An expect has shared how best to help birds in your garden in July

Households across the UK are being told to leave two common fruits on their lawns or bird tables this summer. It is now one of the most significant periods of the year for birds in our gardens, with sparrows, starlings, blackbirds, robins and many other British favourites feeding their newly hatched young during the summer months.

To help birds through the peak summer season, gardeners are being encouraged to leave two fruits out on lawns, as well as on bird tables, alongside fresh water.

According to the RSPB, gardeners should put out a variety of foods for different birds at different times of year, though seeds are no longer recommended during summer, and flat bird tables should be avoided. You can, however, continue to leave out suet and mealworms as well as fresh fruit.

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Other garden experts also highlight just how vital summer bird feeding is. According to CJ Wildlife, birds require greater energy in summer to help nourish their young, and it is no longer the case that people should only put food out in winter or spring, reports the Express.

The experts said: “Not long ago, many believed that garden birds should only be fed during the winter months. However, long-term studies have shown that offering food to garden birds year-round is beneficial, supporting declining species and allowing you to learn more about your garden visitors.

“Feeding wild birds during the summer helps busy parents top up feeders and provide all the natural food their young need. Well-stocked bird feeders can be a lifeline for young birds as they learn how and where to find food locally.

“Bird populations are at their highest in the summer, so a regular supply of quality food helps birds get the energy they need amid increased competition for natural foods.”

However, if you’re looking for a quick and affordable way to support birds, you can leave out two types of fruit — apples and pears, sliced up and placed on the lawn, a bird table or feeder.

The RSPB says: “You can put out leftovers such as dried fruit, or fruit such as apples and pears. Don’t use anything mouldy or salty, though, and if you have a dog, don’t put out dried fruit – vine fruits, such as raisins, can be toxic to them.

“Fruit, especially bruised apples and pears, will be popular with thrushes and blackbirds.”

Different birds feed in different spots — some prefer to “ground feed” rather than visit a hanging bird feeder.

The RSPB says: “Blackbirds are too large to access most hanging bird feeders. To attract them to your garden, it’s best to put out food on a bird table or scatter it on the ground.”

The same applies to sparrows, dunnocks and doves, which also favour ground feeding, though they tend to eat seeds.

If placing food on the ground, however, ensure it is positioned in an open area, well away from hedges or anywhere a cat could lurk. Birds will not feed in spots where they feel exposed to predators such as cats, or where they might be put at risk by having to feed close to potential hiding places.

If you do utilise a bird table, make certain to clean it regularly with hot, soapy water if it has a flat surface. This is because the RSPB recently withdrew flat, open bird tables from sale while it examines whether these types of feeders might be contributing to the transmission of disease.

The RSPB added: “Bird feeder hygiene is very important. Brush off debris every time you put out fresh food and scrub feeders with mild disinfectant solution weekly.”

A road in Cardiff is blocked on Monday morning after a vehicle has erupted into flames.

Bus services have been diverted and there are traffic delays after a Land Rover Discovery type car burst into flames on Tyndall Street, near Cardiff city centre.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service are at the scene and pictures and video from the scene show the car engulfed in flames.

Follow our blog below for live updates.

There are several differences between the videos, including the man’s clothing. In the original clip shared by the news site, he is wearing a grey, patterned, long-sleeved jumper under the life vest. However, the clip shared on social media shows what appears to be another vest under his life vest that has the same grey pattern with a dark long-sleeve top underneath it.

David Kelly tragically passed away when a ‘relaxing holiday turned into a nightmare’ and he fell unwell at the airport.

A Scottish dad has died after suddenly taking seriously ill shortly before flying home from a holiday in Turkey. David Kelly, from Barrhead in Renfrewshire, was due to fly home with his wife, Dawn, when his health rapidly deteriorated.

The joiner was rushed from the airport to hospital where he was placed in an induced coma in the intensive care unit. As reported by Need To Know, devoted Dawn stayed at his bedside in the Turkish hospital while David, 59, fought for his life.

After four weeks, on June 8, dad-of-two David was repatriated to Scotland aboard a specialist flying intensive care unit. He was taken to the Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.

He received “outstanding” care fron hospital staff but, tragically, he passed away on June 18, surrounded by his loved ones.

A fundraiser has been set up with the permission of David’s family, who are having to deal with the costs of his emergency medical care in Turkey as well as his funeral costs.

Posting on the GoFundMe page, Christine Adams said: “What was meant to be a relaxing holiday in Turkey turned into a nightmare that none of us could have imagined.

