Five joyriders have been pictured after dying when the car they drove the wrong way smashed into a police vehicle and left two officers dead.

PC Matthew Blades, 38, and 37-year-old PC Tom Clough have been hailed for their bravery after being killed in the line of duty on the A66 at Middlesbrough yesterday.

Both police officers and the five men in the Volkswagen Passat were all declared dead at the scene. 

It comes amid similar tragedies linked to an online craze in which youngsters prompt police car pursuits before sharing video footage. 

The victims have been named locally as Michael Ray, Theo Rae, Cole Worthy, Jakub Matusiak and Makai Saddington.

Last night it emerged Mr Saddington had posted a string of TikTok videos appearing to show him taking part in high-speed police chases months before his death.

It is understood he and his companions had close links to the traveller community.

In the early hours of Saturday morning, the group of teenagers became involved in a pursuit with two police cars chasing the ‘suspicious’ vehicle.

Ring doorbell footage shows that at 3.36am the VW Passat was driven at speed through Middlesbrough’s streets before officers halted the chase when the vehicle turned on to the A66.

Jakub Matusiak was described by his sister as her ‘best friend always and forever’

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Close friends Theo Rae (left) and Cole Worthy both died in the crash on Saturday night

Michael Ray was praised by those who knew him as a ‘lovely, down to earth lad’

This is the moment police are seen pursuing a car down a narrow road just minutes before seven people, including two police officers, were killed in a head-on smash 

Just three minutes after the pursuit was caught on camera, at 3.39am, the car ploughed into the path of a different marked armed-response vehicle, which was on the correct side of the A66.

Cleveland Police lowered flags to half-mast at their Middlesbrough headquarters in tribute to their fallen colleagues, who are understood not to have been part of the pursuit.

As an investigation into the incident continues, social media posts from the teenagers reveal some insight into their activities before the tragedy happened.

In one clip, filmed in May by a passenger and set to rap music, 18-year-old Mr Saddington is seen in an Audi being driven at speed through a housing estate with a police car’s blue lights flashing in pursuit.

The vehicle is then seen veering across a grassy playing field in an apparent bid to shake off officers.

Another video on an account associated with him shows a green Nissan being driven around before being set alight, while separate images posted elsewhere show him and a friend posing in cars wearing black balaclavas.

The clips reflect a trend of young men filming themselves being pursued by police at high speed and posting the clips on social media in pursuit of views and likes. 

It happened just days after five teenagers died in a head-on collision on a motorway in Ireland.

The masked youngsters were in a stolen BMW travelling the wrong way down the M9 in County Kildare at 2am last Sunday.

Police had tried to pull the stolen car over but it sped off the wrong way down the M9 to avoid a stinger device that had been deployed to stop the car.

The occupants of the other vehicle – three sisters and a seven-year-old boy – suffered serious injuries in the crash and remain in hospital. 

Following news of Saturday’s Middlesbrough crash, family and friends posted a series of tributes to the five teenagers. 

The mother of Mr Saddington’s one-year-old son posted on social media: ‘What am I supposed to do without ur daft phone calls and u torching (sic) me life’s so cruel.’

Mr Saddington’s aunt Sharon Morgan posted online: ‘Today is a day I never thought I would have to face.

‘I’m heartbroken to say that we lost my beloved nephew today, our Makai. There are no words that can truly express the pain of losing someone so young, so loved, and so full of life.

‘You brought so much love and happiness into our family, and your memory will stay with us forever. This loss has left a space in our hearts that can never be filled.

‘Rest peacefully, my beautiful nephew. You will never be forgotten. Until we meet again, fly high love ya aunty Sharon…

‘Keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we try to get through this heartbreaking time, especially our Alisha, his Mam.’

Meanwhile, friends of Cole Worthy called his death ‘a massive devastation’ and another wrote: ‘Absolutely heartbroken, you are gonna be missed Cole, love u lots.’

He shared a friendship with Theo Rae, who also died in the crash – with the pair pictured together last December and often commenting on each other’s social media posts.

One commenter wrote of Theo that he was ‘taken way too soon’ and had a ‘heart of gold’, describing as someone who would have ‘done anything for anyone’. 

Michael Ray was praised online as a ‘lovely, down to earth lad’.

The sister of Jakub Matusiak said her heart was ‘broken’ by the news, describing her sibling as her ‘best friend always and forever’. 

A friend wrote he would be ‘missed by everyone who knows you’. 

As more details emerged, householders in Lime Road – a mile from the crash site – told how they were woken by the noise as the stolen car ‘shot down’ the street, followed by police cars.

