Graham Thorpe, a former England and Surrey cricketer, “spiralled into depression” after losing his job as a batting coach in 2022, according to an inquest.
The 55-year-old was struck by a train on August 4, 2024, and his widow, Amanda Thorpe, later claimed that he had committed suicide.
According to an inquest held on Wednesday at Woking Coroner’s Court, Mr. Thorpe had been depressed and anxious since being diagnosed with anxiety in 2018. He had previously attempted to commit suicide in 2022.
Mrs. Thorpe claimed that, until 2020, there had been no psychological issues apart from “a bout of depression” in 2018, which had no impact on his employment.
Her statement then addressed a 2022 incident involving a leaked Australian video that had caused Mr. Thorpe to become “distraught.”
The video, which was initially reported at the time, showed Tasmanian police breaking up a drinking match between England and Australia players.
Mrs. Thorpe described the time as “horrible,” calling it a “real shock” and “decline” of his mental health the day after his employment with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was terminated.
Geoff Thorpe, Mr. Thorpe’s father, claimed in a statement that the video incident had “caused catastrophic harm to him.”
The ECB’s chief medical officer, Professor Nick Pierce, stated in a statement that Mr. Thorpe’s private health insurance coverage was extended until May after his employment ended in February 2022.
He claimed that there was no “intent to end life” or “a risk of self harm” during Mr. Thorpe’s time working for the ECB.
Dr. Joan Munnelly, Mr. Thorpe’s GP, said the cricketer had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression in 2018. Coroner Jonathan Stevens read a statement from Dr. Munnelly, the coroner.
Dr. Munnelly claimed Thorpe received a brain injury as a result of his 2022 attempt to commit suicide.
By 2023, her husband was having suicidal thoughts, according to Mrs. Thorpe, and was “in a terrible way” after Christmas that year.
In June of last year, Mr. Thorpe and the people who provided his psychiatric care made the last contact.
Rick Beardsell, the winner of Dragons Den, has been sentenced after being found guilty of using Covid loans to finance the purchase of a £1.3 million home in a sought-after village in Cheshire.
A Dragons’ Den winner has been sentenced after pocketing Covid loans(Image: Instagram/ricky_racer_)
A Dragons’ Den winner has been sentenced after pocketing Covid loans to buy a £1.3 million mansion. Rick Beardsell, who had previously received a £75,000 investment from TV Dragons Tej Lalvani and Deborah Meaden in 2015 for his successful protein shake bottle business, ShakeSphere, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years, after prosecutors told a judge he had since paid all the money back.
The 46-year-old father of two was only permitted to apply for one Bounce Back loan, which would be up to £50, 000, but he knowingly applied for two before exaggerating his annual turnover by up to 23 times.
In order to help pay for the purchase of a five-bedroom property in Prestbury, Cheshire, which is home to a number of celebrities, Beardsell illegally used two Covid business loans worth £100,000 to help finance the purchase of a five-bed property. He has also won a total of seven gold medals for GB in the World Masters Athletics Championships.
Dragons Den winner, Rick Beardsell, has been sentenced after being found guilty of using Covid loans to help buy a £1.3 million home(Image: Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)
The dad-of-two was supposed to use the taxpayer’s cash to help his other firm, which sells sportswear, but none of the money he was given went to the company, reports the Mirror’s sister title, the Manchester Evening News.
Instead, he used the Covid loan funds to pay off his mortgage and transfer cash to family members in order to purchase a £1.3 million house in Prestbury.
After admitting two counts of fraud, Beardsell, who held the fastest record for a 36-year-old in a 400-meter sprint at the 2015 WMA and who held the fastest record for a 36-year-old in another court, was sentenced to three years in prison. He was, however, given an 18-month, two-year prison sentence.
The dad-of-two was sentenced to 18 months in prison suspended for two years, after prosecutors told a judge he had since paid all the money back.(Image: Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)
For his protein shake bottle business, Beardsell had previously made wise investments from TV Dragons Tej Lalvani and Deborah Meaden, which helped him achieve worldwide sales of more than a million shakers over the course of two years.
