Manchester United have struck a deal for Michael Carrick to continue as manager
It could be a busy week of announcements at Manchester United after Michael Carrick agreed a deal to stay on as permanent manager.
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Carrick was brought in for the remainder of the campaign following Ruben Amorim’s January exit and has overseen a marked upturn, with United sealing Champions League qualification with three games to spare. With the managerial situation sorted, many fans’ attention will now turn to the summer transfer window, which could be a busy one at United.
While United have made great strides under Carrick, it’s clear the squad needs to revamp if they are to mount a title challenge next season. Beyond transfers, there is the not-so-small matter of the coaching team to iron out.
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Carrick’s backroom team has included Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate, former United player Jonny Evans and goalkeeping coach Craig Mawson, with all four potentially staying on.
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Holland spent 11 years as Sir Gareth Southgate’s assistant manager, first with England Under-21s and then the senior team. He has been praised for his work as United’s number two.
Carrick said: “Steve’s been fantastic. He’s got an awful lot of experience and seen pretty much everything before. He’s gone through it in some good times and in some more challenging times.
“He’s a very wise man, Steve, and says things that really are important at the right time. I think just general calmness and composure around for everyone. I think with all the staff, there’s the dynamics of bringing something a little bit different.”
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Evans has been another key figure over the last few months. Following his retirement from playing, Evans took up the position of head of loans and pathways at Carrington, but the appointment was short-lived as he stepped back in December, only to return to help Darren Fletcher during his caretaker manager stint.
Carrick subsequently retained him on his coaching staff, praising the Northern Irishman for the work he has done on set-pieces. There are suggestions that a set-piece specialist, like former United coach Andreas Georgson, could be brought in to complement the group, but Evans is set to remain.
Former Leeds and Real Madrid defender Woodgate was hired, having been part of Carrick’s coaching team at Middlesbrough. Carrick likes having Woodgate around because he “challenges and pushes” me.
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Mawson, who initially joined United from Burnley in 2019, is the only member of the coaching team left from Amorim’s reign. He was promoted to senior goalkeeping coach following Carrick’s arrival and is likely to be retained in the role. The futures of all four could be confirmed soon.
Elsewhere, it remains to be seen what role Travis Binnion will take up going forward, having been promoted from the under-21s to work with the first team.
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.
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The BBC crime drama has been impressing audiences and critics alike, and fans of shows like Line of Duty and Broadchurch will love the little-known series – streaming free on iPlayer
The crime drama landscape is saturated, making it challenging to discover a series which truly distinguishes itself from the genre’s crowded field.
Brought to screen by Sarah Phelps, Dublin Murders is a detective drama drawing from two novels – In the Woods (2007) and The Likeness (2008) – by author Tana French, both part of her Dublin Murder Squad literary series.
Fans of British crime offerings such as Line of Duty and Broadchurch will particularly appreciate this show, whose twists and revelations create compulsive viewing.
Led by Killian Scott and Sarah Greene as Detectives Rob Reilly and Cassie Maddox, the actors are supported by Michael D’Arcy, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Eugene O’Hare, Moe Dunford, Ellie O’Halloran, Niall Jordan, and Ian Kenny in an exceptional ensemble, reports the Mirror.
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The eight-part crime drama was originally commissioned by the BBC for BBC One and Starz, with Irish public broadcaster RTÉ coming aboard the production later.
The programme’s official synopsis reads: “Detectives Rob Reilly and Cassie Maddox find themselves dispatched to investigate the murder of a young girl on the outskirts of Dublin, Ireland. Based on the books “In the Woods” and “The Likeness” by American-Irish writer Tana French, this psychological thriller features a cast of mostly Irish actors, including Killian Scott and Sarah Greene as the leads.
“The series follows the detectives, who put their friendship to the test, as they are pulled deeper into the intrigue and darkness that surrounds the case.”
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Available to stream free on BBC iPlayer and on Netflix with a subscription, the series has garnered praise from both critics and viewers.
