winning

New York City, United States – Sitting in a room of hundreds of Jewish New Yorkers, Zohran Mamdani received cheers and applause at the Erev Rosh Hashanah service of progressive Brooklyn synagogue Kolot Chayeinu on a Monday evening last month.

This was one of the Democratic mayoral nominee’s recent appearances at synagogues and events over the Jewish High Holy Days, and a visible step towards navigating a politically charged line: increasingly engaging the largest concentration of Jewish people in any metropolitan area in the United States, and holding firmly anti-Zionist views before the general election on November 4.

Historically, Mamdani has held a strong stance on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, even founding a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine during his undergraduate days at Bowdoin College. A little more than a decade later, as Mamdani’s name began to gain recognition, his longstanding unapologetically pro-Palestinian stance became a rallying force behind his platform as well as a point of criticism from opponents.

Mamdani received endorsements and canvassing support from progressive Jewish organisations like Bend the Arc, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Action and Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ), organisations that have each confronted Israel’s role in the war in Gaza through statements on their websites.

Simultaneously, he has sustained attacks from far-right activists, Jewish Democrats on Capitol Hill and Zionist activist groups for his firm support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and refusal to call Israel a Jewish state.

But despite mixed responses, the polls are clear: Mamdani is leading among Jewish voters overall in a multiway race.

‘No group is a monolith’

In July, a publicly released research poll by Zenith Research found that Mamdani led with a 17-point lead among Jews and by Jewish subgroups. In the scenario of Mayor Eric Adams dropping from the race, Mamdani still dominated, 43-33.

“Me being Jewish, I understand that there are many cleavages within the Jewish community,” said Adam Carlson, founding partner of Zenith Research. “As a pollster, one of my big things is that no group is a monolith, and if you have a large enough sample size, you can break it out and glean some nuances … what we found was a better-than-expected result for Mamdani among Jewish voters in New York City.”

Beth Miller, political director of the political advocacy organisation Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Action and a member of Kolot Chayeinu, shared what it was like to witness a fraction of this support at the Erev Rosh Hashanah that Mamdani attended last month.

“He was basically swarmed at the end because people were so excited that he was there,” said Miller. “And that’s not because he’s a celebrity, it’s because people are excited about what we can all build together if he becomes mayor.”

JVP Action, a day-one endorser of Mamdani, represents one organisation among a growing group of Jewish supporters for Mamdani, like JFREJ, a group that has played a part in spearheading canvassing efforts among the diverse Jewish communities of NYC.

JFREJ’s electoral arm, The Jewish Vote, has supported Mamdani since he was first running for state assembly in 2020. Since then, JFREJ members and Mamdani have worked, canvassed and protested together.

Alicia Singham Goodwin, political director of JFREJ, has personally been arrested at protests alongside Mamdani.

“That’s the kind of thing that gives me faith in his commitments,” Goodwin told Al Jazeera regarding the arrests. “He’s willing to take on big risks for the things that matter.”

JFREJ has played a large role in spreading Mamdani’s message by knocking on doors and phone banking Jewish voters.

“We care about what our neighbours are worried about, excited and hopeful for — what they need for their families, and we’re ready to meet them there with our analysis of how the city needs to move to get to affordable housing, universal childcare, or to combat the real rise in anti-Semitism and hate violence,” said Goodwin. “We believe that Zohran is the strongest candidate for that, as well as for all the other issues we talk about.”

Courting the Jewish vote

While there is no doubt that the canvassing army of 50,000 volunteers has served Mamdani well, the mayoral hopeful has also been strategic in his pursuit of the Jewish vote.

“He has definitely modulated his rhetoric and has made a concerted effort to reach out to liberal congregations,” said Val Vinokur, professor of literary studies and director of the minor in Jewish culture at The New School. “This has made him more palatable to some progressive Zionists, much to the outrage of his anti-Zionist supporters.”

One example of Mamdani’s subdued rhetoric includes his response to continued backlash over the phrase “globalise the intifada”.

The phrase, used by pro-Palestinian activists, sparked tension between Mamdani and parts of the Jewish community. To some, it represents a call for solidarity with Palestinian resistance, while others view it as anti-Semitic and violent.

Mamdani resisted rejecting the phrase before the June election, but The New York Times reported that since then, he said he would “discourage” its use.

On the second anniversary of the Gaza war, Mamdani posted a four-paragraph statement on X where he acknowledged the atrocities of Hamas’s attack, and then called Israel’s response genocide and ended on a note of commitment to human rights.

“It got s*** on from all sides,” said Carlson. “He made nobody happy, which in my mind, is kinda the correct way to go about it … Sometimes, pleasing nobody is the job of the mayor, and I think he’s learning that now. It’s like a microcosm of what he’s about to face as mayor, assuming he wins. Sometimes, you have to piss off everybody a little bit for compromises.”

Anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism

As Carlson’s Zenith Research poll reflected, the NYC Jewish community has a wide diversity of opinion about politics and positions on Israel and Palestine. The community most clearly differentiates along lines of age, and secular versus conservative practice, but as Jewish support for Mamdani increases, it is evident that these divides are not always so distinct.

“While it’s true that there are major trends that younger American Jews are more progressive and sympathetic to Palestinians, it’s also true that for as long as Zionism has existed, there have been anti-Zionist Jews,” said Miller. “I learned a lot from elders who were in their 70s, 80s and 90s who have been anti-Zionist since Israel was created because they never felt that what they wanted or needed was an ethnostate to represent them.”

Alternatively, Zionist groups like Betar worldwide are troubled by these trends within the Jewish community of New York.

“It’s heartbreaking to see members of the Jewish community support Zohran Mamdani, who openly opposes Zionism — the national liberation movement of the Jewish people,” said Oren Magnezy, spokesperson of Betar worldwide.

Jonathan Boyarin, American anthropologist and Mann professor of modern Jewish studies at Cornell University, wondered whether anti-Zionism has done much to help Palestinians, but distinguished the line that Mamdani is walking.

“It’s been said that there are two kinds of people who confuse anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism: Zionists and anti-Semites. I don’t think Zohran Mamdani belongs in either of those categories,” said Boyarin.

‘New political moment’

Ultimately, experts like Vinokur predict Mamdani will win, barring a scenario in which Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa drops out. Regardless, Vinokur expects Mamdani to secure the Jewish vote.

“He will win the Jewish vote despite and not because of his anti-Zionist background,” said Vinokur. “Younger Jewish voters are overwhelmingly liberal, have been galvanised by the dynamism of his campaign, and ultimately want to make the city a more livable, affordable, and equitable place.”

