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UK astronaut Tim Peake to go to International Space Station

The UK astronaut Tim Peake has been given a date to fly to the International Space Station (ISS).

The European Space Agency (Esa) says it will release details of his mission on Monday. It will not be before 2015.

Peake, who was a major and a helicopter pilot in the British Army Air Corps, has been in training for an expedition to the ISS since 2009.

To get there, he will have to ride a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur in Kazakhstan.

Tasks once in orbit will include helping to maintain the 27,000km/h platform and carrying out science experiments in Esa's Columbus laboratory module, which is attached to the front of the 400-tonne complex.

Forty-one-year-old Peake hails from Chichester, and is so far the only Briton ever to be accepted into the European Astronaut Corps.

His mission will make him the first UK national to live and work in space, and to fly the Union flag, on a British-government-funded programme (the UK is Esa's third largest contributor).

All previous UK-born astronauts that have gone into orbit have done so either through the US space agency (Nasa) as American citizens or on private ventures organised with the assistance of the Russian space agency.

"Major Tim" Peake has a degree in flight dynamics and is a qualified test pilot.

When he was selected for astronaut training he was working with the Anglo-Italian helicopter company AgustaWestland.

Helen Sharman was the first Briton to go into space in 1991 on Project Juno, a cooperative project between a number of UK companies and the Soviet government. She spent a week at the Mir space station.

The most experienced British-born astronaut is Nasa's Michael Foale. He has accumulated 374 days in orbit, completing long-duration missions to both the ISS and Mir.

Major Tim's assignment is made as British space activity is experiencing a big renaissance.

The space industry in the UK is growing fast, employing tens of thousands of workers and contributing some £9bn in value to the national economy.

The government has also lifted substantially its subscription to Esa, and the agency has responded by opening its first technical base in the country.

Ecsat (European Centre for Space Applications and Telecoms) is sited on the Harwell science campus in Oxfordshire.

There is sure to be huge interest in Major Tim's adventure.

The recently returned ISS commander, Canadian Chris Hadfield, attracted a big following for his tweets, videos and songs from the platform. His rendition of David Bowie's A Space Oddity has become a YouTube hit.

It would be hoped that Major Tim could achieve something of the same impact.

Culture wars: why attack heritage?

The flames from the book bonfires burned high as the words of the intellectuals, the innovators, once committed to paper, disappeared forever.


The events of 10 May 1933 - when German students gathered in Berlin and elsewhere to destroy more than 20,000 volumes of work considered 'Un-German' - represented not just a physical attack on the books but an ideological strike by the Nazi regime.

As works by Ernest Hemingway, Helen Keller, Sigmund Freud and even Albert Einstein were among those condemned to the bonfires, Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels declared: "The era of extreme Jewish intellectualism is now at an end..."

Yet the actions of those present were not original. Throughout history, culture has been subject to attack.

As Czech historian Milan Hubl once said: "The first step in liquidating a people is to erase its memory. Destroy its books, its culture, its history.

"Then have somebody write new books, manufacture a new culture, invent a new history. Before long the nation will begin to forget what it is and what it was.

"The world around it will forget even faster."

But the outrage felt, combined with the military might of those opposing it, meant the Third Reich was unsuccessful in its bid to quash all cultures bar its own through whatever means it saw fit.


"Cultural cleansing is often an aspect of ethnic cleansing or genocide," says author and heritage consultant Robert Bevan.

"It's not just about murdering a group, but about removing their right to be in a place, their touchstones and evidence of the history of their occupation. It is enforcing a sense of group not belonging."

Although the Nazis were unable to completely execute their plan, there are others who have been far more successful.

Built and nurtured by the Abbasid dynasty in the 8th and 9th centuries, Baghdad's Bayt al-Hikma (House of Wisdom) contained more than 18,000 volumes of translated classical works from all around the world. It was an intellectual powerhouse attracting the brightest Islamic scholars.

In 1258, when Genghis Khan's grandson Hulagu spearheaded the Siege of Baghdad, this library was among those targeted and destroyed. The Mongol leader had called on the caliph to surrender but when met with refusal, his anger saw no bounds.

It is said that the waters of the Tigris River were stained black because of the ink flowing from the manuscripts thrown into it, and red from the blood of the scientists and philosophers who followed.

The fall of Baghdad set Islamic science studies back many years.

When Iraq's cultural heritage faced attack again in modern times, there was international law in place to protect cultural interests around the world.

Unesco is among several bodies set up to protect heritage, while the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict specifically sets out what is and is not acceptable.


"There has been a realisation, now conveyed through legal instruments, that cultural heritage is extremely important," says Roni Amelan from Unesco.

"It's not just important to the group that is the custodian of it, but we have to have a commitment to the cultural heritage belonging to all of us."

Ahead of the first Gulf War (1990-1991), allowance was made to protect key sites. "The Pentagon set up a top level international advisory body which identified pre-historic, historic and Christian sites. Every effort was made to secure them," says cultural heritage expert Patrick Boylan.

But US defence strategists "misjudged" the whole situation ahead of the 2003 Iraq War. Boylan says those in charge of US defence strategies expected the Iraqis to welcome their invasion of Baghdad and disposal of Saddam Hussein - and ignored heritage and military planning experts.

