Places where finding a plumber will drive you round the bend
It has some of the finest homes in the land and more millionaires per yard than anywhere else in Britain.
Internet search for lost grandfather revealed he was a shunned vicar who sided with hitler
The story of Henry Stanley Tibbs might never have been heard beyond his own village if it had not been for the arrival of his granddaughter in his old parish.
Protective parents deny children the chance to get on their bikes
Parents are denying their children the freedom they enjoyed in their own youth to take to the roads on a bicycle.
Air france pilot ‘showing off to boy’ has near miss at 33,000ft
A pilot narrowly escaped a collision with another aircraft at 33,000ft after “showing off” off mid-flight to a boy in the cockpit, it was claimed yesterday.
Foreign footballers face premier league language bar
He shoots, he scores . . . but does the foreign striker with the lethal left foot have the required language skills to cut it in the Premier League?
New york taxi drivers are thanked to the tune of $4m violin$
A rising star of classical music performed for taxi drivers at an airport in New York yesterday to thank a driver for returning his $4 million Stradivarius violin.$
Duck-billed platypus is dismissed by oxford scientists as daffy
When the first duck-billed platypus specimens were sent from Australia to Europe at the end of the 18th century, the bizarre combination of mammal, bird and reptile features led many zoologists to consider them a hoax.
Old bottles not old bones for fossil hunters in lyme regis
Fossil hunters who flocked to Lyme Regis in Dorset after the biggest landslip for 100 years were disappointed to discover the beach littered with rubbish from a dump. Instead of giant ammonites and the bones of prehistoric marine reptiles, for which the town has been famous since Victorian times, the debris contained tens of thousands of glass bottles, tyres, car batteries and radiators.
India is floored by homecoming of the great khali
Preparations for his visit have been meticulous; dignitaries have cleared their diaries and doorways have been enlarged - but then this is one guest you would not want to upset.
French flock to answer a call to work . . . by taking the day off
Schools will shut, business activity will slow and aperitifs will flow in sun-soaked gardens today while the French confirm their status as the world holiday champions with an unofficial day off.
Cartoon character hector teaches children about the danger of online paedophiles
LONDON Child abuse experts are addressing children as young as 5 for the first time to teach them about the dangers of online paedophiles.
Birds make easy weather of climate change
British great tits have proved themselves to be far more adaptable to climate change than their counterparts in the Netherlands.
Bosses asked to wage war on obesity crisis by mixing work with play
Nipping out of the office for a game of tennis will no longer be considered bunking off under a government initiative to incorporate sport into the national working day.
A fresh start for britain’s businesses
The greenest companies in Britain with the most environmentally aware staff will be unveiled in The Sunday Times Green List next week. Competition among the country’s businesses to be included in the inaugural list of the 50 Best Green Companies has been fierce. Standards are exceptionally high and the demands placed on companies sufficiently stringent to deter all bar those confident of their green credentials.
Why high oil prices are not squeezing us more
IT is hard to keep up with the price of oil. No sooner have we got used to $100 a barrel than it is in the $120s. Will the price rise to $150, $200 or even $300 a barrel? How far can it rise without doing severe damage to the world economy?$
Charles dunstone keys into the laptop phenomenon
SHAREHOLDERS take a lot on trust with Charles Dunstone, chief executive of Carphone Warehouse. He is an entrepreneur who has created a FTSE-100 company based on reading changes in the fast-moving communications and technology market. And for investors who have backed him, their loyalty has paid off. The company has morphed from a mobile-phone retail specialist to selling broadband and is now intending to ride the laptop boom. It’s easy to get left behind in this game and lose your relevance to the marketplace, but so far, bar a few hiccups in terms of delivery, Dunstone has kept up with the trends.
