NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball’s average salary rose 3.4% on opening day to a record $5.34 million, according to a study by The Associated Press, and the New York Mets topped spending at the season’s start for the fourth straight year.
Mets outfielder Juan Soto is the highest-paid player for the second consecutive season at $61.9 million and was followed by New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger at $42.5 million.
Philadelphia pitcher Zack Wheeler and Mets third baseman Bo Bichette tied for third at $42 million. Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was fifth at $40.2 million, just ahead of Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge at $40 million.
The Mets’ payroll of $352.2 million was just below the record $355.4 million they set in 2023 and up from $322.6 million last year. The Mets’ total is more than five times that of Cleveland, the lowest-spending team at $62.3 million.
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The two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers were second at $316.6 million, down from $319.5 million last year. The Dodgers’ total would be $395.2 million if deals for nine players with deferred money had not been discounted to present-day value. The Mets have deals with deferred money with just three players and their total would be $360 million without discounting.
MLB’s average of $5,335,966 increased from $5,160,245 at the start of last season and has risen 28% under the five-year collective bargaining agreement that expires in December, an average of 5.6% annually.
The top five spenders were unchanged from last year, with the Yankees third ($297.2 million), followed by Philadelphia ($282 million) and Toronto ($269 million).
Six clubs had $250 million payrolls, up from four; and 10 teams had $200 million payrolls, an increase from nine.
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Eight teams were under $100 million, up from five.
Detroit had the biggest increase, up $64.2 million to $206.7 million after signing pitcher Framber Valdez, re-signing Gleyber Torres with a qualifying offer and giving a big raise to ace Tarik Skubal via arbitration. Atlanta increased by $44.1 million, and the Chicago Cubs, Toronto and the Mets by just under $30 million.
Minnesota slashed payroll by $46.3 million from opening day last year to $96.5 million.
St. Louis cut its opening day payroll from $141.5 million to $100.4 million. The Cardinals’ spending includes $44 million it is paying Arizona and Boston as part of trades to get rid of Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras, plus just under $3.4 million to Arenado as the present-day value of a $6 million assignment bonus that originally had been deferred money owed in his contract and remains payable by the Cardinals in 2040 and ’41.
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Other teams with big cuts included the Guardians ($40.2 million), Texas ($37.3 million) and Washington ($23.3 million).
Payrolls include the 942 players on opening day rosters and injured lists. They do not include players on the restricted list such as Cleveland pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, Atlanta outfielder Jurickson Profar and Philadelphia outfielder Johan Rojas.
They also don’t reflect players who started the season assigned to minor league teams such as Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim and Toronto pitcher Yariel Rodríguez.
Baseball’s median salary, the point at which an equal number of players are above and below, rose to $1.4 million from $1.35 million and remained below the record high of $1.65 million at the start of 2015. Active rosters expanded to 26 players in 2021.
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Average and median salaries decline over the course of the season as veterans are released and replaced by younger players making closer to the minimum. MLB calculated the 2025 final average at $4.61 million and the players’ association at $4.72 million.
There were 519 players earning $1 million or more, at 55% the same as last year.
Nineteen players earned $30 million or more, an increase of four; 74 were at $20 million, up from 66; and 168 at $10 million, down from 177.
Thirty-one players made the $780,000 minimum.
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The top 50 players make 30% of the salaries, up from 29% in the prior two years, and the top 100 earn 49%, up from 48% last year.
The AP’s figures include salaries and prorated shares of signing bonuses and other guaranteed income. Payroll figures factor in adjustments for cash transactions in trades, signing bonuses that are the responsibility of the club agreeing to the contract, option buyouts and termination pay for released players.
MLB’s payrolls are based on 40-man rosters and fluctuate each day depending on roster moves.
Staithes Coastguard said the search began just after midnight for a person believed to be missing somewhere between the villages of Staithes and Sandsend, part of the coast north of Whitby.
It was joined by coastguard crews from Whitby and Redcar, along with North Yorkshire Police and a National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter, and members of Cleveland Mountain Rescue.
A coastguard spokesperson said: “Search teams were rapidly deployed, including a police search dog, while NPAS searched from the air.
