Archive August 28, 2025

Predict how English clubs will fare in Champions League

Images courtesy of Getty

A record six Premier League clubs will be competing in Europe’s elite competition this year as the 2025-26 Champions League draws near.

For the first time since 2021-22, Scotland will not be competing properly in the competition proper after Celtic and Rangers were eliminated in the play-offs. This is because Scotland lost its automatic spot after being eliminated from Uefa’s top 10 coefficient rankings.

At 17:00 BST, the league phase draw will take place on August 28 in Monaco.

The 36-team league phase will be the second phase of the new Champions League format.

The first game of the league phase will start on September 16 and will culminate on May 30th, 2026, at Budapest’s Puskas Arena.

Paris St-Germain are now the holders, having defeated Inter Milan 5-0 in the final of the previous year’s competition for the first time, while Real Madrid, 15-time champions, lead Uefa’s coefficient rankings based on their performance over the previous five years.

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Arsenal

Arsenal reached the semi-finals for the first time in 16 years after a promising season in Europe.

They were defeated by eventual champions PSG, along with Liverpool and Aston Villa, but Mikel Arteta’s side dramatically improved on the global stage, defeating reigning champion Real Madrid, with a dominant aggregate 5-1 scoreline.

After being forced to lead the line in all of the Gunners’ knockout games last term, midfielder-turned-makeshift striker Mikel Merino was forced to lead the line in all of the Gunners’ knockout games, Arsenal have significantly increased their forward line this summer. They have spent more than £150 million on Victor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke.

As the club’s five-year search for a trophy drags on, the pressure is mounting, but Arteta will trust that the added depth will enable his team to win the Champions League for the first time ever.

What data are gathered from this quiz?

Chelsea

After missing two years, Chelsea makes its way back to the top of Europe as the club’s champions of the Conference League and Club World Cup.

The Blues won an impressive game against PSG, the European champions last season, to end their successful summer in the CWC, which they qualified for having won the Champions League in 2021.

As the only club to have won all four major Uefa club competitions, they will enter this season’s league phase looking to make up for lost time and have a track record of success in Europe.

With the signings of Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, and Jamie Gittens this summer, Enzo Maresca has strengthened his forward line in order to cement Chelsea both domestically and internationally.

What data are gathered from this quiz?

Liverpool

After being eliminated from the 2024-25 Champions League by PSG in the last 16 of the previous season, the Premier League champions will be looking for European glory.

In his first season with the Reds, Arne Slot was able to survive the newly introduced league phase and come out on top of the 36 teams.

In the opening knockout game, Slot and his team faced the eventual champions PSG, but things didn’t go as planned.

Bayern Munich, who finished 12th overall, outperformed the Reds last season, demonstrating the new Champions League’s unpredictable nature.

What has changed with this season? In order to win the trophy for the seventh time, Liverpool have added Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Hugo Ekitike, and Giovanni Leoni.

What data are gathered from this quiz?

Manchester City

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side finished third in the Premier League, out of the Champions League in the knockout round play-offs against Real Madrid, and had a rather depressing season.

Without midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, City, who won the 2023 Champions League, appear to have turned a page this year.

With the signings of Rayan Cherki, Ait-Nouri, and Tijjani Reijnders, Guardiola has strengthened his squad.

Achieving to the last 16 would be a step in the right direction for City after last season’s bumpy patch. Can City win their second Champions League title with the addition of Reijnders and Reijnders in the De Bruyne role?

What data are gathered from this quiz?

Newcastle United

In the 2023-2024 season, Eddie Howe’s side had their first Champions League game appearance and some outstanding group performances. At St James’ Park’s cauldron, a famous 4-1 victory over a Kylian Mbappe-led PSG side was a part of this.

However, their summer activities have not fully reflected their Champions League status, with numerous striker targets including Hugo Ekitike and Joao Pedro, who were eventually signed from Liverpool and Chelsea, being rejected.