That was compounded when US and Polish forces set up base on the ancient site of Babylon in 2003, once home to one of the 'Seven Wonders of the World'. The area had already been damaged by Saddam Hussein's attempts to build on the site as a way of "associating himself with the kings of the fabled past".

It was not a deliberate attempt to extinguish culture but the US acknowledged it needed to help fix the mess it had helped create.

But when something is considered to be of high value to the international community, it can, at times, make it even more of target.


The 20th Century saw a significant increase in deliberate attacks on symbols of cultural identity, says Boylan, "often mixed up with the rise of nationalism".

In 2001, the Taliban shocked the world by deliberately blowing up the giant sandstone Bamiyan Buddhas of Afghanistan.

At the time the Taliban said the statues, built in the 6th Century, when Bamiyan was a holy Buddhist site, represented idolatry and did not fit in with its version of Islam. The group said: "It's not a big issue. The statues are objects only made of mud or stone."

The rest of the world did not agree. The Taliban later defended its actions, saying it had been outraged by offers of money to protect the statues while Afghanistan was in dire need of humanitarian aid.

The Taliban said the group's scholars had made their decision after telling UN relief officials: "If you are destroying our future with economic sanctions, you can't care about our heritage."

"Often an attack on monuments is an attack on group identity and culture. It is as if the larger conflict is posited between two cultural elements. They try to destroy these iconic identities, " Vince Michael of the Global Heritage Fund says.

But as well as those who will attempt to destroy art, there will be those who will risk their lives in order to protect it.

n 1944, diplomat Sir Harold Nicholson said works of "major artistic value" had to be treated in a special way: "It is to my mind absolutely desirable that such works should be preserved from destruction, even if their preservation entails the sacrifice of human lives."

As Islamist militants fled the historic Malian city of Timbuktu earlier this year, they set fire to a library containing thousands of priceless manuscripts containing thoughts on religion, law, literature and science. The caretakers of these ancient documents resorted to a tradition that has worked for centuries - taking them to family homes and storing them safely - no matter the risk.

And much like the guardians of Mali, there were those who opposed the Nazis' accumulation of cultural heritage - whether the intended destination was the planned Museum of an Extinct Race, or the book burning pyres or even the concentration camps where those who differed from the perceived Third Reich ideal were sent.

They risked their lives to ensure that the past was not destroyed.


Among them is Anne Frank and her attempt to document what it was like for a young Jewish girl to have to face persecution during WWII. Her diary is considered to be one of the most important records of an attack on cultural heritage.

And although she died before it was published, her thoughts remain poignant:

"There is an urge and rage in people to destroy, to kill, to murder, and until all mankind, without exception, undergoes a great change, wars will be waged, everything that has been built up, cultivated and grown, will be destroyed and disfigured, after which mankind will have to begin all over again."

Eurovision Song Contest won by Denmark

Denmark has triumphed at this year's Eurovision Song Contest, held in the Swedish city of Malmo.

Emmelie de Forest, 20, had been the overwhelming favourite among the 26 entries, with her song Only Teardrops. Azerbaijan finished second.

The UK's Bonnie Tyler came 19th, an improvement on last year when Engelbert Humperdinck came second from last.

There was disappointment for Ireland's Ryan Dolan as he finished in last place with just five points.

De Forest won with 281 points and Azerbaijan's Farid Mammadov finished 47 points behind, followed by Ukraine in third and Norway in fourth.

Denmark, which will now have the job of hosting the 59th contest next year, had previously won in 1963 and 2000.

'It's amazing'
De Forest sang her up-tempo tune barefoot, saying before she performed: "It makes me feel closer to the ground, the earth and makes me feel more relaxed."


De Forest described the experience as "overwhelming" at a news conference following the contest
At the post-event news conference, she told reporters: "It has been quite stressful but it's also a wonderful thing that has happened to me. It's amazing.

"It was crazy when they put the butterfly [of the winning country's flag] on the dress. I didn't understand we had won at that point."

She added: "Of course I believed in the song, but that's the exciting thing about Eurovision you don't know what's going to happen. So I was surprised and shocked when it happened."


Ukraine act Zlata Ognevich was carried on stage by Ukrainian-born Igor Vovkovinskiy, who, standing at 7ft 8in, is the tallest man in the US
TV viewers across Europe were treated to the mix of high-energy pop and power ballads that have become synonymous with the contest, as well as some outlandish stage performances.

One of the more eccentric acts was Romania's Cezar, who mixed his operatic voice with a disco beat. He managed a respectable 13th position.

Glasgow scientists create single-pixel camera for 3D images

Scientists in Glasgow have discovered a low-cost way to create 3D images.

Their system uses detectors which have a single pixel to sense light instead of the millions of pixels used in the imaging sensors of digital cameras.

The detectors can "see" frequencies beyond visible light, which researchers say could open up new uses for 3D imaging in medicine and geography.

They said the single-pixel detectors cost "a few pounds" compared to current systems, which cost "thousands".

It is hoped that the system's ability to senses wavelengths far beyond the capability of digital cameras and its low cost, could make it a valuable tool for a wide range of industries.

Researchers said possible uses could range from locating oil to helping doctors find tumours.