Makai Saddington posted videos on his Tiktok of men in balaclavas driving cars at speed

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In the  video captured by a home security camera, two police cars follow just seconds later

Police officers at the scene of a fatal crash involving a police car and a Volkswagen Passat on the A66 near Middlesbrough

Neil Hutchison, 47, said: ‘You could tell from the noise that they were travelling at high speed. 

‘Two cars went down the street and then a few seconds later there was a third, they were obviously going after another vehicle. It’s tragic that it ended with people dead.’

Chief Constable Victoria Fuller looked close to tears as she told how, together with her deputy David Felton, had visited the families of PC Blades and PC Clough to offer condolences and support ‘with this unimaginable loss’.

Paying tribute to the men, she said: ‘These were brave officers, protecting our communities and serving our residents, who didn’t return home to their families at the end of their shift.’

She added: ‘This is an incredibly sad day for Cleveland.

‘The loss has been felt across our communities, by our police family, and by our partner agencies.

‘My thoughts, and the thoughts of everybody here at Cleveland Police, are with their families, friends, colleagues, and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.’

Lauren Somerville, chairman of the Cleveland Police Federation, said: ‘Words cannot describe the pain the Cleveland Police family is feeling today.

‘Our colleagues who should have been going home to their loved ones at the end of their shifts are not. That is just unfathomable.’

Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller named the two police officers killed as PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough during a police press conference on Saturday

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A police cordon at the scene of a crash that killed two officers near Middlesbrough

Redcar MP Anna Turley, a Labour government minister and whose constituency covers the area, said of the officers: ‘They went to work to keep people safe, and they should have come home to their families.

‘Their loss will be felt deeply by their loved ones, fellow officers and right across the communities they served.’

The Independent Office for Police Conduct has opened an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash.

Chief Constable Fuller added: ‘While this investigation is ongoing, and out of respect for all those who have lost loved ones, I would strongly urge people to avoid speculation and respect the privacy of the families.’

Residents said they were woken by ‘a fleet of ambulances, fire engines and police cars’ racing to the scene. 

The North East Ambulance Service said 14 ambulances, specialist paramedics, a hazardous response team and a Great North Air Ambulance Service doctor attended. 

A spokesman said: ‘Sadly, despite the best efforts of everyone attending, a number of patients died at the scene.’

Prime Minister Andy Burnham thanked the emergency services for their response in ‘incredibly difficult circumstances’.

Writing on X, he added: ‘My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of everyone involved.’

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: ‘My thoughts are with the families and friends of those officers killed in the line of duty as well as those serving in Cleveland Police, the wider police family and all the emergency services who attended the scene.’

Craze that claimed five more young lives just a week ago 

By Padraic Flanagan

It was feared last night that the A66 crash may be a copycat tragedy – thanks to the deadly TikTok craze that claimed the lives of five teenagers in a head-on motorway smash in the Irish Republic last week.

In that case, the youngsters, who were all wearing balaclavas in a stolen BMW travelling the wrong way down the country’s M9, died at the scene in Co Kildare in the early hours of Sunday.

The deaths of Joey Carthy, 15, Jack Kennedy, 17, Alex McCarthy, 16, Jeremy O’Brien, 18, and 17-year-old Kamil Pustkowski led to public fury at social media platforms after it emerged that the teenagers were filming themselves in the car. 

That anger intensified on Thursday when TikTok declined an invitation to appear before an Irish parliamentary committee on media to discuss the latest craze of posting videos of people driving the wrong way down motorways.

Sisters Ella Hendricken, who is in her 20s, and Niamh and Alma Kinsella, in their 30s, as well as Alma’s seven-year-old son, Yemi, are being treated in hospital for serious injuries after their Hyundai was hit by the BMW.

The innocent victims, from Graiguecullen, Co Carlow, were on their way to Dublin to fly out for a family wedding in the UK when the teens smashed into their car. Three of the five teens killed in the M9 tragedy were buried on Friday. Two more funerals are due to take place today and on Tuesday.

Videos featuring youngsters in stolen cars trying to bait police into high-speed chases have become a macabre trend.

Mary Aiken, a professor of forensic cyber-psychology at the University of East London, told The Guardian: ‘While driving, they’re simultaneously filming and capturing content for posting later or live streaming. They have one foot in the real world and one foot in cyberspace They’re thinking about the likes… about kudos.’

