Adele has given birth to a baby boy, according to reports.
The Grammy winner, 24, is thought to have had her first child with boyfriend Simon Konecki on Friday night.
She has so far not commented on her blog or her Twitter account. The voice behind the latest James Bond theme, Adele announced her pregnancy on her official website in June and said she and Mr Konecki were “over the moon” at the news. The June post telling of her baby joy is the singer’s most recent contribution on her blog.
The London-born singer had the world’s biggest-selling album last year with 21, which sold more than 17 million copies, four million of those in the UK alone. (PA)
Rooted in Christ’s time
Olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane come from cuttings of a tree dating to when Jesus is believed to have prayed on the hill in Jerusalem before his death, scientists have said.
The study was commissioned by Custodia Terrae Sanctae, a group of Franciscan missionaries who maintain and study ancient monuments in the Holy Land that are associated with Jesus Christ.
Research found that three of the eight trees dated back to the middle of the 12th century and that parts of their roots were even older. All eight had “similar genetic profiles” which meant that they were all related to this single tree. (AFP)
Churchill’s Land Rover
A Land Rover built for Winston Churchill’s 80th birthday has sold at auction in Cambridgeshire for £129,000 (€158,560) - more than twice its estimate.
The 1954 Series 1 Land Rover was registered as UKE 80 in the name of the “Rt Hon Sir Winston Spencer Churchill KG. OM. CH. MP. Chartwell, Westerham, Kent” and had been modified to enable him to be chauffeur-driven around his Chartwell estate. It was sold to an anonymous bidder with the original logbook registering it to Churchill, after the previous owner had kept it in a shed in Kent since 1977. (PA)
Navy’s tribute to Nelson
Nelson’s famous signal “England Expects” was hoisted up along with the Union Jack and White Ensign onboard his flagship as the Royal Navy marked Trafalgar Day yesterday.
The ceremony marking the victory over Napoleon’s navy in 1805, as well as Nelson’s death, took place onboard the ‘living museum’ HMS Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in Hampshire.
Described as the most decisive naval battle in British history, Admiral Lord Nelson’s triumph reaffirmed the UK’s prominence at sea but he was fatally wounded during the action.
Picture shows the Second Sea Lord, Vice Admiral David Steel, (right of centre) saluting after laying a wreath at the spot aboard HMS Victory where Admiral Lord Nelson was fatally shot in 1805. (PA)