THE CLIMB THAT LEFT ME FROZEN WITH FEAR

There are thousands of industrial chimneys in the Czech Republic, with many dating back to the late 19th Century - most are no longer used and a group of enthusiasts spend their weekends climbing the structures. Alastair Lawson joined them in Zelezny Brod, but soon regretted it. I am 40m (130ft) up a 120-year-old chimney in the north-east of the Czech Republic and I am having a minor panic attack. My legs feel like lead weights as I look down...

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FORMULA 1: JENSON BUTTON COULD REPLACE WILLIAMS' VALTTERI BOTTAS

Jenson Button has emerged as a potential target for Williams next season if they lose Valtteri Bottas. Bottas, on whom Williams have a contractual hold, is Ferrari's number one option should they decide not to retain Kimi Raikkonen alongside Sebastian Vettel. Sources close to the deal say Ferrari and Williams have discussed Bottas's transfer but have no agreement yet. Williams view Button as a leading candidate should Bottas leave. Should...

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WHY CAN'T MEN BE OLYMPIC SYNCHRONISED SWIMMERS?

At the World Aquatics Championships, which begin this weekend in Russia, men will be competing in synchronised swimming for the first time. Men were a part of the sport at its inception, but until now they have always been barred from competing at the highest level. Will the door to the Olympics open next? There is nothing in the world that can prevent 25 July 2015 from being the best day in Bill May's life. "It's something that I have dreamed...

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WHEN THE US PRESIDENT TRAVELS, THE WORLD STANDS STILL

US President Barack Obama pines for the moment when he can leave the security bubble. After 24 hours inside it, I can see why. Mr Obama and his daughter Sasha, 14, walk across a tarmac in New York on Friday. He taps her shoulder and points towards Manhattan, showing her the world, or at least his version of it. What a place. They fly on Air Force One to one of New York's airports - and minutes later arrive by helicopter in Manhattan. Streets...

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FELIPE MASSA: DRIVERS WILL FOCUS ON JOB WHEN RACING AT HUNGARIAN GP

Felipe Massa says drivers will race as hard as ever at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, despite the death of "great friend" Jules Bianchi. The Frenchman, 25, died on Friday from severe head injuries suffered in last year's Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. Brazilian Massa suffered a fractured skull during qualifying in Hungary in 2009 after a spring hit his helmet. "I don't think anything changes. When you close your...

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DAVID COULTHARD COLUMN: F1 WILL NEVER ELIMINATE ITS INHERENT DANGER

Formula 1 is no stranger to tragedy, and the death of Jules Bianchi from injuries sustained in a crash in last October's Japanese Grand Prix is a reminder that danger is never far away, however distant it might appear. Over the last two decades, F1 had become accustomed to seeing drivers walk away or emerge uninjured from very big accidents, such as Robert Kubica's barrel roll in Canada in 2007 or Mark Webber's somersault in Valencia in 2010. That is testament to the work done to improve safety following the terrible...

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WHY MY OWN FATHER WOULD HAVE LET IS KILL ME

The group that calls itself Islamic State (IS or Isis) has a special punishment for gay people - it kills them by throwing them off high buildings. Taim, a 24-year-old medical student, tells the story of how he only escaped this fate by fleeing from Iraq to Lebanon. In our society, being gay means death. When Isis kills gays, most people are happy because they think we're sick. I first realised I was gay when I was about 13 or 14. I too thought...

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FORMULA 1: CRACKS APPEARING BETWEEN HONDA AND MCLAREN

Fernando Alonso scored his first point for McLaren-Honda at the British Grand Prix. That one sentence sums up just what a dire situation that team are in at the moment. It has taken nine races for a man many regard as the best driver in the world, in a team that has the target of winning championships, powered by an engine produced by one of the world's leading car companies, to score a single point. It became obvious at Silverstone...

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THE 'PHALLIC' CLAM AMERICA SELLS TO CHINA

It's not the most beautiful dinner to look at and it has a very odd name... but in China the geoduck is an expensive delicacy, so on North America's Pacific coast the race is on to farm them and cash in. The first thing people notice is the shape - it's not nicknamed the King Clam for nothing. Its long, probing siphon bulges out of its shell and burrows through the sand - sucking in sea water, and squirting it out again (minus vital nutrients)...

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FORMULA 1 ROUND-UP: JULES BIANCHI, KIMI RAIKKONEN, VETTEL, RED BULL

A sticker paying tribute to Bianchi will be made available to all F1 drivers in Hungary this weekend, courtesy of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association. World champion Lewis Hamilton has asked his Twitter followers to help  with ideas for his own sticker in memory of Bianchi. Manor driver Will Stevens tweeted: Arrived in Hungary for what's going to be an emotional weekend, but we race on! That's what we do and...

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JAKE GYLLENHAAL: ACTORS ARE TAKING DANGEROUS RISKS

Hollywood actor Jake Gyllenhaal says some actors are taking "dangerous risks" for their craft. The star told the BBC another actor had once asked him for advice on whether they should take drugs for a role. "Someone came to me and said, 'I'm going to play a drug addict - should I try the drug?' and I was like, 'no'," he said. Gyllenhaal has dramatically lost weight for some of his roles, but said it was "with a watchful eye of an expert". The...

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TURKEY BOMBS ISLAMIC STATE TARGETS IN SYRIA

Turkey's government says it has bombed Islamic State (IS) targets in Syria. A day earlier the two sides exchanged fire near the border, with one soldier killed and two more injured. Turkey is to let the US carry out air strikes against the Islamic State group from a key military base near the Syrian border, US officials have said. Turkish police also launched raids to arrest suspect IS militants on Friday morning in more than 100 locations...

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FORMULA 1: HOW WILLIAMS BLEW CHANCE TO WIN BRITISH GP

Williams have re-established themselves as the next best team behind Mercedes as the Formula 1 season reaches its midpoint around the two races in July. At last weekend's British Grand Prix they were clearly the second quickest car, decisively ahead of the Ferrari, until the rain came - and that puts them back where they were at the end of 2014. They were leapfrogged over the winter by Ferrari, after the Italian team made a major...

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SHARKNADO 4 CONFIRMED BY SYFY AS THIRD FILM PREMIERES

A fourth instalment of cult TV movie phenomenon Sharknado has been confirmed, with fans getting to decide what happens next. The announcement was made as Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! premiered on US TV on Wednesday on the Syfy channel. It ended with a piece of space shuttle hurtling towards April, played by Tara Reid, and the caption: "You decide if #AprilLives or #AprilDies". Sharknado 3 will premiere on Syfy in the UK on Thursday. As the film...

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