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UKRAINE killed the deputy commander of Russia’s navy who was plotting a new invasion.

The Hero of Russia, Major General Mikhail Gudkov, 42, was killed in a missile strike in Kursk.

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Maj-Gen Mikhail Gudkov, 42, has been eliminated by a targeted Ukrainian strike[/caption]

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Rescue workers in Poltava, Ukraine, on Thursday following a Russian strike which killed at least two[/caption]

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Gudkov, circled, being personally promoted by Putin in March to deputy head of the navy[/caption]

Some 50,000 Russian troops have massed nearby ahead of a feared assault on Sumy.

Gudkov was killed in a command post 11 miles from the Ukrainian border on Wednesday.

It comes hours after claims that America had suspended weapons shipments to Ukraine.

The general was a decorated Hero of Russia and his loss is a huge blow to Putin, who had personally entrusted him with command over the Marine Infantry.

Gudkov also oversaw all missile and artillery coastal forces, and had specific control of the Pacific Fleet’s key 155th Naval Infantry Brigade.

Reports say Gudkov was killed early on Wednesday in a pinpoint Ukrainian missile strike on Korenevo, in Russia’s Kursk region.

Four out of eight missiles were downed by Russian air defences, but the others squarely hit their marks.

There are indications that Ukraine was working off excellent intelligence about the movements and locations of Putin’s senior commanders.

The strike hit a “forward command post” 11 miles from the border with Ukraine, where the general was meeting with other high-ranking troops.

Numerous “senior officers” were reported to be among roughly a dozen killed in the blitz – though the toll may climb.

Gudkov was suspected to be involved in Putin’s plan for a fresh invasion of the Sumy region – expected in the coming weeks.

Vlad’s forces are likely to target the strategic Sumy city in particular.

Some 50,000 Russians troops are massed at the border – a development Donald Trump said he was watching “very closely” this week.

Obituaries in Russia say Gudkov died with his troops “in combat action”.

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Gudkov was the second-most senior figure in the navy and thought to be key to Russia’s upcoming invasion of Sumy[/caption]

AFP

Putin had awarded the commander for his courage and heroism[/caption]

Flowers were being laid on Thursday for the eliminated commander in Vladivostok, Putin’s Pacific capital, as Russia mourns one of its rising military stars.

The city is home to the 155th Marine Brigade which has played a key role in Putin’s invasion.

At a meeting in Russian Arctic capital Murmansk in March, Putin promoted Gudkov – who was being hot-housed up the ranks.

Putin told him: “I have made the decision to transfer you to a new position and increase the level of your responsibility.

“You are being appointed Deputy Commander of the Naval Forces of the Russian Federation.”

Gudkov replied: “Aye, Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief.”

In October 2023,  then a Colonel, Gudjov received the Gold Star of the Hero of Russia honour and a pistol awarded for “courage, heroism and skillful command of subordinate units”.

The award was personally bestowed by then defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Reuters

A rescuer works at a site of a Russian drone strike in Dnipro[/caption]

East2West

Gudkov was one of Russia’s youngest commanders and a rising military star[/caption]

This is what Atong Ang said after hearing the allegations about him. Businessman Atong Ang is being pointed to as the mastermind in the missing sabungeros case, and here’s what he said. The cockfighting enthusiasts went missing four years ago, and years after the disappearance, a whistleblower stepped forward with details about the case. In the recent ... Read more

The post Atong Ang On Mastermind Allegations: “Masyado na kaming kawawa…” appeared first on PhilNews.

FORMER Ireland international and RTÉ pundit Karen Duggan spoke about the exciting times ahead for women’s football and its exponential growth.

During the RTÉ coverage of the lead-up to Iceland’s clash with Finland – the opening match of the 2025 UEFA Women’s Euros – Duggan claimed ‘tokenism’ had left women’s football.

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The player/pundit has amassed 35 senior caps for the Republic of Ireland[/caption]

Duggan has played in the Women’s Premier Division for 14 years and has seen the game come on leaps and bounds at first hand.

The Kilkenny native said: “The trajectory of women’s football seems like there’s no comparison really to any other sport at the moment. It’s been amazing I think a lot of it has to do with exposure.

“I think the talent has always been there but now there’s opportunities to play professionally and it’s bringing it to a new level.

“Exposure is huge and I think the fact that all of these games are being put out in front of young girls and more people are seeing what they can do.

“The ‘see it to believe it’ thing is definitely true but it’s not just that. I think it is down to so many things that the game growing so so much.

2023 saw a record 46.7 million people in the UK watched women’s sport on television with women’s football playing a huge role in that figure.

