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England have announced their squad for the World Cup, with James Maddison and Callum Wilson among the 26 players heading to Qatar.

Manager Gareth Southgate’s picks also include Harry Maguire, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Marcus Rashford and Jude Bellingham.

Those missing out include Brentford striker Ivan Toney, Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, Roma striker Tammy Abraham and Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho.

The manager has largely stuck with experienced players, with the most notable additions being Leicester’s Maddison and Newcastle’s Wilson.

Maddison’s only previous cap was as a substitute against Montenegro in 2019.

Southgate said he’d made the decision to include Maddison two weeks ago, saying that he was “playing really well” and had “earned the right” to be in the squad.

He added: “We think he can give us something slightly different to the other attacking players we’ve got.

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“I think at various stages there have been conversations, debates about James. There’s been moments where ahead of the Euros I don’t think he was in contention and (in) September was probably a fair debate, but I think he’s playing as well as any of the attacking players in this country.”

Read more:
The numbers behind England’s World Cup squad

Asked if his squad contained everything necessary to win a World Cup, Southgate said: “We’ve wanted to make sure the balance of the squad is right.

“I think the squad is more important than ever. With five substitutes, you can have almost half the team changed during the game, so you want different options for different moments of matches and stages at the tournament as well.

“We’ve had to cover a couple of players that aren’t yet fully fit, so having 26 available meant we were probably able to take a couple of risks that you might not have been able to with 23. But we think the balance is there, and we’ve got cover in the positions we need.

“We’re lighter on depth in some positions than others, but we think we’ve got everything covered.”

England players sing Sweet Caroline on stage during a fan celebration to commemorate England's historic UEFA Women's EURO 2022 triumph in Trafalgar Square, London. Picture date: Monday August 1, 2022.
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England will hope to follow in the footsteps of the Lionesses, who won the Euros in the summer

England stars to keep up human rights stance

Addressing some of the issues around the World Cup being held in Qatar, Southgate declined to say whether the players would be taking the knee during the tournament, saying that was a decision for them to take themselves.

Asked if the team would be complying with FIFA’s plea to “let football take the stage” and not speak about human rights concerns in Qatar, Southgate said: “I think that’s highly unlikely.

“Contrary to one or two observations in the last few weeks we have spoken about the human rights challenges and been very clear on our standpoint.

“We would also like to focus primarily on the football – this is a carnival of football, a thing you work for your whole life.

“You don’t want that to be diminished by everything else that’s going on around it, but we recognise we are going to be in that situation.”

Read more:
England and Wales ignore FIFA’s ‘focus on football’ plea

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In Full: Qatar on sport and politics

‘My childhood dream’

Some players took to social media after the announcement, with Harry Kane tweeting: “So proud to be captaining my country at a World Cup for the second time.

“I know this group of lads will give absolutely everything to go all the way. Let’s go!”

Bukayo Saka also posted: “My childhood dream to play in a World Cup has come true!

“Qatar 2022. Let’s go @england.”

England’s fixture list

The tournament begins on 20 November and England’s first match is a day later against Iran at 1pm UK time.

Their second match is against the US on 25 November, followed by a final group game with Wales on 29 November. Both games start at 7pm.

Some of the squad have barely a week off before their campaign begins, as Premier League games are being played this weekend.

If England make it through as group winners, their knockout game will be on 4 December, and on 3 December if they finish second.

The last two major tournaments have seen the Three Lions come close to glory, but ultimately falling short.

They lost 2-1 to Croatia in the semi-final of the last World Cup, and were beaten on penalties by Italy in the final of the Euros last summer.

The Three Lions squad in full:

Goalkeepers
Jordan Pickford
Nick Pope
Aaron Ramsdale

Defenders
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Conor Coady
Eric Dier
Harry Maguire
Luke Shaw
John Stones
Kieran Trippier
Kyle Walker
Ben White

Midfielders
Jude Bellingham
Conor Gallagher
Jordan Henderson
Mason Mount
Kalvin Phillips
Declan Rice

Forwards
Phil Foden
Jack Grealish
Harry Kane
James Maddison
Marcus Rashford
Bukayo Saka
Raheem Sterling
Callum Wilson

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Woman filmed cutting commemorative yellow ribbons for Israeli hostages

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Woman filmed cutting commemorative yellow ribbons for Israeli hostages

A woman has been filmed cutting yellow ribbons tied to a gate in London, put up in commemoration of Israeli hostages.

When confronted by two bystanders near the gate in Muswell Hill, north London, the woman said: “I’m not committing a crime.

“If I am, then call the police and you let them know that you have an issue with this.”

In the video, a man branded the woman “a disgusting little human being,” to which she replied: “I think condoning genocide is disgusting.”

The bystander asked her: “So we’re condoning genocide?”

The woman then appeared to point at the ribbons and said: “That’s what this is.”

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Pic: X/@mirandalevycopy
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Pic: X/@mirandalevycopy

The yellow ribbon has been used as a symbol of the plight of those taken captive since the 1979 US-Iranian hostage crisis, and has become synonymous with the hostages held in Gaza since 7 October 2023.

