Astronomers have been able to capture and record the first moments when a massive star blows itself apart.

After decades of searching, researchers have used the world's top telescopes to observe the remarkable event.

Previously, scientists had only been able to study these "supernovas" several days after the event.

The results, published in the journal Nature, show that within two hours of the blast, a giant fireball scattered radioactive debris across space.

We were in the right place, at the right time

Governments are being urged to agree measures for protecting open ocean and sea floor habitats at a major United Nations conservation meeting in Bonn.

Argentina and Brazil are among the countries objecting to proposals put forward at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) meeting.

Scientists advising the CBD believe more protection is vital for marine areas outside national jurisdiction.

The CBD is the UN agreement intended to slow the loss of the Earth's species.

Its key target is to halt and begin to reverse the global decline by 2010, a target that many observers believe cannot be met.

The rate of species extinctions is estimated to be between 100 and 1,000 times the rate it would be without human impacts such as loss of habitat,

Plans to ban the open display of cigarettes in shops have been announced by the Scottish Government.

Public Health Minister Shona Robison said giving them "pride of place" on shelves did not fit with the drive to tackle smoking-related illness.

It is two years since Scotland led the UK in banning smoking in public places, and six months since the legal age for buying cigarettes was raised to 18.

Pro-smoking campaigners said the plans would not cut the habit.

Ms Robison announced a series of other measures to the Scottish Parliament, which also include tobacco licensing and outlawing the sale of cigarettes in packs of 10.

The Information Commissioner is launching an investigation after the Conservatives accidentally sent details of 8,000 people to a radio station.

The e-mail sent contained the names, addresses, telephone numbers and intentions of voters in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election.

Deputy Information Commissioner David Smith said the disclosure, to Manx Radio, raised "serious concern".

The Conservatives admitted a "mistake" had been made.

Files deleted

The information, which had been gathered by the Tories during the campaign for Thursday's by-election, was contained in three Excel files, and was sent in an e-mail to Manx Radio by accident, potentially breaching data protection laws.

The e-mail was received by the radio station at lunchtim

Police have released former al-Qaeda recruiter Hassan Butt without charge.

He had been held since his arrest on 9 May at Manchester airport by officers from Greater Manchester Police's Counter Terrorism Unit.

Mr Butt, a British citizen, has spoken widely of his past involvement with terrorist activity, which he says he has now renounced.

Police said investigations were ongoing. Mr Butt has admitted to fundraising for terror networks.