Tottenham have completed the signing of England youth international Ash Phillips from Blackburn. Phillips, 18, made eight appearances for Rovers in the Sky Bet Championship last season and has been allowed to leave for Spurs after his £2million release clause became active this weekend. The centre-back had been close to joining Tottenham last month before negotiations between the clubs stalled, but he has now signed a five-year contract with the Premier League club. Ex-Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray highlighted the excitement around Phillips back in the 2021-22 season when he described him as “a phenomenal young boy” before he told Lancashire Live: “If you were to create a defender in the mould of how you would want one, this kid has got every attribute.” Phillips earned his full debut in a Carabao Cup first-round tie against Hartlepool last August and also started Rovers’ 4-1 defeat to Premier League side Nottingham Forest in December. The teenager had signed his first professional contract with Blackburn by this point and played 14 times in all competitions last season under Jon Dahl Tomasson, winning Championship apprentice of the year. A regular in England age-group levels since he switched allegiances from Wales in 2021, under-19 international Phillips will continue his development at Tottenham, but the club are still working on plans to further recruit in the centre-back area. Spurs, who conceded 63 goals in the Premier League last season, are edging closer to the signing of Wolfsburg centre-back Micky van de Ven but have cooled their interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba. Tosin Adarabioyo of Fulham and former loanee Clement Lenglet remain targets. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

"Let's grab a drink" is a far too familiar phrase for avid daters – but now, a cultural shift has emerged geared towards more mindful dating. Enter sober dating. With more and more people making conscious decisions towards mindfulness, there's no surprise that the movement has racked up almost 5 million views across TikTok. A specialist team at Private Rehab Clinic, Delamere, has witnessed the latest trend and believes it to be a "more positive approach" to alcohol consumption and changing drinking behaviour. "We live in a society where binge drinking is part of everyday life and has a lot of influence over our culture and how individuals socialise, especially when dating," Martin Preston said. "This way of living is inspiring the ‘sober curious movement’ and the latest trend of ‘sober dating’, which is about thinking more consciously about consuming alcohol and our drinking habits." According to their research, 60 per cent of people post-pandemic reduced their intake to improve their health and well being. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter It is predominantly Gen Z driving the new sober dating trend by seeking alternative booze-free ways to socialise. "We’re also seeing a rise in the number of alcohol-free dating apps, which allow those in recovery or simply those exploring their relationship with alcohol to find love," Martin added. "This dating trend has many benefits, from feeling more safe and secure when meeting strangers to getting to know an individual's real personality instead of their drunk personality, to feeling more clear-headed and having an emotional connection." The clinic advises people wanting to try it to join sober dating apps to connect with people with the same mindset. They also believe daytime dates take the pressure of alcohol away, including walks, a show or a creative activity such as pottery painting. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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Mike Pence struggled to take a clear stance on troubles concerning former US president Donald Trump’s indictment in the classified documents case. Mr Trump is reportedly facing 37 counts of mishandling classified documents at his Florida estate. These charges come less than three months after he was charged in New York with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Earlier this week, during an appearance on CNN, Mr Pence shared his views about Trump’s indictment. The politician, who has launched his 2024 Presidential campaign, said: “I hope the DOJ thinks better of it and resolves these issues without an indictment. “I think it would also send a terrible message to the wider world,” he added. “I mean, we’re the emblem of democracy. We’re the symbol of justice in the world.” Mr Pence also ended up criticising the FBI’s raid on Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, saying: “I was very troubled last summer when, for the first time in history, there was a search warrant executed at the home of a former president of the United States. He added: “There had to be dozens of ways that could have been handled.” After making these statements, Mr Pence undercut his own views, saying: “I don’t know the facts of the former president’s case.” The former vice president’s contradictory statement led to the host asking him whether what he was “saying is that, if they believe he committed a crime, they should not go forward with an indictment?” Mr Pence replied: “No, look, let me be clear that no one’s above the law.” He then added: “But with regard to the unique circumstances here, it – look – I – I. No one is above the law. But … unique circumstances.” Ultimately, Mr Pence ended up conceding that Trump and President Joe Biden “had no business” having classified documents after leaving office. “But I would just hope that there would be a way for them to move forward without the dramatic and drastic and divisive step of indicting a former president of the United States,” he said. Read More Trump boasts about having non-declassified papers in bombshell recording: ‘I have a big pile’ Trump news — latest: Trump ‘plotted to hide documents from FBI after showing military docs to visitors’ Fox host Mark Levin screams at camera in outrage at Trump indictment over secret papers Trump set for first public appearances since federal indictment, speaking in Georgia, North Carolina DeSantis pledges to restore name of Confederate general Braxton Bragg to Fort Liberty Will Trump’s growing laundry list of legal woes hurt his standing with GOP voters?

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