Mayo’s Gaelic football team has ended a 75-year losing streak after winning the All Ireland championship, end an apparent curse that fans believed haunted the county for decades.

Fans were stunned as they emerged from the home of Ireland’s Gaelic games, Dublin’s Croke Park, with some putting the win down to the expired curse – and the county’s young superstar players.

The Mayo Gaelic football team is regarded as one of the best in the country but has repeatedly fallen short of winning the top prize of the Sam Maguire Cup in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.

The repeated final losses have seen the hopeful mantra of “Mayo for SAM” gain prominence, referring to the Sam Maguire Cup, which has been chanted by high-profile figures including former US president Joe Biden during a visit to his ancestral home county of Mayo.

Mayo has not won the cup in 75 years despite reaching the final 11 times since 1989.

The green-and-red team has lost by one point in three finals since it last won the championship in 1951.

The loses have been put down to a myth that the 1951 winning team had not shown respect to a funeral they passed on their homecoming route.

It is said a relative of the dead person placed a curse on Mayo that the county would not win the Sam Maguire until every member of the 1951 team had died.

It was reported that the last surviving member of the 1951 team died in 2021.

The so-called curse has been criticised as not showing respect to the 1951 team, the facts behind the story have also been questioned, while others dismissed it as a convenient excuse for poor performance.

But some fans did believe there was a curse on their home county’s footballing chances.

A stunned Patrick Devaney, 32, from Knock, wandered outside Croke Park minutes after full time amid a sea of disappointed Kerry fans who had left the stadium.

“I can’t believe it, I’ve seen them lose so many times, I just can’t believe it,” he told the Press Association.

“I’ve been at nearly every other final Mayo were in, so I can’t believe it.

“Twelve finals they’ve lost in my lifetime. I can’t believe it.”

Asked if he thought they would win, he said: “A hail Mary chance, yes. I believed in the curse until about 15 minutes ago.”

Rachel Neeson, who is from Co Antrim but whose family are from Kilmovee, said the win was a “dream come true”.

“We’ve loads of kids back home up in Antrim and we’re now going back home to get them and we’re going down to Mayo this evening.

“They don’t know we’re coming but there’s 10 of us coming down from Antrim.”

“Kerry fans were lovely, turned around and congratulated everybody straight away, it was just lovely, really really lovely.”

She said things “fell into place” on the day: her daughter, whose name is Niamh Neeson, got them the tickets, and they were sitting in row “NN”. It was also Reek Sunday.

“I did believe in the curse. I believe in curses, I believe in cures. Today, they got the cure!”

Paul Murphy and his sons Feidhlim, 11, and Odhran, 13, travelled over from Manchester to watch the final.

Mr Murphy, who said his father is from a small village in Mayo, said his sons are involved with the St Laurence’s club in Manchester and he has gone to many All-Ireland finals over the last 20 years.

“It was amazing when Mayo had won,” Feidhlim said. “They played brilliant, absolutely perfect.”

“For the whole game I thought Kerry were going to win,” Odhran said. “But then at the end when we went up by five, I thought we had the game won.

“I was clapping and really happy,” he said when it hit full-time.

Their father added: “I went into the game with quiet confidence. The first 10 minutes was a killer, I just thought, is it 2004 or 2006 all over again? But then Mayo came back, they stuck at it, they were resilient, they never let it go.

“This is their first all-Ireland final, actually I tell a lie, Odhran came over as a baby in 2013, we weren’t so lucky with that one. But I thought if I brought the two of them it might just change the luck.”

Asked what they planned to do next, he said: “To be honest we don’t know what to do with ourselves. We’re not used to being at the end of a favourable result, frankly. So we’d normally put the heads down and slink away but, it’s all up in the air, who knows? See how the night goes.”

Mattie Joe Connolly and his wife Bernie said youth was the thing that changed Mayo’s fortunes.

He said his grand nephew is Darragh Beirne, the corner forward who scored the goal for Mayo in the final.

“They came here to Croke Park, they weren’t afraid to come here and they weren’t awed by the big ocassion, those young guys,” he said.

“I was living more in hope than anything – after all those years, all-Ireland champions.”

Bernie said they had attended the finals where they had lost but that “today was worth waiting for, it was fantastic”.

Ciaran Ivan and Siobhan Lavelle, 25, watched the match from a nearby pub and said the victory was “surreal”.

“It was unreal, my ears are still ringing and my voice is nearly gone,” she said.

“I had good faith in them to be honest, bit nervous in the first half but by the time the bell rang, we were onto a good one.”

Mr Ivan said the manager was the winning touch for the team and said the team “did very well”.

“There will be a week-long session I’d say, at least. Mayo for SAM!”

