Datasets:

autoevaluate

/

autoeval-eval-xsum-default-403a15-33262145014

like 0

Follow

Evaluation on the Hub 34

7 August 2015 Last updated at 23:21 BST He decided to head to Calais on a fact-finding mission. Newsnight's James Clayton and Jack Garland followed him around for a day.

UKIP MEP Mike Hookem believes British and French authorities aren't doing nearly enough to stop migrants from coming to the UK.

33830496

Steven Conway died while working at Diamond Wheels (Dundee) Ltd, a firm owned and operated by former Dundee FC director of football Paul Marr. The 33-year-old was sent in to remove debris from a chemical tank with limited protective clothing in August 2011. The firm will be sentenced for health and safety breaches in October. Dundee Sheriff Court heard that Mr Conway sent into the tank containing "volatile" chemicals while wearing only trainers, tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt and fleece. The mask he was given did nothing to protect him from the toxic fumes let off by the chemicals, which were used to strip alloy wheels for cars. Co-workers found the father of two unconscious inside the tank, and he was taken to hospital before being pronounced dead. A post-mortem examination found he had suffered chemical burns from contact with hydrofluoric acid. Pathologists concluded he had died from inhaling industrial paint stripper. Prosecutors said the tank Mr Conway was working in was not properly ventilated, the gloves he was given had holes in them and the face mask he was wearing was actually releasing "contaminants" into his air supply. The court also heard that there were no safety protocols in place at the premises, no risk assessment was carried out and there was no safe system of work in place. Defence advocate Gavin Anderson said the company had undertaken extensive efforts to adhere to health and safety standards since Mr Conway's death. He said: "I express publicly in open court that Mr Conway's tragic death is genuinely and deeply regretted by all associated with the company. "He had been a friend of Mr Marr for seven years prior to this and was valued not only as an employee but also as a friend." Diamond Wheels (Dundee) Ltd, registered at Nethergate, Dundee, pleaded guilty to a charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act. Sheriff Alistair Brown deferred sentence until October for the Crown and defence to make written submissions. Addressing Mr Conway's parents in the public benches, he said: "Nothing that I can say or do will bring him back and I recognise that. "It is certainly not the case in selecting a fine that I will be in any way seeking to put any kind of value on him or his life. "It is important to keep in mind that Mr Conway died as a result of this - he's not to be forgotten in this process."

A Dundee company has admitted health and safety failings after a worker died while cleaning out a chemical tank.

34119674

Mike Welch, chief executive of Blackcircles.com, can expect to gain a third of that sale price, while staying with the company. He started selling tyres aged 16 before joining Kwik-Fit. Aged 21, he set up Black Circles, basing it in Peebles, where it employs 50 people. Welch, now aged 36, built it up to annual sales in 2013 of £28m, with annual growth of around 20% per year since 2008. The first three months of this year have seen revenue rise by 34% on the same period last year. The company developed a "click and fit" business model. Customers choose their tyres online, they are then delivered directly from manufacturers to one of 1,350 independent garages, where the customer then books in a tyre-fitting session. According to the chief executive, prices undercut conventional sales by 20%-to-40%. In March, the company announced that it was looking at ways to extend its growth, including a float on a stock exchange, private equity investment, or a sale. It recruited former Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy onto the board, to use his expertise in retail. There is also a trial of a Blackcircles fitting service at some Tesco superstores. The Michelin deal opens up expertise and a much wider distribution network, without limiting Blackcircles.com to the parent company's brand products. Michelin already owns the conventional tyre distributor ATS Euromaster, and the French firm hopes there will be synergies between the two distributors, although Blackcircles.com will continue to operate independently within the Michelin group. "I'm delighted to have found in Michelin a partner who shares our passion for customer service, innovation and technology," said Mr Welch. "The strength of the Michelin Group will allow us to underpin the multi-brand offering that we deploy in each garage, on every street corner. "I am convinced that our teams, our customers, our garages and our suppliers will rapidly start to see the benefits of this partnership." Jean-Dominique Senard, chief executive of the Michelin Group, commented: "Our strategy illustrates our ambition: to be ever more innovative, efficient and proactive for our customers by offering them products and services suited to individual needs, and by simplifying the entire purchase process, from choosing their tyres to having them fitted by professionals." Michelin has 68 production plants in 17 countries, and employs 117,000 people. An interview with Mike Welch can be heard on Business Scotland this weekend - at 06:00 on Saturday and 07:30 on Sunday - on BBC Radio Scotland.

One of Scotland's most successful entrepreneurs has sold his tyre-fitting business for £50m to Michelin.

32616056

Wayne Madsen (70) batted well before the innings stalled in the twilight, as the pink ball swung more. Marchant de Lange (3-82) and Timm van der Gugten (3-88) were particularly dangerous while Graham Wagg weighed in with two wickets. But Derbyshire flourished in the last session through Daryn Smit (41) and Tom Milnes (53). Much of the day's action was played under thick cloud cover and wicket-keeper Chris Cooke snaffled five catches as the seamers found plenty of movement. Meanwhile Derbyshire's 16 year-old Afghan-born spinner Hamidullah Qadri, who made 11 not out, is the first Championship player to have been born in the new Millennium. Glamorgan coach Robert Croft told BBC Wales Sport: "It's different, certainly I've very open-minded to see how it pans out. After 40 overs, it seemed to get some swing, but I put it down to good bowling rather than conditions. "If the ECB and world cricket are serious about making pink-ball, day-night four-day and Test match cricket a thing of the future, we have to play more of it to get people used to it," Wicket-keeper Chris Cooke added: "The pink ball played pretty well and we'll see how good that score is, but it showed there was a bit in it for both bat and ball under lights. "Marchant bowled excellently in that (second session) spell and Waggy with him when the lights came on, but Tom Milnes showed you could definitely bat under lights. It's new for everyone so it's whoever adapts quickest might have the edge." Derbyshire batsman Wayne Madsen told BBC Radio Derby: "It's different having to change routines but we adapted to it quite well, it's a pretty good score we've put on the board considering the conditions, particularly in that middle session where we lost a few wickets and they bowled really well. "I felt really good at the crease, they've got a decent four-pronged attack and it was a good challenge but conditions when it got overcast made it a lot harder to bat and our guys who came in (later) did a fantastic job."

Derbyshire recovered well to 288 all out against Glamorgan, who reached 5-0 at the close in the day-night game.

40404162

Chasing a revised 327 from 47 overs in the one-day game, the Red Rose lost their last nine wickets for 31 runs on their way to a 242-run thrashing. It was Lancashire's heaviest defeat in List A cricket. "I'm not going to be rip anyone in particular apart as it is a team effort, and it's not good enough," Giles told BBC Radio Lancashire. "I do think there is a danger of thinking we're a better side that we are in one-day cricket, and we're not. "We got away with it a little bit last year in T20 and in the end in 50 overs we almost qualified at the last minute, and we're doing the same thing again and we're not that good. "Every time you go to play and wear that Lancashire shirt we've got to play better than that." With Neil Wagner being called up by New Zealand for their Test series against Zimbabwe and South Africa, Giles has also spoken about the possibility of a replacement. The Kiwi has taken 28 wickets so far this season after joining at the start of the campaign. "We'll look at all the options but there needs to be the availability of the right person," Giles added. "If there is then we'll certainly be interested. He'll be available for the next three Championship games and then missing until September."

Lancashire head coach Ashley Giles has questioned the attitude of his team after their record loss to Yorkshire.

36550656

The 24-year-old midfielder sustained the injury just 26 days after joining Posh from League Two side Crewe. He had an operation on Saturday and is expected to be out until November. "I haven't seen a grown man cry like that for 15 years so I feel for him, but we'll just have to pull together," McCann told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. "There were about six seconds left of training, he planted his foot and broke his leg. "He's had an operation, but I'm sure he'll come back stronger. The lads and the staff are devastated for him." McCann also confirmed that Posh had not taken up the option to sign trialist striker Morgan Ferrier, who played in the pre-season friendlies against West Ham and Norwich.

Peterborough United manager Grant McCann has backed Brad Inman to recover from the broken leg he suffered with "six seconds left of training".

36884337

Until recently, AI seemed firmly stuck in the realm of science fiction. The term "artificial intelligence" was coined 60 years ago - on August 31 1955, John McCarthy proposed a "summer research project" to work out how to create thinking machines. It's turned out to take a bit longer than one summer. We're now entering the seventh decade, and just starting to see real progress. So, it's worth asking: why the long wait, and what has made for today's renaissance in AI research? Well, as is usually the case with technology "revolutions," there's actually been a steady evolution of hard research leading up to today. For example, Geoff Hinton, one of the pioneers of artificial neural networks, came up with many of his key insights in the 1980s, when computers were too slow for the insights to have a big practical pay-off. He continued to work for the next 20 years, and in 2009 he and his students beat the state of the art for speech recognition. Google quickly adopted their methods (and later hired the team) and cut errors in speech recognition on the Google app by around 25% - the equivalent of about ten years of research all at once. So it was really a long effort. But something changed in those last few years, an inflection point, a final push over the line from "This could work" to "Wow, this works better than anything else we've come up with!" Indeed, deep learning really took off when it got an infusion of computing at immense scale, using networks of thousands of computers working together. And it's been accelerated by tackling real-world problems: how do you build a system that recognises speech in 58 languages? How do you find someone's first photo of their golden retriever when it's never been labelled? (These aren't just rhetorical questions; the Google app and Google Photos do this, and many other companies are working on similar real-world applications of machine learning). In other words, the same consumer needs that gave rise to the web and the cloud computing that powers it - people wanting to get any question in the world answered or communicate effortlessly across languages - were what refreshed and refocused the basic research in AI. These turn out to provide tougher and more rewarding challenges than the "toy" problems that had been the benchmarks of AI research in decades past, such as getting a program to navigate a simple maze. The real world is far bigger and messier, and it provides a much higher bar for machine learning. It's not until the theoretical bumps up against the practical that you get real progress. That's why we bring dozens of visiting faculty from universities every year to Google, and why our researchers publish their research openly and go to all the major academic conferences on AI. We offer computing resources, real-world problems and practical expertise building systems; outside researchers bring long experience and ideas for novel approaches. We love the exchange, and we welcome experts in machine learning to conduct their research at Google. (And, by the way, there are other benefits to closing the gap between theory and practice: it makes a lot more sense to ground long-term concerns over AI in a practical discussion of what's actually possible and how we might build the most beneficial technologies.) In the future, we need to do even more blending of AI research with solving real-world challenges. In the next generation of software, machine learning won't just be an add-on that improves performance a few percentage points; it will really replace traditional approaches. To give just one example: a decade ago, to launch a digital music service, you probably would have enlisted a handful of elite tastemakers to pick the hottest new music. Today, you're much better off building a smart system that can learn from the real world - what actual listeners are most likely to like next - and help you predict who and where the next Adele might be. As a bonus, it's a much less elitist taste-making process - much more democratic - allowing everyone to discover the next big star through our own collective tastes and not through the individual preferences of a select few. In order for AI to fulfil its long-term potential for society, we need to direct research even more toward real-world messiness: how do you help someone plan a last-minute great vacation when they've got limited budget, two picky kids, and only a few days to squeeze it into? Can we reduce the noise of modern life by giving you smarter filters on your emails, your social media feeds, your schedule - can we give you less spam and more time? And how can we help scientists make sense of the overwhelming amount of data in genomics, energy and climate science? All those areas stand to benefit from smart, directed, thoughtful innovations in AI, which is why we need to keep thinking first and foremost about people's real needs, and the real world we all inhabit.

As part of the BBC's Intelligent Machines season, Google's Eric Schmidt has penned an exclusive article on how he sees artificial intelligence developing, why it is experiencing such a renaissance and where it will go next.

34143171

The 21-year-old has made 35 appearances for the north London club since making his senior debut in 2012. Tompkins was part of the England Saxons squad which secured a series win in South Africa earlier this summer. "Nick has a very bright future in the game," said Sarries director of rugby Mark McCall.

Saracens centre Nick Tompkins has signed a new three-year contract with the Premiership and European Champions Cup winners.

36975174

Handing over an envelope containing 50,000 Vietnamese dong (VND) ($2.4, £1.6) did not do the trick, but when she added another 50,000 VND, the referral was secured. The 33-year-old woman, who did not want to be identified, then gave an envelope containing 500,000 VND ($24, £16) to the medical staff at the provincial hospital, an amount that was more than two months of her income. "All other patients told me that everyone must give envelopes to thank the doctors and nurses for the treatment, and that was the rate for such an operation," she said. The staff did not ask for it but she believed that by giving the envelope her son would receive better care. She is not alone. Mrs Phin, a pensioner from a Hanoi suburb who lives on 3m VND per month, handed over an envelope containing 200,000 VND after eye treatment in hospital. But she was sent home before the treatment was complete. So she was admitted to hospital again and that meant another thank-you envelope. "It cost me another 200,000 VND to thank the doctors and nurses. I could only afford the smallest amount suggested by other patients," she said. Mrs Luyen, a retired teacher from a small town 35km outside of Hanoi, said passing over a cash gift for medical treatment was effectively mandatory. "Not all doctors ask for the envelopes but giving envelopes is a must when you go to hospital. It's in our culture," she said. In Vietnam, medical treatment is mostly subsidised by the state via an insurance system free to civil servants and children, or paid for privately or by employers. But queues for treatment under insurance cover are long and public hospitals overcrowded, while salaries for much of the medical profession remain low. And with growing capitalist sentiment meeting entrenched Confucian values, the practice of handing over a cash-filled envelope to secure faster or better service has become widespread. The number of people who gave envelopes doubled in the three years from 2007-2010 - from 13% to 29%, one study showed. In 2012, a survey published by the World Bank and Vietnam's Government Inspectorate (which runs the Anti-Corruption Bureau) showed that 76% of those who had paid a bribe to health service personnel did so voluntarily, with only 21% responding to a request. In an effort to fight corruption, five big hospitals in Hanoi launched a campaign in October 2011 to bolster ethical behaviour among staff, including a "Say no to envelopes" policy. Vietnam's Research and Training Centre for Community Development (RTCCD) also conducted a similar campaign to change perceptions of informal payments, using the media to raise patients' awareness of their rights as well as of doctors' duties. Nguyen Huu Ngoc, a well-known scholar in Hanoi, said the root of the problem lay in the Confucian gift-giving tradition. "In Vietnamese society as well as in Chinese, gifts stem from gratitude," the scholar said. "Showing gratitude used to have more spiritual value than material value. But over the years, it has become more material and less spiritual, and now in the market economy it is like a transaction." Culture might be used to justify the payments - but culture can be changed, according to Soren Davidsen, a senior governance specialist at the World Bank in Hanoi. "We know gift-giving is an important part of culture. But we also know that culture is not a static but dynamic thing. Several countries in East Asia, such as Singapore, South Korea and Japan, have a culture of corruption, yet these countries have found effective ways to curb corruption. "Although there is often the perception about culture being a part of corruption, we think that this is the wrong way of looking at it. And we can, by involving people, businesses and government in partnership, actually change culture," said Mr Davidsen. For many people, the line between a gift and a bribe has become blurred - something some people embrace as "an excuse to give envelopes", said Tran Thu Ha, vice-director of RTCCD. But for people who campaign to stop the practice like her, it is easy to identify what is a gift and what is a bribe. "A gift can be given in public or anywhere, it needs time to talk and to say thank you, whereas a bribe is often given very quickly and both the giver and the receiver are afraid of being seen by other people," Ms Ha said. But to change people's behaviour is one of the big difficulties that Vietnam is facing and will take time, acknowledged Mr Ngo Manh Hung, deputy director-general of Vietnam's Anti-Corruption Bureau. There has been considerable debate about how to curb the practice in the health service. One suggestion is raising health workers' salaries so that they stop accepting envelopes. But that alone will not be enough. Associate Professor Ta Van Binh, director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, believes that the government needs clear rules and tough punishments for medical staff who break them. But work also needs to be done to help patients understand that they do not need to give envelopes - and may themselves be breaking the rules if they do. Nguyen Huu Ngoc even thinks that there should be sanctions applied to patients who give envelopes to help clean up the industry. But this would need co-operation from all sides - patients, health workers and the authorities - and remains a big task. "It's not an easy thing to do because corruption is about money, people and power," said Mr Davidsen of the World Bank. "It's a huge challenge curbing corruption and co-ordinating anti-corruption efforts across government agencies. It is not a quick fix and can't be done overnight." There will be a series of special reports and articles this week as the BBC examines why bribes and backhanders are part of the system in so much of the world, looks at countries which have tried to roll back the tide - and explains how corruption works.