Mamdani’s message and campaign were celebrated at the JFREJ annual gala fundraiser, the Mazals. NYC Comptroller Brad Lander and Mamdani were honoured together during a night filled with music, ritual and tradition with more than 1,000 attendees.

“I would say it was probably the largest single gathering of Jews for Zohran,” said Goodwin. “They cement this new political moment that we’re in, where people like JFREJ members, movements like ours, are not fringe or aspirational, but we are popular among a majority of New Yorkers.”

In the early days of President Trump’s second term, the U.S. appeared keen to cooperate with Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s authoritarian leader. Special envoy Ric Grenell met Maduro, working with him to coordinate deportation flights to Caracas, a prisoner exchange deal and an agreement allowing Chevron to drill Venezuelan oil.

Grenell told disappointed members of Venezuela’s opposition that Trump’s domestic goals took priority over efforts to promote democracy. “We’re not interested in regime change,” Grenell told the group, according to two sources familiar with the meeting.

But Marco Rubio, Trump’s secretary of State, had a different vision.

In a parallel call with María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia, two leaders of the opposition, Rubio affirmed U.S. support “for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela” and called González “the rightful president” of the beleaguered nation after Maduro rigged last year’s election in his favor.

Rubio, now also serving as national security advisor, has grown closer to Trump and crafted an aggressive new policy toward Maduro that has brought Venezuela and the United States to the brink of military confrontation.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio whispers to President Trump during a roundtable meeting at the White House on Oct. 8, 2025.

(Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

Grenell has been sidelined, two sources told The Times, as the U.S. conducts an unprecedented campaign of deadly strikes on suspected Venezuelan drug boats — and builds up military assets in the Caribbean. Trump said Wednesday that he has authorized the CIA to conduct covert action in the South American nation, and that strikes on land targets could be next.

“I think Venezuela is feeling the heat,” he said.

The pressure campaign marks a major victory for Rubio, the son of Cuban emigres and an unexpected power player in the administration who has managed to sway top leaders of the isolationist MAGA movement to his lifelong effort to topple Latin America’s leftist authoritarians.

“It’s very clear that Rubio has won,” said James B. Story, who served as ambassador to Venezuela under President Biden. “The administration is applying military pressure in the hope that somebody inside of the regime renders Maduro to justice, either by exiling him, sending him to the United States or sending him to his maker.”

In a recent public message to Trump, Maduro acknowledged that Rubio is now driving White House policy: “You have to be careful because Marco Rubio wants your hands stained with blood, with South American blood, Caribbean blood, Venezuelan blood,” Maduro said.

As a senator from Florida, Rubio represented exiles from three leftist autocracies — Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela — and for years he has made it his mission to weaken their governments. He says his family could not return to Cuba after Fidel Castro’s revolution seven decades ago. He has long maintained that eliminating Maduro would deal a fatal blow to Cuba, whose economy has been buoyed by billions of dollars in Venezuelan oil in the face of punishing U.S. sanctions.

In 2019, Rubio pushed Trump to back Juan Guaidó, a Venezuelan opposition leader who sought unsuccessfully to topple Maduro.

Rubio later encouraged Trump to publicly support Machado, who was barred from the ballot in Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, and who last week was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her pro-democracy efforts. González, who ran in Machado’s place, won the election, according to vote tallies gathered by the opposition, yet Maduro declared victory.

Rubio was convinced that only military might would bring change to Venezuela, which has been plunged into crisis under Maduro’s rule, with a quarter of the population fleeing poverty, violence and political repression.

But there was a hitch. Trump has repeatedly vowed to not intervene in the politics of other nations, telling a Middle Eastern audience in May that the U.S. “would no longer be giving you lectures on how to live.”

Denouncing decades of U.S. foreign policy, Trump complained that “the interventionalists were intervening in complex societies that they did not even understand.”

To counter that sentiment, Rubio painted Maduro in a new light that he hoped would spark interest from Trump, who has been fixated on combating immigration, illegal drugs and Latin American cartels since his first presidential campaign.

Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, right, and opposition leader María Corina Machado greet supporters during a campaign rally in Valencia before the country’s presidential election in 2024.

(Ariana Cubillos / Associated Press)

Going after Maduro, Rubio argued, was not about promoting democracy or a change of governments. It was striking a drug kingpin fueling crime in American streets, an epidemic of American overdoses, and a flood of illegal migration to America’s borders.

Rubio tied Maduro to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan street gang whose members the secretary of State says are “worse than Al Qaeda.”

“Venezuela is governed by a narco-trafficking organization that has empowered itself as a nation state,” he said during his Senate confirmation hearing.

Meanwhile, prominent members of Venezuela’s opposition pushed the same message. “Maduro is the head of a narco-terrorist structure,” Machado told Fox News last month.

Security analysts and U.S. intelligence officials suggest that the links between Maduro and Tren de Aragua are overblown.

A declassified memo by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence found no evidence of widespread cooperation between Maduro’s government and the gang. It also said Tren de Aragua does not pose a threat to the U.S.

The gang does not traffic fentanyl, and the Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that just 8% of cocaine that reaches the U.S. passes through Venezuelan territory.

Still, Rubio’s strategy appears to have worked.

In July, Trump declared that Tren de Aragua was a terrorist group led by Maduro — and then ordered the Pentagon to use military force against cartels that the U.S. government had labeled terrorists.

Trump deployed thousands of U.S. troops and a small armada of ships and warplanes to the Caribbean and has ordered strikes on five boats off the coast of Venezuela, resulting in 24 deaths. The administration says the victims were “narco-terrorists” but has provided no evidence.

Elliott Abrams, a veteran diplomat who served as special envoy to Venezuela in Trump’s first term, said he believes the White House will carry out limited strikes in Venezuela.

“I think the next step is that they’re going to hit something in Venezuela — and I don’t mean boots on the ground. That’s not Trump,” Abrams said. “It’s a strike, and then it’s over. That’s very low risk to the United States.”

He continued: “Now, would it be nice if that kind of activity spurred a colonel to lead a coup? Yeah, it would be nice. But the administration is never going to say that.”

Even if Trump refrains from a ground invasion, there are major risks.

“If it’s a war, then what is the war’s aim? Is it to overthrow Maduro? Is it more than Maduro? Is it to get a democratically elected president and a democratic regime in power?” said John Yoo, a professor of law at UC Berkeley, who served as a top legal advisor to the George W. Bush administration. “The American people will want to know what’s the end state, what’s the goal of all of this.”

