A massive boost for single-science subjects is offset by a continued decline in French and German, while the gender gap widens slightly - a look at the trends emerging from the 2010 GCSE results.

A government drive to resurrect dwindling numbers of entries in chemistry, biology and physics from the late 1990s has yielded massive growth in the past few years.
Numbers have doubled since 2007, but still only 16% of students take triple science.
The push follows concerns that the combined science courses, which squeezed all three subjects into one or two GCSE options, did not prepare students properly for A-level and beyond.
The Labour government set a target that 90% of schools should offer triple science. In early 2010, it was estimated that 70% of state schools offered it - though in 2009 only 32% entered pupils in single-science GCSEs.
Schools describing themselves as having a science specialism have only recently become obliged to offer triple science.
Meanwhile, a wave of competitions and events have attempted to interest pupils.
And the courses themselves have been updated to make them more engaging, challenging and related to current scientific issues in the media such as climate change.
What were previously "double" and "single" award science have been revamped into "science" and "additional science" - with the latter designed to be more academic and challenging.
The Campaign for Science and Engineering says there are still problems, particularly shortages of suitable teachers - 25% of schools do not have a specialist physics teacher, for example.
"The increase is fantastic," said its assistant director, Hilary Leevers, "but the figures have risen because they started in such a low place".
The number of students taking French and German this year are both just more than half the number in 1999.
AQA exam board head Andrew Hall said this year's drop of 5.9% had pushed French out of the top 10 subjects "for the first time in living memory".
Full GCSE results by subject and gender
It continues a steady decline since 2004, when it stopped being compulsory for 14-year-olds to take a language.
Ziggy Liaquat, managing director of the Edexcel exam board, said the decrease in languages was "disappointing".
"There is a conversation to be had about how we do make languages more engaging, more interesting, more relevant for young people," he said.
But John Dunford, head of the Association of School and College Leaders, said pupils were avoiding languages because they are harder than other GCSEs.
"The pressure on young people to pass means they do not want to do harder subjects," he said.
CILT, the national centre for language learning, agreed with this analysis, saying the trend was "less to do with student disaffection" and more to do with "performance table pressures".
It said the system was "letting down" young people by allowing them to opt out of languages.
Spanish has bucked the trend, however, with a slight increase. And there has been a rise over the past decade in students studying a range of other languages spoken in the UK.
It is assumed that the majority of the growing numbers of students taking languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Polish and Urdu have some personal connection to the language - and many will already be fluent in it.
Boys continue to lag behind girls in most subjects, a trend of more than two decades.
The gender gap was at its widest in the early 2000s for A*-Cs, and in the middle of the decade for A*-As.
Explanations for the gap vary, although it is widely thought that girls perform better than boys in continued assessment and coursework. Other reasons given for the gap in GCSE performance are maturity and motivation.
However, a higher percentage of boys get A and A* grades in economics and additional maths than of girls. Boys also pulled ahead of girls at these top grades in maths last year, and in physics at A grade - and managed to maintain the edge in both in 2010.
Northern Ireland's teenagers consistently bag a higher proportion of top grades than those in England and Wales.
NI GCSE students score top marks
Wales lags in best GCSE results
Northern Ireland still has a system of selective schools, where pupils are tested at the age of 11, with the brighter ones going on to grammar schools.
In Wales, however, the percentage of entries gaining A*-C grades has slipped from being higher than in the rest of the UK, to lagging 2.6 percentage points behind.
One suggested reason is a funding gap, with the National Union of Teachers saying Â£500 less is spent per pupil in Wales than in England.
There is also speculation that more pupils in Wales, where there are no school league tables, may be entered for exams they might not perform well in, in comparison to elsewhere.
Across the UK regions, south-east England and south-west England tend to perform the best at grades A and C, but in the past two years the north-east England and London have shown the most improvement.
Some subjects confound popular perceptions. While many assume the UK is becoming more secular, the number of entries in religious studies has risen for the twelfth year running.
The subject is now in the top ten most popular subjects, with entries increasing more than 60% since 1999.
The Church of England believes "young people are clamouring for a deeper understanding of religious perspectives on issues of the day and how moral and ethical questions are considered by the major faiths".
Exam boards have rejected claims by the Campaign for Real Education that the GCSE is "pathetically easy".
Grades in religious studies are fairly similar to history, ICT, geography - although the percentage of good grades in a subject does not necessarily indicate how hard or easy it is.
One reason for the rise may be that it is compulsory for schools to provide some form of religious studies education for students, so some schools and students may decide that they want the time and effort it takes to count towards a GCSE.
Conversely, the iPod generation has continued to turn its back on information and communications technology (ICT), with the number of entries dropping by nearly a third over the past decade.
Exam boards suggest the drop in the last couple of years may be because, with more students taking triple science, ICT is often abandoned to enable students to keep more breadth in their choices.
But this does not explain the longer-term trend.
The Royal Society has suggested that courses are "poorly conceived" and the way the subject is taught "turns off" pupils.


Rugby league side Salford Red Devils are deducted six points for breaching salary cap rules

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A team of scientists has tracked a flock of bar-headed geese as they made an incredible journey across the Himalayas.

26 January 2015 Last updated at 06:58 GMT
Every year these incredible geese make a mammoth trip over the Himalayan mountains from central Asia to India, where they spend winter before returning home.
Bar-headed geese can reach altitudes of more than 7,000 metres, and fly while breathing in air that has less than 10% oxygen.
A team led by Bangor University in Wales put trackers on seven geese to try and unlock how they can endure such harsh conditions.
Watch Jenny's report to see what they discovered.


Chelsea maintained a seven-point advantage over Tottenham at the top of the Premier League with a hard-fought victory over Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola suffered league defeats home and away to the same opponents in a single league season for the first time in his managerial career as City are left to fight for a top-four place.
Eden Hazard gave Chelsea a 10th-minute lead when his shot deflected off returning City captain Vincent Kompany past keeper Willy Caballero, who should have done better.
Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois was also badly at fault when his poor clearance to David Silva set up Sergio Aguero's equaliser after 26 minutes - but Chelsea were back in front before half-time.
They were awarded a penalty after Fernandinho tripped Pedro and even though Cabellero saved Hazard's spot-kick, the rebound fell kindly for the Belgian to score.
City, who stay in fourth, had the better chances in a tense second period, with Kompany's header bouncing back off the bar and John Stones shooting over from six yards in injury time. Chelsea, however, held on for a win that was even more vital given Tottenham's dramatic late comeback at Swansea City.
Chelsea's progress towards the Premier League title has been a tale of almost unbroken serenity since manager Antonio Conte reworked his tactical approach after successive losses at home to Liverpool and away to Arsenal in September.
This was arguably their biggest game since as it followed on from the shock home loss to Crystal Palace and it was against a Manchester City side with the talent and capability to make this night at Stamford Bridge a real test of nerve.
And so it proved as City, with Silva the orchestrator supreme, putting Chelsea's defence and their supporters on edge right until the final whistle.
Chelsea emerged triumphant thanks to the mixture of talent and resilience that has served them so well this season and the celebrations at the final whistle reflected just what a significant night this might prove to be.
Hazard provided the flourishes but manager Conte proved his pragmatism with the introduction of Nemanja Matic for Kurt Zouma at the start of the second half to attempt to lock down the win.
It worked to an extent but Chelsea also enjoyed good fortune as Kompany's header bounced back off the bar and Stones somehow scooped an injury-time chance over the top.
In the final reckoning, Chelsea showed the bloody-minded defiance of champions - and this is the sort of result that could earn them that crown.
If this meeting of two of the Premier League's superpowers and two elite coaches was meant to be an enjoyable experience, you would not have known from the body language of Chelsea coach Conte and his Manchester City counterpart Guardiola.
The Catalan, in particular, appears to lead an agonised existence in his technical area. The advocate of the joyous, beautiful game looks as if he is going through torture in almost every match.
He was slapping his thigh and remonstrating with backroom staff within 15 seconds of the kick-off and he was in regular dialogue with fourth official Bobby Madley, with Conte occasionally joining in.
It was, it should be stressed, another frustrating night for Guardiola when his team promised much and ended with nothing - although it concluded with a warm handshake for Conte, who also looked like he had endured a tough night.
Conte, by his standards, was relatively low key but the mask dropped at the final whistle as he pumped his fists in the direction of Chelsea's fans. This was a huge night for the Italian as he did the double over Guardiola.
Manchester City remain the great enigma of the Premier League - looking like they could score every time they attack but liable to concede at any moment.
Guardiola still has a goalkeeper conundrum, with Willy Caballero unconvincing and caught out by a routine deflection from Kompany for Hazard's first goal, while there is an air of permanent frailty at the back.
City's slim title hopes are now over and they must hunt a top-four place, aided by Bournemouth's late equaliser at Liverpool, and the FA Cup.
They must achieve one of both of those targets to stop this season ending unfulfilled before Guardiola tackles those goalkeeping and defensive problems in the summer.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte told Match of the Day: "My look is tired because I feel like I played it tonight with my players. I suffered with them.
Media playback is not supported on this device
"But we must be pleased because we beat a strong team - the best team in the league. I think they have a great coach - the best in the world. To win this type of game at this time of the season is great."
Man City boss Pep Guardiola told Match of the Day: "It's an honour to have the amazing players I have. We come here to Stamford Bridge and play the way we have, with huge personality. I'm a lucky guy to manage these guys."
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Chelsea travel to Bournemouth in Saturday's late kick-off (17:30 BST) while Man City host Hull City at 15:00.
Match ends, Chelsea 2, Manchester City 1.
Second Half ends, Chelsea 2, Manchester City 1.
N'Golo Kanté (Chelsea) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
David Silva (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by N'Golo Kanté (Chelsea).
Attempt missed. John Stones (Manchester City) right footed shot from very close range is too high. Assisted by Vincent Kompany with a headed pass following a corner.
Corner,  Manchester City. Conceded by Thibaut Courtois.
Attempt saved. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Nolito.
Substitution, Chelsea. Ruben Loftus-Cheek replaces Eden Hazard.
Foul by David Silva (Manchester City).
Marcos Alonso (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Gary Cahill (Chelsea) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Willian with a cross following a corner.
Corner,  Chelsea. Conceded by Gaël Clichy.
Substitution, Manchester City. Nolito replaces Leroy Sané.
Vincent Kompany (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Vincent Kompany (Manchester City).
Eden Hazard (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by John Stones (Manchester City).
Diego Costa (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution, Chelsea. Willian replaces Cesc Fàbregas.
Attempt missed. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right misses to the right following a corner.
Attempt missed. John Stones (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by David Silva with a cross following a corner.
Corner,  Manchester City. Conceded by N'Golo Kanté.
Attempt blocked. Fernandinho (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Raheem Sterling.
Substitution, Manchester City. Raheem Sterling replaces Kevin De Bruyne.
Hand ball by David Silva (Manchester City).
Fabian Delph (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Fabian Delph (Manchester City).
Diego Costa (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Eden Hazard (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Pedro.
Attempt blocked. David Luiz (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Vincent Kompany (Manchester City).
Diego Costa (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Vincent Kompany (Manchester City).
Eden Hazard (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Manchester City. Conceded by David Luiz.
Fernandinho (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Nemanja Matic (Chelsea).
Attempt missed. John Stones (Manchester City) header from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by David Silva following a set piece situation.
Vincent Kompany (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.


