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ALAN Connolly vaulted to another level of stardom on Saturday as he fired home a hat-trick in an All-Ireland semi-final.

He was far from the only Cork ace to be in clinical mood as they bagged SEVEN goals overall in a rout of Dublin.

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The Blackrock clubman on a trip to Paris with girlfriend Alanna[/caption]

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Which naturally included a visit to The Louvre[/caption]

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In the mildly less sophisticated setting of Electric Picnic in Stradbally, Laois[/caption]

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Celebrating after Cork ended Limerick’s reign as Munster champions last month[/caption]

Here, SunSport delves into the rising Rebel star’s life away from the hurling pitch:

GIRLFRIEND AND JOB

Connolly is only 23, although he will turn 24 on July 19 which just so happens to be the day before this year’s decider against Tipperary.

He’s still in college with him studying Business Information Systems at Munster Technological University in Cork.

In addition to that, Cork Beo state he works part-time as a bartender in his local pub in Blackrock.

He’s in a relationship with girlfriend Alanna with them routinely popping up on each other’s social media channels.

FAMOUS FAMILY

His family is steeped in Cork GAA as his uncles Tom and Jack Cashman collected six All-Ireland medals between them during their playing days which lasted from 1977-1990.

That’s not all though as his granddad Mick Cashman as well as granduncle Jimmy Brohan also lined out for the Rebels during the 1950s.

SENIOR BREAKTHROUGH

He’s been playing for the Cork seniors since 2021 having initially broken through at minor level in 2018 and Under-20 in 2020.

The pacy forward previously spoke to The Echo about how even if he does wind up lifting Liam MacCarthy later this month, he’ll still have a long way to go to become the most decorated hurler in the family.

He joked: “Even if I did win one, Tom and Jim would probably still laugh at me because of the amount of medals they have between them!

“It’s great. I feel very proud when I’m representing Cork and Blackrock and they’re hopefully proud of me as well.”

Connolly epitomises their goal-focused approach under manager Pat Ryan.

After their demolition of Dublin on Saturday, Ryan re-affirmed how it’s a constant principle he espouses.

He underlined: “We’re targeting goals all the time and we’re targeting fast starts all the time. That’s the goal and that’s the game. Our lads were really clinical today. 

“I thought we left an awful lot of scores behind us for points but that’s me being a bit critical, maybe over-critical. They’re some things we’ll go after. 

“But delighted with our fellas. For us to get back into a final shows the character and strength of commitment to the jersey that the lads have.”

POWERLIFTING pro Stefi Cohen has been arrested on an alleged domestic violence charge. 

The professional boxer was taken into custody in Miami on Wednesday – just one year after she allegedly hacked into her ex-partner’s computer and leaked nude snaps of his new partner.

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Powerlifter and pro-boxer Stefi Cohen has been arrested on an alleged domestic violence charge[/caption]

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Cohen is a 25 time world record powerlifter[/caption]

Her latest run-in with the law comes around 14 months after she appeared in court on charges of sexual cyber-harassment, per TMZ.

She was accused of hacking into a computer in March 2022 that her ex-partner had used.

Cohen, from Venezuela, managed to break into the computer by correctly guessing his passwords.

She came across some naked photos of his girlfriend that were stored on his iCloud account, according to a police report seen by the NBC affiliate WTVJ-TV.

Cohen then allegedly shared the snaps online in group chats, which she was a part of. 

The alleged victim claimed Cohen was trying to humiliate her.

Cops said Cohen wanted to cause distress, as reported by the ABC affiliate WPLG-TV.

The alleged victim claimed that the pictures were only for her boyfriend to see. 

The police report also revealed Cohen tried to resist arrest.

She allegedly tried to sweep one of the officers off his feet. 

While in the police car, Cohen also tried to break the locking system. 

And, she also refused to comment when being quizzed by cops. 

It wasn’t just sexual cyber-harassment that Cohen was accused of.

She was also accused of criminal mischief and resisting arrest without violence

Cohen was told to stay away from her ex-boyfriend and his partner.