“Whenever you have two militaries bristling that close together, there could be real action,” said Christopher Sabatini, a senior fellow for Latin America at the think tank Chatham House. “Trump is trying to do this on the cheap. He’s hoping maybe he won’t have to commit. But it’s a slippery slope. This could draw the United States into a war.”

Sabatini and others added that even if the U.S. pressure drives out Maduro, what follows is far from certain.

Venezuela is dominated by a patchwork of guerrilla and paramilitary groups that have enriched themselves with gold smuggling, drug trafficking and other illicit activities. None have incentive to lay down arms.

And the country’s opposition is far from unified.

Machado, who dedicated her Nobel Prize to Trump in a clear effort to gain his support, says she is prepared to govern Venezuela. But there are others — both in exile and in Maduro’s administration — who would like to lead the country.

Machado supporter Juan Fernandez said anything would be better than maintaining the status quo.

“Some say we’re not prepared, that a transition would cause instability,” he said. “How can Maduro be the secure choice when 8 million Venezuelans have left, when there is no gasoline, political persecution and rampant inflation?”

Fernandez praised Rubio for pushing the Venezuela issue toward “an inflection point.”

What a difference, he said, to have a decision-maker in the White House with family roots in another country long oppressed by an authoritarian regime.

“He perfectly understands our situation,” Fernandez said. “And now he has one of the highest positions in the United States.”

Linthicum reported from Mexico City, Wilner from Dallas and Ceballos from Washington. Special correspondent Mery Mogollón in Caracas contributed to this report.

According to data compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence, Wells Fargo (WFC -2.93%) stock was up by more than 8% week to date as of Thursday night. That was hardly a surprise, as the company delivered quarterly results that beat analyst estimates and pleased investors.

A satisfying third quarter

On Tuesday, Wells Fargo — one of the so-called big four U.S. banks — took the wraps off its third quarter. For the period, total revenue came in at over $21.4 billion, representing an improvement of 5% over the same quarter of 2024.

Image source: Getty Images.

The company’s generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) net income saw a healthier rise, growing by 9% year over year to almost $5.6 billion. On a per-share basis, that profitability stood at $1.66.

As for traditional banking metrics, average loans crept up by 2% to just under $929 billion. Average deposits, however, declined marginally to almost $1.34 trillion.

The two headline numbers comfortably exceeded the consensus analyst estimates. Prognosticators tracking Wells Fargo stock were collectively anticipating slightly more than $21.1 for total revenue and $1.55 per share for profitability.

Multiple revenue streams

In its earnings release, Wells Fargo attributed its improvements mainly to a rise in fee-based income from both commercial and consumer operations. The bank also benefited from higher vehicle loan originations and an increase in total client assets for its wealth and investment management business.

AUSTIN, Texas — Owen Wolff scored in a goal in the 83rd minute, Brad Stuver had two saves, and Austin FC beat LAFC 1-0 on Sunday night to snap LAFC’s six-game win streak.

LAFC (17-8-8) has 59 points, one behind second-place San Diego and one ahead of Minnesota in the Western Conference. Vancouver has 63 points.

Austin (13-12-8) has 47 points and will be the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference for the MLS Cup playoffs, which begin Oct. 22.

Wolff’s goal ended LAFC’s shutout streak at 429 minutes, dating to Sept. 21 against Salt Lake.

Zan Kolmanic played a corner kick into the area that deflected off the head of LAFC’s Eddie Segura before Wolff headed home the finish inside the back post.

Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-min did not play (international duty) for LAFC. Bouanga is second in MLS with 24 goals this season and Son has eight goals and three assists in eight starts since signing with LAFC on Aug. 6.

The match had been scheduled for July 5, but was rescheduled due to severe weather and flooding in the area.

Was it a fluke or fundamental change?

A week after its monumental upset of Penn State, UCLA could get some answers about the trajectory of its season.

A road game against an opponent with plenty of its own urgency should tell the Bruins whether they’re on the road to redemption or merely picking up speed on a route to nowhere.

Michigan State (3-2 overall, 0-2 Big Ten) needs a win as badly as UCLA (1-4, 1-1) given that it’s staring up in the conference standings at a team that lost its first four games of the season.

Spartans coach Jonathan Smith, the Pasadena native and Glendora High graduate whose name has been among those linked to UCLA’s vacancy, might need to win this game just to help secure his future with his current team after compiling an 8-9 record almost midway through his second season.

Meanwhile, the stock of UCLA interim coach Tim Skipper and offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel — let’s dispense with the official yet insulting playcaller title, please — could reach new heights with a second consecutive victory.

Skipper equated Neuheisel’s success in his playcalling debut to giving players answers before a test, which was all the more impressive considering that Neuheisel had just a couple of days to install his new scheme after replacing departed offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri.

What might UCLA’s offense look like with a full week of prep work? Here are five things to watch when the Bruins face the Spartans at Spartan Stadium at 9 a.m. PDT in a game televised by Big Ten Network:

ARSENAL continued their impressive start to the season with a professional 2-0 win over Olympiacos in the Champions League.

Goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Buakyo Saka at polar ends of the game ensured the Gunners made it two wins from two in Europe.

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Martinelli made the most of some fortune after just 12 minutes as he tapped in the ball following a rebound off the post which presented itself to him basically on the line.

The Greek visitors threatened to create their own odyssey in north London as they forced David Raya into an excellent save at full stretch.

But super sub Saka proved to be their Achilles’ heel as he squeezed a second goal through the legs of Konstantinos Tzolakis in injury time.

Here’s how SunSport’s Jordan Davies rated the Gunners at the Emirates.

DAVID RAYA – 8/10

Another Champions League wonder save for the collection, tipping over brilliantly from Daniel Podence’s curled volley from 10 yards out in the first half.

Also made two lightning-fast reaction stops after the break. He barely has to do anything, but when called upon he never lets you down. Surely he needs to be considered one of Europe’s very best?

MYLES LEWIS-SKELLY – 7

Looked like a man with a point to prove and did so with a confident performance for a teenager who has been forced to watch from the sidelines for most of this term with Riccardo Calafiori preferred at left-back.

At 18, he already looks so at home on the European stage. Arteta will have a selection headache on his hands for this weekend.

BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK

WILLIAM SALIBA – 6

Has been in the spotlight after signing a new five-year deal, but had a few nervy moments at the back letting long balls bounce, putting the back four under pressure.

Yet as he always does, the Frenchman recovered well.

