Trent Alexander-Arnold is unveiled as a Real Madrid player and impresses the crowd, including club president Florentino Perez, by speaking Spanish and saying “it’s a dream come true”.
“Food has become an opportunity for killing, I’ve never heard of such a thing”
Former UN aid chief Martin Griffiths slammed Israel’s killing of Palestinians seeking aid. In an interview with Al Jazeera, he said the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was luring people to their deaths.
Keeping The Hundred free of clashes with England internationals is vital to the success of the competition, according to Welsh Fire investor Sanjay Govil.
Govil, a billionaire American-Indian IT entrepreneur, has agreed to pay just over £40m for a 50% stake in the Fire.
While there would be an intention to keep a July-August window clear of international cricket, pinch points will arise because of the global calendar.
That would potentially put the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) at odds with the eight investors who have pledged more than £500m to buy into the Hundred franchises.
“We want to put out the best product and the best players,” Govil told BBC Sport. “If they are playing Test cricket or something, we are not putting out the best product.”
Negotiations between investors and the ECB remain ongoing. Sales were agreed in February and an eight-week exclusivity period to complete the purchase was extended in March. None of the eight deals have yet been signed.
In a wide-ranging interview alongside Glamorgan chairman Mark Rhydderch-Roberts, Govil stated his preference for The Hundred to become a T20 competition and said there have been no discussions over aligning the branding of the Fire with Washington Freedom, the Major League Cricket Franchise he owns.
Rhydderch-Roberts, whose county have entered a 50-50 partnership with Govil in the ownership of the Fire, said he was “convinced” Indian male players will eventually appear in The Hundred.
Investors would want to keep The Hundred clear of internationals in order to maximise the competition’s revenue and exposure – an aim shared by the ECB.
But even if the intention is to avoid schedule clashes, other factors are at play, like the availability of opponents or global tournaments.
This is particularly problematic when cricket returns to the Olympics in 2028 and in 2030, when England hosts the men’s T20 World Cup.
In odd-numbered years, England host marquee five-Test series against Australia or India. These will continue to be held in June and July, before The Hundred.
Still, this year the fifth Test against India is not scheduled to end until the day before The Hundred begins, meaning some England players will miss out.
Captain Ben Stokes has already announced he will skip the entire competition. His Northern Superchargers were bought outright by the owners of Indian Premier League side Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Although the ECB has sold stakes in the Hundred teams, it has retained ownership of the competition itself, meaning the governing body will have final say on any change of format.
However, Govil said he and other investors have a preference to change from the 100-ball format, an outlier in terms of the global landscape, to the widely played 20-over game.
“The ones I have talked to, the answer is yes. Will it happen over time? I don’t know,” he said.
“My personal opinion, the answer is yes, but I’m a small piece in this. Cricket involves a lot of strategy. We already have Test, one-day and T20 cricket.”
With negotiations to complete the sales still continuing, it could be that they are signed before this season’s competition begins.
“I have no doubt it will be concluded,” said Govil. “When you have multiple teams, multiple sets of lawyers, negotiating with one entity, it’s a very, very complicated situation.
“I think we are very, very close. The ECB has done a fantastic job in terms of getting to where we are.”
Rhydderch-Roberts said the ECB had conceded ground in order to get the deals done.
One area of negotiation has been the sale of domestic TV rights for The Hundred, which will be offered up as part of a complete package for cricket in England and Wales when the current deal with Sky expires in 2028.
Rhydderch-Roberts clarified The Hundred TV rights will be “unbundled in due course”.
Govil added: “The fact The Hundred is a separate set of investors now, instead of doing some kind of revenue share, it’s good to have an objective view where the TV contract for The Hundred is separated out. That’s my personal position.”
Currently India’s male players are not permitted to play franchise leagues outside of the country. Female players appear in overseas leagues, including The Hundred.
In order to maximise overseas media rights, the presence of India’s stars is likely to be a key component. Owners of IPL franchises have had a growing influence across the globe, buying stakes in multiple franchises. Four Hundred teams are receiving investment from IPL owners.
“With the four IPL owners in The Hundred, I am absolutely convinced Indian players will be released for The Hundred in due course,” said Rhydderch-Roberts.
“The whole game can grow by this. I think media revenues will go ballistic. The pie is going to get a lot bigger and we intend to have a bigger share of it.”
Throughout the sale process, there was a perception that the Fire may have been unfashionable and would struggle to attract significant investment. Ultimately, it fetched a similar sum to Trent Rockets and Birmingham Phoenix.
“In the initial round of investor meetings there were 15 that had interest in Welsh Fire,” said Rhydderch-Roberts.
