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Rebecca Welch is set to become the first woman to referee a Premier League match after being appointed to officiate Fulham versus Burnley on Saturday 23 December.

Welch, 40, has long been a trailblazer in men’s football, having become the first woman to be appointed to referee an EFL (English Football League) match in April 2021 and the first to take charge of a men’s FA Cup fixture in January 2022.

Sam Allison, 42, will also become the first black official to referee a Premier League game since Uriah Rennie in 2008 when he takes charge of Sheffield United versus Luton on Boxing Day.

The Premier League said on its website on Thursday: “History will be made when Fulham host Burnley on Saturday 23 December, with Rebecca Welch becoming the Premier League’s first woman referee.”

Welch was also appointed as the fourth official for Manchester United’s 1-0 victory at Fulham in November, becoming the first woman to take on the role in the Premier League.

Welch seen showing a yellow card to Middlesbrough's Hayden Hackney during the Sky Bet Championship match against Birmingham City in October
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Welch seen showing a yellow card to Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney during the Sky Bet Championship match against Birmingham City in October

She has also previously refereed in the National League, while she regularly officiates in the Women’s Super League (WSL) and appeared at the Women’s World Cup earlier this year.

Welch, from Washington in Tyne and Wear, became a referee in 2010, balancing the role alongside her job in the NHS.

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Meanwhile Allison makes the step up to the Premier League after several seasons in the EFL.

Allison during the Emirates FA Cup third round match between Forest Green Rovers v Birmingham City in January
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Allison during the Emirates FA Cup third round match between Forest Green Rovers v Birmingham City in January

He was promoted to the Championship at the start of the 2023/24 season.

Allison played for Swindon, Bristol City, Bournemouth and Exeter before beginning his refereeing career while also working as a firefighter.

He turned to full-time refereeing and officiated in the Football League from 2020, where he has taken charge of more than 100 matches.

He was the fourth official for the Premier League game between Brighton and Chelsea in October last year.

Bhupinder Singh Gill became the first Sikh-Punjabi to officiate in the Premier League in January
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Bhupinder Singh Gill became the first Sikh-Punjabi to officiate in the Premier League in January

In January, Bhupinder Singh Gill became the first Sikh-Punjabi to officiate in the Premier League when he was appointed as an assistant referee for Nottingham Forest’s trip to Southampton.

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The appointments come as the FA has pledged to increase diversity among officials.

It hopes to recruit 1,000 new referees from diverse backgrounds in the next three years.​​​​​​

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Man accused of driving into crowds at Liverpool victory parade faces further 24 charges

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Man accused of driving into crowds at Liverpool victory parade faces further 24 charges

A man accused of driving into crowds at Liverpool FC’s title parade faces 24 new charges.

More than 130 people, including children, were injured when Paul Doyle allegedly drove his Ford Galaxy vehicle into hordes of fans at the celebrations on 26 May.

The 53-year-old, of Croxteth, Liverpool, was originally charged with two counts of wounding with intent, two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, two counts of attempted grievous bodily harm with intent, and one count of dangerous driving.

Six of the new alleged offences relate to babies, including one six-month-old and one seven-month-old, proceedings at Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday.

The new indictment, which was not read out in court, now has 31 counts relating to 29 victims, aged between six months and 77 years old.

Doyle now faces 18 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, nine counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, two counts of wounding with intent, one count of dangerous driving and one count of affray.

He appeared in court via video link from prison and was in tears.

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He did not enter any pleas during the hearing, which lasted around 20 minutes.

The case was adjourned until 4 September, when Doyle is expected to enter pleas.

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Mosquito bite warning after rise in chikungunya cases in travellers returning to UK

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Mosquito bite warning after rise in chikungunya cases in travellers returning to UK

Travellers are being warned about mosquito bites on holiday after a rise in chikungunya infections in people returning to the UK.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also said the first cases of the emerging oropouche virus had been recorded.

Chikungunya typically causes sudden fever and joint pain, which can be debilitating, and lasts from a few days to weeks.

The name comes from a word in a Tanzanian language meaning “that which bends up”, owing to the joint pain associated with it.

Most people recover but in some cases the symptoms can last several months or even years.

It’s spread by mosquito bites in tropical and subtropical regions, and most of the 73 cases reported in the UK so far this year were in London and linked to travel to Sri Lanka, India, and Mauritius.

Only 27 cases were reported in the same January to June period last year.

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Chikungunya can’t spread directly from person to person – so if someone becomes ill in the UK, they can’t pass the infection on, and the mosquitos responsible aren’t present here.

Dr Philip Veal, consultant in public health at the UKHSA, said it can be a “nasty disease” and the increase in cases was “worrying”.

“It is essential to take precautions against mosquito bites when travelling,” he said.

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“Simple steps, such as using insect repellent, covering up your skin and sleeping under insecticide-treated bed nets can greatly reduce the risk.”

Chikungunya is mainly found in Asia and Africa, but cases have been reported in Europe and North America this year.

Two vaccines to guard against the infection are available in the UK from private travel clinics.

The first cases of the Oropouche virus have also been confirmed in Britain, according to the UKHSA.

It’s spread by midge and mosquito bites and the three cases are all linked to travel to Brazil.

Oropouche was first identified in Trinidad and Tobago in the 1950s and had been mainly confined to the Amazon area.

However, cases have been increasing since 2023 and have shown up in places such as the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Peru.

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Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, nausea and vomiting.

Anyone who gets such symptoms after being in Central and South America or the Caribbean is advised to get urgent medical advice.

Most people recover on their own, but it can cause severe disease in the very elderly or those with a weak immune system.

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Man staying at hotel that has been focus of protests denies sexual assault charge

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Man staying at hotel that has been focus of protests denies sexual assault charge

A man staying at a hotel that has been the focus of a series of protests has denied a charge of sexual assault and faces a trial next month.

Mohammed Sharwarq, a 32-year-old Syrian national, was arrested after police were called to the Bell Hotel on the Epping High Road in Essex yesterday, police said.

Sharwarq, who is alleged to have kissed a man on the neck, indicated a plea of not guilty to a charge of sexual assault at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court today.

He indicated guilty pleas to six further charges concerning four complainants – with two counts of common assault and four of assault by beating.

Sharwarq is alleged to have punched a man in the face, thrown an object at a man, slapped a third man in the face and attempted to punch a fourth.

Sky News understands the alleged offences took place inside the hotel between 25 July and 12 August.

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District judge Lynette Woodrow remanded Sharwarq, who was assisted in court by an Arabic interpreter, in custody until his trial on 30 September.

The arrest followed weeks of protests outside the hotel.

Neil Hudson, the Conservative MP for Epping Forest, said last month that the protests were a crisis that “risks boiling over”.

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