All systems gunner go as cesc fabregas, tomas rosicky and alex song all expected back for arsenal
Cesc Fabregas is poised to return from injury as Arsenal entertain West Ham on Saturday, but William Gallas' fitness is an ongoing concern for manager Arsene Wenger.
White van man: pale donovan teased as he returns to la with everton tan
Landon Donovan has been getting stick from his LA Galaxy team-mates back in California - for looking 'like he's been hiding in a closet for a few months'.
Picture special: will arsenal's new kit be a nod to 125 years of glory?
Arsenal will hope they have some shiny new trophies to match it, but even if they don't, you can be sure the fans will be delighted with leaked pics of their supposed new home kit.
Aston villa set to renew interest in resurgent celtic loan star keane
Robbie Keane, the Republic of Ireland's record goalscorer, has enjoyed a resurgence of form on loan at Celtic after a disappointing second spell at White Hart Lane.
Mandarin who brokered ashcroft peerage deal says he was never told about tax status concerns
Sir Hayden Phillips, then a senior official involved in approving honours, says he was only worried about whether the billionaire would be able to fulfil his duties in the Lords.
Retired detective who led bungled £235m cocaine smuggling plot jailed for 22 years
Michael Daly used skills and knowledge gained as a Metropolitan Police drug squad detective to try to smuggle 62 bales - more than 3,300lb - of cocaine into southern Ireland.
Biju John, 38, of Cambridge, had insisted he was able to understand instructions and even wrote to the Nursing and Midwifery Council stating: 'I never be confused at all (sic).'
Mother died in agony after eating death cap mushrooms she though were edible
Amphon Tuckey ate the fungi with raw pork sausage after her niece Kannika (pictured) picked them at a botanic gardens.
Racism storm over £38,000 ‘indians-only’ job advert
The advert, which appeared on a popular recruitment website, was placed on behalf of a computer company based in Britain and India.
How hero marine back from afghanistan saved son's life by donating his kidney
After fighting for his country, Royal Marine James King had a different kind of battle on his hands with his three-year-old son in desperate need of a kidney transplant.
Darling take note: north korean official executed for ruining country's financial affairs
Pak Nam Ki was responsible for revaluing the communist regime's currency, but his attempts to curb inflation caused nationwide misery - and leader Kim Jong Ill was not amused.
Richard o'hagan: healthy mind, healthy body - starting with compulsory fitness
I hated the best sports teacher I ever had. He was, to my 13-year-old eyes, an unmitigated sadist. He thought nothing of an hour-long PE lesson containing no actual element of ‘fun’.
Andrew pierce: mr brown daren't confront the ba union bullies because his party's totally sold out
The real reason behind Gordon Brown’s decision to appease his union brothers rather than come to the rescue of the long- suffering British travelling public is that Unite has cynically bought his silence.
Time to hire a stylist! catherine zeta jones lets her sartorial standards slip yet again
Catherine, once known for her polished and glamorous style, even wore the outfit out for the evening in New York, swapping the jacket for a belted trench coat.
Is andrey arshavin's wife the new worst dressed wag?
For years, the unofficial title of Worst Dressed WAG was held by Andriy Voronin's wife Yulia. But now a serious challenger has emerged in the form of Andrey Arshavin's wife.
The saturdays' frankie pays tribute to her grandmother with new tattoo
She's no doubt given her granddaughter plenty of advice over the years.
Psychedelic sea slugs outshine their garden cousins
These spectacular shapes and kaleidoscopic colours couldn't be further from the dull slime of the humble garden slug.
Man city's champions league challenge will decide joe hart's fate, says mcleish
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish believes his hope of retaining goalkeeper Joe Hart on loan for a second season will hinge on whether Manchester City qualify for the Champions League.
Kevin hitchcock replaces ludek miklosko as as west ham goalkeeping coach
West Ham have appointed Kevin Hitchcock as their new goalkeeping coach following the departure of Ludek Miklosko. Miklosko made 375 appearances for the Hammers.
I wish i'd signed for arsenal, says exiled tottenham midfielder taarabt
Morocco star Adel Taarabt claims it was a massive mistake to join Tottenham and says he should have signed for north London rivals Arsenal instead.
