Chief executive Philip Jansen, who recently recovered from Covid-19, said a new target of full fibre to 20 million homes by the mid to late 2020s is now in place.

Brisbane City Council was gearing up to' send $50,000 worth of personal protective equipment to two Chinese cities before state and federal authorities called off the plan.

China has forbidden all cities from erecting towers taller than 500 metres (1,640 feet) except in 'special' circumstances. The construction of those taller than 250 metres (820 feet) will be 'strictly limited'.

Motorists celebrated after months of lobbying by campaigners as George Osborne told MPs he was axing the planned January rise.

Hard-pressed motorists have been told that a planned 2p a litre fuel duty rise will not happen next September in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement today.

The Chancellor abolished air passenger duty on all flights for children under the age of 12. It will also reduce the cost of a holiday to Spain for a family of four by £26.

The NHS, defence, foreign aid and housing are set to be the big winners, but the police, transport, justice and the environment will bear the brunt, with families braced for big hikes in council tax bills.

England have abandoned plans to rest senior players from the two-Test series in New Zealand that begins this winter as they start to again prioritise the ultimate format.

The change has long been debated by cricket pundits and fans but traditionalists have so far been able to resist calls for modernisation. But there is an ever-increasing workload on players.

Ian Holloway believes football fans should fight in a cage and it should be televised after Manchester City and Liverpool fans punched, bottled and kicked each other in an ugly Tube bust-up.

Nationwide is scrapping a scheme allowing credit and debit cardholders to earn cashback on their spending after the building society admitted it wasn't worth the time and resources.

Smartphone bank Tandem is axing its cashback credit card for new customers, and from January those who want to use its successor will have to pay a membership fee.

Manchester United and Manchester City have been forced to shelve plans for pre-season tours with European competitions set to re-start in August.

My son has experienced no end of problems since upgrading his contract. His phone has been cut off, debt collectors have demanded money, and now he's being threatened by bailiffs.

My partner and I booked a short break in New York to celebrate my 50th birthday. At the beginning of August, my son was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma blood cancer.

Govt is ready to bring an incentive based scrappage policy for old vehicles

First, a ship with dubious credentials leaves the shores of Denmark. Then a month later, India allows it to beach at Alang, Gujarat's massive shipbreaking yard, for scrapping. In between, it gets a new name and rules are flouted to let it in. Gopal Krishna chronicles how Riky, unlike Clemenceau, sailed through the law.

Power fluctuations of a different sort have hit the Tipaimukh dam and the Loktat downstream project even before construction! Himanshu Upadhyaya observes the continuing tussle between various vested parties - the Centre, Manipur, Bangladesh, and the people living in the affected areas.

Rising scrap supplies amid a fall in demand could dent the world's second-biggest bullion consumer's imports and cap a rally in global prices, which hit a more than seven-year high earlier this month.

The Vice-Chancellor says the Savitri Phule Pune University administration is also reviewing conditions given for the eligibility of 40 other awards.

The state government''s directive to a private channel to stop airing a serial based on a story by exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen has raised the hackles of Opposition parties.

Sure, they’re pesky critters but termites can teach architects a thing or two when it comes building design. When creating giant mounds the insects build channels within them to help with ventilation. See how architects are attempting to replicate that process to create better heating and air conditioning systems in giant skyscrapers.

The grasshopper mouse ain't like any other mouse on Earth, in the sense that it fights scorpions and turns their venom from a toxin into a painkiller.

Wooden nacre nearly matches mother-of-pearl in strength and toughness

Record high local prices, coupled with short-term pressure on household finances, could encourage people to sell gold

Markets regulator Sebi had received draft red herring prospectus for the proposed IPO on February 8

Ray Harryhausen's Fantasy Scrapbook by Ray Harryhausen and Tony Dalton

November saw the release of Ray Harryhausen's Fantasy Scrapbook, a compendium of models, storyboards and concept drawings from the legendary pioneer of stop-motion animation. This new book is compiled from a wide range of never-before-seen artefacts from Ray's life and career, many of them only recently discovered in a Los Angeles garage. Through his original sketches, scripts and letters, it offers fascinating insights into the mind of one of Hollywood's great animators.

With informative introductions to each film and detailed captions for every image, this illuminating volume is a must for all film fans. Harryhausen's seminal work on Jason and the Argonauts, The 7th Joyage of Sinbad and Clash of the Titans remains hugely influential and Ray Harryhausen's Fantasy Scrapbook does his creativity and imagination justice.

"Thoroughly engrossing, whether you’re a Harryhausen fan or just a film fan in general. It’s an absolute delight to browse through and, crucially, captures the character of the man behind the monsters" sfx.co.uk

"This collection truly is a thing of beauty ... A must buy for Ray's fans" Starburst Magazine

Ray Harryhausen's Fantasy Scrapbook is available to buy here.


If the Fantasy Scrapbook has animated your interest and you're looking for more stop-motion history, then look no further. Aurum have published three more books by Ray Harryhausen and Tony Dalton:

The Art of Ray Harryhausen by Ray Harryhuasen and Tony Dalton, with a foreword by Peter Jackson

"A splendid volume... fabulous illustrations" Jonathan Ross

Available in paperback here.






Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life by Ray Harryhausen and Tony Dalton, with an foreword by Ray Bradbury

"A sumptuous account of the veteran animator's life on celluloid" The Independent

Available in paperback here.




A Century of Model Animation: From Méliès to Aardman by Ray Harryhausen and Tony Dalton

"A work full of love for the subject" SFX Magazine

Available in hardback here.