The total for 2023 was one million higher than the previous best in 2019. Football made up 74 per cent of the women’s sport viewing hours.

Duggan added: “We’ve seen the development of the WSL I think has been huge. I think a huge factor around this that I’m really excited by is coming into this tournament its not about all tokenism.

“Theres no ‘how are Switzerland going to develop,’ the conversation is very much focused on the football.

“I think the growth since the Euros that England won has been very very organic and I think that that’s the most positive thing, I feel like the tokenism is gone now.”

The year Duggan made her Peamount debut in 2011, the average Women’s Super League attendance for the season was just 550.

The season average attendance rose to a high of 3,072 in 2019/20 before England’s 2022 Euros win.

Since the national team’s success the season average attendance rose to 5,272 the following season and rose again to 7,363 the year after.

The record WSL attendance has also been broken on four separate occasions since the famous Euro 2022.

RTE’s Arthur Gourounlian has experienced a travel disaster after attempting to “help his mum” in France.

The Dancing With The Stars host was planning to fly to Marseille, where his mum, Maria, lives to ensure she would not be travelling alone to Ireland.

However, when Arthur arrived to Dublin Airport he was informed that his flight would be delayed by five and a half hours.

The 44-year-old took to Instagram to share updates with followers about his flight disaster.

The dad-of-two posted a frustrated looking selfie sitting on the plane as he wrote: “We will be delayed for an additional two and a half hours. YAY!”

But, in true Arthur style, he tried to see the bright side of the delay and captured a beautiful photo of the sunset outside the plane.

He gushed: “Whether delayed or not, my window view is breathtaking. I always try to see the beauty around me. If you don’t you would cry seriously.”

The celebrity dancer was going through all the emotions as he sat on the tarmac outside the airport.

The choreographer expressed his hurt about not being able to save the day for his mum.

Arthur penned: “I was really trying to be there and do the right thing for my mum. She was planning to travel alone and even refused special assistance.

“So I decided, I’ll go and help her myself, to make it easier and give her peace of mind.”

The disappointed star told how “relieved” his mum was when he revealed he would be travelling to Ireland with her.

He added: “But now things have gone sideways and if we leave late tonight I won’t even make it to Marseille in time to catch the 5.45am flight back with mum.

“It’s just frustrating I was genuinely trying to help and now I feel stuck.”

Thankfully in a sudden turn of events, the plane took off from Dublin Airport and Arthur still had four hours to catch the plane from Marseille with his mum.

Of course, when the plane landed in Marseille, Arthur posted a clip of himself waiting outside passport control, where there was no staff there to check their documents.

‘WORTH IT’

He wrote: “Seriously where are the hidden cameras, we’ve been waiting 15 minutes to get through passport control.”

Eventually, Arthur made it through passport control and met his mum on the other side.

The duo then made it for their 5.45am flight back to Dublin with a dramatic story to tell.

As they arrived home in Dublin, Arthur shared a heartwarming snap of Maria with her granddaughters, Blake and Blu.

‘EPIC JOURNEY’

The doting grandmother looked ecstatic to be reunited with her little ones.

Arthur wrote in his caption: “WE MADE IT! Not even 24 hours later, and despite the delays I faced, I’m absolutely delighted that I travelled to Marseille to bring my mum to Ireland. I didn’t want her to travel alone.”

And fans were all left gushing over the star‘s incredible gesture for his mum.

Edwina wrote: “This is amazing Arthur to do all that for your Mam.”

Barbara said: “You are just incredible Arthur.”

While Lisa remarked: “That was an epic journey you made, but worth it.”

And Annie added: “What a wonderful person you are.”

IRISH tourists are being issued an important reminder ahead of their holidays as peak season hits.

When travelling abroad, there are a number of things to remember to make your trip plain sailing.

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Whether it’s travel insurance, ensuring you get to the airport on time or security rules, there are always things to remember.

But one thing that passengers may forget is to pre-book parking.

Shannon Airport is urging passengers to remember that pre-booking is always best – especially during the peak summer season.

In a post on social media, the airport noted that it is now peak season, with thousands set to arrive and depart through the airport.

Taking to Facebook, Shannon Airport said: “Passengers are advised to pre-book car parking where possible.

“With peak season in full swing, we recommend pre-booking your car parking at least one week in advance.

“For more information on parking, visit our website.”

Parking spaces on site at Shannon Airport are set to sell out fast, as many plan where to leave their car when abroad.

The first reason to pre-book, is for the best price.

Shannon Airport said: “Make savings on drive up rates by booking online.”

