Andy Burnham will not take a job in Keir Starmer’s government if he wins the Makerfield by-election, a senior source has told the Manchester Evening News.

The Prime Minister Keir Starmer earlier today said he wants Andy Burnham to “play a big part” in the Labour Government in what appeared to be a signal he could invite him to join his Cabinet.

The Greater Manchester Mayor hopes to win in the Makerfield by-election on Thursday and secure a return to Westminster as an MP, and has made no secret of his Labour leadership ambitions. Sir Keir repeated on Wednesday that he would not walk away from his post and intended to fight any challenge.

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The Prime Minister is also facing a looming threat from his former health secretary Wes Streeting, who has indicated he is prepared to trigger a Labour leadership contest as early as next week. Sir Keir appeared to suggest he could bring Mr Burnham into his Government in comments to Sky News. “Andy is a great asset. And, yes, I want him to have a big role in the government.”

But a senior source who spoke to the M.E.N. ruled out Mr Burnham taking a job in Starmer’s government telling us ‘the benefit Andy has is the wind of change for not having been associated with the Government’s failings’.

The source also told us that the discussion of the Greater Manchester mayoral elections was an attempt to put ‘further challenges up’ and that if Keir Starmer stays it will give people ‘an excuse to vote against Labour’ in that election. If Mr Burnham wins the Greater Manchester Mayoral election is expected to take place at the end of July.

Mr Burnham is widely expected to win the Makerfield by-election, although insiders remain nervous and say it could be ‘too close to call’.

Recent polling in the by-election shows a very close contest between Labour and Reform UK. Labour is usually ahead on about 43 to 46 percent, with Reform close behind on roughly 40 to 41 percent. The gap between them is small enough that the race is effectively competitive and within typical polling uncertainty.

Smaller parties are well behind the two frontrunners. Restore Britain tends to poll around 7 percent, while the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Greens are all in low single digits. The Conservative vote in particular has fallen sharply compared with previous elections, with evidence that it has shifted towards Reform or become more fragmented.

The seat is essentially a two-way contest between Labour and Reform, with Labour holding a narrow lead. Reform is close enough to be in genuine contention, while smaller parties are unlikely to win but could still influence the result by affecting how the vote splits.

Labour insiders have expressed concerns about hidden Reform voters who may just turn out on the day.

Asked earlier about what preparations the Prime Minister was making for a potential Labour leadership contest, he told reporters: “First and foremost, I want Andy Burnham to win, and that’s why I’ve encouraged activists and members to go up there during the course of the campaign, and they’ll be up there tomorrow helping to get the vote out.

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“Then what happens is we’re immediately tipped into a Manchester mayoral contest by-election, one of the biggest by-elections that we’ve ever fought, because of the scale of it. And it’s really important to my mind that the whole of the Labour Party and Labour movement focuses on that, which is the next most immediate task.

“I don’t think there should be a challenge. I think history, particularly the last government, shows that that isn’t a successful way for a government to behave. But if there is a challenge, then I intend to fight. I’m not going to walk away from that, and I’ve been clear and consistent about that.”

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran will immediately take steps to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once a tentative deal with the U.S. to end the war is signed and will be allowed to sell its oil without restrictions, according to leaked copies of an interim agreement that officials say broadly matches the document.

The accord, due to be formally signed in a ceremony in Switzerland on Friday, lays out that the U.S. would secure at least $300 billion to rebuild Iran after the war and work to end all American and United Nations sanctions imposed on Tehran if a final agreement addressing Iran’s nuclear program is reached.

The U.S. agreement to immediately allow Iran to sell its oil freely and the offer to eventually lift all sanctions represent major concessions that outstrip the terms of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from in his first term, declaring it the “worst deal ever.” This new accord likely will draw intense criticism in Washington — and appears to be a major setback for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who launched the war with Trump on Feb. 28.