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“The person was subsequently located and all services were stood down at 4.10am.”
It’s now been almost five years since Daniel Craig’s departure from the James Bond franchise in No Time To Die – and somehow there’s still been no confirmation of who will be succeeding him as 007.
As the 007 search continues, here are 21 stars who’ve all been rumoured for the job…
Who is he? The Australian actor has been a star on the rise ever since his break-out role in the teen drama Euphoria.
Following acclaim in films like Saltburn, Priscilla and The Narrow Road To The Deep North, Jacob landed his first Oscar nomination in 2026 for his performance as the creature in Frankenstein, the same year he also got everyone talking thanks to his work as Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights.
Where did the rumour come from? Jacob’s name was first mentioned as a serious contender to play James Bond in the summer of 2025, when Variety suggested he was at the top of producers’ wishlists.
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Following this, World Of Reel claimed he’d met with director Denis Villeneuve, with the gossip site DeuxMoi suggesting shortly after Wuthering Heights’ release that he’d been offered the role of James Bond.
What’s he said? He previously told Extra of calls for him to play James Bond: “That’s beautiful… I just like that people maybe want to put me in their movies. That makes me really glad.”
Who is he? Callum Turner has been putting in the work for more than a decade now, but he’s enjoyed a real breakthrough in the last few years.
Some of his most recent projects include the Fantastic Beasts movies, in which he played Theseus Scamander, the sports drama The Boys In The Boat and the star-studded Apple TV+ series Masters Of The Air.
Where did the rumour come from? In December 2025, several news outlets spotted that betting odds had been suddenly slashed on Callum being cast as James Bond.
Since then, Callum’s name was mentioned in an article published by the Mail, suggesting he’d been “blabbing all over town” that he’d landed the coveted spy role.
What has he said? Despite the Mail’s reports about Callum’s loose-lipped approach to his Bond casting, he hasn’t said anything publicly yet.
Who is he? Until recently, Aaron has been widely considered as the frontrunner for the role of James for more than a year now. His past credits include the superhero comedy Kick-Ass, the John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy and Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.
Since then, he’s appeared in projects as varied as Marvel’s Kraven The Hunter, the arthouse horror flick Nosferatu and Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later.
Where did the rumour come from? In November 2022, Aaron supposedly met with Bond producer Barbara Broccoli (who has since left the franchise), with follow-up reports claiming the meeting “went well”.
Who is he? The James Bond rumour that’s being going around the longest time involved Idris Elba, whose acting credits include the Thor films, Beasts of No Nation, the Fast & Furious series and the BBC detective drama Luther.
Where did the rumour come from? Idris has been rumoured to be in the running to play 007 for more than a decade (since the speculation began in 2014, there’ve been three new films in the series released), with leaked emails from Sony executives suggesting he was a favourite for the part. Following this, then-Bond boss Barbara Broccoli said Idris has been “part of the conversation” about who the role goes to next.
However, in August 2022 it was reported that Idris had made the decision to take himself out of the running – and in the last few years his casting has seemed less and less likely… although we’d kind of love it if he got the opportunity to play Bond at least once, given just how long he was associated with the franchise.
What has he said?“James Bond is a hugely coveted, iconic, beloved character that takes audiences on this massive escapism journey. Of course, if someone said to me, ‘Do you want to play James Bond?,’ I’d be like, ‘Yeah!’. That’s fascinating to me.”
Who is he? Musical theatre fans might be familiar with Tom Francis’ work, following his Olivier win and Tony nomination for his performance opposite Nicole Scherzinger in the musical revival of Sunset Boulevard.
Tom does have some impressive screen credits to his name, too, notably the divisive TV series You and the George Clooney movie Jay Kelly.
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Where did the rumour come from? Days after it was revealed that casting was on for the next James Bond, Variety reported that the theatre star had popped in for an audition.
What has he said? Nothing at all, which – in the case of a story this big – is still something really, isn’t it?
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Who is he? A more recent addition to the list of rumoured potential 007s is another Aaron, this time fellow Brit Aaron Pierre.
As well as voicing the title character in Disney’s Mufasa, Aaron appeared in The Underground Railroad, played Malcolm X in the anthology series Genius and starred opposite Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal in the sci-fi dystopian drama Foe.
