Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri is confident Riyad Mahrez will stay at the club after midfielder N&#39;Golo Kante&#39;s Chelsea move triggered speculation that the influential winger could follow suit. 
 
Leicester have already had to fight off advances from several clubs to keep striker Jamie Vardy and left wing-back Jeffrey Schlupp, and Ranieri was certain of retaining the majority of the Premier League title-winning squad. 
 
Mahrez remains the subject of interest from several clubs, including Spanish champions Barcelona, according to the British media, while Vardy rejected Arsenal and signed a new deal at Leicester last month. 
 
&quot;Only Kante wanted to go, that&#39;s okay. But I understood him, he came from a little team in France and had a fantastic season. I said to him, stay with us and have another year with us, but he wanted to go,&quot; Ranieri told British media. 
 
&quot;Everybody here is happy and yes, he wants to stay. No other players will go away. We will stay together. The football continues without Riyad or without Kante, but Riyad will stay with us for all of the years.&nbsp;It&#39;s important to maintain the group, with the spirit, with the humility. That&#39;s important for me.&quot; 
 
Leicester&#39;s head of recruitment Steve Walsh, who was instrumental in bringing both Mahrez and Kante to the club, has been heavily linked with the director of football role at Everton. 
 
Ranieri has already lost a major part of his backroom staff when highly-rated scout Ben Wrigglesworth went to Arsenal in January and Rob MacKenzie was installed as Tottenham Hotspur&#39;s head of talent identification in February.&nbsp;Leicester will kick off their title defence with a trip to the KC Stadium, where they will face promoted Hull City on August 13. 
 
(Reuters)

Leicester have already had to fight off advances from several clubs to keep striker Jamie Vardy and left wing-back Jeffrey Schlupp

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri is confident Riyad Mahrez will stay at the club after midfielder N'Golo Kante's Chelsea move triggered speculation that the influential winger could follow suit. Leicester have already had to fight off advances from several clubs to keep striker Jamie Vardy and left wing-back Jeffrey Schlupp, and Ranieri was certain of retaining the majority of the Premier League title-winning squad. Mahrez remains the subject of interest from several clubs, including Spanish champions Barcelona, according to the British media, while Vardy rejected Arsenal and signed a new deal at Leicester last month. "Only Kante wanted to go, that's okay. But I understood him, he came from a little team in France and had a fantastic season. I said to him, stay with us and have another year with us, but he wanted to go," Ranieri told British media. "Everybody here is happy and yes, he wants to stay. No other players will go away. We will stay together. The football continues without Riyad or without Kante, but Riyad will stay with us for all of the years. It's important to maintain the group, with the spirit, with the humility. That's important for me." Leicester's head of recruitment Steve Walsh, who was instrumental in bringing both Mahrez and Kante to the club, has been heavily linked with the director of football role at Everton. Ranieri has already lost a major part of his backroom staff when highly-rated scout Ben Wrigglesworth went to Arsenal in January and Rob MacKenzie was installed as Tottenham Hotspur's head of talent identification in February. Leicester will kick off their title defence with a trip to the KC Stadium, where they will face promoted Hull City on August 13. (Reuters)

Riyad Mahrez will not follow Kante out of Leicester, says Ranieri

The Bank of England cut interest rates for the first time since 2009 on Thursday and said it will&nbsp;buy 60 billion pounds of government debt to ease the blow from Britain&#39;s June 23 vote to leave the European Union.

The central bank said it expected the economy to stagnate for the rest of 2016 and suffer weak growth throughout next year,&nbsp;and lowered its main lending rate to a record-low 0.25 per cent from 0.5 per cent, in line with market expectations.

But it also launched two new schemes, one to buy 10 billion pounds of high-grade corporate bonds and another - potentially worth up to 100 billion pounds - to ensure banks keep lending even after the cut in interest rates.

Most MPC members also expected to cut Bank Rate again this year to a rate &quot;close to, but a little above zero&quot;, if the economy performed as poorly as forecast

&quot;Following the United Kingdom&#39;s vote to leave the European Union, the exchange rate has fallen and the outlook for growth in the short to medium term has weakened markedly,&quot; the central bank said in its quarterly Inflation Report.

Policymakers were not completely united on how to respond. The cut in Bank Rate and the measure intended to ensure banks passed it on to consumers, known as the Term Funding Scheme (TFS), gained unanimous support.

But three policymakers, Kristin Forbes, Ian McCafferty and Martin Weale, opposed raising the target for quantitative easing government bond purchases to 435 billion pounds from the 375 billion total reached in late 2012.

Forbes also opposed the purchases of corporate debt - something the BoE did briefly after the financial crisis, but more to aid market functioning than to boost growth.

Many economists had expected Forbes to oppose a rate cut after she said last month that the central bank should not panic and instead wait for more data on the scale of Britain&#39;s economic slowdown.

While many business surveys show Britain&#39;s economy has slowed sharply and may even be entering recession, it is too soon for official data on how the EU vote is affecting output.

The BoE left its forecast for growth this year steady at 2.0 per cent, as the economy expanded faster in the first half of 2016 than it had expected in May.

But 2017 brings a sharp downgrade to growth of just 0.8 per cent from a previous estimate of 2.3 per cent, the biggest downgrade in growth from one Inflation Report to the next, exceeding what was seen in the financial crisis. The growth outlook for 2018 was cut to 1.8 per cent.

The BoE also revised up its inflation forecasts sharply, due to the big fall in sterling since the financial crisis, predicting it will hit 2.4 per cent in 2018 and 2019. The MPC said the costs of trying to bring it back to its 2 per cent target in the immediate future would exceed the benefit.

The Monetary Policy Committee launched the Term Funding Scheme to make sure that the lower levels of interest rates now set by the Bank of England are reflected in the costs commercial banks charge households and companies to borrow funds.

The Bank said it does not expect the scheme to lead to significantly faster aggregate loan growth, but to offset any hit to lending from a cut in official interest rates closer to zero.

Eligible institutions will be able to borrow four-year central bank reserves for an initial period of 18 months at rates close to the Bank Rate.

The lowest cost of funding, the 0.25 per cent Bank Rate, will be for banks that maintain or expand net lending to the economy and the BoE will charge a penalty rate if banks reduce net lending.

The MPC said it could adjust the terms and length of the scheme, which is funded by central bank reserves, and that the value of lending will be determined by usage of the scheme and could reach around 100 billion pounds.

New finance minister Philip Hammond, who replaced George Osborne last month, authorised the bond purchases and the TFS.

&quot;Alongside the actions the Bank is taking, I am prepared to take any necessary steps to support the economy and promote confidence,&quot; Hammond said in a letter to the central bank.

&quot;The government will set out its fiscal plans at the Autumn Statement in the normal way.&quot; released alongside its quarterly economic forecasts.

(Reuters)

The central bank said it expected the economy to stagnate for the rest of 2016 and suffer weak growth throughout next year

The Bank of England cut interest rates for the first time since 2009 on Thursday and said it will buy 60 billion pounds of government debt to ease the blow from Britain's June 23 vote to leave the European Union. The central bank said it expected the economy to stagnate for the rest of 2016 and suffer weak growth throughout next year, and lowered its main lending rate to a record-low 0.25 per cent from 0.5 per cent, in line with market expectations. But it also launched two new schemes, one to buy 10 billion pounds of high-grade corporate bonds and another - potentially worth up to 100 billion pounds - to ensure banks keep lending even after the cut in interest rates. Most MPC members also expected to cut Bank Rate again this year to a rate "close to, but a little above zero", if the economy performed as poorly as forecast "Following the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union, the exchange rate has fallen and the outlook for growth in the short to medium term has weakened markedly," the central bank said in its quarterly Inflation Report. Policymakers were not completely united on how to respond. The cut in Bank Rate and the measure intended to ensure banks passed it on to consumers, known as the Term Funding Scheme (TFS), gained unanimous support. But three policymakers, Kristin Forbes, Ian McCafferty and Martin Weale, opposed raising the target for quantitative easing government bond purchases to 435 billion pounds from the 375 billion total reached in late 2012. Forbes also opposed the purchases of corporate debt - something the BoE did briefly after the financial crisis, but more to aid market functioning than to boost growth. Many economists had expected Forbes to oppose a rate cut after she said last month that the central bank should not panic and instead wait for more data on the scale of Britain's economic slowdown. While many business surveys show Britain's economy has slowed sharply and may even be entering recession, it is too soon for official data on how the EU vote is affecting output. The BoE left its forecast for growth this year steady at 2.0 per cent, as the economy expanded faster in the first half of 2016 than it had expected in May. But 2017 brings a sharp downgrade to growth of just 0.8 per cent from a previous estimate of 2.3 per cent, the biggest downgrade in growth from one Inflation Report to the next, exceeding what was seen in the financial crisis. The growth outlook for 2018 was cut to 1.8 per cent. The BoE also revised up its inflation forecasts sharply, due to the big fall in sterling since the financial crisis, predicting it will hit 2.4 per cent in 2018 and 2019. The MPC said the costs of trying to bring it back to its 2 per cent target in the immediate future would exceed the benefit. The Monetary Policy Committee launched the Term Funding Scheme to make sure that the lower levels of interest rates now set by the Bank of England are reflected in the costs commercial banks charge households and companies to borrow funds. The Bank said it does not expect the scheme to lead to significantly faster aggregate loan growth, but to offset any hit to lending from a cut in official interest rates closer to zero. Eligible institutions will be able to borrow four-year central bank reserves for an initial period of 18 months at rates close to the Bank Rate. The lowest cost of funding, the 0.25 per cent Bank Rate, will be for banks that maintain or expand net lending to the economy and the BoE will charge a penalty rate if banks reduce net lending. The MPC said it could adjust the terms and length of the scheme, which is funded by central bank reserves, and that the value of lending will be determined by usage of the scheme and could reach around 100 billion pounds. New finance minister Philip Hammond, who replaced George Osborne last month, authorised the bond purchases and the TFS. "Alongside the actions the Bank is taking, I am prepared to take any necessary steps to support the economy and promote confidence," Hammond said in a letter to the central bank. "The government will set out its fiscal plans at the Autumn Statement in the normal way." released alongside its quarterly economic forecasts. (Reuters)

Bank of England cuts rates for first time since 2009, restarts bond purchases

Briton Chris Froome cemented his status as one of the greatest Tour de France riders when he secured his third title on Sunday after a three-week rocky ride. 
 
Germany&#39;s Andre Greipel won the 21st and last stage, a 113-km ride from Chantilly ending on the Champs Elysees in Paris. 
 
Team Sky rider Froome survived two crashes and even a jog up a mountain road to add to his 2013 and 2015 triumphs and become the first rider to retain his title since Spaniard Miguel Indurain in 1995. 
 
American Lance Armstrong won seven titles in succession from 1999 but was erased from the winners&#39; list after admitting to doping. 
 
&quot;This tour has obviously taken place against the backdrop of terrible events in Nice and we pay our respect again to those who lost their lives,&quot; Froome said of the recent incident in which a man killed 84 people when he drove a truck through a Bastille Day crowd on the seafront at the Riviera city. 
 
&quot;Of course these kinds of events put sport into perspective but they also show why the values of sport are so important to free society.&quot; 
 
Frenchman Romain Bardet finished second overall 2:52 behind Froome, who had a 4:05 lead going into the last stage but was caught on the wrong side of a split in the finale of Sunday&#39;s stage. 
 
Colombian Nairo Quintana, runner-up in 2013 and 2015 who was expected to push Froome to the limit, ended up a disappointing third, 3:08 off the pace. 
 
Pole Rafal Majka won the polka dot jersey for the mountain classification and his Tinkoff team mate, world champion Peter Sagan, clinched a fifth green jersey for the points classification. 
 
Sagan, who won three stages, was also voted the most aggressive rider in the three-week race while Adam Yates showed Britain was full of resources, ending up fourth overall and winning the white jersey for the best Under-25 rider. 
 
Another Briton, Mark Cavendish, claimed four stages but he pulled out of the race on the second rest day to prepare for the Olympics, where he will be competing on the track. 
 
Froome built his success on an impressively strong Team Sky, arguably the best assembled in recent Tour history, being able to rely on domestique de luxe Wouter Poels in the mountains. The Briton, however, had a few scares. 
 
In the 12th stage ending on Mont Ventoux, he crashed when he was involved in an incident with a TV motorbike and even ran up the road after his bike was broken. 
 
Froome hit the deck again on a slippery descent in the 19th stage, but he had by then sewn up his win thanks to strong performances in the time trials and surprise attacks on a descent and the flat. 
 
The atmosphere was much more relaxed on Sunday when the peloton rode a largely processional stage, Froome drinking beer and champagne in the neutral zone. 
 
Things got more hectic once the race entered the Champs Elysees, the bunch even splitting in the finale as a reduced peloton contested the sprint finish. 
 
Greipel was the strongest, comfortably beating Sagan and Norway&#39;s Alexander Kristoff. 
 
(Reuters)

Team Sky's Froome has become the first rider to retain his title since Spaniard Miguel Indurain in 1995

Briton Chris Froome cemented his status as one of the greatest Tour de France riders when he secured his third title on Sunday after a three-week rocky ride. Germany's Andre Greipel won the 21st and last stage, a 113-km ride from Chantilly ending on the Champs Elysees in Paris. Team Sky rider Froome survived two crashes and even a jog up a mountain road to add to his 2013 and 2015 triumphs and become the first rider to retain his title since Spaniard Miguel Indurain in 1995. American Lance Armstrong won seven titles in succession from 1999 but was erased from the winners' list after admitting to doping. "This tour has obviously taken place against the backdrop of terrible events in Nice and we pay our respect again to those who lost their lives," Froome said of the recent incident in which a man killed 84 people when he drove a truck through a Bastille Day crowd on the seafront at the Riviera city. "Of course these kinds of events put sport into perspective but they also show why the values of sport are so important to free society." Frenchman Romain Bardet finished second overall 2:52 behind Froome, who had a 4:05 lead going into the last stage but was caught on the wrong side of a split in the finale of Sunday's stage. Colombian Nairo Quintana, runner-up in 2013 and 2015 who was expected to push Froome to the limit, ended up a disappointing third, 3:08 off the pace. Pole Rafal Majka won the polka dot jersey for the mountain classification and his Tinkoff team mate, world champion Peter Sagan, clinched a fifth green jersey for the points classification. Sagan, who won three stages, was also voted the most aggressive rider in the three-week race while Adam Yates showed Britain was full of resources, ending up fourth overall and winning the white jersey for the best Under-25 rider. Another Briton, Mark Cavendish, claimed four stages but he pulled out of the race on the second rest day to prepare for the Olympics, where he will be competing on the track. Froome built his success on an impressively strong Team Sky, arguably the best assembled in recent Tour history, being able to rely on domestique de luxe Wouter Poels in the mountains. The Briton, however, had a few scares. In the 12th stage ending on Mont Ventoux, he crashed when he was involved in an incident with a TV motorbike and even ran up the road after his bike was broken. Froome hit the deck again on a slippery descent in the 19th stage, but he had by then sewn up his win thanks to strong performances in the time trials and surprise attacks on a descent and the flat. The atmosphere was much more relaxed on Sunday when the peloton rode a largely processional stage, Froome drinking beer and champagne in the neutral zone. Things got more hectic once the race entered the Champs Elysees, the bunch even splitting in the finale as a reduced peloton contested the sprint finish. Greipel was the strongest, comfortably beating Sagan and Norway's Alexander Kristoff. (Reuters)

Chris Froome seals Tour de France great status with third title

Already hamstrung by the battle to compete with online rivals, Britain&#39;s major clothing retailers now risk a hit to sales and profits from the higher costs and plummeting consumer confidence that have followed the vote to leave the European Union. 
 
A month after that vote, clothing sellers are nursing big share price falls and contemplating the cost of the depreciation in the Pound versus their most important currency, the US Dollar. 
 
At the same time, consumer confidence has recorded one of the biggest drops in over two decades. With consumer spending accounting for three quarters of Britain&#39;s gross domestic product any drop would have huge implications for the economy. 
 
While a few retailers with big overseas earnings could benefit from the currency move, such as luxury brand Burberry, online fashion retailer ASOS and discount chain Primark, those that will struggle are likely to be British-focused and with already tight margins. 
 
&quot;It was already a tough market,&quot; Andy Street, managing director of John Lewis, Britain&#39;s biggest department store chain, said earlier this month, while Steve Rowe, CEO of Marks &amp; Spencer, the nation&#39;s biggest clothing retailer, described confidence as &quot;fragile&quot;. 
 
While steps by clothing retailers to protect themselves from volatility in foreign exchange rates through hedging will provide some breathing space on the currency issue, the hit to confidence is the more immediate threat, as Britons typically curtail clothes shopping in hard times. 
 
Market researcher Nielsen polled shoppers after the Brexit vote and found 41 per cent planned to change their spending habits to save on household expenses, with clothing and expensive grocery brands in their sights. 
 
