Allied Carpets, the UK's second-largest flooring retailer, has been acquired by an offshore investment fund, for an undisclosed sum, in a deal that saves thousands of British jobs.

Euan Murray already happens to be a Saint: a professional with the Northampton Saints. The tighthead prop shifted more than a little uneasily in his seat at Murrayfield yesterday, though, when it was put to him that he was some kind of saviour of the underachieving Scottish rugby union team.

In an attempt to assuage international condemnation of its decision to readmit an ultra right-wing British bishop who denied the Holocaust, the Vatican yesterday declared that he would not be allowed to serve as a priest unless he recanted his views.

Packed with engaging detail, this book explores the enduring fascination of the "brides of Christ". The appeal of the nunnery in medieval times for women who refused to accept the virtual slavery of marriage is vividly exemplified by Caterina Benincasa, a Siennese saint who died by throwing herself into boiling water so that she could "serve God".