Emmerdale is reportedly losing some familiar faces and gaining both old and new characters on the ITV soap, but are Dawn Taylor, Vinny Dingle and Jimmy King leaving?
Emmerdale fans are wondering who is really leaving the ITV soap (Image: ITV)
Emmerdale fans are wondering who is really leaving the ITV soap and who’s staying put.
In recent months, a handful of names have been reported as cast members leaving the show. As it stands, both cast and the show have yet to comment on the claims.
There are some confirmed returns to the village however, and some teased ones too. We’ve had loads of new faces, temporary and permanent, in recent months too, so could there be more on the way? This is all we know so far about upcoming cast changes and news, including FOUR exits and two returns…
Who’s leaving Emmerdale?
Dawn Taylor
It’s been claimed Dawn Taylor is leaving the show after eight years. Actress Olivia Bromley was said to be written out of the show, while the soap has not confirmed this.
She’s centre stage on the show at the moment, with possible feelings for her ex Billy Fletcher ahead of her wedding to Joe Tate. Dawn is pregnant with Joe’s baby, and now fans think she might flee Joe and the village like she had planned to months earlier.
Jimmy King
A shocking exit rumour is that Jimmy King will leave the show after more than 20 years. It was reported recently that actor Nick Miles has been axed from the show after two decades.
Fans have been left furious by the reports, that have not been backed up by the show. It’s claimed Jimmy will be killed off in devastating scenes later this year, while onscreen at the moment it’s teased he might split from his wife Nicola King.
Vinny Dingle
Another unexpected exit announcement claimed Vinny Dingle is leaving the show after seven years. Actor Bradley Johnson is another cast member said to be axed from the show, while this has not been confirmed.
Vinny only recently embarked on a romance with Lewis Barton, amid a huge storyline months earlier that saw Vinny struggling with his sexuality. So the news that Vinny could be leaving left fans baffled.
Noah Dingle
Fans were also stunned when it was reported that Noah Dingle will leave the show after 22 years. Actor Jack Downham has played him since 2009.
It’s claimed writers have axed Charity Dingle’s son from the show, and onscreen Noah has told some family members he plans to work abroad. Again this is not an exit confirmed by the show or its cast, but it’s thought Noah will leave soon.
Who’s returning to Emmerdale?
A Tate?
Just weeks ago, soap boss Laura Shaw teased a Tate was heading to the show. She didn’t specify whether it was a brand new character entirely, or a past Tate character.
There’s still no news on this, while Mirror will be dropping some new hints very, very soon so stay tuned. For now, fans have been speculating whether it’s a new character like Serena Sugden, or if we might see Jamie Tate return to the show, amid Serena targeting Kim Tate.
Sadie King
The big return coming up is Sadie King, who will return to the village very soon first the first time in 20 years. Actress Patsy Kensit is reprising the role, and the Mirror caught up with her recently – so keep an eye out for that interview!
Sadie left in dramatic fashion in 2006, so what has brought her back after all these years? There’s trouble, secrets and plenty of drama on the way!
Victoria Sugden
Victoria Sugden is heading back to the show at some point, after she fled earlier this year. Actress Isabel Hodgins is currently on maternity leave after welcoming her first child this year.
Isabel was recently spotted on the set, sparking return claims. That said, Isabel previously stated she would like to return around September time, but she’s not completely sure when she will be ready – but she definitely is going back at some point.
Are there any new characters joining?
There’s been no news about some new characters joining soon. That said, there’s not always an announcement, while there was for the likes of Kev Townsend and Serena Sugden.
Recently, Kev’s pal Steve, played by actor Jason Done, joined temporarily. Then there was Kev’s old flame Kylie too, and some other guest roles along the way.
So, there’s new faces all the time and we can expect more. Whether there’s an actual new character joining remains to be seen. If the Tate arrival is a new Tate, then that will be a new character!
Sumaya Yaghi returns to what’s left of her destroyed home in southern Lebanon after Israeli troops withdrew from her ‘pilot zone’ village under a US-backed agreement.
The Taskmaster star will return as crime scene cleaner Paul ‘Wicky’ Wickstead in the special, The Cleaner in Italy.
The BBC teased: “The hit comedy once again follows Wicky’s misadventures as a state-certified cleaning technician whose unusual day job involves scrubbing away the grisliest remnants of crime scenes.”
