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England name ‘strongest U21 squad in history’ as fans say ‘would beat the senior team’ after controversial Tuchel picks

ARSENAL teen Ethan Nwaneri has been given his first England Under-21s call-up – with fans saying the Young Lions would “turn over” Thomas Tuchel’s controversial senior squad.

The Gunners forward, 17, has been bumped up by boss Lee Carsley for friendlies against France and Portugal this month.

Ethan Nwaneri of Arsenal celebrating a goal.
Getty
Ethan Nwaneri has been handed his first England Under-21s call after his superb run of form with Arsenal[/caption]
Arsenal players celebrating a goal.
Getty
Nwaneri’s best mate Myles Lewis-Skelly has been picked in England’s senior squad by new boss Thomas Tuchel[/caption]
Ipswich Town players celebrating a goal.
Getty
Ipswich trio Jaden Philogene, Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson are all in Lee Carsley’s group[/caption]
Lee Carsley, interim head coach of England, sits in the stands.
Getty
Lee Carsley has named ‘the strongest ever’ England Under-21s squad[/caption]

Nwaneri has made a stunning impact for such a young player under Mikel Arteta this season, with eight goals in all competitions, and was even touted for a senior call-up.

The Gunners academy graduate had previously represented England to Under-19 level, meaning he is skipping past the Elite League squad level to the U21s.

Also included in Carsley’s squad for the first time are goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe, on loan at Doncaster from Chelsea, Burnley defender CJ Egan-Riley and Sunderland’s  Dennis Cirkin.

Rico Lewis, Jarrad Branthwaite and Taylor Harwood-Bellis return to the U21s squad having been called up to the seniors in November for Carsley’s final camp as interim manager.

Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton returns having been left out in November following surgery to a groin injury.

Palace were reluctant for Wharton to be called up once more as he continues to manage his fitness.

Carsley has named a strong squad for the final break before England head to Slovakia to defend their U21 Euros title.

Ipswich trio Jaden Philogene, Omari Hutchinson and Liam Delap are part of a formidable forward line alongside Nwaneri.

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Jobe Bellingham, Archie Gray and Harvey Elliott have all received call-ups in midfield, as well as Wharton and Bournemouth’s Alex Scott.

And a hoard of fans have reacted by suggesting the Young Lions would beat Thomas Tuchel’s senior squad after a controversial set of picks from the new boss.

Graphic of Thomas Tuchel's first England squad. Illustration of England's possible starting XI football lineup.

One fan, writing on X, said: “Reckon that beats the senior team.”

Another said: “The whole of that midfield is better than Henderson or Lewis-Skelly.”

A third added: “At least 7/8 of those will be at the World Cup.”

One ranted: “You could probably make a case for like 6-7 of these in the seniors.”

And another concluded: “This team would turn over Tuchel’s lads.”

This fan also asked: “Why’s this squad arguably better than the first team?”

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Tempting Fortune in chaos as medical emergency leaves C4 bosses scrambling while doctors rush to help contestant

TEMPTING Fortune was thrown into chaos after a contestant suffered a medical emergency during filming on the Channel 4 show.

The competition series, which is presented by Paddy McGuinness, returns to screens this Sunday.

Illustration of the cast of Tempting Fortune in a tropical setting.
Tempting Fortune Pictured (L-R): Nathaniel, Imani, Hugo, Paddy McGuiness, Martha and David
Channel 4
A smiling man in a khaki shirt, dark pants, and a hat.
Channel 4
Ted – the show’s oldest contestant at 58 – fell ill just days into filming[/caption]
Contestants on Tempting Fortune wading through mud.
Channel 4
The retired prison officer’s fellow contestants were left worried for him as medics rushed to help him[/caption]

In a show shakeup this year’s instalment comes from Langkawi in Malaysia.

The Sun can reveal bosses were forced to deploy medics early in the series as one contestant appeared to suffer from heat stroke.

A source said: “During one of the first task the group noticed how Ted appeared to be struggling.

“The location used for filming can often hit up to 40 degrees celsius making conditions extreme and contestants didn’t have long to adjust to the climate.