Crossword patterns
Prof Miles Padgett led the team at University of Glasgow's School of Physics and Astronomy, which developed the technique.

He said: "Single-pixel detectors in four different locations are used to detect light from a data projector, which illuminates objects with a rapidly-shifting sequence of black-and-white patterns similar to crossword puzzles.

"When more of the white squares of these patterns overlap with the object, the intensity of the light reflected back to the detectors is higher.


"A series of projected patterns and the reflected intensities are used in a computer algorithm to produce a 2D image."

He said a 3D image was then created by combining images from the four detectors using a well-known technique called "shape from shade".

This 3D computational imaging, or ghost imaging produces detailed images of objects in just a few seconds.

Conventional 3D imaging systems uses multiple digital camera sensors to produce a 3D image from 2D information.

Careful calibration is required to ensure the multi-megapixel images align correctly.

Beyond the visible
Prof Padgett said: "Our single-pixel system creates images with a similar degree of accuracy without the need for such detailed calibration."

Lead author on the paper Baoqing Sun said: "It might seem a bit counter-intuitive to think that more information can be captured from a detector which uses just a single pixel rather than the multi-megapixel detectors found in conventional digital cameras.

"However, digital camera sensors have a very limited sensitivity beyond the spectrum of visible light, whereas a single-pixel detector can easily be made to capture information far beyond the visible, reaching wavelengths from X-ray to TeraHertz."

The team's paper, 3D Computational Imaging with Single-Pixel Detectors, is published in the journal, Science.

China Premier Li Keqiang in India for first foreign trip

China's Premier Li Keqiang is travelling to India in the first stop of his maiden foreign trip since taking office.

Upon his arrival in Delhi, Premier Li will hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, followed by dinner at the Indian leader's residence.

Border tensions and trade ties are expected to be among the issues discussed by the two men.

The neighbours are the world's two most populous countries.

Beijing hopes the visit will help build trust and a new strategic partnership to the benefit of both countries, China's official news agency Xinhua said.

Delhi thought "very highly" of Mr Li's decision to make India his first foreign stop and the aim of the talks was to "enhance trust", Indian foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said.

A decades-long border dispute flared up last month after India accused Chinese troops of crossing the countries' de facto border in the Himalayas.


The dispute over the territory in the Ladakh region has dogged the two countries since the 1950s.

Boosting trade ties is also expected to dominate the talks. China is already one of India's top trading partners and both countries have already agreed a new $100bn (£65bn) bilateral trade target for 2015.

Premier Li will spend three days in India before travelling on to Pakistan, Switzerland and Germany.

Diamond League: Greg Rutherford third in Shanghai

Britain's Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford had to settle for third in his first Diamond League meeting of the season in Shanghai, leaping 8.08m.
Olympic bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz was fifth in the high jump but did equal his season's best of 2.24m.
Jamaica's Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce comfortably won the women's 100m, clocking 10.93 seconds.
And Olympic 400m champion Kirani James of Grenada set a meeting record of 44.02 secs as he beat a strong field.
The London 2012 gold medallist lined up against Olympic silver medallist Luguelin Santos, bronze medallist Lalonde Gordon and 2008 Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt.


But the 20-year-old finished some distance ahead of his rivals with American Merritt second in 44.60 and Santos of the Dominican Republic (45.11) third. Britain's Conrad Williams was disqualified, along with Czech Pavel Maslak, for a false start.
Double Olympic champion Fraser-Pryce was equally impressive in the 100m, finishing ahead of Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare (11.00) and Carmelita Jeter of the US (11.08), who needed treatment on the finishing line for a leg injury.
Rutherford had predicted the event in China, the second meeting of the Diamond League season, would prove his toughest test since winning gold in London last year.
The 26-year-old was competing against two former Olympic champions in Irving Saladino and Dwight Phillips, but it was home favourite Jinzhe Li who unexpectedly stoke the show with a leap of 8.34m.
Rutherford's third leap was enough to see him finish behind Li and Russia's Aleksandr Menkov (8.31m).
The Milton Keynes athlete believes he will be ready to challenge for gold at the World Championships in Russia this August.
"I go to every competition to win it, that's why I'm disappointed to finish third," said Rutherford. "By the time Moscow comes around I expect to be in very good shape and hopefully able to jump a lot further than last year."
His compatriots Chris Tomlinson (7.66m) and JJ Jegede (7.58m) finished ninth and 11th.
There was a thrilling finish in the men's 1500m as Kenya's Asbel Kiprop, some distance behind race leader Mekonnen Gebremedhin at the final bend, chased down the Ethiopian in the final straight, taking it with a dip on the line in 3:32.39.
Two-time Olympic gold medallist Yelena Isinbayeva started her outdoor season with a victory in the pole vault. The Russian's best effort of 4.70m was enough to beat American Mary Saxter and Germany's Silke Spiegelburg even though she appeared to be struggling with an injury.
There was a Kenyan top nine in the men's 3,000m steeplechase, with teenager Conseslus Kipruto setting a meeting record and a world leading time of 8:01.16.
The 18-year-old finished ahead of compatriots Paul Kipsiele Koech (8:02.63) and Hillary Kipsang Yego (8:03.57).
Jason Richardson of the US won the 110m hurdles with a season's best 13.23 as compatriot and Olympic champion Aries Merritt crashed out.
The women's 800m was won by Burundi's Francine Niyonsaba (2:00.33), while Genzebe Dibaba turned the 5,000m into a procession - the Ethiopian winning in 14:45.92. Britain's Helen Clitheroe failed to finish.

