Taylor’s retirement was announced six days after the initial incident but he remained in hospital for three weeks.

He was told his condition, similar to the one which affected footballer Fabrice Muamba, was usually only revealed post-mortem.

“I had a round table with a load of cricket media and journalists and they mentioned all my hard work, graft and what it took to finally cement my place in an England team and honestly, I just burst out crying in front of them all,” Taylor says.

“It had meant so much to me, it meant so much to so many people and that really, really hurt, not being able to do that any more.”

In the years after his retirement, Taylor channeled his professional juices into golf, becoming a scratch player within three and a half years.

He also worked as a commentator for Test Match Special and then became a selector with England in 2018.

“At that stage, I just wanted to do things that I enjoyed and that I could make a difference in,” he says.

“It was an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down.

“I felt like I could make a difference and ultimately we did, we had a great time becoming number one in the white-ball game and winning the World Cup [in 2019], we were also tasked with winning Tests away from home which we did.”

Taylor stood down in 2022 after director Rob Key, who had just appointed Brendon McCullum as Test coach, implemented a new structure.

“Of course, [the job] is stressful,” Taylor says.

“If you don’t have the right process when it comes to decision-making, and if you let emotion get in the way or you’re not being honest or communication is poor, that makes it hard and that can be stressful.

“But if your process is as good as it can possibly be, it does make things easier because you’ve done everything you can to make the best-informed decision.

“You’re dropping and hiring players in the elite end of international sport but you’re working with great people and I was making the right decisions at the right time in my head, so I could sleep at night.”

These days Taylor is an assistant coach back at Leicestershire, where he became the youngest batter to make 1,000 County Championship runs in a season in 2009.

He has an internal defibrillator, has medication for his heart issue and tries to keep stress to a minimum.

“Like if my football team loses, it’s not the end of the world to me,” he says.

“I try to have fun with what I do and I don’t get too het up and bothered about things.

“I wish I was more passionate about things sometimes and that I could get more riled up about things but I just don’t, and I’ve learnt not to and that I can’t.

“I guess I’ve just taught myself to be more laid-back.”

Armed with that mindset, Taylor and Leicestershire are back in Division One for the first time in 22 years this season after being promoted.

He also points to the help he gained from speaking to friends and family at his most difficult moments.

“I have lived a great life over the past 10 years when I shouldn’t have, and I’ve been so lucky, and I am extremely grateful for the experiences,” he says.

“I’ve trusted some great people who have allowed me to get things off my chest which is so important because physically we can’t control what happens to us, but mentally we can, and it’s so important to speak to people you trust instead of battling with yourself.”

James Morton, 33, was arrested and charged with murder after 45-year-old Italian national Gloria De Lazzari was found dead by police at Kempston Gardens in Halliwell on Monday January 19.

Gloria De Lazzari was found dead in Bolton (Image: GMP)

A brief hearing at Manchester Crown Court this week heard how a trial that had been set for July this year will now be delayed.

The Honorary Recorder for Manchester Judge Nicholas Dean KC said: “I do not feel that the current trial date is viable for the reasons that have been discussed.”

Morton, who wore glasses and a plain grey top, appeared before the court for the hearing via video-link.

The case was heard at Manchester Crown Court (Image: Phil Taylor)

He spoke twice, to confirm his identity and that he could see and hear the proceedings during which mainly administrative matters were discussed that cannot be reported at this stage.

Morton was not asked to enter a plea.

David Temkin KC, prosecuting, agreed that Morton, of Kempston Gardens, Halliwell, can be brought back before the court for a plea later.

Morton is expected to next appear before the court for a further case management hearing on Monday June 15 this year and was further remanded into custody.

Police on the scene at Kempston Gardens (Image: Phil Taylor)

Judge Dean set a trial date for February 1, 2026, which is expected to last around two weeks.

A tribute from Ms De Lazzari’s mother released by Greater Manchester Police after she was confirmed dead in January described her as a “fantastic person and devoted daughter”.

She said: “She was a fantastic person and a devoted daughter. I always looked forward to her visits to me in Italy, where we loved spending time together outdoors and going on long walks.

Forsensic at the scene at Kempston Gardens (Image: Phil Taylor)

A tribute from Ms De Lazzari’s ex-husband added: “Gloria De Lazzari was a great lady with a pure soul and a gentle, compassionate heart.

“She was always available to help others and never held a bad thought for anyone. Her kindness, humility, and selflessness touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.

“She carried grace in her actions and warmth in her words, leaving behind memories filled with love and goodness.

“Gloria was truly a lovely lady, and her absence will be deeply felt by all whose lives she brightened.

