Gareth Southgate praised Trent Alexander-Arnold for buying into England’s midfield experiment and showing what he was capable of in the comfortable win away to Malta. The 24-year-old may be an established star at Liverpool but he has often flattered to deceive with the national team, with intense competition at right-back restricting opportunities. Alexander-Arnold struggled in a midfield against Andorra when Southgate tried him there in September 2021, but things worked far better in Malta as he won just his 19th cap on Friday evening. The England star had a hand in all three first-half goals, including curling home superbly either side of Ferdinando Apap’s own goal and a Harry Kane penalty. Substitute Callum Wilson completed a 4-0 win with a spot-kick of his own but this was Alexander-Arnold’s night as Southgate’s side continued their winning start to Euro 2024 qualification. “Inevitably a lot of what happens is going to be a little bit dependent on his club,” the England boss said. “The fact that he’s been playing partly in there with the ball, albeit a bit deeper, I think has helped his transition tonight. “What was pleasing tonight, he’s getting used to receiving in tight areas with his back to goal, with players behind him. “Whereas he’s used to receiving on the touchline, with the play in front of him, and he was very comfortable doing that. “Look, I’ve got no questions in my head he can do it. It’s just learning some nuances of the role, without the ball especially very different for him. “But he’s very keen to do it. He’s enjoyed the sort of project, if you like. “We talked about it about four weeks ago on the phone, and I think he’s been excited by it and, yeah, he showed exactly what we think he could be capable of. He gives us something different to our other midfield players.” This was a far more simple night for England compared to their last trip to Malta, when a drab, goalless first half against the limited hosts saw the travelling support turn on the team. Southgate’s side have come a long way in the six intervening years and there was never any danger of their 100 per cent Euro 2024 qualification record slipping in their third Group C match. “Of course we know we have the quality to win the games, but it’s about your mentality then and I thought that was excellent right from the start,” Southgate said. “We tried to balance looking at a few things with some experienced players that give you leadership on the pitch and set the tone. That’s how they’ve trained all week. “In particular when we lost the ball, the reaction to winning it back was a sign that the team were in a good place mentally. “Then of course some really good quality for the first couple of goals, especially, so yeah, we’ve made it look fairly straightforward. We tried to balance looking at a few things with some experienced players that give you leadership on the pitch and set the tone Gareth Southgate “That, as we know from last time, here isn’t always the case! “We’ve been able to look at a few things, we’ve been able to get players on, we’ve been able to get some players off, so very pleased with the night.” England now turn their attention to Monday’s home game North Macedonia after preventing Malta – ranked 172nd in the world – from having a shot in their box, never mind an attempt on goal. Head coach Michele Marcolini said: “I think that we don’t shoot on goal because England for 90 minutes pressed very high and didn’t give us the chance to play easy. Never, never. “To be honest, the difference physically was clear. To build the action easily, we cannot, to be honest. “We are sorry about that but at the end we have to be honest and say that this kind of match for us with this kind of behaviour from the opponent it’s very tough. “When you play with this difference between the teams, you have to hope that the opponent comes here a little bit calmer or they take the match easily. “But this didn’t happen today because England has an amazing attitude on the pitch from the first minute until the end.”

Italy dealt a surprise blow to its banks and sent shockwaves across the sector in Europe by setting a one-off 40% tax on profits reaped from higher interest rates, after reprimanding lenders for failing to reward depositors.

By Jonathan Allen and Mica Rosenberg New York Mayor Eric Adams this weekend visits the Darien Gap, a

Isaac Francis is called a 'piece of s**t' for 'folding so quickly' for new single contestant Yazmin, fans ask Courtney Randolph to 'run' from him

