“I knew I was putting myself out there by sharing my story online, and of course I wondered how people would react. That was probably the hardest part.”

A few weeks ago Antrim Camogie shared a promotional video that lasted four and a half minutes.

It traces Maeve Kelly’s battle, physical and mental, from being the 2021 Intermediate Player of the Year through successive injuries, rehabilitation and now a return to the type of form that sees her back enjoying inter-county camogie.

“I knew I was putting myself out there by sharing my story online, and of course I wondered how people would react. That was probably the hardest part,” admits Kelly now.

“But looking back, I’m really proud that I did it. People ask me questions about my recovery all the time, and many don’t realise everything I’ve been through.

“For a long time I felt guilty, useless, unmotivated, and almost like I was a bad person for feeling the way I did. I kept thinking I should just be able to deal with it.

“Sharing my story felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I probably still have a lot more I could say, but the kindness people has shown has been overwhelming. The messages and comments have reminded me that I was strong and resilient, even when I didn’t believe it myself.

“A lot of people have related to my story because GAA is an amateur sport, and injured players don’t always have the same support systems that professional athletes do. It’s very easy to find yourself in a dark place, so it’s reassuring to know that others understand.”

Kelly’s problems began a couple of months after she scored 1-5 from play as Antrim beat Kilkenny 2-21 to 2-13 in the Croke Park sunshine. They had lost the 2020 Covid final on a frosty night the previous December in Kingspan Breffni.

“Róisín McCormick and I had been taken on to the Antrim senior panel in the middle of our A Level exams a few years earlier when it was a struggle to get players to train and play for the county. By 2021, we probably had the best players in the county wanting to play and really working together. You could see that from the performance we put on in Croke Park.

“To come that far in such a short period was amazing and we just wanted to push on at senior level in 2022. I was buzzing, we all were. We wanted to really make a mark against the best players in the country.

“A short time after the final I started to feel this dull pain in my foot. I eventually had an MRI scan and discovered I had shattered my navicular bone and had to have two pins inserted. I was out for the rest of the club season and all the 2022 season basically.

“I found it very difficult to deal with missing county. It would take me so long to build myself up to go to a county training session and then I was literally ready to break when I would get home. There are others in the panel who have suffered long-term injuries like Colleen (Patterson) and they would be at training every night encouraging everyone. I found that I just couldn’t be that person.

“I also felt a lot of guilt. Everyone had made the All-Ireland success, yet I was picked out as Player of the Year, going around schools, getting awards here, there, everywhere. Then I could contribute nothing the next year. So, I had to reach out to someone to get some counselling.”

Kelly got the all-clear to go back training in June 2022 and was back playing just as the club championships were getting under way in the autumn. She was flying in the first championship game between Ballycastle and champions Loughgiel.

“I was playing centre-half back, not my usual position, but was having a great game. (Antrim manager) Elaine Dowds was there and I was really enjoying it. Just before half-time, I felt something in my knee. I wanted to sit out the second half but ended up in full-forward. Long story shortened, I had done my ACL.

“I still can’t tell you how I felt when I found out. I felt that mentally I couldn’t put myself through another year of this, never mind the physical rehabilitation. I knew I couldn’t slog out another nine months of this. The body probably could take it. The mind definitely couldn’t.”

A couple of Kelly’s friends had been taken through rehab by Aaron McAufield and they recommended him to her.

“I live in Ballycastle and he wasn’t handy for me. I was in my final year of teaching practice and I just hadn’t the time.

“But I got back playing two years ago. I was okay, I wasn’t playing anywhere near the level I had been or I wanted to be at. I had this constant fear of picking up another injury.

“So I reached out to Aaron last September. I wanted to feel strong and confident in my body again. I was also struggling with some mental blocks after my ACL injury, and I knew I needed support to rebuild both physically and mentally.

“Aaron is a strength and conditioning coach who specialises in GAA performance, particularly ACL rehabilitation and injury prevention for GAA athletes. His style of training really suited me because every programme was tailored to the individual, while still being delivered in a group setting.

