Former Conservative cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt is taking up a part-time paid role with British American Tobacco as a member of its “transformation advisory board”. Details of the appointment were published on the website of Acoba, the watchdog that provides advice on jobs politicians accept after they leave government. In a letter to Acoba, British...
Bates has been one of the outstanding cricketers in the women’s game since her made her New Zealand debut in 2006. She also represented her country at basketball in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing before cricket took centre stage. The right-hand batter was named Player of the Tournament in the 2013 World Cup and the...
© Andy Hollingworth Punk poet laureate Dr John Cooper Clarke has joined the line-up for the opening day of Sheffield’s Tramlines Festival that has been curated by local legends Pulp. The Bard of Salford joins Pulp on Friday 25 July for their hometown festival gig, and other guests on the day include Spiritualized,  John Grant, Baxter...
Lily Jamali BBC tech correspondent, San Francisco Getty Images President Donald Trump says he is “very close” to brokering a deal to find a buyer for TikTok, which faces a US ban if its Chinese owner does not sell the app by the weekend. A bipartisan law passed by Congress last year mandates TikTok’s Chinese...
Lancashire have signed Australian batter Katie Mack for the first part of the women’s domestic season. Mack will be available for eight One-Day Cup games and three in the T20 Blast running until the beginning of June. The 31-year-old, a regular in the Women’s Big Bash for Adelaide Strikers, is returning to Emirates Old Trafford,...
Rory McIlroy has become the second golfer after Tiger Woods to exceed $100m (£77m) in career earnings on the PGA Tour. The Northern Irishman reached the milestone by earning $338,000 for finishing in a four-way tie for fifth at last week’s Houston Open. The 35-year-old has amassed 28 victories in 262 events on the Tour...
Salford Red Devils have signed versatile St Helens youngster Jonny Vaughan on loan for the rest of the season. Vaughan, 20, can play at either centre or as a back row forward, and made eight appearances for Saints last year, but none in the current campaign. He is available to make his Salford debut in...
Glamorgan have signed England spinner Shoaib Bashir on a short-term loan from Somerset. Bashir, 21, is joining for three County Championship games as cover for Mason Crane, who will miss the opening month of the season because of a shoulder injury. Surrey-born off-spinner Bashir impressed after being a shock choice for England’s tour to India...
Kira Butters Sabra has moved to Dartmoor Zoo from Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent A female serval cat is the latest arrival at Dartmoor Zoo and is joining a male which was rescued. Sabra has just moved to the zoo from Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent as a mate for Churchill,...