It may take Wayne Rooney a little longer to get the point of the Roodee, having peered through a deluge to see his first-ever runner finish last in the opening race here yesterday. When his trainer warned that Pippy was "in at the deep end", the Manchester United striker could not have realised how literally that prediction might be construed. For other local heroes, however, even so soggy a first day contrived only to intensify the addiction of this meeting.

Their political marriage was unveiled in the grounds of No 10. The second anniversary was celebrated – if that's the right word – in an Essex factory

Red Tractor logo no guarantee of animal standards, report claims

Pakistan brings in the bulldozers to destroy any chance of the spot where the al-Qa'ida leader died becoming a shrine

The man who turned mowing the grass into a multimillion-dollar enterprise has died at the age of 87.

The Good, The Bad and The Odd

As millions tune in tonight to the last episode of the current series – don’t worry, they’re back next year! – The IoS invites you to form teams and get your fingers on the buzzer for our mammoth quiz.

Bernhard Langer was given a lifetime achievement award at the Association of Golf Writers annual dinner here last night. The German then had to listen to a speech by the member of the AGW who is the reason why Langer does not have an Open title to his name. Typically, Langer had the good grace to laugh when reminded about it.

Britain's gypsies and travellers are bracing themselves for "a state of war" as council chiefs, encouraged by the Coalition government, move to bulldoze the homes of hundreds of people who live on the largest traveller site in the country.

War, what is it good for? Making loads of money, according to a study from the Bocconi School of Management in Milan. It has looked at more than 100 conflicts going back 40 years and discovered that, on average, world stock markets tend to perform better when it's all kicking off.

The one topic of discussion at the England team base yesterday that had nothing to do with the remodelled red-rose line-out or Dylan Hartley's status as Number One Leper ahead of tomorrow night's Six Nations opener with Wales was the captaincy, awarded to the Gloucester centre Mike Tindall ahead of the Harlequins No 8 Nick Easter. Both men know what it is to play in a World Cup final; both are big personalities in the dressing room as well as on the pitch. In the end, though, it was not a tight call.

The last remnants of the rail business of failed engineer Jarvis will be on the block at the InnoTrans exhibition in Berlin later this month. Valuations consultancy Edward Symmons is selling the last plant and equipment and expects to raise £5m to £10m.