Different airlines have different rules, an aviation expert says

Lithium battery incidents on UK aircraft involving fire, smoke or extreme heat have reached record levels, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The regulator says there were 206 incidents last year, a rise of 67% compared with 2024. It also recorded 643 devices that were found to be packed incorrectly, underlining how often passengers still get the rules wrong.

Vapes and power banks are among the biggest concerns because they contain lithium-ion batteries, which can overheat and cause fires if damaged, activated accidentally or stored improperly. Airlines apply broadly similar safety principles — but the exact limits can vary from carrier to carrier.

Markus Lindblad, Head of External & Legal Affairs at Northerner, said: “Different airlines enforce their own restrictions regarding the maximum number of devices a passenger is allowed to carry. Vapes are considered electronic devices for packing regulations purposes, so it’s important to check the rules for each airline.”

What Jet2, easyJet and Ryanair say about vapes

Ryanair

Vapes must be kept in hand luggage. The airline’s limits allow up to 15 electronic devices and up to 20 lithium batteries, with each battery not exceeding 100Wh.

Jet2

Passengers can travel with e-cigarettes and other personal vaporisers as long as the battery stays installed, the battery capacity is no more than 160Wh, and the device is protected against accidental activation or short-circuiting.

easyJet E-cigarettes and vaping devices must be carried in the cabin and switched off. The airline allows up to two spare batteries in carry-on luggage.

Power banks: where to pack them

Power banks are typically allowed, but they must be kept in hand luggage, not checked baggage, due to the lithium-ion fire risk.

Some airlines also cap the size permitted. The CAA has previously advised that passengers may be asked to store power banks in the seat pocket instead of the overhead locker so they can be monitored more easily.

One rule that applies across the board

Passengers are not allowed to charge electronic cigarettes or power banks during the flight. Airlines prohibit in-flight charging because batteries can overheat while charging, increasing the risk of smoke or fire.

World Cup fans who head to social media sites like X in search of fresh insight into the tournament are instead greeted by an endless stream of memes featuring two of this year’s stand-out characters: Argentina captain Lionel Messi and Gianni Infantino, the Swiss president of FIFA. 

In one, Infantino pushes a baby faced Messi around in a pram. In others, he tenderly holds his hand or cradles him in his arms. 

Elsewhere, he wears an Argentina shirt or, stripped to the waist, dances a celebratory waltz with the striker in the Argentine dressing room. 

The implication could hardly be clearer: FIFA, the scandal-plagued governing body of world football, wants the team playing England in today’s semi-final in Atlanta to win the trophy for what will be the fourth time. 

Some will say that FIFA and its president have only themselves to blame for such damning suspicions. 

After all, having cravenly presented President Donald Trump with a new award called the FIFA Peace Prize last December, FIFA then reversed a red card which would have banned the US team’s star goal-scorer, Folarin Balogun, from playing in a crucial game in this tournament – after Infantino was phoned by the President. 

For many fans, that has fuelled the belief that nothing is beyond FIFA – including flouting its supposed neutrality to tilt the tournament in favour of the team that best serves its commercial and political interests. 

An Argentina fan holds Messi cardboard face masks in a crowd of Argentines ahead of their World Cup fixture against Switzerland

Despite protests from FIFA officials that allegations of bias could endanger referees, totting up the ways Argentina has supposedly benefited has become one of the most popular parlour games of the 2026 World Cup. 

It’s even spawned a new word – ‘VARgentina’ – which alludes to the seemingly uncanny way so many decisions by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system have fallen in Argentina’s favour.

Why favour Argentina?

Claims FIFA is biased towards Argentina are nothing new. Similar accusations surfaced at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar where Lionel Messi finally lifted the trophy after his team defeated France in a dramatic final. 

At the time, conspiracy theorists argued Messi, already the biggest star in world football, had somehow reached the twilight of his career without winning the World Cup. At 35, they said, Qatar was his last chance to do it.

 Latin America is one of foot ball’s most valuable markets and the notoriously venal FIFA – so ran the theory – stood to profit far more commercially from an Argentina win than from a second consecutive victory for France. And if Messi – a huge global brand – could score, so much the better for an organisation that has a long and well-documented history of corruption and self-enrichment. 

A new theory has emerged during this year’s tournament: that another Argentina triumph would also suit Trump. In March, Trump welcomed Messi and his club, Inter Miami, to the White House following their victory in America’s top domestic cup competition, revealing his son, Barron, is an admirer of the striker.  

It has been mooted that Trump, who is due to present the World Cup trophy alongside Infantino, would much rather hand it to Messi, who never talks publicly about politics, than to someone like French captain Kylian Mbappe, who has spoken out about France’s Far Right and might, some speculate, decide to make a Trump-flavoured statement if they win. 

