Anthony Bucknell, 35, attacked the woman at his home in Brown Street, Shotts, on Christmas Day last year.

A serial domestic abuser has been jailed for two years for another assault on his partner.

Anthony Bucknell attacked the woman at his home in Brown Street, Shotts, on Christmas Day last year.

Bucknell, 35, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted the assault as well as breaching bail conditions by being in the female’s company that day.

He had been bailed at the same court in August and warned to stay away from her.

The court heard the woman phoned the police shortly after 10pm on December 25 to say Bucknell had assaulted her.

When police officers went to the house they saw “significant” swelling to the side of her face.

She said Bucknell had punched her twice but she refused to go to hospital.

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Defence lawyer Stephen MacBride said his client had not gone out of his way to flout the bail conditions.

The solicitor stated: “The woman turned up at his home on Christmas Day. He should have shut the door and told her to go away.

“They were both intoxicated and more alcohol was consumed.

“The relationship is now at a complete end.

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“He’s currently on a community payback order and is keen to continue to engage with social work.”

The court heard Bucknell has served time previously for assaults on the woman.

As well as jailing him, Sheriff John Speir imposed a five-year non-harassment order.

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Beyond Paradise star Kris Marshall has opened up about being fired from Iceland and working odd jobs in a toothpaste factory before finding fame

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Beyond Paradise actor Kris Marshall has revealed details about being dismissed from employment before achieving fame as a performer. Despite also not passing his school examinations, the Humphrey Goodman star has featured in My Family, Love Actually, and Death in Paradise.

During an interview from the previous year, Kris discussed his journey to stardom and how the path wasn’t always straightforward. Following his expulsion from school, Kris explained he faced two choices: either to resit the examinations or to pursue acting as a career.

Kris, who presently portrays Detective Humphrey Goodman in Beyond Paradise, previously told the Guardian, “The only problem was, I had no idea how to get into the industry. Instead, I worked the odd, crazy job to make ends meet – doing shifts in a toothpaste factory or in the laundry of an abattoir.

“That one was pretty grim – the smell will never leave me. I was once fired from Iceland for wearing blue sunglasses on the till, and for a while, I knocked on the doors of people who hadn’t paid their TV licences.”

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The Love Actually performer seemed to secure his breakthrough while working in a pub after an encounter with someone in the television industry, reports the Express.

“I went from hiding under my bed from the landlord because I couldn’t pay my rent, to flying over to the Toronto film festival to promote my first lead role in a film 18 months later,” he continued.

Kris began to gain recognition after securing roles in Love Actually and the comedy series My Family. He is also renowned for his portrayal of Humphrey Goodman in both Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise.

He shared, “I would get recognised daily. Since then, it hasn’t stopped, but I don’t mind – it’s a small price to pay for what is a wonderful job.”

However, Kris has faced other setbacks in his career, such as when Sanditon was cancelled before eventually being revived.

Sanditon, based on Jane Austen’s unfinished novel, returned for a second series in July 2022 after being dropped following its failure to engage viewers.

“It is the first show I’ve been on that has been cancelled and then reinstated,” Kris revealed in a previous conversation with Radio Times.

“The fans did that after it took off in America, organising an incredible campaign to bring the show back.”

Beyond Paradise can be viewed on BBC iPlayer.

A total of 81 venues across North West England are hosting events from Thursday, April 9 to Saturday, April 11.

The pubs are all part of the Proper Pubs group, the community wet-led division of Admiral Taverns.

As part of the celebrations, customers can take part in a Grand National sweepstake by buying a drink ahead of the race.

Each customer will then pick a random number from a hat or box, which is recorded on the sweepstake board alongside their name.

The person who draws the winning horse will receive a free drink as a prize.