ADDED BENEFITS

By booking ahead, you are guaranteeing a reduced rate compared to what you would get if you drove up.

The second benefit is securing your spot so that you won’t be left with nowhere to park on the day.

And, your booking is flexible, meaning if for whatever reason you cannot travel, you can change your booking for free up to 24 hours before you’re set to arrive.

On the website, you can input the date you will arrive into the car park along with the departure date to get your rate.

Passengers can choose between three options, depending on how long you are travelling away for.

The Shannon Park4Less is a 6 to 8 minute walk from the terminal, and is classed as the airports “best value car park”.

Prices start from €9 per day and it’s only available to book online.

CLOSEST OPTION

The Shannon Airport Long Stay car park is just a two to three minute walk from the terminal, and offers free cancellations.

Prices start from €10 per day, and you are urged to pre-book in advance to guarantee the best rates.

Finally, there is the Shannon Short Stay car park, located just a 30 second walk from the terminal.

It is described as the “closest, most convenient car park” and is ideal for short stays.

Prices start at €24 per day, and there is free cancellation offered.

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VIAGRA has improved the lives of millions of British men battling erectile dysfunction.

But as it turns out, the little blue pill has other health benefits beyond the bedroom – it could one day prevent back pain and fractures in old age.

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Viagra could give you a boost beyond the bedroom[/caption]

Scientists from Peking University, in China, found that sildenafil, which is branded as Viagra, helps stem cells turn into osteoblasts, the cells that build bone.

These cells are crucial because the human skeleton rebuilds itself every decade.

But as we age, we lose more bone than we make, raising the risk of painful fractures and brittle-bone disease, osteoporosis.

But slashing the risk of broken bones isn’t the only incredible health benefit of this small but versatile drug, which started life in the 1980s as a heart medication before being discovered to help with erectile dysfunction or ED.

Other research has discovered it could treat lung and heart conditions, speed up recovery from jet lag and even reduce altitude sickness – what a trooper.

Slashes dementia risk

After a decades-long and largely fruitless hunt for drugs to combat Alzheimer’s disease, an unlikely candidate has raised its head: the erectile dysfunction pill Viagra.

University College London experts found men who pop hard-on boosting drugs like Viagra and Cialis were 18 per cent less likely to develop the brain-eating disease compared with those who went without the drugs.

The tablets work by widening blood vessels to improve blood flow to the penis – and could also boost circulation to the brain.

While the findings, published in the journal Neurology last year, were striking, the study was just observational.

This means it can’t prove that ED pills actually protect against Alzheimer’s.

Instead, it’s possible that men who are naturally at lower risk for the disease are simply more likely to take these medications.

Lead author Dr Ruth Brauer at University College London said: “We can’t say that the drugs are responsible, but this does give us food for thought on how we move into the future.

“We now need a proper clinical trial to look at the effects of these drugs on Alzheimer’s in women as well as men.”

Easier to pee

As well as helping men maintain an erection, the little blue pill can also make it easier for men to pee.

Around a third of men aged over 50 suffer from urinary problems, with an enlarged prostate usually the nagging cause. 

These can include a weak flow of pee, urine dribbling and the frustrating sensation that the bladder isn’t fully emptied after peeing.

Viagra works by increasing blood flow to the penis, which temporarily relaxes the muscles in the penis.

Dr Irwin Goldstein, from San Diego Sexual Medicine, who has studied Viagra, said this has a side effect of “lessening the grip of the prostate on the urethra”.

He told HealthLine: “The higher grip causes difficulty in urinating.”

Treats pulmonary hypertension

The NHS is already prescribing Viagra to treat pulmonary hypertension, a rare lung condition.

The disease, which affects around one in every 20,000 Brits, happens when blood vessels that supply the lungs (the pulmonary arteries) thicken.

When this happens, it makes it harder for blood to move through them, which causes a rise in blood pressure.

The reduced blood flow makes it harder for the right side of the heart to pump blood through the arteries.

Over time, this can damage the heart and can be fatal if left untreated.

The active drug in brands like Viagra, sildenafil, can come to the rescue by relaxing blood vessels in the chest and lowering blood pressure in the lungs, making it easier for the heart to pump blood, the NHS says.

Improves stroke recovery

As well as treating men with erectile dysfunction, Viagra could also work as a treatment for stroke victims, a US study suggests.

More than 100,000 people suffer a stroke every year in the UK and they’re responsible for over 38,000 deaths, according to Stroke Action.

Meanwhile, there are 1.3million people in the UK who have survived a stroke – many living with disabilities.

These include speech problems, memory issues and hallucinations.

