A crowd of opera lovers gathered in Millennium Square tonight for a free, big screen presentation of the Royal Opera House’s production of La Traviata. Part of the BP Big Summer Screens events, the production of Verdi’s tragic story of love and the pursuit of pleasure was presented on the big screen via a live relay from London’s Covent Garden.
England’s star batsman Kevin Pietersen says former skipper Michael Vaughan’s announcement to retire today is perfect timing for the Ashes series, the Mirror reports. Pietersen believes that Vaughan’s decision has taken all the pressure off Ravi Bopara, hotly tipped to cement the number 3 batting spot in the team to take on the Australians.
Up to 140 jobs have been created by the opening of a new Warburtons bakery at Severn Beach, the BBC reports. This is the first phase of what will be a £45m ’super-bakery’, which will eventually create 450 jobs at the Western Approach Distribution Centre.
The UK economy shrank at it fastest level in half a century during the first quarter of 2009, new figures have revealed. The Office for National Statistics showed the economy contracted by 2.4% between January and April – worse than they had predicted and the worst figures since the second quarter of 1958. The economy during that period when Harold MacMillan was prime minister shrank by 2.6%.
This is the face of a man police believe raped a 16-year-old girl in St Werburgh’s on Valentine’s Day. The e-fit, along with CCTV images of potential witnesses, was released on the BBC’s Crimewatch show last night.
It was a busy day of transfer dealings for Bristol City with two new signings tempering the news that striker Dele Adebola had joined Nottingham Forest. The 34-year-old Nigeria international will sign a two-year deal at the City Ground when his Robins contract expires, Sky Sports reported earlier in the day.
The Queen will be forced to ask ministers for more money from the Civil List by 2012 because she is living millions of pounds beyond her means. Figures released by Buckingham Palace reveal the monarch’s spending rose to £41.5m – up by £1.5m – forcing her to dip into a reserve fund built up over the last 19 years.
US troops are leaving Iraqi towns and cities today, six years after the invasion to topple Saddam Hussain. Thousands of people celebrated in the streets of the capital Baghdad after the Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Malaki declared the day a public holiday and a milestone in the country’s road to regaining its sovereignty.
It seemed fitting that the first match under Wimbledon’s Centre Court roof was epic enough to, well, blow the roof off. And it was British number one Andy Murray whose efforts brought the house down at just after 10.30pm – the latest ever finish to a match at the All England Club.
The intensive care unit of the Bristol Royal Infirmary has been closed down after patients were infected by a superbug, the BBC reports tonight.