Cohen describes herself as the Doctor of Physical Therapy and claims to be a 25 time world record powerlifter.

She has competed in six professional boxing bouts, winning four of them.

She lost one of the fights and drew the other.

Cohen, who more than 1 million followers on Instagram, has won her two most recent fights, which took place in February and June 2023.

In January, she spoke out about how she was looking forward to do more powerlifting.

“It feels so good to be pulling heavy weight like this after strictly boxing the past 2 years,” she wrote on X.

“I think it’s time to start getting back into it!”

Miami Dade County Sheriff's Office

Cohen in court in 2024 after being charged with cyber sexual harassment[/caption]

Instagram

She describes herself as the Doctor of Physical Therapy[/caption]

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or chat at thehotline.org.

EAMONN Holmes was seen struggling to walk as he arrived at glitzy bash with his new girlfriend Katie Alexander.

The TV presenter looked frail but determined as he arrived at a star-studded party hand-in-hand with new flame – bravely pushing through his ongoing health battles.

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Eammon Holmes and Katie Alexander marked one of their first public outings together as they attended his colleague’s engagement party[/caption]

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Katie was turning heads as she arrived in glamourous style – while supporting him into the venue[/caption]

GB News star Nana Akua celebrated her upcoming wedding in style as she threw a glam engagement party with fiancé Stephen at Shoreditch’s swanky Blue Marlin Club.

The loved-up pair were joined by a string of celeb pals, family and friends for the star-studded do – with Eamonn, 63, making a surprise appearance alongside new girlfriend Katie, 43, who stayed close by his side throughout the night.

Eamonn, who has been battling ongoing mobility issues, was seen leaning on a walking aid as Katie supported him into the venue – the pair marking one of their first public outings together.

After suffering from chronic back issues following spinal surgery and a fall, Eamonn appeared in good spirits despite his visible discomfort, managing a smile for waiting photographers.

The pair, who recently went public with their relationship, looked loved up as they stepped out for the glitzy evening do.

Katie turned heads in a figure-hugging chocolate brown bodycon dress, oozing glamour as she arrived on Eamonn’s arm.

She completed the look with matching sunglasses, a gold chain and a waist-cinching belt that showed off her hourglass figure – stealing the spotlight as the pair made their entrance.

Meanwhile, a frail but dapper Eamonn cut a smart figure in a navy two-piece suit, crisp white shirt, and matching shoes – proving he hasn’t lost his sharp sense of style.

This comes after Katie opened up on the reason she swerved her red carpet debut with him at this year’s TRIC Awards two weeks ago.

Taking to Instagram, Katie shared a photograph of herself sat barefoot inside a wooden cabin.

She used stickers saying “be mindful” and “peace and quiet” to illustrate the snap.

Writing alongside it, Katie admitted that she deliberately avoided the high profile event in London because of hurtful trolls.

She said: “Was going to The Tric Awards, but I’d rather protect my Mental Health and Inner Peace than be subjected to more online hate from people who don’t know me.”

This year’s TRIC Awards was held at Grosvenor House in London.

It would have been Eamonn and Katie’s first red carpet event together.

Eamonn joined his GB News Breakfast Show co-stars on stage in his wheelchair as they collected the award for Best News Programme.

Katie has since shared a photo of the team to congratulate them, writing: “Winner winner chicken dinner!”

Katie is a relationship counsellor and family support worker from Yorkshire.

The pair reportedly grew close earlier this year, with sources saying she has been a “pillar of strength” during Eamonn’s ongoing health battles and split from wife Ruth Langsford.

Eamonn and Ruth called it quits after 14 years of marriage.

The former couple, who share son Jack, are now in the midst of divorce and a battle over their £3.6million home.

Following his split, Eamonn and Katie began dating in mid-2024.

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Katie Alexander has revealed why she missed the TRIC Awards[/caption]

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Katie congratulated Eamonn and the team after they won Best News Programme[/caption]

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Katie began dating Eamonn last year[/caption]

RAUL JIMENEZ paid tribute to his former Wolves teammate Diogo Jota as Mexico won the Gold Cup on Sunday.