Yvonne Murray's request for her 1988 Olympic bronze medal to be upgraded because of state-sponsored drug taking by Russian athletes has been rejected.

Russia's Tetyana Dorovskikh took the 3,000m gold medal but tested positive for drug use in 1993.
Murray's husband, Tom Mooney, wrote to the IOC last year.
"Their view is that they can't prove that Dorovskikh was on drugs when competing at Seoul in 88 when she tested positive in 93," he said.
"Our view is that you don't start taking drugs after winning the numerous titles she had.
"It is quite sickening really and something that has to be addressed otherwise sport's going to die at the top end."
Having originally written to the IOC in June 2015, Murray's hopes of an upgrade increased when Russia was first accused by the World Anti-Doping Agency of "state-sponsored" doping in November.
"I thought, if we don't do something now, we never will and I decided to write to the IAAF, Sebastian Coe, the president, and Thomas Black, who's president of the International Olympic Committee," Mooney told BBC Scotland.
"Seb Coe got back to say it is really an IOC matter but he would raise it with them."
More than a year after his initial letter, Mooney has been left disappointed by the reply, which comes as Russia failed to overturn the ban imposed on its athletes competing at the forthcoming Olympics in Rio.
"Dorovskikh tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in 1993," he said. "Subsequent to that, she had won four world championship gold medals and three Olympic medals, including a gold medal in Yvonne's race in the 3,000m in 1988.
"It is something that has always been sore with Yvonne. She has always felt she should have been upgraded to at least a silver medal from the Games."
The rejection of Murray's appeal came in a letter from IOC director of legal affairs Howard Stupp.
"Over and above the issue of prescription (ie, the amount of time that has elapsed since the occurrence of the event in question), it is not acceptable to condemn someone for supposed behaviour in 1988 - which behaviour at that time has not been proven - based upon the behaviour of such person in 1992," he stated.
"Therefore, despite the fact that you may have reasonable grounds to be suspicious, we believe doing so would create an untenable precedent and would be contrary to the application of due process and natural justice.
"As a result, we do not feel we are in a position to proceed with any potential reallocation of the medal in question."


Severe weather has killed at least 19 people in the US South and injured many more, emergency officials say.

Weather officials warn of high winds, rain and flash flooding as the weather system now moves up the east coast.
Four people were killed in Mississippi and 15 in Georgia during the weekend's tornadoes and thunderstorms.
President Trump has pledged federal assistance to the three states that have been most-affected by the storms.
"The tornadoes were vicious and powerful and strong and they suffered greatly," Mr Trump said on Sunday at the White House.
"So we'll be helping out," he added.
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency said that the 15 victims were in the southern Cook, Brooks, Dougherty and Berrien counties.
Most of the deaths occurred in Cook County, when a mobile home park was apparently struck by a tornado.
Cook County coroner Tim Purvis said numerous mobile homes had been "levelled" before dawn on Sunday in the park near the city of Adel.
Emergency teams are still searching for survivors beneath the rubble, he added, and by Monday evening, residents had not been permitted to return.
Mr Purvis estimated that the park has about 40 mobile homes in total, and roughly half were destroyed.
"These storms have devastated communities and homes in South Central Georgia, and the state is making all resources available to the impacted areas," Governor Deal said in a statement.
"Trailers are just flat, just laid on top of people", rescue worker Debbie Van Brackel told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
"You need a bulldozer to pull it off. Trailers are upside down."
In Brooks County, coroner Michael Miller said two people died when an apparent tornado tossed a mobile home around 100 yards into the middle of Highway 122.
Swathes of the south-eastern United States have been hit by storms over the weekend.
Several tornadoes were also reported in South Carolina and Florida, officials say.
In southern Mississippi, four people died in the path of a tornado with winds above 218 km/h (136 mph).
More than 50 others were injured and about 1,100 homes were damaged or destroyed, state officials said.
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency issued advice on the best and worst places  to shelter from a tornado late on Saturday, advising locals in the path of a tornado to cover themselves with blankets or a mattress for protection.


The organisers of the Oscars have invited a record number of new members to vote in next year's Academy Awards, in response to criticism of a lack of diversity at this year's ceremony.

Nearly 700 people were invited, with a focus on women and ethnic minorities.
Should all of those agree to join, the demographic of the membership would only slightly change from being mostly white, male and over 60.
Male membership would slip from 75% to 73% - white membership from 92% to 89%.
There are currently more than 6,000 members of the academy.
Almost half the people who have been asked to join are women and almost as many are people of colour.
The new invitees include Star Wars actor John Boyega, Swedish Oscar winner Alicia Vikander, Beasts of No Nation star Idris Elba and Tina Fey the Academy said in a statement, which listed the invitees in full.
Boyega tweeted his gratitude at being invited to join, saying that it was "always a blessing to be one of the many Oscar voters that will hopefully spark change".
Other British inclusions include Harry Potter star Emma Watson and Belle director Amma Asante, who wrote: "I cannot lie. I like this!"
Brie Larson, who won the best actress Oscar this year for her performance in Room, was also invited.
She tweeted: "I got in! Excited to use my vote to nominate talent that reflects the real world we live in - DIVERSITY."
From the music world Sia, Mary J Blige, will.i.am and Ice Cube have been nominated.
Ugly Betty star America Ferrera also thanked the Academy, tweeting that it was a chance to "create opportunity" for others.
Dreamgirls and Roots actress Anika Noni Rose, also tweeted her gratitude.
"I'd like to thank @TheAcademy!...for welcoming me (& so many fabulous artists) to the class of 2016."
Jacob Vargos who has starred in The 33 and Jarhead, thanked Lou Diamond Phillips and Esai Morales on Twitter for nominating him.
"Thank you @TheAcademy for inviting me join this group of talented film makers. I am truly honoured," he said.
For the second year in a row, all of the acting nominees at February's 88th Academy Awards were white, sparking an outcry.
The protests led to an unprecedented debate about racial equality in the film industry - characterised on social media by the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite -  and caused several Hollywood stars to boycott the awards ceremony.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences then agreed to a shake up of its membership - traditionally seen as old, white and male - to bring in more women and members of ethnic minorities.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


Scotland's Scott Jamieson is in a three-way tie for the lead on seven under par after his second round of the PGA Championship at Wentworth.

Jamieson's two-under-par 70 leaves him alongside Italy's Francesco Molinari and Belgium's Thomas Pieters, one shot ahead of Germany's Maximilian Kieffer.
England's Lee Westwood and Sweden's Henrik Stenson are two shots back.
Olympic champion Justin Rose scored an eagle on the par five 18th to salvage his round and finish two over.
Two other Englishmen, Graeme Storm and Oliver Fisher, are on four under after carding a 72 and a 70 respectively.
Andrew Johnston is on three under after his 68, alongside Tyrell Hatton and Ross Fisher, while Danny Willett and Ian Poulter are at one over.
On another hot day at Wentworth, in which the players had to combat winds of up to 20mph, Jamieson held his nerve after a jittery bogey-par-double bogey run.
A run of six birdies in seven holes either side of the turn helped set him up nicely going into the weekend.
"It's a tough stretch of the golf course especially the way the wind was blowing today," said the 33-year-old.
"The last thing you need to do in that situation is panic. Just try and take a wee minute to yourself and start again.
"I'm not in any of the majors this year so this is as big as it gets. This is the pinnacle of my season."


Small ships, yachts and clippers have sailed up the River Clyde from Greenock to Glasgow as part of the city's Commonwealth Games celebrations.

About 250 boats set off from Greenock and arrived at Pacific Quay to be greeted by crowds along the shoreline.
The flotilla, the largest ever seen on the Clyde, was organised by the Royal Yachting Association Scotland.
Huge, cheering crowds turned out to see small ships, leisure yachts, clippers and working boats take part.
A special viewing place to watch the passing boats was set up at the Riverside Museum in Glasgow.
Meanwhile, Police Scotland said it would mount its biggest-ever operation in Glasgow over the weekend to help the city cope with expected massive crowds.
There were reports of delays on the park and ride at Eurocentral.
It is one of the sites being used by thousands of spectators heading to Ibrox Stadium for the Games rugby sevens.
People took to social media to vent their anger saying they had been waiting for more than an hour with not enough buses to transport them to the venue.
The flotilla is one of many events taking place across Glasgow to mark the Games.
About 280,000 people were expected in the city on Saturday as events take place at eight different venues, as well as the Barry Buddon Shooting Centre in Carnoustie.
Police Scotland are in charge of the Â£90m security operation and have said this weekend will be their largest ever operation in the city.
The force will not say how many officers are being deployed but have admitted forces from outwith Scotland are helping with specialist tasks.
These include carrying out searches at Games venues.
Police are also on duty at Games events in Edinburgh and Carnoustie and around areas hosting the cultural programme of 2014 festival.