Chelsea target hamsik agrees new five-year deal with napoli
Chelsea hopes off landing Marek Hamsik appear to be over, for this summer at least, after the highly-rated Slovakia midfielder agreed a new long-term Napoli deal.
United clinch another major sponsor deal and eye more riches in india
Manchester United have announced their third major sponsorship deal in a week and continue to plot a fourth profitable move. The champions are looking at the Indian market.
Video: comic corden gives rooney, murray and button a sports relief workout
He may not have got the world in motion, but TV comic James Corden is keeping Manchester United on their toes. Tennis star Andy Murray and F1 world champion Jenson Button were also whipped into shape by the Billericay boy in the full sketch for Friday's Sports Relief.
British holidaymaker caught in fake euros scam jailed in cyprus
Carl Redden and his fiancee were arrested just hours after becoming engaged when a 50 Euro note he used to buy lunch was discovered to be a counterfeit.
Zuma survives no-confidence vote
South Africa's President Zuma survives a vote of no-confidence by MPs - the first such motion since apartheid ended.
Live text - cheltenham festival
Big Buck's retains his World Hurdle crown with a tremendous performance for the Paul Nicholls-Ruby Walsh pairing.
But cricket fans still have fun at IPL game in Delhi
Facebook may get 'panic button'
Facebook is considering installing a "panic button" on its site to allow users to report suspected paedophiles, it confirms.
Choice screen gives browser boost
Web browser Opera says its downloads in Europe have doubled since Microsoft began offering a choice.
China irked by uk rights report
China accuses Britain of staging a political show after its official review of human rights is highly critical of Beijing's record.
No pardon for sri lankan general
Sri Lanka's president rules out an early pardon for defeated presidential rival Sarath Fonseka.
George cross for army bomb heroes
Two Army bomb disposal experts have been awarded the George Cross for their gallantry in Afghanistan.
Man guilty of dog attack murder
A man is convicted of the murder of a 16-year-old boy who was mauled by dogs before being stabbed.
New us-russia nuclear deal 'soon'
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says there is "substantial" progress on a new nuclear disarmament deal with Russia.
Us health bill 'will cut deficit'
The Congressional Budget Office says the Democrats' healthcare plan will cut the federal deficit by $138bn over 10 years.
Un body rejects bluefin tuna ban
A proposal to ban the export of Atlantic bluefin tuna, which is a sushi mainstay in Japan, has been rejected by a UN wildlife meeting.
'jihad jane' denies terror charges
A self-styled "Jihad Jane", held in the US in connection with an alleged plot to kill a Swedish cartoonist, denies four charges.
Lorry filmed pushing car on m-way
A haulage company investigates after footage emerges showing a lorry pushing a car caught under its bumper along a motorway.
Gambia charges over 'coup plot'
Senior officials and businessmen are charged with trying to overthrow Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, officials say.
Erotic films must incur full tax
A Belgian sex shop owner attempting to cut the VAT bill for his film screenings under cultural exemptions is told by the European Court of Justice that solo viewings are excluded.
Soap star 'tried to end it all'
Ex-Coronation Street actor Ian Jones grabbed the wheel of his wife's car and said he would kill them both, a court hears.
Psg fan dies after attack by own fans
A Paris St Germain fan attacked by supporters of his own club has died after weeks in a coma.
Mini porn shows lose tax exempt battle
Sex shops showing films in cubicles lost their battle today to charge the same lower VAT rate as ordinary cinemas.
Farm worker killed in gaza rocket attack
Palestinian militants killed an Israeli farm worker today in their first rocket attack from Gaza since last year's Israeli offensive.
Kidnap boy sahil saeed on way back to uk from pakistan
The five-year-old boy freed by kidnappers in Pakistan after his family paid a £110,000 ransom is on his way home, sources said today.
Inside the town that will test obama to the limit
Ask Rabbi Sam White what he thinks of the global political row over plans to expand the community in which he lives, prays and studies, and he answers bluntly: "I don't see the problem. God gave us the land of Israel." The notion that the location of Ramat Shlomo, on land occupied after the 1967 Six Day War and officially expropriated six years later, might belong to another people is wholly alien to the 32- year-old Salford-born rabbi. "There's no question. It's in the Torah, which says that God gave the land to the Jewish people."
