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The three biggest selling shirts in the Real Madrid squad have been revealed as Los Blancos enjoy similar sales figures to last summer despite no La Liga or Champions League title in 2023.

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Now you have something to do when you stare at your phone while Love is

By Safiyah Riddle U.S. existing home sales dropped to a six month-low in July as home owners who

A 27-year-old woman with a rare genetic disorder who could only identify with Mickey Mouse while growing up due to the shape of the Disney character’s hands is trying to be the role model she never had as a social media influencer, to show people with disabilities they are “fully worthy and capable” of achieving anything. Rochelle Muir, who lives in Colorado, was born with ectrodactyly, which means she has three fingers and a thumb on each hand, two toes on her right foot, and four toes on her left foot. The condition causes difficulties in buying footwear, and with relationships – with one of her ex-boyfriends splitting up with her due to the possibility of their child being born with ectrodactyly – but she is now happily partnered with Charles, 31, a primary school counsellor who, along with her father Bill, is her “biggest cheerleader”. Rochelle, who is a client engagement manager for a healthcare company, could identify with characters such as Mickey Mouse growing up as he also has four digits, but she said “being like a cartoon is not exactly the role model you want”. She now posts pictures and videos on her social media platforms to educate others about ectrodactyly, raise awareness of the limb difference community, and share her hobbies, including gaming. “I remember specifically always loving the characters which had brown hair whenever they were in Barbie movies because I thought, ‘Oh, she’s like me!’,” she told PA Real Life. “But I never had that feeling when it came to my limb differences.” Rochelle has never let the disorder hold her back despite being teased and bullied at school, but when she entered the dating world in her 20s, she faced rejection multiple times and felt she was not “capable or worthy of having an amazing relationship”. “I’ve never been rejected over something that I couldn’t change about myself, something I was born with, and that was probably the first hit to my confidence with my limb differences where I felt awful about being born the way I am, about being disabled,” she said. “I just thought, I’m never going to find a meaningful relationship, I’m not worthy, I’m not capable, and that was the dialogue that kept going through my brain over and over again.” Rochelle has since removed “that nasty little voice out of (her) head”, found love with partner Charles, and shared her story publicly on social media, as she wants to “uplift” others among the disability community and show the world that “disabled is not a dirty word”. She said she is no longer “worried about showing (her) true self” and wants to encourage others to do the same. “Most people usually point out the negatives, but there are so many great positives with going and finding other people that look like you, other people you can connect with, and just creating this amazing community where you can uplift each other,” she said. “That’s one of the things I love about social media so much because when I came out about my limb differences, other people reached out and said, ‘Hey, I look exactly like you, this is so exciting, I’ve never seen anyone else that has the same hands as me’. “So it’s one of my favourite things now – and, yes, it’s sad that we didn’t have that growing up, but at least it’s there now and we can have that moving forward.” Ectrodactyly is a rare genetic disorder, and symptoms can vary, the National Organisation for Rare Disorders says. Rochelle underwent surgery to minimise the gap between her fingers and remove the longer toe on her right foot, enabling her to have improved grip and wear shoes from a young age. However, finding the right shoes has been an ongoing challenge and, when she was younger, she could not understand why she could not wear the same shoes as “able-bodied” people. “I remember specifically, there was a time, I think I was about five, that I tried to get my mum to buy me a pair of flip flops – they were pink, and they had butterflies and flowers on them,” she said. “My mum was so heartbroken because she couldn’t fully explain to me, ‘No, you can’t wear these shoes, they are going to be too dangerous for you’. “She eventually just caved and got me the shoes, and we were going up the escalator to go to the next floor in the mall, and I tripped, and we fell. “Ever since then, I’ve thought, I’m going to wear shoes that will stay securely on my feet.” Throughout her life, Rochelle has used humour to “defuse” awkward or uncomfortable situations and to enhance her confidence, but when it came to dating, for the first time in her life she felt self-conscious and “unworthy of having a real relationship”. She remembers one boyfriend who “was like a deer in the headlights” when he saw her feet for the first time, and another who ended the relationship over the possibility of their child being born with ectrodactyly. “He talked to his family, and his mum at the time said, ‘You need to decide whether you want to have kids because if you do, you have to break up with her’,” Rochelle explained. “The relationship ended, and I thought, I can’t blame him, but when I spoke to my friends, they said, ‘You’re amazing. What’s wrong with having a child with a limb difference?’ “That’s when I realised that I had internal ableism, where I told myself that having a disability is awful – ‘you’re not capable, you’re not worthy of having an amazing relationship’.” Ableism is discrimination in favour of able-bodied people – and it was at this point that Rochelle decided she wanted to do something about the lack of representation for people with ectrodactyly on social media. This “lit the fire” in her to share her story publicly for the first time, aged 25, and she has never looked back. Since then, she has launched her own Instagram, TikTok and YouTube channels on which she discusses ectrodactyly, limb differences and other disabilities, along with her hobby of gaming, and she has met Charles. Reading positive comments and messages, including from mothers of children who describe her as “an amazing role model”, has been “heart-warming” and makes her emotional – and she wants to continue to “fight ableism and bring more representation for the limb difference community”. “The biggest thing for me is representation for the limb difference community, but also for other disabilities as well, because the more we have that out there, the more of a norm it will be,” she said. “I want to be that role model, that person I wanted to look for in social media growing up, that person that younger me would be proud of and say, ‘Oh yeah, I know her, she’s so awesome, I’m just like her’. “It’s a younger me that inspires me to keep going forward and talking about these things, and I want to give the message that disabled is not a bad word, it’s not a dirty word, and you are fully worthy and capable of anything you put your mind to.” Find out more about Rochelle and her social media channels at beacons.ai/goodmornindreamer Read More Tempted to try barefoot running? 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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the apologies offered by Luis Rubiales, President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), for giving Spain midfielder Jennifer Hermoso an unwanted kiss on the lips are "not enough."

