The Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla shared affectionate words at Windsor Castle

The royal family’s trademark grandeur and ceremony was on full display this week as the King and Queen played host to the president and first lady of Nigeria for the first state visit of 2026.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, were received at Windsor by Prince William and Princess Kate on Wednesday, before being accompanied to Windsor Castle for their introduction to Charles and Camilla.

William and Kate joined the King and Queen on the dais for the inspection of the guards, where the Princess of Wales shared a touching moment with Queen Camilla, reflecting the warmth between the two women.

As they greeted one another on the grounds of Windsor Castle, Kate and Camilla leaned in and exchanged kisses on the cheek, with a lip reader casting light on the heartfelt words they shared.

Speaking to the Daily Express, lip reader Nicola Hickling said she believes Kate opened the conversation with: “Good morning, how are you?”, before telling Camilla, “you look beautiful!”

Camilla cut an elegant figure in a pink wool crepe dress by Fiona Clare, complemented by a pink beret-shaped hat by Philip Treacy, reports the Mirror. She also wore the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Cartier flower clip pair of brooches, as crowds lined the streets of Windsor to witness the ceremonial welcome.

That evening, William and Kate departed from convention in the run-up to the state banquet. Prior to each state banquet last year, the Prince and Princess of Wales would share a portrait on Instagram before proceedings got under way, affording royal enthusiasts an early preview of their attire.

Yet on Wednesday evening, no such image was uploaded. Instead, the official Instagram account for the Prince and Princess of Wales released a video featuring highlights from the glittering occasion.

William and Kate eventually shared the portrait, waiting a full 24 hours after the event before posting the striking photograph. Numerous royal fans flocked to the comments section to express their delight, having been made to wait an entire day.

One person wrote: “Thank you so much! We were all expecting this portrait last night and we were sad to not see it since the ones last year were amazing. You both look absolutely gorgeous and elegant.”

Kate donned the Lover’s Knot Tiara alongside a flowing emerald gown with a high neckline by British-Nigerian designer Andrew Gn, a nod to the colours of the Nigerian flag.

President Tinubu’s visit to the UK marked the first incoming state visit in nearly 100 years by a Muslim leader during the holy month of Ramadan, during which many Muslims fast and abstain from food and drink between dawn and sunset.

As a result, there was no traditional lunch on Wednesday with the King in the castle for the president during the day. Instead, it is believed the Nigerian president privately broke his fast before joining the royal family in St George’s Hall for the banquet.

BEIRUT (AP) — A 19-year-old star wrestler and two other young men were hanged in Iran this week, raising alarm among rights groups that a wave of executions may be underway as authorities facing relentless attacks from the U.S. and Israel seek to squelch public dissent.

The three men are the first to be executed from among the tens of thousands who were arrested during a January crackdown on nationwide protests. Rights groups say more than 100 others could face death sentences.

The wrestler, Saleh Mohammadi, was hanged early Thursday morning — along with Mehdi Qasemi and Saeed Davoudi — in Qom, just south of the capital, Tehran, according to state media. They had been sentenced on charges of “moharabeh,” or “waging war against God,” for allegedly killing two police officers during protests in the city.

Amnesty International said the convictions of the three, and of others arrested during the protests, came in “grossly unfair trials” that used confessions extracted by torture.

The executions were “intended to instill fear in society and deter new protests” amid the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of Iran Human Rights, an Oslo-based group that has documented detentions.

Amiry-Moghaddam said he worries many more “executions of protesters and political prisoners may be imminent.”

At least 27 arrested during protests face death sentences

Amiry-Moghaddam said his group has documented at least 27 death sentences that have been issued against people arrested during the protests. Another 100 face charges that carry the death penalty, and Iranian state media have aired hundreds of forced confessions to crimes punishable by death, he said.

Nationwide protests that began in late December peaked in the first week of January, prompting the deadliest crackdown by Iranian security forces since the Islamic Republic took power in 1979.

A complete death toll has been hard to gauge because of internet restrictions by authorities. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists New Agency, which relies on a network of contacts inside Iran, said it confirmed that more than 7,000 were killed and that it was investigating thousands more. It said over 50,000 were arrested in just over six weeks. The government acknowledged more than 3,000 were killed.