Two Argentina fans wear T-shirts printed with the country’s footballing legends Diego Maradona and Messi at the World Cup

Trump holds up a red card during a meeting with Infantino in the Oval Office at the White House

Messi start

Messi managed to stir up controversy in Argentina’s very first game in this tournament, against Algeria. In the 30th minute, he tackled opposing captain Aissa Mandi. Messi caught Mandi on his right calf and achilles tendon with his studs up. 

As Mandi writhed in agony, the Polish referee awarded a free-kick but produced no card. Some refereeing experts argued that, had he been sent to the pitch-side monitor for a second look, Messi could have been sent off. 

Instead, he remained on the pitch to complete a hat-trick, leading Argentina to a victory. The Algerian FA later filed a complaint with FIFA over the incident and two other refereeing decisions in the game. 

In their next match, against Austria, Argentina also got off lightly when midfielder Alexis Mac Allister brought down Austrian Xaver Schlager from behind. The referee didn’t penalise the blatant foul, nor did VAR review it. Argentina went on to win 2-0, with Messi scoring both goals, becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup history. 

More controversy came in the next round versus Cape Verde when Messi tried to take a free kick when the opposing goalie was still organising his defensive wall.

The referee, Drew Fischer, also came under fire after forcing Cape Verde to wait to take a corner until an injured Argentine defender, Nicolas Tagliafico, had returned to the pitch following medical treatment. 

Riddle of the sphinx 

Few refereeing decisions have provoked more outrage during this World Cup than the one that denied Egypt a second goal in their round-of-16 clash against, yes, Argentina. With Egypt leading 1-0, VAR intervened to check for a foul (that amounted to one player stepping on another’s foot well before the ball reached the penalty area) which had been missed by on-field officials. 

The game ended in a 3-2 Argentine victory and prompted fury from the Egyptians, who not only questioned the foul but insisted they should have been awarded a penalty before Argentina’s third and winning goal. 

‘There seems to have been pressure on the Argentinian side on the referee that has brought about this outcome,’ said Egypt coach Hossam Hassan. ‘Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition? Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running?’ 

Swiss missed

There was another row over a pro-Argentina VAR intervention when the team advanced to the semi-final by beating Switzerland in extra time.

It involved VAR intervening to overturn a yellow card the Portuguese referee had given Argentine player Leandro Paredes for tripping Swiss Breel Embolo. 

Few disagreed with the VAR’s judgment that Embolo had gone to ground too easily. But the yellow card for Embolo meant that, because he had already incurred an earlier one, he was sent off, leaving Switzerland with 10 men. 

The punishment was in keeping with FIFA rules, which had been changed just before the competition, but critics questioned whether it was applied too harshly in such a pivotal match. 

Suspicious hat-trick 

For conspiracy theorists, these curious decisions are nothing new. They point out that each of Argentina’s three previous World Cup triumphs has been accompanied by accusations of foul play. 

The first came in 1978, when Argentina hosted the tournament under the country’s military dictatorship. Needing to beat Brazil’s goal difference to reach the final, Argentina thrashed Peru 6-0. 

Oddly, the general commanding Argentina’s ruling junta visited the Peru dressing room (accompanied by former US Secretary of State and football fan Henry Kissinger) before the game. 

Unproven allegations later emerged that a deal was made whereby Argentina shipped 35,000 tons of grain and weapons to Peru, as well as releasing $50 million of frozen Peruvian assets, in return for a Peruvian defeat.

Argentina’s second World Cup victory in 1986 was, of course, overshadowed by Diego Maradona’s blatant hand-assisted goal – ignored by officials – in the quarter-final against England. 

Its third triumph in 2022 came after Argentina was awarded a record five penalties in seven matches. During a match against the Netherlands, Messi avoided a booking after blocking a pass with his hand. Argentina’s Leandro Paredes also committed a reckless foul and then deliberately kicked the ball at people on the sideline – yet only earned a single yellow card. 

Ill omens? 

There are other, smaller details, that some believe have also worked in Argentina’s favour. Argentina have enjoyed a relatively easy route to the semi-finals, never playing a team ranked higher than 19th. 

They also avoided some of the more physically demanding venues, while England had to endure the altitude of Mexico City. 

Cynics further note that the referee for today’s England-Argentina epic face-off is a Moroccan-American, Ismail Elfath, who has earned a reputation as a ‘good-luck charm’ for Messi, having never officiated at a match in which his team has lost. But there’s a first time for everything – and the England players will hope no one will be crying for them after their epic battle with the heirs of Diego Maradona and his ‘hand of God’. 

But there’s a first time for everything – and the England players will hope no one will be crying for them after their epic battle with the heirs of Diego Maradona and his ‘hand of God’. 

