Freya Kemp breathed life into England’s preparations for the T20 World Cup as they levelled their series against India with a 26-run victory in Bristol.

After being outclassed in the first T20 on Thursday, England were pedestrian with the bat until Kemp took 24 from the last over to finish 39 not out from 13 balls.

That lifted England to 168-5, a total that had looked well beyond them just two overs earlier, though India were still well placed at 70-1 in the ninth over of their chase.

But Kemp, only just returning to bowling after more than a year of back injury restrictions, came to the fore again by having the classy Smriti Mandhana caught at deep square leg for 32.

Her wicket sparked an impressive fightback from England’s bowlers as they first halted India’s scoring through Charlie Dean and Sophie Ecclestone and then claimed a flurry of wickets.

After India retired out Yastika Bhatia for 33 from 36 balls – the first instance of the tactic being used in a women’s T20 between major nations – Kemp had her replacement Jemimah Rodrigues caught with a slower ball.

Needing 39 from the last two overs, India crumbled to 142-9

Though parts of the batting remain a concern and England also dropped two catches, the win is a significant boost to England as they build towards their opening match of the World Cup at Edgbaston on 12 June.

Rather than facing a dead rubber after another demoralising defeat, they can now clinch the series in a decider in Taunton on Tuesday.

Thomas Reynolds, 21, is believed to have dropped his phone and lost his footing while trying to retrieve it – leading to his tragic death, as tributes pour in from family, friends and football clubs

Tributes have been paid to a Glasgow University student who died after falling from a bridge. Thomas Reynolds is believed to have dropped his phone and lost his footing while attempting to retrieve it.

The 21-year-old’s family said he had been missing on Tuesday, 26 May, before police discovered his body the following morning. His sister Ellen paid tribute to the popular business student on Facebook.

She wrote: “I’m devastated to share that my brother Thomas Reynolds was found dead in Glasgow early this morning.

“He was missing all day yesterday and the police believe that he dropped his phone and tried to retrieve it but fell from the bridge and it was instant.”

“Obviously my family and I are heartbroken but I know he was always very popular and many people will share our sadness and deserve to know.”

Thomas played for Hutchison Vale Community Football Club as a boy and the club paid tribute to the ‘caring lad’ following the news of his death, reports the Daily Record.

Advertisement

They said: “A lovely, caring, popular lad, Tommy is a prime example to any youngster looking to work hard to develop their game. His journey is all the more incredible given he was a December birthday.

“All at Hutchison Vale FC send heartfelt condolences to his Mum Sandra, Dad Tony, sister Ellen and all of his family and friends.

“Rest easy Tommy, you you were an absolute star and will be sorely missed by all the Hutchie family.”

Glasgow University’s football club, where Tommy played as a right back, paid tribute to a “kind soul and true friend”.

A spokesperson said: “We are devastated to share the news that our right back Tommy Reynolds has passed away. Aged only 21, Tommy was studying Business at the Uni, and was a valued member of the First Team squad.

“Everyone that knew him realised he was a kind soul, a true friend and great teammate.”

Police Scotland has been contacted for a response.

Sleights, in the Esk Valley just a few miles from Whitby, is quietly becoming one of North Yorkshire’s most treasured villages, according to travellers and tourists to the area.

Located between Whitby and Pickering on the edge of the North York Moors, the village has long been appreciated by locals, walkers and holidaymakers, but increasing numbers of tourists are now finding Sleights through social media, word of mouth and countryside drives through the moors.

Sleights (Image: David Peacock/CAMERA CLUB)

Many visitors first stumble across the village while travelling along the A169, where the climb of Blue Bank and sweeping valley views leave a lasting impression on many.

One visitor described the village online as: “The perfect base for exploring the coast and moors. Quiet, friendly and surrounded by beautiful countryside.”

Another added: “It feels Yorkshire, scenic views, great local shops, properly, and everyone says hello.”

The village is home to traditional pubs, tea rooms, a popular butcher, Botham’s bakery, a Spar with a post office and a well-regarded fish and chip restaurant, all of which help give the village its welcoming atmosphere.

