News

Old films to aid memory recovery

news.bbc.co.uk - Old home movies are being used to help trigger the forgotten past of people with dementia and other memory loss. More... (England)

Robert F Kennedy Jr's wife dead

news.bbc.co.uk - Mary Kennedy - the estranged wife of Robert F Kennedy Jr, nephew of John F Kennedy - is found dead at her home. More... (Americas)

Queen asked to end 'blood taint'

news.bbc.co.uk - A petition is to go to the Queen asking her to set aside legislation that punished Jacobite sympathisers and all their descendants. More... (Scotland)

Apple trees in Highlands mapped

news.bbc.co.uk - The planting of apple trees could be on the rise in the Highlands, according to the maker of a new map. More... (Scotland)

Experts study Harry Potter novels

news.bbc.co.uk - More than 60 academics from across the world gather in Scotland to examine the literary merits of the Harry Potter novels. More... (Scotland)

Tidal turbine 'performing well'

news.bbc.co.uk - A subsea turbine which uses tidal power to generate electricity has successfully completed initial tests off Orkney. More... (Scotland)

The euro’s survival 'requires political union'

news.bbc.co.uk - The day the ECB saved the eurozone's banks More... (Europe)

Rebuilding spurs Japan economy

news.bbc.co.uk - Japan's economy grows by 1.0% between January and March compared with the previous three months, official figures show. More... (Olympics)

PM: UK my priority in euro crisis

news.bbc.co.uk - David Cameron is expected to say it is his job to the UK safe whatever the fate of the eurozone. More... (UK)

Rangers set to continue fight against transfer ban after appeal is rejected by the Scottish Football Association

www.telegraph.co.uk - Rangers were dealt a potentially lethal blow when their appeal against a 12-month transfer embargo was rejected. More... (Football)

Euro 2012: Roy Hodgson admits Scott Parker injury fears

www.dailymail.co.uk - England manager Roy Hodgson has admitted he could lose midfielder Scott Parker before Euro 2012. The midfielder has an Achilles tendon injury. More... (Football)

Euro 2012: England squad analysis

www.dailymail.co.uk - England boss Roy Hodgson has announced the 23-man squad he will take to Poland and Ukraine in search of European Championship glory. Here's Sportsmail's lowdown on the Three Lions gunning for a glory-filled summer. More... (Football)

Rangers appeal against transfer embargo and fine rejected

www.dailymail.co.uk - Rangers have lost their appeal against a 12-month transfer embargo and £160,000 fine but administrators Duff and Phelps have suggested they could explore further ways of challenging the sanctions. More... (Football)

Gareth Barry believes more silverware will follow title victory

www.dailymail.co.uk - Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry is convinced there will be more trophies to follow after the ecstasy of winning a first league title for 44 years. More... (Football)

China's ageing economic time bomb

news.bbc.co.uk - How an ageing population threatens China's economy More... (Asia)

Swiss Army knife adapts to remain a cutting-edge tool

news.bbc.co.uk - The Swiss Army knife had to adapt after the events of 9/11 More... (Europe)

Didier Drogba looking forward to facing Bayern Munich

www.dailymail.co.uk - Didier Drogba has admitted he fell into the trap of thinking Chelsea would be back in the Champions League final a year after losing to Manchester United. More... (Football)

Kenny Dalglish sacked by Liverpool: Owners accept he's out of his depth

www.dailymail.co.uk - Kenny Dalglish was dramatically sacked after Liverpool’s owners held him responsible for the club’s dismal Barclays Premier League campaign. More... (Football)

