The Exeter Chiefs back-rower is set to make his Wales debut this summer having previously represented England U20s

New Wales call-up Kane James says he wants to be involved in all three of his side’s Nations Championship matches this summer after lifting the lid on his talks with head coach Steve Tandy.

The Exeter Chiefs star was born and raised in Wales but represented England at U20s level after qualifying through his Bristol-born father. However, after months of speculation, he was named in Wales’ summer squad earlier this month and is set to win his first senior international cap as they take on Fiji, Argentina and South Africa in July.

Ahead of this year’s Six Nations, Tandy revealed that he had held talks with James, only for the 21-year-old to be ruled out of the tournament with a significant ankle injury, which required surgery.

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Having now completed his international switch, the Chiefs back-rower has now revealed all about his talks with Tandy, admitting he was impressed by the Wales head coach’s efforts to bring him on board, while also saying it was a “tough decision”. Win free tickets to watch Fiji v Wales in Cardiff this summer.

“The start of this season I met Steve Tandy here [in Exeter] in the coffee shop,” he told the Scrum V podcast. “He asked to come and meet me and I was more than happy to have a chat with him. He’s been sending me clips of my games and stuff to work on.

“He’s kept that communication alive and it was really important in my decision to come back to Wales. It was a tough decision, but I think it’s something that’s best for me at this time and an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.

“I met him a few weeks ago with Daf [Jenkins] and Christ [Tshiunza] for food, an Italian near Daf’s house,” James added. “I doubt there are many head coaches across the world who would come down and meet players so often.

“He called me on the Friday and said he wanted to put me in the squad and I was ecstatic. I called my dad and agent and they were ecstatic as well!”

The back row is an area of strength for Wales but James is bullish in his aims for this summer, admitting he wants to play a part in all three of his side’s fixtures in the inaugural Nations Championship campaign.

“I want to be involved in all three games in the summer,” he said. “I want to make an impact and I want to help get this team back to where we have been.

“I will play wherever I’m needed. I can cover six, seven and eight, wherever Steve puts me I’m more than happy.”

On what pulling on the red jersey would mean, James added: “It will be massive for me and the proudest moment for my dad, watching me put on the Welsh shirt – my family back in Fishguard too.”

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Separately, police are advising motorists of delays on the Ballagh Road between Kilkeel and Newcastle near Bloody Bridge due to parked cars causing an obstruction.

Police have asked drivers to act responsibly by parking legally and not obstructing other vehicles or blocking roadways. Officers are in the area to monitor the situation and, if necessary, take enforcement action.

Nicola Roberts welcomed her first child into the world with her fiancé Mitch Hahn

Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle was among those flooding her bandmate Nicola Roberts with support after she announced on social media that she’d given birth to her first child.

The pop star announced that she was expecting her first child with her fiancé, accountant-and-semi-professional footballer Mitch Hahn, on Christmas Day. Nicola shared an image of her posing with her baby bump in front of a Christmas tree.

She told her fans at the time: “Mitch and I have had the most magical Christmas Day sharing the most precious news with our families. We’ve been keeping a secret. We are five months pregnant! We can’t wait to meet our little one in the spring x (sic).”

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During her pregnancy, Nicola revealed that she understand surgery to ‘keep baby in’ at 22 weeks. She said: “Some pics I took this week.. Hasn’t it been so nice to really feel spring.. I’ve been under instruction not to do much since I had the surgery at 22 weeks to help keep baby in.

“Hitting that 34 week mark was a big relief. I now only have a few weeks left. Safe to say, this last bit is not the easiest is it?! In one breath, it will be nice to feel more comfortable again but I will also really miss my bump and having this tiny little thing in there”.

Returning to Instagram on Sunday (May 24), Nicola was delighted to announce that she and Mitch have welcomed a baby girl. The 40-year-old singer shared a series of photos with the newborn in a celebratory post on Instagram, including one comparing the sizes of their hands.

She captioned her post: “Our beautiful baby girl is here. We haven’t stopped staring at her perfect little face or kissing her softest little head. She arrived healthy and content a couple of weeks ago at 38 weeks weighing 6.5lbs and is thriving. It’s heaven on earth with her and we can hardly believe she’s ours.”