The ribbons are used as part of the ‘Bring Them Home’ campaign, which was introduced to raise awareness of the hostages’ plight and help amplify calls for the unconditional release of those still held by Hamas.

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Two years on from October 7 attacks

The Metropolitan Police told Sky News: “Officers have stepped up reassurance patrols in the Muswell Hill area, following reports that yellow ribbons were removed from fence poles.”

A spokesperson said the force was made aware of a video circulating online which “appears to show a woman removing the ribbons in Muswell Hill” at 4.25pm on Monday.

“Officers attended the location and are reviewing the footage to determine whether any offences, including hate crime or criminal damage, have been committed. Enquiries remain ongoing,” the spokesperson added.

Officers are asking anyone with information to contact the force.

Read more from Sky News:
Two lives torn apart by October 7
Israel deports Gaza aid flotilla activists

The incident happened just a day before the second anniversary of the October 7 attack, when Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 251 back to Gaza as hostages.

Israel says 48 hostages remain in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

Gaza’s health ministry says Israel’s offensive has killed more than 67,000 people in the region since 7 October 2023. It does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures, but says more than half of those killed are women and children.

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Ineos blames Chinese ‘dumping’ for cuts to Hull workforce

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Ineos blames Chinese 'dumping' for cuts to Hull workforce

Ineos, the chemicals group founded by Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has hit out at the government after cutting a fifth of the workforce at a factory in Hull.

The company said 60 skilled jobs were going at the Acetyls factory “as a direct result of sky-high energy costs and anti-competitive trade practices, as importers ‘dump’ product into the UK and European markets”.

It called on the UK government and European Commission to impose trade tariffs on China, complaining that a lack of action to date had resulted in “dirt cheap” carbon-heavy imports flooding the market, making its products uncompetitive.

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Ineos said the US had protected its manufacturing base through effective tariffs and warned that further jobs would be lost across Europe unless the authorities followed suit.

The company, founded by Sir Jim in 1998, is Europe’s largest producer of essential chemicals for a range of products including aspirin and paracetamol, adhesives and industrial coatings.

It recently invested £30m to switch its Hull plant energy source from natural gas to hydrogen. Ineos claimed Chinese competitors were emitting up to eight times more carbon dioxide than its UK operations.

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The Saltend plant in Hull. Pic: Ineos
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The Saltend plant in Hull. Pic: Ineos

“This is a textbook case of the UK and Europe sleepwalking into deindustrialisation,” the firm’s statement said.

“Ineos has invested heavily at Hull to cut CO₂, yet we’re being undercut by China and the US while left wide open by a complete absence of tariff protection.

“If governments don’t act now on energy, carbon and trade, we will keep losing factories, skills and jobs. And once these plants shut, they never come back.”

A Government spokesperson responded: “We know this is a tough time for our chemicals industry, who are paying the fossil fuel penalty, with wholesale gas costs remaining 75% above their levels before Russia invaded Ukraine.

“Our modern Industrial Strategy is slashing electricity costs by up to 25% for sectors including chemicals, and the UK’s independent Trade Remedies Authority has the power to investigate the impact of cheap imports if requested by industry.

“We recognise this will be difficult for affected workers and their families, and we continue to engage with Ineos and the wider sector to explore potential solutions that will ensure a viable chemicals industry in the UK.”

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Video shows surfer being rescued by RNLI after powerful rip current dragged him out to sea

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Video shows surfer being rescued by RNLI after powerful rip current dragged him out to sea

An experienced surfer had to be saved from rough seas by the RNLI after a rip current pulled him more than half a mile away from the shore.

Video shows the crew from Porthcawl in South Wales racing to the scene to pull Ben Fraser from the water.

The 30-year-old had become stranded in choppy waters and gale-force winds when he was spotted by a dogwalker, who then called 999.

Mr Fraser has been surfing for 15 years but said he was not familiar with the strength of the rip current and found himself unable to paddle to safety.

He was pulled further and further from the main bay, leaving him no choice but to signal for help.

Luckily, he was found off Hutchwns Point and hauled on board by the lifeboat’s crew.

“I attempted to get onto the rocks at the cliffs, but soon realised it was too dangerous,” said Mr Fraser.

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“Although I felt pretty calm, I knew I couldn’t get back to the beach myself and that the light was fading fast, which might have made it harder for people to spot me or for the lifeboat to find me.

“I want to say a huge thank you to the lady that saw me wave and called 999 for the Coastguard, her quick thinking meant the lifeboat reached me before it was dark.”

Gareth Collins, of Porthcawl RNLI, said the teams “rescue people without judgement” and the incident shows even those with lots of experience in the water might need help one day.

The RNLI advises people caught in a rip current to do the following:

  • Don’t try to swim against it or you’ll get exhausted
  • If you can stand, wade instead of swimming
  • If you can, swim parallel to the shore until free of the rip and then head for shore
  • Always raise your hand and shout for help

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