Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick is aiming to redefine a key area of the pitch this season

As introductions to a new club go, Andrey Santos’ arrival at Manchester United could not have gone much better. The Brazilian midfielder arrived from Chelsea with opinions firmly split. Many questioned spending an initial £48m on a 22-year-old who was third choice at Stamford Bridge last season.

But two games in, Santos has shown he can add something different to United’s midfield. “I’ve watched him from afar, since he’s obviously broken into the first team at Chelsea,” Mason Mount said on Friday about his new teammate, following the 5-0 win over Rosenborg. “I think he’s a really good player. As you said, he reads the game very well.

“I know he’s young, but he’s very experienced in going out on loan and playing in the Premier League as well. He reads the game very well. He’s a little bit more defensive, so it allows me to push on a little bit more forward in these last two games and work off him.

“I think defensively as well, we’re both players that want to get around it, want to put tackles in and win the ball back and be aggressive.”

Despite adding bite to the midfield, Santos is not your quintessential defensive midfielder who can protect the back four. For that matter, neither is Youri Tielemans. United fans have not seen Belgium’s captain in action yet, but they are already familiar with what he will offer them next season. At the World Cup, Tielemans was a box-to-box midfielder and we know he will offer the Reds strength both in and out of possession.

United still want to add a third midfielder this summer but they are more relaxed about that prospect than they were in June. Santos and Tielemans’ arrivals have relieved some of the pressure.

What’s more, there is not a great rush to sign a like-for-like replacement for Casemiro either. Carrick is looking to change United’s midfield this summer. The goal is to cram the midfield with players with high-level technical ability. He wants his side to control the game and set the tempo. Playing proactively, rather than reactively.

This will be music to the ears of United fans. The glory years were defined by a team who asserted their style on matches. But going for this approach is undeniably risky.

Against Rosenborg, the new system worked perfectly. United grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. Against those lesser opponents, this new strategy can flourish. But this season, Carrick’s side are not always going to be the aggressor.

When up against better quality opposition, United will be forced backwards at times and they will need to dig in. That’s where a Casemiro-esque midfielder is needed. It will be those matches against Premier League title challengers and European football’s elite, when United could need to alter their plan.

With just over a month to go before the transfer window closes, United could still add that more traditional defensive midfielder. A lot could depend on Real Madrid who are sniffing around Rodri. Were the Manchester City man to move to the Bernabeu, that could open the door to Aurelien Tchouameni for United. He is considered the Reds’ dream signing and would fit that defensive midfield role more traditionally.

But as things stand, Carrick is setting out a bold vision for United and it will only be during those major games this season that we shall see if this new strategy works.

‘How’s the air up there?’

‘God, you’re so smart.’

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‘You might want to get that mole looked at.’

Accidentally calling your partner by the wrong name.

Reddit users also had their fair share of awkward confessions.

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Why saying something weird during sex feels especially embarrassing.

“

In healthy sexual relationships, awkwardness is something you navigate together, not something you get judged for.

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– Todd Baratz, certified sex therapist

President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image of CNN’s Kaitlan Collins seemingly morphed with transgender actress and influencer Dylan Mulvaney — days after comparing the two with a bizarre joke during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

The 80-year-old president went after Collins, a frequent target of his wrath, during his speech at the Correspondents’ Dinner, which was rescheduled for Friday after a shooting disrupted the original April event.

Trump congratulated Collins for winning the 2026 WHCA award for broadcast for her coverage of Trump’s contentious meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in February 2025, saying that she “shouldn’t get the award. It was a fake, but I didn’t mind.”

He then compared Collins with Mulvaney, who drew national headlines after her 2023 campaign with Bud Light prompted a conservative boycott of the beer brand.

“She never smiles,” Trump said of Collins during his speech Friday. “I said, ‘Kaitlin, do you ever smile?’ Smile. You have a nice position. You’re at CNN fake news. You should be a happy person. So smile, Kaitlan. Just smile.”

Trump continued, saying that he thought Collins had “made it big with a major new sponsorship, but then I informed her that it wasn’t her on the Bud Light can, it was Dylan Mulvaney.”

The president appeared to compare Collins with Mulvaney again on Sunday, sharing a seemingly AI-generated image featuring Collins’ face on Mulvaney’s body. The original image was of Mulvaney during her partnership with Bud Light in 2023, and was widely circulated online at the time during the backlash.

