The summer window continues has a little over three weeks to run as likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham work hard to complete deals which improve their squads. The Gunners have snapped by Bruno Guimaraes, and will now focus on improving their attack and defence. Interest in Bradley Barcola has reportedly been reignited, while Julian Alvarez and Iliman Ndiaye remain targets. At the back, an audacious move for Tottenham captain Cristian Romero as been mooted amid interest in Ezri Konsa and Joaquin Seys.

A 14-year-old boy has died from a rare brain tumour after his concerns were dismissed as ‘migraines’.

Max Hall died on Saturday after a battle with a high-grade glioma he was diagnosed with in November last year.

The teenager had been suffering from persistent headaches for around a year, but his parents said doctors just sent him home with painkillers.

Just six days after his 14th birthday, he suffered a severe seizure and was rushed to hospital and placed on life support.

Max, of Corby, Northamptonshire, was later diagnosed with an untreatable Stage 4 brain tumour.

Tributes have since poured in for Max after his parents announced his death over the weekend.

His family said in a moving statement: ‘There are no words big enough for the heartbreak we feel. No words that can explain what it is like to lose our beautiful son, our boy, our everything.

‘Max was loved so deeply, so fiercely and so completely. And that love will never end.’

They added: ‘Max will continue to be loved by every single person whose life he touched. By his family. His friends. His school. His incredible community. By every person who stood beside him, fought for him, prayed for him, supported him and believed in him.

‘His name will be spoken. His story will be told. His beautiful smile will never be forgotten. We are so unbelievably proud of you, Max.’

His mum, Jackie, has been campaigning for more research into brain tumours, which she has said ‘remained so underfunded for so long.’

She said previously: ‘Max had been suffering with headaches for over a year, but staff at Kettering General Hospital assured me it was just teenage migraines.

‘He was fit and healthy, he’s a real sporty lad. The only thing he had leading up to this were frequent headaches that turned into migraines, which the hospital dismissed.

‘They were there for over a year, and we were just fobbed off with ibuprofen. They didn’t look into his eyes; they diagnosed him based on a conversation. I should have pushed for a head scan.’

Weldon Village Academy, the school which Max attended, said he ‘had a smile that could light up any room.’

A statement from the school reads: ‘Max was one of our founding students and had a smile that could light up any room. Our thoughts are with Max’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.

‘We will be there to support students in September and to honour Max’s legacy. It is times like these when communities come together; the WVA Family will never forget Max.’

A Corby Town FC spokesman said: ‘The thoughts of everyone at Corby Town Football Club are with the family and friends of Max Hall who sadly took his last breath yesterday. Max was a fighter until the very end and your legacy will never be forgotten.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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The New Forest in Hampshire is set for highs of 27C today with the chance of rainfall below 5%, according to latest forecasts from the Met Office.

The fire area sits on the western edge of the New Forest, surrounded by large areas of woodland, heathland and open countryside. Dry, hot weather can leave the vegetation in these areas more vulnerable to fast-spreading fires.

The New Forest has already been hit by wildfires during the recent heatwaves, including a blaze on July 19 which ravaged around five hectares of woodland and needed more than 60 firefighters to extinguish.

On July 18, fire crews were called to another blaze in open land off Braggers Lane in Bransgore.

Julian Jardine sent Ring doorbell camera footage of the man, who appeared to be snatching a grizzly bear sculpture from his gallery in Colliergate, to North Yorkshire Police.

He said: “I was just around the corner in the gallery, and the man was the only person I hadn’t said “hello” to that morning.”

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Julian posted the footage to his business Instagram page, appealing for those who might recognise the man to get in touch.

In the post, he said: “If you happen to recognise him, please get in touch and let me know.

“It has been such a welcoming, friendly city, we don’t need this.”

North Yorkshire Police has launched an appeal to find a man, who officers say they would like to speak to in connection with the incident.

It comes just three months after the opening of The Julian Jardine Gallery & Workshop.

If you believe you can assist with information and in finding the man, please email joanne.bell@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website.

Please quote reference 12260138517 when providing information.

Tour de 4, founded by Sir Chris Hoy after his Stage 4 cancer diagnosis, returns to Scotland very soon

Scots from across the country – and thousands more from around the UK – are getting ready for Sir Chris Hoy’s Tour de 4 as the event returns to Scotland very soon.

