Leonard Nimoy's funeral held in LA

Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy has been buried in Los Angeles in a small, private funeral. Nimoy, 83, died on Friday of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is often caused by smoking.

It is Jewish tradition for the dead to be buried within 24 hours but, as the practice is forbidden on a Saturday, the actor was laid to rest at 09:00 PST (17:00 GMT) on Sunday.

However, his Star Trek co-star William Shatner was unable to attend. "I feel really awful," tweeted the actor, who was committed to attend a Red Cross ball in Florida on Saturday night and could not fly back in time for the service. "Here I am doing charity work and one of my dearest friends is being buried."

Daniel Craig films Bond sketch for Comic Relief

James Bond star Daniel Craig will appear in a "special one-off sketch" for Comic Relief, to be broadcast as part of Red Nose Day on 13 March.

The top secret 007 skit will feature in Face the Funny, the charity's first show to be broadcast live from the London Palladium.

Professor Stephen Hawking will appear in a new Little Britain sketch, featuring David Walliams as carer Lou. The physicist will take Matt Lucas's role as the fake wheelchair-bound Andy.

It is the second Comic Relief sketch for Craig, who is currently filming new Bond movie Spectre. He appeared in a sketch with Catherine Tate in 2009, which saw her character Elaine Figgis dating a spy played by the actor.

Regular coffee drinkers have 'cleaner' arteries

Drinking a few cups of coffee a day may help people avoid clogged arteries - a known risk factor for heart disease - Korean researchers believe.

They studied more than 25,000 male and female employees who underwent routine health checks at their workplace. Employees who drank a moderate amount of coffee - three to five cups a day - were less likely to have early signs of heart disease on their medical scans.

The findings reopen the debate about whether coffee is good for the heart.

There is a lot of confusion when it comes to the effect of coffee on heart health. Some studies have linked consumption to heart risk factors, such as raised cholesterol or blood pressure, while others suggest the beverage may offer some heart protection.

But there is no conclusive evidence either way, and the latest research from South Korea, which is published in the journal Heart, only adds to the discussion.

New Higgs detection 'closes circle’

Physicists who detected a version of the Higgs Boson in a superconductor say their discovery closes a "historical circuit". They also stressed that the low-energy work was “completely separate" from the famous evidence gathered by the Large Hadron Collider.

Superconductivity was the field of study where the idea for the Higgs originated in the 1960s. But the particle proved impossible to witness because it decays so fast. This new signature was glimpsed as very thin, chilled layers of metal compounds were pushed very close to the boundary of their superconducting state.

This process creates a "mode" in the material that is analogous to the Higgs Boson but lasts much longer. Rather than the study of particles, it belongs in the field known condensed matter physics; it also uses much less energy than experiments at the LHC, where protons are smashed together at just under the speed of light.

It was at the LHC in 2012 that the Higgs Boson, believed to give all the other subatomic particles their mass, was detected for the very first time.

Scientists produce TB-resistant cows

Scientists in China have produced a herd of genetically engineered cows that are better able to ward off bovine TB infection.

The long-term goal of the research is to avoid the need to cull livestock by breeding disease resistant cattle. Bovine TB is a risk in many areas, including New Zealand, England and Wales, and parts of Africa and Asia. In the UK over 26,000 cattle were slaughtered in 2013 at a cost to taxpayers of £100m.

However, whether this approach protects cows against TB infection when exposed to high doses of the pathogen remains to be determined, says Prof Heiner Niemann, of  Institute of Farm Animal Genetics .

Researchers at the Ministry of Agriculture in Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China, used hi-tech genetic technology to insert a mouse gene into Holstein-Friesian cattle. The gene protected the animals against low levels of TB infection.

Secret power of Peacock tails

Peacock tails are one of the most beautiful sights in the animal kingdom. But they're not just pretty to look at. The birds also use their huge tails to make a loud noise – which humans are utterly incapable of hearing.

When a peacock shakes his tail, it produces a sound that is so low-pitched, humans can't hear it. That's despite the noise being about as loud as a car going past a few metres away.

Angela Freeman and James Hare of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada have shown that peacocks can make these "infrasound" noises with their tails. The birds can also sense and respond to the noise.

"Humans don't often think about infrasound as a potential signal, because we don't perceive it," says Freeman. "I think it's more common than we think."

The pair's results are published in the journal Animal Behaviour.

Weasel riding a Woodpecker

This photo of a weasel riding on the back of a woodpecker has gone viral after it was posted on social media. It has been picked up by media outlets worldwide.

The photographer Martin Le-May said he was "taken aback" by how many people were sharing the photo. The weasel was not using the woodpecker for transport, but was actually after a tasty meal.

Maharashtra bans Beef

The Indian president has approved a bill which bans the slaughter of cows and the sale and consumption of beef in the western state of Maharashtra.

Anyone found breaking the law will face a fine and up to five years in prison. Hindus, who comprise 80% of India's 1.2 bn population, revere cows and the sale and consumption of beef is banned or restricted in many states.