The comments section of Nicola’s post saw her famous friends rushing to congratulate her and Mitch on the birth of their daughter and wish them well on their parenting journey.

Nicola’s Girls Aloud bandmate Nadine Coyle said: “Congratulations!!!!!!!!! Sending so much love!!” Little Mix’s Perrie Edwards added: “Congratulations! Enjoy the baby bubble.”

The Derry woman also congratulated Nicola on the birth of her daughter and brought out her own daughter Anaíya while on stage at Birmingham Pride on Sunday.

Nicola and Mitch have been dating since around the summer of 2022, when they were seen together at Elton John’s British Summertime gig at London’s Hyde Park. The pair are reported to have gotten engaged during a romantic getaway in the south of France in July 2024.

It’s been a busy few years for Nicola, with she and her Girls Aloud band mates Kimberley Walsh, Cheryl Tweedy and Nadine reuniting in 2024 for a brand new tour. The reunion marked the group’s first time hitting the stage in the wake of their bandmate Sarah Harding’s passing in 2021.

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John Foley runs an award-winning plant nursery without a mobile phone, internet, or bank cards

A 38 year old business owner has retreated to “analogue mode” – abandoning his mobile phone, bank card, computer and internet to operate exclusively with pen and paper. John Foley ditched his iPhone 14 three years ago after becoming “constantly distracted” by emails, messages and notifications.

Subsequently, he disposed of his computer and rejected his bank card in favour of cash. The father-of-two, who operates an award-winning plant nursery in Holden, exchanged them for traditional diaries and pencil and paper.

In 2024, he also eliminated using the internet altogether and now composes documents and reports by hand or adds notes to his chalkboard.

He said: “It has been very therapeutic and liberating – I feel like I have taken back control of my life, mind, and sense of achievement.

“My daily screen time was around 5hrs and 40mins a day – which isn’t an insane amount, but it was time which I thought I was being productive with. But in reality I wasn’t and I have now gotten that back.

“As well as not being readily available through a phone at any moment has slowed me right down, and actually, and has improved my quality of life. My days feel four times as long and I now find myself living in the moment.

“My brain is able to think rather than being forced to work in overdrive. I’m never itching for my phone to fill awkward spaces of dead time or awkward moments.” The last occasion John used his mobile phone was on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. His contentious choice followed two “life-changing” trips without it, after leaving it powered down at home.

The first was a journey to London on May 18 to meet the then Floral Development Manager of the Chelsea Flower Show, Helen Boem, to talk about his app “The Wonder Garden” that he and his colleagues were developing.

The app enabled customers to plan their own gardens and flowerbeds through his nursery using AI. He said: “We missed our train due to being late, because one of us forgot our phone charger.

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“Then that night, when we got to the house I rented, I stayed up late texting. So the next morning, I made the decision to just go without it.

“It wasn’t easy, but I found that I actually had time to speak to people, and any worries about emails or WhatsApps to reply too, well they just had to wait. The next day we went to Lambeth Palace Museum and I left without it again – I was able to focus and learn like I hadn’t in a long time.”

The motivation also arose when on the journey back from London he noticed a woman writing in a diary. He said: “Back in the day, all these important businessmen and huge companies worked on pen and paper, so why can’t they now?” Then a fortnight later, on June 4, he embarked on a weekend camping trip to Pen-y-ghent, in the Yorkshire Dales, with six friends once more, leaving his device behind. Though he admitted he’d only left it at home because he was running late, having been “replying to texts, emails, and scrolling”.

Following the trip, he set himself a two-week deadline to go phone-free permanently and developed an “overwhelming feeling” he didn’t want to use it anymore.

However, he ended up abandoning it a week ahead of schedule, switching it off and stashing it somewhere in his home – setting himself the challenge of going without it for five years. The following day, he walked seven miles into Clitheroe to purchase his first diary after forgetting his Amazon password and being unable to complete two-step authentication on the website Etsy.