One reviewer said of the show: “Some crime series captivate because the mystery itself is so maddeningly mysterious, while the lure of others is largely the frisson between the leading detectives. This Irish drama of tragedy and intrigue has both in spades.”
While another critic said: “Don’t let the dull title fool you; this is an excellent, unique crime story; a treat whether you’re a fan of the source material or not.”
A third reviewer expressed their admiration for the series: “Dublin Murders is gripping, wonderfully atmospheric stuff that throws up mysteries galore.”
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While one critic believed the police drama surpassed many comparable offerings: “Murders are bad everywhere. Dublin Murders, though, the new BBC crime drama by Sarah Phelps? Very good. In fact, better than many crime dramas.”
Viewers were equally enthusiastic, with one saying: “I really dug the absolute hell out of this, def a beautifully brutal mini series, and the actors we’re perfect, the young actress who played Adalyn was completely convincing and scary af, you ever see a movie with little demon kids that weird you the F out well if you haven’t watch this,i loved it.”
One IMDB user review of the British-Irish police drama reads: “A MIND TWISTING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER. I just finished binge watching this. It starts off slow as the story unravels its characters. It seems like a pretty simple whodunnit, but its not.
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“The characters are flawed and have dark pasts which interweave beautifully with the main plot and just when you think you have it all worked out…. another bread crumb appears and like Hansel and Gretel you cant help yourself… You follow. I wont give anything away, but i hope they do a season 2… Special appearance by one of my favourite Game of Thrones characters and the acting is superb”
While another IMDB user review says: “Dublin Murders is very clever writing indeed, in fact, I haven’t seen anything quite like it.”
One fan of the show said: “Absolutely brilliant. This gets you hooked from the first episode. I just wish it was released as a whole as I hate waiting for each episode.
“One of the best shows on tv in a long time. Brilliant cast. Killian Scott has been in a few shows I’ve seen and he is fantastic in this as well. Hope there’s more than one season.”
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While a Rotten Tomatoes audience review of the series reads: “I think this is an excellent show! I’m so tired of American shows! The casting is marvelous; this is not the same old thing. Very true to the novels, and very good! I am reading every Tana French novel I can get my hands on. Love it!”
Dublin Murders is available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer and with a subscription on Netflix.
Gardai have appealed for witnesses to all the collisions to come forward.
20:08, 17 May 2026Updated 20:18, 17 May 2026
Four people were killed and multiple others injured following a weekend of carnage on roads in the Republic.
On Saturday, a woman in her 20s was struck by a car on the N11, Loughlinstown, South Dublin at around 11:50pm. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Earlier in the day, two men were killed in a horrific two-car collision in Birchhill, Co Donegal. The victims, who were aged in their 20s and 30s, were travelling in the same vehicle.
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Meanwhile, a woman and a man in their 20s, who were also in the car, were rushed to Letterkenny University for non-life-threatening injuries.
A man and woman, who are in their 40s and travelling in the other vehicle, were also taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
In a separate crash also in Donegal on Saturday, a man in his 20s, was rushed to hospital following a collision on the R238 at Ardmore in Muff, but later passed in hospital. Gardai have appealed for witnesses to all the collisions to come forward.
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It comes as the funeral of talented GAA player Laura Kennedy, who died after a two-car collision on the Nenagh to Dromineer Road R495 last Tuesday night, heard of her love for music, travel and camogie.
The young woman’s funeral took place in Ballywilliam Church in Tipperary on Sunday.
The 20-year-old’s coffin was draped in a Burgess-Duharra flag – the club she played for at levels. Her teammates also formed a guard of honour while her twin sister Ashling and dad John delivered heartbreaking eulogies.
Devastated Ashling began by telling fellow mourners: “Anybody who knew Laura knew that she was kind, smart, funny, talented and amazing at everything she did.
“She was the most stylish person going, always buying more and more clothes on Vinted – the postman never got a break.
“She was also so smart and she knew it … I’d be stressing over an exam and she would try calm me down and just go ‘Ashling, it’s not worth it. It’s just some exam.’
“And she would go back to her room and study for a day and come back with a better result than me.