In a heart-thumping victory speech to a Corke Park packed with Mayo fans, captain Jack Coyne told those from his home county and its diaspora: “Never stop dreaming.”

“Stick your chest out and be proud to be from Mayo. The wait is over, SAM is home.”

The Telegraph has released a list of some of the best spa hotels found in the north with Grantley Hall being mentioned.

Found just outside of Ripon, the spa hotel has 47 bedrooms and suites with award-winning spa facilities.

The hall is described as being where “stately grandeur meets contemporary elegance” and could be the perfect place for a weekend escape.

What is Grantley Hall like?

On the spa hotel, The Telegraph said: “This sprawling Palladian-style hall on the eastern fringes of the Yorkshire Dales has an entire sweep of distractions, from 38 acres of parkland to explore (there are walking maps available and wellies to borrow) to a wine-tasting room and a choice of restaurants, including that of Michelin-starred chef Shaun Rankin.

“Most impressive though is the Three Graces Spa, with its colonnaded swimming pool, indoor-outdoor hydrotherapy pools and soothing treatments by Ila and Natura Bissé.

“There’s also a well-equipped gym, a Nordic Spa Garden where guests can pad between an outdoor sauna and an ice bath, a ‘snow room’ and a relaxation zone to kick back in post-treatment.”

The spa’s different rooms have all been decorated to create a relaxing experience for guests.

Alongside the spa facilities, there are a range of treatments available from full body rituals to holistic sessions.

After spending some time in the spa, you can visit the Three Graces Spa Lounge where you can have a healthy lunch or indulge in cocktails and a cream tea.

For food, the spa hotel features a range of different bars and restaurants that serve Asian-fusion dishes, seasonal menus and afternoon tea experiences.

Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall is the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant that “celebrates the finest Yorkshire produce champions what the county has to offer”.

What do guests of the Grantley Hall hotel and spa think of their stay?

On Tripadvisor, one reviewer said: “Just returned from an overnight stay at the wonderful Grantley Hall.

“We wanted a luxury spa experience and stay, this place did not disappoint.

“Great and personal service from start to finish.

“The spa is exception and par with some of the best in the UK, if not world.

“Every member of staff looked after us, above and beyond.

“We had a couple of slight issues during our stay which were resolved perfectly by the team.

“Highly recommended.”

Would you ever stay at the Grantley Hall? Let us know in the comments.

Mathieu van der Poel won a thrilling final stage of the Tour de France as Tadej Pogacar sealed a record-equalling fifth overall title on the streets of Paris.

Van der Poel and Pogacar attacked on each of the three times up the cobbled climb to Montmartre and the two of them desperately fought to hold off the peloton over 10 gruelling final kilometres before the line.

But where Pogacar faded, caught with less than 400 metres to go, Van der Poel powered on to win it by just a bike length as the chasing pack bore down – with his Alpecin-Premier Tech team-mate Jasper Philipsen snatching second.

The effort required was obvious as Van der Poel all but collapsed climbing off his bike.

On a final stage shortened to 89 kilometres due to emergency services being diverted to wildfires, the Montmartre climb, first introduced to the final stage of the Tour last year after its success in the Paris Olympics, once again delivered huge drama.

Van der Poel and Pogacar went away with Mads Pedersen and Remco Evenepoel – victorious here in the Olympics – on the second ascent before being caught by the peloton, but their next attempt looked more convincing as they opened a gap of 15 seconds to a small chasing pack and 20 to the peloton.

Those gaps ticked down but only slowly as they returned to the final circuit on the Champs-Elysees and the pair entered the final straight still with a small gap before Van der Poel put in a dig that Pogacar could not follow.

“For a year I was thinking about this when I was sick last year and had to watch on television,” Van der Poel said after his second stage win of this Tour. “It’s a dream.

“It was super hard. To be up there with the best rider in the world, all my respect for Tadej, I thought we were going to get caught. I put my head down in the last 500 metres and went as hard as I could waiting for a wheel to come past me and it didn’t happen.”

It was the second straight year in which Pogacar attempted to crown a Tour title with a stage win in Paris, and the second where he fell narrowly short having lost out to Wout van Aert 12 months ago.

However, he crossed the line safely to join Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain as the only men with five Tour titles to their name.

His final margin of victory was six minutes and 26 seconds ahead of Evenepoel, with Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG team-mate Isaac del Toro completing the podium ahead of French teenager Paul Seixas.

“It was an amazing day,” Pogacar said. “I’m speechless. An incredible day, incredible atmosphere and I’m happy that it’s over and we won for the fifth time.

“Every victory is really special. Seven Tours already and seven times on the podium, five wins, it’s something that you wouldn’t even maybe write in a storybook and it’s just unbelievable for me.”