The long-running saga also includes star striker Alexander Isak, who is pushing for a move to Liverpool after looking set to stay at Tyneside when the Magpies finished in the top five in May.

No team will want to face the baptism of fire that can devour away teams at St James’ on a big European night, even though Newcastle are not in the best position for their return to Champions League football.

What data are gathered from this quiz?

Tottenham Hotspur

After recording their worst Premier League campaign to date last year, Tottenham made its first Champions League appearance since 2023.

Spurs did, however, clinch a spot in this year’s elite competition by ending their 2024-2005 campaign as the Europa League champions.

Thomas Frank, the Dane’s new boss, has never been successful in Europe’s most coveted competition. He is heading into unknown territory. His only prior experience in the United States was leading Brondby in Europa League qualifying before leading Tottenham to a penalty shootout defeat against PSG earlier this month.

Will they continue to excel in the domestic league after the additions of Joao Palhinha and Mohammed Kudus, who have already led Spurs to two victories out of two in the Premier League, in Europe?

What data are gathered from this quiz?

Watch highlights of every Champions League game on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport, and the BBC Sport website and app from 12:00 to eve of the match.

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Rylan Clark issues powerful statement after praising migrants who saved mum’s life

Rylan Clark has doubled down on his plea as he released a powerful statement following his message on This Morning yesterday. The TV presenter said “migrants saved my mum’s life” while hosting the ITV show on Wednesday.

He was recently at his mother Linda’s bedside in hospital after she fell ill. Speaking on the ITV show , he said: “This country is built on immigration.

“Legal immigration — a lot of the nurses, the doctors that have saved my mum’s life have come over here from other countries. They’re living a great life, they’re paying into this tax system, they’re helping this country thrive.”






Rylan Clark and Linda


Rylan’s mum Linda was taken to hospital a few weeks ago
(
@rylan/instagram)

He went on: “I find it absolutely insane that all these people are risking their lives coming across the Channel. And when they get here, it does seem, and I think this is why a lot of Labour voters as well are saying there’s something wrong, it feels like, ‘Welcome, come on in’. That’s the narrative we’re being fed.

“Here’s the iPad. Here’s the NHS in reception of your hotel. Here’s three meals a day. Here’s a games room in the hotel. Have a lovely time and welcome.”

Hours later, Rylan took to his Instagram where he wrote: “You can be pro immigration and against illegal routes. You can support trans people and have the utmost respect for women.

“You can be heterosexual and still support gay rights. The list continues. Stop with this putting everyone in a box exercise and maybe have conversations instead of shouting on twitter.”

While on the ITV daytime show this week, Rylan said he was aware his view was “going to upset someone”. He explained: “There are people that have lived here all their lives that are struggling.





Rylan Clark migrants - https://www.instagram.com/p/DN3JerPWMJK/?hl=en-gb


Rylan shared a statement on his social media

“They’re homeless. Let’s not even discuss our homeless. There are people living on the streets, veterans, all of this. Let me be honest, everyone’s going to have an opinion about this and you’re going to upset someone.

“Something major needs to be done about this. The money that it’s costing us, the amount of people that are in this country that we have no idea who they are, what they’ve done, what they’re capable of – and clearly we see a lot of it in the press at the moment. Not all, but some, what some are doing to people in this country.”

Rylan continued: “How can it be that if I turn up at Heathrow Airport as a British citizen and I’ve left my passport in Spain, I’ve got to stand at that airport and won’t be let in.

“But if I arrive on a boat from Calais, I get taken to a four-star hotel? If I went to Spain, without one, I wouldn’t be let in. So how come if you turn up on a small boat you are.”

The TV and radio host was forced to cancel his work commitments just a few weeks ago when his mum Linda fell ill. “Mummy Linda isn’t well sadly so I won’t be hosting the show tomorrow,” he said at the time.