This is a breaking news story, check back for updates…

Jos Buttler scores 90 off 50 balls, in an innings that included five sixes, as he helps his Manchester Super Giants side reach 187-5 against Birmingham Phoenix in the men’s Hundred.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Hundred – Phoenix chasing 188 against Super Giants after Buttler’s 90

Available to UK users only.

By JOE ROSSITER, REPORTER

Published: 16:36 BST, 26 July 2026 | Updated: 16:48 BST, 26 July 2026

A man was allegedly stabbed in a Soho street after a row broke out in the queue for a pop-up event by American singer Latto.

The victim, a man in his 30s, was treated for stab wounds to the leg after the incident in Greek Street, Soho, at around 4.30pm on Thursday.

Angela Dean, a witness in her 50s, said ‘chaos erupted’ as she queued with her 14-year-old son.

She said people attempted to jump the queue and she captured footage of the incident.

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A video appeared to show two men involved in a confrontation, with one holding what looks like a knife.

Angela, a full-time carer from Essex, said: ‘Everyone was running and pushing – there was no crowd control.

‘I had to run out of the queue to alert the bouncer at the club to what was happening.

‘My child has been left deeply traumatised by what he witnessed.’

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A video from the Soho street showed an altercation taking place behind a car

One man appeared to make aggressive movements after approaching another man behind the car

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘Police are investigating the stabbing of a man in the centre of Soho.

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‘At 4.28pm on Thursday, 23 July, Met officers were called by the London Ambulance Service to Greek Street, Soho, following reports of a stabbing.

‘At the scene, a man in his 30s was treated by paramedics and taken to hospital with a stab wound to the leg.

‘His condition has since been confirmed as non-life-threatening and non-life-changing.

‘There were no other reported injuries.

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‘At this early stage of the investigation, no arrests have been made.

‘Urgent enquiries are ongoing.’

Latto is a Grammy-nominated rapper from Atlanta known for her hit Big Energy.

‘Scotland may be the most important country on the planet. Who knew the Scots were this impressive?’

Two American podcasters have been left stunned after discovering how many things the Scots have invented, declaring that Scotland “may be the most important country on the planet”.

It’s well known that Scotland boasts it’s fair share of notable inventors, with Alexander Graham Bell inventing the first working telephone and Alexander Fleming changing modern day medicine after discovering penicillin.

However, the Scots invented a whole series of other groundbreaking inventions too, much to the Americans’ surprise as they questioned: “Who knew the Scots were this impressive?”

Podcast hosts Brian Conz and Zach Misischia run their show ‘The Makeshift Project’ which is popular in the US. The pair recently posted a video on Tiktok of their conversation about Scottish inventions which has now gone viral online.

Captioning the video ‘Scotland: Why This Small Country Matters To The World’, Conz begins by listing 16 groundbreaking inventions we couldn’t live without today which all originated from Scotland.

In a bid to convince co-host Misischia, he says: “Scotland may be the most important country on the planet. I’m going to list 16 things that that country invented and you’re going to tell me, are they the most important country or not?”

He begins: “They invented penicillin. That’s the most important medicine ever created. They invented the telephone”, as his friend butts in and asks: “I thought Alexander Graham Bell did that.” Conz replies: “He’s from Scotland!”

He continues: “They invented the television. This is insane, did you know this about Scotland? They invented the lightbulb.”

Misischia contests this by asking: “I thought it was Edison?” However, it was actually Scottish inventor James Bowman Lindsay who built an early constant electric incandescent light prototype in 1835 decades before Thomas Edison created the modern day lightbulb.

Conz returns to his list: “They also invented the raincoat and it’s a good invention. This one way is way more important, they invented the MRI scanner. They also invented the refrigerator.

“They invented the colour photograph. They invented contact lenses and they’ve invented the flushing toilet.”

In amazement, he adds: “They invented the steam engine. They invented the fingerprint classification. They did all this. Who knew that Scots were this impressive?

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“They invented the ATM. Thank god for that or we would be in trouble in the casino. They invented the encyclopedia and this one might be the most important, they invented the kaleidoscope.”

He finishes off by listing one of Scotland’s most proud inventions: “And this one I think is gonna sell you, they invented the game of golf.”

The podcasters were left visibly stunned by how many great things have come from Scotland as they included a lengthy caption explaining Scottish history, inventions, culture, science and modern global roles.

Proud Scots rushed to the comments and in true Scottish fashion, pointed out all the great inventions they’d missed including venoms and square sausages.

One replied: “Thank you Scotland. You deserve to be an independent country.” Another joked: “And just imagine what we could have done if we’d been sober!”