Alongside Greg, the cast will include Robert Webb, Peter Serafinowicz, Kevin Eldon, Tori Allen-Martin, Veronica Ferres, Zita Sattar, Milanka Brooks and Dylan Blore.
Filming has already begun, with Greg revealing: “I think Wicky has got to the stage in life where he only likes three things: his job, going to the pub and beer.
“To get the opportunity to force him to go to Italy on a hiking holiday is the perfect opportunity to test his breaking point. I can’t wait to show everyone how horribly wrong a holiday can go…”
Vivien Muller-Rommel, executive producer, also said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be back with Greg, our brilliant guest cast and our fantastic crew for this very special episode of The Cleaner.
“There’s a real excitement about this one, and everyone involved is determined to make it our funniest adventure yet. We can’t wait for audiences to see it.”
Ben Caudell, commissioning editor for the BBC, added: “As filming begins on this new The Cleaner special, it’s a pleasure to see Greg Davies return to one of his most memorable creations.
“Wicky has become a standout character in British comedy, and Greg’s ability to place him in extraordinary situations is always a delight.
“This one-off episode brings together a terrific cast and an inventive new setting, and we’re very much looking forward to sharing it with viewers over the festive period.”
The special episode follows Wicky reluctantly joining his girlfriend Ruth on a hiking holiday in the Italian dolomites with her friends.
However, after an accident, he faces the rest of the trip alone in a remote mountain hotel, and his boredom quickly turns to paranoia when he’s surrounded by an eccentric hotel manager, an array of peculiar guests and suspicious staff.
Fans previously hailed The Cleaner the “perfefct British comedy”, with one person writing: “Haven’t laughed so much in a long time. Just happened upon this little gem. Was in stitches within minutes….brilliant!”
One fan said they were “hooked” as another added: “The Cleaner is unexpectedly quirky and original. I have never seen anything like it. I laughed so hard that I had to pause the show to collect myself as I was losing the dialogue. Greg Davies is a comic genius.”
“Easily bingeable,” someone else wrote, as one person said: “Every episode a gem. Just one of the best TV series this year.”
When the cast members and creators of the 1990s “X-Men: The Animated Series” reunited at the 2019 Hill Country Comicon in New Braunfels, Texas, they went out for dinner and collectively yearned to one day work together again.
“We said, ‘Let’s put it to the universe: Universe, why don’t you manifest that somebody buys the rights to the show and decides to reboot it and bring us all back.’ We toasted the universe and here we are,” recalls Canadian actor Lenore Zann, the voice of the irresistibly tough Rogue, during a recent video call while visiting Los Angeles.
The result of that metaphysical request is Marvel’s “X-Men ’97,” which debuted in 2024 on Disney+, not as a reboot but as a continuation of the original 1992 classic animated show.
The first season of this new era for the X-Men received an Emmy nomination for animated program. Now, the long-awaited second season has arrived, with the fourth episode streaming this week. Even after the controversial firing of showrunner Beau DeMayo, “X-Men ’97” has already been renewed through Season 4 and the voice cast has started recording their lines for Season 3, Zann says.
The show’s success with both fans and critics is in large part due to its commitment to honor the original ‘90s show, about a group of mutants fighting for themselves and for humanity, not only by preserving its hand-drawn animation style and mature themes but also the voices and personalities of the characters.
“When I pitched the show to Kevin [Feige], he got it immediately and his first question was, ‘Are you going to get the original cast back?’ And I was like, ‘Yes, we are,’” says Brad Winderbaum, head of Marvel Television, Animation, Comics and Franchise at Marvel Studios.
Several voice actors from the original “X-Men” animated series returned for “X-Men ‘97,” which has returned for Season 2. From left, Beast (George Buza), Bishop (Isaac Robinson-Smith), Rogue (Lenore Zann), Professor X (Ross Marquand), Magneto (Matthew Waterson) and Nightcrawler (Adrian Hough).
(Marvel)
Not everyone was still around to return — Norm Spencer, voice of Cyclops, died in 2020 — but in addition to Zann, actors George Buza (Beast), Alison Sealy-Smith (Storm), and Cal Dodd, the voice of the lovable clawed grouch Wolverine, have reprised their roles in “X-Men ’97.” Their emblematic voice performances, Winderbaum says, are baked into his psyche.