This could be a warning sign – and worth getting checked by a vet

A vet is urging pet owners to do a simple check every month. It takes just two minutes and could save their life.

Alex the vet aka Dr Alex Crow said: “If I had just two minutes a month to catch cancer in my own dog before they ever showed a single symptom, here is exactly what I would do.”

Calling it the dog “bean check” he said it’s all to do with the lymph nodes. Experts at PDSA explain: “Lymphoma is a cancer of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. White blood cells protect the body against illness and disease.

“Lymphoma is most commonly found in the lymph nodes (glands), but it can also affect the liver, spleen, bone marrow, thymus, kidneys, digestive system, and skin.”

Alex says that they are “dotted around the body and act a bit like the body’s early warning system. .Warning something that “most owners don’t know”, he says sadly, “Lymphoma is the most common blood cancer in dogs”.

He shared: “In classic cases, the very first sign isn’t your dog being unwell, it’s the lymph nodes becoming hard and swollen – often weeks before they feel sick.”

Two-minute cancer check

Alex says owners should be looking for something that feels like small, soft beans. Any that feel hard, swollen, lumpy, irregular, or fixed to surrounding tissue can be a warning sign.

1. Look under the jaw

Slide your finger and thumb together along the angle of your dog’s jaw. You should be able to feel one small, bean-like node on each side.

2. In front of the shoulders

Sweep your hand down either side of the neck towards the shoulders. Just in front of the shoulder blade, press gently into the muscle, you may feel a lymph node on each side.

3. Behind the knee

On the back leg, feel behind the knee (opposite the kneecap). Check the soft hollow between the two large muscles – lymph nodes can be found here.

Alex says if you don’t find the last two, “don’t worry too much because that’s probably a good sign and it means they’re not obviously enlarged”.

However, “if you do think your dog’s lymph nodes are hard, irregular or they have changed since you last checked, don’t wait and get them looked out by your vet.

“Remember, soft beans are normal, hard beans are not. So two minutes a month, three places – that’s all it takes.

“Two minutes could buy you months of warning. And months are everything when it comes to cancer”.

Other signs to watch out for

Other symptoms of lymphoma in dogs, according to the PDSA, include:

• Lumps under the jaw or elsewhere on the body which are big, swollen lymph nodes
• Reduced appetite
• Drinking and peeing more than usual
• Low energy
• Weight loss
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea or constipation
• Pale gums
• Yellow gums (jaundice)
• Breathing problems and/or coughing
• Lumps in or under the skin or skin that is crusting, scaly, or ulcerated along with hair loss

That’s when he gave this baffling reply: “We have many types of intervention; that’s one. The ultimate intervention is our military, and if we have to use that, we will.”

It’s unclear what Trump meant, but many social media users took the opportunity to offer their own interpretations.

Some critics jokingly likened the bond market to Iran, mocking Trump’s stated reasoning for ongoing war: not allowing the country to develop a nuclear weapon.

Others took the president at his word, suggesting he was literally speaking of taking military actions against bond traders.

The White House did not immediately respond to an inquiry seeking clarification.

Read more reactions to Trump’s comments here:

If you are from Yorkshire, it can be quite frustrating when people pronounce different towns and villages incorrectly.

Keighley is a market town found in West Yorkshire and is only a short drive away from the city of Bradford.

If you know someone who struggles with pronouncing places in Yorkshire like Keighley correctly, you might want to send them this guide.

How do you pronounce Keighley?

While it might look easy to pronounce, Keighley often catches people out.

It looks like it is pronounced like Keeley or Kaylee, but if you want to impress the locals, do not say it like that.

It is actually pronounced keeth-lee.

Under a TikTok video talking about places in the UK that everyone pronounces wrong, one commenter mentioned Keighley and said: “Keighley in West Yorkshire always gets me.

“It’s pronounced Keith lee.”

One person replied: “I work in Keighley and it always makes me cringe when someone out of area pronounces it keelee.”

Another person responded: “I came here looking for Keighley.”

While visiting Keighley, you can take a train through the West Yorkshire countryside. (Image: Getty)

What can you do in Keighley?

Keighley is home to the Cliffe Castle Museum and Park, which is completely free to look around.

The museum has different rooms to explore, with paintings, furniture and art showcasing a range of styles.

After walking around the museum, you can take a break in the gardens surrounding it.

You can also take a trip on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, which takes you through five miles of West Yorkshire countryside.

You can visit a range of villages along the way at each of the stations.

In terms of food, Keighley has a range of cuisines available, from great Italian food at Amici to award-winning Indian dishes from Azeem’s.

