Aston Villa forward Kirsty Hanson is set to join Tottenham following an impressive season in the Women’s Super League.

The Scotland international finished as the league’s third highest goalscorer with 12 goals in 22 matches – only Khadija Shaw and Alessia Russo scored more.

Villa’s top scorer was named their player of the year and she scooped up WSL Football’s goal-of-the-season award for her strike against West Ham.

In May, BBC Sport reported that Spurs were pursuing Hanson and it is now believed they have had a bid accepted by Villa and are set to bring her in this month.

Personal terms are being finalised as Hanson – who has scored five goals in 44 Scotland appearances – prepares to join Tottenham in what will be another boost to Martin Ho’s squad.

The 28-year-old had a year remaining on her contract at Villa and it is unknown what fee Tottenham have agreed to sign her for.

She will reunite with Spurs manager Ho, who she worked with at former club Manchester United while he was assistant coach.

Tottenham had a strong campaign in 2025-26, finishing fifth in the table in Ho’s first season in charge after joining from SK Brann.

They will be ambitious in the transfer window and have already secured the signings of West Ham forward Shekiera Martinez and Dutch defender Caitlin Dijkstra.

Although he has a degree in political science, Pratt is a political outsider who has never held public office. He has campaigned on a message of fixing a broken Los Angeles, casting the city at times as unsafe and unclean, and advocating mandatory drug treatment to help combat homelessness in the city.

Times Radio’s Kate McCann broke down live on air while discussing the footage of Henry Nowak being handcuffed by police as he lay dying.

In body-worn camera footage from the incident, Mr Nowak can be heard repeatedly saying: “I’ve been stabbed,” to which an officer replies: “Don’t think you have, mate.”

Discussing the video with co-host Stig Abell on Times Radio Breakfast, McCann said: “I think I, I watched that footage this morning and I just, I found that, even, I found that really, I found that really upsetting to listen to in audio because you can hear him.”

She paused and became tearful before adding: “Sorry… you can hear him, he can’t breathe, you can hear him saying ‘I can’t breathe’. How could you not…’

McCann later said: “However you look at it you can’t deny that that’s an 18-year-old boy who is clearly in difficulty, and exactly as you said there, you could look at it and just separate everybody, the scene is not complicated or fraught. But for that to be the last thing you hear, I just think that’s unforgiveable.

“And what’s worse is that some of these officers were allowed to resign their positions before there was any investigation into this.”

Acceptance of same-sex marriage and relationships in the U.S. has flattened after more than two decades of steadily increasing support, with an ongoing decline among Republicans, according to a new Gallup poll.

About 65% of U.S. adults believe same-sex marriage should be legal, down slightly from 71% in 2022 and 2023.

Most of the change is due to dropping acceptance among Republicans. In the new survey, which was conducted in May, only 37% of Republicans say same-sex marriage should be legally valid, while 35% say gay and lesbian relations are “morally acceptable.”

The views of Democrats and independents are largely stable in the findings released Wednesday, with most in both groups saying same-sex marriage should be legal and that gay or lesbian relations are moral.

The widening partisan divide is also reflected in policy around LGBTQ+ issues across the U.S., particularly regarding transgender people, and a rising push in some states to ban same-sex marriage.

Recent shifts have been subtle and partisan

The downtick in support for same-sex marriage, while slight, is still striking because of how dramatically American views on the issue have shifted over the past few decades.

According to Gallup’s trend data, only 27% of U.S. adults supported legal same-sex marriage in 1996. Since then, support for same-sex marriage rose steadily until a few years ago, when it peaked with around 7 in 10 U.S. adults saying same-sex marriage should be legal.

Opinion about the morality of same-sex relationships followed the same pattern. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults said same-sex relations were morally acceptable in 2001. That increased nearly 30 percentage points over the next two decades.

Over the past few years, Gallup’s data has shown signs of a shift in the other direction. In addition to the slight decline on same-sex marriage, the new poll also found that 62% of U.S. adults view gay and lesbian relations as morally acceptable, down from 71% in 2022.

Same-sex marriage remains recognized nationwide

Same-sex marriage has been recognized nationally since a 2015 Supreme Court ruling. That case capped a 12-year run in which court rulings and state laws recognized it in most states.

By last year, there were more than 800,000 married same-sex couples, according to data compiled by the Williams Institute at the University of California Los Angeles School of Law.

The pushback has never stopped, though. A call to overturn the 2015 reached the Supreme Court last year, invoking the words of Justice Clarence Thomas, who has called for undoing it. The court turned away the appeal without comment.

Last year, the Southern Baptist Convention overwhelmingly called for reversing the ruling that led to nationwide marriage recognition and imposing a ban.

