8 h. ago Bath beat Lyon to win EPCR Challenge Cup and edge closer to trophy treble

The Premiership Cup winners beat the French side 37-12 in Cardiff.

Politics

9 h. ago Drunken fight between brothers ended in tragedy after ‘one punch’, court hears

Ben Starr, 34, inflicted a single fatal blow to his brother Lee at a motocross event

Events

11 h. ago Ben Stokes underlines importance with vital spell as England turn the screw against Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe (265 & 30-2) trail England (565/6d) by 270 runs: Back from an injured hamstring, the England captain produced a key burst of fast bowling to help his side seize total control at Trent Bridge

Politics

14 h. ago Ben Stokes strikes twice for England as Brian Bennett leads Zimbabwe resistance

Zimbabwe were 210 for five at tea replying to England’s 565 for six.

Events

17 h. ago England: Thomas Tuchel confirms why Ben White was not selected and why he will be in the future

The defender wants to play for England again since Gareth Southgate’s exit

Events

33 h. ago Zimbabwe come in from cold but left crying for help at early signs of mismatch | Andy Bull

Tourists are in England for the first time in 22 years and faced dual threats of hostile batting and cold weatherOf course the first morning of the summer was the worst morning of the summer. Test cricket, like a bank holiday picnic, is a reliable way to send the English sun running, and Zimbabwe’s first day of Test cricket in this country in 22 years started under thick ripples of ominous grey cloud, and in a freezing breeze. In the shop at the bottom of the Radcliffe Road Stand staff were sent running to the stock room to fetch up fresh boxes of beanie hats and hooded tops, as the crowd, caught short by the sudden dip in temperature after weeks of good weather, made an unexpected run on their supplies of winter clothing.Zimbabwe won the toss, which was the last thing that went their way all day. “We’ll have a bowl,” said their captain, Craig Ervine, and it must have seemed like a good idea at the time. Ben Stokes admitted he would have done the same thing himself given the conditi...

Politics

33 h. ago ‘I’m the right man’: Zak Crawley ignores pressure with century against Zimbabwe

‘I’ve been made a better player by people around me’Crawley’s place thought to be under threat from BethellIf Zak Crawley showed little sign of the pressure he was under as he became one of three English centurions on the opening day against Zimbabwe, it is possibly because he did not know he was under any.The opener’s place in the team was presumed to be at risk after a poor run of form was followed by heavy hints that Jacob Bethell would be parachuted straight into the team on his return from the IPL, but after scoring 124 – England’s third-highest innings of the day after Ben Duckett’s 140 and Ollie Pope’s unbeaten 169 – the 27-year-old insisted he had heard no such rumours and had felt nothing from his coaches and colleagues except support. Continue reading...

Events

34 h. ago Zak Crawley feels like ‘part of the team again’ after Trent Bridge century

Crawley hit 124 as the hosts powered to 498 for three on day one.

Politics

34 h. ago Violent Israeli settlers under UK sanctions join illegal West Bank outpost

Exclusive: Neria Ben Pazi and Zohar Sabah witnessed visiting base set up to drive Palestinians from homes• Middle East crisis live – latest updatesTwo violent Israeli settlers on whom sanctions were imposed by the UK government this week have joined a campaign to drive Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank village of Mughayyir al-Deir.Neria Ben Pazi’s organisation, Neria’s Farm, had sanctions imposed by London on Tuesday, as the UK suspended negotiations on a new free-trade deal with Israel over its refusal to allow aid into Gaza and cabinet ministers’ calls to “purify Gaza” by expelling Palestinians. Continue reading...

Politics

35 h. ago Ollie Pope smashes 169 off Zimbabwe to show England selectors his class

Only Test day 1: England 498-3 v ZimbabweDuckett and Crawley also hit centuries in one-off TestThere were shades of The Thick of It after Ben Stokes gave his press conference a day out from this one-off Test against Zimbabwe. When the minister – or in this instance the England captain – said Jacob Bethell would be straight back in for the series against India, this apparently referred to the squad and not necessarily the XI.That Stokes sought to make this clarification through the back channels perhaps said more about the task at hand than England’s true thoughts on the subject. No captain would ever wish to send a player out believing whatever they achieved would be irrelevant, not least a vice-captain and team-first character such as Ollie Pope. Continue reading...

Culture

37 h. ago Giro d’Italia: Olav Kooij sprints to stage 12 glory as Del Toro retains pink jersey

Winner helped by superb lead-out from Wout van AertDel Toro has 33sec lead over teammate Juan AyusoOlav Kooij sprinted to victory on stage 12 of the Giro d’Italia as Isaac del Toro retained the pink jersey in Viadana.Kooij was helped by a superb lead-out from Visma-Lease A Bike teammate Wout van Aert, with Casper van Uden second over the line ahead of Britain’s Ben Turner. Continue reading...

Politics

38 h. ago Ben Duckett hundred powers England into dominant position against Zimbabwe

Duckett made 140 as England reached two on 295 for one.

Politics

41 h. ago Virgin Island's male sex surrogate reveals what REALLY happens when he's not attracted to a client

Andre Lazarus and Kat Slade sat down with Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley on Thursday's instalment of This Morning.

Politics

41 h. ago Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett get England off to solid start against Zimbabwe

The hosts reached 130 without loss at lunch on day one at Trent Bridge.

Politics

42 h. ago Colson Smith says he will miss Coronation Street ‘forever’ after leaving soap

The 26-year-old played Craig Tinker on the show for 14 years.

Politics

42 h. ago Kaleb Cooper reveals the truth about his absence from Clarkson's Farm series four

The TV star, 26, featured on Thursday's instalment of This Morning and sat down with co-hosts Cat Deeley, 48, and Ben Shephard, 50.

Culture

51 h. ago Timothee Chalamet swaps Kylie Jenner for Ben Stiller as Hollywood stars sit together to watch Knicks play Pacers

The Hollywood stars have been regularly attending games at Madison Square Garden in recent months as the Knicks have surged into the Eastern Conference Finals.

Politics

54 h. ago The History of Sound review – Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor romance is full

Cannes film festival A love story of two folk song aficionados in the early days of recorded music is told with tiresomely mournful awe at its own sadnessOliver Hermanus’s The History of Sound has admirers in Cannes; but I couldn’t help finding it an anaemic, laborious, achingly tasteful film, originally a short story by Ben Shattuck which has become a quasi-Brokeback Mountain film whose tone is one of persistent mournful awe at its own sadness.Hermanus has made great movies in the past including Beauty and Living but this is a film that is almost petrified by its own upmarket values, paralysed under the varnish of classiness. Continue reading...

Politics

60 h. ago Ben Stokes targets No 1 spot in world Test rankings: ‘One more place to go’

Ashes rivals Australia sit above England in ICC tableZimbabwe Test is captain’s first action since DecemberEngland under Ben Stokes have never lacked ambition, but they go into a defining period of Test cricket with one in particular in mind: to become the first England side in 15 years to take top spot in the International Cricket Council’s rankings, officially the best in the world.“If we win what we’ve got coming up, the likelihood is that we will be at the top of that leaderboard,” Stokes said. “There’s no doubt in my mind we have the ability to be that team.” Continue reading...

Events

60 h. ago Jacob Bethell ‘has done himself world of good’ – Ben Stokes hints at Test recall

The 21-year-old made a strong impression in his debut series against New Zealand before Christmas.

Politics