In common with all British retailers, clothing sellers were already grappling with intense competition from online-only players and the cost inflation implications of the government-mandated minimum pay rate, the national living wage, as well as increased business rates. 
 
Official data today showed UK clothing sales were falling even before the referendum. Sales volumes in the three months to June were 5 per cent lower than a year earlier, the worst performance for any calendar quarter in 25 years, and in sharp contrast to a buoyant picture for most other categories of retail. 
 
Now clothing retailers also have to deal with a sharply depreciated Pound.&nbsp;Sterling has taken the brunt of market concern since the Brexit vote on June 23, falling to a 31-year low and trading below $1.28 on July 6 against $1.50 the day before the referendum. 
 
With the bulk of British clothing retailers&#39; goods sourced from Asian suppliers and paid for in Dollars, a weaker Pound has a major impact on their buying costs. 
 
Britain&#39;s biggest clothing retailers, including M&amp;S, Next and John Lewis, are hedged up to 18 months ahead, meaning that if Sterling stays depressed the main impact will not start to be felt until the second half of their 2017-18 financial year. 
 
Sportswear retailer Sports Direct is the notable exception, being unhedged for Sterling-Dollar for its 2016-17 year. Its share price is down 32 per cent since the vote. 
 
Clothing companies would normally be expected to hedge for the second half of 2017-18 and beyond, now and over the next few months.&nbsp;But with foreign currency markets volatile, the treasury departments of firms are reviewing their hedging policies. 
 
They face a dilemma, explained a senior banker with several major British retailers as clients, because as UK interest rates look set to be cut there is a risk Sterling could fall further.&nbsp;&quot;Now might not be the right time to do it, equally waiting might not be the right thing to do,&quot; he said. 
 
That unease was echoed by a person with knowledge of the situation at a FTSE 100 clothing retailer.&nbsp;&quot;You don&rsquo;t want to be making a decision in July to hedge for 18 months time, because nobody knows what&rsquo;s going to happen. You could put yourself in a worse position,&quot; said the person, adding that only the brave would start hedging now. 
 
Faced with higher sourcing costs one solution could be to pass those costs on to consumers through higher prices.&nbsp;However, in an already weak market shoppers will have little appetite for inflation, and in the case of M&amp;S, raising prices would run counter to Rowe&#39;s stated strategy of bringing them down to cure the firm&#39;s perceived uncompetitiveness. 
 
The average price of clothing has fallen by 15 per cent in the last 10 years, according to official UK data.&nbsp;The key for clothing retailers will be their ability to mitigate the cost increases they face. 
 
&quot;There are a number of things that we can do in terms of the sourcing side of things,&quot; said Helen Weir, M&amp;S&#39; chief finance officer, noting the firm imports 1 billion to 1.5 billion Pounds ($1.31-$1.97 billion) worth of goods each year in Dollars. 
 
Options include changing the mix of sourcing countries and further increasing the proportion of direct sourcing from factories, cutting out middlemen.&nbsp;Also there might be scope to re-negotiate better terms with suppliers as Asian currencies have depreciated against the Dollar. 
 
Bankers say more radical options would require a cultural shift at retailers.&nbsp;They could pursue &quot;dual pricing&quot;, where they negotiate part payment for supplies in different currencies from the Dollar, for example using the Chinese Renminbi. 
 
Retailers could also collaborate more on ordering, shipping and warehousing to seek economy of scale savings.&nbsp;But efficiencies might be more difficult to achieve than in previous years. 
 
&quot;Companies have already materially improved their gross margins through better buying and efficiencies on the supply side,&quot; said Ernesto Bisagno, senior analyst at ratings agency Moody&#39;s. 
 
Ultimately the clothing sellers with the biggest margins will be best able to weather the storm.&nbsp;Here, Next, Britain&#39;s most successful clothing retailer of the last decade, is the stand-out stock, with an operating margin for 2015-16 of 20.8 per cent, according to Reuters data. 
 
That dwarfs M&amp;S on 7.4 per cent, which is diluted by half of its business being in the lower-margin food sector, Debenhams on 5.8 per cent (for 2014-15), Sports Direct on 9.4 per cent and Primark on 11.9 per cent (for its most recent quarter). 
 
Led by Simon Wolfson, who was among the leading business supporters of Brexit, Next should be well prepared. With some foresight, he had warned in March that 2016 could be its toughest year since 2008. 
 
(Reuters)

Clothing retailers fear volatility in foreign exchange rates, and Britons typically buy less clothes in hard times

Already hamstrung by the battle to compete with online rivals, Britain's major clothing retailers now risk a hit to sales and profits from the higher costs and plummeting consumer confidence that have followed the vote to leave the European Union. A month after that vote, clothing sellers are nursing big share price falls and contemplating the cost of the depreciation in the Pound versus their most important currency, the US Dollar. At the same time, consumer confidence has recorded one of the biggest drops in over two decades. With consumer spending accounting for three quarters of Britain's gross domestic product any drop would have huge implications for the economy. While a few retailers with big overseas earnings could benefit from the currency move, such as luxury brand Burberry, online fashion retailer ASOS and discount chain Primark, those that will struggle are likely to be British-focused and with already tight margins. "It was already a tough market," Andy Street, managing director of John Lewis, Britain's biggest department store chain, said earlier this month, while Steve Rowe, CEO of Marks & Spencer, the nation's biggest clothing retailer, described confidence as "fragile". While steps by clothing retailers to protect themselves from volatility in foreign exchange rates through hedging will provide some breathing space on the currency issue, the hit to confidence is the more immediate threat, as Britons typically curtail clothes shopping in hard times. Market researcher Nielsen polled shoppers after the Brexit vote and found 41 per cent planned to change their spending habits to save on household expenses, with clothing and expensive grocery brands in their sights. In common with all British retailers, clothing sellers were already grappling with intense competition from online-only players and the cost inflation implications of the government-mandated minimum pay rate, the national living wage, as well as increased business rates. Official data today showed UK clothing sales were falling even before the referendum. Sales volumes in the three months to June were 5 per cent lower than a year earlier, the worst performance for any calendar quarter in 25 years, and in sharp contrast to a buoyant picture for most other categories of retail. Now clothing retailers also have to deal with a sharply depreciated Pound. Sterling has taken the brunt of market concern since the Brexit vote on June 23, falling to a 31-year low and trading below $1.28 on July 6 against $1.50 the day before the referendum. With the bulk of British clothing retailers' goods sourced from Asian suppliers and paid for in Dollars, a weaker Pound has a major impact on their buying costs. Britain's biggest clothing retailers, including M&S, Next and John Lewis, are hedged up to 18 months ahead, meaning that if Sterling stays depressed the main impact will not start to be felt until the second half of their 2017-18 financial year. Sportswear retailer Sports Direct is the notable exception, being unhedged for Sterling-Dollar for its 2016-17 year. Its share price is down 32 per cent since the vote. Clothing companies would normally be expected to hedge for the second half of 2017-18 and beyond, now and over the next few months. But with foreign currency markets volatile, the treasury departments of firms are reviewing their hedging policies. They face a dilemma, explained a senior banker with several major British retailers as clients, because as UK interest rates look set to be cut there is a risk Sterling could fall further. "Now might not be the right time to do it, equally waiting might not be the right thing to do," he said. That unease was echoed by a person with knowledge of the situation at a FTSE 100 clothing retailer. "You don’t want to be making a decision in July to hedge for 18 months time, because nobody knows what’s going to happen. You could put yourself in a worse position," said the person, adding that only the brave would start hedging now. Faced with higher sourcing costs one solution could be to pass those costs on to consumers through higher prices. However, in an already weak market shoppers will have little appetite for inflation, and in the case of M&S, raising prices would run counter to Rowe's stated strategy of bringing them down to cure the firm's perceived uncompetitiveness. The average price of clothing has fallen by 15 per cent in the last 10 years, according to official UK data. The key for clothing retailers will be their ability to mitigate the cost increases they face. "There are a number of things that we can do in terms of the sourcing side of things," said Helen Weir, M&S' chief finance officer, noting the firm imports 1 billion to 1.5 billion Pounds ($1.31-$1.97 billion) worth of goods each year in Dollars. Options include changing the mix of sourcing countries and further increasing the proportion of direct sourcing from factories, cutting out middlemen. Also there might be scope to re-negotiate better terms with suppliers as Asian currencies have depreciated against the Dollar. Bankers say more radical options would require a cultural shift at retailers. They could pursue "dual pricing", where they negotiate part payment for supplies in different currencies from the Dollar, for example using the Chinese Renminbi. Retailers could also collaborate more on ordering, shipping and warehousing to seek economy of scale savings. But efficiencies might be more difficult to achieve than in previous years. "Companies have already materially improved their gross margins through better buying and efficiencies on the supply side," said Ernesto Bisagno, senior analyst at ratings agency Moody's. Ultimately the clothing sellers with the biggest margins will be best able to weather the storm. Here, Next, Britain's most successful clothing retailer of the last decade, is the stand-out stock, with an operating margin for 2015-16 of 20.8 per cent, according to Reuters data. That dwarfs M&S on 7.4 per cent, which is diluted by half of its business being in the lower-margin food sector, Debenhams on 5.8 per cent (for 2014-15), Sports Direct on 9.4 per cent and Primark on 11.9 per cent (for its most recent quarter). Led by Simon Wolfson, who was among the leading business supporters of Brexit, Next should be well prepared. With some foresight, he had warned in March that 2016 could be its toughest year since 2008. (Reuters)

British clothing retailers face Brexit double whammy

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn launched his bid today to remain head of Britain&#39;s biggest opposition party despite bitter divisions that have gone deeper by the Brexit referendum. The veteran socialist has clung on even though three-quarters of the party&#39;s lawmakers say they have lost confidence in his leadership and Welsh MP Owen Smith has launched a challenge to oust him. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s the job, it&#39;s the duty, it&#39;s the responsibility of every Labour MP to get behind the party,&quot; Corbyn said at the start of his leadership campaign. &quot;I hold out the hand of friendship,&quot; he said, addressing &quot;those who may not agree with me politically, may not even like me personally&quot;. 
 
Labour Party members and supporters will vote on Corbyn and Smith by postal ballot over the summer and the result will be announced on September 24. Some commentators have warned the outcome could split the historic Labour Party, which grew out of Britains trade union movement in the 19th century. 
 
The 67-year-old Corbyn is automatically on the ballot as the current leader and he has strong grassroots support but Smith is backed by 162 of the party&#39;s 230 MPs including former leader Ed Miliband. Some 180,000 Labour supporters have signed up to vote in recent days. &quot;We, the Labour party, will be stronger, even stronger, and hopefully even bigger at the end of this campaign,&quot; Corbyn said. 
 
Smith is barely known outside of Westminster and Wales but moderates in the Labour party are hoping he will dethrone Corbyn, who has been heavily criticised for lukewarm campaigning for Britain to stay in the European Union ahead of last month&#39;s referendum. 
 
Corbyn critics, many of them supporters of the more centrist policies of former leader Tony Blair, accuse Corbyn of pursuing a leftist agenda that could keep the party out of power for years. 
 
The 46-year-old Smith, who previously worked as a BBC producer and a lobbyist for pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer, has paid tribute to Corbyn for &quot;helping Labour discover its radical roots&quot; but said the party needed a new generation to take it forward. 
 
(AFP)

Labour Party members and supporters will vote on Corbyn and Smith by postal ballot over the summer

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn launched his bid today to remain head of Britain's biggest opposition party despite bitter divisions that have gone deeper by the Brexit referendum. The veteran socialist has clung on even though three-quarters of the party's lawmakers say they have lost confidence in his leadership and Welsh MP Owen Smith has launched a challenge to oust him. "It's the job, it's the duty, it's the responsibility of every Labour MP to get behind the party," Corbyn said at the start of his leadership campaign. "I hold out the hand of friendship," he said, addressing "those who may not agree with me politically, may not even like me personally". Labour Party members and supporters will vote on Corbyn and Smith by postal ballot over the summer and the result will be announced on September 24. Some commentators have warned the outcome could split the historic Labour Party, which grew out of Britains trade union movement in the 19th century. The 67-year-old Corbyn is automatically on the ballot as the current leader and he has strong grassroots support but Smith is backed by 162 of the party's 230 MPs including former leader Ed Miliband. Some 180,000 Labour supporters have signed up to vote in recent days. "We, the Labour party, will be stronger, even stronger, and hopefully even bigger at the end of this campaign," Corbyn said. Smith is barely known outside of Westminster and Wales but moderates in the Labour party are hoping he will dethrone Corbyn, who has been heavily criticised for lukewarm campaigning for Britain to stay in the European Union ahead of last month's referendum. Corbyn critics, many of them supporters of the more centrist policies of former leader Tony Blair, accuse Corbyn of pursuing a leftist agenda that could keep the party out of power for years. The 46-year-old Smith, who previously worked as a BBC producer and a lobbyist for pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer, has paid tribute to Corbyn for "helping Labour discover its radical roots" but said the party needed a new generation to take it forward. (AFP)

Jeremy Corbyn launches bid to remain UK Labour leader

England will embark on their lengthy tour of India later this year with Rajkot hosting the first of the five test matches from November 9, the cricket boards announced today. 
 
Rajkot will be making its debut as a test venue in the series, as will be coastal Vishakapatnam, which hosts the second test from November 17. 
 
Mohali, Mumbai and Chennai will host the remaining matches of what will be England&#39;s first five-test rubber in India since 1984-85. 
 
Beginning on January 15, England will also play three one-dayers and as many Twenty20 Internationals. 
 
&quot;This promises to be a historic test series and a great opportunity for Alastair Cook and his players to repeat the memorable test series win we enjoyed on our last trip to India in 2012,&quot; Andrew Strauss, director of England Cricket, said in a statement. 
 
&quot;Equally, Eoin Morgan&#39;s white-ball squad will be anticipating hard-fought and competitive encounters against high quality opposition in both formats.&quot; he added. 
 
(Reuters)

Rajkot will be making its debut as a test venue in the series. It will host first of the five test matches from November 9

England will embark on their lengthy tour of India later this year with Rajkot hosting the first of the five test matches from November 9, the cricket boards announced today. Rajkot will be making its debut as a test venue in the series, as will be coastal Vishakapatnam, which hosts the second test from November 17. Mohali, Mumbai and Chennai will host the remaining matches of what will be England's first five-test rubber in India since 1984-85. Beginning on January 15, England will also play three one-dayers and as many Twenty20 Internationals. "This promises to be a historic test series and a great opportunity for Alastair Cook and his players to repeat the memorable test series win we enjoyed on our last trip to India in 2012," Andrew Strauss, director of England Cricket, said in a statement. "Equally, Eoin Morgan's white-ball squad will be anticipating hard-fought and competitive encounters against high quality opposition in both formats." he added. (Reuters)

England to begin test series in India at new venue Rajkot

Propelled by an impressive European Championship campaign, Wales climbed 15 places to move into 11th, two places ahead of England, in the FIFA world rankings released today. 
 
Chris Coleman`s charges reached the last four in France in Wales` first major tournament since 1958 and lost to eventual winners Portugal.&nbsp; 
 
England, the 1966 World Cup winners, exited in the round of 16 after a humiliating defeat to Iceland which saw them drop two places to 13th. 
 
Iceland, the smallest nation ever to have qualified for the European Championship, with a population of 330,000, saw their fairytale run end in the quarter-finals but saw their rankings jump 12 places to 22. 
 
There were no changes in the top five rankings with Copa America finalists Argentina retaining top spot, followed by Belgium, Colombia, Germany and Chile. 
 
Five times World champions Brazil, who failed to progress past the group stages of Copa America for the first time since 1987, are on the brink of dropping out of the top 10, ranked at ninth, ahead of Italy. 
 
European Championship finalists France jumped 10 places to move to 7th, one place behind winners Portugal. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

No changes in top 5 rankings with Copa America finalists Argentina retaining top spot, followed by Belgium, Colombia, Germany, Chile

Propelled by an impressive European Championship campaign, Wales climbed 15 places to move into 11th, two places ahead of England, in the FIFA world rankings released today. Chris Coleman`s charges reached the last four in France in Wales` first major tournament since 1958 and lost to eventual winners Portugal. England, the 1966 World Cup winners, exited in the round of 16 after a humiliating defeat to Iceland which saw them drop two places to 13th. Iceland, the smallest nation ever to have qualified for the European Championship, with a population of 330,000, saw their fairytale run end in the quarter-finals but saw their rankings jump 12 places to 22. There were no changes in the top five rankings with Copa America finalists Argentina retaining top spot, followed by Belgium, Colombia, Germany and Chile. Five times World champions Brazil, who failed to progress past the group stages of Copa America for the first time since 1987, are on the brink of dropping out of the top 10, ranked at ninth, ahead of Italy. European Championship finalists France jumped 10 places to move to 7th, one place behind winners Portugal. (Reuters)

Wales climbs 15 spots, overtakes England in FIFA rankings?

