NEW YORK (AP) — “AIR FORCE VETERAN. SMALL BUSINESSMAN. TRUMP CONSERVATIVE.”

The all-caps headline on Texas Republican congressional candidate Carlos De La Cruz’s website used to align him with President Donald Trump. Not anymore.

“NATIVE TEXAN. AIR FORCE VETERAN. SMALL BUSINESSMAN. PROVEN CONSERVATIVE,” it reads now.

De La Cruz’s campaign rejected any suggestion he was backing away from the president, whose knack for mobilizing his loyalists remains critical for Republicans in this fall’s midterm elections. The overwhelming majority of Republicans on the ballot this fall are embracing Trump despite his dismal approval ratings, an unpopular war with Iran and lingering inflation.

However, as the two-month sprint to Election Day begins, a small collection of Republican candidates have quietly begun to distance themselves in subtle ways from Trump now that they’ve won contested primaries in which his endorsement was often the most coveted prize. The shift is easy to miss, often only a few words or new pictures. And Republicans insist there is no shift at all.

Mike Marinella, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, called it a “manufactured storyline.”

“President Trump and House Republicans have delivered historic results for the American people, and our candidates are eager to take that record directly to voters alongside the President on the campaign trail,” he said.

But from California to Texas and Kentucky to Alaska, candidates in recent weeks have tweaked their campaign messaging to downplay their connection to Trump. A handful of others have highlighted their opposition to his policies.

It’s an extremely delicate balance for vulnerable Republican candidates, who must expand their appeal beyond Trump’s MAGA base to win in the general election this fall, but are also afraid to trigger a backlash from Trump or his hard core supporters if they create too much distance.

Trump’s unpopularity could weigh down his party

Most candidates are still wrapping their arms around Trump.

Republican allies of the president argue there is little upside for candidates to turn away from Trump, despite his weak polling numbers. Democrats will try to cast every Republican running as a Trump acolyte, regardless of their actual stances, they said, and midterm successes typically depend on turning out base voters. Trump remains the Republican Party’s best motivator.

“The whole Republican brand is that we’re aligned with Trump so you gain nothing from it,” said Jason Roe, a Republican who advises Rep. Tom Barrett, who is fighting for reelection in a competitive mid-Michigan district race.

Still, the slight shift among at least a half-dozen Republican congressional candidates could signal the beginning of a more significant move within the party as the weight of Trump’s unpopularity with the general public comes into view at a critical moment. Just 33% of adults approve of Trump’s job performance, according to Associated Press-NORC polling from July. And Trump gets relatively poor ratings on his handling of the economy, immigration and foreign policy.

Meanwhile, Trump will not make it easy for vulnerable Republicans to avoid him. As voters typically begin paying much closer attention to politics after Labor Day, the president will headline a two-day Republican convention in Dallas as he urges voters to act as if he were on the ballot.

“The problem that we have is they say that Trump does great when he’s on the ballot, but when he’s not on the ballot, his people don’t come,” Trump said as he recently stumped in South Carolina.

“So what I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot,” he went on. “Just say that I’m on the ballot one more time.”

Shifting emphasis moving into the general election

A number of Republicans have removed or downplayed references to Trump from their websites after winning their primaries.

Eric Flores, a former assistant U.S. Attorney and Texas Army National Guard infantry captain running against Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez Jr. in South Texas, once featured “SUPPORT PRESIDENT TRUMP’S AGENDA” as No. 2 in his list of priorities on his campaign homepage.

That item has now been replaced with “ LOWER THE COST OF LIVING,” a top issue for voters. Trump does not appear anywhere else on the website, aside from a list of endorsements that previously appeared on the homepage but has been moved to a separate page.

Flores’ campaign declined to comment.

In Kentucky, Ralph Alvarado, running to represent the overwhelmingly Republican 6th Congressional District, removed all references to Trump from his campaign homepage, as well as a photo of the two of them together after winning his primary in May. He now promises to offer “INDEPENDENT LEADERSHIP” after previously running as an “AMERICA FIRST FIGHTER.”

Advertisement

NBC News first reported the changes to Alvarado’s website. Campaign manager Andy Westberry noted Trump’s photo still appears elsewhere in a media gallery. “The socialists are going to have to do a lot better than this nonsense to win this district,” he said in a statement.

Some changes do not mean Trump has been erased.

