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British Prime Minister David Cameron's flagship gay marriage policy deepened a rift in his own party on Monday after many of his own lawmakers defied him in a sign of growing strains on his leadership and his coalition government. Almost 40 percent of Cameron's 303 lawmakers in the lower house of parliament voted for an ultimately unsuccessful amendment that would have allowed registrars to refuse to perform gay marriage ceremonies if they objected.   Scores backed another amendment that the government said would have sabotaged its efforts to legalize same sex unions. Cameron's failure to unite his ruling Conservative Party over gay marriage and over his other major policy - renegotiating Britain's membership of the European Union - risks undermining his chances of being re-elected in 2015 even as the economy is showing signs of returning to growth. "It's a perfect political storm. It couldn't have come at a worse time for Cameron," Iain Dale, a

So that's stat for another Barclays Premier League season. Goals, saves, misses, passes, bookings, MailOnline Sport wraps up the campaign in numbers. United front: The red half of Manchester celebrated landing the Premier League title this year SPOT THE ODD MEN OUT Spurs and Swansea fans can unite in grumpiness – they went through the campaign without being awarded a single penalty. Double footballer of the year, Gareth Bale, might have cleaned up his act but referees are still not giving him any decisions. Right, Andre Marriner? ON THE OTHER HAND... Manchester United did not concede a spot kick all season, the first time a side has done that since Bolton in 1997-98.  Was the Fergie hair-dryer THAT frightening? And, as if they needed any more help, they also benefited from six opposition own goals. Taking a tumble: Bale earned a reputation for diving this season... and Spurs were not awarded a single penalty SUPER SAVERS  At least Fulham had the cons

Divisions within Mexico's main conservative opposition party have erupted into a bitter public dispute that threatens to undermine the reform agenda of President Enrique Pena Nieto. Short of a majority in Congress, Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) is likely to need support from the conservative National Action Party, or PAN, to see through plans to overhaul state oil giant Pemex and broaden the tax base.   But the PAN has been mired in a power struggle since it lost the presidency last year, and tension has risen steadily over disagreements on how much the party should support the president's efforts to reform Latin America's No. 2 economy. That friction boiled over this weekend when PAN Chairman Gustavo Madero said he would strip former Finance Minister Ernesto Cordero of his role as PAN Senate leader, leading to a tense exchange live on national television on Monday. "The PAN can't be a satellite of the PRI," Cordero told a news

Relive some of the magic moments in the BMW PGA Championship from down the years with these stunning pictures...   Luke Donald hits his approach to the 18th green during the final round in 2011. He beat fellow Englishman Lee Westwood in a play-off for the first of two successive titles The famous par-five 18th hole at Wentworth, before Ernie Els got his teeth into it and after (below) in 2006 BBC commentating legend Peter Alliss hits a drive in Maesdu, Llandudno in 1957. Alliss would win three times before the event settled on its home at Wentworth Rory McIlroy plays his approach shot to the seventh green on the West Course last year. The Northern Irishman has famously struggled in the tournament to date Colin Montgomerie hits a wayward drive during the final day in 2000, but Monty dominated the event around the turn of the century, winning three times in succession No prizes for guessing that this is a silhouette of the great Nick F

Tottenham fans face an anxious wait to discover if star man Gareth Bale will stay at the club following the failure to qualify for the Champions League. Real Madrid, Manchester United and Manchester City are poised to join a £50million auction for the triple Footballer of the Year. Hit man: Gareth Bale scores his wonder goal against Sunderland Carbon copy: Cristian Ceballos rifles shot just over the bar But if Bale does decide to leave if pursuit of playing in Europe's flagship competition, then Spurs can take solace in having not one but two ready-made replacements who already wear the No 11 jersey Under 19 midfielder Kenny McEvoy was labelled 'baby Bale' due to his striking resemblance to the Welsh wizard and his ability to torment defenders. And now Under 21 star Cristian Ceballo showed last night why he has been touted as the Bale's natural successor The former Barcelona academy player, who became an internet sensation after a video showed him taking on

Barcelona have unveiled their away kit for next season after ditching this year's hugely unpopular version. The yellow and red striped colours of the Catalan flag make the 2013-14 kit a bit less Tequila Sunrise and a bit more Partick Thistle. Flying the flag: Barcelona will wear the Catalan colours away from home next season Last year's kit saw orange fading into yellow in a manner that is usually only seen in a cocktail glass. Barca will be hoping a change of kit brings a change of fortunes in Europe. While Tito Vilanova's side won back their La Liga crown from arch rivals Real Madrid, they were dumped out of the Champions League 7-0 on aggregate by Bayern Munich at the semi-final stage. As ever, Barca will wear their famous red and blue stripes at home. Unpopular: This season's away strip didn't win many fans Home comforts: Barca will wear their traditional red and blue stripes at the Nou Camp   More... Manchester United top telly tabl

Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas have fought their biggest battle yet for Syria's beleaguered president, prompting international alarm that the civil war may spread and an urgent call for restraint from the United States. About 30 Hezbollah fighters were killed on Sunday, Syrian activists said, along with 20 Syrian troops and militiamen loyal to President Bashar al-Assad during the fiercest fighting this year in the rebel stronghold of Qusair, near the Lebanon border.   That would be the highest daily loss for the Iranian-backed movement in Syria , highlighting how it is increasing its efforts to bolster Assad; it prompted U.S. President Barack Obama to voice his concern to his Lebanese counterpart, Michel Suleiman. If confirmed, the Hezbollah losses reflect how Syria is becoming a proxy conflict between Shi'ite Iran and Arab states like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which back Assad's mostly Sunni enemies. Dozens of dead in sectarian bombings in Iraq on Monday and killings in

