The campaign, Together Through Sport, aims to ensure every child can play, grow and thrive through access to sporting opportunities.

Mr Quinn said: “Sport should be for every child, not just the lucky few.

“Together Through Sport is helping ensure no child is left on the sidelines.

“By supporting the campaign, you can help provide opportunities that make a real difference to young people and families across our region.”

The campaign brings together major sporting foundations and organisations across the North East, including the Foundation of Light, Newcastle United Foundation, Durham Cricket Foundation, Eagles Community Foundation and Newcastle Rugby Foundation.

Together, they aim to remove barriers that prevent young people from taking part in sport and physical activity.

Funds raised will go towards free and subsidised holiday activities, community sports sessions for children and young people, school-based opportunities to get active, access to safe, inclusive and welcoming environments, and support for families facing financial barriers to participation.

The campaign also forms part of a wider ambition to establish the North East as the UK’s first Region of Sport, harnessing the power of clubs, charities and community organisations to create healthier, happier and more connected communities.

People can support the campaign by texting TOGETHERFIVE to 70085 to donate £5, plus one standard network rate message, or by donating online through the campaign’s JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/campaign/sport.

Prince Harry has, it is said, been made aware of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor being threatened at his Sandringham home by a “balaclava-clad” armed man

Prince Harry is expected to “double down on his position” his family needs taxpayer-funded security when they visit the UK after the alleged Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor incident.

The Duke of Sussex’s legal and personal argument in his continued fight is said to have been given a boost following the arrest of a man in connection with the alleged Andrew incident. Alex Jenkinson, 39, appeared in court on Friday, charged with two counts of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior to harass someone or cause alarm or distress.

Tom Sykes, a royal journalist, said: “It’s reasonable to assume he will be seriously concerned, and will now double down on his position that he simply cannot bring his wife Meghan Markle and their children back to the United Kingdom without a comprehensive security package in place.”

Prince Harry’s argument has, for years, been met with scepticism, legal battles, and indifference but it is believed the Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is likely to change things.

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The machinery governing Harry’s security when he visits the UK runs through RAVEC, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, and has a complicated process. Under the current arrangement, Harry must give thirty days’ notice of any visit, after which RAVEC makes a case-by-case determination about what protection he receives.

But last September, a known stalker managed to get within feet of the Duke of Sussex on two separate occasions during a single London visit. Mr Sykes, also an author, continued: “If something were to happen [to Prince Harry], it would be catastrophic, not just for Harry, but for the United Kingdom, the monarchy, and the country’s reputation in the world.”

Father-of-two Harry has claimed he is particularly concerned for Meghan Markle and their children during visits to the UK. His wife and children will not join Harry when the duke comes here in the summer for a preperation meeting ahead of the Invictus Games, which next year will be held in Birmingham.

With this in mind, Mr Sykes added: “The time has come to untangle status from safety. But the fact that Harry has been foolish does not mean he should be unsafe.”

The expert shared his thoughts in a piece for The Daily Beast after Jenkinson’s appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court. There, the defendant pleaded not guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour toward the former Prince Andrew near his home on King Charles III’s Sandringham Estate.

Jenkinson, who is from Stowmarket, Suffolk, been released on conditional bail. One of the conditions is that he must not go into Norfolk or go near any royally owned premises in the UK and another that he must not contact the victim.

Storm Stacey claimed the Superstock race and second Superbike event on his first appearance on the roads of the Causeway coastline

Storm Stacey had a North West 200 debut to remember as he completed a brilliant double on the legendary Triangle Circuit.

The 23-year old claimed the Superstock race and second Superbike event on his first appearance on the roads of the Causeway coastline.

The British Superbike frontrunner rode his BMW to pip Michael Dunlop in the Stocker race and followed that up with a success in Superbike race two which came to a premature end when the red flags came out because of an oil spill.

The race was halted after lap three, with Stacey declared the winner, and Dean Harrison and Glenn Irwin second and third.

“Unbelievable,” Stacey told BBC Sport NI after the Superstock race.

“The goal here was just to come here and have a good, successful North West 200, go home happy and continue with BSB.

“I did promise Stuart Higgs I would go easy, but you get a bit carried away when you’re racing, unfortunately.

“I really enjoyed that race, battling with Michael [Dunlop] is– it’s a new thing for me, I’ve never battled with Michael.

“Obviously, we’ve done test days before on tracks, but the difference on a track to on roads is so different, but it was good having some duals, we were looking at each other down the straights and it was a bit of a ‘who dares wins’ on the brakes.

“I think I won all the battles on the brakes, so it was very fun.”