Taking place in Glasgow on September 6, it will start and finish at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome at Emirates Arena, with fundraising underway again after the inaugural 2025 event raised £3,142,647.

Founded by Scottish Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy after his Stage 4 cancer diagnosis, Tour de 4 brings together those affected by cancer to challenge perceptions, inspire hope and raise vital funds for cancer charities across the UK.

Here’s what’s happening, the cycling routes on offer and how you can get involved.

August 10 deadline

Sign up for Tour de 4 by midnight tonight (August 10) to secure your spot riding with Sir Chris Hoy in Glasgow on September 6.

4 cycling routes – which one will you pick?

There are 4 options. Fundraising will support Breast Cancer Now, Cure Leukaemia, Maggie’s, Prostate Cancer UK and Macmillan Cancer Support. Participants can also choose to raise money for any UK cancer charity.

Chris’ mission is to bring together people and inspire hope. His Tour de 4 website shares:

• Over 300 cancer charities are registered in the UK
• More than 3 million people are estimated to be living with cancer in the UK
• 1 in 2 of us will be affected by cancer in our lifetime

Will there be any roads closed for Chris Hoy’s Tour de 4?

The official website notes that there will only be road closures “at the start and finish sections.” Elsewhere, cyclists taking part will be “on open roads” and are being told to “follow the Highway Code at all times.”

Marshals will be positioned at key junctions and feed stations to help guide riders. Organisers say anyone facing a life-threatening emergency should call 999 immediately, and that full first-aid information is included in the participant rider pack.

Glasgow cycle routes – and maps

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Starting and finishing at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Tour de 4 offers 4 different rides, so you can pick a route that best suits your ability. There are 4 routes to choose from, this includes:

• Red Ride – for seasoned riders who love a challenge, the 56-mile red ride will test your fitness and determination. It’s a great way to push your limits while riding for a cause that matters.
• Blue – If you’re looking for something a little shorter but still rewarding, the blue ride is perfect. It’s ideal for casual cyclists or anyone wanting a good ride without overdoing it.
• Green – A 1KM family route around the grounds of the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome, an entry to the green ride provides you with up to 6 places (for example 2 adults, 4 children or 3 adult, 3 children) so families can cycle together, with the option to complete multiple loops if desired.
• Yellow – Tour de 4 aims to give those who have been affected by cancer, particularly stage 4, the opportunity to participate. For those unable to cycle on the road, take part on our static bikes. Choose between 1 and 20 minutes, set a goal that’s right for you and cycle in the track centre of this iconic venue.

You can view the interactive map for each route here. Just scroll down to ‘event’, click on your ride, and you will see the route in full.

Address: Glasgow International Arena, 1000 London Rd, Glasgow G40 3HG

Is there any age requirement for the cycle events?

Yes. The age limits are as follows:

• 56-mile: 16+
• 28-mile: 16+ (under 18s must be accompanied)
• 1K ride: All ages (under 18s must be accompanied)
• Static bikes: 14+ (under 18s must have an adult present)

What are the start times for Chris Hoy’s Tour de 4?

• 56-mile: 8:15am – 10:45am
• 28-mile: 9:15am – 11:30am
• Static bikes: TBC
• 1K ride: TBC. Final details will be in your rider pack.

The official website stresses: “Arrive at the time allocated in your rider pack. Do not arrive early.” If you arrive late, “you may miss your allocated wave. Speak to the start-line team on arrival for the safest option.”

How much is the Tour de 4 entry fee?

• Green – £15
• Yellow – £30
• Red Ride – £65
• Blue – £65

You can visit the official FAQ section to find out about spectators, what bikes are allowed, bag drop, fundraising ideas and more here.

On February 10 1586, Elizabeth I wrote one of her most famous letters: a furious rebuke to her favourite, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester. She sharply reprimanded him for disobeying her.

“How contemptuously we conceive ourself to have been used by you,” Elizabeth rages. “We could never have imagined that a man […] extraordinarily favoured by us would have in so contemptible a sort broken our commandment.” She demands that Leicester obey her directions, and warns him: “Fail you not as you will answer the contrary at your uttermost peril.”

The queen’s fury jumps off the page. Yet the only surviving copy of this letter is written in the hand of a secretary: Francis Mylles, servant to Elizabeth’s principal secretary, Francis Walsingham. Were Mylles and Walsingham involved in writing this apparently personal communication of the queen’s?