Ron DeSantis is expected to officially enter the 2024 presidential race this week following months of speculation. The Florida governor is tipped to file formal paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Thursday 25 May, coinciding with his candidacy declaration after a donor meeting in Miami, Reuters reported last week. This comes just days after the NAACP issued an advisory warning travelers that Florida is “openly hostile” towards Black people, people of colour and LGBT+ people following a series of laws implemented by the governor in recent months. Mr DeSantis, 44, is seen as Donald Trump’s biggest rival for the Republican vote and has been expected to throw his hat into the ring for some time. Following the GOP party’s disappoining midterms – where the “red wave” failed to appear and Mr Trump-endorsed candidates fell flat – several Republican lawmakers and right-wing media have rallied behind Mr DeSantis. However, the latest polls show Mr DeSantis trailing Mr Trump, with the RealClearPolitics polling average giving the former president a 36-point lead. Mr DeSantis will join an already crowded race, with Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson, Vivek Ramaswamy, Larry Elder and Tim Scott already announcing bids. Read More College student who tracked Elon Musk’s private jet is now following Ron DeSantis Who is Casey DeSantis? What we know about Florida governor Ron’s wife who could become America’s first lady DeSantis responds to NAACP call for tourists to boycott Florida

Girls Aloud are set to reunite next year for a UK and Ireland arena tour, much to the delight of fans. Formed in 2002, the girl group comprised of Nadine Coyle, Cheryl, Nicola Roberts, Sarah Harding and Kimberley Walsh were put together on the ITV talent show Popstars: The Rivals and would go on to achieve hit songs such as 'Sound of the Underground', 'Love Machine', 'Call the Shots', 'The Promise', and 'Something New' (to name just a few). The band split in 2013 after completing a greatest-hits tour, and in 2021 Harding sadly passed away from breast cancer aged 39. Now, the girls are getting back together as a four-piece for the tour in memory of Harding. “It hasn’t felt right, until now, to do anything without her. But now we feel strong enough, emotionally," Cheryl told the BBC about the decision to reunite. Over two decades have passed since the girl group were formed, and in this time they achieved four UK Number 1 singles and 21 UK Top 10 singles. Furthermore, they have provided us with some classic pop culture moments which are still referenced to this day - here are 10 of Girls Aloud's most iconic moments. "It's about time," Sarah on Girls Aloud winning a Brit Award In 2009, Girl Aloud won their first Brit Award for their No 1 hit song 'The Promise', and upon taking to the stage for the acceptance speech, the late Sarah Harding declared: “It’s about time! ...I think I just wet myself." Ghost Hunting with Girls Aloud When they weren't achieving hits in the charts, the girls appeared on the 2006 TV special Ghost Hunting with Girls Aloud where they immersed themselves in the ghost-hunting experience in North Wales. Understandably, all of them were petrified and the show produced the hilarious moment where Cheryl said "Will you just tap the f***ing table?" "I was so annoyed at the time. I was genuinely like, ‘Why are they drooling on? Squire this, squire that. Just tell it what you want it to do, quickly,'" Cheryl told Gay Times earlier this year about the infamous moment. "So I just said, ‘If you’re here, just tap the f***ing table! Let’s cut the bulls****.’ And it did! Well, it either did or they were having me on. I still don’t know to this day." Things then came around full circle when Cheryl starred in the West End supernatural drama 2:22 A Ghost Story earlier this year. Walking up to the highest point in Greece @summatkindaooh Cheryl’s meltdown is so everything. “Do you care?” #cheryl #cherylcole #girlsaloud #nicolaroberts #kimberleywalsh #nadinecoyle #sarahharding #british #uk #uokhun When it comes to taking in the sights of a different city, not all of us are wanting to do strenuous activities - and Cheryl was definitely not in the mood to walk to the highest viewing point in Greece. On the band's E4 show Girls Aloud: Off the Record which aired back in 2006, Cheryl - sporting some huge noughties-style sunglasses - asks: 'Does anybody care that we are going to be at the highest point in Greece, does anybody care? "It smells of s***, that's what it is. S***. It's all a s***. I couldn't give a s***." To make matters worse, the singer was wearing heels for the cobbled hill walk - not exactly ideal. Nadine going viral with her Derry accent @aidan_fr17 Visit TikTok to discover videos! Whether it's saying "Christian Louboutin," "flour," "World War five," or whether she's a beach or a city girl, Nadine is known for her distinctive