“Any time Lenore says the word ‘sugah,’ it just makes me melt into a puddle on the floor,” Winderbaum says, laughing. “She is Rogue and, when she turns it on, she becomes an icon.”
Busy with her political career as part of Canada’s parliament, Zann stepped away from the entertainment business for over a decade. Zann was back home in Truro, Nova Scotia, figuring out her next chapter when she received an email from a friend who said producers at Disney were looking to have her audition for a show. She was skeptical.
Zann eventually got a call from casting director Meredith Layne and a screenplay with lines that were instantly familiar from her time voicing Rogue, the spunky heroine whose touch can be deadly, in the ‘90s.
”I thought, ‘I guess they’re looking for Rogue, so I’ll just give them Rogue,’” she recalls, laughing. “And I did my Rogue voice, which is basically just my own, but with a bit of a Southern accent thrown on,” she adds with a slight twang.
The producers then asked her if she would reprise her superhero for a new generation of kids.
Doing her Rogue voice, Zann recalls: “I said, ‘You had me at hello, sugah.’”
She revels in the similarities between her and Rogue. “We’re both social justice warriors. We really fight for people to be accepted as who they are.”
In 2024, Zann published “A Rogue’s Tale: A Memoir,” a tome recounting her storied life, titled after a memorable episode in the ‘90s series that revealed her beloved mutant’s backstory.
Wolverine in a scene from Season 2 of “X-Men ’97.”
(Marvel)
For Dodd, leaving behind Wolverine after five seasons of the original show felt like losing a part of himself. “X-Men ’97” offered him a chance to feel complete once again.
“I was so happy because when I first created the voice of Wolverine in ‘92, he became very quickly like my brother or my right arm,” Dodd says during a recent video call. “I got my arm back, and my brother.”
After all these years, Dodd was also pleased to see how the most important character of his career looked in the new series. “Out walks Wolverine and I just went, ‘Holy crap, you look great, bub,’” he recalls, laughing about his first time recording lines for “X-Men ‘97.”
When he first auditioned for the role in the ‘90s, Dodd had no idea who Wolverine or the X-Men were. At the time, he was making a living as a singer for commercials and jingles in Toronto.
Dodd remembers the lines he was asked to deliver were directed at the villainous mutant Sabretooth. He had never seen an image of Wolverine or any of the characters. “At one point, I said to them, ‘Is this an animal cartoon?’ They just thought I was a complete imbecile,” he recalls with a chuckle.
In that initial scene, where Sabretooth attacked Jubilee, a member of the X-Men who Wolverine sees as a daughter, his line was: “All right, you egg-sucking piece of gutter trash. You always like pushing around people shorter than you. Well, I’m shorter. Try pushing me.” Dodd recites it from memory in Wolverine’s voice with a growl.
“The lines I was reading, I’d heard them before in the small town that I grew up in Canada; it’s a fisherman’s town, a tough little town,” says Dodd about his reference for Wolverine’s voice. “I knew guys that were exactly like him, and I knew the way they sounded.”
Even without any notion of the X-Men, he nailed it.
“The next morning, they called me and said, ‘We would love to have you as our Wolverine for the very first X-Men animated series,’” Dodd recalls. “And I said, ‘I would love to be your Wolverine, whoever, and whatever he is.’”
1
2
1.Cal Dodd, voice actor for Wolverine in “X-Men ’97.”2.Lenore Zann, who voices Rogue.(Pauline Aguirre)
When Rogue came into Zann’s life, she already had a notable career as a screen and stage actor. Zann had starred as Marilyn Monroe in a rock opera about the actor’s life, for which she received much praise. “My agent called me and she said, ‘Lenore, they’re doing this animated series, and they’re looking for “a woman with a deep husky, sexy voice who can do a Southern accent,”’” Zann recalls, laughing. “And she said, ‘That’s you!’”
Back then, Zann wasn’t interested in doing voice work, so she missed the first auditions. But about a month later, she says, her agent called again. They still hadn’t found the right voice, so she pushed Zann to audition. She walked in and looked at a drawing of Rogue that Larry Houston, the storyboard artist and director of the show, had drawn.