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“She had one more exam left to finish before finishing her second year in college. Laura to me was not just my sister – she was my best friend. Anything one of us did – the other one did.”
Speaking about the unbreakable bond the pair had, Ashling added: “We couldn’t get away from each other.
“Secretly, I loved it because I knew she was always with me and I was never lonely. There was no chance to be lonely.
“If it was going to college, work, training, the cinema or going to town for our weekly trip to Tesco – I’d look at her and realise how lucky I was to have her.
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“Her smile did something to me and I think it done something to all of us. You couldn’t help but smile back at her.
“I’m so glad I have the most amazing family and friends to get through this because I don’t think I’d be able to without them. We will stay strong for Laura and get the strength from her because she was the strongest person I knew.”
Her distraught dad John then spoke about the impact both Ashling and Laura had on his and his wife Annette’s lives once they were born.
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He said: “On the 10th of the 10th, 2005. Two angels appeared to myself and my good wife Annette and our life changed forever.
“You think you have a life up until that, and you’re happy, and you’ll get on with it, but all anybody wants is for somebody to turn a house into a home.
“We had a beautiful house or bricks and mortar, but two beautiful children came along and made that complete.
“They lit a fire in our hearts. Unfortunately, now one of them has been extinguished
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“But there’s so much power and light in the other one that it is more than double the flame. I know that you’ll keep lighting and Laura will shine her light through Ashling, and that joy that they brought us up to last Tuesday night – we will never forget.
“Laura had so many passions in her life. She loved her music as I said. She loved her Camogie. It’s fair to say that she loved to travel – she wouldn’t be home from one trip before she’d be on the internet planning something else.”
Breaking down, he said: “From short trips to long ones and I’m glad in her short 20 years that we fitted in so much.
“You were 20 years old, Laura and I would give anything for 20 more seconds just to hold you in my arms and tell you how much I love you.
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“I told you every night going to bed that I loved you, and I only missed it when you were gone away. I’m so glad that I did that, but just in case you ever doubted that, from the bottom of my broken heart and from my wife and from your sister Ash … we love you so much and thank you for 20 beautiful, glorious years.”
Tokens to remember Laura’s life included an accordion, her Burgess-Duharra jersey, her favourite coat, her hurl, a bag to symbolise her love for travel and a lab coat to represent her degree.
Police received a call from ambulance service colleagues after a man suffered stab wounds in an incident in Parliament Road, Middlesbrough, at about 12:30am on Saturday, May 16.
Parliament Road in Middlesbrough (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)
The 27-year-old man suffered non-life-threatening stab wounds in the incident, and received medical treatment before being released from hospital.
CID officers arrested a 51-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman on suspicion of GBH with intent. Both have been released on police bail whilst enquiries continue.
Police have issued an appeal for witnesses and anyone with information or footage.
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“Any witnesses or anyone who may have dash cam footage of the incident or further information, is asked to contact Cleveland Police on 101, quoting reference number 092546.”
“Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling 0800 555 111.”
The Gunners are two points clear of Manchester City with two games to play.
Mikel Arteta’s side know that they just need to win against the Clarets and Crystal Palace to secure a first top-flight trophy since 2004.
Last time out, they controversially beat West Ham 1-0 thanks to Leandro Trossard’s late goal, and they survived a contentious VAR scare to retain their advantage over Pep Guardiola’s City.
The chasers need a favour from either Burnley or Palace, as well as winning both their matches against Bournemouth and Aston Villa, to win the title themselves.
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Burnley, meanwhile, have nothing to play for, being already relegated. They are currently managerless, having sacked Scott Parker after their 1-0 defeat by Man City last month.
How to watch Arsenal vs Burnley
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports. Coverage begins at 6.30pm BST on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app.
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Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from Matt Verri at the ground.
NEW YORK (AP) — As his daughter Olivia was born, Marlon White felt his wife’s hand slacken as she fainted. The baby, born at 29 weeks and weighing about 2 pounds, wasn’t making a sound as she was rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit. Terrified, he waited in the hall while the doctors stabilized his newborn and wife.
