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Harry Kane has taken responsibility for England’s World Cup quarter-final exit at the hands of France, saying: “I will take it on the chin and of course it hurts now, and it will hurt for a long time, but that’s part of being captain and a leader in the team.”

Having reached the semi-finals in 2018 and then finishing runners-up at last year’s European Championship, Gareth Southgate‘s men were confident of a ticket to the semi-final.

Despite going behind to an early first-half goal, England pulled level through a Kane penalty but Olivier Giroud put the French back in front.

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Fans celebrate Kane equaliser

Kane had a further chance to equalise from the penalty spot but blazed over the bar, prompting many fans to put their head in their hands and watch on in silence.

His miss came with just seven minutes of normal time remaining, ending in an agonising 2-1 loss for the Three Lions.

“It is a really tough night to take,” Kane said in the aftermath of defeat.

“I’m gutted, the team are gutted. We had full belief that we could achieve something special at this World Cup but it came down to small details.

“I thought on the night we had the better chances and better spells in the game. It comes down to execution. As captain, I take it on the chin and responsibility missing the penalty.

“It is hard to take for sure but I can be proud of the group, proud of each other for what we’ve done. This will hurt for a while but we will dust ourselves down to get ready in the future.”

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Heartbreak for fans as England lose

Southgate said Kane should not blame himself for his penalty miss, saying: “For me, we win and lose as a team.

“We have let a couple of goals in and missed a few chances.

“He has been incredible for us and is so reliable for us in those situations.

“We wouldn’t be here but for the number of goals he has scored for us.”

England's Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane dejected following during the FIFA World Cup Quarter-Final match at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar. Picture date: Saturday December 10, 2022.
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Jude Bellingham and Kane show their disappointment

Despite the heartbreak England have been told to hold their “heads high”.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the team “gave it everything” but it “wasn’t meant to be”, while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said England deserved to win the game and the result was “absolutely gutting”.

The Prince and Princess of Wales said they were “so proud” of the squad and staff.

After the game, William tweeted: “Gareth, Harry and the whole England squad and staff, gutted for all of you.

“You put so much into this tournament and we are all so proud of you. Heads held high and on to the next one!”

England's goalkeeper Jordan Pickford fails to stop a shot on goal by France's Aurelien Tchouameni who scored his side's first goal during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between England and France, at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)
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Jordan Pickford fails to stop a shot on goal by France’s Aurelien Tchouameni. Pic: AP

Southgate, 52, is contracted until after the European Championship in 2024 but was non-committal on his future as manager.

“I think whenever I finish these tournaments, I’ve needed time to make correct decisions,” he said.

“Emotionally you go through so many different feelings. The energy it takes through these tournaments is enormous.

“I want to make the right decision, whatever that is for the team, for England, for the FA. I’ve got to be sure whatever decision I make is the right one.

“I think it’s right to take time to do that because I know in the past my feelings have fluctuated in the immediate aftermath of tournaments.”

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French celebrate quarter-final win in Paris

Kane insisted England’s players are in full support of their boss, saying: “We love having Gareth as a manager.”

He added: “We want him to stay for sure but that’s his decision. I am sure he will go away and think about that.

“We’ve got a great team, great young players, players coming into their prime and we’ve got a Euros not too far away. As much as this hurts, we have to move on and look forward to that.”

France will now go on to play Morocco, after the Atlas Lions’ victory over Portugal on Saturday.

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Rachel Reeves is celebrating the Bank of England’s interest cut – but behind the scenes she has little to cheer

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Rachel Reeves is celebrating the Bank of England's interest cut – but behind the scenes she has little to cheer

The economy is stagnating and job losses are mounting. Now is the time to cut interest rates again.

That was the view of the Bank of England’s nine-member rate setting committee on Thursday.

Well, at least five of them.

The other four presented us with a different view: Inflation is above target and climbing – this is no time to cut interest rates.

Who is right? All of them and none of them.

Central bankers have been backed into a corner by the current economic climate and navigating a path out is challenging.

The difficulty in charting that route was on display as the Bank struggled to decide on the best course of monetary policy.

The committee had to take it to a re-vote for the first time in the Bank’s history.

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Bank of England is ‘a bit muddled’

On one side, central bankers – including Andrew Bailey – were swayed by the data on the economy. Growth is “subdued”, they said, and job losses are mounting.

This should weigh on wage increases, which are already moderating, and in turn inflation.

One member, Alan Taylor, was so worried about the economy he initially suggested a larger half a percentage point cut.

On the other side, their colleagues were alarmed by inflation.

The Bank upgraded its inflation forecasts, with the headline index expected to hit 4% in September.

In a blow to the chancellor, the September figure is used to uprate a number of benefits and pensions. The Bank lifted it from a previous forecast of 3.75%.

In explaining the increase, the Bank blamed higher utility bills and food prices.

Food price inflation could hit 5.5% this year, an increase driven by poor harvests, some expensive packaging regulations as well as higher employment costs arising from the Autumn Budget.

Rachel Reeves on Thursday. Pic: PA
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Rachel Reeves on Thursday. Pic: PA

When pressed by Sky News on the main contributor to that increase – poor harvests or government policy – the governor said: “It’s about 50-50.”

The Bank doesn’t like to get political but nothing about this is flattering for the chancellor.

The Bank said food retailers, including supermarkets, were passing on higher national insurance and living wage costs – the ones announced in the Autumn Budget – to customers.