Roger Federer eases through against Carlos Berlocq at Italian Open

www.guardian.co.uk - Rafael Nadal beats Florian Mayer 6-1, 7-5 in opening match Serena and Venus Williams through, Caroline Wozniacki retiresFresh off a title in Madrid and back at No2 in the rankings, Roger Federer beat Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 6-4 in his opening match at the Italian Open on Wednesday.Rafael Nadal, who was replaced by Federer at No 2, beat Florian Mayer 6-1, 7-5.Seeking to win one of only three Masters 1000 events he has never claimed, Federer dealt with the swirling wind inside the 10,500-seat stadium at the Foro Italico, coming to the net often."I look at the big picture and what is important to me is just to be in the top 10 and if I am No 2 or not at the French Open doesn't change anything, and it doesn't change anything for Rafa," Federer said. "That I was able to win Madrid was amazing, and that is what I look at right now - not the rankings."Federer now plays Juan Carlos Ferrero, the 2001 Rome champion.In the women's event, Serena Williams rallied past Nadia Petrova of Russia 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to extend her winning streak to 15 matches after she won titles in South Carolina and Madrid.Serena's sister, Venus, had an easier time reaching the third round, eliminating Ekaterina Makarova of Russia 7-6, 6-1.Serena Williams did not have much time after finishing her first-round win over Galina Voskoboeva near midnight on Tuesday. "It was a quick turnaround," Serena said. "When I saw the schedule, I said 'Oh my God, are you serious?' That's life. You just have to be able to adjust and make the best of it and so I was really happy to come through today."Williams next faces the fifth-seeded Sam Stosur, who defeated Sara Errani 6-3, 7-5.There were several upsets in the women's event, with Agnieszka Radwanska losing to Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, Caroline Wozniacki retiring with upper respiratory illness while trailing 6-4, 4-0 to Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain and Marion Bartoli being eliminated 6-3, 6-1 by Julia Goerges of Germany.The French Open champion, Li Na of China, beat Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 7-5.Roger FedererRafael NadalTennisSerena WilliamsVenus Williamsguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Tennis)

Goalline technology tested live for first time in England

www.dailymail.co.uk - Goalline technology was given its first live test on Wednesday night in the Hampshire FA Senior Cup final between AFC Totton and Eastleigh FC. More... (Football)

'Growing menace' of Australian bike gang violence

news.bbc.co.uk - Bike gang shootings rock Australian city More... (Asia)

Vauxhall car plant 'saved by GM'

news.bbc.co.uk - General Motors is to confirm within hours that Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant has been saved, securing the jobs of 2,100 staff, the BBC learns. More... (UK)

Early candidates in the frame to take over from Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool

www.telegraph.co.uk - Five possible candidates to take over from 'king Kenny' at Liverpool More... (Football)

Mark Chapman rants at BBC after seeing Roberto Mancini interview slashed: Charles Sale

www.dailymail.co.uk - BBC 5 Live sports presenter Mark Chapman has caused a considerable stir within the Corporation by launching a Twitter attack on his bosses over their treatment of a Roberto Mancini interview. More... (Football)

Sacked Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish will never walk alone

www.telegraph.co.uk - Henry Winter: For all his mistakes, we must not overlook the deep and abiding love Dalglish still has for Liverpool FC. More... (Football)

Equality laws to be 'simplified'

news.bbc.co.uk - Ministers announce plans to "simplify" equalities legislation and remove what they say are "unnecessary" obligations on business - a move criticised by Labour. More... (Olympics)

Senior civil servant to resign

news.bbc.co.uk - One of the UK's most senior civil servants, Ian Watmore, is to leave his post, it has been announced. More... (Olympics)

VIDEO: UN warns of South Sudan food shortage

news.bbc.co.uk - More than half the population of South Sudan are facing food shortages due to the continuing conflict with Sudan, the UN is warning. More... (Africa)

David Moyes wants Steven Naismith

www.dailymail.co.uk - Everton manager David Moyes is considering a cut-price move for Rangers’ Steven Naismith, who had a £2m release clause inserted in his contract in February after accepting a pay cut. More... (Football)

Obama honours Vietnam War soldier

news.bbc.co.uk - US President Barack Obama awards the Medal of Honor to a Vietnam War soldier, four decades after his original recommendation was lost. More... (Americas)

Manchester United striker Michael Owen could get chance to prolong Old Trafford career

www.telegraph.co.uk - Striker could be handed a surprise extension to his Manchester United career, with Sir Alex Ferguson yet to decide on his future More... (Football)

John Terry selection made to make England stronger on the pitch at Euro 2012, says manager Roy Hodgson

www.telegraph.co.uk - Roy Hodgson insisted on Wednesday that he had no moral issue selecting John Terry for Euro 2012. More... (Football)

Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson could offer Michael Owen a 12-month contract extension

www.telegraph.co.uk - Manchester United manager yet to decide on player's future at Old Trafford. More... (Football)

Underdogs Hibernian must show more heart in the Scottish Cup final, says former captain Pat Stanton

www.telegraph.co.uk - Former Hibs captain and manager believes his beloved club can win the cup if they show heart. More... (Football)