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Where did the rumour come from? The news appears to come from movie “insider” Daniel Richtman, who claimed in June 2025 that Aaron is “being considered” for the part.
What has he said?He told Chris Evans on Virgin Radio: “If that opportunity ever presented itself, that would be insane.”
Who is he? After getting his start in indies like Beach Rats and Triangle Of Sadness, British star Harris Dickinson’s profile has had a real boom in the last few years off the back of roles in Babygirl, The Iron Claw and A Murder At The End Of The World.
He’ll next be seen in action as John Lennon in Sam Mendes’ ambitious Beatles movie project – which, to be fair, means he may have too much on his plate to take on 007 too.
Where did the rumour come from? Variety’s piece on Amazon’s supposed “James Bond wishlist” in the summer 2025 that mentioned Jacob Elordi as a contender also included Harris (as well as Spider-Man himself, Tom Holland).
“The role of James Bond is interesting,” he said. “The circumstances of Bond are interesting. The character, the world, what he goes through, that’s interesting.”
He also praised director Denis Villeneuve, who will helm the upcoming 25th James Bond film.
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Who is he? He’s Tom Hardy! You may have seen him in films including Max Max: Fury Road, Dunkirk, Legend, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception or Venom.
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Where did the rumour come from? Like Idris Elba, speculation about Tom Hardy playing 007 goes way back.
Things hotted up in 2020, though, when the film blog The Vulcan Reporter claimed he’d done several auditions for the part and was “basically locked into the role”.
What has he said?“You know, there’s a saying amongst us in the fraternity of acting, and in the fellowship of my peer group, that if you talk about it you’re automatically out of the race. So I can’t possibly comment on that one! If I mention it, it’s gone.”
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Who is he? Probably best known for his role as Loki in the Marvel universe, Tom also won a Golden Globe for his performance in the drama The Night Manager.
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Where did the rumour come from? Around the time The Night Manager was airing, many viewers pointed out that the British actor might be a good James Bond, and he was soon spotted having a meeting with the franchise’s chief Barbara Broccoli.
What has he said?“What can I say that you don’t already know? It’s interesting in itself that I’ve suddenly become very aware of what I’m saying, is it not?
“Because there’s something about what I’m saying that becomes the story. Not for you, but the world outside. Whatever I say, I’ve found, generated more questions.”
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Who is he? After rising to fame in Game Of Thrones, the Scottish actor later won a Golden Globe for his leading role in Bodyguard.
Where did the rumour come from? The action-packed Bodyguard led to Richard being tipped to succeed Daniel Craig as Bond, with the Daily Mail reporting at the time that the drama had caught the eye of former 007 boss Barbara Broccoli.
Bodyguard’s producers even teased that a potential second series of the drama would depend on “what happens with James Bond”.
What has he said?“I’m more than flattered to be mentioned, for people to consider putting me in that role. I’m very flattered and thankful. It’s a really brilliant thing to be in.
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“I don’t want to curse anything by saying anything. I think that’s the curse of that. If you talk about it, you’ll curse it.”
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Who is he? James is perhaps best known for his TV roles, which have included Happy Valley, Grantchester, McMafia and The Trial Of Christine Keeler, though you may have also seen him in action in the recent big-screen adaptation of Little Women.
Where did the rumour come from? While many of the actors named as potential replacements for Daniel Craig are based on anonymous “insiders” and source quotes, the rumours about James seem to stem primarily from bookies’ odds.
What has he said? “It’s so weird and bemusing. But yet again, it’s based on pure speculation and it makes for a good little clickbait moment in the media. Other than that, it’s just fun and bemusing.”
Who is he? Jack Lowden has had a massive few years, scoring Bafta, Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for his work in Slow Horses and appearing with Nicole Kidman in the breezy Netflix mystery The Perfect Couple.
Where did the rumour come from? This is another story that’s based on bookies’ odds, with Jack’s name soaring towards the top of the list when Amazon acquired creative control of the spy franchise.
Who is he? The British star of films like Crazy, Rich Asians; A Simple Favour and the Guy Ritchie action film The Gentlemen.