An Israeli court has given a life sentence to a man who killed a teenager and wounded five other marchers at last year's Gay Pride parade in Jerusalem.

Yishai Schlissel, 40, an ultra-Orthodox Jew, said he had been doing God's will when he stabbed his victims.
He managed to infiltrate the parade three weeks after completing a 10-year sentence for a similar attack in 2005.
The court criticised the police, saying they had known the danger Schissel posed but failed to act properly.
Shortly after his release, he had lashed out at homosexuality in interviews and said the Jerusalem march needed to be stopped.
In anti-gay pamphlets, he asked Jews to "risk beatings or imprisonment" to act against the event.
He stabbed six people during the march before being arrested. Shira Banki, 16, later died in hospital.
Israeli media said Schlissel was initially turned away by police but managed to return to the parade by using side streets.
Several senior Israeli police officers were sanctioned or reassigned following the attack.
The Gay Pride event has long been a source of tension between Jerusalem's secular community and its Jewish Orthodox groups.


A "confusing" traffic junction contributed to the death of a motorcyclist, an inquest has heard.

Samuel Slater, 25, died after he crashed with a van in Victoria Avenue in Jersey in August 2014.
Acting Insp Jez Payne told the inquest on Thursday that the van driver should have checked for traffic when he crossed the avenue.
Deputy viscount Mark Harris said he would recommend a review of the junction to the States.
The driver of the van, Antonio Rodriguez, had previously told police he crossed the avenue because he thought the traffic lights were green.
However, those traffic lights were intended for the next junction.
The inquest, held at Morier House in St Helier, found that Mr Slater died from head, neck and chest injuries.
Mr Harris said he would send his report seeking a review of the "layout and flow of traffic" to the Department for Infrastructure, "which may have the power to take action in order to prevent recurrence of similar fatalities".
Police have also recommended changes to the layout of the junction to the department.
Currently there is no traffic light signal for cars turning right into Kensington Place, which involves crossing the eastbound traffic lane in Victoria Avenue.
Mr Rodriguez has left the island, but faces a charge of driving without due care and attention if he returns, the inquest was told.


In the slightly sweaty committee corridor outside the meeting of Tory MPs tonight, MPs were queuing to praise the prime minister.

She had come prepared to own up to her mistakes, apologising to the gathered throng just as a few hours earlier she had apologised to the cabinet.
It had been her decision to call the election, and her leadership of the campaign that faltered and in what was described as the most human performance they had seen for quite some time, Theresa May said sorry, time and again.
"We saw the human being, not the Maybot"; "it was the first time in seven weeks she didn't say strong and stable"; more poignantly for the Tories MPs who commiserated with each other, "if she'd campaigned like that, we'd have won".
They were cheered, relieved perhaps, that she had, tonight, managed to pull it off, to show regret at the calamity her decision to go to the country had unleashed, relieved too that she rose to this particular occasion that seems likely to settle nerves enough to avoid the possibility of the party plunging into another leadership election and potentially therefore, another general election that they might lose.
The sense of immediate danger to her leadership has faded. But while her enemies are not breathing down her neck, they are still in the room.
One MP told me she wasn't asked any hard questions but deliberately took the time to take all of them, to show willing, "her strategy has been to take as many questions as exist".
It's like that episode of the West Wing where the Presidential Candidate Vinick was in deep trouble, so he took endless questions until the press finally got tired and went home - apologies if the American series isn't your thing, but it's an obsession of rather a lot of Westminster types.
While publicly it is tonight the done thing for Tories to be fulsomely on the record praising the prime minister, privately it's hard to find a single MP who believes that she will take the party into the next general election.  PM survives first bout of battle for control
It is, however, also very hard to find a single MP who wants to unleash even more potential chaos by triggering an election contest, let alone a general election.
But it's the circumstances, rather than newly discovered rapture, for the PM that have saved her.
One former cabinet minister told me "having a Tory prime minister is much more important than our own wound licking". Another minister told me in the medium term it is "hard to see how" the PM can stay.
Theresa May has survived the first bout of what will be a fight to stay in control. The election has redressed the balance, not just between the two main parties, but also between the Tory leader and her party.
And the PM knows it, most tellingly also saying to her MPs tonight, "I'll serve as long as you want me". Hardly a bold statement of a leader who feels they are in charge, but an acknowledgement that others will decide when their time is up.


Tensions are simmering between the US magazines Vogue and Teen Vogue, and the country's president-elect Donald Trump.

Last week, legendary Vogue editor Anna Wintour, considered one of fashion's most influential voices, was overheard on a train lambasting the mogul.
Her comments came as Teen Vogue ran a "scorched-earth" attack on Mr Trump, posting an opinion editorial that accused him of repeatedly lying to the public.
Many online readers were shocked by the ferocity of the piece - and Miss Wintour's criticisms.
But what both show is that 2016 has changed women's magazines, perhaps forever. Vogue and others are now unashamedly political, securing access to top-ranking leaders and endorsing their favourites in print.
Vogue set out its stall for then Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in mid-October, by endorsing her for the presidency.
"Vogue has no history of political endorsements," the fashion Bible noted, before stating that it was making an exception "given the profound stakes of this one".
Critics said the glossy had no business weighing in on politics, but many readers praised it for considering readers' core concerns.
Vogue pointed out that while it has profiled Ms Clinton six times, it has also featured Ivana, Marla, Melania, and Ivanka Trump repeatedly in its pages.
And it wasn't alone in making a historic exception.
"For me, the only option is Hillary Clinton," Glamour magazine editor-in-chief Cindi Leive wrote the same month, in a piece titled "In This Election, I'm With Her".
Ms Leive noted that after four election cycles spent at Glamour, 2016 was the first time she had felt compelled to share her private views.
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"One of the two major candidates [Hillary Clinton] is an experienced public servant, while the other [Donald Trump] sports a decades-long résumé of dismissiveness toward women and their concerns," she wrote.
The same passion for politics crossed the border to Marie Claire Mexico, which put Ivanka Trump on its cover along with a public plea: "#DearIvanka. When will you protect us from your father?"
One reason the recent Teen Vogue opinion piece spread like wildfire online is that non-readers associate the brand with boyfriend angst and make-up tips.
Few people expected it to publish something so hard-hitting. But maybe they should have.
"Young women have been excited and perhaps disturbed by things like Brexit and Donald Trump," says Barbara Rowlands, an associate professor in the journalism department at City, University of London.
"If there was a junior GQ and they put something like that up, nobody would have batted an eyelid."
Dr Rowlands says younger Teen Vogue readers generally come from an ABC1 readership, and will have heard discussions about Donald Trump - so naturally they are curious.
Feminist commentators have suggested the shock at Teen Vogue publishing a coherent piece of political opinion is a sign of how badly women are under-estimated.
"Stop proudly flaunting your low expectations," advised US feminist writer Roxane Gay on Twitter.
In September 2016, Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka cut short an interview with Cosmopolitan.com after being asked how her father's childcare policy compared to his past remarks on maternity leave.
Interviewer Prachi Gupta said: "In 2004, Donald Trump said that pregnancy is an inconvenient thing for a business. It's surprising to see this policy from him today. Can you talk a little about those comments, and perhaps what has changed?"
According to Cosmo's transcript, the mother of three replied: "I think that you have a lot of negativity in these questions. So I don't know how useful it is to spend too much time with you on this."
She terminated the meeting shortly afterwards.
Ms Gupta's other political reporting has included a video piece where five young women explained why they were voting for Mr Trump.
Lena Dunham, creator of the HBO TV show Girls, interviewed Ms Clinton for her feminist email newsletter, Lenny.
The interview was full of personal insights from a candidate frequently accused of lacking warmth, including how she felt about working in a salmon canning factory after college.
Miss Dunham, who was a vocal Democrat supporter in the run-up to the US presidential vote, asked Ms Clinton if she had worried about marrying her husband Bill.
"I was terrified about losing my identity and getting lost in the wake of Bill's force-of-nature personality," the former secretary of state admitted.
"I actually turned him down twice when he asked me to marry him."
In August 2016, President Barack Obama penned an exclusive piece for Glamour magazine about his feminist views as a man and a father.
It was a gesture that showed he was keen to address young women through whatever media they are drawn to.
"Michelle and I have raised our daughters to speak up when they see a double standard or feel unfairly judged based on their gender or race - or when they notice that happening to someone else," he wrote.
"It's important for them to see role models out in the world who climb to the highest levels of whatever field they choose. And yes, it's important that their dad is a feminist, because now that's what they expect of all men."
Glamour says it has 10 million print readers and 15 million unique users online. With that in mind, it seems less surprising that politicians are harnessing it to get their message across.


Everton winger Aiden McGeady is to join Championship side Sunderland on a permanent deal.

McGeady will be reunited with new Black Cats boss Simon Grayson, for whom he played 35 games, scoring eight times, at Preston North End last season.
The 31-year-old, who began his career at Celtic, joined Everton from Spartak Moscow in January 2014 and subsequently played 41 games, scoring once.
He has also made 90 appearances for the Republic of Ireland.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


A man has been shot in each leg in a paramilitary-style attack in west Belfast.

The 26-year-old was taken to hospital following the shooting in the Lady Street area at about 20:55 GMT on Tuesday evening.
Police have said two men dressed in dark clothing made off on foot in the direction of McDonnell Street.
The victim's injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
Detectives have appealed for information.


