Spin bowling was the area of England’s Ashes masterplan left most exposed in Australia. After asking Shoaib Bashir to learn on the job, England then turned to batting all-rounder Will Jacks for four Tests, with predictable results.

In that sense, Jacks is the man in possession, and the battle to be England’s number one spinner has appeared to be wide open.

There would be an irony in England ignoring Bashir, who was picked for Test cricket when he could not get a game for Somerset, and now could be left out despite playing regularly for new county Derbyshire.

Jack Leach remains probably the most reliable spinner in the country, while leg-spinner Mason Crane is bowling well for Glamorgan eight years after he won his only England cap. Nottinghamshire left-armer Liam Patterson-White, Sussex off-spinner Jack Carson and Northants all-rounder Calvin Harrison are all respected in county cricket.

Perhaps it is time for England to invest in Rehan Ahmed. In 2022, Ahmed was an original Bazball pick when, at 18, he became the youngest man to play for England.

He has hovered on the fringe of the England team since, with none of his five caps coming at home or as the sole spinner.

As a young leg-spinner, Ahmed will have times when his bowling goes off the boil, but he also has an X-factor. Root and Bethell are reasonable options if England need a spinner to hold an end.

With six first-class hundreds, Ahmed is an ideal number eight, meaning England would never have to worry about the tail-end batting as they rotate their seamers. When Stokes retires, Ahmed could move up the order as England’s all-rounder.

Leicestershire’s Ahmed is currently at the Indian Premier League, though his Delhi Capitals face a battle to reach the latter stages. England have also shown that an IPL stint is not a barrier to Test selection.

With England at a low ebb, Ahmed would bring some mystery, exuberance and excitement.

Gerywn Price has pulled out of competing for Wales at the World Cup of Darts this summer, just days after revealing a worrying health battle

Gerwyn Price will NOT represent Wales at the World Cup of Darts this summer.

‘The Iceman’, who is ranked eighth in the PDC Order of Merit, has made himself unavailable for selection, leaving Nick Kenny to join an in-form Jonny Clayton at the tournament in mid-June.

Price and Clayton reached the World Cup final in 2025. They battled past Philippines, Hong Kong and Netherlands to reach the showpiece event and go head-to-head against Northern Ireland.

But Price and Clayton were beaten by Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney in the final, denying Wales their third World Cup title since the competition was established 16 years ago.

Although Luke Littler and Luke Humphries go into the 2026 tournament as overwhelming favourites for England, Price and Clayton would have put Wales as third seed.

However, Price’s omission and a call-up for world No.60 Kenny has moved Wales down to seventh, meaning they will have to go through the group round one qualifiers.

It’s the second time in three years that Caerphilly arrowsmith Price hasn’t competed at the World Cup, after the Welshman pulled out with Jim Williams taking his spot.

Last week, Price revealed a concerning health update following a crushing Premier League defeat to Wales teammate Clayton in Leeds. “My focus is there, it’s just health-wise I am not in a great place at the moment. But I am battling on and searching for some results,” said Price.

“Hopefully in the next couple of weeks they will come and they will put me at ease. Then I will be able to enjoy darts again. Frustrating times. Time to rely on Lady Luck and see what happens over the next two weeks. Hopefully make the play-offs, but I need a lot of luck to go my way. Hopefully see you at the O2. It’s not good playing once a week and hopefully I get the results I want in three weeks’ time.

“This year has been great in the Premier League and it’s been a great start to the season. The crowd has got me through a lot of games but sometimes things happen you can’t control.”

Price, who pulled out of competing at the Austrian Open on the weekend, has enjoyed a stellar start to the season, winning on the floor and the European Tour.

Although the 2021 world champion hasn’t made a major final in three years, he has shown glimpses in the Premier League this term and is on course to make the play-offs. But on Thursday evening, the 41-year-old’s ambitions of playing at London’s O2 Arena were dealt a blow as he was defeated 6-2 by Clayton.

This loss means Price has 21 points with two weeks left and sits in third, but Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen are all in striking distance.

Price is next expected to compete in the Premier League on Night 15 in Birmingham this Thursday. It’s the penultimate week of the regular campaign, before the semi-finals at the O2.

The trust has said “Business continuity arrangements were put in place to manage the outage”

Patient appointments and procedures at the Belfast Trust have been cancelled due to “intermittent network issues”.

The health trust issued a statement this evening saying that it has been experiencing problems with its computer systems and has had to cancel procedures and appointments as a result.

The trust has not said how many cancellations have taken place or what specific computer system the intermittent network issues impacted.

In June, 2024, the Belfast Trust became the second NI health trust to go live with the Encompass digital patient record system which is now operates across all trusts.

A Belfast Health and Social Care Trust spokesperson said: “Belfast Trust has been experiencing intermittent network issues impacting a number of our services. Business continuity arrangements were put in place to manage the outage.

“The system is currently operating as normal.

“Unfortunately, we have had to cancel some procedures and appointments as a result. Many patients will already have had their appointment rescheduled. If your appointment is affected, our team will be in touch as soon as possible to arrange an alternative appointment.

“We appreciate your support and understanding at this time.”

