Blogs

NICK KYRGIOS appeared in Naomi Osaka’s player box to watch the four-time Grand Slam champion in action at Wimbledon.

But Osaka didn’t even know he was there.

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Nick Kyrgios wore a second layer despite the sweltering Wimbledon heat[/caption]

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Naomi Osaka defeated Aussie Talia Gibson[/caption]

Kyrgios, 30, is missing his third consecutive Wimbledon Championships due to injury.

Last year the Aussie appeared in SW19 as a pundit for the BBC, but he was not re-signed by the Corporation this time around.

Nevertheless, Kyrgios has made the long trip across the world to be at Wimbledon.

Last week he appeared on stage at Wimbledon Theatre as part of his Good Trouble podcast tour.

And on day one of the tournament, he trudged out to Court 18 to watch Osaka in action.

Kyrgios is signed to Osaka’s “Evolve” management group.

The pair have also signed up to play in the US Open’s revamped mixed doubles event in August.

Despite Wimbledon recording 33C temperatures today, incredibly Kyrgios wore more than one layer in the sweltering heat.

BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK

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Kyrgios is signed to Osaka’s management company[/caption]

Osaka, 27, got her Championships off to a perfect start by beating Gibson 6-4 7-6.

The Japanese superstar will meet either fifth seed Zheng Qinwen or Katarina Siniakova in the second round on Wednesday.

Following her win, Osaka admitted that she didn’t even know that Kyrgios had turned up: “Oh, he was there? I did not hear anything, okay.”

The former world No1 added: “Oh, my God. I jokingly told someone, Hey, I know Nick’s around, maybe he wants to come to my match.

“But I was joking, because I know we’re, like, two completely different players. Honestly, I would have loved to come to his matches, because I know he’s pretty fun.

“Yeah, I think that’s also a big part of why we’re different is ’cause I know he kind of like tells his box what to do, and he probably would have noticed if I was in there. I kind of, like, zone out most of the time.

“That’s a little embarrassing that he was there.

“I guess it is cool that he was there.”

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

President Marcos on Monday swore into office Ariel Nepomuceno as the new Bureau of Customs (BOC), replacing its head, Bienvenido Rubio, who earlier submitted his courtesy resignation. Before his new assignment, Nepomuceno was the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council  (NDRRMC) executive director and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) undersecretary after his appointment in

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Monday it was monitoring a low pressure area (LPA) inside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) with a “medium chance” of developing into a storm after a day or two. The LPA was located 920 kilometers east of Central Luzon as of Monday afternoon.

AN ADVENTUROUS voyager has embarked on an extraordinary 15-year luxury cruise circumnavigating the globe – and admits she may never go back home.

Sharon Lane, 77, is currently onboard the Villa Vie Odyssey – a mega 600ft vessel which is set to visit almost every holiday hotspot Earth has to offer.

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The Villa Vie Odyssey is a mega 600ft vessel offering permanent cabins[/caption]

The residential cruise, which sells cabins on a permanent basis rather than for short trips, boasts lavish rooms which start at $129,000 for 15 years.

The ship has a jaw-dropping itinerary which includes 425 destinations across 147 countries – around 75 per cent of all nations on Earth.

Residents will be taken on trips which have been broken down into different segments.

One of the segments takes passengers across North America, while another will go across Japan and the Philippine Sea.

Residents will also enjoy trips to the South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand, North Asia, South Asia, South Europe and the Mediterranean, among others.

This means cruisegoers on board the Odyssey are bound to encounter their dream holiday destinations across the planet as part of the breathtaking adventure.

Passengers also have to pay monthly fees which start at $2,000 per person – but this includes free food and soft drinks, alcohol at dinner, Wi-Fi and medical visits.

The huge fees also include 24/7 room service, weekly housekeeping and bi-weekly laundry – and Sharon sees this as a great bonus.

The California woman stepped onto the cruise earlier this month, and is now part of the immense journey which will last a decade-and-a-half.

She told CNN Travel: “I’m finally able to do what I’ve wanted to do for years.”

She spent her entire life savings to purchase her interior cabin – and said it was a good deal.

The only other residential cruise ship on the planet currently at sea, The World, has a starting price of $2.5million – making Sharon’s trip a relative bargain.

Cruisegoers onboard the Villa Vie Odyssey can also experience free entertainment, which include singers, dancers and personal passenger performances, Sharon said.

The ship also boasts a diverse range of community members.