First Minister Carwyn Jones has spoken about what the Scottish independence No vote could mean for future devolution in Wales.

Politicians across all parties have said the referendum will mean fundamental changes to the current devolution settlement.
Prime Minister David Cameron said Wales must have more say in its own affairs.
Mr Jones earlier tweeted he was pleased Scotland voted to stay in the Union.
In a speech on Friday morning he said Wales could not play second fiddle when the future of devolution was discussed.
The BBC announced Scotland had voted to reject independence at about 06:15 BST on Friday. Nationally, the margin of victory was about 55% to 45%.
The result brought an end to a two-year campaign and talks will now begin on devolving more powers to Scotland.
Scotland has voted to stay in the United Kingdom - but that doesn't mean it 's back to business as usual.  Politicians have been falling over themselves to say that nothing will be the same again, and with good reason.
In Scotland itself there's a job of work to be done to heal the wounds of a divisive campaign.  It won't be easy when the country as a whole voted no but the largest city, Glasgow, went for yes.
But attention's already turning to what it means for the rest of the UK.  The prime minister is due to make a statement later this morning, and he's expected to announce a version of "English laws for English issues".
That would mean stopping Welsh MPs voting on some issues at Westminster; a beguilingly simple solution to English resentment, but there may be trouble ahead.  Working out what's exactly is or isn't devolved to Wales isn't easy - a few disputes have already ended up in the Supreme Court.
There have been more hints overnight that the Wales Bill will be altered before it becomes law, to remove restrictions on the income tax powers being proposed for the Welsh government.
And then there's the money question - has the Scottish referendum finally cleared the way for a new system of funding the Welsh government, to replace the Barnett formula that so many Welsh politicians argue is unfair?
There's a feeling that there's plenty up for grabs - but the exact shape of things to come is far from being decided.


More than 200 people have died of "non-natural" causes in detention in England and Wales since 2014, the Equality and Human Rights Commission says.

Its report finds there were 202 such deaths in prisons from the start of 2014 to December 2015.
There were 17 deaths "in or following" police custody, including eight people with mental health concerns.
The Prison Service said it took its duty of care very seriously and would keep improving the precautions it took.
The report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is a follow-up to its inquiry into non-natural deaths of adults with mental health conditions detained in prisons, police custody or psychiatric hospitals between 2010-2013, published in February 2015.
The progress report updated the data and looked for evidence of the steps taken by the various agencies to implement the inquiry recommendations.
The commission said improvements had been made in police custody, psychiatric facilities and jails but called for further action.
"Failure to make progress in reducing the number of avoidable deaths is a national stain that we should no longer tolerate in modern civilised society," said Prof Swaran Singh, EHRC commissioner on adult deaths in detention.
"Progress has been so slow that we have continued to see a large number of tragic cases in the past two years where that responsibility has not been met."
The report acknowledged there had been a reduction in the use of police cells as places of safety for people detained under the Mental Health Act.
It also pointed to a fall in deaths of patients detained in psychiatric hospitals and noted the changes already in place or planned for the future to improve risk assessment and support for prisoners with mental health conditions.
The commission called for legislation to force psychiatric hospitals, prisons and the police to publish details of how they planned to implement the recommendations of investigations and inspections.
A Prison Service spokesman said: "We take our duty of care to prisoners extremely seriously. Staff provide support to prisoners at risk of self-harm and suicide every day and the EHRC has recognised the work that we are doing in this important area.
"We will continue to improve our safer custody support and are working with the Department of Health to reform mental health services in the criminal justice system."


The fourth in line to Sweden's throne, Princess Madeleine, has married US-British businessman Christopher O'Neill in a ceremony in Stockholm.

The 30-year-old returned to the Swedish capital from New York, where she met Mr O'Neill two years ago.
Some 500 guests were invited to the ceremony at the Royal Chapel in Stockholm.
Sweden's royal family enjoys wide public support and the ceremony was broadcast live on state TV.
Princess Madeleine's elder sister, Crown Princess Victoria, married her personal trainer Daniel Wesling in Stockholm three years ago. But Saturday's wedding was not considered as big an occasion.
In June 2010, the whole of the Swedish capital was transformed for the celebrations.
Along with representatives from many European royal families present for Princess Madeleine's wedding, John Taylor of UK pop group Duran Duran was among the guests.
The couple tied the knot in a ceremony that was part in Swedish and part in English. They then travelled in a horse and carriage procession through the city centre.
Princess Madeleine, also known as the Duchess of Halsingland and Gastrikland, met Mr O'Neill in New York while she was working for a non-profit organisation, the World Childhood Foundation.
The youngest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia has been keeping a low profile since moving to the US in 2010 after her engagement to a Swedish lawyer came to an abrupt end.
She has also had a complicated relationship with the Swedish press, who dubbed her the "party princess" when she was spotted frequenting high-end Stockholm clubs in her early twenties.
Roger Lundgren, the editor of a Swedish magazine about royalty, told Associated Press news agency the occasion was not as big as Crown Princess Victoria's wedding "because Madeleine is not a successor to the throne".
"Secondly, this is a private wedding - the king is paying for it himself," he added.
The royal guest list included the UK's Earl and Countess of Wessex, Prince Edward and Sophie; Princess Takamado of Japan; and princes and princesses from Norway, Denmark, Luxembourg and Monaco.
The Royal Court said on Friday that Madeleine's wedding dress was made by Italian designer Valentino Garavani.
The couple plan to remain in the US and continue working.


A 97-year-old woman with dementia has been attacked during a break-in at her care home.

Police said the burglary happened between 04:00 GMT and 07:00 at Bedford Care Home on Battersby Street, Leigh, Wigan.
The victim was treated for minor injuries "but her injuries could have been much worse", police said.
CCTV footage of the suspect riding a bicycle near the scene has been released by police.
Three rooms were broken into during the burglary.
Ch Supt Stuart Ellison, of Greater Manchester Police (GMP): "How someone could sink so low as to break into a care home is beyond me.
"We are keen to identify the man in the CCTV... seen riding a bicycle and carrying a suitcase that we believe was stolen from one of the rooms."
He urged any witnesses to contact GMP.
Police patrols have been stepped up in the area.


More than one million children have fled South Sudan because of escalating conflict, the United Nations says.

One million children flee South Sudan
A similar number of children are also displaced within the country, it says.
The South Sudan refugee crisis has been described as the most worrying in the world by senior UN refugee agency official Valentin Tapsoba.
The world's newest nation has been wracked by civil war, which has seen ethnic cleansing and numerous atrocities, since 2013.
It began when President Salva Kiir fired his deputy Riek Machar, accusing him of planning a coup.
Children make up 62% of the nearly  two million people who have fled to neighbouring countries since the civil war started, according to the latest UN figures.
"That refugee children are becoming the defining face of this emergency is incredibly troubling," Mr Tapsoba said.
The continued strife is taking its toll on the most vulnerable through trauma, fear, stress and physical upheaval, the report adds.
Nearly three-quarters of the country's children are out of school â€” the highest proportion of out-of-school children in the world.


Kevin O'Brien and Paul Stirling will both be fit for Ireland's first-ever one-day internationals against England on English soil on 5 and 7 May.

O'Brien has recovered from a hamstring injury which saw him miss three of the five ODIs against Afghanistan in March.
Stirling is named in a 14-man squad following a finger injury sustained during the Intercontinental Cup game with the Afghans on the same tour.
Boyd Rankin and Jacob Mulder will miss the matches because of back injuries.
Warwickshire bowler Rankin, 32, returned to his national side last year after a brief and unfulfilling switch to England, which culminated in a single Test appearance against Australia.
O'Brien famously scored the fastest century in World Cup history as Ireland secured a three-wicket win over England in 2011.
Ireland will face England at Bristol in the first of the two games and the teams will meet again at Lord's two days later.
Ireland have previously played five home ODIs against England and two in global tournaments,
"The opportunity to play England in England and in particular at Lord's is not only historic, but a great tribute to Irish cricket and its journey," said Ireland head coach John Bracewell.
"The 14 selected give us the best balance available to take on England in early May. The conditions will be as different as they could be from those we experienced against Afghanistan in India - as will the composition of the two bowling attacks, with pace being key.
"It'll be another great challenge for our players, but one everyone associated with Irish cricket can't wait for," he added.
"I've no doubt we will have a massive support at both venues given both the number of Irish around Bristol and in London, never mind the amount of people travelling over," said captain William Porterfield.
"There's no doubt that the games against England will be tough but we've got some hard cricket under our belts this past few months and that will stand us in good stead for the challenges that await.
"We're all determined to do well, and while we'll certainly respect England, there's absolutely no fear factor there."
Ireland squad for England ODI series: William Porterfield (Warwickshire, capt), Andrew Balbirnie (Leinster Lightning), Peter Chase (Leinster Lightning), George Dockrell (Leinster Lightning), Ed Joyce (Sussex/Leinster Lightning), Tim Murtagh (Middlesex), Andrew McBrine (NW Warriors), Barry McCarthy (Leinster Lightning), Kevin O'Brien (Leinster Lightning), Niall O'Brien (NW Warriors, wk), Paul Stirling (Middlesex), Stuart Thompson (NW Warriors), Gary Wilson (Derbyshire/Northern Knights, wk), Craig Young (NW Warriors).


A ballot of offshore workers on a new proposal aimed at ending a dispute over pay and conditions is due to close.

Both 48-hour and 24-hour strikes were held on seven Shell-operated platforms.
A "mutually agreeable proposal" was drawn up between unions and the Wood Group earlier this month. A ballot of RMT and Unite union members closes on Thursday afternoon.
The initial 24-hour strike in July was the first industrial action of its kind in the North Sea in nearly 30 years.
The platforms involved were the Curlew, Brent Alpha, Brent Bravo, Brent Charlie, Nelson, Gannet and Shearwater.
Aberdeen-based Wood Group provides maintenance and construction to Shell and signed a three-year extension to its contract earlier this year.