PA

The youth hub is expected to reduce antisocial behaviour

A “safe, inclusive and inspiring” city youth hub which is expected to reduce antisocial behaviour levels has taken a step forward. The £13 million ‘Youth Zone’ in Peterborough would be located on the city’s Embankment.

Peterborough City Council’s Cabinet has now approved the next stage of the scheme, which will see £410,000 of council funding set aside to help progress designs. The scheme is being developed by OnSide, a national youth charity.

Once built, the Youth Zone could offer over 20 different activities with facilities including a sports hall, boxing ring, dance studio, sensory room, arts and craft, fitness, performing arts, and a wellbeing room.

Councillor Christian Hogg said youth services are “not where we would like them to be right now” due to “lack of investment in youth services”. He said: “That has led to young people having very little to do and what that means is you have clumps and groups of youths on the street.

“Some of that does unfortunately lead to some antisocial behaviour but also a perception with older members of the community where they feel intimidated by groups of youths on the streets.”

Data shared during the Cabinet meeting, which is sourced from the charity, states that on average, 70 per cent of youth zone users report feeling happier and healthier.

Additionally, 75 per cent of local businesses said their town was a “better place to do business in”. The data reports that between 50 and 75 per cent of reported antisocial behaviour is reduced as a result of a youth zone.

OnSide currently run 15 similar facilities across the country. Members of the city council went to visit one of youth hubs in Barnsley recently.

Cllr Katy Cole, cabinet member for children and young people, said it was vital the council “jump” at the chance to build the hub. She added: “Visiting the Youth Hub [in Barnsley] was truly mind blowing in the offer we could have here in the city.

“The fact it provides enhanced youth opportunities, the space was fully inclusive, it was young and vibrant and is going to be something that if we we are lucky enough to have it in the city, the 58,000 children we have in the city are really going to benefit from.”

Cllr Numan Ali Iqbal, cabinet member for growth and regeneration, said: “The proposed Youth Zone would create a safe inclusive and inspiring space for young people aged 8 to 19, and up to 25 for those with additional needs, offering opportunities for sport, recreation, skills development, mentoring and well being support.”

“The facility is proposed to be situated on the Embankment and has the potential to become a transformational community asset helping to improve life changes, reducing inequalities and provide positive opportunities for young people across the city.”

Cllr Hogg added: “I think this is absolutely what we should be getting behind.”

Our thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones

Announcing the passing of a loved one in local news media is a long standing tradition and we are proud of the trust placed in us to make these important announcements. Every notice published to our newspaper and news site also appears on funeral-notices.co.uk – the UK’s number one site for death notices and memoriams. Every notice remains online forever providing friends and families with a lifelong tribute to their loved one, a safe place online to share memories, add tributes, photographs and make donations in memory.

Each week we pay tribute to the loved ones remembered in our area with a funeral notice and online tribute page. To read the latest announcements and add tributes to those from our area who have passed away, or to create a funeral notice yourself, click here. Alternatively, you can create a notice by calling our helpful team on 01482 908084.

Here are a selection of notices published earlier this week.

Death Notices

(Tony) Of Cambourne, peacefully at home on Tuesday 9th June 2026, aged 66 years. Much loved husband of Jennifer. Funeral service to be held at Cambourne Cemetery, Graveside on Thursday 30th July at 2pm. Flowers may be sent c/o Weyman Funeral Service, 26, Abbey Walk, Cambridge CB1 2QJ

Of Great Shelford Passed peacefully to rest on Monday 29th June 2026 Aged 96 years. Loving husband to Ruth, wonderful dad to Terry and Pauline. Beloved brother and special grandad and great grandad. Memorial Service to take place at St Mary’s Church, Great Shelford on Tuesday 28th July at 12.30pm (Following a private family cremation). Donations in memory of Ron will be gratefully received for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and can be made by visiting his In memory page at www.peasgoodandskeates.co.uk or sent c/o Peasgood and Skeates 45 Moorfield Road, Duxford, CB22 4PP

Passed away peacefully on July 6th 2026 aged 84 years. Beloved husband of Barbara, much-loved father of Philip, Andrew and Simon and adored grandad of Daena, Henry, Adam, Ollie, Ella, Alex and Scarlett. Brian’s cremation ceremony will take place at Cambridge Crematorium, West Chapel on 23rd July 2026 at 1.15pm. Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, are for Papworth Hospital and may be placed in the box as you leave the crematorium or via https://brian-clutterbuck1.muchloved.com/ Kingfisher Independent Funeral Services, 10-10A Princes Street, Huntingdon PE29 3PA

formerly of Ireland. Passed away peacefully at his home in Newmarket on Sunday 12th July 2026, aged 97 years. Beloved husband to Maureen and a much loved dad, grandad, great grandad, uncle and great uncle. Funeral service to be held at The Newmarket Catholic Church on Friday 24th July at 1:00pm, followed by interment. Please wear bright colours in celebration of Michael. Family flowers only please but donations may be made payable to The East Anglian Children’s Hospice (E.A.C.H) and left at the church or sent care of Southgate of Newmarket Funeral Directors, 25 Duchess Drive, Newmarket, CB8 8AG.