Without the original copy of this letter, we cannot say for certain. However, through careful analysis of over 500 other letters of Elizabeth’s, I have discovered that the expression of emotion in her letters was often carefully constructed by her secretaries.

Around 3,000 of Elizabeth’s letters survive, of which the overwhelming majority were penned by scribes. These so-called “scribal letters” have been severely neglected by historians, with priority given to those written in Elizabeth’s own hand.

Work on Elizabeth’s letters has focused on identifying the queen’s “voice” within them. Yet they were often the products of collaboration between Elizabeth and her secretariat.

Disentangling these collaborations, and recovering the contributions of Elizabeth’s secretaries, was the focus of my PhD research – part of the Feathers project. Led by Nadine Akkerman, professor of early modern literature at Leiden University, Feathers sought to distinguish between authorial and scribal voices in collaboratively produced manuscripts from the early modern period (around 1500-1800).

Finding Elizabeth’s voice

How can we distinguish between Elizabeth’s voice and that of her secretaries? It might be assumed that the more personal elements of her letters, including the expression of emotion, can be safely attributed to Elizabeth herself.

This is logical enough: daring to communicate or presume to know the queen’s feeling without her prior instruction would have been bold indeed. Further, early modern secretaries were expected to employ formal and impassive language and exert a tempering influence, moderating emotion to ensure the goodwill of the addressee.

However, as I dug into the archival material, a more complicated reality emerged. Elizabeth’s letters survive in a dizzying array of versions, including drafts, sent letters and copies. Through the reassembly of these different manuscripts, painstaking handwriting analysis and close textual comparison, I found evidence that the expression of emotion in Elizabeth’s letters was carefully crafted by her secretaries.

One example is a letter from Elizabeth to the Earl of Shrewsbury, written in May 1584. At this time, Shrewsbury was the custodian of Mary, Queen of Scots: claimant to the English throne and thorn in Elizabeth’s side.

In the letter, Elizabeth strongly criticises Mary and her son, James VI of Scotland. Elizabeth writes that Mary “shall never live to see those days that the Crown of England shall depend upon the Crown of Scotland”. She also criticises James heavily, claiming that he was “evil counselled when at the first entry into his government the same was seasoned with blood” (a reference to the 1581 execution of his regent James Douglas, Earl of Morton).

Identifying the draft of this letter, I discovered that it was substantially edited by Walsingham, whose handwritten revisions remain on the manuscript.

Walsingham’s edits intensify, rather than temper, Elizabeth’s criticisms of Mary and James. The vocabulary of these revisions bears significant overlap with that in Walsingham’s own writings. Evidently, it is Walsingham’s voice, not Elizabeth’s, that speaks in this letter – and possibly his emotion that spills out of it.

In another letter – written to Ralph Sadler, another of Mary Stuart’s custodians, and also intended for Mary’s eyes – Elizabeth again criticises Mary, but is more conciliatory. She describes the “liking we had for a time” of Mary’s friendship, and raises the potential for “a thorough reconciliation”.

Elizabeth has been assumed to have composed this letter; however, my recovery of a hitherto unnoticed draft – which is littered with Walsingham’s scribbled emendations – revealed that these expressions of goodwill were not Elizabeth’s, but Walsingham’s.

Walsingham’s alterations to both letters were made to manipulate Mary’s impression of her relationship with Elizabeth and move her to act in English interests.

By crafting an “angry” Elizabeth in the letter to Shrewsbury, Walsingham hoped to show Mary that refusing to cooperate with the English government would get her nowhere. By constructing a “nostalgic” Elizabeth in the letter to Sadler, he sought to convince Mary that Elizabeth’s favour could be regained, in the hope of dissuading the former from plotting against the latter.

That Walsingham crafted and even intensified the expression of emotion in Elizabeth’s letters is remarkable, and sheds important new light on this iconic queen. It provides an important corrective, for example, to Elizabeth’s reputation for emotional outburst.

Many anecdotes of Elizabeth’s short temper survive, and there is an inherited idea from the early modern period that these outbursts were evidence of a female irrationality. That the expression of anger in Elizabeth’s letters was crafted by her male secretaries reveals that, far from being overly emotional or irrational, Elizabeth strategically deployed emotion to achieve particular political goals.