Results published in Stroke in 2003, found the pill could improve memory and movement in rats by helping injured brains develop new cells and blood vessels.

The study’s authors, from Henry Ford Health Sciences Center, thought the drugs could have the same effects on stroke survivors.

Reduces altitude sickness

As well as being kept on people’s bedside tables, the little blue pill could be taken on climbing exhibitions.

German scientists found that sex meds help mountain climbers breathe easier and prevent them from becoming unwell.

The researchers logged the pulmonary artery pressure and oxygen levels of 14 people while in a lab.

The same checks were repeated at the Mount Everest base camp, which is around 17,000ft.

Half had been given sildenafil, while the other half acted as the control group. 

Results, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine in 2004, show that the drug reduced pressure in the lungs’ blood vessels.

Because of this, climbers could better tolerate hypoxia – low oxygen levels, which causes altitude sickness – while climbing.

Shrinks cancerous tumours

Popping Viagra could also shrink tumours found in the oesophagus, according to new research.

The blue pills shut down enzymes that form protective shields around cancer cells, making it easier for the chemotherapy drugs to blast tumours. 

When scientists from the University of Southampton tested the drugs on oesophageal cancer cells in the lab and on mice, they found that chemo was effective in 75 per cent of cases. 

For comparison, chemo usually only works in 20 per cent of oesophageal cancer patients, the study, published in Cell Reports Medicine, in 2022 showed.

“Finding a drug, which is already safely prescribed to people every day, could be a great step forward in tackling this hard-to-treat disease,” Professor Tim Underwood, lead author of the study, said.

There are around 7,900 oesophageal cancer deaths in the UK each year – that’s 22 deaths every day.

Those who develop the cancer only have around a 20 per cent chance of survival beyond five years.

Help overcome jet lag faster

The multi-use pills could also be useful for jetsetters who want to overcome jet lag faster, according to another study.

Scientists from Quilmes National University in Argentina, found hamsters that received small doses of sildenafil adjusted more quickly to a six-hour time-zone change than animals who didn’t get the drug.

The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2007, said a single dose helped the animals adapt up to 50 per cent faster than usual.

An equivalent human dose would be a small fraction of one single pill.

“It’s true that some people will be worried about the – let’s call them side effects,” study author Diego Golombek said.

“But if we eliminate the erectile effects [by using low doses], I don’t see why people wouldn’t consider taking it.”

Current treatments for jet lag involve taking multiple doses of the hormone melatonin over several days, which does not work for all travellers.

Taking a Viagra-like medication would be much simpler, according to Diego, because it would probably involve only a single pill.

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday called on the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to suspend the release of 59 container vans recently brought to the Subic Bay Freeport over suspected smuggling of agricultural items. In a statement, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the flagged shipments allegedly contain mostly misdeclared

EARTH is set to have three unexpectedly shorter than average days in the coming weeks – and it’s taken scientists by surprise.

The first of the shorter days will take place next week.

It’s likely all thanks to the Moon, according to Popular Mechanics.

The dates fall when our lunar satellite will be its furthest from Earth’s equator.

This can impact the rate of the Earth’s rotation, which causes slight variations in the length of a day.

Although experts have not yet confirmed the cause of the change.

The International Rotation and Reference Systems Service has found that 9 July, 22 July, and 5 August will be the shortest days since 2020.

As much as 1.51 milliseconds will be shaved off the clock, according to a experts.

While that doesn’t seem like much, and won’t be noticeable, scientists say it’s a pretty significant time jump.

“Nobody expected this,” Leonic Zotov, Earth rotation expert from Moscow State University, told TimeandDate.com.

“The cause of this acceleration is not explained. Most scientists believe it is something inside the Earth.

“Ocean and atmospheric models don’t explain this huge acceleration.”

The shortest day recorded since 2020 was 5 July, 2024, which was a full 1.66 milliseconds shorter than average.

Before 2020, Earth never experienced a day shorter than the average by much more than a millisecond.

But in the past five years, it’s been more likely to see days during the summer that are nearly half-a-millisecond shorter than pre-2020s levels.

Days on Earth have not always been 24-hours long.

Between the dinosaur-dominated Mesozoic era and the Bronze Age, days were roughly only 23 hours.

Bronze Age people experienced days that were 0.47 seconds shorter than what humans in 2025 experience.

Projections suggest that in 200million years, a day will extend to 25 hours.

Earth may need to take a drastic measure to keep up with the new pace by introducing a “negative leap second” in 2029, according to a study published in Nature last year.

“This is an unprecedented situation and a big deal,” study lead author and geophysicist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California Duncan Agnew said at the time.