The UK maker of the Nurofen "specific pain" range of products has defended their packaging, after an Australian court ordered the products off shelves.

The court said the UK-based Reckitt Benckiser had misled consumers.
It said products marketed to treat specific pains, such as migraine, were identical to one another.
Nurofen said the products had been "designed to help the consumer easily navigate our range", particularly in groceries where there was no pharmacy.
"Consumer research indicates that 9 in 10 people (88%) look for pain relief for a specific type of pain (eg headache, migraine, back pain) and 7 in 10 (71%) say pain-specific packs help them decide which product is best for their needs," said Dr Aomesh Bhatt, regulatory and medical affairs director for Nurofen.
"How to pick the best painkiller"
The products affected by the Australian court order include Nurofen Back Pain, Nurofen Period Pain, Nurofen Migraine Pain and Nurofen Tension Headache.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) watchdog had brought the matter to court earlier this year.
The ACCC said the court had found that the firm had "engaged in misleading conduct in contravention of the Australian consumer law by representing that its Nurofen Specific Pain products were each formulated to treat a specific type of pain, when the products are identical".
Each product contained the same active ingredient, ibuprofen lysine 342mg.
The ACCC said the products were found to be "no more effective at treating the type of pain described on its packaging than any of the other Nurofen specific pain products".
The comission's research also found that in Australia the products were sold for almost double the price of Nurofen's standard product.
The retail price for each of the pain-specific products was also found to be "significantly higher" than other comparable products, the ACCC added.
Manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser said the case related only to Australia, and that it was continuing to work with regulators there "to ensure Nurofen packaging continues to be fully aligned with all guidelines and requirements".
It said the ruling would not be applicable in other countries, including the UK, where it sells Nurofen Migraine Pain and Nurofen Tension Headache in caplets, as well as Nurofen Express Period Pain in soft capsules.
"As such all Nurofen products remain available and there will be no changes to packaging," the company added.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring the quality, safety, and efficacy of medicines including over-the-counter painkillers in the UK.
It said: "For over-the-counter medicines informative names are permitted to help patients select an appropriate product without input from a healthcare professional."
It added, that, with regard to '"informative names" - they are allowed as "an aid for patients to select the appropriate product without input from a doctor or pharmacist but they can't make misleading medical claims".
Richard Headland, editor of Which?, said: "Our research shows many painkilling medicines have exactly the same active ingredients, despite vastly different marketing, packaging and pricing. Our advice to people is to buy cheaper generic medicines wherever possible and, if in doubt, ask a pharmacist."
The Federal Court of Australia said the products must be taken off Australian shelves within three months.
Reckitt Benckiser said that it would comply with the Australian court order and that it "did not set out to mislead consumers".
Reckitt Benckiser makes a vast range of household products, including Nurofen, Dettol and Harpic, among others.
It has been ordered to publish correction notices in newspapers and on its website and to pay the ACCC's court costs.
This story has been amended to clarify that the products in question were different from the standard Nurofen product.


Fourteen members of an organised crime gang have been convicted over their roles in stealing artefacts worth up to £57m from museums and an auction house.

Items including Chinese jade and rhino horn were stolen in Cambridge, Durham, Norwich and Lewes, East Sussex.
The men, from Cambridgeshire, Essex, Kent, London, the West Midlands and Northern Ireland, were convicted of conspiracy to burgle.
The case can now be reported after the final four were found guilty.
They were described as some of the gang's "generals", who helped plan and oversee a string of offences.
Richard "Kerry" O'Brien of Dale Farm, Oak Lane, Billericay, Essex, and John "Kerry" O'Brien Junior, Michael Hegarty and Daniel "Turkey" O'Brien, all from Smithy Fen, Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, were found guilty by a jury after a two-month trial at Birmingham Crown Court.
Ten others, dubbed the "Rathkeale Rovers" were convicted at earlier hearings.
The gang was involved in two thefts and an attempted theft at Durham University Oriental Museum as well as further incidents at Gorringes Auction House in Lewes, Norwich Castle Museum and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
Jurors heard exhibits stolen in Durham and Cambridge were valued at about £17m but detectives believed they could have fetched up to £57m ($79m) on the "booming" Chinese auction market.
Lead investigator Det Supt Adrian Green, of Durham Police, said the thefts "dwarfed" the Hatton Garden bank vault raid in which items worth about £14m were stolen.
"If you think the Hatton Gardens break-in was big, this will blow that out of the water," he said.
The most high-profile of the gang's raids involved the theft of Chinese artefacts.
On 5 April 2012, a jade bowl dating from 1769 and a porcelain figurine - which were worth up to £2m - were taken from the Durham museum after thieves smashed a hole in a wall.
They later "hid" the items in a field but were said to have forgotten where. These were recovered and returned to the museum.
Six people were sentenced for the theft, which the judge described as "a complete farce".
Eight days later, on 13 April 2012, 18 mainly jade artefacts were stolen in a raid at Cambridge University's Fitzwilliam Museum. Believed to be worth up to £15m, the items were described as being of "incalculable cultural significance".
Five months later three men were jailed and a boy of 16 was given a detention order. The items have never been recovered.
Despite a number of people being jailed for the various thefts, police said "it soon became apparent an international organised crime group was planning and commissioning the jobs".
Some of the defendants were arrested during co-ordinated raids by officers from 26 forces and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) in September 2013.
The 40 raids were made in connection with the crimes, which took place between November 2011 and April 2012.
The gang was brought to justice after a four-year covert national investigation - operation Griffin - led by officers from Durham and Cambridgeshire, supported by the National Crime Agency and the National Police Chiefs Council.
The 10 others convicted of conspiracy to burgle included travellers' rights campaigner Richard Sheridan, 47, of Water Lane, Smithy Fen, Cottenham, Cambridgeshire and Donald Chi Chong Wong, 56, of Clapham Common South Side, London.
He was described in court as a "fence" who made frequent trips to Hong Kong. Both denied any involvement in the raids but were found guilty by a jury in November.
Also convicted at the same trial were Alan Clarke, 37, of Melbourne Road, Newham, London; Patrick Clarke, 33, of the same address, John "Cash" O'Brien, 68, of Fifth Avenue, Wolverhampton; Paul Pammen, 49, of Alton Gardens, Southend, Essex; Danny Flynn, 45, of Orchard Drive, Smithy Fen and Ashley Dad, 35, of Crowther Road, Wolverhampton.
Robert Gilbert-Smith, 28, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to his part in the raids in March last year and has already served his sentence.
Terence McNamara, 46, of Marquis Street, Belfast, pleaded guilty at the beginning of the final trial on 4 January.
The gang members are expected to be sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on 4 and 5 April.


Judgement has been reserved at the end of the 'gay cake' case in Northern Ireland.

A barrister for Christian-run County Antrim firm Ashers said if they lost the discrimination case there would be wide-reaching consequences for shop owners.
He said it would mean a Muslim printer could not refuse to print a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad.
The case in Belfast was taken by gay rights activist, Gareth Lee.
He placed the order for the cake with Ashers.
No indication has been given when the judgement will be issued.
The barrister for Mr Lee told the County Court in Belfast that businesses needed to make clear in advance what they would and would not do.
He said Ashers had nothing in their terms and conditions to prevent them baking the cake which Mr Lee ordered.
Earlier, the role of the Equality Commission in the case was defended in court.
The commission has set aside a fund of up to Â£40,000 to pay for legal costs in the case.
It has been criticised in recent months by a number of unionist politicians over the decision to take the case.
A barrister for Mr Lee said the Commission was the "guardian" of anti-discrimination laws.
He said it was duty-bound to defend them.
"The Equality Commission has statutory duties to uphold the law," the lawyer added.
He defended the fact that an out-of-court settlement was not reached.
"It (the Commission) can never be allowed to compromise on what it believes is the law," he said.
The total cost of the case has yet to be determined.
Last week, before the case began, an Equality Commission spokesperson said:  "We can confirm that Â£8,586.60 has been spent on this case to date.
"The final costs will be not known until the case is concluded."
Outside the court on Monday, Daniel McArthur, general manager of Ashers, said they were grateful that the case had now concluded.
"We are very thankful to all those who have supported us," he said.
"It has been a stressful time for our family but most of all we are thankful God has sustained us through it all and we now await the verdict and the outcome from the judge."


Harlequins ended a run of three consecutive Premiership defeats as they edged out Leicester.

Marland Yarde pounced on a late mistake from returning Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi to run in the decisive try in the closing six minutes at The Stoop.
Leicester led midway through the second half of a scrappy game when replacement hooker Harry Thacker crossed.
But Harlequins fly-half Ben Botica kicked 20 points as they withstood a late rally from the visitors.
Harlequins climbed above Leicester into third in the table, although the Tigers claimed a losing bonus-point as Freddie Burns kicked a penalty.
Relive the action as Harlequins beat Leicester
Chasing the late converted try which would have given them victory, a Leicester knock-on at the break down after 20 phases in the hosts' 22 signalled full-time on a night of numerous handling errors.
England head coach Eddie Jones was among the sell-out crowd, but the spectators were denied open, attacking rugby in the first half by the wet and windy conditions.
Oli Bryant and Botica traded three penalties each, while Leicester winger Telusa Veainu spurned the best chance of the first half when he spilled the ball in sight of the line under pressure from Ross Chisholm.
The second half marked an improvement in quality and Leicester sneaked into a 16-15 lead on the hour when Thacker picked up Tuilagi's offload for the opening try.
But after Botica re-established the lead from the tee, Yarde took advantage of a succession of Leicester errors and Botica's chip ahead to run in unopposed from 30 metres.
Harlequins director of rugby Conor O'Shea said:
"That was a great win for the team and I thought Ben Botica really fronted up in terms of his play. That is the mark of a proper sportsman.
"You always have parts of a season where you lose games and you get into a difficult time and you have a performance like we had last week against Gloucester.
"But I thought that the reaction of the boys was magnificent.
"I was getting sick of people saying that we are missing players, we've got plenty good enough players to win matches."
Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill on centre Manu Tuilagi's chances of an England call-up:
"He's not ready to play at Test level yet. He's played one game and still isn't quite sharp, as you saw.
"He did some things but needs to be managed properly.
"Me and Eddie (Jones) can have that discussion. If he's fit, he can play. If he's not then he won't. We'll be sensible about it."
Harlequins: R Chisholm; Yarde, Stanley, Sloan, Visser; Botica, Tebaldi; Lambert, Ward, Jones, Horwill (capt), Matthews, Luamanu, Wallace, Easter.
Replacements: Gray, Evans, Sinckler, Merrick, J. Chisholm, Egerton, Swiel, Hopper.
Leicester Tigers: Tait; Betham, de Villiers, Tuilagi, Veainu; Bryant, Harrison; Ayerza, Ghiraldini, Balmain, Slater (capt), Fitzgerald, Croft, O'Connor, Pearce.
Replacements: Thacker, Brugnara, Mulipola, Kitchener, Crane, Kitto, Burns, Smith.
For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.


