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RORY McILROY wants to be mentioned in the same breath as sporting icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Novak Djokovic.

And that means building on a Masters victory in April that made him only the sixth golfer to complete the career Grand Slam.

Winning The Open on home soil at Portrush next week would add to the legacy of McIlroy, 36, and he completes preparations at the Scottish Open.

Ahead of teeing off today at The Renaissance Club, he said: “That ability to stay on top of your game for a long period of time takes so much out of you.

“It’s one of the underappreciated things about any sport. Look at what Djokovic is doing at Wimbledon over the last few weeks.

“Or look what someone like Cristiano Ronaldo is doing at 40 or Tom Brady in American football.

“That longevity is something that isn’t talked about enough. Once you get to a certain level, it is so difficult to maintain it.

“I feel like the journey on the way up is almost — I’m not going to say it’s easy but you have momentum and you’re riding a wave to the top.

“Once you get there it takes as much work, if not more, to stay there.”

And he name-checked Scottie Scheffler as a talent who has emerged as one of his new rivals.

That is despite Scheffler not being on his radar when he won his last Major before April.

Holywood hotshot McIlroy said: “Before I won The Masters this year, the last Major I won was in 2014. I never heard of Scottie Scheffler then.

“These talents and these players just keep coming and keep getting better each and every generation.

“You have to adapt your game to make sure that you’re able to hang with those guys.

“I feel like I’m one generation ahead of Scottie, who is still in his 20s.

“So I have to constantly ask myself, ‘Is there something that I need to add to my repertoire to stay ahead?’

“I’ve been winning pro events for 16 years and retaining my drive to keep getting a little bit better. That’s a big piece of staying competitive.”

MANILA, Philippines — Rep. Brian Poe, a dedicated animal welfare advocate, has filed a bill to revise the Animal Welfare Act of the Philippines. Alongside his family’s love for their dogs, Poe aims to establish an Animal Welfare Bureau under the Department of Agriculture to enhance the governance and enforcement of animal welfare measures nationwide.

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TAKE a look at the “spacious” three bedroom pad that’s “an ideal starter home or investment” on the Irish market for €240,000.

The bargain property is located in Oldcastle village, Co Meath.

Daft.ie

The property is located in Oldcastle, Co Meath[/caption]

Daft.ie

And it is now on the Irish market for €240,000[/caption]

Daft.ie

The home features spacious and modern interiors[/caption]

Daft.ie

There’s lots of amenities nearby[/caption]

This semi-detached home is a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house that has been kept in fantastic condition by its current owners.

And it is currently available for viewings.

The listing reads: “Spacious two storey house. An ideal starter home or investment, immediately adjacent to the Town Centre in small mature estate.

“In prime location. Beside everything.”

It includes a substantial modern kitchen with access to the rear garden and is perfect for first-time buyers.

This stunning kitchen has tiled flooring and is fully fitted with white cabinets, an oven, and a dishwasher.

Double-glazed windows located around the kitchen and dining area allow plenty of natural light to enter the house.

The family home is in an excellent location, with cafes, restaurants, public transport and a host of other amenities nearby.

Along with being a short walk from Oldcastle village centre, Trim and Mullingar are each within an hour’s drive of this fabulous property.

The area also includes a choice of primary and secondary schools, perfect for families.

Located in a sought after residential area, the family home extends to 112 square metres and has a spacious back garden.

When entering the home, viewers are greeted by a fabulous hallway with tiled flooring.

A spacious living room is situated at the front of the home, and it features a fireplace and boiler along with lots of storage space and wooden flooring.

This comfortable area is filled with natural light and space, creating a cosy atmosphere.

There are two bathrooms in this family home; the first of which is fully tiled and includes a wash hand basin and a toilet.

First floor offerings

Moving upstairs, there is a spacious and modern landing with carpet flooring.

On the property’s first floor there are three bedrooms, including a master bedroom with wooden flooring, natural light and plenty of storage space.

This stunning room even has its own en suite, and it comes fully tiled with a shower, toilet and whb.