“Thank you to the emergency team at Princess Alexandra Hospital. Especially Tanya who really looked after my mum. Will keep you updated as she’s on the mend. She’s a trooper.” He later updated fans to say she was recovering well.

Rylan’s comments come as a swarm of anti-immigration protests have spread across the UK over the asylum hotels row. While, anti-racism protestors are hosting counter demonstrations.

A High Court judge ordered migrants be removed from a hotel in Essex, with residents in others towns seeking to replicate the results. Among the hotels at the centre of the protests, many are thought to be buildings that are housing families opposed to single men.

The landmark ruling came after a migrant was charged with sexually assaulting a schoolgirl after being housed at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex. Up to 2,000 people flocked to the hotel and demanded its closure.

Sections of the crowd quickly turned violent – fighting with the police and throwing projectiles at officers. By the end of the protests, which were organised with the help of members of the far-right group Homeland, 16 people were charged.

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North Korea’s Kim, Putin to attend parade in China marking end of WWII

Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, will attend a military parade in China to honor the 80 years since World War II.

The “Victory Day” parade in Beijing will take place next week, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Thursday announcement.

A crowd-pleasing cast will be present, and there will be a demonstration of China’s most cutting-edge military technology.

According to the ministry, Presidents of Iran and Belarus, as well as Indonesian and Belarusian presidents, are on the guest list.

The parade coincides with the anniversary of the Japanese Empire’s official surrender to the Japanese on September 3, 1945.

Woo Won-shik, the speaker of the National Assembly, will lead the charge for South Korea, while Robert Fico, the country’s prime minister, will be the only Western official present.

Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, is unsure about the attendance.

Modi will be in Tianjin the following week to attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a Beijing-led security alliance.

Indian and Chinese ties intensified in 2020 as a result of a border dispute in the Himalayas, but they have since thawed as a result of President Donald Trump’s tariff war and shared economic grievances.

Along with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Kim and Putin are expected to be in the center of the parade.

In the face of international sanctions over its nuclear weapons program, Beijing provides Pyongyang with a crucial economic lifeline because North Korea is a treaty ally of China.

Since Putin’s unilateral invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Beijing has also come to play a similar part.

China has continued to purchase Russian energy from abroad and supply it with “dual use” parts, electronics, and parts for both military and civilian purposes.

In the weeks leading up to the invasion of Ukraine, Xi and Putin signed a “no limits partnership,” and North Korea and Russia have also grown closer since, with Pyongyang sending munitions and even soldiers to resupply Russian forces in their conflict with Ukraine.

‘Massive’ Russian attack on Ukraine’s Kyiv kills at least 4, dozens hurt

At least four people have been killed and more than 20 others have been injured in a Russian drone and missile attack that occurred overnight in Kiev, according to officials.

As Russian projectiles damaged and destroyed buildings in several of the city’s districts, powerful explosions rocked the city until early on Thursday morning, illuminating the sky and leaving behind columns of smoke.

Since Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska earlier this month to discuss ending the Ukrainian conflict, the attack was the first significant combined Russian drone and missile attack to strike Kyiv.

According to preliminary information, Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s city military administration, a 14-year-old girl was one of the reported dead.

Directly struck by a five-story residential building in the city’s Darnytskyi district. Tkachenko said, “Everything is destroyed.”

He claimed that the Russian terrorist state was staging a massive attack in Kyiv tonight.

At least four people have been confirmed dead, according to the Kyiv Independent, and authorities anticipate an increase in casualties.

On Thursday, Ukrainian rescuers were working at the site of a building that had been hit by Russian drone and missile strikes. [Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters]

A major highway in central Kyiv was strewn with shattered glass as a result of a second strike, and rescue teams were attempting to rescue people trapped beneath rubble from about 20 different affected areas.

Vitali Klitschko, mayor of Kiev, added that two children were also hurt and that it was a “massive attack” by Russia.

Officials provided a lengthy list of damaged buildings, including several high-rise apartment blocks, to news organizations, as well as photos and videos that were online that showed apartments burning and building smoke.