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Where did the rumour come from? After Daniel Craig’s exit from the James Bond franchise was confirmed, fans began campaigning for Henry to take over the iconic spy role.
What has he said?“[The speculation] definitely [came] from Crazy Rich Asians, maybe the white suit coming out of the park. [And] because I’m Asian and everybody’s fighting for a diverse Bond – sorry, white guys.
“I don’t know. It’s an honour to even be in the conversation. It’s one of the greatest film roles ever, you’d be stupid to be like, ‘I don’t want to do that.’
“Isn’t it great that people are like, ’OK, now’s the time, why the hell can’t we have a black Bond, an Asian Bond, a mixed-race Bond, a non-distinct Bond?”
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Who is he? After appearing in Sunshine On Leith and Pride, George landed his biggest role to date when he took the lead in the Bafta-winning 1917, and he’s since appeared in Femme and The End.
Where did the rumour come from? According to a 2021 report in Page Six, Bond producers were hoping to reboot the franchise after No Time To Die, making the Bond character younger, which is where the idea to have George play a rather different 007 was reportedly born.
What has he said? “You’ve got to consider it for sure. I mean, it’s an amazing thing, but it would also be a massive thing. I don’t know if that’s a reality, but if it ever became one, of course, it would be a consideration. But be a careful one.”
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Who is he? Regé-Jean became an overnight sensation in 2020 thanks to his role as the main love interest in the Netflix period drama Bridgerton.
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Where did the rumour come from? Fans immediately began suggesting Regé-Jean as a potential Bond, and when he announced he wasn’t returning for the second season of Bridgerton, the rumour mill hotted up even further.
What has he said?“Ah, the B word. I think if you are British and do anything of note, that other people take notice of, then people will start talking about that.
“That’s fairly normal and I’m flattered to be in the category of Brits that people have noticed.”
Who is he? Charlie’s biggest acting credits include Green Street, Queer As Folk, Sons Of Anarchy and Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen. In 2025, he caused a stir when he was cast as Ed Gein in the third season of Ryan Murphy’s Monster.
He was also famously cast in the role of Christian Grey in the Fifty Shades Of Grey franchise, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, and was replaced by Jamie Dornan.
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Where did the rumour come from? Charlie’s name being linked with playing James Bond largely stems from his devoted fanbase, as well as bookies’ odds.
What has he said?“I would be so flattered and honoured to be considered to play James Bond as an Englishman. But my intuition tells me that I shouldn’t be waiting for that phone call to come. I think there are many people ahead of me on that list.
“It’s very flattering sort of fan dialogue. Nobody’s ever, on a professional level from within the industry, brought that up to me.
“As much as people want to talk about me playing James Bond – please continue. Maybe that’s the genesis of these things. Maybe fan chatter leads to industry people actually talking about it in a more serious way.”
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Who is he? Sam is best known for playing one of the lead roles in the historical drama Outlander.
Where did the rumour come from? Sam has actually been on Bond producers’ radars for a while, having previously auditioned to succeed Pierce Brosnan in Casino Royale, which would eventually become Daniel Craig’s first outing in the role.
What has he said?“I don’t know if there is a conversation being had apart from in the media, but I think it’s an incredible franchise and a great character, so of course I would jump at it.”
Matthias Nareyek via Getty Images
Who is he? Henry is famous for playing Superman in the superhero’s most recent big-screen offerings, and also has the lead role in the Netflix adaptation of The Witcher.
Like Sam Heughan, Henry also auditioned for Casino Royale, back when he was just 21 years old.
What has he said?“I would absolutely jump at the opportunity. At this stage, it’s all up in the air. We’ll see what happens. But yes, I would love to play Bond, it would be very, very exciting.”
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Who is he? The chart-topping singer made a name for himself as a member of One Direction, before making a name for himself as a Grammy-winning solo artist.
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In addition to his music career, Harry also had a short-lived career as an actor, first appearing in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk before getting mixed-at-best reviews for his work in Eternals, Don’t Worry Darling and My Policeman.
Where did the rumour come from? This might sound like the work of over-excited Directioners, but in 2021, The Sun reported that Bond producers were hoping to take the character in a “new age” direction, and tipped Harry for the role.
