Queen Elizabeth II was so annoyed by police officers eating nuts laid out at Buckingham Palace that she marked a line on the bowl to monitor the level, jurors heard Thursday at Britain's tabloid phone hacking trial.

The unusual allegation was included in an email from then-News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman — who has been convicted of eavesdropping on the voice mails of royal staff — to his editor, Andy Coulson.

Sotheby's auction house in New York has agreed to return an ancient statue to Cambodia, ending a heated legal battle that began more than a year ago.

The agreement, signed Thursday by lawyers for Sotheby's, the consignor and the U.S. government, states that the auction house will transfer the statue to a representative of Cambodia in New York within 90 days.

Beyonce has announced and released an album on the same day.

Beyonce released her fifth self-titled album exclusively on iTunes early Friday.

Formula One team Force India has signed Mexican driver Sergio Perez to replace Paul di Resta.

The 23-year-old Perez was released by McLaren after the first of a multi-year deal but quickly found a new seat with the Indian team.

Sweden's most-capped player, midfielder Anders Svensson, is quitting the national team.

After scoring 21 goals in 148 matches for Sweden, the 37-year-old Svensson said Thursday "it's time to step aside and leave room for younger players who are knocking on the door to the national team."

A spokesman for Syria's main Western-backed rebel group has criticized the decision by the United States and Britain to suspend nonlethal aid to opposition fighters in northern Syria.

The U.S.-British decision reflected Western fears of the growing strength of al-Qaida-linked forces among the rebels. It came after some of the aid was seized by Islamic militants.

Oklahoma City made it 12 wins from 13 games with a 116-100 win at Memphis on Wednesday, with Russell Westbrook scoring 27 points for the Thunder.

Among other games, Golden State rallied from a big deficit and came up with a last-gasp winner to sink Dallas, former Celtics coach and now L.A. Clippers boss Doc Rivers won his first game back in Boston, and San Antonio's experienced core led the Spurs to a rout of Milwaukee.

Sydney FC chief executive Tony Pignata has denied claims that former Juventus star Alessandro Del Piero is unhappy and will leave the A-League during his second season.

There has been media speculation that Del Piero won't continue with Sydney next year and that he might even seek a new club as soon as the January transfer window opens.

In a dramatic climax to one of the tightest groups in Champions League history, Borussia Dortmund needed an 87th-minute goal at Marseille to advance at the expense of Napoli which beat Arsenal.

Dortmund, last season's beaten finalist, was on the brink of elimination and missed a series of chances against the 10-man French side until Kevin Grosskreutz scored to clinch a 2-1 win.

Three Ajax fans were taken to hospital after being stabbed in the buildup to the Dutch club's Champions League match at AC Milan on Wednesday, Italian media reported.

ANSA news agency said that one fan is seriously injured after being stabbed in the abdomen and was undergoing surgery, while another was wounded in the buttocks after also being attacked by Milan ultras. The third was stabbed in the thigh. All of them have been taken to different hospitals in the city.