At the height of the protests, Iranian authorities signaled that fast trials and executions lay ahead.

At the time, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested military action might be an option to stop the deadly crackdown. But he soon announced that he learned that plans for executions were halted, signaling that a military operation was no longer on the table.

Just a month later, Israel and the U.S. launched an intense airstrike campaign against Iran, pounding military installations and targeting the top political and security leadership of Iran. The security agencies believed to be responsible for the deadly crackdown on protesters are also being targeted.

War has not stopped Iran’s crackdown on dissent

Despite the war, Iranian authorities have kept up the crackdown on dissent. Authorities say scores have been detained since the war began on Feb. 28, including some who took part in the January protests.

Because of Iran’s internet blackout, there have been scant details about the three men executed Thursday. Amiry-Moghaddam said Davoudi was born on March 20, 2004, meaning he was executed a day before his 22nd birthday. Qasemi’s age was not known, he said.

Mohammadi appeared to be a standout in wrestling, a sport that is wildly popular in Iran. In 2024, he won a bronze medal at an international youth freestyle wrestling tournament in the Russian city of Krasnoyarsk.

On his Instagram account, Mohammadi posted photos and videos of his matches and his workouts, along with inspirational “no-pain-no-gain” messages. In his last post in late December, he posted a video of himself in the gym and wrote: “We endured beyond our imagination. Back again #bodybuilding #training #wrestling.”

“He was full of energy,” said Shiva Amelirad, an Iranian teacher living in Toronto who spoke with Mohammadi in 2022 while he was still in high school.

Amelirad said Mohammadi had participated in anti-government protests that erupted earlier that year when Mahsa Amini died in police custody after being detained for not wearing her headscarf properly. Those demonstrations were also met with a heavy crackdown by authorities.

She said Mohammadi told her that workouts and eating ice cream were his only ways “to forget all this catastrophe that we are facing.”

“He always tried to show that he was happy,” said Amelirad.

Rights groups say theocracy has forced confessions from protesters

Mohammadi, Qasemi and Davoudi were arrested in Qom on Jan. 15, according to multiple human rights groups. The circumstances of their arrests are not known, and it is not clear if they knew each other beforehand.

They were charged in the killing of a police officer on Jan. 8 and convicted in early February, according to Amnesty and Iran Human Rights.

During his detention, Mohammadi was beaten and one of his hands broken, Amnesty said in a Feb. 19 open letter to Iran’s judiciary criticizing the prosecution of dozens of arrested protesters. Amnesty said Mohammadi denied the charges and retracted his confessions in court, saying they were extracted under torture.

“Authorities have systematically subjected those arrested in connection to the protests to enforced disappearance, incommunicado detention, torture to extract forced ‘confessions,’” Amnesty said in the letter.

Mizan, the Iranian judiciary’s official news agency, announced the execution of the three on Thursday, showing video of them sitting in prison uniforms in court. It said they had confessed to killing two police officers with “knives and swords,” and showed video of them allegedly reenacting the killings for judicial officials.

Amiry-Moghaddam, of Iran Human Rights, said the Islamic Republic is struggling for its survival “and is well aware that the main threat to its existence comes not from external actors, but from the Iranian people demanding fundamental change.”

______

Keath reported from Cairo. Frankel from Jerusalem.

Mike Tindall has reacted strongly after some of his 2003 World Cup colleagues paid a visit to the England camp during the Six Nations

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Mike Tindall laid into some of his fellow World Cup-winning heroes with an X-rated rant as he defended the current England squad.

England finished fifth in the table following a 48-46 defeat by France in Paris last weekend, with their victory over Wales in round one the only win from a tournament that began amid high expectations but ended in huge disappointment. It has left head coach Steve Borthwick fighting to save his job, with the RFU launching an investigation into the wretched campaign.

Tindall, along with ex-England forward Joe Marler, has been dissecting England’s woeful performance on their The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast. Host Alex Payne brought up the visit by a group of 2003 heroes to the squad following the defeats to Scotland and Ireland.

The likes of Martin Johnson, Lawrence Dallaglio, Will Greenwood, Ben Kay, Phil Vickery and Jason Leonard spent time with the squad, going out for a curry. The Times has subsequently reported that some of the ex-players felt it was a “bad environment” and were concerned about the squad’s reserved nature, lack of critical thinking and limited knowledge of their opponents.