Mervyn king to grimace and bear bad news
When the Bank of England’s Governor unveils its latest prognosis for the economy this week, he is likely to adopt his sternest demeanour. The message from Mervyn King may not be quite as bleak as Churchill’s famous admonition that he had “nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat”, but it may not be far off. The Bank’s hardline decision last week to keep interest rates on hold despite the latest spate of dreadful news over worsening economic conditions gave a foretaste of the granite-hard façade that it is set to present to the country in its latest quarterly Inflation Report on Wednesday. The “no change” verdict on interest rates from Threadneedle Street can only have appeared to much of the country at large like an exercise in monetary sado-masochism. Yet the harsh reality that confronts the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is that it remains trapped between an economic rock and a hard place. Far from easing as the economic outlook has grown darker, the conflicting pressures confronting the MPC – from faltering growth and activity on the one hand and simmering inflationary pressures on the other – have intensified. The deluge of ever more dismal economic indicators now leaves little doubt that the economy is facing its most testing two-year stretch since the early Nineties. Yet as the going gets much tougher, the persistence of the inflation threat condemns the Bank to talk, and act, tough, too. The MPC’s mission to ensure that inflation hits its 2 per cent target over the medium term leaves it scant room for manoeuvre. It is forced to act only cautiously, even as the demands for more aggressive and urgent action escalate. The Bank’s dilemma seems set only to be become more acute through the summer, as the Inflation Report is likely to spell out. If anything, the MPC’s latest assessment is likely to understate the full scale of dangers to growth prospects that have emerged. At the heart of the heightened risks is the increasingly dire straits of the housing market, which appears to be locked into a vicious downward spiral triggered by the mortgage lending drought. The severe squeeze on the availability of home loans is combining with falling house prices to cause demand in the property market to dry up, with cautious buyers holding out for the much lower prices they expect in future. As demand and market activity drop, and the supply of unsold houses grows, prices fall farther and faster. In turn, that farther deters would-be buyers and makes lenders become even more cautious, fuelling an ever steeper downward slide. The scale of these trends is underlined by the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ data, highlighted by Michael Saunders, of Citigroup, which shows the drastic tightening of lending conditions since the start of the year. The number of new home loans agreed plunged by more than 30 per cent in the first quarter, compared with the same period a year earlier. In March, approvals of new mortgages fell to the lowest since 1992. Although the Bank of England’s £50 billion lifeline, designed to ease the funding pressures on lenders, may limit the squeeze, Mr King has been bluntly candid that it is far from intended as a cureall for the mortgage market. The clear peril for the economy is that the toll on sentiment and household wealth from an increasingly severe housing correction now sees the credit crunch mutate into a brutal consumer crunch as households pull back their spending. The Bank tends to play down the repercussions of falling house prices for consumer demand. Yet signs are already accumulating that the consumer may embark on a full-scale retreat from the high street. Consumer confidence has slumped to 15-year lows, while polls show that concern over the state of the economy is at its highest levels since 1993. As other signs of economic weakness pile up, it is becoming painfully clear that Britain, far from being better placed than its rivals to weather global economic squalls, as the Chancellor and Prime Minister claim, is markedly worse off. As Mr Saunders argues, the UK is left badly exposed by the highest household debt burden in the Group of Seven leading industrial economies, alongside severely inflated house prices and low household savings. The price of a protracted period of living beyond our means may now have to be paid. Long years of high spending, as well as heavy borrowing excess. are making the fallout from the credit crunch more painful and the boost from the Bank’s limited easing of interest rates less potent. Yet, worse still, the same past excesses, in the form of a swollen current account deficit, are adding to the acute pressure on a sharply weakening pound, already hit by Britain’s worsening growth outlook. Sterling’s steep slide – by about 12 per cent in the past year - is aggravating the Bank’s inflation headache by raising the nation’s import bills and further curbing its scope to cut base rates to underpin faltering growth. With the pound set to tumble still farther, oil prices having surged to record levels of above $120 a barrel and the cost of food in global markets soaring, the City expects that the Bank will raise its forecasts for inflation this week. It is likely to give warning that headline consumer price inflation will rise above 3 per cent over the summer, forcing Mr King to pen what will be only his second explanatory letter to the Chancellor. Against this background, the Governor can be expected to make it brutally plain on Wednesday that further easing of interest rates will be only limited and gradual. Ultimately, the extent of the slowdown now taking hold in the economy will quell the inflationary threat that the Bank is, for now, compelled to prioritise over risks the growth.$
Washington counts on slide in eurozone
The United States believes that a sharp slowdown in Europe this year will come to the aid of the tumbling dollar.