“As they trekked through the forest Ted took ill and had to sit down, appearing disorientated at times.

Tempting Fortune has a strict duty of care policy and a medical team intervened immediately and carried out a full evaluation on him.

“After checking his vitals and cooling him down, bosses cleared him to continue in the competition.”

Speaking exclusively to The Sun, retired prison officer Ted explained he suffered a minor heat injury.

He said: “My temperature went completely sky high. I dehydrated. It was horrendous.

“It was really, really, tough you just needed more fluid. It was hard work. The humidity was a killer.

“By night two then, you know, it was absolutely boiling hot throughout the second day as well.

“I had to see the medic because I was feeling, you know, dizzy, dehydrated, not going to the toilet properly, but I was peeing a lot as well. So all the fluids were just going through me and not keeping any goodness inside my body.”

Tempting Fortune starts this Sunday at 9pm on Channel 4.

Paddy McGuinness' TV Timeline

2000-2001 – Phoenix Nights

2004 – Max & Paddy’s Road To Nowhere

2005 – Max & Paddy’s The Power of Two

2008-2010 – Rory and Paddy’s Great British Adventure

2010-2019 – Take Me Out

2011 – 71 Degrees North

2013 – Your Face Sounds Familiar

2015 – Benchmark

2017-2018 – The Keith & Paddy Picture Show

2019 – Celebrity Juice

2019-2022 – Top Gear

2021-2022 – I Can See Your Voice

2021-2023 – A Question of Sport

2024 – Inside The Factory

2024 – Paddy and Chris: Road Tripping

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I share my boyfriend with my twin – people say we’re disgusting & he often can’t tell us apart, we’re desperate for kids

TWIN sisters who share a boyfriend have shared an insight into their unique relationship.

The throuple revealed the backlash they receive but said they are happier than ever.

A man embracing his twin sisters.
You Tube/Love Don't Judge
Twins who share a boyfriend shared an insight into their relationship[/caption]

Speaking on the Love Don’t Judge YouTube channel, sisters Petunia and Pediah spoke about their relationship with Themba.

The trio, who all share the same bed, have been together for two years.

Both sisters met the older man while on holiday, describing it as “love at first sight”.

While the twins have dated the same man before, Themba said the relationship was a whole new experience for him.

“I’ve never dated twins before, it took some time to adjust, the bed is not big enough for three people to start with,” he explained.

And being involved with the twins has also caused him some confusion.

“Sometimes he doesn’t notice who’s who,” Petunia explained.

“If I feel like he has been giving my twin sister more attention than me then I actually sit him down and tell him ‘you need to give me attention also’.”

Themba described dating the twins has “having the best of both worlds”.

“They’re not the same person, they are different, it’s like sugar and salt,” he explained.

“They balance out each other in a way, it’s like I stumbled upon a treasure.”

Themba added that he was expecting to get weird reactions for their unique set-up.

“I knew there was going to be a lot of backlash, some people are actually offended,” he said.

“Even when we post a simple picture of ourselves on social media, the backlash, you’d hear people saying all kinds of things.

“To tell the truth, I was never really worried about what people might think.”

What is polyamory?

Polyamory is the practice of having romantic relationships with more than one person at the same time, with the knowledge and consent of all parties.

It can refer to relationships where one person has multiple partners or spouses, or where all parties are in a relationship with each other, for example in a throuple.

According to You Gov, 6.8% of people in the UK have been in a polyamorous relationship.

“They hate our relationship, every time we go outside people stare at us,” Petunia said.

“Or people call other people to come stare at us, they throw you out of their shops,” Themba added.

“A lot of people are saying on social that they hate our relationship,” Petunia explained.

“They will be saying we just want money.”

Petunia and Pediah also enjoy sharing clothes, preferring to match when possible.

“We like dressing the same because it makes us more identical,” Petunia said.

It makes me feel like a king being kissed by two women in public.

Themba

Themba revealed that he also likes when the twins dress alike because “people can tell that I’m with twins without even asking.”

“It makes me feel like a king being kissed by two women in public,” he explained.

“We find people calling other people to come stare at us like they’ve seen an animal they’ve never seen before. 