The football world remains shaken by the tragic deaths of Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 25, last week.

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Raul Jimenez wore a shirt with Diogo Jota’s name and number on the back as he came out for the Gold Cup final with Mexico[/caption]

Reuters

Jimenez and Jota were teammates at Wolves for two years[/caption]

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Jota and his brother Andre Silva tragically died in a car accident last week[/caption]

Both Jota and Silva were killed in a car accident in Spain just over a week after Jota had married his wife Rute Cardoso.

Tributes for the pair have poured in over the days that followed the tragedy and Jota’s former teammate Jimenez is the latest to give a touching nod to the Liverpool star.

Jimenez, who played with Jota for two years at Wolves, wore a shirt with his name and number on the back as he walked out onto the pitch for Mexico in the Gold Cup final against the USA.

The 34-year-old Fulham striker later scored a crucial equaliser for Mexico in the 27th minute, hammering home from close range to bring Mexico level.

And in the moment of jubilation Jimenez took another chance to honour his friend by copying Jota’s ‘Fifa’ celebration.

Jimenez mimicked playing video games in the same way that Jota previously did after scoring a 94th minute winner in a 4-3 victory over Tottenham in 2023.

Jimenez also took the shirt he was wearing during the walkout and national anthems with Jota’s name and laid out on the floor during the celebration.

Ousmane Dembele had honoured Jota in the same way during PSG’s Club World Cup quarter-final victory over Bayern Munich.

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Jimenez replicated Jota’s iconic celebration when he scored the equaliser for Mexico[/caption]

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Jota’s ‘Fifa’ celebration was born out of a last minute winner against Tottenham in 2023[/caption]

Jota was an avid video game fan and known to be one of the best Fifa players in professional football, previously topping PlayStation’s FIFA Ultimate Team Champions leaderboard as world No1 in 2021.

Jimenez and his Mexico teammates went on to add a second goal through West Ham midfielder Edson Alvarez, tipping the scales in their favour and winning the Gold Cup 2-1 over the USA.

Jimenez had spoken before the game about the heartbreaking loss of Jota, recalling the memories he will cherish with the Premier League champion.

He said: “He was a great teammate. We shared many beautiful moments being important parts of what Wolves achieved in those times.

“It’s very tough to learn this type of news about someone so close to you and who was a great friend.”

While he also reacted to the news on social media last week with a message that read: “It’s hard to get this kind of news and I still can’t believe it. An excellent colleague, friend and above all a great father.

“Thank you for everything friend, we will always remember you. A hug to heaven R.I.P.”

AFP

Jimenez and Mexico won the Gold Cup[/caption]

A ride-hailing driver in Pattaya has filed a police report after a gunman threatened him during a late-night pickup earlier today, July 7, at 2am in Soi Arunothai 1, Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri. The driver, 31 year old Arnon, told officers at Chon Buri Police Station he was nearly caught in the …

The story Pattaya rider threatened by gunman during late-night pickup as seen on Thaiger News.

REDEMPTION and karma are wonderful things not always experienced by all.

John & Thady Gosden are now likely to have the chance of putting their anger to one side and giving Kieran Shoemark the chance of redemption.

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Juddmonte’s retained rider Colin Keane is set to miss the ride on superstar Field Of Gold in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood later this month due to a whip ban[/caption]

Shutterstock Editorial

Matt Chapman reckons this is the perfect chance for John & Thady Gosden to give their former jockey Kieran Shoemark the ride… even if Oisin Murphy is more likely[/caption]

And in doing so the handlers themselves can gain karma and peace!

None of you will be surprised I’m talking Field Of Gold, of course, who is set to run in the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on July 30.

Shoemark lost the ride when he was defeated by a narrow margin in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

That came on the back of a brilliant display by both jockey and horse in the Craven Stakes, when John Gosden was keen to praise Shoemark for his efforts.

Subsequently, Colin Keane rode Field Of Gold to facile successes in the Irish 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes.