While De La Cruz no longer touts himself as a “TRUMP CONSERVATIVE” at the top of his homepage, a video that is embedded lower down features the Air Force veteran speaking at a Trump rally.

He still calls himself a “TEXAS TRUMP CONSERVATIVE” on his bio page and lists “Supporting President Trump’s America First Agenda” as among his priorities on a “Mission” page.

But the bio section has also been tweaked. It once described him as “ready to be President Trump’s wingman in Congress.” That section now says he is running because he “believes America needs more servant leaders and fewer corrupt politicians” and “because he’s not finished serving the country he loves.”

De La Cruz campaign manager Jordan Pawlicki said in a statement that, during the primary, several candidates were claiming the president’s endorsement, so the campaign “put it front and center.”

“Carlos is honored to have President Trump’s support, which is why the President is featured prominently across our website,” Pawlicki said.

Republicans downplay any changes to their messaging

In Nevada, Republican congressional candidate Marty O’Donnell’s website featured Trump prominently in June. The very first thing visitors saw was a pop-up with a large picture of Trump and a smiling O’Donnell standing side by side. The words “President Trump endorsed Marty O’Donnell” were written beneath the image.

Two months later, the photo does not appear on the website. O’Donnell’s campaign said the photo was not intentionally removed; the change was simply the standard rotation of the “splash page.”

Advertisement

On Thursday, Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor in Wisconsin who is closely aligned with Trump, publicly criticized the president’s decision to sign an order renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America” as part of his trade war with Canada.

“I believe the Great Lakes are the Great Lakes and should stay Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario,” he said, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Earlier this week, he came out against Trump’s plan to import cheaper ground beef in an effort to reduce prices.

Others want distance from Trump’s unpopular war with Iran.

In Michigan, Rep. Barrett, who flipped a Lansing-area district two years ago, has been highlighting his vote against Trump’s war in Iran on the campaign trail as he competes against William Lawrence, a self-described democratic socialist.

Barrett this year has repeatedly broken ranks with Republicans to join Democrats in voting for the War Powers Resolution to rein in Trump’s military campaign in Iran. And he has been promoting those votes, promoting a recent town hall with constituents, by saying he would “be having a discussion about the War Powers Act and my efforts to place congressional limits on the war in Iran.”

Roe, the Republican who advises Barrett, said the vote was not about some major break from Trump but a difference over a policy-specific issue. Barrett served in the U.S. Army for over two decades.

“He’s willing to be at odds with the White House on this issue,” Roe said. “It’s important to him.”

___ Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti reported from St. Joseph, Michigan.

By LYDIA VELJANOVSKI

Published: 22:05 BST, 5 September 2026 | Updated: 23:37 BST, 5 September 2026

Katie Taylor will fight for the final time on Saturday night in a bid to become an undisputed world champion for a third time

Advertisement

Katie Taylor competes for the final time on Saturday night in what promises to be a landmark moment for boxing, Irish sport and the nation. The Bray fighter takes on French opponent Flora Pili with the chance to claim undisputed world champion status for a third occasion.

The contest will mark the conclusion of Taylor’s remarkable career before a crowd exceeding 80,000 spectators. Despite her enormous popularity, the 40 year old keeps a low profile outside the ring.

She wed American real estate broker Sean McCavanagh last year. Taylor publicly acknowledged their relationship in September 2025 during a visit to a rehabilitation centre in her home county of Wicklow, reports the Irish Mirror.

Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter

Speaking about married life with Taylor, McCavanagh told the Sunday World: “It’s the best ever, she’s the best!”. On his trip to Ireland, he commented: “How could you not? I loved my time in Ireland.”

Taylor has taken on a stepmother role to five children, with her husband being father to two boys and three girls. Sean’s previous wife, Alicia – who was mother to his five children – passed away in October 2023 at only 43.

The Bray legend attended the same church as Sean, Alicia and their youngsters, and previously joined the family on a Boston trip years ago, where they attended a baseball game. Sean and Alicia were also in attendance at Taylor’s fights in 2017, along with other relatives.

Taylor relocated to Vernon, Connecticut, in September 2016, a modest town approximately 150km from Boston. It is likely that she first came to know estate agent Sean, Alicia and their family through her local Pentecostal Church.

The church’s website states that it “began as a small Bible Study in Rockville, CT in 1985 after the Lord called Pastor Ramond ‘Flick’ Grezel and his wife Susan to ministry here.