Interior minister&nbsp;Theresa&nbsp;May&nbsp;will become Britain&#39;s prime minister on Wednesday, with the task of steering its withdrawal from the European Union, after rival Andrea Leadsom abruptly terminated her disastrous leadership campaign.

May, 59, will succeed David Cameron, who announced he was stepping down after Britons&nbsp;voted last month to quit the EU. Britain&#39;s planned withdrawal has weakened the 28-nation bloc, created huge uncertainty over trade and investment, and shaken financial markets.

May&nbsp;and Leadsom had been due to contest a ballot of grassroots Conservative party members, with the result to be declared by September&nbsp;9. But Leadsom unexpectedly quit on Monday after a campaign dogged by ill-judged comments about her rival&#39;s lack of children and questions about whether she had exaggerated her CV.

&quot;I am honoured and humbled to have been chosen by the Conservative Party to become its leader,&quot; said&nbsp;May, who favoured remaining in the EU but has made clear there is no going back on the result of the June 23 referendum.

&quot;Brexit means Brexit, and we&#39;re going to make a success of it.&quot;

Earlier, Cameron told reporters in front of his 10 Downing Street residence that he expected to chair his last cabinet meeting on Tuesday and take questions in parliament on Wednesday before tendering his resignation to Queen Elizabeth.

&quot;So we will have a new prime minister in that building behind me by Wednesday evening,&quot; he said.

May&nbsp;will become Britain&#39;s second female prime minister, after Margaret Thatcher.

Her victory means that the complex process of extricating Britain from the EU will be led by someone from the losing side of the acrimonious referendum campaign. She has said Britain needs time to work out its negotiating strategy and should not initiate formal divorce proceedings before the end of the year.

In a speech earlier on Monday in the city of Birmingham,&nbsp;May&nbsp;said there could be no second referendum and no attempt to rejoin the EU by the back door.

&quot;As prime minister, I will make sure that we leave the European Union,&quot; she said.

The White House said US President Barack Obama was confident that the &quot;special relationship&quot; between the United States and Britain would continue after&nbsp;May&nbsp;becomes prime minister.

&nbsp;

Relative Unknown

Leadsom, 53, is a junior energy minister who has never served in cabinet and was barely known to the British public until she emerged as a prominent voice in the successful Leave campaign.

She had been strongly criticised over a newspaper interview in which she appeared to suggest that being a mother meant she had more of a stake in the country&#39;s future than&nbsp;May, who has no children. Some Conservatives said they were disgusted by the remarks, for which Leadsom later apologised, while others said they showed naivety and a lack of judgment.

Leadsom told reporters she was pulling out of the race to avoid nine weeks of campaign uncertainty at a time when strong leadership was needed. She acknowledged that&nbsp;May&nbsp;had secured much greater backing in a vote of Conservative members of parliament last week.

&quot;I have ... concluded that the interests of our country are best served by the immediate appointment of a strong and well supported prime minister,&quot; she said. &quot;I am therefore withdrawing from the leadership election and I wish&nbsp;Theresa&nbsp;May&nbsp;the very greatest success.&quot;

Graham Brady, head of the Conservative party committee in charge of the leadership contest, confirmed that&nbsp;May&nbsp;had been elected with immediate effect.

The pound, which has hit 31-year lows since the referendum on concern about potential damage to the British economy, bounced slightly on the news that the Conservative leadership question would be resolved much sooner than expected.

It was trading around $1.2970, up 0.1 per cent on the day but still down around 13 per cent since the day of the vote. The FTSE 250 index of mid-sized companies rose 3.27 per cent.

&quot;Welcome news we have 1 candidate with overwhelming support to be next PM.&nbsp;Theresa&nbsp;Mayhas strength, integrity &amp; determination to do the job,&quot; finance minister George Osborne tweeted.

&nbsp;

Forging New Role

The 52-to-48 per cent vote to quit the EU after 43 years of membership was a stunning rebuke to Britain&#39;s political leaders and especially Cameron, who had argued that breaking away would bring economic disaster.

Britons ignored his warnings, swayed by the arguments of the Leave campaign that &#39;Brexit&#39; would enable them to regain &#39;independence&#39; from Brussels and clamp down on high immigration, something hard to achieve under EU rules allowing people to live and work anywhere in the bloc.

May&#39;s leadership hopes had appeared at risk of being damaged by her failure, in six years as interior minister, to bring immigration down, and the fact she found herself on the losing side of the referendum campaign.

But her two best-known rivals on the Leave side were felled by political back-stabbing when Justice Secretary Michael Gove brought down former London&nbsp;mayor Boris Johnson and was then punished for his perceived treachery by being eliminated from a ballot of Conservative MPs.

In her speech in Birmingham on Monday,&nbsp;May&nbsp;set out her vision for the economy, calling for &quot;a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few&quot;.

In a pitch for the political centre, she said she would prioritise more house-building, a crackdown on tax evasion by individuals and companies, lower energy costs and a narrowing of the &#39;unhealthy&#39; gap between the pay of employees and corporate bosses.

&quot;Under my leadership, the Conservative Party will put itself completely, absolutely, unequivocally, at the service of ordinary working people ... we will make Britain a country that works for everyone,&quot; she said.

&nbsp;

Labour Disarray

May&#39;s biggest challenge will be to map out the course of Britain&#39;s withdrawal, a process still clouded in uncertainty, and to sort out new terms of trade with the other 27 EU nations.

&quot;We will have difficult negotiations with Britain, it will not be easy,&quot; said German Chancellor Angela Merkel who insisted that Britain would not be able to get free access to the EU&#39;s single market without accepting free movement of people.

European Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said: &quot;We should open the negotiations as quickly as possible in order to limit uncertainty.&quot;

More than 1000 British lawyers said in a letter to Cameron that members of parliament should decide whether Britain leaves the EU because the referendum was not legally binding.

Opposition members of parliament, responding to the impending appointment of&nbsp;May, demanded a general election.

&quot;It is crucial, given the instability caused by the Brexit vote, that the country has a democratically elected prime minister,&quot; Labour party election co-ordinator Jon Trickett said.

Labour too has been thrown into upheaval by the referendum, with leader Jeremy Corbyn widely criticised for failing to make a sufficiently passionate case in favour of staying in the EU.

Minutes before Leadsom&#39;s announcement, Labour lawmaker Angela Eagle launched a leadership challenge to Corbyn.

&quot;Jeremy Corbyn is unable to provide the leadership that this party needs -- I believe I can,&quot; Eagle said.

Corbyn was elected last year with overwhelming support from grassroots Labour activists. He has ignored a vote of no confidence from the party&#39;s lawmakers, saying he has a responsibility to carry out that mandate.

(Reuters)

May, the second woman to become Britain's prime minister, will lead the country post its break off with the EU

Interior minister Theresa May will become Britain's prime minister on Wednesday, with the task of steering its withdrawal from the European Union, after rival Andrea Leadsom abruptly terminated her disastrous leadership campaign. May, 59, will succeed David Cameron, who announced he was stepping down after Britons voted last month to quit the EU. Britain's planned withdrawal has weakened the 28-nation bloc, created huge uncertainty over trade and investment, and shaken financial markets. May and Leadsom had been due to contest a ballot of grassroots Conservative party members, with the result to be declared by September 9. But Leadsom unexpectedly quit on Monday after a campaign dogged by ill-judged comments about her rival's lack of children and questions about whether she had exaggerated her CV. "I am honoured and humbled to have been chosen by the Conservative Party to become its leader," said May, who favoured remaining in the EU but has made clear there is no going back on the result of the June 23 referendum. "Brexit means Brexit, and we're going to make a success of it." Earlier, Cameron told reporters in front of his 10 Downing Street residence that he expected to chair his last cabinet meeting on Tuesday and take questions in parliament on Wednesday before tendering his resignation to Queen Elizabeth. "So we will have a new prime minister in that building behind me by Wednesday evening," he said. May will become Britain's second female prime minister, after Margaret Thatcher. Her victory means that the complex process of extricating Britain from the EU will be led by someone from the losing side of the acrimonious referendum campaign. She has said Britain needs time to work out its negotiating strategy and should not initiate formal divorce proceedings before the end of the year. In a speech earlier on Monday in the city of Birmingham, May said there could be no second referendum and no attempt to rejoin the EU by the back door. "As prime minister, I will make sure that we leave the European Union," she said. The White House said US President Barack Obama was confident that the "special relationship" between the United States and Britain would continue after May becomes prime minister. Relative Unknown Leadsom, 53, is a junior energy minister who has never served in cabinet and was barely known to the British public until she emerged as a prominent voice in the successful Leave campaign. She had been strongly criticised over a newspaper interview in which she appeared to suggest that being a mother meant she had more of a stake in the country's future than May, who has no children. Some Conservatives said they were disgusted by the remarks, for which Leadsom later apologised, while others said they showed naivety and a lack of judgment. Leadsom told reporters she was pulling out of the race to avoid nine weeks of campaign uncertainty at a time when strong leadership was needed. She acknowledged that May had secured much greater backing in a vote of Conservative members of parliament last week. "I have ... concluded that the interests of our country are best served by the immediate appointment of a strong and well supported prime minister," she said. "I am therefore withdrawing from the leadership election and I wish Theresa May the very greatest success." Graham Brady, head of the Conservative party committee in charge of the leadership contest, confirmed that May had been elected with immediate effect. The pound, which has hit 31-year lows since the referendum on concern about potential damage to the British economy, bounced slightly on the news that the Conservative leadership question would be resolved much sooner than expected. It was trading around $1.2970, up 0.1 per cent on the day but still down around 13 per cent since the day of the vote. The FTSE 250 index of mid-sized companies rose 3.27 per cent. "Welcome news we have 1 candidate with overwhelming support to be next PM. Theresa Mayhas strength, integrity & determination to do the job," finance minister George Osborne tweeted. Forging New Role The 52-to-48 per cent vote to quit the EU after 43 years of membership was a stunning rebuke to Britain's political leaders and especially Cameron, who had argued that breaking away would bring economic disaster. Britons ignored his warnings, swayed by the arguments of the Leave campaign that 'Brexit' would enable them to regain 'independence' from Brussels and clamp down on high immigration, something hard to achieve under EU rules allowing people to live and work anywhere in the bloc. May's leadership hopes had appeared at risk of being damaged by her failure, in six years as interior minister, to bring immigration down, and the fact she found herself on the losing side of the referendum campaign. But her two best-known rivals on the Leave side were felled by political back-stabbing when Justice Secretary Michael Gove brought down former London mayor Boris Johnson and was then punished for his perceived treachery by being eliminated from a ballot of Conservative MPs. In her speech in Birmingham on Monday, May set out her vision for the economy, calling for "a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few". In a pitch for the political centre, she said she would prioritise more house-building, a crackdown on tax evasion by individuals and companies, lower energy costs and a narrowing of the 'unhealthy' gap between the pay of employees and corporate bosses. "Under my leadership, the Conservative Party will put itself completely, absolutely, unequivocally, at the service of ordinary working people ... we will make Britain a country that works for everyone," she said. Labour Disarray May's biggest challenge will be to map out the course of Britain's withdrawal, a process still clouded in uncertainty, and to sort out new terms of trade with the other 27 EU nations. "We will have difficult negotiations with Britain, it will not be easy," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel who insisted that Britain would not be able to get free access to the EU's single market without accepting free movement of people. European Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said: "We should open the negotiations as quickly as possible in order to limit uncertainty." More than 1000 British lawyers said in a letter to Cameron that members of parliament should decide whether Britain leaves the EU because the referendum was not legally binding. Opposition members of parliament, responding to the impending appointment of May, demanded a general election. "It is crucial, given the instability caused by the Brexit vote, that the country has a democratically elected prime minister," Labour party election co-ordinator Jon Trickett said. Labour too has been thrown into upheaval by the referendum, with leader Jeremy Corbyn widely criticised for failing to make a sufficiently passionate case in favour of staying in the EU. Minutes before Leadsom's announcement, Labour lawmaker Angela Eagle launched a leadership challenge to Corbyn. "Jeremy Corbyn is unable to provide the leadership that this party needs -- I believe I can," Eagle said. Corbyn was elected last year with overwhelming support from grassroots Labour activists. He has ignored a vote of no confidence from the party's lawmakers, saying he has a responsibility to carry out that mandate. (Reuters)

Theresa May to be Britain's next Prime Minister

Bangladesh has ruled out playing England&#39;s cricket team in a third country in September, an idea floated after a deadly terror attack in the capital killed 18 foreigners last week.&nbsp; 
 
England are scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on September 30 to play two Tests and three one-day internationals. 
 
England&#39;s limited-over captain Eion Morgan voiced &quot;big concern&quot; after last Saturday&#39;s attack by Islamist extremists at an upmarket restaurant, saying a neutral venue could be an option for the series. 
&nbsp; 
And an England and Wales Cricket Board spokesman hinted at a possible cancellation of the Bangladesh tour saying that &quot;if the environment is not acceptably safe or the right measures not in place, we would take the appropriate steps&quot;. 
 
However, Bangladesh Cricket Board chief executive officer Nizamuddin Chowdhury told reporters in Dhaka today that Bangladesh wanted the matches to go ahead on home turf. 
 
&quot;We always believe suspending cricket in a particular country will not bring any solution,&quot; Chowdhury said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Our all-out effort will be fulfilling our commitment of hosting the series here,&quot; he added.&nbsp; 
 
He also noted that a security delegation from England would be coming to inspect the security measures in place ahead of the games. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;England security delegate was supposed to visit last month. But they are taking time,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;They will also tour India after Bangladesh series. Perhaps,they will do the security inspection both in India and Bangladesh together.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
Australia pulled out of a tour of Bangladesh last year due to security concerns. The West Indies Under-19 side also aborted a tour in 2013 after an explosion near their hotel in the southern city of Chittagong. 
 
Chowdhury said the International Cricket Council is working on updated security protocol to deal with the problem globally.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;It`s not just a problem of Bangladesh. Many developed countries in the world, who have strong security barriers, face some incidents too.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Still, whenever we host an international series, we take special security measures. We have hosted many major ICC events, despite many challenges,&quot; he said. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

England are scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on September 30 to play two tests and three one-day internationals

Bangladesh has ruled out playing England's cricket team in a third country in September, an idea floated after a deadly terror attack in the capital killed 18 foreigners last week. England are scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on September 30 to play two Tests and three one-day internationals. England's limited-over captain Eion Morgan voiced "big concern" after last Saturday's attack by Islamist extremists at an upmarket restaurant, saying a neutral venue could be an option for the series. And an England and Wales Cricket Board spokesman hinted at a possible cancellation of the Bangladesh tour saying that "if the environment is not acceptably safe or the right measures not in place, we would take the appropriate steps". However, Bangladesh Cricket Board chief executive officer Nizamuddin Chowdhury told reporters in Dhaka today that Bangladesh wanted the matches to go ahead on home turf. "We always believe suspending cricket in a particular country will not bring any solution," Chowdhury said. "Our all-out effort will be fulfilling our commitment of hosting the series here," he added. He also noted that a security delegation from England would be coming to inspect the security measures in place ahead of the games. "England security delegate was supposed to visit last month. But they are taking time," he said. "They will also tour India after Bangladesh series. Perhaps,they will do the security inspection both in India and Bangladesh together." Australia pulled out of a tour of Bangladesh last year due to security concerns. The West Indies Under-19 side also aborted a tour in 2013 after an explosion near their hotel in the southern city of Chittagong. Chowdhury said the International Cricket Council is working on updated security protocol to deal with the problem globally. "It`s not just a problem of Bangladesh. Many developed countries in the world, who have strong security barriers, face some incidents too. "Still, whenever we host an international series, we take special security measures. We have hosted many major ICC events, despite many challenges," he said. (AFP)

Bangladesh rule out playing England in neutral venue

England have major concerns about the planned tour to Bangladesh later this year, the team&#39;s limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan has said in the wake of Friday&#39;s attack by gunmen at an upmarket Dhaka restaurant that left 20 dead. 
 
An England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) spokesman said they would follow government advice on the trip to the South Asian country, where the team were due to play three one-day internationals and two tests from October 7 to November 1. 
 
&quot;I think it is quite a big concern at the moment,&quot; Morgan told reporters. &quot;We&#39;ve always left the big decisions to the ECB,&quot; he added. 
 
&quot;They write reports, send guys out to see if it&#39;s safe then come back to the players to see if they&#39;re happy or unhappy. But certainly it&#39;s a concern at the moment,&quot; the England skipper asserted.&nbsp; 
 
Security concerns have been a major issue in South Asia, starving Pakistan of international sports at home, while the Australian cricket team postponed their Bangladesh tour last year and then pulled out of the under-19 World Cup following a warning from their government. 
 
The Bangladesh Cricket Board said England&#39;s reaction was normal but hoped the tour would go ahead as scheduled. 
 
