The UK and Ireland are poised to host Euro 2028 with their bid now unopposed due to Turkey’s withdrawal. The joint bid between England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, which was up against Turkey ahead of next week’s Uefa announcement, will secure hosting rights subject to final approval from the governing body’s executive committee. Turkey will now join forces with Italy to host Euro 2032 instead, with Germany the hosts for next year’s Euro 2024. Uefa officials are yet to confirm how the hosts would qualify for Euro 2028, with discussions over the prospect of teams participating in qualification to secure competitive preparation for the tournament. However some teams could still qualify even if knocked out. The Independent reported in July that Uefa were unlikely to grant all five nations a place in the 24-team tournament. While Uefa sees benefits to the joint bid in terms of commercial potential and most of the infrastructure already in place, the number of teams hosting brings an unprecedented element. Issues related to sporting integrity as regards qualification may now emerge, with Uefa likely to award a maximum of three guaranteed places. The anticipated expansion of the tournament to 32 teams is not expected to happen until 2032. The prospect of a mini-tournament before qualification officially starts is thought to be on the table. While the Independent understands there is a very minor possibility the tournament could have just four hosts if Northern Ireland's planned stadium of Casement Park in Belfast isn't reconstructed in time. But that isn't currently seen as a challenge, given five years until the competition. There is no confirmation on who would host the final, though Wembley Stadium would seem the likely favourite, meaning a second European final in three editions of the competition. England lost to Italy in the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley, which took place in 2021 after its postponement due to Covid. Wembley is one of 14 venues across the five countries to have been shortlisted in the bid, with nine English stadia in total, two in the Republic of Ireland and one each in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The inclusion of Casement Park, a Gaelic sports venue which is in the process of being redeveloped, means Belfast is set to host matches should it remain when the final list of 10 stadia is submitted to Uefa in April. The nine English stadia include three in London – Wembley, the London Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium are on the provisional list, as are Newcastle’s St James’ Park and Sunderland’s Stadium of Light. Everton’s new ground at Bramley-Moore Dock is on the shortlist, as is Villa Park in Birmingham. The Aviva Stadium and Croke Park are the shortlisted venues in Dublin, while the Principality Stadium in Cardiff and Hampden Park in Glasgow complete the list. Gareth Bale was due to help the bid by joining a Welsh delegation in Geneva this month. The legendary winger, who is Wales' most capped player and record goalscorer, retired from football in January, but the 34-year-old offered to help Wales secure joint-hosting rights. Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney said: “We are hoping for a successful bid and Gareth is very much part of the FAW and what we do. He has been identified as one of the faces of the bid presentation. Gareth is globally famous. You can get into a taxi in Sydney or Peru and if you mention you are from Wales they will say ‘Gareth Bale’. It is an instant reaction. “When I go home to the west of Ireland the first thing people say to me is ‘how is Gareth Bale?’ Gareth is so good for us. We went to him and asked him if he would get involved in the Euro ’28 bid and he just said: ‘What can I do for Wales?’ It was instant – ‘how can I help you get the bid over the line?'” Turkey now looks set to host the major tournament in 2032, eight years after falling short in the race to host Euro 2024, with Germany outpointing them 12-4 in the voting. The Uefa Executive Committee will officially appoint host associations on 10 October at the governing body’s headquarters, the House of European Football, in Nyon, Switzerland. Read More UK and Ireland’s Euro 2028 bid unlikely to secure five automatic places Gareth Bale part of Welsh delegation to help UK and Ireland Euro 2028 bid UK and Ireland shortlist 14 stadiums for Euro 2028 bid Gareth Bale part of Welsh delegation to help UK and Ireland Euro 2028 bid UK and Ireland bid for Euro 2028 to be unopposed after Turkey withdraw interest Ed Sheeran and Ipswich players celebrate win with dressing room sing-along

An exoplanet more than eight times the size of Earth and potentially habitable has been discovered by scientists. Exoplanet K2-18 b was detected by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and piqued scientists’ interest after data suggested it may be covered in an ocean and have a hydrogen-rich atmosphere that could support life. Scientists are also encouraged by a hint of the detection of the molecule dimethyl sulphide (DMS). On Earth, DMS is only produced by microbial life, but the team has yet to confirm the detection and search for evidence of biological activity. The groundbreaking discovery of K2-18 b may see the exoplanet come under the unique classification of a “Hycean” planet – ones which are candidates for life thanks to their hydrogen-rich atmospheres and water cover. The amount of methane and carbon dioxide combined with the shortage of ammonia suggests there may be a water ocean underneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere in K2-18 b. K2-18 b lies within the constellation of Leo and orbits a dwarf star called K2-18. It lies around 120 light years away from Earth and is within the habitable zone. However, scientists added that this does not necessarily mean it can support life. Nikku Madhusudhan, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge and lead author of the paper, explained: “Our findings underscore the importance of considering diverse habitable environments in the search for life elsewhere. “Traditionally, the search for life on exoplanets has focused primarily on smaller rocky planets, but the larger Hycean worlds are significantly more conducive to atmospheric observations.” 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.