“May her soul rest in eternal peace, and may her kindness live on in the hearts of those she leaves behind.”

Peaty believes he is in a “very good frame of mind” as he makes his return in London.

He won gold in the 50m at the Edinburgh International Swim Meet a month ago but finished fourth in the 100m, beaten by 18-year-old British junior world champion Filip Nowacki.

He’s settled in his family life too, having married model Holly Ramsay, the daughter of TV chef Gordon, in December.

“It gives an incredible amount of peace, the life we’ve got together,” he says. “But also that I can do this incredible thing which I call sport.”

He adds that swimming “will humble you” and is a “hard path”, but “what makes that path a lot easier is having my wife, my son and friends around me”.

Peaty credits the support of his famous in-laws, too, with whom he completed his debut triathlon as part of Team Ramsay last August.

But thinking back to his wedding speech, he concedes Gordon probably won the prize for best toast of the day.

“It was always going to be hard to beat Gordon’s speech – Gordon is never going to find it hard to make a room laugh.”

Tiny organisms on the ground – bacteria and fungi – have a “superpower” that allows them to reach up into the atmosphere and pull down the rain, according to a recent study.

To understand how a microbe can control a storm, we first have to look at how clouds become rain. High up in the atmosphere, water doesn’t always freeze at 0°C. Temperatures are normally much lower at cloud level but pure water can stay liquid down to a bone-chilling -40°C.

Most rain starts as ice. In the atmosphere, clouds are full of “supercooled” water – liquid that is colder than freezing but hasn’t turned to ice yet because it has nothing to hold onto.

For a cloud to turn into rain or snow, it needs a “seed”– a tiny particle for water molecules to grab onto so they can crystallise into ice, then fall from the clouds as rain. Dust, soot and salt – swept into the clouds by wind – can do this, but they aren’t very good at it. They usually require the temperature to drop significantly before they start working. This is where biology enters the frame.

Meet the ice-makers

For decades, scientists have known about ice-nucleating proteins (INpros) found in certain bacteria like Pseudomonas syringae. Bacteria travel from plant leaves into the clouds to trigger rain. They use special proteins to force water to freeze at temperatures as high as -2°C.

However, the recent discovery published in the journal Science Advances has revealed a new player in the climate game: fungal INpros. While bacteria keep their ice-making proteins tucked away on their “skin”, fungi (mainly Fusarium and Mortierella) secrete these proteins into the soil around them. Their structure makes these fungal proteins water soluble and smaller than the bacterial ones, and with a high ice seeding activity which makes them more effective cloud seeds.

Making it rain

This leads us to the bio-precipitation cycle. Imagine a forest floor covered in these fungi. As the wind kicks up, their microscopic ice-making proteins are launched into the clouds. Once there, they act as powerful “seeds”.

Even in relatively warm clouds (above -5°C), these fungal proteins can force water to crystallise into ice. As these ice crystals grow, they become heavy and fall. As they drop through warmer air, they melt and turn into rain.

This creates a loop:

• fungi grow in the damp soil of a forest

• proteins from the fungi are swept into the sky

• rain is triggered by these proteins, watering the forest below

• growth of more fungi is triggered by the rain, starting the cycle over again.

Unlike the Pseudomonas bacteria, which use ice to “attack” and damage crops to access their nutrients, these Mortierella fungi are peaceful plant partners. They aren’t looking to destroy. Instead, they secrete their ice-making proteins into the surrounding soil, which seems to create a protective shield from harsh conditions and a nutrient-rich environment that helps both the fungus and the plant flourish.

The new discovery about fungi is exciting because it shows that even organisms buried in the soil can influence the atmosphere, adding a new dimension to this ancient partnership between life and the sky.

It’s a missing piece in the puzzle of how life and the global climate shape one another. This ice-making ability probably gives the fungi a survival edge. They use ice to pump moisture toward their mycelia (a vast, underground web of tiny fungal threads), shield themselves from jagged frost damage and hitchhike through the clouds to reach new homes.

The evolutionary heist

The new research also uncovered how fungi of the Mortierellaceae family gained the ability to create ice. When the researchers studied the fungi’s genetic code, they found that these fungi didn’t evolve this trait on their own. Millions of years ago, they “borrowed” the genetic code for it from bacteria, through a process called horizontal gene transfer.

Think of it as a biological “copy and paste”. While most animals only inherit DNA from their parents, microbes can swap snippets of genetic code with their neighbours, giving them an instant evolutionary upgrade.

However, these fungi are much more efficient at making ice than the bacteria because the fungus secretes (sweats out – meaning they exist outside the fungal cell) these proteins, they can coat the environment around it and stay active in the soil after the fungus has moved on. These proteins are incredibly hardy. They can wash into streams, dry up into dust, and get swept into the sky by the wind.