When asked if the matches could be played on neutral territory, Morgan said, &quot;I think that could be feasible if that came to it.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The Bangladesh Cricket Board said England's reaction was normal but hoped the tour would go ahead as scheduled

England have major concerns about the planned tour to Bangladesh later this year, the team's limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan has said in the wake of Friday's attack by gunmen at an upmarket Dhaka restaurant that left 20 dead. An England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) spokesman said they would follow government advice on the trip to the South Asian country, where the team were due to play three one-day internationals and two tests from October 7 to November 1. "I think it is quite a big concern at the moment," Morgan told reporters. "We've always left the big decisions to the ECB," he added. "They write reports, send guys out to see if it's safe then come back to the players to see if they're happy or unhappy. But certainly it's a concern at the moment," the England skipper asserted. Security concerns have been a major issue in South Asia, starving Pakistan of international sports at home, while the Australian cricket team postponed their Bangladesh tour last year and then pulled out of the under-19 World Cup following a warning from their government. The Bangladesh Cricket Board said England's reaction was normal but hoped the tour would go ahead as scheduled. When asked if the matches could be played on neutral territory, Morgan said, "I think that could be feasible if that came to it." (Reuters)

After terror attack, England skipper Morgan expresses 'concern' over Bangladesh tour

Asian stocks rose today as risk appetite continued to recover from last week&#39;s Brexit shock, but the pound came under renewed pressure after the Bank of England&#39;s governor hinted at an interest rate cut ahead.&nbsp; 
 
MSCI&#39;s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.4 per cent. 
 
The index has recovered nearly all the losses suffered last Friday when global markets plunged in response to Britain&#39;s decision to leave the European Union. 
 
It has gained close to 3.5 per cent since Friday&#39;s close on a combination of short-covering and relief that Brexit did not spark contagion in the global financial system like that which engulfed markets during the 2008-09 crisis. 
 
Japan&#39;s Nikkei rose 0.6 per cent after the yen surrendered more of the territory gained during the flight to quality seen earlier in the week. It is on track for a 4.8 per cent gain for the week.&nbsp; 
 
South Korea&#39;s Kospi extended gains to 0.8 per cent, set to end the week 3.2 per cent higher.&nbsp; 
 
China&#39;s CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite indexes advanced 0.4 per cent, and looked set for weekly gains of 2.9 per cent and 3 per cent respectively, after data showed growth in China&#39;s services sector accelerated in June, while the manufacturing sector stalled.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Share markets rebounded over the past week as worries about Brexit leading to global financial and economic chaos faded somewhat,&quot; Shane Oliver, head of investment strategy at AMP Capital in Sydney, wrote in a note. 
 
&quot;The week ahead will no doubt see bouts of Brexit-related nervousness but it may continue to settle down in the absence of any new developments in Europe.&quot; 
 
The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 1.3 per cent on Thursday, posting its third straight day of gains and erasing a bulk of its losses after Brexit. 
 
Some of the overnight gains on Wall Street were attributed to hopes for more monetary easing after BOE governor Mark Carney said on Thursday the central bank would probably need to pump more stimulus into Britain`s economy over the summer in wake of the Brexit shock. 
 
A number of Asian central banks, including those in Japan and China, are also expected to ease policy further later this year, while a number of Asian governments have ramped up fiscal stimulus. 
 
Carney&#39;s comments forced the pound to head south on Thursday and cut short the currency&#39;s recovery from a 31-year low on Monday. 
 
Sterling last traded at $1.3346 after nearly touching $1.35 on Thursday. The pound, which lost almost 8 per cent soon after the Brexit vote, has declined a further 2.6 per cent since. It sank to $1.3122 on Monday, its lowest since 1985. 
 
&quot;Carney has always been nervous about how Brexit would impact the UK economy and now that it is a reality, he is preparing for the worst, agrees with the doom and gloom scenario and wants to assure the market that the BoE will be proactive,&quot; wrote Kathy Lien, managing director of FX strategy at BK Asset Management. 
 
Sterling&#39;s slide added mild pressure on the euro, which was steady at $1.1104 after slipping overnight from $1.1155, its highest in six days. It&#39;s poised to end the week flat. 
 
The dollar pulled back slightly against the safe-haven yen, but retained most of this week&#39;s gains. The greenback, which fell to 99.00 yen in the initial phases of the Brexit shock, was last trading at 102.88 yen, on track for a gain of 0.7 per cent for the week. 
 
In commodities, crude oil advanced on expectations of rate cuts and better demand-supply balance. 
 
US crude was up 0.4 per cent at $48.54 a barrel after shedding more than 3 per cent on Thursday, but remains poised for a 1.9 per cent loss for the week. 
 
Brent crude rose 0.5 per cent to $49.98, heading for a weekly gain of 3.2 per cent.&nbsp; 
 
But in a sign that risk appetite remains tentative, the safe-haven gold climbed 0.4 per cent to $1,327.31 an ounce, set to end the week 0.9 per cent higher, its fifth consecutive weekly gain.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

In preparation to counter Brexit's negative impact, Bank of England's governor hinted at an interest rate cut

Asian stocks rose today as risk appetite continued to recover from last week's Brexit shock, but the pound came under renewed pressure after the Bank of England's governor hinted at an interest rate cut ahead. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.4 per cent. The index has recovered nearly all the losses suffered last Friday when global markets plunged in response to Britain's decision to leave the European Union. It has gained close to 3.5 per cent since Friday's close on a combination of short-covering and relief that Brexit did not spark contagion in the global financial system like that which engulfed markets during the 2008-09 crisis. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.6 per cent after the yen surrendered more of the territory gained during the flight to quality seen earlier in the week. It is on track for a 4.8 per cent gain for the week. South Korea's Kospi extended gains to 0.8 per cent, set to end the week 3.2 per cent higher. China's CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite indexes advanced 0.4 per cent, and looked set for weekly gains of 2.9 per cent and 3 per cent respectively, after data showed growth in China's services sector accelerated in June, while the manufacturing sector stalled. "Share markets rebounded over the past week as worries about Brexit leading to global financial and economic chaos faded somewhat," Shane Oliver, head of investment strategy at AMP Capital in Sydney, wrote in a note. "The week ahead will no doubt see bouts of Brexit-related nervousness but it may continue to settle down in the absence of any new developments in Europe." The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 1.3 per cent on Thursday, posting its third straight day of gains and erasing a bulk of its losses after Brexit. Some of the overnight gains on Wall Street were attributed to hopes for more monetary easing after BOE governor Mark Carney said on Thursday the central bank would probably need to pump more stimulus into Britain`s economy over the summer in wake of the Brexit shock. A number of Asian central banks, including those in Japan and China, are also expected to ease policy further later this year, while a number of Asian governments have ramped up fiscal stimulus. Carney's comments forced the pound to head south on Thursday and cut short the currency's recovery from a 31-year low on Monday. Sterling last traded at $1.3346 after nearly touching $1.35 on Thursday. The pound, which lost almost 8 per cent soon after the Brexit vote, has declined a further 2.6 per cent since. It sank to $1.3122 on Monday, its lowest since 1985. "Carney has always been nervous about how Brexit would impact the UK economy and now that it is a reality, he is preparing for the worst, agrees with the doom and gloom scenario and wants to assure the market that the BoE will be proactive," wrote Kathy Lien, managing director of FX strategy at BK Asset Management. Sterling's slide added mild pressure on the euro, which was steady at $1.1104 after slipping overnight from $1.1155, its highest in six days. It's poised to end the week flat. The dollar pulled back slightly against the safe-haven yen, but retained most of this week's gains. The greenback, which fell to 99.00 yen in the initial phases of the Brexit shock, was last trading at 102.88 yen, on track for a gain of 0.7 per cent for the week. In commodities, crude oil advanced on expectations of rate cuts and better demand-supply balance. US crude was up 0.4 per cent at $48.54 a barrel after shedding more than 3 per cent on Thursday, but remains poised for a 1.9 per cent loss for the week. Brent crude rose 0.5 per cent to $49.98, heading for a weekly gain of 3.2 per cent. But in a sign that risk appetite remains tentative, the safe-haven gold climbed 0.4 per cent to $1,327.31 an ounce, set to end the week 0.9 per cent higher, its fifth consecutive weekly gain. (Reuters)

Asia stocks rise as risk appetite recovers, pound under fresh pressure

Controversial Australian Bernard Tomic was ordered to apologise today after he used the word &quot;retard&quot; in a Wimbledon press conference. 
 
Tomic&#39;s comments were branded as &quot;damaging and offensive&quot; by a learning disability charity as the world number 19 once again found himself in trouble. 
 
The Australian made the comments after being asked how he felt being made to wait for his first round opponent Fernando Verdasco to arrive on court for a match on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;I think he was up in the locker getting something taped. When I left, I thought he was leaving, so I just happened to walk out,&quot; said the 23-year-old. 
 
&quot;I did get to the court prior to him very early, and unfortunately I had to stand on court like a retard.&quot; 
 
The learning disability charity Mencap asked Tomic to say sorry. 
 
&quot;I&#39;d like the player to apologise and would encourage him to meet people with a learning disability so he can understand why the word is so damaging and offensive,&quot; Ciara Lawrence, who has a learning disability and is a campaigns support officer at Mencap, told the Press Association. 
 
&quot;Time and time again I hear this word used as if it has no effect. People clearly don&#39;t understand how upsetting and offensive this is to people with a learning disability like me. 
 
&quot;I am sick and tired of people in high-profile positions who are respected by the public using this word. It can make the public and people who look up to sports stars think it is okay to use words like this when it&#39;s not. 
 
&quot;It makes people with a learning disability seen not as people but as second-class citizens, and is no different to discriminating against someone who is gay or black.&quot; 
 
Tomic has been plagued by off-court controversies during his career. 
 
Most recently, he made headlines in Madrid when he turned his racquet the wrong way to face a match point against Fabio Fognini. 
 
Tomic later told his post-match news conference: &quot;I don&#39;t care about that match point. Would you care if you were 23 and worth over $10 million?&quot; 
 
In July last year, he was arrested in Miami after a wild party in a hotel penthouse suite. 
 
He was dropped from the Davis Cup team and has since opted out of the Olympics. 
 
(AFP)

The player made the offensive comment on being asked how he felt about waiting for his opponent Fernando Verdasco to arrive on court

Controversial Australian Bernard Tomic was ordered to apologise today after he used the word "retard" in a Wimbledon press conference. Tomic's comments were branded as "damaging and offensive" by a learning disability charity as the world number 19 once again found himself in trouble. The Australian made the comments after being asked how he felt being made to wait for his first round opponent Fernando Verdasco to arrive on court for a match on Wednesday. "I think he was up in the locker getting something taped. When I left, I thought he was leaving, so I just happened to walk out," said the 23-year-old. "I did get to the court prior to him very early, and unfortunately I had to stand on court like a retard." The learning disability charity Mencap asked Tomic to say sorry. "I'd like the player to apologise and would encourage him to meet people with a learning disability so he can understand why the word is so damaging and offensive," Ciara Lawrence, who has a learning disability and is a campaigns support officer at Mencap, told the Press Association. "Time and time again I hear this word used as if it has no effect. People clearly don't understand how upsetting and offensive this is to people with a learning disability like me. "I am sick and tired of people in high-profile positions who are respected by the public using this word. It can make the public and people who look up to sports stars think it is okay to use words like this when it's not. "It makes people with a learning disability seen not as people but as second-class citizens, and is no different to discriminating against someone who is gay or black." Tomic has been plagued by off-court controversies during his career. Most recently, he made headlines in Madrid when he turned his racquet the wrong way to face a match point against Fabio Fognini. Tomic later told his post-match news conference: "I don't care about that match point. Would you care if you were 23 and worth over $10 million?" In July last year, he was arrested in Miami after a wild party in a hotel penthouse suite. He was dropped from the Davis Cup team and has since opted out of the Olympics. (AFP)

Tomic told to apologise for 'retard' comment

Seven-times Wimbledon champion Roger Federer has been warned - take 772nd-ranked British qualifier Marcus Willis lightly at your peril. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think Roger is going to have played anyone like Marcus. I know that for a fact. It will be tricky,&quot; Liam Broady, Willis&#39; fellow Britain, said on Tuesday. 
 
&quot;That&#39;s what Marcus always is. He makes opponents win matches. He serves well, serves big, puts pressure on. 
 
&quot;Obviously, Roger&#39;s the greatest player of all time. But personally, I think it will be a really interesting match-up.&quot; 
 
Willis, who almost quit to take up coaching and had to battle through six rounds of qualifying, stunned Lithuania&#39;s Ricardas Berankis, ranked 718 places above him, on Monday. 
 
Some of his play, including rarely seen sliced forehands, bamboozled Berankis. 
 
It set Wimbledon abuzz, but a repeat against 34-year-old 17-times grand slam champion Federer would seem barely credible even for the most far-fetched Hollywood plot. 
 
Or would it? 
 
&quot;Stranger things have happened, I know that,&quot; Broady, beaten 6-2 6-3 6-4 by world number two Andy Murray, said. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s so tricky, he&#39;s so talented. He&#39;s very aware of what he&#39;s doing on the court, how to make it awkward for people.&quot; 
 
Murray was also asked about Willis&#39; chances. 
 
&quot;Amazing things do happen in sport sometimes,&quot; Murray, who pointed to England&#39;s defeat by Iceland at Euro 2016, said. 
 
&quot;Obviously, Roger&#39;s a massive, massive favourite going into the match. I would expect him to win fairly comfortably. 
 
&quot;But Marcus&#39; game style, it&#39;s pretty old-school. He serve-and-volleys a lot. Uses a lot of slice. Hits the ball fairly flat. Has great hands. Great feel. 
 
&quot;Very few guys play like that now. It&#39;s just amazing, an amazing opportunity for him.&quot; 
 
Perhaps the best advice came from Broady though after his own Centre Court debut against Murray. 
 
&quot;By the end of the second set, most of the third, it was just kind of a match against another guy,&quot; the 22-year-old said. 
 
&quot;Sometimes you watch on TV. You think that the top players in the world are superhuman. They&#39;re so good at what they do that you forget they&#39;re just men. Obviously they&#39;re spectacular at tennis, but they are just men.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Marcus Willis had to battle through six rounds of qualifying and stunned Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis, ranked 718 places above him

Seven-times Wimbledon champion Roger Federer has been warned - take 772nd-ranked British qualifier Marcus Willis lightly at your peril. "I don't think Roger is going to have played anyone like Marcus. I know that for a fact. It will be tricky," Liam Broady, Willis' fellow Britain, said on Tuesday. "That's what Marcus always is. He makes opponents win matches. He serves well, serves big, puts pressure on. "Obviously, Roger's the greatest player of all time. But personally, I think it will be a really interesting match-up." Willis, who almost quit to take up coaching and had to battle through six rounds of qualifying, stunned Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis, ranked 718 places above him, on Monday. Some of his play, including rarely seen sliced forehands, bamboozled Berankis. It set Wimbledon abuzz, but a repeat against 34-year-old 17-times grand slam champion Federer would seem barely credible even for the most far-fetched Hollywood plot. Or would it? "Stranger things have happened, I know that," Broady, beaten 6-2 6-3 6-4 by world number two Andy Murray, said. "He's so tricky, he's so talented. He's very aware of what he's doing on the court, how to make it awkward for people." Murray was also asked about Willis' chances. "Amazing things do happen in sport sometimes," Murray, who pointed to England's defeat by Iceland at Euro 2016, said. "Obviously, Roger's a massive, massive favourite going into the match. I would expect him to win fairly comfortably. "But Marcus' game style, it's pretty old-school. He serve-and-volleys a lot. Uses a lot of slice. Hits the ball fairly flat. Has great hands. Great feel. "Very few guys play like that now. It's just amazing, an amazing opportunity for him." Perhaps the best advice came from Broady though after his own Centre Court debut against Murray. "By the end of the second set, most of the third, it was just kind of a match against another guy," the 22-year-old said. "Sometimes you watch on TV. You think that the top players in the world are superhuman. They're so good at what they do that you forget they're just men. Obviously they're spectacular at tennis, but they are just men." (Reuters)

Roger Federer warned to expect the unexpected from Willis

Tara Moore praised the influence of her mind trainer Tony Lekic after the Briton registered a first ever singles victory at a grand slam tournament when she beat Alison Van Uytvanck in the opening round at Wimbledon on Tuesday. 
 
Coming into the grasscourt tournament ranked 227th in the world, the wildcard overcame the Belgian ranked 100 places above her 6-3 6-2 to set up a second round encounter against Russian 13th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s been a great benefit. He doesn&#39;t just help me with on-court stuff. There&#39;s a lot of off-court stuff that people don&#39;t see, a lot of behind the scenes things that are tough to handle for a tennis player,&quot; Moore told British media. 
 
&quot;We travel a lot. We&#39;re away from loved ones and friends a lot. That&#39;s really difficult. Tennis is so difficult without all the little things. He&#39;s definitely there to help with the little things. That&#39;s been monumental for me.&quot; 
 
Moore said she also drew inspiration from 772nd-ranked British qualifier Marcus Willis&#39; win over Lithuanian world number 54 Ricardas Berankis, which set up a second round encounter against seven-time champion Roger Federer. 
 