Sheila Griggs Died peacefully at Addenbrookes Hospital on 5th July 2026, aged 91 years. Devoted wife of her late husband Roy, much-loved mother to Sharon, Diane, Virginia and Laura. Beloved grandmother and great-grandmother, neighbour and friend. Sheila will be dearly missed by all who knew her. Sheila’s funeral service will be held at Cam Valley Crematorium, Great Chesterford, on Monday 27th July 2026 at 12.30pm. Family flowers only, but donations, if desired, in memory of Sheila to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice (EACH) may be made online at https://www.each.org.uk/donate or on the day or sent c/o Funeral Directors, Woodland Wishes, 4 High Street, Fulbourn, Cambridge, CB21 5DH

The family of John Hatcher are saddened to announce his passing on 13th June 2026, aged 84. A loving husband, father and grandfather. John will be greatly missed by all who knew him. The funeral will be held at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge on Friday 24th July 2026 at 1.30pm followed by the committal at Cambridge Crematorium at 3.30pm. Family flowers only, please. Donations in John’s memory may be made to Myeloma UK. Forever remembered and greatly loved.

Sadly passed away on Sunday 28th June 2026. Aged 78 years. Gerald’s funeral service will take place at Loughborough Crematorium on Friday 7th August at 1:15pm. Family flowers only please. Donations, if so desired, for The British Heart Foundation will be kindly accepted on the day. All enquiries to: Kriss Morrison Cooper Independent Funeral Director Telephone: 01509 210 843

Joan PUNTER (Elsie) of Cambridge. Passed away peacefully on Monday 6th July, 2026. at Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, aged 86 Years. Dearly loved Mother to Chris, Jacqui, Andrew, Mia and Eleanor. Treasured Grandmother, Great Grandmother and Great Great Grandmother. Joan shall be deeply missed by all. Funeral service to be held on Monday 20th July at Cambridge Crematorium West Chapel at 11:15 am. Donations for the benefit of Arthur Rank Hospice Charity. Charitable contributions can be made via her ‘In Memory’ page at www.peasgoodandskeates.co.uk/donate-in-memory/ All other enquiries to Peasgood & Skeates 164 Histon Road, Cambridge, CB4 3JP 01223 791060

Passed away peacefully on 12th June 2026. Aged 95 years in Cottenham Court Care Home. Josephine will be sadly missed by all her family and friends. There will be a celebration of her life at Cambridge City Crematorium, East Chapel on Friday 24th July 2026 at 12.30pm. Family flowers only please. Donations if desired will be gifted to the MND Association which may be left on the day or sent care of Willingham Funeral Service Berrycroft, Willingham Cambs CB24 5JX

Died peacefully on 27th June 2026, aged 86 years. Beloved father to Mike, Andy & Nikki, proud grandfather of seven and much loved partner of Janice. Celebration of Life Service to take place at Cam Valley Crematorium on Wednesday 12th of August at 11:30am. No flowers please, donations if desired to Cancer Research UK and can be made by visiting his In memory page at www.peasgoodandskeates.co.uk or sent c/o Peasgood and Skeates, 45 Moorfield Road, Duxford CB22 4PP.

of Willingham passed away on Monday 29th June 2026 aged 72 years. A loving wife to Richard, sister in law to Jane and God Mother to Polly. Funeral service to be held at the Cambridge City Crematorium, 12:15pm West Chapel on Wednesday 19th August 2026. No black to be worn please. Family flowers only, donations in Patricia’s memory made payable to the British Heart Foundation may be left at the service or forwarded to Richard Stebbings Funeral Service Ltd, Kendal House, Cambridge Road, Impington, Cambridge CB24 9YS. Tel: 01223 232309

Passed away peacefully on 27th June 2026 aged 89 years. Loving husband to Doreen, dad and step-dad to Kevin, Lesley, Martin, Roy, Gary, Correna and Lisa, Grandad and Great Grandad. He will be greatly missed. Funeral service to take place at Cam Valley Crematorium on Monday 27th July at 2.30pm. Donations in memory of Michael will be gratefully received for Papworth Trust’s OWL Centre in Sawston and can be made by visiting his In Memory Page at www.peasgoodandskeates.co.uk or sent c/o Peasgood and Skeates 45 Moorfield Road, Duxford CB22 4PP