Irwin claimed the 12th Superbike triumph of his career by winning race one, Michael Dunlop took the Supersport victory and Peter Hickman and Jeremy McWilliams were the winners of the Supertwin/Sportbike races.

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Rowling, a former Labour supporter herself, later added: “Polite notice to those urging me to show blind tribal allegiance to a party that’s screwed over female nurses who want to change in a female-only space, female prisoners housed with male sex offenders and female rape survivors who want an all-female support service: nope.”

Noni Madueke has revealed the ‘toughest opponent’ he has faced during his career so far at Premier League clubs Arsenal and Chelsea.

Madueke made close to 100 appearances for Chelsea after being signed from PSV in 2023, helping the Blues qualify for the Champions League and win the Conference League last season.

Arsenal agreed to pay London rivals Chelsea over £50m for the England international last summer, with a large section of fans sceptical about the value of such a deal.

Madueke has not been a guaranteed starter under Mikel Arteta but has still played a part in Arsenal challenging for the Premier League title and reaching the final of the Champions League.

The 24-year-old has come up against some of the best players in Europe but views Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk as his ‘toughest opponent’ to date.

‘I would probably say Virgil van Dijk,’ Madueke told Sky Sports. ‘He’s just so big and fast so it’s difficult to get in behind him. I would probably say him, for sure.

‘Playing against players like that is good competition, you want to test yourself against the best, that’s the mindset you have to have going into the game.

‘It’s football at the highest level so it’s definitely fun to test yourself against those type of players.’

Discussing his move from Chelsea to Arsenal, Madueke added: ‘I just believed Arsenal were going to win trophies so that’s why I moved.

‘The England boys helped me a lot, I was already close to them so it was great. The whole club helped me though, everyone in and around the club was helpful.

‘It’s full of good people and people who want to work hard and achieve something. It was easy in that sense.’

Madueke’s Arsenal teammate Declan Rice is one of the frontunners to win the PFA Premier League Player of the Year award after a brilliant season in north London.

Asked whether he believes Rice deserves the award, Madueke said: ‘Yeah, definitely. I hope he wins it.

‘Look at how consistent he’s been this season. Those type of trophies depend on team success as well as individual performances but if we win I’m sure he has a real chance.

‘I’ve known him for a few years now and he’s a top, top person and a top player, he’s got a great vibe about him off the pitch and on the pitch he’s obviously a top player and a leader.’

Arsenal beat Atletico Madrid last time out to reach their first Champions League final in 20 years.

Arteta’s side return to action on Sunday with another crucial Premier League fixture against relegation-battlers and London rivals West Ham.

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The Blacksmith Arms at Lastingham, north of Kirbymoorside, has won the payout from The Telegraph to celebrate National Pub Day.

The media outlet has created National Pub Day on Saturday May 16 to celebrate the essential role pubs play in local life and drive footfall back into local pubs.

After receiving nominations from drinkers, a Telegraph judging panel decided the Blacksmith Arms was one of five winners from more than 1,200 entries, due to it showing its importance to the local community.

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The panel of Telegraph judges said: “As head chef and owner of The Blacksmiths Arms you would think delivering good food and a great pub atmosphere would be enough for Ali Moran.

Pub owner Ali Moran (Image: Pic supplied)

“However, being part of the community means so much more to him. One of the people who nominated the pub said Ali and his team have been invaluable in being there for the locals.

“With the village shop and post office closing, The Blacksmiths Arms has been vital in more ways than one – from pointing tourists in the right direction to helping find missing kittens, the pub has been a core pillar for the community.” 

The interior of the Blacksmith Arms at Lastingham (Image: Pic supplied)

Ali Moran told the Press: “Business is quite challenging. We have had to change the way we manage the pub. The hard work the staff put in. This acknowledgement means so much. I am thrilled people have put us on this pedestal.”

This Sunday marks five years since Ali Moran, a local lad, took over the Blacksmith Arms. But the main celebrations will be saved for National Pub Day and The Telegraph’s £5,000 bar tab.

Ali said: “Everyone that comes in gets a free drink. Hopefully, it will be a great way to celebrate hospitality and pubs.”

The Blacksmith Arms at Lastingham (Image: Pic supplied)

As part of the celebrations, The Telegraph has teamed up with Berkshire-based Renegade Brewery to create its own ‘Telegraph Ale’, a classic English bitter.

This limited-edition brew will be served at The Blacksmith Arms, plus hundreds of other pubs.

In North and East Yorkshire, they include the Feathers at Pocklington, the Old Black Bull at Raskelf, the Owl and Cat (Hooting Owl Distillery) in Rougier Street, York; the Piebald Inn, Hunmanby, and Stamford in Pocklington.