The next day, White, a welder, was back at work. Two days later, his wife, Farra Lanzer-White, was also back on the job, setting up a work station at the Denver hospital. For two months, first at one hospital then another, she kept up with emails and meetings as alarm bells went off each time Olivia stopped breathing, as she herself prepared for open-heart surgery for a condition discovered during her difficult pregnancy.
The Fort Collins, Colorado couple made a choice familiar to many parents with newborns in intensive care: Keep working while the baby is in the NICU to save any parental leave they might have for when the baby comes home. They are now part of a growing movement advocating for the adoption of NICU leave in the country’s patchwork of family leave policies, which differ between states, cities and companies.
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This photo provided by A Better Balance shows Farra Lanzer-White, left and Marlon White giving their daughter Olivia a bath on June 29, 2025 Fort Collins, Co. (A Better Balance via AP)
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This photo provided by A Better Balance shows Farra Lanzer-White, left and Marlon White giving their daughter Olivia a bath on June 29, 2025 Fort Collins, Co. (A Better Balance via AP)
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In January, seven months after Olivia was born, Colorado became the first U.S. state to adopt paid NICU leave, offering up to 12 weeks for parents with newborns in intensive care on top of the 12 weeks of parental leave under the state’s family and medical leave program. A more modest policy will take effect next month in Illinois, guaranteeing between 10 and 20 days of unpaid leave to NICU parents.
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While advocates want more states to adopt NICU leave, a major focus now is galvanizing support for a federal bill to add NICU leave to the Family and Medical Leave Act, the 1993 law that entitles eligible workers nationwide to take unpaid leave for family and medical reasons, said Inimai Chettiar, president of A Better Balance, a nonprofit that advocates for paid leave and other workplace policies in support of families.
“We think it’s promising in terms of bipartisan support, because as we’ve approached people, it seems that they intuitively understand it,” said Chettiar.
U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, a Colorado Democrat who is drafting the federal bill said it would offer up to 12 weeks of NICU leave on top of the 12 weeks of parental leave available under the FMLA.
Push for bipartisan support
The U.S. has no federal law mandating paid family or parental leave, an issue that has long divided Democrats and Republicans. While FMLA leaves out many workers who can’t afford to take unpaid leave, Pettersen said the goal is to win bipartisan support for the idea of NICU leave and bring it to the forefront of discussions surrounding parental leave.
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The NICU leave bills passed in Colorado and Illinois offer mixed signals about the potential for bipartisanship. Colorado’s paid leave passed mostly along party lines, while the shorter, unpaid leave adopted in Illinois had overwhelming bipartisan support.
Unlike Colorado, Illinois does not already have a paid family leave program in which it could incorporate NICU leave, said Illinois state Rep. Laura Faver Dias, a Democrat who introduced the bill and whose twin boys were born at 27 weeks in 2014 and stayed intensive care for three months.
Several Republican lawmakers became co-sponsors, including state Rep. Nicole La Ha, whose daughter spent 45 days in the NICU in 2017 after her water broke at almost 30 weeks.
“Unless you have had this experience, you can’t fully understand why something like this is so meaningful,” said La Ha. “You have an infant who is struggling to eat and breathe. The last thing you want to think about is work but unfortunately you have bills to pay.”
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While Colorado’s bill lacked bipartisan support, Colorado State Sen. Jeff Bridges said “it was the quietest opposition you could hear,” with few Republicans or business groups publicly speaking against it. Bridges introduced the bill a year after his son Kit was born two months early and weighing just 2 pounds.
“I wanted to share stories that were so moving that the lobbyists would look like monsters if they opposed it,” Bridges said.
A handful of businesses step in
Nearly one out of 10 babies born in the U.S. are admitted to a NICU, according to the most recent figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While in the NICU, newborns are still learning to swallow, breath on their own and regulate their body temperature, said Dr. Karen Puopolo, section chief for Newborn Medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital and chair of the Committee on Fetus and Newborns of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Parental presence has a “multitude of advantages both ways,” Puopolo said. Skin-to-skin contact slows down the baby’s heart beat, improves their breathing and helps the mother with milk production.