“She had a very sassy attitude, and she had her hand on her hip and her head back with the hair flowing. I was like, ‘Yeah, I can do that.’ And then I went into the studio, put the headphones on, and opened up my mouth, did the first line: ‘I remember I had a boyfriend, when I kissed him, poor boy went into a coma for three days,’” she says in Rogue’s voice. That was enough for her to land the life-changing part.
At the end of the first season of “X-Men ’97,” both Rogue and Wolverine find themselves in difficult times. Wolverine’s clash with Magneto, the perennial antihero, left him severely injured, physically and mentally.
“He’s as tough as nails and he is more pissed off than anything that he was the only one that stood up to Magneto. He’s disappointed,” says Dodd. “And it’s a struggle for him in Season 2 for a lot of it. And then you see what happens. He’s in a funky place, but he’ll handle it.”
Part of that healing process will involve leaning into the humor tat Dodd imbues in his delivery. “What I think is surprising when you go back and watch that original animated series is how funny Cal is,” says Winderbaum. “Wolverine has amazing one-liners throughout that original series.”
As for Rogue, she is grieving the loss of Gambit, a.k.a. Remy LeBeau, who died in the first season. To voice Rogue’s sorrow, Zann leaned into her own grief over the passing of her 17-year-old niece from cancer. In Season 2, Rogue is trying to move forward.
“She’s still basically on a hero’s journey wanting to get justice for what happened to Remy and for the genocide that she witnessed and that she is a survivor of,” Zann says. “She still got survivor’s guilt, and she’s still trying to find her place within the X-Men now that the one that she loves is gone.”
At comic conventions, Zann and Dodd often meet fans of the original show, who are now adults, and their children, who have also come to love the characters. The emotions that people share with them are at times overwhelming.
“Many times, they tell us that this show saved their lives. They were either LGBTQ+ or they were bullied, or they just felt othered,” Zann explains. “A lot of folks who are Latino tell me that when they were little kids, their parents were agricultural workers, and they learned how to speak English from watching our show. We made them feel it’s OK to be different.”
“I see grown men in tears. They’re in their 40s and they’re crying,” Dodd says about meeting lifelong fans. “I can tell you that Wolverine can cry as well.”
Zann believes the X-Men are like modern-day mythological heroes. Through their fantastical ordeals, the X-Men illustrate qualities that inspire viewers, young and old.
“They are a group of misfits who band together to learn how to control the things that make them different and learn to accept and love themselves,” she says. “It’s an honor to be part of this incredible group of people and these characters that can really touch lives and help change them for the better.”
A MASSIVE travelling attraction is set to return to a seaside hotspot next week – and it’s perfect for the whole family.
The popular spot will be open for more than a month throughout the summer.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
The popular fair is set to return next weekendCredit: Cardiff Bay Fun ParkThis year the site will even feature the UK’s tallest travelling towerCredit: Cardiff Bay Fun Park
Cardiff Bay Fun Park will descend on the Welsh capital once more, as the family-friendly destination is set to return to Roald Dahl Plass next weekend (July 18).
This year also marks the attraction’s newest arrival, Skyfall – the tallest travelling drop tower in the UK.
At 262 ft (80 metres) high, thrill-seekers will be treated with 360-degree panoramic views of Cardiff and the Bristol Channel, before plunging down at speeds of up to 75mph.
The tower even dwarfs the tallest roller coaster in the UK, Hyperia, which stands at 236 ft (72 metres).
DON’T have enough time or money to head to the Costa Del Sol at the moment? How about Croydon instead?
In just over a month, the Centrale’s multi-storey rooftop will transform into a ‘lively urban seaside escape’ just in time for summer.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
Costa Del Croydon will open its doors once again in August – and it’s freeCredit: Costa Del CroydonThere are beach games – and new adult-only sessions every Thursday eveningCredit: Costa Del Croydon
The event is returning for its third year in a row from August 7-31 and will be ‘bigger than ever’.
It’s open seven-days a week and is completely free to enter.
There’s lots to entertain the entire family from its giant sand pit, splash park with spaces for babies, life-size chess, fairground rides and chill-out areas with shaded seating.
When it’s time to eat, there are street food vans and sweet treat stops too for donuts and candy floss.
This summer there is something new as it is launching a new experience called ‘The Beach Club’.