Pubs taking part include: 

• Albion, Accrington
• Warners Arms, Accrington
• Bowling Green, Ashton Under Lyne
• New Inn, Ashton Under Lyne
• Old Ball Inn, Smallshaw
• Royal Oak, Ashton-Under-Lyne
• New Inn, Bacup
• Vic, Blackburn
• Alma Inn, Bolton
• Beeley’s Bar, Bolton
• Gilnow Arms, Bolton
• Keg & Thread, Bolton
• Lamb Hotel, Bolton
• Lord Raglan, Bolton
• Royal Hotel, Bolton
• Victoria, Bolton, BL5
• Royal Butterfly, Burnley
• Lamplighter, Chorley
• Mitre Hotel, Chorley
• Entwistle Hotel, Darwen
• Cotton Tree Inn, Failsworth
• Bricklayers Arms, Failsworth
• Bear On The Hill, Oldham
• Daisyfield, Bardsley
• Pineapple Inn, Oldham
• Station Hotel, Nelson
• Rhoden Inn, Oswaldtwistle
• Tinker & Budget, Oswaldtwistle
• Gamull, Preston
• Lancaster Gate, Preston
• Plungington, Preston

Proper Pubs operates more than 200 pubs across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The following article contains spoilers from the episode of Coronation Street dated April 10. It hasn’t aired on ITV1 yet, but can be viewed on ITVX and YouTube.

Bernie Winter (Jane Hazlegrove) believes her nightmare with Mal Roper (Tim Treloar) is over in Coronation Street – but it’s really only just beginning.

Bernie met Mal at a hotel earlier this year. At the time, she was grieving for Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank), who died during Corriedale. She got drunk with Mal and took drugs, but nothing sexual happened between them.

Despite this, Mal convinced himself that he had a romantic connection with Bernie, and did not leave her alone.

He secured some electrician work at Roy Cropper’s (David Neilson) café to remain close to Bernie, and proceeded to make comments about how they’re meant to be together.

Mal’s obsession left Bernie deeply concerned. When she told her son and copper Kit Green (Jacob Roberts), he proceeded to attack Mal and put him in hospital.

Mal remembered who attacked him and used this to his advantage. He went on to tell Bernie that he wouldn’t report Kit to the police, if they slept together.

This week, Bernie was surprised to learn from Roy that Mal had left Manchester for Inverness. She also discovered that Jodie Ramsey (Olivia Frances-Brown) had been putting a great deal of effort into leaving bad reviews on Mal’s website.

Bernie and Jodie aren’t exactly mates, but she was willing to ignore the somewhat bizarre move from her due to the fact it really did seem like ‘headcase’ Mal had gone.

That afternoon though, Bernie waved Roy and Nina Lucas (Mollie Gallagher) off on their trip, and failed to spot Mal watching her from a distance.

Bernie told Gemma Winter (Dolly-Rose Campbell) earlier in the episode that she hopes Mal doesn’t think she left the bad reviews on his website – but maybe this was Jodie’s plan all along?

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Let’s not forget Jodie broke into Bernie and Dev Alahan’s (Jimmi Harkishin) house and cut Bernie’s face out of their wedding photos just to cause more drama with Mal.

Is she about to put Bernie in even more danger?

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The Bulls Disabled Sports Club, which has been running since 1982, has launched an ambitious new sponsorship campaign aimed at rebuilding the club after years of financial challenges.

The charity, based in Bolton, brings together disabled and non-disabled players and has seen athletes go on to represent Great Britain internationally.

DSC Bulls in action (Image: Hannah Tyler)

However, rising costs forced the club out of the National League seven years ago, while a lack of funding has also left it unable to replace vital equipment such as specialist basketball wheelchairs, which can cost more than £5,000 each.

Now, the club is hoping to turn things around with its new “Join the Herd” initiative.

The campaign is inviting 50 local businesses to sponsor them (Image: Hannah Tyler)

The campaign is inviting 50 local businesses to sponsor the team, with each company receiving branding on match-day kits as part of a wider business network.

Sponsorship packages start from £250 and include advertising opportunities, networking events and corporate experiences, with higher tiers offering additional benefits such as wheelchair basketball sessions and professional photoshoots.

John Caunce, chairperson of The Bulls Disabled Sports Club, said the scheme is about building partnerships rather than simply seeking donations.

He said: “We’re not asking for charity, we’re offering a genuine business partnership.

“Every sponsor joins a network of 50 local businesses, gets their name on the kit, and becomes part of something that’s been part of Greater Manchester for over forty years.

“Now we’re ready to grow again.”