In sushi bars, tuna vanishes bite by bite
As chefs at the upscale New York sushi restaurant Megu slide huge knives through their latest bluefin tuna, the possible extinction of the species is far from their minds.
Domain names: will sex still sell?
Let's talks about sex.com. In a Manhattan auction room this morning what was once the internet's most valuable domain name goes under the hammer. Potential bidders won't be allowed in the room unless they have on them a certified cheque for $1m, the reserve price, but how much might the address actually go for?
Watchmakers go back to basics as 'extravagance' ends
Luxury watchmakers are going back to basics with classic designs, as industry players at the world's biggest watch fair in Switzerland warned Wednesday that the "years of extravagance" were over.
Facebook overtook Google to become the most popular site in the US for the first time last week, although the search engine giant remains dominant in Britain.
Conform or close, head of food agency tells dirty cafés
The new head of a Government agency has warned that food businesses which refuse to conform to a voluntary scheme on hygiene ratings will be closed down by repeated visits from health inspectors.
Ministers set to support mephedrone ban
The Government's drugs advisers could recommend a ban on mephedrone within weeks following the deaths of two teenagers believed to have taken the drug.
Juliet and her romeo, old vic, bristol
Who says that there are no parts for the older actress? As the debate about the problems of an ageing population intensifies, opportunities seem to be proliferating. First there was the 75-year- old Judi Dench developing a passion for a donkey less than half her age in Peter Hall's enchanting Midsummer Night's Dream. Now we have the 76-year-old Siâ*Phillips as a heart-stopping Juliet in Juliet and her Romeo, a version of Shakespeare's tragedy that's been heavily reworked (by Tom Morris and co-adaptor Sean O'Connor) to engage with the issues raised by the so-called "grey tsunami". Instead of opposition from the older generation, this Romeo (Michael Byrne) and his Juliet have to contend with the love-thwarting self-interest and prejudices of the younger folk in the shape of a scheming daughter and the medical staff in the care home where they languish.
Think oblique: how our goals are best reached indirectly
The American continent lies between the Atlantic Ocean in the east and the Pacific Ocean in the west. The Panama Canal represents the shortest route across the continent. However at the end of the canal, at Balboa Port on Panama's Pacific Coast, you find yourself at a point about 30 miles further east than Colon, where you left the Atlantic.
The week in radio: the doubters keep knocking on evans' door
Chris Evans says that he is woken up every morning with a telephone message that gives him a "word of the day". The other day it was Armageddon. Leaving aside the ominous vibe of having someone whisper "Armageddon" in your ear at the crack of dawn, you have to ask what kind of person actually chooses to be woken with an electronic vocabulary update. You'd have to be an autodidact, certainly, and an eccentric. And undoubtedly someone who has a serious penchant for electronic gimmickry.
Party!, new art gallery, walsall
It is ten years since the New Art Gallery in Walsall opened its doors beside the Walsall Canal. (You can see a narrow boat drawn up beside the café's window as you bite down on a panini.) Would this splashy, handsome gallery help to give a new vitality to this small Black Country town? Could there be a mini-Bilbao effect in the making? Ten years on, things are looking pretty good – there were 6,000 visitors during half-term week; kids seem to be dragging their parents back for a second look – and it's evidently time for a show on the theme of non-stop partying.
Last night's television: the business inspector, fivethe man who ate everything, bbc4
I'm not sure I'd want to launch my career as a media business troubleshooter in the teeth of one of the worst recessions for years, but I suspect Hilary Devey is made of stronger stuff than I am. Some time back she sold her house and car and moved in above a chip shop to fund her entry into the world of haulage – not notorious for its welcoming attitude to female novices – and she made that mark so effectively that her company is now worth some £100 million. Having graduated with honours from The Secret Millionaire's audition camp for telegenic plutocrats, she's now got a show of her own – The Business Inspector – in which, much in the manner of John Harvey-Jones and Gerry Robinson before her, she descends on the little fish of the business world, to mentor them in the art of being the eater and not the eaten.