There are also lots of bars and pubs where you can relax, such as Taylor’s on the Green, where you can sit in the beer garden with a pint or cocktail.

Did you know how to pronounce Keighley, or have you heard people pronounce it in a different way? Let us know in the comments.

The summer window is set for a thrilling finale as Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham all push for some major signings during the final week. Arsenal have been given a huge new boost over Julian Alvarez, who may now be open to a Premier League return as the Gunners reportedly plot an offer that would see Viktor Gyokeres head to Atletico Madrid. Arsenal also remain interested in Victor Osimhen, having received a fresh update regarding Kenan Yildiz.

Lewis Capaldi’s 5-star Wythenshawe Park debut saw a pitch-perfect 16-song set list featured all the favourites, including Someone You Loved, Grace, Forget Me, Heavenly Kind of State of Mind and Hollywood

With his trademark irreverent humour and powerful vocals, Lewis Capaldi has finally made his Wythenshawe Park debut and quickly proved his show was worth the three-year wait.

Telling the crowd it was ‘great to be back’ in Manchester, the Glaswegian singer-songwriter’s set offered up all the tracks fans had turned out to see, bouncing from old classics to his newest offerings. The pitch-perfect 16-song set list featured all the favourites from his two albums and handful of EPs, including Someone You Loved, Grace, Forget Me, Heavenly Kind of State of Mind and Hollywood.

Between tracks, Capaldi ribbed the crowd and, in his typical fashion, took the piss out of himself. He declared his song catalogue ‘the perfect soundtrack for being depressed to’ – and when you take it at lyric level alone – you can perhaps be forgiven for agreeing with him.

Click here for the latest on Manchester’s food & drink scene, gigs and more in our CityLife newsletter

One of his songs is literally about his death, after all.

But Capaldi’s seemingly happy go lucky nature, always laughing, always joking, often at his own expense, means you can’t help but feel positive about life when listening to him. And this set the tone for his entire show as he headlined Saturday’s Live from Wythenshawe Park show.

No song embodies this quite as perfectly as Capaldi’s defiant 2025 hit Survive, a personal favourite I’ve returned to time and time again when times have been tough and which came as part of his encore. When you’re standing among tens of thousands of people bellowing out the lyrics ‘I swear to God I’ll survive, if it kills me to’, you can’t help but feel like, with the right level of stubbornness, you can take on the world.

The theme of the song was reflected in some of the night’s serious notes as well, though, with Capaldi speaking of his struggles with his mental and physical health. He had to cancel a previous performance in Wythenshawe Park in 2023, along with other tour dates, because of this.

The decision followed an emotional performance at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2023 where he struggled with his voice and experienced increased Tourette’s syndrome tics.

He told the Manchester crowd: “I had to take a break from music a couple of years ago because mentally and physically I wasn’t doing very well, but I’m really glad to say I feel great now and I feel happy. So, feeling great now, but unfortunately this is a song about my death, so please enjoy.”

Before launching into the emotional track On The Day That I Die.

Capaldi opened his set by promising gig-goers a ‘fun’ night before going on to quite resoundingly deliver. He perfectly blended the best of his music with a level of entertainment and interaction few performers manage quite so effortlessly.

At one point, lights cut to a dark and sombre close up of Capaldi performing an intense guitar riff, before, with his characteristic cheekiness, he stuck his tongue out at the camera.

Ever the master of crowd engagement, he gave fans plenty of opportunities to belt out his tracks with him, regularly turning the mic towards them – a challenge everyone present happily took up with gusto. At one point, he also dipped into a few verses of Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream, delivering a version that was, frankly, better than the original.

It seemed like every Scot in Manchester had turned out to see and support their countryman, with Scottish accents and flags in abundance in the crowd. Cries of ‘Glasgow’ echoed across the field at regular intervals.

The gig kicked off two support acts to warm up gig-goers. Quiet Man played a thoughtful set, before wowing the audience with a beautiful rendition of One Day Like This by Greater Manchester’s-own Elbow, acknowledging band’s the local significance.

Manchester-favourite Loyle Carner was up next to rev up the crowd with his unique mixture of hiphop and poetic rap. Touching moments saw the London-born singer perform a track he sings to his children at bedtime and speak on emotional openness and his desire to be a better father to his son.

As the night came to the end, Capaldi thanked the ‘beautiful’ Manchester audience before leaving fans with something to get excited about – the promise of new music to come. With three gigs to go, he said he would be back in the studio at the end of his tour working up a ‘brand new album’.