Greg fleming cracks the whip again
Greg Fleming hurtles through the door of a plush City meeting room. The 45-year-old Merrill Lynch president and chief operating officer is running on empty, the jetlag is starting to kick in and he needs coffee - fast.
Peter mandelson, european trade commissioner, pins hopes on peru talks
Peter Mandelson is looking to a meeting between leaders of the European Union and Latin America in Peru this week to help to break the two-year deadlock in the Doha Round of international trade liberalisation talks.
Us tax rebates spark scramble by retailers to secure extra income
They were intended as a broad boost to the economy, but the $150 billion (£77 billion) of tax rebates returned to Americans have succeeded in sparking a squabble among retailers who are competing to cash in on the windfall for consumers.
HMV urged shoppers to “get closer” to films, music and video games in its pre-Christmas marketing campaign last year and that injunction appears to have paid off.
It is tempting to conclude from today’s trading update from Aga that the former engineering conglomerate has disposed of its better half.
British Energy’s ageing nuclear reactors have a reputation for breaking down at inopportune moments so it seemed fitting that an auction for the company entered its final stages today amid a haze of uncertainty.
Speedo, the swimwear company, leaves its competitors standing
Japanese companies are used to innovate-or-perish technology wars, but never one like this.
Councils consider legal action against building companies
Local authorities are looking into the possibility of launching legal action against building companies accused last month of cover-pricing and bid-rigging by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).
Economics Interest rates The Bank of England will release its latest quarterly Inflation Report and forecasts for economic prospects on Wednesday. After its decision to keep interest rates on hold last week, the report and a press conference by Mervyn King, the Bank’s Governor, will be closely watched for clues to its next move.
British gas fights accenture over billing
An IT system that was supposed to make British Gas the darling of consumers nationwide has instead become the focus of a multimillion-pound legal battle.
Hugh osmond may move pearl assurance outside uk
Hugh Osmond, the serial entrepreneur, is considering relocating Pearl Assurance, his financial services group, outside the UK for tax purposes, in the latest sign that frustrated businesses have lost faith in the Labour Government.
Disenchanted companies desert royal mail
Business customers are deserting Royal Mail and most firms do not find the postal group an efficient organisation to work with, a study by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) for The Times has revealed.
Prince harry remembers fallen comrades in cavalry memorial parade
London Prince Harry, marched alongside soldiers with whom he served in Afghanistan at the Cavalry Memorial Parade in Hyde Park, Central London, yesterday. The Blues and Royals, of which Harry is a member, led the parade, which is held to remember fallen soldiers and as a reunion for former and serving soldiers.
The queen and i: relations with the royals
While the Queen is very approachable, I can't say the same about Princess Margaret, whom I met several times at Balmoral. One evening I was at the Royal Opera House for some gala performance and was talking to her about what we'd seen, when Chris Smith came over.
Stressed seaweed lives under a cloud of its own making
Brown seaweed is to blame for some of those cloudy days at the seaside, scientists believe. Stress among the plants can alter weather patterns, according to researchers at the Scottish Association for Marine Science and the University of Manchester.
Leo: my miracle baby at 45 (and yes, he did have the mmr jab)
Sitting there, raising a glass of champagne, there was only one little shadow on my immediate horizon: my period. Where was it?
Gordon brown appeases chinese by barring dalai lama from no 10
Gordon Brown will not receive the Dalai Lama in Downing Street in an effort to avoid confrontation with China over Tibet, The Times has learnt.
Sir salman rushdie favourite as readers vote for best of the booker award
To celebrate 40 years of the Man Booker literary prize, a shortlist of six past winners has been drawn up, from which one will be picked by the public for a Best of the Booker award.
Tories threaten to revive the art of the pivotal by-election
No wonder the Conservatives are so excited about their prospects at the Crewe& Nantwich by-election, with an ICM poll yesterday putting them ahead of Labour. A victory there on May 22 would end one of the least-coveted records in politics: the 26 years since the Tories last captured a seat at a by-election.