GABRIEL – 6

Not troubled much but was almost caught out with a looping cross that saw Olympiacos level only to be saved by the offside flag.

BEN WHITE – 5

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Received a rollocking from Arteta when taking a throw-in about his positioning and movement on the ball, and the Englishman gave some back in a worrying exchange.

This was a chance to try and usurp Timber as Arteta’s first-choice right-back, but he just looks off the pace and is reliant on right-side pal Saka to look good in attack.

At this rate, White will not be winning back his starting jersey any time soon.

MARTIN ZUBIMENDI – 7

He may be small, and a pest, but his influence is mighty. There is a reason Arteta barely ever rests him.

Tough in the tackle, accurate on the ball and the middle-man between defence and attack, giving Odegaard license to roam and dictate wherever he pleases.

It’s been said before, but he will turn out to be one of Arteta’s most important signings in his Arsenal tenure.

MIKEL MERINO – 6

Some good moments on and off the ball, adding a bit of bite to midfield, but also some moments where his final pass or attacking intent could have been better.

MARTIN ODEGAARD – 9

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Has his zip back, constantly creating in dangerous areas and covering every blade of grass with a purpose.

So unlucky not to double Arsenal’s lead inside the final 10 minutes and then picked up an assist for Saka in stoppage time.

Some more minutes in the tank after his shoulder issues is good to see as Arteta tries to get him back to the form that saw him notch goals and assists for fun in recent years.

GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 8

After shining off the bench for the majority of the season – starting just three times so far – he got his chance from the off to prove he can be the main man.

It did not start brilliantly, nodding a header wide unmarked from a few yards out before finding the net with an even easier chance that came off the post.

LEANDRO TROSSARD – 7

Lively down the left. Looks to be enjoying getting more regular game time in an Arsenal shirt, and is becoming more and more useful to Arteta as he tries to rotate his talented squad much more than he usually does.

Wasted a few openings in the second half.

VIKTOR GYOKERES – 6

He continues to do the dirty work with little reward, bumping off two Olympiacos defenders and seeing his shot go through the keeper and onto the base of the post before Martinelli snatched the spoils.

Wasted several chances in front of goal but his link-up play has much improved since he first joined. The goals will surely start flowing soon…

SUBS:

DECLAN RICE (MERINO, 58) – 6

A few nice deliveries from set-pieces but booked for a silly studs-up challenge. Brought on purely to see out the win, and he did that comfortably.

JURRIEN TIMBER (WHITE, 58) – 6

One of Arteta’s most trusted players. Exudes calmness whenever he is on the pitch.

BUKAYO SAKA (TROSSARD, 72) – 8

An instant threat and his driving run and cross should have led to Arsenal’s second before doing just that with a drilled strike through the legs of the keeper

EBERECHI EZE (MARTINELLI, 72) – 6

A few nice touches, but also a few stray passes. Spent most of his time tracking back as Arsenal held on late into the game.

MOSQUERA (GABRIEL, 74) – 6

Was put under a lot of pressure with Olympiacos sending cross after cross into the box with time ticking away, but dealt with it well.

He needed that after his mistake at St James’ Park led to Newcastle taking the lead, and also led to him being hooked at half time.

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Having retired in 1999 and then working as a TV pundit, Becker coached Novak Djokovic for three years between 2013 and 2016, helping the Serb win six of his 24 Grand Slam titles.

The 57-year-old, who has written a book about his time in prison, says he took comfort from Djokovic’s 2022 success at Wimbledon.

“I was supporting Djokovic at the time I saw him on the TV, when he was winning matches and ultimately winning the title against Nick Kyrgios,” he said.

“That was very inspirational for me and in the end very emotional for me. My brother Novak is there and I’m in one of the worst prisons in the world. So it puts life into perspective.”

Becker was deported from the UK following his release.

“I was too comfortable. I had too much money. Nobody told me ‘no’ – everything was possible. In hindsight, that’s the recipe for disaster,” he said.

“So you take accountability for your actions, which is very important because you cannot look back any more. You cannot change the past. You can only change the future because you live in today.”

SEATTLE — Cal Raleigh tied Mickey Mantle’s season record for most home runs by a switch hitter with his 54th, and the Seattle Mariners extended their winning streak to nine by routing the Angels 11-2 Sunday to take sole possession of the AL West lead for the first time since June.

With the loss, the Angels will finish the year without a winning record for the 10th consecutive season.

George Kirby matched his career high with 14 strikeouts as the Mariners completed a four-game sweep and won for the 20th time in their last 23 home games.

Jorge Polanco had three doubles and has doubles in seven straight games, tying the Mariners’ record.

Seattle (82-68) moved one game ahead of Houston (81-69) at the top of the division, winning nine in a row for the first time since a 14-game streak from July 2-17, 2022, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Mariners had not been alone in first place since before play on June 3.

Kirby (9-7) gave up two runs and three hits in 6 1/3 innings, walking none and leaving after 101 pitches. He also struck out 14 Angels on June 8.

Batting left-handed in the first inning, Raleigh had a first-pitch homer to left-center off Kyle Hendricks for a 2-0 lead. Mantle hit his 54 homers for the 1961 New York Yankees. Raleigh’s homer was his record-setting 43rd homer this season as a catcher, one more than Atlanta’s Javy López in 2003.

Hendricks (7-10) gave up nine runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Angels third baseman Yoán Moncada left in the middle of the fifth inning because of a sore left ankle.

Christian Moore and Oswald Peraza hit solo homers for the Angels. Denzer Guzmán got his first two big league hits.

Jeremy Clarkson appeared to take a swipe at Stacey Solomon during tonight’s NTAs as Clarkson’s Farm picked up the award for Factual Entertainment show

Jeremy Clarkson was thrilled as Clarksons Farm picked up the award for Factual Entertainment show at tonight’s NTAs – and he couldn’t help but throw a dig in towards Stacey Solomon in the winners room after.

The former X Factor star had not one, but two shows nominated in the category. Both her BBC shows Sort Your Life Out and Stacey & Joe were up but despite double the chance, Stacey unfortunately didn’t take home a gong.

Heading onto the stage, the former Top Gear star thanked everyone, before apologising his trousers were falling down because he was taking Mounjaro.

READ MORE: Danny Jones and Maura Higgins skip winners room at NTAs after awkward on-air reunionREAD MORE: NTA viewers ‘in disbelief’ as Ant and Dec lose 23-year winning streak – and skip ceremony

Celebrating in the winners room after picking up the gong, the star said: “It’s great that a farming show can beat a house cleaning show,” seemingly referencing Stacey’s Sort Your Life Out.