Locals often point out that despite its size, “you can get everything you need in Sleights.”

The village’s setting in the Esk Valley also makes it a favourite stopping point for walkers, cyclists and sightseers exploring the North York Moors National Park.

The Esk Valley Walk passes nearby, while the surrounding hills and woodland offer countless walking routes with panoramic views stretching towards Whitby Abbey and the coastline.

Sleights is perhaps best known for Blue Bank, the steep hill at the northern end of the village with its dramatic 1-in-4 gradient and emergency escape lane, which has become something of a talking point for visitors unfamiliar with the route.

Despite its challenging incline, many say the views from the top are among the finest in the area.

Though rooted in history, Sleights has found a new audience in the digital age.

Photos and videos shared on social media regularly showcase the village’s scenic valley setting, steam trains passing through the Esk Valley and sunsets over the surrounding moorland, helping attract new visitors looking for quieter alternatives to better-known tourist hotspots like Whitby and Scarborough.

Many describe Sleights as offering “the best of both worlds”, countryside alongside easy access to the Yorkshire coast.

The village also retains a strong community spirit through events such as the annual Sleights Horticultural & Industrial Society Show, which has been held since 1880 and continues to bring together residents and visitors with displays of produce, crafts, baking, photography and family entertainment.

The village remains a working community, with people gathering outside the bakery, walkers stopping at pubs after long hikes and families enjoying the sports field and playground overlooking the valley.

One tourist wrote online: “It’s the kind of place where you arrive for a quick stop and end up staying all afternoon.”

Another added: “Beautiful scenery, lovely people and a proper Yorkshire village feel.”

And for newcomers, there is one lesson locals are always quick to share, Sleights is pronounced “Slites”, rhyming with “heights.”

‘It’s really frustrating. It’s not fair.’

A number of residents living in the city centre next to the venue where a Mani tribute concert is being held today have blasted bosses for claiming they were not given enough notice regarding road closures.

Diecast, on Ducie Street, is hosting a Manichester tribute concert today which will feature a special one-off festival in memory of the Stone Roses legend, who passed away at the age of 63 back in November. The event will feature a host of music legends – many of who knew and were admired by the iconic bassist.

The tribute concert has been organised by Madchester and fashion label GIOGOI, the event has had the blessing of Mani’s family including his younger brother Greg Mounfield. It will raise money to support his twin sons.

Click here for the latest on Manchester’s food & drink scene, gigs and more in our CityLife newsletter

Residents living opposite Diecast have said that whilst they applaud the efforts of those running the large-scale concert to raise money for the star’s family, they claimed they have been kept out of the loop regarding the road closures that have been put in place for today’s festival – which is running from 12pm to 12am.

A number of tenants at the six-storey Whittles Croft apartment buildings alleged they only received a letter handed into their mailboxes last night (May 29) informing them of the road closures that would be in place from 6am today. One resident claimed they had seen the letters hand-delivered at around 5pm last night – around 13 hours before the closures on Ducie Street were to be made effective.

In the letter, which has been shared with the Manchester Evening News, residents were informed that temporary road closures would be in place from 6am on Saturday (May 30) until 6am on Sunday (May 31) with ‘all necessary permissions’ secured and signposted traffic diversions in place throughout. Residents were also advised that stewards would be on hand to maintain vehicle access for residents ‘wherever possible’ and to help minimise disruption.

“I feel like they really should have given the residents more notice to arrange things,” Maged Selim said. “One of my neighbours said the letter was only put in their mailbox at 5pm last night and now the road is closed with queues blocking the gates.

“I tried to ring the team at Diecast several times yesterday about it, and I was on hold for 14 minutes. I just ended up walking to the gate to speak to someone because the wait was getting silly. They couldn’t really give me any assurances.”

Diecast officially opened three years ago. The 250,000 sq ft night-and-day operation features its own kitchen, bars, and events spaces.