A third offered another Scottish invention: “Football was also invented in Scotland. A Scottish man introduced football to Argentina and Brazil.”

The listed Scottish inventions and their inventors

• Discovery of penicillin – Alexander Fleming
• The telephone – Alexander Graham Bell
• The television – John Logie Baird
• The lightbulb – James Bowman Lindsay
• The raincoat – Charles Macintosh
• The refrigerator – William Cullen
• Colour photographs – James Clerk Maxwell and photographer Thomas Sutton
• First disposable contact lenses – Ron Hamilton
• Flushing toilet – Alexander Cumming
• Steam engine – James Watt
• Fingerprint classification – Henry Faulds
• ATM – James Goodfellow and John Shepherd-Barron
• Encyclopædia Britannica – Colin Macfarquhar, Andrew Bell, and William Smellie
• Kaleidoscope – Sir David Brewster
• Golf – evolved in Scotland during the Middle Ages

For Ali Darwich, the deadly attack on the Berlin Pride Festival was an attack on the city of Berlin and everything it stands for: its diversity, its tolerance and its belief in freedom.

On a personal level, it also was an attack on everything the Berliner embodies.

“Born a Muslim, living as a gay man, working as a police officer,” Darwich said, as he tried holding back the tears, “this terror attack touches so many aspects of who I am.”

Saturday night’s van ramming and stabbing near Berlin’s Pride festival that left one person dead and many others wounded is believed to have been an Islamic extremist terror attack, authorities say.

The suspect in the attack remains at large. Authorities issued a wanted notice and warned people against approaching Abdul Ballout, a 21-year-old German citizen with Lebanese roots, saying that he may be armed and dangerous.

On Sunday, Darwich, 34, watched sadly as more and more members of the LGBTQ+ community came to Tiergarten park, where the attack took place. They put down flowers, hugged each other and looked in disbelief at the crashed van, which still stood cordoned off behind dozens of police officers.

Like Darwich, many of them had been celebrating life and love just hours earlier, protesting for equality and warning of an increase of hate crimes against their community.

“I was wearing my rainbow-colored shirt, carried a banner at the parade saying ‘why are some people afraid of love but not of hate?,’ and was about to go to an afterparty last night, when friends started calling me to check if I was OK,” he said.

When he understood that there had been an attack, he canceled the party and went home filled with sorrow. But it was only after he woke up on Sunday morning that he truly grasped the significance of the attack.

“I asked myself, why as a police officer I did not run to the scene of the crash to help my colleagues. I asked myself as a gay if we will have to live with more fear now even though we are already experiencing bullying and hatred. I asked myself as a Muslim if our community will be exposed to even more racism now.”

Darwich, who was born in Berlin and has Lebanese and Palestinian roots, expressed worry that the attack would polarize German society even more.

“I’m actually feeling desperate this morning,” said Darwich, who also works as a gay Muslim influencer and posts many videos on social media that usually try to strike a positive note. “We can’t get rid of the hatred some people feel, and it’s just getting worse and worse.”

But at the same time, he said he did not want to let hate win and that deep inside he still hoped that “the people of Berlin will make the best of it, that they will work together, and that, hopefully, all of this will lead to an even better Berlin.”

Others, who had come to the impromptu vigil at Tiergarten, also expressed anger and shock, but also resilience.

“We are simply stunned by what happened yesterday,” said Andre Lehmann, a top official with the main national LGBTQ+ association, LSVD+. “This suspected attack hits the heart of the queer community.”

The attack “affects people who took to the street in Berlin this weekend to fight for their rights, their diversity and their rights, and of course with that it is a political act and does not just affect people celebrating,” he said.

Lehmann said that there has been “a tenfold increase of anti-queer hate crime in Germany within a few years.” He added that “for years, to be honest, nothing has happened and also, to be honest, for years there has been no outcry from society.”

Ashley Jump, a 26-year-old U.K. resident, had traveled to Berlin for Saturday’s Pride parade but had left the celebrations before the attack. Jump, still in shock, returned Sunday to leave flowers at a memorial near the crime scene.

“They’ll never erase us, we’ll never be gone,” they said, their voice shivering from pain. “As long as humanity has existed, we’ve existed. And as long as humanity exists, we will exist. We will not be removed.”

Welcome to our live coverage for the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix from the Hungaroring. This is the 40th anniversary of the race at this track and the 41st edition. I think over the years this track has had a bit of an unfair reputation but we have certainly had some interesting and exciting races over the years. Even over the last few years. 