Graeme McDowell beats Jaidee in World Match Play final

Graeme McDowell made amends for last year's defeat in the final by beating Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee to win the World Match Play Championship.
The Northern Irishman came from two down after four holes to win 2&1 at the Thracian Cliffs course in the Bulgarian coastal resort of Kavarna.
McDowell, 33, had earlier beaten South Africa's Branden Grace 3&2 in their semi-final.
Jaidee saw off another South African, Thomas Aiken, by the same score.
It looked as though the Thai player was on his way to victory in the final after he birdied the second and fourth holes, with McDowell producing several vital par saves on the front nine.
However, the 2010 US Open champion worked his way back into contention and a third birdie at the par-five 14th put him in front.
When Jaidee missed a birdie opportunity at the 15th, McDowell made him pay to go two-up, and he wrapped up the title by holing out to halve the par-three 17th.
It is McDowell's second win in three events after he also captured the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage earlier this month at Hilton Head in South Carolina.
McDowell joins the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Greg Norman and seven-time champion Ernie Els as a World Match Play winner.
"It's very special," said McDowell. "We have been talking all week about how prestigious this event is. I can't say how excited I am to win it and add my name to that list of legends."

Ferrari column ridicules Formula 1 tyre critics

Ferrari have ridiculed critics of the tyres in Formula 1 in what amounts to a veiled attack on champions Red Bull.
Red Bull said tyre strategy meant F1 was "not racing anymore" and the number of pit stops in the Spanish Grand Prix made it "confusing for the fans".
Ferrari's satirical 'Horse Whisperer' column said these were "difficult times for those with poor memories".
It mentioned Red Bull wins featuring the same number of stops Ferrari's Fernando Alonso made in his Spain win.
Alonso made four pit stops on his way to victory at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya, exactly the same number as Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel made in finishing fourth.


Vettel also made four stops on his way to victory at the same track in 2011, when Red Bull did not make an issue of tyre strategy.
Alonso's victory meant he closed his deficit to championship leader Vettel after five races to 17 points, despite crashing out of the Malaysian race in March and finishing only eighth in Bahrain.
Red Bull have been lobbying tyre supplier Pirelli to make more durable tyres, feeling the need look after the rubber is preventing them unleashing the full potential of their car.
The Italian company announced this week that it would change the tyres from next month's Canadian Grand Prix "in the interests of the sport".
It said it recognised that four stops was too many and it would try to ensure there were between two and three at each race for the rest of the season.
The Horse Whisperer said: "Maybe it's because of the huge amount of information available today that people are too quick to talk, forgetting things that happened pretty much in the recent past.
"Or maybe the brain cells that control memory only operate selectively, depending on the results achieved on track by their owners.
"A classic example of this is the current saga regarding the number of pit stops. Voices have been raised to underline the fact that various teams, some of whom got to the podium and others who were quite a way off, made four pit stops in the recent Spanish Grand Prix, making the race hard to follow.
"It's a shame that these worthy souls kept quiet two years ago when, at the very same Catalunya Circuit and on the Istanbul track, five of the six drivers who got to those two podiums made exactly the same number of pit stops as did Alonso and (Ferrari's second driver) Massa last Sunday in the Spanish Grand Prix.


"In fact, there's nothing new about winning a race making so many pit stops, even discounting those where it was down to changeable weather.
"One only has to look back to 2004, when Michael Schumacher won the French Grand Prix thanks to what was a three-stop strategy, later changed to a four stopper.
"That was the key which allowed the multiple champion's F2004 to get ahead of the then Renault driver, Fernando Alonso, who made three stops. And on that day and we remember it well, our strategy and the tyre supplier were showered with praise for allowing us to get the most out of the car.
"Today however, it seems one must almost feel ashamed for choosing a strategy that, as always for that matter, is aimed at getting the most out of the package one has available.
"On top of that, if this choice emerges right from the Friday, because all the simulations are unanimous in selecting it, then why on earth should one feel embarrassed when compared to those who have gone for a different choice, only to regret it during the race itself."
Ferrari's remarks come a day after Lotus team principal Eric Boullier expressed his frustration at Pirelli's decision.


The Frenchman, whose driver Kimi Raikkonen is four points behind Vettel in the championship, said: "There aren't many sports where there are such fundamental changes to an essential ingredient part-way through a season.
"Just imagine for a moment that, because a football team can't run as fast as its opponent, the dimensions of the pitch are changed at half time.
"That there are changes to come can be seen as somewhat frustrating, and I hope they are not too extreme. It's clear that Pirelli have found themselves in a difficult situation and under pressure from different quarters."
Pirelli has yet to reveal in what way it plans to change the tyres, beyond saying it wants to try to prevent the dramatic delamination failures that have happened to several drivers in the last two races.