Derry accent which has led to old clips going viral on TikTok. And she responded to the TikTok trend in iconic fashion in 2022 when performing at Manchester Pride. ""Hey, don't we get a wild rough time having a Derry accent? So what if I like the beach and the city?" she said in a video posted by Gay Times. It was in reference to a snippet that went viral where she is walking along the beach and says "I'd never really thought of myself as kind of a beach girl, I may have thought I'm a city girl, but I am, I'm both..." Nicola's answer to 'beer or bubbly' @bestpopculture Queen behaviour #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #funnyvideo #lol #lmao #girlsaloud #cherylcole #cheryl #nicolaroberts #popmusic #music #funny #uk #british During an interview each member was asked if they preferred to drink "beer or bubbly," while most of the girls responded by choosing one over the other, Nicola had an honest and funny response of her own. "Neither... spirit," she replied. Woman of the people. One fan said: "Her delivery of her answer is iconic," while another added: "She’s so real for that." Kimberley dropping her fan mid-performance @bestpopculture icons aloud actually #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #funny #lmao #lol #hilarious #funnyvideo #girlsaloud #summer #popmusic #dance #pop #kimberleywalsh #cheryl #cherylcole #camp #longhotsummer During an appearance on GMTV back in 2005, Girls Aloud performed their single 'Long Hot Summer' to help promote their new album, Chemistry. As part of the performance, the girls were dancing with some well-rehearsed choreography that included using handheld fans - it being a long hot summer after all. However, Kimberley ended up dropping her fan on the floor and seamlessly continued doing the choreography sans the fan and perhaps she would've gotten away with it. Though the cameraman clearly wanted everyone to notice the mistake as the camera immediately panned to the fan on the floor while Nicola appeared to be holding in laughter from what happened. One person said: "The camera pan of the fan on the floor is shady but iconic," while another added: "Kimberley…Queen of Improv." Cheryl saying she ‘looks like a dickhead’ over the outfit @bestpopculture Icon #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #funny #funnyvideo #cheryl #girlsaloud #cherylcole #popstar #pop #popmusic #uk #british #lol #hilarious #lmao In one Girl Aloud: Off the Record episode, Cheryl made it abundantly clear that she was not happy at the fact Nadine had been sent to wardrobe ahead of a TV appearance, while she would just have to wear her own clothes. "Everybody else is dressed to the nines and I look like a tramp," she complained in the clip. Being sent to China as cultural ambassadors @bestpopculture LEGENDS ALOUD #fyp #foryoupage #funnyvideo #hilarious #lmao #lol #girlsaloud #cheryl #cherylcole #popmusic #uk #london #china #british #camp #music #pop In one episode of their E4 series Girl Aloud: Off the Record, the band went on an ambassadorial trip to Shanghai, China along with Mayor of London Ken Livingstone to help promote London. From Chinese people saying they didn't know who Girls Aloud were to the band performing their hit 'Biology' and immediately afterwards declaring how it went "terribly" and was their "worst performance," there were some hilarious moments from the trip. "Ken Livingstone looked to really be enjoying himself," Kimberley commented. "I kept looking just to see if he had a look of disdain because some of the moves are a little bit... not sexy but you know what I mean." She added how she was told China is a "prudish country," and added: "Maybe they think that we're all wh****." Nicola's savage skirt response When Busted guitarist Matt Willis called Nicola a “rude ginger b****," she hit back by wearing a mini skirt that the insult emblazoned on. Absolute scenes. Their cameo appearance in St. Trinian's Girls Aloud - St Trinians Chant www.youtube.com The girls, gays and theys who grew up in the noughties will no doubt remember Girl Aloud's cameo appearance in the girl power comedy St Trinian's (2007). In the clip at the end of the film, the band appeared as the St Trinian's School Band dressed up in the uniform and performed the St.Trinian's chant in front of the schoolgirls. The late Harding also starred in the sequel of St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold as rebel Roxy a new student at the school. Truly iconic. Presale for the Girl Aloud tour will begin on Wednesday 29 November at 9am with the general on sale Friday 1 December at the same time - more information on girlsaloud.com. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Adam Yates has pulled away from his twin brother Simon Yates to win the first stage of the Tour de France, with race favorites Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard finishing not far behind