The BBC show was originally hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond until their departure in 2015.

Hosting duties for the motoring show were later taken over by Freddie Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness, and Chris Harris.

However, in 2022, Flintoff was involved in a serious crash while filming for Top Gear, resulting in a pause in production.

In recent months, it has been reported that the BBC has plans to bring Top Gear back, and now it has been suggested that Carr will be the first host.

Jimmy Carr in talks to host new Top Gear, reports

Comedian Carr is said to be in talks about the new series of the car show, according to The Sun.

A source told the publication, “Production has their sights set on Jimmy; he’s the ideal host to take the show into a new era and revive Top Gear.

“He’s keen to work on something mainstream after spending so many years fronting comedy panel shows.

“He’s a real car buff, too, so it would be a passion project.

“Casting directors are now working to find talent to join him in the new-look ensemble.

“Bosses are considering a woman and online celebrities to complement Jimmy.”

Newsquest has reached out to the BBC for a comment.

Despite The Sun’s reports, the BBC previously told Newsquest that Top Gear will remain off air, at least for now.

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A BBC Studios spokesperson told Newsquest: “The Top Gear brand continues to thrive across digital, publishing, and global formats.

“As a commercial producer, we’re always exploring new ways to develop the brand and reach audiences by leveraging such iconic IP – but there’s no update on the TV show at this time.”

Would you like to see Top Gear return to screens? Let us know in the comments.

Scottish football fans made a splash in America as the friendly Tartan Army travelled between cities – drinking them dry – before their early exit from this year’s World Cup.

Their good humour and sense of fun has led many to ponder whether the grass is greener on the other side of the Atlantic.

Fans in Boston conquered the hearts of the city’s women, even leading to some proclaiming that their ‘faith in men was restored’ after partying with their kilt-clad visitors late into the night.

And while Scotland is known for its Irn-Bru, bagpipes and kilts, its appeal stretches far wider than these symbols.

Americans who made the move have revealed the whimsy and wonder of the land whose national animal is a mythological monster. 

But there are also practical differences which have led many of them to call it the ‘best decision of their lives’.

From the community feel of the pubs to the unrivalled sense of humour and sharp tongue of the locals, they became infatuated by the warmth of the Scots.

However, Americans also warned of the culture shocks, such as differences in the weather and unique Scottish phrases – or even the number of roundabouts.

Jason Sorensen is an American who moved to Scotland in 2025 and now makes YouTube videos about living in the Scottish Highlands

Mother-of-three Lua Rodriguez Murphy, who married a Scot after meeting at the hotel she worked at in Las Vegas, visits a scenic lookout in the Scottish Highlands

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Kath, an American content creator, reacted to some of the online commentary about Scottish people being in Boston for the World Cup.

She posts videos on her account @Kath4994675 and said she moved to Scotland after university having never visited before and not knowing anyone.

Kath said: ‘Americans experiencing Scottish people for the first time is so funny to me, like people in Boston saying “let’s keep their plane tickets so they are not allowed to leave”.

‘Like, yeah I know how awesome they are, that is why I moved over here and never looked back.

‘Everyone is like: “Kath, when are you moving home?”, and I’m not moving back to the States. I am good right here in Scotland.’

She said one of the surprising culture shocks was the amount of roundabouts which are on the roads compared to in the US.

Kath explained: ‘I did a lot of driving this weekend. More so than I have ever done since moving to Scotland and I was absolutely astonished by how many roundabouts there are.

‘One day driving around Edinburgh, Dunfermline, there were 20-plus roundabouts. Insane. Back home, where I’m from in the States, I drive on a roundabout maybe once a month. Here they are every five seconds. Its crazy.’

And rather than bemoaning the Scottish weather, Kath said she likes living somewhere ‘where the weather sucks for the majority of the year’.

She added: ‘Because then you wake up on that odd spring, summer day, really rare, and it is gorgeous outside.

‘You feel giddy, you feel childlike wonder, awe, it feels magical. You are just not going to get that feeling living in Miami.’

Another creator called Caelan shared some of his favourite Scottish phrases, as well as those which don’t sound right with an American voice.

Content creator Kath moved from the US to Scotland after finishing university and says she has ‘never looked back’

Caelan shared some Scottish phrases which he said do not sound right in his American accent

Caelan grew up in the US but is half-Scottish and half-American – and he has now recently moved to Scotland.

He shared one of his favourite Scottish phrases: ‘Where are yous off to the now’.