Plans for more than 24,000 homes near Huntingdon and St Ives have been branded a ‘new town without the infrastructure’

Huntingdonshire residents have warned ‘half’ of sewage works could be overwhelmed by plans for thousands of new homes. Huntingdonshire District Council’s Draft Local Plan for 2026 could see more than 24,000 homes built in the area around Huntingdon and St Ives.

Residents and parish councillors fear this could overwhelm infrastructure such as roads and doctors and over 30 parish councils and organisations have joined together to start the ‘Pause the Plan’ campaign.

Chris Stening, vice chair of the North Huntingdon and St Ives Cumulative Impact Group, said: “We were told, ‘don’t worry it will all work out’ – but we didn’t feel that was good enough.”

The 52-year-old told last Thursday’s meeting that the homes would create a “new town without investment in the infrastructure”.

He said: “As a parent – not a grandparent yet – I feel it falls on us all to leave a local plan that will leave Huntingdonshire a place we can be proud of, and that we want our children and grandchildren to grow up in.”

Lord Andrew Lansley, former health minister and leader of the house of commons, spoke of his experience with Cambourne while he was MP for South Cambridgeshire.

He said: “It has a relatively large amount of green and blue space – because they were intended to be spaces between villages.”

He said that having a plan in place means a new settlement can be “delivered more effectively” and that they have “learned from Cambourne.”

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Lord Lansley said: “Cambourne was never anticipated to have a significant public transport connection – that was a big mistake. It should be resolved when we get the East-West Railway. Infrastructure first is supposed to be what new towns are about.”

Paul Boothman, chair of the group, said the new homes will need an extra nine million litres of water every day. He also said that 14 water recycling centres, otherwise known as sewage works, would “be over capacity without significant investment” adding this is “literally half of them”.

The 66-year-old said: “We want a local plan but we’re in tilted balance – for over 18 months now, we’ve been in tilted balance, without in theory being able to say no to developers. Do we want any plan, or do we want a good plan?”

He said that Huntingdon is currently made up of 10,000 homes – less than half those that could be built nearby.

He said: “There’s questions about a democratic deficiency here – we as a public need to be involved in everything that happens with the local plan, it can’t be something planned without our involvement. When the plan was launched it was done in a very short space of time, it was done before Christmas and were we getting ahead of ourselves with a big growth agenda?

“I don’t get the sense that at that moment in time most of the community feel they are together on this journey – it feels one way.

Chris said: “We really want to work together constructively with everyone in this room and everyone in Huntingdonshire. Nobody wants to stop development but we want to make sure all the infrastructure is considered as part of this process.”

Paul said: “At the moment I don’t think people are going on the same journey – we’re all going in different directions.”

HDC will discuss the local plan and the readiness of local infrastructure at Wednesday’s (July 15) council meeting.

A spokesperson for HDC said: “We are progressing the Local Plan in line with current government legislation, which requires submission of the Proposed Submission Plan to the Planning Inspectorate, alongside all public comments, by 31 December 2026.

“An independent Planning Inspector will then undertake a thorough examination of the draft plan and supporting evidence, including public hearings, to consider all representations and recommend any necessary changes. We are aware of the concerns raised by the ‘Pause the Plan’ group and have reflected these in updates to our timetable.

“The next phase of public consultation will now begin in September 2026, providing additional time to consider the initial outcomes of local government reorganisation proposals and to finalise supporting evidence.

“This includes ongoing work with partners such as the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority on key transport infrastructure, including the A141 and St Ives improvements scheme alongside working with infrastructure providers for matters such as health, water, and education.

“Starting consultation in September also avoids the main summer holiday period while ensuring we can still meet the national deadline. Failing to do so would require restarting the Local Plan under new legislation, delaying the delivery of an up-to-date plan for Huntingdonshire’s communities.

“All evidence to support the Local Plan update is publicly available on our website Local Plan Update – Huntingdonshire.gov.uk, including evidence relating to infrastructure delivery.”

Fears of World Cup favouritism towards Argentina have been heightened after FIFA confirmed Lionel Messi’s favourite referee will officiate England‘s highly-anticipated semi-final with the reigning champions.

Messi’s side have been far from their best heading into Wednesday’s mouthwatering clash with the Three Lions, having scraped past Egypt and Switzerland in controversial fashion in the last-16 and quarter-finals respectively.

The manner of those victories – in which Egypt had a goal controversially disallowed and the Swiss saw striker Breel Embolo sent off – resulted in huge backlash and speculation that FIFA are conspiring to help Messi and Argentina win the tournament – an accusation the governing body strenuously deny. 

And on Tuesday it was confirmed that Ismail Elfath will be the man in the middle – in what will be the most high-profile occasion of his career as a referee – at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday as England bid to reach their first World Cup final since 1966, while Argentina look to reach back-to-back showpieces.