Economists at the Bank pointed out that food retailers employ a large proportion of low wage workers and are more vulnerable to the lowering of the national insurance threshold because they have a larger proportion of part-time workers.

The danger doesn’t end there.

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Of all the types of inflation, food price inflation is among the most dangerous.

Households spend 11% of their disposable income, meaning higher food price inflation can play an outsized role in our perception of how high overall inflation in the economy is.

When that happens, workers are more likely to push for pay rises, a dangerous loop that can lead to higher inflation.

So while the chancellor is publicly celebrating the Bank’s fifth interest rate cut in a year, behind the scenes she will have very little to cheer.

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Tropical Storm Dexter to bring potential heatwave next week

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Tropical Storm Dexter to bring potential heatwave next week

Remnants of Tropical Storm Dexter will bring an increase in temperatures over the weekend, with highs of 34C possible next week.

A heatwave could be registered in parts of the South early next week and could spread more widely if temperatures hold.

Temperatures of 28C (82F) are possible in the South on Sunday, reaching 30C (86F) across parts of England on Monday before getting closer to 34C (93F) on Tuesday.

Pic: Joe Giddens/PA
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Pic: Joe Giddens/PA

Warm and muggy nights are to be expected, especially in the South.

Conditions will be more unsettled in the North, with strong winds and rain at times.

People punting along the River Cam in Cambridge last month. Pic: PA
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People punting along the River Cam in Cambridge last month. Pic: PA

In its forecast the Met Office said Friday will be a brighter day for many, with sunny spells across southern and central areas and highs of 25-26C expected. Northern Scotland will be breezy with showery outbreaks of rain.

Saturday will also see sunny spells for much of England and Wales, but there will be some rain in northern areas, paritcularly northern Scotland.

People enjoying the hot weather on Sunny Sands beach in Folkestone last month. Pic: PA
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People enjoying the hot weather on Sunny Sands beach in Folkestone last month. Pic: PA

A weather front moving in from the west will bring rain to Northern Ireland, parts of Scotland and possibly northern England by Sunday evening, while central and southern areas are expected to remain dry with sunny spells.

Temperatures will begin to rise in the South from Sunday evening, as the remnants of Tropical Storm Dexter “draws warm air up from the southwest across the UK”, the Met Office said.

Temperatures are expected to exceed 30C across parts of central, southern and eastern England on Monday and Tuesday, the forecaster added.

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“We’re confident that temperatures will increase markedly by the start of next week, reaching the low 30s Celsius in parts of England on Monday and perhaps the mid 30s in a few places on Tuesday,” said Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Steven Keates.

“However, the length of this warm spell is still uncertain, and it is possible that high temperatures could persist further into next week, particularly in the south.”

“Ex-Dexter sets the wheels in motion for an uptick in temperatures, but the weather patterns then maintaining any hot weather are rather more uncertain”.

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Sentebale war of words continues as charity calls for clarity on commission’s probe into Prince Harry claims

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Sentebale war of words continues as charity calls for clarity on commission's probe into Prince Harry claims

The war of words over Sentebale is continuing, with the charity calling on the Charity Commission to provide clarity that its recent report did not specifically investigate claims of racism and misogyny against Prince Harry. 

Sources close to the Duke of Sussex claim they are “rehashing unsubstantiated allegations of bullying, misogyny and more”, describing their latest move as not “just provocative, it’s pitiful”.

A source at Sentebale has told Sky News: “We have written to The Charity Commission stating that the onus is on the commission to restate for the record that individual allegations of bullying have not been investigated or addressed in the commission’s report.”

It comes after the Charity Commission report stated that “based on the evidence provided and reviewed by the commission, it found no evidence of: widespread or systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir at the charity”.

However, the commission added that it “acknowledged the strong perception of ill treatment felt by a number of parties to the dispute and the impact this may have had on them personally”.

But sources at Sentebale believe the reporting around this statement – that Prince Harry has been cleared of bullying – has been inaccurate, as the charity watchdog did not specifically look at allegations made by the chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka, including during an exclusive interview on Sky News.

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From March 2025: Charity chair’s bullying claims on Sky News

A source close to Prince Harry and the former board of trustees has hit back, and said: “It’s remarkable, just yesterday Ms Chanduaka was applauding the Charity Commission’s findings, yet today, after a flurry of unflattering headlines, she’s back on the warpath.

“Issuing yet another media statement only reinforces the commission’s criticism about using the press to air internal disputes.

“Rehashing unsubstantiated allegations of bullying, misogyny and more, which the commission found no evidence of and dressing them up as veiled threats isn’t just provocative, it’s pitiful.

“If Ms Chanduaka has genuine concerns, she should spell them out plainly or, better yet, redirect her energy toward something truly worthwhile, like raising money for the children Sentebale exists to support.”

It’s understood Prince Harry and his supporters have also been left unsatisfied by the scope of the report, including their concerns about money spent on consultants that was authorised by Dr Chandauka.

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Responding to Sky News, the Charity Commission said: “We have issued the charity with an action plan which sets out steps the current trustees need to take to improve governance weaknesses and rectify findings of mismanagement.

“We now urge all involved to put their differences behind them and allow the charity to focus on its work and beneficiaries”.

Their report, released on Wednesday, was highly critical of all parties for allowing their disagreement to play out so publicly and allowing it to severely impact the charity’s reputation.

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