Why this matters

This discovery could change how researchers view conservation. If we clear-cut a forest – stripping every tree away and leaving the land bare, we aren’t just losing trees. We might be breaking the biological engine that triggers regional rainfall.

As we face a changing climate with more frequent droughts, understanding these fungal INpros could be vital. We might one day use these natural, biodegradable proteins for “cloud seeding” to create rain.

Many countries (like the UAE, China and parts of the US) already have cloud-seeding programs to protect crops from frost. But this kind of cloud seeding relies on silver iodide – a heavy metal that can linger in the environment.

The fungal proteins offer a natural, biodegradable alternative. They could also protect crops from frost. By forcing ice to form early and smoothly, they release a tiny burst of heat that acts like a thermal blanket for the plant.

We could use them to make snow on ski slopes with less energy, create better-tasting frozen foods by preventing large ice crystals from damaging food cells, or even develop eco-friendly cooling systems that don’t rely on harsh chemical refrigerants.

The next time you’re caught in a sudden downpour, take a deep breath. That “smell of rain” might just be the scent of the these little organisms telling the clouds it’s time to let go.

Hello, and welcome to WalesOnline’s live blog for Tuesday, April 14. We’ll be bringing you all of the latest news from across Wales – whether you’re on the move, at home or at work – as well as the latest traffic and travel.

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Dear Dicky,

I’m a dad to a great 15-year-old son, and I could do with some guidance.

Over the past year or so, I’ve had a strong feeling that he might be gay. It’s not based on one big thing, just lots of small signs and instincts that have added up.

I want to be absolutely clear: if he is, I’d be completely supportive. It wouldn’t change how I feel about him one bit.

My problem is whether I should say something or keep quiet.

Part of me thinks that asking him directly could be reassuring – a way of showing that home is a safe place and that he doesn’t need to hide anything.

But I’m also worried that bringing it up could put pressure on him, embarrass him, or make him feel pushed into a conversation he isn’t ready to have.

He’s still young, and I remember how private and confusing those teenage years can be.

I don’t want to make assumptions or label him before he’s figured things out himself. At the same time, I don’t want him to feel alone if he is struggling.

Do I wait and let him come to me, or is a gentle conversation the right move?

Thanks, David.

Dicky says:

You sound like a good, thoughtful father, and that already puts your son in a far better position than many young people.

Sadly, there are still parents who see being gay as something to “fix” rather than accept, so the fact you’re approaching this with care and love really matters.

My advice is simple: let your son tell you in his own time. At 15, he may still be working things out for himself.

Being asked outright, even kindly, can feel like pressure or expectation when he’s not ready for labels or conversations yet.

Coming out should always be on the person’s terms, not sped up because others are curious or well-meaning.

That doesn’t mean staying silent or distant. In the meantime, you can show your support in quieter ways – challenging homophobic comments if they crop up, speaking positively about LGBTQ+ people you see in the media, or being openly accepting when topics like relationships or identity come up naturally.

Those small signals build a sense of safety far more effectively than one big conversation.

If and when your son decides to tell you something important, he’ll remember whether home felt like a safe place long before he spoke the words.

Keep the door open, keep the tone relaxed, and trust that he’ll walk through it when he’s ready.

A vet has urged dog owners not to ‘wait it out’ if they spot symptoms

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A vet has issued a serious warning to dog owners, urging them not to ‘wait it out’ if they spot particular symptoms in their pet, as the consequences could prove fatal.

Jade, a qualified veterinary professional, discussed a lethal condition known as GDV – gastric dilatation volvulus, commonly referred to as bloat. She described as “a dog owner’s worst nightmare.”

Despite how serious it is, Jade said a many owners don’t know about the condition. She said: “I have found quite a lot of dog owners still haven’t heard about bloat, or [if] they have heard about bloat, they actually don’t realise the severity of it, because bloat is a life-threatening emergency for dogs.”

What is GDV?

Jade, aka @jade.the.vet.nurs on TikTok, explained: “GDV is when the stomach fills with air, which is ‘gastric dilation’ and twists – that’s the ‘volvulus’. So when the stomach twists, it cuts off the entrance and the exit to the stomach meaning that any contents and in the stomach can’t go either way.”

She further explained that any food in the stomach continues to be digested, releasing gas in the process. This causes the stomach to inflate more and more with gas, “which is really painful and uncomfortable for your dog.”

She emphasised: “So when the stomach twists, it can block the flow of blood to the stomach or to other vital organs and this can quickly send a dog into shock. It can cause organ damage, it can cause organ failure, and if you do not get your dog to the vet quickly and they get surgical treatment, this will be fatal.”