&quot;I was watching, cheering and screaming at the screen. Willis has done so great. For sure it was an inspiration,&quot; Moore said. 
 
&quot;The British players are very supportive of each other and push each other on. I definitely think (British) tennis is on the up.&quot; 
 
The 23-year-old will also team up with Switzerland&#39;s Conny Perrin for a women&#39;s doubles first round clash against Colombian Mariana Duque-Marino and Puerto Rican Monica Puig today. 
 
(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

Tara Moore is the first British woman to reach the second round at Wimbeldon

Tara Moore praised the influence of her mind trainer Tony Lekic after the Briton registered a first ever singles victory at a grand slam tournament when she beat Alison Van Uytvanck in the opening round at Wimbledon on Tuesday. Coming into the grasscourt tournament ranked 227th in the world, the wildcard overcame the Belgian ranked 100 places above her 6-3 6-2 to set up a second round encounter against Russian 13th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. "It's been a great benefit. He doesn't just help me with on-court stuff. There's a lot of off-court stuff that people don't see, a lot of behind the scenes things that are tough to handle for a tennis player," Moore told British media. "We travel a lot. We're away from loved ones and friends a lot. That's really difficult. Tennis is so difficult without all the little things. He's definitely there to help with the little things. That's been monumental for me." Moore said she also drew inspiration from 772nd-ranked British qualifier Marcus Willis' win over Lithuanian world number 54 Ricardas Berankis, which set up a second round encounter against seven-time champion Roger Federer. "I was watching, cheering and screaming at the screen. Willis has done so great. For sure it was an inspiration," Moore said. "The British players are very supportive of each other and push each other on. I definitely think (British) tennis is on the up." The 23-year-old will also team up with Switzerland's Conny Perrin for a women's doubles first round clash against Colombian Mariana Duque-Marino and Puerto Rican Monica Puig today. (Reuters)

Moore hails mind trainer after Wimbledon breakthrough

England soccer coach Roy Hodgson&#39;s four-year reign came to an abrupt end after their shock 2-1 defeat by tiny Iceland at the Euro 2016 round of 16 stage on Monday. 
 
Hodgson, 68, wasted little time in announcing he was stepping down at the end of his contract when he read a prepared statement at the post-match news conference. 
 
&quot;We are out of the Euros so now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of a hungry and extremely talented group of players,&quot; said the man who replaced Italian Fabio Capello. 
 
&quot;My contract was always going to be up after this tournament. I would have loved to have stayed on another two years, but now it is time for someone else to take over this group of players,&quot; he added. 
 
Hodgson had good record in qualifiers&nbsp; 
The coaching staff of Gary Neville and Ray Lewington, who sat with Hodgson at the news conference, are also leaving. 
 
The much-travelled Hodgson was handed the post after a club career mostly served in England and Scandinavia and with a spell as Switzerland coach on his CV. Harry Redknapp had been the media favourite for the job but was overlooked by the FA. 
 
Hodgson had a good record in qualifiers, with England enjoying a perfect 10 wins in their section to reach Euro 2016, but he won only three of 11 games at major tournaments. 
 
England reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2012, losing to Italy on penalties, before a dismal 2014 World Cup where they exited at the group stages without winning a game. 
 
Hodgson paid tribute to his squad on Monday although their poor performance in the defeat by Iceland did not reflect well on players who mostly feature in the Premier League. 
 
&quot;They have done fantastically, and done everything asked of them. When I arrived I was told that players would not turn up or pull out at the last minute but I haven&#39;t seen any of that,&quot; said Hodgson. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s been a fantastic journey, the last four years. I will look back on it with pride. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m sorry it&#39;s ended in another exit but these things happen and I wish you the very best and I hope you can still see an England team in a final of a major tournament very soon, something that we have been unable to deliver.&quot; 
 
FA backs Hodgson&#39;s decision&nbsp; 
The FA issued a statement saying: &quot;Like the nation, we are disappointed to lose this evening and that our run in Euro 2016 has come to a premature end. 
 
&quot;We had high hopes of progressing through to the latter stages of the competition and accept that we have not met our own expectations or those of the country. 
 
&quot;We back Roy Hodgson&rsquo;s decision to step down as England manager and will discuss next steps imminently. 
 
&quot;For now, we congratulate Iceland for reaching the quarter final and wish them well against France at the weekend.&quot; 
 
England under-21 coach Gareth Southgate is the favourite to take over from Hodgson followed by Crystal Palace&#39;s Alan Pardew. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

The coaching staff of Gary Neville and Ray Lewington are also leaving

England soccer coach Roy Hodgson's four-year reign came to an abrupt end after their shock 2-1 defeat by tiny Iceland at the Euro 2016 round of 16 stage on Monday. Hodgson, 68, wasted little time in announcing he was stepping down at the end of his contract when he read a prepared statement at the post-match news conference. "We are out of the Euros so now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of a hungry and extremely talented group of players," said the man who replaced Italian Fabio Capello. "My contract was always going to be up after this tournament. I would have loved to have stayed on another two years, but now it is time for someone else to take over this group of players," he added. Hodgson had good record in qualifiers The coaching staff of Gary Neville and Ray Lewington, who sat with Hodgson at the news conference, are also leaving. The much-travelled Hodgson was handed the post after a club career mostly served in England and Scandinavia and with a spell as Switzerland coach on his CV. Harry Redknapp had been the media favourite for the job but was overlooked by the FA. Hodgson had a good record in qualifiers, with England enjoying a perfect 10 wins in their section to reach Euro 2016, but he won only three of 11 games at major tournaments. England reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2012, losing to Italy on penalties, before a dismal 2014 World Cup where they exited at the group stages without winning a game. Hodgson paid tribute to his squad on Monday although their poor performance in the defeat by Iceland did not reflect well on players who mostly feature in the Premier League. "They have done fantastically, and done everything asked of them. When I arrived I was told that players would not turn up or pull out at the last minute but I haven't seen any of that," said Hodgson. "It's been a fantastic journey, the last four years. I will look back on it with pride. "I'm sorry it's ended in another exit but these things happen and I wish you the very best and I hope you can still see an England team in a final of a major tournament very soon, something that we have been unable to deliver." FA backs Hodgson's decision The FA issued a statement saying: "Like the nation, we are disappointed to lose this evening and that our run in Euro 2016 has come to a premature end. "We had high hopes of progressing through to the latter stages of the competition and accept that we have not met our own expectations or those of the country. "We back Roy Hodgson’s decision to step down as England manager and will discuss next steps imminently. "For now, we congratulate Iceland for reaching the quarter final and wish them well against France at the weekend." England under-21 coach Gareth Southgate is the favourite to take over from Hodgson followed by Crystal Palace's Alan Pardew. (Reuters)

Hodgson quits

&nbsp;As she has done for most of the past 18 summers, Venus Williams on Monday took a large, languid stride into the second round of Wimbledon. 
 
The oldest woman in the main singles draw, five-times champion Williams was at times sublime as she beat Croatian Donna Vekic 7-6(3) 6-4 on a sunny Court One. 
 
While the full Williams armoury had been on display, it was her mental strength which stood out -- perhaps no surprise given she is playing her 71st grand slam singles tournament, a record among current female players. 
 
Vekic produced startling groundstrokes at times, but eighth seed Williams maintained her composure, increasing the pressure when things got tight as her opponent wilted in the spotlight. 
 
There cannot be too many grand slam years left for Williams, who celebrated her 36th birthday this month, but she showed more than enough on Day One to suggest she could again go deep in her favourite major. 
 
(Reuters)

Donna Vekic produced startling groundstrokes, but eighth seed Williams beat her by 7-6(3) 6-4

As she has done for most of the past 18 summers, Venus Williams on Monday took a large, languid stride into the second round of Wimbledon. The oldest woman in the main singles draw, five-times champion Williams was at times sublime as she beat Croatian Donna Vekic 7-6(3) 6-4 on a sunny Court One. While the full Williams armoury had been on display, it was her mental strength which stood out -- perhaps no surprise given she is playing her 71st grand slam singles tournament, a record among current female players. Vekic produced startling groundstrokes at times, but eighth seed Williams maintained her composure, increasing the pressure when things got tight as her opponent wilted in the spotlight. There cannot be too many grand slam years left for Williams, who celebrated her 36th birthday this month, but she showed more than enough on Day One to suggest she could again go deep in her favourite major. (Reuters)

Venus vaults Vekic at Wimbledon

World number one Novak Djokovic and 17-time major winner Roger Federer get Wimbledon under way today with history beckoning for the two Grand Slam A-listers. 
 
Top seed Djokovic is halfway to the first calendar Grand Slam since 1969 after ending his agonising wait for a maiden French Open crown earlier this month. 
 
The 29-year-old defending champion currently holds all four majors and if he wins a third successive Wimbledon title and fourth in all, he will become just the second man in history to win five successive Slams. 
 
Only Don Budge, who won six straight from 1937 Wimbledon to the 1938 US Championships, has achieved the feat. 
 
Djokovic is such a hot favourite to triumph on July 10 that women&#39;s champion Serena Williams is already tipping the Serb for more greatness. 
 
&quot;I think he&#39;ll get it easy,&quot; said the American who will begin her bid for an Open era record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam on Tuesday. 
 
Djokovic has won six of the last eight Grand Slams, taking him to a career tally of 12 - within two of Rafael Nadal`s mark and five behind Federer`s record. 
 
Djokovic takes on British wild card James Ward in the opening match on Centre Court. 
 
Ward, the 29-year-old son of a London taxi driver, is ranked at 177 in the world and made the third round last year with Australian coach Darren Tandy. 
 
But Tandy was diagnosed with cancer of the colon later in the year and died on Christmas Eve. 
 
&quot;It`s been a tough time. Obviously the end of last year was very difficult,&quot; Ward told the Press Association. 
 
&quot;He was my tennis coach so every time I play tennis it reminds me of him.&quot; 
 
Federer, whose last major triumph was at Wimbledon in 2012 when he won his seventh title at the All England Club, against Argentina`s world number 51 Guido Pella. 
 
Federer, 34, has been runner-up to Djokovic for the last two years and is attempting to become the oldest ever Wimbledon champion in modern times. 
 
But the Swiss has been dogged by knee and back problems this year and his injury-enforced withdrawal from the French Open ended his streak of 65 successive Grand Slam appearances stretching back to 1999. 
 
He has since suffered semi-final losses on grass at Stuttgart and Halle, the last of which against Alexander Zverev was his first against a teenager in 10 years. 
 
Federer`s failure to win a title in 2016 means he will enter Wimbledon on his longest trophy drought since 2000.&quot;Clearly I`m not thinking of the title right away,&quot; said the Swiss when asked to assess his chances. 
 
&quot;Novak or Andy (Murray) are the big favourites.&quot; 
 
Pella, 26, was forced to retire from his first round match on his Wimbledon debut in 2013 while he fell in qualifying last year. 
 
The Centre Court programme also sees women`s second seed and French Open champion Garbine Muguruza taking on Camila Giorgi, the world number 68 from Italy. 
 
Muguruza was runner-up to Williams last year. Giorgi reached the fourth round in 2012. 
 
On Court One, 36-year-old Venus Williams, seeded eighth and a five-time champion, takes on Croatia`s Donna Vekic. 
 
Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori, who has yet to get beyond the fourth round, takes on big-serving Australian Sam Groth. 
 
Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber faces Britain`s Laura Robson in the same arena. 
 
Canadian sixth seed Milos Raonic, with John McEnroe in his corner, meets Spain`s Pablo Carreno Busta as he looks to improve on his 2014 semi-final showing. 
 
Meanwhile, armed police will patrol the tournament, both inside and outside the grounds while organisers have also increased the numbers of their private security staff. 
 
Armed officers were also used at Wimbledon last year but on a lower scale on the 10th anniversary of the 7/7 attacks in London. 
 
&quot;(There will be) significant numbers of officers patrolling the local area, firearms officers and a highly mobile reserve that can respond to emerging incidents,&quot; said a police spokesman. 
 
&quot;Officers will be working in uniform and in plain clothes during the event.&quot; 
 
Rain is also expected in the first week but forecasters are confident showers will pass by the time play gets under way. 
 
(AFP)

Roger Federer has been runner-up to Djokovic for the Past two years and is attempting to become the oldest ever Wimbledon champion

World number one Novak Djokovic and 17-time major winner Roger Federer get Wimbledon under way today with history beckoning for the two Grand Slam A-listers. Top seed Djokovic is halfway to the first calendar Grand Slam since 1969 after ending his agonising wait for a maiden French Open crown earlier this month. The 29-year-old defending champion currently holds all four majors and if he wins a third successive Wimbledon title and fourth in all, he will become just the second man in history to win five successive Slams. Only Don Budge, who won six straight from 1937 Wimbledon to the 1938 US Championships, has achieved the feat. Djokovic is such a hot favourite to triumph on July 10 that women's champion Serena Williams is already tipping the Serb for more greatness. "I think he'll get it easy," said the American who will begin her bid for an Open era record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam on Tuesday. Djokovic has won six of the last eight Grand Slams, taking him to a career tally of 12 - within two of Rafael Nadal`s mark and five behind Federer`s record. Djokovic takes on British wild card James Ward in the opening match on Centre Court. Ward, the 29-year-old son of a London taxi driver, is ranked at 177 in the world and made the third round last year with Australian coach Darren Tandy. But Tandy was diagnosed with cancer of the colon later in the year and died on Christmas Eve. "It`s been a tough time. Obviously the end of last year was very difficult," Ward told the Press Association. "He was my tennis coach so every time I play tennis it reminds me of him." Federer, whose last major triumph was at Wimbledon in 2012 when he won his seventh title at the All England Club, against Argentina`s world number 51 Guido Pella. Federer, 34, has been runner-up to Djokovic for the last two years and is attempting to become the oldest ever Wimbledon champion in modern times. But the Swiss has been dogged by knee and back problems this year and his injury-enforced withdrawal from the French Open ended his streak of 65 successive Grand Slam appearances stretching back to 1999. He has since suffered semi-final losses on grass at Stuttgart and Halle, the last of which against Alexander Zverev was his first against a teenager in 10 years. Federer`s failure to win a title in 2016 means he will enter Wimbledon on his longest trophy drought since 2000."Clearly I`m not thinking of the title right away," said the Swiss when asked to assess his chances. "Novak or Andy (Murray) are the big favourites." Pella, 26, was forced to retire from his first round match on his Wimbledon debut in 2013 while he fell in qualifying last year. The Centre Court programme also sees women`s second seed and French Open champion Garbine Muguruza taking on Camila Giorgi, the world number 68 from Italy. Muguruza was runner-up to Williams last year. Giorgi reached the fourth round in 2012. On Court One, 36-year-old Venus Williams, seeded eighth and a five-time champion, takes on Croatia`s Donna Vekic. Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori, who has yet to get beyond the fourth round, takes on big-serving Australian Sam Groth. Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber faces Britain`s Laura Robson in the same arena. Canadian sixth seed Milos Raonic, with John McEnroe in his corner, meets Spain`s Pablo Carreno Busta as he looks to improve on his 2014 semi-final showing. Meanwhile, armed police will patrol the tournament, both inside and outside the grounds while organisers have also increased the numbers of their private security staff. Armed officers were also used at Wimbledon last year but on a lower scale on the 10th anniversary of the 7/7 attacks in London. "(There will be) significant numbers of officers patrolling the local area, firearms officers and a highly mobile reserve that can respond to emerging incidents," said a police spokesman. "Officers will be working in uniform and in plain clothes during the event." Rain is also expected in the first week but forecasters are confident showers will pass by the time play gets under way. (AFP)

History on line as Djokovic, Federer get Wimbledon under way

It was not quite the triple bagel that Novak Djokovic was aiming for during the opening 41 minutes of his first-round match, but the Serbian is unlikely to be too disappointed after he beat Britain&#39;s James Ward 6-0 7-6(3) 6-4 at Wimbledon today. 
 
The holder of all four grand slam titles appeared to be hurtling towards his 29th successive win at a major when he opened his Wimbledon defence by jumping out to a 6-0 3-0 lead. 
 
But Ward, the son of a London black cab driver, did not want to make a quick getaway on his Centre Court debut and held both arms aloft after finally getting a game against his name on the scoreboard. 
 
The 177th-ranked wildcard went on a roll as he won three games on the trot but despite his fightback, he simply did not have enough weapons to stop Djokovic from setting up a second- round showdown with Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. 
 