“We felt we have an undervalued brand, we represent a nation and we have a stadium that is ripe for much greater development. Cardiff is the event city in the UK after London. It’s the concentration of sport and entertainment that makes Cardiff incredibly interesting.
“Watch this space. For Glamorgan, this enables us to invest in cricket in Wales. We now have more resource to do that.
“Over time, Glamorgan and Welsh Fire can become more one.
Trent Alexander-Arnold wore the number 66 at Liverpool, but La Liga rules prevent him from doing so at Real Madrid.
Spanish top-flight clubs must name a 25-man ‘A’ squad at the start of each season, and every player included is obliged to wear a number from 1-25, with goalkeepers allocated the numbers one, 13, and 25.
Youth players not included in the initial ‘A’ squad can wear higher numbers.
At the time of Alexander-Arnold’s signing, the only outfield numbers available between one and 25 were 12 and 18, and the England international opted for the former.
Real’s number 12 was previously worn by France midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, but he switched to number six a year ago after the departure of Nacho Fernandez.
Prior to that, it was worn for 16 years by Brazilian left-back Marcelo, who won 25 major trophies during his time with the club.
Alexander-Arnold wore the number 66 shirt on his Liverpool debut – against Tottenham in the EFL Cup in October 2016 – and never switched.
The full-back had no personal connection to the number – it was simply allocated to him as a youngster.
Liverpool kit co-ordinator Lee Radcliffe told the club’s website: “When we get any young lads that come down from the academy, we always deliberately try to give them a high-ish number. We don’t like to give them a low number in case they think they’ve made it straight away.
“When you see him now lifting trophies and celebrating with No 66 on the back, it’s a weird feeling and I can’t really describe it. It’s weird to see such a high number and for someone to be happy with it!
“Obviously Trent’s got quite attached to the number.”
Alexander-Arnold is not the only current England player to have a high squad number early in their career and persist with it.
Real have also revealed Alexander-Arnold will wear the name ‘Trent’ on the back of his shirt.
Using a first name rather than a surname on the back of a shirt is not uncommon. Players including Alexander-Arnold’s former team-mates Virgil van Dijk and Darwin Nunez use their first name, as have others such as Dele Alli, Sergio Busquets, Memphis Depay, James Rodriguez, Alexis Sanchez and Jobe Bellingham.
Alexander-Arnold has also changed his handle on social media platform Instagram from ‘trentarnold66’ to ‘trent’.
In his first Real news conference, Alexander-Arnold explained he wanted to simplify his name.
“People call me Alexander, Arnold, Alex and Trent. There’s a lot going on. So I thought let’s make it easy,” he said.
Use of a mononym – particularly one which is fairly unique – is also seen as a strength in branding and merchandising as it stands out and is easier to remember.
La Liga is not alone among Europe’s top five leagues in restricting the squad numbers players can choose from.
The Bundesliga requires first-team players to wear numbers from 1-40. If a team uses more than 40 players in a season, squad numbers should be assigned consecutively from that point onwards.
The Premier League, Ligue 1, and Serie A don’t have restrictions beyond allowing players to choose from 1-99.
Before 2022, Ligue 1 did also have a restriction – mandating that players use numbers 1-30.
Serie A has also relaxed more stringent rules, though one it has maintained is a ban on the number 88, which is sometimes used in Italy to demonstrate support for fascism.
Chilean striker Ivan Zamorano famously wore a ‘1+8’ shirt when playing for Inter Milan after Brazil’s Ronaldo joined the club in 1997.
When Brazilian goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni – a prolific scorer of free-kicks and penalties – broke the appearance record at Sao Paulo in 2005, he wore a commemorative shirt bearing the number 618 to mark his tally in an official match against Atletico Mineiro.
In 2010, an administrative quirk meant Australia midfielder Tommy Oar became the first player to wear a three-digit number in an official international fixture. The former Utrecht player made his international debut wearing number 121.
Moroccan striker Hicham Zerouali was allowed to wear the number 0 at Aberdeen in 2000 after fans nicknamed him ‘Zero’ – but the number was banned for the following season.
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There are few fragrances worthy of Perfume Hall of Fame status, but Estée Lauder’s Bronze Goddess is one of them. This warm, coconutty, vanilla-rich floral scent is one of the bestselling summer fragrances, and it’s easy to see why.
Since it launched in 2008, Estée Lauder has launched a few spinoff and limited-edition Bronze Goddess scents, all with similar notes to the original (tiare flower, coconut, amber, sandalwood and vanilla) but with slight twists. I’ve tried them all and this one (now a permanent edition) is, I think, the best of the bunch – and it’s cheaper than the orginal.