The second bedroom is spacious and features views overlooking the garden, along with wooden flooring and wardrobes, and could fit a king-size bed.

The third bedroom is a modern single room that features plenty of storage space and natural light.

The back garden is another major bonus to buying this home as it comes with ample amounts of space and greenery.

The pad is listed by McPeake Auctioneers and on daft.ie.

Daft.ie

The property is a three bedroom pad[/caption]

Daft.ie

It comes with a spacious rear garden[/caption]

PREGNANT Brit “mule” Bella Culley’s drug trial in Georgia has been postponed over “evidence issue”.

Bella from Billingham, County Durham, appeared at Tbilisi City Court for a brief hearing after she previously denied charges of possession and trafficking marijuana and the narcotic hashish.

Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress

Thai police have now released CCTV footage of the Brit going through the automated gates at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand[/caption]

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Cops said cannabis was found wrapped in air-tight bags in Bella’s luggage[/caption]

Supplied

Bella Culley seen in court at the beginning of July as her devastated family watched on[/caption]

The court heard there were issues surrounding evidence that must be resolved.

Bella’s heartbroken dad, who was in court, told her to “stay strong”.

Her next hearing is scheduled for 24 July.

Bella claimed baggage containing the cannabis was carried to the airport for her and put in the plane’s hold when she boarded a flight from Bangkok in May.

Her family launched a missing person hunt in Thailand after she vanished on holiday but she turned up under arrest 4,000 miles away in the European nation.

Then on her first court appearance she announced she was pregnant.

CCTV OF BELLA

CCTV footage of Bella was released, which cops say rubbishes her claim she was coerced into transporting a £200,000 drug stash.

Police Major General Cherngron Rimphadee said: “This matter is not complicated.

“Police have reviewed CCTV footage and confirmed that she used a British passport to exit through the automatic passport control channel.

Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress

Police confirmed she she used a British passport to exit Thailand[/caption]

Facebook

The Brit told a court she was tortured into trafficking £200,000-worth of cannabis by evil crimelords[/caption]

Prime Time

She was caught at Tblisi International Airport with 30 pounds of marijuana and hashish in her luggage on May 10[/caption]

“As a result, she did not interact with or speak to any immigration officers and simply exited the country.”

Thai authorities say Bella’s claims of seeking help from customs staff are “absolutely baseless”.

Surveillance shows the teen, from Billingham, Teesside, apparently passing calmly through Suvarnabhumi Airport’s automated gates without raising any red flags.

“There is no evidence whatsoever that any immigration or police officers forced or threatened the suspect to smuggle drugs out of the country,” Lt. Gen. Choengron said.

“It was a deliberate departure.”

The footage had reportedly been shared with media outlets in an attempt to debunk Bella’s courtroom testimony in Tblisi, where she claimed she “didn’t want to do this” and was allegedly forced under torture.

Bella’s lawyer, Malkhaz Salakaia, claimed corrupt Thai police officers were in on the trafficking ring and that when Bella turned to one for help, she realised he was part of the gang.

Salakaia alleged she and her family were threatened with beheading if she didn’t comply.

He went on to claim that “They told her: we know the addresses of your parents, we know where your 16-year-old brother is”, before showing her a video of a person being beheaded.

The court was also shown a scar on her arm which Salakaia said was inflicted before the suitcase containing the drugs – which she allegedly never touched – was given to her.

But Thai police say it’s all an attempt to wriggle out of punishment.

Officials believe the teen’s high-stakes tale is part of a strategy to secure a lighter sentence in Georgia.

NCJ Media

Bella May Culley claims she was coerced into transporting £200k worth of cannabis[/caption]

Facebook

Bella has said she never touched the drugs found in her suitcase[/caption]

A BRITISH tourist is dead and his friend in a critical condition after a horrific motorbike crash in Bali.

Luke Elleston, 34, was killed when his bike slammed into a six-wheeler truck – leaving him with unsurvivable wounds.

Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress

The two rented Honda motorbikes were crushed in the accident[/caption]

Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress

The driver failed to stop at the scene[/caption]

Luke was riding home from a night out on the party island with his mate Muhammed Ali Gele Abdoullahi, 32, on another bike.