The deal calls for an immediate end to all fighting in Lebanon between Israel and the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah. That is one of the most delicate parts of the agreement because Israel has maintained it will continue to defend itself and to occupy vast swaths of Lebanon. Iran has said it must withdraw under the deal, although the leaked versions make no mention of withdrawal.

The two sides are to start 60 days of negotiations over a final deal that the Trump administration insists will prevent Iran from ever developing a nuclear weapon. The U.S. offers appear aimed at enticing Iran to strike an agreement.

But in the meantime, Iran appears to be getting benefits up front while making few concessions. Much of the agreement would restore the status quo before the war, including ending hostilities and reopening the strait, which is a crucial passage for the world’s oil and natural gas and whose closure created a historic energy crisis.

Other concessions to Iran — some of which are extraordinary, including the money for rebuilding, the full lifting of sanctions and the release of frozen assets — appear dependent on the progress of further negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.

The deal provides a major win for the global economy — the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil and natural gas traded once passed before the war began. Since then, Iranian attacks on shipping and the threat to vessels effectively shut the strait.

The strait’s closure drove up energy prices around the world and made many basics, including food, more expensive. Iran let out some vessels that paid tolls, something never done before in the strait, which sits in the territorial waters of Iran and Oman and long has been considered an international waterway. The U.S. later provided military support to get other tankers out, but traffic through the strait was nowhere near levels before the war.

The deal calls for the U.S. to lift a blockade imposed on Iranian ports and for the strait to return to its prewar traffic levels in 30 days, while acknowledging Iranian mines may still be in its waters that need to be destroyed.

The deal provides major concessions to Iran

While the deal says that the eventual lifting of sanctions on Iran will depend on future negotiations, the U.S. will immediately issue waivers on Iranian oil sales.

Granting oil waivers directly at the start of the 60-day talks strips the U.S. of a major point of leverage over Iran. In the years before the 2015 nuclear deal, Iranian oil faced international sanctions limiting their sales. Only at the conclusion of the overall deal in 2015 were those sanctions lifted.

The interim deal also opens the door to ending all sanctions Iran faces from the U.S. and at the U.N. — though it says the schedule for that will be worked out later. Still, that is far beyond the 2015 deal, which only lifted some sanctions in exchange for Iran drastically reducing its enrichment and stockpile of uranium.

The accord would also provide Iran with at least $300 billion to rebuild after an intense U.S. and Israeli bombing campaign — an extraordinary figure and another major benefit for Iran. U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said Gulf Arab nations would provide that amount as investments in Iran.

The deal leaves much more to be resolved in future negotiations

The interim deal sets a 60-day window, which can be extended, to negotiate over limiting Iran’s nuclear program, which has been discussed at multiple rounds of talks during Trump’s second administration without success. Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful, though it has enough highly enriched uranium to build multiple atomic bombs, should it choose to do so, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

In the interim deal, Iran reiterates that it will never produce nuclear weapons — a promise that it also made in the 2015 nuclear accord. Iranian diplomats have long pointed to statements from the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that Iran wouldn’t build an atomic bomb. It remains unclear whether Khamenei’s son, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, will follow that or not.

Trump has cited shifting goals for the war, including at times vowing it would end Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and its support for Hezbollah and other proxy groups in the region. He also suggested it could lead to toppling the Iranian government.

The interim deal falls short of all of these goals. The negotiations also exposed a rift between Netanyahu and Trump, the Israeli leader’s closest and most important ally, just as Netanyahu is seeking reelection. Netanyahu has come under heavy domestic criticism over the emerging deal but will be hard pressed to go against Trump, given Israel’s heavy reliance on the U.S. for diplomatic and military support.

___

Miller and Price reported from Washington, and Magdy from Cairo.

Tommy shared new photos of himself and Molly-Mae after welcoming their second child earlier this month

Fans were quick to spot Molly-Mae Hague’s latest decision when it comes to her relationship with Tommy Fury, as he melted fans’ hearts with a new family update.

The couple welcomed their second child into the world earlier this month, three years after the arrival of their first child, daughter Bambi. They confirmed the safe arrival of their new bundle of joy in a joint Instagram post on June 3.