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In recent years, a smattering of companies have adopted dedicated paid NICU leave, including Morgan Stanley, Pinterest and the organic baby formula company Bobbie, while others have extended the length of parental leave or added policies like caregiving leave, which could also help NICU parents.
But mostly, the plight of NICU parents has been a blind spot, said Sahra Cahoon, executive director Love for Lily, a Colorado-based organization that supports NICU families and advocated for Colorado’s new law.
Cahoon launched the organization after her daughter Lily, born at 24 weeks and five days, died after three-and-a-half months in the NICU. Cahoon, who owned a jewelry-making business at the time, said she worked, believing her daughter would survive.
“It’s probably one of my biggest regrets,” Cahoon said, though at the time she felt lucky to be able to work remotely from the hospital and didn’t feel she could afford to give up her income. “We did not know that our story was going to end that way.”
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Feeling unprepared
When Rebeca Herrera-Moreno learned about Colorado’s NICU leave law last year, it brought her back to her son’s time in the NICU six years earlier and she decided to leap into advocacy for a similar provision in her home state of California.
When her son Nico was born at 32 weeks in 2020, Herrera-Moreno was already on disability leave, having entered preterm labor weeks earlier. Her husband, Martin Moreno, was entitled to six weeks of paid parental leave under California law at the time, but they decided he would save that time for when Nico could come home, which ended up being three weeks later.
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This 2020 photo provided by Rebeca Herrera-Moreno shows Rebecca Herrera-Moreno, her husband Martin Moreno and their son Nico, in Los Angeles. (Rebeca Herrera-Moreno via AP)
This 2020 photo provided by Rebeca Herrera-Moreno shows Rebecca Herrera-Moreno, her husband Martin Moreno and their son Nico, in Los Angeles. (Rebeca Herrera-Moreno via AP)
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This 2020 photo provided by Rebeca Herrera-Moreno shows her with her son, Nico, in Los Angeles. (Rebeca Herrera-Moreno via AP)
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This 2020 photo provided by Rebeca Herrera-Moreno shows her with her son, Nico, in Los Angeles. (Rebeca Herrera-Moreno via AP)
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This 2020 photo, provided by Rebeca Herrera-Moreno, shows her son, Nico, in Los Angeles. (Rebeca Herrera-Moreno via AP)
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This 2020 photo, provided by Rebeca Herrera-Moreno, shows her son, Nico, in Los Angeles. (Rebeca Herrera-Moreno via AP)
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She struggled to enjoy moments with her tiny son while holding him surrounded by machines, monitors and nurses. She would say “I love you” every day before leaving him while guilt swelled inside her that she hadn’t developed that feeling yet. Weeks later at home, she opened to up to her husband, Martin Moreno, who confessed that he had felt the same way.
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Moreno, a health director for a labor union, said he was consumed at the time with his job, which suddenly intensified as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the country. To this day, his most vivid memory of the period isn’t with his son in the NICU, but of a video he helped produce to show workers how to properly wash their hands.
When he came home, he felt unprepared to care for Nico, who had to be fed on his side to prevent choking. He had been oblivious to his wife’s emotional turmoil.
“I wish I would have had more preparation with the medical staff to really feel like I had everything set. And that’s speaking to the medical piece of it — not even addressing being absent for Becky during so much of this,” Moreno said.
Being present
Nearly 800 people have applied for neonatal care leave since Colorado’s policy took effect in January, according to Tracy Marshall, director of Colorado’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance Division.
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Among the first were Chris and Stevie Madden, whose son was born almost eight weeks early on Jan. 11.
Stevie Madden, a mental health professional who had been rushed to the hospital after her blood pressure spiked and she began bleeding, said she panicked about how to handle the crisis and work when she realized she had planned to start her maternity leave much later.
A nurse at the hospital, however, told Chris Madden about the new NICU leave, which they both applied for.