The nature of the track means it is a bit of an outlier. And that means you often get results that go away from the norm of the season. Mercedes took a couple of poles here in the ground-effect era whilst Charles Leclerc did so last year. We have had a handful of first-time winners at this track, too: Damon Hill, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon, Jenson Button and… errr Heikki Kovalainen. 

So far that has been true this weekend. Although McLaren and Ferrari have been closing in on Mercedes, the SIlver Arrows have usually had the edge or found it when it comes to qualifying. That was not the case yesterday: Lando Norris took the first non-Mercedes grand prix pole of the season, pipping the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton by just 0.012sec. 

Hamilton, though, takes a three-place grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri in Q3. Kimi Antonelli, who had qualified fourth, takes the same penalty for not slowing sufficiently under yellow flags. It was Ferrari who had been expected to be the team to beat but they were the team that dropped the ball. In fairness Norris, in the upgraded McLaren had looked competitive throughout qualifying and was simply able to deliver when Ferrari could not. 

The grid is slightly mixed up because of the penalties. George Russell’s season did not get any easier after qualifying seventh but he at least moves up because of those grid drops. The Mercedes’ race pace is expected to be strong but will it be enough to put them into contention with the McLarens and the Ferraris? And let’s not forget Max Verstappen in fourth, either…

We find out at 2pm BST, when the race gets under way. 

There’s fine bars and restaurants too, making this pleasant and prosperous village just off the A1 Motorway near Wetherby, well worth the visit.

I grew up in Wetherby in the 1980s and 1990s and as a kid, I recall Boston Spa as a pleasant place, if nothing too special.

But helped by its proximity to Leeds, Boston Spa has prospered and is chic, fashionable and trendy even, with a good range of independent shops.

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Enjoying a fine evening outside the Boston Tap in Boston Spa. (Image: Darren Greenwood)

Well located in the heart of Yorkshire’s ‘Golden Triangle’ surrounded by beautiful countryside, pretty villages with characterful pubs, Boston Spa is upmarket and thriving, perhaps even more so than nearby Wetherby.

Boston Spa’s High Street (Image: Darren)

So park up in the High Street car park, where you don’t have to pay. The free parking also includes the High Street as well.

There, you will see Tom Foolery and the Boston Tap.

Tom Foolery at 179 High Street has been a popular watering hole for ten years.

Tom Foolery has been a popular venue for ten years. (Image: Darren Greenwood)

The independent bar offers brunch, burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, as well as a range of small plates.

I don’t recall eating there but I have enjoyed its craft ales many times. There’s a pleasant vibe to Tom Foolery and its modern interior features some interesting displays. The TV ‘Log fire’ being one of them and the pictures of humanoid pets wearing clothes being another.

But closer to the car park is the Boston Tap. Previously, known as  Salt Bar, it serves an extensive range of Ossett ales.

Chok Dee offer top class, authentic, tasty Thai cooking. (Image: Darren Greenwood)

The food offering is limited, restricted to pies, pastries, sandwiches, sharing boards and salad bowls. As it’s Ossett, famed for its White Rat ale, the beer is always good.

The steak pie and mash is also enjoyable and delicious, served with a delicious jus, and was excellent value.

This large Costcutter was once the Royal Hotel. (Image: Darren Greenwood)

But it will come in a cardboard box with wooden cutlery, so don’t expect plates and metal cutlery here!

Either way, The Boston Tap has a fine, contemporary interior, and extensive seating outside, ideal for the warmer summer days and nights.

Further down the road, past the former Royal Hotel, which is now a large Costcutter grocery store, you will see Boston Hall, a Grade II-listed mansion built in 1807, where cricketer Geoffrey Boycott used to live. A blue plaque highlights this amid its other history.

Nearby is Thai Chok Dee, a highly rated restaurant, which has great reviews online.

I have been many times and can vouch for its excellent Tom Kha Gai, the curries and the Weeping Tiger. My vegetarian friends are also happy with the extensive vegetarian offering.

Top class dining from a top chef at Amor (Image: Darren Greenwood)

It’s a popular place, often busy, so it pays to book and you will be rewarded with excellent service, superb and authentic food and great value.

Further away from the village centre, heading towards Tadcaster, are two Sam Smith’s Brewery-owned pubs. The Fox and Hounds is a well-regarded traditional drinkers pub I have yet to try, whilst the Admiral Hawke is sadly closed.

So let’s get back to the other side of Boston Spa.

At 174 High Street is the fine dining Inlamentation which has just been added to the Michelin Guide. It has 16 seats and chef Michael O’Hare is noted for his ever-evolving tasting menus. Another I have yet to try.