The club has already taken steps towards that growth, recently launching its first-ever women’s team, which competed in the UK Wheelchair Basketball Women’s Cup in 2026.

(Image: Hannah Tyler)

Over the next three years, The Bulls hopes to establish a women’s side in the national league, develop a junior pathway, and return its senior team to the British Wheelchair Basketball National League.

Businesses interested in supporting the club can find out more at thebulls.org.uk.

Two Class A drug dealers have been jailed after a dramatic police chase caught on camera resulted in them being charged.

Police officers spotted Daniel Bari and Emilis Urlikas acting suspiciously in Teversham, Cambridge, on December 29 last year.

Suspecting the men had been dealing drugs, officers went to speak to them but they both took off on foot.

Body-mounted footage from one officer, released by Cambridgeshire Police, showed him sprinting after Bari through a residential area before finally cornering him outside a house. Bari again attempted to run but was Tasered and brought to the ground.

Officers detained him and found he was carrying 124 wraps of crack cocaine and 110 wraps of heroin, with a combined street value of more than £1,000. Officers also recovered two mobile phones and £2,590 in cash.

Urlikas was arrested shortly afterwards and, while no drugs were found on him, investigations showed he was involved in the supply with Bari

YouTube users called the footage the ‘weirdest arrest I’ve ever seen,’ noting how the arresting officer (described as ‘the most chill cop ever’) did not shout at the suspect and the entire pursuit took place in almost complete silence.

Others applauded the officer for his physical fitness, remarking on his ability to catch up to the suspect and bring him to the ground.

Bari, 27, of Outfield, Bretton, Peterborough, was sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court to five years and seven months in prison after previously pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine and possession of criminal property.

Urlikas, 20, of Whalley Street, Peterborough, was sentenced to 16 months in a Young Offenders Institution after admitting being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine.

Det Con McAuley said: ‘Thanks to the quick work of officers, we were able to seize a significant quantity of class A drugs and put these men in prison.

‘This sentencing sends a clear message that drug dealing will not be tolerated in Cambridgeshire.’

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Official rating

Every horse in training is giving an official rating by the handicapper based on the level that they run to. Fourteen of the past 16 winners have been rated 146+, with 13 of those between 146 and 160. I Am Maximus and Nick Rockett were rated 159 and 163 going into the past two editions so a higher mark may be a positive.

Runs since September

In the first seven runnings this decade, five winners had run six times since September, with the others having five and three outings.

That trend has settled down in the past 10 years, with the average being four runs. Noble Yeats had seven before his 2022 run, while five had been in three races.

No winner in the past 25 editions has run fewer than three times that season.

Trainer location

An English trainer last won the race in 2015, with an Irish trainer winning seven of the nine since. Scot Lucinda Russell has had two winners, though she has no runners this year.

Breeding

Of the 24 hours to win the race this century, 18 were Irish-bred, four were French-bred and two British-bred.

Finish last time out

Of the past 25 winners, 11 have finished in the top two of their previous run.

Six of the past eight winners also won their previous race, though Noble Yeats was ninth and Minella Times pulled up.

Four of the six winners before that had finished in the top four too, so the trends suggest form is a factor.

Career falls

Every winner this century except Auroras Encore had two or fewer falls in their career prior to the race.

In the past decade, Minella Times is the only horse to have fallen in their career and won the Grand National.

Won over three miles or more

Twenty one of the 24 different horses to have won this century have all registered at least one career win over three or more miles before winning the National.

Eighteen of them have won more than two races over that trip, though two of the past five aren’t included in that group.

Days since last run

The average break between runs for the past 10 winners is just over 41 days, with a range of 24-84 days.

If you take out the two highest and lowest, you’re left with a gap of 36 days.

President Donald Trump met Nato secretary general Mark Rutte on April 8 for what Rutte described as a “very frank, very open” discussion. The pair are reported to have discussed the US-Israeli war against Iran at which, according to White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, Trump believes that Nato was “tested and they failed”.

The president later posted to his Truth Social platform that “NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN.”