“It kind of becomes too much sometimes, we are people who are much into PDA, so we will be kissing and hugging and all that.”

The trio have even been asked to leave various establishments over their PDA.

They have set rules within their relationship to make sure “no one is left behind”.

Twin sisters kissing their boyfriend at a dinner table.
You Tube/Love Don't Judge
The trio have been in a relationship for two years, having first met while on holiday[/caption]

“So the rules, the compliments have to be there, words of affirmation, and you don’t go to bed angry,” Petunia said.

“We fight, we fix, and we continue so that’s the rule that kept us going,” Pediah added.

“Even if we don’t want to talk, we have to talk because then it’s like breaking the rules,” Themba said.

“If I feel like he has been giving my twin sister more attention than me then I actually sit him down and tell him ‘you need to give me attention also’,” Petunia explained.

“Whatever he does on the left side, he does on the right side.”

While Themba acknowledged that dating two women can be “financially expensive”, he went on to share his plans for the future.

“I just see a lot of kids, this is a legacy that we’re starting out here,” he said.

“We came upon this and we are loving it, every step of the way. And we are not doing it to prove anything to anyone.”

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The surprising exercise ‘sweet spot’ you need to hit to live longer identified – and it’s less than you think

SCIENTISTS have revealed the exercise ‘sweet spot’ you need to hit to live longer.

It’s no secret that working out is a key part of staying healthy for longer – but you don’t need to spend hours at the gym each week to reap the benefits, scientists from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland said.

A diverse group of seniors participate in a yoga class.
Getty
Moderate exercise is enough to lower your risk of death in the long-term, Finnish researchers said[/caption]

In fact, moderate levels of activity could be enough to lower your risk of death, they suggested.

Finnish researchers studied the exercise habits of 22,750 twins, following up with them after 15 and 30 years to assess their biological age and risk of mortality.

They split participants up into four groups:

  • Sedentary
  • Moderately active
  • Active
  • Highly active

Moderate-movers seemed to reap the most benefits from exercise, with a 7 per cent lower risk of death compared to people who didn’t work out.

Though higher levels of exercise were found to lower the risk of mortality in the short-term, it actually brought no additional benefit in the long-term, researchers said.

They found that highly active participants saw no difference to their risk of mortality compared to people who were sedentary, meaning they didn’t exercise at all.

Associate professor Elina Sillanpää from the Faculty of Sports and Health Sciences said: “An underlying pre-disease state can limit physical activity and ultimately lead to death, not the lack of exercise itself.

“This can bias the association between physical activity and mortality in the short term.” 

The twins participating in the study were all born before 1958 and their physical activity was assessed through questionnaires in 1975, 1981 and 1990. 

Over a third (38.8 per cent) of the participants from the sedentary class died during the 30-year follow-up period, compared to 30.8 per cent of the moderately active group, 29 per cent of the active group and 25.4 per cent of the highly active group.

Moderately active and sporty participants had a 16 and 24 per cent lower risk of death compared to the sedentary group.

But after researchers factored in lifestyle-related factors and participants’ body mass index, their risk was only reduced by 7 and 9 per cent.

“But the moderately active and active classes exhibited lower risks of all-cause mortality compared to the sedentary class and highly active class within all pairs,” researchers wrote in the study published to Nature.

How researchers worked out activity levels

Participants’ levels of physical activity were measured using questionnaires, which looked at how much they moved or worked out each week, how long for and how intense the bouts were.

Each answer was assigned a score, after which participants were divided into their four groups.

The questionnaires differed slightly between 1975 and 1981, and 1990.

Here’s what the one used in 1990 looked like:

The following questions are about your physical activity during leisure time or during your daily journey to work during last 12 months.

How many hours in week you engage in physical activity corresponding to each intensity level?

Intensity levels:

  • Walking
  • Alternatively walking and jogging
  • Jogging
  • Running

Duration:

  1. Not at all
  2. Less than 30 minutes a week
  3. Between 30 minutes and less than an hour a week
  4. Two to three hours a week
  5. Four hours of more a week

The researchers also investigated whether following the World Health Organization’s physical activity guidelines affects mortality and genetic disease risk.