“With much prayer and going door to door, the community quickly responded to Flick’s teaching in God’s word and many people were saved. Today the Church continues to focus on reaching people in the community who are outside the typical church circles.”

Alongside her Connecticut family, Taylor has also rebuilt her relationship with her father Pete in recent years. Pete had stood by his daughter throughout her amateur career, guiding her to Olympic gold at London 2012.

However, Katie removed her father from her coaching team ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics following a family falling-out. Pete disclosed on James English’s podcast ‘Anything Goes’: “I split with Katie’s ma two years, maybe a year after the Olympics.

“Katie’s really into her faith as well and I just remember Katie coming down to the boxing club and she says, ‘I just don’t want you in the corner, you and ma are not together’.

“I’m married now to Karen, and Karen’s the same age as Katie and everybody was saying Pete’s turned around for Katie’s best friend, but they didn’t even know each other.

“In social media and in the papers it was, ‘Katie Taylor’s best friend’. For me it’s an insult, it sounds like ‘Katie’s been best friends with this girl since her childhood, you’ve bleedin’ groomed her’. But she didn’t know her, but that grows legs then. Just rumours and rumours and rumours.

“She has such morals, she has such faith and thinks that when you’re married you should be together for life. It killed me now, but I had to respect it because she did a documentary after and said, ‘when I went training it was like I was fighting with only one hand because my da wasn’t there’. She knew what the consequences would be, she lost in the Olympics in 2016 in Rio.”

Pete disclosed it was a challenging time and implied the Irish press had portrayed him negatively.

“We weren’t really speaking,” he remembered about his relationship with Katie during the Rio Games. “It was tough for both of us but that’s life.

“Because we were always together it was a big thing in the newspapers, you’d think I was the only person who ever split up a marriage and when Katie got beaten I was painted as the villain. It made me a pure villain in Ireland but that’s life, they used to make up stories about me on a bad news day. It was tough at the time.”

He also reflected on the immense pressure experienced in the lead-up to and during the competitions at the London 2012 Olympics. “She’s not lost in 17 major competitions or something, and if we silver medal it would have been a disappointment for everybody in Ireland, and Ireland was going through a bad time,” he recalled.

“There was the financial crash in Ireland and everybody was depressed and I felt the hopes of Ireland were on the shoulders of the two of us. And there’s banners all over Dublin saying Katie Taylor, gold medal London, she’ll win a gold medal. Jesus, some pressure it was.

“It was not enjoyable. The Olympics was not one bit enjoyable – it was just pressure. You know, even after Katie won the goal, for me, it was just relief.”

Nevertheless, Katie and her father have since reconciled their relationship, with Pete supporting his daughter’s training camp ahead of numerous recent major contests.

In an Instagram post, Pete wrote: “Training hard for Croke Park… and it’s bringing me right back to the road to the Olympic Games.

“Same early mornings. Same obsession with getting better. Same belief that one moment can change everything. Funny how life comes full circle.”

The boxer maintains a close relationship with her mother Bridget and siblings – brothers Pete and Lee, along with sister Sarah. Bridget became Ireland’s first female boxing judge and has attended each of her daughter’s professional fights.

“I come from a long line of strong women,” Katie has said. “My mother is a powerhouse. She is a true Proverbs 31 kind of woman and the most amazing example for me. She’s the greatest.”

By JOSHUA HAINING, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 22:00 BST, 5 September 2026 | Updated: 22:43 BST, 5 September 2026

Millions of dog owners believe their pooches have super powers that can detect danger and know when something is awry.

And with around 15million domestic dogs in the UK, that is an impressive amount of gifted furry friends.

A staggering 80 per cent of owners said their dog sensed when something was wrong and the same amount trusted their beloved pooches to protect them, according to research by Burns Pet Nutrition.

More than a third of owners said their dog has alerted them to wellbeing issues unbeknownst to them, while 22 per cent said they were woken up in an emergency.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, 52 per cent of people believe their dog knows when they are sad and 44 per cent said their dogs understand when they are feeling stressed and unwell.

The research was released by the dog food brand as it launched The Burns Bravery Awards alongside former Strictly Come Dancing star Karen Hauer.

Ms Hauer will host the awards in London this November which will celebrate the nation’s most heroic hounds.

