World Leaks

TOM BRADY produced a funny retort after being given an X-rated welcome by travelling Wrexham fans.

The NFL legend was in attendance at St Andrew’s watching his Birmingham side take on the Red Dragons.

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Tom Brady took a lap of the pitch ahead of kick-off[/caption]

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Brady spoke with his opposite number Rob McElhenney before the game[/caption]

He walked a lap of the pitch ahead of kick-off which meant he had to pass the travelling Wrexham contingent, and he was given a frosty reception.

Brady, 47, was jeered and some fans began singing: “Who the f***ing hell are you?”

Others used even more expressive language but Brady had the perfect response.

The American raised a thumbs up at the Wrexham supporters and beamed from ear to ear as he pointed at one, winding them up further.

Brady is still fairly new to the EFL having become a minority owner at Birmingham last year, but he appears to be enjoying the experience.

Towards the end of the match he applauded in response to the outbreak of a mass brawl involving almost every player on the pitch.

Wrexham’s Paul Mullin was at the heart of the incident after he almost bit Birmingham defender Alex Cochrane.

Blues star Krystian Bielik began pushing and shoving the striker and his team-mate Andy Cannon.

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Bielik was booked along with Wrexham’s James McClean, who also made an X-rated gesture to Blues fans as he was substituted and was seen shouting in the dugout area.

Wrexham had taken an early lead in the contest through Jack Marriott but a double from Jay Stansfield inspired a comeback from the home side before Tomoki Iwata wrapped up the three points.

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Brady invited David Beckham to the match as his guest[/caption]

ASTON VILLA called it perfectly in their tribute to club legend Gary Shaw, who sadly died yesterday, aged 63.

“Shaw was the golden boy of Villa’s golden era,” the club said simply on its official website.

With his shock of golden locks and winning smile, the kid from Kingshurst, Solihull could easily have been a star of the big screen if he’d fancied it.

Instead he became the local lad every kid kicking a ball in the streets of Brum wanted to be like – the only Brummie in that legendary line-up.

Sharp and tenacious on the park, with an eye for goal, he was at the heart of all that was good about Villa in those heady, halcyon days of the early 80’s when they won the title, European Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

He was one of their own – and remained that way until the end.

But his admirers stretched well beyond the borders of Birmingham ….including one Diego Maradona!

When Villa beat Barcelona to win the European Super Cup, Shaw seemed to cover every blade of grass on the Nou Camp.

He terrorised Barca’s defence and impressed perhaps the world’s greatest ever player at the other end of the pitch.

Maradona was so impressed with Shaw’s performance he sent one of the club’s backroom staff to Villa’s dressing room with his shirt, with orders to bring back Shaw’s jersey as a swap.

However, Shaw later revealed the great man never got his wish – because Villa’s kitman argued shirts were far too expensive to hand out to opponents!

It was shameful that while Maradona recognised and appreciated Shaw’s abundant talent – his nation never truly did.

Although the baby-faced assassin won seven Under-21 caps and was voted England‘s and Europe’s Young Footballer of the Year, he was never awarded a full cap.

Despite scoring 79 goals in 213 appearances for Villa, including a quarter-final strike against Dynamo Kiev in the European Cup run – one of three he scored during that glorious Euro run – he never won a senior cap for England.

Although Ron Greenwood named him in his preliminary squad for the 1982 World Cup in Spain he axed him from his final selection.

England exited the tournament following goalless draws with Germany and Spain.

“I’d just scored 24 goals, no penalties, no free-kicks, and I’m sitting on a beach in Ibiza having a San Miguel,” he said.

But it was Villa Park which was his kingdom until a terrible knee injury suffered at Nottingham Forest shortened what should have been an even longer, even more glorious career.

He tried to prolong his stellar career with moves to Copenhagen, Kilmarnock, Austria and Hong Kong before he retired in 1992. 

He later worked as a statistical analyst for the Press Association and OPTA and was a matchday ambassador for his beloved Villa.

One kid he coached, during a spell as a Villa Youth coach, was fortunate that some of Shaw’s magic rubbed off on him.

Gabby Agbonlahor went on to become Villa’s greatest ever Premier League goalscorer with 74 goals.

Last night he paid tribute to the player he worshipped as a kid and respected as a mentor. 

“He used to take me, Luke and Stefan Moore, Darius Vassell off for shooting drills,” Agbonlahor said. 

“He took the strikers, practiced finishing with us, showed us the art of goalscoring.

“He should have been the guy who told everyone what he had done and what a good player he was but he just concentrated on coaching.

“He never mentioned what he achieved. He was so humble. He was a local lad like me.

“He was a genuinely nice guy. It’s devastating news.

“I hope the club gives him the send off that a true legend of the club deserves.”