Chinese zoo closed after tigers starve to death
It is the Chinese Year of the Tiger but it has been far from auspicious. China's Shenyang Zoo has closed after 11 Siberian tigers died of starvation or were shot this year amid murky tales of body parts being used for traditional medicinal remedies.
The Independent carries a short piece by Nigel Morris (11 March), where Ed Vaizey is quoted as saying that David Cameron is "much more conservative" than he has taken very great care to appear. Since Gordon Brown is now on the same wavelength as Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel, the inference would be that Cameron is very right-wing indeed. Other indicators point in this direction, too.
Leading article: please sir...
Shocking news reaches us from the kitchens of Stowe School: carrot and coriander soup was on the menu. What on earth has happened to the standard of dinners in our public schools? Wasn't the British Empire built on a generation of young men force fed nothing more palatable than gruel and gristle? No wonder we appear to be in a condition of national decline when pupils are being served such decadent cuisine. What next? Caviar? Bread rolls? Cutlery?
Leading article: the abuse of a valuable principle
The concept of civil service "purdah" in the run up to general elections is a valuable one. It guarantees the impartiality of public servants during an intensely partisan period and facilitates a relatively smooth transition between administrations. Yet this newspaper has uncovered various indications that this concept is being abused. As we reported yesterday, purdah has been used to justify a delay in the publication of official statistics on youth crime. One can only assume the figures would be unhelpful to Labour as it prepares for the forthcoming election.
Leading article: higher education, too, must adapt to more austere times
The universities of England received the dreaded news yesterday, and for the overwhelming majority, it was as bad as they had feared. Almost three-quarters will see their funding for next year severely reduced or frozen in real terms – which elicited a furious response from lecturers' representatives and some vice-chancellors.
Rupert cornwell: obama won't restrain israel - he can't
All you can say is, we've been here before. "Who the **** does he think he is? Who's the ******* superpower here?" Bill Clinton spluttered in fury to his aides back in 1996. The "he" in question was Benjamin Netanyahu, then as now the Prime Minister of Israel.
Steve richards: unite doesn't run labour – it can't even run itself
The saga of Labour, the Unite union and the planned strike is one about control, but not in the way that has been portrayed. The narrative suggests a mighty union clicks its fingers and a strike is called. While waiting for the strike to start, the same intimidating union selects candidates to become Labour MPs at the next election with the support of the control freak, Gordon Brown, and his old friend, the even mightier Charlie Whelan, who now works for the union.
New website failin.gs offers friends the chance to post 'constructive criticism'
Twenty years ago, Mike Godwin, the online counsel for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, began developing something that has become known as Godwin's Law. It states that as any online discussion continues, so the likelihood of someone comparing someone else to Hitler increases. Ten years ago, a then colleague of mine flirted with the idea of circumventing Godwin's Law and cutting straight to the chase by setting up a Jewish dating site, called There-are-so-many-nice-jewish-girls-out-there-you-just-don't-get-out-enough-to-meet-them-and-honestly-dating-shiksas-all-the-time-think-of-your-poor-grandparents-what-are-you-trying-to-do-kill-them-you're-as-bad-as-hitler.com.
Brian viner: 'like all columnists, i'd rather be abused than ignored by my readers'
A few years ago in these pages I related an anecdote about a young curate and a fierce dog. It was a funny tale told to me by an elderly clergyman friend who assured me that he had been that very curate, and yet by an unfortunate coincidence the same story had appeared in the Independent's property section just the day before, presented by an estate agent as having happened to him.
Rhiannon harries: not to put too fine a gloss on it
So, women of Britain, how did you prepare to face the world this morning? By applying a full-face of make-up? Or did you eschew the artillery of primers, powders and pencils and go au naturel for National No Make-Up Day (in the unlikely event that you were aware such a thing existed)?
Joan smith: one woman's misery is another bookseller's joy
If Princess Diana had ever written a novel, I think we can guess what it would be like: the story of one woman's brave struggle to overcome a solitary childhood, marriage to an uncaring husband and a series of disappointing love affairs.