They shared a black and white snap in which the new mum could still be seen in her hospital gown as she sat in her hospital bed. She and Tommy, who was standing by her side, could be seen looking down at their new arrival with smiles as Bambi sat opposite her mum and sweetly tended to her new sibling.

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While they didn’t reveal the gender or name of their new addition at the time, Molly-Mae captioned the sweet post: “….and then there were 4,” alongside a white love heart emoji. It was days later that the pair confirmed they are now proud parents to a son, sharing the news alongside a sweet video of Bambi meeting her baby brother for the first time.

The name reveal, however, came last weekend, as the former Love Island stars used Tommy’s return to the boxing ring to reveal their newborn son’s name, Midas, which was spelt out on the back of the boxer’s shirt and boxing shorts, during his fight against the former world’s strongest man, Eddie Hall.

Alongside pictures from his triumphant return to the ring, where he was cheered on by his partner just days after the birth of their second baby, Tommy wrote on Instagram on Sunday (June 14) evening: “Still undefeated. Huge respect to Eddie. You surprised me, pushed me and gave me a challenge. Thank you for accepting the fight and sharing the ring with me, it was a pleasure.

“This one is for my newborn son Midas [heart emoji]. And thank you to Molly for holding down the fort with our two beautiful children whilst I was preparing.” He added: “Thank you everyone who turned out last night, events like this wouldn’t be possible without you all. Now it’s time for some much-needed family time.”

The boxer, 27, has now returned to social media with a glimpse at how things have been looking since the arrival of his son. Tommy took to Instagram with more snaps of himself and Molly-Mae, also 27, enjoying their newborn bubble as they settle into life as parents-of-two.

“Lucky man doesn’t come close. Some of the best weeks of my life,” he captioned the post. But it was the picture of Tommy and Molly-Mae sharing a smooch following his victory over Hall at Manchester’s AO Arena on Saturday (June 13) that appeared to catch his followers’ attention.

@jodiemcenteer said: “Molly has the ring back on. So happy for the 4 of you.” @layla_caddy echoed: “Molly wearing her ring.” @iam_staceybee noted: “Molly is wearing her ring again.” @jeniece83 added: “I peep her ring back on!!”

It was only in April that Molly-Mae revealed why she was not wearing her engagement ring as she was quizzed by fans if Tommy was going to propose again, with their split coming just over a year after Tommy popped the question in a stunning Ibiza proposal.

Speaking in her YouTube vlog at the time, Molly-Mae said: “No, we’re not doing another proposal… I’m not wearing my ring and I don’t really wear my ring. Do you know what? I actually don’t plan to wear my ring either guys. But I also do still consider myself engaged and a fiancée even though saying that does give me the ick a little bit.

“No I don’t wear my ring and it’s not for the reason of me not feeling like I’m engaged or not a fiancée. I just actually don’t want to wear it because it’s almost too special. My ring is not even with me, it’s somewhere far away, locked away and very very safe.

Høiby, 29, was four when his mother married Crown Prince Haakon and is not himself a royal figure. Ahead of the verdict on Monday, his legal team repeatedly and unsuccessfully sought his release from prison so he could spend time with his mother because of her declining health.

The incident happened on Dockside Road on Tuesday (June 16) when the lorry collided with a pedal cyclist around 11.15am.

The cyclist, a 72-year-old man, suffered a broken hip and was taken to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

Cleveland Police has now launched an investigation, appealing for any witnesses to come forward.

A spokesperson said: “Police are appealing for witnesses after a man suffered a broken hip following a collision in Middlesbrough.

“The incident happened on Dockside Road around 11.15am on Tuesday, June 16, involving a tipper lorry and a pedal cyclist.

“The cyclist, a 72-year-old man, suffered a broken hip and was taken to James Cook University Hospital following the collision.

“Any witnesses or anyone who may have dash cam footage of the collision, is asked to contact Cleveland Police on 101, quoting reference number 115980.”