The guidelines advise adults to do 150 to 300 minutes of moderate or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity weekly.

The study found that meeting these guidelines did not lower people’s risk of death or change their genetic risk.

Even for twins who met the recommended levels of exercise over a 15-year period, there wasn’t a difference in mortality rates compared to their less active twin pair.

Finally, researchers estimated the biological age of participants, looking at how it changed according to exercise levels.

They did this by taking blood samples from participants to get a sense of how fast the cells in their bodies were ageing.

Biological age – the age of our cells – measures how well your body functions and how much wear and tear it’s experienced.

It may be a better indicator than chronological age of how long we’ll will live and be in good health for.

Prof Sillanpää said: “We found that the association between leisure-time physical activity and biological aging was U-shaped.

“Biological ageing was accelerated in those who exercised the least and the most.”

Highly active people were on average, 1.2 years biologically older than the moderately active group and 1.6 years biologically older than the active group.

What counts as moderate exercise?

Moderate activity will raise your heart rate, and make you breathe faster and feel warmer.

One way to tell if you’re working at a moderate intensity level is if you can still talk, but not sing.

Examples of moderate intensity activities include:

  • Brisk walking
  • Water aerobics
  • Riding a bike
  • Dancing
  • Doubles tennis
  • Pushing a lawn mower
  • Hiking
  • Rollerblading

The NHS recommends that adults between 19 and 64 should aim to:

  • Do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week
  • Spread exercise evenly over four to five days a week, or every day
  • Reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity
  • Do strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least two days a week

Examples of vigorous activities include:

  • Running
  • Swimming
  • Riding a bike fast or on hills
  • Walking up the stairs
  • Sports, like football, rugby, netball and hockey
  • Skipping
  • Aerobics
  • Gymnastics
  • Martial arts

Source: NHS

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Every F1 rule change revealed ahead of new season with fastest lap bonus point scrapped and swearing sanctions

FORMULA ONE is going to look a little different in 2025 – after a host of new rules.

The new F1 season is set to be one of the closest title fights in modern history when it kick starts in Melbourne on Sunday.

Lewis Hamilton getting into his Ferrari race car.
This season is the latest before a major change in regulations
Max Verstappen has won his fourth world title
Defending champion Max Verstappen will begin his F1 title defence this weekend

Before lights out at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend, several key technical and regulatory tweaks will come into effect.

Most are in response to controversies that occurred last season, before the major overhaul to technical regulations from 2026.

Here SunSport runs you through the main ones that are worth knowing about.

Goodbye fastest lap bonus point

Since 2019, a driver that finished in the top 10 of a race was eligible for an extra championship point if they set the fastest lap.

But this rule – the only change to the points system- has been removed in arguably the biggest of the changes introduced.

While the bonus point had led to drivers pushing in the closing stages of races, there had been controversy over teams making late pit stops or attempts to block rivals.

This was notable when drivers outside the top 10 posted the fastest lap, which took the bonus away from title contenders. 

Last season, Daniel Ricciardo denied Lando Norris an extra point for the fastest lap of the race at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.

Ricciardo was driving for Red Bull’s junior team Visa Cash App RB.

Norris was locked in a tight fight with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for the drivers title – which can be lost and won with a single point.

Daniel Ricciardo of Australia, Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team during the Race of the FORMULA 1 SINGAPORE AIRLINES SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX 2024 at Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 22, 2024 in Singapore, Singapore. (Photo by GSI/Icon Sport via Getty Images)
Daniel Ricciardo pitted to change to soft tyres and go for the fastest lap time in Singapore

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Heavier cars and cooling systems

If you believe the current F1 cars are too big, we have some bad news for you.

Car mass is up 2kg from 798kg to 800kg this season, which combines both cars and drivers.

The change is due to the minimum driver weight having been increased by 2kg from 80kg to 82kg, which partially accounts for the taller drivers such as George Russell and Esteban Ocon.

Driver weight includes their helmet, race suit and shoes.

Teams will also be required to fit a mandated driver cooling system in the event of a heat hazard.