The dictionary definitions make interesting reading. Special - surpassing what is common or usual. Special - distinct among others of a kind. Jose Mourinho certainly ticks the second box - no-one does off-the-wall quite like the flamboyant Portugeezer. But as Mourinho brings down the curtain on three years at Real Madrid, and prepares for an emotional return to Chelsea, does he still surpass what is common or usual? Mour of the same: Chelsea fans are desperate for Jose to return to Stamford Bridge The Stamford Bridge faithful will bellow 'yes' in unison, convinced that the man who gave them five trophies in three years will work the miracle again. Over at the Bernabeu, there is a feeling that the Special One's sheen has attracted some tarnish. Even Mourinho described this season as the worst of his life after an average campaign dipped into unacceptable with the Copa del Rey final defeat by neighbours Atletico. Scowling Jose has always been a sore loser. Nothing wro

Nigeria claimed an early success for its military offensive against Islamist insurgents in the northeast on Monday, saying the militants' activities had been stifled by nearly a week of attacks on their bases. Military officers in the combat zone, deep in a semi-desert frontier region, said operations continued and that troops faced considerable opposition from well-armed Boko Haram fighters. A presidential spokesman issued a statement saying the biggest drive yet against the four-year-old rebellion had made progress since President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in three troubled states last Tuesday. "The insurgents have been dislodged from their previously safe havens and camps while many have been apprehended, and their activities in the affected states have been brought to a total halt," he said of operations around Lake Chad, along Nigeria's northeastern borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger.   Thousands of additional troops have been deplo

Outgoing manager Sir Alex Ferguson has included a player produced by Manchester United’s academy in every one of his 1500 games in charge and believes he has left David Moyes with another fine crop. The Red Devils produced a stunning comeback to fight back from two goals down to beat Tottenham 3-2 in the final of the Barclays U21 Premier League at Old Trafford. So who are the Manchester United boys in with a shout of forcing their way into Moyes’ first-team plans? Handover: David Moyes picks up an exciting youth team from Sir Alex Ferguson   Larnell Cole, 20, winger The little wide man scored a hat-trick in last week’s 3-1 win over bitter rivals Liverpool but was even more impressive in the adversity of the Tottenham match. The Manchester-born midfielder took responsibility for turning the tide after a dominant first-half showing from Spurs, pulling United level before showing the composure to find the corner with two minutes remaining to snatch the win. Cole came off the bench

Qatar's emir, who has thrown his state's riches behind Arab uprisings, said on Monday that the emergence of 'people power' had put Arabs in direct confrontation with Israel and made a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict more pressing. "We heard in the past that reform (in the Arab world) must wait until a peaceful settlement with Israel is achieved, but everybody should realize that such belief is now unfounded after the Arab Spring revolts," Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani told a conference in the Qatari capital.   "The reason is that the Arab Spring has today put Israel in direct confrontation with the Arab people, not only with their rulers. These people will no longer accept that negotiations are the goal in themselves." He added: "Our region will not see peace unless we see a resolution to the Palestinian issue." Sheikh Hamad's call for the establishment of a Palestinian state with Arab East Jerusalem as its capi

A former Yahoo! employee died over the weekend after falling from the roof of a four-story house in San Francisco while attending a party for the city's annual 'Bay to Breakers' foot race. 'One wrong move': David Hamzeh was killed Sunday after falling from the roof of a four-story home in San Francisco Authorities say the 28-year-old victim - identified by his employer, Intuit-owned DemandForce, a San Francisco-based online marketing firm, as David Hamzeh - was on the roof of a home in the 2000 block of Fell Street about 3:30 p.m. Sunday when he fell to the pavement about 40 feet below. "I heard the thwack and then everyone started screaming," a witness told the San Francisco Chronicle. "When I ran down there, he was laying there completely white, so we thought he was gone." Fell Street: Hamzeh fell from the roof of this home - on a street coincidentally called Fell Street Hamzeh reportedly had been drinking with friends prior to f

More than 70 people were killed in a series of car bombings and suicide attacks targeting Shi'ite Muslims across Iraq on Monday, police and medics said, extending the worst sectarian violence since U.S. troops withdrew in December 2011. The attacks increased the number killed in sectarian clashes in the past week to more than 200. Tensions between Shi'ites, who now lead Iraq, and minority Sunni Muslims have reached a point where some fear a return to all-out civil conflict. No group claimed responsibility for the bombings. Iraq has a number of Sunni Islamist insurgent groups, including the al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq, which has targeted Shi'ites in a bid to kindle a wider sectarian conflagration. Nine people were killed in one of two car bombings in Basra, a predominantly Shi'ite city 420 km (260 miles) southeast of Baghdad, police and medics said. "I was on duty when a powerful blast shook the ground," said a police officer near the site of

A pensioner has appeared in court accused of trying to murder her 73-year-old husband by running him over after nearly 50 years of marriage. Sally Stickland, 72, is alleged to have hit her husband John with a car near to their family home. Neighbours found retired John Stickland lying unconscious with serious head injuries on a grass verge with his legs in the road. A pensioner appeared in court today accused of trying to murder her 73-year-old husband by running him over after nearly 50 years of marriage He was rushed to hospital with fractures to his neck, right collar bone and temple.  He also sustained a bleed on the brain and lacerations to his head and remains in a serious but stable condition. Meanwhile, detectives have been quizzing his wife about the incident at around 1.30pm on Saturday. The couple, from Langley, Hampshire, have three grown-up children and will have been married 50 years on June 1.   More... Was fatal blast caused by father trying to fit new centra