As BBC Sport revealed earlier this month, Iraola is the man Palace want to replace the outgoing Oliver Glasner, who insisted after the triumph in Germany that he has no plans to reverse his decision.

They have made the Spaniard a proposal and are awaiting his answer, within that are assurances that he will be permitted significant influence over the recruitment operation.

It is understood Palace want an answer by the end of the weekend.

The move is ambitious. Iraola has emerged as one of the brightest managers in European football; Bournemouth‘s qualification for next season’s Europa League illustrative of his impressive body of work.

“We have got a taste for it now, we want to keep it going,” said owner Steve Parish following the win over Rayo Vallecano.

“We have gone up a level and we have got to try and stay there. We will have a week to celebrate and then work hard in the summer.”

Palace believe they have done all they can to convince Iraola that they can provide the platform for him to continue building his reputation.

All that is left is Iraola’s approval.

If the 43-year-old declines then Palace will move on to plan B.

Among the alternatives is understood to be Frank Lampard, who has key admirers in the Palace boardroom.

Releasing Lampard from his contract with Coventry provides an obvious stumbling block should Palace pivot to the former Chelsea midfielder.

But there is some optimism at Palace that Lampard, who is aware of the Premier League club’s interest in him, would be open to joining ahead of next season.

Kieran McKenna, Pierre Sage, Sean Dyche and Thomas Frank have also been discussed as options.

Luring Iraola to Selhurst Park would be represent a coup for Palace, but the fact he’s taken so long to decide has led to a degree of scepticism inside Selhurst Park over whether the now-departed Bournemouth head coach is prepared to accept.

Much will become clearer in the coming days.

Under plans announced by HMRC, interest earned on cash held within Stocks & Shares ISAs could face a 22% tax from April 2027, aligning it with standard savings interest rates.

But reports suggest investors may be able to bypass the proposed tax by investing a token amount into qualifying shares while keeping the rest of their portfolio in money market funds or overnight-rate ETFs – investments that can behave similarly to cash.

Investment platforms and savings experts say the development highlights how difficult the reforms could be to implement in practice.

Andrew Prosser, Head of Investments at InvestEngine, said the reported workaround raises “important questions” about whether the policy would achieve its intended goal of encouraging long-term investing.

“Reports that investors may be able to sidestep the proposed reforms with a token stock holding highlight just how difficult these rules could be to design and implement cleanly in practice,” he said.

“The Government’s aim of encouraging long-term investing is understandable, but the risk is that increasingly complex rules create confusion rather than changing behaviour.”

Prosser added that cash holdings within investment accounts are often used for practical portfolio management purposes, such as rebalancing investments, managing regular contributions or covering trades — rather than avoiding tax.

He also noted that money market funds and overnight ETFs are commonly used by mainstream investors to manage liquidity or reduce volatility while deciding on longer-term investment strategies.

According to InvestEngine, around 17% of its clients currently hold an overnight-rate ETF.

Savings platform Flagstone also warned that further ISA changes could damage confidence in the system and discourage saving.

Katie Horne, savings expert at Flagstone, said: “The possibility of the Chancellor adding a 22% levy to any ‘cash-like’ investments in a saver’s Stocks & Shares ISA would be a further blow.”

“Not only will the tax curtail the freedom savers have to make savings and investments that suit their personal needs, but it also risks confusing and complicating a system that was created to simplify personal finance.”

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Recent research conducted by Flagstone and Opinium in earlier this year found that Cash ISAs remain highly popular with savers:

• 67% of Cash ISA holders prefer them over all other savings options
• 66% choose Cash ISAs instead of Stocks & Shares ISAs because they want to avoid investment risk
• 77% say Cash ISAs help encourage good saving habits

The Treasury has not yet confirmed how the rules around “cash-like” investments inside Stocks & Shares ISAs would be defined, leaving uncertainty over how the reforms may ultimately work in practice.

The second-round match at Roland Garros took place amid searing heat

Paramedics were called to a second-round match at the French Open on Wednesday after a player collapsed amid “insane” temperatures.

Czech star Jakub Mensik went down after winning an epic five-set encounter against Mariano Navone under the Roland Garros sun, and required a wheelchair when leaving the court.