It’s an adult-only event with an ‘after-hours programme’ taking place every Thursday between 5-8PM for the entire month.
There will be DJs, live music and plenty of cocktails.
The Beach Club will have a different theme every evening too with events like garage DJ nights, drag-hosted lip sync battles and pre-carnival dance acts.
There will also be more relaxed sip & paint sessions to music bingo.
Dominique Stagg, Centrale & Whitgift’s Marketing, PR & Events Manager says: “We created Costa Del Croydon to give Croydon residents a free summer experience right in the heart of the town centre.
The urban beach will return to South London in AugustCredit: Costa Del Croydon
“Over the last two years it’s become a real summer focal point for the community, with families returning time and time again.
“This year we’re excited to introduce The Beach Club nights, creating a new social experience for adults alongside the daytime family offer.”
While the experience is completely free to enter – it’s advised to book in advance to save a space and avoid disappointment.
Pre-bookings will be available from July 31 – for more info and to book a free ticket, head here.
France has confirmed its first Ebola case in the country during the current outbreak, as a doctor returning from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo tested positive, French health authorities said.
In a statement on Wednesday, the French Health Ministry said the healthcare worker was operating in one of the areas where the virus was circulating.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
“The patient is being treated at a leading healthcare facility, following strict biosafety protocols,” the ministry said. “All precautionary measures, including the patient’s isolation, were implemented upon arrival in France, with transfer to the hospital under secure conditions to prevent any risk of contamination,” it said.
An epidemiological investigation is under way to identify individuals who may have been in contact with the patient. They will be contacted by health authorities to self-isolate for 21 days, the statement added.
Since May, the northeastern Ituri province of the DRC has been the epicentre of an Ebola outbreak, which has killed more than 260 people and infected more than a thousand so far in the central African country. Cases have also been reported in neighbouring Uganda.
On May 17, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern”.
Most previous Ebola outbreaks in DRC were caused by a virus called Ebola Zaire, but this outbreak is caused by a different strain called Bundibugyo, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments.
England head coach Brendon McCullum says he is ready to work with Ben Stokes when the captain returns for the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
The results of the investigation are still to be confirmed, but McCullum has confirmed Stokes will return as captain, a position he has held since 2022, in Nottingham.
“Ben will be back,” said McCullum. “He’ll be back and he’ll be captain.”
Following a 4-1 Ashes series defeat that was dogged by off-field problems, both Stokes and McCullum denied their relationship had deteriorated in Australia.
Then, following England’s win in the first Test since the Ashes – against New Zealand at Lord’s – Stokes broke the team’s midnight curfew in celebrating the victory.
On his relationship with Stokes, McCullum told BBC Test Match Special: “You’re just trying to make sure you’re very communicative right throughout.
“We all got the same ambition, which is to make English cricket a very good team and to try to achieve results on the field, and that hasn’t changed.”
McCullum said he has spoken to Stokes “every day” since the nightclub incident, which occurred in the early hours of Monday, 8 June.
The New Zealander also confirmed England director of cricket Rob Key has visited Stokes this week.
A GORGEOUS lido with sweeping city views is returning to the UK – and it’s completely free to visit.
The open-water lido will be open for a three-week period this summer.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
A gorgeous new lido with sweeping city views is returning this JulyCredit: royaldocks.londonLocated in East London, the water space is completely free for visitorsCredit: Royal docks/Instagram
Lidos are the ideal spot to cool off this summer, but for most Londoners finding a free swimming spot in the capital can be difficult to come by.
For city dwellers looking to escape the scorching temperatures without breaking the bank, the return of a popular water space has got you covered.
Found in the heart of East London, the Summer Splash event is returning for a brief time this summer – and it doesn’t cost a penny.
Located at the Royal Victoria Dock, the free open water lido will be open to visitors this July.
Aaron Donald has made no public pronouncements that he will remain retired or return to play for the Rams.
But the three-time NFL defensive player of the year and future hall of famer remains a hot topic, and Rams players are aware of the buzz.
“When you have a guy that’s that serious about even considering coming out, it’s like ‘OK, we might have a chance,’” safety Quentin Lake said Monday after the Rams completed an organized-team activity workout.
The possibility of pairing Donald with Garrett — a two-time defensive player of the year — continues to intrigue both in and out of the Rams’ facility.