But Keane is this week likely to be given a whip ban which will rule him out of the Sussex.

I’d be close to certain that owners Juddmonte would have no issue with Shoemark on top.

Why would they? The rider has a tremendous record for the outfit over the last 12 months, and of course was brilliant at Goodwood in the Nassau when Lady Bowthorpe banged in her Group 1 in 2021.

That day owner Emma Banks showed loyalty and decency. And she was rewarded in spades.

Of course I’m not totally crazy, and the chances are the Gosdens will refuse to let Shoemark do what is so obvious.

Indeed, it’s more than likely Oisin Murphy will be called up to ride Field Of Gold should Keane be absent.

Rumours abounded that Murphy had, actually, been pencilled in to ride Field Of Gold in the Irish 2000 Guineas before Keane was put up as the Juddmonte main man.

But I can’t back that up with any substance. It might have just been a rumour.

Whatever the case, on a humane level Shoemark and Field Of Gold back together in the Sussex just seems the right way to go for all concerned.

I won’t hold my breath, but come on, people, you know it makes sense.

Meanwhile… Much has already been said and written about the Coral-Eclipse since Saturday, but it will long remain one of the most insane races I have ever seen.

I spoke to more than one of the connections of Delacroix who were convinced he would be making all.

I certainly didn’t hear anyone suggest Delacroix would be ridden for a turn of foot!

And of course he wasn’t, for all that is what he eventually needed.

Delacroix was last turning for home. OMG!

And who has ever thought Sosie was a front-runner?

He was in the Eclipse, which was odd in the extreme. The one thing you know about French raiders is they mostly have a closing kick.

Just a bizarre race, and if you have studied his body language to any degree at numerous moments Ryan Moore looked fairly miffed with how things were going.

I wonder at what point Moore really thought – ‘I might just go and win this’.

At a guess, only once Delacroix was pulled out wide and after a few strides started to get going.

But at that stage Ombudsman was clear albeit he had probably been in front for long enough.

As a form guide for the future, it’s hard to say the Eclipse will be a reliable one.

But what you can say is that Delacroix must be some machine.

Looking ahead I wonder if one day he will end up in the Breeders’ Cup Mile or Turf? Which one would you pick for him?

Time will tell…

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A STRUGGLING car brand is “in talks” to hand a huge factory to a major tech firm behind the Apple iPhones after losing a whopping £4billion.

Japanese car giant Nissan is in talks to let Taiwan’s Foxconn use one of its factories to build electric vehicles, according to insiders.

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Nissan had been thinking about closing its Oppama plant[/caption]

Reuters

A deal with Taiwan’s Foxconn to build EVs at Oppama could save the plant from closure[/caption]

The deal could throw a lifeline to the factory, which is at risk of shutting down for good.

Nissan had been thinking about closing its Oppama plant, just south of Tokyo, Reuters reported in May.

CEO Ivan Espinosa announced major restructuring plans to help save the struggling carmaker.

The move led seven of Nissan’s 17 factories worldwide to cut their workforce by around 15 per cent.

A deal with Taiwan’s Foxconn to build EVs at Oppama could save the plant from closure.

This could soften the blow of Nissan’s restructuring for the plant’s 3,900 workers and suppliers.

The negotiations were first reported late by the Nikkei business daily.

Nissan said the report was based on information it had provided.#

The Sun has contacted Nissan for comment.

It comes after the company’s new CEO confirmed it will be axing hundreds of jobs at a UK factory after reporting £4 billion in losses in the last financial year.

Nissan’s Sunderland factory will be axing around 250 jobs as part of a “voluntary leave scheme” which allows employees to choose to leave their role with the company’s support.

Earlier this year, the manufacturer announced 20,000 job losses, seven factory closures and a pause on all post-2026 new car development.

It is all part of a restructuring project overseen by CEO Ivan Espinosa after he was appointed in April.

Now, Reuters has reported that the major car manufacturer has asked suppliers to allow it to delay payments in an attempt to free up short-term cash.