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Recess isn’t just a fun break for grade schoolers. It’s crucial to good health and good grades for kids of all ages.

That’s the message from a leading pediatricians group, which just released the first new guidance in 13 years about this unstructured time at school and how it needs to be protected.

The updated policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics comes after years of shrinking recesses and worsening children’s health.

The group “has always supported play – free play for kids – but it’s been increasingly threatened over time,” partly by the drive for higher test scores, said Dr. Robert Murray, a lead author. “It has a very powerful benefit if it’s used to the fullest.”

The Dale claimed promotion back to League Two on Sunday following a tense penalty shootout

A celebration for Rochdale AFC’s return to the football league will be held at the town hall tomorrow night.

The Dale are going back to League Two following a nail-biting penalty shootout win against Boreham Wood at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. Thousands of fans travelled down to the capital to see the heroics of Jimmy McNulty’s side, who scored an injury-time goal to take the game to a penalty shootout.

Rochdale’s MP was in attendance at Wembley to witness his side’s glorious return to the football league, three years on from their relegation into the National League.

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Paul Waugh, MP for Rochdale and lifelong Dale fan, said: “What a fabulous, unforgettable victory for the team and a truly historic day for our town. Our fans at Wembley were truly magnificent, never wavering in their belief even when we looked down and out.

“I want to pay particular tribute to the Dale 1907 fans group whose flags brought a real Spotland atmosphere to Wembley. I can’t have been the only fan with a tear in my eye as we sang ‘His Name is Joey Thompson’.

“The resilience, hard graft and raw talent that this team showed is what we Rochdalians are all about. I’m delighted that the ‘Rochdale revival’ continues – both for our football club and our town. We are on the up!”

At approximately 6pm the team will be appearing on stage facing Rochdale Town Hall Square and Packer Street, alongside the Mayor to toast their success. Fans are welcome to assemble on the Packer Street side of the square to get the best and safest view of the victorious team.

After a civic reception at Rochdale’s iconic Grade-I listed town hall, the players will meet the fans gathered in the square. Mayor of Rochdale, Janet Emsley, is hoping everyone will come and show the team their support.

Mayor Emsley said: “The town is buzzing after the team’s achievements this season and we are encouraging as many as possible to come down, see the players and show them our support. Promotion back to League Two means a lot to the borough and we’re hopeful of a large turnout. It’s been the most dramatic and amazing season for the club.

“The manager, players and everyone connected with the club have worked so hard. They never gave up, and finally got their much-deserved reward, so we’re delighted to help them celebrate their thoroughly deserved success.

“They also want to thank the fans for their support.”

Fans are being advised to arrive early. The tram takes you direct to Rochdale town centre, a two-minute walk from the town hall.

Nearby parking is available at Rochdale Riverside Shopping Centre and The Exchange Shopping Centre.

Natalie Yemelyanova remembers being overwhelmed by the kindness of York people when she and her daughter Polina, then 12, arrived from Ukraine as traumatised refugees four years ago.

Four months earlier they had been woken at 4.30am in their flat in the Kyiv suburb of Irpin by the sound of Russian warplanes roaring overhead and bombs falling.

Out of their window, Natalie could see the roads clogged with queues of traffic heading westwards out of the city.

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“There was this huge line of cars going past,” Natalie, now 52, recalls.

Natalie and Andrew at Fairfax House (Image: Stephen Lewis)

They knew at once what it was: just the evening before, there had been talk that an invasion was imminent.

But still, it threw Natalie into a panic. “My thought was: is it safe to stay, or to go,” she says. “I couldn’t decide.”

Then an inner voice told her she had to do something. “We just couldn’t stay,”

She and Polina teamed up with a neighbour, and in his car they joined the queues heading west out of Kyiv for the Polish border and safety.

The roads were blocked, and the westbound traffic barely moved. Occasionally, desperate to make progress, they were forced to drive west on the empty east-bound lane.

It took two days to reach the Polish border. For a while they stayed with a friend in Holland.

But as the war dragged on, Natalie realised they needed to find a longer-term solution.

As a young woman, she had studied in London. So she and Polina headed to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Polina was offered a place at a school in York – and they arrived here about three months after the Russian invasion.

Natalie couldn’t believe how welcoming people were. There were constant knocks on the door of their landlady’s home as people brought them supplies.

She also remembers how extremely helpful the local authorities were.

“It was unbelievable,” she says. “So much kindness. An amazing experience.”

She and her daughter were still traumatised. For a while, Polina would barely eat or speak.

Natalie herself found it difficult to sleep at night – until she made the deliberate decision to stop watching the news about home.

“I managed somehow to try to cut myself off from it,” she said.

Gradually, the pair settled. Polina developed an interest in drama at school. And Natalie began looking for a job.

Back at home, she had been personal assistant to a high-powered businesswoman. She learned that York Civic Trust was advertising for an admin assistant, applied, was interviewed, and got the job.

She was nervous at first– but it was one of the best things that could have happened, she says.

“It is the best place to work,” she said. “The team is just great, and everyone is so supportive. I love my job and I’m so grateful.”

York Civic Trust chief executive Andrew Morrison is delighted with how Natalie has fitted in.