(Reuters) -3M Co said on Tuesday that Bryan Hanson would be the chief executive officer of the healthcare company it

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Even before Luis Rubiales had planted a kiss on Jenni Hermoso’s lips during Spain’s World Cup celebration, other officials in the stadium were so struck by his behaviour that they were sending around videos. One, confidentially sent to The Independent, shows the president of the Spanish football federation appearing to grab his crotch in triumph. The gesture, which goes back to Ancient Rome, is generally taken to mean “I’m the man”. It is certainly an aggressively masculine gesture, making it all the more out of place at a women’s football tournament that is defined by its inclusivity. It feeds into one of many growing arguments in Spain, that Rubiales did not know how to comport himself at such an event, raising further questions over his suitability to oversee the federation. That the Queen of Spain and her 16-year-old daughter were close to him has only added to that. There is still the sense that Rubiales doesn’t really know what he did wrong in the kiss on Hermoso. If a widely criticised non-apology was not indicative enough, there were his litany of comments before it. Rubiales had described those who took issue with his “public show of affection” as “idiots”, “stupid”, “fools” and “losers” before summing it all up as “bulls**t”. His subsequent apology then pretty much amounted to being sorry if anyone was offended. That happens to amount to a lot of people, who are queuing up to condemn the Spanish official in a controversy that is nowhere near quietening down. Miquel Iceta, the minister for culture and sport in Spain, described it as “unacceptable”. Yolanda Diaz, the second deputy prime minister of Spain, has said Rubiales should resign because “a woman has been harassed and assaulted”. Irene Montero, the minister for equality, went furthest and described it as a “form of sexual violence”. Such words are beginning to change the view of some in Spanish football that as usual, nothing will happen. The situation has now gone beyond pressure growing. While the kiss is obviously sufficient for such a controversy on its own, it comes amid a wider context that goes beyond Rubiales’ backing of manager Jorge Vilda despite player complaints that included not being allowed to lock doors of their hotel rooms on international duty until 2019. Sources within Spanish football were using words like “embarrassment” and “a disgrace that people like this represent our game”. Newspaper El Pais meanwhile ran an editorial lamenting how a moment of glory for Spain’s women’s footballers, who were enjoying the praise of the whole planet, was overshadowed by the behaviour of a man. Rubiales has previously caused such ructions in the game, however, that other figures were all too willing to privately Whatsapp other headlines. Among them was the story: “The ex-boss of Rubiales’ cabinet says he paid for orgies with federation money,” in relation to private parties reportedly organised. Rubiales denies it. Another read: “Luis Rubiales acquitted of the accusation of assault of the architect who renovated his house,” in a case that also saw him accused of using money from the player’s union – of which he was president – to pay for the work. And then: “Rubiales deal with [Gerard] Pique for a €24m pitch to bring the Super Cup to Saudi Arabia – ‘you are left with six kilos’”, after a series of leaks showed some controversial deals with the former Spanish defender. Up to all of this, however, he had probably been best known outside Spain for the bombshell decision to sack men’s manager Julen Lopetegui two days before the 2018 World Cup, a call that sent the Spanish team into a tailspin last-16 exit. It’s one of those historical quirks that the situation almost represents the inverse of that with Vilda, whom he has stood by. In the case of Lopetegui, Rubiales felt he had no choice because the manager had disrespected the federation by agreeing to take a job with Real Madrid after that World Cup without informing them. With Vilda, Rubiales felt Spain’s rebel players – some of whom boycotted the Women’s World Cup – had disrespected both the