They broke my waters and put me on a drip and immediately I was right into a very painful experience. My firstborn appeared at about 11.30, after an epidural and a high-forceps delivery. So much for natural childbirth. As birth experiences go, it was utterly ghastly, including a third-degree tear because they yanked him out.
5,000 foster parents are needed urgently for children in residential care
Thousands of children are languishing in residential homes or being forced to travel miles to temporary placements due to a severe shortage of foster carers.
Clampers stymied as ford fiesta is cut in half by ian taylor
Tredworth A man whose car was clamped because the bumper was protruding from his driveway responded by cutting the car in half. The Ford Fiesta belonging to Ian Taylor, 40, was legally registered to be off the road, but a DVLA official spotted that a rear wheel was over a footpath and impounded it. When the clampers returned two days later to remove the car, Mr Taylor used a disc cutter to saw it in half. He then invited them to take the rear half away as that was the part infringing the law. The officials eventually removed their clamp and left both halves of the car with Mr Taylor.
Feed the customers, or they’ll slash all the seats
Last weekend, as I spiralled round an endless succession of identical ring roads in the Midlands, looking for somewhere to have lunch, I realised with a heavy heart that the global food shortage had reached Britain. Quite simply, there was nowhere serving anything that a human being might reasonably want to put into its mouth.
Friends pay their respect to family of jimmy mizen at church service
Scores of youngsters left their Roman Catholic church in tears yesterday after paying their respects to the family of Jimmy Mizen, the 16-year-old boy who was stabbed to death at a bakery in southeast London.
Dawn primarolo says lower abortion limit could mislead parents
A reduction in the legal limit for abortion from 24 weeks would give false hope to the parents of severely premature infants, the minister responsible has told The Times.
Bbc and itv launch free-to-view hd television service
A free-to-view satellite television and radio service from the BBC and ITV is being launched across the UK today.
Htc touch diamond goes up against the iphone
HTC, the Taiwanese handset manufacturer, has laid down the gauntlet to Apple with a slender new phone that aims to dislodge the iPhone from its position as the pre-eminent touch-screen device.
New wi-fi devices warn doctors of heart attacks
The Bluetooth wireless technology that allows people to use a hands-free earpiece while making a mobile telephone call could soon alert the emergency services when someone has a heart attack, Ofcom predicts.
Free legal downloads promised by universal rights deal
Universal Music has signed a rights deal with a new music store that promises the first legal free file-sharing service but whose launch was overshadowed by claims that it did not have industry support.
Web-based interpreting offers hope for the deaf
Deaf people may no longer need interpreters to be present for doctors appointments and other meetings thanks to a technology which will enable them to communicate via a remote translator.
Emo on the web: exploring a subculture
The suicide of a schoolgirl who had apparently become obsessed with ‘emo’ culture has, once again, drawn attention to the movement and its teen followers. Recording a verdict of suicide after Hannah Bond, 13, had hanged herself, the coroner noted that she had “become an aficionado of the emo fad.”
Microsoft looks at $15bn takeover of facebook$
Mousetrap weblog: Does Microsoft really want Facebook?
Records tumble as mark pettini sets formidable target
Essex chalked up their highest score in limited-overs cricket to make it three victories out of three in the Friends Provident Trophy. On a day when individual and team records were rewritten, the Eagles were indebted to their captain, Mark Pettini, 24, who blasted his way to 144 from 120 balls, his highest score in one-day cricket. Under a cloudless South London sky, he shrugged off being dropped behind when on one to put on 269 with Jason Gallian for the first wicket, also a county record.
Sven-goran eriksson exits manchester city in shame as players fail loyalty test
If this proves to be Sven-Göran Eriksson’s swansong as Manchester City manager, then what a shame. Not only did they suffer an embarrassing defeat, but the Uefa Cup spot for fair play that was set to be theirs is now under threat because of the early dismissal of Richard Dunne, the captain, and there was also the sight of their supporters fighting with police. If Eriksson was hoping to make one last case for himself remaining in charge and changing the mind of Thaksin Shinawatra, the club’s owner, he should clear his desk and book a flight to Portugal for a third stint at Benfica.