Mensik had been playing for four hours and 41 minutes, and dropped to the clay with severe cramp immediately after hitting the deciding point in a mammoth fifth-set tie-break that would ultimately hand him a 6-3 2-6 6-4 1-6 7-6 victory.

He could actually be seen clutching his thigh while serving for the winning point, but managed to get a decisive forehand away before going down.

Paramedics could be seen rushing to his aid to bring ice packs, which Mensik used as a pillow as he lay on the dirt.

Navone, clearly concerned, went over to check his opponent was okay before shaking hands, with Mensik up on his feet again five minutes later.

John McEnroe, on commentary duties could be heard saying: “Help him out. That is… Boy, oh boy.

“Somebody’s got to help him out,” he added.

“The match is over. Come on! Help this guy!”

Mensik, clearly still struggling, was then helped into a wheelchair, with an ice pack placed on his head as he eventually left the court.

“It’s insane to play in this weather and especially in front of the sun,” Mensik said afterwards.

“To be there for more than four-and-a-half hours, that’s just insane. Even with the breaks, you don’t have that much time.

“When I hit the last point, the last winner, the emotions went out and my body just turned off. I was not able to do anything.

“The ending says it all, but I’m just happy that I kept fighting.”

Players and spectators have had to contend with stifling conditions all week in Paris.

Temperatures have consistently hit the mid-30s, and some players have called on authorities to take action.

Novak Djokovic believes the French Open and other Grand Slams need to implement rules similar to those used at the Australian Open, where play is suspended on outside courts when temperatures reach a certain level.

Playing late at night, he says, could be a potential solution.

“Honestly, with Grand Slams it shouldn’t be an issue because we have so many courts,” he said. “We have lights. You have big courts. You can play the matches. You can reschedule them some to other courts and still have the crowd in the stadium and everything.

“Is it ideal to go over midnight? It’s not. But if you have certain days that you have extreme heat and conditions, then maybe that’s something to consider.”

After well-wishers pledged almost £200,000, Phoebe Clarke and her family were able to travel to Saudia Arabia for the life-saving operation after the NHS refused due to the chance of her condition returning

A loving aunt travelled more than 4,000 miles to save life of her cancer-hit niece after the NHS delivered a liver transplant knockback.

The parents of Phoebe Clarke, from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, were hit with the news that their daughter had rare hepatic angiosarcoma as she was diagnosed in February last year. Experts told them that the nine-year-old’s only chance of long term survival was a full liver replacement – but worse news was to come.

The NHS refused to perform the operation because the chances of her condition returning were considered too high. But an astounding crowdfunding campaign brought in almost £200,000 – and with her aunt Sarah Billington agreeing to be a donor, the family set off for Saudia Arabia.

Her parents Matt Clarke and Lindsey Billington insisted their child “she deserves a chance however slim that might be”. Hepatic angiosarcoma is an aggressive cancer that originates in the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels of the liver. It is described as highly invasive, and carries a poor prognosis.

Lindsey told the ManchesterEveningNews: “It was a success. Phoebe’s in a bit of pain but both the liver team and the Peadiatric Intensive Care Unit doctors are happy with her. She is off ventilation and has been asking for water and getting feisty because she is not allowed it.

“They advised us that she’d be ventilated and sedated for at least a day, maybe two, so she’s doing amazingly well. She punched us both in frustration”. She added: “Sarah as the donor has gone all Donald Trump on me and said the doctor’s said it’s the best liver they’d ever seen.”

Phoebe, who has a twin brother, Eric, has been treated at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh. The transplant saw a portion of Sarah’s healthy liver removed and transplanted into Phoebe – because the liver regenerates the donor’s liver will grow back to normal size in a few months.

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In a video message, Erling Haaland, who is Manchester City fan Phoebe’s favourite player, said: “Hi Phoebe, Erling Haaland here. Stay strong, keep going, all the best.” The family has also received a message of support from former boxing champion, Frank Bruno.

Oncologists advocated a liver transplant. But none of the three NHS centres which could potentially do a live donor operation in Leeds, Kings London, and Birmingham, thought it would be appropriate.

In a message posted on social media Lindsey said: “Thank you to everyone who’s donated so far it means the world. Because of your generosity we’ve just arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The world leading experts in live liver transplants are based here. Because of all you amazing people we’ve been given this opportunity, we couldn’t have done it without every single one of you.”