Bronze Goddess Nuit Eau de Parfum is a slightly more sultry, sensual version, yet still has warm, beachy vibes of the much-loved classic. Its fragrance notes include bergamot essence, ylang ylang and pepper, along with coconut and white florals like the orginal Eau Fraiche.
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For me, it’s my go-to perfume when I want to be reminded of sunnier days, a grown up ‘solar scent’ (or sun cream scent), a fragrance trend that has become popular in recent years, especially in summer.
Bronze Goddess Nuit is available to buy in 50ml and 100ml bottles from retailers including Boots, John Lewis and Sephora, although the cheapest place you’ll currently find it is on Lookfantastic, where it’s currently £49 instead of the usual £70 – that’s a saving of 30%.
It’s clearly a hit with shoppers too, as almost all the reviews online have given it five out of five stars, calling it “great for holidays and summer”:
“Love this perfume it’s just like the original except with added scent of coconut. Smells just like expensive sun cream,” this customer continued.
“I kept seeing people saying that this smells like summer in a bottle and they were not wrong! Smells like beautiful, expensive sun cream. Gorgeous!” another agreed.
“This perfume smells so nice – sweet and sultry,” a third reads. “It has a floral beginning but sets with a woody undertone. The perfect blend of jasmine and salted coconut notes makes it an easy choice for a summer night.”
If you’re looking for something a little more floral you might like this other Estée Lauder iteration, Bronze Goddess Flora Verde Eau de Parfum, a vibrant, floral take on the classic inspired by the carnival spirit of Rio de Janeiro. A 50ml bottle usually costs £70 but it’s currently reduced to £59.50 on Sephora.
Ed Sheeran has faced backlash following his candid interview with Louis Theroux, in which the singer claimed he ‘identifies culturally’ as Irish. The Shape of You star, 34, opened up to the journalist on his podcast, revealing his family’s heritage.
Ed, who was born in Halifax and raised in Suffolk before moving to London to pursue his dreams, recalled his childhood holidays to Ireland. He explained to Louis how his dad, one of eight siblings, is from Belfast. He was born to Nancy Mulligan and William Sheeran.
While Nancy was a Catholic from the Republic of Ireland, William was a Protestant who was born in Northern Ireland. The duo fell in love during the Second World War, with their connection causing tension on both sides of the family.
Despite the furore from their families, Nancy and William enjoyed a marriage spanning almost seven decades. William died in 2013, while Ed mourned his grandmother’s death in 2023, aged 98.
The bitter fallout was Ed’s inspiration behind his huge hit from 2017 titled after his grandmother. During her funeral, Ed’s dad referenced the love story in his speech.
He said: “Mum met Dad, a dental student, at a Guy’s nurses’ home party. Friendship turned into love, but the Northern Ireland Presbyterian side of dad’s family did their utmost to end the relationship.
“Their wedding was attended by only one family member – mum’s twin sister Peggy. They lived above that dental surgery in South London with a growing family. Eventually five boys and three girls. Mum joked to us that she had originally wanted 11 children so she could feel the football or cricket team.”
Speaking of his heritage, Ed told The Louis Theroux Podcast. “I class my culture as Irish. I think that’s what I grew up with. My mum’s family is very, very small, it’s her and her parents, and my dad’s family is… he’s got seven brothers and sisters.
“We’d spend all of our holidays in Ireland. My first musical experiences were in Ireland, I grew up with trad music in the house. So I identify culturally as Irish, but I was obviously born and raised in Britain.”.
He added: “I do feel like my culture is something that I’m really proud of and grew up with and want to express. And I feel like just because I was born in Britain doesn’t necessarily mean that I have to just be (British), there’s loads of people I know that are half this or quarter this.”
He also admitted the country was “basically my second home musically”. ” I’d say Ireland is the place that I am most successful musically,” he claimed.
However, he was met with mixed response to his comments online. “They can have him,” one Twitter/X user fumed. “Why can’t he just identify as himself,” asked another.
There were comments of support too, though, with one user explaining: “It’s not where you’re born. It’s your bloodline that determines what you are.
“Cliff Richard was born in India. Is he Indian? You can be born anywhere in the world. That doesn’t automatically make you part of that culture.”
And Ed also reiterated the point in a response online. He commented: “My dad is Irish. My family is Irish. I have an Irish passport. The culture I was brought up around is Irish.
“The first music I learnt was Irish. Just coz I was born somewhere else doesn’t change my culture, I can be allowed to feel connection to a place half of my family is from.”
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