President Trump has so far tried to persuade Putin to end his conflict with Ukraine, and Moscow and Kyiv have traded accusations over a diplomatic impasse in an effort to put an end to the fighting.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, announced on Wednesday that his administration would hold a Friday meeting with US officials in New York.

Half of US voters believe Israel committing genocide in Gaza, poll says

According to a poll, half of American voters believe that Israel is killing Gaza.

According to a Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday, 51% of Americans believe there is a genocide, while 57% of Democrats and 51% of independents do so.

According to the poll, a large majority of Republicans, 64 percent to 20 percent, do not believe that Israel is planning a genocide.

The poll found that six out of ten US voters oppose Washington providing more military aid to Israel, which is the highest proportion since Quinnipiac first started asking the question in November 2023.

According to Quinnipiac, voters are almost equally sympathetic to Palestinians and Israelis, with 37% saying they have more sympathy for Palestinians and 36% saying they have more sympathy for Israelis.

Since Quinnipiac first started asking the question in December 2001, the percentage of Americans who sympathize with Palestinians is the highest and the lowest.

In a press release that comes with the poll, Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy stated that “Support for Palestinians increases while the appetite for funding Israel militarily declines sharply.”

A harsh assessment of Israel’s approach to the Gaza campaign is also a source of infamy.

The poll, which has a reported margin of error of plus or minus 3,4 percentage points, was conducted by Quinnipiac among 1, 220 self-identified registered voters.

Israel has been accused of carrying out a genocide in Gaza, according to rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which the nation’s government has refuted.

The International Court of Justice, which hears disputes between states, decided in an interim decision in January last year that South Africa could proceed with its case in which it accused Israel of genocide and that Palestinians had “plausible rights to protection from genocide.”

Shania Twain fans are only just learning singer’s real name as star turns 60

Fans are only now learning that the singer has a different name because she has been living in the spotlight for years, with her first album being released in 1993.

People only just learned Shania Twain’s real name (file)(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Shania Twain really needs no introduction. Having sold over 100 million records, she is one of the best-selling artists of all time and the best-selling female artist in country music history. And with hits such as ‘Man! I Feel Like A Woman!’ and ‘You’re Still The One’, there’s not doubt that Shania has had anything less than an amazing music career.

The singer, who turned 60 today (August 28), first started her music career in 1983 after graduating from high school in Timmins, Ontario in Canada. She was approached by a cover band who brought her on tour with them. However, a few years later, in 1987, her mum and adoptive father died in a car crash, which had her decided to move back home to help take care of her siblings.

As her siblings later moved out, she decided to take up her music career again, now with the name Shania Twain, which she’s become well-known as all across the world. She released her first album under this name in April 1993, and the rest is history.

Fans will be curious about the singer’s real name, even though many people may not be aware of it.

What is the real name of Shania Twain?

Eilleen Regina Edwards, Shannie Twain’s real name, is her. She was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on August 28, 1965. After her stepfather, Jerry Twain, who is of Ojibwa First Nation heritage, she later adopted the stage name Shania Twain.

Taking to a ‘name nerds’ discussion on Reddit, people were intrigued about the way so many celebrities change their names, especially when the changes are drastic.

I wanted to share this list with you guys in case you were surprised to learn how many famous people had changed their names. “

They then went on to list 45 celebrities who are better known as their staged names, including Jennifer Aniston (Jennifer Joanna Anastassakis), Liam Gallagher (William John Paul Gallagher) and also Shania Twain (Eileen Regina Edwards).

Continue reading the article below.

More celebrities who changed their names and started a discussion about the names they had chosen quickly found the comments section.

One person wrote, “I’m always blown away by this stuff. and frequently ponder how new stage names are created! Some of them —> make sense; Demetria Lovato and Demetria Lovato, but how did Shania Twain transition from Eileen Edwards to Shania Twain? Do her friends refer to her as Eileen? or Shania ? “