We won't tolerate cheats, warns ICC

Cricket authorities are hoping for "some sort of a conclusion" by the weekend to the crisis over match-fixing allegations involving Pakistani players.

The game's ruling body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), said cricketers found guilty faced swift and firm punishment, including being thrown out of the sport.

However chief executive Haroon Lorgat said "a couple of individuals that might have got caught up in corrupt practices" should not bring the entire game to a standstill.

TV viewers 'want to see more drama'

Viewers want to see more drama and documentaries rather than reality and celebrity shows, research has shown.

The study also shows that viewers reckon Big Brother - soon to disappear forever from Channel 4 but which may be revived on Channel Five - is the show most people say they strive to avoid.

The figures - from a joint survey by SeeSaw.com and Radio Times - come as popular shows X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing prepare to go head to head for Saturday night ratings.

And Channel 4 is going all-out with Big Brother's last gasp as former stars flood the show for a fortnight.

Taxpayer 'may profit from banks'

The Government is set to reap almost £30 billion from its holdings in British banks which it bailed out at the time of the financial crisis, according to an analysis.

The sum - enough to fund the UK's primary schools for a year - represents a dramatic turnaround from predictions at the height of the crisis that propping up the banks could cost taxpayers as much as £850 billion.

It will be achieved if equity prices rise in line with predicted economic growth over the next five years, delivering a profit of around £19 billion to the taxpayer by 2015, said The Banker magazine.