It wasn’t the only dig he made, as he claimed that his team “worked way harder than anyone else in this room”.

It came just hours after the Loose Women star hit out at a “ludicrous” decision by the organisation for putting both her shows up in the same category.

After overhearing Magic Radio presenters Tom Price and Lucy Horobin discussing what big fans they were of BBC reality show Stacey & Joe earlier today, Stacey decided to ring in to say thank you.

Lucy asked about Stacey & Joe and Sort Your Life Out going head to head in the Entertainment category tonight, Stacey said: “They’ve put Sort Your Life Out and Stacey & Joe in the same blummin’ category for some reason.

“We’re up against each other which is absolutely ludicrous! But you know what I’m so grateful to just be going, it’s so nice to be shortlisted and nominated knowing that it’s a public vote.”

It’s not the first time Stacey has hit out at an awards show, memorably slating the BAFTAs earlier this year after she once again missed out on a gong.

The mum of five once again missed out on Factual Entertainment for Sort Your Life Out there, with Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour taking the win.

Taking to her Instagram story the following Monday, Stacey said: “Good morning from the veg patch, about to do the morning water. We didn’t win a BAFTA and I know I’m supposed to take it gracefully like a champ but I’ll be honest I’m devastated.”

“I’m not handling it very well, I’m not taking it very gracefully. I’m devastated for our whole team like I’m so gutted for our team. Everyone got dressed up and were really hopeful because I think because they work so hard,” Stacey continued, as she said the Sort Your Life Out team deserved a BAFTA.

However, she clarified that she didn’t mean to say that others didn’t deserve a BAFTA as they “absolutely did.”

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Gary Lineker made a candid confession about his presenting future after his surprising win in the Best Presenter category at this year’s National Television Awards

Gary Lineker opened up on his BBC exit as he took home the award for Best Presenter at the National Television Awards. The shock victory at London’s O2 saw the former Match of the Day presenter finally knock Ant and Dec from the top spot for the award.

For the first time in 23 years, the Geordie duo were left empty handed in the category, with 64-year-old Gary even joking he had won the “Ant and Dec trophy” in his winner’s speech.

However, despite his award coming from his time on the BBC’s main football show, he has admitted he won’t work with the organisation again following his early exit.

Speaking after his win, he said: “I really don’t know. At the moment, I’m really looking forward to working with ITV and I’ve got a podcast business that I have to run so I’m not so sure. I’ve got so many great memories from such a long period at the BBC.”

READ MORE: Molly-Mae leaves fans ‘fuming’ as documentary about Tommy Fury split picks up NTAREAD MORE: Dermot O’Leary under fire for his ‘rude’ behaviour towards Sir Trevor McDonald at NTAs

He added: “I don’t think anyone thought I was cancelled. It was obviously just a mistake, an oversight. I was never in the slightest bit concerned for that but this is lovely and there’s no doubt that there’s perhaps a message here that it’s ok to share your views and speak up for those who don’t perhaps have a voice.”

Gary departed his role as the main presenter of BBC’s huge football show earlier than first expected. His exit came after he had shared a series of controversial comments during his social media activity.

One comment specifically saw him post in May 2025 concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that included a rat emoji.

The rat image has been historically used in anti-Semitic propaganda and while Lineker said sorry for sharing the post, explaining he was unaware of the image, he said he “would never knowingly share anything anti-Semitic”.

Despite Gary’s apology, the controversy led to the BBC confirming his early exit from the show. He later confirmed he would not be part of their coverage for the 2026 World Cup or the 2025/26 FA Cup.

Prior to his win on Wednesday night, Gary had received the backing of his The Rest is Football podcast pal Alan Shearer. Whilst many might have expected former Magpie Shearer to support his Geordie pals, the ex-Premier League legend is thought to have bucked the trend and voted for his sports mate.

After laughing off the suggestion that he was only going to attend the ceremony if he won, Gay told the podcast it was the “Ant and Dec award anyway”. He hinted he thought he had little hope of winning.

However, Shearer acted shocked before adding: “I have voted for you, though.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Nokia (NOK 3.43%) was the subject of an analyst’s recommendation upgrade Wednesday, and investors expressed their appreciation by bidding up the telecom’s stock. In late-session trading it was up by more than 3% in price, well ahead of the S&P 500 index’s 0.2% gain at that point in the day.

A recent acquisition could be a game changer

Well before market open, BNP Paribas Exane‘s Jakob Bluestone changed said recommendation, pushing it up a notch to outperform (buy, in other words) from his previous neutral. His price target on Nokia’s Europe-listed stock is 4.30 euros ($5.01) per share.

Image source: Getty Images.

According to reports, Bluestone’s new outlook on Nokia derives largely from its latest big-ticket acquisition. Last June it acquired U.S. tech and telecom equipment supplier Infinera in a $2.3 billion deal; this closed in February.

The analyst believes that absorbing Infinera positions Nokia to benefit from investments into artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, which go hand in hand with the current wave of data center build-outs (as those facilities are modified and expanded to handle the increased resource requirements of AI).

Bluestone pointed out that at the moment, Nokia’s revenue from hyperscaler projects comprises only 5% of its overall top line. Given the high demand from such clients, that percentage could go well higher.

Business metamorphosis

At the dawn of the cellphone era, Nokia reigned supreme, particularly as a producer of handsets. It did not adjust well in the subsequent Age of the Smartphone, and since then has refashioned itself into a provider of the networking technology and associated offerings that underpin the telecom industry.

With Infinera it certainly has a chance of capturing lightning in a bottle; given that, Bluestone’s new, bullish take feels realistic.

The Trump administration made no attempt to hide its goals when it came to tariffs. As the current U.S. president ran for office, he made it very clear to U.S. voters and the world that they should expect higher tariffs. And that’s exactly what his administration has offered up in dramatic fashion. Some on Wall Street worry that the tariffs could turn the bull market into a bear. Here’s how a long-term investor should be thinking about this issue.

The tariffs are coming! The tariffs are coming!

To simplify what is a fairly complex issue, a tariff is a tax imposed on imported goods. The Trump administration has been using tariffs in an aggressive attempt to reshape global trade. This will have an impact on the economy and the stock market, but what that might be is hard to define today. Simply put, so many things are up in the air right now that nobody knows where the chips are going to fall.

Image source: Getty Images.