Danny Rohl has left Rangers after just eight months in charge to become Red Bull Salzburg’s head coach – with the club saying news of his replacement “will follow in due course”.

Hearts head coach Derek McInnes is widely expected to be the German’s successor as Rangers ready themselves to appoint a third boss in 12 months.

Rohl, 37, replaced Russell Martin in October and steered Rangers into a three-way title fight, but a post-split collapse yielded a third-place finish behind Celtic and Hearts as the Ibrox club ended the campaign without silverware.

Chairman Andrew Cavenagh publicly backed Rohl at the end of the season, but the German now returns to the Red Bull stable, having begun his coaching career at Leipzig under Ralph Hasenhuttl.

“I’d like to thank Danny for his service and commitment to Rangers,” Cavenagh said.

“He and his staff put in a significant amount of hard work during his time in charge, which we are greatly appreciative of.

“We wish them the best of luck moving forward.”

Rohl, who had two years left on his deal, departs to take over a Salzburg side that came third in Austria last season – the club’s lowest finish in two decades – and will enter the Europa League at the third qualifying round, the same stage as Rangers.

Daniel Beichler was sacked as Salzburg boss last month after just 14 games.

Rohl joined Hasenhuttl at Southampton in 2018, then moved to Bayern Munich as assistant to Hansi Flick and helped the club win the Bundesliga. He was then appointed Sheffield Wednesday manager in 2023.

“I’ve played with Derek, I’ve played against him, I’ve managed against him and know all about his make up, his strengths – and that’s why this appointment is the one that has excited me most at Ibrox since Steven Gerrard.”

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Derek McInnes knows exactly what it means to pull on the blue jersey. A lifelong Rangers supporter, he fulfilled every boyhood dream when he rose through the ranks to represent the club he adored.

Yet as far as his former team-mate Stuart McCall is concerned, it’s not his credentials as a Rangers man that make him the ideal candidate to step into the Ibrox dugout as Danny Rohl’s successor.

It’s the departing Hearts manager’s qualities as a leader of men that makes him precisely what is required in Govan.

McCall has shared a dressing room with his fellow nine-in-a-row hero and gone head-to-head with McInnes on Premiership touchlines, reports the Daily Record.

And it’s that first-hand knowledge which has persuaded the former Motherwell boss that his old friend is the most thrilling managerial appointment at Ibrox since Steven Gerrard arrived in Glasgow.

McCall told Record Sport: “I’m not saying he’s a Rangers man, so he’s the right choice.

“I’m saying this because I know how Derek will be.

“He knows the Premiership, he knows the mentality needed, the characteristics you want in a player. Yeah it helps he played for the club and has experienced the pressures that come with that.

“He’ll have gone through tough times at Ibrox himself trying to get past Gazza and myself to get a game! Wink, wink! Only kidding!”.

“But that Rangers link isn’t what makes him the right man. It’s the man he is himself that makes him the right choice.

“Right now, Rangers are a club and a team that need someone to galvanise them, to lead them through the tough moments. That’s where they’ve failed in recent seasons.

“I’ve played with Derek, I’ve played against him, I’ve managed against him and know all about his make up, his strengths – and that’s why this appointment is the one that has excited me most at Ibrox since Steven Gerrard.

“The fact is you can be the best training ground coach in the world but if you can’t communicate with your players and have the ability to relate to them and have them relate to you, then it won’t matter.

“I’ve seen loads of coaches down in England who have loads of great ideas on the game. But if you don’t know how to get the best out of the players on an individual basis those ideas will fall apart.

“So what makes me more comfortable with Derek than any other boss since Gerrard is that I know we’ve got a manager going in with a wealth of experience, knowledge of the club and the league and someone with a proven track record getting the best out of the players at his disposal.

“I remember having some right ding-dongs against Del when he was Aberdeen boss and I was at Motherwell. You always knew his team would be up for the fight, they’d go to the last whistle, they’d never chuck the towel in.

“Yeah, there might be the odd poor performance – but they were never weak.”