She did so, crucially, through collaboration with secretaries such as Walsingham, who evidently had a far greater and more creative hand in constructing her letters than has been realised.

What does this mean for Elizabeth’s voice? As I unpicked these collaborations with her secretaries, I began to see that the voice we encounter in her letters is a carefully – and collaboratively – constructed rhetorical performance.

Rather than search for Elizabeth’s authentic voice, we might instead appreciate her political savvy and willingness to incorporate the suggestions of her advisors – qualities of a strong monarch indeed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fresh on the heels of Abdul El-Sayed’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary win in Michigan, Wisconsin voters will decide another high-profile clash between the party’s establishment and progressive wings in a gubernatorial primary on Tuesday.

Like Michigan, Wisconsin is one of the nation’s top electoral battlegrounds. The contest may further set the direction of the Democratic Party, as well as set the stage for a highly competitive general election where either party could emerge with complete control over state government. A competitive congressional race could also decide the majority in the closely divided U.S. House.

Four active candidates remain in the once-crowded Democratic primary field to succeed outgoing two-term Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. State Rep. Francesca Hong, a former restaurant owner and democratic socialist who entered the race in 2025 as a self-described “wild card,” has emerged as a top contender for the nomination. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley briefly dropped out of the race in July but reentered with an endorsement from Evers. Former state cabinet secretary Joel Brennan and state Sen. Kelda Roys round out the field.

Campaign finance woes prompted Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez to exit the race, while former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes suspended his bid the same day the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that state Democratic officials had reviewed past allegations against him of inappropriate behavior toward young adult women. The Barnes campaign denied that there were any such allegations. The names of Rodriguez, Barnes and former state economic development director Missy Hughes, who dropped out in June, remain on the ballot.

The winner of the primary will likely face Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who faces minimal opposition for his party’s nomination. Tiffany, who has President Donald Trump’s endorsement, sits atop a massive war chest that not only dwarfs that of his sole primary opponent but the entire Democratic field combined. As of July 27, he had raised $13.3 million for his campaign overall and had about $5 million in the bank. Hong and Crowley had each raised slightly more than $1 million for their campaigns and had less than $500,000 in their respective campaign coffers.

Evers is Wisconsin’s third consecutive two-term governor. The race to replace him will set two longstanding political trends on a collision course. The state has a 64-year streak of electing new governors from the opposite party of their immediate predecessor. That would seemingly favor Wisconsin Republicans in November, although voters nationwide tend to punish the president’s party in midterm elections, which would favor Democrats.

About half of Wisconsin’s 33 state Senate seats and all 99 state Assembly seats are up in 2026. Republicans hold slight majorities in both chambers. For years, Wisconsin’s state legislative boundaries had been heavily gerrymandered to favor Republicans, but the liberal-leaning state Supreme Court struck down the maps in 2023 and ordered them redrawn ahead of the 2024 elections. State Democrats made gains that year and now believe they could flip control of one or both chambers in November.

Wisconsin’s congressional districts remain among the most tilted toward Republicans nationally, according to an Associated Press analysis. Republicans hold six of the state’s eight U.S. House seats. One Republican-held district is a top target of Democrats hoping to retake the chamber.

U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden of the 3rd Congressional District is unopposed for the Republican nomination in his bid for a third term. He has Trump’s endorsement. Former Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge and former boutique owner and nonprofit founder Rebecca Cooke are vying for the Democratic nomination. Cooke ran for the seat twice before. She placed second in the 2022 primary and narrowly lost the 2024 general election to Van Orden.

Milwaukee County is by far the state’s most populous and plays a pivotal role in both Democratic and Republican primaries. However, Waukesha County tends to contribute the most votes in Republican primaries. Dane and Brown counties, home to Madison and Green Bay, respectively, are major battlegrounds for both parties. Ozaukee and Washington counties, which along with Waukesha County, form the so-called “WOW” counties in suburban Milwaukee, tend to be more influential in Republican primaries than in Democratic primaries.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont trounced former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Wisconsin presidential primary. Sanders scored big wins in Dane, Brown, Outagamie, Winnebago, Kenosha, LaCrosse and Eau Claire counties, approaching or surpassing the 60% vote mark in each. Clinton carried only Milwaukee County, which has the state’s highest share of Black residents.