General Electric (GE) has stepped up its efforts to win the tussle for the energy business of France's Alstom.

It offered to create a joint venture with the firm's nuclear and energy businesses, and sell its profitable rail signalling business to Alstom, but did not increase its $17bn bid.
GE's chief executive, Jeff Immelt, said discussions with the French government had been "productive".
Rival bidder, Siemens, said its offer with Mitsubishi was still "superior".
Alstom, which also makes the high-speed TGV train, is seen as one of France's key industrial firms, therefore the government can block a foreign takeover.
All parties have discussed their offer with the French President Francois Hollande, who is concerned about the break-up of Alstom and the loss of jobs.
Mr Immelt, who is in France to make the case for his company's proposal, said:  "The alliance will retain and strengthen France's presence in the energy business and reinforce Alstom Transport.
"It creates jobs, establishes headquarters decision-making in France and ensures that the Alstom name will endure."
The previous offer had been for a straight purchase of Alstom's power business.
Siemens said the fact that GE had changed tack proved that their bid was the better one.
"The counter offer of GE reinforces the credibility of the joint MHI-Siemens concept. It actually follows our approach - but doesn't change the game. Our concept is still superior," said Christophe de Maistre, chief executive of Siemens France.
The joint offer would involve Siemens paying 3.9bn euros (Â£3.1bn; $5.3bn) for the gas turbine arm, with Mitsubishi buying 10% of Alstom and inject 3.1bn euros into the company.
The board of Alstom has said it will make a decision on the offers by 23 June.


A range of hi-tech sensors that can measure food intake and activity in order to assess obesity risks is to be funded by the European Union.

Dubbed Splendid, the project aims to persuade youngsters to adopt healthier lifestyles and be more aware of their eating and exercise habits.
It is part of a push to use technology to create preventative healthcare.
Obesity causes an estimated 2.8 million deaths among adults around the world every year.
"The idea is that we try to investigate ways to prevent obesity and eating disorders," said Prof Anastasios Delopoulos, the project co-ordinator who works for the department of electrical and computer engineering at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece.
The system will be tested on around 200 secondary school students in Sweden and another set of children in the Netherlands.
Sensors will be used to measure the speed at which food is eaten as well as how food is chewed.
The time taken to consume food is one of the risk factors in obesity, according to Prof Delopoulos.
It will be measured using a mandometer, from Swedish firm AB Mando, which is currently used in a handful of clinics set up to treat eating disorders.
The sensor comprises a scale connected to a portable computer or a smartphone.  A plate of food is put on the scale and the rate at which it leaves the plate is recorded, with an audible warning if it is being eaten too quickly for the person to realise they are full.
Swiss firm CSEM is developing the other two sensors that will be used in the project. ActiSmile is a wearable sensor, which rewards the wearer with a smiley face when enough exercise has been done.
The firm is also designing an acoustic sensor, which will take the form of a wearable microphone, and record how the user chews food.
Users will also input their own data, including how full they feel after a meal as well as daily intake and activity logs.
All the data will be processed and run through algorithms which will assess the risks for obesity and eating disorders.
In the later stages of the trial, the system will be used to help change the way at-risk youngsters eat and exercise.
"The goal is to modify eating and activity behaviour of individuals in a personalised way," said Prof Delopoulos.
"A medical expert will assign goals, such as to eat more slowly or adopt more activity and the sensors will monitor whether the individual succeeds," he added.
Daniel Kraft is a doctor and executive director of FutureMed, a healthcare education programme aimed at teaching medical professionals about new technologies.
He thinks that sensors will increasingly be integrated into healthcare.
"From connected scales to sensors that can track heart rate and activity levels... the patient can be empowered to understand their healthcare data," he said.
"It brings you to an era of healthcare rather than sick care," he added.


If you believe her Twitter bio "never under estimate the Pricey" you would have seen this coming.

Katie Price has entered the Celebrity Big Brother house after Friday night's eviction of model Chloe Goodman.
She was brought in by producers after they removed Jeremy Jackson and Ken Morley  for separate cases of inappropriate behaviour.
When asked why she signed up Katie said: "There is always a price for the Pricey and the price was right".
The 36-year-old says the thought of winning hasn't even crossed her mind but what can we expect from the "businesswoman, model, author, singer,  TV star and proud mum" in the house?
"Hopefully they will see the real Katie Price, not the version of Katie Price a section of the press like to invent," said the mum of five who is currently recovering from a boob reduction.
She added: "That is why it's good when I do my reality shows.
"I haven't done one of those for a few years so it is a good chance for them to see that I am still the same normal down to earth person."
Katie said: "I don't really wear makeup and I am always casual when I'm not working.
"My hair will most likely be scrunched up on my head, no make- up, in my trackies or hoodies, that's me. I think people will be surprised."
Outspoken TV personality Katie Hopkins is also the house and she's had a few things to say about Price on Twitter in the past, including criticising the name of her youngest child, Bunny.
"That doesn't bother me, what she says about the name of my child, it's like, 'Whatever'," said the new housemate.
"But if they start picking on Harvey [who has autism, blindness, ADHD and Prader-Willi syndrome], like Frankie Boyle did, then that is a different kettle of fish.
"I might go in the House and become really good friends with Katie Hopkins; you don't know what is going to happen.
"I will take her as I find her and treat her accordingly."
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The tram that derailed in Croydon killing seven people was travelling at three and a half times the speed limit, investigators have said.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said the tram, which was carrying about 60 people, was travelling at 43.5mph in a 12mph zone.
In its interim report, it said there was no evidence of any track defects, or obstructions on the track.
The investigation also found no malfunction of the braking system.
The tram derailed last Wednesday morning shortly after coming out of a tunnel with a 50mph speed limit.
TfL has offered to pay for the funerals of those who died but came in for criticism after it was revealed the families had not been told about it in person.
Croydon tram crash: Who were the victims?
Bosses were warned of 'speeding trams'
How safe are trams?
Initial analysis shows the driver, Alfred Dorris, did apply the brake after coming out of the tunnel but only enough to reduce his speed from 50mph out of the tunnel to 43.5mph. The tram travelled 25m before stopping.
Mr Dorris, from Beckenham, south-east London, has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and released on bail until May.
It is understood that establishing if the 42-year-old, who has worked for First Group since 2008, was asleep or had blacked out are lines of inquiry.
BBC London Live: Latest updates
The seven people killed in the crash were Dane Chinnery, 19, Philip Logan, 52, Philip Seary, 57, Dorota Rynkiewicz, 35, and Robert Huxley, 63, all from New Addington, and Mark Smith, 35 and Donald Collett, 62, both from Croydon.
A further 51 people were taken to hospital, with eight of them suffering injuries described by London Ambulance Service as serious or life-threatening.
The RAIB said factors that led to the speeding were still under investigation and it has advised London Trams and Tram Operations Ltd to put speed restrictions in place before the bend out of the tunnel.
Mike Brown, London's transport commissioner, said: "We will follow the RAIB's advice and, before service is resumed, will implement additional temporary speed restrictions and associated signage near Sandilands to supplement existing safety arrangements.
"We are continuing to carry out a thorough safety assessment and are taking the advice of an independent panel of tram experts.
"We will only resume services for the local community once that rigorous assurance process has been completed."
The report also found:
Aslef, the train drivers' union, said it was "clear that the lack of adequate safety systems were at the root of this dreadful accident".
It wasn't a surprise that the tram was going 43.5mph but it is still shocking nonetheless - that is three-and-a-half times the 12mph speed limit.
The report says further speed limits should be imposed, and the mayor has said it will happen at three other sites on the tram system where they've identified - we can presume - similar issues of speed on bends.
What will be particularly worrying to commuters is why did it take this horrendous tragedy to identify these places?
This has also gone political. The unions, quiet until now, have broken their silence. They think this was down to a lack of safety equipment.
Aslef also thinks Tramlink should be brought back under TfL's control and there are serious questions that previous incidents were not investigated properly.
This whole terrible incident seems to be escalating politically and the answers are months away.
District organiser Finn Brennan said a system to make sure trams travelling too quickly in a potentially dangerous area could be slowed down and stopped should be put in place, as on the mainline railway and London Underground.
"If it had been then this awful event could have been avoided," he said.
Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell thanked the RAIB for the speed the report had been released, adding the recommendations "should be very helpful in providing reassurance" to passengers once services resume.
The Office of Rail and Road is carrying out its own investigation into whether safety rules were being followed.
Chief inspector of rail accidents Simon French said the inquiry would look at the wider context of the accident, including the sequence of events, the way the tram was driven, the infrastructure and how people were injured.
"We will also be looking into previous occurrences of over-speeding in this area and underlying management issues," he said.
The mayor of London has apologised after it was revealed the families of those who died were not initially told TfL had offered to pay for the funerals.
Mr Logan's widow Marilyn, said she only heard about it "through the grapevine" and then only received a non-personalised letter that did not include any names.
"It was as if TfL was saying 'Well it's happened, we'll pay for the funeral, now go away and be quiet'", she said.
Sadiq Khan said it "was not good enough" and TfL had to "make sure we learn lessons where we can".
He has also now contacted the families personally.