In connection with his other business, Sports Creative Ltd., according to Geoff Whealan, prosecutor for the Insolvency Service, Beardsell submitted phony applications for Bounce Back Loans to HSBC in December 2020 and then to NatWest in January 2021.
The defendant claimed on the HSBC form that Sports Creative’s turnover was £485,000, while NatWest’s claimed it was £320,000, despite unaudited financial statements that revealed a £20, 622 turnover for the year ending February 2020. He continued, ” “
Beardsell’s counsel Nichola Cafferkey said in mitigation: ‘The loss of his good character is of some significance in respect of a man who has dedicated his life to his family’(Image: Instagram/ricky_racer_)
The turnover was obviously exaggerated in order to obtain the maximum bounce-back loan, and subsequent transactions demonstrated that Sports Creative’s funds were not being being used for economic gain or business purposes at the time. ‘
According to Mr. Whelan, “The bounce back loan funds had actually been used for this purchase,” and it can be inferred from the defendant’s behavior that at the time he applied for them. However, the defendant has repaid the bounce-back loans to each bank in terms of repayment.
The loss of a man who has dedicated his life to his family, his professional endeavors, and also his sporting endeavors is of some significance, according to Beardsell’s attorney Nichola Cafferkey.
Continue reading the article.
READ MORE: Shoppers bag 15% off ‘first class’ TV and £100 food vouchers in deal that ends in days
Nearly 80 students who participated in protests against Israel’s occupation of Gaza were expelled, given one-to-three-year suspensions, and were denied degrees at Columbia University.
The university’s annual alumni weekend, which includes the May 7, 2025, Butler Library demonstration on its campus, and the May 31, 2024, “Revolt for Rafah” encampment, have been adjourned from the Judicial Board’s findings on Tuesday.
Pro-Palestinian student camps at Columbia University became the scene of a global wave of campus demonstrations against Israel’s occupation of Gaza in 2024. Before university administrators called NYPD officers to dismantle the camps, which drew dozens of arrests.
In a post on X, Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), an umbrella coalition of student groups, wrote, “Suspension from Columbia for protesting genocide is the highest honour.”
The student body remarked, “We reject Columbia has any reputation that it is deserving of protecting, and we categorically state that we do not want to uphold it.”
Why, then, did Columbia fire these students? And why has the Trump administration repressed higher education?
What has occurred?
Nearly 80 students have been disciplined by Columbia University for participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, “separating them from the University.”
Following a number of demonstrations on campus, including the Butler Library’s occupation by students during the school’s final exams on May 7 earlier this year, the disciplinary action follows.
That day, 78 people were detained by the NYPD. In response to the protests, the university is asking to cut all financial ties with Israel, cut all financial relationships with Israel, and show solidarity with Palestinians as the Israeli military fights on.
The suspended students took part in a “peaceful teach-in” that included readings and discussions of the Palestinian author and activist Basil al-Araj, who was killed by Israeli forces in 2017 according to student organizers.
Civil liberties organizations and fellow students have voiced opposition to the massive disciplinary action, which has been hailed as the largest of its kind in Columbia’s history.
According to organizers, the crackdown is a part of a larger effort to stop pro-Palestinian activism on US campuses, and it is related to a pending agreement between Columbia and Trump administration officials.
The majority of students were suspended for two years, according to Columbia Spectator, the university’s student newspaper. According to reports, the students have been asked to apologize to the university before returning to campus.
The Trump administration announced earlier this year that it would withhold about $400 million from funding Columbia University, citing the school’s alleged failure to adequately address anti-Semitism in the wake of campus pro-Palestinian protests.
In exchange for negotiations to reinstate its funding, Columbia agreed to a list of demands made by the government. The university also consented to enforcing a ban on face-protected clothing and gave 36 campus police officers unique authority to arrest students, among other things.