Carlos Tévez resuses to apologise to 'president' Ferguson following parade insult to former manager

www.telegraph.co.uk - Player has no regrets for brandishing a 'RIP Fergie' placard at Manchester City's trophy parade. More... (Football)

Liverpool sack Kenny Dalglish after his failure to finish in the top four of the Premier League

www.telegraph.co.uk - Kenny Dalglish's second coming as Liverpool manager is over. More... (Football)

West Indies weakened by wealth of IPL: Nasser Hussain

www.dailymail.co.uk - You've got to feel a bit sorry for West Indies. When the first Test starts at Lord's against England they'll be doing so with one hand tied behind their back. More... (Cricket)

Kenny Dalglish sacked after Liverpool failure - Martin Samuel

www.dailymail.co.uk - The Sir Thomas Hotel in the old bank building in the city centre is where Liverpool Football Club celebrate the great nights. It was booked for after the FA Cup final against Chelsea. More... (Football)

West Indies have chance to upset England - David Bumble Lloyd

www.dailymail.co.uk - All sorts of doom and gloom about West Indies chances at Lord's, but I reckon they will be competitive because they have a tasty attack. More... (Cricket)

Jonathan Trott usually starts the summer at a gallop: Paul Newman cricket column

www.dailymail.co.uk - West Indies beware, Jonathan Trott makes a habit of starting off the summer with a Test double hundred. He did it against Bangladesh in 2010 and he did it against Sri Lanka last year. More... (Cricket)

Tribunal rejects Rangers appeal

news.bbc.co.uk - Rangers have their appeal against a £160,000 fine and a year-long transfer embargo rejected by a Scottish FA tribunal. More... (UK)

Top Spin Test special: West Indies can rewrite history

www.dailymail.co.uk - West Indies must make history to win the first Test at Lord's. England have won eight and drawn four of their season openers in May. More... (Cricket)

VIDEO: When General Grant expelled the Jews

news.bbc.co.uk - The wide consequences of US Civil War hero's expulsion of Jews More... (Americas)

England v West Indies: Michael Vaughan: fiery new kid on the block Jonny Bairstow has got the lot - and I'm not being biased

www.telegraph.co.uk - Former England captain believes Jonny Bairstow will excel in the Test arena. More... (Cricket)

Robert F Kennedy Jr wife 'dead'

news.bbc.co.uk - The estranged wife of lawyer and environmentalist Robert F Kennedy Jr, Mary Kennedy, has been found dead, her attorney says. More... (Americas)

Andrew Strauss bids to conjure up on magic against West Indies

www.dailymail.co.uk - The Lord's Test against West Indies provides Andrew Strauss with the perfect opportunity to show why he remains the right man to lead England. More... (Cricket)

AUDIO: Children's shows leave BBC One

news.bbc.co.uk - Children's programmes will no longer be shown on BBC One and Two following the digital switchover, the BBC Trust has confirmed. More... (UK)

Manchester City's street party proves money can buy you love

www.telegraph.co.uk - Jim White: Best-selling author claims finances dilute club's title but it seems none of their fans feels likewise. More... (Football)

VIDEO: Sam Hallam supporters celebrate

news.bbc.co.uk - Sam Hallam was freed on bail earlier to jubilant scenes at the Court of Appeal. More... (England)

Aidan O'Brien prospects of monopolising British Classics dented at York

www.dailymail.co.uk - Aidan O'Brien's prospects of monopolising the British Classics face a serious obstacle after The Fugue cruised to a four-and-a-half length win in the Musidora Stakes. More... (Horse racing)

World Match Play Championship 2012: Ryder Cup bonus for Paul Lawrie, Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter

www.dailymail.co.uk - No Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald or Lee Westwood at the World Match Play Championship offers a great opportunity for the likes of Paul Lawrie and defending champion Ian Poulter. More... (Golf)

Kenny Dalglish sacked: Liverpool admire Newcastle boss Alan Pardew

www.dailymail.co.uk - The removal of Kenny Dalglish from his Anfield office was always going to be an emotional affair. As the news began to break, the mood that swept Liverpool was melancholic. More... (Football)

Kenny Dalglish: Seven reasons behind Liverpool sacking

www.dailymail.co.uk - Liverpool bosses have axed manager Kenny Dalglish after a disappointing season. Here are seven of the major reasons the King Kenny was given the boot. More... (Football)