They were driving behind a large truck in the Buleleng area, which braked suddenly, according to reports.

The pair were unable to stop in time and both smashed into the rear of the vehicle, crushing their rented Honda Vario motorbikes.

The truck driver failed to stop, but passing motorists alerted the emergency services to the grisly scene.

Officers arrived at the Singaraja–Seririt road to find Luke with severe injuries – including wounds to his face, hands and legs, and deep cuts on his thigh.

He was rushed to the Parama Sidhi General Hospital in Singaraja, but was declared dead shortly after arrival.

Muhammed was also seriously injured and remains in a critical condition at the BIMC Hospital Nusa Dua in Badung.

A spokesman for the local police said: “Based on witness accounts, the truck was heading eastbound when the accident happened.

“We suspect Elleston was unable to control his bike in time and hit the back of the truck.

“The second rider also collided shortly afterwards.

“After the accident, the truck immediately continued east and left the scene.

“We are still investigating the driver’s identity.”

The Sun has approached the Foreign Office for comment.

Motorbike crashes in Bali are tragically common.

Another 24-year-old British tourist was killed in a hit-and-run on the island in 2023.

The holidaymaker was riding a motorbike when he was knocked off by a car coming from the opposite direction.

Cops arrested the driver, 54, after he fled the scene on the Singaraja-Kintamani Highway on November 2.

The motorist told police in Bali he carried on driving as he didn’t realise he had knocked the Brit off.

He said he had thought he had just “grazed” the holidaymaker after taking a turn too wide.

Head of Traffic Unit for Buleleng Police, AKP Bachtiar Arifin, said: “He thought he was just grazed, because he was positioned from the side.

“It didn’t feel like he had been hit, so he continued his journey towards Kintamani.”

THE family of a mum-of-three have been left heartbroken after she passed away while on holidays in Ireland – and have launched a fundraiser to bring her home.

Denise Matthews Cooke, 64, was battling metastatic breast cancer when she travelled to Killarney, Ireland with her youngest daughter Erin, 24, towards the end of June.

GoFundMe

Denise’s daughters Meghann, Gabriella, Erin, her siblings Marie, Tricia, and David, and her seven-year-old grandson Ruari, Meghann’s son, all flew out to be with her[/caption]

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Denise pictured with her daughter Meghann[/caption]

The family knew Denise’s disease was incurable at this point – but doctors thought she was “responding really well” to treatment and would have no issues on the trip.

However, the mum, from Bishop’s Stortford in Herts, fell ill while in Ireland and was admitted to hospital.

She sadly died less than two weeks later, at the age of 64.

Her devastated daughter Gabriella, 26, said: “We really didn’t expect this to happen so soon.

“We knew the cancer was incurable but doctors said it was manageable with treatment which they thought she was responding really well to.

“Her oncologists were shocked when we told them what had happened.”

Denise was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, but successfully fought off the disease after six months of chemotherapy.

In 2017, she found out she had breast cancer again – but this was a new cancer rather than a reoccurring one.

She underwent further treatment and beat the illness once more.

In early 2023, however, Denise started suffering with a bad back and soon discovered that her breast cancer had returned.

Sadly though, this time, it had metastasised, and was in her bones, liver, and lungs.

Denise was told the cancer was incurable but manageable with treatment – and so underwent three different forms of chemotherapy over the next two and a half years.

This June, she spent a week in Killarney with her daughter Erin, who was working there as a dancer.

But she soon started to feel ill and was admitted to hospital on June 22.

Gabriella, an interior designer, said: “She just wasn’t herself. She was very confused. She actually started hallucinating.

“We took her to University Hospital Kerry and she was diagnosed with a lung and blood infection.

“That was on the Sunday and doctors initially thought she would be able to be discharged by the following Friday.

‘WE DIDN’T LEAVE HER SIDE’

“But on the Tuesday we got a call in the night saying she was feeling really anxious.

“Me and my sisters went in to see her and we didn’t leave her side until she passed away on Friday, July 4.”