The Moroccan-born American, who will be assisted by compatriots Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins, will take charge of his fourth game at this year’s World Cup – and his first refereeing either England or Argentina this summer. The fourth official will be Italian Maurizio Mariani.

Elfath was the fourth official in Qatar when Argentina beat France to win the 2022 World Cup and his encounters with Messi have increased since the forward signed for MLS outfit Inter Miami in July 2023.

A month after signing for Inter Miami, Messi helped his new team win the Leagues Cup final over Nashville SC – an encounter that was refereed by Elfath.

Messi scored the opening goal with an emphatic strike into the top corner from outside the box before Nashville levelled. The match later went to penalties with Miami prevailing 10-9, with Messi scoring their first in the shootout.

The 44-year-old has refereed Lionel Messi four times at club level – all four resulting in wins – heightening fears for England ahead of the semi-final

In fact, since coming to America, Messi has been officiated four times by Elfath – winning on all of those occasions. As well as the aforementioned Leagues Cup final, Messi has scored four times across the other three MLS games.

And England players be warned as Elfath’s MLS record this season indicates he doesn’t mind getting his notebook out. In 10 matches he officiated in, before the season paused for the World Cup, he had dished out 41 yellow cards, sent off three players and awarded three penalties.

That approach has been matched at this World Cup so far where he has issued eight yellow cards and one red card across three matches – Netherlands 2-2 Japan, Spain 1-0 Uruguay and Norway 2-1 Brazil.

The Spain-Uruguay game with controversy too as the 44-year-old was targeted by the Spanish media afterwards for his performance. He was accused of not being firm enough with the Uruguayans – as the match became spiky. Deep into second-half stoppage-time Uruguay midfielder Agustin Canobbio was sent off late on for high challenge on Pau Cubarsi.

However, the biggest gripe from the Spanish media came as a result of Nicolas De La Cruz’s challenge on Nico Williams that left him injured. Williams described it as ‘one of the worst days of my life’ post-match but played the final minutes of their quarter-final win over Portugal.

Elfath’s most recent match too had a controversial moment when he initially dismissed Brazil’s appeals for a penalty after Norway defender Kristoffer Ajer fouled Matheus Cunha. However, VAR intervened and Elfath overturned his decision before Bruno Guimaraes saw his spot-kick saved.

Messi and Argentina have faced scrutiny throughout this World Cup so far with allegations of refereeing bias in their favour. The latest incident came on Saturday when Switzerland defender Manuel Akanji claimed everything was ‘against us’ after their 3-1 quarter-final exit in extra-time.

Switzerland’s players and manager were incensed after Embolo became the first player to be sent off as a result of a new rule for mistaken identity.

Elfath was the fourth official during the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France 

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Messi approaches ref Joao Pinheiro in Argentina’s World Cup quarter-final win vs Switzerland

Switzerland’s players protest after Breel Embolo was shown a red card late in the game

With the quarter-final level on 72 minutes, Embolo was shown a second yellow card after a video assistant referee review which led to him being adjudged to have dived – rather than being fouled by Argentina’s Leandro Paredes. A new rule introduced for this World Cup states that if a player is booked or sent off – but the foul was actually committed by the opposition – the decision can be changed.

Reflecting post-match, Akanji fumed: ‘Every little thing was called against us’ and ‘I’ve never experienced such a one-sided game.’ Manager Murat Yakin called the refereeing ‘incomprehensible’.

Last week, FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina hit out at those questioning the integrity of the World Cup officials, insisting that they cannot be influenced by anyone following Egypt’s complaints after their last-16 defeat by Argentina.

The reigning champions battled back from 2-0 after 78 minutes to win 3-2 in Atlanta, with Egypt manager Hossam Hassan later accusing FIFA of rigging the World Cup in favour of Argentina’s talisman Messi.

Hassan’s protestations were magnified also by footage showing him angrily waiting to confront Argentina inside the tunnel after the full-time whistle too.

Addressing criticisms towards the officiating, Collina rubbished the allegations towards his staff and pinpointed the wider ramifications it has on the accused individuals.

Asked by FIFA.com how he has viewed the World Cup so far, the FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer said: ‘Let’s start by saying that we have now played 50 per cent more matches than at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and there are still eight more huge games to be played.

‘Overall, we are happy. However, with such a high number of matches played in a relatively short period of time, it is normal that some things do not go as expected. When that happens, they are ready to work even harder to ensure they are fully prepared for the next match.

‘Of course, constructive discussion about decisions will always be part of football, but unfounded allegations have no place in our sport. Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials. When this happens, it may provoke reactions that lead to threats against them and their families. This is not right.

‘Equally, nobody can claim that FIFA Refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA President [Gianni Infantino]. He has always shown his full support for FIFA Team One while trusting us to work with complete independence. Match officials make honest decisions and, just like players and coaches, they always try to do their best.’

FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina has defended the under-fire World Cup officials

Egypt manager Hossam Hassan furiously accused FIFA of rigging the World Cup after his side were knocked out by Argentina in the last 16

Egypt goalkeeper coach Saafan El-Sagheer was sent off after the bench reacted furiously to Enzo Fernandez’s winning goal for Argentina, as they fumed at multiple decisions against them

Collina’s viewpoint differed strongly with Hassan’s who was fuming at the outcome of the match.

After Enzo Fernandez’s stoppage-time winner, chaos ensued with Egypt’s furious staff remonstrating with referee Francois Letexier, leading to goalkeeper coach Saafan El-Sagheer being shown a red card and Hassan being dragged away from a confrontation with the official.

The Pharaohs were furious that the referee – and also VAR – had not awarded Egypt a penalty moments before Argentina’s winner, as Mohamed Salah was brought down inside the box after having his foot clipped by Julian Alvarez.

Earlier in the second half, Egypt themselves had a goal disallowed by VAR due to a foul in the build-up. Throughout the game, a string of decisions went in favour of Argentina, who have now progressed to the quarter-finals as they bid to retain their crown in North America.

After the match, Hassan could not contain his outrage and furiously accused world football’s governing body FIFA of rigging the tournament so that all-time great Messi could remain in the competition for ‘marketing reasons’.

‘We were better, but football is unfair,’ the heartbroken coach said in his post-match interview.

‘It could be a matter of marketing, they could want to make a World Cup with the champion of the last World Cup, they want Messi to exist (in the tournament).

‘I thank my players very much. To all the Egyptians, the Arabs, the Africans, you can work hard, it’s what you have to do, but sometimes there are other factors that make you struggle.

‘I wish we could be happier with the loss, but with a severe loss like today I say to them (my players) be upset. We wish we could be happier. Thank God for everything but football is different from what happens in the stadium when we are playing against the world champions.

‘There is support from all directions for the world champions. Support and marketing.’

He added later: ‘Why isn’t there any fairness in sport? In football? I do not want to try to put it nicely here with beautiful wording. We have been treated unfairly today. We have suffered injustice.’

Hassan went on to claim that the result was influenced by ‘internal’ and ‘external’ factors and that Egypt had objected to the selection of Letexier as referee.

Ziko added fuel to the fire after the game by describing Letexier as an ‘unjust’ referee.

Mostafa Ziko, who netted Egypt’s second goal, congratulated Argentina on already winning the World Cup, claiming that the holders have been shown favouritism by ‘unjust’ referees

‘Referee, not fair,’ he said in tears during his post-match interview. ‘Unjust, unjust referee. An unjust person. An injustice that is so clear.

‘He’s wasting the effort of an entire nation. Since the beginning of the game, we were leaving the game winning 2-0 against Argentina. But the cup has already been given.’

‘I apologise to (the Egypt fans). We wanted to make them happy today. We didn’t know how to do that. But, by God, it’s not in our hands; it’s in the hands of the referee. The cup has already been decided.

‘Congratulations to Argentina on the World Cup. Congratulations. You don’t need anything else.’

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‘Not everyone is interested in getting to know their hairdresser’

As Rebecca Johnston was building her hairdressing career, she was told she ‘wasn’t talking enough.’

Rebecca, 32, who hails from Chorley in Lancs, began working as an apprentice at the age of 17 and worked in Lytham St Annes, near Blackpool, before moving to Manchester.

She worked in salons in Altrincham and the Northern Quarter where she says she began to realise that, despite previously being told she always had to engage with her clients, not everyone enjoys the pressure of making small talk in the chair.

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“I would say I’m an introvert and probably a bit of a shy person. I’m better one-on-one or in small groups,” she said.

“When I was a child I used to be so nervous going to the hairdresser and feeling like I had to talk. It was only after I started hairdressing that I built up my confidence.

“I’m not a loud person, I’m quite softly spoken, and there’ve been places I’ve worked in where I’ve been told I wasn’t talking enough and that I needed to be louder. But I realised people liked coming to me because I didn’t talk to them too much.

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“I am good at picking up when people do and don’t want to chat. If I felt like they didn’t, I would just stop. I wouldn’t keep asking them how their holiday was.

“Of course it depends on the person. I don’t mind small talk, and it’s always nice to get to know your clients,” she continued. “But not everyone is that interested in getting to know their hairdresser. If you have got a busy life you may just want to get your haircut and go.

“I also found there are a lot of people with anxiety, people who just wanted to relax, or who for other reasons found it was a better option for them to come to me as I didn’t make them feel as nervous.

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“I can still be a good hairdresser without being really loud and the class clown.”

She said in particular she found she was attracting clients with anxiety, who were neurodivergent or who had sensory sensitivities and who had said it was very difficult for them to find a hairdresser they were comfortable with.