“That meant you got the best of both worlds—you were following a plan designed specifically for you, but you also had the craic with other athletes who understood what you were going through. It was therapeutic, almost a form of counselling.

“The result is that I have had a very good season so far this year. I feel a lot more confident about myself, not waiting for an injury to happen and the season has gone well for Antrim. We learned a lot in Division 1A. We completed three-in-a-row Ulster championships and we are through to an All-Ireland semi-final.”

Doing a video for McAufield’s Lifestyle & Performance Gym was a form of payback but there were residual benefits.

“I finally feel good about myself again and I am able to speak openly without feeling guilty or disappointed in myself. For the first time in a long time, talking about everything felt easy, and instead of feeling ashamed, I actually felt proud of how far I’d come.

“For a long time, I hid my emotions because I thought I had to be strong and convince myself I’d be grand. The reality was that I wasn’t okay.

“Mental health is so important. Talking to someone can make such a difference. It sounds like such a simple thing to do, but at the same time it’s often the hardest step to take. No one should feel like they have to go through difficult times on their own, and reaching out for support is a sign of strength, not weakness.”

“The reaction to the video honestly has been amazing. If sharing my experience can help even one person get through a difficult time, then it’s worth it.”

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Dr Lillian Glass concluded it was “one of the most restrained public speeches” she had seen by the US President, who claimed voter fraud in the address, but there was one moment when emotion broke through

Donald Trump’s body language during a landmark address was something “we’ve rarely seen,” a body language expert has declared.

The US President addressed Americans nationwide at 2am in the UK. During his 26-minute speech, delivered from the White House, he alleged China had played a major role in ‘election fraud’ and called on Congress to pass the ‘Save America Act’, which would require photo ID proving voters are American citizens to register to vote.

Trump, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday, displayed a demeanour “we have rarely seen,” according to Dr Lillian Glass. The body language expert with 40 years experience said a “calm and direct” Trump “didn’t ad lib and go off script as he usually does”.

She told The Mirror : “We have rarely seen Trump this serious and this contained and controlled.

“He did not show any over-the-top emotionalism as he does in many of his speeches. This speech was different.”

Dr Glass put this down to the President’s desire to appear “confident” and ‘present what he described as evidence supporting his statements’.

She added: “From beginning to end, he stood erect behind the podium with excellent posture. His facial expression remained serious throughout the speech.

“There was virtually no smiling, no joking, no wandering off topic, and none of the improvisation that has become one of his trademarks.

“Rather than speaking emotionally, he concentrated on presenting what he described as evidence supporting his position. He appeared determined to stay on message and allow the audience to focus on the information he was presenting rather than on his personality.”

However, Dr Glass did spot the one moment when emotion did break through and the Republican President became more animated.

“Only once did I notice a significant shift,” she continued. “When discussing opposition to what he called the “Big Beautiful Bill” [the Save America Act] and election-related issues, his vocal emphasis increased and a bit more emotion came through.

“Even then, it was not anger. It appeared to be conviction and determination.”

The Californian-based concluded it was “this was one of the most restrained public speeches I have seen President Trump deliver”.

During the address, Trump announced he will declassify and release ‘critical intelligence, revealing shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure’.

“This evidence shows that the election system we have dangerously exposes and really exposes like levels never thought possible to hacking, exploitation, and foreign interference,” he said.

“Just as disturbingly, this vital information has for many years been covered up and hidden from you.”

Trump claimed that China illicitly gained access to information on US voters.

It follows years of claims by Trump and hardline Republicans that his 2020 election defeat to Joe Biden was the result of voter fraud.

Biden won the election with 306 electoral votes and 51.3% of the national popular vote. Trump secured 232 electoral votes and 46.8% of the popular vote.

The US intelligence community produced a report that concluded there was no foreign interference in the 2020 election. This was done before Trump’s first term ended in January 2021.