Died in Woodlands Care Home, Cambridge on Sunday, 5th July 2026, aged 88 years. A Longmeadow resident of fifty years, widow of David, much-loved mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend. Before retirement, Bridget worked as a receptionist at Bottisham Medical Practice. A funeral service will be held at St James’ Church, Lode on 27th July at 2pm. Family flowers only, please. Donations if desired to either or both: Dementia UK/Ministry in St James’ Church, Lode, these can be left after the service or can be sent C/O Willingham Funeral Service, 14B Berrycroft, Willingham, CB24 5JX

In Memoriams

Not a day goes by that I don’t think of you my love! The special times we shared, the good times! Miss you everyday and always Until we meet again Sylv

The best mum 2 boys could ask for! Always there for us with love and support! So wish you were still here with us! Love you forever Mum

Isabel sadly passed away 19th July 2020. You are always in my thoughts. Love you forever Barrie (Partner) xxx

Died July 14th 2019 Another year has passed Josie Rest In Peace with mum and dad. God Bless Lots of Love Diane and family xx

To add your own tributes to the loved ones from our area, or to publish a notice for your loved one, visit funeral-notices.co.uk

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those we have lost.

PARIS (AP) — Tadej Pogacar won a record-equaling fifth Tour de France title on Sunday.

The 27-year-old Slovenian dominated this year’s race to join Belgian Eddy Merckx, Spaniard Miguel Indurain and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault as the only riders to win five Tours.

After finishing safely in Sunday’s 21st and final stage in Paris, Pogacar finished 6 minutes, 26 seconds over Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel in the overall standings.

Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates XRG teammate Isaac Del Toro, a 22-year-old Mexican making his Tour debut, was third at 9:42 back from Pogacar, who smiled and held up his hand to signify his wins. His teammates then joined him as they stood proudly on the Champs-Élysées.

Pogacar won five stages at this year’s race to take his impressive tally to 26 overall.

He tried to win on Sunday, too, but victory ultimately went to Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, who just held off the chasing pack on the home straight for his second stage win at this year’s race and fourth overall.

Sunday’s 88.7-kilometer (55-mile) stage looped around Paris and was mostly processional, although less so than in previous years, which were usually entirely flat stages for sprinters and not for the rest of the peloton.

For the second straight year the stage featured the hugely popular uphill climb through the Montmartre district, a sharp 1-kilometer dash which riders tackled three times before finishing on the Champs-Élysées.

It proved even too much for Pogacar, who could not match Van der Poel’s raw power in the closing stages.

Shortly before 6 p.m. local time, Pogacar shook hands at the start line with Evenepoel and Ecuadorian veteran Ricardo Carapaz, wearing the polka-dot jersey for the best climber.

Van der Poel and Dane Mads Pedersen, the green jersey winner as best sprinter, were among the expected contenders for the stage win.

Crowds roared as the riders began the first climb up Rue Lepic in Montmartre, with the famed Sacré-Coeur basilica looming over them.

Pogacar moved ahead after the second ascension of Montmartre, with Van der Poel, Evenepoel and Pedersen alongside him.

Van der Poel attacked on the third and final climb with Pogacar responding well, and the one-day classics rivals surged ahead.

But they were caught with 700 meters left and, after Pogacar faded, the 31-year-old Van der Poel still had work to do.

He got his bike just over the line ahead of Belgian Jasper Philipsen, his Alpecin-Premier Tech teammate, and Pedersen. Pogacar eased up and finished 30th.

Cycling pedigree

Van der Poel is widely considered one of the best cyclists in the world. He has multiple victories in one-day classics and Cyclo-cross world championship titles, and is also a former world road race champion.

His maternal grandfather was French cyclist Raymond Poulidor, who raced in the 1960s and ’70s, finishing second on the Tour three times and third five times. Nicknamed “Poupou” and “The Eternal Runner-up,” he was adored by French fans.

Women’s Tour

The nine-stage women’s Tour starts in the Swiss city of Lausanne on Aug. 1 and finishes in Nice on Aug 9.

Frenchwoman Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt won on debut last year. ___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The past few years, Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid had drifted away from bringing rookies and quarterbacks into training camp a few days early, reasoning that such a veteran team coming off deep playoff runs could do without it.

After all, for a decade, the Chiefs had made at least the wild-card round. Many of those seasons ended in February.

But the Chiefs collapsed last season, finishing a dismal 6-11 while losing quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a major knee injury. There were significant roster issues on both sides of the ball, depth problems at important positions that became exacerbated when injuries happened to other players, and it all meant an end to the season far earlier than anyone in Kansas City had expected.