Following a protest at Butler Library on the Columbia University campus in New York, US, on May 7, 2025, protesters were detained by police and loaded into NYPD buses.
What has Columbia said?
The University claimed in a statement released on Tuesday that hundreds of students had been impacted by the disruption at Butler Library during the reading period, which ultimately resulted in the interim suspension of Columbia participants.
According to the university, sanctions would include probation, one-year to three-year suspensions, degree revocations, and expulsions.
In order to protect student privacy, it did not disclose the names of the students who faced each of these sanctions or how many were facing them.
Our institution must concentrate on fulfilling its academic mission for the community. Respect for one another and the institution’s fundamental work, policies, and rules must also be maintained, according to the statement. “Discretion of University policies and regulations results in consequences for academic activities that result in disruptions.”
What has the response been?
Just over a month after the 30-year-old, a legal permanent resident of the United States, was released from immigration custody , in Louisiana, President Donald Trump met with lawmakers in Washington, DC, to discuss the suspensions and expulsions.
Under the Trump administration, Khalil is still facing deportation because it has relied on a secret provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 to deport foreign students who engage in pro-Palestinian advocacy.
The student activist group Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), an umbrella coalition of student organizations, criticized Columbia for its Tuesday suspensions and expulsions, noting that “While the US and Israel starve 2.1 million Gazans to death, Columbia has diligently worked with Trump’s administration to suspend dozens of students for pro-Palestine activism.”
The group claimed that the suspensions “hugely exceed sentencing precedent for teach-ins or non-Palestine-related building occupations” and that they were the highest suspensions ever for a single political protest in Columbia’s history.
Despite the school’s sanctions, the student body stated in its statement that “students continue to support the US- and Columbia-backed genocide against Israel.”
The group continued, “Every university in Gaza has been destroyed,” quoting testimony from students’ July disciplinary hearings. Academicians have been murdered in the hundreds. Incinerated books and archives The civil registry has been made indefinite for entire families. Not a war, this. It is an “erasure campaign”
“We won’t be deterred,” he declared. According to the statement, “We are committed to the struggle for Palestinian liberation.”
On May 7, 2025, pro-Palestinian protesters gathered inside Butler Library on the Columbia University campus in New York, US [Ryan Murphy/Reuters]
Why has Trump repressed the university sector?
Comparisons have been made between the anti-Vietnam War era, when student activism directly challenged US foreign policy, and the anti-war protests against Israel’s occupation of Gaza that took place last year across US university campuses from Columbia to UCLA to Harvard.
Trump capitalizes on this by portraying students as part of a left-wing, anti-Semitic uprising and imposing sanctions on universities, particularly “elite” ones.
According to the administration, universities have failed to protect Jewish students from harassment and violence during demonstrations, citing incidents of anti-Semitic chants and campfires.
The administration has been conducting investigations by the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Education against more than 50 universities, including Columbia, since the beginning of 2025.
As evidenced by demands placed on Harvard and Columbia, executive orders and actions have been implemented, including freezing billions in federal research grants and threatening to revoke tax-exempt status or accreditation.
The Harvard program’s refusal to have its programs audited for “ideological capture” resulted in the freezing of billions of dollars in federal funding. The administration threatened to outlaw international students from Harvard, citing “national security” and “high campus crime rates, which underscore the White House’s grip on universities.
Harvard has sued the administration to get a temporary ban on international students from entering the country.
Jess Potter, a married At First Sight UK star, and her partner, TJ O’Reilly, are expecting a child. On her social media page, she shared images of the newborn.
Married At First Sight star gives birth to baby girl after five days in hospital(Image: Channel 4)
Married At First Sight UK star Jess Potter has welcomed a baby girl after spending five days in the hospital. The TV personality and her partner, TJ O’Reilly, named the newborn Mia Jane O’Reilly, with Jess sharing sweet snaps of the adorable baby with fans on her Instagram page.