England v New Zealand: Stuart Broad hurries hosts to Lord's win

Stuart Broad took seven wickets in 11 overs to rip through New Zealand and inspire England to an astonishing 170-run win in the first Test at Lord's.
Chasing 239 for victory, the Black Caps were bowled out for 68 in 22.3 overs after lunch on the fourth day as Broad finished with Test-best figures of 7-44.
Only two players - Neil Wagner and BJ Watling - made double figures as New Zealand succumbed for the 10th lowest score in a Lord's Test.


Just two hours earlier, the tourists appeared to have given themselves a good chance of victory when they took England's last four second-innings wickets in under an hour to bowl them out for 213.
But any chance of a successful run chase disappeared in a thrilling opening burst from Broad, who took advantage of seamer-friendly conditions to give England a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
They needed only nine balls to break through as Broad found the edge of Peter Fulton's bat and Matt Prior claimed his 200th Test dismissal.
Brimming with intent as he charged in from the Nursery End, Broad uprooted Hamish Rutherford's off stump with a gem of a ball that darted away off the seam, and had Ross Taylor well caught low to his left at first slip by Alastair Cook two balls later.
With five slips in place and Broad threatening with every ball, Kane Williamson - whose 60 off 167 balls had anchored New Zealand's first innings - had an uncharacteristic rush of blood and drove loosely to Finn at short extra-cover.
There was no let-up from England's new-ball pair as James Anderson had Dean Brownlie caught at first slip before Broad trapped Brendon McCullum leg before for eight to reduce New Zealand to 29-6 and complete a breathless morning session in which 10 wickets fell.


The final four wickets went in less than an hour after lunch. Tim Southee pulled Broad to Joe Root at deep square leg, Watling played through the pain of a knee injury to make 13 before he was caught at first slip off Anderson, and Broad bowled the similarly ailing Bruce Martin.
New Zealand's misery was completed when Wagner was comically run out after a mix-up with Trent Boult after the former was dropped at fine-leg.
Earlier, England offered little resistance when resuming on 180-6, aside from Broad's counter-attacking unbeaten 26.
Southee finished with 6-50 - and 10-108 in the match - to cap an England collapse in which their last eight wickets tumbled for 54 runs.
Night-watchman Steven Finn dangled his bat at Southee's fifth ball of the day and nicked to second slip before Ian Bell, who was ill for much of Saturday, pushed away from his body and was caught by Brownlie at second slip.
Graeme Swann edged a loose drive at Southee and Anderson fell to spinner Kane Williamson when a drive cannoned off silly point and looped to cover.
At that point New Zealand held the initiative, but Broad's devastating new-ball burst provided the decisive twist in a thrilling match.

Serena Williams beats Victoria Azarenka in Italian Open final

Serena Williams completed her French Open preparations by beating Victoria Azarenka to win the Italian Open - her fourth consecutive tournament victory.
Williams, the world number one, powered to a 6-1 6-3 victory in Rome, extending her unbeaten run to 24 matches.
The American, 31, will head to Paris as a strong favourite to win the title at Roland Garros for only the second time.


Her victory at the Foro Italico on Sunday followed wins in Miami, South Carolina and Madrid.
A final tally of 41 winners to 12 illustrated the difference between Sunday's finalists, with Williams constantly threatening Azarenka and keeping her on the back foot.
Azarenka, 23, lost her number one ranking to Williams earlier this year and had won only two of their previous 13 encounters.
The Belarusian put up some stern resistance in the early stages but, despite repeatedly taking Williams to deuce in an opening three games that lasted more than 20 minutes, the American won them all.
Azarenka got one of the breaks back in game four but then immediately dropped serve to love under pressure from the Williams return.


When she slipped 5-1 down, the frustration boiled over for Azarenka as she smacked her racquet on the clay, and the set was done and dusted after 45 minutes.
Williams opened the second in similarly commanding style, pushing for another breakthrough and finally taking it to move 4-2 ahead and seemingly within sight of victory.
Azarenka briefly stemmed the tide with her second break of the match, but after a couple of blistering Williams forehands, the Belarusian double-faulted to hand over the next game.
Williams blasted down her seventh and eighth aces of the match to move to three championship points, and converted the first with a scream of delight after one hour and 33 minutes.
"It was very close," said Williams. "The first three games were over 20-25 minutes or so, so it wasn't really easy out there. Nothing is really easy.
"I just took the opportunities when I had them. I know she did as well, but I came up with the good shots sometimes."
Azarenka admitted: "She definitely showed some more incredible tennis today. She's been playing her best tennis for the past year-and-a-half or so.
"But today she played much better in the key moments of the match."

Yahoo 'to buy Tumblr for $1.1bn'

Yahoo's board has approved a deal to buy New York-based blogging service Tumblr for $1.1bn (£725m), US media reports say.

The acquisition is expected to be announced as early as Monday.

The deal was a "foregone conclusion" and was a unanimous vote by the board, tech blog AllThingsD reported, citing sources close to the matter.

If confirmed, it will be CEO Marissa Mayer's largest deal since taking the helm of Yahoo in July 2012.

Analysts say that by acquiring Tumblr, Yahoo would gain a larger social media presence and enhance its ability to attract younger audiences. It will also help Tumblr generate more revenue from advertisements.

On its home page, Tumblr says it hosts 108 million blogs, with 50.7 billion posts between them.