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DO you ever feel short of breath or light-headed?

It could be a symptom of atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that can often go undiagnosed.

A study of 10.5million US adults revealed that cases could be three times more common than previously thought.

In the UK, it is thought that 1.5million people have AF.

But an estimated 270,000 people are undiagnosed and unaware, according to the British Heart Foundation.

AF is a form of abnormal heart rhythm and those with it may feel like their heart is racing or they have irregular heartbeats.

You should see a GP if you notice any of the symptoms, or if you have chest pain that comes and goes.

But always call 999 if that chest pain spreads to the arms, back, neck or jaw, feels tight or heavy, comes with shortness of breath, sweating or feeling sick, as this could indicate a heart attack.

Here’s a selection of what readers have asked me this week . . . 

Seeing red at flare ups

Q: I AM a 65-year-old woman in good health.

But my problem is the reaction of the skin on my face to certain things.

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A reader’s face is red and itchy all the time and they can’t seem to find a remedy[/caption]

It’s upsetting me so much and I don’t know what to do.

Anything I use on my face either makes it red or itchy.

I’ve spent hundreds of pounds on creams, cleansers and moisturisers, but I seem to have a reaction to everything.

I paid privately to see a dermatologist who said it was eczema.

He gave me a steroid cream and emollient cream.

After four weeks though, my face had a really bad flare-up.

I’ve also paid to see a beautician who deals with acne.

She says it isn’t acne but the products she told me to use have not helped and just caused another flare-up.

It wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t on my face. I’ve not had this before.

A: Thank you so much for writing in.

Our face is the very first thing people see when they meet us so I understand how difficult this must be for you.

I’d like to know what the ‘flare-ups’ look like. Is there inflammation?

Or red skin, pustules, spots or itching?

The type of flare-up you’re getting can go some way to helping diagnose the underlying issue.

It sounds from your description as though it could potentially be either eczema or rosacea.

You say you saw a dermatologist privately and you’ve also seen a beauty therapist but you don’t mention taking this issue to your GP or practice nurse?

If you haven’t already, please make an appointment with your doctor, who can refer you to another dermatologist or ask for their advice if necessary.

In the meantime while you wait for an appointment, start keeping a diary so you can see if anything you eat, anywhere you go or anything you are exposed to is making a difference.

It could be that your face flares at certain times of the day or that it’s worse after sunny days, which might indicate rosacea.

Also think about whether you actually need expensive products for your face.

If you are hydrated and eat, rest and sleep well and don’t have dry skin, you might want to consider just using a very simple cleanser and emollient on your face at least for the time being.

Good luck and please don’t give up pursuing a diagnosis.

Q: I HAVE been on carbamazepine tablets for trigeminal neuralgia for a year.

I had a review two weeks ago and was told people should not be on them any longer than 12 months, yet I was given no alternative treatment and instead offered another year-long prescription.

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A reader has been suffering from trigeminal neuralgia for a year[/caption]

I’m aware I can’t just stop them, so could you please give me a safe way to come off them?

I am a man aged 69, and the condition came on suddenly after I contracted Covid.

It’s so bad that I can’t touch the hairs on my moustache without getting an “electric shock”.

I’m at my wits’ end.

A: Trigeminal neuralgia is often described as a shooting pain that affects the face, and many people do liken it to an electric shock.

It affects the trigeminal nerve, which carries signals from the face to the brain and it can be incredibly painful, debilitating and massively affect quality of life so I’m not surprised to hear you’re at your wits’ end.

If carbamazepine is helping then you absolutely can take it for longer than 12 months unless you have major issues with it or side-effects, which can include dizziness, drowsiness, shaking and speech difficulties to name a few.

If you are experiencing any of the side-effects, there are other drugs such as gabapentin and phenytoin which can potentially be tried instead.

The fact you’ve been given another 12-month prescription suggests to me that your GP is aware you can take it for longer than 12 months but it seems there have been some crossed wires somewhere, with you being led to believe it can’t be continued long term.

It’s best to call your GP surgery or request an e-consult for clarification.

If your symptoms are not well controlled with medication then there are a number of minor surgical procedures that can be used to treat trigeminal neuralgia – usually by “damaging” the nerve to stop it sending pain signals – but these are generally only effective for a few years.

Pregnancy has brought on bad IBS

Q: I AM four months into my pregnancy and have developed chronic IBS from nowhere.

I’ve never had it before and wonder what could be causing it.

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You can develop IBS during pregnancy[/caption]

A: Yes, it is possible to develop new-onset irritable bowel syndrome during pregnancy.

IBS is a fairly common condition affecting the digestive system that can cause uncomfortable symptoms that come and go.

Hormonal changes, especially increased progesterone, slow down our digestion, leading to constipation, bloating, and discomfort similar to IBS.