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Members of the group were also said to be alarmed at the current players’ reaction when a World Cup winner challenged the squad to devote their lives to the sport over the next 18 months ahead of the World Cup in Australia. It was suggested that the players had not been spoken to like that before.

Tindall didn’t take kindly to those claims, blasting: “Outside of one person, not one of them has ever f****** coached, so what the f*** do they know?

“Like, they’re all my best friends, but not one of them has coached. Ben Kay, you could say he’s like a coach because he’s watching so many f****** games [as an RFU non-executive director].

“But Johnno’s [Johnson, who coached England to the Six Nations title in 2011] the only one who’s been in Steve’s position right now. A good figurehead; has had a coaching [career].

“Will Greenwood, [coach at] Maidenhead, well done! But does watch a lot of games as well. Lol [Dallaglio], never coached, never looked like coaching.”

Marler then weighed in, arguing that players must be treated differently now compared to 10 or 20 years ago. He said: “It’s a different kettle of fish now. The youngsters, the generation coming through, you have to treat them differently, you have to talk to them differently.”

Borthwick’s future as England coach will hinge on the RFU’s annual Six Nations review. The process is expected to last several weeks, with players, Borthwick and his backroom staff asked for their views on the reasons behind the defeats to Scotland and Ireland and the late collapse against Italy.

While England were edged in the climax to the tournament at the Stade de France, it was a stirring performance full of intent and attacking endeavour that may have bought the 46-year-old some time.

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Saturday Night Live is one of America’s most successful comedy formats, having launched countless huge stars in the US – Tina Fey! Eddie Murphy! Adam Sandler! – and at last, a UK edition is coming to our screens on 21 March, with British performers on this side of the pond hoping to emulate that same trajectory.

The UK version will retain everything viewers know and love about the Stateside original, with celebrity hosts and musical guests stopping by for late-night laughs in the all-new London studio.

On air since 1975, the US series is the unofficial training ground for Hollywood’s funniest comedians and actors, and SNL is responsible for catapulting plenty of much-loved stars into the spotlight. Murphy was a cast member in the early Eighties, before landing his breakout film role in Beverly Hills Cop, while Sandler and Will Ferrell got their starts on SNL in the nineties.

Pals Fey and Amy Poehler also enjoyed overlapping stints on the show in the early 2000s – with Fey becoming the programme’s first female head writer. The pair would go on to create 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation, respectively. We also have SNL to thank for introducing us to Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Andy Samberg.

SNL UK’s initial six-week run will see 11 new players bringing the laughs in topical sketches, and a British version of the popular satirical news segment Weekend Update.

Meet them below…

Hammed Animashaun

Londoner Hammed Animashaun will be familiar to fans of Black Ops, thanks to his star turn as undercover policeman Kay in the BBC comedy.

Hinting at what we can expect from him on SNL UK, Animashaun said: “I think of myself as an actor first and foremost. I’ve done a lot of theatre. That’s my first love so I feel very much at home on the stage and performing live.

“Transferring that experience over to live comedy is something I’m really excited for.”

Ayoade Bamgboye

British and Nigerian comedian Ayoade Bamgboye is just four years into her comedy career, and pivoted to the entertainment industry by quitting her advertising job to give stand-up a go.

She’s already made her mark on stage and last year won the prestigious Best Newcomer Award at the Edinburgh Fringe, following her festival debut with Swings and Roundabouts.

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Declaring that there’s “no better training ground” than SNL UK, Bamgboye said: “It just feels like the perfect place to accelerate my learning. Having a steep learning curve like this gives me so much bandwidth to try many different things in a short space of time.”

Larry Dean

Glasgow-based comedian has popped on TV before, with appearances on Live at the Apollo and The Royal Variety Performance 2024, as well as ITV’s 2019 series The Stand Up Sketch Show.

“There have been so many people who have appeared on Saturday Night Live, either as hosts or part of the cast, that are my comedy heroes like Jim Carrey, Richard Pryor, Mike Myers, Dana Carvey,” he said. “It’s always been my dream to do acting and stand-up, so this is exactly what I want to be doing.”