Lawmakers in at least 11 states introduced legislation for their current or most recent sessions calling on a ban on same-sex marriage, according to an Associated Press analysis of bills compiled by the legislation tracking service Plural. Most didn’t pick up momentum. But the Tennessee House passed a measure to allow private citizens and organizations not to recognize the unions; Idaho’s House passed a resolution calling on the Supreme Court to undo the 2015 decision.

A similar number of states have had measures aimed at protecting same-sex marriage introduced recently.

Most Republican-controlled states have adopted laws in the last five years to bar gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender minors, restrict which school bathrooms transgender people may use and bar transgender girls and women from some sports competitions.

Trump has signed executive orders seeking some of the same policies on a federal level.

This week, one of those policies suffered a blow when a court ruled that the military illegally banned transgender troops.

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The Gallup poll, conducted May 1-17, was based on telephone interviews with a random sample of 1,001 U.S. adults. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.

The trial heard that McCullagh concocted an alibi that he had been live-streaming himself playing computer games on his YouTube channel when Ms McNally was murdered on December 18 2022.

But police experts discovered the six-hour stream had actually been filmed four days before, and broadcast as live on December 18.

Mr MacCreanor KC said the murderer had put on a “staged performance” in the aftermath of the killing.

He said Ms McNally had sustained serious and extensive injuries in a “brutal assault”.

He said this included the compression of her neck, as well as stab wounds to her neck and blunt force trauma to her head consistent with at least five heavy blows.

He said either the compression or the stab wounds could have caused her death on their own, but there was difficulty in determining the final sequence of events.

Mr MacCreanor told the court that McCullagh had put forward an “orchestrated show” as the person who raised the alarm about her death, and the police initially considered him to be overwhelmed.

He added: “That of course was all a staged performance by him, one that he may have thought he had gotten away with.”

Building on the success of 2025, when the SPOA supported six sports teams and groups, a total of £6,000 is available in 2026 for youth sports teams and clubs to purchase new strips or training kits.

As the Scottish national football team prepares for the FIFA World Cup this month, the Scottish Plant Owners Association (SPOA) has renewed its commitment to support under-16s sports clubs across Scotland with the launch of its Youth Sports Sponsorship programme for 2026.

Building on the success of 2025, when the SPOA supported six sports teams and groups, a total of £6,000 is available in 2026 for youth sports teams and clubs across Scotland to purchase new strips or training kits.

Speaking about the Youth Sports Sponsorship programme, David Jarvie, President of the SPOA, said: “The SPOA is delighted to renew our commitment to support under-16s sports clubs across Scotland.

“SPOA members are based all over Scotland and lots of them already do their bit to support grassroots sport for young people.

“New strips and training kits can be expensive for clubs that rely on volunteers and goodwill, so we are happy to help by providing that funding.

“Last year, we were very proud to see the progress of the teams we supported through the Youth Sports Sponsorship programme.

“Hearing about their achievements and getting to know the clubs gave us plenty to smile about. One of our Executive Committee members even got a curling taster session from Team Kay Curling!

“It is perhaps fitting that we have launched the 2026 Youth Sports Sponsorship programme just as Scotland looks forward to seeing our national team play in the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 28 years.

“Grassroots sports is just as important as ever and whether it’s football or frisbee, the SPOA is offering £6,000 for youth sports teams and clubs across Scotland to purchase new strips or training kits.”

In 2025, Youth Sports Sponsorship programme supported a series of clubs including the North Lanarkshire Chiefs Basketball Club.

The deadline to apply is July 31 and the funding is available to clubs of all sports and locations across Scotland.

In return for SPOA sponsorship, the SPOA requests that its logo features at the club either on the team’s new kit, the youth club’s website or at the grounds, clubhouse or training venue where the club is based.

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Emergency services are at the scene of a crash involving a Royal Navy helicopter in Devon.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the incident happened in a field at Sourton Down, near Okehampton.

Several road closures are in place around the A386 and A30 Sourton Cross slip and services area.

A force spokesperson confirmed the helicopter that crashed into a field in Devon was Royal Navy. “The Ministry of Defence have confirmed it was a Royal Navy helicopter”, they shared.

An initial statement from Devon and Cornwall Police reads: “Emergency services are at the scene after a crash involving a helicopter in a field at Sourton Down.

“Several road closures are in place around the A386 and A30 Sourton Cross slip and services area.

“The incident is ongoing and we will share more updates as we have them.”

Devon and Cornwall Police has advised drivers to seek alternative routes around the road closures. Travel monitoring services are reporting that traffic is “coping well” despite the road closures.