“We have no indications that any foreign actor attempted to alter any technical aspect of the voting process in the 2020 US elections, including voter registration, casting ballots, vote tabulation, or reporting results,” the report said.

Subsequent enquiries have led officers to believe that the attack in the Ramshill Road area of Scarborough at around 2.30am on Wednesday (July 15) was targeted rather than a random assault on rough sleepers, police have confirmed.

A 41-year-old man from Leeds was arrested on Thursday (July 16) and remained in custody at the time of publication.

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It comes after a 34-year-old woman was arrested on July 15.

She has since been released on conditional bail while further enquiries are carried out, police said.

The alleged victims were taken to hospital for treatment to facial injuries and are recovering from the attack with no lasting injuries, North Yorkshire Police said.

A spokesperson said: “Enquiries are continuing into the attack.

“Anyone with information who has not yet spoken to the police is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101.

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“Please quote reference 12260134286 when passing on information.”

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Alex_Doubovitsky via Getty Images

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Last summer, Manchester United rounded off their pre-season tour of the US against Everton in the futuristic Atlanta Stadium where Argentina ended England’s World Cup dream on Wednesday night.

It was the third year in a row that United had toured America, a decision that owed much to the their £300million shirt sponsorship with California-based tech firm Snapdragon, and a preference for training Stateside where the facilities are best in class and the players can enjoy relative freedom compared to the more feverish reception in the Far East, for example.

The United stars were able to go shopping on Rodeo Drive without too much interference when they stayed at the SLS Beverly Hills two years ago, and were regularly seen in the upmarket shops and cafes around the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Chicago last summer.

Sir Alex Ferguson used to love the relatively low profile United had in the US and Jose Mourinho was particularly fond of Los Angeles, although Louis van Gaal raged against the commercial demands on his players.

Showpiece tours, playing big teams in big stadiums (more than 109,000 watched United face Real Madrid in Michigan in 2009), keep the sponsors happy and are also highly lucrative.

United are understood to have earned £7.5m from participating in the Premier League Summer Series against Bournemouth, West Ham and Everton a year ago. The club are said to have brought in a similar figure from their first post-season tour to Malaysia and Hong Kong a couple of months earlier. If plans had gone ahead to visit Saudi Arabia in the middle of last season, United would have expected to earn around £5m a game.

Bruno Fernandes arrives in Chicago ahead of United’s USA extravaganza in 2025

So tours are about more than pre-season preparation and engaging with a global fanbase that has taken United to the US on so many occasions, as well as the Far East, South Africa and Australia over the years.

The club usually add on a friendly in Scandinavia, or even Scotland in recent years. Typically, there is at least one game at Old Trafford too, but the pitch is still being prepared after it was ripped up for the first time in 14 years, and won’t be ready until the first home game of the season against Ipswich on August 30.

However, rather than touring this summer, United have decided to spend the entire pre-season in Europe – starting with Saturday’s game against Wrexham in Helsinki.

They then face Rosenborg in Trondheim a week on Friday, Atletico Madrid in Stockholm on Saturday, August 1, and Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg on Saturday, August 8.

Michael Carrick and his players will fly in the day before the games and leave straight afterwards – apart from the clash with Leeds at Dublin’s Croke Park on Wednesday, August 12 which will form part of a one-week training camp in Ireland.

United then finish off their pre-season programme against AC Milan in Wroclaw on Saturday, August 15, before beginning the 2026-27 campaign with a lunchtime kick-off at newly-promoted Hull City a week later.

So why have the Premier League’s biggest club gone from globe-trotters to day-trippers this summer?

The main reason is the World Cup. Like most big clubs, United have had a number of stars at the tournament in North America, and each of them is contractually entitled to up to four weeks’ holiday after their World Cup is over. For Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford and Lisandro Martinez, that won’t be until this weekend. Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha, Amad Diallo, Senne Lammens, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui are already on the beach.