McInnes now inherits a side so fragile they squandered their opportunity to clinch last season’s title, losing four of their final five matches under Rohl.

The German was brought in to sort out the chaos left in Russell Martin’s wake and, while he managed to drag the Light Blues back into title contention, they swiftly fell away once the pressure mounted in the closing stages of the campaign.

However, McCall is backing his long-time friend to succeed where the German came unstuck – drawing on invaluable wisdom passed down from his mentors Sir Alex Ferguson and the late Walter Smith.

“If it does go ahead and he becomes the new Rangers manager I’ll be delighted with that,” said the Preston assistant boss.

“You know, over the last couple of years working down here with Sheffield United and Preston, I’ve come up against Russell Martin and Danny Rohl.

“They were both good coaches but I just don’t think it’s a necessity right now for Rangers to be looking for a good ‘coach’.

“I’m not saying Derek isn’t that. He’s a more than capable coach.

“What Rangers need is someone who can motivate people.

“I go back to what Sir Alex Ferguson told me. He said management is about being a good communicator, man manager, getting your recruitment right is massive. Throw in a little bit of luck and that is the four things you need to be successful.

“If I look back to Sir Walter, that was just as true for him. Obviously he and Archie knew the game inside out but I wouldn’t say they were outstanding coaches, if you know what I mean.

“But they were outstanding leaders, man-managers.

“Now I don’t necessarily think you need to know a club to be successful there but one thing Derek does have is a knowledge of the league and what is needed to win up there.

“Sir Walter knew how to get the very best out of the players he had and I think Derek is cut from the same cloth.”

When McCall assessed Rangers’ performance last season, he identified a squad lacking that crucial winning mentality.

He said: “All last season when people were getting excited about Rangers, I couldn’t see them winning that league in a month of Sundays because of the mentality at the club.

“When you sign players for a club like that, ability takes a back seat to mentality for me.

“And for me, that’s not going on social media to spout off because you’ve had one good game. Mentality is doing it week in, week out for a full season.

“For me, that’s why I’m so excited about Derek. It’s easiest thing in the world to play for Rangers when things are going well, but it’s one of the hardest places to play when it’s not.

“That’s when you need your big characters to stand up and that starts with the management.”

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Princess Kate is widely reported to be a big fan of this type of exercise

It is no secret that the Princess of Wales has a deep passion for sport, and she rarely misses an opportunity to throw herself into a sporting challenge during royal engagements. This is especially true when it involves going up against her equally competitive husband, Prince William.

The couple have even instilled their love of sport in their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis, with Kate revealing during a visit to mark Rugby Inclusivity Day that Charlotte has inherited her competitive streak as well.

There is one notably demanding exercise that Kate is reportedly fond of, and given its high-intensity nature, it is likely at least partly responsible for her enviably lean physique. It has been widely reported that Kate is a big fan of CrossFit, a high-intensity interval training programme that combines strength work and conditioning.

Typically, it incorporates a variety of demanding bodyweight exercises alongside strength training using free weights, such as barbells or kettlebells. A session generally begins with the coach outlining all the exercises the class will undertake that day, followed by a warm-up and a skills practice, during which participants are taught the correct techniques required for that day’s training.

This is then followed by the workout itself and a cool-down period – according to CrossFit’s official website, and as reported by the Mirror.

Sport is clearly a significant part of Kate’s lifestyle, with yoga, cycling, daily running and trampolining with her children all reportedly featuring in her regular routine. During her time studying at the University of St Andrews, she also participated in both the hockey and tennis societies.

Her dedication to sport has been equally evident in the patronages she has taken on since becoming a senior royal. In early 2022, Kate assumed the role of patron of both the Rugby Football Union and the Rugby Football League – positions previously held by Prince Harry before he stepped away from his duties as a working royal in 2020.

Kate also serves as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, a role she inherited from the late Queen Elizabeth in 2016, which sees her as a familiar presence in the royal box at the annual Wimbledon Tennis Championships.