What has he said?Harry’s reps said the rumours were “not even remotely true”. Too bad, tbh.
Who is he? Ted Lasso fans will recognise Phil from his Emmy-nominated performance as Jamie Tartt.
Where did the rumour come from? Interestingly, unlike most of the names on this list, this rumour comes straight from the horse’s mouth, with Phil confirming that a “conversation” was had about him playing Bond – albeit a short one.
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What’s he said? “There was a conversation one of my agents had but they quite firmly shut the door in their face.”
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Who is he? Another addition to the list of rumoured James Bond stars, Lucien Laviscount’s past credits include Coronation Street, Waterloo Road, Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens and Emily In Paris.
Where did the rumour come from?The Daily Mail first reported in December 2022 that Lucien had caught the eye of James Bond producers, with an unnamed source claiming he “ticks all of the boxes” as a “super talented” and “extremely handsome” young actor.
However, it appears there’s one drawback.
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According to the Mail, Lucien’s reality TV past (after leaving Waterloo Road, he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, and was involved in a brief showmance with a certain Ms Katona) has put off some execs behind the scenes.
What has he said? Again, he’s yet to address the rumours directly, so make of that what you will.
The Exeter Chiefs back-rower is set to make his Wales debut this summer having previously represented England U20s
New Wales call-up Kane James says he wants to be involved in all three of his side’s Nations Championship matches this summer after lifting the lid on his talks with head coach Steve Tandy.
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The Exeter Chiefs star was born and raised in Wales but represented England at U20s level after qualifying through his Bristol-born father. However, after months of speculation, he was named in Wales’ summer squad earlier this month and is set to win his first senior international cap as they take on Fiji, Argentina and South Africa in July.
Ahead of this year’s Six Nations, Tandy revealed that he had held talks with James, only for the 21-year-old to be ruled out of the tournament with a significant ankle injury, which required surgery.
Having now completed his international switch, the Chiefs back-rower has now revealed all about his talks with Tandy, admitting he was impressed by the Wales head coach’s efforts to bring him on board, while also saying it was a “tough decision”. Win free tickets to watch Fiji v Wales in Cardiff this summer.
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“The start of this season I met Steve Tandy here [in Exeter] in the coffee shop,” he told the Scrum V podcast. “He asked to come and meet me and I was more than happy to have a chat with him. He’s been sending me clips of my games and stuff to work on.
“He’s kept that communication alive and it was really important in my decision to come back to Wales. It was a tough decision, but I think it’s something that’s best for me at this time and an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.
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“I met him a few weeks ago with Daf [Jenkins] and Christ [Tshiunza] for food, an Italian near Daf’s house,” James added. “I doubt there are many head coaches across the world who would come down and meet players so often.
“He called me on the Friday and said he wanted to put me in the squad and I was ecstatic. I called my dad and agent and they were ecstatic as well!”
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The back row is an area of strength for Wales but James is bullish in his aims for this summer, admitting he wants to play a part in all three of his side’s fixtures in the inaugural Nations Championship campaign.
“I want to be involved in all three games in the summer,” he said. “I want to make an impact and I want to help get this team back to where we have been.
“I will play wherever I’m needed. I can cover six, seven and eight, wherever Steve puts me I’m more than happy.”
On what pulling on the red jersey would mean, James added: “It will be massive for me and the proudest moment for my dad, watching me put on the Welsh shirt – my family back in Fishguard too.”
Separately, police are advising motorists of delays on the Ballagh Road between Kilkeel and Newcastle near Bloody Bridge due to parked cars causing an obstruction.
Police have asked drivers to act responsibly by parking legally and not obstructing other vehicles or blocking roadways. Officers are in the area to monitor the situation and, if necessary, take enforcement action.
Nicola Roberts welcomed her first child into the world with her fiancé Mitch Hahn
16:02, 25 May 2026Updated 16:02, 25 May 2026
Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle was among those flooding her bandmate Nicola Roberts with support after she announced on social media that she’d given birth to her first child.
The pop star announced that she was expecting her first child with her fiancé, accountant-and-semi-professional footballer Mitch Hahn, on Christmas Day. Nicola shared an image of her posing with her baby bump in front of a Christmas tree.