Like Lake, defensive lineman Kobie Turner insistently cautioned that whatever Donald decides to do or not do was his former teammate’s prerogative.
But the possibilities…
“To just have two historic, if you will, defensive players on that line together,” Turner said of pairing Donald and Garrett, “and to have the rest of us who are trying to build up our reputations, and to build to that level of greatness that they’ve been able to garner, I think that would be cool for L.A.”
Said defensive coordinator Chris Shula: “Would love to have him back — with open arms.”
Shula enters his third season overseeing a defense remade by the March trade for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, the signing of cornerback Jaylen Watson and the trade for Garrett.
With or without Donald, the Rams are regarded as a favorite to win Super Bowl LXI, which will be played in February at SoFi Stadium.
But the Rams are not hoisting the Lombardi Trophy just yet, Lake said.
“Some people say if he were to come back, just hand the Lombardi to us on a silver platter — but that’s never the case,” Lake said. “Is he a fantastic player? Yes.
“Are there so many things we could do in terms of pressures and blitzes and all that stuff? Of course. … It would be a fun year, I’ll say that.”
With quarterback Matthew Stafford — the NFL most valuable player — back to lead the offense, and McDuffie and Watson solving the team’s greatest weakness, the Rams already were regarded among the favorites to play in the Super Bowl for the first time since winning Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in 2022.
Then general manager Les Snead engineered the deal for Garrett, sending edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round draft pick and future second- and third-round picks to the Cleveland Browns for a player who has 125½ sacks in nine seasons.
Lake, Turner and Shula lamented losing Verse — “a brother for life,” Turner said — but they have welcomed Garrett.
“You give a great player to get a great player,” Lake said, “and luckily, we’ve got arguably the best defensive player in the NFL. … We’re not asking Myles to do anything but just be himself.”
Last season, Garrett amassed an NFL season record 23 sacks.
Rams defensive end Myles Garrett sits between Rams general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay, right, during a news conference on June 2.
(Ric Tapia / For The Times)
“We’re going to let him do what he does best,” Shula said, “and we all know exactly what he does best.”
McDuffie and Watson were part of Kansas City Chiefs teams that played in three consecutive Super Bowls, winning titles in 2023 and 2024. Those teams featured dominating pass rusher Chris Jones, so McDuffie knows how a player such as Garrett enables the defense to “flip the script” and attack offenses.
“You just talk about mentality,” McDuffie said, “and a swag.”
Donald, who has 111 sacks, would certainly add to that.
Not every player in their mid-30s could return and play at a high level after sitting out two seasons.
“I don’t think you do that if you’re a normal person,” Turner said, chuckling. “But A.D.’s not a normal person.”
Coach Ouahbi drew heavily on the country’s diaspora in Europe where majority of the 26 players he selected were born.
Published On 27 May 202627 May 2026
Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi was among nine players from Morocco’s history-making 2022 World Cup squad named for the 2026 tournament in North America.
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who was only hired in March, drew heavily on the country’s diaspora in Europe, where the majority of the 26 players he selected were born.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
Ouahbi was himself born in Belgium, while Hakimi and Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz are among five players in the squad born in Spain and whose family ties make them eligible for Morocco.
Three of Morocco’s squad – Fulham defender Issa Diop, PSV Eindhoven defender Anass Salah-Eddine and 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi – had their change of national eligibility approved by FIFA in the past nine months. Diaz has played for Morocco since 2024 after previously representing Spain.
Morocco will be based in New Jersey where it opens against Brazil on June 13 in East Rutherford. The Atlas Lions then play Scotland in Massachusetts and finish Group C against Haiti on June 24, in Atlanta. The top two in the standings go directly to the round of 16, and the third-place team also could advance.
At the 2022 World Cup, when it was coached by Walid Regragui, Morocco made history as the first semifinalist at the tournament from Africa.
Morocco topped its group ahead of Croatia and Belgium, then shocked Spain and Portugal in the knockout rounds before an injury-hit team lost to France.
Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who impressed in Qatar, returns for his third World Cup at age 35.
Morocco will go to the United States as the African champion – for now. That title, awarded in a legal case, could be lost within months at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where Senegal has appealed to regain its victory won on the field in January in Morocco.