Dr Magnus Harrison, Chief Medical Officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: “I am deeply sorry for the distress that this decision has caused to Phoebe’s family. It is a truly awful situation for any family to be in, and my thoughts are with Phoebe and her family at this difficult time.

“The decision not to offer Phoebe a liver transplant was incredibly difficult and was made following an extensive clinical review in consultation with the other specialist centres in Birmingham and London. Unfortunately, all organisations agreed that a liver transplant would not be an appropriate treatment for Phoebe. A decision supported by NHS Blood and Transplant.”

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The Senate race for Texas could decide which party controls Congress in November’s midterm elections, and some Democrats think the state could be theirs for the first time since 1988.

It follows Tuesday’s Republican primary in Texas that ousted the state’s long-serving senator, John Cornyn, in favour of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a controversial figure who was backed by Donald Trump after the president accused Cornyn of disloyalty.

In today’s episode, Sarah and Anthony assess whether Trump’s backing for Ken Paxton reflects a growing disconnect between the president and his base, and why some Republicans are worried about his chances when facing up against the Democrat’s James Talarico in November.

HOSTS:
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

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This episode was made by Tom Gillett with Grace Reeve and Oscar Pearson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is George Dabby. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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Passengers using the West Coast Main Line are being warned of disruption after signalling systems stopped working during thunderstorms overnight.

Network Rail said its teams urgently fixing blown fuses in the equipment at Weaver Junction near Runcorn which went offline early this morning. It’s where the West Coast Main Line connects to Liverpool and the North Wales coast. While the exact cause is being investigated, the damage is in line with a suspected lightning strike.

During the repairs, some services are being reduced, delayed or cancelled, with only one train an hour running between Crewe and Liverpool, calling at Runcorn and Liverpool South Parkway. For that reason, anyone travelling today (Thursday, May 28) is urged to check National Rail Enquiries (www.nationalrail.co.uk).

Ticket acceptance is in place with Northern and Transpennine Express between South Parkway and Lime Street, Avanti West Coast between Crewe and Liverpool and Merseyrail between Liverpool South Parkway and Liverpool Central

Chris Wright, Network Rail North West route director, said: “We’re sorry to passengers affected by this disruption caused by the stormy conditions overnight. Our specialist signalling and telecoms teams are working as fast as possible to fix the faults and get the railway fully back up and running. “I’d advise anyone travelling today to please check National Rail Enquiries or with their train operator for the latest travel information before they set off on their journey.”

During the Ashes, Ecclestone made headlines for refusing an interview with former team-mate turned broadcaster Alex Hartley, who was working for Australia’s Channel 7.

Hartley, who won the World Cup with England in 2017, had questioned England’s fitness levels after the team’s early exit from the T20 World Cup in 2024.

The team’s fitness was subject of debate for some time afterwards, but when Edwards was appointed as coach, she said that the players would be “held accountable” for their fitness standards and that it was a “non-negotiable”.

“[Those conversations] are quite annoying, because people outside the group don’t see what happens in training, they don’t see how hard the girls work,” Ecclestone said.

“I feel like people are very quick to judge. I don’t ever feel like we were unfit, I think that was unfair.

“But we did feel like we could have made some moves in that area, and we have done. As a group, we are ridiculously fit now. If anyone did want to judge that I would love for them to come into our environment for the day because it’s crazy how hard people work.”

Accusations of cosiness and complacency also followed the team after the defeat in Australia, and after so many years of individual success, Ecclestone became subject of criticism, but says she is now better equipped to handle the “highs and lows” of international sport.

Ecclestone insists that she will still be active on social media during England’s World Cup campaign, which begins against Sri Lanka, as the cricketers seek to emulate football’s Lionesses and rugby’s Red Roses with a home triumph.

England’s last World Cup win also came at home in 2017, but they have fallen short in global tournaments since, most recently losing to South Africa in last year’s 50-over semi-final.

Though Ecclestone and England are cautious of looking too far ahead, she is very honest about how much it would mean to win the trophy after such a difficult time.

“The group of girls around me, I wouldn’t be here without them, they’re so supportive of me.

“I’m quite open with them about how I’m feeling most of the time, so to lift a trophy with those girls and to share a moment like that with them, it’s something I could only dream of. It would be like a miracle ending.”

