Liverpool tried to put on a brave face after yet another home draw dented their title hopes, but Hull boss Phil Brown got straight to the point.

An Egyptian blogger went on trial today on charges of insulting Islam and inciting sectarian strife for his Internet writing criticising Muslim authorities and the Egyptian government, his lawyer and court officials said.

A large explosion ripped through a restaurant in central Baghdad on New Year’s Eve, killing five people, the city police chief said.