That said, one concern is that higher tariffs will eventually be passed through to consumers. That would increase inflation, crimp consumption, and lead to lower earnings for corporate America. The flip side of that argument is that companies have increased prices so much in recent years that they can’t easily push higher costs onto consumers, and, thus, companies are likely to absorb the tariff hit. That would mean lower profit margins. Even here, however, Wall Street could still end up in the dumps as companies earn less and investors react to that negative news.

It seems like nothing good can come of this whole tariff thing. Except that, so far, the market hasn’t really paid much attention. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO +0.00%) is up more than 10% so far in 2025. Yes, there was a brief market correction early in the year, but the S&P 500 index, which is what the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF tracks, seems to have shrugged that off, as it is again trading near all-time highs.

VOO data by YCharts.

Don’t get too caught up in the short term

Here’s the big takeaway from the tariff kerfuffle: It is shockingly hard to predict performance on Wall Street. Some people get market turns right once, but very few have been able to time the ups and downs with any consistency. For most investors, trying to jump in and out of the market — a practice known as market timing — is a mistake.

It is far better to buy and hold for the long term, perhaps including an exchange-traded fund (ETF) like Vanguard S&P 500 ETF in the mix. Indeed, focusing on a well-diversified portfolio is key, as it will help to soften the impact of the market’s gyrations over time. Which brings the story back to the potential for a bear market. Simply put, there will be one.

That’s not a prediction; it is just a statement of fact. Eventually, for some reason, investors will go from being bullish to being bearish. That’s just what market history tells us is the norm on Wall Street. Why it happens will be the topic of debate, and eventually, some common cause will be determined. Maybe it will be tariffs. It could also be geopolitical tensions, which are very high today. Or maybe artificial intelligence (AI) won’t turn out to be as profitable as investors expect, and that will lead the market lower, given that AI enthusiasm has helped lead the market higher.

Something will eventually give way, and there will be a bear market. Then, after some period of time, a bull market will arrive. It’s just how the market works. You should spend more of your time thinking about ways to save money and how to invest wisely. Investing wisely means taking into consideration the ever-present risk of a bear market.

Keep it simple and think long term

Far too often, investors get caught up in short-term market movements. The big picture is more important, including the sometimes erratic upward march of stocks over the long term. Sticking to an investment plan is hard, but it is likely to result in better long-term performance than trying to jump in and out of the market. Which is why a simple portfolio consisting of an S&P 500 index fund and a broadly diversified bond fund or ETF — say, in a 60% stock/40% bond breakdown — could be all you need.

^SPX data by YCharts.

Bonds help provide safety during market turmoil, and stocks provide growth over the long term. That combination will allow you to ride out bear markets without letting your emotions lead you into making investment mistakes (like selling everything you own and never investing again). Another option is just to buy a balanced mutual fund that does all the investing work for you. That leaves you to focus on saving money, which is where you will likely have the biggest impact on your long-term wealth, anyway.

If you do choose to buy individual stocks, which can be a lot of fun, don’t focus on the short term. Or to put it another way, think in decades, not days. When you do that, a bear market will probably end up looking like just a small hiccup. And it won’t really matter to you what precipitated the bear, anyway, because you will be too busy. You see, long-term investors often find their best investments during deep market declines.

Sacramento — The Capitol crowd — from the governor down — should take a deep breath. Stop hyperventilating.

The governor and his aides especially should stop blustering about a barrage of ballot initiatives that they’re dreaming up for next November.

Nobody has lost out in the Capitol yet — just because Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature couldn’t agree on a spending cap and massive borrowing scheme by Friday’s arbitrary deadline.

Not even Schwarzenegger was a loser, despite his best efforts. Even if he is a man of “action, action, action, action,” and was stopped cold by Democrats. This, after telling reporters last Monday that “failure is no option. It just doesn’t exist….

“I never went into a competition in weightlifting … or bodybuilding [wondering], ‘What if I cannot lift this weight?’ … ‘What if this movie tanks in the box office?’ …. Your chances of making it [improve] by saying there’s no safety net, failure is no option. That means it has to happen.”

Fine, but in governing it’s about brains, not brawn. It’s about real give-and-take, not movie scripts. And you’d better have a safety net for the circus.

Schwarzenegger has a colossal safety net: solid public support and total access to a friendly media, including a chain of doting cheerleaders on talk radio. He’s replacing the most unpopular governor in modern history — who, at that, was more popular than the Legislature. And he doesn’t face reelection for three years, if indeed he runs.

The guy has been governor only three weeks, let’s remember.

Last week’s exercise — trying to place a tight spending cap and a record bond issue on the March ballot — may have been Schwarzenegger’s first major test, but it was a test without political consequences for flunking. If the public’s going to fix blame, where will its finger point — the action hero or the disreputable Legislature?

Let Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson (D-Culver City) answer that. “If there was another question on the ballot that said, ‘Do you want to recall the Senate and Assembly?’ ” he told colleagues during Friday night’s floor debate. “Guess what? We’d be selling shirts out of the trunks of our cars right now.”

If anything, Schwarzenegger gained because the public’s ugly image of the Legislature was revived.

But Democrats didn’t lose either. They would have lost by rolling over and cowering as the governor tried to bully them, threatening “severe casualties” in next year’s elections. They’d have looked unprincipled by giving in to his amateur-hour forays to Democrats’ hometowns.

Schwarzenegger spent much of the week doing what he loves: entertaining crowds, hearing their cheers, being lobbed softballs by radio hosts and beating up on Sacramento.

But he should have been in Sacramento more, negotiating with Democrats and Republicans. Republicans must give, as well as Democrats.

Schwarzenegger always has claimed he wants to “listen.” But all he wants to listen to, it seems, is Democrats saying “yes.”

There isn’t much acknowledgment, at least in his public statements, that spending caps come in different shapes and his isn’t the only version that would fit California’s budget.

(Conservatives might be alarmed to learn that Schwarzenegger’s cap would allow a governor to raise taxes during a downturn. To block him would require a two-thirds legislative vote. If Gray Davis had possessed that power, we probably wouldn’t be in this fiscal mess.)

Wesson articulated the Democrats’ philosophical opposition to the Schwarzenegger-GOP spending limit:

“We refuse to impose a cap that will take funding away from developmentally disabled individuals, the programs they need to survive…. We refuse to take $2 billion away from our schoolchildren because we know that the only great equalizer in this life is education, and I’ll be damned if we in the Democratic Party are going to turn our backs on children.”

By his history — if not his recent politics — Schwarzenegger would seem to agree with those sentiments.

