University of Leeds

Marsden writer Simon Armitage has formally taken up his post as the nation's Poet Laureate after meeting the Queen.

PA

The poet met the monarch at Buckingham Palace, where he was also presented with the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry 2018 - awarded for excellence in poetry - on the basis of his body of work.

Earlier in May, the Queen approved the appointment for a fixed term of 10 years and Mr Armitage said at the time he wanted to "help poetry explore its potential" in a multimedia age.

Mr Armitage, who was brought up in Marsden, West Yorkshire, has published 28 collections of poetry and his work is studied by children as part of the national curriculum.

The writer is a professor of poetry at the University of Leeds and now becomes the 21st UK Poet Laureate.

A chemical, which could help treat an aggressive form of brain cancer, has been developed by scientists at the University of Leeds.

PA

Researchers say they've been surprised by how effective it is in testing, because it causes tumour cells to shut down.

The substance, called KHS 101, has been tested on mice and could form the basis for a new treatment for glioblastoma.