Denise spent her last days in the palliative care ward surrounded by her loved ones.

Denise’s daughters Meghann, 29, Gabriella, 26, Erin, 24, her siblings Marie, Tricia, and David, and her seven-year-old grandson Ruari, Meghann’s son, all flew out to be with her.

After Denise died, Gabriella’s best friends launched a GoFundMe to help with medical and repatriation costs.

‘SHOWS HOW LOVED MY MUM WAS’

Gabriella said: “The three of us are all young and we don’t have the kind of money needed to pay for medical fees, repatriation, or a funeral.

“So my best friends set up a fundraiser.”

So far, the GoFundMe has already raised more than £15,000.

Gabriella said: “Within four hours it had raised over £8,000.

“We all feel so grateful and overwhelmed. We’re seeing people we’ve not spoken to since school donating.

“It just shows how loved my mum was. People have done all of this for her.”

‘SHE WAS SO STRONG’

After her most recent cancer diagnosis, Denise became unable to walk and couldn’t bear any weight.

However, she used to be very active – enjoying sports like horse-riding, skiing, and cycling.

She also took her daughters on holidays ever year – and worked as a PA at a secondary school.

Gabriella said: “She was supportive, kind, confident, outspoken, and courageous.

“Us three and Ruari we were her world. And she made it clear how proud she was of each of us.

“Even throughout her battle with cancer she was very positive. I don’t think she ever complained about it – or said ‘why me?’

“She used to say things like: ‘I’m me, I’m just living with a disease’. Or, ‘I’m fine, my legs just don’t work.’ “She was so strong.”

She’s left a mark on everyone who had the joy of knowing her”

Family friend

Tributes for Denise also poured in on social media, after the family shared the sad news.

Esme Louise Nichol, a family friend, described Denise as “one of a kind” – and said she “created so much vibrant colour and beauty”.

Staciiee Allan, the family’s next-door-neighbour, said Denise was “the most strong, courageous, crazy superwoman” she had ever known.

And Phoebe Mary Duffy, another family friend, said: “Denise was a massive personality, the kind who could command any room.

“She’s left a mark on everyone who had the joy of knowing her and I know I’m one of many who will miss her so much.

“Sending all my love to Meghann, Gabbie, Erin, and Ruari. You were her world. She was so, so proud of each of you.”

Meghann, who works at a nursery, Gabriella, and Erin brought their mum Denise home via ferry on Tuesday, July 8.

They will soon be planning her funeral.

To donate to their GoFundMe to help with costs, you can visit this page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-help-denises-family.

GoFundMe

LOADED racehorse owners will end up winners even when they are losers – after being guaranteed £50,000 when their runner finishes last.

The massive payout for objective failure comes in a race legendary trainer Aidan O’Brien branded ‘ridiculous’ – but is one of the biggest in the world.

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Aidan O’Brien has previously branded the Melbourne Cup – which will now pay £50,000 to owners of the horse finishing last – and its vet protocols ‘ridiculous’[/caption]

Dubbed ‘the race that stops the nation’, the hefty windfall will line owners’ pockets in the Melbourne Cup.

Run over two miles on the first Tuesday in November, the Melbourne Cup attracts an international field and is the one race Willie Mullins is absolutely desperate to win.

But with the guaranteed cash up for grabs it’s unlikely owners will grumble too much even if it all goes wrong on the day.

The race is worth £4.8million in all, a boost of around £650,000 from last year when shock 90-1 winner Knight’s Choice landed a cheque for £2.4m.

Prize money was only paid up to 12th last year, when Brian Ellison’s 6-1 Onesmoothoperator took home £85,000.

Those finishing 13th-24th then would have got zilch.

But under the new rules every horse filling those spots will make £50,000 when this year’s race is run.

Racing Victoria said the cash injection is partly to reward owners who stump up hefty declaration fees along the way.

CEO Kylie Rogers said: “The Lexus Melbourne Cup is unrivalled for its history, status and reach and the VRC is proud to be able to now reward every local and international participant in the great race.