Many of the newspapers feature the case of a nurse killed in a car crash in Edinburgh.

The Scotsman says four teenage boys have been detained by police following the incident.
According to the Scottish Sun, the dead woman had been walking home from a shift at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
The Daily Record claims the car involved in the crash was being driven by a 15-year-old.
The vehicle, a Ford Ka, was being followed by police at the time, reports the Scottish Daily Mail.
The Herald leads with a claimed exclusive about a crackdown on money-laundering operations in Scotland.
A plan to "save" the Wellgate shopping centre features on the Dundee edition of the Courier.
The Press and Journal says that a North Sea helicopter which crashed in Norway suffered a failure which brought it down in just two seconds.
A campaign to raise the age at which children start school features on the front page of The National.


Some of the lighter moments from the campaign trail as parties start to launch their election manifestos.


Olympic champion Adam Peaty narrowly missed out on breaking his own world record as he claimed the 50m breaststroke title at the British Swimming Championships in Sheffield.

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England's Peaty, who claimed the 100m on day one, finished six hundredths of a second outside his record in a "very frustrating" time of 26.48 seconds.
But the 22-year-old, who has already booked his place at July's World Championships in Budapest, now believes he could go below the 26-second mark this summer.
Having given his 100m gold medal away to a fan in the crowd, Peaty said he was saving his 50m medal for his grandmother.
Jocelyn Ulyett, 18, broke the British record en route to a surprise victory in the 200m breaststroke, beating Olympians Chloe Tutton and Molly Renshaw and describing her performance as "crazy".
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Her time of two minutes 22.08 seconds helped her become only the second British swimmer to gain an automatic World qualifying time.
Double Olympic silver medallist Jazz Carlin was over 10 seconds outside the automatic time as she won the 800m freestyle in eight minutes 30.56 seconds.
The Welsh swimmer, who also failed to make the consideration time, will get another chance to qualify in Saturday's 400m.
James Guy, who won 200m freestyle gold at the World Championships in 2015, produced a huge personal best to win the 200m butterfly in one minute 55.91 seconds and gain a consideration time for the Worlds.
Georgia Davies also set a consideration time in the 100m backstroke, winning in 59.34secs.
In Wednesday's other finals, Chris Walker-Hebborn won the men's 100m backstroke in 54.24secs, while Charlotte Atkinson claimed the 50m butterfly in 26.81secs, but both were outside the consideration times.


Sale boss Steve Diamond has been banned for 18 weeks by the Rugby Football Union for abusing match officials.

The charges relate to comments made to referee Wayne Barnes and his assistants after the 21-19 loss at London Irish.
Last October, Diamond received a £5,000 fine and a 12-week suspended ban after an incident against Northampton.
Referees are entitled to respect at all times, whether the final whistle has been blown or not
The Sharks' chief executive has been charged under Rule 5.12 which covers "conduct prejudicial to the interests of the union and/or the game".
Diamond - who has also been handed a £4,000 fine - will be unable to enter the playing enclosure, technical area, approach match officials and communicate or attempt to communicate directly with match officials before, during and after the game on the day of the match until the ban expires on 20 June.
In a statement, the RFU panel, which was chaired by Sean Enright, said: "Referees strive to do the best they can in a highly pressurised environment. Wayne Barnes is acknowledged as one of the best referees in the game. Referees are entitled to respect at all times, whether the final whistle has been blown or not."
Barnes was the focus of Diamond's post-match comments at the Madejski Stadium when he said: "I'm concerned about the referee being absolutely right about the penalty at the scrum.
"It is hard to take when such a crucial decision is made like that. He has to be 100% right that we wheeled the scrum.
"He ought to come to a coaching session and see that the wheel went out of the game 10 years ago."
The former hooker was handed a heavier sanction than the one he received following the match against Saints as his previous punishments were suspended until 31 May 2013, on the condition there were no repeat offences.
At his previous hearing, Diamond was also told he had to undergo a course of media training before the end of the season.


Leicestershire batsman Umar Akmal and all-rounder Kevin O'Brien will return to the club in the 2016 season.

Pakistan's Akmal, 25, the second Foxes overseas T20 Blast player, scored 133 T20 runs in four matches this season.
Ireland international O'Brien, 31, will be available for both the T20 Blast and the One-Day Cup.
"We saw the positive influence Umar and Kevin had on the club this year," said Leicestershire chief executive Wasim Khan. "They are both match-winners."
He continued: "They showed their ability by both having an immediate impact with Kevin batting beautifully in his first game at Lancashire and Umar playing our best innings of the tournament at Nottinghamshire on his debut."
"I know our members and supporters enjoyed watching them play and we are excited to welcome both players back to Grace Road."


Paralympic table tennis champion Will Bayley had a bit of a shock when he returned to his car on Thursday morning.

The Rio gold medallist had parked in an empty car park in Tunbridge Wells on Wednesday, but found the local farmers' market had set up around the vehicle the next morning.
"I turned the corner and my car was surrounded by fruit and veg stalls. It felt like I was in an episode of Only Fools and Horses," he told BBC Sport.
"I was too embarrassed to say anything so I just went to my brothers' - luckily he knows some of the stall owners and they were fine with it."
Table Tennis England said it was a "classic Will Bayley moment" and added: "He is so focused on table tennis that organisation takes a back seat."
Bayley now has to wait until the market closes on Thursday to retrieve his car.


Prisoners smashed through their cell walls and staged a four-hour stand-off with guards, the BBC has learned.

Six inmates broke through the walls in the prison's segregation unit and gathered in one cell at HMP Leicester.
It is not known what prompted the disorder, which happened in December, or how the men smashed the walls.
Conditions in the unit were described in a report last year as "poor" because of overcrowding.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said there were no injuries to staff or inmates and police were investigating.
Extra guards were drafted in to tackle the situation on 11 December, the Prison Officers Association said.
A spokesman said one prisoner started to smash his wall at about 22:30 GMT and was copied by others.
"In the space of three hours six prisoners had broken through walls within the segregation units. National resources were deployed," he said.
Updates on this story and more from Leicestershire
In a national HM Inspectorate of Prisons report published in June, the category B prison's segregation cells were described as "particularly poor".
In a separate report on the prison from 2014, the unit containing six cells for prisoners who had been separated for disruptive behaviour, was said to be "nearly always full".
"The accommodation used for segregation was not sufficiently robust, nor spacious enough to house all prisoners judged to need segregation," it said.
It added: "The cells were in poor condition and had been damaged; the plaster had been torn off the walls and the concrete painted over."
An MoJ spokesman said there were no injuries and there was no evidence it was an escape attempt, as external walls were not compromised.
"Once the situation was resolved, the offenders were transferred to other prisons as punishment and we contacted police, who are investigating," he said.
"There was no disruption to the wider prison as a result of this incident."


More than 200 jobs could be lost and council tax could rise under budget plans.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council said raising council tax by 3% would pay for extra social care and launched a consultation on its budget proposals.
The council, led by a coalition of City Independents and Conservatives, also said 202 jobs could go to save £61m.
Labour councillors criticised the budget as "attacking the most vulnerable".
More on this and other stories from Stoke and Staffordshire
The authority last increased council tax rates in 2012.
The 3% rise means council tax for a Band D property would increase from £1,183.46 in 2016-17 to £1,218.96 in 2017-18.
The plans could see six children's centres moved into other council buildings or schools, which the council says would save £3m.
Other proposals include a £1.5m refurbishment of Hanley market and building a £9.5m multi-storey car park near Stoke railway station and Staffordshire University.
It also says raising rates will help to pay for 230 carers to help look after older people, while more than 100 of the planned redundancies will be from the Co-Operative Working scheme set up in February to help vulnerable people.
Council leader David Conway said the council was not closing children's centres and that said raising tax rates was "the right thing to do".
"We have to save £61m over the next three years - we have to do it, we have to manage the business," he said.
Mohammed Pervez, leader of the Labour opposition and former leader of the authority, said the budget would reward more affluent parts of the city instead of helping its poorest residents.


The two women convicted of murdering two-year-old Liam Fee have launched an appeal.

The boy's mother Rachel, 31, and her civil partner Nyomi, 29, have lodged papers at the High Court in Edinburgh.
This is the first stage in the legal process before an appeal can be considered.
Earlier this month, the pair were sentenced to life imprisonment for the toddler's murder and abuse of two other boys in their care.
The reasons for their appeal must be handed to the court by early September after which a judge will decide if they should go ahead.
Rachel Fee, must spend a minimum of 23-and-a-half years in jail and Nyomi Fee, a minimum of 24 years for the murder and ill-treatment of Liam Fee.
The toddler died at his home near Glenrothes, Fife, in March 2014.
He had suffered a ruptured heart as a result of severe blunt force trauma to his body.
The couple, originally from Ryton in Tyne and Wear, denied killing Liam, and instead blamed his death on one of two other young boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons.


A man accused of plotting a terrorist attack in London told his mother-in-law in a letter from prison her daughter had been "dragged into this with me", their trial has heard.