Throughout her video, the respected vet warned this fatal condition “is not to be taken lightly” and it’s “not the type of thing that if you start noticing symptoms, you should be thinking, ‘we’ll wait it out’.”

She continued: “If your dog shows any signs or symptoms of GDV you need to get them to the vet as soon as possible, because from the time those symptoms start presenting, you’ve probably got one to two hours before your dog needs to be in theatre and having the stomach untwisted and the gas removed, before you start getting permanent damage that means your dog is not likely to survive.”

What are the markers indicating GVD in dogs?

Jade explained: “Your dog is going to look very bloated and they are going to steadily and progressively getting more and more bloated. You can physically see when you look at them that their abdomen is quite distended and if you’re to touch the sides of their stomach, you can feel just how tight it is to touch.”

She also said owners should look out for signs like such as their pet constantly looking at their stomach and attempting to vomit. “Your dog is going to keep trying to be sick, but because the entrance is blocked, the contents cannot go anywhere.” she said.

As a result, “your dog is going to keep trying to bring them up however it’s just going to present as retching and dry heaving – sometimes it might even bring up white froth or white foam they are drooling.”

Other symptoms to watch for include:

1. Restlessness – panting and pacing
2. Excessive drooling
3. Collapse
4. Difficulty breathing

How is GDV diagnosed?

GDV requires an abdominal x-ray. However if your dog is critically ill, they may need urgent treatment before a formal diagnosis can be established.

The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) advises: “After their operation, it’s likely your dog will need to stay hospitalised for a day or two so they can be monitored. Your vet will check for further bloating and possible complications such as peritonitis (infection inside the abdomen).

“They will be discharged once your vet is happy they are recovering well. Once your dog is home, you’ll need to continue monitoring them for any symptoms of recurring bloat or infection.”

How to prevent GDV?

Jade recommends: “Instead of feeding them one or two big meals a day, you can split this up into three or four smaller portions that you can spread across the day. It helps to feed dogs out of a slow feeder, which stops them inhaling their food.

“Because when dogs eat really quick, they can also swallow a lot of air. So we’ve got food in the stomach and air in the stomach which is just a recipe for GDV.”

When it comes to walks, timing is essential in relation to feeding schedules. The advice given is: “You should walk your dogs two hours before or after feeding and you can also get slow drinking bowls, as well as the same applies for water.”

Ask your vet about surgery

Prevention-wise, surgery is also an option. Jade mentioned: “You can also speak to your vet about a preventative surgery, which is where your vet will attach your dog’s stomach to their abdominal wall to prevent it flipping.”

“This is normally during a routine procedure, such as neutering, but if you think your dog is susceptible to GDV, then I think it’s something you should definitely talk to your vet about in advance.”

Liverpool will need a big performance against PSG to advance to the Champions League semi-finals, but could have an ace up their sleeve

If there’s one advantage Liverpool have over Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League quarter-final second leg, it’s surely that the tie is taking place at Anfield. When the Reds’ iconic home is in full voice, it’s been known to reduce some of football’s biggest clubs to quivering wrecks.

Arne Slot will need the full power of Anfield on his side come Tuesday evening, with Liverpool needing to overturn a two-goal deficit against the reigning European champions. While the Reds have struggled this season, the power generated from all four corners of L4 can still transform a middling season into a memorable one.

Liverpool have already overturned one Champions League tie this season, hammering Galatasaray 4-0 at Anfield after losing away by a single goal. So, just what exactly are PSG up against? Well, where do you begin?

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Perhaps back in 1977, when Liverpool overturned a 1-0 deficit against French side St Etienne to reach the European Cup semi-finals. Rumour has it that the stadium even shifted slightly with the noise levels that night.

That wouldn’t be too far-fetched. Scientists from the University of Liverpool discovered that during the Reds’ 5-1 demolition of Tottenham Hotspur last season, which won them the Premier League title, Anfield registered a peak magnitude of 1.74 on the Richter scale. Professor Ben Edwards said: “Their enthusiasm was literally powerful enough to move the Earth.”

Then there are the evenings the younger fan still treasures. Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Chelsea in the 2005 Champions League semi-final is often regarded as the greatest night in the club’s history.

READ MORE: Virgil van Dijk sends ‘most important’ message to Liverpool fans ahead of PSG showdownREAD MORE: What Andy Robertson told Liverpool as Scot reveals he had no contract offer from club

Jose Mourinho, who was in charge of the Blues at the time, took the Blues to Merseyside after drawing the first leg in west London. Luis Garcia scored the game’s only goal after four minutes as Rafa Benitez’s side dug in deep to claim the win.