Democrats have sent the governor a message: They can work together — can agree on a spending cap — but he needs to negotiate seriously and also force Republicans to bend.

It’s still possible to compromise on a spending cap and a $15-billion deficit bond this week and get it on the March ballot.

But does Schwarzenegger really want to? Or is he being lured by the roar of the crowd and prodded by his outside political consultants — some looking for a big payday — into pitching several ballot initiatives next November?

Schwarzenegger could achieve much in the Legislature — negotiating bipartisan solutions that don’t require him to hit up special interests for tens of millions to finance contested initiatives.

If he’s truly an action-governor, he’ll mute the hostile, partisan rhetoric that has been bellowing from his office and resume bargaining with legislative leaders.

Nobody has failed yet. It’s early. The Capitol needs calm-headed action, from Democrats and Republicans — and leadership from the governor.

First in a series of stories profiling top high school football players by position. Today, Brady Smigiel, Newbury Park quarterback.

Honored as the The Times’ player of the year in 2024. Passed for more than 3,200 yards. Completed 49 touchdown passes. Won a Southern Section Division 2 championship. Committed to Michigan for college. Rated a five-star quarterback by one recruiting service.

Has Brady Smigiel of Newbury Park High accomplished everything he wanted to do in high school going into his senior year?

“I can argue I’m getting even hungrier,” said the 6-foot-5, 210-pounder.

His former receiver Shane Rosenthal, who is now at UCLA, has known Smigiel since their tee-ball days. Rosenthal said his best friend is never satisfied.

“He knows there’s things to improve on,” Rosenthal said. “This is just the start of his career. He’s got college next and hopefully the NFL. This is not his final destination. He knows where he wants to get to.”

Smigiel intends to keep the pedal to the metal as he plays his final season under his father, head coach Joe Smigiel. He was the one who threw a container filled with Gatorade on his father’s head last season, drawing a nasty stare because dad had a cold and didn’t need to get wet.

All is forgiven and his father would gladly accept another drenching with a little warning this time. The challenge for son will be developing chemistry with his new group of receivers and continuing to progress reading defenses, something he did extraordinarily well in dropping his interceptions to three last season after 14 in 2023.

“There’s no replacing Shane, but there are some very good athletes that came in,” Smigiel said.

Despite his success the last three seasons, which include 11,222 yards passing and 147 touchdowns, Smigiel insists he has not lost his focus.

“There’s a new challenge every season and to know I’m going to college in less than a year makes me even hungrier,” he said. “I want to be able to get better every single day.”

In April, an example of his day was getting to school at 6:30 a.m. and getting home at 8 p.m. after workouts, classes and training. He has entrusted his training to a staff dedicated to giving him the tools to succeed.

“You just want to get stronger and faster,” he said. “I’m a tall build, so there’s a lot of mass to put weight on. I dropped some bad pounds and started working on my speed training to get more explosive.”

He has made a commitment to Michigan, believing the school is the best fit for his quarterback style, academics and development on and off the field. He’s pursuing his dream — the NFL. He remembers being inspired after watching the draft with former Newbury Park and NFL defensive back Darnay Holmes.

Newbury Park coach Joe Smigiel with sons Brady, left, and Beau.

(Nick Koza)

“My dream has been to be in the NFL my whole life,” he said. “Darnay was at our house and the draft was on and my mom was having a conversation with him. He was about my age right now and his dream was to play in the NFL and the fact it happened and can happen to people you know, it really opened my eyes and is 100% a dream of mine.”

During a nutrition break last spring, Smigiel was hanging out with Rosenthal and looked up the future schedules for Michigan and UCLA. The Bruins will be in Ann Arbor in 2026, with the Wolverines coming to the Rose Bowl in 2027. The best buddies are making plans.

“We’ll be doing a jersey exchange,” Rosenthal said. “I want to be on the same field again.”

Smigiel has matured throughout high school. He has grown constantly, whether in school, his physical dimensions, or his faith. His new offensive coordinator, former Utah quarterback Cam Rising, is helping him become even more prepared for the next level.

The Smigiel journey continues, and it’s going to be quite a ride to follow.

Wednesday: Valencia running back Brian Bonner.

Quarterbacks to watch

Bryson Beaver, Vista Murrieta, 6-3, 195, Sr.: Oregon commit passed for 3,214 yards, 33 touchdowns last season

Corin Berry, Charter Oak, 6-3, 185, Sr. Purdue commit passed for 3,034 yards, 33 touchdowns in 2024

Wyatt Brown, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 6-4, 190, Sr.: Santa Monica transfer is ready for Mission League

Luke Fahey, Mission Viejo, 6-0, 185, Sr.: Ohio State commit has great arm, good instincts and is big-time in the clutch

Ryan Hopkins, Mater Dei, 6-3, 190, Sr.: Wisconsin commit is one of the fastest QBs in the state

Jaden Jefferson, Cathedral, 5-9, 175, Jr.: Completed 68% of his passes with only four interceptions

Koa Malau’ulu, St. John Bosco, 6-2, 175, So.: Threw for 19 touchdowns as a freshman

Ryan Rakowski, Palos Verdes, 5-11, 170, Jr. : Passed for 2,809 yards, 24 touchdowns last season

Oscar Rios, Downey, 6-3, 180, Sr.: Arizona commit is terrific passer, runner and leader

Brady Smigiel, Newbury Park, 6-5, 210, Sr.: Michigan commit has passed for 147 TDs in three seasons

GRABBING your lucky penny to see if you have won tens of thousands of pounds in an instant is all part of the thrill for scratchcard players.

But there are ways you can boost your chances of winning with a few crucial steps, thanks to scratchcard expert Patrick Wareing’s tips.

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Patrick runs the website scratchcard-winners.co.uk and has been dishing out top tips on how to bag a big prize since 2015.

He also helps players work out which online scratchcards are best to play.

Scratchcards offer life changing wins of up to £2million for punters and are sold at supermarkets, as well as garages and other convenience shops.

National Lottery scratchcards cost between £1 to £5, depending on which one you choose.

You can also buy online through the National Lottery website.

Anyone 18-years or over can buy a scratchcard and play.

Here’s what you need to know before playing.

Make sure you gamble responsibly.

Track down the odds

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Scratchcard odds can be found on the back of the slip, on the game procedures document or the National Lottery website.

They can also be found on in-store screens at the till in shops.

Typically, the more expensive the scratchcard, the better the odds – but this isn’t always the case.