Hudson Card tied his career high with three touchdown passes and scored on a 10-yard run with 2:39 left Saturday to give the Purdue Boilermakers a 35-31 victory over Indiana in the Old Oaken Bucket game

Tom Sizemore's final film, 'Trauma Therapy: Psychosis', will be released on September 1.

Julian Nagelsmann has been announced as Germany's new head coach ahead of Euro 2024, replacing Hansi Flick. Bayern Munich agreed to free Nagelsmann of his contract after being placed on gardening leave.

A widely watched section of the U.S. Treasury yield curve on Monday hit its deepest inversion since the

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s two-day engagement with top officials in Beijing offered a way for the US and

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 28, 2023--

A "bitterly disappointed" Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was left to rue the "inexperience" of two players sent off in a 2-0 Champions League loss to Feyenoord but said the Scottish...

Veteran news anchor Huw Edwards was on Wednesday revealed by his wife as the BBC presenter accused of paying for explicit images but police said...

Bank Indonesia kept its key rate steady at a four-year high to shield the rupiah ahead of an

With record levels of gonorrhoea and syphilis cases reported by the UK Health Security Agency, it’s important to take sexual health seriously – and not just for young people. In fact, the number of common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among over-65s increased by 20% from 2017 to 2019, according to the Local Government Association. This is why if you are sexually active, regular testing is necessary whatever your age – even if you don’t have any symptoms. “Sexual health check-ups are important because STIs can be silent but can also have significant health implications,” says Dr Priyanka Patel, consultant ambulatory gynaecologist at London Gynaecology. “STIs such as chlamydia can affect female fertility, and STIs such as HIV weaken the immune system.” To mark Sexual Health Week (September 11-17), Dr Patel talks through some key points about STI screening… How often should you have an STI check? “You need to have an STI check whenever you have a new partner, especially if you’re not using condoms, or think you were exposed to an STI,” says Patel. “Everyone should have an STI screen, including an HIV test, every year if having sex without condoms with new or casual partners.” Testing is also advised for anyone who develops possible symptoms. These may include unusual discharge from the vagina, penis or anus; pain when peeing; blisters, sores, lumps or skin growths on the genitals or anus; itching or a rash. What will you be asked at a check-up? You can find your nearest sexual health clinic via the NHS to book an appointment. Many sexual health services now offer free self-sampling kits to order online for people who don’t have any symptoms and want to do a check-up at home. “Men may have to hold their urine before testing, but women do not need to do anything in particular to prepare,” Patel says. “You will be asked about your sexual history, partners, contraceptive use and general health. You will be asked for details about your recent sexual partners and types of sex you have.” These questions may feel personal or intrusive but are important to ensure the correct tests are done. Remember, taking care of your sexual health is about being safe and empowered and healthcare professionals are there to help. What tests are done? “The testing will depend on the answers you give about the types of sex you have,” says Patel. “Vaginal, throat and anal swabs may be done – these will be used to test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea.” To do this, the clinician rubs a cotton bud inside the area for a few seconds. A blood sample will be taken to test for syphilis and HIV. Patel continues: “If you have symptoms, then the clinician will usually carry out a speculum examination to look at the health of the vagina and cervix.” How do you get STI test results? The way your results are delivered varies between clinics, and they will advise when you should expect to hear back. “Most will send results via a text message or give you a number to call for results,” says Patel, while some have a ‘no news is good news’ policy, meaning if you don’t hear anything then you’ve got the all-clear. For home testing kits, you’ll get a notification to say your samples were received and results are usually sent via text message. “If you test positive for an STI, they will arrange for treatment and offer support,” Patel explains – which goes for both clinic and self-sampling. She adds: “It’s important to notify partners of any positive results and the sexual health clinic can also assist in anonymous partner notification.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 9 arthritis myths we all need to stop believing Prince Harry spotted at Windsor Castle on anniversary of Queen’s death How the weather can change the way you dream