Purchasing a thatched cottage was a decision that would change Liam Broderick’s life. Kya deLongchamps meets the long-time thatcher

THE Staffordshire Hoard, the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon treasure ever found, has been valued at £3.28 million (€3.6m), the British Museum has said.

Iraqi security forces seized 200 explosive belts today along the Syrian border, a police spokesman said, reinforcing Baghdad’s claims that its western neighbour isn’t doing enough to stop the flow of fighters and weapons to al Qaida in Iraq.