Villa Vie Residences’ CEO Mikael Petterson said: “We have a very diverse community including a Nobel Peace Prize winner, a White House chief of staff, an astronaut and many scientists and doctors onboard that share their knowledge and experiences.”

And Sharon admitted she was enjoying mingling with the other residents.

She said: “There’s very, very few, if any, people on the ship who are not lifelong travellers.

“When you’re with a group of people that think like you, life gets easier.”

The Odyssey usually stops in each port for two days, where passengers can go on optional shore trips for an additional fee.

Throughout the 15-year journey, the ship will continually circle the globe, calling at various popular holiday locations throughout its voyage.

Sharon said she is looking forward to seeing each stunning destination – but admitted she is most excited to spend time on the deck.

Her windowless cabin will be solely for sleeping, while she enjoys holidaying and relaxing on the shore and on the ship’s decadent exterior.

The groundbreaking ship cam “technically” house 924 people, Petterson explained, but some cabins have been merged together, bringing the total amount of rooms to about 450.

The CEO said: “Given the solo rate and that residents often travel away from the ship, we don’t expect more than 500 residents onboard at any given time.”

Those who buy a long-term cabin on the Odyssey can sell up if circumstances changes.

But for now, Sharon is in it for the long haul, looking to live out the next 15 years at sea as part of her dream life.

“There’s no end,” she says. “Sure, in 15 years… but in 15 years, I’ll be ready for a home… Or maybe, at the end, I’ll go on their next ship… I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.”

Sharon explained that being on deck is pure bliss, and her “happy place”.

She said: “Whenever the weather is good, I will be on that deck.

“And when the weather isn’t quite good, I’ll bundle up and be on that deck, because that is my happy place.

The traveller added: “You can stand there, you can sit there, you can chat with people, you can read a book.

“You have the ocean breeze, you have sea air.”

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The Villa Vie Odyssey will circumnavigate the globe[/caption]

A FORMER garda said a colleague carried out a “calculated, predatory act of violence” by impersonating her online and inciting men to come to her home and rape her.

Shane Flanagan, 39, with an address in Co Clare, impersonated the woman on the fetish website, FetLife.com, and on Facebook for the purpose of arranging for people to come to her home and rape her.

He created the accounts using the woman’s personal information, and shared details including her address, and photos of her and her daughters.

Flanagan pleaded guilty to two counts of inciting two men to rape the woman on dates between November and December 2020.

He also pleaded guilty to six counts of endangerment, in that he intentionally or recklessly engaged in impersonating the woman in Facebook communications, and on the website FetLife.com.

Reading her victim impact statement, the woman said Flanagan was a fellow garda, someone she had trusted as a friend, who was supposed to uphold the same professional values.

She said that Flanagan had “plotted” to have her and her daughters attacked, and he “planned for men to find us and carry out unspeakable acts of violence”.

The court had heard evidence of an extensive investigation, which connected the ­Fetlife account impersonating the woman to Flanagan.

In a letter of apology read to the court, Flanagan said that he felt “deep guilt, shame” and understands “I did not just cause fear, I destroyed a sense of fear, dignity and trust”.

Ms Justice Eileen Creedon remanded Flanagan in custody for finalisation of sentence next month.

IrishPhotoDesk.ie

Shane Flanagan impersonated the woman on the fetish website FetLife.com and on Facebook for the purpose of arranging for people to come to her home and rape her[/caption]

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Monday “strongly rejected” the proposal in the US Congress to establish an ammunition production and storage facility in this former American naval base. In an interview, Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap urged the public, as well as the legislators,

TACLOBAN CITY—Load limitations will be imposed on another key bridge in Eastern Visayas. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the region has issued an advisory limiting the allowable weight of all vehicles crossing the Liloan Bridge in Southern Leyte to 3 tons starting July 4. In its June 27 advisory, the DPWH

NAGA CITY, Philippines — Former Vice President and newly sworn-in Mayor Leni Robredo of this city on Monday vowed to lead a transparent and accountable city government, promising that corruption will have no place under her administration. “There will be no corruption under my term,” Robredo declared, earning applause from the audience, in a speech

A MAN has been charged with the unlawful killing of his 82-year-old maternal grandmother last February at her Co Cork home.

Brian Nnamdi Ogbo, 38, was previously charged with assault causing harm to Stella Nnamdi on February 23 last at Garrydhu Drive, Kilmoney Road, in Carrigaline. This charge was withdrawn by the State following the manslaughter charge.