(Reuters) -Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp on Thursday lifted its annual capital expenditure forecast to around $7.5 billion and said it

Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah insists he has achieved nothing yet because he is not classed as one of the world’s greats. The defender has made his Anfield breakthrough this season and earned the faith of boss Jurgen Klopp. The manager said this month he was surprised about his rapid rise, with Liverpool having considered sending Quansah out on loan again after he spent the second half of last season with Bristol Rovers in League One. But the England Under-21 international, who made his Young Lions debut last month, has now made nine appearances for the Reds this season. However, it is not enough for the ambitious 20-year-old, who wants to make a lasting mark on the game. He said: “No (his season has not exceeded expectations), because no-one has said ‘Jarell Quansah is one of the best players in the world’ yet. “No-one’s said ‘he’s a top centre-back’. No-one’s said ‘he’s all this’, so until I’m regarded as at least one of the best players in the Premier League, then there is no reason for me to sit on what I’ve got and go ‘Oh yeah, I’ve played nine games for Liverpool’. That’s never been the end goal. “I’ve always just wanted to be a winner. I’ve hated losing since I was young. I used to cry when I lost. When I lose, it still ruins my weekend and stuff like that. “There is no point in setting goals that you think you could reach. You might as well just set a goal that maybe looks out of reach but you never know what you can get to. “Surprised could be deemed an interesting word but I think he (Klopp) means I wasn’t expected to be there yet. “I don’t think it was ‘It’s a surprise, I’ve trained with him before and he’s not a good player’. It was about how soon it’s come and how I’ve dealt with the adversity I have been thrown into. “It’s not expected from being on loan at Bristol Rovers to going straight into the first team, and to do as well as I did. That’s where the surprise came from.” Quansah made his debut in Liverpool’s late 2-1 win at Newcastle in August, coming on as a substitute for the injured Joel Matip after Virgil Van Dijk was sent off. He also had a goal disallowed in the Reds’ 3-2 Europa League defeat in Toulouse last week, while Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones and Trent Alexander-Arnold have all offered words of wisdom. He said: “They just say enjoy it. It sounds so simple and cliche but it is easy for young centre-halves to not play their game, play safe and not do what they do at other levels just because it is a step up. “Them saying that relaxes you a bit, so when I get told to enjoy it I can be free and just play. I don’t have to worry about making mistakes because they’re going to happen. “I can’t remember the last player who had a perfect career and never made a mistake, that is going to happen and that is the way you learn best so just enjoy myself and do the best I can.” Now, Quansah is preparing to travel to Serbia on Friday for Saturday’s Euro 2025 qualifier in Backa Topola, before returning to face Northern Ireland at Goodison Park on Tuesday in Group F. Lee Carsley’s side are second in the group following last month’s late 3-2 defeat to Ukraine, having smashed Serbia 9-1 at the City Ground. The loss to Ukraine in Poland, after levelling at 2-2 having been 2-0 down, was just England’s third in qualifying since 2011 but Quansah is happy to learn the lessons. He said: “We didn’t lock the game down as the way we should have and their goal was a sucker punch. “Things are definitely going to be different (in Serbia), it’s always tough going away from home as we found out against Ukraine.” Read More Liam Dawson sees promise in fellow spinner Rehan Ahmed but calls for patience Expanded Vitality Blast Off will return to kick off new domestic T20 schedule Damien Comolli says Toulouse’s entire football operation ‘driven by data’ No end to pursuit of the world’s best players, Saudi Pro League official says Basketball coach says sport can play big role in developing skills of youngsters Newcastle, Man Utd and West Ham target Leverkusen defender

A funeral and burial will be held Monday for the 6-year-old boy who was fatally stabbed when his Chicago-area landlord allegedly attacked him and his mother because the family is Muslim.

The highly anticipated Google Pixel event went down on Wednesday, and as you might have

Australia are adamant they will be "ready for anything" India throw at them in the Cricket World Cup final after controversy hit the tournament...