According to a source and emails seen by Reuters, Nissan has asked some suppliers in Britain and the European Union to accept delays in payments.

This would give the company more cash on hand at the end of the April-June first quarter.

Requests like this are not uncommon as a means of freeing up cash flow.

In a statement, Nissan told The Sun: “As we take quick actions under the Re:Nissan plan, we are leveraging the strong and flexible relationships we have built with our suppliers to ensure financial stability and maintain solid foundations for future success.

“With their full agreement, we have incentivised some of our valued suppliers to collaborate under more flexible payment terms, at no cost to them, in order to support free cash flow.

“As previously communicated, our cash position remains strong. We continue to cooperate with our valued suppliers across our operations, including in the UK, where we are looking forward together to the launch of the all-new Nissan LEAF and the arrival of our new e-POWER technology to Qashqai, the highest-volume car built in Britain.”

SIX points was the margin — just as it had been when Tipperary beat Kilkenny by 0-17 to 1-8 in March in the league.

But there could not have been a soul in Croke Park who felt that there was anything more than a whisker between the sides in yesterday’s thrilling Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior quarter-final.

Tipp earned a semi-final date with Galway after 80 minutes of action, plus injury time — with the game decided by the two moments where the ball hit the net.

There was Clodagh McIntyre’s stunning strike just before the extra-time interval.

And a disallowed goal from Caoimhe Keher Murtagh which was chopped off because referee Ray Kelly had blown his whistle for a foul.

The subsequent penalty from Aoife Prendergast was saved by Laura Leenane — and Tipp never looked back.

Praising his keeper, and fullback Mairéad Eviston who blocked a goal-bound effort from Keher Murtagh, Tipperary manager Denis Kelly said: “I’ll definitely be sending Ray a Christmas card for that one.

“Look, they fall for you at times. I thought we were possibly goosed if that went in.

“Laura’s been a huge find. We lost Nicole Walsh, who retired, so we needed someone to fill the boots and she’s definitely done that. That was a huge save, as was Mairéad’s. All these things add up at the end of it, it’s another game of inches.”

It was a game of inches because of how Kilkenny put the shackles on a free-scoring Tipp attack, holding the Premier County to 0-16 in the hour.

Much of this was down to Tommy Shefflin deploying Maria Brennan as an extra defender, with Katie Power and Laura Murphy doing the work of three players to compensate at the other end.

Shefflin said: “We brought Maria back as sweeper and just encouraged them to use the ball.

“When you’re playing with five forwards you have to have good ball going in and in fairness to Katie Power, she got three wonderful scores in the first half when she was outnumbered.

“It’s not a traditional thing for Kilkenny to play with a sweeper so we went against the curve with that. But we didn’t want to come up here and leave ourselves wide open, maybe going a goal or two down after five or ten minutes.

We wanted to stay in the match as long as we could to take belief from that, then to push up and attack the game with a few minutes to go to try and win it.”

MORE QUARTER-FINAL HEARTBREAK

On paper, it is another quarter-final exit for Kilkenny. But the mood in the Marble County will be very different to that at this stage 12 months ago when they were knocked out by Dublin.

Shefflin added: “We asked them for one thing — to give us something on the line that we can jump up and down, encourage each other, and to give the crowd something as well.

“The hooks, the blocks, the turnovers, at half-time we had 29 turnovers so that tells its own story. We couldn’t have asked for anymore.

“They won the minor as well, so there is a huge future there for Kilkenny. It’s going to take time but the big thing is that the girls have to believe that they can get back up there.

“It’s tight margins at this stage of the Championship, there was a tight call today and that was what proved to be the difference.

“It was a tough year. We started the league with three defeats but the girls had to respond and we beat Waterford and Dublin to stay in Division 1.

“Then we won the Leinster Championship, we went on to play the All-Ireland series and had two tough days against Waterford and Galway, but we got a response from them each day.

“We’ve said it all along that they’re well able to hurl, it’s just about that bit of belief. Hopefully they’ll take belief from that today and that’ll drive them on.”