(Reuters)

Britain's James Ward, despite his fightback, did not have enough weapons to stop Djokovic from setting up a second-round showdown

It was not quite the triple bagel that Novak Djokovic was aiming for during the opening 41 minutes of his first-round match, but the Serbian is unlikely to be too disappointed after he beat Britain's James Ward 6-0 7-6(3) 6-4 at Wimbledon today. The holder of all four grand slam titles appeared to be hurtling towards his 29th successive win at a major when he opened his Wimbledon defence by jumping out to a 6-0 3-0 lead. But Ward, the son of a London black cab driver, did not want to make a quick getaway on his Centre Court debut and held both arms aloft after finally getting a game against his name on the scoreboard. The 177th-ranked wildcard went on a roll as he won three games on the trot but despite his fightback, he simply did not have enough weapons to stop Djokovic from setting up a second- round showdown with Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. (Reuters)

Djokovic beats Ward by 6-0 7-6 6-4, makes solid start to Wimbledon title defence

Wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler believes England&#39;s batsmen should continue to be aggressive and play even more shots, even as the team&#39;s top-order crumbled against Sri Lanka in the tied first one-day international on Tuesday. 
 
Chasing a target of 287, England were reduced to 30 for four and then 82 for six before Buttler made 93 and Chris Woakes 95*, to give the hosts a chance of winning at Trent Bridge. 
 
Liam Plunkett then smashed the last ball of the match for six to earn his team a dramatic tie against the touring side. 
 
&quot;If anything we should come out and play even more shots,&quot; Buttler was quoted as saying by the British media. &quot;That&#39;s the way we want to play our cricket. We want to put teams under pressure and there&#39;s no reason to change. This style of cricket has been good fun to play in and has given us some success.&quot; 
 
England have displayed freedom and exuberance in their approach to the limited-overs formats since their humiliating group stage exit at last year&#39;s 50-over World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. 
 
Joe Root has been talismanic with the bat for them, but the right-hander has suffered a dip in form, scoring just 89 runs in his last five international innings, 80 of which came in one knock. 
 
Buttler feared it might have been caused by the heavy workload on Root&#39;s shoulders. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s one of the best in the world and it&#39;s probably just because of the high standards he&#39;s set...I&#39;m sure he&#39;ll bounce back,&quot; Buttler said. 
 
&quot;He plays all forms of the game and I think that&#39;s something England management always have to be careful with...he&#39;s a very important player and if he needs a rest he&#39;ll say he needs a rest and that will happen.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

The wicket-keeper batsman finds the style fun to play and a good way to win

Wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler believes England's batsmen should continue to be aggressive and play even more shots, even as the team's top-order crumbled against Sri Lanka in the tied first one-day international on Tuesday. Chasing a target of 287, England were reduced to 30 for four and then 82 for six before Buttler made 93 and Chris Woakes 95*, to give the hosts a chance of winning at Trent Bridge. Liam Plunkett then smashed the last ball of the match for six to earn his team a dramatic tie against the touring side. "If anything we should come out and play even more shots," Buttler was quoted as saying by the British media. "That's the way we want to play our cricket. We want to put teams under pressure and there's no reason to change. This style of cricket has been good fun to play in and has given us some success." England have displayed freedom and exuberance in their approach to the limited-overs formats since their humiliating group stage exit at last year's 50-over World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Joe Root has been talismanic with the bat for them, but the right-hander has suffered a dip in form, scoring just 89 runs in his last five international innings, 80 of which came in one knock. Buttler feared it might have been caused by the heavy workload on Root's shoulders. "He's one of the best in the world and it's probably just because of the high standards he's set...I'm sure he'll bounce back," Buttler said. "He plays all forms of the game and I think that's something England management always have to be careful with...he's a very important player and if he needs a rest he'll say he needs a rest and that will happen." (Reuters)

Buttler backs England to stay aggressive

England&#39;s one-day captain Eoin Morgan said he hopes the test series win against Sri Lanka will provide the foundations for victory in the shorter format of the game, starting with the first ODI at Trent Bridge on Tuesday. 
 
England have recalled Jonny Bairstow into the ODI side following his superb form, which saw him named man of the series in the 2-0 test series victory against Sri Lanka. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s an unbelievable start. Cookie [test captain Alastair Cook] hands the baton over to me and hopefully I don&#39;t let him down,&quot; Morgan told reporters on Monday. &quot;Confidence is a big thing, and it&#39;s crucial to build on that confidence we&#39;ve had going forward.&quot; 
 
Morgan added that the absence of hard-hitting all-rounder Ben Stokes through injury would be a big blow for the side. 
 
&quot;It does affect us because Ben bats at five, doing both roles very well,&quot; he added. &quot;We don&#39;t have an answer to back up at the moment, but it does create an opportunity for someone else.&quot; 
 
Sri Lanka will have to cope without paceman Shaminda Eranga, who was banned for an illegal action by the International Cricket Council on Sunday just hours after he had been taken to hospital to undergo tests on his heart. 
 
Morgan said that though conditions have posed a challenge to Sri Lanka, he expects a tough fight in the shorter format of the game. 
 
&quot;They (Sri Lanka) have found it tough work since they came here, but ODI cricket comes more naturally to them,&quot; he said. &quot;They are ranked above us, so we won&#39;t take them for granted and we are looking to ourselves to build and put performances in.&quot; 
 
England play Sri Lanka in five ODI&#39;s and a one-off Twenty20 game in Southampton on July 5. 
 
(Reuters)

England take on Sri Lanka in the first ODI at Trent Bridge on Tuesday

England's one-day captain Eoin Morgan said he hopes the test series win against Sri Lanka will provide the foundations for victory in the shorter format of the game, starting with the first ODI at Trent Bridge on Tuesday. England have recalled Jonny Bairstow into the ODI side following his superb form, which saw him named man of the series in the 2-0 test series victory against Sri Lanka. "It's an unbelievable start. Cookie [test captain Alastair Cook] hands the baton over to me and hopefully I don't let him down," Morgan told reporters on Monday. "Confidence is a big thing, and it's crucial to build on that confidence we've had going forward." Morgan added that the absence of hard-hitting all-rounder Ben Stokes through injury would be a big blow for the side. "It does affect us because Ben bats at five, doing both roles very well," he added. "We don't have an answer to back up at the moment, but it does create an opportunity for someone else." Sri Lanka will have to cope without paceman Shaminda Eranga, who was banned for an illegal action by the International Cricket Council on Sunday just hours after he had been taken to hospital to undergo tests on his heart. Morgan said that though conditions have posed a challenge to Sri Lanka, he expects a tough fight in the shorter format of the game. "They (Sri Lanka) have found it tough work since they came here, but ODI cricket comes more naturally to them," he said. "They are ranked above us, so we won't take them for granted and we are looking to ourselves to build and put performances in." England play Sri Lanka in five ODI's and a one-off Twenty20 game in Southampton on July 5. (Reuters)

Morgan looking to carry on England's winning momentum

The European Union&#39;s banking watchdog will move from London to another European capital if Britain decides to quit the bloc in a referendum this week, its chairman said in an interview published on Sunday. 
 
Britain votes on June 23 on whether to stay in the 28-member bloc, a choice with far-reaching consequences for politics, the economy, defence and diplomacy on the continent. 
 
The London-based European Banking Authority (EBA), founded in 2011 as a reaction to the global financial crisis, operates as a pan-EU regulator, writing and coordinating banking rules across the bloc. 
 
&quot;If the British should decide to leave the EU, we actually would have to move to another European capital,&quot; Andrea Enria, head of the EBA, told the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag. 
 
While betting odds have consistently indicated a vote to remain in the EU, opinion pollsters have so far painted contradictory pictures of how Britons will vote. 
 
The EBA is currently working on an EU single rulebook aimed at ensuring a level playing field for all banks across the 28-country bloc&#39;s capital market. 
 
&quot;This work needs to be completed irrespective of the result of the referendum,&quot; said Enria, an Italian national. &quot;We must ensure that there are no different rules between the countries that have the euro and those that do not have it.&quot; 
 
Enria said the European banking sector was more stable now than five years ago, but there was still need for consolidation. 
 
&quot;If you look at the balance sheets of banks, you could actually ask yourself whether such low profitability and such low return on investment are sustainable in the long term,&quot; he said. 
 
Banks should speed up their efforts to deal with non-performing loans and change their internal business culture in order to avoid future scandals and fines, Enria said. 
 
That banks have hardly made any progress in these two areas is the reason why the European Central Bank (ECB) is struggling to boost lending and generate more growth despite its bond-purchase programme, he added. 
(Reuters)

European Banking Authority is making arrangements to shift head office in case Britain opts out of the European union, says EBA's chairman

The European Union's banking watchdog will move from London to another European capital if Britain decides to quit the bloc in a referendum this week, its chairman said in an interview published on Sunday. Britain votes on June 23 on whether to stay in the 28-member bloc, a choice with far-reaching consequences for politics, the economy, defence and diplomacy on the continent. The London-based European Banking Authority (EBA), founded in 2011 as a reaction to the global financial crisis, operates as a pan-EU regulator, writing and coordinating banking rules across the bloc. "If the British should decide to leave the EU, we actually would have to move to another European capital," Andrea Enria, head of the EBA, told the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag. While betting odds have consistently indicated a vote to remain in the EU, opinion pollsters have so far painted contradictory pictures of how Britons will vote. The EBA is currently working on an EU single rulebook aimed at ensuring a level playing field for all banks across the 28-country bloc's capital market. "This work needs to be completed irrespective of the result of the referendum," said Enria, an Italian national. "We must ensure that there are no different rules between the countries that have the euro and those that do not have it." Enria said the European banking sector was more stable now than five years ago, but there was still need for consolidation. "If you look at the balance sheets of banks, you could actually ask yourself whether such low profitability and such low return on investment are sustainable in the long term," he said. Banks should speed up their efforts to deal with non-performing loans and change their internal business culture in order to avoid future scandals and fines, Enria said. That banks have hardly made any progress in these two areas is the reason why the European Central Bank (ECB) is struggling to boost lending and generate more growth despite its bond-purchase programme, he added. (Reuters)

EU banking watchdog to leave London in case of Brexit

England won their first series win on Australian soil on Saturday produced a sustained and outstanding defensive effort to keep Australia at bay before a late Owen Farrell try clinched a 23-7 win to take the three game series 2-0. 
 
England clung on to a six-point lead for much of the second half and stood firm in the face of relentless Australian attacks, though the Wallabies will face questions after their refusal to take kickable shots at goal with the scores so tight. 
 
It was England&#39;s relentless defence under suffocating pressure that was ultimately decisive as they repelled wave after wave of assaults on their line from a Wallabies side desperate to square the series. 
 
England now leapfrog Australia into second in the world rankings and have set their sights on dethroning world champions All Blacks, who earlier sealed their series over Wales 2-0. 
 
&quot;We want to be the best team in the world and we want to win the series 3-0. If the All Blacks were in this situation now what would they be thinking? You know, if doesn&#39;t mean you cant change the team, they&#39;d be thinking 3-0. So they beat Wales, didn&#39;t they? They&#39;d be thinking 3-0. If we want to be the best team in the world we want to think 3-0. We know Australia will come back, they&#39;re a well coached, driven team so we&#39;re anticipating quite a feisty encounter at Sydney,&quot; England coach Eddie Jones said to journalists. 
 
The series win was a personal triumph for Jones, the former Wallabies mentor who was left heartbroken by Jonny Wilkinson&#39;s last minute drop-goal in the 2003 World Cup final that gave England victory over the hosts in Sydney. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a win for English rugby in total, it&#39;s a win for the fans, it&#39;s a win for the Rugby Football Union (RFU), it&#39;s a win for the supporters. You know, we&#39;re all in this together. It&#39;s a win for the English media, now you got bragging rights over the Australian media,&quot; he said with a grin to the reporters. 
 
Crestfallen Wallabies coach Michael Cheika lamented his side&#39;s failure to find a way through despite their dominance of possession. 
 
&quot;You have to pay credit to England, they played very well. In both games so far they&#39;ve played very smart, you know, and they&#39;ve played in the right areas and they&#39;ve played well at the ruck.They spoiled a lot of good ball for us, lot of balls squeaking out and that&#39;s well done to them, you know what I mean,&quot; said&nbsp;Cheika. 
(Reuters)

England are now second in world rankings and have set their sights on dethroning world champions All Blacks

England won their first series win on Australian soil on Saturday produced a sustained and outstanding defensive effort to keep Australia at bay before a late Owen Farrell try clinched a 23-7 win to take the three game series 2-0. England clung on to a six-point lead for much of the second half and stood firm in the face of relentless Australian attacks, though the Wallabies will face questions after their refusal to take kickable shots at goal with the scores so tight. It was England's relentless defence under suffocating pressure that was ultimately decisive as they repelled wave after wave of assaults on their line from a Wallabies side desperate to square the series. England now leapfrog Australia into second in the world rankings and have set their sights on dethroning world champions All Blacks, who earlier sealed their series over Wales 2-0. "We want to be the best team in the world and we want to win the series 3-0. If the All Blacks were in this situation now what would they be thinking? You know, if doesn't mean you cant change the team, they'd be thinking 3-0. So they beat Wales, didn't they? They'd be thinking 3-0. If we want to be the best team in the world we want to think 3-0. We know Australia will come back, they're a well coached, driven team so we're anticipating quite a feisty encounter at Sydney," England coach Eddie Jones said to journalists. The series win was a personal triumph for Jones, the former Wallabies mentor who was left heartbroken by Jonny Wilkinson's last minute drop-goal in the 2003 World Cup final that gave England victory over the hosts in Sydney. "It's a win for English rugby in total, it's a win for the fans, it's a win for the Rugby Football Union (RFU), it's a win for the supporters. You know, we're all in this together. It's a win for the English media, now you got bragging rights over the Australian media," he said with a grin to the reporters. Crestfallen Wallabies coach Michael Cheika lamented his side's failure to find a way through despite their dominance of possession. "You have to pay credit to England, they played very well. In both games so far they've played very smart, you know, and they've played in the right areas and they've played well at the ruck.They spoiled a lot of good ball for us, lot of balls squeaking out and that's well done to them, you know what I mean," said Cheika. (Reuters)

England beat Wallabies 2-0 and sweep Rugby series

British police said on Saturday they had charged a man in the slaying of lawmaker Jo Cox, and said the suspect appeared to have acted alone. 
 
West Yorkshire police said on its website that Thomas Mair, 52, had been charged with the murder of the 41-year-old mother of two. 
 
&quot;We have now charged a man with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of an offensive weapon,&quot; West Yorkshire Police Detective Superintendent Nick Wallen said in a statement. 
 
Mair was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates&#39; Court on Saturday, Wallen said. 
 
Cox, a supporter of Britain staying in the EU, was shot and stabbed on Thursday by a man who witnesses said shouted &quot;Britain first,&quot; in her own electoral district near Leeds in the county of West Yorkshire in northern England. 
 
Wallen said Cox &quot;was attacked and sustained serious injuries from both a firearm and a knife and despite assistance from passers-by, the ambulance service and police officers who were quickly on the scene, she sadly died of her injuries.&quot; 
 
Wallen said the suspect was quickly apprehended thanks from help to the public. 
 
He said police, working with the North East Counter Terrorism Unit, was pursuing inquiries into media reports of &quot;the suspect being linked to right wing extremism&quot; and &quot;the suspect&#39;s link to mental health services.&quot; 
 
&quot;Based on information available at this time, this appears to be an isolated, but targeted attack upon Jo - there is also no indication at this stage that anyone else was involved in the attack. However we will be investigating how the suspect came to be in possession of an unlawfully held firearm,&quot; Wallen added. 
 
He said, however, that police were working with the Palace of Westminster and the Home Office to review security arrangements for members of parliament. 
(Reuters)

The 52-year-old appeared to have acted alone, he will appear in court on Saturday

British police said on Saturday they had charged a man in the slaying of lawmaker Jo Cox, and said the suspect appeared to have acted alone. West Yorkshire police said on its website that Thomas Mair, 52, had been charged with the murder of the 41-year-old mother of two. "We have now charged a man with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of an offensive weapon," West Yorkshire Police Detective Superintendent Nick Wallen said in a statement. Mair was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday, Wallen said. Cox, a supporter of Britain staying in the EU, was shot and stabbed on Thursday by a man who witnesses said shouted "Britain first," in her own electoral district near Leeds in the county of West Yorkshire in northern England. Wallen said Cox "was attacked and sustained serious injuries from both a firearm and a knife and despite assistance from passers-by, the ambulance service and police officers who were quickly on the scene, she sadly died of her injuries." Wallen said the suspect was quickly apprehended thanks from help to the public. He said police, working with the North East Counter Terrorism Unit, was pursuing inquiries into media reports of "the suspect being linked to right wing extremism" and "the suspect's link to mental health services." "Based on information available at this time, this appears to be an isolated, but targeted attack upon Jo - there is also no indication at this stage that anyone else was involved in the attack. However we will be investigating how the suspect came to be in possession of an unlawfully held firearm," Wallen added. He said, however, that police were working with the Palace of Westminster and the Home Office to review security arrangements for members of parliament. (Reuters)

Police charge Thomas Mair with the killing of UK MP Jo Cox

&nbsp;All-rounder Chris Woakes is confident that England selectors will be able to squeeze both Ben Stokes and himself into the starting lineup for the four-match test series against Pakistan starting next month. 
 
Woakes was called up to the side last month after fellow all-rounder Stokes injured his knee during the first test victory over Sri Lanka in Leeds. 
 
