Say hello to my clippy little friend

The son of former England footballer Trevor Francis has denied stealing ladies' shoes and souvenir football shirts from a cottage belonging to ex-Aston Villa player Lee Hendrie.

Mourners who scatter the ashes of relatives or beloved pets are being asked to be more considerate

The reason for the buzz surrounding this revival became clear as Jonas Kaufmann launched into his rapturous opening aria. His phrasing was exquisite, and his projection - underscored by distant horn-calls - was perfect, with its gentle falls into half-voice; his whole being radiated ardent nobility.

Serves 6-8

Ten thousand tons of cardboard has been burning through the night in a “severe” fire at a paper mill.

A hundred eminent educationalists have written to The Independent to complain about the new national curriculum. I may sound like an old fart, but I think they're wrong

Reckitt Benckiser's former finance director Colin Day has wasted little time in his new role as the chief executive of plastic products supplier Filtrona.

Carl Ikeme hurt himself in frustration after an uncharacteristic mistake

Yesterday, fans of Bill Turnbull et al were alarmed upon turning on their televisions to discover Bargain Hunt, while Today was switched for The Kitchen Cabinet. Of course, it was due to an NUJ strike.

Amit Drori’s Savanna looks like a mechanical Eden. Enchanting robot creatures nose the air and investigate the stage: a trundling tortoise, a springbok made of springs. There are “ohhhs” of wonder and delight as each new animal emerges.

A cop with your throat in his sights

Under the constitution, new elections must be held if the President is too ill to be sworn in

Brian Conley goes from the I'm A Celebrity... jungle to a Caribbean island in Birmingham