France's new Socialist cabinet named

news.bbc.co.uk - Names to watch in Francois Hollande's new cabinet More... (Europe)

Mario Gomez? I've faced him on PlayStation! David Luiz can have last laugh over Gary Neville jibe

www.dailymail.co.uk - Asked whether he had played against Mario Gomez in the past, David Luiz laughed and said: ‘Just on PlayStation’. It was a new angle on the usual joke. More... (Football)

Roy Hodgson's reasons for leaving Rio Ferdinand out of England squad are unconvincing

www.dailymail.co.uk - Roy Hodgson is an articulate man, a decent man too, but the argument he presented in trying to explain Rio Ferdinand’s omission from his first England squad was not a terribly convincing one. More... (Football)

Bayern Munich skipper Phillip Lahm puzzled at John Terry's sending off at Barcelona

www.dailymail.co.uk - Philipp Lahm can understand what John Terry will be going through in the Allianz Arena on Saturday but feels little sympathy for his opposite number. More... (Football)

Roy Hodgson made the right decision on John Terry - Martin Samuel

www.dailymail.co.uk - The problem with football men is they tend to make football decisions. And the problem with football decisions is they prioritise the obvious, and little more. More... (Football)

Manchester United investigate potential interest in Nani

www.dailymail.co.uk - Manchester United have made moves to find out if there would be interest in Nani should his current contract negotiations collapse. More... (Football)

Huddersfield will give life bans to fans who attacked Alan Smith

www.dailymail.co.uk - Angry Huddersfield chief Dean Hoyle has vowed to find those responsible for attacking former Leeds striker Alan Smith and ban them for life. More... (Football)

Man United pull out of Mohamed Diame deal after heart condition fears

www.dailymail.co.uk - Manchester United have pulled out of a move for Wigan midfielder Mohamed Diame due to concerns over his heart condition. More... (Football)

Ian Evatt happy Blackpool is no longer the Charlie Adam Show as West Ham showdown looms

www.dailymail.co.uk - Blackpool defender Ian Evatt has expressed his frustration at what he describes as the ‘Charlie Adam Show’ during Blackpool’s brief stay in the Premier League. More... (Football)

Sunderland want Steven Pienaar for £5m

www.dailymail.co.uk - Sunderland are lining up a bid for Tottenham midfielder Steven Pienaar. The South African has impressed on loan back at former club Everton. More... (Football)

Carlos Tevez hits out at 'President of England' Sir Alex Ferguson

www.dailymail.co.uk - Carlos Tevez reopened his verbal war with Sir Alex Ferguson on Wednesday night after arriving in Argentina for a summer break. More... (Football)

Winstone slams murder case police

news.bbc.co.uk - Actor Ray Winstone criticises the police after a man who served seven years for a murder he always denied walked free from court. More... (UK)

Tân mawr ar fynydd

news.bbc.co.uk - Tair injan dân wedi eu galw i safle ar fynydd yn y Rhondda. More... (Wales)

VIDEO: Icelandic artist celebrates Jubilee

news.bbc.co.uk - A new stained-glass window commissioned to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee has been installed in Southwark Cathedral. More... (Europe)

Spanish queen cancels UK visit

news.bbc.co.uk - Spain's Queen Sofia cancels a vist to the UK for the Diamond Jubilee following disputes with London over the territory of Gibraltar. More... (Europe)

Samir Nasri reveals Patrice Evra's paint stripper threat

www.dailymail.co.uk - Samir Nasri revealed on Wednesday night that Patrice Evra has threatened to wash his car with paint stripper after the Manchester United defender lost their bet over who would win the title. More... (Football)