“After 5 days at hospital, 4 days in early Labour, 12 hours of active labour..a lot of screaming. I had the birth Ive always wanted… Mia Jane O’Reilly 6lbs 6oz born 4:51am 23rd July. You’re perfect in every kind of way,” the star, who previously opened up about her IVF journey, captioned the series of photos, which included Jess cradling Mia to her chest as she recovered at the hospital.
READ MORE: Shoppers bag 15% off ‘first class’ TV and £100 food vouchers in deal that ends in days
Jess has welcomed a baby girl with her partner(Image: jesspotter_xx/Instagram)
Mia was seen balancing on Jess’ chest while a plate of jam on toast was on her in one image. Her friends and supporters congratulated the star in the comments section.
“So glad you got there in the end! Well done, Jess! Welcome to the world baby Mia,” one user said and another posted: “Aww Jess! Huge congratulations to you both – she is beautiful and you look amazing too!”
One fan congratulated her on the biggest, most sincere way, saying, “My darling! You’re so happy you had your desired and necessary birth! Look at that flawless face, she is simply stunning! I’m so happy for you.
The star announced her pregnancy earlier this year(Image: jesspotter_xx/Instagram)
“Oh my goodness Jess, well done and congratulations. She’s perfect,” another added. The star suffered from infertility issues for several years before she announced her pregnancy in January.
Our journey has been filled with heartache, hope, and resilience, Jess wrote at the time, “After almost 3 years, 3 failed IVF cycles, 4 losses, and hundreds of injections,” Jess said.
“But today, we’re overjoyed to announce our miracle baby, who will arrive in July 2025! No matter how far the road may lead, dreams do indeed turn into reality thanks to this little heartbeat.
She rose to fame on the 2022 version of MAFS UK(Image: Channel 4)
“Thank you to everyone who has aided us throughout the process. We see you, and we’re giving space to your story for those who are still waiting. Jess and Tom, with love. Without @fertilysis, all of this would be true, so a special mention should be made.
Jess and TJ shared photos of the couple’s romantic trip to Barcelona in October 2023, and Jess made the announcement.
Just in case I overlooked it, we are engaged! most flawless engagement ever, she said in a clip of him kneeling to propose.
In the E4 reality series’ 2022 series, Jess rose to fame. She and Pjay Finch were duped, but the two ended up being one of the first couples to leave the experiment.
Continue reading the article.
Follow Mirror Celebs on Threads, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok.
READ MORE: 11 of the best summer reads to pack in your suitcase or staycation at home
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil, praised the two nations’ “invincible” relationship when he visited China earlier this year for his third meeting with Xi Jinping since taking office in 2023.
According to experts, the proximity will likely increase even more now with President Trump’s announcement to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports for obvious political reasons.
According to Tulio Cariello, director of content and research at the Brazil-China Business Council (CEBC), “the relationship between Brazil and China is much more positive and promising than the one with the United States today.”
Brazil was shocked by Trump’s pledge to impose a 50-percent tariff on Brazil, which is scheduled to go into effect on August 1. This is especially true given that, as Trump had previously stated on April 2, Brazilian imports will be subject to 10 percent of the “Liberation Day” tariffs.
In addition, that was significantly lower than the percentages other Brazilian competitors in the United States had, which indicates that there is still room for growth for businesses in South America’s most populated nation.
Thus, the sudden decision to impose a 50-percent tariff was a rude shock, especially for industries like car parts, coffee, and orange juice, which are major US exporters.
Following the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, where leaders of developing nations expressed “serious concerns” about the increase in tariffs, which it claimed were “incompatible with WTO]WTO] rules, the 50-percent tariff was introduced.
Trump directly connected the tariff to former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s current predicament, which he called a “witch hunt,” in a letter defending the measure. Bolsonaro, who is frequently referred to as the “Trump of the tropics,” is facing legal action for allegedly trying to sway a coup to hold onto his position of power despite his 2022 defeat to Lula.