The 27-year-old went on to score 105 runs in three innings and picked up eight wickets as England romped to a 2-0 series victory over the Sri Lankans following a comfortable win in Durham and a rain-affected draw at Lord&#39;s. 
 
&quot;I&#39;d be stupid to think that, if Ben (Stokes) is fit, I&#39;m going to play (over him), but I might have given them (the selectors) a headache. I might be able to fit into the team even if he is involved again,&quot; Woakes told British media. 
 
Meanwhile, test team mate Stuart Broad has set his sights on representing England at the 2019 50-overs World Cup after the seamer was omitted from the squad for the Sri Lanka one-day series announced earlier this week. 
 
&quot;A big aim of mine is to be in that World Cup squad in 2019. The two major tournaments coming up are that and the Champions Trophy and I&#39;ve got to plot a way back in really,&quot; said Broad, who is England&#39;s third-highest wicket-taker in one-day cricket. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m still only 29... A lot of people have played at World Cups at 32 and that&#39;s certainly not an old age for a cricketer, so I&#39;ve got huge goals to be a part of that and have to pick some stuff to get involved in.&quot; 
 
The 2019 World Cup is being hosted by England and Wales. 
(Reuters)

He was called up after his fellow all-rounder hurt his knee

All-rounder Chris Woakes is confident that England selectors will be able to squeeze both Ben Stokes and himself into the starting lineup for the four-match test series against Pakistan starting next month. Woakes was called up to the side last month after fellow all-rounder Stokes injured his knee during the first test victory over Sri Lanka in Leeds. The 27-year-old went on to score 105 runs in three innings and picked up eight wickets as England romped to a 2-0 series victory over the Sri Lankans following a comfortable win in Durham and a rain-affected draw at Lord's. "I'd be stupid to think that, if Ben (Stokes) is fit, I'm going to play (over him), but I might have given them (the selectors) a headache. I might be able to fit into the team even if he is involved again," Woakes told British media. Meanwhile, test team mate Stuart Broad has set his sights on representing England at the 2019 50-overs World Cup after the seamer was omitted from the squad for the Sri Lanka one-day series announced earlier this week. "A big aim of mine is to be in that World Cup squad in 2019. The two major tournaments coming up are that and the Champions Trophy and I've got to plot a way back in really," said Broad, who is England's third-highest wicket-taker in one-day cricket. "I'm still only 29... A lot of people have played at World Cups at 32 and that's certainly not an old age for a cricketer, so I've got huge goals to be a part of that and have to pick some stuff to get involved in." The 2019 World Cup is being hosted by England and Wales. (Reuters)

Woakes thinks there'll be room for him, and Stokes on the England team

Pakistan cricket captain Misbah-ul Haq hopes the upcoming test series in England will help spur the return of international cricket to the South Asian nation after a seven-year absence due to security fears. 
 
Pakistan has not staged test matches since a 2009 gun attack on Sri Lanka&#39;s team bus in Lahore killed six Pakistani policemen and a van driver. Some players and a local umpire were injured. 
 
Improved security in Pakistan in recent years has prompted calls for international teams to return but test playing nations have so far refused to tour a country where Islamist militants still pose a threat. 
 
Misbah told Reuters he hoped the four-test series in England &quot;would help revive cricket series in Pakistan&quot;. 
 
Pakistan last played test matches in England in 2012 and the 42-year-old batsman said he expected an &quot;exciting&quot; tour after such a long gap. 
 
&quot;It is a big tour for Pakistan,&quot; Misbah said late on Thursday during a send-off dinner for the Pakistani team hosted by Britain&#39;s High Commissioner to Pakistan, Thomas Drew. 
 
Britain&#39;s Prime Minister David Cameron also sent a good luck message to Pakistan&#39;s team, saying: &quot;I hope that one day in the not too distant future I will be able to wish the England cricket team a successful tour of Pakistan.&quot; 
 
Pakistan&#39;s formidable pace attack, spearheaded by left-armers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz, will face a resurgent and youthful England team captained by Alastair Cook, who last month became the first England cricketer to reach 10,000 test runs. 
 
&quot;England cricket team is a strong and balanced one,&quot; Pakistan&#39;s experienced all-rounder Muhammad Hafeez said. &quot;Pakistan team has plenty of talent. We will try to give a quality series to the spectators and cricket fans.&quot; 
 
Since 2009, Pakistan&#39;s national team has been hosting foreign teams in the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan defeated England in a three-test series in 2015, winning two matches and drawing the third. 
 
The coming test series will see the return of Amir to test cricket after serving a five-year ban following a spot-fixing scandal in England. 
 
It will also be the first test series for leg-spinner Yasir Shah since he served a three-month suspension for a doping violation. 
 
Shaharyar Khan, chairman of Pakistan&#39;s cricket board, said he was confident Misbah&#39;s squad would hold its own against England and urged them to show their worth. 
 
&quot;I would say, play hard, giving no quarter to England for under Alastair Cook they are too good an outfit to not make you regret it,&quot; he said. 
 
Pakistan will play four tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 International in England between July 14 and September 7.

Country has not hosted a game since a 2009 attack on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore killed six Pakistani policemen and a van driver

Pakistan cricket captain Misbah-ul Haq hopes the upcoming test series in England will help spur the return of international cricket to the South Asian nation after a seven-year absence due to security fears. Pakistan has not staged test matches since a 2009 gun attack on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore killed six Pakistani policemen and a van driver. Some players and a local umpire were injured. Improved security in Pakistan in recent years has prompted calls for international teams to return but test playing nations have so far refused to tour a country where Islamist militants still pose a threat. Misbah told Reuters he hoped the four-test series in England "would help revive cricket series in Pakistan". Pakistan last played test matches in England in 2012 and the 42-year-old batsman said he expected an "exciting" tour after such a long gap. "It is a big tour for Pakistan," Misbah said late on Thursday during a send-off dinner for the Pakistani team hosted by Britain's High Commissioner to Pakistan, Thomas Drew. Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron also sent a good luck message to Pakistan's team, saying: "I hope that one day in the not too distant future I will be able to wish the England cricket team a successful tour of Pakistan." Pakistan's formidable pace attack, spearheaded by left-armers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz, will face a resurgent and youthful England team captained by Alastair Cook, who last month became the first England cricketer to reach 10,000 test runs. "England cricket team is a strong and balanced one," Pakistan's experienced all-rounder Muhammad Hafeez said. "Pakistan team has plenty of talent. We will try to give a quality series to the spectators and cricket fans." Since 2009, Pakistan's national team has been hosting foreign teams in the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan defeated England in a three-test series in 2015, winning two matches and drawing the third. The coming test series will see the return of Amir to test cricket after serving a five-year ban following a spot-fixing scandal in England. It will also be the first test series for leg-spinner Yasir Shah since he served a three-month suspension for a doping violation. Shaharyar Khan, chairman of Pakistan's cricket board, said he was confident Misbah's squad would hold its own against England and urged them to show their worth. "I would say, play hard, giving no quarter to England for under Alastair Cook they are too good an outfit to not make you regret it," he said. Pakistan will play four tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 International in England between July 14 and September 7.

Misbah hopes England series will lead to Test matches in Pakistan

A British member of parliament was shot dead in the street on Thursday, causing deep shock across Britain and the suspension of campaigning for next week&#39;s referendum on the country&#39;s EU membership. 
 
Jo Cox, 41, a lawmaker for the opposition Labour Party and a vocal advocate for Britain remaining in the European Union, was attacked while preparing to meet constituents in Birstall near Leeds in northern England. 
 
Media reports said she had been shot and stabbed. West Yorkshire regional police said a 52-year-old man was arrested by officers nearby and weapons including a firearm recovered. &quot;We are not in a position to discuss any motive at this time,&quot; said temporary chief constable Dee Collins. 
 
One witness said a man pulled an old or makeshift gun from a bag and fired twice. &quot;I saw a lady on the floor like on the beach with her arms straight and her knees up and blood all over the face,&quot; Hichem Ben-Abdallah told reporters. &quot;She wasn&#39;t making any noise, but clearly she was in agony.&quot; 
 
The lawmaker&#39;s husband Brendan said: &quot;She would have wanted two things above all else to happen now: one, that our precious children are bathed in love and two, that we all unite to fight against the hatred that killed her.&quot; 
 
The rival referendum campaign groups said they were suspending activities for the day, with the Remain camp saying its activities would also be suspended today. Prime Minister David Cameron said he would pull out of a planned rally in Gibraltar, the British territory on the southern coast of Spain. 
 
Cameron said the killing of the mother-of-two, who had worked on US President Barack Obama&#39;s 2008 election campaign, was a tragedy. 
 
&quot;We have lost a great star,&quot; the Conservative Prime Minister said. &quot;She was a great campaigning MP with huge compassion, with a big heart. It is dreadful, dreadful news.&quot; 
 
It was not immediately clear what the impact would be on the June 23 referendum, which has polarised the nation into pro- and anti-EU camps. But some analysts speculated it could boost the pro-EU &quot;Remain&quot; campaign, which in recent days has fallen behind the &quot;Leave&quot; camp in opinion polls. 
 
Britain&#39;s sterling currency rose against the Dollar after news of the attack, adding around two cents. 
 
Finance minister George Osborne and Bank of England governor Mark Carney scrapped major speeches planned for Thursday evening and the International Monetary Fund said it had delayed the publication of a report on the British economy. 
 
&#39;HORRIFIC MURDER&#39; 
 
Media reports, citing witnesses, said the attacker had shouted out &quot;Britain first&quot;, which is the name of a right-wing nationalist group that describes itself on its website as &quot;a patriotic political party and street defence organisation&quot;. 
 
But the deputy leader of the group, Jayda Fransen, completely distanced it from the attack, which she described as &quot;absolutely disgusting&quot;. 
 
West Yorkshire&#39;s elected police and crime commissioner said &quot;our information is that this is a localised incident, albeit one that has a much wider impact&quot;. 
Gun ownership is highly restricted in Britain, and attacks of any nature on public figures are rare.&nbsp; 
Britain&#39;s Union Jack flag was flying at half-mast over the Houses of Parliament in London, while in Birstall hundreds of people attended a vigil at a local church. 
 
Colleagues expressed their shock and disbelief at the death of Cox, a Cambridge University graduate who had spent a decade working for aid agency Oxfam in roles including head of humanitarian campaigning and was known for her work on women&#39;s issues. 
 
She won election to parliament for northern England&#39;s Batley and Spen district at the 2015 general election, and lived with her husband and children on a traditional Dutch barge moored on the Thames near the Tower of London. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve lost a wonderful woman, we&#39;ve lost a wonderful member of parliament, but our democracy will go on,&quot; Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a televised statement. &quot;As we mourn her memory, we&#39;ll work in her memory to achieve that better world she spent her life trying to achieve.&quot; 
 
Labour lawmaker Sarah Champion said: &quot;She&#39;s a tiny woman, five feet nothing and a lion as well - she fights so hard for the things she believes in. I cannot believe anyone would do this to her.&quot; 
 
Police said a 77-year-old man was also assaulted in the incident and suffered injuries that were not life-threatening. 
 
BBC TV and other media showed a picture of the alleged suspect, a balding white man, being apprehended by police. Temporary &nbsp;chief constable Collins said a &quot;very significant investigation with large numbers of witnesses&quot; was under way. 
 
&quot;We are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident,&quot; she said. 
 
The last attack on a British legislator was in 2010, when Labour member and ex-cabinet minister Stephen Timms was stabbed in the stomach at his office in east London by a 21-year-old student who was angry over his backing for the 2003 Iraq war. 
 
In 2000, a Liberal Democrat local councillor was murdered by a man with a samurai sword at the offices in western England of lawmaker Nigel Jones, who was also seriously hurt in the attack.

Analysts speculate that this tragedy could boost the pro-EU "Remain" camp , which had fallen behind to the "Leave" camp in opinion polls

A British member of parliament was shot dead in the street on Thursday, causing deep shock across Britain and the suspension of campaigning for next week's referendum on the country's EU membership. Jo Cox, 41, a lawmaker for the opposition Labour Party and a vocal advocate for Britain remaining in the European Union, was attacked while preparing to meet constituents in Birstall near Leeds in northern England. Media reports said she had been shot and stabbed. West Yorkshire regional police said a 52-year-old man was arrested by officers nearby and weapons including a firearm recovered. "We are not in a position to discuss any motive at this time," said temporary chief constable Dee Collins. One witness said a man pulled an old or makeshift gun from a bag and fired twice. "I saw a lady on the floor like on the beach with her arms straight and her knees up and blood all over the face," Hichem Ben-Abdallah told reporters. "She wasn't making any noise, but clearly she was in agony." The lawmaker's husband Brendan said: "She would have wanted two things above all else to happen now: one, that our precious children are bathed in love and two, that we all unite to fight against the hatred that killed her." The rival referendum campaign groups said they were suspending activities for the day, with the Remain camp saying its activities would also be suspended today. Prime Minister David Cameron said he would pull out of a planned rally in Gibraltar, the British territory on the southern coast of Spain. Cameron said the killing of the mother-of-two, who had worked on US President Barack Obama's 2008 election campaign, was a tragedy. "We have lost a great star," the Conservative Prime Minister said. "She was a great campaigning MP with huge compassion, with a big heart. It is dreadful, dreadful news." It was not immediately clear what the impact would be on the June 23 referendum, which has polarised the nation into pro- and anti-EU camps. But some analysts speculated it could boost the pro-EU "Remain" campaign, which in recent days has fallen behind the "Leave" camp in opinion polls. Britain's sterling currency rose against the Dollar after news of the attack, adding around two cents. Finance minister George Osborne and Bank of England governor Mark Carney scrapped major speeches planned for Thursday evening and the International Monetary Fund said it had delayed the publication of a report on the British economy. 'HORRIFIC MURDER' Media reports, citing witnesses, said the attacker had shouted out "Britain first", which is the name of a right-wing nationalist group that describes itself on its website as "a patriotic political party and street defence organisation". But the deputy leader of the group, Jayda Fransen, completely distanced it from the attack, which she described as "absolutely disgusting". West Yorkshire's elected police and crime commissioner said "our information is that this is a localised incident, albeit one that has a much wider impact". Gun ownership is highly restricted in Britain, and attacks of any nature on public figures are rare. Britain's Union Jack flag was flying at half-mast over the Houses of Parliament in London, while in Birstall hundreds of people attended a vigil at a local church. Colleagues expressed their shock and disbelief at the death of Cox, a Cambridge University graduate who had spent a decade working for aid agency Oxfam in roles including head of humanitarian campaigning and was known for her work on women's issues. She won election to parliament for northern England's Batley and Spen district at the 2015 general election, and lived with her husband and children on a traditional Dutch barge moored on the Thames near the Tower of London. "We've lost a wonderful woman, we've lost a wonderful member of parliament, but our democracy will go on," Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a televised statement. "As we mourn her memory, we'll work in her memory to achieve that better world she spent her life trying to achieve." Labour lawmaker Sarah Champion said: "She's a tiny woman, five feet nothing and a lion as well - she fights so hard for the things she believes in. I cannot believe anyone would do this to her." Police said a 77-year-old man was also assaulted in the incident and suffered injuries that were not life-threatening. BBC TV and other media showed a picture of the alleged suspect, a balding white man, being apprehended by police. Temporary chief constable Collins said a "very significant investigation with large numbers of witnesses" was under way. "We are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident," she said. The last attack on a British legislator was in 2010, when Labour member and ex-cabinet minister Stephen Timms was stabbed in the stomach at his office in east London by a 21-year-old student who was angry over his backing for the 2003 Iraq war. In 2000, a Liberal Democrat local councillor was murdered by a man with a samurai sword at the offices in western England of lawmaker Nigel Jones, who was also seriously hurt in the attack.

British lawmaker shot dead, EU referendum campaigns suspended

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Wednesday that he could not rule out Russian soccer fans being involved in more violence at the Euro 2016 tournament in France because they were constantly being provoked, the TASS news agency reported. 
 
Russia, whose fans fought pitched battles in Marseille at the weekend with their English counterparts, is due to play Slovakia later on Wednesday in Lille where English and Welsh fans have gathered ahead of their two teams&#39; game on Thursday. 
 
&quot;I do not have any certainty that disorder involving Russian fans will not be repeated,&quot; TASS quoted Mutko as saying. &quot;Our fans are constantly being provoked. And whatever happens it is immediately said that the Russians are guilty.&quot; 
 
Russian state TV on Wednesday broadcast what it said was footage of an English football fan stamping on a Russian flag in Lille, part of what Russian officials say has been a pattern of offensive provocations towards Russian supporters. 
 
UEFA has said Russia will be thrown out of the tournament if there is a repeat of the violence by Russia fans which marred the end of last Saturday&#39;s match against England. 
 