Phineas Gage's connectome

www.guardian.co.uk - Modern technology provides a fresh perspective on the most famous case study in the history of neuroscienceAnyone who has studied psychology or neuroscience will be familiar with the incredible case of Phineas Gage, the railroad worker who had a metre-long iron rod propelled straight through his head at high speed in an explosion. Gage famously survived this horrific accident, but underwent dramatic personality changes afterwards. In recent years researchers reconstructed his skull and the passage of the rod through it, to try to understand how these changes were related to his brain damage. Now, neuroscientists from the University of California, Los Angeles have produced Gage's connectome - a detailed wiring diagram of his brain, showing how its long-range connections were altered by the injury. The new research, led by Jack Van Horn of UCLA's Laboratory of Neuroimaging (LONI), is part of the Human Connectome Project. Launched in July 2009, with tens of millions of dollars of funding from the National Institutes of Heath to several large consortia, this ambitious project aims to build a comprehensive map of the connections in the human brain, in the hope that it will aid our understanding of how the organ works and what goes wrong in conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease, autism, and schizophrenia. The hundreds of researchers involved use a variety of techniques to collect data about the connectivity of the human brain, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which can be used to obtain data about the structure and function of the live human brain. A related method, which has become increasingly popular in recent years, is diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), which can be used to visualize the large white matter tracts which form long-range connections between different parts of the brain. But how does one reconstruct the connectome of someone who died more than 150 years ago, and whose brain no longer even exists? Van Horn and his colleagues used high-resolution CT scans of Gage's skull, from a 2004 study that digitally reconstructed the trajectory of the iron rod as it passed through his brain, and examined the data again to re-estimate its path as accurately as possible.They then selected structural MRI and DTI data from 110 healthy people from the LONI Image Data Archive. All of these data came from men aged between 25 (Gage's age at the time of his accident) and 36 (the age at which he died). The researchers combined these data to produce a generalized map of the long-range connections in the human brain, and used computational modelling to project the passage of the tamping iron onto it.John Martyn Harlow, the doctor who attended to Gage at the scene of the accident, described the passage of the rod in a letter to the editor of the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal: Taking a direction upward and backward... [it] entered the cranium, passing through the anterior left lobe of the cerebrum, and made its exit in the median line, at the junction of the coronal and sagittal sutures... breaking up considerable portions of brain, and protruding the globe of the left eye from its socket, by nearly one half its diameter.The digital renderings below show the new model of the rod's path, and how it may have affected the structure of the white matter tracts. The image on the left shows the best-fit trajectory of the rod through Gage's skull, and some of the neural pathways in the left hemisphere that would have been damaged. The one on the right shows the inside of his skull from above, and the likely extent of the damage: Finally, Van Horn and his colleagues crunched their data to visualize the connectivity in a healthy brain and in Gage's brain as 'connectograms,' circular diagrams depicting the brain's major white matter tracts. In these diagrams, the major brain regions - the frontal lobe, insula, limbic system, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, brain stem and cerebellum - are colour-coded and arranged on the outer ring of the diagram, according to their position from the front. The inner rings represent various other measures, such as the average volume, thickness and surface area of each area. The left half of the diagram represents the left hemisphere, the right half represents the right hemisphere, while the brain stem is shown at the bottom. The inner-most ring shows the degree of connectivity within and between the two hemispheres, as measured by DTI. Here's the connectogram showing the major pathways in the healthy human brain, averaged from the 110 data sets:Van Horn and his colleagues estimate that the rod destroyed about 4% of Gage's cerebral cortex, and about 11% of the total white matter in the frontal lobe. According to their model, the accident damaged some of the major white matter tracts in left the frontal lobe, including the uncinate fasciculus, which connects parts of the frontal cortex to the limbic system, and the superior longitudinal fasciculus, which runs the entire length of the brain to connect all four lobes in each hemisphere to each other. It also damaged the frontal cortex connector hubs, localized regions that contain a high density of connections to other areas. This would have disrupted global network organization, making the damage far more profound and widespread than previously thought. Gage's connectogram looks quite different from that of an average healthy brain, and is dominated by white matter tracts that were either lost entirely (shown below in shades of grey) or partially severed (shades of brown) when the rod passed through: This is all very well, but it doesn't tell us much more than we already know about how Gage's brain damage affected his behaviour. Gage is said to have undergone major personality changes following his accident, becoming quick-tempered and foul-mouthed and behaving sexually inappropriately. In a subsequent report, published 20 years after the accident, Harlow described the changes thus:His contractors, who regarded him as the most efficient and capable foreman in their employ previous to his injury, considered the change in his mind so marked that they could not give him his place again. He is fitful, irreverent, indulging at times in the grossest profanity (which was not previously his custom), manifesting but little deference for his fellows, impatient of restraint of advice when it conflicts with his desires, at times pertinaciously obstinent, yet capricious and vacillating, devising many plans of future operation, which are no sooner arranged than they are abandoned in turn for others appearing more feasible. In this regard, his mind was radically changed, so decidedly that his friends and acquaintances said he was "no longer Gage".Damage to the connections between the frontal cortex and limbic system is in keeping with such behaviour, because these pathways are known to be involved in the regulation of emotions. The researchers also note that the global network changes they observed in their model are similar to those seen in fronto-temporal dementia and related neurodegenerative conditions, and suggest that they may explain Gage's apparent deficits in executive function. According to Malcolm Macmillan, the accounts of Gage's behavioural changes are based largely on anecdotal reports that are not substantiated by the little evidence there is. "Phineas' story," Macmilllan writes in his book An Odd Kind of Fame, "is worth remembering because it illustrates how easily a small stock of facts becomes transformed into popular and scientific myth."Macmillan's own research suggests that the reported changes in Gage's behaviour and personality lasted for only a short time after the injury. Indeed, we now know that the brain can recover from traumatic brain injury and other insults by forming new pathways, and DTI is increasingly being used to investigate these organizational changes. There's little doubt that Gage sustained extensive frontal lobe damage in the accident, but we'll never know the true extent of the damage, and that calls in to question the accuracy of the connectome. Nevertheless, the study is an early attempt at using these methods to assess whole brain connectivity following brain injury, and it seems quite fitting that the researchers used Gage as their subject. Reference: Van Horn, J. D., et al. (2012). Mapping Connectivity Damage in the Case of Phineas Gage. PLoS ONE, 7(5): e37454. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037454NeurosciencePsychologyHuman biologyMedical researchMo Costandiguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Medical research)