Trump also falsely claimed a Brazil trade deficit. Brazil has a $ 7.4 billion deficit with the US and a $ 31 billion surplus with China.
The tariffs’ political nature marked a sharp departure from Trump’s usual rationale, which caused widespread condemnation from China and Brazil’s political spectrum.
A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in the aftermath that “tariffs should not be used as a tool of coercion, intimidation, or interference.”
Trump risks tarnishing the US’s reputation as a trustworthy trade partner by using tariffs as political leverage rather than economic reasons, according to experts, making China appear more predictable and stable in comparison.
According to Mauricio Weiss, an economics professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, “China has shown no indication of backtracking on decisions or making abrupt changes.”
boosting Chinese ties
The Asian nation surpassed Brazil in 2009, according to  , and trade and investment ties between the two nations have only grown stronger since.
On Monday, Brazil’s Ministry of Finance announced plans to set up a tax advisory office in Beijing, a start of a positive trend. Brazil has only four other countries with such offices, three in South America and one in the US.
The Brazilian government’s ministry said in a statement to Al Jazeera that the motivation is not politically motivated, but rather that it is because of the need to strengthen cooperation in fiscal and customs matters.
China has sought to increase domestic production by gaining access to both natural resources and raw materials, including oil, iron ore, copper, lithium, and agricultural products.
However, China has, according to CEBC, invested more than $ 73 billion in Brazil since 2007. Energy, infrastructure, agribusiness, and technology are some of the key sectors where the majority of those funds are going.
Weiss remarked that while the United States invests more heavily in Brazil, China’s investments are more focused and coordinated across all levels.
Brazilians are also consuming more and more Chinese goods. Seven out of ten electric vehicles sold in Brazil were produced by Chinese manufacturer BYD, which is now a common sight.
BYD’s purchase of a massive factory in Brazil’s northeastern state of Bahia was especially symbolic of China’s growing presence, which was to the detriment of the US.
Additionally, the two nations have agreed to look into how transportation can be integrated. A bi-oceanic rail corridor connecting Brazil and Chancay, a port built by China, is planned.
China’s regional influence was clearly demonstrated by Xi’s inauguration of the megaport in November, where total investment is anticipated to be worth $3.5 billion over the next ten years.
In response to concerns about Trump’s intentions for the region, other Latin American countries like Peru, Colombia, and Chile have also indicated their intention to rekindle relations with China. He has previously pledged to “take back” the Panama Canal, including through force.
Some claim that Brazil’s strengthening of relations with China does not imply that the South American nation will begin exporting goods to China because the two nations purchase goods from Brazilian companies in very different ways.
Brazil won’t export its goods to China because of this. That isn’t very logical, according to Livio Ribeiro, a researcher at the Getulio Vargas Foundation’s Brazilian Institute of Economics.
Weiss believes that Chinese investments could still be crucial in enabling Brazil to expand its industrial potential and diversify its economy.
Weiss argued that the ability to produce more of these products both domestically and internationally will already present a significant growth opportunity.
Lula said that because “China needs Brazil and Brazil needs China,” both countries will be “indispensable partners.”
In the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) semi-final, Super Falcons coach Justin Madugu claims the Banyana Banyana were a tough opponent for his team despite their victory over South Africa.  ,
The Super Falcons defeated their rivals 2-1 on Wednesday at Casablanca, Morocco, to put Nigeria and the host nation in the final game.
Madugu, who addressed the post-game conference, acknowledged the players’ mental fortitude throughout the game, noting that it was a difficult game.
He claimed that the Super Falcons had been in trouble before South Africa reached an equalizer in the 60th minute, but he praised them for resuming play quickly and defeating Banyana Banyana.
Read more about Alozie’s Late Strike Getting Super Falcons into the WAFCON Final.
The players who are aiming to win Nigeria’s 10th WAFCON title, according to him, had a lot to gain from the victory.