United’s new signing Andrey Santos is expected to be included in a big squad to face Wrexham in the 36,000-capacity Olympic Stadium in Helsinki on Saturday

David Beckham and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer on United’s tour of south-east Asia in 2001 – United’s US fans felt shortchanged when Beckham was sold before a tour in 2003

While new signings Andrey Santos and Karl Darlow are expected to be included in a big squad to face Wrexham in the 36,000-capacity Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Youri Tielemans isn’t due to report for pre-season for several weeks after playing for Belgium as the World Cup players make a staggered return.

First-team regulars like Harry Maguire, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu have been back in training for a week and are set to feature in Finland, but the absence of so many other stars meant United felt it was better to take a different approach this summer.

Supporters want to see the biggest names. American fans felt short-changed when United sold David Beckham to Real Madrid weeks before their US tour in 2003, and a year later Ferguson had to send for Paul Scholes, the Neville brothers and Mikael Silvestre, who were resting after Euro 2004, when the quality of United’s squad was criticised following a goalless draw with Bayern Munich in Chicago.

Another World Cup factor that influenced United’s decision not to tour America in particular was a feeling that the US ‘soccer’ market would have been saturated after nearly six weeks of non-stop games across the country, with tickets selling at premium prices. Convincing fans to pay again for friendlies featuring a weakened United team would have been a challenge.

Their Premier League rivals have had other ideas. Liverpool are travelling to America to play in Nashville, New York and Chicago. Manchester City are going to Hong Kong and South Korea, Tottenham are in New Zealand and Australia, and Chelsea in Australia, Hong Kong and Indonesia.

United’s schedule still offers up some big attractions. After all, they are playing European champions Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico and a Milan side managed by their former head coach Ruben Amorim.

It’s unclear how much money they will make from their six games – or how much they might lose by not touring – but it feels like a football-first decision to give Carrick and the players he has available the best opportunity to prepare for a season that sees United returning to the Champions League.

United won’t even stay in Sweden for the week between their games in Stockholm and Gothenburg. The only training camp away from Carrington will be in Dublin as United return to Carton House in Maynooth, where they spent several days during a 24-day gap in the fixture list in March.

Harry Maguire is expected to be involved in Helsinki having been back in pre-season training for a week

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They were happy with the facilities, which were so well prepared that Gaelic football team Armagh had to abandon their camp when they arrived a few days earlier because the pitches had already been marked out for United.

The club have planned ahead for Helsinki, too and are taking over the city’s official World Cup fanzone in Musiikkitalo Square on Friday and Saturday. Admission is free and there will be competitions and giveaways, as well as a Q&A session with former United defender Wes Brown. More fans will also gather at Bierhaus Kamppi.

On Friday, United are hosting a coaching clinic with local grassroots team PPJ involving 40 young players aged between 7 and 11 years old, who will be given tickets to the game to see Carrick’s side kick off what is going to be a very different pre-season.

The 20-year-old has been serving an indefinite sentence after being convicted of two robberies which left two women and police officers seriously injured

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An escaped prisoner has been arrested after absconding from North Manchester Hospital, where he had been transferred from a secure a hospital facility to receive medical treatment.Sudanese national Marwan Jumaa, 20, who is deemed to be a risk to himself and others, is serving an indefinite secure hospital sentence for attacking two women.He escaped after being transferred from his secure hospital facility to North Manchester Hospital for medical treatment on Tuesday evening.Police had issued an urgent appeal for any information or intelligence on his whereabouts, but announced in the early hours of Friday that he had been arrested by a member of Lancashire Constabulary.