So, with the team in need of a reset — among other reasons — Reid opted to bring his quarterbacks and rookies, along with a few other players coming off injuries, back to Missouri Western State University for a few days of work before the full squad arrives.

“I didn’t like not doing it last year after I got done with it, to be honest with you,” Reid said of the three-day crash course, which continued through heat indexes topping triple digits Sunday. “It’s a good thing for the quarterbacks, good thing for the rookies coming in. We do have more numbers (of rookies) this year, so it allows us to get more reps.

“I think,” Reid added, “that will benefit us.”

It couldn’t hurt.

Start with the quarterbacks: Mahomes was cleared this past week to fully participate in training camp after undergoing surgery in December to repair torn knee ligaments. And while Reid insisted this week that the two-time MVP would have no limitations, there is nevertheless a certain comfort that comes with getting some reps without a full team flying around him.

“You just have to build that confidence back,” Mahomes said, “and I’m glad I get to do that from Day 1 of training camp. I didn’t want to have to get only a couple of weeks of practice in and then have to go play a game. I wanted to build it up, see how training camp goes as we gradually build, and so I think that’ll help me get back to where I need to be.”

For the next two QBs on the depth chart, there’s the matter of learning the offense.

The Chiefs swung a trade with the Jets to bring in Justin Fields as the veteran backup, in part to have someone capable of winning a couple of games should Mahomes be unable to start Week 1. Their young project QB is Garrett Nussmeier, the once-heralded college star from LSU who fell all the way to the 249th overall pick in the NFL draft last April.

Beyond the quarterbacks, though, is the chance to get some extra work for a rookie class — more than two dozen are in camp — that Kansas City will be leaning upon more heavily than perhaps any other point in Reid’s tenure.

Defensive back Mansoor Delane, the first cornerback taken in the draft, is expected to start Week 1, and he may not be the only first-year player on the field. The Chiefs’ other first-round pick, defensive tackle Peter Woods, could find himself playing alongside perennial Pro Bowl pick Chris Jones, while pass rusher R Mason Thomas will be counted upon to pressure the quarterback.

That makes every extra rep they can get before the veterans arrive invaluable.

“I’m super grateful for the three days (of rookie camp),” Woods said. “I told someone earlier that the veterans, they have a standard for what they want to see from us young guys. Just coming in and being able to have some days to prepare myself to be able to mesh well with the veterans, that means a lot to me. Not everyone gets a chance to do that.”

Not in Kansas City. Not the past few years.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Ant McPartlin showed off his tattooed physique as he enjoyed a family getaway in Portugal with his wife Anne-Marie Corbett on Saturday.

The presenter, 50, enjoyed a dip in the sea after heading to the beach, with his shirtless torso on full display.

Joined by close friend Jonathan Wilkes, Ant was in high spirits as he was seen laughing during his swim.

The Saturday Night Takeaway star previously shared he was enjoying some well-deserved downtime abroad, as he and longtime presenting partner Declan Donnelly recorded the latest episode of their podcast remotely.

Ant also recently shared that his holidays haven’t always been smooth sailing, as he was once caught naked by a masseuse while visiting a Thai parlour.

Speaking on their Hanging Out With Ant And Dec podcast, Ant said he’d been told about a ‘really good’ Thai massage parlour, that was close to where he and Anne-Marie were staying.

The presenter enjoyed a dip in the sea after heading to the beach, with his shirtless torso on full display

He said: ‘But a friend of ours said, ”Be careful, when you go there, they come in really quickly.”

‘So I go in and I’m getting changed. The middle door slides open. My wife’s in this one, I’m in this one.

‘She quickly whips the dress off, pops the paper knickers on, jumps on the bed.

‘I take my clothes off, I struggle to kind of get all the buttons done on my shirt.’

Ant then said he became ‘annoyed’ and just decided to pull the shirt over the top of his head, adding: ‘[I took] my strides off, my underpants off.

‘So I’m leaning over the bed to get the paper knickers and inadvertently flick the paper knickers off the bed to the other side of the bed.

‘And I’m naked and everything’s hanging out.’

Ant said he was hurried along by his wife Anne-Marie, but then struggled to get the ‘paper knickers’ out of their plastic container.