Caelan said: ‘It translates to where are you off to now, but I love that you in the sentence is unnecessarily made plural and “the” is unnecessarily put in front of “now.” It adds that extra level of whimsy or Scottishness.’

In another video, he shared some of the Scottish phrases which he said do not sound right in an American accent.

He said: ‘Cannae be bothered, Dinnae ken, any phrase which is an English word that is written in Scots, I probably shouldn’t say. But I love saying them. I just wanted to feel included.

‘I definitely do say scran, or skint, or grim, I think it is ok because it is already a word we use in the States.’

Kourtnee Monroe, an American model living in Scotland, has also compiled a list of culture shocks which she described as a New Yorker living there.

She said: ‘Everything closes early (especially Sundays). 24hr Tesco is great but lots of businesses close by 6pm.

‘As a New Yorker, it’s wild not being able to pop out at midnight for snacks. You won’t believe how many places I’ve been to find out they were closed for the night.’

Ms Monroe added: ‘Kids have so much freedom! This one genuinely shocked me. You will see young children walking home alone or playing outside in the dark.

‘That level of safety and independence? Never see that in America.’

And, like many Americans, Ms Monroe pointed out the benefits of paid holidays.

She said: ‘Speaking of freedom, paid holiday is standard, not a luxury in Scotland. In the US, zero paid vacation is still legal. In Scotland, people use their time off without guilt.

But in another video, she admitted that she missed the ‘Mind your business mindset’ of New Yorkers.

Ms Monroe said: ‘You can see the most unhinged things on Earth in the city and most people just notice and keep it moving.

‘Nobody misses a step. It’s a collective agreement to just mind your business (unless there’s danger of course.’

One of the biggest differences between the two countries was the amount of roundabouts in Scotland, content creator Kath said

American model Kourtnee Monroe traded her life in bustling New York City to move to Scotland

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Applications for British citizenship by US residents reached a record of 9,300 last year, more than double the figure of those moving just four years ago.

As Donald Trump remains a polarising figure to some, a survey by property technology firm Goodlord has found that a disproportionate number of the newcomers shunning Trump’s America are settling in the homeland of his own Scottish mother, Mary Anne MacLeod.

Author and former comedian Christian Dean Lange, 63, was born in Montana and has lived in Los Angeles for the past 25 years.

But he decided to move to Scotland with his Scottish-born wife Lesley this year. The two met when she was general manager of a nightclub in the States.

Christian said: ‘It was last year that I got the lawyers in Glasgow and started the process.

‘It was quite a few factors that made me quit America. My wife had moved back here because she got homesick and couldn’t put up with the politics over there anymore.

‘And I was still working, so I stayed because that’s where all my work was. And then once I retired, it was always my plan to move here. It just happened a little bit sooner than I had thought.’

Christian admits that he also got fed up with American politics.

He explained: ‘I chose Scotland over America because it’s a lot less angry here. It’s gotten so nasty in America and I was living in Florida for the past few years, which is very Trump centric.

‘I was the only one in my neighbourhood that didn’t have a Trump sign in their yard during the election. There is a big gun culture and I’d even joke as part of my set that I was arrested once for not having a gun in my car.

‘In Tennessee, the views are also pretty extreme.’ 

Christian Dean Lange moved to Scotland with his wife from Los Angeles, California, this year

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The author cited politics, retirement and the spirit of the Scottish people as reasons for moving

Christian had considered moving elsewhere but Scotland won his heart because the quality of life was better – and cheaper.

He said: ‘We went to New Zealand because I had done a tour there and loved it. It’s a beautiful country. But it’s just so insanely expensive to immigrate there.

‘The cost of living is cheaper here in Scotland, a more attractive prospect than elsewhere in the world. We also lived in Ecuador for a couple of years but, you know, it’s really the quality of life here in Scotland which is just fantastic.

‘America has become such a hustle society. Everybody seems to want to turn their hobbies into jobs and then have side hustles. And because things have gotten so expensive, nobody can really afford to not work all the time.

‘I understand I’m retired, and that makes things a bit different. But even when I wasn’t retired, I still had to work more than I would have here.

‘And the scones are so much better here too.

‘I just love the fact that there’s so many little, coffee shops and cafes that you can go to and it’s just so, so much nicer.

‘The pubs here are so completely different than bars in America. You go to a bar in America to get drunk. And here it’s more of a community thing.’

Healthcare was also a big factor in his decision-making process.

Christian said: ‘It also was cheaper for me to put a few grand into the NHS to come here. I had to do that as part of the process.