After losing the final to Senegal four months ago, Regragui stepped down and was replaced by Ouahbi, who guided Morocco to the Under-20 World Cup title last year. That team that beat Argentina in the final included Strasbourg forward Gessime Yassine, whom Ouhabi picked again on Tuesday.
Morocco will play at the 2030 World Cup as a cohost with Spain and Portugal. South American neighbours Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay – the original tournament host in 1930 – get one game each to host at that edition as part of a commemorative recognition for their contributions to World Cup history.
Morocco World Cup roster
Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal), Munir El Kajoui (RS Berkane), Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (AS FAR)
And back with Lane Kiffin, the new LSU head coach who now has made Orgeron a member of his staff at three schools following their stint together as USC assistant coaches under Pete Carroll.
LSU announced Wednesday that the 64-year-old Louisiana native is returning to the Tigers as a special assistant for recruiting and defense.
“I’m excited to bring Coach Orgeron back to LSU,” Kiffin said in a statement. “He brings us tremendous value with his ability to recruit elite players nationally, but especially the impact he can have for us recruiting the great state of Louisiana.”
Orgeron played defensive line for four years at Northwestern State, then started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater in 1984. After spending the next decade-plus as an assistant on a variety of coaching staffs, including at Miami and Syracuse, Orgeron joined USC coach Paul Hackett’s staff as the defensive line coach.
When Carroll replaced Hackett before the 2001 season, he retained Orgeron on his staff and eventually also made him recruiting coordinator. Also in 2001, Carroll hired Kiffin, who started as tight ends coach and eventually worked his way up to offensive coordinator.
After winning two national championships under Carroll, Orgeron was hired as head coach at Mississippi before the 2005 season. He offered Kiffin a job on his staff as offensive coordinator, but the then-Trojans passing game coordinator turned it down (Kiffin would much later serve as the Rebels head coach from 2020 to 2025).
Orgeron went 10-25 at Mississippi and was fired after the 2007 season. After a year as the New Orleans Saints defensive line coach, Orgeron joined Kiffin’s staff at Tennessee as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator.
When Kiffin returned to USC as head coach in 2010, Orgeron joined him as defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator. On Sept. 29, 2013, Kiffin was fired by USC. Orgeron was named interim head coach but left the team at the end of the season after Steve Sarkisian became the permanent head coach.
Orgeron joined LSU as the defensive line coach in 2015. He became interim head coach the following September after Les Miles was fired and got the full-time job at the end of the season.
The undefeated 2019 season, with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow, was the peak of Orgeron’s stint with the Tigers. The team’s fortunes dipped after that, with Orgeron and LSU parting ways following the 2021 season. In six seasons with the Tigers, Orgeron went 51-20.
Less than five years later, Orgeron is reunited with the Tigers and his old friend Kiffin.
“Coach O understands my expectations and commitment to being a championship program,” Kiffin said. “I look forward to seeing him with recruits and his intensity working with our defensive players.”
Health workers wearing full personal protective equipment on Saturday prepare to transport the body of person who died of Ebola for a safe burial at Sofepadi Hospital in Bunia, Ituri province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo by EPA
May 23 (UPI) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday added two more airports that travelers to the United States can be routed through for Ebola screening when entering the country.
The enhanced travel screening announced earlier this week by the CDC and the Department of Homeland Security is meant to screen people for the virus on entry to the country if they have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan or Uganda.
The outbreak, which started in the DRC and has spread to neighboring South Sudan and Uganda, is estimated to have 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths, the World Health Organization on Friday said, adding that the “real scale of the outbreak is likely far larger.”
The CDC first issued restrictions on Thursday for Americans returning to the United States to be screened at Washington Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., before continuing on to their final destinations.
The two additional airports will be Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which started to accept travelers at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Friday, and George W. Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, which will start to accept travelers on Tuesday, May 26, at 11:59 p.m. EDT, the CDC said on Saturday.
“These travelers will have their air travel re-routed to arrive at select airports,” CDC officials said in the update.
The enhanced health screening includes being escorted to a designated screening area; completing a questionnaire about their travel history and symptoms; having their temperatures checked using non-contact thermometers; and observation by CDC staff for signs of illness.
“Travelers with fever or other symptoms that could be Ebola will receive additional evaluation by a CDC public health officer,” the agency said.
“If the assessment shows that a traveler may be sick with Ebola, the traveler will be transferred to a hospital for further medical evaluation,” it said.