Dumbarton 2-1 Airdrie United

news.bbc.co.uk - Dumbarton take a narrow lead over Airdrie into the second leg of their First Division play-off final. More... (Scotland)

County cricket: James Hildreth and Arul Suppiah score centuries

www.dailymail.co.uk - Somerset's batsmen made hay at The Oval, with James Hildreth and Arul Suppiah scoring tons on their way to 441 for five against Surrey at a zippy 4.6 an over. More... (Cricket)

Southend 2 Crewe 2 (agg 2-3): Railwaymen reach League Two play-off Final

www.dailymail.co.uk - Seventeen-year-old Max Clayton scored the goal which sent Crewe to Wembley for the npower League Two play-off final. More... (Football)

VIDEO: Welsh director's film premieres

news.bbc.co.uk - A martial arts action film written by a Welsh director Gareth Evans has premiered at 12 cinemas across Wales. More... (Wales)

Manchester United's Michael Carrick told FA he did not want to be bit-part player at Euro 2012

www.telegraph.co.uk - Roy Hodgson says United player ruled himself out of going to the finals of Euro 2012. More... (Football)

Phil Vickery in call for Cornish Pirates to get a funding break for new stadium

www.telegraph.co.uk - Phil Vickery laments council's decision to not help club with financing new stadium. More... (Rugby union)

'Gutted' Ferdinand reveals his pain at missing Euro 2012 as Hodgson plumps for Terry

www.dailymail.co.uk - Rio Ferdinand has revealed his heartache after failing to make Roy Hodgson’s England squad for Euro 2012. HE turned to Twitter to remark: 'To say I’m gutted is an understatement of the highest order.’ More... (Football)

Ian Poulter says Olympics should choose matchplay for golf's return in 2016 at Rio de Janeiro

www.telegraph.co.uk - Englishman believes head-to-head format would draw in more spectators at Rio 2016 . More... (Golf)

Church fights child rape ruling

news.bbc.co.uk - Portsmouth Diocese challenges a High Court ruling that the Catholic Church can be held liable for the sex crimes of priests. More... (England)

VIDEO: Lighthouse to become island hotel

news.bbc.co.uk - A lighthouse on Skokholm Island will be converted into a four bedroom hotel after the Wildlife Trust bought the property. More... (Wales)

Ulster ready to make 'statement'

news.bbc.co.uk - Ulster are ready to make a 'statement' by winning the Heineken Cup against Leinster at Twickenham on Saturday. More... (Northern Ireland)

Somerset v Surrey: Arul Suppiah, James Hildreth and Nick Compton send Somerset's total soaring

www.telegraph.co.uk - Somerset (441-5) v Surrey Arul Suppiah, James Hildreth and Nick Compton take advantage of pitch. More... (Cricket)

