that suit their aspirations and interests.”

Andy Hunter, Principal of Hinchingbrooke School, said: “We are incredibly proud of this outcome, which is the best the school has ever achieved. It reflects the dedication and commitment of our staff and the fantastic young people in our school.

“This report captures what we value most – a school that is ambitious, inclusive, and where every student feels they belong. Although we are pleased, there is a still a lot to do. We are excited to continue our journey towards being the very best school we can be.”

In its next steps, leaders were asked to ensure “continued improvement to curriculum implementation to achieve exceptional standards of teaching that have a transformational impact on the achievement of all pupils”, the report states.

Claire Heald, CEO of The Cam Academy Trust, added: “This is an excellent achievement and a testament to the strength of the whole school community. What stands out in this report is not just the outcome, but the culture it describes – a school where pupils feel safe, included, and part of something.

“The report also recognises the school’s focus on strong relationships, high expectations and a sense of belonging for all pupils.”

There are only around 55 breeding pairs of black-necked grebes in the country, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), making this duo an uncommon sight.

(Image: Carl Abbott)

Local photographer Carl Abbott managed to capture some shots of them in Moses Gate Park, acting on a tip-off from the RSPB online forums.

Terry Delaney, from the RSPB Bolton branch, said: “While these birds are not common, they breed in a number of places within the UK. 

There are quite a few about at the moment as they will have just bred. 

“One of the places they breed is Woolston Eyes in Warrington.  Some of them can be seen at Pennington and Elton reservoir during the spring and summer.

Black-necked grebes are diving birds about the size of a moorhen, which ‘breeds in just a handful of places around the country’, according to the Wildlife Trust.

(Image: Carl Abbott)

They can be distinguished by their striking red eyes, the golden tufts near their ears, and by their deep black necks.

The animals tend to be found nesting near the water’s edge due to the fact that they are not very good at walking.

(Image: Carl Abbott)

Their breeding dance is famous – the male and female birds swim round one another, mirroring each other’s movements.

They then rise up out of the water together, breast-to-breast, waving their heads in what the RSPB calls their ‘penguin dance.’

The birds are known to be secretive during their breeding seasons, preferring quiet, out-of-the-way locations and spurning human and animal contact.

(Image: Carl Abbott)

For this reason, their nests tend to be well hidden by the waterside, usually amongst thick reeds or sedges.

Black-necked grebes were first recorded in the UK in 1904, with the population fluctuating year on year – though their numbers have generally been on the increase since the 1980s.

PARIS (AP) — Paris’ appeals court is set to rule Tuesday in Marine Le Pen’s embezzlement case, a decision that could determine whether one of France’s leading presidential contenders can run in next year’s election.

Le Pen, 57, is appealing a March 2025 conviction that found her and other members of her National Rally party guilty of misusing European Parliament funds by paying party staff with money intended for EU parliamentary assistants between 2004 and 2016.

The lower court sentenced her to prison time, suspended pending appeal, and imposed a five-year ban on holding elected office. Le Pen has denied any wrongdoing and still hopes to mount a fourth bid for the presidency.

If she is barred from running, her longtime protégé Jordan Bardella, 30, could instead become the party’s presidential candidate, reshaping the race to succeed President Emmanuel Macron.

Here’s a look at the possible outcomes and what they could mean for France’s 2027 presidential election.

Le Pen is looking for an acquittal

In what would be the best-case scenario for Le Pen, the appeals court could clear her of all charges.

During the five-week appeal trial earlier this year, Le Pen acknowledged “a mistake.” She told the court some employees paid as EU parliamentary aides performed work for her party, then known as the National Front, but insisted that she believed such work was allowed and never attempted to hide it.

She also reproached European Parliament officials for not warning her party, at the time, that the way it was hiring people was potentially against any rules.

Le Pen’s lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, told the three-judge panel his client “is entrusting you with the work of her life, and the question is thus whether it will end here or whether it can be rebuilt.”

Prosecutors could still appeal to the Court of Cassation, France’s highest court, to challenge an acquittal decision.

If she gets a two-year ban — or less — on holding elected office

The appeals court could find Le Pen guilty but reduce the ban on holding elected office to two years or less — or impose no ban at all.

Because the lower court ordered the ban to take immediate effect, Le Pen has been serving that portion of the sentence since March 31 last year. A ban of two years or less would expire before the first round of the French presidential election, scheduled in April 2027.

But that does not automatically mean Le Pen would run: Any prison sentence, electronic monitoring or other judicial restrictions could severely hamper a nationwide campaign.

Le Pen has suggested she would not launch a presidential bid in such case.

Prosecutors requested the appeals court to sentence Le Pen to four years in prison, including three suspended, in addition to a ban on holding elected office for five years. They accused Le Pen of being at the head of a “system” meant to “siphon off” EU public funds to the benefit of her party.

Although prosecutors did not ask for it, the appeals court is free to order the ban on holding elected office to take immediate effect, like the lower court did.

Le Pen could still appeal to the Court of Cassation, but it’s unclear whether it would suspend the sentence pending a final ruling.

The Court of Cassation has previously said that, if asked to review the case, it would seek to issue a ruling before the 2027 presidential election.

Le Pen says she won’t wait to make her decision

“You can’t launch a presidential campaign at the last minute,” Le Pen said on the sidelines of the appeal trial.

She has argued that prolonged uncertainty — including a possible appeal to the Court of Cassation — would effectively prevent her from running because she would not want to jeopardize her party’s chances.

France’s presidential race is expected to begin taking shape in September before accelerating early next year. Candidates also must secure the endorsements of 500 elected officials to qualify for the ballot, making it difficult to replace a presidential nominee late in the campaign.

“If I’m prevented from running but the Court of Cassation rules in my favor three or four months later, it will be too late to conduct a proper presidential campaign,” Le Pen told RTL radio last year.