Three months ago, a woman from a village south of Hanoi needed her son referred to a provincial hospital by a district doctor for an operation.

23237285

The small island in the Pacific is home to an important strategic US airbase, US nuclear bombers and about 6,000 troops along with some 165,000 civilians. It's a US territory, so an attack on Guam would be an attack on the US. The Guamanian authorities were quick to say there was nothing to fear from North Korea's angry rhetoric. "I want to reassure the people of Guam that currently there is no threat to our island," Governor Eddie Baza Calvo said in a statement on Facebook, adding that the island was "prepared for any eventuality". But it has left many on the tourism-reliant island concerned. "Yes, of course people are worried," front desk manager at a local hotel, Adele, told the BBC. "It is scary to think that there is a threat from North Korea on Guam." Local stand-up comedian Chris "Malafunkshun" Barnett said there was a real level of anxiety: "There have been threats before but this time feels different. "We're really in caught in the cross fire. President Trump seems as much of a sabre-rattler as Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang. "And a lot of people here feel like Trump is the guy who might actually press the button." The story is all over the local media on Guam, adding to the nervousness of the residents. "We should all prepare for whatever happens," Adele suggested, adding that she planned to stock up on food after work, in case the crisis escalated. "Many people are taking such precautions. We're keeping an eye on the news and we're all praying that the military will help us." Isa Baza, a local television reporter, said the authorities believe it would take about 14 to 15 minutes for a North Korean missile to reach Guam. "And so, that's not a lot of time to respond," she told the BBC. But Ms Baza added that the Guam Homeland Security Office "did say that if there were any threat they would put out a mass public notification via the emergency broadcasting system". It is not the first time the small island has found itself named as a potential target for North Korean rockets - aside from US military bases in South Korea or Japan, the Pacific island is the closest target for Pyongyang should the regime want to attack the US. Congresswoman for Guam Madeleine Z Bordallo said in a statement the most recent threat was "dangerous and it further heightens tensions in our region". She went on to criticise President Trump for his "unhelpful" tweeting on the matter and "strongly urged" him to "explore every avenue" to peacefully respond. But while local media are citing many residents sharing the heightened concern, not everyone is fazed by the situation. "It's not a big deal," Cathleen Viray, another hotel worker, told the BBC. End of Twitter post by @MALAFUNKSHUN She pointed out that such threats were not new and that people had been living with this situation for a couple of years already. Local dive instructor Yuka, who caters mostly for Japanese tourists, agreed with her. People were concerned, she said, but said she herself was not too worried. "There's a sense of resignation among many people here," Mr Barnett agrees. "After all, we're talking about a possible nuclear strike here. "But I think this is moving too far too fast - and that we haven't really given diplomacy a chance yet."

North Korea claims it has missiles capable of reaching the US mainland, but its latest threat is against Guam, a much closer target.

40871854

Stewart, 26, netted a hat-trick and Hemmings, 24, scored twice as Dundee beat Dumbarton 6-2 on Saturday. The attacking pair were also regular scorers for the Dark Blues last season, Hemmings notching 25 goals, Stewart 11. "They are fantastic players. Hopefully we can keep hold of them for a bit longer," O'Dea, 29, told BBC Scotland. "They are obviously two good pals of mine and it is about getting the right move, it's not moving for the sake of it. "If you go to England you will probably earn more money but the two of them can really progress and go on to a very high level in the game. It's important if they did move, it's the right move. "To replace them, it's virtually impossible, because you don't have the money to go and replace them." Former Rangers youth player Hemmings and Stewart played together at Cowdenbeath and have scored almost 60 goals between them for Paul Hartley's side in the last two seasons. "You need to have recruitment, which Dundee do have, and you need to have an eye for a player, which our manager does have," added Republic of Ireland cap O'Dea, who headed Dundee's other goal against Dumbarton. "These two lads came from lower league clubs. Credit to the manager, he's found talent in lower leagues, which there is an abundance of. "But to actually go and replace them straightaway is virtually impossible." Rangers, Aberdeen and Leeds United are among the clubs rumoured to be keen on prising Stewart away from Dens Park. "There's going to be interest in Greg the way he's performed over the last two years," said manager Hartley after what he called a "sublime" performance from the attacking midfielder on Saturday. "But we don't want to sell him. There's no way we could replace him - no danger about that."

Dundee defender Darren O'Dea believes team-mates Kane Hemmings and Greg Stewart would be "virtually impossible" to replace in the short term.

36879480

The 34-year-old, who had recently given birth, was found dead at her home in Essex Close in Luton on 10 October. Bedfordshire Police said her family has been informed. A double murder investigation was launched on Wednesday. A man arrested in connection with the deaths has been released on bail. Live: More on this story and others in Bedfordshire Det Insp Fraser Wylie, of the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, appealed for friends or colleagues of Ms Winning to contact police. He added: "We're also continuing to ask for anyone who witnessed suspicious activity between Friday 7 and Monday 10 October in and around Essex Close to get in touch. "We're particularly keen to speak to anyone who saw a black wheelie bin being taken along the street, or anyone who lived nearby who has noticed that their wheelie bin has gone missing." The man's body was discovered in a wheelie bin on Monday night outside the entrance to the flats. It had been wrapped in cling film and a purple duvet cover. It is thought the dead man and Ms Winning were partners. Her baby is being cared for.

A woman, whose death has been linked to the discovery of a body in a bin in the same street, has been named as Tabussum Winning.

37733762

They show Balachandran Prabhakaran, son of rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, eating chocolate on a bench. Campaigning group Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka says they are proof the boy was summarily executed. A military spokesman denied the allegations. He said they were based on "lies, half-truths and rumours". JDS says analysis of the photographs' metadata shows they were taken by the same camera at 10:14 and 12:01 on 19 May 2009 - on the final day of Sri Lankan forces' bitter 26-year war against the Tigers. Velupillai Prabhakaran died at around the same time in a stretch of land between the Nanthikadal lagoon and the sea, where hundreds of thousands of civilians were trapped in the last bloody months of the conflict. The army said he was killed in battle but human rights groups said he might have been killed after surrendering. British film-maker Callum Macrae says the photographs of Balachandran Prabhakaran - which show the young boy first alert and unharmed and in the custody of soldiers but then dead, shot five times in the chest - rules out the government's assertion that Balachandran was killed in crossfire. "His death was deliberate and calculated. This is a proof, beyond reasonable doubt, of the execution of a child - not a battlefield death," said Mr Macrae. "The pictures fill in chilling details on the circumstances of his murder - and leave the Sri Lankan government with yet more questions to answer." But army spokesman Ruwan Wanigasuriya said the photos showed "no substantive evidence", and were being released in Mr Macrae's latest documentary, No Fire Zone (NFZ), that is timed to coincide with a session of the UN Human Rights Council next month. In the past two years, Mr Macrae has made films for the British TV station, Channel 4, using video evidence to allege that the government side committed serious war crimes as it defeated the Tamil Tiger militants in 2009 - allegations always denied by Colombo. The new film is set to be screened at the Geneva Human Rights Film Festival during a UN Human Rights Council meeting next month. Meanwhile 133 Sri Lankan Christian clergy, mostly from the former war zone, have signed a letter urging the UN Human Rights Council to pass a strong resolution that is critical of Colombo and will set up an international inquiry into all alleged war crimes. The mainly Tamil churchmen and women say that today the ethnic minority's culture, religions, language and land are being suppressed with what they say is "an intent to destroy us in whole or part".

Photographs have emerged which are said to show the 12-year-old son of a Tamil rebel leader alive and well in custody less than two hours before he was shot dead.

21509656

Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, said Cecil's head was found in the home of Theo Bronkhorst, one of the co-accused. Cecil was shot in July by US dentist Walter Palmer. Zimbabwe is seeking his extradition. The death made headlines around the world, sending Mr Palmer into hiding. Mr Rodrigues told the BBC the plan had been for the head to be sent to South Africa and then on to the United States where Mr Palmer would be able to claim it. But it was seized by police on 7 July from the home of Mr Bronkhorst, a guide on the illegal hunt attended by Mr Palmer. "The police have it all now and they are using it as evidence," said Mr Rodrigues. "But we are going to try and get the authorities to release so it can be mounted in the Hwange National Park as a memorial," he told the BBC. "We can put it near the entrance so people can pay tribute to him. We are just waiting for everything to die down." Only the head and pelt of the animal are left, he said. "The body has been eaten by scavengers and vultures but the head is intact." Mr Rodrigues said the Task Force would raise the money for Cecil's head to be mounted in a glass case and would ask the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority about the plan "once the dust had settled". "Any tourist should be able to come and see the cause of all this turmoil around the world," he said. No one was available for comment from the Hwange National Park or police station, where Cecil's remains are reportedly being held. Mr Rodrigues said he has been subjected to a torrent of abuse after speaking out against hunting following Cecil's death. "I had to put my phone off. Hunters are using this as a way to get to me, sending insults and remarks by email and by text." He said he had been accused of taking money from hunts, a claim he denied. "I hate hunting, I don't believe in it," he said. Cecil's six cubs were being looked after by another lion, Jericho, according to Mr Rodrigues. "We were expecting the worst and for the other male to come in and take the female and kill the cubs. But Jericho is doing a good job. "They are following him around and he is playing with them. We are monitoring them all the time and everybody is happy." Cecil was "iconic", Mr Rodrigues said. "He was a tourist attraction and I hope we can get the tourists back."

A Zimbabwe conservation group says it wants the head of Cecil the Lion to be mounted in a case in Hwange National Park, where he was killed last month.

33775416

Another 30 on the bus were hurt and two of them were fighting for their lives. The bus was carrying a group of German pensioners at the time of the fire near Stammbach in northern Bavaria. Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said rescuers were delayed by "gawpers" driving slowly and by the intensity of the blaze. The cause of the fire is unknown. Traffic was reportedly moving slowly at the time and the collision between the two vehicles was not described as a major crash. The lorry's trailer was also incinerated and the burnt-out wreck ended up a short distance ahead of the bus. The German news website Frankenpost reports that it was carrying mattresses and pillows. The lorry driver was unharmed and told police the bus had gone into the back of his vehicle and burst into flames, it said. There were 46 passengers and two drivers on the bus. The bus driver was among those killed. The passengers were men and women aged 66 to 81, heading to Lake Garda in Italy for a holiday. Some of the passengers had got on the bus at Dresden station in the eastern state of Saxony. According to local media in Saxony, the bus had earlier picked up passengers elsewhere in Saxony and also in Brandenburg in the early hours of Monday before going to Dresden and then south-west towards Nuremberg. By mid-afternoon forensic teams had recovered the charred remains of 15 people and police confirmed that 18 had died. Firefighters reached the scene within 10 minutes of the accident but were driven back by the intensity of the fire. "Only steel parts are recognisable so you can understand what that meant for the people in this bus," said German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt. Motoring safety expert Hans-Ulrich Sander suggested that the fuel line that ran under the bus may have ruptured, prompting the fire to spread fast. Five rescue helicopters joined emergency workers at the scene. Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was distressed by the accident and expressed sympathy for the injured and bereaved relatives. She thanked the rescuers for looking after people "in an appalling situation".

Eighteen people died when their tour bus collided with a lorry and burst into flames on the A9 motorway in southern Germany, police say.

40479021

The Slovenian club has knocked Hibernian, Rangers and Celtic out of Europe in recent seasons. Yet McInnes is adamant that his players are not fearful of the quality of the opposition or their record. "We're not daunted by it," McInnes said. "We're confident in our ability to get the right result." Aberdeen's manager has told fans to expect an assertive first-leg display on Thursday and urged them to back the team. "We've learned over the last few seasons to deal with European football," McInnes continued. "I like the technical and tactical part of it. Our supporters should expect to see a confident Aberdeen team. "They are favourites, we're the underdogs, but we were underdogs against Riejka [last season], we were underdogs against Groningen [in 2014]. "They'll take confidence from their recent history, and not just against Scottish teams. "We want to represent ourselves first and foremost, get the reputation of our club at the forefront of people's minds, and help Scottish football at the same time. "Those first two rounds always have trepidation about them, because players aren't fully up to speed, they're playing against teams that are relatively unknown and there's pressure in that. "We've now come out the other side of those ties and we're now the underdogs going into this game. I'm happy to deal with the favourites tag and happy to deal with the underdogs tag." McInnes warns that Maribor will be accomplished and dangerous opponents in the first leg of the third qualifying round tie on Thursday at Pittodrie. He will send his side out in search of a victory, but also with the awareness that the contest can be won in Slovenia on away goals, so keeping a clean sheet is important. "What was telling from [Maribor's win over Levski Sofia in the last round] was their maturity and calmness, even when they went behind they kept playing their game," McInnes said. "That comes from playing European football and they look like a team confident within their shape. They've got a way of playing, very well organised, and the refusal to panic when they went behind has got them through into this tie. "They play 4-4-1-1, they can play a bit deeper and they counter-attack quickly. We need to be aware of that and recognise the areas where we want to play and look after the ball, especially against a team that is quick to get forward. "We want to win the game at home, [but] it's important we still have a result going over to Maribor. "Ideally we want to impose ourselves and get that balance between attacking and defending right, but we don't want to be giving ourselves a mountain to climb by losing goals at Pittodrie."

Derek McInnes believes Aberdeen have the confidence and experience to overcome being underdogs against Maribor in the Europa League.

36899343

The blaze in the Aberdeenshire town's High Street in May that year claimed the life of 43-year-old Gordon Graham. Barry Henderson, 41, from Fraserburgh, was charged with murder and attempted murder when he appeared at Peterhead Sheriff Court. He made no plea and was released on bail.

A man has been charged with murder following a fire in Fraserburgh in 1998.