In September 2024 he scrapped his email and internet access entirely, preferring to deal with clients face-to-face and providing handwritten plans and documents, something which he says customers “appreciate”.

Then in the autumn of 2024 he stopped carrying a debit card, though he still maintains an account to cover his bills, all handled via direct debit. Customers can still reach the company by landline, post or email, and he has passed on technology-related tasks to other members of staff, though he intends to phase out those methods too.

John admits the first winter without a phone was tough, revealing he felt “very lonely”. He also had to learn how to properly organise both himself and his time. He is now exploring ways to make his company completely technology-free, with hopes of reverting to pen and paper before the end of 2026.

John’s The Wonder Garden app was also scrapped, but was transformed into a face-to-face business concept that he promoted largely through word of mouth and the community gardens he manages at the nursery.

He said: “Time poverty is what the world suffers with in 2026, but when you come out, everything slows down and you reclaim it.”

He is now looking to establish a charity to create green spaces for communities alongside local councils, giving children the opportunity to step away from technology and discover the joys of gardening.

The prince and princess chose a pub lunch over a posh banquet

Cambridge is a place loved by royals. So much so, the city gained a new Duke and Duchess in 2011 after Prince William and Princess Kate got married.

While the couple held the titles of Duke and Duchess of the city, they visited Cambridge many times. There is one Cambridge pub that people may not realise that the future king and queen dined at in 2012.

This is the Fort St George, one of Cambridge’s oldest and most well-known riverside pubs. Although they were invited to a posh banquet at the University of Cambridge, the pair turned it down to enjoy a trip to the Fort St George.

According to news clippings from the time, Kate and William enjoyed sandwiches, chips, and mini burgers. At the time of their 2012 visit, Kate was early into her pregnancy with Prince George.

Today, the pub is still as popular with us commoners, as well as royals. It is situated on the popular Midsummer Common, and is the perfect place to visit to admire the River Cam, as well as soak up some sun.

The Greene King pub offers traditional pub grub, including Sunday Roasts. There are also a range of cold crisp drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, to enjoy in the nice weather.

As reported earlier today, forecasters predicted a maximum temperature of 33 degrees Celsius in the city today, two degrees warmer than yesterday as the UK looks set for the warmest day in May on record.

The UK has recorded its all-time hottest May temperature today as a part of London hit 33.5C.

Heathrow, in the west of the capital, broke the record on the bank holiday – a day after the country’s highest May temperature in at least 79 years was recorded.

Tower Gardens in Tower Street offered a chance for people to pause under the canopy of leaves and we spoke to a number of people taking a break, from among the scores of people stretched out on the lawns, reading books, parked on benches and leaning against tree trunks.

Carol and Rob were sat on the wooden seats overlooking the River Ouse and enjoying their sandwiches.

One lady brought her own portable shade from the midday heat of York (Image: Kevin Glenton)

The couple are in York until the end of next week, having travelled down from Lanarkshire in Scotland.

Carol said: “It’s good to get outside but best to stay in the shade.

“We’ve been out for two-and-a-half hours already and spent most of it out of the sun.

“I’m looking forward to next week when it will be just 19 degrees.”

Kirsty Gray and her partner Carl Smith brought the family over by car from Alford in Lincolnshire and making a day of it with a picnic hamper and coolbox with children Mia, Ellie and Millie, before hitting the shops and museums.

Kirsty said: “We made plans to come to York as Mia was especially keen to come to The Shop That Must Not be Named in Shambles.

“We’ve brought the picnic in part because of the expense of eating out, and as soon as we came out of St George’s Field car park this looked like a convenient place to sit and have our lunch.”

Kirsty Gray, Carl Smith, with Mia, Ellie and Millie has come to York for the day from Alford in Lincolnshire (Image: Kevin Glenton)

Paola Pugh was walking her two-year-old dog Niko, a pomeranian-shitzu cross, through the garden.

She said she lives in neighbouring Tower Place and the green space is a regular place for the two of them to cross.