After going freelance two years ago and building up her own client base, Rebecca, who is now based at the Whitworth Street Creative Studio in the city centre, said she decided to go further and began offering silent haircuts.

“When I first put it out there I got lots of new clients,” she said. “Not everyone is the same and a lot of the time you attract clients who are similar to you. And I think they appreciated having that safe space where they knew they didn’t have to make that small talk.”

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She says that just two years into her freelance career she now has over 300 clients. She said the silent haircuts side of her business had ‘grown significantly’ and it’s ‘the thing clients mention most.’

Rebecca says that during a silent haircut she will greet her client, introduce herself and speak to them in a brief consultation beforehand, but then tells them once they are in the chair she will not speak to them unless she has any specific questions about their haircut.

She says she has also had clients who have booked silent haircuts but once they have ‘felt a bit more comfortable’ have prompted some conversation themselves.

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“I can speak to one client and then the next client can be completely silent and that’s fine,” she says adding it is nice to be able to ‘build up trust’ with clients over time.

Rebecca has now been shortlisted for Independent Stylist of the Year at the Pro Hair Awards run by Professional Hairdresser magazine.

“I built this business around slowing things down: proper consultations, no rushing and silent appointments for the clients who need them,” she said. “Being recognised nationally less than two years in isn’t something I saw coming.”

The winner will be decided at the final in London on September 7.

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Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler have both brushed off talk of legacy

Rory McIlroy has declared he has no interest in legacy, while Scottie Scheffler has echoed those sentiments, opening up about the pressures that weigh on him.

Golf’s top two players in the world are both chasing a second Open Championship title this week, yet neither man appears preoccupied with how history will judge them.

The Holywood star was characteristically candid on the subject: “No, I don’t really care. I would like to think that the people that love and care about me, think a certain way of me. But yeah, I’ll be long gone. I’ll be dead. I don’t think I’ll be seeing what people say about me. I’ll be six feet under. I don’t think I’ll be a ghost.”

McIlroy remains firmly focused on the here and now, confident he has the game to bookend his Major career in style. Despite describing himself as “bad at golf” after squandering an opportunity at last weekend’s Scottish Open, the World No.2 believes he has ironed out the problems, reports the Daily Record.

He explained: “It’s funny, I felt really good the first two days in Scotland and then felt like my game just sort of deteriorated as the week went on. Even though I shot a good score on Sunday, it didn’t feel very good.”

He added: “Also, I played 30 holes on Sunday. I felt a little bit tired yesterday [Monday], so I didn’t make it on the course, but that allowed me a bit more time to hit some balls and dig into the swing a little bit. Felt good on the range and course. Definitely trending in the right direction.”

McIlroy, who made it clear St Andrews remains his No. 1 Open venue, felt the weight of expectation playing on home soil at Portrush 12 months ago, and now that same pressure looks set to land on the shoulders of Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick.

He said: “It’s a great environment, but tough in a way that you just feel the extra expectation on your shoulders and you feel like you’re trying to play well for everyone else and not for yourself.”

He added: “Tommy, for example, grew up five minutes away, but I feel like Tommy’s more level-headed than I am and won’t fall into that trap like I did in 2019.

“It would be great for them all to have a great week because obviously with England in the World Cup still and everything that’s going on, it would just be an amazing atmosphere for the tournament.”

Scheffler grabbed headlines ahead of last year’s Open with his now infamous ‘what’s the point’ speech, before going on to claim victory at Royal Portrush. He was unwilling to revisit that sentiment, but echoed McIlroy’s thoughts on legacy, saying: “This is going to sound a little morbid, at the end of the day, I’m going to live my life and it’s going to end.

“When it ends, I’m going somewhere else and I’m not going to be here anymore. Legacy and all that stuff was never really something that motivated me. For me, it was always competition.

“When I retire and I sit back, I’m going to miss the feeling of waking up in the morning and not being able to eat breakfast because your stomach hurts because you’re anticipating the day.

“The US Open at Oakmont was my first major I had played in and I remember the butterflies then. I missed the cut by one. The next year, I was extremely motivated to go back out and play my best. The week before, I got this indigestion in my stomach where I wasn’t able to eat and your body responds to stress in certain ways.

“I almost couldn’t eat for like a week before it. My stomach hurt. I was burping up chunks of food. They were giving me stuff so I could digest things.”

Scheffler acknowledged the pressures of constant public scrutiny, adding: “Especially in this day and age, there’s just a lot of noise all the time at golf tournaments.

“For instance, this week, I show up on Sunday thinking there’s not going to be any fans out there. We get out there on the first and there’s fans out there. I love being able to play in front of fans. That’s a tremendous amount of fun.