Madden, an oil field mechanic, said he wouldn’t have been able to keep him mind on his risky job while his son was fighting for his life. He said he learned how to handle his baby’s delicate skin — press gently, don’t rub — and gained the confidence he needed when Roczen stopped breathing once after returning home and had to be rushed the hospital.
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He told every parent he met at hospital about NICU leave.
“It was life changing not to have to think about money and stress and just be present with your baby,” Madden said.
___ This story has corrected that the woman in the first paragraph lost consciousness during birth, not after, and has corrected the spelling of Rebeca Herrera-Moreno’s first name. ___
The Associated Press’ women in the workforce coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
The 57-year-old shared how it’s been good for her to make this series
Kylie Minoque will open up about her life and career in her brand new tell-all series on Netflix, including her battle with cancer.
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Australian popstar Kylie Minogue has a new three-part Netflix series coming out this week, made by the same team who worked on Sir David Beckham’s hit documentary.
It features footage from her childhood and time in Australian soap Neighbours, as well interviews with friends and family including her former co-star Jason Donovan, sister Dannii and musician Nick Cave.
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Speaking at a Q&A in central London ahead of the documentary’s release, Kylie admitted that it had been “good” to make the series. “There’s light and shade for sure,” she said of the film, adding: “We’re all human.”
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When asked by host broadcaster Clara Amfo what the singer hoped her fans would understand about her after watching the film, she said: “I can imagine that fans and maybe even broader than that… maybe that’s one of the reasons that I have this relationship with my fans and the broader audience, is they can see, don’t know if I tried to do this, again it’s very weird to say this about myself, but I’m not invincible.
“I can get the job done and I can shine, hopefully. But I think that, I don’t know, that they understand that you could be me, we could co-exist.”
Kylie was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in May 2005 aged 36. She underwent a lumpectomy and chemotherapy in Paris, and was given the all-clear in 2006. News coverage of her cancer diagnosis caused an unprecedented increase in bookings for mammograms, referred to as the ‘Kylie effect’.
The singer opens up about her battle in the new documentary alongside sister Dannii. Speaking in the trailer, Kylie says: “I felt removed from my body, I was so scared of what was ahead of me.”
Dannii adds: “We didn’t know if she’s ever gonna be well again. I just wanted to be with my sister.”
On some of the public scrutiny and misogyny she has faced during her career, which is featured in the film, the star added: “There’s always a lot of talk about how much I’ve changed.
“”We all change through life, and grown and developed, and certainly that’s evident, as an artist, like I was famous before I knew what I was doing, so you know, and there came a lot of the criticism and the hardship with that, but what’s illuminating to me is, in so many ways, I haven’t changed.
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“Like, the way of dealing with stuff from that time that you’re talking about is kind of how I do it now, like I read the room, do what I have to do, feel the fear and do it anyway.”
Vets are said to be already seeing a rise in avoidable cases linked to toxic plants and grass seeds, hazards that many pet owners don’t realise are right on their doorstep.
Many popular plants can be harmful if pets chew, lick, or dig them up.
Some of the most common include lilies, rhododendron, tulips, hydrangea, and bluebells.
Dogs may nibble leaves or bulbs, while cats can be affected simply by brushing past certain plants and grooming themselves afterwards. Some plants cause mild tummy upsets, but others can lead to serious illness.
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Flowers (Image: CVS Vets)
Signs of plant poisoning can include vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling, lethargy, loss of appetite, excessive drinking, or collapse. Symptoms don’t always appear straight away, so pet owners should contact their vet immediately if they spot their pet eating a plant they are unsure of.
Owners should check plants are safe for pets before adding them to the garden or bringing them into the home. Bulbs and seeds should also be stored out of reach of pets before planting.
Grass seeds are another seasonal risk, particularly for dogs, and can lead to pain, infection, and complex veterinary treatment. These small, sharp seeds can become lodged in paws, ears, eyes, noses, or under the skin. Common warning signs that owners should look out for include persistent licking of a paw, head shaking, limping, or a sore, weepy eye.