David sullivan declares his departure after fans’ abuse
Birmingham City were relegated yesterday afternoon but were falling farther by the evening. David Sullivan, the plc chairman, announced his departure after his two children were driven to tears by fans approaching with “hatred in their eyes”, while David Gold, the co-owner, said that he will resign as the football club chairman if the minority chanting for the board to be sacked grew to a majority.
Final flourish too late for steve coppell’s men to stay up
Reading have lived the dream for two years, but yesterday they endured the nightmare. It is one that will recur time and again in the Coca-Cola Championship next season as they assess bruised egos, attempt to repair damaged pride and tot up the loss of about £38 million in revenue. Heads will roll.
Danny murphy’s late header completes the great escape for roy hodgson
Mohamed Al Fayed, the Fulham chairman, is reported to have promised hampers containing Viagra to the players if they stayed in the Barclays Premier League. After this, the manufacturer of the erectile dysfunction medication may want to consider using Fulham’s great escape in its marketing. If it can rescue Fulham, it can surely keep anything up.
John terry insists on playing in moscow after dislocation
John Terry has vowed to play through the pain to lead Chelsea out in next week’s Champions League final against Manchester United in Moscow. The Chelsea captain suffered a dislocated elbow in a clash with Petr Cech in the tenth minute of yesterday’s 1-1 draw with Bolton Wanderers but returned from hospital to lead his teammates on their end-of-season lap of honour around the pitch.
Andrew flintoff injury serves as saviour for selectors
When the new selection panel agreed to the dropping of Matthew Hoggard and Stephen Harmison after the first Test match in New Zealand last winter, they showed themselves to be ruthless. Had Andrew Flintoff not broken down on Friday with a side strain that, realistically, will keep him out of the first half of the Test-match summer, another characteristic would have emerged - that of reckless gambling.
Sir alex ferguson confident of moscow success after claiming title
Sir Alex Ferguson jubilantly declared that Manchester United will “bounce” into the Champions League final against Chelsea next week after securing their tenth title in 16 seasons, adding that this team will eclipse the treble-winning side of 1999 if they secure the European crown in Moscow.
A sharp poke in the eye sees off shark attack in sydney, australia
Sydney A swimmer whose left leg was seized by a 16ft shark managed to escape by poking it in the eye before he was rescued by a woman lifeguard.
Tornadoes kill 22 in us and cause havoc in sweep across three states
Residents surveyed homes devastated by a tornado that ripped through the already depressed town of Picher, Oklahoma, causing the deaths of at least seven people, including a child.
Tubby rhesus monkeys are placed on a strict diet at ohama park
Sakai Even a rhesus monkey can suffer from an obesity crisis.
Nasa aims for cut-price space travel with funding offer for companies
Cape Town
Toughest event at beijing olympics - getting weather forecast right
It might be all about higher, faster and stronger on the track – but hotter, wetter, smoggier, will be the motto for an unofficial event at the Beijing Games: weather forecasting.
Israel aims to be at forefront of green motoring with renault sedan
Tel Aviv
British troops guide us marines on anti-taleban raids in afghanistan
US Marines supported by British troops in Afghanistan now command three key locations south of the town of Garmsir, in Helmand province, putting pressure on the main supply routes of the Taleban for arms, opium and reinforcements.
GORDON Brown has told Britain’s Got Talent judge Piers Morgan he’s a fan of the show
MADGE almost pops out of her top — and then turns the air blue during live gig for BBC
Rowing: britain makes waves at world cup
British crews opened their Olympic campaign by scooping up five gold and two silver medals and topping the overall points at the first round of the rowing world cup. Ghosts were laid and opportunities realised, not least by the men’s four who, robbed of trying out their new line-up when newcomer Tom James went out with a rib injury, outshone their event with young Tom Lucy as substitute.
Davies loads up for atlantic dash
A bright yellow holdall was yesterday stealthily being stowed on 60 feet of pink racing machine ahead of a 12-day, 3,000-mile dash across the Atlantic.