Milan and brescia herald italy's electric car future
The Italian region of Lombardy is to install 270 EV charging points in two major cities as it prepares to test some of the first EVs to arrive in the country.
First look: pharrell williams chair on display in paris
Rapper Pharrell Williams is setting out to rival his colleague Kanye West's 'design guru' status, premiering his own chair design at a Paris concept store and gallery this month.
(un)healthy glow causes epidemic
The March edition of the Archives of Dermatology, a peer-reviewed medical journal, focuses on skin cancer with new studies highlighting the growing epidemic of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC).
New fashion iphone apps: think you know your fashion?
A new app lets you test your style wisdom. Plus: the latest in beards and moustaches.
New fashion books: a bible on classiness, tim walker photos, and fashion reality drama
Thinking about a career in fashion? Not sure what it is that defines 'classy?' Wondering how to get your hands on a numbered Tim Walker print? The answers are all here.
Brain damage linked to prenatal meth exposure
A developing fetus exposed to methamphetamine can cause far more damaging brain, cognitive and behavioral problems than prenatal exposure to alcohol, a study said Tuesday.
Us launches new breast cancer treatment study
Researchers launched a clinical study Wednesday to test new treatments for aggressive breast cancer in a rare alliance between the US government and five major drug companies.
Gm rice found in chinese supermarkets: greenpeace
Genetically modified rice is being sold in supermarkets in China including US retail giant Wal-Mart, environmental group Greenpeace said in a report that contradicts government statements.
Weekly top 10 video game guides: pokémon trainers keep catching them all
The 10 most popular games on videogame guide website GameFAQs on Wednesday March 17 included three Pokémon games, as the classic series continues to revitalize itself with more and more pocket monster collection escapades.
Lisa markwell: dark heart of the green shopper
It's not easy being green, said Kermit, and what a delightful fellow he was. Turns out those who find it easy being green also find it easy being mean. A new survey from the University of Toronto, published in the journal Psychological Science, has found that environmentally aware consumers are prone to be sneaky and unkind.
New fashion web launches: cavalli, cartier, styleite
Quail and Cartier have launched online stores, Cavalli blogs, Thierry Mugler celebrates womanhood, and Styleite reveals fashion insiders' real power.
For sale: one's very best daimler
For sale: Top-of-the range Daimler, only 14,000 miles on the clock – most of them around one's Windsor Great Park and London house at the end of the Mall. One very careful previous lady owner. Immaculate condition, apart from a few corgi hairs on the rear carpet.
Cardinal 'sorry' for covering up abuse
The leader of Ireland's Roman Catholics said yesterday that he was ashamed of his part in dealing with a child sex abuse scandal 35 years ago, and that he ws uncertain what the future held for him.
Eta cell in deadly paris shootout
A French police officer has been killed in a shoot-out near Paris with suspected members of the Basque separatist group Eta.
Mistaken identity blamed for drugs hit on us staff
The murders of three people with ties to a US consulate in Mexico was probably a tragic case of mistaken identity rather than a deliberate attempt to launch an offensive against American officials, the FBI believes.
Berlusconi caught out trying to stifle media
Wiretaps of Silvio Berlusconi haranguing a broadcasting official over what he saw as politically hostile programming have prompted new criticism of the Italian premier for attempting to stifle the media.
Iraq rivals face coalition wrangles
The formation of a new coalition government in Iraq will be difficult as rival political groups have all done well enough in the election to demand a share in power.
Wave of student suicides hits ivy league campus
Cornell, one of the prestigious Ivy League universities in the US north-east, has taken to posting guards on the bridges over the gorges on its campus, and sending staff to check on its students, after three undergraduates fell to their deaths in suspected suicides in the last month alone.
Netanyahu in-law calls us president 'anti-semitic'
The brother-in-law of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, yesterday accused Barack Obama, the US President, of being "anti-Semitic".
Krishnan Guru-Murthy, 39 on 5 April presents Channel 4 News. He chairs the current Teachers TV debate on parents' involvement in their children's education (www.teachers.tv/video/41892)
Gang rape, murder, suicide...is the judas tree the most barbarous ballet of modern times?