“It’s not a huge change in the Earth’s rotation that’s going to lead to some catastrophe or anything, but it is something notable.

“It’s yet another indication that we’re in a very unusual time.”

 

POP princess Olivia Rodrigo shocked tennis fans yesterday when she made a surprise appearance in Wimbledon’s prestigious Royal Box.

But it wasn’t just the presence of the three-time Grammy award winner and her English boyfriend Louis Partridge that raised eyebrows.

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Roy Hodgson has enjoyed a stellar career as a football manager[/caption]

BBC

Olivia Rodrigo and Roy Hodgson at Wimbledon[/caption]

Shutterstock Editorial

Olivia Rodrigo and her English actor boyfriend Louis Partridge[/caption]

The Vampire singer, 22, was spotted rubbing shoulders with none other than ex-England football manager Roy Hodgson.

The Gen Z chart-topper famous for her heartbreak anthems and moody lyrics found herself sat next to the former England manager.

The 77-year-old Hodgson is best known for managing the Three Lions and more recently Crystal Palace.

Hodgson holds the record as the oldest manager in the Premier League when he took charge of the Eagles at 76 years and 187 days old.

He has won league titles in Denmark and Sweden and reached the UEFA Cup final with Fulham and Inter Milan. 

Fans on social media were left in stitches at the unlikely pairing of a genuine football icon and a rising star in music.

One X user joked: “I could forgive his stint as Liverpool manager but that’s a step too far.”

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Another commented: “Could explain why he looks uncharacteristically chipper.”

Then a third added: “He probably mentioned he managed many football teams in England including the national team and she woulda said Good for you.”

Olivia seemed to be enjoying the action on Centre Court with her actor boyfriend while Roy looked as calm as ever as he took it all in.

The American singer headlined Glastonbury Festival a few days ago and continues to grab the headlines everwhere she goes.

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EPA

Olivia Rodrigo starred at Glastonbury at the weekend[/caption]

Getty

Aged just 22 shes already won three Grammy awards[/caption]

Wimbledon 2025 LIVE – follow all the latest scores and updates from a thrilling fortnight at SW19

WIMBLEDON star Carson Branstine worked as a model and as a delivery driver to fund her tennis career.

The Canadian qualified for the tournament and bagged £66,000 in the process.

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Carson Branstine made her debut at Wimbledon this week[/caption]

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It has been a long journey to the All England Club for the Canadian[/caption]

Instagram @carsonbranstine

Branstine has juggled multiple jobs alongside her tennis career[/caption]

Instagram @carsonbranstine

She has a degree in Society, Ethics and Law[/caption]

Instagram

The Canadian has worked as a model and as a delivery driver[/caption]

Branstine was defeated by world No1 Aryna Sabalenka but she was delighted to make just her second ever Grand Slam appearance.

It has been a difficult journey for the 24-year-old to reach the All England Club, with Branstine revealing she was reduced to tears after realising she only had £19 ($26) left in her bank account.

She told Telegraf.rs: “When you play ITF tournaments and finance your own life as a young athlete, everything is very expensive. 

“I live in Southern California, and just filling up the tank was seriously draining my bill.

“I remember one morning, a couple of weeks before I played my first WTA final in Cancun, I looked at my account balance and only had $26.

“I thought about how I’m going to finance myself for the tournament now. I cried. I called my friends, I wasn’t allowed to call my parents – if they found out, they would be very angry.

“I just said to myself, ‘Don’t think too much. Do it.’ And so after training I drove around Los Angeles and delivered dinners to people.”

Branstine, who has been labelled ‘Wimbledon’s most beautiful debutant’, funded her tennis career by working as a delivery driver.

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She has also worked as a model and boasts a Bachelor’s degree in Society, Ethics, and Law with a double minor in Philosophy and Sports Management.

The California resident even assisted a lawyer and attended court, working on cases involving family law.

But modelling is her favourite work outside of tennis, with Branstine admitting she loves being in front of the camera.

She said: “I love being in front of the camera during a shoot.

“It’s fun, I love fashion. It’s been one of the reasons I’ve been able to pay some of my trips.

“I didn’t want to ask my parents for anything. I wanted everything to come from me and from my tennis.

“I wasn’t signed by these agencies because of my tennis, it was for my look.

“Modelling and tennis are weirdly similar – you are an object a lot, and people sometimes forget you’re a person too.”

Instagram @carsonbranstine

Branstine has made just two Grand Slams in her career[/caption]

Instagram @carsonbranstine

She was once reduced to tears by her bank balance[/caption]

Instagram @carsonbranstine

Instagram @carsonbranstine