Owners are advised to check dogs thoroughly after walks, especially between toes, around ears and armpits, as removing grass seeds early can prevent big problems later on.
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Ellen Coker, Clinical Director at Regans Bury Road Veterinary Clinic, says “Our pets love exploring the garden as much as we do, but they don’t know what’s safe and what isn’t. Every spring and summer we see cases linked to toxic plants and grass seeds. Supervision and regular checks can make a huge difference to your pet’s health and comfort.
Dog (Image: CVS Vets)
“At Regans Bury Road Veterinary Clinic, we’re always happy to offer advice and reassurance.”
Pamela Illingworth, Practice Director at Pennine Vets Harwood, says “Supervision and regular checks can make a huge difference to your pet’s health and comfort.
“At Pennine Vets Harwood, we’re always happy to offer advice and reassurance. If you have any concerns about your pet’s health, behaviour, or something they may have encountered outdoors, please get in touch.”
It hit me that eating out with children is no longer worth it (Picture: Catherine Balavage)
My worst parenting moment to date happened last year when my daughter, exhausted after her swimming lesson, threw an epic tantrum in the middle of a Pizza Express.
It started with crying. Then she stood on a chair and tried to shake the railing on the side.
When we tried to get her to calm down, she threw herself to the floor and screamed her head off.
Eventually, embarrassed, I flung her over my shoulder in a fireman’s carry and hurried out of the restaurant.
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As I waited in the cold, dark, winter evening for the rest of my family to emerge – my husband was hastily paying the £91 bill and bundling the other children into their jackets – a Deliveroo driver stared in disapproval at my still distraught daughter, and a woman who was walking past stopped to stare.
That’s when it hit me: eating out with children is no longer worth it and I will not be doing it again.
I wish I had been more understanding then (Picture: Catherine Balavage)
I’ve always seen eating out as a treat. I love not having to figure out what to cook that night or deal with the clean-up afterwards. My husband and I ate out at least once a week before we had children.
I used to be a restaurant reviewer and I once reviewed nine restaurants in three days. I love food and eating out was always one of life’s greatest joys.
Before having children I never minded them in restaurants as long as they behaved. A crying baby did not annoy me, but little children running around without supervision made me raise an eyebrow.
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Looking back, I wish I had been more understanding then that parents were just exhausted – I would never say anything, however.
After giving birth, I wanted our son to have the privilege of eating out and to learn how to behave in society.
Eating out is such a treat (Picture: Catherine Balavage)
However, I quickly learned not all restaurant-goers are a fan of junior diners.
Even though I always used a scarf, I still remember the judgemental stares I’d get for breastfeeding my baby at the table. It was clear some people deemed it inappropriate and I can’t tell you how many hours I spent feeding them in the loo as a result.
Things only got harder as the kids got bigger too.
Throughout the meal they complained loudly several times about how irresponsible we were for keeping our baby up late or saying how ‘they should be in bed’. It had been a long journey and the comments upset me. I had to bite my lip to stop from crying – it felt unfair and I wish I had said something, instead of ignoring them.
Things only got harder as the kids got bigger too (Picture: Catherine Balavage)
I think they felt guilty though as, after their meal, they made a point of coming over to say that they could tell we were ‘good parents’. The hypocrisy was astounding.
Because of these interactions and many more, I’ve always tried to be considerate of other diners. I always take a bag of toys and crayons with me to entertain them and the phone only comes out if that doesn’t work.
But even that isn’t enough to please some people. The disapproving looks if you let your children have screen time, if they dare to make a loud noise, or make a mess on the floor and the table is enough to make your blood run cold.
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Not all our family dining experiences have been bad though. Our local Italian is incredibly family-friendly and on some occasions the waitress there has even taken our son while we were eating and walked him around the restaurant – that was an act of kindness I will never forget.
I also know that it will get easier for the children as they get older. Our oldest is ten and now sits and behaves for an entire meal, that’s partly because he has a better understanding of the behaviour that’s expected of him, but also because he doesn’t tire or bore as easily.