A final decision on whether the group will be leased the land will be made at the end of June

A church group has won a bid for a 999-year land leasehold in a new Cambridgeshire town. The Northstowe Church Network scored the highest out of two proposals in a bid for faith land, as run by South Cambridgeshire District Council.

The group will be recommended for a 999-year leasehold agreement at the council’s scrutiny and overview meeting on June 4, before a final decision is made at a cabinet meeting on June 23.

Councillor Dr Lisa Redrup, lead cabinet member for healthy communities for the council, said: “This is an important milestone for Northstowe as the new town continues to grow and develop.

“We’ve taken a thorough and transparent approach to assessing proposals, including public feedback, to ensure the best outcome for residents. Northstowe Church Network submitted the highest-scoring bid, and we are recommending them to take forward this first faith and community site.“

She continued: “Spaces like this play a vital role in bringing people together, supporting wellbeing, and fostering a strong sense of belonging. This is just the first opportunity of several, and we look forward to working with a range of groups as more sites come forward in future phases of Northstowe’s development.”

In 2020, the council adopted the Northstowe Faith and Community Land Allocation policy, providing a fair and transparent process for land allocation. In December 2024, the cabinet agreed to initiate a bidding round for the first parcel of land.

Alongside the Northstowe Church Network, the Hindu Samaj Northstowe submitted the other bid. The two proposals were assessed against the agreed policy and criteria by an eight‑member panel, including six District Council officers, alongside two external specialists.

The bids were also open for comment in a public survey. It received 440 responses, including 14 responses made on behalf of groups.

Councillor Natalie Warren-Green said: “Reaching this point is an important step for Northstowe, and I’d like to thank both groups who engaged with the process so thoughtfully.

“We recognise the time, effort and passion that goes into bids like these, and that this will be a disappointing outcome for those who were not selected. The panel followed a robust and fair assessment process, considering both expert input and community feedback.

“As Northstowe continues to grow, there will be further opportunities for faith and community groups in future phases, and we remain committed to supporting a diverse and inclusive range of spaces that bring people together.”

Cllr Hansraj added: “It’s great to see progress towards creating a dedicated faith and community space in Northstowe, which will play a vital role in bringing people together in this growing and diverse town.

“Places like this are so important for building connections, supporting one another, and creating a strong sense of belonging. Thank you to everyone involved in putting forward bids and contributing to the process – it really reflects the strength of community spirit here.”

This is the first of four opportunities for faith and community groups to secure land in Northstowe. In the future, there will be further land or floorspace within the town centre on phase two, plus two more opportunities within phase three.

The new community at Northstowe is planned as a new town of 10,000 homes. Currently around 1,700 homes are occupied.

Police have warned people to stay out of the former Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli after a rise in reports of trespassing linked to social media activity over the bank holiday weekend. Dyfed-Powys Police said officers received a number of calls about people entering the building, with concerns that some individuals were accessing the site to create online content. Full details here

The force said enquiries are underway into alleged criminal damage and burglary offences, and officers are in contact with those believed to have been involved.

Pride & Prejudice is coming to the grounds of Castle Howard this summer.

The special outdoor cinema screening, organised by Adventure Cinema, will take place on Sunday, July 19, running from 6.30pm until 10.15pm at the stately home north of York.

People should bring their own seating to settle in the grounds of the North Yorkshire historic estate for the adaptation of Jane Austen’s second published novel, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen.

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The romantic classic features the Bennet family and follows one of the daughters, Elizabeth Bennet, as she navigates social expectations, family pressures, and her initially misjudged relationship with the wealthy, reserved Fitzwilliam Darcy.

The event is open to all ages, with children required to be accompanied by an adult. Under twos can attend for free.

A range of ticket options is available. Standard tickets for under 12s are priced at £10.92, while premium tickets, costing £25.48, include a luxury deck chair in a prime viewing position.

A higher-tier “Director’s View” package, which includes front-row seating, a blanket, themed treat bag and a copy of the novel, has already sold out.

The screening is expected to last around three hours and 45 minutes, including the film and event timings.

Outdoor cinema events have grown in popularity across North Yorkshire in recent years, with historic venues such as Castle Howard providing a dramatic setting for classic films during the summer months.