Tenant Daniel Tischer, who moved into the Whittles Croft property six years ago, said he had been completely unaware the event was taking place today until he saw the closures in place this morning. He said he has checked his mailbox and has not had any correspondence regarding the festival or the road closures.

“I looked out my living room window this morning and I saw that the entire street had been guarded off with fencing going up,” Daniel said. “I know some residents had letters last night, but I have personally received nothing about it. It’s not surprising to me – it’s not the first time something like this has happened. When they opened here, it felt like they had promised the world to us and said they would work with us to make everyone happy.

“It does feel like we’re not really being considered anymore. This is our home. We live here.”

Diecast has been approached by the Manchester Evening News for comment today. It is understood that the Ducie Street road closures were authorised two days prior to the event with venue bosses attempting to notify residents and those likely to be affected as much as possible.

In its letter to residents, bosses said there would be stewards patrolling the area to help minimise disruption, whilst also encouraging residents to get in touch with them directly about their concerns regarding access, parking or event logistics.

Set to take place until around midnight, the Manichester event will feature a host of big names, including The Smiths drummer Mike Joyce, former Happy Mondays icon Rowetta, and more.

There will also be a supergroup of performers who will honour Mani’s musical impact with renditions of some of his biggest and favourite songs. The event sold out weeks ago with fans keen to pay their respects in true fashion.

Two Illinois boys were airflited out of Matthiessen State Park Friday after a “roughhousing” incident during a school field trip turned dangerous.

Emergency crews responded to the park around 12:45 p.m. following a report that an adult chaperone began CPR on an unconscious juvenile near the Lower Dells area, Illinois Conservation Police Sergeant Phil Wire told Shaw Local.

The situation unfolded when an 11-year-old boy and a 12-year-old boy, part of the school outing involving more than 50 students, were “rough-housing and engaging in horseplay” in the water, Wire said. One of the boys inhaled water and briefly lost consciousness at the park, which is located about 90 miles southwest of Chicago.

First responders arrived about 15 minutes after the dispatch call and found both boys conscious and alert, though they were still showing signs of shock and distress, according to reports.

Out of an abundance of caution, the children were separately airlifted in two helicopters to OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois for further evaluation.

Their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, according to CBS News Chicago.

The Independent has contacted the Illinois Conservation Police for comment.

The pair paid tribute to her as ‘a force field of life and love’ and a ‘dearly beloved mother, grandmother and sister’ whose life had taken ‘a remarkable trajectory’

Ed and David Miliband have paid tribute to their mother after she died aged 91.

The pair announced the death of Marion Kozak, a Holocaust survivor, and left-wing campaigner on Saturday.

They paid tribute to her as “a force field of life and love” and a “dearly beloved mother, grandmother and sister”.

The siblings said: “She lived an extraordinary life with a spirit of the utmost kindness, warmth and generosity. Her life had a remarkable trajectory, from the childhood trauma of the Holocaust in Poland to safety and joy in Britain. She became a teacher, campaigner and a passionate advocate for justice. We will deeply miss her, but will carry her spirit and values with us always.”

Advertisement

Born Dobra Jenta Kozak in Poland in 1934, she escaped from the Czestochowa Ghetto in 1942 during the Nazi occupation along with her mother and sister.

She was sheltered by nuns and then a neighbour of her aunt in Warsaw, surviving the war thanks to what her son Ed told the 2012 Labour Party conference was “the kindness of strangers”.

On an official visit to Poland in 2009 while Foreign Secretary, David Miliband paid tribute to those who had protected his mother, saying her life was “saved by those who risked theirs sheltering her from Nazi oppression”.

Ms Kozak settled in the UK after the war, marrying left-wing academic Ralph Miliband and becoming a human rights campaigner and early activist for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

In his 2012 conference speech, his third as Labour leader, Ed Miliband said his mother “probably doesn’t agree with me”, but “like most mums is too kind to say so”.

But in the same speech he drew a link from her escape from the Nazis to his own political philosophy.