“But like I get to the bunker on the first hole and I turn around and within six feet of me there’s literally like two cameras right in my face. I kind of turn around and look at the guys, like: Hey, y’all, are you going to be this close all day, or could we get a little bit of room?”.

“I think, just being in the spotlight all the time puts a burden on a player in this day and age. Everything is being recorded.

“When they say hello to you, they’ve got their cell phone out. Sometimes you can be like you’re walking on eggshells a little bit and that can drain people.

“I’m very far from a perfect person. I’m trying to find the right words, but I think just sometimes it can be hard when you’re being recorded all the time.”

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I never make bolognese without it

Spaghetti bolognese is a beloved weeknight staple, prepared in countless different ways. It’s an incredibly versatile dish, and you can incorporate a wide range of vegetables into a bolognese, from mushrooms and carrots to celery.

I regularly prepare slow-cooker spaghetti bolognese, following and adapting Poppy Cooks’ recipe.

It’s a fairly straightforward recipe that yields a delicious bolognese, but the addition of just one ingredient — a Parmesan rind — makes it notably richer and more flavourful. The rind gradually releases flavour throughout the cooking process, adding greater depth to the sauce.

The rind also contains collagen-like proteins that melt slowly, lending the sauce a silkier, more rounded texture.

This helps counterbalance the acidity of the tomatoes and wine without imparting an overpowering cheesy or dairy flavour.

You needn’t use a slow cooker to reap the benefits of the Parmesan rind either.

It works equally well when preparing the dish on the hob or in the oven.

Slow cooker bolognese recipe

Ingredients:

• 500g pork mince
• 500g beef mince
• One large onion, finely diced
• Two celery sticks, finely diced
• Three tablespoons of tomato puree
• 400g can of chopped tomatoes
• 200ml red wine
• 200ml beef stock
• Half a teaspoon of sugar
• Two bay leaves
• One Parmesan rind
• Splash of olive oil
• 100ml whole milk
• 300g spaghetti
• One tablespoon of cornflour, slackened with water

Method:

Begin by placing the pork, beef, onions, carrots, celery, tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, red wine, stock, sugar, bay leaves, Parmesan rind, one teaspoon of salt, plenty of pepper and a dash of olive oil into the bowl of your slow cooker.

Cook on the low setting for eight to 10 hours, stirring once or twice during that time.

When one hour remains, stir in the milk.

Then, with 30 minutes to go, add the spaghetti and increase the heat to high.

On occasion, I’ll cook the spaghetti separately, but once the meat is thoroughly cooked, stir in the cornflour slurry and add a generous amount of olive oil.

The bolognese will turn out glossy and utterly delicious, and you’ll be glad you took the time to add the Parmesan rind.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s wedding grift accusations have intensified as the NFL player appears to be cashing in on his lavish nuptials. 

The 36-year-old Grammy winner and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, also 36, said ‘I do’ in front of 1,000 guests inside Madison Square Garden earlier this month amid intense public interest. 

Just days after the ceremony, Kelce appeared in an ad for Accelerator Active Energy, which made cheeky reference to his wedding, 

The sports star is notably a co-owner as well as an ambassador for the brand which offers zero-sugar energy drinks. 

In one photo, Kelce could be seen holding a can of the drink while glancing over his shoulder with a small smile. 

Kelce appeared in an ad for Accelerator Active Energy which was posted after his wedding

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Above him, the words ‘Happily. Ever. After’ were written at the top. 

The next slide showed a vintage red truck that had ‘Just Married’ printed on the back while energy drink cans were hooked to the back bumper. 

The image portrayed a busy street in NYC, seemingly a reference to the location of Swift and Kelce’s wedding. 

The caption of the post read: ‘The love story continues. CONGRATS @killatrav!!!’ 

Social media users jumped over to Reddit to share their thoughts on the ad, with some calling it ’embarrassing.’ 

One penned, ‘They’re 1000% monetizing their eventual kids at this rate. It’ll make the kids from family YouTube channels look normal by comparison.’ 

Another wrote, ‘Tacky. Everything about them is just tacky,’ and a Reddit user typed, ‘Nothing says Happily Ever After like a paid sponsorship.’

‘Yikes,’ one simply added, while another shared, ‘How much money is enough money?’ 

The next slide showed a vintage red truck that had ‘Just Married’ printed on the back while energy drink cans were hooked to the back bumper

The caption of the post read: ‘The love story continues. CONGRATS @killatrav!!!’

Social media users jumped over to Reddit to share their thoughts on the ad, with some calling it ’embarrassing’

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One also said, ‘This is for real??? How embarrassing.’

Another commented, ‘This whole thing feels so dystopian and bizarre. They’re taking it so much farther than I think people expected? I keep waiting for it be a PR stunt or satire, it’s just so yuck.’ 

One called out the images for seemingly being made by AI by penning, ‘lmao the street signs are an obvious giveaway that this is AI.