The hazard would be declared when the temperature is forecast to be 31 degrees or above during a sprint or Grand Prix race.

Car weights will be increased by 2kg for practice, qualifying and sprint qualifying when cooling systems are required.

Russell was heartbreakingly stripped of his Belgian GP win last season, when his car was found underweight after it was drained of fuel during the usual post-race checks.

He was left distraught with the decision
Car mass is up 2kg from 798kg to 800kg this season

Mini-DRS and flexible wings 

One of the main technical points that arose during the 2024 campaign was McLaren’s rear-wing design.

At high speeds the rear wing of the MCL38 tilted backward under heavy aerodynamic load, creating a gap in the win that was termed a “mini-DRS.”

While McLaren was instructed to alter their design in September, the FIA has tightened up the technical regulations regarding both the rear wing and the Drag Reduction System (DRS).

The FIA have tightened technical regulations regarding the rear wing and Drag Reduction System.

Under the new regulations outlined in Article 3.10 of the Technical Regulations, the minimum gap in the rear wing has decreased from 10-15mm to 9.4-13mm.

The FIA will introduce stricter front wing regulations to come into force at the Spanish GP in June – much to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko‘s dismay.

 Max Verstappen, left, is using Drag Reduction System to overtake Charles Leclerc, who is not using DRS
The FIA tightened technical regulations regarding the rear wing and Drag Reduction System

F1 2025 grid

Here are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season:

Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson

Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton

Mercedes: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli

McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll

Williams: Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz

Sauber: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto

Alpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan

RB: Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar

Haas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon

No swearing

Drivers face possible one-month BANS if they repeatedly swear or criticise the governing body.

The controversial move is prompted by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s determination to cut out bad language.

Verstappen was the first big victim of this clampdown after he used X-rated language during a press conference at the Singapore GP.

The four-time world champion was ordered do “community service” and spend time with grassroot competitors in Rwanda.

Under the new guidelines, a first offence would result in a £33,750 fine, a second offence £67,4300 and a suspended one-month ban. 

A third offence would bring a £100,000 fine, a one-month ban and the deduction of championship points.

F1 personnel could also be punished for causing moral injury or loss to the FIA; incitement to violence or hatred; political, religious or personal statements that do not align with FIA neutrality.

Failure to comply with FIA instructions at official ceremonies is also punishable.

a man wearing a hat that says oracle red bull racing
Max Verstappen was not impressed after being told off for swearing at a press conference
Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been the FIA president since 2021
Mohammed Ben Sulayem wants to cut out bad language

Two-stop race in Monaco

F1 had made Monaco a two-stop minimum Grand Prix in bid to improve racing.

It’s mainly in response to drivers – namely Hamilton’s– complaints last year after an early red flag allowed a free tyre change.

This meant they adhered to the regulated stop before completing the circuit without further changes.

A lack of overtaking at the iconic street circuit has been criticised for affecting the spectacle of the event.

2025 Formula 1 season calendar.

Tweaks to qualifying based on championship position

This is to cover the situation in Brazil last year when qualifying was touch and go due to bad weather.

The forecast of more heavy rain from mid-afternoon in Sao Paulo led to the decision to bring the race time forward.

That saw qualifying moved to an early start time because there must be a minimum of four hours between the end of qualifying and the start of the race.

So, the grid for the race will be defined by the drivers championship position, IF qualifying cannot take place.

Formula 1 cars racing in the rain.
Rex
This is to cover off the situation in Brazil last year if qualifying could not have gone ahead due to bad weather[/caption]

More practice for rookies and test time

The mandatory FP1 running for rookie drivers has been expanded for 2025.

Each team will be required to run four young drivers free practice sessions.

This is an increase over the previous requirement of two.

Teams will choose which weekends their rookies will participate in, with the finale in Abu Dhabi often being a favourite.

During the season, teams have a limited allowance of testing of previous cars – which are aged between two and four years old. 

They will not be allowed to exceed 1,000km of running in total.

Teams can only have one of these cars available to run during a test at any time.

Illustration of 2025 F1 driver salaries, ranked by annual salary.

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