Under the terms of the acquisition, Tumblr would continue to operate as an independent business, the Wall Street Journal said, citing unnamed sources familiar with the situation.

About 700 million web surfers visit Yahoo's website every month, ranking it among the top in the global industry.

However, it shed more than 1,000 jobs during 2012 and has long been divided over whether it should focus on media content or on tools and technologies.

Chief executive Marissa Mayer was brought in last July from Google to turn the company round, and has been focusing on building better mobile and social networking services.

Jamie Carragher: I always knew this was my last season

Jamie Carragher will play his final game for Liverpool against QPR on Sunday after 16 years at Anfield.
The 35-year-old has made more than 700 appearances, winning the Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and Uefa Cup during his career.
Here, he talks through the highs and lows of his illustrious career.
ON RETIREMENT
"The more I've been in the team, the more I've wanted to stick with my decision and go out playing. I've been quite fortunate really that at the time that I announced it, I kept myself in the side.
"I can go out playing, which is something I'd prefer rather than maybe stay another year and be in the stand, on the bench or wherever it may be. It's nice that I'm in the side and people are saying I'm doing well and why not stay for another year?
"It's better than them saying you should have gone a year ago. I prefer it to be like that and get out while it's going well because it can easily change.


ON EMOTIONS
"People keep asking me how I will feel - the answer will come after the game. I'm just looking forward to getting my tickets sorted and hopefully get a win, then I can look back and give you a better answer. I won't be crying, put it that way."
ON WHEN HE DECIDED TO RETIRE
"About 12 months ago, the end of the season. I was in and out of the side with Kenny. I was thinking about it in the summer but I had a year to go and a new manager coming in. I knew then it was always going to be my last season."
ON HIS BEST MOMENT
"Istanbul, nothing will beat that - the Champions League final. There's no point going over the game, I think we all know what happened that night. It's difficult to ever top that.
"We've never won the league, which is a disappointment; if we'd have won that maybe I could have compared the two. We've won FA Cups, Carling Cups, the UEFA Cup but nothing compared to the Champions League. It's the biggest and best trophy that you can win as a footballer in club football. It's what we achieved."
ON HEROES AND INSPIRATIONS
"When I first got into the side, I'd say John Barnes, he was the captain and a great player - one of the top players to ever play for the club.
"As I came into the side a bit more I'd say Steven Gerrard, even though he's younger than me. He's an inspiration, not just for younger players. It doesn't matter if it's a younger player or an older player. You watch the way he plays, what he's done for us and how he's won us a few trophies - he's added to my medal collection. I'd say those two."
ON SUCCESS
"If someone had offered me the chance to be here until the end of my career - the trophies, the big games we've played and won, the stadiums I've played in - I'd have bitten their hand off for that.


"I'm very lucky to have played with some great players, top managers and given the opportunity to experience those wins and sometimes losses. I've been very lucky."
ON REGRETS
"I wish I'd won the league. But we weren't good enough, all of us. There's no fancy reason or excuse, other teams in that particular season were better than us.
"A couple of times we went close but it was Manchester United or Arsenal. It's not something I lose sleep over, I've been very lucky to achieve some of the things I have.
"If you look at everyone, there's always something someone hasn't done. There's always more to achieve."
ON MANAGEMENT
"I've never ruled anything out or in. I'll go down this road (media) for a couple of years, I'll see if I enjoy it or if I'm any good at it, and see where it takes me.
"I've been playing football all my life and I'm looking forward to doing different things, and seeing where it takes me."
ON WHAT HE WILL MISS MOST
"People automatically think of Anfield, I think of this place [Melwood]. This is where you come every day, this is where I've been coming since I was nine years of age. Anfield is sort of the icing on the cake where you go at the end of the week or every couple of weeks.
"It's special but this is where you come every day, the people you see; the people on the gate, the girls upstairs in the canteen, Ann on reception who is the only one who has been here longer than me - she's just pipped me. It's probably coming here and the characters and people you meet every day. You'll have to fill that void."
ON COMING BACK?
"Once you're done, you're done. I'm sure I'll be welcome to come in for my lunch one day and watch training, but I don't think it's something I'll be doing.
"The manager has known for a while I'm retiring, so I'm sure he's got plans in place and players that he wants to bring in, ideas of what he wants to do."
ON GERRARD
"I'm probably more concerned about who he's going to sit next to on the coach on the way home. I had that problem at the weekend coming back from Fulham when he wasn't there. I was on my own."
ON THE NEXT CARRAGHER AND GERRARD


"Every club will say they want to bring players through from the academy, that's why you have academies and put so much time and money into it.
"But the players have got to be good enough. If they're good enough, brilliant - get them in. It's always good to have a few local lads in the side. That's the aim of everyone."
ON THE FUTURE AT LIVERPOOL
"I'm always positive about the club. The last few years haven't been great for us, with league positions and missing out on the Champions League.
"But with the new manager coming in and the run we've been on in the second half of the season, it gives us a lot to look forward to for next season."
ON HOW FOOTBALL HAS CHANGED
"The sports science side of it has come on more than anything; doctors, how to train and all this type of stuff. I think that has been the big advance in the game during that time."
ON ENGLISH FOOTBALL
"Four or five years ago, the Premier League was its best - I think it's dipped a little bit at the moment. A few years ago, ourselves, Chelsea and Manchester United were always close to winning the Champions League for two or three years.
"I think that was the height of the Premier League - hopefully that's something that I'll be able to talk about next season and we get the Premier League back up there. It would be nice to see some more top players coming in and give the league a little bit of a boost."

