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The England squad for the Women’s World Cup has been announced, with Lucy Bronze, Lauren James and Mary Earps among the 23 players heading to Australia and New Zealand.

Beth Mead, who won the Golden Boot in last year’s Euro 2022 triumph, has been recovering from an ACL injury sustained in November and will miss out.

Captain Leah Williamson and midfielder Fran Kirby, who are injured, are also among those who will not be going to the tournament.

Speaking about the high profile absentees, England boss Sarina Wiegman said: “It’s very disappointing for Leah. It’s very sad but it’s the same for Fran [Kirby] and the same for Beth Mead. But you have to move on too, and unfortunately this is part of top-level sport.”

Wiegman confirmed defender Millie Bright will take on the captaincy in light of Williamson’s absence.

Asked if there was ever a chance of Mead recovering from her injury in time, Wiegman said: “No, I don’t think so. Beth is so positive and she’s going really well [in her recovery]. But we were always wary of her time schedule.”

England’s first game is against Haiti on 22 July and they will later play Denmark and China in Group D.

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England's Fran Kirby and Beth Mead celebrate with the trophy after winning Women's Euro 2022
Image:
Fran Kirby (left) and Beth Mead, who will both not be going to the World Cup, celebrate with the trophy after winning Euro 2022

Here’s the full squad:

Goalkeepers: Mary Earps (Man Utd), Ellie Roebuck (Man City), Hannah Hampton (Aston Villa)

Defenders: Millie Bright (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Barcelona), Jess Carter (Chelsea), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Alex Greenwood (Man City), Esme Morgan (Manchester City), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal)

Midfielders: Keira Walsh (Barcelona), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Man Utd), Jordan Nobbs (Aston Villa), Laura Coombs (Man City), Katie Zelem (Man Utd)

Forwards: Alessia Russo (Man Utd), Rachel Daly (Aston Villa), Lauren Hemp (Man City), Chloe Kelly (Man City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Katie Robinson (Brighton), Bethany England (Tottenham)

Leah Williamson misses out due to injury. Pic: AP
Image:
Leah Williamson misses out due to injury. Pic: AP

Expectations are high for Wiegman’s team after winning last summer’s Euro 2022.

They also beat Brazil in the first-ever Women’s Finalissima in April this year.

The World Cup squad was announced at Sutton Coldfield’s Boldmere St Michael’s FC to “highlight the strong connection between the grassroots game and England teams”.

Analysis from Sky Sports News reporter Anton Toloui

There are a couple of surprises. The goalkeepers are unchanged from the Euros last summer.

Mary Earps is the undisputed number one. There is very good news for England fans in defence as both Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze are both in the squad after end-of-season knee surgeries.

There is no place for Maya Le Tissier. Jordan Nobbs and Laura Coombs both had strong seasons to earn their places in the squad.

It’s interesting that Katie Zelem is in as she was left out of the last England squad. She’s probably in this one because there’s no Leah Williamson so they need another back-up holding midfielder.

Up front, there is even more intrigue as Bethany England is included after a sensational start to her Tottenham career.

After 12 goals in 12 games for Spurs, Sarina Wiegman decides to give her a recall despite not playing for England since September.

Asked about the weight of expectation following recent successes, Wiegman said: “Our approach is no different in this tournament in the sense that we always want to be at our best.

“We’re a little bit in transition now with some changes in the team, but I still think we’re really good and have many very talented players.

“We’re just going to make sure that we’re at our best and then we’ll see how far we’ll go.

“We’re still in a very good place.”

Jordan Nobbs is included in the squad despite sustaining an injury in Aston Villa’s penultimate game of the season.

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Millie Bright will take on the captaincy. Pic: AP
Image:
Millie Bright will take on the captaincy. Pic: AP

Meanwhile, Katie Zelem has been brought back after not making the last squad in April and there is no recall for Williamson’s predecessor as captain Steph Houghton.

Jess Park, Maya Le Tissier and Emily Ramsey have been named on standby.

Wiegman said after the squad announcement: “The last week has been pretty stressful. We’ve had to make hard decisions in the last period. It’s nice for the ones who are in, it’s not nice for the ones who aren’t.

“We’ve had very good conversations with the tactical staff, we follow the players very closely. But it’s been really hard.”

Wiegman also said she had some very enjoyable phone calls with players who found out they had made the squad.

Leah Williamson, center left, and Millie Bright lift the trophy after winning the Women's Euro 2022 final. Pic: AP
Image:
Leah Williamson, center left, and Millie Bright lift the trophy after winning the Women’s Euro 2022 final. Pic: AP

Giving her thoughts on the selection, former England goalkeeper Carly Telford told Sky Sports News: “It’s good to see Millie Bright on that list. I think we’ll all be relieved about that.