She told her fans at the time: “Mitch and I have had the most magical Christmas Day sharing the most precious news with our families. We’ve been keeping a secret. We are five months pregnant! We can’t wait to meet our little one in the spring x (sic).”
During her pregnancy, Nicola revealed that she understand surgery to ‘keep baby in’ at 22 weeks. She said: “Some pics I took this week.. Hasn’t it been so nice to really feel spring.. I’ve been under instruction not to do much since I had the surgery at 22 weeks to help keep baby in.
“Hitting that 34 week mark was a big relief. I now only have a few weeks left. Safe to say, this last bit is not the easiest is it?! In one breath, it will be nice to feel more comfortable again but I will also really miss my bump and having this tiny little thing in there”.
Returning to Instagram on Sunday (May 24), Nicola was delighted to announce that she and Mitch have welcomed a baby girl. The 40-year-old singer shared a series of photos with the newborn in a celebratory post on Instagram, including one comparing the sizes of their hands.
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She captioned her post: “Our beautiful baby girl is here. We haven’t stopped staring at her perfect little face or kissing her softest little head. She arrived healthy and content a couple of weeks ago at 38 weeks weighing 6.5lbs and is thriving. It’s heaven on earth with her and we can hardly believe she’s ours.”
The comments section of Nicola’s post saw her famous friends rushing to congratulate her and Mitch on the birth of their daughter and wish them well on their parenting journey.
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Nicola’s Girls Aloud bandmate Nadine Coyle said: “Congratulations!!!!!!!!! Sending so much love!!” Little Mix’s Perrie Edwards added: “Congratulations! Enjoy the baby bubble.”
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The Derry woman also congratulated Nicola on the birth of her daughter and brought out her own daughter Anaíya while on stage at Birmingham Pride on Sunday.
Nicola and Mitch have been dating since around the summer of 2022, when they were seen together at Elton John’s British Summertime gig at London’s Hyde Park. The pair are reported to have gotten engaged during a romantic getaway in the south of France in July 2024.
It’s been a busy few years for Nicola, with she and her Girls Aloud band mates Kimberley Walsh, Cheryl Tweedy and Nadine reuniting in 2024 for a brand new tour. The reunion marked the group’s first time hitting the stage in the wake of their bandmate Sarah Harding’s passing in 2021.
Trevor Phillips has ripped apart the return of the Brexit rows by describing it as “performance art”.
The Sky News presenter opened his Sunday morning show by laying bare the rivalries on both sides of the political spectrum right now as parties fight over the Makerfield by-election.
The seismic contest could end up choosing the next prime minister.
If Labour candidate and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham wins, he is expected to oust Keir Starmer.
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If he loses to Reform’s Robert Kenyon, there are wider fears of an all-out civil war in Labour.
The right-wing party’s chances of winning the next general election will be bolstered, too.
But as Phillips pointed out: “The sharpest political tensions aren’t between left and right, but within each wing of politics.
“On the left, a split is emerging between those who want the UK in effect back in the EU, and those who want to keep the red lines of no customs union, no common market, and no freedom of movement.
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“Most of this is performance art since right now nobody in the EU wants us back.
“In pretty much every European language, the word United Kingdom translate into a phrase meaning, ‘massive pain in the backside’,” he said. “And even if they did offer a deal it would cost us billions we don’t have.”
This was seen as a blow to Burnham, who is also in favour of closer ties with the trade bloc, because Makerfield voted Leave in the 2016 EU referendum.
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Phillips continued: “On the right, we have what you might call the deportation game. Reform and Restore, a splint group to its right, are competing for the number of people it can throw out the country.
“Given [home secretary] Shabana Mahmood is now overseeing the largest drop in migration numbers for a decade or more, there’s a slight feeling of two bald men wrestling over a comb.”
Reform wants to remove approximately 400,000 asylum seekers but Restore – led by former Reform MP Rupert Lowe – has proposed removing up to two million illegal migrants.
Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.