She said: ‘I remember one day when I felt completely overwhelmed and just wanted to shut the world out.

Advertisement

A cute brown-haired Dachshund puppy, most commonly known as a sausage dog, poses for a picture

Former Strictly Come Dancing star, Karen Hauer, pictured, is set to host The Burns Bravery Awards this November

‘One of my dogs came and sat beside me, rested their head against me and just stayed there. They didn’t know what was wrong but somehow they knew I needed them.

Advertisement

‘These dogs have been through things no dog should ever have to. Some have lost limbs, lived on the streets or been kicked and hurt by people. 

The professional dancer and TV star added that despite the hardship many dogs have endured, ‘they don’t hold a grudge. They still choose to trust… to show compassion and to love.’

‘That’s their superpower,’ she said. ‘Despite everything they’ve been through, they keep loving.’

The research also found 75 per cent of owners turn to their dog rather than their own family after a tough day at work.

Advertisement

A further 56 per cent of furry friend owners regularly talk to the dogs about their problems and 76 per cent even share secrets with them that would otherwise go untold. 

While dog owners who took part in the research might not have agreed on all of the potential super powers, a resounding 98 per cent said their pooches have improved their mental wellbeing.

A Burns Pet Nutrition spokesperson said: ‘This research shows just how deeply people value the instincts, support and protection their dogs provide.

‘The Burns Bravery Awards is our way of recognising those extraordinary dogs while shining a spotlight on the incredible work of Britain’s Mountain Search & Rescue dogs, who we’ve proudly fuelled for many years.

Advertisement

‘We hope the campaign inspires people across the UK to celebrate the dogs that make a difference in their own lives.’

Nominations for The Burns Bravery Awards are open and after public voting, the winners will be announced at the awards night in November. 

Get your news delivered straight to you by 7am – sign up to our new Morning Mail newsletter for FREE

Do YOU have a story? Email joshua.haining@dailymail.co.uk 

Advertisement

Picture a cosy Danish living room. Candles flicker, soft music plays and friends and family gather around a table laden with pastries – flaky, buttery and gloriously calorific. This is hygge in action, and it seems almost tailor made to give any health conscious Briton a mild panic attack.

While Britons have spent decades being told that sugar and fat are dietary villains, the Danes appear to be cheerfully ignoring the memo and somehow remaining one of the slimmest nations in Europe, even though they consume 57kg of sugar annually per capita compared to the UK’s 44kg. We could call it “the pastry paradox”.

The very pastry that bears their name – the Danish – is a staple of British bakeries, airport lounges and sad desk breakfasts the nation over. And yet Danes are much less likely to be obese, with one in five having a body mass index (BMI) higher than 30, when one in three of their British counterparts are obese.

So what is going on? Let’s take a deeper look into trends in Britain, where obesity has steadily risen from around 15% in 1993, to around 29% in England, 32% in Scotland, and 26% in Wales in recent estimates.

Health Gap / Sundhedskløften is a collaborative series from The Conversation UK and Denmark’s Videnskab.dk exploring what the two countries can learn from each other when it comes to health and wellbeing.

From cycling and alcohol to inequality, healthcare and everyday habits, the series looks beyond hospitals and medical treatment to explore how culture, politics and society shape the way people live – and how healthy they are.

The older you are in Britain, the more likely you are to be obese. If you are aged between 55 to 74 you are at the highest risk of obesity. You’re much less likely to be obese if you’re older than 74, which is probably related to the fact that obese people, on average, die earlier. You’re also more likely to be obese if you live in a poor neighbourhood, if you’re disabled, if you’re black British, and the fewer educational qualifications you hold.

Denmark still has health inequalities, but they tend to be smaller than in many other countries. This is largely thanks to strong government policies around prevention, diet and alcohol, as well as a reliable healthcare system that serves people across different income levels and backgrounds.

In truth, there’s no reason why Britain cannot emulate Denmark in this respect. Both are wealthy countries, and both provide their citizens with universal, tax-funded public health coverage. They both share a cold northern European climate, a fishing culture since they’re surrounded by sea, and a similar tradition of simple and hearty cooking with a love for potatoes, bread and porridge, dairy products, fish and pork.

Common ancestors, uncommon diets

The original Angles who settled Britain, and after whom England was named, came from Denmark, only to be invaded by Danish Vikings a couple of centuries later. But that’s where the similarities stop.