The real Sir Alex Ferguson: memories of his ghost-writer

I nailed my colours to the mast three years into Sir Alex Ferguson's trophy-laden 26-year reign as manager of Manchester United.

But this was before all the silverware started to arrive. It was in fact a turbulent time, as the Reds sank into the bottom half of the table after a run of 11 league games without a win, despite spending a lot of money on players like Gary Pallister, Danny Wallace, Paul Ince, Neil Webb and Mike Phelan.

They just weren't gelling - perhaps too many new faces introduced too quickly - and the mood was captured by one unhappy fan who held up a bed sheet at Old Trafford on which he had painted: "Three years of excuses and we're still crap, ta-ra Fergie".

The knives were certainly out as United approached the third round of the FA Cup with a tricky tie at Nottingham Forest and injuries to key players.

Television commentator Jimmy Hill even said United looked like a beaten team in the warm-up.

My editor at the Manchester Evening News ran a phone-in asking readers to vote on whether Ferguson should be sacked. The result of the poll showed a majority in favour of him going and I was asked to write a story accordingly.

In fact, what I did was argue that if you deducted the votes of Manchester City fans wanting to cause mischief and you took into account the United supporters who couldn't be bothered to ring in, you were left with an overwhelming vote of confidence in Alex Ferguson.

It was all very tongue in cheek on my part and my editor wasn't best pleased, but it went into the paper before he could do anything about it. That was the moment I became a 'Fergie man', close enough to help write his programme notes for 26 years.

It wasn't just blind loyalty, though, toadying up to the manager - more a conviction that given time he would come good. For I knew all the far-sighted work he had done behind the scenes, putting an end to the drinking culture by transferring Norman Whiteside and Paul McGrath, and totally reorganising the youth set-up which was about to deliver the enormously promising FA Youth Cup-winning team containing players like Gary Neville, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt.

My support for the manager at a critical time in his career established a trust that would prove enormously helpful in 37 years covering Manchester United for my paper and, after my retirement from the Evening News, as a freelancer writing about the club, helping to set up the United museum at Old Trafford,  and scripting the panels for the Munich tunnel.

Not that it protected me completely from the occasional 'hairdryer' treatment  when he considered the Evening News had let him down.

For instance, I felt the full force of his anger when we printed a story about his players visiting the SAS at Hereford in a bid to toughen up their attempts to win the league title. He slaughtered me and my editor because he said we were exposing his people to retaliation from the IRA. He said he was ending his co-operation with us, although he did tell me that it was nothing personal.

That helped, because I realised he had exploded with rage because he wanted me to go back and tell the editor that on no account must we print any more stories against his wishes.

I learned then that this remarkable manager aimed to have control of not just his football club but everything else that had a bearing on its welfare. To an astonishing extent he succeeded because in addition to his anger he has a personality that can be extremely persuasive.

"The funny thing was that even though I didn't play for his club and he wasn't my manager, that's exactly what I did. There was just something about the man that I didn't want to argue with. He has a natural authority.

"Somehow you just accept that what he says is right. I was young, but even so, that first experience of meeting him has never left me."

But for every tale of Fergie the hard man, like the time he dropped Jim Leighton for an FA Cup final replay and broke his heart as well as his career, there are just as many instances of Alex the softie, like his unsung charity work and supporting the boys' club he played football for when he was growing up in Glasgow, along with his readiness to pay his respects to old friends, be it a leaving party or a funeral.

I doubt whether Alice, a long-time United supporter celebrating her 100th birthday in a nursing home in Leicester, will ever forget the unheralded arrival of Sir Alex to wish her many happy returns. At one point the matron rushed in to announce that the Queen's traditional telegram had arrived.

"Oh never mind the Queen," said Alice. "Alex is here!"

Equally appreciative, I'm sure, is the long-serving member of staff who doesn't drive and clearly had a problem getting to United's isolated training ground at Carrington when her husband, who used to drive her to work every day, died. Now she comes to and from work in a taxi laid on by Sir Alex.

I also experienced his concerned care. A few years ago I had bowel cancer and in addition to receiving the traditional flowers, I answered the phone at home one afternoon as I recuperated from the operation to hear a voice coming down the line: "The Scottish beast is on his way."

The manager had not forgotten his programme ghost and he came to deliver an encouraging message. "You can handle it," he said. Coming from him I found his words quite inspirational.

We all know how much Sir Alex has achieved in the game - more than any other British manager - but he has also touched the lives of so many away from the glamour of football, and these moments are also very precious.