Yen trades near highest in four weeks against euro (correct)
By Kosuke Goto May 12 (Bloomberg) -- The yen traded near the highest in four weeks against the euro as concern credit-market losses are deepening prompted investors to pare holdings of higher-yielding assets funded in the Japanese currency.Turmoil Taking Toll on Europe, According to ECB Bank Survey Wall Street JournalDollar Rally Runs Out of Gas Daily FXCNNMoney.com - MarketWatch - Bloomberg - Bloomberg
Bill clinton appears in eastern ore - the oregonian
By Motoya Makamura Haley Hunt , 15, of Tigard with her dog Monty gets ready to start the Oregon Humane Society Doggie Dash, a fundraiser for OHS at SW Naito Parkway and Stark.Bill Clinton appears in Pendleton, Ore. Seattle Post IntelligencerBill Clinton stumps for wife in Baker City KTVBKOIN.com - Mid Columbia Tri City Herald - Baker City Herald - The Daily Astorian
Cablevision offer baffles wall street (again)
Many analysts say they are skeptical about Cablevision’s reasons for wanting to buy Newsday. By TIM ARANGO and RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA Not for the first time, and probably not for the last, Wall Street is wondering just what the Dolans are thinking.Cablevision near deal to buy Newsday: report ReutersCablevision Close to Newsday Purchase TheStreet.comThe Associated Press - Newsday - Telegraph.co.uk - RTT News
Bush, congress set for clash over $300b farm bill
By Sue Kirchhoff, USA TODAY WASHINGTON - Congress and the White House this week head toward a collision over a five-year, $300 billion farm bill that the Bush administration says is stuffed with wasteful handouts to wealthy growers, but that supporters ...News Analysis Bush and House GOP Team Up to Present Show of Strength New York TimesNegotiators Agree on Farm Bill, but Bush Vows to Veto It Washington PostReuters - San Francisco Chronicle - Chicago Tribune - Palladium-Item
Hezbollah takes over most of beirut, lebanese army refuses to fight
By DAVID BEDEIN, The Bulletin Jerusalem - The Middle East Newsline has confirmed that the US-trained and equipped Lebanese army, many of whose soldiers are Shiites, has refused orders by the government to fight Hezbollah.IRAN: Watching Lebanon from Tehran Los Angeles TimesLebanese violence spreads to mountains outside capital The Associated PressBloomberg - BBC News - CNN International - Reuters
Sudan severs ties with chad, blaming it for attack on capital
By Stephanie McCrummen NAIROBI, May 11 -- Sudan cut diplomatic ties with Chad on Sunday after accusing its neighbor of backing an audacious rebel attack on the Sudanese capital.Sudan Breaks Off Ties With Chad After Attack New York TimesSudanese troops round up suspected rebels USA TodayABC Online - Xinhua - Sudan Tribune - Reuters
‘mermaid’ actor breaks wrists in fall from high over stage
By CHRISTINE HAUSER An actor in the Broadway show “The Little Mermaid” fell through a trap door on the deck of a suspended boat and onto the stage just before the start of the Saturday matinee performance, a spokesman for the production company said.Broadway Actor Breaks Wrists Before “Mermaid” Show eFluxMediaBroadway actor breaks both wrists in fall New York Daily NewsVariety - The Associated Press - Gothamist - United Press International
Rainout spoils chance for jeter to bat fourth
By JOE LAPOINTE DETROIT - It has been almost nine years since Derek Jeter batted fourth in the Yankees’ batting order. Who knows how long it will be before he sees his name in the cleanup spot again?Rainout creates opportunities for Yanks MLB.comYankees-Tigers postponed due to heavy rain Sports NetworkNewsday - The Associated Press - United Press International - Rotoworld.com
Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Dan Uggla hit a pair of solo homers, including the game-winner in the eighth inning, as the streaking Florida Marlins rallied for a 5-4 win over the Washington Nationals, finishing off a three-game sweep at Nationals ...Marlins courted Lo Duca in offseason MLB.comMLB: Florida 5, Washington 4 United Press InternationalRotoworld.com - The Associated Press - DC Sports Box - USA Today
Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - Carlos Beltran hit a two-run home run and an RBI double, and the New York Mets downed the Cincinnati Reds, 8-3, in the rubber match at Shea Stadium.Behind Perez, Mets drub Reds in finale MLB.comMLB: NY Mets 8, Cincinnati 3 United Press InternationalBloomberg - New York Daily News - WANE - New York Times