While Danes indulge in modern dietary pleasures – like their famous pastries – they also consume many traditional foods that are high in protein and fibre. This helps people feel fuller for longer compared with processed carbs and fats, while also providing essential vitamins and minerals.

Smørrebrød, the traditional open-faced, rye-bread sandwich often topped with fish and vegetables, is a cultural touchstone and Denmark’s daily lunch. Traditionally fermented and baked whole rye bread, often enriched with whole grains and seeds, and freshly sold in neighbourhood bakeries, is the basis of the national dietary strategy and guidelines. Local fruits like berries are regularly consumed. Cabbage, carrots, beets and parsnips are also staples.

The Danish diet gives a special emphasis to seasonality and sustainability, home-cooking and a low amount of highly processed meals. Danes are some of the most eco-conscious people in the world, with low levels of smoking, declining alcohol intake and policies for alcohol reduction, and a high level of participation in sports.

No wonder the Nordic diet and lifestyle is recommended both for its healthy properties, but has also topped the world of high gastronomy, proving that healthy food can also be extremely delicious, creative and even mind blowing.

In contrast, the diet most Britons follow today would be unrecognisable a few decades ago and resembles more what the US has exported to the rest of the world since the emergence of the modern retail system, which fully took over the UK in the 1980s. The US, where nearly one in two people is obese, is the world leader in obesity among major nations.

In Britain, 44% of daily energy comes from ultra-processed foods and drinks, the highest in Europe. This is one of the main drivers for obesity. By comparison, in Denmark the figure is 25%.

Ultra-processed foods and drinks are characterised by high salt and sugar content, unhealthy fats, low fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals. They are highly appetising and low in satiety, bad for gut health and they promote inflammation. They are manufactured for easy appeal, high profit, long shelf-life, convenience and minimal preparation.

A typical morning in Copenhagen, where people commute to work and school on their bikes after having their hygge blueberry and yogurt or rye bread and toppings breakfast, looks very different to a morning in a typical UK city where most people drive to work and the fast-food chains are full of kids grabbing something to eat on their way to school.

Smørrebrød, Denmark’s traditional open-faced rye-bread lunch, might be the equivalent of a UK high street meal deal. Dinner in Britain is more likely to be a prepared meal than a home-cooked meal like in Denmark. This is possibly stereotypical, and there are significant variations based on income and lifestyle differences, but it paints a picture of the main differences between Britain and Denmark.

Do Danes indulge in a daily pastry? Possibly. But they do a lot of other things that offset that and keep their obesity levels to a low rate compared to the rest of Europe. Britain, take heed.

This series was commissioned as part of a partnership between Videnskab.dk and The Conversation, where articles are published in English and Danish.

By CLAUDIA AORAHA, DEPUTY HEAD OF NEWS

Published: 15:37 BST, 5 September 2026 | Updated: 22:58 BST, 5 September 2026

The United States has obliterated three Iranian oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at American warships.

Central Command said two US Navy warships were patrolling regional waters when they were targeted by Iran on Saturday. 

An aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks, and no American personnel were harmed. 

Iran’s two crude oil carriers, one off the island of Kharg and the other near Jask, were ‘permanently disabled’ by the American retaliatory strikes. 

Advertisement

American forces also completely destroyed the unladen crude oil carrier M/T Kylo in the Gulf of Oman, hitting the vessel until the crew was directed to abandon ship, according to CENTCOM. 

‘Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost —taking out three of yours,’ said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. 

‘We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.’ 

Advertisement

Central Command said two US Navy warships were patrolling regional waters when they were targeted by Iran. Pictured: An Iranian tanker being blown up

The US said that the attack on the tankers came after ballistic missiles were fired unsuccessfully on American warships

A massive fire breaks out on an Iranian tanker after being struck by the US

The strikes – a day after Donald Trump sought to minimize the conflict as ‘small potatoes’ – keep up a new tilt back toward fighting after six months of on-again, off-again war that began on February 28. 

Advertisement

Both sides have sought to inflict both military and economic pain, and negotiations have collapsed.

Earlier, Iranian state TV had said four US missiles struck a tanker about six miles from Kharg Island, home to a terminal through which the country exports most of its oil. 

Kharg Island has been repeatedly targeted during the war.

The strikes came nearly a week after the US and Iran resumed attacks following a month of relative calm, with the strait and Iranian communities along it again being targeted. 

