2 h. ago Alex Carey’s acrobatics lay foundation for Josh Inglis’ fireworks | James Wallace

A pair of of stunning catches to dismiss dangerous England batters helped set Australia up for making record run chaseCatches win matches? Well, they certainly help set them up. Alex Carey’s brace of afternoon wonder-grabs sent the dangerous duo of Phil Salt and Harry Brook trudging back to the sheds blinking not from the afternoon Lahore sun but in disbelief.Carey’s acrobatic, sinew straining exertions in the outfield (gloves? who needs ’em) exemplified a razor sharp Australian performance in the field that kept England’s progress constantly in check and eventually paved the way for a historic run chase, the highest ever in International Cricket Council tournaments no less. The Aussies can turn it on in major tournaments, who knew? Continue reading...

Events

2 h. ago Jack Draper loses Qatar Open final thriller to Andrey Rublev but earns rankings consolation

Draper went down in three sets to Rublev but will rise to 12th in the world rankings on Monday

Events

3 h. ago One last push before Germany goes to the polls: Final poll predicts large gains for far

A little more than a month after a general election was called following a vote of no confidence against chancellor Olaf Scholz, Germans will have their chance to vote tomorrow.

Politics

3 h. ago Democrat Governor Tony Evers accused of 'erasing women' by suggesting outrageously woke change to the word 'mother'

Democratic Governor Tony Evers is facing backlash for 'erasing women' after proposing a budget that replaces the word 'mother' with an alternative woke phrase.

Politics

3 h. ago The pill hasn’t been improved in years. No wonder women are giving up on it | Martha Gill

When contraception has stagnated for decades, it is hardly surprising it’s fallen victim to culture wars and a wellness cultSomething is changing when it comes to contraception. Lots of people aren’t using it. Last week we heard that this includes a third of young Irish people. Meanwhile, there has been a significant rise in abortions in England and Wales. Prescriptions for the contraceptive pill in England dropped from 432,600 in 2014 to 188,500 in 2021. And this month data from abortion clinics found that demand is being fuelled by women coming off the pill and using natural methods instead.When the study compared contraception used by women seeking abortions in 2018 and in 2023, it found that the proportion using smartphones to track their menstrual cycle had increased from 0.4% to 2.5%. The use of hormonal contraception among this group fell from 19% to 11%, while the group not using any form of contraception when they became pregnant increased from 50% to 70%. Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago West Lothian community centres given more time to look at funding plans

In an update to councillors the head of Housing Customer and Building Services Julie Whitelaw said that the revised saving plans which were scheduled to come to the council Executive in early March would be pushed back to the April meeting.

Politics

6 h. ago West Lothian Council claim empty building rates relief change will save them '£1m a year'

West Lothian’s Executive has agreed the changes which will see an end to rates relief on empty properties after six months, and in some cases three months.

Economics

6 h. ago Linlithgow MSP welcomes extra funding to help secure future for Grangemouth workers

The First Minister confirmed to the Scottish Parliament that an amendment will be lodged to the Scottish Government’s 2025-26 Budget Bill to allocate an additional £25 million to establish a Grangemouth Just Transition Fund.

Economics

6 h. ago Newport council 'not pushing hard enough' to get new businesses into city centre, says councillor

She said "we need to see something positive happening" in the area following the departure of big-name brands

Politics

9 h. ago ‘The bot asked me four times a day how I was feeling’: is tracking everything actually good for us?

Gathering data used to be a fringe pursuit of Silicon Valley nerds. Now we’re all at it, recording everything from menstrual cycles and mobility to toothbrushing and time spent in daylight. Is this just narcissism redesigned for the big tech age?I first heard about my friend Adam’s curious new habit in a busy pub. He said he’d been doing it for over a year, but had never spoken to anyone about it before. He had a furtive look around, then took out his phone and showed me the product of his burning obsession: a spreadsheet.This was not a record of his annual tax return or numbers he was crunching for work (Adam is a data scientist). Instead, it was a spreadsheet recording the minutiae of his life, with dozens of columns tracking every element of his daily routine. It all started, he told me, because of a recurring argument with his boyfriend. His partner didn’t think they spent enough time together, but Adam thought that they did. There was only one way to settle this, he decided: co...

Politics

9 h. ago Landlady who replaced the rotting windows of her listed pub with double glazing left with £70,000 bill after council demanded she rip them out

Owners of the Botanic Hotel in Hull, Kerry and Shaun Fitzgerald have been hit with a £70,000 bill for replacing the 172-year-old windows with modern double-glazing.

Economics

9 h. ago 'Our council spent £1million on outdoor planter scheme that they said would boost cafe culture

Darlington Council forked out thousands on the rusted-metal planters as part of a £1million regeneration scheme for a key street in the town.

Economics

10 h. ago Brent Council pays out nearly £600,000 in pothole and pavement injury claims

A North London council has paid out nearly £600,000 in compensation for accident and injury claims caused by potholes and pavement defects since 2020, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed.

Economics

10 h. ago New tax in England could end UK tourism, warns industry boss

The idea of an England-wise levy that would act as a tourism tax have ben slammed as the CEO of UK Hospitality says the already struggling industry is being 'taxed out of existence'

Events

11 h. ago Billionaire Issa brothers suffer setback over plans to build Britain's biggest Muslim cemetery

There have been more than 1000 objections to the Issa brother's plans, a local councillor has claimed, as concerns surround the impact of green belt land.

Politics

13 h. ago The Greater Manchester neighbourhood where people have come up with an unusual plan to get 'more control'

A new town council is planned to give locals more say about their neighbourhood

Politics

13 h. ago Pig butchering scams are on the rise... how can you make sure you are protected?

Figures show these scams earned $9.9billion 'on-chain' worldwide last year, but estimates the true figure is above $12billion .

Politics

13 h. ago The tax change every electric vehicle owner needs to know about

Starting April 1st, alterations to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) will impact thousands of electric car owners

Politics

14 h. ago From a broken boiler to blocked drains the nine most common problems in a new home

The average Brit forks out an extra £3,876 beyond their budget to fix unforeseen problems like a broken boiler or a leaking roof soon after getting the keys to their new home.

Politics

15 h. ago Exactly how council tax will be spent in Bury in the next year

See which will be the biggest areas of spend for the local authority over the next 12 months

Economics