35493517

Novak diverted fellow substitute Kevin Foley's pass home in the 87th minute and the goal prevented Fleetwood from climbing over Bradford into second spot in the League One table. Fleetwood's on-loan Burnley striker Chris Long netted his third goal in as many league games in the fourth minute as he rocketed the ball past Declan Rudd from distance. It was all Fleetwood until Charlton finally sparked into life just after the half-hour-mark as Josh Magennis nodded in Ricky Holmes' cross in the 32nd minute. David Ball restored Fleetwood's lead, picking up a loose ball on the edge of the box and sublimely curled the ball into the top corner in the 44th minute. The second half was a game of attrition until the match exploded back into life in the final 15 minutes with Town keeper Chris Neal twice making fingertip saves to thwart Holmes and Novak before the striker popped up with the late leveller. Reports supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Fleetwood Town 2, Charlton Athletic 2. Second Half ends, Fleetwood Town 2, Charlton Athletic 2. Attempt missed. Nathan Pond (Fleetwood Town) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Corner, Fleetwood Town. Conceded by Ezri Konsa Ngoyo. Lee Novak (Charlton Athletic) is shown the yellow card. Corner, Fleetwood Town. Conceded by Jordan Botaka. Goal! Fleetwood Town 2, Charlton Athletic 2. Lee Novak (Charlton Athletic) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jordan Botaka. Nathan Pond (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Josh Magennis (Charlton Athletic). Ashley Hunter (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jason Pearce (Charlton Athletic). Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Kevin Foley replaces Fredrik Ulvestad. Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Jordan Botaka replaces Ricky Holmes. Corner, Charlton Athletic. Conceded by Chris Neal. Attempt saved. Lee Novak (Charlton Athletic) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the top right corner. Substitution, Fleetwood Town. Martyn Woolford replaces Bobby Grant. Attempt missed. Bobby Grant (Fleetwood Town) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick. Ezri Konsa Ngoyo (Charlton Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Ashley Hunter (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ezri Konsa Ngoyo (Charlton Athletic). Corner, Charlton Athletic. Conceded by Chris Neal. Attempt saved. Fredrik Ulvestad (Charlton Athletic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top right corner. Nathan Pond (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Lee Novak (Charlton Athletic). Ashley Hunter (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Morgan Fox (Charlton Athletic). Substitution, Fleetwood Town. Ashley Hunter replaces Devante Cole. Attempt missed. Ricky Holmes (Charlton Athletic) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Amari'i Bell (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Lee Novak (Charlton Athletic). Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Lee Novak replaces Nicky Ajose. Attempt missed. Kyle Dempsey (Fleetwood Town) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Attempt blocked. Ademola Lookman (Charlton Athletic) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Foul by Conor McLaughlin (Fleetwood Town). Morgan Fox (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Devante Cole (Fleetwood Town) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Conor McLaughlin (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Ademola Lookman (Charlton Athletic). Corner, Charlton Athletic. Conceded by Conor McLaughlin. Attempt missed. Ricky Holmes (Charlton Athletic) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the left.

Super-sub Lee Novak bundled in a late equaliser as Charlton fought back to draw and stop Uwe Rosler's Fleetwood from moving into the top two.

37263594

Lithuania violated an article on free elections in the European Convention on Human Rights, the ruling said. Mr Paksas was impeached and removed from office as president after the Baltic state's constitutional court found that he had abused his position. He is now a Euro MP in Strasbourg. The judgement by the Strasbourg court on Thursday is binding, meaning that Lithuania, an EU member state, will have to act on it to prevent any similar violation in future. But the judges did not award Mr Paksas compensation, saying their ruling was in itself "sufficient just satisfaction". Lithuania was found to have violated Article Three of Protocol One (Right to free elections) in the European Convention on Human Rights. In 2004 Mr Paksas became the first European head of state in modern times to be impeached and removed from office. The former Soviet republic's constitutional court found that he had illegally arranged Lithuanian citizenship for a Russian-born businessman, Yuri Borisov. But Mr Paksas, an aerobatic pilot in Soviet times, was cleared of the charge of having leaked state secrets to Russia. After the constitutional court had backed Mr Paksas's disqualification, the Lithuanian parliament adopted a new electoral rule barring anyone from becoming an MP if they had previously been dismissed in impeachment proceedings. Mr Paksas complained that the rule had been passed deliberately to bar him from office. He also said the constitutional court had lacked impartiality and had exceeded its powers. The Strasbourg judges accepted that a breach of the constitution was "a particularly serious matter", but they argued that Mr Paksas's permanent and irreversible disqualification from running for election was disproportionate. In 2009 Mr Paksas was elected to the European Parliament. He sits with the Europe of Freedom and Democracy group, which seeks to defend national sovereignty and prevent the further concentration of power in Brussels.

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Lithuania was wrong to bar former President Rolandas Paksas from running for parliament after he had been ousted from power in 2004.

12126217

Grimsby pressed to break the deadlock when Pat Hoban struck from range and Andy Monkhouse headed wide. Darren Carter came close for the hosts but hit the side netting after rounding the Grimsby backline. Disley headed home to seal three points with 19 minutes left when he converted Monkhouse's cross from the left wing. Forest Green boss Ady Pennock told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: Media playback is not supported on this device "Obviously we're disappointed and I didn't think we tested their keeper enough, Stevie Arnold made three or four good saves, but the game should have been 0-0. "I didn't think in the final third we were that great, but all credit to Grimsby they've done a good job on us and won the game 1-0. "It's three points - we're not going to lose the title by losing today and we're not going to not get in the play-offs, so it's three points, that's all it is." Grimsby manager Paul Hurst told BBC Radio Humberside: "Second half we had to withstand some pressure without James McKeown really being called upon to make any real saves of note, but you know you're going to have to defend a lot of set plays into the box. "You wondered with their record if they were going to get that late goal but thankfully we kept that clean sheet and sent a lot of fans home very happy. "Automatic promotion is still a big ask. Its two teams we've got to catch and they don't have to play each other."

Craig Disley scored the only goal as Forest Green Rovers were denied the chance to go top of the National League with defeat by Grimsby Town.

35666059

Another six people died when a minibus was hit elsewhere in Donetsk. No children were apparently hurt when the school playground was shelled but a biology teacher and a parent were among the dead, witnesses told Reuters. The school is 4km (2.5 miles) from Donetsk airport, where rebels have clashed with Ukrainian troops. A fragile ceasefire has been in place in eastern Ukraine since 5 September but the truce has frequently been violated. Both sides blamed the other for Wednesday's attacks. The Kiev-controlled regional administration said rebels from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) had opened fire with a multiple-launch rocket system. But DPR deputy leader Andrei Purgin told Russian TV that Ukrainian rocket launchers had targeted residential areas from as far as 40km (25 miles) away. Pro-Russian separatists control of much of Donetsk and have launched several attempts to capture the airport to the north-west of the city in recent weeks. Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told reporters the airport was still under government control but rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko told news agencies it would be fully captured in two to three days. Open conflict began in the east in April, after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists then declared independence in the two eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Pupils in Donetsk only returned to school on Wednesday after the start of the school year was postponed by a month because of the fighting. Many children had been moved to safer areas while the fighting was at its heaviest, but although clashes have continued since the ceasefire was declared, the violence has been less widespread. Well over 200 people were at school number 57 in the Kievsky district when the playground was shelled, including 70 children. Although the school's windows shattered, none of the children was reported hurt. Another shell hit a minibus at a bus stop a few streets away from the school and a Reuters reporter described seeing six bodies inside the vehicle. The BBC's James Coomarasamy, visiting another school in Donetsk, says far fewer pupils than normal were present for the first day of the year, with the constant echo of artillery in the distance. "The first thing we should teach our pupils is to love their country and the city they live in and that they should respect the people around them," an English teacher said. On his first day as Nato Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg described the crisis in Ukraine as a major challenge to security and reiterated his predecessor's strong stance towards Russia. The Kremlin has denied sending heavy weapons and soldiers to help the rebels but admits that "volunteers" have gone to fight in eastern Ukraine. "We have to see that Russia changes its behaviour and its actions and returns to compliance with international law and its obligations," he said. Only a strong Nato could build a constructive relationship with Russia, he added. The European Commission has written a letter warning Russian President Vladimir Putin not to impose new trade barriers on Ukraine. As part of a compromise agreed earlier this month, the government in Moscow agreed it would not change its trade provisions with Ukraine if an EU-Ukraine trade accord was put on hold for 15 months. Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso says a recently adopted Russian decree contravenes that compromise.

A shell has killed four people at a school in the rebel-held east Ukrainian city of Donetsk, on the first day of classes, officials and witnesses say.

29439743

Pushp Sharma's report appeared in March in the Milli Gazette, a newspaper aimed at India's Muslim community. It quoted what was said to be a government document that banned Muslims from travelling abroad to teach yoga for last year's World Yoga Day. Mr Sharma faces charges of fabricating the document, which he denies. His report was based on what he said was an official reply from a government ministry that promotes yoga and ayurveda medicine. The report said that, after several queries to the ministry, it replied saying that none of the 3,841 Muslims who had applied to become yoga teachers had been hired up to October 2015. A letter printed alongside the article, purporting to be from the ministry, said that 711 Muslims had applied to travel abroad as instructors during the first World Yoga Day last June, but none was selected "as per government policy". The letter does not include a government letterhead and contains a number of spelling mistakes, including an incorrect spelling of the word "yoga". The Milli Gazette confirmed Mr Sharma was arrested on Saturday morning. Its editor Zafarul-Islam Khan said the charges were "clear attempts to stifle the freedom of the press". Police in Delhi told NDTV that Mr Sharma was facing charges of "cheating, forgery and promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion or race". India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a yoga enthusiast who says he daily practises the ancient Indian art, lobbied the United Nations to declare 21 June World Yoga Day. The first event was held last year. His support for yoga, and creation of the new yoga ministry, was criticised as "a campaign to enforce Hindu rituals on all non-Hindus," one Muslim official told Reuters last year. After opposition from Muslim groups, a series of Hindu practices were dropped from the first World Yoga Day events in India. In response, a Hindu priest and MP for Mr Modi's BJP party, Yogi Adityanath, said anyone who opposed taking part should "live in a closed room or must jump into the sea".

A journalist in India is facing charges over a report he wrote saying Muslims were banned from being yoga teachers under government policy.

36293836

The volunteers were angry at the RNLI's decision to shut down the station later this year. They had said they would no longer use the lifeboat to respond to emergencies, and would instead use their own boats. But the crew agreed to take back their pagers at a meeting on Friday night. In a statement, the crew members said they felt they had to do so ahead of the busy summer diving season, but they pledged to continue campaigning to save the St Abbs station. There has been a lifeboat station in St Abbs for more than 100 years. The local volunteers have been credited with saving hundred of lives in and around the seaside town on the east coast of the Borders. But following a review the RNLI announced last week that the St Abbs boat was no longer needed and in future cover would be provided with an additional boat in nearby Eyemouth. Supporters of the station have argued that closing it would put lives at risk.

The crew of the closure-threatened St Abbs lifeboat station in the Borders have agreed to take back their emergency pagers and respond to RNLI call outs.

32763976

You can watch the FA Cup live on BBC One and the BBC Sport website, with coverage starting at 16:15 BST on Saturday. For Saturday's Wembley final between London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea, Lawro is up against the four people above him on the leaderboard. The joint leaders are 1Xtra breakfast show DJ A.Dot - who is backing Chelsea - and Arsenal Fan TV host Robbie Lyle- who thinks the Gunners will triumph. Media playback is not supported on this device "Now, A.Dot you are a fantastic DJ and you know your music but, when it comes to football, leave that to me," Robbie told BBC Sport. "I am confident it will be a double celebration for me at the weekend. Arsenal lift the FA Cup trophy, and I finish top of Lawro's leaderboard." Radio One DJ Adele Roberts, who is on BBC Radio 1 from Monday to Friday on Early Breakfast from 4am to 6am, and Sophie Rose, from Chelsea Fan TV, also return to give their FA Cup final verdicts. A.Dot and Adele are both appearing at the Radio 1 Big Weekend in Hull on Saturday and Sunday. Kick-off 17:30 BST Arsenal are running out of central defenders - Laurent Koscielny is suspended, Gabriel is injured and Shkodran Mustafi is a fitness doubt. Per Mertesacker is available after his long-term knee injury but the 37 minutes he played after coming on as a substitute against Everton last week is the only action he has seen all season. If Mustafi does not recover from concussion, then if Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is going to stick with playing with three at the back, he has to play Mertesacker alongside Rob Holding and Nacho Monreal. I don't think Wenger will change things around because the rest of his team are familiar with that system. And, it is certainly a formation that suits a centre-back who is a bit short of fitness and sharpness - and pace, because Mertesacker would have two faster men as a kind of safety net either side of him. Media playback is not supported on this device True, Mertesacker, Holding and Monreal cannot have played together in that system before and, speaking from experience, communication and concentration could be an issue. If you are not well-drilled as a defensive three then sometimes you all end up relying on someone else to pick up a player in open play, because you are thinking 'we have got an extra man here - we will be ok'. But these issues at the back do not make things insurmountable for Arsenal. In fact, because the rest of the team are used to a 3-4-2-1, I don't see it being a massive problem at all. The key area on Saturday for Arsenal is not their defence, or their attack - which is very strong. It is in midfield. Chelsea will win comfortably if they take control of that area but Arsenal should not be short of numbers in there. I think it is imperative for the Gunners that they keep the game tight and fight and scrap like they did in their semi-final against Manchester City. Media playback is not supported on this device They are playing a team who can win the Double, which is extra special and a major achievement as everyone knows. I did it with Liverpool in 1986 and although I obviously celebrated it at the time when we won it, it is only really over the years that you realise it has more importance because so few teams manage it. We know Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is absolutely driven and he will be telling his players that they have one more game this season, and they have the chance to do something that hardly any players have achieved. Media playback is not supported on this device I think that is how they will be approaching the game - to complete the job - and this Chelsea team is a machine that is very difficult to stop. Whatever the state of the game - whether they are holding on to a lead, or chasing a goal - they are ruthless. Lawro's prediction: Arsenal 0-1 Chelsea "I think this game is going to compound all of Arsenal's woes this season. "Chelsea are going to nick it, and then get an extra goal at the end." A.Dot's prediction: Arsenal 1-3 Chelsea "I am going for Arsenal to win. "Now, I can hear everyone laughing and sniggering, saying 'what is he on? What is he talking about - it's Chelsea' but this is how we are going to beat them. "We have hit a bit of form and we have been playing well and winning games - five in a row at the end of the season, even one with 10 men on the final day. "Chelsea are the champions but they have been having a party for the past few weeks and they are just assuming they only have to turn up on Saturday to win. "But Wembley is when Arsenal really come to the party. We have won the FA Cup 12 time and if we win it this weekend we will have won it more times than anyone else in history. "You hear that, Chelsea fans? History. Something you don't know a lot about. "Koscielny is out, Mustafi could be out but we can still sneak up on them and do some damage in this final, and I am convinced that Arsenal are going to win it." Robbie's prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea "I can move up the leaderboard if I get this result right, so there is a lot resting on it. "It is a huge match and a huge rivalry, so both teams are really going for it. "Arsenal wanted more from their season, which is why I feel like they are going to throw everything at getting some silverware on Saturday. Chelsea are champions, and will want to really ram that home. "I am going to go for the Gunners. My heart is saying I want them to win - I live near the Emirates Stadium and see their fans all the time, and love it when they are happy." Adele's prediction: Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea "Yes, we are favourites - but every game you play is different. It doesn't matter who has played the better football this season. "Arsenal have won the FA Cup twice recently and we need to be prepared for a tough game. "Saying that, Antonio Conte will have something up his sleeve. Another masterclass I think - just like against Tottenham in the semi-final. Go on you Blues." Sophie's prediction: Arsenal 1-3 Chelsea Lawro was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan. Lawro made a prediction for all 380 Premier League games this season. The final table based on all of his predictions is at the bottom of this page. In Lawro's league table, Chelsea and Liverpool finished joint champions and, overall, he has four teams out of 20 in their correct positions, with seven more only one place out. "Chelsea were champions, so at least I got one bit right," Lawrenson said. "Liverpool were unbeaten but it was not planned or something I was even aware of until recently, because I don't look at that league table when I make my predictions. "I am trying to get as many results right as I can each week, and I never give that table a moment's thought. "But the unbeaten thing actually happens quite regularly, with other teams too. The main reason is that I don't tip the top teams to lose very often full-stop - they don't, so why would I?" 2015-16 2014-15 2013-14 2012-13 This season is the first time Lawro's weekly predictions have seen Liverpool go unbeaten, and also the first time they have seen the Reds win the title. His predictions correctly saw Manchester United win the title in 2013 and Manchester City in 2014. Lawro has been pitting his wits against a different guest each week this season and his opponent for the final round of fixtures was drummer Ben Thatcher from rock band Royal Blood. Thatcher and Lawro both got seven correct results, including one perfect score, from Sunday's 10 games for a score of 100 points. Lawro ended the season 680 points ahead of his guests, after wins in 24 out of 38 weeks, and with an average score over the season of 91 points. Lawro's best score: 140 points (week 22 v James McAvoy) Lawro's worst score: 30 points (week four v Dave Bautista)

BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson has pitted his wits against a different guest in every round of this season's FA Cup.