&quot;There are now 15-20,000 Russians in different towns (in France),&quot; Mutko was cited as saying. &quot;Most of them want to watch good football.&quot; 
(Reuters)

The team will be disqualified from the prestigious tournament if Russian soccer fans are provoked to mob violence by another soccer game

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Wednesday that he could not rule out Russian soccer fans being involved in more violence at the Euro 2016 tournament in France because they were constantly being provoked, the TASS news agency reported. Russia, whose fans fought pitched battles in Marseille at the weekend with their English counterparts, is due to play Slovakia later on Wednesday in Lille where English and Welsh fans have gathered ahead of their two teams' game on Thursday. "I do not have any certainty that disorder involving Russian fans will not be repeated," TASS quoted Mutko as saying. "Our fans are constantly being provoked. And whatever happens it is immediately said that the Russians are guilty." Russian state TV on Wednesday broadcast what it said was footage of an English football fan stamping on a Russian flag in Lille, part of what Russian officials say has been a pattern of offensive provocations towards Russian supporters. UEFA has said Russia will be thrown out of the tournament if there is a repeat of the violence by Russia fans which marred the end of last Saturday's match against England. "There are now 15-20,000 Russians in different towns (in France)," Mutko was cited as saying. "Most of them want to watch good football." (Reuters)

Russian sports minister doesn't rule our more fan violence at Euro Cup, saying 'disorder' was 'provoked'

England test captain&nbsp;and&nbsp;skipper, Alastair Cook, believes his batsmen are well-prepared to deal with Pakistan&#39;s fiery attack next month after getting plenty of practice in the middle against a weakened Sri Lanka side. 
 
England crushed Sri Lanka 2-0 in the three-test home series that concluded on Monday, facing little resistance from a team shorn of frontline pacemen Dushmantha Chameera and Dhammika Prasad through injury at different stages during the tour. 
 
However, Cook&#39;s side can expect a far bigger challenge from a formidable Pakistani pace attack spearheaded by left-armers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz, supplemented by tricky leg-spinner Yasir Shah. 
 
&quot;They&#39;ve got a very good pace attack, backed up with spinners,&quot; Cook said after the rain-hit final test against Sri Lanka ended in a tame draw at Lord&#39;s. 
 
&quot;But we&#39;re ready for them. We scored a lot of runs against Australia&#39;s attack here last year. I think it&#39;s going to be a brilliant series.&quot; 
 
Amir will be returning to test cricket after serving a five-year ban following a spot-fixing scandal in England, while the four-test series will be Shah&#39;s first since he served a three-month suspension for a doping violation. 
 
Cook will also be delighted to have finally found a stable opening partner in Alex Hales, who finished the series against Sri Lanka as the second highest scorer on 292 runs from five innings. 
 
His performance marked a significant improvement by the 27-year-old Hales, who averaged just 17 in his debut test series in South Africa earlier this year as he struggled to make the transition from limited-overs cricket. 
 
&quot;Three scores of 80 and above from Alex Hales was really pleasing,&quot; Cook said of his eighth opening partner since Andrew Strauss retired in 2012. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s certainly tightened up his game from South Africa and probably just learned about test cricket.&quot; 
 
It was a satisfying series for Jonny Bairstow too, the English wicketkeeper-batsman emerging as the top-scorer and walking away with the man-of-the-series award. 
 
Cook hailed Bairstow&#39;s batting prowess but admitted the 26-year-old had room for improvement behind the stumps. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s great to have an attacking batsman coming in and taking it to the opposition. He&#39;s been very similar to Matt Prior when he was at his best.&quot; 
 
&quot;He knows how hard he has to work at his keeping... He knows a couple of chances have gone down, but you don&#39;t become a world-class wicketkeeper overnight. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s made big strides since that South Africa series and is certainly heading in the right direction.&quot; 
 
Pakistan will play four tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 International in England between July 14 and September 7. 
 
(Reuters)

They've just come off a 2-0 win against Lanka but Pak's pace attack is going to be a lot more fiery

England test captain and skipper, Alastair Cook, believes his batsmen are well-prepared to deal with Pakistan's fiery attack next month after getting plenty of practice in the middle against a weakened Sri Lanka side. England crushed Sri Lanka 2-0 in the three-test home series that concluded on Monday, facing little resistance from a team shorn of frontline pacemen Dushmantha Chameera and Dhammika Prasad through injury at different stages during the tour. However, Cook's side can expect a far bigger challenge from a formidable Pakistani pace attack spearheaded by left-armers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz, supplemented by tricky leg-spinner Yasir Shah. "They've got a very good pace attack, backed up with spinners," Cook said after the rain-hit final test against Sri Lanka ended in a tame draw at Lord's. "But we're ready for them. We scored a lot of runs against Australia's attack here last year. I think it's going to be a brilliant series." Amir will be returning to test cricket after serving a five-year ban following a spot-fixing scandal in England, while the four-test series will be Shah's first since he served a three-month suspension for a doping violation. Cook will also be delighted to have finally found a stable opening partner in Alex Hales, who finished the series against Sri Lanka as the second highest scorer on 292 runs from five innings. His performance marked a significant improvement by the 27-year-old Hales, who averaged just 17 in his debut test series in South Africa earlier this year as he struggled to make the transition from limited-overs cricket. "Three scores of 80 and above from Alex Hales was really pleasing," Cook said of his eighth opening partner since Andrew Strauss retired in 2012. "He's certainly tightened up his game from South Africa and probably just learned about test cricket." It was a satisfying series for Jonny Bairstow too, the English wicketkeeper-batsman emerging as the top-scorer and walking away with the man-of-the-series award. Cook hailed Bairstow's batting prowess but admitted the 26-year-old had room for improvement behind the stumps. "It's great to have an attacking batsman coming in and taking it to the opposition. He's been very similar to Matt Prior when he was at his best." "He knows how hard he has to work at his keeping... He knows a couple of chances have gone down, but you don't become a world-class wicketkeeper overnight. "He's made big strides since that South Africa series and is certainly heading in the right direction." Pakistan will play four tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 International in England between July 14 and September 7. (Reuters)

England ready for Pakistan, says Cook

From racing at Royal Ascot to high society weddings, summer is the busiest time of year for British hat maker Adrian Phillip Howard, who says he revels in the &quot;outrageous and outlandish&quot;. 
 
Howard is the in-house milliner at distinguished London department store Fortnum and Mason, where on the second floor only the hum of his sewing machine interrupts the atmosphere of genteel calm. 
 
Smartly dressed in a light suit and with hair swept to one side, the forty-something hat maker, who has previously worked with members of Britain&#39;s royal family, is full of passion for a job which started as a hobby. 
 
&quot;The summer is the busiest season -- the racing season, Ascot, the Derby, all those things,&quot; he tells AFP in an interview. 
 
&quot;Ascot&#39;s fun is my favourite time because the hats are a little bit more outrageous and outlandish. 
 
&quot;A lady may come in and she has a dress with perhaps six or seven colours and she would say: &#39;Can you incorporate more into the hat?&#39; and for me, that&#39;s like a dream.&quot; 
 
His clients&#39; husbands, however, are sometimes less keen. 
 
&quot;One gentleman came in to me that I hadn&#39;t met before and he said: &#39;All my golf clubs have had to be moved out of my room to accommodate your hats.&#39; 
 
&quot;He said &#39;you&#39;re not my favourite person&#39; because his wife had so many,&quot; Howard adds. 
 
One recent creation which the milliner shows off features a huge black tulle bow, which he hopes to sell before Ascot. 
 
One of the highlights of the horse racing calendar which is known for its flamboyant parade of hats, the five-day event west of London starts on Tuesday. 
 
&#39;A hat for everybody&#39; 
 
Howard spends most of his time at a workshop in his garden in East Sussex, in southern England. 
 
But he travels to the British capital twice a week to carry out fittings and meet clients at Fortnum and Mason, where he has worked since 2009. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m the first in-house milliner here since 1958 so it&#39;s a great honour. It&#39;s my favourite shop, too -- I&#39;m a lucky boy,&quot; he says. 
 
He says his clients come &quot;from all walks of life&quot;. 
 
&quot;It might be a wedding or something where hats are required, which is happening more and more in Britain, thankfully,&quot; he explains. 
 
&quot;Brides are now saying hats are compulsory, which is great for us milliners.&quot; 
 
Taking inspiration from the classic Hollywood glamour of stars like Audrey Hepburn, his hats take from one day to two weeks to create and do not come cheap. 
 
Prices start at $430 but can be significantly more expensive depending on what kind of extras the client wants. 
 
&quot;The sky&#39;s the limit, depending on what detail goes into them and what they&#39;re embellished with,&quot; Howard says. 
 
&quot;Some ladies might have fine jewels they want on their hats.&quot; 
 
Although some women insist that hats do not suit them, Howard believes this is not the case -- it is simply a question of finding the right style. 
 
&quot;I think there is a hat for everybody,&quot; he says. 
 
&quot;There are a few ground rules regarding ladies&#39; face shapes. For instance, if a lady has quite a long face, it&#39;s normally advisable for her not to wear a tall, thin hat because it just accentuates the fact.&quot; 
 
He adds: &quot;Short ladies generally steer clear of large, downturned brims because, as my millinery teacher used to say to me, it makes them look like mushrooms.&quot;

Adrian Howard has previously worked with Britain's royal family and is the in-house milliner at London department store Fortnum and Mason

From racing at Royal Ascot to high society weddings, summer is the busiest time of year for British hat maker Adrian Phillip Howard, who says he revels in the "outrageous and outlandish". Howard is the in-house milliner at distinguished London department store Fortnum and Mason, where on the second floor only the hum of his sewing machine interrupts the atmosphere of genteel calm. Smartly dressed in a light suit and with hair swept to one side, the forty-something hat maker, who has previously worked with members of Britain's royal family, is full of passion for a job which started as a hobby. "The summer is the busiest season -- the racing season, Ascot, the Derby, all those things," he tells AFP in an interview. "Ascot's fun is my favourite time because the hats are a little bit more outrageous and outlandish. "A lady may come in and she has a dress with perhaps six or seven colours and she would say: 'Can you incorporate more into the hat?' and for me, that's like a dream." His clients' husbands, however, are sometimes less keen. "One gentleman came in to me that I hadn't met before and he said: 'All my golf clubs have had to be moved out of my room to accommodate your hats.' "He said 'you're not my favourite person' because his wife had so many," Howard adds. One recent creation which the milliner shows off features a huge black tulle bow, which he hopes to sell before Ascot. One of the highlights of the horse racing calendar which is known for its flamboyant parade of hats, the five-day event west of London starts on Tuesday. 'A hat for everybody' Howard spends most of his time at a workshop in his garden in East Sussex, in southern England. But he travels to the British capital twice a week to carry out fittings and meet clients at Fortnum and Mason, where he has worked since 2009. "I'm the first in-house milliner here since 1958 so it's a great honour. It's my favourite shop, too -- I'm a lucky boy," he says. He says his clients come "from all walks of life". "It might be a wedding or something where hats are required, which is happening more and more in Britain, thankfully," he explains. "Brides are now saying hats are compulsory, which is great for us milliners." Taking inspiration from the classic Hollywood glamour of stars like Audrey Hepburn, his hats take from one day to two weeks to create and do not come cheap. Prices start at $430 but can be significantly more expensive depending on what kind of extras the client wants. "The sky's the limit, depending on what detail goes into them and what they're embellished with," Howard says. "Some ladies might have fine jewels they want on their hats." Although some women insist that hats do not suit them, Howard believes this is not the case -- it is simply a question of finding the right style. "I think there is a hat for everybody," he says. "There are a few ground rules regarding ladies' face shapes. For instance, if a lady has quite a long face, it's normally advisable for her not to wear a tall, thin hat because it just accentuates the fact." He adds: "Short ladies generally steer clear of large, downturned brims because, as my millinery teacher used to say to me, it makes them look like mushrooms."

British hat maker turns heads with 'outrageous' creations

Billionaire entrepreneur James Dyson appeared&nbsp;in favour of Britain leaving the European Union, proving to be a significant endorsement for the &quot;Leave&quot; camp less than two weeks before a referendum.

Britons vote on June 23 on whether to stay in the 28-member bloc, with polls suggesting a tight race. A British exit, or &quot;Brexit&quot;, would have far-reaching implications for politics and the economy in Britain and far beyond.

The &quot;Remain&quot; campaign has received the backing of many well-known business leaders, big companies and banks as well as institutions such as the International Monetary Fund. Its &quot;Leave&quot; rivals have attracted less support from the ranks of big business.

Dyson, best known for inventing a bagless vacuum cleaner that made him a household name across Britain, told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that Britain has more to gain than to lose by quitting the European Union.

&quot;We will create more wealth and more jobs by being outside the EU than we will within it, and we will be in control of our destiny. And control, I think, is the most important thing in life and business,&quot; Dyson was quoted as saying.

Dyson dismissed warnings about the possible impact of Brexit on trade.

&quot;When the &#39;Remain&#39; campaign tells us no one will trade with us if we leave the EU, sorry, it&#39;s absolute cobblers,&quot; Dyson&nbsp;said, using a colloquial British term for nonsense.

&quot;If, as (Prime Minister) David Cameron suggested, they imposed a tariff of 10 per cent on us, we will do the same in return. ... Anyway, the EU would be committing commercial suicide to impose a tariff because we import 100 billion pounds ($143 billion) and we only send 10 billion there.&quot;

With upcoming polls on whether Britain should be a part of EU, British Citizen James Dyson supports the 'Leave' campaign

Billionaire entrepreneur James Dyson appeared in favour of Britain leaving the European Union, proving to be a significant endorsement for the "Leave" camp less than two weeks before a referendum. Britons vote on June 23 on whether to stay in the 28-member bloc, with polls suggesting a tight race. A British exit, or "Brexit", would have far-reaching implications for politics and the economy in Britain and far beyond. The "Remain" campaign has received the backing of many well-known business leaders, big companies and banks as well as institutions such as the International Monetary Fund. Its "Leave" rivals have attracted less support from the ranks of big business. Dyson, best known for inventing a bagless vacuum cleaner that made him a household name across Britain, told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that Britain has more to gain than to lose by quitting the European Union. "We will create more wealth and more jobs by being outside the EU than we will within it, and we will be in control of our destiny. And control, I think, is the most important thing in life and business," Dyson was quoted as saying. Dyson dismissed warnings about the possible impact of Brexit on trade. "When the 'Remain' campaign tells us no one will trade with us if we leave the EU, sorry, it's absolute cobblers," Dyson said, using a colloquial British term for nonsense. "If, as (Prime Minister) David Cameron suggested, they imposed a tariff of 10 per cent on us, we will do the same in return. ... Anyway, the EU would be committing commercial suicide to impose a tariff because we import 100 billion pounds ($143 billion) and we only send 10 billion there."

British entrepreneur Dyson backs exit from EU

India named six new Test venues today as they prepare to host New Zealand, England and then top-ranked Australia in an exhaustive home season starting in October. 
 
India will kickstart the season against New Zealand with three Tests and five One-Day Internationals, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said. 
 
England then arrive for five Tests and six limited-overs matches, while the Australia series is scheduled for February and March next year. 
 
Bangladesh will also play a one-off Test during the season, their first such outing in India since they gained Test status in 2000. 
 
The cities of Rajkot, Visakhapatnam, Pune, Dharamsala, Ranchi and Indore will host Test matches for the first time, the BCCI said after a meeting in Mumbai. 
 
&quot;I welcome the new Test venues. Their arrival will take Test match cricket to every corner of the country,&quot; BCCI president Anurag Thakur said in a statement. 
 
India will play 13 Tests in total during the season, the most since the 1979-80 home season, along with eight ODIs and three T20 Internationals. 
 
The BCCI also said that the domestic Duleep Trophy tournament in September will be played under lights and with a pink ball for the first time in the country. 
 
Australia and New Zealand played the inaugural day-night Test in Adelaide last year, attracting huge crowds.

BCCI president Anurag Thakur believes that with these new venues, Test cricket will go to every corner of the country

India named six new Test venues today as they prepare to host New Zealand, England and then top-ranked Australia in an exhaustive home season starting in October. India will kickstart the season against New Zealand with three Tests and five One-Day Internationals, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said. England then arrive for five Tests and six limited-overs matches, while the Australia series is scheduled for February and March next year. Bangladesh will also play a one-off Test during the season, their first such outing in India since they gained Test status in 2000. The cities of Rajkot, Visakhapatnam, Pune, Dharamsala, Ranchi and Indore will host Test matches for the first time, the BCCI said after a meeting in Mumbai. "I welcome the new Test venues. Their arrival will take Test match cricket to every corner of the country," BCCI president Anurag Thakur said in a statement. India will play 13 Tests in total during the season, the most since the 1979-80 home season, along with eight ODIs and three T20 Internationals. The BCCI also said that the domestic Duleep Trophy tournament in September will be played under lights and with a pink ball for the first time in the country. Australia and New Zealand played the inaugural day-night Test in Adelaide last year, attracting huge crowds.

India names new Test venues for home season

england

England, News on England, stories on England, articles on England, England stories at Wion, England news, England latest news