Rockies call up prospect reynolds, option struggling redman
San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - The Colorado Rockies sent scuffling pitcher Mark Redman to the minor leagues on Sunday, while calling up top prospect Greg Reynolds to start their 6-1 loss against the San Diego Padres on Sunday.Rockies option Redman to Triple-A MLB.comHomers power Padres over Rockies SanDiego.comThe Canadian Press - ESPN - Rotoworld.com - Denver Post
Smoltz, soriano do some throwing in rehab from injuries - mlb
Treading water around .500 and in fourth place in the NL East, the Atlanta Braves received some promising news on Sunday. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that both John Smoltz and Rafael Soriano did some throwing and were encouraged by the ...Smoltz optimistic after throwing the ball Atlanta Journal ConstitutionSmoltz making progress in recovery MLB.comRotowire - The Canadian Press - SportingNews.com - National Post
National league roundup cubs finish sweep of diamondbacks
By AP Pinch-hitter Daryle Ward hit a two-run double in the eighth inning, and the host Chicago Cubs rallied to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-4, on Sunday.Ward puts Cubs in the pink vs. D-backs MLB.comCubs rally past Arizona to complete sweep Chicago Sun-TimesRotoworld.com - Sports Network - United Press International - Bleacher Report
Astros thwart history to clinch sweep
By Alyson Footer / MLB.com LOS ANGELES -- For seven innings, the Astros looked overmatched. In the eighth, however, they reverted back to their old ways, mounting a comeback and eventually beating the Dodgers, 8-5.Astros bring out brooms against Dodgers Sports NetworkDodgers go from a no-no to uh-oh Los Angeles TimesRotoworld.com - Houston Chronicle - The Associated Press - Press-Enterprise
Garcia pars in playoff to win players
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (Sports Network) - Sergio Garcia parred the first playoff hole, the famous island green at 17, to defeat Paul Goydos Sunday and win The Players Championship.Paul Goydos places at THE PLAYERS Rotoworld.comGarcia ends drought with playoff win at Players Championship The Associated PressPGA Tour - New York Times - Online Gambling Paper - Washington Post
Boy murder witness comes forward
A witness to the murder of a boy in a south-east London bakery comes forward after a police appeal.
Matthew wright is a life-saver
SINGLE mum says she owes her life to Matthew Wright after he made her face cancer
PREGNANT Roxy has a fall in EastEnders after coming between warring Jack and Sean
BRILLIANT - Jennie Garth will return for the great Beverly Hills 90210 school reunion
BBC golden girl Denise scooped by Sky One chiefs to host a new musical show
DAVID GOLD and David Sullivan have BOTH threatened to quit at Birmingham
MAN UTD had plenty of heroes but Ronaldo and Giggs hit the title-winning goals at Wigan
Four games that won the title for utd
MAN UNITED pipped Chelsea by two points - here are the games that counted most
GOAL hero Danny Murphy hailed boss Roy Hodgson after Fulham stayed in the Prem
I av to hand it to you, fergie
AVRAM GRANT paid tribute to Alex Ferguson as Chelsea’s title bid came up just short
Phantom goal helps finland overcome u.s.
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia - Finland rallied to a 3-2 win over the U.S. with the help of a phantom goal at the world championships on Sunday to set up a showdown with Canada.
Garcia sees off goydos in sawgrass playoff
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida - Sergio Garcia won the biggest title of his career, and his first on the PGA Tour in three years, with a playoff victory over American Paul Goydos at the Players Championship on Sunday.
Garcia wins players championship
Sergio Garcia became just the second European to win the Players Championship after beating American Paul Goydos at the first extra hole on Sunday.
The 5-minute interview: jules knight, musician
Jules Knight, 26, is a quarter of Blake. Formed on Facebook a year ago, the band won Album of the Year at the Classical Brits.
Peter, aged 12, is youngest young musician of the year
He is not even in his teens and is dwarfed by his instrument – but Peter Moore is already a musical star.
The presidential runoff pitting President Robert Mugabe against opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will not be held in the next few weeks as required by law, the head of the electoral commission has said.