Now: Lap up lakeside views and mountainous scenery in Austria this summer. Thomson has a week's stay at the Strandhotel Margaretha, on Lake Wolfgang, for £485pp, including flights from Gatwick to Salzburg on 9 June and transfers. (thomsonlakes.co.uk).

'I tend to go to a lot of places by myself'

The West Indies Cricket Board today sent their condolences to the family of batsman Runako Morton, who has been killed in a car accident.

Wladimir Klitschko will be aiming for his 50th career knockout when he defends his world heavyweight titles against French challenger Jean-Marc Mormeck tonight.

It may be his first solo mission overseas on behalf of his grandmother but for the people of Jamaica there is only one question surrounding the visit of Prince Harry next week: where will he party?

Andrew Bird's characteristic lyrical blend of vagueness and verbosity is slightly reined in on Break It Yourself, though he juggles lightness and opacity as deftly as ever in songs like "Lazy Projector" and "Danse Carribe".

Jack Davenport and Andrew Lincoln are among the British actors wowing audiences in the US. By Sarah Hughes

Now... Barbados Bliss

British Airways Holidays has a week's break at the Dover Beach Hotel in Barbados (room only), a short drive from Bridgetown. The deal includes flights from Gatwick on 3 Sept for £674pp. Britishairways.com

Six men have been saved from drowning after their boat capsized as they were days away from entering the record books as the first crew to row across the Atlantic in a month.

Britons looking for winter sun will find their spending money going considerably further in Spain and Sri Lanka than the Caribbean or Australia, a cost comparison survey showed today.

Everybody's doing tests of endurance these days. Am I being left behind?

Today: The West End of London welcomes Christmas shoppers. Oxford Street and Regent Street are closed to traffic this weekend, opening up the roads to pedestrians (westendvip.com). Meanwhile in Tulúm on Mexico's Mayan Riviera, Design Hotels is hosting a pop-up beach camp of 99 rustic-chic cabanas. Papaya Playa is open to guests until 5 May 2012 (papayaplayaproject.com).

Now...Canary call

The island of Fuerteventura makes for an ideal winter sun escape. Thomas Cook will fly you out from Birmingham a week from today – Wednesday 14 December – for a seven-night stay at the Rio Calma Hotel on the Costa Calma. The package costs £425 per person with half-board accommodation. Thomascook.com