To claim a free pint while stocks last, pub goers will be asked to register with The Telegraph for free or login in to their existing Telegraph account.

Over £4 million is up for grabs tonight across three games and if you missed the live draw, we have you covered.

One lucky winner could get their hands on a staggering £3.9 million jackpot on tonight’s National Lottery Lotto draw. Those looking for the big bucks should’ve grabbed their tickets by 7.30pm ahead of the draw at 8pm.

The draw could be watched on the National Lottery’s YouTube channel or website. There is also £500,000 up for grabs on the Thunderball, which was drawn at 8.15pm, and £350,000 on the Lotto HotPicks.

Lotto HotPicks which uses the same numbers as the main Lotto, just without the Bonus Ball. These games also closed at 7.30pm, so you should have bagged those tickets by then to be in with a chance of winning.

If you missed the live draw, don’t worry, because the Record has you covered. Tonight’s National Lottery Lotto winning numbers are: 03, 11, 13, 14, 43, 49. The Bonus Ball is 05. As mentioned, the estimated jackpot is £3.9 million.

Tonight’s National Lottery Thunderball winning numbers are: 01, 03, 26, 27, 38. The Thunderball is 12.

In January 2016, the Lotto jackpot reached the £50 million cap and rolled over once more to reach a record-breaking £66 million.

National Lottery games should always be fun, playing in a way that is right for you. Using its handy toolkit you can set limits, take time out or moderate Instant Win Games to help keep track of your play.

Help is at hand. If you’re worried about yourself, or someone you know, contact GamCare, available 24/7 on 0808 8020 133.

You can also visit the Responsible Play website for help with your play or to find more information on support services.

Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE.

Britain’s Got Talent viewers have expressed frustration over the ITV show’s golden buzzer rule

Britain’s Got Talent fans are demanding that ITV scrap the programme’s golden buzzer format.

The show has reached the semi-final stage, with judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and KSI watching as contestants who progressed from the audition rounds battle for a place in the final. During each semi-final, one judge receives golden buzzer privileges, allowing them to fast-track an act directly to the final. A second act then advances through the public vote.

Both Amanda and Alesha have already used their buzzers, and during Saturday’s live episode (May 9), KSI was given the opportunity. He held back until nearly all performers had taken to the stage before selecting fire-eater Liwei Yang, reports the Daily Star.

Viewers have argued the format is flawed, insisting judges should watch every performance before exercising their golden buzzer decision. Additional criticism focused on the studio audience’s tendency to call for the buzzer after virtually every act.

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“Can #BGT just axe the golden buzzer, it has become the most irritating addition to this show,” one frustrated viewer posted on X.

Another concurred: “Golden buzzer seriously needs to be [left] until everyone is on stage for the final results. As in, after everyone has performed.”

A third person wrote on the platform, formerly known as Twitter: “That studio golden buzzer needs to go, take it back to how it used to be, highest vote through then the judges pick between the other 2.”

“I’m all for shaking up the format, but this ‘Live Golden Buzzer’ during the semi-finals feels so unfair to the acts performing later,” one viewer remarked.

“The public vote is basically being ignored before half the show is over!”

“Are the audience gonna shout press the buzzer for every single act?” another viewer asked.

“What I hate about the #BGT live golden buzzer is that the judges sometimes make it so damn obvious on who they are giving it to,” a further viewer observed.

Another disgruntled audience member stated: “The audience actually ruins the live shows now, taking the golden buzzer away would stop it. If they need to have it, it can be pressed at the end when they all come out stage and their names are read out.”

Britain’s Got Talent airs Saturdays at 7pm on ITV and ITVX.

Around 24 passengers from the ship will be screened for symptoms of Hantavirus before being taken to an accommodation block at the Wirral hospital on Sunday (May 10). Nobody showing symptoms will be transferred to the site.

People began falling ill aboard the Dutch vessel MV Hondius in early April after it set sail on the Atlantic from southern Argentina – with the first fatality occurring on April 11.

The MV Hondius cruise ship departs the port in Praia, Cape Verde, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (Image: Misper Apawu)

Three people have died so far, with six confirmed cases of the disease (as of May 8) including up to three Britons.

Arrowe Park staff were informed of the decision to house passengers on the hospital site in an email from Janelle Holmes, CEO of Wirral University Teaching Hospital Trust, seen by our sister paper The Globe.

The message confirmed British patients not displaying symptoms would be escorted to the hospital to be in a safe place for their isolation period.

The move has echoes of the early days of the Covid outbreak, when 83 Brits were taken by coach from RAF Brize Norton to Wirral to begin a 14-day quarantine period on January 31, 2020.