manager and the federation, so backed the manager adamantly. It was repeatedly pointed out that he and Vilda have a strong relationship and Vilda’s father, Jorge, is currently head of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF)’s women’s football department. Either way, compromise was never much of a consideration in either situation, although the latter did force changes to women’s team preparation standards and facilities. Some of the victorious players remain aggrieved they even had to ask and Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas made a noteworthy comment in the moment of victory. “You’ve seen that the minute women's footballers believe a little and are provided with basic facilities, everything comes out better.” Rubiales’ defenders – and there are more than a few – would say this shows an evolution. He was less than a month into the job when the Lopetegui incident happened in June 2018 and was already seen as a significant improvement on predecessor Angel Maria Villar, who was suspended as president after being detained the previous July on allegations of collusion, embezzlement and falsifying documents. On sacking Lopetegui, Rubiales came out with the following: “These are the values of the new federation and whoever doesn't like it will have to get used to it.” Rubiales rose to the role after his work with the Association of Spanish Footballers, where his experience in leading squads through bankruptcy and administration at lower-profile clubs while still a player was greatly valued. One such call to help actually came at his last club, which happened to be Scottish side Hamilton Academical. One of the last things he heard on his fourth and final appearance in Scotland – a 4-1 defeat at Rangers – was the chant: “Baldy bastard, what’s the score?” A defender, Rubiales wasn’t seen as having the typical technical skill of Spanish players, but was respected for his tenacity. He was at Hamilton in the season that ended with Spain winning the men’s World Cup in South Africa, which somewhat cuts across any purported wider influence on the women’s success. It was Spain’s coaching revolution around the turn of the millennium that led to the rise of both of Spain’s world champions, and Rubiales was at clubs like Gaudix and Lleida as this was happening. It should be stressed he is seen as a moderniser in other ways, though, for a federation that badly needed it. It is under Rubiales that a department of integrity and security has been created. And “Rubi”, as he insists staff at the federation call him, was also influential in a crucial move that has been seen as decisive in potentially bringing the 2030 World Cup to Spain. Although many had felt Saudi Arabia would win that bid through their growing influence, bringing in Morocco with Portugal and Spain has split the African vote and essentially forced the Gulf state out of the process. Those who have worked with Rubiales at Uefa level meanwhile describe him as “ambitious” and “capable”, but with a “huge ego”, that leads to a lot of abrasiveness. He has already fallen out with the successive regime at the player’s union and La Liga president Javier Tebas. Many would say that is nothing new. Otherwise, that perceived modernity at federation level now stands in contrast to the regressive behaviour of the last few days. El Pais described the kiss as “like a bad joke from Benny Hill”. Unfortunately, it is only getting more and more serious. Rubiales looked like he was certainly feeling it at Monday’s victory parade. There were no videos of his behaviour there as he was very restrained and didn’t appear on stage. In the words of one source, it’s about time. Read More How not to win a World Cup: Spain, Jorge Vilda and the story of a complicated victory Spanish football president’s kiss was an abuse of power that never should have happened Spain boss Jorge Vilda appears to grab breast of female coach during World Cup final Spanish PM condemns FA president over ‘unacceptable’ kiss at World Cup final Spain boss Jorge Vilda appears to grab breast of female coach during World Cup final Spanish FA chief says kissing footballer ‘tarnished celebration’ of World Cup win

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