TACTICAL MASTERCLASS

Kelly, too, acknowledged that Kilkenny’s set-up caused them some headaches, and noted that it was only after they were able to make adjustments at half-time that they found their feet.

He added: “We let that extra woman dictate for our puckouts, she was sitting in a pocket of space and we didn’t adapt that well.

“At half-time, we restructured that and we just decided to switch sides and get people into space a little bit more, pushing Karen Kennedy to centre-forward.”

TIPPERARY: L Leenane; M Eviston, K Blair, E Loughman; N Costigan, C McCarthy 0-3, S Corcoran; K Kennedy, C Maher 0-1; R Howard 0-1, M Burke 0-1, E Heffernan 0-1; C McIntyre 1-0, C Hennessy 0-3, G O’Brien 0-9 8f.

Subs: J Bourke for Costigan 23mins; J Kelly 0-3 for Burke 46; L Purcell for McIntyre 48; N Cunneen for Howard 60+2; McIntyre for Purcell f-t; Howard for Heffernan 79; E Cunneen for Hennessy 80.

KILKENNY: A Norris; M Teehan, T Fitzgerald, D Quigley; K Doyle, N Deely, C Dowling; A O’Gorman, L Greene 0-2; S Fitzgerald, L Murphy 0-5, M O’Connell; A Prendergast 0-7 4f, K Power 0-4, M Brennan.

Subs: C Keher Murtagh for O’Connell h-t; S Barcoe 0-1 for O’Gorman 50mins; S Holden for Doyle 58; K Nolan for Brennan 67; S O’Dwyer for Power 74.

REFEREE: R Kelly (Kildare).

NOTHING quite matches the relaxing scent of lavender during a warm spring and summer evening.

Although it is a quintessential product of Provence, the sturdy shrub has been a gardeners’ favourite all over the world and has been cultivated since Ancient Rome.

FACEBOOK/Gardening On A Budget Official

One green-fingered Brit shared tips that saw her lavender thrive in the dry soil[/caption]

FACEBOOK/Gardening On A Budget Official

Pruning is also another essential when it comes to maintaining your garden – but there’s also a specific method the avid gardener follows[/caption]

This beautiful yet low-maintenance shrub is often available in a range of stores where you can snap it up for a bargain price.

But how to look after it to ensure your lavender is the biggest on the street? And is it possible to make it thrive even when you have dry soil?

According to one green-fingered Brit, it is – and there’s one golden rule all gardeners should follow when planting the lilac shrub.

Offering a helping hand to fellow gardeners, Angela Wynn took to Facebook to share some of her top tips which have helped her lavender balloon from a teeny plant to a mega shrub.

She told the members of the Gardening On A Budget Official page: ”Every year we have posts asking how to look after lavender, so I’d like to introduce you to mine.

”I planted them more years ago than I care to remember, as tiny little plants in to very poor, dry soil.”

While many may assume the more hydration, the better the results will be, the green-fingered Brit revealed that it’s the total opposite – and you should, in fact, keep the watering to a minimum.

She said: ”I rarely water them in summer, never water them any other time.

”I prune them after the bees stop visiting, no specific date, no specified month, just the weekend of the first week no bees visit,” she went on.

Pruning is also another essential when it comes to maintaining your garden – but there’s also a specific method the avid gardener follows.

”Pruning consists of roughly skimming over the plant with my hedge cutter!”

Angela – who is one of the 453k members of the popular page – also has a golden rule she swears by.

”My only ‘rule’, don’t cut into the woody bit, and there you go!” she wrote in the post.

”Each year I’m rewarded with this beautiful display,” she said, sharing a snap of her adorable dog for ”scale”.

‘Same! Mine thrive on neglect’

Since being shared online, the post has clearly impressed many, amassing over 200 likes and dozens of comments.

One person said: ”Brilliant post, I do despair of all the posts that say this has to be done by this time and only prune this much, I do the same, I leave flowers for the insects and cut right back to last molecule of green.”

Someone else chimed in: ”Beautiful. My neighbour has the most beautiful hedge of lavender between his driveway and and his neighbours.