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“Just hours before his flight home, David suddenly became seriously unwell at the airport. Within a matter of hours, his condition deteriorated rapidly, and he was rushed to intensive care.

“Placed into an induced coma and kept alive by life support, David was fighting for his life thousands of miles from home.

“For four long weeks, his devoted wife, Dawn, remained by his side in a Turkish hospital, never leaving him as he battled with incredible strength and courage.”

Speaking about his return home, Chrstine added: “On June 8, David was finally repatriated to Scotland aboard a specialist flying intensive care unit.

“He continued his fight while receiving outstanding care from the dedicated staff in the Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. Despite everyone’s best efforts, our warrior David passed away peacefully on 18 June, surrounded by his loving family.”

His family later announced the devastating news through his business’ Facebook page, Barrhead Joinery.

They said: “We would like to share the devastating news that sadly after fighting as hard as he could that our loveable, amazing David Kelly passed away on Thursday, June 18.

“Barrhead Joinery will now cease trading, as a family we’d like to thank you all for the work you all have given David over the years. Lots of love from his wife Dawn, and daughters Gemma & Sophie.”

David was described as a “much-loved husband, father, brother, uncle and friend”.

Christine said: “He was someone who was always there to lend a hand, offer support, and put others before himself. Now it is our turn to be there for those he loved most.”

Tributes have also poured in from members of the local community.

Noreen McHugh wrote: “I am devastated to hear this sad news about Davie. He was an excellent professional who I counted on over the years.

“But upmost a wonderful human being who was always friendly and honest. My sincerest condolences to you and your daughters. A huge loss for you all. RIP Davie, you will be sorely missed.”

Another person added: “So sorry to hear this very sad news. David did some work for me when I moved into my home in Newton Mearns some years ago.

“Such a lovely, lovely man. Sending you all my heartfelt condolences. x”

As well as supporting David’s family through this difficuly time, the fundraiser aims to make a donation to both Kidney Research UK in his memory and to the ICU at the Roayl Alexandra Hospital, after the care they showed the dad in his final days.

To donate, click HERE.

There is a simple way to ensure you get a good result

Fried eggs make a wonderful addition to a full English breakfast, a filling lunch, or a substantial dinner. They are a staple of numerous dishes, from salads and burgers to crowning a croque Madame or completing a noodle stir-fry.

Eggs can be prepared with a gently set, slightly runny yolk, crisped at the edges, or turned over-easy. That said, fried eggs don’t always turn out quite as good as we’d like.

While they rank amongst the easiest foods to make, various elements can affect the final outcome. Hens’ eggs tend to be more manageable to cook than ducks’ eggs, making them the favoured option for most.

To prevent ending up with a flat, thin fried egg, choosing the freshest eggs possible is crucial. BBC Good Food said: “The fresher an egg, the stronger the proteins are in the white, which means the egg will form into a neater shape in the frying pan.”

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“Old eggs will spread out very thinly.” It is certainly worth checking you are using the freshest batch before you start, as older eggs can produce underwhelming results.

Eggs can be fried in any type of fat, though it’s best to choose one that suits the flavour you’re aiming for. When making a full English, use the remaining bacon fat or a knob of butter.

For more indulgent dishes, choose olive or rapeseed oil. When frying eggs for a nasi goreng or dhal, coconut oil contributes a touch of flavour.

How to make a fried egg

Ingredients

• One fresh egg at room temperature
• One small knob of butter or one tbsp oil

Method

If using butter, warm it in your frying pan until it melts but before it begins to brown. For oil, simply heat it in the frying pan.

Crack the egg onto a small plate or saucer. Be sure not to crack it directly into the pan as the shell could end up in your food.

Gently slide your egg from the plate or saucer into the pan.

Place a lid on top and leave it for three minutes over a low heat. Check that the white has set.

If it hasn’t, allow it to cook for a further 30 seconds before checking once more.

The whites should be fully set while the yolk remains gloriously runny. Season the egg to taste and serve.

Another component that generates heat on your phone is its display, especially when at full brightness. When your phone is being used in bright sunlight, it will kick into a so-called High Brightness Mode (HBM) that consumes more power and generates more heat.

To toggle the Auto-Brightness setting off, head into Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text on iPhone, or Settings > Display on Android.

You can then manually turn the brightness down using the drop-down Control Centre/Quick Settings menu without your phone fighting against you and turning it back up.