Celeste Dring

Hailing from Wolverhampton, Celeste Dring is one of the SNL UK cast members with the most TV experience, thanks to roles in This Country, the BBC’s 2018 series Wanderlust and Channel 4’s The Windsors sitcom, in which she played Princess Eugenie.

She also performs as part of the double act Lazy Susan with fellow comedian Freya Parker, and the pair landed their own BBC pilot back in 2019.

When asked why she wanted to be part of the SNL UK cast, Dring said: “It was a no-brainer really. I just love the idea of being creative with a group of brilliantly talented and funny people and the chance to do something new.”

George Fouracres

Also from Wolverhampton, George Fouracres describes SNL as his “dream job”. “My favourite thing is playing lots of very intense, insane characters, and I love the glamour of late night live TV,” he said. “Seeing clips of SNL in the US I always thought ‘I wish we had that. Why don’t we have something like that?’ So the fact that we do now, and I get to be part of it, blows my tiny mind.”

Fouracres’ background is mainly in theatre. He’s an associate artist at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, and performed in his seventh show at the historic venue last year.

“I started in the industry acting and writing in a sketch group called Daphne with my friends Jason Forbes and Phil Wang,” he added. Fouracres masterminded his first and only stand-up show in 2019 and more recently, performed in comedy duo Flo & Joan’s award-winning show One Man Musical in the UK and Australia.

Ania Magliano

One of SNL UK’s best-known stars, Buckinghamshire-born Ania Magliano has brought the laughs on Live at the Apollo and series 20 of Taskmaster UK, going up against Maisie Adams, Phil Ellis, Reece Shearsmith, and Sanjeev Bhaskar.

“I did my first gig when I was 18, so it’s pretty surreal that it’s been nearly 10 years now,” she said. “Since then, I’ve performed sold-out tours, filmed a stand-up special, and taken shows to Edinburgh. It’s through stand-up that I really found my voice.”

Annabel Marlow

Musician and comedian Annabel Marlow has been a devoted SNL stan for years and even used to run an online fan account dedicated to “being obsessed” with the show. “SNL combines everything I love,” she explained. “I’m excited to create characters and hopefully write some music as well.”

“I wrote and performed a one-woman show at Edinburgh Fringe in 2023 called Is This Okay??, that was an hour of comedy songs and pop songs, with bits of stand-up,” she said.

Marlow also has some impressive theatre roles on her CV, having originated the role of Katherine Howard in Six the Musical, and appeared in productions of The Wizard of Oz and Muriel’s Wedding.

Al Nash

You won’t recognise Al Nash from TV but you may well know him from social media. The Buckinghamshire-born comedian has built up huge fanbases on TikTok and Instagram thanks to his sketches and satirical send-ups of popular trends.

“As someone who is sketch comedy obsessed, I’m just so happy to be a part of the [SNL UK] cast,” he said. “I think it’s a really exciting opportunity for the UK comedy industry in general.”

Jack Shep

Jack Shep has just a few TV credits to his name – but they’re all pretty impressive shows. As well as popping up in Jack Rooke’s Channel 4 series Big Boys, Shep appeared in Netflix’s One Day adaptation and Alan Carr’s semi-autobiographical Changing Ends.

“I’d describe myself as a comic rather than a stand-up comedian,” the Bedfordshire-born star said. “I do a bit of acting and writing too but basically, I’m always doing stupid s*** which I think makes me primed for SNL.”

Emma Sidi

Emma Sidi has already crossed paths with at least one of her new SNL UK co-stars, thanks to a brief appearance in the BBC’s Black Ops.

You might also recognise her from Starstruck, thanks to her star turn as Kate, the highly strung flatmate and best pal of Rose Matafeo’s Jessie (the pair also lived together in real life). Or perhaps you spotted Sidi in season two of Stath Lets Flats, or in the first episode of Industry.

“I love comedy and character comedy especially, and I think there isn’t that much character comedy on TV in the UK right now,” she said. “My favourite comedies to watch growing up were French & Saunders, The Fast Show, Reeves and Mortimer, all those pioneering shows from the alt-comedy scene.

“Saturday Night Live is a huge opportunity to get that kind of comedy back on TV and online.”