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A Greater Manchester Police (GMP) statement said: “Thank you to everyone who shared and responded to our appeal earlier this evening to help locate wanted man Marwan Jumaa.“Following extensive enquiries, we can confirm that Jumaa has been arrested by our colleagues at Lancashire Constabulary. He is currently in their custody.”Detective Superintendent Nicola McCulloch, of GMP’s serious crime division, said: “This has been a fast-paced investigation which has involved a significant number of officers and resources from Greater Manchester Police.“An observant Lancashire Constabulary officer recognised Jumaa and acted swiftly to arrest him. He will now be returned to a secure hospital facility.“I would like to thank the public for their support following our appeal. Our call handlers received a considerable amount of information from members of the public and that assistance has been invaluable in helping us locate Jumaa.

“We are extremely grateful for the support shown throughout this investigation.”A CCTV video, which showed Jumaa casually leaving the hospital unaccompanied in a light blue T-shirt, had earlier been circulated by police.Court records seen by the Press Association show that in January this year Jumaa pleaded guilty to three offences at Woolwich Crown Court.The offences, all committed on July 17 last year in London, were assaulting an emergency worker, a police officer, the robbery of a woman and inflicting grievous bodily harm on a second woman.Jumaa had been held at HMP Belmarsh in March and sentenced for the offences in April this year.

By CLAIRE DUFFIN, SENIOR REPORTER

Published: 12:26 BST, 16 July 2026 | Updated: 02:20 BST, 17 July 2026

It’s the time of year families jet off abroad on holiday. 

But we should abandon overseas vacations and enjoy our own gardens at home in August instead, Alan Titchmarsh has said. 

The TV horticulturist said flowers in the UK in August ‘can give the Med a run for its money’ and anyone who ‘shuns the bright lights of Torremolinos and the Costa del Sol’ during the school holidays will reap botanical rewards from their decision to stay home.

He told BBC Gardeners’ World magazine: ‘It’s amazing how many gardeners write off August’.

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Titchmarsh said even though the ‘generous flush of flowers and foliage that typifies May and June’ might have passed there is ‘much pleasure to be had in staying at home and admiring those plants and flowers that are more measured in their growth rate, and which repay the patient gardener who shuns the bright lights of Torremolinos and the Costa del Sol during the school hols.’

Alan Titchmarsh, 77, said anyone who shuns the bright lights of Torremolinos and the Costa del Sol’ during the school holidays will reap botanical rewards from their decision to stay home.

He said an English garden in summer (pictured) could ‘give the Med a run for its money’

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‘After all, some of the best flowers of August can give the Med a run for its money when it comes to brilliance. Dahlias are a case in point,’ he said. 

‘You don’t get them rushing to display their wares in June; heavens no!

‘They know that by waiting until the summer proper arrives they will bring their unsubtle brilliance to any garden that can offer them sunshine and beefy soil.’

He added: ‘So if, thanks to the ups and downs of life, you find that a fortnight away this summer is out of the question, nip down to your local nursery or garden centre, and add to your beds and borders a few flowers that give of their best when the early blooms have faded.

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‘Your spirits will rise and your bank balance will not sink by very much. Happy summer!’

Other flowers that bloom in August include coneflower (echinacea); rose campions (Lychnis coronaria) and cape fuchsias (Phygelius). 

Last year, Titchmarsh, 77, revealed he had downsized from his £4 million home in Hampshire because he worried he would not be able to look after the sprawling four-acre plot in the countryside. 

He had tended to the garden at his home in Holybourne, near Alton, Hants, for 23 years, but moved to a new property with a plot that is one and a half acres large.

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Titchmarsh and his wife put their home on the market in September last year for £3.95 million.

The couple bought the Grade-II listed Georgian manor in 2002.

The stunning property dates back to 1690 and Titchmarsh had carried out significant renovations.

A nutritionist has debunked five health myths as social media trends leave Britons more confused than ever about what they should be doing to stay healthy.

Three in five people, or 60 per cent, feel overwhelmed by the amount of health and wellbeing advice online, a study has found.

More than half, 57 per cent, have followed health advice after seeing it on social media, while 46 per cent have bought a supplement or wellness product because of advice they have seen online.

High protein foods are the wellness trend Britons are most likely to have noticed, cited by 48 per cent, followed by weight loss jab-friendly food options at 37 per cent. 