The WHO on Friday raised the national risk assessment during the outbreak in the DRC to “very high,” but officials said that global risk for infection with the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is no approved vaccine.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus during a meeting on Friday thanked the efforts of neighboring nations in Africa who have assisted during the outbreak, as well as the various regional and global health agencies that also have done so.
Although the United States last year pulled out of the WHO, the U.S. State Department said on Saturday that it has activated a dedicated Ebola Response Task Force that is led by “senior experts with direct experience managing prior Ebola outbreaks” in 2014 and 2018.
The department also has deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team and provided $32 million in assistance to U.S. partners in the region, it said in a press release.
Kevin Warsh takes the oath of office as he is sworn-in as the new chairman of the Federal Reserve by Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas in the East Room of the White House on Friday. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo
Ali Bastian played Becca Hayton in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks for six years before the character was brutally murdered in a heartbreaking storyline
Hollyoaks favourite Ali Bastian has addressed her time on the Channel 4 soap
A Hollyoaks legend has opened up on being killed off unexpectedly by Channel 4 bosses.
Ali Bastian joined the cast of the popular soap opera back in 2001 as Becca Hayton. At the time, the show was attracting millions of viewers and she found herself at the centre of some of its biggest storylines.
After deciding to leave the show in 2007, the actress admits she initially worried she’d made a huge mistake by walking away at the height of its success. However, she was soon rewarded with a regular role in ITV crime drama The Bill.
Opening up about her time on the soap to new online bingo brand Zingo Bingo, Ali recalled: “I was 19 when I started Hollyoaks, and it was a huge break for me. I’d always really wanted to be an actress. It was something that was just kind of in me.
“Becca went through loads of highs and lows in those six years and as an actor, I got to try loads of different things: comedy and heartbreak! My character, in the end, went through a lot of heartache, but it really challenged me as an actor and the speed as well that soap works at is insane.”
Fans will remember Becca was brutally murdered by her prison cellmate, Fran Hathaway in 2007. She had been sentenced to two years imprisonment for sexual activity with a minor, but the claimant, Justin Burton (Chris Fountain), admitted to lying.
Becca was stabbed shortly after being released, and died in hospital. She was officially exonerated posthumously in July 2007. Opening up on a storyline fans didn’t get to see before her emotinal exit, Ali explained: “If I hadn’t left at that point, I think that the plan was for Becca to return [to Hollyoaks village] and end up with Jake.
“This was a plan that was floated by me, but it was never sort of officially down on paper. By that point, I was also just really ready to go home as well. I’d been in Liverpool for six years and I felt that I was ready for a new start. At that point, I made the decision to leave. That is why that storyline ended how it ended [with Becca being killed off].
“I went home and I had about a month of thinking, ‘Oh my God have I made the biggest mistake here? What’s going to happen?’ Then I got an audition for The Bill. I went in as a guest and actually managed to get a regular role. I got a phone call that night saying, ‘You didn’t get the job, but they want you to come back tomorrow because they’re casting for a new regular’.
“I was like, ‘oh my God!’ I went back to that audition and I got the job and then I started as a regular on that and was there for three years. Our industry is so bonkers. You never know what’s around the corner. One door closes, another opens.”
Over the years, Hollyoaks bosses have brought back several iconic characters from the dead and Ali isn’t ruling out a return as Becca, saying: “I was ready [to leave], but I don’t think I would have chosen to die. I remember when I heard that I was like, ‘Oh, great. That is really the end of that. I’m never coming back’. I was a bit gutted, because I had that sense of knowing there was no way back.
“At the same time, it gave such a strong ending to that storyline and to her journey. I am quite glad I didn’t just disappear into a cupboard and never come out again. I did get a cracking final story. You hope for that, of course, but it did make it feel final!
“I mean, If they wanted me to go back as a ghost, I would definitely consider it. I feel like [Becca’s son] Charlie Dean (Charlie Behan) could do with some guidance. I’d be right in there to be like, ‘what’s going on here?’ That phone call never came. In some ways it’s like it kept me moving forward and kept me doing new things and different things and I’m glad for that too.”
Hollyoaks airs Monday to Wednesday on E4 at 7pm and first look episodes can be streamed Channel 4 from 7am