Stress and dietary adjustments during pregnancy can also trigger symptoms, as can the growing size of the uterus putting pressure on the intestines.

While IBS isn’t considered harmful, it is essential to rule out other potential causes of these symptoms which can be more serious – such as infections, inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease, thyroid dysfunction, allergies, intolerances or bowel cancer.

So it is a good idea to get in touch with your GP and be checked over thoroughly.

If other causes have been ruled out then managing IBS in pregnancy usually involves taking measures to reduce stress, staying hydrated, and adjusting your diet.

For example, avoid common triggers such as fatty, fried or spicy food and carbonated drinks.

It can also help to eat smaller, more frequent meals to reduce bloating and discomfort.

Staying regularly active is important during pregnancy and certain activities such as pregnancy yoga and Pilates can be very effective at alleviating symptoms of IBS.

You may be able to access a dietician through your GP or maternity team so do share these symptoms with members of your antenatal team.

A MUM has revealed how she ended up with a spacious three-bed council home, despite her and her partner having jobs.

TikTok user @ashlan_hindle uploaded a clip explaining how they managed to get the number of bedrooms they did, even with having just one child.

Tiktok/@ashlan_hindle

Ashlan Hindle gave a tour around her spacious council home[/caption]

Tiktok/@ashlan_hindle

She shared: “I lied on my council house claim form. I’m a single mother, I don’t work, and I receive benefits—are all the assumptions I’ve had in my comments regarding how I got my council house.

“So, let’s discuss how I actually got it. 

“I received a Section 21, which meant I was getting evicted from my private rented property.

“This was due to no fault of our own, just purely because the landlord needed to sell the property. 

“I was given eight weeks to move out with a baby.

“ We searched high and low for all kinds of private rented accommodation, but there was nothing on the market due to it being so close to Christmas.”

Ashlan shared how she contacted her local council the day she received her eviction notice, and said it was thankfully a “very quick transition.”

In the video, she showed her modern-looking home, with a stylish white kitchen, large garden and spacious bedrooms.

She added: “However, I will inform you that we are a two-parent, two-income household. 

“We don’t receive any sort of help. 

“So, to all of you saying, ‘Ah, this is what being a single mother gets ya,’ it isn’t the case. 

“My partner and I are both on the tenancy agreement, and my child is registered as being here.

“I have no idea how I managed to get a three-bedroom household, I really don’t, but hand on heart, I’m so, so grateful for it. I count my blessings every single day. Much love.”

Her video has racked up over 3,000 likes, and people were supportive of her situation.

Tiktok/@ashlan_hindle

One said: “This is what the system is for, to stop hardworking families becoming homeless through no fault of their own. 

“Don’t apologise or feel bad for having a lovely home! Congratulations .”

Another added: “I got a 3 bed council house as a single person with no dependents, it was pot luck I managed to get mine, some areas if you earn over 15k a year you’re entitled to a 3 bed.”

Meanwhile, one mum wrote: “I’m a single mum to a 1 year old, while also working full time and have received a section 21 got in contact with my local council to be told they can’t help me at all.”

SOME of the world’s best snooker players are currently battling it out at the English Open in Brentwood – and Ronnie O’Sullivan kickstart his campaign TODAY!

The Rocket will be hoping to avoid a shock early upset against Chinese star He Guoqiang.

John Higgins is also in action as he looks to become only the second player to hit 1000 century breaks after O’Sullivan.

• Day six start time: 10am BST
• Live stream: discovery+
• TV channel: Eurosport
• Explainer: What is the English Open 2024 prize money?

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THE price of coffee beans is at a 13-year high — making our daily caffeine fix more expensive.

Wholesale prices shot up by 2.6 per cent to $2.64 (£2) per pound this week, the highest since 2011.

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Coffee bean prices have jumped 40 per cent in the past year after poor harvests in Vietnam and Brazil[/caption]

One pound of coffee beans can make about 30 cups.

Most big coffee chains have hiked prices by a third in the past three years, with a fancy latte now costing £5 in London.

Coffee bean prices have jumped 40 per cent in the past year after poor harvests in Vietnam and Brazil.

Supply chain disruption in the Red Sea has also played a part.

And coffee farmers in Vietnam are instead growing durian — the world’s stinkiest fruit — to cater for high demand from China.

Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank, said: “Drought in Vietnam and farmers switching to other products is the main reason why [coffee] is trading at record levels.

The cost of your cuppa will likely rise further, although it’s worth remembering that only a fraction of the final cost is the actual cost of the beans.”

Beans are estimated to make up just ten per cent of a takeaway coffee’s cost. The rest is for packaging, equipment, wages and shop rents.

Officials said Routh could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the first charge, and a possible five-year sentence on the second charge.