‘So the last whole year I lived in America with insurance was 2024 and it was $895 a month for health insurance. Americans complain about the long waits you have here in Britain to see a doctor. Well, you have the same waiting in America. You just have to pay much more for it.

‘When I was here last year, going through the lawyers and getting everything lined up to immigrate here, I had to go into the hospital. I had a little chest problem, and they couldn’t have been nicer.

‘And it’s still hard for me to go into the surgery here and and not show an ID. It’s just so much easier. You’ve got to pre-pay in America.

‘You got to show ID, you’ve got to show all kinds of different forms of identification.’

It seems a lot of Christian’s friends in the US are envious of his lifestyle in Scotland.

He said: ‘A lot of people saw Scotland during the World Cup too. Scotland was brilliant. A lot of my friends on Facebook sent me messages saying how jealous they are when I post pictures or something.

‘They are going, “oh, you’re so lucky”, but it’s still a process to go through. It’s not, it wasn’t easy.’

The move has helped his writing too, with Christian saying: ‘I have an urban fantasy novel out called In the Play of Shadows which is a lot of Celtic mythology. Scotland is a beautiful place to be. I really don’t want to live anywhere else.

‘I’ve been all over the world. I’ve been to most countries when I was performing, and this is my favourite place on Earth.

‘I was born and raised in Montana, so the weather is very similar. I prefer coolness. So, I mean, it is a little weird that it is August and it appears that summer is over but I like the weather. Rain makes everything green.’

Marketing manager Jason Sorensen said he had a ‘calling’ to emigrate to the UK and ended up settling in Scotland.

He travelled on a skilled worker visa in 2021 and lived in London before moving to Scotland in 2025.

Mr Sorensen traded the bustling and sunny San Francisco Bay for the rugged Scottish Highlands, saying it is the ‘best decision I have ever made’.

He said: ‘From my personal experience, I can hand on heart tell you that the Scots are the warmest, friendliest, nicest, most gregarious people.

‘I have been welcomed more warmly by more people, and had a frankly, far more positive experience here than I had in certain parts of the United States.

‘I love the US, it’s a great country. But there is no question about what you saw with the Tartan army in Boston. That wasn’t an act. That’s how the Scots are, just wonderful human beings who love to have a good time.’

Describing what makes the country attractive for prospective Americans, he agreed that healthcare was a large pull factor.

Jason Sorensen said he felt a ‘calling’ to emigrate to the UK and ended up settling in Scotland

‘If you’re born and raised in the US and you’ve never experienced single-payer healthcare, it’s quite an eye-opener, ‘ he said.

‘It is a significant advantage over the United States.’

The 46-year-old added: ‘There is a different culture regarding firearms.

‘I personally have nothing against firearms, and you can have countries and cultures where firearms are an integral part of the culture. Switzerland is an excellent example.

‘However, the way in which American culture deals with firearms, the numbers speak for themselves. But I believe that speaks to larger societal issues.

‘There is a better attitude towards firearms overall over here.’

Mr Sorensen also criticised the US ‘hustle culture’ and said he preferred the opportunities for work-life balance provided in the UK.

He added: ‘America is the best place in the world to make money and Europe is the best place in the world to spend that money.

‘There is, in my view, a better balance of work and life. Being able to have a life where it’s not just constant grind, grind, grind, grind until there’s nothing left of you.

‘In the UK, you still have to work hard. It’s very important to be a net contributor economically, especially as an immigrant.’

Mr Sorensen said as the world continues to change – with hotter temperatures and technology meaning more people can work from anywhere – Scotland will become an increasingly popular destination for those wishing to leave the US behind.

He said: ‘England and Wales have been absolutely devastated by drought this year.

‘Well, I live in the far north of Scotland where it’s actually been very, very pleasant.

‘We’re on the same latitude as southern Norway here.

‘So as climate bands shift, you’re going to have people looking at where to go to find some buffer against what’s coming over the next 50 years and is already here.

‘And in America alone, there are 2.5million people with some level of Scottish descent. And statistically speaking, some of these people are going to be interested in finding out more about where they come from.

‘If you’re coming from America, American history only goes back realistically to about the middle of the 17th century.

‘Whereas if I leave my house and I walk for 20 minutes, I can be in the middle of a stone circle from the Bronze Age.

‘We don’t have anything like that in America. That just doesn’t exist.

‘And if you’re the type of person that’s searching for deeper meaning, some sort of deeper connection to family, clan, heritage, land, you know, where you come from, where your ancestors come from, then that will draw a lot of people here.’