“It reflects the significant effort required to prepare and qualify for the Lexus Melbourne Cup and goes hand-in-hand with a decision to add additional qualifying opportunities through the Geelong Cup and Moonee Valley Gold Cup.”

Don’t expect to see O’Brien bothering for the cash, though.

He was left absolutely furious last year when ante-post fav and subsequent Group 1-winning monster Jan Brueghel was scratched due to the infamous vet protocols.

A CT scan, which all international runners must go through, revealed the horse was ‘at a heightened risk of injury’.

The Ballydoyle boss, whose own vets disputed the claim, said the whole process, an integral part of the Melbourne Cup, was ‘ridiculous’.

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YOUR Ring doorbell may stop working as usual today as temperatures reach 31C in some parts of the UK.

Ring devices perform their best when at the ‘goldilocks’ temperature of around 25°C.

Alamy

The current warm spell may change the temperature of your device – particularly if it sits in direct sunlight[/caption]

While they typically operate normally between -20°C and 50°C, Ring devices can experience battery issues when subject to extreme hot or cold temperatures.

The current warm spell may change the temperature of your device – particularly if it sits in direct sunlight.

While the sunny weather might be taken as a good thing for those with a Ring Solar Charger, it may affect battery performance or cause the device to shut down entirely.

“Prolonged exposure to hot weather will negatively affect the overall lifetime of your battery,” according to Ring.

“If your device gets too hot, it will not charge and may completely shut down.”

Heat can permanently damage the batteries in electronic devices – even your iPhone or Android phone – by accelerating internal chemical reactions.

This can cause the battery to run through its lifespan faster, and even cause it to hold less charge over time.

High temperatures can also cause the electrolyte fluid inside batteries to evaporate, which could potentially damage internal components. 

In rare cases, heat can trigger a process called “thermal runaway” in lithium-ion batteries, which can cause a fire.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to keep your device working properly and protect it from rising temperatures.

Ring recommends installing the device in a shaded area, if possible.

You may also need to take it inside to cool down during the hottest parts of the day.

Keep an eye on the battery, Ring adds, especially in “extreme temperatures”.

A GLASTONNBURY star and chart-topping pop act has revealed that she’s banned from Sainsbury’s for life for shoplifting.

The star made the surprising confession, as she promoted her latest single, Illegal.

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A pop star has revealed she is banned from Sainsbury’s for shoplifting[/caption]

AFP

PinkPantheress made the surprising confession[/caption]

Shutterstock Editorial

The singer went down a storm recently at Glastonbury[/caption]

PinkPantheress – real name Victoria Beverley Walker – made the revelation in a new interview.

Speaking to GQ, she said: “My friend stole a Drumstick from Sainsbury’s, but that actually is illegal.

“But I remember thinking to myself like – and we got banned – and we really went through it. I got banned, but I didn’t steal anything.

“I remember thinking like given our age at the time, one Drumstick resulting in a ban, it’s a bit much.

“Because we were banned from all Sainsbury’s across the country.”

GLASTONBURY STAR

PinkPantheress is riding high after Glastonbury debut went down a storm.

The British singer performed at Woodsies on the first night of the festival.

Fans took to social media to praise her set, with one saying: “Pinkpantheress is brilliant. Don’t think you’ll see a crowd enjoy themselves more this weekend.”

Another added: “Genuinely never heard of PinkPantheress but wow she’s an unreal artist.”p

A third said: “Pinkpantheress’s stage presence has improved so much i love this for her.”

However, the singer was due to play an intimate set at the festival before it officially started the day before – but it was cancelled at the last minute.

Fans were left disappointed, but organisers revealed her popularity had put the set at risk.

A spokesman for Glastonbury said at the time: “This change was absolutely not as a result of overcrowding fears, the artist was simply no longer able to make this performance. But she is still playing her Woodsies set.”

PinkPantheress is at the top of her game right now.

The star has 2.7m followers on Instagram and found fame after breaking out from social media app TikTok.

She’s also had a top 10 in the UK singles and album charts, respectively, and been nominated for three Brit Awards.