John Foley runs an award-winning plant nursery without a mobile phone, internet, or bank cards
15:56, 25 May 2026Updated 15:56, 25 May 2026
A 38 year old business owner has retreated to “analogue mode” – abandoning his mobile phone, bank card, computer and internet to operate exclusively with pen and paper. John Foley ditched his iPhone 14 three years ago after becoming “constantly distracted” by emails, messages and notifications.
Subsequently, he disposed of his computer and rejected his bank card in favour of cash. The father-of-two, who operates an award-winning plant nursery in Holden, exchanged them for traditional diaries and pencil and paper.
He said: “It has been very therapeutic and liberating – I feel like I have taken back control of my life, mind, and sense of achievement.
“My daily screen time was around 5hrs and 40mins a day – which isn’t an insane amount, but it was time which I thought I was being productive with. But in reality I wasn’t and I have now gotten that back.
“As well as not being readily available through a phone at any moment has slowed me right down, and actually, and has improved my quality of life. My days feel four times as long and I now find myself living in the moment.
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“My brain is able to think rather than being forced to work in overdrive. I’m never itching for my phone to fill awkward spaces of dead time or awkward moments.” The last occasion John used his mobile phone was on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. His contentious choice followed two “life-changing” trips without it, after leaving it powered down at home.
The first was a journey to London on May 18 to meet the then Floral Development Manager of the Chelsea Flower Show, Helen Boem, to talk about his app “The Wonder Garden” that he and his colleagues were developing.
The app enabled customers to plan their own gardens and flowerbeds through his nursery using AI. He said: “We missed our train due to being late, because one of us forgot our phone charger.
“Then that night, when we got to the house I rented, I stayed up late texting. So the next morning, I made the decision to just go without it.
“It wasn’t easy, but I found that I actually had time to speak to people, and any worries about emails or WhatsApps to reply too, well they just had to wait. The next day we went to Lambeth Palace Museum and I left without it again – I was able to focus and learn like I hadn’t in a long time.”
The motivation also arose when on the journey back from London he noticed a woman writing in a diary. He said: “Back in the day, all these important businessmen and huge companies worked on pen and paper, so why can’t they now?” Then a fortnight later, on June 4, he embarked on a weekend camping trip to Pen-y-ghent, in the Yorkshire Dales, with six friends once more, leaving his device behind. Though he admitted he’d only left it at home because he was running late, having been “replying to texts, emails, and scrolling”.
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Following the trip, he set himself a two-week deadline to go phone-free permanently and developed an “overwhelming feeling” he didn’t want to use it anymore.
However, he ended up abandoning it a week ahead of schedule, switching it off and stashing it somewhere in his home – setting himself the challenge of going without it for five years. The following day, he walked seven miles into Clitheroe to purchase his first diary after forgetting his Amazon password and being unable to complete two-step authentication on the website Etsy.
In September 2024 he scrapped his email and internet access entirely, preferring to deal with clients face-to-face and providing handwritten plans and documents, something which he says customers “appreciate”.
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Then in the autumn of 2024 he stopped carrying a debit card, though he still maintains an account to cover his bills, all handled via direct debit. Customers can still reach the company by landline, post or email, and he has passed on technology-related tasks to other members of staff, though he intends to phase out those methods too.
John admits the first winter without a phone was tough, revealing he felt “very lonely”. He also had to learn how to properly organise both himself and his time. He is now exploring ways to make his company completely technology-free, with hopes of reverting to pen and paper before the end of 2026.
John’s The Wonder Garden app was also scrapped, but was transformed into a face-to-face business concept that he promoted largely through word of mouth and the community gardens he manages at the nursery.
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He said: “Time poverty is what the world suffers with in 2026, but when you come out, everything slows down and you reclaim it.”
He is now looking to establish a charity to create green spaces for communities alongside local councils, giving children the opportunity to step away from technology and discover the joys of gardening.
The prince and princess chose a pub lunch over a posh banquet
Cambridge is a place loved by royals. So much so, the city gained a new Duke and Duchess in 2011 after Prince William and Princess Kate got married.
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While the couple held the titles of Duke and Duchess of the city, they visited Cambridge many times. There is one Cambridge pub that people may not realise that the future king and queen dined at in 2012.