The research by Wild Nutrition suggests the trends attracting the most attention can be some of the most difficult to understand.

Gut health products and high-fibre foods, including fibremaxxing (a social media trend to eat as much fibre as possible), topped the list of confusing wellness areas at 68 per cent.

Protein intake followed at 42 per cent, while 38 per cent were unsure whether different supplements could conflict with one another. 

Isabelle Nunn, Head of Nutrition Science and Formulation at Wild Nutrition, has exposed the biggest health myths floating around on social media.

1. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day

Three quarters of adults, 75 per cent, believe the familiar claim, but Ms Nunn said there is no universal rule that makes breakfast the most important meal for everybody.

She said individual routines and needs matter more, although breakfast can provide a useful opportunity to add fibre and nutrients. 

Porridge oats topped with raspberries, nuts and seeds is one simple way to build a more balanced first meal.

2. You need to detox after overindulging

Six in ten Britons, 60 per cent, think a cleanse or detox is needed after a period of rich food or drinking. 

But the body already has systems, including the liver and kidneys, which continually process and remove waste. 

Ms Nunn recommends returning to balanced meals, regular hydration and sufficient sleep instead.

3. Apple cider vinegar can burn fat

More than half of adults, 54 per cent, believe the kitchen cupboard staple can help the body burn fat, a claim repeated in countless morning routine and weight loss videos. 

Ms Nunn said it can be used in dressings and meals but should not be treated as a shortcut to losing weight.

Isabelle Nunn, Head of Nutrition Science and Formulation at Wild Nutrition, has warned Britons not to rely on dramatic health claims or rigid wellness rules

4. You need electrolytes even when you are not exercising

More than two in five people, 42 per cent, believe they should drink electrolyte products regardless of how active they have been. 

Electrolytes may be useful after prolonged exercise, heavy sweating or illness, but most people do not need to add them automatically to every drink, says Ms Nunn.

5. The highest dose supplement gives the greatest benefit

A third of adults, 33 per cent, assume a larger dose must make a vitamin or supplement more effective. 

Ms Nunn said supplement quality and suitability are more important than chasing the biggest number on a label and advised consumers to choose products according to individual needs and professional guidance.

She said: ‘Consuming more fibre is one of the simplest goals we can focus on. Fibre is not just key to digestive health, it has far reaching benefits for mind, body and mood. It feeds the trillions of microbes in our gut, which are responsible for supporting energy, hormonal balance and even how well we sleep.’

The nutritionist added beans, pulses, oats, seeds, fruit, vegetables and wholegrains were all simple ways to increase fibre, and people should be particularly suspicious of advice promising dramatic results from one ingredient, product or strict rule.

No affordable housing is proposed as part of the scheme

A developer has been given the green light to increase the number of new flats built on a major development at a former mill. The plans, submitted to Peterborough City Council by MJS Construction, will see Whitworth Mill alongside three new blocks offer a total of 80 flats.

Developers Lioncross Properties initially sought permission to turn the 19th century Whitworth Mill building and surrounding land at Fletton Quays in Peterborough into commercial buildings and flats.

The previously approved scheme proposed the conversion of Whitworth Mill to three commercial units on the ground floor, with 18 residential flats above. In addition, the council initially granted permission for the construction of 44 flats across three new buildings.

However, in the newly approved proposals by MJS Construction, Whitworth Mill will now accommodate a single retail space on the ground floor, along with two residential units.

The former flour mill will be converted into 23 flats, while the units will comprise 57 flats, totalling 80. The flats will include a mix of sizes including one-bedroom and two-bedroom flats.

As previously, no affordable housing is proposed as part of the scheme. The new blocks have been designed to step up away from the Mill ensuring it retains its prominence, according to the plans.

The developer said the previous applications had demonstrated that the scheme will “sit comfortably on the site and compliment the surrounding buildings”. Peterborough City Council has now approved the new plans.