Turn it off as much as possible

Using your phone is guaranteed to generate heat, so in the event that your phone becomes uncomfortably warm to the touch, turning it off for a while will maximise the cooling process.

Otherwise, consider activating Aeroplane mode for a while. This will switch off heat-generating elements like Wi-Fi, mobile connectivity and Bluetooth. It’s also possible to turn these off separately in your phone’s Control Centre/Quick Settings menu if you need one or more to remain active.

Never put your phone in the fridge

When your phone becomes too hot to touch, it might be tempting to try to cool it down as quickly as possible. You might see some recommendations to place the phone in your fridge. Do not do this.

Questions of hygiene aside (do you really want your mucky phone anywhere near your fresh food?), there’s a chance this could actively damage your phone. Sudden changes in temperature can be bad for phones, while the rapid cooling process could conceivably cause condensation to form within the handset.

Gradual, natural cooling is a much safer idea. Find the coolest spot wherever you are, follow the above guidance, and leave your phone there for a spell. If you want to help it on its way, regular cooling fans can be a big help in drawing heat away from a phone.

England boss Thomas Tuchel‘s words on the sidelines as the Three Lions desperately clung on in injury time for a historic World Cup victory have been revealed by a lipreader

The Three Lions defeated Mexico 3-2 in a dramatic clash at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, in a performance that has been hailed as England’s best at a World Cup since 1966.

Tuchel was seen feeling the pressure as his England side, who were reduced to ten men after Jarell Quansah’s red card, battled in the closing stages to fight back waves of attacks from the hosts at the iconic stadium. 

Television cameras picked out an outburst from the England boss in the 94th minute, after Jude Bellingham was judged to have committed a foul. 

The decision allowed Mexico to quickly begin another attack, leading to Tuchel shouting and raising his hands to his head in anger.

Nicola Hickling, expert analyst and professional lip reader at Covers.com, analysed Tuchel’s comments as the pressure grew.

An expert lip-reader concluded Tuchel shouted, ‘F***ing crazy I need a pint man. God help me through this,’ after a decision went against his ten-man side in the closing stages

England ultimately produced their greatest World Cup win since 1966 as they downed Mexico in an epic performance

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Hickling adjudged that Tuchel had responded to the incident by saying: ‘F***ing crazy, I need a pint man!

‘God help me through this.’

The rant would have summed up the mood of England fans in both the Azteca and the early hours back home, with supporters having an agonising watch to see if England could reach the quarter-finals.

England had been forced to battle with ten men for much of the second half, with Quansah’s dismissal leaving them short against the co-hosts, while they had to come over the much discussed disadvantage of playing at altitude.

Tuchel was not the only member of England staff to show his emotions during the epic.

England assistant Anthony Barry was among those who got stuck in to the Mexico bench on the touchline, moments before the VAR review that saw Quansah’s foul reviewed as tempers escalated.

So much had gone right for England up to this point with two Jude Bellingham, scored 98 seconds apart, in the first half putting them in to a 2-0 lead before Mexico pulled one back just before half-time.

But tensions boiled over five minutes into the second half when Quansah’s rash challenge was initially waved away by the referee.

Harry Kane scored a decisive penalty kick as England dug in with 10 men to edge it 3-2

Jarell Quansah was shown a straight red card for this challenge on Mexico’s Jesus Gallardo

Quansah was distraught and it meant that England had to go backs-to-the-wall defending

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At the other end, England’s Anthony Gordon was then recklessly and cynically fouled and on the touchline all hell broke loose.

Daily Mail Sport reporters reporting live from the Azteca Stadium spotted Barry in the thick of the touchline spat as he defended his colleagues and England’s players inside one of the most fraught atmospheres at the World Cup.

Quansah was distraught as he was shown a straight red card, but England refused to be rocked by going down to 10 men.

Within minutes they landed what looked to be a knockout blow of their own when Gordon was fouled inside the penalty area and captain Harry Kane, as he did in the opening group game against Croatia, converted from the penalty spot to make it 3-1.

The drama wasn’t to end there, though, as Mexico soon got a penalty of their own.

Kane this time the man at fault as he clipped the foot of Mexico’s Brian Gutierrez and, again, having not given that foul in real time it was referred to VAR, where after review, the penalty was given.

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford dived the right way but Wolves striker Raul Jimenez converted the pressure penalty to make it 3-2 just before the second half hydration break.

Tuchel made a number of defensive changes during the hydration break and the closing minutes as England desperately looked to hang on.