‘A One Way sign with arrows in both directions? The garbled nonsense text on the green sign below that one? And the reflection on the bumper is *not* reflecting Manhattan, it looks like Kansas.’ 

However, others supported the Kelce and Swift with a fan writing in the comment section of the Instagram post, ‘LOVE THIS.’ 

‘Ah this is so cute congratulations t and t,’ one said, and another typed, ‘Congratulations! Such a beautiful day of celebration for all who love Travis and Taylor!’ 

Daily Mail has reached out to reps for Kelce and Swift for comment, but has yet to hear back. 

Ahead of the MSG wedding, Swift and Kelce seized the moment to promote podcasts and even made new content for their armies of fans. 

Some of their close friends used the wedding spectacle to peddle their own brands and grab eyeballs on the shut-down streets of midtown Manhattan. 

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Ahead of the MSG wedding, Swift and Kelce seized the moment to promote podcasts and even made new content for their armies of fans; seen in June in NYC 

The groom took to social media to promote his New Heights podcast, teasing that a ‘very special guest’ would be in the studio ‘TOMORROW’.

Swift’s close friend Selena Gomez, sporting a black feathered ballgown, made sure to tout her Rare Beauty brand as she applied lipstick in the car while en route to the gathering.

David Beckham cheered on Spain in the World Cup semi-final as he was joined by wife Victoria and their family.

The former footballer, 51, and Spice Girls star, 52, were among the thousands who watched France‘s close World Cup semi-final against Spain on Tuesday.

David has had stints both in Real Madrid from 2003 to 2007 and a five-month stint with Paris Saint-Germain in 2013.

But his loyalty was with Spain as he cheered on the team, who scored two goals in the first half of the nail-biting match.

The Beckhams, along with their three youngest children, had prime seats to watch the game and were seen looking tense as they watched Spain ultimately secure a spot in the World Cup final.

Their daughter Harper, 15, was seen donning a Spain football jacket, while standing next to her brothers, Romeo, 23, and Cruz, 21. 

The Beckhams, along with their three youngest children, had prime seats to watch the game and were seen looking tense as they watched the game play out to see which team would secure a spot in the World Cup final

Cruz’s girlfriend, Jackie Apostel, 30, was also spotted with the family.

It comes after David insisted his wife Victoria was ‘celebrating on the inside’ after her subdued reaction to England’s nail-biting World Cup quarter-final clash went viral.

The Beckham family were among the stars watching the Three Lions match against Norway in Miami on Saturday night.

Whilst former England captain David and his kids went suitably wild when Jude Bellingham scored an epic goal in the first-half stoppage time, a pouting Victoria, 52, remained seated.

Photos of a cheering David leaping up from his seat whilst his wife, who famously rarely smiles, stayed seated have turned the Spice Girl into an instant meme, prompting David to jokingly defend his wife.

The football legend commented on stand-up comedian Jenny Johnson’s summary of the match, after she wrote: ‘There’s nothing like cheering your heart out for England from home, then they cut to Victoria and we see that classic Posh Spice smile! It’s so infectious!’

‘I used to think I got animated while watching sports, but Victoria blows my enthusiasm out of the water! Each time I see her I shout, “SPICE UP YOUR LIFE!!!!” because her energy is electric!!!’

Cruz and his girlfriend, Jackie Apostel, 30, was also spotted with the family

Their daughter Harper, 15, was seen donning a Spain football jacket, while standing next to her brothers, Romeo, 23, and Cruz, 21

David’s loyalty was with Spain after having a four season stint with Real Madrid in the early noughties 

It comes after David insisted his wife Victoria was ‘celebrating on the inside’ after her subdued reaction to England’s nail-biting World Cup quarter-final clash went viral

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The football legend commented on stand-up comedian Jenny Johnson’s summary of the match, who had sarcastically wrote that ‘Victoria blows [her] enthusiasm out of the water’

Commenting with a string of crying laughing emojis, David wrote: ‘She was celebrating inside I promise her reactions were slightly slower than mine.’

Victoria did warm up to the infectious energy inside Miami Stadium as she was later seen getting into the spirit by clapping along as England won the match 2-1.

The fashion designer and singer has famously said that she wasn’t a fan of football when she met David at a Manchester United match in 1997.

Ever the doting wife, Victoria ensured she attended every game she could, but confessed she didn’t enjoy the sport because she didn’t feel ‘wanted’ when she was pitch side.

However, in recent years Victoria has had a change of heart after David retired and set up his own club Inter Miami.

Victoria told the Financial Times in 2024: ‘I never enjoyed watching football. I never felt necessarily wanted [at the matches]. I’m not saying this as in, poor me, but it was never the fun that it is now.

‘Now, when we’re in Miami, I feel wanted. I’m friends with the families of the players.’