A dismal turnout tainted the first ever police commissioner elections as voters shunned the major political parties in favour of independent candidates – and handed a humiliating defeat to Lord Prescott.

Tony Blair last night paid tribute to his “remarkable” father who died yesterday at the age of 89.

Labour scored comfortable victories in two parliamentary by-elections as it held on to safe seats with handsome majorities.

Sven Hassel was a remarkable but controversial author who wrote successful novels set on the Eastern front in the Second World War. Starting in 1953 he published 14 novels, written in the first person, which were translated into 25 languages and published in 50 countries.

England manager warns new boy Wilfried Zaha he has no time for players with divided loyalties

As any historian knows, you need to know the origin and date of a piece of evidence before you know what it proves. Take this remark, for instance, about a man who eventually became so notorious that even the smallest fact about him would come to be of interest: "When I first met him he was like a tired stray dog looking for a master."

The 1,500 volunteer nurses who lost their lives during the world wars could finally be honoured with a permanent memorial, thanks to campaign by former colleagues.

Who is the greatest modern travel writer of them all? My favourite is Norman Lewis. As the first importer of the Leica to Britain – the RG Lewis camera shop still exists in Holborn, central London – he has some claim to have helped to create the genre of travel journalism. That, for personal use, he also imported the first Porsche is simply further evidence of a commitment to mobility combined with a passion for technical excellence which is reflected in his witheringly precise prose.

An exploration of her mother's Polish roots by an English singer-songwriter; but not a subjective trawl through family history, à la Who Do You Think You Are?.

The award-winning photographer Nelli Palomaki was granted exclusive access to the academy.

In his own words, “he's done”. Philip Roth, for half a century a towering figure of US literature and the author of 31 books including Goodbye Columbus, Portnoy's Complaint and The Plot Against America, will write no more.

For all their fractiousness, they really are all in it together

Some war veteran stories get made into Hollywood films, but there's enough material for a whole saga in the extraordinary life of Lieutenant General de Wiart - whose incredible tale has just been revealed.