Advertisement

The resumption of fighting came after Trump’s new efforts to apply economic pressures on Tehran.

Meanwhile, the US military has been helping to guide ships through the strait as Tehran asserts control and targets some vessels, but overall traffic remains low.

This is a breaking news story. 

NEW YORK (AP) — Zheng Qinwen was on her back with her arms in the air, celebrating a U.S. Open victory maybe only she believed was possible.

Madison Keys fought off tears as she tried to explain how Zheng, way down and all but out, somehow got the win.

Zheng, the Olympic gold medalist, extended her return to the U.S. Open on Saturday with a spectacular and stunning rally, winning the final seven games to eliminate No. 22 Keys 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5.

“I feel like I obviously got off to a really good lead, and then I just got really — I mean, got really scared, like I couldn’t swing,” Keys said. “I don’t know. Tennis just feels really hard right now, so I feel like that kind of took over.”

No. 9 Taylor Fritz also went out in a shocker, blowing a two-set lead and falling to No. 24 Francisco Cerundolo 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

“I don’t know how I let that happen today,” Fritz said.

Top seeds knocked out

Amanda Anisimova, like Fritz and Keys a past runner-up at the U.S. Open, also was knocked out when the No. 10 seed lost to No. 24 Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 7-5. No. 5 Flavio Cobolli, the French Open runner-up, lost in four sets to No. 28 Alexander Blockx to leave the men’s draw without six of the top 10 seeds.

Keys won a three-set match in the previous round in a match tiebreaker when she fought off five match points. Two days later came a collapse that was as out-of-nowhere as that comeback.

The 2017 runner-up rebounded after losing the second-set tiebreaker to charge out to 5-0 lead. Zheng held but Keys had a match point while serving at 5-1, and once she couldn’t convert that, the turnaround was on, with Keys at one point banging her racket into her head repeatedly and pulling off her visor in disgust.

“I’m just telling myself keep holding every single point, never give up, stay there and somehow little by little it just happened,” Zheng said.

She won the gold medal for China at the 2024 Olympics after reaching the Australian Open final that year, and has been ranked as high as No. 4. But after elbow surgery, she is down to No. 121 and had to go through qualifying just to make the main draw.

“The hard work pays off,” said Zheng, who will play 2022 U.S. Open champion Iga Swiatek next.

Osaka and Eala can join Zheng in a big day for Asian players

Zheng’s victory set up the potential for a big day for top Asian women at the U.S. Open. Naomi Osaka, the two-time champion from Japan, was in action against No. 23 Elise Mertens on Saturday night, while No. 17 Alex Eala from the Philippines faced 14th-seeded American Iva Jovic in a matchup of promising young players.

Coco Gauff, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, beat Cristina Bucsa 6-3, 6-4 and will face the Eala-Jovic winner in her latest trip to the round of 16 at a major.

“Honestly, I feel like I’m definitely used to getting to Week 2s now because I feel like I woke up today and I was like, ’Oh, we’re already in Round 3,’” Gauff said. “So, I think that’s a good sign, just feeling like I’m not feeling tired.”

Keys, who won the 2025 Australian Open for her lone Grand Slam title, said she was going to have to make some unspecified changes she has been putting off.

“I think she started playing better; I started playing poorly,” Keys said. “Then I felt like I couldn’t play tennis anymore, and it just felt like it was a much bigger deal than just playing a tennis match all of a sudden.”

Fritz stormed through his first two rounds, losing a total of 11 games, and there was no hint of trouble when he broke Cerundolo to open the third set. But Cerundolo broke right back and started to feel more comfortable in his first time playing in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I think fourth and fifth I played a really good tennis that I wasn’t finding that tennis in the previous sets and the previous rounds,” the Argentine said.

Anisimova missed repeated chances by converting just 3 of 16 break-point chances (19%). Potapova, a 25-year-old who was born in Russia but now represents Austria, went 6 for 8 and matched her best showing in a Grand Slam tournament by reaching the fourth round.

Anisimova made the final at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2025, falling to Aryna Sabalenka in Flushing Meadows. But after reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, the American was eliminated in the third round of the last three majors this year.

Potapova will play No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva, the French Open champion.

Top-seeded man Alexander Zverev, who had to win five-setters in the first two rounds, faced No. 25 seed Alejandro Tabilo in a night match.