Paddy Young

Scarborough-born Paddy Young has already worked with a number of British comedy greats, popping up in Channel 4’s Mitchell & Webb Are Not Helping and the 2023 series Everyone Else Burns, starring The Inbetweeners’ Simon Bird.

“I was very lucky because Scarborough had an amazing theatre – the Stephen Joseph Theatre – which I practically grew up in,” he said. “I was completely obsessed with comedy but had no idea how to do it. By the time I went to drama school in Manchester I found myself constantly sneaking away to watch stand-up, though it took me a long time to actually do it.”

Saturday Night Live UK comes to Sky and streaming service NOW on 21 March.

This walk features some lovely spots for views

As the seasons start to change, and the sun is coming out, the flowers have started to bloom and the temperature will begin to get warmer. Spring is a great time to put on your walking boots and enjoy the countryside that sits amongst us in our beautiful county.

Luckily, there are many lovely green spaces, award-winning parks, and delightful trails around Cambridgeshire just waiting to be explored. No matter what area of the county you are from, you are never too far away from a scenic walk in the fresh air.

One particular route, planned by AllTrails, features panoramic views from one of the highest points in our notoriously flat county.

The Magog Down and Wandlebury Circular walk route by AllTrails is 5.3 kilometres (3.29 miles) long and takes between an hour and a half to two hours to complete. This circular trail offers a route featuring some beautiful spots including within Magog Down and Little Trees Hills.

The route begins and ends at the Magog Down car park, just south of Cambridge, and it follows a circular route around some pretty extraordinary spots. Within Magog Down, a country park, trekkers can walk by the meadows filled with a pop of yellow from the cowslips in spring.

During the walk, when you head up Little Trees Hills, visitors can gaze at some of the most expansive panoramic views in the county. From one point you can even see Ely Cathedral – the Ship of the Fens – sailing across the flat horizon.

The walk also includes a summit of around 243 feet. It is one of the highest points of the Gog Magog Hills, a ridge of low chalk hills extending for several miles. The city of Cambridge is laid out before you, with Addenbrooke’s Hospital large close by and the colleges a distance beyond.

This route has been raved by previous trekkers and highlighted for its “beautiful views”. One walker wrote: “Lovely walk on a hot day. Lots of benches and areas of woodland for shade, beautiful views and LOADS of blackberries.”

If you are looking for a walk to admire panoramic views of the county, then this may be a good option for you.

The attempted attack came as Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, issued a warning to the UK, accusing Sir Keir Starmer of “putting British lives at risk” by allowing US forces to operate from British bases. At the time of his remarks, it had not yet been made public that missiles had been fired towards Diego Garcia.

Blackburn Magistrates’ Court heard Matthew Cooper had borrowed £3,000, and when the second lockdown kicked in, he was unable to service the debt.

The court was told the way out offered to Cooper was to allow his rented property to be used to grow cannabis.

He took that option, but the plan blew up in his face when there was a fire at the property in Bolton, and firefighters reported the cannabis farm to police.

Cropper, 42, of Rochdale Road, Bacup, pleaded guilty to the production of cannabis.

He was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay £154 victim surcharge.

Andrew Hey, prosecuting, said fire crews attended an address in Ainsworth Road, Little Lever, on September 6, 2024.

While dealing with the fire, they discovered cannabis growing in a bedroom and a cupboard, and that the electricity meter had been bypassed.

“The fire caused extensive damage to the property,” said Mr Hey.

Gareth Price, mitigating, said his client had set up his own building business shortly before the pandemic hit in 2020.

“He fell on hard times and was using food banks in an attempt to support his family,” said Mr Price.

“In these difficult times, he was directed to a loan shark and borrowed £3,000.”

During the second lockdown, he was unable to pay the debt and began receiving threats.

“It was not pleasant,” said Mr Price. “They offered him a solution, which was allowing the property he rented to be used for growing cannabis.

“He let them in, and they did everything. He was assured there would be two crops and that would pay the debt.”

Mr Price said his client eventually borrowed £4,000 from his mother to pay the debt.

“He moved out of the area and is trying to get his business going again,” said Mr Price.

The chair of the magistrates told Cropper he had been a victim to some extent.