Edwards will not testify in trial

news.bbc.co.uk - The defence in John Edwards' corruption trial rests its case without calling the two-time presidential candidate or his ex-mistress to the stand. More... (Americas)

Edwards does not testify in trial

news.bbc.co.uk - The defence in John Edwards' corruption trial rests its case without calling the two-time presidential candidate or his ex-mistress to the stand. More... (Americas)

Hampshire rally as Simon Katich hits unbeaten 180 off Yorkshire attack

www.guardian.co.uk - Hampshire 352-5 v YorkshireSimon Katich rejoined Hampshire this past winter intent on repaying the county for the part they played in his development as an international cricketer.The start of his second spell had been relatively modest, so his unbeaten hundred on the ground upon which he made his Test debut 11 years ago, and against one of his four other former county employers, represents a satisfying initial dividend. A couple of three-figure partnerships with Sean Ervine and Michael Bates initially countered and then changed the momentum of the opening day after Yorkshire were asked to field."I certainly feel I owe the club for the opportunities they gave me and it certainly helped me get back to playing Test cricket for Australia," said the 36-year-old. "There is no doubt my first year in 2003 got my game back in order. So it would be nice to give something back."Katich will resume on 180 on Thursday morning, his highest score for Hampshire, alongside the wicketkeeper Michael Bates, whose unbeaten 88 represents another personal high - a Championship best. However, things could have been markedly different; arriving at the crease at six for two, the Katich survived a heart-in-the-mouth moment as a Steve Patterson delivery struck him above the knee roll first ball."When it hit me I felt that it was high but you just never know," he admitted. "Because I am always in line with the stumps it's dangerous when I get hit but from the length the ball came I didn't feel particularly guilty."There were other escapes too: on 46, when he only just cleared Patterson at mid-off; off Iain Wardlaw, on 114, when Ryan Sidebottom could not haul down a drive to mid-on; and finally when Adil Rashid floored a tough return chance. However, Patterson, Yorkshire's leading wicket-taker, acknowledged its quality when he said: "It was a superb innings because in the context they could have been 120 for six, and 200 all out. He anchored things and let others play around him."Yorkshire's attack should contain greater potency when Katich's compatriot Mitchell Starc has acclimatised - the left-arm pace bowler is familiarising himself with the Duke ball having spent the past few days flying around the globe to address visa issues - while Tim Bresnan could join it mid-match if deemed surplus to England's requirements at Lord's. Without that international duo they began promisingly to reduce Hampshire to 83 for four before lunch but managed only one more wicket in the final 70 overs on a rare good day for batting this season.County Championship 2012 Division TwoYorkshireHampshireCounty Championship Division TwoCricketRichard Gibsonguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Cricket)

VIDEO: From Ladbroke Grove to Dagenham

news.bbc.co.uk - A west London woman moved to east London because of the new housing benefit cap, describes being offered Wales as a third choice. More... (England)

Horse racing tips: Thursday, May 17, 2012

www.dailymail.co.uk - Your complete guide to Thursday's meetings as Racemail's top stable of speculators share their knowledge and make their selections. More... (Horse racing)

Roger Federer tells young rivals to calm down

www.dailymail.co.uk - Roger Federer has suggested his younger and more excitable rivals need to calm down to fight off his surge back towards the top of the rankings. More... (Tennis)

Google makes search 'more human'

news.bbc.co.uk - Google revamps its search engine in an attempt to offer instant answers to search questions with a new function, the Knowledge Graph. More... (Americas)

Arrests at BNP sex gang protest

news.bbc.co.uk - Four people are arrested in a protest by the British National Party in Rochdale over a child sex grooming case. More... (UK)