Niko was wearing a cooling bandana which his owner Paola picked up in a pet shop (Image: Kevin Glenton)

Paola said: “In this heat, we try to go for the shortest walks, which means we come here and I try to keep him out of the sun.

“He’s wearing a special bandana I bought from the pet shop which I hope will cool him down a little.

“I’m from the south of Italy so I’m used to the heat for longer periods of time.

“When it comes here, it’s usually in short bursts.”

Summer is here with Memorial Day’s three-day weekend.

Observed on the last Monday in May each year, Memorial Day unofficially marks the start of warmer months with a long weekend known for barbecues, yard work and pool openings to honor the day of remembrance for military members who died in service.

The solemn day, recognized as one of the 11 federal holidays in the calendar year, is acknowledged across the country with flags lowered to half-staff under the established nationwide tradition. It is one of the few times flags are lowered in every state.

However, it is up to individual employers to decide whether they offer time off or additional pay for work on federal holidays.

Find the full list of 2026 federal holidays below:

New Year’s Day: Thursday, January 1

Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Monday, January 19

Presidents’ Day: Monday, February 16

Memorial Day: Monday, May 25

Juneteenth National Independence Day: Friday, June 19

Independence Day: Saturday, July 4

Labor Day: Monday, September 7

Indigenous Peoples’ Day (also observed as Columbus Day): Monday, October 12

Veterans Day: Wednesday, November 11

Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 26

Christmas Day: Friday, December 25

Other important days to note:

Valentine’s Day: Saturday, February 14

St. Patrick’s Day: Tuesday, March 17

April Fools’ Day: Wednesday, April 1

First Day of Passover: Wednesday, April 1

Good Friday: Friday, April 3

Easter: Sunday, April 5

Mother’s Day: Sunday, May 10

Father’s Day: Sunday, June 21

Halloween: Saturday, October 31

First Day of Hannukkah: Friday, December 4

Christmas Eve: Thursday, December 24

New Year’s Eve: Thursday, December 31

“We will continue to crack down on people like this – they pose a danger to all of us on the roads.”

A disqualified driver was caught by police over the weekend driving at 90mph in the dark, with no lights on – and on the motorway.

Officers stopped the driver on the M1 close to Lurgan after he was seen driving with no lights on in the dark before being detected driving at 90mph. After his vehicle was stopped he admitted to police that he had no insurance and was later found to have been disqualified from driving in July 2024.

The driver had is car seized and will soon have to appear in court.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “The driver of this car has just been stopped on the M1 Motorway, near Lurgan.

“Road Policing Officers detected him driving at 90mph with no lights on, in the dark.

“When stopped, he threw his hands up to having no insurance and further checks showed that he was a disqualified driver. He was disqualified in July 2024 for three years.

“The car was seized and the driver will have to attend court in the near future.

“We will continue to crack down on people like this – they pose a danger to all of us on the roads.”

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West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo is meeting senior management on Monday to assess the impact of relegation to the Championship amid a belief he is likely to leave the club.

Nuno refused to say whether he would remain at London Stadium in the aftermath of failing to prevent the club dropping out of the Premier League for the first time since 2011.

The former Wolves, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest manager signed a three-year deal with the Hammers in September.

Despite improved form toward the end of the season, including a final day 3-0 victory over Leeds, West Ham paid the price for a poor start, followed by a run of 10 games without a win from the beginning of November to the middle of January.

Chairman David Sullivan and vice-chairman Daniel Kretinsky are likely to be the key voices in the meeting.

West Ham sources have indicated relegation will cost the club around £200m in lost income at a time when finances are already stretched.

The Hammers made a £104m loss in their most recent accounts to 31 May 2025 and are predicted to lose another large sum this season.

Sales appear inevitable, with midfielder Mateus Fernandes on Manchester United‘s list of central midfielders they are interested in.

Skipper Jarrod Bowen is also coveted by a number of Premier League clubs, although he didn’t want to talk about that when interviewed by Match of the Day after the Leeds game.

“It’s still very, very raw,” the forward said. “Talking about futures is disrespectful to the club, the fans, everything like that. This club deserves to be in the Premier League. Our aim now is to get this club back into the Premier League.”