Aquila is a well-regarded Italian restaurant. (Image: Darren Greenwood)

Restaurant Amor a few doors away is another fine dining establishment. Owned and run by Michelin-started chef Nikki Pybus, it gains good reviews, and is another I have yet to try.

But I have tried Aquila at 152 High Street, which is the first of two top Italian restaurants in Boston Spa. I recall delicious garlic mushrooms, followed by a tasty chicken dish.

Da Carlo is the best Italian in town, but you might be lucky to get a table. (Image: Darren Greenwood)

But the best Italian has to be Da Carlo’s Trattoria at 134 High Street, which has a traditional, characterful interior and very pleasant outdoor area.

De Carlo’s is an exceptionally popular southern Italian restaurant and it can be hard to get a table unless you book a week or so in advance. I recall often ringing many times the same day or the night before to no avail. Then, one evening me and my vegetarian friends were just walking past, I went inside to see if they had a vacancy and they had outside.

The Crown Inn could have become a Co-op. Thankfully, it didn’t. (Image: Darren Greenwood)

I recall a most excellent Strancetti Di Manzo starter, which consisted of pieces of tender beef fillet sauteed in garlic, chilli, parsley and rosemary, topped with rocket and parmesan. It was tender, full of flavour and absolutely gorgeous!

My lasagne Napoletana was excellent too and my vegetarian friends were more than happy with their choices. We vow to return, if we can get in.

From inside the restaurant of The Crown Inn (Image: Darren Greenwood)

You then pass a popular patisserie called the Pudding Lab, which I have yet to try, before you eventually arrive at The Crown Inn.

This large pub had been closed for years, with plans to turn it into a Co-op. Fortunately, plans were refused and investors transformed it with a £1.2million revamp, with the venue re-opening around five years ago.

Inside, you are greeted with an extensive bar area, a restaurant area and a large beer garden, ideal for the summer we are having.

There’s always great choice of drinks, be it beers, wines, cocktails, you name it.

The food menus are extensive too, with specials adding to the variety.

Pizza and and chargrilled pork chop at The Crown Inn, where the food never disappoints. (Image: Darren Greenwood)

Its standard gastropub fayre, but it never lets you down. It is always reliable and consistently good. The service is also fine and value also good, another to return to.

So that is essentially Boston Spa on a plate, a prosperous, pleasant village not too far from York with plenty of treats on the menu. Go hungry if you can, but you might want to book ahead.

Have you been to Boston Spa? What did you do there? What did you think of the place? And did you eat or dine there? where did you go? Please share with us your experiences of Boston Spa in the comments below.

The event at the iconic market coincided with the launch of the Commonwealth Games this week.

Hundreds of people have taken part in the Irn-Bru games at the Barras Market in Glasgow this weekend. Punters of all ages took part in three alternative sporting challenges set up in the east end of the city on Saturday and Sunday.

Locals showcased their incredible strength, speed and accuracy as part of a celebration of the sporting prowess that’s taken over the city since the Commonwealth Games started last week.

A bright orange running track was set up just along from the famous Barrowlands Ballroom, where competitors dashed on a 10-metre Bus Sprint, challenging them to beat the number 61 service.

At the heart of the market, sporty visitors tried their hand at ‘Bin Ball’ where they threw cans of Irn-Bru into a bin, shooting through a 3m high hoop. Competitors were challenged to prove that they “had the girders”.

And at the very start of the bustling thoroughfare, there was a stunning display of strength from people young and old, who managed to lift a 20kg bar full of bags of Irn-Bru.

Each competitor was given a can of Irn-Bru and some even got their hands on an iconic ‘Made in Scotland From Girders’ T-shirt.

Chris Butler, Marketing Manager for Glasgow Barrowland Market, said: “There’s been such a great buzz around the Barras and the city today and IRN- BRU has been a big part of it.

“The challenges and the punters have been fantastic and they’ve definitely showed they’ve got Glaswegian spirit. I mean where else in the world would ‘bag-lifting’ work as a sport – carrying your messages up the road is just a right of passage.

“Everyone has really enjoyed themselves and shown their girders. The Barras and IRN-BRU are two Glasgow icons so it’s been great having them both together to help show the city’s true athletic heroes.”

Kenny Nicholson, Director of Brand at IRN-BRU, said: “Glasgow is welcoming some of the best sporting talent in the world this summer, but we wanted to champion athletes closer to home too; those people who show up with feats of endurance, strength and a whole lot of girders in the everyday”.

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