Joined by close friend Jonathan Wilkes, Ant was in high spirits as he was seen laughing during his swim

The Saturday Night Takeaway star previously shared he was enjoying some well-deserved downtime abroad, as he and Declan Donnelly recorded their podcast remotely

Ant was seen puffing on a vape as he enjoyed a day at the beach during his holiday

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Ant also recently shared that his holidays haven’t always been smooth sailing, as he was once caught naked by a masseuse while visiting a Thai parlour

Speaking on their Hanging Out With Ant And Dec podcast, Ant said he’d been told about a ‘really good’ Thai massage parlour, that was close to where he and Anne-Marie were staying

Ant and Anne-Marie tied the knot in 2021 and are parents to their son Wilder, two, and teenage daughters Poppy and Daisy from Anne-Marie’s previous marriage to Scott Corbett

These days, their daily routine is centred around walking the dogs, attending sporting events such as football matches and the tennis at Wimbledon, and holidays in Barbados

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Ant refers to Anne-Marie as his ‘rock and lifesaver’ and she took on the role of sober coach after he had a much publicised alcohol and prescription painkiller addiction

He claims he’s now the ‘happiest he’s ever been’ and that’s all thanks to the wholesome life they lead together

Ant first embraced the quiet life in 2018 while in recovery and he said she was ‘his rock’ during this time

Ant and Anne-Marie met back in 2017, when Anne-Marie began working with the TV host as his personal assistant in the TV world

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Ant has always maintained that their relationship began after they were both single saying Anne-Marie is ‘honest and good’

He told Dec: ‘They land on the ground. I’m standing like this to put my leg in, my leg’s up. As I’m doing that, the door opens and [the masseuse] comes in.

‘She can see everything and we just stare at each other for a bit too long. I went ”not yet!”

Ant said he did return to the massage parlour, but confessed he and the masseuse ‘couldn’t look each other in the eye.’

Ant and Anne-Marie tied the knot in 2021 and are parents to their son Wilder, two, and teenage daughters Poppy and Daisy from Anne-Marie’s previous marriage to Scott Corbett.

These days, their daily routine is centred around walking the dogs, attending sporting events such as football matches and the tennis at Wimbledon, and holidays in Barbados. 

Ant refers to Anne-Marie as his ‘rock and lifesaver’ and she took on the role of sober coach after he had a much-publicised alcohol and prescription painkiller addiction, which he has now overcome.

He claims he’s now the ‘happiest he’s ever been’ and that’s all thanks to the wholesome life they lead together.

Ant first embraced the quiet life in 2018 while in recovery and he said she was ‘his rock’ during this time.

He said: ‘I got out of hospital and I rented houses in the country and locked myself away and walked the dog. No TV or social media. I did nothing.

‘I barely watched the World Cup. I worked on myself and got well. For 16 years I’ve spent my birthday in Australia so I thought I’d spend it with Anne-Marie. It was gorgeous.’

Ant and Anne-Marie met back in 2017, when Anne-Marie began working with the TV host as his personal assistant in the TV world.

She was previously married to Scott, but the pair split in October 2017 – the year Ant also split from his first wife, Lisa Armstrong, who Anne-Marie also worked for and was friends with.

Ant has always maintained that their relationship began after they were both single saying Anne-Marie is ‘honest and good’.

The Lebanese-German ISIS terrorist who ploughed a vehicle into a Pride parade, killing one and injuring 29 has been shot and killed. 

Abdul Ballout rammed a van into a crowd at Berlin‘s annual Christopher Street Day Pride parade on Saturday. 

German media reported on Sunday that the 21-year-old had been shot and killed during a police operation at a garden complex in Spandau, west Berlin.

Police said it was believed he had ‘rushed towards our emergency forces with a stabbing weapon, after which police firearms were used by our SEK (Special Operations Command) Berlin’.

A spokesman added that ‘despite immediate resuscitation measures’ the suspect died at the scene.

The force said it is ‘not currently looking for others’ in connection with the attack.

Officials had launched a largescale manhunt for the terrorist, who had previously tried to join the Islamic State (IS) group. 

Police sources, quoted by German media, said Abdul B, a German citizen, had travelled to Lebanon in 2025 in an unsuccessful attempt to join the IS group.

Police officers with automatic weapons are seen in an allotment complex in the western Spandau district of Berlin on Sunday

German media reported on Sunday that the 21-year-old had been shot and killed during a police operation at the complex

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He had been in pre-trial detention until May 2026, and was ordered to take part in a de-radicalisation programme. 

In an update this afternoon, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt confirmed the number of people injured had risen from 16 to 29, three of whom have suffered life-threatening injuries.

He said ‘everything we are seeing here indicates that we have experienced an Islamist attack’.

Mr Dobrindt said the suspect ‘rammed into a crowd with a car’ and ‘then attacked the crowd with some type of blade, it might have been a machete, and also severely injured those people’.

The minister said: ‘We cannot rule out the possibility that further terrorist attacks might take place.’

Mr Dobrindt added that Abdul B was born in Germany in 2005 and has a Lebanese background. His mother became a naturalised German citizen in 2002. 