”It’s absolutely teeming with pollinators and its looked lovely for over 15 years and he does absolutely nothing to it.

”He doesn’t even trim it back. And yet I look after mine, dead head it, trim it back and mines now dead.

”I don’t seem to be able to grow and look after Lavender at all.”

A third shared their go-to approach, writing: ”Mine is huge this year. I was worried as I had hardly any bees but they’ve arrived this week.

”Like you I give it a haircut when the bees have gone.

”I’ve planted it in my front garden this year too including some white French Lavender as I am having to make it deer proof and they don’t like it.”

RUSSIA could soon hammer Ukraine with 1,000 drones and missiles every day – as another deadly blitz landed overnight.

It was the second massive assault in the four days since Trump’s call with Putin, and represents a brazen defiance of the President’s peace agenda.

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A fire rages following a strike on Odesa, where at least one person was killed[/caption]

East2West

AFP

Putin is cranking up the size of his assaults on Ukraine – in clear defiance against Trump’s continued peace efforts[/caption]

Moscow’s firepower capacity is constantly increasing and his forces have regularly broken the record for the largest daily volley of weapons in recent weeks.

On June 1, a 479-strong wave of drones and missiles became Russia‘s largest unmanned aerial assault of the war.

June 9 saw that broken with 499, then again on June 29 with 537.

And finally, just last Friday, Putin terrorised Kyiv with a firestorm of 550 drones and missiles – just as he and Trump finished a phone call.

Russia’s defence industry is ballooning as projects come to fruition – such as an expanded missile plant in Votkinsk and rapidly expanding supply chains.

With an expanding arsenal, the size of Russia’s regular salvos look set only to increase – meaning they could soon nudge 1000 weapons per day.

It’s a bleak prospect for Ukraine, where each wave brings pain and death.

Dozens of kamikaze drones and missiles landed this morning, killing at least three people – two in the weary Sumy region and on in Odessa.

There were also dozens of casualties in Ukraine‘s second city Kharkiv.

At least 27 were wounded, including children aged three, seven and 11, by the onslaught of Iranian-designed Shaded drones.

Two residential blocks were hit in Kharkiv, according to the regional administration, Oleh Syniehubov – with the top floors of one engulfed in flames.

Psychologists were dispatched to treat people traumatised by Putin’s latest strikes – which appeared to prioritise sowing terror among civilians

Kyiv was also hit, as was Dnipropetrovsk region, where the weapons injured two pensioners, a man aged 73 and a woman, 66.

In Donetsk, footage shows a Russian Gerber decoy drone was used as a strike weapon to slam into a residential building – triggering a giant explosion.

As Ukraine turned to Europe – especially Germany – for urgent new help with its air defences, Donald Trump insisted he has not abandoned Kyiv. 

He said: “I am helping Ukraine. I help a lot.”

East2West

Trump also acknowledged the pounding that Ukraine is taking, despite his recent conversation with Putin.

The President said: “He [Zelensky] is being hit very hard – and I was very disappointed with my call with President Putin, I was very disappointed.”

Over the weekend, Trump said: “[Putin] wants to go all the way, just keep killing people, it’s no good.”

US special envoy Keith Kellogg will fly to Europe to meet Zelensky this week.

For its part, Ukraine hit warehouses at a chemical plant which produces ammunition and military-grade explosives for the Russian military machine.

Repeated explosions were heard at the Krasnozavodsk site, some 55 miles northeast of the Kremlin.

East2West

A fireman battles a blaze that has engulfed cars and buildings[/caption]

The attack was carried out by Ukraine’s new FP-1 one‑way kamikaze loitering strike drones, which support warheads of up to 120kg.

Footage shows strikes at the strategic plant – the latest of dozens of Russian military factories to be hit by Ukraine.

Ukraine is also believed to be behind major airport disruption in European Russia over the weekend and early today.

Hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled amid concerns over drones.

Problems continued at Pulkovo airport in St Petersburg today, after major Moscow hub Sheremetyevo was badly hit on Sunday.