40018483

Not far away, in Brooklyn Bridge Park, where once derelict piers have been converted into outdoor sports centres, the soccer pitches are usually more crowded than the basketball courts. A short walk down the hill, an archway under the Manhattan Bridge last summer hosted one of New York's World Cup "viewing parties", where thousands gathered to watch games, and not just those involving the American national team. So it seemed incongruous to stand in front of the courthouse last week, fielding questions from presenters in London about why a country with no interest in football had suddenly assumed the role of global policeman of the global game. That line of inquiry seemed about a decade out of date. It is akin to the blanket condemnation that Americans lack a sense of humour or irony - this in the land of Jon Stewart, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Chris Rock, Amy Poehler, Jerry Seinfeld, David Letterman and Garry Shandling. True, football, or soccer as it is known here, is not as central to American as it is to European, African or South and Central American life. Nowhere near. Up until recently, the game has been unloved by the major US television networks, which have long bemoaned the lack of breaks in play, the paucity of goals and the glut of draws. Absent from the US game are big-name male stars and big-name clubs. The New York Red Bulls will never rival the New York Yankees. Real Salt Lake pales, rather risibly, alongside Real Madrid. However, football is no longer met with American indifference. Nor any more does it offer proof of America's sporting isolationism. In this polyglot nation, the game is growing in popularity and importance, an upward trend that will continue long into the future as America becomes less white and more Hispanic. Already, America is the number one country in the world for youth participation in football. More than three million youngsters were registered to play in 2014, compared with just 103,432 in 1974. Major League Soccer matches now have a higher average attendance - 19,148 in 2014 - than basketball and ice hockey. The game ranks third after American football and baseball. Though the crowds here are significantly smaller than in the Bundesliga in Germany, the Premier League in England and Wales, La Liga in Spain or Serie A in Italy, they are on average bigger than in Argentina, Brazil, China or the Football League Championship. Bundesliga: 43,532 Premier League: 36,083 La Liga: 26,803 Serie A: 22,019 Major League Soccer (in 2014): 19,148 The Seattle Sounders, America's most-watched team, attracts larger crowds for home games than Everton, Tottenham, Aston Villa or even Chelsea. The strength of the game in Seattle is also a measure of how its popularity extends well beyond the new immigrant hubs of New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Sporting Kansas City, in the American heartland, is also one of the better-supported sides. Last year's World Cup in Brazil witnessed record viewing figures in America, even though the national team did not make it past the final 16. And even after it exited the tournament, viewers kept tuning in - 29.2 million for the final between Germany and Argentina. By comparison, that year's baseball world series attracted 13.5 million. Nor is American enthusiasm for the World Cup a new phenomenon - more than 18 million people watched the 1994 final between Brazil and Italy - but it has been growing. The average viewing figure for matches in last year's World Cup matches was 4.3 million, up 50% from 2010. All those kids who grew up playing the game are now, as adults, watching it. More video: Soccer seen as ‘sissyball’ in Deep South Why US soccer has no relegation Do Native Americans play football? Football in America also transcends the gender divide. Of the kids playing the game, 48% are girls. The USA has twice won Fifa's Women's World Cup, a record matched only by Germany. Mia Hamm, who accumulated a staggering 275 caps and scored 158 international goals, has been called America's greatest female athlete of the past 40 years. In terms of her marketability, Nike ranked her alongside Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan. It is also worth remembering that one of the most sought after demographics in American politics is the country's army of suburban "soccer moms." The term is hardly new. It was coined in the mid-1990s. Money is another indicator of the game's attractiveness. NBC splashed out $240m (£160m) for the rights to Premier League football between 2013-16, three times more than Fox paid for the previous contract. With a fierce bidding war now under way, the next deal is expected to dwarf that figure. The wider availability of Premier League matches, which attract much bigger television audiences than domestic games, is also helping to raise the profile of the sport. Gone are the days when diehard fans used to have to find bars open on a Saturday morning with satellite feeds beamed in from Europe. Now every single Premier League game is available on cable. Ditto the FA Cup and Uefa Champions League. On Univision, the American Spanish language network with viewing figures on a par with the major US networks, soccer, unsurprisingly, is the number one sport. Broadcasting live matches has fuelled the channel's rapid rise. No longer do foreigners have to explain the intricacies of the offside rule to perplexed locals, or why games are allowed to finish in a tie (a draw). Many Americans are now fully literate in the sport. So while American soccer may never rival American football, the notion that it remains a niche sport is absurd. Though gridiron, baseball, basketball and ice hockey are known here as the "Big Four" sports, soccer has surely ousted ice hockey to join that quartet. It is the fourth most popular high school sport for boys, and the third for girls. There are many reasons why the US Department of Justice mounted these prosecutions. Two of those indicted, Jeffrey Webb and Chuck Blazer, were dominant figures in the American game. Jack Warner, of Trinidad and Tobago, used to head up Concacaf, the Miami-based Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football. Prosecutors claim the alleged bribery scheme relied heavily on the US banking system. But although the US authorities have also targeted foreign nationals, they do not regard soccer as a foreign sport. Announcing the charges, FBI director James Comey stressed how American kids and others at the grassroots had been deprived of resources. The FBI has cast a global dragnet, but this is also a homeland investigation. The Fifa allegations dominated the media here last week, and, paradoxically, that marks another milestone in the game's recognition. The game has moved from the back pages to the front.

Outside the courthouse in Brooklyn where the trial of the Fifa officials charged with corruption will take place is an all-weather football pitch crowded throughout the week with players of all ages.

32956824

The Belgian, on loan from Manchester United, picked up the injury during Sunderland's 3-2 defeat by Crystal Palace on Saturday. A scan on Tuesday confirmed the 21-year-old has suffered ankle ligament damage. Januzaj has scored once for Sunderland in seven appearances and was sent off against Tottenham earlier this month.

Sunderland winger Adnan Januzaj has been ruled out for a minimum of six weeks with an ankle injury.

37490963

Environment body Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said staff were erecting temporary flood barriers and carrying out other prevention work. An amber "be prepared" warning for persistent rain is in place for Gwynedd, Conwy and Denbighshire. The Met Office said up to 15cm (6ins) of rain could fall in north Wales. A yellow "be ready" warning is also in place for Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Anglesey, Powys and Wrexham. NRW has issued river flood alerts due to rising levels caused by continuous rain since Friday. It said people should be prepared for flooding and it was monitoring the Dyfi, Elwy, Conwy and Vyrnwy river catchments. Scott Squires, of NRW, said: "Our staff are out working putting measures in place to prepare for flooding. This includes erecting temporary flood barriers to protect areas at risk in St Asaph and Llanrwst."

Work is being carried out to try to prevent flooding in parts of north Wales as heavy rainfall is forecast to continue into Sunday.

34809229

The force said paedophile hunter activities can hinder investigations and lead to offenders walking free. Det Ch Supt Tom Richards of Kent Police said it also diverts resources away from cases involving real children. Kent group The Hunted One said: "Police should concern themselves more with tackling paedophiles than us." But Mr Richards said: "There have been zero cases in Kent where a vigilante paedophile hunter group has identified an individual who has at that stage presented a real risk to a real child. "In the last two financial years, vigilante groups in Kent have contributed to 20 individuals being arrested but my resources alone in the same period have arrested 299 people." Professor Martin Gill, a criminologist working for Perpetuity Research, said: "There is nothing worse than a police investigation to get to its crescendo and then be undermined by an often well-intentioned but disastrous intervention." The Hunted One claims to have caught 57 people, leading to 27 convictions. In October last year, Mark McKenna from Northfleet was jailed for five years after he was snared by The Hunted One. The 38 year-old thought he was meeting an 11-year-old girl for sex at Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent. But instead of talking to a vulnerable child online, he was speaking to the group of concerned parents. Ben Bleach of The Hunted One said he could not understand why "a child has to be raped" before action is taken.

Vigilante groups seeking to expose paedophiles should stop taking the law into their own hands, Kent Police has said.

40013892

It is a tale of billions of pounds for schools, hospitals and transport projects. At its heart is a question: if we leave the EU, will the cash dry up? The answer lies with a little-known bank that commands vast resources. Stand on the new tram stop in Exchange Square in Manchester and you can watch workers tear up concrete to lay tram lines. Greater Manchester is set to receive half a billion pounds to help develop its tram system. Walk away from the EU - say remain campaigners - and wave goodbye to fresh loans for schemes like this. Not so, say the Leave side; there is nothing the European Investment Bank (EIB) does in its Luxembourg offices that the UK couldn't do for itself at home. The EIB is handy for governments and councils because it helps pay for major projects, lends at cheap rates and guarantees those rates for years into the future. It lent more than £5bn in the UK in 2015. EU bank could fund big NI projects £230m loan for Welsh Water agreed The UK's EU vote: All you need to know No surprise then that it's a hit with some local politicians. Remain supporter and Labour leader of the City Council Sir Richard Leese says leaving the EU could put a stop to similar schemes in the years to come. "That would mean in the future that if we needed to do something on this scale, and we undoubtedly will need to do more things on this sort of scale in Greater Manchester, it would make it very difficult, if not impossible, to do so in a way that gives good value for Council Tax payers," he says. But the bank is just that: a bank, not a fairy godmother. It doesn't magic money from thin air. Instead, it uses capital from EU members including more than £3bn of the UK's cash, alongside guarantees that it could demand much more from them, to borrow on the markets. Then it lends out the money to individual projects. Mancunian and UKIP MEP for the area Steven Woolfe says there is no reason the UK couldn't create a British bank to do just the same thing if necessary. Surveying a new tram stop, Woolfe says: "Richard Leese is wrong to suggest that big infrastructure projects, whether it's here or in other places in Europe, wouldn't get funded. It just wouldn't get funded by the EIB." Where the bank makes loans to private companies, he says, it nationalises the risk of lending but privatises the profit; if a firm defaults EU taxpayers pick up the bill, if it prospers then shareholders benefit. The bank's vice president Jonathan Taylor is a former British Treasury official. I ask him why the UK couldn't simply establish its own bank, on its own terms, under its own control. He says: "Board members of institutions like mine, all of whom are nominated by the governments concerned and all of whom are accountable to those governments, will be making those decisions taking full account of what those governments want." If the UK left the EU, current funding deals would continue but it would, he says, be "vanishingly unlikely" that the EIB would do the same scale of business in the UK as it does now. David Cameron recently highlighted the EIB's work, including trains for the East Coast Main Line, the extension of the M8 motorway and new facilities at Oxford University. Alternative funding if we left, the PM said, would be unlikely. At this, some Brexit campaigners roll their eyes. They believe the EIB is not merely a financing tool but a way of wielding the EU's power, letting it paint itself as a bountiful provider. Yet on the new tram station partly funded by the EIB in central Manchester I could find no attempt to advertise its contribution. Unlike other arms of the EU, it doesn't make a habit of plastering its logo on projects. Sir Richard accepts it's unlikely the passengers in Exchange Square have any idea of the EU bank's role. With Britain's EU membership in the balance, it is hard to believe the Luxembourg financiers will get much of a PR bang for their not insubstantial buck.

This is a story of money and power.

36341959

The Ibrox outfit cut the gap to nine points with Sunday's win. "We have six very important league games and it's important we go right through the line this season," Dons manager McInnes told BBC Scotland. "Hopefully a Hampden cup final and finishing in second spot - I firmly believe that we will do that." The Pittodrie side, who face Hibernian in the Scottish Cup semi-final on 22 April, went into Sunday's game having won 10 home league matches in a row. Rangers shaded the first-half chances but the hosts were well on the front foot when Kenny Miller scored the visitors' opener after 79 minutes. The striker added a second two minutes later and substitute Joe Dodoo made it 3-0 in 83 minutes. McInnes admits he was taken aback by the sudden turnaround and was disappointed by the manner in which his troops responded. "I think we had real control of the game," he added. "I thought we were better team, certainly in the second half. We started both halves really well but we allowed the first half to get a bit untidy and we didn't pass the ball the way we normally do at home. "We started the second half strongly and the game was played in their defensive third. Their keeper made a couple of very good saves, particularly from (Adam) Rooney - I thought it was past him to be honest. "When I was contemplating changes at 0-0 I didn't feel a threat and I thought the goal was coming but unfortunately for us we played a part in our own downfall by giving away a poor goal and we had a crazy five minutes after that. "Our reaction to losing the first goal was what I'm most disappointed with. From being in charge of the game and looking the most likely we've allowed Kenny Miller the opportunity to show his quality, and he showed it. "Mentally we've got to be better than that. We normally respond well to going behind - it doesn't happen too often but we have to react better than that and if there's one lesson from today, it is that. "It's a sore one for us, no doubt about it. In the eyes of our supporters that's a huge disappointment today and we understand that. "We lost the fight today but it's important we still win the battle for second place, and hopefully get ourselves into a cup final "We've been on a very good run but that doesn't give you any guarantees, and it's a reminder that there is still work to be done. When you lose a game like today and the huge feeling of disappointment, wishing we could play it all over again, we've got to channel that the right way. We have plenty to look forward to."

Derek McInnes is convinced his Aberdeen side will finish second in the Premiership, despite their 3-0 home defeat to third-placed Rangers.

39546374

Seven straight wins have lifted the Warriors into third place in the table. "We've put ourselves in a good position and the players are confident they can finish off well over the next three games," Murray told BBC Scotland. "There is a great desire and passion among the guys to do well again this year. I'm confident that we can do it and go to another Pro12 final." Glasgow lost in the semi-finals in 2013 before reaching the final 12 months later, and went one better last year by beating Munster in the final to be crowned champions. The Warriors are two points behind leaders Leinster and Connacht with three games remaining - away to Scarlets, home to Zebre, and away to Connacht in the final round on 7 May. The top four enter the end-of-season play-off semi-finals, with the top two enjoying home advantage. "We've managed to steadily climb our way back up the league and we've got ourselves back into the top four," said Murray. "Our target is to get in the top four and then, from our performances, we might get in the top two. "But we are in a good place and we're starting to play some really good rugby at the right time of the season." Glasgow travel to Wales to face a Scarlets side sitting three points behind them in fourth and who will be looking to leapfrog their visitors with a victory. "We've played them there already this season in Europe and we beat them 9-6, so we'll take a lot of confidence from that," said Murray. "Our target is to win all three of those games and it depends on what happens in other games. "Other teams in the top four all have hard games, so there could be a lot more ups and downs for all the teams. "There are four good sides in the top four at the moment and, for us to put ourselves in a position where we win it, we have to be better than them." Murray thinks the prospect of a final in Scotland, on Saturday, 28 May, should also provide motivation. "What a great opportunity to go play at a Pro12 final at Murrayfield, but there's a lot of rugby to be played before then," he added.