Mohammed Rehman, 25, from Reading, said he was "truly and deeply sorry for everything" and expressed remorse his wife was "locked away like an animal".
Mr Rehman and his wife Sana Ahmed Khan, 24, deny preparing acts of terrorism.
The husband allegedly amassed chemicals for a large bomb, the Old Bailey heard.
Mr Rehman, of Radstock Road, also denies possessing an article for terrorist purposes.
The couple hid the fact they had married in an Islamic ceremony from Ms Khan's relatives as the family did not agree with her choice of husband, the court heard.
Mr Rehman, who took drugs and was divorced, described his wife, an aspiring teacher, as a "precious diamond".
The letter sent to Saleen Ahmed Khan in June said: "The minute I laid eyes on her, there was nothing more that I could desire from life than to be with her forever."
He told Mrs Khan her daughter had been "dragged into this with me" but was "completely innocent" and had been "undermined" by their association.
He added: "Had I wished to take your daughter away from you, I would have ran [sic] away with her, but I'm not one to take a family apart.
"I'm truly and deeply sorry for everything and I'm also really sorry if this letter only adds to your pain.
"They could give me a life sentence and I couldn't care less, but they've taken the most beloved and precious thing from me and locked her away like an animal."
Previously the jury heard a "Jihadi John-style" hunting knife and dangerous chemicals for a large bomb were found at Mr Rehman's home.
The trial continues.


A special forces base in the Libyan city of Benghazi has been seized by militias, fighters and officials say.

The site was captured by Islamist-led militias after days of fighting in the eastern city, officials said.
Meanwhile, Italy has offered to help extinguish a huge blaze that has engulfed the biggest fuel depot in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
Libya has been gripped by instability since the 2011 uprising, with swathes of the country controlled by militias.
"We have withdrawn from the [Benghazi] army base after heavy shelling," Special Forces officer Fadel al-Hassi told reporters on Tuesday.
The fighters also confirmed in a statement that they had taken control of the base.
On Monday, officials said that at least 38 people had been killed in clashes between troops loyal to the Libyan government and Islamist fighters in Benghazi.
At least 97 people have also been killed in fighting between rival militias battling for control of Tripoli's main airport in the past week.
The government has blamed clashes between the armed groups for starting the fire at the Tripoli fuel depot, and preventing firefighters from putting out the blaze.
The depot is about 10km (six miles) from Tripoli on the road to the international airport.
The government has been unable to disarm the numerous armed groups controlling large parts of the country, which are behind Libya's worst violence since the 2011 uprising that toppled Col Muammar Gaddafi.
It has led some Western governments to urge their nationals to leave and withdraw foreign staff from their embassies in Tripoli.


A man found dead in a Pembrokeshire lake has been named as Robert Mansfield, who had just celebrated his 18th birthday the day before he died.

Mr Mansfield's body was found in Mill Pond, Pembroke, at 02:40 BST on Monday.
His family said he spent the night before celebrating with family and friends. In a statement, they called him a "kind and caring lad".
Dyfed Powys Police conducted a search following reports he disappeared after getting into difficulty in the water.
A family tribute said Mr Mansfield "adored his nan, helping her care for his grandad, Tom."
It added: "He will be missed so much by us and all that knew him."


A man fined after failing to see a bus lane sign as he drove his terminally-ill wife to hospital has accused the council of "underhand" behaviour.

Andrew Peryer was sent a photograph two days after the death of his wife Wendy, 53, showing them in the lane outside Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.
Council figures show the enforcement camera amassed fines totalling Â£123,000 within 11 weeks of it being installed.
Portsmouth City Council said the signs complied with national regulations.
Mr Peryer said: "I had to double-take when I looked at my car and saw the picture of me and my wife in there... I'd just lost her on the Saturday... [it] was like a double whammy, it rubbed salt into the wound."
Mrs Peryer died from cancer on 1 October.
A Freedom of Information request to Portsmouth City Council revealed the camera, installed in Cavell Drive on 22 July 2016, generated 2,062 penalty charge notices by 6 October - each for Â£60.
The 57-year-old from Portsmouth said he returned to check the signs and maintains they were not visible from his driving position.
He is awaiting the outcome of an appeal.
He said: "It just seems rather underhand. Surely, if you have something that's generating such a high volume of tickets you would look to see a reason why.
"It appears to be a high cash-generation spot and it seems to be preying on people who would be under stress or they've gone to visit someone or are having treatment - that seems totally unfair."
Transport councillor Jim Fleming said appeals to fines were considered on compassionate grounds.
He added: "All the signs, both indicating a bus-only thoroughfare and the presence of camera technology, are clear and fully comply with national regulations.
"There have been 19 successful appeals at this location to date but none of these related to the signs."


Steelmaking has returned to Teesside - after the blast furnace at the former Corus plant in Redcar was relit.

New owner SSI has spent millions making ready the huge furnace, which was shut down when the plant was mothballed by previous owner Tata Steel in 2010.
Many of the 1,600 workforce who lost their jobs two years ago have been re-employed by Thai-based SSI.
Wills Waterfield, the 11-year-old son of late union chief Geoff Waterfield, performed the ceremonial lighting.
They used a gas lance which was itself ignited by embers from an operational blast furnace, in keeping with steelmaking tradition.
Workers cheered at the sight of flames inside the furnace.
The first steel slabs are likely to be produced over the next three days.
Win Viriyaprapaikit, president of SSI, said: "This is a very proud day for us and for me personally.
"I believe the investment we have made at Teesside will result in a very successful business which will benefit all of the stakeholders involved, including the local community and employees for generations to come."
Phil Dryden, chief executive of SSI UK, said: "I would like to pay tribute to all those who have made this day possible, including the stakeholders for their investment and the people who have worked so hard on the restart project.
"We now look forward with confidence to resuming the long tradition of steelmaking on Teesside and establishing SSI UK as world class steelmaker.
"This is a historic event and a complex and demanding restart programme."
Initially all the steel produced in Redcar will be shipped to Thailand, but it is hoped some could be used in the UK to support the wind turbine manufacturing industry.
There has been months of preparation ahead of the official relighting. The furnace has been heating up since February ready for the moment when super-heated air can be ignited creating the blast furnace.
Tony Pointer, who was a union leader at the plant, said: "It's a historic occasion.
"The area has obviously suffered from the fact that it has not had money from people working at the plant.
"But with the re-opening of the works it'll bring money back into the local economy, which is what this area needs badly."
Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "It is great news that, after a two-year absence, the Redcar blast furnace will be lit again.
"I look forward to SSI starting steel production once again in the North East.
"SSI and its workforce have worked very hard over the last year and should be congratulated on getting to this point."
Former steelworker of 30 years and leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council, George Dunning, paid tribute to union boss Geoff Waterfield, who battled to retain the Redcar plant, but died in August last year.
Mr Dunning added: "I would like to say a big thank you to all those involved in the return of steelmaking to Redcar, including the SSI team and the trade unions.
"A special thank you and tribute should also go to Geoff Waterfield, who truly embodied the passion and determination for steel here in Teesside."
Mr Waterfield, 43, worked at the Corus, Tata and the SSI UK site for about five years before his death last August. He was the chairman of the multi-unions at the Redcar site.
The blast furnace was due to be relit last December, but it was delayed by technical problems and industrial action.


A memorial single has been released in memory of MP Jo Cox, who was shot and stabbed to death a month ago.

Batley Community Choir has recorded a version of the 1979 Bette Midler song "The Rose".
All proceeds will be donated to the Jo Cox Fund, which supports three causes she had supported.
The Batley and Spen MP 41, was attacked before she was due to hold a constituency surgery in Birstall, West Yorkshire on 16 June.
Gary Skyrme, the choir's musical director, said: "The Rose is such a fitting song - it's about love and hope - and Jo, who was our own Yorkshire Rose, epitomised those values."
The three causes supported by the fund are the Royal Voluntary Service, Hope not Hate and the White Helmets.
An inquest into Mrs Cox's death was opened and adjourned last month after hearing she died from multiple stab and gunshot wounds.
Thomas Mair, 52, has appeared at the Old Bailey in central London charged with murdering Mrs Cox. He is also charged with grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of an offensive weapon.
He was remanded in custody and is due to go on trial in November.


South Africa have appointed former assistant coach Allister Coetzee as their head coach.

Coetzee, 52, coached Stormers and Western Province in the Super 14, before a brief stint with Japanese side Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers.
He succeeds Heyneke Meyer, who resigned in December after leading the Springboks to third place at last year's World Cup.
"I am very excited and grateful for this opportunity," Coetzee said.
"This job comes with a huge amount of responsibility because our passionate fans rightfully demand the best from the Springboks at all times."
Coetzee was part of the Springbok coaching team in 2000 and, most notably, between 2004 and 2007, including during their World Cup triumph in France.
"Allister's appointment marks the changing of the guard at the top of Springbok rugby," South Africa Rugby president Oregan Hoskins said.
"He was the outstanding candidate in terms of his rugby credentials, his understanding of our unique South African transformation imperatives and also in the image he will present as Springbok coach."
For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.


Kenyans can no longer be charged after a breathalyser test, after a bar owner argued they were ruining his business.

Kariuki Ruitha complained they violated Kenyans' constitutional rights to make their own lifestyle decisions - including how much to drink.
After a three-year battle, the Court of Appeal ruled in his favour.
Kenya has some of the most dangerous roads in the world, with 1,574 people dying in accidents in the first half of 2016 alone.
Sitting in the Court of Appeal, the three judges said drink drivers could still be charged under traffic laws - at which point a breathalyser can be used.
According to local media reports, Mr Ruitha, who owns a bar in Nairobi, first brought the case to trial more than three years ago, when he sued the Minister for Transport.
He had lost 80% of his business because customers were being breathalysed as they left the premises - leading to him lay off 44 employees, The Star reported.
In 2014, his lawyer described the rules as "oppressive and unreasonable" if someone had not already committed a driving offence.
His argument was backed up by a second bar owner, who had originally launched a separate case.
However, their victory may be short-lived. The judges have sent the law back to parliament to be rewritten.
"As the need to prohibit drunk-driving is still dire, and this matter being of great public interest, no doubt the authorities will move with quick dispatch to remedy the position," they urged, website MediaMax reported.