Rafael Nadal hammers Roger Federer in Italian Open final

Rafael Nadal dropped only four games as he beat Roger Federer in 68 minutes to win his seventh Italian Open title.
In the 30th career meeting between the pair, who share 28 Grand Slam singles titles, the Spaniard raced to a 6-1 6-3 victory at Rome's Foro Italico.
In 2006 Nadal edged a classic final against Federer in this event, but this year he prevailed with plenty to spare


He has now won six of his eight tournaments since returning in February from a seven-month break due to injury.
"If you'd told me that four or five months ago I would have said you are crazy," said the 26-year-old, who has won 36 of 38 matches in 2013.
"So after eight tournaments, six victories and two finals, it's a dream for me."
Nadal heads to the French Open in tremendous form as he looks to win an Open-era record eighth title at Roland Garros, and knowing he is likely to be seeded fourth - and so potentially avoid leading rival Novak Djokovic until the semi-finals.
With 11 wins in their 13 previous matches on clay, the Spaniard was a heavy favourite against Federer in Rome, but the manner of this victory was still mightily impressive.
Federer, 31, did not help himself with too many unforced errors in the early stages, and his forehand let him down as he was broken in game three.
A fizzing backhand return at the start of game four was Nadal's 11th point out of 13 as he tightened his grip on the first set.


He broke again in a stunning rally that ended with a forehand winner that left Federer rooted to the spot, and the first set was over in little more than half an hour.
A humiliation was on the cards when Nadal fired a backhand across Federer to break early in the second set after the Swiss had chipped a backhand down the line and gamely approached the net.
Federer received loud and sympathetic applause when he held serve to claim only his second game of the match, making the score 6-1 3-1 to Nadal.
The reigning champion then produced one of the shots of the tournament with a magnificent backhand winner down the line to break yet again, only for a late Federer flourish.
He cut the deficit by two games to at least prolong the match beyond the hour mark, but Nadal was clinical when he got a second chance to serve it out, doing so to love.
"He played very aggressively from the start," said Federer. "He didn't make too many mistakes and had a good match overall.
"Rafa has much more topspin than all the guys I played this week, so the change was quite a big one. I tried to play offensively, but unfortunately I didn't have the best day.
"It didn't go the way I was hoping it to go."

Newcastle 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal sealed their 16th consecutive Champions League qualification as a rare goal from Laurent Koscielny earned them a lucrative victory over Newcastle.

he French defender latched on to Lucas Podolski's header following Theo Walcott's free-kick to score his most important Arsenal goal as they pipped Tottenham to fourth spot in the Premier League and the final place in Europe's elite competition.

The Gunners finished a point ahead of Andre Villas-Boas's Spurs, who scored late on to beat Sunderland but needed to better their rivals' result.


It could have been more comfortable for Arsenal as Walcott hit the post in stoppage time against a Newcastle side desperate to improve after recent home defeats to Sunderland and Liverpool.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and his team saluted their joyous supporters, who sung "are you watching, Tottenham?" with added fervour.
Reaching the Champions League ahead of Spurs completed a superb turnaround after they trailed by seven points at the beginning of March.
And the late-season form of Wenger's side, who have won eight of their last 10 Premier League games, will also go a long way to appeasing fans who had doubts about the Frenchman earlier in the season.
Arsenal have not won a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup but reaching the top four again at least means the Gunners can attract new talent in the summer with funds due to be released for players.
The win was as hard-fought as the scoreline suggested, with Newcastle probing in the first half and the visitors enduring a nervous final few minutes as news filtered through of Gareth Bale's late goal at White Hart Lane.
Despite another home defeat, the Magpies finished 16th having secured their Premier League safety against QPR last weekend, and their season finished on a relative high note as the supporters saluted 38-year-old goalkeeper Steve Harper, who played his last game for the club after a 20-year career on Tyneside.
After finishing fifth last time round, this has been a frustrating season for Alan Pardew's side but he will aim to address his squad this summer.


He would been heartened by his side's first-half display, in which Papiss Cisse was a whisker away from giving the hosts an early lead but fired over following Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa's cutback.
Santi Cazorla and Walcott were both off target as the visitors struggled to impose themselves and they were not helped when Mikel Arteta, who passed a fitness test on an injured calf before the game, was substituted before the half-hour.
His replacement, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, slotted into the deep midfield role despite usually appearing on the wing, but struggled to contain Hatem Ben Arfa.
Pardew's side were in the ascendancy as the home supporters saluted Harper in the 37th minute to correspond with his squad number, the keeper unable to control his emotions amid the deafening cheers.
Harper's day almost took a turn for the worse shortly after the break, however, when his poor kick fell to Walcott, but he made amends with a fine stop.
He could do little about Koscielny's goal, however, when Podolski got on the end of Walcott's free-kick from the right and swivelled to fire home from close range.


The goal sent Arsenal fans - aware that Spurs were being held - into raptures but only a good block from Per Mertesacker prevented the energetic Yoan Gouffran scoring an equaliser.
The remainder of the second half was played out in muted fashion, although it livened up when news of Gareth Bale's goal filtered through.
The Arsenal bench crept onto the pitch in anticipation of Walcott's late effort going in, but they only had to wait for four minutes of stoppage time to end before they could finally celebrate.
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew: "We were under-strength to enter two competitions as we did. The Europa League on the Thursday night takes away a lot of legs for the Sunday.
"We've got very good young players. I think 80% of that team next year will do very well for us but they do need a lift, a bit of experience, a bit of quality.
"We have got some great players here. It's key for us next year to keep everybody fit."