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Kensal Rise library campaigners gain another day

books.guardian.co.uk - Brent council backs off from emptying shelves, as protesters complain offer to run service with volunteers was ignoredShortly after midday on Wednesday, one of the local authority workers caught up in the often bitter hostilities between Brent council and those fighting to save Kensal Rise library took it upon themselves to lighten the mood a little.And so it was that a poster showing the bright yellow visage of Mr Happy of the Mr Men came to be mischievously affixed to the library window for the benefit of the protesters outside.But some of those on the other side of the glass - many of whom had been there since 7.30am when the council lorries rolled up to clear the library of its books - were less than pleased by the appearance of Mr Happy's beaming face."Have they not got a Mr Twat poster?" wondered one campaigner to much righteous laughter.Similar guffaws had erupted a few moments earlier when the library's burglar alarm went off. "It's too late," deadpanned one protester. "The burglars are already in there."But despite the jokes, the civilised trays of teas and the good-natured banter with police, the mood outside the north-west London library was one of anger and incredulity.Eighteen months after Brent council announced plans to shut six libraries in the borough, including Kensal Rise, and three months after the supreme court decided that no further appeal would be heard against the council's decision, many campaigners were struggling to come to terms with the notion that the last books were on the verge of leaving the premises, rendering the imposing Victorian building, quite unequivocally, an ex-library."It's absolutely cruel and unjust," said local resident Jodie Gramigni.She accused the council of ignoring a business plan that had been submitted by the campaigners which would have seen the community take over the library and run it as a volunteer facility at no cost to the taxpayer.If austerity cuts are forcing the council to make savings, she added, then they should welcome such community involvement."It's a shambles how this council disregards their own citizens," she said. "They could gift it to us with just a stroke of the hand and we would take all of the costs and try to run it for the community, for the children and for the elderly - and they have denied us this."Brent council, whose workers were shown clemency by the campaigners and allowed out to fetch their lunch from the nearby Lebanese fish and chip shop, said the library's future was out of its hands as the building had legally reverted to its original landlords, All Souls College, Oxford."We are removing council property so that All Souls can take vacant possession and decided what they want to do with the building," it said in a statement. "The books and other materials will be sorted and distributed amongst the council's other libraries."Those at the Save Kensal Rise Library campaign, however, say that is a moot point.They point to a letter received in March from the Oxford college, which says that All Souls "would be happy to consider the library being kept open" as proposed in their business plan.Richard Cross, a lawyer and campaigner, accused the council of "needlessly destructive" behaviour.He said that the decision to try to remove the books showed that the outgoing Brent council leader, Ann John, was using her last day in office to conduct a "vendetta" against those who had opposed her plans to shut libraries."We are defending the library and we are not going to be moral inferiors to the Victorians who created this library 111 years ago," he said. "We are going to campaign and fight and save the library. This is not the end."And so it proved.After a police inspector had arrived to assess the situation, a protester had settled down on the low wall outside the library with a copy of JG Farrell's The Siege of Krishnapur, and frantic calls had been made to Brent council' soon-to-be-sworn-in new leader, Muhammed Butt, rumours began to spread of yet another stay of execution.Finally, at three o'clock, the council workers began to emerge, empty-handed, from the building.A few minutes later, the two hired lorries that had been parked outside the library since the early morning pulled away to cheers from the demonstrators.Although a council spokeswoman confirmed that Brent had abandoned its plans to remove the books for the day, she said the situation would be revisited following consultation with the police.A peek through the library window suggested that the next attempt to clear the building may happen sooner rather than later: on a table near the piled cardboard boxes of books, the council workers had left their tea station prepared for another go, kettle, sugar and all.The novelist Tim Lott, who along with Zadie Smith, Philip Pullman and Alan Bennett has been an outspoken defender of Kensal Rise library, said that Brent's actions had created "a ridiculous situation that simply has no logic to it".Standing outside the library, which was opened by Mark Twain in 1900, Lott shook his head."I can't make sense of it or understand why Brent are acting in such a bloody-minded way," he said."It shows a hatred of the big community and the big society. It's a completely irrational situation where everyone is a loser and it's very sad. It's a victory for ignorance."Lott also warned of dire consequences if the campaigners eventually found themselves unable to save their library."[It would] take the wind out of a lot of people's sails," he said. "It's a blow for literacy and the end of a fine Victorian tradition."LibrariesLocal governmentLondonPublic sector cutsPublic services policyPublic financeSam Jonesguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Books)

Substation fire treated as arson

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Safonau uchel i'r Mesur Iaith

news.bbc.co.uk - Comisiynydd y Gymraeg yn cyhoeddi ymgynghoriad ar safonau y bydd rhaid i sefydliadau cyhoeddus eu dilyn os am gadw o fewn y ddeddf. More... (Wales)

Woman dies in flipped m-way car

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Dalglish sacked as Liverpool manager: fans express mixed feelings over King Kenny's departure

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