Assistant coach Kenny Murray says there is a growing belief at Glasgow Warriors that they can retain the Pro12 title.

36028534

The discovery of the town lying along a hill-slope near Winterborne Kingston has been described as "extremely significant" by archaeologists. Miles Russell, of Bournemouth University, said: "What we've discovered is one of the earliest and largest open settlements in Britain." It is hoped the finds will show how life was before the Roman invasion. Animal remains, a number of quern-stones used for grinding corn to make bread, weaving and metalworking materials were also uncovered. Paul Cheetham, senior lecturer in archaeological sciences and project co-director, said: "It exposes the myth that everyone lived in protected hill forts - these inhabitants lived in this fertile farmland, away from the traditional hill forts we are all used to hearing about." The students were taking part in the Durotriges Project, an archaeological field school run annually by the university, studying the transition from the late Iron Age to the early Roman period in southern England. Students have uncovered Roman villas and skeletal remains during previous digs.

A pre-Roman town of 150 roundhouses has been found by university students during an archaeological dig in Dorset.

33492125

Media playback is not supported on this device Usain Bolt's defeat by Justin Gatlin in the last individual 100m he will ever run proved several things: that sport has less time for happy endings than scripted dramas; that time catches up even with someone who has made it his business escaping it; and that even the biggest party can be pooped if you let the wrong characters in. East End dramas need their villains, and on Saturday night in Stratford Gatlin played that role to eye-popping perfection. Twice caught doping, once facing a lifetime ban that was reduced first to eight years and then to four, he has long been the anti-poster boy for track and field - lacking any obvious remorse, humility left for others, a frequent swaggering reminder that cheats can still prosper should their legal team find the right angle to work. Not all the rancour has made logical sense. Others at these World Championships have returned from suspensions. Russia is banned indefinitely for its 21st century take on state-sponsored doping. Only Gatlin was booed every time he took to the blocks, from heats on Friday morning to semi-finals on Saturday evening and then the final itself. So it was that as he thrust his upper body across the finish line just after 21:45 BST - almost unnoticed in lane eight, outside the peripheral vision of Bolt in four and young American Christian Coleman in five - a wave of shock rolled around the packed slabs of supporters, turning to disbelief, to not wanting to accept what had just happened, to hoping something might suddenly be revealed to make it right. Gatlin does not find charm easy to access. He slammed on the brakes, jumped to attention and put a single, admonishing finger to his lips, daring the crowd to mock him now. Revenge, it seemed, was his - for the catcalls of the past two days, for those who considered him shot at 35, for the mess Bolt has made of his tilts at world and Olympic gold since he returned to competition an older and unapologetic man in 2010. And then you heard the crowd respond again, first the thousands close to him on the top bend, then those all around the oval track. "Usain Bolt! Usain Bolt! Usain Bolt!" This was Gatlin's moment of triumph: unacknowledged, unwanted, first mocking and then being mocked in return. The lap of honour? That went to Bolt. The first interview with the in-field presenter? Bolt. The one all the spectators ran down to trackside to touch and to photograph and to seize for selfies? Bolt. A victory, but a pyrrhic one. A defeat, but one that was treated like a triumph. The strangest of nights, and a strange truth: Gatlin may have deserved all of that - but he deserved this win too, in its technique and focus if not its ancestry. Media playback is not supported on this device In 2015, expected to beat an ailing Bolt at the last World Championships in Beijing. He had led with 15 metres to run only to over-stride with triumph in front of him and let the king cling on to his crown. Now, at an age when his youthful speed has leached away, he ran through the line as if nothing could touch him. Bolt's reaction to the gun was the slowest of anyone in the race. Five hundredths of a second ceded to Gatlin before a metre had been run, a hundredth more to Coleman. When the chase came, the invisible bungee cord of old had been replaced by a rope. There was acceleration but no surge. The champion tightened, but not the American kid nor the compatriot 14 years his senior. Gatlin finished in 9.92 seconds, Coleman in 9.94, Bolt in 9.95. Never before had the 30-year-old Jamaican run so slowly in a major final. In this same stadium, five golden summers ago, he had run 9.63. You can't keep stopping the clock. One day it will stop you. Media playback is not supported on this device The World Championships have defined Bolt and given him a simple narrative. Berlin 2009: his world record of 9.58, the greatest run of all. Daegu 2011: disqualified for a false start, his greatest disappointment. Beijing 2015: the defeat from nowhere of Gatlin, arguably his greatest miracle. This was supposed to be the great finale. That the story was hijacked by a darker subplot will leave some feeling as if something sacred has been blemished, that same sense of sadness experienced by those who saw boxer Muhammad Ali beaten in 10 melancholic rounds by Trevor Berbick in his own concluding fight. Yet sometimes perfection itself can become hard to understand when it seems to come so easy. In defeat, we can look back at all the glories of the past nine years and see that none were preordained and all claimed through an unprecedented blend of latent talent and unremitting hard work. Bolt has done so much on the track that no other human has ever managed. That his last individual race revealed him to have a few mortal flaws after all should not undermine his status. He talked of wanting to be remembered like Ali, like Pele. He will be. Gatlin has his world title - but never will he win the same affection nor respect. An imperfect ending, but with its own little perfections too. Media playback is not supported on this device

And so a perfect career ends in an imperfect way.

40841121

Firefighters were called to a blaze in Kilmaurs Road at 23:40 on Saturday. The woman, local resident Catherine Kelly, was pronounced dead at the scene. A 41-year-old man was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Another woman, aged 41, who was also in the house at the time was not injured. Police said the fire was a "targeted and deliberate act". Officers have appealed for witnesses to come forward. They indicated they are following a definite line of inquiry. Local residents who tried to help put out the blaze were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. The injured man was taken to Crosshouse Hospital where medical staff described his condition as stable. Det Ch Insp Allan Burton said: "The outbreak of fire within the house on Kilmaurs Road has resulted in the death of an elderly woman. "Following a joint investigation with our colleagues at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, we now know that this was a targeted and deliberate act. "Local residents are understandably shocked and I would like to acknowledge the bravery of those neighbours and passing motorists who raised the alarm and attempted to do what they could to extinguish the blaze. "I want to reassure local residents that all is being done to trace the person or persons responsible." Specialist forensic staff and detectives remain at the scene as part of the murder investigation. Additional uniformed officers are also on patrol in the area. Det Ch Insp Burton added: "We have spoken with a number of witnesses at this time. "I would ask any local residents or passing motorists who have yet to come forward and speak to police, please contact us with any information you may have."

A murder investigation is under way after a 71-year-old woman died in a fire at a house in Kilmarnock.

38949188

Chris and Sue Moores's son Wayne died when his motorbike was struck by a drink driver in 2010. The couple spoke out in response to consultation on proposed reform of sentencing for driving offences. They believe increased sentences should be backed up by manslaughter charges. Mr Moores, 28, was killed by a Vauxhall Astra driven by Donna Hackett on the M4 near Swindon. Hackett, then aged 26, fled and was found by police asleep in a ditch. She served half of a six-year jail term after she was found guilty of causing death by careless driving while drunk. The Ministry of Justice consultation suggests offenders who cause death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs could soon be handed a life sentence - an increase on the current 14-year upper limit. Source: Crown Prosecution Service But Mr and Mrs Moores, from Chandlers Ford, Hampshire, also want the offence to be upgraded to a charge of manslaughter. Mr Moores said: "Somebody can drive drunk and kill my son. Why is that not manslaughter? "Nothing can prepare a parent for seeing their child in the mortuary. That will stay with me every day, every day that vision comes into my mind. "Our life is ruined." Mrs Moores added: "There's nothing careless about drink driving. I don't want anybody else to feel like us." Ms Hackett, who lived in Radnor Street, Swindon, at the time of the offence, appealed against her sentence in September 2011, but was refused. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "We are determined to make sure those who kill whilst driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs face the full force of the law. "That is why we are consulting on plans that will see the maximum sentence for a number of offences in this area increase from 14 years to life." A response to the Ministry of Justice consultation, which closes on 1 February, is due to be published by May.

A proposal to introduce life sentences for the offence of careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs does not go far enough, according to the parents of one victim.

38674580

Media playback is not supported on this device Daryl Murphy put the visitors ahead early on with his first goal for the club - and only the second by the Magpies in their past six FA Cup ties. They had Aleksandar Mitrovic carried off before Jutkiewicz turned in Jonathan Grounds' low cross to level. But he twice missed late chances to steal victory for the hosts. Both sides rang the changes with Newcastle making eight to Birmingham's five, but it was the Magpies who sent their 4,671 travelling fans into raptures, in an all-Championship meeting of 13th against second, when Murphy scored from close range five minutes into his second start for Rafael Benitez's side. However, it came at a cost as fellow striker Mitrovic suffered a badly cut leg in the build-up. The visitors had chances to extend their lead, with sub Yoan Gouffran firing wide before Grant Hanley headed just over. Che Adams went close with a long-range shot for Blues prior to Jutkiewicz's equaliser and Grounds could have put the home side in front by the break, with his fierce half-volley flying just over. Blues are yet to win in five matches under Zola, but it was the Italian's side that came closest to a winner against his Spanish counterpart Benitez, who lifted the FA Cup with Liverpool in 2006. Although Matt Ritchie made an impact for Newcastle off the bench, it was Jutkiewicz who should have won it, steering a free header wide from a cross by Josh Dacres-Cogley from six yards, before then going close again. Birmingham were beaten 4-0 at St James' Park in December, but when they played there in an FA Cup third-round replay 10 years ago, they won 5-1. Birmingham boss Gianfranco Zola told BBC WM: "We had good chances to win it. But Lukas does not need to apologise. Next time they will go in. "It was important that we got something out of it. It will give big belief to the players. It is the best we have played in terms of consistency. "You could see at the beginning. We were a bit edgy and there were nerves on the bench too, but I am now more optimistic. The players are now starting to understand more what we are trying to do. "A win would be massive. You can do good things on the pitch but you need to win. Without confidence, you can't do anything." Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez told BBC Sport: "A replay is not ideal, for them or us. We made a lot of changes and changed the system but we had started well and had control before the injury to Mitrovic. "Daryl Murphy put in a tremendous effort. I'm really pleased with him and the fact that he scored too. He's a great professional. "I always approach every game looking to win. For me, the FA Cup is a massive competition. I won it with Liverpool in 2006 and I will try to do it with this squad too." Match ends, Birmingham City 1, Newcastle United 1. Second Half ends, Birmingham City 1, Newcastle United 1. Attempt blocked. Che Adams (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Maikel Kieftenbeld. Foul by David Davis (Birmingham City). Jack Colback (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Grant Hanley. Greg Stewart (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Achraf Lazaar (Newcastle United). Attempt missed. Lukas Jutkiewicz (Birmingham City) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by David Davis with a cross. Foul by David Davis (Birmingham City). Grant Hanley (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Greg Stewart (Birmingham City). Jack Colback (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Lukas Jutkiewicz (Birmingham City) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Josh Cogley with a cross. Substitution, Birmingham City. Greg Stewart replaces Diego Fabbrini. Foul by Josh Cogley (Birmingham City). Matt Ritchie (Newcastle United) wins a free kick on the left wing. Paul Robinson (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Matt Ritchie (Newcastle United). Offside, Newcastle United. Daryl Murphy tries a through ball, but Matt Ritchie is caught offside. Substitution, Newcastle United. Matt Ritchie replaces Massadio Haidara. Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by Ryan Shotton. Isaac Hayden (Newcastle United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Attempt saved. David Davis (Birmingham City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Che Adams. Substitution, Newcastle United. Isaac Hayden replaces Cheick Tioté. Stephen Gleeson (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jack Colback (Newcastle United). David Davis (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Cheick Tioté (Newcastle United). Lukas Jutkiewicz (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Jamaal Lascelles (Newcastle United). Foul by Lukas Jutkiewicz (Birmingham City). Grant Hanley (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Lukas Jutkiewicz (Birmingham City). Cheick Tioté (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Diego Fabbrini (Birmingham City) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Stephen Gleeson with a headed pass. Second Half begins Birmingham City 1, Newcastle United 1. First Half ends, Birmingham City 1, Newcastle United 1. Ryan Shotton (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Grant Hanley (Newcastle United).

Lukas Jutkiewicz kept Gianfranco Zola's Birmingham City in the FA Cup as they came from behind to earn a third-round replay against Newcastle.

38474607

Mohamed Houli Chemlal is one of four surviving suspects who gave evidence. He and Driss Oukabir have both been charged with membership of a terrorist organisation and murder. Salah al-Karib has been detained pending further investigations, while Mohammed Aallaa was released on bail. According to Houli Chemlal, the group's plans - which he had known of "for at least two months - were scaled back when a house packed with bomb-making equipment blew up the day before. He was injured in the accidental blast that reduced the house to rubble in the town of Alcanar. The Alcanar explosion came the day before Thursday's Barcelona attack in which a van was driven at speed down the main Las Ramblas boulevard, killing 13 and injuring more than 100. Judicial sources quoted Houli Chemlal as telling the court a much bigger series of attacks had been planned. Assailants killed a total of 15 people in the van attack, the stabbing of a driver whose car was commandeered shortly afterwards, and a car attack in the resort of Cambrils hours later. Eight members of the cell are dead - two were killed in the Alcanar explosion, and six were later shot by police, including five after the Cambrils attack. The last suspect to be killed was Moroccan-born Younes Abouyaaqoub, 22, believed to be the driver of the Las Ramblas van. Wearing a fake explosives belt and armed with knives, he was shot dead by police in a vineyard west of Barcelona on Monday. The surviving suspects were moved, under high security, from Barcelona to Madrid for Tuesday's hearing. The court session, a preliminary hearing to gather evidence for a future trial, took place behind closed doors. Houli Chemlal was the first to testify, wearing hospital pyjamas. He is still being treated for his injuries from the blast in Alcanar. Oukabir, whose brother Moussa was among suspects killed after the Cambrils attack, has also given evidence to the Madrid court. According to judicial sources, he has changed his story to say that he admits renting the van used in the Las Ramblas attack but thought it was to be used for a house-move. Under earlier police interrogation, he is said to have maintained that his brother Moussa hired the van using documents stolen from him. Both have been held in jail. Two other suspects were killed in the Alcanar explosion, including Abdelbaki Es Satty, the Moroccan imam from the town of Ripoll thought to have been a radicalising influence on the suspects. The two other suspects appearing in court were: All four suspects giving evidence are reported to have testified that Es Satty was the ringleader of the group. As Tuesday's Madrid hearing took place, Ana Suárez, a Spanish woman in her 60s killed in Cambrils, was buried in a private ceremony in Zaragoza. Forty-five companies in a Catalonia association of undertakers and funeral companies have offered to perform funerals for the victims without charge. Most of the 12 suspects lived in Ripoll, north of Barcelona close to the French border. All were young men of North African descent. Police have been conducting new raids - at an internet café in Ripoll and at an apartment in Vilafranca, south-west of Barcelona.

The cell behind the Barcelona van attack had planned to use explosives against monuments including the city's famous Sagrada Familia church, a suspect has told a Madrid court.