“You were coerced into allowing your property to be used as it was,” he said.

Cropper told the chair: “I was backed into a corner and I made a very bad decision.”

BBC Sport and ITV have once again split the matches between them, with two of England’s group matches on ITV (the first against Croatia and third against Panama) and one on BBC (the second match against Ghana). The final will be shown on both channels simultaneously.

Since the 1998 World Cup, England’s win percentage at major tournaments is considerably better on BBC, leading to fears of an “ITV curse”.

Scotland’s group games follow the reverse pattern, with their group-stage opener against Haiti and third match against Brazil on BBC and the middle game against Morocco on ITV.

For the first time, parts of the World Cup will be free to watch on YouTube after Fifa struck an agreement with the streaming platform. The first 10 minutes of every game will be streamed live on YouTube, with broadcasters sharing a select number of full matches on the website. “Content creators” will be part of the coverage as Fifa seeks to attract a new generation of fans.

Fan groups demanded an immediate halt to World Cup ticket sales last December, accusing Fifa of charging “extortionate” prices to the most dedicated supporters.

Football Supporters Europe (FSE), which represents groups across the continent, called for sales via the likes of the Football Association to be suspended when it emerged that watching England at next summer’s tournament could end up costing at least £5,000.

According to FSE, the minimum $6,900 (£5,143) fans would have to pay to follow their country from their first match until the final was nearly five times as much as during the last World Cup.

In response to growing public pressure, Fifa announced a cheaper band of £45 tickets would be made available, but only for a small percentage of seats.

In the latter stages of the tournament, the majority of the cheapest tickets are £686 for the semi-final and £3,119 for the final, pricing condemned by the Football Supporters Association’s Fan Embassy.

“Surprise surprise Fifa are finding out that supporters will turn their backs on ludicrous prices, however prestigious the game. Thousands of pounds for any football match is beyond greedy,” a statement said.

“The most loyal fans, be they English supporters or those of any other nationality, are being priced out.

The final phase of ticket sales will be last-minute general sales, where any remaining tickets are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. This phase will begin in April, and you can access the ticket portal on Fifa’s website here.

There are fears that this World Cup could prove the most expensive ever for supporters, with Fifa operating “dynamic pricing” and taking a 15 per cent fee on resale tickets from both buyer and seller.

Thursday, June 11, 2026
Mexico vs South Africa, 8pm UK time (ITV)

Friday, June 12, 2026
South Korea vs European Play-Off D winner (Czech Republic, Denmark, North Macedonia or Republic of Ireland), 3am UK time (ITV)
Canada vs European Play-Off A winner (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Northern Ireland or Wales) 8pm UK time (BBC)

Saturday, June 13, 2026
USA vs Paraguay, 2am UK time (BBC)
Qatar vs Switzerland, 8pm UK time (ITV)
Brazil vs Morocco, 11pm UK time (BBC)

Sunday, June 14, 2026
Haiti vs Scotland, 2am UK time (BBC)
Australia vs European Play-Off C winner (Kosovo, Romania, Slovakia or Türkiye), 5am UK time (ITV)
Germany vs Curacao, 6pm UK time (ITV)
Netherlands vs Japan, 9pm UK time (ITV)

Monday, June 15, 2026 
Ivory Coast vs Ecuador, 12am UK time (BBC)
European Play-Off B winner (Albania, Poland, Sweden or Ukraine) vs Tunisia, 3am UK time (ITV)
Spain vs Cape Verde, 5pm UK time (ITV)
Belgium vs Egypt, 8pm UK time (BBC)
Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay, 11pm UK time (ITV)

Tuesday, June 16, 2026 
Iran vs New Zealand, 2am UK time (BBC)
France vs Senegal, 8pm UK time (BBC)
Intercontinental play-off winner 2 (Bolivia, Iraq or Suriname) vs Norway, 11pm UK time (BBC)

Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Argentina vs Algeria, 2am UK time (ITV)
Austria vs Jordan, 5am UK time (BBC)
Portugal vs Intercontinental play-off winner 1 (DR Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia), 6pm UK time (BBC)
England vs Croatia, 9pm UK time (ITV)