Inrix shared in a traffic bulletin: “A386 Bowerland Road Northbound closed due to police incident from A30 (Sourton Cross, Sourton Down) to A3079 Holsworthy Road (Fowley Cross). Traffic is coping well.”

As The Press reprted in December, 4D Capital Partners LLP (“4D”) announced the acquisition of York Handmade Brick Company, which is based at Alne, near Easingwold, and they have now supplied tens of thousands of bricks for the Hawthorn Fields development in Rufforth, a 21-home site by Mulgrave Properties.

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The bricks used were the company’s Handmade Texture Hambleton Blend and the contract was worth £108,500.

York Handmade Brick company is celebrating its role supplying tens of thousands of bricks for the Hawthorn Fields development in Rufforth (Image: Supplied)

Ian Hessay, managing director of Mulgrave Properties, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the stunning success of Hawthorn Fields.

“There’s no doubt that our buyers have been impressed by the exceptional build quality, which makes these houses stand out.

“We wanted our houses to be special, which is why we chose York Handmade’s bricks.

“The quality of the bricks and their appearance are magnificent.

“We are so pleased with the finished product.

“We wanted to fit in with the local architecture and create a bespoke product, which complemented and enhanced the village of Rufforth and I think we have achieved that.

“All but one of the houses have now been sold and I am sure their attractive appearance, enhanced by York Handmade’s bricks, played an important part in this.”

York Handmade Brick company is celebrating its role supplying tens of thousands of bricks for the Hawthorn Fields development in Rufforth (Image: Supplied)

Alun Nixon of York Handmade Brick said: “It makes us incredibly proud to hear these words from a successful developer like Mulgrave Properties and it was a privilege to play a part in creating some special family homes in Rufforth.

“This is a stunning development, using our bricks with spectacular success.

“It also provides much-needed local housing and enhances the community.

“It is no surprise that it has been a resounding success.

“While we have recently completed some magnificent commissions for residential and commercial developments in London and other UK cities, it is vitally important that we continue to provide our bricks to more local Yorkshire developers and for self-builders.

“It is especially gratifying to see how our bricks blend in seamlessly with the quintessentially rural landscapes of a North Yorkshire village.

“We are deeply committed to North Yorkshire where we have been manufacturing bricks for the past 38 years, and it is a real pleasure to see our work being represented locally.”

Guy Armitage, the managing director of York Handmade, explained that the new-build residential sector remained a key area of growth for the company.

Guy Armitage (Image: Supplied)

Violent scenes broke out after a large group walked across town to the area of Portswood in Southampton.

What started as a peaceful protest outside Southampton Central Police Station against the treatment of murdered teenager Henry Nowak, erupted into a violent chaos which continued until the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Over 1,000 protesters were seen chanting ‘I can’t breathe’ which were some of the last words ever spoken by 18-year-old Henry after he was stabbed five times on his way home from a night out in Southampton.

Henry Nowak’s killer, Vickrum Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life in prison on Monday, with a minimum of 21 years. He stabbed the Southampton student to death using a ceremonial knife – a 21cm (8in) blade called a Kirpan, that Digwa said he carried as part of his Sikh faith.

After Digwa’s sentencing, the police bodycam footage showing Henry Nowak’s last moments alive was published. It shows Henry being handcuffed as he struggled to breathe after being stabbed.

The violence came amid an outcry about the policing response to the murder after the student’s killer claimed he had been the victim of a racial attack while Mr Nowak was handcuffed by police as he lay dying.

In the harrowing footage, Henry can be heard repeatedly saying: “I’ve been stabbed”, to which an officer replies: “Don’t think you have, mate.”

Digwa had told police attending the scene of the stabbing in Southampton on December 3, 2025, that he had been the victim of a racist attack.

As Henry lay dying, he was being arrested by police officers, who appeared to not believe Henry was the victim of any crime. The footage shows him pleading with police for them to call an ambulance before he loses consciousness.

Speaking outside court after Vickrum Digwa’s sentencing on Monday, the family of Henry Nowak called for a “full, fearless and transparent investigation” into his death.

His father Mark Nowak said: “We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred, or tension. We want his story to make our streets safer for everyone”.

He said his son was “one of the kindest, friendliest, and most inclusive people you could ever hope to meet. He was amazing in every way”.

Mark Nowak added that Henry “should not have died on the streets of Southampton in police custody”.

“Instead of being treated as a dying victim, police formally arrested Henry and read him his rights. That was the last thing he heard,” he said.

“Henry did not die with dignity, he did not die with the care he deserved.”

After Digwa murdered Henry, he gave the knife to his mother and it was later found by police at their family home along with more than 20 other weapons.