41010469

Well, if you're Lorde, you turn up to the VMAs in a half-cocktail dress, half-sweat pants combo and perform an interpretive dance instead. Simple. The New Zealander said she had to be hooked up to an IV drip, referring to herself as a "cute lil propped-up corpse". End of Twitter post by @lorde Her flu explains why she wasn't singing, which is a shame given MTV said her rehearsal was "epic". But as Lorde tweeted, the #showgoeson. Lorde was praised for showing up, comfy trainers and all. The official VMA account tweeted a picture of the singer seeming to jump on the stage and the caption: "The ground is the flu trying to stop you glowing up at the #VMAs." End of Twitter post by @vmas Fans were impressed on Twitter too, with one saying: "If Lorde can perform at the VMAs with the flu, I can definitely make it through this week in one piece." End of Twitter post by @nikki_camm She's not the first star to rock up to a gig when full of the lurgy. So who else has battled on regardless? Fans got a bit more than they bargained for when Justin Bieber was sick on stage - twice - back in 2012. He was performing in Arizona as part of the Believe tour when he vomited twice. He left the stage each time, but came back to finish the show and even did an encore. Bieber later told fans he was "getting better" and that "milk was a bad choice". The following year he had to take a 20-minute break mid-set due to breathing problems - but once again, he insisted on getting to the end of the performance. What a pro. Perhaps Biebs could have shared stories with Rihanna about his experiences - as the same thing had happened to her while she was playing in Portugal. She was at Lisbon's Atlantico Arena when she had to run off during What's My Name to be sick. RiRi tweeted a fan at the time, saying she "made it juuuust in time for RudeBoy", with her dancers covering for her while she was ill. Last year, she had to cancel her Grammys performance though under doctor's orders - she was suffering from bronchitis that time. Haim bassist Este has type one diabetes - which means her body can't control blood sugar levels and that she needs to inject insulin. But when she was playing on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2013, she realised her sugar levels were plummeting due to the fact she'd not eaten enough. She came off stage and her manager checked her levels and rubbed chocolate inside her mouth to give her much-needed glucose. After two minutes, she got back on to perform the rest of the set with her sisters. Este admitted she had to do it "sitting down like BB King" however - and that now she makes sure she's had her "fuel for the day". When Dave Grohl fell off stage at a concert in Sweden two years ago, he broke his leg - an injury that led to the Foo Fighters cancelling their headline slot at Glastonbury that summer. But get this. Even though he was in pain, and would eventually need six metal screws put in his leg, he finished the show at the Ullevi Stadium before being taken to hospital. And then, a month after the accident, he took to the stage again. Grohl sat on a throne decorated with guitars for a show in Washington DC to mark the 20th anniversary of the band's first album. He's seen on it above at a gig in Seoul later that month. Bit of a vintage one now. Marillion were appearing on Top of the Pops in 1985 - but the slight problem was that singer Fish had lost his voice. So what do you do in that situation? Cancel? Nope. Instead, Fish decided to take to the stage regardless - and hold up a flip chart with the lyrics to Lavender Blue on, ripping off the sheets as he went along. Luckily, the audience was up for a sing-a-long. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

What do you do when you're booked to play at a show but you're sick and would rather be tucked up in bed?

41072923

The emergency services were called to Glenapp Road in the Pollokshields area of the city at about 11:50. Two people were taken to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. They are thought to have been suffering from smoke inhalation. Other residents from the flats received medical assessments at the scene.

A fire in a block of tenement flats in Glasgow has left two people requiring hospital treatment.

38711091

City led through Daphne Corboz's tap-in after Nikita Parris hit the post. Steph Houghton's curling free-kick towards the bottom corner was well kept out by keeper Sophie Baggaley as the visitors dominated the game. In second-half stoppage time, Jane Ross headed home Parris' pinpoint cross to secure all three points. Birmingham's best chance came through Melissa Lawley whose drive was saved by Karen Bardsley, but the hosts were second best throughout.

Manchester City Women made it three wins from three to start the Women's Super League season with a hard-fought win at Birmingham City Ladies.

36065523

Officers on patrol in the Drylaw area observed a green light coming from Marine Drive just before midnight. Edinburgh Airport later confirmed that a pilot had reported a laser pen incident during the plane's descent. A 16-year-old boy and four females, aged 16, 17, 19 and 22, who were in two vehicles in Marine Drive, were arrested. They will all appear in court at a later date. Ch Insp Mark Rennie, of Police Scotland, said: "The use of laser pens to distract or obscure the vision of a pilot is an extremely serious offence, which can have very serious consequences. "We regularly patrol roads below approach routes to deter offenders and respond quickly to any notifications from pilots. "Anyone found committing this offence will be arrested and charged'.

Five people have been charged after a laser pen was shone at an aircraft in Edinburgh on Friday.

37400670

Workers could make the saving if they switch from a car commute to cycling or walking, according to Sustrans. Public Health Minister Rebecca Evans said it would not only save money but "improve people's health and wellbeing". Sustrans, a walking and cycling charity, is calling on people to take part in the Cymru Travel Challenge. Funded by the Welsh Government, it aims to get as many people travelling healthily and sustainably for local journeys. Steve Brooks, national director for Sustrans Cymru, said: "Workplaces need to be encouraged to take an active role in getting their staff to use healthier modes of transport. "We know that building physical activity into our everyday activities improves our health and well-being which is a crucial contributor to a successful workforce." A study published in April showed cycling to work can cut cancer and heart disease. The five-year study of 250,000 UK commuters also showed walking had some benefits over sitting on public transport or taking the car.

Employees in Wales could save up to £1,000 a year by not driving to work, a charity has claimed.

40459482

Another 130 people were wounded in what authorities said was a "premeditated, violent terrorist attack". Four suspects were shot dead, one arrested and other are being sought Xinhua said. City officials said evidence implicated militants from the western region of Xinjiang, but this was not verified. President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang have sent condolences to the victims and their families. President Xi urged "all-out efforts" to investigate the attack. "Severely punish in accordance with the law the violent terrorists and resolutely crack down on those who have been swollen with arrogance," Xinhua quoted the president as saying. Witnesses said that the men, who were mostly dressed in black, attacked people at random. A survivor named Yang Haifei, who was wounded in the back and chest, told Xinhua he had been buying a train ticket when the attackers rushed into the station. "I saw a person come straight at me with a long knife and I ran away with everyone," he said. He added that those too slow to flee were cut down. Some who escaped were desperately looking for missing loved ones. Yang Ziqing told Xinhua she and her husband had been waiting for a train to Shanghai "when a knife-wielding man suddenly came at them". "I can't find my husband, and his phone went unanswered," she said. Social media users in China posted pictures of the attack on the internet, but correspondents say they are being taken down. Images seen by the BBC show men and women lying on the floor in pools of blood following the attack. Kunming officials, quoted by Xinhua, later said that evidence at the scene showed it was "a terrorist attack carried out by Xinjiang separatist forces". Xinjiang is home to the Muslim Uighur minority group which has a long history of discord with Chinese authorities. State broadcaster CCTV said top security official Meng Jianzhu would travel to Kunming to oversee the handling of the investigation.

An attack by knife-wielding men at a railway station in Kunming in south-west China has left at least 29 dead, the state news agency Xinhua says.

26402367

For £39m, the firm is buying what is estimated to be up to a quarter of the timber released by NRW every year. Auditor General Huw Vaughan Thomas said he was unable to satisfy himself on whether the decision to make the deal was lawful. NRW disputed the findings. The allegations have been made in a response to the 2015/16 accounts of NRW by Mr Thomas, who called the deal "irregular". He said the decision-making process was not transparent and expressed "doubt" over whether it met EU state aid rules. "I have not been able to satisfy myself that the decision to agree those contracts was lawful and did not involve the provision of state aid," he wrote. The identity of the company has not been revealed because NRW said the matter was commercially sensitive. As a condition of the contract, the company said it would construct and operate a new saw line at its Welsh premises by 31 March 2016 but NRW said that condition was not met and was extended by 12 months. NRW would not say whether the condition had been met since last March. A report by the auditor general said that in 2014, NRW entered into an agreement with a sawmill operator for eight connected timber sales contracts, in a bid to try to halt the spread of a disease. The firm purchased both spruce and larch timber, the latter of which was from forests where a fungus disease - P Ramorum - that causes extensive damage was present. But the report said no other potential purchasers were given the opportunity to bid for the timber. The value of the contract was designed to enable the operator to make a major investment in the sawmill - the operator said four of the contracts for larch would not have been enough to invest in the new saw line. NRW told auditors it had to act, that there was no alternative and that it was highly unlikely that any other operators would have been interested. But Mr Thomas believed the 10-year-long deal would have been an opportunity other operators may have been interested in. This, the lack of market testing and the fact NRW admitted in internal documents that the award of the contract gave rise to the risk of challenge by another company, led the auditor to believe it should have been referred to Welsh Government because it was contentious and could have repercussions on the wider market. But it was not referred to the Welsh Government in that way, and as a result the contracts were "irregular" in the auditor's view. Mr Thomas also said that the awarding of contracts to the sawmill operator was neither "robust nor transparent", saying NRW was unable to provide "sufficient contemporaneous documentation" that demonstrated what it took into account when it decided to enter the contracts. "In the absence of sufficient evidence, I have been unable to satisfy myself that NRW's decision to enter into these contracts with the sawmill operator was taken in accordance with public law principles," he wrote. The auditor said his uncertainty did not mean the contracts should now be regarded as unlawful or represent poor value for money. He added that NRW "failed to follow appropriate processes for ensuring that the outputs for which it contracted with the sawmill operator were obtained on market terms". "This failure gives rise to doubt as to the compliance of the contracts with... state aid rules." NRW has disputed his conclusions on both the issue of law and state aid. It said it strongly believed the contracts were lawful and said it had legal advice that supported that view. It said the spread of the P Ranorum disease, which happened within the first year of NRW's existence, gave rise to exceptional circumstances. Kevin Ingram of NRW said: "We are disappointed with the WAO's findings regarding aspects of some long-term sales contracts. "Nevertheless, we have an action plan to learn the lessons from this to ensure even stronger governance arrangements in future." But he said the audit and other reports showed "NRW is a well-governed and managed organisation". "We are pleased it has found our financial reporting is fair and accurate," he said. Chairman of the assembly's Public Accounts Committee, Conservative AM Nick Ramsay, said he was "very concerned" by the report. "It's now important that Public Accounts Committee questions officials from the body at the earliest opportunity," he said. The matter was discussed at the assembly's finance committee on Wednesday - AMs quizzed Wales Audit Office officials about why the auditor general did not meet a statutory deadline to report on the accounts of 23 December. The auditor has said it was important to complete the investigatory process. Mr Thomas told AMs there is no means in Welsh audit legislation to delay cut off dates, unlike under Westminster rules. He said the process of considering legal advise and comments received "inevitably means that you are going to miss the deadline". Plaid Cymru AM Simon Thomas, chairman of the finance committee, said the Welsh Government needed to provide an explanation. A Welsh Government spokesman said: "We will work with NRW to address the issues raised and to ensure stronger governance arrangements are in place for the future."

A 10-year deal by Natural Resources Wales to sell timber to a sawmill was made without other companies being allowed to bid, the Auditor General for Wales has said.

39266993

The Ports occupy bottom spot and they are 11 points adrift of Carrick Rangers with four games left. "We look forward to it and we'll have a good chance against Ballinamallard," said Ports boss Niall Currie. Ballinamallard are 11 points clear of Rangers, who sit in the relegation play-off place, so they will retain their Premiership status with a win. Carrick are not in action until Saturday, when they take on Ards, but their destiny may already have been decided by events at Shamrock Park. Portadown came from behind to beat Carrick 2-1 last weekend and Currie is hoping for a repeat display. "We've a lot of kids playing at the minute and if they play like they did against Carrick then we have every confidence for this game," he added. Media playback is not supported on this device "All our remaining matches are ones we can really challenge for." Ballinamallard will be without the suspended Ryan McConnell but Stuart Hutchinson is set to return. "It will be a massive challenge as they are fighting for their lives - it's going be a tough game," said Mallards manager Gavin Dykes.

Anything less than victory against the Mallards will see Portadown relegated from the Irish Premiership.

39591576

James Purnell said it would increase non-payment and cost the BBC £200m. The sum is the equivalent of BBC Four, CBBC and CBeebies, which would have to be taken off air, Mr Purnell said at an event to relaunch the iPlayer service. Culture Secretary Maria Miller said the move should be discussed during talks to renew the BBC's charter before 2017. Mr Purnell, who previously held the post in the Labour government, said "it would be a huge risk to do it now". "The choice would be: either we take those services off or the government would have to have a higher licence fee," he said in reference to BBC Four - the arts and culture channel - and the BBC's children's stations. He argued decriminalisation would inevitably lead to greater non-payment of the TV licence, which would force an increase in the fee. It is currently £145.50 and has been frozen at that annual amount since 2010. It is needed to watch or record live broadcasts on any device. In 2012 about 155,000 people were convicted and fined for not paying the licence fee, while there were some 180,000 prosecutions. Mr Purnell added downgrading licence fee evasion to a civil offence would penalise the poor. "Either you have a low penalty - in which case the evasion rates would go up and everyone would have to pay a higher licence fee - or a penalty which is higher and more difficult to pay," he said. The BBC has previously said "legislation is a matter for the government". "Just a 1% increase in evasion would lead to the loss of around £35m, the equivalent of around 10 BBC local radio stations," it added. The government has floated the idea to ease pressure on the courts system. But it will not be discussed before charter renewal talks - which determine how the BBC is funded what it does and how it is managed. The current BBC charter runs out in 2016. Meanwhile, Labour MP John McDonnell has tabled an Early Day Motion in parliament calling on the BBC to reverse its decision to close BBC Three as a television channel. The motion stated BBC Three has been the home of programmes including Gavin and Stacey, and raised fears changes could lead to compulsory redundancies. It added the BBC should receive a licence fee increase that tracks inflation when the corporation's charter is renewed next year.

Decriminalising TV licence fee evasion could close BBC channels, the corporation's strategy director has warned.

26542352

Derek Medina admitted taking the picture on his phone and uploading it on to the social media site. He failed to convince the jury that he had shot Jennifer Alfonso eight times in self-defence after years of abuse. He said his wife was threatening him with a knife when he shot her in their home in Miami, but prosecutors said she was cowering on the floor. When he posted the picture, he wrote on Facebook that he expected to go to prison or be sentenced to death for the killing. Prosecutors successfully argued that the 27-year-old wife was in fear of her life when she was shot in August 2013. Medina had vowed to kill her if she left him and she had told friends she intended to do that, the court heard. Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Rundle said: "No family should ever have to see their daughter killed and then exhibited worldwide on the internet like some macabre trophy to a husband's anger." Medina, 33, faces a sentence of 25 years to life for second-degree murder.

A Florida man who killed his wife and posted a photo of the body on Facebook has been found guilty of murder.

34927133

Police were called to Honeywell Drive, in Stepps, just after 21:00 on Sunday. The man is said to be in a stable condition in hospital.

A 42-year-old man is being treated in hospital after being shot in a targeted attack near Glasgow.

39252832

Pedestrian Olwyn Fulton died after being hit by a car in Parkway Shopping Centre car park in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, on 7 December. A 66-year-old woman was arrested shortly afterwards and has been charged with causing death by careless driving. She has been bailed and will appear at Teesside Magistrates' Court on 7 June.

A woman has been charged in connection with the death of an 84-year-old grandmother who died in a collision five months ago, police said.