This is the Fort St George, one of Cambridge’s oldest and most well-known riverside pubs. Although they were invited to a posh banquet at the University of Cambridge, the pair turned it down to enjoy a trip to the Fort St George.
According to news clippings from the time, Kate and William enjoyed sandwiches, chips, and mini burgers. At the time of their 2012 visit, Kate was early into her pregnancy with Prince George.
Today, the pub is still as popular with us commoners, as well as royals. It is situated on the popular Midsummer Common, and is the perfect place to visit to admire the River Cam, as well as soak up some sun.
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The Greene King pub offers traditional pub grub, including Sunday Roasts. There are also a range of cold crisp drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, to enjoy in the nice weather.
As reported earlier today, forecasters predicted a maximum temperature of 33 degrees Celsius in the city today, two degrees warmer than yesterday as the UK looks set for the warmest day in May on record.
The UK has recorded its all-time hottest May temperature today as a part of London hit 33.5C.
Heathrow, in the west of the capital, broke the record on the bank holiday – a day after the country’s highest May temperature in at least 79 years was recorded.
Tower Gardens in Tower Street offered a chance for people to pause under the canopy of leaves and we spoke to a number of people taking a break, from among the scores of people stretched out on the lawns, reading books, parked on benches and leaning against tree trunks.
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Carol and Rob were sat on the wooden seats overlooking the River Ouse and enjoying their sandwiches.
One lady brought her own portable shade from the midday heat of York (Image: Kevin Glenton)
The couple are in York until the end of next week, having travelled down from Lanarkshire in Scotland.
Carol said: “It’s good to get outside but best to stay in the shade.
“We’ve been out for two-and-a-half hours already and spent most of it out of the sun.
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“I’m looking forward to next week when it will be just 19 degrees.”
Kirsty Gray and her partner Carl Smith brought the family over by car from Alford in Lincolnshire and making a day of it with a picnic hamper and coolbox with children Mia, Ellie and Millie, before hitting the shops and museums.
Kirsty said: “We made plans to come to York as Mia was especially keen to come to The Shop That Must Not be Named in Shambles.
“We’ve brought the picnic in part because of the expense of eating out, and as soon as we came out of St George’s Field car park this looked like a convenient place to sit and have our lunch.”
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Kirsty Gray, Carl Smith, with Mia, Ellie and Millie has come to York for the day from Alford in Lincolnshire (Image: Kevin Glenton)
Paola Pugh was walking her two-year-old dog Niko, a pomeranian-shitzu cross, through the garden.
She said she lives in neighbouring Tower Place and the green space is a regular place for the two of them to cross.
Niko was wearing a cooling bandana which his owner Paola picked up in a pet shop (Image: Kevin Glenton)
Paola said: “In this heat, we try to go for the shortest walks, which means we come here and I try to keep him out of the sun.
“He’s wearing a special bandana I bought from the pet shop which I hope will cool him down a little.
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“I’m from the south of Italy so I’m used to the heat for longer periods of time.
“When it comes here, it’s usually in short bursts.”
You might be able to spot the historic aircraft close to Cambridgeshire.
The famous Red Arrows will be doing the flypast over Buckingham Palace for King Charles III’s birthday celebrations on Saturday, June 13. But ahead of the big day, the team will be doing a rehearsal close to Cambridgeshire in preparation.
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This means you might be able to catch a glimpse of the Red Arrows from your garden at the start of June. The rehearsal is set to take place on Tuesday, June 2, but it might take place on Wednesday, June 3, if the flying conditions are not favourable.
The rehearsal is set to start from over the North Sea at around 11am and will see the planes flying inwards over parts of Suffolk before entering Norfolk. The aircraft will fly over areas of Norfolk including Swaffham, Great Cressingham, and Caston.
The Red Arrows will then travel over RAF Marham at around 12.35pm. The flight path will take the team just north of the Cambridgeshire border past Wisbech.
If you want to be sure to catch the planes, you might want to take a quick trip out to Sutton Bridge, which is directly in the flight path. The Red Arrows will then carry on into Lincolnshire where they will fly over RAF Cranwell.
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The team will disperse when it reaches RAF Waddington at around 1.30pm.
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