OIL company Shell said full production from its rigs in the Gulf of Mexico may not be restored until next year because of damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. Shell said the next three months should see output back at 60 per cent of levels before the hurricane
Australia's gamble with the London weather provided England with encouragement they could still complete a historic Ashes success despite struggling to remain competitive in the deciding Test at the Oval. Having dismissed England for an under-par 373
GIVEN that he is widely acknowledged as the greatest slow bowler in cricketing history, it should be no surprise that Shane Warne tends to live his life in a spin. And not just any old spin at that. Tossed and turned by a maelstrom of booze, birds and
A pub doorman's winter coat saved him from serious injury when he was attacked by a former soldier wielding a meat cleaver. Robert Wilson lunged at bouncer Robert Oxley as he stood outside Idols, in Sunderland, in the early hours of December 17, last
A HUSBAND-TO-BE stamped on his fiancee's head and face during a terrifying attack after the stress of planning the wedding became too much for him. John Allen, 40, "flipped" as he and Dionne Riella, 32, walked back from having drinks at a friends house
A PIONEERING police unit that has slashed anti-social behaviour in a North-East town has been disbanded. A week after Prime Minister Tony Blair declared that yob disorder was his number one priority, the StreetSafe unit in Darlington has been axed. The
ADAM Boyd has delivered a slice of good news to Hartlepool United boss Martin Scott. Striker Boyd damaged knee ligaments in last Saturday's home defeat to Yeovil, ruling him out of today's trip to Blackpool. But any fears of the striker being sidelined
A SCHIZOPHRENIC with a history of violence escaped from a secure ward in a new £20m North-East mental hospital - to go for a late-night drinking session. NHS officials confirmed last night that an investigation had been ordered after the 57-year-old man
CAMPAIGNERS fighting proposals for an opencast coal mine on farmland next to a historic site yesterday handed over a 5,000-signature petition. Liberal Democrats in Blaydon constituency have organised one of three petitions against plans for the mining
GRAEME Souness has challenged Michael Owen and Alan Shearer to prove they can be one of the best strike-pairings the English game has ever seen. The former England double act will play together for Newcastle for the first time this afternoon with the
TWO campers were winched to safety after becoming trapped in the middle of a flooded river. An RAF helicopter was called after a flash flood stranded the couple on an island in the River Swale, near Marske, in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, yesterday morning
Two teenage girls, laden down with popcorn and cola, spot a poster for the new film version of Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice as they cross the foyer of the cinema. They eye up the picture of actor Matthew MacFadyen, who plays Mr Darcy, and one says
NEWCASTLE Falcons have changed their entire front row for tomorrow's Guinness Premiership match at home to promoted Bristol, with Rob Andrew warning: "Every game is fierce." The Director of Rugby has tried to assemble two packs of forwards of equal stature
Fifty years ago people were calling BBC programmes too cosy, worried that commercial television would lower standards and feared imported American shows would corrupt the nation. And there was a financial crisis caused by disappointing advertising revenue
EMERGENCY workers last night urged the public to be wary near rivers after two dramatic rescues in a week. Two campers were rescued yesterday after heavy rain led to rising water levels, trapping them on an island in the middle of the River Swale, near
WITH Jose Mourinho threatening to indulge in a spot of squad rotation, Mick McCarthy has promised Chelsea will be the only side fielding a weakened team at Stamford Bridge this afternoon. While Bryan Robson opted to rest five of his first-teamers as West
A man who attacked his brother in the street with a samurai sword was jailed for 15 months yesterday. Shahid Karim, 25, decided to confront his brother who was in a parked car in Middlesbrough. He sliced into the car's roof, smashed a window
DRIVER shortages at transport company Go Ahead has seen the plc recruit more than 80 workers from Poland to work in the North-East. Group finance director Ian Butcher said that bus drivers' wages would rise in the region over the next year in a bid to
ADAM Boyd has delivered a slice of good news to Hartlepool United boss Martin Scott. Striker Boyd damaged knee ligaments in last Saturday's home defeat to Yeovil, ruling him out of today's trip to Blackpool. But any fears of the striker being sidelined
THERE was a time when only the Press were known to judge a player's performance, usually with the much-maligned marks out of ten. So often a talking point on a Monday morning after training, a feeble four or a nifty nine would ensure endless ribbing between
A MAN sparked a town centre evacuation last night after walking into a police station with a plastic bag full of explosives. The man went into Peterlee police station, in County Durham, at about 5.30pm and handed over the bag, containing five 18in long
A FARMER has been praised for helping to catch a robber who ambushed two teenagers and stole their bicycles. Richard Frank came to the aid of the boys after Leigh Green and an accomplice jumped from bushes on a country lane and took their bikes. A court