39817843

We already know Bridesmaids director Paul Feig is rebooting the franchise, with Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy leading a female-fronted cast. But the director of the original movie has suggested it will only be the start of a whole new franchise. Ivan Reitman has told Deadline.com that he wants to "expand the Ghostbusters universe". According to him, that will include "different films, TV shows, merchandise... all things that are part of modern filmed entertainment". Nothing is confirmed but Channing Tatum is one of the names rumoured to be up for a role. Paul Feig's Ghostbusters reboot is due out in 2016 with Saturday Night Live's Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon joining Wiig and McCarthy. Now, Sony Pictures, along with Reitman and original star Dan Aykroyd, are thought to be setting up a Ghost Corps production company which would oversee the output. Reitman suggests that the Russo Brothers, who directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier, would direct what would then be a fourth Ghostbusters film. The writer would be Drew Pearce, who wrote Iron Man 3 and Mission Impossible 5. Quoted by film website Deadline, Reitman said: "Paul Feig's film will be the first version of that. He's got four of the funniest women in the world, and there will be other surprises to come. "Drew (Pearce) will start writing and the hope is to be ready for the Russo Brothers' next window next summer to shoot, with the movie coming out the following year. It's just the beginning of what I hope will be a lot of wonderful movies." If Ghostbusters does go down that route, then it would be similar to the way Marvel has set out a whole schedule of interconnecting films. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

You wait more than 15 years for a new Ghostbusters film, and then two come along at the same time.

31811294

Detentions by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency jumped to 41,318 between January 22 of this year and the end of April. That was up from 30,028 arrests in about the same period last year. The dragnet follows presidential orders widening the scope of who can be targeted for immigration violations. Almost two-thirds of those arrested this year had criminal convictions, said ICE. But more than half the increase in arrests was of immigrants who had committed no crime other than being in the US without permission. President Donald Trump has stepped up immigration enforcement to target such undocumented immigrants. Acting director of ICE Thomas Homan said on a call on Wednesday with reporters that immigrants who pose a threat to national security or have criminal records are still a priority for his agency. But he added: "There is no category of aliens off the table." ICE will continue to target people who have been issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge, even if they have not committed another crime, he vowed. "Those that enter the country illegally, they do violate the law, that is a criminal act," acting director of ICE Thomas Homan said on the call. "When a federal judge makes a decision and issues an order that order needs to mean something," Mr Homan said. President Barack Obama was also criticised for deporting a large number of immigrants, but most of them were recent illegal border crossers. President Trump's signature campaign pledge to build an expanded wall on the US-Mexico border is in limbo after Congress denied funding for it in a recent budget deal. But his tough rhetoric on border security appears to be having an impact on immigration enforcement. The number of people caught crossing the border with Mexico is down significantly since the beginning of the year, according US Customs and Border Protection data. Immigration advocates have raised concerns about the stepped up enforcement in the interior of the country.

US arrests of suspected illegal immigrants rose by 38% in the first 100 days of Donald Trump's presidency, according to government data.

39964184

AB InBev on Wednesday raised its offer for SAB to £42.15 a share, having previously bid £38 and £40. SABMiller closed up 2.4% at £37.08, having risen sharply since InBev first made its move last month. Any deal between the two would create the world's biggest brewer, worth more than £180bn. SABMiller said its board had formally considered the new offer, and had "unanimously rejected the proposal as it still very substantially undervalues SABMiller, its unique and unmatched footprint, and its standalone prospects". AB InBev brews Budweiser, Stella Artois and Corona, while SAB brews Peroni and Grolsch, among others. If a deal does go through, the merged company would produce one-third of the world's beer. On Tuesday, SAB reported a 9% fall in revenues for the three months to September, which it blamed on weakening emerging market currencies. Sales volumes were up 2%. Shares in AB InBev closed up 0.6% in Brussels at €98.65.

SABMiller has rejected an improved offer from Anheuser-Busch InBev that it says "very substantially undervalues" the company.

34462476

24 July 2017 Last updated at 08:25 BST Fresh off the back of their win in the World Wheelchair Basketball, the team is back together, practising and getting ready for their next competition. Hayley caught up with them in Yorkshire, and even set them a cheeky challenge! Watch this...

Wheelchair basketball is fast-paced and requires skill and determination - something Great Britain's under-23 team have in bucketloads!

40698294

Derry City and Strabane District Council lent its support to the move after a meeting with the Derry Comhaltas on Tuesday. An estimated 400,000 people attended the event in 2013 when it was brought to Northern Ireland for the first time. It is the biggest festival of Irish music and culture anywhere in the world. Evelyn Ni Dochartaigh is one of the organisers of the Fleadh. She said £1m in funding will be needed if the city is to host the festival once more. "Within the euphoria of the 2013 fleadh there was widespread support that we would bid again. We put a proposal to the business and culture committee yesterday, it was unanimously supported but it does still need to be ratified by full council. "The local authorities are crucial in this process, especially in terms of finances. We could do it for a million, that is what we are asking for, even though it cost around 1.6 million in 2013." Ms Ni Dochartaigh also believes that any financial backing by taxpayers will be returned handsomely. "What you don't want is people to say the first fleadh was great, this isn't so good. So we will tailor it to fit the cost. The economic benefits will outweigh that anyway, so it is a no-brainer."

Organisers who brought the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil to Londonderry will bid for the festival to return in 2017.

32409341

The weaker value of the pound since the Brexit referendum vote means that the UK is now a much cheaper destination than it used to be. Many mainland Europeans, Americans and Chinese people are taking advantage of that. That's clear from the cacophony of different languages and accents outside Buckingham Palace, and on the streets around the Palace of Westminster. "It's a little more economical than it was a few years ago," says one visiting American tourist. "Thanks to the euro, London is not more expensive than in France," a French tourist adds. Meanwhile, a German man said the euro-pound rate has "made me quite happy". Two-thirds of the international visitors enjoying London's sites, Cornwall's beaches and Edinburgh's Royal Mile are from the rest of the European Union. The tourism agency VisitBritain forecasts there'll be a 6% rise in the number of international visitors in 2017, with large numbers coming from France in particular. VisitBritain's director Patricia Yates says: "The currency is in our favour. It might motivate more people to come." The tourism boom was helped by the Olympics in 2012, a showcase for Britain's historic towns, picturesque villages, and stunning national parks. The latest data from Forward Keys, which monitors flight bookings, suggests international arrivals to the UK will be 9% higher for August to October this year compared to the same period of 2016. Bookings from China are up 20%, and those from the US are 23% higher, the data suggest. There aren't just more tourists, they're also spending more when they're in the UK. VisitBritain predicts tourists' spending will surge by 14% this year. "Very often people budget in their own currency. They're getting more pounds for their money, and we can see their spend going up," says Patricia Yates. Sterling has tumbled 16% against the euro since the June 2016 referendum, and has fallen 23% against the US dollar. Over the past two years, the pound has dropped about 30% against the euro. "There are some factors putting downward pressure on the pound, and some other things putting upward pressure on the euro," says Paul Hollingsworth of Capital Economics. He lists the downward forces on sterling as "Brexit and uncertainty about the UK's future relationship with the EU, the economy... and the expectation for interest rates". "We've seen quite a Brexit bounce," says Jace Tyrrell from the New West End Company, which represents shops on London's Bond, Oxford and Regent Streets. As shoppers carrying bags from all sort of stores rush by on Regent Street, Mr Tyrrell says, "In the past six months, there's been a 36% increase in spend here, so certainly international visitors are appreciating the value depreciation". Stores report sales of pricey jewellery and high fashion items have been rising the most. The large American hotel chain, Hilton, has 138 hotels in the UK, and is planning to open 30 more, partly because of the tourism boost spurred by the fall in sterling. The company says it has seen double-digit growth in the UK over the past year. In the lobby of one of its swanky London hotels, Simon Vincent, Hilton's president of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, says we're living through a "golden age of travel". Another factor behind the company's British expansion is demand from UK customers, as "staycation" becomes more popular. "The domestic customer has always been an important part of our business mix, particularly in our portfolio outside of London," says Mr Vincent. "In fact, it's the most significant proportion of our business. It's been growing well." Despite "Brexit bounce", the sharp increase in tourist numbers began before the sharp drop in the pound, and the industry says it isn't relying on currency depreciation to increase numbers further. "We operate in a competitive global environment," says VisitBritain's Patricia Yates. "We will never be a cheap destination, we don't want to be. We have to offer good value for the prices we're charging," she says.

Tourism has been one of the most successful parts of the UK economy recently, thanks in part to Brexit.

40972840

A pre-inquest review was due to take place on Monday, but has now been postponed until March. West Sussex County Council said the full inquest was now likely to be held late 2017, but was "very dependent" on the police investigation. A lawyer representing some of the victims' families described "a measure of frustration" at the news. A vintage hawker hunter jet crashed on to the A27 during an aerobatic stunt at the Shoreham show in August 2015, killing 11 men. The pilot, Andrew Hill, 51, survived the crash and is being investigated for manslaughter. Plans were put in place for the inquest to begin in March, but neither the police investigation nor the full Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report have yet been published. Specialist aviation lawyer James Healey Pratt said the victims' families had full confidence in the coroner and the investigation. He said the pre-inquest hearing was being delayed until March as a decision by the CPS on whether to bring charges was due then. He also revealed the families had been invited to a meeting in Farnborough on 19 December, at which they would be told the results of the AAIB investigation. Sussex Police's report is not expected until the new year at the earliest. West Sussex Senior Coroner Penelope Schofield said the decision to postpone the pre-inquest review was "not taken lightly", particularly as she was anxious to ensure the inquests were dealt with in a timely manner. But it was anticipated little progress could be made with the police and AAIB report still outstanding, she added.

An inquest into the deaths of 11 men at the Shoreham Airshow is not likely for another year, the BBC can reveal.

37992625

They looked at responses to annual surveys that the WHO had sent to 127 countries between 2012 and 2014 asking about capacity and usage of blood tests that check HIV status and health. They found worrying gaps in provision. They warn that United Nation targets for HIV could be missed as a result. The targets say that by 2020, 90% of all people living with HIV should know their HIV status, 90% of those diagnosed should receive antiretroviral therapy and 90% of these treated patients should have "durable viral suppression" (a measure of effective treatment). Laboratory testing is vital to meet and monitor these aims. But Vincent Habiyambere and his colleagues say in the journal PLoS Medicine that some low and middle-income countries, including African countries where the HIV burden is high, are not yet geared up for the challenge. The surveys were sent to: • all 47 countries in the WHO African Region • 33 countries in the WHO Region of the Americas • all 21 countries in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region • eight high-burden HIV countries in the WHO European Region • all 11 countries in the WHO South-East Asia Region • seven high-burden HIV countries in the WHO Western Pacific Region Over the three survey years, 55 (43%) countries responded to all three surveys, 35 (28%) to two surveys, 25 (20%) to one survey, and nine (7%) responded to none of the three surveys. Testing provision did improve over the years, but shortfalls remained in some parts of the world. Reasons for the gaps in provision included lack of reagents, equipment not being installed or maintained properly and inadequate or absent staff training. In some laboratories, machines were not serviced regularly. In others, machines broke down and were not covered by contracts to be serviced or fixed. Dr Habiyambere and his team say: "A national laboratory strategic plan to strengthen services must be developed, implemented, and monitored by governments and their national and international partners. "The focus of the international community, to ensure optimal use of laboratory technologies, should be on those countries where interventions for scaling up access to HIV diagnostic technologies are most needed." They acknowledge that they did not look at private sector testing and that some countries might rely more heavily on this than others. In an accompanying editorial, HIV experts Peter Kilmarx and Raiva Simbi say the findings show some programmes may have been "overly focused" on buying equipment without planning for how it would be used and maintained. In Zimbabwe, for example, only 5.6% of HIV patients on drug treatment in 2015 received regular blood checks to monitor their viral load - far fewer than the goal of 21%. This was largely down to problems with resource mobilisation and specimen transport as well as equipment procurement, they say. "Strong leadership, resources, planning, and management are needed to scale up laboratory services," they conclude.

A shortage of HIV testing could undermine global efforts to diagnose and treat people with the infection, warn experts from the World Health Organization.

37168771

The bird, which is named LM12, arrived on Thursday, the earliest reappearance of a resident bird there in almost 50 years. Its mate LF15 is expected soon at the Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve near Dunkeld, which operates a live webcam of the nest. The pair fledged three chicks in both 2015 and 2016. Charlotte Fleming, Perthshire ranger for the Scottish Wildlife Trust said: "One of our eagle eyed volunteers spotted LM12 just after 17:00. "He spent several hours in the nearby trees but didn't touch down on the nest until early this morning when he appeared carrying his breakfast. "From the views we've had of his distinctive chest pattern and long wing tips we are as sure as we can be that it is LM12. "He has also made himself well and truly at home, bringing in sticks and preparing the nest, which is further proof that he is the resident male."

A male osprey has returned to its nest at the Loch of the Lowes reserve after its migration from West Africa.

39308084

First, the oil major is preparing for a low oil price for the foreseeable future, saying that it is working towards a "financial frame" by 2017 that assumes a price of $60 a barrel. When I interviewed Bob Dudley at the start of the year, he said that low energy prices could last for three years. Nothing since then seems to have changed his view. "Last year, we acted decisively to reset BP for a sustained period of lower oil prices and the results are coming through well," he said today. "We are now in action to rebalance our financial framework in this new price environment." Second, low oil prices are not all bad news for integrated oil companies. Yes, life upstream (the exploration and production part of the business) might be tougher because the business is not being paid as much for every barrel of oil it produces. But, for the downstream business (that's refined oil products such as fuel, lubricants and petrochemicals for making things like paint and plastic bottles) a low oil price can be a veritable boon. That's because the input costs - essentially the low oil price - are down and therefore the profit margin can be boosted. If you compare the upstream and downstream profit numbers for BP, the difference is stark. For upstream, pre-tax underlying profit was $800m (£520m) compared with $3.9bn (£2.54bn) in the third quarter of 2014. That's a pretty precipitate drop. For downstream, pre-tax underlying profit hit $2.3bn (£1.5bn) compared with $1.5bn (£980m) in the third quarter of 2014. So, for the moment, BP's downstream business is creating considerably more profit than its upstream partner. BP also revealed that the cost of the Deepwater Horizon disaster has now reached $55bn (£35.85bn). When the Macondo rig blew up in 2010, killing 11 people and leading to a major oil spill, many predicted it would cost BP several billion dollars in clean-up costs, fines and compensation. Few people foresaw just how high the price would be. Or for how many years it would weigh on the company. VW should take note. Scandals are more expensive than you initially think. And take a lot longer to clean up.

Two things are clear from BP's results this morning.

34645976

A fire was started when the building was broken into sometime between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. The museum is located in the Bogside, close to where some of the 14 victims of Bloody Sunday were killed in 1972. John Kelly, whose brother, Michael, was killed said the damage to the building could have been a lot worse. "I looked at it and thought: "Good God, if that had really caught fire, we could have had an explosion". A £2.4m reconstruction of the Glenfada Park museum began in 2015 and is now close to completion. Mr Kelly has been working on the project for the past 10 years. "It shows total disrespect for my brother and all those who died during Bloody Sunday and all the others who lost their lives in that period of time, total disrespect for our family members and their memory," he said. "The police told me there was a fire and it was in the back store, that's where we have the gas mains and electronic equipment as well. "The building is next door to people's houses and everyone could have been affected by it. It didn't travel any further, thank God, and we still have an intact building," Mr Kelly added. Building site foreman Dermott McGrotty said they have now improved security at the site. "They had to climb over an eight foot fence to get in, so overnight security has now been arranged and we're making sure the doors are well secured." The Northern Ireland Fire Service is treating the fire as deliberate. The police have appealed for information.