Thursday, June 18, 2026 
Ghana vs Panama, 12am UK time (ITV)
Uzbekistan vs Colombia, 3am UK time (BBC)
European Play-Off D winner (Czech Republic, Denmark, North Macedonia or Republic of Ireland) vs South Africa, 5pm UK time (BBC)
Switzerland vs European Play-Off A winner (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Northern Ireland or Wales) 8pm UK time (ITV)
Canada vs Qatar, 11pm UK time (ITV)

Friday, June 19, 2026 
Mexico vs South Korea, 2am UK time (BBC)
USA vs Australia, 8pm UK time (BBC)
Scotland vs Morocco, 11pm UK time (ITV)

Saturday, June 20, 2026
Brazil vs Haiti, 2am UK time (ITV)
European Play-Off C winner (Kosovo, Romania, Slovakia or Türkiye) vs Paraguay, 5am UK time (ITV)
Netherlands vs European Play-Off B winner (Albania, Poland, Sweden or Ukraine), 6pm UK time (BBC)
Germany vs Ivory Coast, 9pm UK time (ITV)

Sunday, June 21, 2026 
Ecuador vs Curacao, 1am UK time (BBC)
Tunisia vs Japan, 5am UK time (BBC)
Spain vs Saudi Arabia, 5pm UK time (BBC)
Belgium vs Iran, 8pm UK time (ITV)
Uruguay vs Cape Verde, 11pm UK time (BBC)

Monday, June 22, 2026
New Zealand vs Egypt, 2am UK time (ITV)
Argentina vs Austria, 6pm UK time (BBC)
France vs Intercontinental play-off winner 2 (Bolivia, Iraq or Suriname), 10pm UK time (BBC)

Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Norway vs Senegal, 1am UK time (ITV)
Jordan vs Algeria, 4am UK time (ITV)
Portugal vs Uzbekistan, 6pm UK time (ITV)
England vs Ghana, 9pm UK time (BBC)

Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Panama vs Croatia, 12am UK time (BBC)
Colombia vs Intercontinental play-off winner 1 (DR Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia), 3am UK time (ITV)
Switzerland vs Canada, 8pm UK time (ITV)
European Play-Off A winner (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Northern Ireland or Wales) vs Qatar, 8pm UK time (ITV)
Morocco vs Haiti, 11pm UK time (BBC)
Scotland vs Brazil, 11pm UK time (BBC)

Thursday, June 25, 2026
South Africa vs South Korea, 2am UK time (BBC)
European Play-Off D winner (Czech Republic, Denmark, North Macedonia or Republic of Ireland) vs Mexico, 2am UK time (BBC)
Curacao vs Ivory Coast, 9pm UK time (BBC)
Ecuador vs Germany, 9pm UK time (BBC)

Friday, June 26, 2026
Tunisia vs Netherlands, 12am UK time (BBC)
Japan vs European Play-Off B winner (Albania, Poland, Sweden or Ukraine), 12am UK time (BBC)
European Play-Off C winner (Kosovo, Romania, Slovakia or Türkiye) vs USA, 3am UK time (ITV)
Paraguay vs Australia, 3am UK time (ITV)
Norway vs France, 8pm UK time (ITV)
Senegal vs Intercontinental play-off winner 2 (Bolivia, Iraq or Suriname), 8pm UK time (ITV)

Saturday, June 27, 2026
Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia, 1am UK time (ITV)
Uruguay vs Spain, 1am UK time (ITV)
New Zealand vs Belgium, 4am UK time (BBC)
Egypt vs Iran, 4am UK time (BBC)
Panama vs England, 10pm UK time (ITV)
Croatia vs Ghana, 10pm UK time (ITV)

Sunday, June 28, 2026
Colombia vs Portugal, 12.30am UK time (BBC)
Intercontinental play-off winner 1 (DR Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia) vs Uzbekistan, 12.30am UK time 
Algeria vs Austria, 3am UK time (BBC)
Jordan vs Argentina, 3am UK time (BBC)

Round of 32
Sunday, June 28 to Saturday, July 4
England’s match in this round would be on BBC

Round of 16
Saturday, July 4 to Tuesday, July 7
England’s match in this round would be on BBC

Quarter-finals
Thursday, July 9 to Sunday, July 12
England’s match in this round would be on ITV

Semi-finals
Tuesday, July 14 to Wednesday, July 15
England’s match in this round would be on BBC

Third-place play-off
Saturday, July 18

Final
Sunday, July 19, 10pm UK time
World Cup final will be shown on both BBC and ITV

Today, the Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis ski area is the largest in central Switzerland, topping out at 3,000 metres and with 180 kms of pistes. It includes the north-facing, snow-sure Gemstock slopes (steep, challenging and a freeriders’ paradise) and the newer Gütsch area, where ultra-modern lifts speed beginners and intermediate skiers up for gloriously sweeping feel-good blue and red runs back to the village.