Digwa’s mother Kiran Kaur, 53, was found guilty of assisting an offender. Kaur is due to be sentenced for her role in Henry’s death in July this year.

The clashes with police come amid growing tensions and scrutiny over how officers dealt with the incident which included arresting and handcuffing Mr Nowak as he lay dying.

Laurence Fox and British far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon were among those who spoke to the crowd.

Violent scenes broke out when a large group walked across town to the area of Portswood, close to the residential street where Henry died.

A police helicopter hovered overhead as officers were pelted with stones, bricks and other loose items protesters had been picking up from the street such as ladders and road signs.

Some even set a bin alight and pushed it into the riot police, who had formed a wall with their shields.

Demonstrators chanted “Henry, Henry” as the line of police were pelted with bricks.

Chairs, cans and flares were thrown at police in riot gear, eventually forcing officers and three police vans back from the line they had been holding.

Protesters were seen getting into physical altercations with police officers. Some were pictured being pinned to the floor by officers before getting handcuffed.

Two people were arrested after unrest in Southampton following the murder of Henry Nowak, policing minister Sarah Jones said.

She urged people not to “overreact” following the murder of the student by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, who told police attending the scene of the stabbing in Southampton on December 3 2025 that he had been the victim of a racist attack.

Ms Jones told Times Radio: “Some of what we saw yesterday was unacceptable.

“There have been two arrests, as I understand it from my briefing this morning, one for assault of a police officer, one for possession of a weapon.”

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood later condemned the scenes in Portswood as “completely unacceptable” and accused the demonstrators of “hijacking this tragedy to stir up violence and disorder” in defiance of a plea by the Nowak family not to use the murder to feed division and hatred.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) announced it would review anti-racism guidance – called the Race Action Plan – that some have blamed for the actions of the officers who arrested Mr Nowak.

NPCC chairman Gavin Stephens said: “We are listening to legitimate concerns about how some of these commitments are worded or phrased, and where needed we can and will make changes, but this should not detract from the intent, which is to improve the quality of policing.”

Earlier on Tuesday Hampshire Police said an officer not connected to the case has faced death threats after being misidentified in online posts.

In a post on X, the force said: “We recognise the desire for answers about the police response that night” and warned people not to indulge in “harmful online speculation”.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he “felt sick” watching “harrowing” footage of police handcuffing Mr Nowak and said there are “serious questions” to answer about the case.

There needs to be an examination into how “accusations of racism” informed the police’s decision-making in the case, he added.

The police watchdog is expected to report on the case within the next three months.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said investigators are examining a large amount of body-worn video as well as material presented during Digwa’s trial.

Hampshire Police confirmed that one of the officers involved in the case has resigned, while the other three are still serving. All of them are being treated as witnesses.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said people should respond with “pure cold rage” to Mr Nowak’s treatment, which he said was evidence of a “two-tier culture”.

Mr Nowak was “actually treated in a way that meant an accusation of a racial slur was treated more seriously than an act of murder”, Mr Farage said.

Attorney General Lord Hermer has received “multiple requests” to consider whether Digwa’s sentence should be reviewed as unduly lenient.

Digwa, his father Moga Singh, 52, and brother Gurpreet Digwa, 27, appeared at Southampton Magistrates’ Court to face multiple weapons charges.

A statement issued by the killer’s family apologised “for the pain and suffering the Nowak family has had to endure”, and for bringing the Sikh community into “disrepute”.

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Trial judge Mr Justice Kinney is expected deliver the sentence tariff later today.

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A Co Antrim man who killed his pregnant partner is set to be sentenced on Wednesday morning.

Stephen McCullagh, 36, of Woodland Gardens, Lisburn, was found guilty of the murder of Natalie McNally by a jury at Belfast Crown Court earlier this year.

The 32-year-old had been 15 weeks pregnant when she was subjected to a violent attack and murdered at her home in Lurgan in December 2022.

McCullagh denied the murder, claiming that he had been live-streaming himself playing computer games on his YouTube channel at the time.

But police experts discovered the six-hour stream had actually been filmed four days before, and broadcast as live on December 18.

A sentencing hearing in May was told that McCullagh made “self-contradictory” and “incredible” statements to his probation officer, first insisting he “was convinced that he was not guilty of the murder”.

The probation officer further noted McCullagh described the murder as “evil” and “vicious”, and referred to himself as “a monster”, the court heard.

He also said: “I’m sorry for what I did to that poor family, what I did to Natalie.”

He added: “I would take it back if I could.”

Trial judge Mr Justice Kinney is expected deliver the sentence tariff later today.

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