The England bosses’ frustrations turned to fist pumps upon the final whistle as the Three Lions dramatically set up a quarter-final clash with Norway.

In keeping with the night, there was more drama after the match as Jordan Henderson was stretchered off with a serious arm injury, which the non-playing substitute sustained during England’s celebrations.

The Government has accepted recommendations from the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) to award teachers a 3.5 per cent pay rise from September, followed by a further 3 per centincrease from September 2027.

However, the Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed that schools will be expected to fund the first 1 per cent of each pay award from their existing budgets, with additional government funding covering the remainder.

Robert Poole, assistant district secretary of the Bolton District of the National Education Union, welcomed the pay rise but warned that the funding arrangements would place schools under even greater financial pressure.

He said: “The offer of a 3.5 per cent pay rise is a positive but limited step forward and reflects the union’s success in campaigning for fair pay restoration for teachers.

“However, we remain concerned that schools will be expected to partially fund the rises.

“The decision to force schools to fund the first 1% of the award from their existing budgets is a devastating blow.

“School budgets in Bolton are already stretched to breaking point after years of systemic underfunding.

“Expecting headteachers to find this extra money puts them in an impossible position, inevitably forcing choices that could result in cuts to essential resources, a reduction in support staff, or larger class sizes.

“Because of this, the National Education Union is quite rightly keeping all options on the table.

“If the Government fails to fully fund this rise, industrial action remains a possibility to protect both our profession and the quality of education in Bolton.”

The NEU, the UK’s largest teaching union, has previously warned it could formally ballot members for strike action later this year if ministers failed to deliver a fully funded, above-inflation pay settlement.

Following Wednesday’s announcement, an NEU spokesperson said the union was “considering all options”.

Teachers’ union NASUWT also said “all options, including possible industrial action, remain on the table”.

The Government announced that schools will receive an additional £1.8 billion over the next two years to help fund pay rises for teachers and support staff, while colleges and further education providers will receive a further £485 million over the same period.

Nationally, NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said schools would still be expected to find around £460 million from existing budgets despite the additional funding.

He said a partially funded settlement would continue to place pressure on schools already struggling financially.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson defended the settlement, describing it as a “multi-year deal” backed by significant investment that recognises teachers’ dedication while giving schools greater certainty over pay and budgets.

The pay awards are above the current rate of UK inflation, which stood at 2.8% in May.

So what can I do instead?

Any other tips?

Man United are running the rule over a host of potential signings this summer and one of the reasons for that is their new approach to recruitment.

It has been a noticeable feature in the first few weeks of this transfer window that plenty of names are emerging as Manchester United attempt to strengthen their squad.

News of United monitoring Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos broke on Sunday and it was another name to add to the list, with the club interested in signing the 22-year-old, who is available this summer.

United have been linked with dozens of midfielders this summer and it goes without saying they won’t be signing all of them. Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba and Sandro Tonali were all on the shortlist during the season.

When United stepped away from the race to sign Anderson after Manchester City’s nine-figure bid, they moved on to Mateus Fernandes, who has since joined Tottenham. Now Alex Scott is the leading midfield target, but background checks have been carried out on Felix Nmecha and United would still love to sign Aurelien Tchouameni.

In the Premier League, Santos is one player United have looked at, alongside Fulham’s Norwegian international Sander Berge. The names of Championship duo Shea Charles and Hayden Hackney also appeared on the list.

It’s a similar story in other positions, with sources suggesting United’s list of options to fill the back-up goalkeeper role is a sizeable one, and Karl Darlow and Sam Johnstone are two players among many under consideration.

It feels like a change in approach from United, who have previously alighted on a couple of targets for each position and then worked hard to get one of those over the line, often spending big to secure a priority deal.

The reason it now feels like United have a longer list of targets under consideration is that they have become more data-led in recruitment, with the team headed by Michael Sansoni compiling lists of players who fit the brief for each position.

A University of Southampton graduate, Sansoni joined United in April 2025 after more than a decade with the Mercedes F1 team and made an immediate impact. Part of his work in the first window helped convince the club that Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha were the right targets.

He is now the club’s director of data and AI, and the transformation in the club’s use of data has been one of the biggest success stories of the Ineos regime. Sir Jim Ratcliffe eviscerated United’s work in that area after his investment in the club, but it has improved dramatically.

It is now being used to help draw up transfer shortlists, or long lists as they should now probably be called, and that is why it feels like United have more options than usual when it comes to their recruitment this summer.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.