Correspondents say most beef sold in India is actually from water buffaloes which are not considered sacred at all. But in Maharashtra, buffalo meat, generally seen to be of inferior quality, makes up only 25% of the market and the ban is likely to be felt more keenly there.

The state includes India's commercial capital and biggest city Mumbai. The Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill took 19 years to become law - it was first passed by the state's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena government in 1995 and was sent to the president for approval in January 1996.

Beef is more popular with the poor in India as it is typically cheaper than other meats such as chicken or mutton. But because of religious sentiments and bans in various states, most of India's beef is exported - with a 20% share of the global market and exports worth more than $4bn (£2.6bn) a year, it is now the country's top agricultural export, beating the more famous basmati rice.

Buffalo meat, however, accounts for 80% of the exports. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has in the past complained about India's "pink revolution" of rising meat exports, and expressed hope of bringing in a national ban on cow slaughter.

Lib Dems to unveil Election Pledge

The Liberal Democrat's manifesto will include a pledge to hand drugs policy from the Home Office to the Department of Health, Nick Clegg is to say. His party would also shift resources away from prosecuting drug-users.

Mr Clegg's comments are expected at a joint appearance with Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson, who has long called for reforms to the drug laws. The two men said the UK seemed "oblivious" to the "tectonic shift" in the West on drugs policy.

The Lib Dems have long argued for changes to Britain's drug laws. At his party conference in October, Mr Clegg described the current approach as "idiotic". The deputy prime minister will renew his attack in a speech in London alongside Sir Richard. He will pledge to end the "nonsense" of jailing people for possessing small amount of drugs for their personal use, and say young people should not be penalised in later life because of a criminal record.

Nemtsov murder: Russian society polarised

Thousands of Russians have bid farewell to murdered Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov as his funeral took place in the capital Moscow. They queued patiently to view his coffin before it began its solemn journey to a city cemetery.

Several EU politicians and Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny were barred from attending the funeral. Hours later, Mr Navalny accused the Russian authorities of responsibility for the murder. In a statement (in Russian) from jail, where he is serving a 15-day sentence, he said: "I believe that Nemtsov was murdered by members of a government (special services) or pro-government organisation on the order of the country's political leadership (including Vladimir Putin)."

The question, he said, was whether the order had been given to kill Nemtsov or "stage an action that would have a high impact". Alternatively, he alleged that Nemtsov had been killed on the order of officials in Yaroslavl region, where he had been investigating corruption.

No arrests have been made and no motive has been established for the crime.

Obama trashes Bibi speech

US President Barack Obama has reacted scathingly to a speech by the Israeli prime minister that castigated his policy towards Iran.

 In a speech to the US Congress, Benjamin Netanyahu warned that a deal under discussion on Iran's nuclear programme could "pave Iran's path to the bomb" rather than block it. But Mr Obama said Mr Netanyahu had offered no viable alternative. Other senior Democrats - and Iran - also criticised Mr Netanyahu.

The Israeli leader's visit was controversial from the start, because the Republican speaker invited him without consulting the White House. The US president announced he would not meet Mr Netanyahu, who is fighting in a closely contested national election in just two weeks' time.

How to get into Cricket

Cricket is a social sport that is becoming more accessible due to a variety of formats - games can be played in a host of environments, ranging from 15 minutes to five days.

It's a team sport, but key skills - batting, bowling, fielding - rely on individual gifts. Traditionally it's been played on a field with 11 players per side. While still popular, there are now many other ways to play newer, scintillating styles - within sports halls, local parks, playgrounds and, in some cases, cages!

Why get into cricket? It's a game of brilliant intricacy and variety, and the sound of leather on willow is incredibly satisfying!

Who is it for? Cricket has evolved in recent years and can be adapted for any age, ability, or type of weather.

Is there a cheap option? For playground cricket, just grab a bat and a tennis ball. You can improvise to create some stumps.

What if I want a proper workout? Cricket can be explosive, especially if you're a big-hitting batsman or a fast bowler in shorter formats.

Can I take it to another level? Join a club to receive proper coaching and play competitively.

'Slim' chance of Pietersen comeback

Kevin Pietersen has little chance of making an England comeback, says former team-mate Matthew Hoggard.

According to Hoggard, Pietersen, 34, is now "too far removed" from the side after his international career was ended in February 2014. Hoggard also criticised incoming England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) boss Colin Graves for opening the door to a possible Pietersen return. "It's a fairly careless statement from the new chairman," said Hoggard.

"It makes stories at a time where England don't need any more bad press. It's an extraordinary statement at an extraordinary time." With England losing three of their first four World Cup matches in New Zealand and Australia, talk of a Pietersen return has irritated bowler Stuart Broad.

Stuart Broad rejects claims England are 'playing with fear'

Bowler Stuart Broad says claims England are "playing with fear" are wide of the mark, despite a poor start to their World Cup campaign.

England have lost three of their first four matches and face Bangladesh in a must-win game on Monday. "I don't think we are playing with fear," said Broad. "We just haven't clicked the way we'd have liked."

England have suffered heavy defeats to Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, with their only win against Scotland.