“She’s [Wiegman] gone with experience in Jordan Nobbs. It’s great to see her back, along with Katie Zelem – I think they’re going to be important.

“There’s some freshness in there. Katie Robinson’s a very exciting prospect.

“No Jess Park, which is disappointing, but her injury towards the end of the season probably hindered her a little bit.

“It’s a solid squad. It’s got good versatility and good depth.”

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‘Britain’s strictest headteacher’ Katharine Birbalsingh criticises Education Secretary over ‘appalling’ schools bill

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'Britain's strictest headteacher' Katharine Birbalsingh criticises Education Secretary over 'appalling' schools bill

Educators are split over the government’s proposed Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, with some saying the move will improve fairness and accountability and others warning it could limit innovation in academy schools.

Pushed by the Department for Education (DfE) as a means to reform the education system, the bill seeks to improve school standards, strengthen attendance policies, and ensure that children receive a well-rounded education that prioritises their wellbeing.

The legislation also includes measures to increase school accountability, particularly for academies, by giving more oversight to the DfE.

Katharine Birbalsingh, headteacher of Michaela School in Wembley, north London, called it “absolutely appalling”.

“I’m just really concerned because, at the moment, school leaders have the freedom to do various things that are right for their intake,” she told Sky News.

“This bill will take those freedoms away.”

Ms Birbalsingh, also known as ‘Britain’s strictest headteacher’, added: “We got unlucky because we could have had Wes Streeting as education secretary, which would have been fine. Unfortunately, we got her [Bridget Phillipson].

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“She [Ms Phillipson] is so arrogant. She’s just marched in there and gone, ‘I know what I’m doing, I’ll just do what I want’.”

But some argue that academies are left to their own devices and have a lack of accountability when it comes to things like parental complaints.

The bill will require all schools to follow the national curriculum and employ teachers who have Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or are working towards it.

The founder of the Oasis Academies, Steve Chalke
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Steve Chalke, founder of Oasis Academies

The founder of Oasis Academies, Steve Chalke, told Sky News: “We’re excited about the changes because we feel that education has been in a very, very poor place for the last decade or more.

“Schools have been stripped of resources and there have been giant problems about the recruitment and retention of teachers.

“We feel that this important bill is beginning to address all of those issues.”

The bill plans to provide all primary school children with breakfast, alongside uniform limits.

This would prevent schools from having more than three items of branded uniform clothing, potentially addressing concerns parents have about the cost of uniforms.

Mr Chalke said: “I am a fan of working hard collaboratively to create the best opportunities for any and every young person and their family.

“Because behind every struggling child is normally a parent who’s struggling with that.”

He added: “We at Oasis are excited about all of this, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have questions.

“It doesn’t mean that we’re being led blindly down the road, but our job is to be engaged in the discussion about how academies work more widely with their local authorities.”

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The bill will also give local authorities greater control over the pupil admission process.

Ms Birbalsingh said: “Any council could decide to reduce the number of children in one school and therefore reduce the money at that school and give more pupils to another school that’s struggling.”

Mr Chalke said: “Educational academy boards, academy groups, need to be accountable in strong partnership with others. And if this bill delivers everything it promises, wow. I think [it] will be an extraordinary outcome.”

Empty classroom chairs TOP
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The bill will give local authorities greater control over the pupil admission process

The bill is set to be debated further in the coming weeks as it moves through parliament.

A DfE spokesperson said: “This government is determined to drive high and rising standards for every child through our Plan for Change, to ensure every family has a good local school for their child.

“Our landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill delivers on this mission, getting high-quality teachers into every classroom, and ensuring there is a floor on pay and no ceiling.

“These measures will make sure we are giving every child an education as good as the best.”

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Labour MPs Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed denied entry and deported from Israel

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Labour MPs Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed denied entry and deported from Israel

Two Labour MPs have been denied entry to Israel and deported.

Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed were rejected because they were suspected of plans to “document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred”, according to a statement from the Israeli immigration ministry.

Ms Yang, who represents Earley and Woodley, and Ms Mohamed, the MP for Sheffield Central, both flew to the country from Luton on Saturday.

According to a statement from the Israeli immigration ministry, they were accompanied by two assistants and during questioning, the MPs claimed they were visiting Israel “as part of an official parliamentary delegation”.

The ministry branded their claim as “false”, but UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy reacted to news of the MPs’ detention saying their treatment while “on a parliamentary delegation to Israel” was “unacceptable”.

In their own statement, the two women said they were “astounded at the unprecedented step taken by the Israeli authorities”.