The Judas Tree was the last ballet created by Sir Kenneth MacMillan before he died – and it is his darkest. The plot is an allegory of Christ's betrayal and the setting is a building site in Canary Wharf. One woman appears within a group of construction workers, their foreman and a Jesus-like character. She is a beauty and sexually provocative, driving the men mad with frustration until they gang rape her. She is tossed from man to man, disappearing beneath them until she is left battered in mind and body. The foreman wants her and he is the only man not to have had her, which enrages him. With a beautiful and brutal twist of her head, he breaks her neck. He is the character of Judas. When Jesus comes forward to guard her body, the foreman kisses him, which is a signal to the other men to kill him. They stuff his body inside a wreck of a car. Mortified by what he has done, the foreman hangs himself from a girder. The steel beam is symbolic of the Judas Tree, with its pink flowers, that Judas Iscariot is said to have hanged himself from after betraying Christ.
In the pink: there's more to ham than vacuum packs and wafer-thin slices
Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough specialise in making a single ingredient sing. Partners in life and in food writing, the pair are well known in the US for their wildly successful series of "Ultimate" cookbooks, beginning with The Ultimate Ice Cream Book, which has sold more than a quarter of a million copies since it was first published 10 years ago. The approach has its disadvantages, however. "When we got done writing The Ultimate Shrimp Book," says Weinstein, "I couldn't eat shrimp for six months. We did The Ultimate Brownie Book, and I didn't know until then that the smell of melting chocolate could make a person nauseous."
Hit&run: where are all the daffodils?
First it was Valentine's Day (14 February). Then it was Shrove Tuesday (16 February). Then it was St David's Day (1 March). Then it was Mothering Sunday (14 March). Spot the connection? It's a dismal one. All of these spring feast days of one kind and another have had to be celebrated, in 2010, without daffodils.
Guy adams: learning the hard way in hollywood
A beautiful white Volkswagen camper van is sitting in the car park outside the school where my wife works. Built in 1974, when California was still recovering from its Summer of Love, it has since then been dutifully looked after by just one careful owner. He is Tom Hanks.
Nick clegg: our real loss of sovereignty is not to europe but to the us
Let me be clear. I'm an Atlanticist much like everyone else. I spent a happy time working in the United States. I think it is vital to our interests that we maintain a positive, strong and even uniquely warm relationship with the United States. But it is not our only relationship and it mustn't become a relationship that at every junction, every time a decision is made we have no choice but to follow the decisions made in the White House. And yet that seems to have been happening with greater velocity and frequency in recent years rather than less.
Crusaders ready to unveil thomas
Gareth Thomas is set for his rugby league debut tomorrow night after being named in Crusaders' 19-man squad to play the Catalan Dragons.
Broad into reverse after his apology
This England team leave nothing to chance. They practise hard, prepare devoutly and yesterday they got their just reward for such endeavour when they appeared to move to No 1 in the world apology rankings.
James lawton: nicholls finds new lease of life thanks to sanctuaire
They don't handicap trainers, which is just as well for the man who stands so far above all his rivals here for the next two days. If they did, by mid-afternoon yesterday Paul Nicholls, who for a third straight year is expected to produce in the Gold Cup tomorrow nothing less than first and second place, would have been carrying a substantial lump of the Cotswolds on his back.
A room swept white, by sophie hannah
While Sophie Hannah's books are described as psychological thrillers, calling them psychological chillers would be just as appropriate. Hannah takes domestic scenarios, adds disquieting touches and turns up the suspense until you're checking under the bed for murders.
Investment column: hold solid derwent until the price drops
Our view: Hold
Market report: man under pressure amid dividend fears
Payout worries haunted Man, the hedge fund group, which fell as the benchmark FTSE 100 index firmed up last night.
Rainbow warrior: how a head battled to save his inner-city school from the council
Sean O'Regan has just fought off what he considered a serious threat to his primary school and its children. He is the head of Edith Neville in Somers Town, whose cramped building lies behind the shiny new St Pancras station and the British library. Somers Town's decaying social housing has a high proportion of Bangladeshi families, which means that Edith Neville has a much higher proportion of Bangladeshi children than the area, because there are three Christian faith schools nearby, whose admissions criteria favour Christians.