___

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

The organisation, which is the official maker of British coins in the UK, has revealed the rarest version of each of the eight coins in Britain.

Values range from a coin’s face value to thousands of pounds, with a coin’s mintage used to establish the rarity of a coin.

Figures are available on the Royal Mint’s website, where mintage figures can be checked.

What makes a coin valuable or rare?

There are ‘circulating’ coins, released from The Royal Mint to banks and post offices, typically featuring a standard set of designs.

There are also commemorative coins, mostly designed to be collectable items and gifts which celebrate key events, anniversaries and themes.

The 50 pence piece has become the most valued and collected coin in the UK, however, there are also rare 10p, 20p and other coins.

The 27.5mm diameter of the 50p makes it the largest of any British coin and allows space for decorative pictures.

It has often been used to celebrate big events over the course of British history.

The rarest coins tend to be the most valuable, with mintage (the number of coins of each design made) being the primary attraction for collectors.

Along with the design, other aspects of the coin that increase its value are its condition and whether it has a design error.

The way in which it is sold can also determine the coin’s value.

Some coin collectors will bid vast amounts of money on eBay or at auction, whereas others opt for more robust valuations by selling via a coin dealer.

Royal Mint reveals rarest version of all 8 British coins

The Royal Mint recently revealed each British coin with the lowest mintage.

It said: “From the £2 to the 1p, we have identified the coins with the lowest mintages.

“You might be holding a rare one without even knowing it.”

Here is a list of the rarest versions of each British coin, when they were made, and how many were minted:

• Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games £2 (2002) – 485,500
• Edinburgh City £1 (2011) – 935,500
• Atlantic Salmon 50p (2023) – 200,000
• Puffin 20p (2023) – 525,000
• Great British Coin Hunt coins: W – World Wide Web, Y – Yeoman Warder, Z – Zebra Crossing (2019) – 63,000
• Oak Tree Leaf 5p (2025) – 19,000,000
• Christopher Ironside 2p (2008) – 10.6 million
• Hazel Dormouse 1p (2023) – 600,000

Recommended reading:

The Puffin 20p and Hazel Dormouse 1p are both yet to enter circulation; however, the number of each coin minted makes them the rarest 20p and 1p, respectively.

Both coins will only enter circulation if there is demand.

Have you ever come across or collected any rare coins? Let us know in the comments.

Egyptian TV presenter Sarah Khalifa is one of 12 defendants sentenced to death over illegal drug manufacturing and trafficking crimes.

The 39-year-old is best known for her show Mission Impossible, which explores crime and security issues.

She also owns an events company and a cosmetic surgery clinic, plus she has 2.5million Instagram followers.

As per the Al-Ahram newspaper, a Cairo court sentenced Khalifa and 11 others to execution by hanging, although this can still be appealed.

They are charged with ‘forming an organised criminal gang specialising in procuring materials used in manufacturing narcotics, with the intent to traffic them, and possessing and carrying unlicensed firearms and ammunition’.

The defendants have been charged with importing materials from abroad to ‘manufacture synthetic drugs’, according to the state-run Akhbar el-Yom newspaper.

Police are believed to have seized more than 750kg of narcotics and raw materials, plus equipment, after finding two apartments were being used as labs. They also discovered unlicensed guns and ammunition.

Khalifa specifically was accused of supplying funds for the operation and travelling abroad to meet two of the gang leaders.

The scheme is said to have involved a detailed network, with members recruited at different stages. Some were responsible for obtaining materials while others handled assembly and distribution.

Egyptian media have described the matter as a ‘major drugs case’, which also saw nine defendants sentenced to life in jail and seven others acquitted. There were 28 defendants in total.

As well as the drug offences, Khalifa has been separately charged with the abduction and assault of a young man. She and others were handed a five-year prison term.

Under Egyptian law, capital punishment is a legal penalty, and it is applied to more than 100 offences, such as terrorism-related crimes, military offences, premeditated and aggravated murder, and large-scale drug trafficking.

In capital cases, Egyptian law requires the Grand Mufti of Egypt to be consulted for a non-binding religious opinion, after which a verdict is delivered.