The odds of winning on the Sapphire 7s Doubler scratchcard, which costs £2, is one in 3.37, whereas the odds of winning the Diamond Maze scratchcard, which is £5, is one in 3.58.

Odds show how likely you are to win any particular prize – the lower the number, the better the odds.

This means you have a better chance of winning with the £2 game compared to the more expensive £5 game.

Of course, there’s no guarantee you will win on your scratchcard, even if you buy many to increase your odds of winning.

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Patrick said: “If you buy a scratchcard with odds of one in four, and you buy four scratchcards, you’d assume you get a winner.

“Yet the odds are calculated on all scratchcards in circulation, which means that you aren’t guaranteed a winner in this scenario.

“It can work in your favour though, as you could equally win on all four scratchcards.”

A better method of calculating the likelihood of winning can be to take a look at what “return to player” rate is.

This is what gambling experts define as the percentage of money that will be paid back to players from total scratchcard sales. It’s essentially the pay out rate on scratchcards.

National Lottery scratchcards usually pay out at a rate of between 60-70%.

So say, for example, that the total of all the scratchcards sold was £1 million. 

A 65% pay out rate would mean that £650,000 would be paid out to players, with the remaining £350,000 going to National Lottery.

The £100,000 A Month For A Year scratchcard has pay out rate of 70.02%.

The £100,000 Multiplier Yellow scratchcard has an pay out rate of 61.75%.

That’s a difference of nearly 10% and can make a big difference to your chance of getting winnings.

You can find information on prize rates on the game procedure documents, which are on the National Lottery website for each scratchcard.

The scratchcards you can NEVER win the jackpot

Before you buy your scratchcard, check whether the top jackpot prizes have already been won.

The number of jackpot prizes available varies depending on what type of scratchcard you pick.

Many people don’t realise you can still buy National Lottery scratchcards even after all the top prizes have been won.

For cards with a jackpot above £121,000, no new packs of scratchcards will be put on sale when the last top prize has been won.

However, scratchcards that are already on display can continue to be sold.

Information about remaining prizes is available on in-store National Lottery scratchcard terminals, but these can be easy to miss so make sure you visit the National Lottery website too.

There won’t be a breakdown of other winnings still up for grabs.

Jackpot information is only every weekday, so there could be a delay if prizes are claimed on the weekend or on bank holidays.

The National Lottery site currently shows that five out of around 50 scratchcard games on sale have already had the top prizes claimed.

Use this nifty site

If you’re not sure which scratchcard to choose with the best chance of winning, this handy website could help.

Smartscratchcard.co.uk ranks which scratchcards are best to buy based on the chances of scoring the top prize.

It uses an algorithm to give a rating out of 100 on popular scratchcards.

It takes into account factors such as the price of the card, whether the top prize is still available to be won, how many cards are still available to buy, and the odds of winning.

It also lists how much you might have to spend to win the jackpot statistically.

The scratchcard rated the top buy on the site is currently Run For Your Money.

It costs £5 and the jackpot is £1 million.

The return to player rate is 70.12%, and two out of three jackpots have been won.

Shockingly, statistically speaking, you could have to spend £4,990,920 on cards to win.

Don’t throw away a loser

You may not believe it, but it’s easier to lose track of a winning scratchcard then you might think.

More than £57.6m worth of prizes went unclaimed by Lotto, EuroMillions and scratchcard players in the ten months to the end of January 2024.

The National Lottery recommends you always sign a scratchcard and keep it safe if you have a winner.

It sounds obvious, but make sure your card is definitely not a winner before chucking.

This is more likely to happen with scratchcards featuring letters and numbers, such as the Bingo and Crossword styles.

Patrick adds: “The National Lottery often changes the rules between new releases – even if they look similar to the ones before them.”

Even if you think you have a loser, it’s a good idea to take it to a shop where they can check.

Then you can be completely sure you don’t throw away any winners.

Don’t leave it too late

It’s really important to know that all scratchcards have an expiry date.

Even if you have a winner, you won’t be able to claim your prize if the card is out of date.

Prizes must be claimed before the end of the 180th day after the closing date of the game.

This gives you roughly six months after the game has closed.

All current game closures on the website national-lottery.co.uk/games/gamestore/scratchcards/closures

But here’s the catch, the closure dates are influenced by how many prizes are left.

So to avoid missing out, cash in your prize as soon as you realise you have a winner.

Remember, only gamble with money you can afford to lose, and set a spending limit before you play.

Visit gamcare.org.uk or GambleAware.org if you need help.

‘I won £500,000 scratchcard jackpot – here’s my tactic to winning’

SCRATCHCARD winner Matthew Harding won a £500,000 jackpot, and revealed his secret to scooping the mega win.

Shop assistant Matthew, from Nottingham, won big on the Pink Multiplier National Scratchcard in 2023.

He said he always bought two scratchcards in a row because he heard that this makes you more likely to win.

His tactic paid off, and he scooped the top jackpot.

Matthew said at the time of winning: “I treat myself to a scratchcard or two every month after payday and scratch them on my way home.

“I have seen a few customers in the shop winning £20 or £40 here and there so I thought I would give this particular one a go.

“I have always been told to buy two in a row as you are more likely to win.

“There may be no real logic in that but that’s exactly what I do – I always buy them in a set.

Matthew stuffed the card in his sock to keep it safe.

He bought it from Greasley General Stores, Eastwood – the store he worked at the time.

He made sure to sign the back of the card and didn’t fold it so he could keep the card safe.

SAN FRANCISCO — Veronica Burton scored 16 points, Cecilia Zandalasini scored 14 before halftime and the Golden State Valkyries moved a game ahead of the Sparks in the Western Conference beating them 72-59 on Saturday night.

Janelle Salaun scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Golden State (15-15). Zandalasini scored 14 points in the first half on five-for-six shooting, including four for five from three-point range and missed her only shot attempt after halftime.

Dearica Hamby scored 15 points for the Sparks (14-16), and Julie Allemand and reserve Rae Burrell each scored 10.

Golden State built a 19-14 lead after one quarter, and the Valkyries took advantage of a nine-point quarter by the Sparks for a 33-23 lead at halftime.

The Sparks started the third quarter with a 7-0 run with a pair of foul shots and a short shot by Kelsey Plum and a three-pointer by Hamby. Golden State extended its lead to 41-32 before the Sparks rallied again to get within 43-40 but never got closer.

Golden State sealed the win outscoring the Sparks 12-5 over the first six minutes of the fourth.

The Valkyries won the regular-season series 3-1 over the Sparks and currently hold the eighth and final playoff spot.