Former President Joe Biden carried every county against Sanders in the 2020 presidential primary, which was held in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sanders’ strongest performance was in Dane County.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 8 p.m. CT, which is 9 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for U.S. House, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, state Senate and state Assembly.

Who gets to vote?

Any registered voter may participate in any party’s primary. Eligible voters may register at the polls on Election Day.

How many voters are there?

As of August 1, there were about 3.6 million active registered voters in Wisconsin.

How many people actually vote?

Around 500,000 voters cast ballots in the Democratic state primaries in 2022, compared to roughly 680,000 Republican primary voters.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 26% of the vote in the 2022 primaries was cast before early in-person or by mail.

As of Friday, about 235,000 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Counties vary in terms of how and when they release early and absentee results. In previous elections, counties tended to release a mix of all vote types over the course of the night. Roughly a third of counties released all results, regardless of vote type, in the first vote update.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2024 state primary, the AP first reported results at 9:09 p.m. ET, or nine minutes after polls closed. About 91% of the vote had been counted by 12 a.m. ET. The last vote update of the night was at 2:59 a.m. ET with 99.8% of total votes counted.

Milwaukee County, the most populous, had counted more than 99% of the vote by its final update of the night at 1:06 a.m. ET. Dane County, home of Madison, reached more than 99% of the total vote by its final update of the night at 12:38 a.m. ET.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

Recounts are not automatic in Wisconsin, but a trailing candidate may request one if the winning vote margin is less than a percentage point in races where more than 4,000 votes are cast. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 84 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

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Associated Press writer David Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

Small gardens can still look beautiful and become an area you love spending time in by using a few tricks.

The gardening expert and TV personality, Alan Titchmarsh, has revealed a simple way to make your garden look bigger.

All you need to do is grab some paint to redecorate your fence to help create the illusion of a larger space.

Certain colours will make the plants stand out. (Image: Getty)

How to make a small garden look bigger

In a video, Alan shared how using a light colour to paint your fence will make it seem like your garden is bigger.

Painting your fence can also make sure it lasts longer to prevent it from rotting and becoming damaged.

He said: “Using paint in the garden is a great way to add colour and to show off your plants.

“The first place to start to use paint in the garden is with walls and fences.

“Whatever kind of timber fence you have, paint or preservative is essential to promote its longevity.

“If you have a medium-size garden, painting your fences a light colour gives the impression that your garden’s bigger.

“The eye is drawn from the boundaries to the plants and features that contrast with it.”

Nowadays, you can get paint for your fence in a huge range of colours that can add some decoration to your garden.

The best option is to paint your garden fence a light or medium grey colour to help your plants stand out more.

If you want to hide your fence, you can use a dark grey or black to make it disappear behind trees and shrubs.

He also recommends painting new walls if you have any in your garden using a light and neutral colour.

If you have old-fashioned brick walls, he said to avoid painting them, as they can make a great backdrop for plants.

You could also add a trellis to walks so plants can grow up them rather than painting it.

Will you be using this tip to make your garden look bigger? Let us know in the comments.

The Postern Gate in Piccadilly, York, has shut today (Monday, August 10) with banners on the outside saying that it is closed for refurbishment.

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The pub, which has a patio backing on to the River Foss, takes its name from the medieval tower called Fishergate Postern – which was previously on the banks of the river – and is just around the corner from Fishergate Bar.

Banners outside The Postern Gate in Piccadilly (Image: Alice Kavanagh)

On a banner on the outside of the pub, people are signposted to their nearest Wetherspoons which are The Punch Bowl in Blossom Street, The Giant Bellflower in Selby, and The Angel Inn in Wetherby.

“Just some minor updates to the pub being undertaken,” said a spokesperson for Wetherspoons.

The Postern Gate is set to reopen on Saturday (August 15) – in time for the Ebor Festival at York Racecourse next Wednesday (August 19).

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A powerful earthquake in western Colombia on Monday shook the South American nation and neighboring Ecuador, prompting people to evacuate homes and buildings.

The United States Geological Survey and Colombia’s counterpart both reported a 7.4 magnitude, while relatively deep. Both reported the epicenter in San Jose Del Palmar, a community about 250 miles (400 kilometers) west of Colombia’s capital, Bogota.

Authorities did not immediately report damages or injuries.

The temblor follows two back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes in Venezuela in late June. Those earthquakes destroyed hundreds of buildings and killed more than 5,000 people.