Even so, I won’t be eating out in restaurants now until the kids are all older. While I don’t mind paying money for a treat, spending often three-figures for an experience that leaves me more stressed than before is just not worth it.
A little bit of understanding can go a long way (Picture: Catherine Balavage)
Instead, we order from Deliveroo. Same food, less stress.
It’s a shame it’s come to this but I think it’s society that is to blame – not my children.
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There is a growing intolerance towards children in public spaces and while I don’t think children should be allowed to behave badly in restaurants – it’s up to parents to make sure their children don’t throw food, shout or run around – we do have to accept that, sometimes, they have a moment.
Yes, children have tantrums and sometimes these can happen in the most unexpected places (like Pizza Express). But they also learn by watching as much as by being told what to do.
The more children are respected and welcomed into society, the more they will become functioning members of it.
As for the rest of us, a little bit of understanding can go a long way.
Created and written by James Graham, Dear England chronicles the former England player’s journey as manager of the national team from 2016 to 2024.
Starring Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) as Pippa Grange, the team’s psychologist and Jason Watkins (The Crown) as former FA chairman Greg Dyke, the four-part series is adapted from James’ Olivier award-winning stage play of the same name.
However, despite Joseph reprising his role as Gareth for the BBC series, the Handmaid’s Tale star told Metro how the process of switching the stage for the screen brought an entirely different challenge.
‘The play is fictitious,’ he tells me, sitting next to James and Jodie inside a BBC studio.
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‘There’s a disclaimer on the tin that says, at the very top of our show, that these are events that happen, but this is the interpretation of these events, done with absolute examination and detail.
Joseph Fiennes stars as Gareth Southgate in Dear England (Picture:: BBC/Left Bank/Justin Downing)
The BBC series chronicles Gareth’s journey as England manager (Picture: BBC/Left Bank)
‘There is a nervousness about taking what we did in the play and putting it on a lens… If you’re in the middle of a theatre as an audience member if you squint a little bit… [I could] very possibly be Gareth Southgate.
‘But it’s a different thing when the lens is banged [right there in front of me]. So I was very, very nervous about the conceit of playing Gareth.’
Discussing the ‘ride’ he wants audiences to take, Joseph adds: ‘You want them to accept it and then move to the much more exciting things beyond waistcoats, mannerisms and these very famous people.
‘[Dear England] goes beyond football and I think the beauty of the series is that through the lens of the beautiful game we get to examine trickier conversations.’
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Directed in part by Rupert Goold and Paul Whittington, the series sees Gareth open his mind up to ‘face up to the years of hurt to take England back to the promised land’.
Central to this effort is Pippa, who Jodie described as being a ‘fascinating’ character to play.
‘The biggest takeaway for me is how at an international level fear is seen as something that you need to pretend you are immune to,’ she says.
Jodie Whittaker also stars as Pippa Grange in the BBC series (Picture: BBC/Left Bank)
Joseph explained how he was ‘very nervous’ to portray the England manager on screen (Picture: BBC/Left Bank)
‘In James’s writing, it’s so beautiful, but then also in Pippa’s own words and her own explanation – fear should not be a vulnerability.
‘And it’s so simple what she articulates that you can’t quite believe you don’t know it until you’ve been told it, and then you feel gobsmacked that it’s not still being implemented.’
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For James, however, the show’s creator – who has also written the acclaimed BBC series Sherwood and ITV’s Quiz – this series was about asking ‘some of the biggest existential questions England faces as a country’.
‘This isn’t endorsed by Gareth, it’s not endorsed by the FA,’ he tells me.
‘But I want to defend him. It’s quite clear my admiration for the people involved, including Pippa and Gareth.
‘They identified that that one of the hugest problems in the England dressing room… was that no one had ever sat them down and gone and what is England to you? What is your country? And they just didn’t feel connected.’
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With the first two episodes of Dear England arriving on Sunday May 24, viewers can expect to see the psychological rebuilding of the England men’s football team and how they overcame their penalty-shootout trauma while transforming their team culture.
Dear England is available to watch on BBC One and iPlayer at 9pm on Sunday 24th May.
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