This May, he was convicted in Germany of ‘preparing a serious act of subversive violence,’ the papers report, but according to Spiegel news magazine, Abdul B received a suspended sentence.

According to Bild newspaper, he was arrested in Lebanon while attempting to join IS and sent back to Germany as he is a German citizen.

The Citroen Spacetourer used in the attack in Tiergarten park is removed from the crash scene by police

Berliners gather at Brandenburg Gate after a deadly incident in which a vehicle crashed into a crowd celebrating Pride 

People mourn together in front of a rainbow flag as they gather on July 26, 2026, at the Brandenburg Gate

A woman wipes away tears as she attends the memorial site commemorating the victims near the scene where a car rammed into a crowd

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Police form a perimeter around the vehicle which crashed into a crowd near Berlin’s annual Christopher Street Day Pride parade on Saturday

Police officers secure the area at an allotment garden complex in the Berlin suburb of Spandau

The force said it is ‘not currently looking for others’ in connection with the attack after Abdul Ballout was shot and killed

An emergency vehicle at the site of an allotment garden complex in the Berlin suburb of Spandau

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Spiegel reported that a few weeks ago there was a tip-off that Abdul B had posted a photo online posing with a weapon. 

However, a search of his apartment turned up only a toy replica. Police had been deployed to the suspect’s alleged address, around one kilometre south of the scene of the attack.

Following Saturday’s attack, Berlin’s mayor, Kai Wegner, said: ‘This was an attack on all of us. It was an attack on our way of life and coexistence… and our way of life. Ladies and gentlemen, this must end. We must be very clear about this.’

Police and prosecutors said the suspect was believed to have injured several people with a moving vehicle before one or more people left the van.

Several people were also apparently stabbed, they added.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the incident as ‘an attack on our society’.

‘What an abhorrent act in Berlin,’ Merz wrote in a post on X. He added that Germany loves freedom, ‘and we will preserve and defend that’.

The attack unfolded near the city’s annual Pride celebrations on Saturday evening, triggering a major emergency response and prompting authorities to launch a large-scale manhunt.

Police have not yet disclosed a motive but are investigating the incident as a suspected extremist attack.

According to police, a white van drove into the Tiergarten park around 10pm and hit several people before colliding with a tree.

The closing party at the Pride festival, known as Christopher Street Day, was going on nearby at the time, following a parade with some 80 trucks that had made its way through downtown Berlin earlier in the day.

Julian Miethig, who had attended the LGBTQ+ party earlier, said he had just wanted to go to an afterparty when he heard from a friend that ‘something bad happened’.

He said he went to Tiergarten and was shocked that something like this could have happened at Berlin’s Pride celebrations. ‘It’s a dark day for the community,’ he added.

The Pride event next to the Brandenburg Gate was called off around 10:15pm and a band’s performance on stage was interrupted.

Organisers of the Christopher Street Day pride celebrations in Berlin have cancelled a further two events following the attack.

Hundreds of thousands of people had come to Berlin to be at one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ celebrations on Saturday, although it is unclear how many were still at the festival by late evening.

The word ‘Evacuation’ was displayed in bright colours on a large screen near the Brandenburg Gate, as people were urged to go home and to avoid taking the route through the Tiergarten park, with an Instagram post instructing them to leave in an ‘orderly manner’.

‘Please avoid the Victory Column and the Tiergarten. Leave the area in the direction of the main train station,’ the post read.

Have you got what it takes to win the £5k prize?

Have you got what it takes to cross The Finish Line?

The popular BBC quiz is racing back to screens this year and are looking for contestants from Northern Ireland to take on the track and possibly win £5000.

The Finish Line sees contestants put through their paces in a race format, hosted by Roman Kemp and Sarah Greene.

Filming will commence later this year in Belfast and tests quizzing credentials as they literally race down the track on moving podiums.

A description of the show reads: “In each episode, players compete across a series of qualifiers and head-to-head races for the chance to win a cash prize.

“The aim of the game is simple – answer them fast and don’t come last, and make it to the finish line before your rivals.

“Knowledge and speed combine for gripping racing action with nail-biting finishes and plenty of tension.”

Roman Kemp said: “Belfast is calling once again, and we can’t wait to meet this season’s contestants. The Finish Line is back and better than ever.”

Sarah Greene added: “I’m thrilled to be coming back for series FIVE, with even more episodes.

“When you get so many Finish Line viewers asking if and how they can take part, the answer is ‘Apply right now!’ Roman and I can’t wait to welcome you to our beautiful Belfast studio as we say, ‘let’s race!’”

If you think you have what it takes, you can apply ay https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/take-part/the-finish-line

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