He said: “I believe we cannot shrug our shoulders at injustice, and just say that’s the way the world is. And I believe that we can overcome any odds if we come together as people.

“That’s how my mum survived the war. The kindness of strangers. Nuns in a convent who took her in and sheltered her from the Nazis, took in a Jewish girl at risk to themselves.”

ADLOUN, Lebanon (AP) — Israel’s air force and artillery struck areas close to a strategic mountain housing a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon Saturday as fighting raged in villages close to the southern city of Nabatieh.

Israel’s military issued evacuation warnings for more than a dozen villages in southern Lebanon, a day after Lebanese and Israeli military officials held their first direct talks in decades at the Pentagon.

The situation in southern Lebanon was discussed during a meeting Saturday between Lebanon’s president and prime minister who said in a statement later that they will intensify their contacts to make Israel stop demolition and bulldozing of homes and historical sites as well as its evacuation warnings.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling near the Crusader-built Beaufort castle that is about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the Israeli border and overlooks wide parts of southern Lebanon. The strategic castle was held by Israeli troops for 18 years until they withdrew from Lebanon in May 2000.

Israeli troops have been advancing for days in villages close to the castle, including Yohmor and Zawtar al-Sharqieh near the city of Nabatieh after they crossed the strategic Litani River, which the Israeli military has used as a de facto boundary.

Large areas to the south are under Israeli military control, despite an April 17, U.S.-brokered ceasefire.

Israel and Hezbollah exchange strikes despite ceasefire

NNA reported airstrikes on different parts of southern Lebanon including in the village of Ansar that killed three people. A drone strike on a road linking the village of Ebba with Nabatieh wounded two Lebanese soldiers, the army said in a statement.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, said its fighters fired rockets at northern Israel’s largest city, Kiryat Shmona, on the border with Lebanon. The group said its attack was in retaliation for airstrikes that killed civilians in Lebanon. Hezbollah later said it also fired rockets toward the northern city of Safed.

Among those killed in southern Lebanon on Friday were a Syrian family — Qais al-Bakir, his pregnant wife and their six children — who died in an Israeli airstrike on the coastal village of Adloun, north of the city of Tyre.

The family, which belonged to Syria’s minority Alawite sect, had fled to Lebanon from the central province of Hama after the fall of Bashar Assad in Syria in December 2024. Some members of Assad’s Alawite sect have been subjected to revenge attacks by members of Islamist groups who removed the former president from power.

The family had been living in a sheep farm and they received no warning in advance of the strike on the village, said Ali al-Bakir the brother of the man killed. He said the family plans to send the bodies for burial in their hometown in Syria.

“He worked in farming and all he cared about was to feed his children,” his brother said.

The latest Israel-Hezbollah war started on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel two days after Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran.

It has left 3,350 people dead in Lebanon and over 1 million people displaced.

Further strikes in Gaza

In the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian nurse was killed in an Israeli strike Saturday, hospital authorities said, the latest death by Israeli fire since a shaky ceasefire halted major fighting in the enclave last year.

The strike late Saturday morning hit a Hamas-manned police point in the central city of Deir al-Balah. At least three other people were wounded, according to the city’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, which received the casualties.

The Israeli military didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The dead nurse was identified as Jamal Abu Aoun, who worked at Yafa Hospital in Deir al-Balah. His funeral was held at noon in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital’s courtyard.

He was the latest fatality among Palestinians in the coastal enclave since a fragile October ceasefire deal attempted to halt a more than two-year war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

While the heaviest fighting has subsided, the shaky ceasefire has seen almost daily Israeli fire. Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes and frequently fire on Palestinians near military-held zones, killing at least 929 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by United Nations agencies and independent experts. But it does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants.

Militants have carried out shooting attacks on troops, and Israel says its strikes are in response to that and other violations. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire.

_____

Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military has stopped another merchant vessel trying to break through the American blockade of Iranian ports, a U.S. official with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Saturday.