Nnamdi Ogbo, who is a Nigerian national, was charged with manslaughter today at Cork District Court.

The charge is that on February 25 last at 17, Garrydhu Drive, Kilmoney Road, Carrigaline he unlawfully killed Stella Ejiatu Nnamdi.

Defending lawyer Donal Daly said that an application for bail would be made on July 7.

The defendant was being treated by a prison psychiatrist and he asked that a report from the specialist be made available to the court next week.

Evidence of arrest, charge and caution was previously given in the case by Detective Garda Tom Delaney.

Objecting to bail in the case, Garda Delaney said that Nnamdi Ogbo allegedly dragged his grandmother down the stairs by the head.

He stated that Nnamdi Ogbo was “caught red handed” and “corroborated the facts alleged” during a Garda interview.

He indicated that Mr Nnamdi Ogbo was a flight risk.

Garda Delaney said: “It is alleged that he broke into the upstairs bathroom where his grandmother was located and he dragged her out of there.

“He allegedly dragged her downstairs. She was off her feet and being dragged head first down the stairs and was pushed out of the house.

‘NO TIES TO THE JURISDICTION’

“Nobody required hospitalisation at the time of the occurrence. However Stella Nnamdi deteriorated and was taken to Cork University Hospital on Tuesday February 25 and died later that afternoon.

“He came to Ireland to seek international protection but there is no record of visa or travel documents. The accused has no ties to the jurisdiction.”

Nnamdi Ogbo told the court that he had never been in trouble in his life and came in to this country legally.

A post mortem examination was carried out on Stella Nnamdi at Cork University Hospital by State Pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers. The results were not released for operational reasons.

Ms Nnamdi was a Nigerian national who lived with her daughter in Carrigaline.

A psychiatric report will be prepared prior to the bail hearing and the defendant was remanded in custody pending his bail hearing.

Alamy

AS summer evenings stretch out before us, there’s nothing quite like enjoying a balmy night in your garden or on your patio. 

And to truly set the mood, the right lighting is essential. 

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Homebase is currently selling garden lighting for cheap[/caption]

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They shared a video on their TikTok account showing off their latest collection[/caption]

Forget fiddly wires and the need for outdoor sockets, because Homebase has just unveiled a range of premium outdoor lanterns that are both stylish and incredibly convenient – for under £30.

The buzz began with a recent TikTok video from @homebaseuk, showcasing these elegant additions to any outdoor space. 

Crafted from durable black metal with a sleek square design, these lanterns exude a sophisticated, contemporary feel that will instantly elevate your home’s exterior. 

Whether you’re looking to illuminate your doorway, create a welcoming glow on your porch, or add a touch of ambiance to your garden wall, these lanterns are perfectly suited.

What truly sets them apart is their hassle-free nature. 

They don’t require any plugs, making installation a breeze and offering ultimate flexibility in placement. 

Each lantern includes a warm white LED bulb, ready to cast a soft, inviting glow as soon as it’s installed. 

Plus, with an IP23 rating, you can rest assured they are protected from the elements, ensuring they’ll stand up to whatever the British summer throws at them.

For those dreaming of enchanting summer nights filled with laughter and al fresco dining, these Homebase lanterns are an absolute game-changer. 

At under £27, they offer a touch of luxury and practicality that’s hard to beat. 

Gardening fans are also flocking to Home Bargains to get their hands on their Jardin Hanging Glass Bird Bath for £3.99. 

Perfect for adding a touch of whimsy and wonder to your outdoor space, this isn’t just any garden ornament.

This eye-catching bird bath features a delightful stained glass-style design, adorned with vibrant flowers and delicate butterflies. 

It promises to become a captivating focal point, drawing the eye and adding a splash of colour to your green oasis. 

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The garden store has a solar panel light that attaches to the wall[/caption]

Homebase

It is currently on sale for £27[/caption]

As described on the Home Bargains website, it will “Transform your garden into a wildlife haven.” 

The bird bath invites local birds to “drink and bathe,” offering a much-needed spot for them to cool off and rehydrate, especially as the warmer weather arrives.

Crafted with care, the bird bath is hand-painted and frost-resistant, ensuring it can withstand the elements and remain a charming feature year-round. 

Measuring a generous 21x40cm, it provides ample space for a variety of birds to enjoy a refreshing dip.