The US president’s meeting with Rutte came a week after he told Reuters press agency that he was “absolutely” considering withdrawing the US from Nato, after America’s allies refused to join the US-Israeli campaign against Iran. But this is very unlikely to occur for three reasons.

First, in 2023, Congress enacted a law that prohibits the president from “suspending, terminating, denouncing, or withdrawing the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty” — which established the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) — without the advice and consent of the Senate or an act of Congress. It is extremely unlikely that this will be changed before the midterm elections in November and impossible subsequently if the Democrats end up controlling the House of Representatives.

The second reason is that Nato membership is popular among Americans. A Pew survey conducted in 2025 showed that 66% of US respondents thought that America benefited from Nato membership while 32% thought the opposite. While, as in many things, the US is divided – with more Democrat voters (77%) supporting Nato membership than Republicans (45%) – it’s clear that, on the whole, Americans approve of Nato membership.

The third reason is that leaving Nato would significantly weaken the US militarily. More than half a century of research by historians and international relations specialists has concluded that leaving Nato would also significantly weaken the US.

In 1989, historian Paul Kennedy’s detailed study of wars over a period of 500 years, The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, found that a decisive feature of success in war is the resources that parties to the conflict can mobilise. Kennedy cites the examples of the two world wars and demonstrates that a key reason why Germany was defeated was that the allies could mobilise many more resources in manpower, arms production and economic assets than Germany and its allies. Eventually, this proved decisive in both conflicts.

Research into quantifying the military capacity of nations has been conducted for more than half a century as part of the Correlates of War project founded in 1963 by American political scientist J. David Singer. The project aims to systematically collect data about the causes and consequences of wars.

One of the datasets collected in the project is called the Composite Index of National Capability. This combines data on the demographic, industrial, economic and military capabilities of nations, including the US and China. The higher the index score the more resources a county has to fight wars.

Scores in the Composite Index of National Capability of the Top Nations

The chart shows the size of the index for the top countries in the database. China is the most powerful nation in the chart with a score of 23 on the index. The US comes a rather distant second with a score of 13.

There are five Nato nations in the chart in addition to the US. They are Germany, Turkey, the UK, France and Italy. The total score of all six Nato members is 20 – much closer to the Chinese total.

The chart does not include the scores for the remaining Nato member states, but when they are added to the total the Nato score is well above that of China. So the assumption that the US can go it alone in a war with China is doubtful.

How Article 5 works

Article 5 of the Nato charter stipulates that an armed attack against one member state is considered an attack against all, triggering collective defence by all the member states. A recent report by the US Naval War College concluded that: “A large and growing body of evidence suggests that the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) is preparing credible capabilities to invade Taiwan”. The report argued that extensive deception will be used by China to confuse its opponents when the war is launched with rapid action by its armed forces to create a fait accompli. It notes that this type of blitzkrieg attack is very often successful.

If this occurred, then since the US has military advisers in Taiwan and military assets in the region that would need to be neutralised in the first phase of the war if the invasion were to be successful this would trigger Article 5 of the Nato charter. In that case China would find itself at war with 32 Nato countries – not to mention countries in the Far East, such as Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam, who have serious concerns about Chinese aggression, but are not members of the alliance.

So, whatever the US president’s ambivalence towards Nato, the fact is that without its support, the US could face a humiliating defeat by China in a future confrontation over Taiwan. America is much stronger as part of Nato – and Trump’s advisers should be strenuously reinforcing that message.

It seems like a lot of devices, but Amazon told Engadget that the move will affect around three per cent of current users. In theory, if you’re using a device that’s affected, then Amazon should already have notified you via email. If in doubt, however, the company has a support page with pictures and specifications of every Kindle ever released. If you’re still unsure, entering the model number into Google should reveal the exact version you’re using. This can typically be found on the back of devices.

For Kindle Fire tablets, the process is simpler. Open the Settings menu and select “Device Options”. You’ll find the model you’re using either under “Device Model” or “About Fire Tablet”.

Why is this happening?

Nobody expects electronic devices to be supported forever, but it’s disappointing that the Kindle’s most enthusiastic early adopters are being cut off. Given the basic functionality of e-book reader technology, there doesn’t appear to be a technical reason behind the decision, making it appear like an anti-consumer move to push older customers towards the purchase of newer devices where existing Kindles would become an e-waste casualty.