Speaking years later, Mourinho said: “It’s the only time I’ve seen a stadium score a goal was in the semi-final of the Champions League in 2005… they made so much noise that they scored. I felt the power of Anfield, it was magnificent.”

Jostling with that night is the famous clash with Barcelona in May 2019. The Catalan giants, spearheaded by Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, took a commanding 3-0 lead in the first leg at the Camp Nou.

The tie looked dead and buried until Anfield came alive and witnessed the Reds dismantle Barcelona 4-0, to reach the Champions League final, which they won against Spurs.

Barca legend Xavi said: “The fans remained for the whole game and never stopped applauding their team. I couldn’t believe it. I was speechless.”

Arsenal hero Thierry Henry was on the receiving end of Anfield’s full might in a memorable quarter-final clash in 2008, where the Reds took hold of the tie to win 4-2 and advance to the semi-finals.

“For my first few years at Arsenal we didn’t do well there [Anfield], but we improved,” he said. “It’s the atmosphere I love. It’s unbelievable. I’ve played in a lot of stadiums but for me there is nothing like playing at Liverpool.”

Kevin De Bruyne, who lost a Champions League quarter-final for Manchester City against Liverpool in 2018, said: “I like Anfield, I like it a lot. I love people being on you, being noisy, that is what it’s all about. I love the passion of football.”

PSG coach Luis Enrique knows all too well that Anfield will be a huge obstacle his players will have to grapple with. After the first leg victory, the club’s Spanish boss said: “We know it’ll be really hard to play at Anfield, I’ve done it as a player and a coach now. We will suffer, we know that, and right now it’s time for recovery and to prepare the match the best way we can. “

Goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have given the Ligue 1 giants a major boost heading into the second leg. PSG also beat Liverpool in the Champions League last-16 at Anfield last season on penalties.

Arne Slot knows that if Liverpool are going to have any hope of clinching silverware this season, they will need Anfield as loud as it’s ever been.

“We will need to have a better performance”, Slot said after the first leg defeat in Paris. “[We] definitely need our fans to help us create an atmosphere where we can rise to a better level than we did today.”

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An HIV patient in Oslo has been in remission for the past five years following a stem cell transplant from his brother, who was found resistant to the virus, marking what could only be the tenth case of a person being cured of the disease.

One of the main reasons HIV infections are persistent is that the virus can remain hidden in pockets of cells across various tissues, even when effective treatment keeps the virus under control.

This is why in many patients, the virus tends to return when they stop antiretroviral medication. But previous studies have suggested remission could be achieved after stem cell transplantation from a healthy donor containing a specific mutation – CCR5Δ32/Δ32 – that removes the receptor proteins that HIV uses to infect cells.

This seems to explain the HIV remission of a 64-year-old man, who had been diagnosed in 2006 at 44 years of age.

The man received a stem cell transplant from his sibling to treat his bone marrow cancer, and he was subsequently discontinued from antiretroviral medication 24 months afterwards.

The brother happened to have the CCR5Δ32/Δ32 mutation, and his cells gradually replaced the patient’s immune cells in the blood, bone marrow, and gut tissues.

Subsequent tissue samples taken from the patient’s blood and gut two years after the transplant showed no HIV DNA integrated into the host DNA.

A comprehensive analysis of over 65 million immune system cells from the patient showed no virus capable of multiplying, and no detectable HIV‑specific T-cell responses.

His HIV antibody levels also declined over four years after transplantation, researchers found.

“Replication-competent virus and HIV-specific T cell responses were absent, and HIV antibody responses showed a gradual decline,” they wrote in a study published in the journal Nature Microbiology on Monday.

“The absence of HIV-specific T cell responses in our data supports the hypothesis that such an absence correlates with sustained HIV remission,” researchers wrote.

Clinicians involved in the study point out that such a cure is an unlikely scenario that may not be replicated in other patients.

“A sibling has a 25 per cent probability of being a match for a transplant, and the frequency of CCR5Δ32/Δ32 is around 1 per cent” in northern European populations, explained study co-author Anders Eivind Myhre from Oslo University.

“He feels like he has won the lottery twice … He was cured of his bone marrow disease, which could be fatal, and he’s also now cured of HIV, most likely,” Marius Trøseid, another author of the study, told Live Science.

The case study shows that receiving donor cells resistant to HIV, combined with full replacement of immune cells across different parts of the body, may help to reduce or remove hidden HIV.

While stem cell transplantation may not be a practical approach for most people with HIV, studying these cases can help identify signs to predict long‑term remission, researchers say.