Holmes said the hospital trust had responded “quickly and positively” to repatriating patients from Wuhan and the Diamond Princess cruise ship before the 2020 pandemic outbreak.

The message from Holmes said: “You will be aware that there are a number of British nationals who are expected to fly from Tenerife to the UK following the cases of hantavirus on the MV Hondius cruise ship recently confirmed by the World Health Organization.

A Spanish Civil Guard officer inspects the area where passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship are expected to arrive at the port of Granadilla in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Image: Manu Fernandez)

“The plan is for the British passengers and ship crew not displaying any symptoms of hantavirus to be escorted by UK government staff and given free passage back to the UK and as a precaution they will remain in isolation.

“We have been asked to house these residents (around 24) as our guests in the accommodation block on the Arrowe Park hospital site to provide them with a safe place for their isolation period.

“We have been asked by NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to house the guests, recognising how quickly and positively we responded to and supported the repatriation of British nationals from Wuhan and the Diamond Princess prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

(Image: Arrowe Park Hospital)

“Nobody showing any symptoms will be transferred here. If anyone becomes unwell after arrival, they will be transferred quickly to another facility.

“We do not anticipate there will be any impact on the delivery of Trust services or staff delivering services. Our role is to provide a safe place for the residents to isolate.”

“The risk to the general population remains very low and the public can be reassured that the established infection control measures will be put in place at every step of the journey to ensure the safe repatriation of British passengers on board.”

NHS England North West, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB, Merseyside Police, North West Ambulance Service, and Wirral Council issued a joint statement regarding the repatriation of the British passengers.

The joint statement said: “Organisations across Cheshire and Merseyside are working closely with colleagues from the UK Health Security Agency and other government bodies to support the repatriation of passengers from MV Hondius.

“In line with advice from the UK Health Security Agency, on arrival they will be taken to a managed setting for clinical assessment and testing. We expect this initial stay to be up to 72 hours.

“Following this, public health specialists will assess whether they can isolate at home or at another suitable location, based on their living arrangements.

“The risk to the general population remains very low.

“Our partner organisations are working together to ensure that all returning passengers are welcomed, comfortable and well supported throughout their stay.

“We would like to thank our staff and partners across the NHS, emergency services and local government for their professionalism and dedication in coordinating this response, and we will continue to work closely with the UK Health Security Agency and other partners throughout.”

UK Health Security Agency officials say two UK nationals associated with the ship have tested positive for hantavirus, and a British man in his late 60s remains in intensive care in South Africa but is reported to be improving.

Another British guide from the vessel is being treated in the Netherlands and is described as stable.

Officials stress the overall risk to the general public in the UK is very low, as hantavirus is usually spread via contact with infected rodent droppings, urine or saliva rather than between people.

Early symptoms resemble flu, including fever, headache and muscle aches, but in severe cases the virus can cause serious lung or kidney problems and can be fatal.

Iran‘s soccer federation said on Saturday the country “definitely” will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and insisted that tournament hosts — the United States, Canada and Mexico — consider Tehran’s concerns around the team’s travel and how it will be treated.

“All players and technical staff, especially those who served their military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, should be granted visas without problems,” Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran president Mehdi Taj said, according to Iranian media.

The team represents a country in a fragile ceasefire with the United States after the U.S. and Israel sparked a war with attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, and whose citizens are subject to a travel ban imposed by the Trump administration.

In the statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency, Taj said Friday that Iran had presented conditions tied to participation — including guarantees over visas, security and treatment of Iranian players and officials — and added that the Islamic Republic would take part “without retreating from our beliefs, culture and convictions.”

The remarks came after Canadian authorities last month denied entry to Taj ahead of a FIFA Congress, reportedly because of his past ties to Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard, which both the U.S. and Canada have designated as a terrorist organization.

Taj has repeatedly said that Iran would seek assurances from FIFA that Iranian officials, players, national flag and anthem would be treated with respect during the World Cup.

Concerns over issuing visas to people who completed their mandatory military service in the Guard had been raised previously by others.

The matter potentially could affect one of Iran’s key players, Mehdi Taremi, team captain and a striker who had completed his mandatory military service in the Guard. In Iran, conscripts also can be assigned to the police or the army, often at random.

Iran’s team has drawn with Belgium, New Zealand and Egypt in Group G and opens the World Cup against New Zealand in Inglewood, next to Los Angeles.

Iran has qualified for four consecutive World Cups and seven overall but has never advanced out of the group stage. Currently ranked No. 21 in the world, Iran lost just one match in the Asian qualifying.