When asked why these devices were losing support now, we received a response defending the (admittedly impressive) longevity.

“These models have been supported for at least 14 years – some as long as 18 years – but technology has come a long way in that time, and these devices will no longer be supported moving forward,” an Amazon spokesperson said. “We are notifying those still actively using them and offering promotions to help with the transition to newer devices.”

The promotions mentioned appear to be 20 per cent off “select new Kindle devices” alongside a £15 eBook credit. While the latter is welcome, the highlighted discount is somewhat disappointing for a number of reasons. Firstly, according to the promotion’s terms and conditions, the “select” caveat excludes the most expensive model, the Kindle Scribe. It doesn’t apply to Fire devices for those tablet owners looking to replace like-for-like, either.

More importantly, the prices aren’t all that impressive considering happy owners of older Kindles weren’t budgeting for this purchase. Amazon frequently discounts its own-brand devices like Echo smart speakers and Fire tablets, and 20 per cent isn’t that unusual. Last year’s Black Friday sale saw discounts of over 30 per cent on the basic Kindle and Kindle Colorsoft, and the price-tracking site CamelCamelCamel shows that the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition has been as low as £183 in the past – a 32 per cent discount on its current price of £269.

There’s added time pressure here, too. Amazon says that the discount and credit offer is only valid until June 20, one month after support for the older Kindles ends.

Additionally, owners of the earliest UK Kindle will see that prices have gone up over the past decade. The £109 they paid in 2010 is some way off the £159.99 Kindle Paperwhite, even with a 20 per cent discount, let alone the £219.99 Kindle Colorsoft. That said, at £94.99, the basic Kindle 12th Generation remains a bargain for no-frills readers, with a 20 per cent discount taking it down to £75.99.

Possible upgrades

If you’re affected by this news, the silver lining is that while e-book technology moves relatively slowly, things have still advanced significantly in the past 14 years. Resolutions are higher; most are backlit for bedtime reading; there’s support for audiobooks; and storage has increased. There are also optional extras like colour screens, blue-light filters to prevent eye strain and waterproofing.

As outlined in our guide to the best Kindles, our pick for most people is the 12th Generation Kindle Paperwhite, which costs £159.99 with lockscreen ads or £169.99 without. The seven inch screen with warm lighting makes for a comfortable reading experience, and it’s waterproof for bathtime or poolside reading.

At £94.99 (or £104.99 without ads), the basic 11th Generation Kindle is a great budget pick, however. It’s slightly smaller at six inches, and like the Paperwhite, can hold around 8,000 e-books with support for audiobooks through Audible. It lacks the warm light and waterproofing, however, and its battery life is around half that of the Paperwhite — albeit still a generous six weeks of normal use.

The two remaining Kindles occupy specific niches. The Kindle Colorsoft has a colour screen, making it well suited to those who enjoy graphic novels. The Kindle Scribe, meanwhile, has a bundled stylus for note taking.

Bronny James passed to parent LeBron for the first son-to-father assist in NBA history as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 119-103.

Bronny, 19, stole possession and passed to LeBron, who ran the length of the court for an uncontested dunk that was part of a 26-point contribution from the 41-year-old.

The pair recorded the first father-to-son assist in a match against the Brooklyn Nets last month.

LeBron also added 11 assists while Bronny scored 10 points with three assists as the Lakers saw off their state rivals.

The Lakers sit fourth in the Eastern Conference while the Warriors are in 10th, with both having already qualified for the post-season play-offs that begin on 18 April.

Elsewhere, the New York Knicks won 112-106 against the Boston Celtics, with Josh Hart scoring 26 points, to put pressure on their opponents in the Western Conference.

The sides are third and second respectively in the standings, with two matches left to play in the regular season.

The Toronto Raptors triumphed 128-114 against the Miami Heat while the Houston Rockets won 113-102 against Philadelphia 76ers to solidify their chances of a play-off place.

In matches between sides already out of post-season contention, the Chicago Bulls won 119-108 against the Washington Wizards while the Indiana Pacers beat the Brooklyn Nets 123-94.