The majority of the 12-hour waits were at North West Anglia NHS Trust

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Hundreds of patients faced waits of over 12 hours in Cambridgeshire’s A&Es last month. A total of 1,479 attendees at A&E departments across our county had to wait over 12 hours from a decision to admit to admission in February.

That’s actually down from a record of 1,785 in January, but is still the highest number for any month of February. It is still far higher than the numbers seen before the Covid-19 pandemic. In February 2020 just seven attendances at A&E faced a wait of over 12 hours in Cambridgeshire.

The majority of the 12-hour waits (921 of them) were at North West Anglia NHS Trust, while 558 were at Cambridgeshire University Hospital Trust. Cambridgeshire is far from being the only part of the country afflicted with such long waits in A&E.

A total of 54,649 patients spent over 12 hours in A&Es in England last month from a decision to admit to being admitted. That’s the highest number on record for the month of February, up from 47,623 in 2025 and 44,417 in 2024. The number is, however, down compared to January when a record 71,517 people were stuck in A&E for over 12 hours. Last month’s total is the third highest number on record.

You can see how your local trust is performing by using our interactive. Simply enter your postcode and select one of the NHS trusts from the dropdown.

The number of patients seen within four hours at Cambridgeshire A&Es has seen some improvements however. More than half (56.9 percent) of attendances at our county’s Type 1 A&Es waited less than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge.

That’s up from 54.7 percent in February 2025 and 48.5 percent in February 2024. It is, however, below the national average of 59.4 percent.

Waiting lists

The waiting list at Cambridgeshire’s trusts is falling. There were 146,543 on the county’s waiting lists in January. That’s down slightly from 148,972 in December and a peak of 154,150 in August 2023.

The waiting list was generally split between North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust (78,406) and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (62,482), with another 5,335 at Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust And 320 at Cambridgeshire And Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.

Nationally, the NHS waiting list has fallen to its lowest level since January 2023. A total of 7.25 million were on the NHS waiting list in England in January. That’s down from 7.43 million a year earlier and a peak of 7.77 million in September 2023.

The waiting list is now at its lowest level since February 2023 when it stood at 7.22 million. The number of people waiting over a year for treatment is at its lowest level since the Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 135,657 had been on the waiting list for over a year as of January.

That’s down from 198,868 in January 2025 and is less than half the number of January 2024 (321,394) and a peak of 436,127 in March 2021.

You can see how your local trust is performing by using our interactive. Simply enter your postcode and select one of the NHS trusts from the dropdown.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “After years of rising waiting times, patients are finally starting to see things move in the right direction – with waiting lists at their lowest level for almost 3 years and more people getting treated within 18 weeks.

“Despite record demand this winter, A&E and ambulance services improved – meaning patients are getting help faster when they need it most, thanks to the hard work of NHS staff, better planning and modernisation.

“But we won’t take our foot off the gas. We’ll keep cutting waiting times, backing NHS staff and making sure patients get the high-quality care they deserve.”

NHS National Medical Director Professor Meghana Pandit said: “The NHS was ready to tackle winter head on this year, which is why despite facing record-breaking demand, staff have delivered the shortest winter waiting times for 4 years – while waiting lists have continued to fall.

“This is proof that the NHS is starting to turn a corner for patients – but we know the job is far from done.

“For too long, too many patients have faced the indignity of being treated in hospital corridors. That’s why we’re taking a zero-tolerance approach – with hospital leaders out on the wards and corridors making sure patients are treated with the dignity they deserve.

“I also want to thank the public for their role in supporting the NHS this winter – these figures show the huge impact of the public getting vital winter jabs.”