Lua Rodriguez Murphy, 36, met her Scottish husband while he was holidaying at the hotel she worked at in Las Vegas.

After they got engaged, the couple decided to move in together in Glasgow where they now live with their three children.

Lua Rodriguez Murphy moved from Las Vegas to Glasgow, and has been revealing the biggest ‘culture shocks’ she has faced since the move in a series of TikTok videos

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Ms Rodriguez Murphy, originally from California, makes candid videos about adjusting to life in Scotland as an American.

Asked what the best thing about living in Scotland was, she said it was ‘hands down, the people.’

She said: ‘Everyone is so chatty, and welcoming and easy to talk to. And so, so funny! Scottish humour truly is something else.’

Ms Rodriguez Murphy also feels that when it comes to education, Scots do it better.

She added: ‘Scotland is a nation where a first-class, world-leading education is accessible to all. I’m grateful that my children will be able to go to college for free.

‘Student debt is so hard to pay off in the US and it really discourages people from pursuing a career because it’s so expensive and the interest in loans are so high.’

However, she believes Americans take the lead when it comes to customer service.

She added: ‘I think Americans go above and beyond when it comes to keeping a customer happy. I also feel Americans are so enthusiastic and great at entertaining.

‘Basketball games, baseball games, pep rallies and entertainment are all so much better back home. They love getting the crowd involved, handing out prizes, doing dance cams, cheerleading and more!

‘Even at the university level, college stadiums are filled to the brim with people watching young athletes play. Which I don’t think is very common here.’

NEW DELHI (AP) — A search and rescue operation was underway Sunday off India’s eastern coast after a distress alert and loss of contact with a Panama-flagged ‌vessel carrying 24 crew.

Two crew members from the cargo ship MV Ocean Winner were rescued late Saturday while three ships were deployed to conduct surface searches for the remaining crew members in a joint operation by the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy.

The two crew members were undergoing medical treatment while their ranks and identities were being verified, said Sarbananda Sonowal, India’s Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

MT Aisopos, a commercial vessel in the vicinity, was asked to help search for the ship in distress, which was carrying 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi among the crew, the coast guard said.

The cargo ship sank in the Bay of Bengal Saturday about 276 miles (444 kilometers) from the Paradip coast of eastern Odisha state, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

The ship was carrying iron ore from Paradip Port to China, Sonowal said in a post on X.

Second Test, Mackay (day two of five)

Bangladesh 64: Starc 6-12 & 95: Shanto 31; Starc 4-39, Cummins 3-10, Lyon 3-25

Australia 210: Green 62; Shoriful 7-48

Australia win by an innings and 51 runs

Mitchell Starc took 10 wickets in the match as Australia bounced back from last week’s shock defeat by Bangladesh to win the second Test by an innings and 51 runs and draw the series 1-1.

The visitors were skittled for 95 in 38.3 overs with Starc taking four wickets and Nathan Lyons and captain Pat Cummins three each, as Australia wrapped up victory just after tea on the second day at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay.

Starc finished with match figures of 10-51, following his 6-12 in the first innings as Bangladesh struggled to 64 all out.

Last Sunday’s nine-wicket defeat for the world’s top-ranked side in Darwin was widely seen as one of Test cricket’s greatest upsets.

“A lot of things went right these couple days and a lot of things went wrong last week,” said Cummins, 33, who took 3-10 in the second innings.

“We needed to bounce back, and it was a great couple of days from the lads. I thought everyone was sharp. It was a great start and we didn’t really let up after that.”

Earlier in the day, Australia added 45 runs to their overnight total as they were bowled out for 210 with Cameron Green top scoring with 67 and Lyon adding an unbeaten 32 to give them a first-innings lead of 146.

Left-arm paceman Shoriful Islam was the pick of the bowlers with 7-48.

The visitors’ second innings got off to a poor start, losing both openers inside eight overs as they slumped to 24-3.

They then collapsed in the middle session, struggling to 95-8 by tea before Lyon wrapped up victory by taking the final two wickets in three balls.

“Much better week. We knew we weren’t at our best, or what we expect of ourselves, in Darwin,” said 36-year-old Starc, who was named Player of the Match and Series after taking 12 wickets at an average of 12.08.

“What we expect of ourselves this week is what we got, particularly with the ball and the wicket that aided us with the ball.”

Starc has now moved to 10th on the all-time Test wicket list with 445, 126 shy of Lyon’s haul in sixth place.

Australia next Test series is a three-match tour of world Test champions South Africa in October.