The Gambia-flagged bulk carrier Lian Star ignored multiple warnings from U.S. forces overnight as it tried to enter an Iranian port, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations, said. The ship was disabled by U.S. aircraft in the Gulf of Oman and remains adrift there, the official said, adding that U.S. forces have not boarded it.

With the latest action, U.S. military has stopped six ships trying to breach the blockade. One was allowed to proceed.

The U.S. launched the blockade on April 17 in response to Iran effectively closing the strait after the war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28. A fragile ceasefire has held since April 7. Now the region and wider world await word on whether a deal is being reached to extend it by 60 days while new talks would be held on Iran’s disputed nuclear program.

Events in the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman have shaken the global economy, with shipments of significant amounts of oil, natural gas and related supplies like fertilizer largely stranded, increasing the strain on consumers and food producers.

The U.S. blockade seeks to limit Iran’s own shipments and further weaken its access to cash, creating more pain for its long-weakened economy.

U.S. President Donald Trump met with advisers on Friday but has yet to decide on whether to move ahead with a deal to extend the ceasefire and reopen the strait. Iran has said the deal had not been finalized.

Commercial traffic has quietly continued to flow through the strait, despite Iran’s assertions that it must approve any transits, though at a much lower volume than before the conflict.

“Any violation of these regulations will place the security of their passage at serious risk,” Iran’s joint military command said Saturday in a statement carried by state TV, warning that any military vessels trying to interfere with that would be targeted.

Iran has even charged tolls for transit as high as $2 million, which experts have called a violation of a principle of international maritime trade: freedom of peaceful navigation.

Qatar’s deputy prime minister, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani, on Saturday said the Gulf nation opposes charging fees to transit, “but for certain times when they say they are going to use it for mine clearing or some usage of the fees for a temporary time, this is something that is negotiable, and it could be something that will help the transit of the Strait of Hormuz to be back to normal stage.”

The U.S. official previously told the AP that the U.S. has not found or destroyed any mines in the strait.

The Lord of the Rings star led the ‘Commonwealth Walk of Shame’ in London on Saturday, May 30, starting outside the Nigeria High Commission.

The movement was in protest against the criminalisation of LGBT+ people in 29 Commonwealth member states under colonial-era laws originally imposed by Britain.

Sir Ian who was born in Burnley, said: “No one should face prison, violence, or death simply for being themselves and loving another person.

“Yet across most of the Commonwealth, LGBT+ people are still treated as criminals.

“Many of these laws are relics of the British Empire.

“The least we in Britain can do is stand in solidarity with those fighting to overturn criminalisation.”

The protest highlighted colonial-era laws originally imposed by Britain that still criminalise same-sex relationships.

In six Commonwealth countries, the legal maximum sentence is life in prison, while in Uganda, Brunei, and parts of northern Nigeria, people could face the death penalty.

Many of those at the London march were LGBT+ refugees who fled Commonwealth countries because of such laws.

The Peter Tatchell Foundation organised the protest along with Out and Proud Africa LGBTI, Let Voice be Heard (Bangladesh), Gay Indian Network (GIN), and the African Equality Foundation.

Marchers protested outside the Nigerian High Commission and seven other Commonwealth High Commissions.

Deborah Birunji Nabisere, a lesbian and member of Out and Proud Africa LGBTI who fled persecution in Uganda, said: “I know what it means to live under laws designed to erase your humanity.

“We are marching because silence has protected persecution for far too long.

“Commonwealth leaders cannot celebrate unity while millions of LGBT+ citizens live in fear.

“For many LGBT+ people across Africa and the Commonwealth, these laws are not abstract.

“They shape every part of daily life: whether you can speak openly, whether you can find work, whether you are safe walking home.”

Peter Tatchell, human rights campaigner and founder of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, said: “For decades, Commonwealth leaders have failed to end the persecution of LGBT+ people.

“We urge the new Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey of Ghana, to begin her tenure by making clear that anti-LGBT+ victimisation is incompatible with Commonwealth values.”

The Nigeria High Commission has been approached for comment.