She goes way beyond her admin assistant duties, and has become an essential part of the team, he says – taking the lead on things like bookings at Fairfax House and managing the civic trust membership database.

Her personality, experience and perspective make for a better workplace all round, he says. “She has fitted in incredibly well!”

Natalie still desperately hopes for an end to the war in her country. “All the people who stayed there are heroes to me,” she said.

In the meantime, she’s hoping to join other members of the Ukrainian community in York to celebrate Vyshyvanka Day at the Merchant Taylors Hall on May 14.

The day, a celebration of all things Ukrainian – particularly the national dress – has been held every year at the hall for the past three years.

“The Merchant Taylors love working with and hosting the Ukrainian community,” said John Vincent, of the Company of Merchant Taylors of York. “Members of the company feel very strongly about showing support to the community, and are particularly delighted to be able to host Vyshyvanka Day, which is in part a celebration of traditional Ukrainian national dress”

Rashford is a Manchester United player. He has a contract that runs to 30 June 2028. When Casemiro’s contract expires on 30 June this year, he will be the club’s highest earner, with his salary benefiting from the restoration of the 25% that had been taken off because of last season’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.

His loan deal with Barcelona includes an option to make the transfer permanent for €30m (£25.94m) if it is triggered by 15 June.

That is the easy bit. From there it starts to get complicated.

On the face of it, making the deal permanent makes sense for all parties.

Rashford has done pretty well; 14 goals and 14 assists in 47 appearances. It was enough to earn him an England recall from Thomas Tuchel and, in all probability, a spot in the final 26-man World Cup squad.

He enjoys playing for Barcelona and would like to stay.

While Barca have other targets this summer, they would be signing a player for well under market value. Manchester United meanwhile would be washing their hands of someone who was in Ruben Amorim’s ‘bomb squad’ last summer.

However, Barcelona are apparently unwilling to execute the transfer and are trying to renegotiate, potentially to sign Rashford next season on another loan deal. United have indicated they are not prepared to do that.

It is an understandable position for United, who know they could get more for Rashford from other clubs.

Yet United’s stance has risk.

Last month, head coach Michael Carrick said ‘nothing has been decided’ on Rashford and indicated he would be willing to work with the 28-year-old if he returned to Old Trafford next season and he was confirmed as the new boss.

However, United are determined to drive wage costs down and minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has previously spoken about trying to ensure the highest earners are ‘on the pitch’.

Given the club are approaching a summer in which they will be attempting to sign at least two central midfield players and almost certainly at least two more players in other areas of the pitch, and also need to talk to skipper Bruno Fernandes about his contractual situation, it does not help them in negotiating terms for someone on Rashford’s salary to still be at the club.

French President Emmanuel Macron interrupted a speaker on stage at the Africa Forward summit in Nairobi to ask the audience to remain quiet.

“There is a total lack of respect,” Macron told attendees, before urging those holding side discussions to continue them outside or in bilateral meeting rooms.

The French leader is in Kenya for the Africa Forward summit, which has brought together more than 30 African leaders, business executives and young entrepreneurs as France seeks to strengthen economic and political ties across the continent.

Some people believe in UFOs while other people think it’s nothing more than reflections or a drone in the sky

A Jet2 pilot has shared his experience of a so-called “UFO” encounter mid-air, and said that he’s seen many “unusual” objects in the sky. But was it really a UFO?

On Jet2’s blog, Ask a Pilot, posted on May 8 of this year, Josh was asked by a customer: “Have you ever seen a UFO while flying?” In response, he suggested that some pilots or travellers may believe they’ve seen a UFO while looking out the window. But appearances can often be misleading, he said.

He explained: “No, I haven’t. I’ve seen things that seemed unusual at first glance; lights, reflections, even weather phenomena, but there’s always turned out to be a logical explanation.

“Quite often we also see satellites passing overhead – in particular, the chains of Starlink satellites, which are very cool to watch as they move across the sky.” Turning to other issues, he said that nervous flyers should bring two items with them in the cabin. This includes a book and a digital device.

The question asks: “I’m a nervous flyer! Can you give me some tips on how to relax and enjoy the flight?” In response, Josh suggested: “Try distractions like music, films, podcasts or a good book. This can make a big difference and help pass the time.”

With these tips in mind, the next time you are packing for a trip, remember to charge your iPad or mobile device so you can watch films, listen to music, or catch up on your favourite podcasts. You could also bring a Kindle – or a similar device – or even a physical book for the journey.

To help calm nerves, he reassures people that “turbulence is completely normal”. He added: “Aircraft are designed and tested to handle far more than you’ll ever experience on a typical flight.

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“Let the crew know if you’re feeling nervous. The team at Jet2 are incredibly customer-focused, and if you mention it, they’ll do everything they can to reassure you and make the journey as comfortable as possible! This might even include a cockpit visit on the ground before departure, which can really help build confidence.”

Josh once again reassures travellers, regardless of which airline they fly: “Remember, flying is one of the safest forms of transport, with multiple layers of training, technology and procedures all working together to keep you safe. If you have any questions while on board, just ask a member of our friendly crew, who will gladly help you.”