Figures state that, in 2025, Egypt handed down 492 death sentences, marking a 35% increase from 365 in 2024. Human rights monitors documented at least 23 executions last year.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: Flasher wearing fishnets leaves dog walkers ‘distressed’ after exposing himself

MORE: Murder investigation launched after man dies from severe head injuries in south London

MORE: Murderer caught after girl he kidnapped pulled her own hair out to leave DNA behind

A Darlington woman who shed four stone on Mounjaro has revealed she paid a hefty price for the slimmed frame – she lost 50 per cent of her hair.

Dara Smith, 34, used the ‘King Kong’ injections between January and December last year, and noticed clumps falling out after upping her dose to 12mg – the second highest strength.

‘It would be all over my clothes and on my bedding, it just wouldn’t stop,’ said the content creator. 

The problem was most obvious in the shower, or while brushing her hair, she added.

‘I was really upset when I realised that Mounjaro was the cause of my hair loss, as I’d had such a positive journey with the jab until that point.

‘It was really the last thing I expected to happen as I’d never heard anyone talking about it back then.’

Studies show that patients who use the injections, known as GLP-1 agonists, face 40-70 per cent risk of hair loss. 

Studies show that the blockbuster jabs can increase the risk of hair loss by up to 70 per cent

It’s thought that the reduced intake of nutrients that are vital for hair growth, such as protein, iron and zinc, can trigger the problem. 

Hair shedding often becomes noticeable a few months after medication is first taken, so it can seem disconnected from starting the drugs.

It’s thought that around 1.6 million Britons use weight loss injections like Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy. The majority of patients obtain private prescriptions.

Ms Smith began taking Mounjaro in January 2025, at a weight of roughly 13 stone. 

She’d tried countless times to eat healthier but always fell back into making ‘wrong choices’ and struggled to stick to a regular exercise routine.

‘I wasn’t very educated on what a proper diet entailed, and I had a million excuses as to why I couldn’t stick to things,’ she said.

After hearing her work colleagues discussing Mounjaro, she decided to look into weight loss injections herself and ordered a 2.5mg dose from an online pharmacy.

She lost 10 pounds in the first week.

‘After 25 hours my food noises completely stopped,’ she recalled. 

‘I didn’t really have any side effects except a headache every now and then,’

Like many patients, she gradually increased the dosage until she was on 12 mg of the drug. 

By August 2025, she had lost three stone and five pounds, bringing her down nine-and-a-half stone.

The shedding was most obvious when brushing her hair or in the shower, Ms Smith said 

It wasn’t until Ms Smith had a three week pause from the medication that her hair grew again

Advertisement

It was around this time she noticed the thinning – and later shedding – of her hair. 

Suspecting that her protein intake could be behind the problem, she began drinking protein shakes and eating high-protein bars with the aim of consuming 100g of the nutrient per day.

Official guidance states that adult women need around 45g of protein per day, on average. 

Ms Smith began using rosemary oil and pumpkin seed extract – and taking collagen and biotin – but her hair loss continued.

‘The damage was done, it was too late,’ she said. ‘Nothing I did helped.’

Despite her concern, Ms Smith continued taking Mounjaro until December 2025, when she reached her goal weight of eight-and-a-half stone.

She decided to take a break from the jab in the hope of resolving the hair loss. 

As soon as she stopped, her hair stopped shedding.

But at the end of January this year she decided to re-start the medication, concerned that her weight would creep back up. 

Oddly, she has experienced no hair loss so far. 

What’s more, she’s managed to grow back 20 per cent of the loss which she claims is down to following a strict hair care routine.

Ms Smith takes two hair growth supplements and a scoop of collagen powder daily, and uses a rosemary and rice water spray on her scalp five times a week.

The content creator has lost a total of four stone over the last 18 months 

She also uses specialist shampoo designed to encourage hair growth. 

Some studies suggest rosemary oil may improve hair growth in people with hair loss by stimulating hair follicles, but the evidence is limited.

Meanwhile, experts say collagen powders and hair growth supplements are unlikely to work unless a nutrient deficiency has been identified.  

But Ms Smith believes these methods have contributed to her hair growing back.

‘There’s now so much growth throughout my whole hair,’ she said. ‘But I still only have about 70 per cent of the hair I had before I lost weight.’

She added: ‘For anyone who’s starting Mounjaro, make sure to work out your nutrient requirements from day one. 

‘Despite the hair loss, going on Mounjaro was one of the best decisions of my life.

‘It’s completely changed my mindset and made me so much more confident.

‘Losing hair was a downside, but one I could cope with.’