“It is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness, first-hand, the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory,” the statement said.

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“We are two, out of scores of MPs, who have spoken out in Parliament in recent months on the Israel-Palestine conflict and the importance of complying with international humanitarian law. Parliamentarians should feel free to speak truthfully in the House of Commons, without fear of being targeted.”

They said they had travelled to “visit humanitarian aid projects and communities in the West Bank” with “UK charity partners who have over a decade of experience in taking parliamentary delegations”.

“We thank them, the staff of the British Embassy in Tel Aviv, the British Consulate in Jerusalem, the Middle East minister and the Foreign Secretary for their tireless support,” the statement concludes.

Israel’s UK embassy said the MPs were denied entry because they had “accused Israel of false claims, were actively involved in promoting sanctions against Israeli ministers, and supported campaigns aimed at boycotting the state of Israel”.

Its statement said the women “chose not to exercise their right under Israeli law to petition the court to reconsider the decision”.

As a result, they were “offered hotel accommodation, which they declined” and their return flight was covered by the Israeli state.

“The visit was intended to provoke anti-Israel activities at a time when Israel is at war and under attack on seven fronts. Its purpose was to harm Israel and Israeli citizens and spread falsehoods about them,” the statement added.

“The state of Israel has both the authority and the duty to prevent the entry of individuals whose presence in the country is intended to cause harm to its citizens – just as such authority exists in the United Kingdom.”

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Mr Lammy said in a statement to Sky News: “It is unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities.

“I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support.

“The UK government’s focus remains securing a return to the ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, free the hostages and end the conflict in Gaza.”

In an interview with Sky’s Trevor Phillips, chief secretary to the treasury Darren Jones echoed Mr Lammy’s accusation of “unacceptable” behaviour by the Israelis.

But Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips that “every country should be able to control its borders” and “that’s what Israel is doing” because they “gave reasons why those people shouldn’t have come in based on their laws”.

“It’s really important, I believe, to respect those countries’ decisions,” she told Sky News.

Ms Badenoch also said she is “very concerned” about the “rhetoric” on the Middle East from Labour MPs – and six independents – and therefore she was “not surprised” by the move of Israeli border officials.

She claimed there is “a lot of repeating of misinformation, repeating of conspiracy theories” during Prime Minister’s Questions.

“I see Labour MPs standing up and saying things which even Keir Starmer has to disagree with and shut down at PMQs,” she added.

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Artist behind Trump portrait branded ‘the worst’ by president says her business is ‘in danger of not recovering’

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Artist behind Trump portrait branded 'the worst' by president says her business is 'in danger of not recovering'

An artist whose official portrait of Donald Trump was publicly criticised by the president said her business is now “in danger of not recovering”.

The Republican leader made headlines at the end of last month when, in a post on his Truth Social platform, he said the portrait hanging in Colorado’s State Capitol had been “purposefully distorted”.

Following the criticism, officials said the portrait would be taken down and it has since been removed.

Sarah Boardman, the British artist who painted the Trump portrait, said in a statement to Sky News she felt her “intentions, integrity, and abilities” had been “called into question” when the president criticised the oil painting.

In his post, Mr Trump said a portrait by the same artist of former US president Barack Obama was “wonderful” but “the one on me is truly the worst”.

Sarah Boardman. Pic : AP
Image:
Sarah Boardman. Pic : AP

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Referring to Ms Boardman, whose collection of official portraits also includes one of former president George W Bush, Mr Trump said “she must have lost her talent as she got older”.

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Trump’s portrait to be taken down

He then added: “In any event, I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one.”

Almost two weeks since the criticism, Ms Boardman has now responded saying her business has been detrimentally impacted.

She said: “President Trump is entitled to comment freely, as we all are, but the additional allegations that I ‘purposefully distorted’ the portrait, and that I ‘must have lost my talent as I got older’ are now directly and negatively impacting my business of over 41 years which now is in danger of not recovering.”

The artist also described how “for the six years that the portrait hung in the Colorado State Capitol Building Rotunda, I received overwhelmingly positive reviews and feedback”.

“Since President Trump’s comments, that has changed for the worst,” she added.

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Ms Boardman said the Colorado State Capitol Advisory Committee, Denver, commissioned her to paint the official portrait of President Trump for the Denver State Capitol Gallery of Presidents.

“The reference photograph and my subsequent ‘works in progress’ were all approved, throughout that process, by that committee,” she said.

“I completed the portrait accurately, without ‘purposeful distortion’, political bias, or any attempt to caricature the subject, actual or implied. I fulfilled the task per my contract.”

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