An arson attack on the site of the new Museum of Free Derry shows "total disrespect" for victims, a Bloody Sunday relative has said.

37785712

The Latics are seven points from safety with six games remaining including tough trips to Brighton and Reading. David McGoldrick put Ipswich ahead midway through the first half, slotting in Myles Kenlock's pass, before Freddie Sears raced clear to double the lead. Wigan improved after the break, Bartosz Bialkowski saving brilliantly from Ryan Colclough and Alex Gilbey, but Sears pounced late on to make it 3-0. The win relieved some of the pressure on Town boss Mick McCarthy, following seven draws in their last eight matches, and they are now nine points clear of the relegation zone. A lack of goals has been one of the Tractor Boys' main issues this campaign, with only Wigan and Rotherham scoring fewer, but striker McGoldrick ended a 15-game drought to set the ball rolling. It was the Republic of Ireland international's first goal since netting the winner in the reverse fixture on 17 December. Sears has also been struggling to score this campaign, but the former West Ham forward showed superb composure to fire past Matt Gilks for his fourth goal of the season. His second had an air of fortune as Gilks saved his first effort, which then fell at his feet for an easy tap-in - but the game was already over at that point. With an average of 49 points keeping teams in the second tier since three points were introduced for a win in the early 1980s, the Latics, on 34 points, may need to win five of their last six matches to avoid an immediate return to League One. Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy: "I am delighted about the result and the performance and also a little bit relieved about the fact we got three points and other results went for us. "I thought David McGoldrick and Freddie Sears epitomised our performance, but I am also not going to just sit here crowing about everything. "At the start of the second half, it seemed we were conspiring to give them a goal and our fabulous goalkeeper made sure it wasn't 2-1 - though I think we deserved the 3-0 win." Wigan interim manager Graham Barrow: "The scoreline was fair as we gave them all three goals - but for Matt Gilks in goal, it could have been much worse. "I am not even going to pretend that was okay. It was suicidal stuff, real kamikaze football and I do personally feel let down. "Things were said in the dressing room, but they will stay in the dressing room, but the club, supporters and staff don't deserve that kind of performance. Our defending has actually been quite sound this season but all of a sudden that went up in smoke." Match ends, Ipswich Town 3, Wigan Athletic 0. Second Half ends, Ipswich Town 3, Wigan Athletic 0. Attempt missed. Gabriel Obertan (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Substitution, Ipswich Town. Dominic Samuel replaces David McGoldrick. Foul by Dan Burn (Wigan Athletic). David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick on the right wing. Corner, Wigan Athletic. Conceded by Bartosz Bialkowski. Attempt saved. Alex Gilbey (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Attempt blocked. David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt missed. Max Power (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Goal! Ipswich Town 3, Wigan Athletic 0. Freddie Sears (Ipswich Town) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Attempt saved. Freddie Sears (Ipswich Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Bartosz Bialkowski. Attempt saved. Max Power (Wigan Athletic) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Alex Gilbey with a cross. Corner, Wigan Athletic. Conceded by Bartosz Bialkowski. Attempt saved. Alex Gilbey (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Attempt saved. Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Grant Ward. Max Power (Wigan Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Christophe Berra (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Max Power (Wigan Athletic). Substitution, Wigan Athletic. Gabriel Obertan replaces Shaun MacDonald. Substitution, Ipswich Town. Kevin Bru replaces Emyr Huws. Attempt saved. David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Substitution, Wigan Athletic. Callum Connolly replaces Stephen Warnock. Toumani Diagouraga (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Max Power (Wigan Athletic). Grant Ward (Ipswich Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Grant Ward (Ipswich Town). Jake Buxton (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt saved. Grant Ward (Ipswich Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Attempt saved. Freddie Sears (Ipswich Town) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Grant Ward. Grant Ward (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Michael Jacobs (Wigan Athletic). Foul by Myles Kenlock (Ipswich Town). Michael Jacobs (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick on the right wing. Attempt blocked. Max Power (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Corner, Wigan Athletic. Conceded by Myles Kenlock. Corner, Wigan Athletic. Conceded by Bartosz Bialkowski. Attempt saved. Michael Jacobs (Wigan Athletic) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Toumani Diagouraga (Ipswich Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Max Power (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Wigan's Championship relegation worries deepened with defeat at Ipswich.

39414267

More than 30 firefighters helped to tackle the blaze on Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch from 03:45 BST. LFB has since apologised after its joke about the fire was met with a mixed response on social media. It said: "Sorry if we caused any offence by using the term hipsters." LFB added: "Hope #Shoreditch businesses are back on their feet soon." An investigation into the cause of the blaze is due to begin. The apology came after criticism of the joke on social media. Mike O'Brien tweeted "enough with the hipster jokes. People's livelihoods have been ruined". Others were more amused with Twitter user Debbie commending the brigade for a "great job", saying the hipster comment "made me spit my tea out". However, Pete Carrier tweeted to say "are you worried that Met Police Helecopter [sic] are getting all the attention?" His comment made reference to a situation earlier this week when the National Police Air Support Unit in London came under criticism for zooming in and taking a photograph of comedian Michael McIntyre before posting it on its Twitter account.

A building housing a pop-up restaurant in east London has been partially destroyed by fire, but "fortunately no hipsters were injured", London Fire Brigade (LFB) has said.

33585129

Local authorities can apply for funds to support weekly collections, as well as for initiatives offering residents reward vouchers for recycling rubbish. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, who announced the scheme last autumn, calls weekly bin collections a "basic right". But Labour's Hilary Benn says the funding would be better spent on children's centres and elderly care. Mr Pickles scrapped guidance telling councils to introduce fortnightly collections in a bid to reverse a trend developed under Labour. He will say later that rubbish collections are the "most visible service" paid for through council tax. "Labour's barmy bin rules have made putting out your rubbish more complicated than solving a Rubik's cube," he will say. "The public are fed up of all the bin dos and bin don'ts. They just want a simple service." The government scheme will make funding available for facilities with technology that sorts waste after it has been picked up, preventing families having to sort rubbish into as many as nine containers. More than half the councils in England collect refuse once a fortnight, although many pick up recycling or food waste on a weekly basis. However, BBC local government correspondent Mike Sergeant said there was no compulsion to bid for a share of the cash. "Having invested heavily in alternate weekly systems, some may be rather reluctant to go back," he said. Mr Benn, the shadow communities secretary, said local people were best-placed to decide how rubbish was collected and should not be dictated to by government. "At a time of deep cuts, when local councils are having to make very difficult decisions, the quarter of a billion pounds Eric Pickles has found for this could be much better spent on preventing SureStart centres from closing or providing extra care for our elderly people," he added. A survey by the Press Association news agency last year found many councils were sticking with fortnightly black bin collections, claiming that a return to weekly rounds would cost millions and undermine recycling efforts. However, the Department for Communities and Local Government says 67% of people surveyed agreed the government should mandate weekly collections. Ministers say more than 70 councils have signalled interest in applying for funding. Bids which support a comprehensive weekly collection of rubbish, combined with a weekly recycling collection of materials such as glass, paper and plastics, will be prioritised. The scheme will support initiatives which reward households for recycling, with points that convert into money off at retailers, such as Windsor and Maidenhead's RecycleBank and Birmingham's Nectar programmes. And it will back mechanical biological treatment plants, already used in Bournemouth, which take all rubbish in just one bin and sort out the materials for recycling, landfill and composting. Councils have until mid-March to bid for funding, which will be available from April.

A £250m government scheme encouraging councils to keep or bring back weekly bin collections is opening for bids.

16865456

Tall and like football? Go and play centre-back. Enjoy rugby union and have a bit of pace? Winger. Step forward Somerset's Dom Bess, who took 6-28 on his County Championship debut on Tuesday. How did he come to bowl off-spin? "I was always a little porker when I was younger, so I never took the long run-up," he said. "I always took five or six steps and just trotted in." Bess now has the best figures by a Somerset debutant for 55 years, since Tony Pearson returned 7-63 against Worcestershire in 1961, according to the Guardian. But any 'puppy fat' the 19-year-old may have had has long gone, with the help of strength and conditioning coach Darren Veness. "I met Daz and he made me run a lot, which I'm grateful for now," Bess told BBC Radio Bristol. "Ask Daz about me, I was always a porker." Just a month ago Bess, from Sidmouth, was taking 6-65 for Devon in the Minor Counties Championship as they lost to bottom-of-the-table Oxfordshire. At Taunton, however, his victims included Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott, who have played a combined total of 170 Tests for England. His family have a strong presence in the sport, with cousins Zac and Josh also representing Devon, but who was at the County Ground to watch his moment of glory? "Dad was on holiday and mum was working, so I just had my girlfriend, her parents and a couple of my mates (watching)," he said. "I think dad will be a bit disappointed - he's gone to Greece, somewhere like that, for a week away."

Whether it comes down to skill level, body shape, or pure accident, anyone who has played a sport will have some memory of how they came to be given a particular role.

37296106

Dick Advocaat quit Sunderland on Sunday with the Black Cats second-bottom of the Premier League and winless in their opening eight games. Allardyce, 60, has been out of management since he left West Ham at the end of last season. "Of course it's a challenging job. But I hope to be able to help to bring the stability and success that everyone wants," Allardyce said. "I'm looking forward to working with the players and of course I will be relying on the help of the Sunderland supporters." Allardyce had a spell at Sunderland as a player between 1980 and 1981 and becomes the first person to manage both the Black Cats and rivals Newcastle. His first home game at the Stadium of Light will be against Newcastle on 25 October, with an away trip to West Brom before that on 17 October. Sunderland owner Ellis Short believes Allardyce, who managed Newcastle from May 2007 until January 2008, was the standout candidate for the job. "Sunderland is a club he knows well and he was the obvious best choice for the job," Short said. "He has vast experience of managing in the Premier League and an understanding first-hand of the north-east and the passion of our fans, which will stand him in great stead." Short also claimed it was a "misconception" that the former Blackburn and Bolton boss "had to be persuaded to join us". "This was a very popular job, proactively sought after by a large number of managers - contrary to much of what has been portrayed," Short said. "The process was made easier by the fact that Sam was such an obvious choice. "From the very beginning, Sam understood the importance of this job and showed great enthusiasm for the role and a desire to be part of moving this club forward."

Sunderland have appointed Sam Allardyce as manager on a two-year contract.

34491345

The company said it was looking at the possibility of adding services between Sandown and Southsea. It said the idea had come from businesses at the island resort who were keen to boost tourism. If confirmed, the cross-Solent service would operate on two days a week in July and August. Neil Chapman, managing director of Hovertravel, said: "We're always open to new ideas which might boost tourism to the Isle of Wight and we provisionally agreed the concept, subject to gaining the appropriate permissions." The plan would be for the service to operate four 25-minute crossings every Tuesday and Thursday from 14 July to 27 August. The Isle of Wight Council welcomed the plan and said it was currently in discussion with Hovertravel to finalise the details and the use of Sandown Beach for the service.

A new hovercraft route between the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth could be introduced in the summer, operator Hovertravel has said.

31163006

Media playback is unsupported on your device 27 July 2015 Last updated at 17:08 BST Ian Drake is British Cycling's chief executive officer, and here he gives his top tips for how you can get involved in the sport.

With Chris Froome's triumph for Britain in the Tour de France, cycling is in the spotlight.

33680970

It was written to author Betty Shew by the 21-year-old princess in 1947, months before her marriage. The two-page note describes how the couple met, were chased by a photographer in Prince Philip's sports car and danced at London nightclubs. It was given a pre-auction estimate of £800 to £1,200 but sold for £14,400. Describing it as a "fantastic result", Richard Edmonds of the Chippenham Auction Rooms in Wiltshire said: "It was quite an honour to be able to sell such an important document, particularly as the country is celebrating the Queen's 90th birthday. "The bidding was both online and over eight phone lines. It was pretty fast and furious. At times our internet connection looked like it was lighting up." The identity of the buyer has not been disclosed. The then Princess Elizabeth agreed to share the details of her relationship with Philip, for a royal wedding souvenir book being written by Mrs Shew. In the letter, written in ink on white paper adorned with the royal crest, the princess recalls how she met Prince Philip at the age of 13, describes his love of fast cars and how the couple danced at nightclubs Ciro's and Quaglino's in London. The future Queen also writes about her wedding ring, which she says will be made of Welsh gold. She and Prince Philip married in November 1947 at Westminster Abbey, the same location as her coronation in June 1953.

A letter written by the Queen revealing how she and Prince Philip first fell in love attracted "furious" bidding as it smashed pre-auction estimates.

36122985

The Reds led in the 15th minute when Divock Origi flicked in from close range before Roberto Firmino made it 2-0, heading in Nathaniel Clyne's cross. Origi also went close when his low shot was saved by Stephen Bywater. Tom Naylor inadvertently put the ball in his own net after the break before Daniel Sturridge tapped in his first and then thumped home the Reds' fifth. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp made only four changes from the XI that started in the 2-0 league defeat at Burnley on Saturday. The quality of the visiting team was soon apparent at the Pirelli Stadium against a Burton side who have had a mixed start to their first ever season in the Championship. After Liverpool's Belgian forward Origi cleverly profited from tricky work in the box from Sadio Mane, Brazilian Firmino doubled the lead following a terrible throw-out from goalkeeper Bywater. It was 3-0 just after the hour when the unfortunate Naylor had little time to react as James Milner's ball came towards him at pace. And substitute Sturridge then grabbed a late double, converting at the far post from Milner's pass before firing in low from 15 yards. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: "There were still a few situations where we were missing a bit of sharpness but the main problem was, it was unbelievable, our build-up and style of play at Burnley - one more pass but 15 times we are completely free in the box. "So we needed to use this game and that's what we did and it was better." Burton manager Nigel Clough: "It's difficult for our lads to compete with that sort of quality. With this being 72 hours before the Derby game, our focus was always with that one. "When you think we finished with a couple of teenagers and a 20- or 21-year-old, you could train with them for a couple of seasons and not gain the experience they've got tonight."

A strong Liverpool side overwhelmed Championship outfit Burton Albion to reach the EFL Cup third round.

37091102

Dyfed-Powys Police took to social media on Tuesday to ask for help in tracing Rebecca, saying officers were "very concerned for her". The force said the mother and child were found in the early hours of Wednesday. A spokesman said it was thanks to the public response on Facebook. "Our communities' response to this appeal was significant, with over 1,000 Facebook shares achieved in the first hour and with all parts of Pembrokeshire covered according to the comments posted by our concerned followers," he added.

A missing woman and her baby in Pembrokeshire have been found safe and well after a police Facebook appeal was widely shared.

39638834

Survivors in some areas told the BBC that they were angry that neither food nor medicine has reached them. The UN has appealed for $415m (£270m) to help provide emergency relief over the next three months. Meanwhile, a teenage boy has been rescued alive after spending five days trapped under rubble in Kathmandu. Crowds cheered as the boy was brought blinking into the daylight, a BBC reporter at the scene says. Officials say Saturday's quake killed more than 5,500 people, and injured at least 11,000. The UN says more than eight million people have been affected by Saturday's 7.8-magnitude quake and some 70,000 houses have been destroyed. The government says it has been overwhelmed by the disaster. In several villages north-east of the capital, Kathmandu, no buildings have been left untouched and bodies are still lying under the rubble, the BBC's Richard Galpin reports. There has been no help from the government or aid agencies even though supplies could easily be brought in by road or by helicopter, he says. "We will die if there is no help from the government or other organisations," Dhan Bahadur Shresta, a resident of Deupur Sipaghat Kavre village, told our correspondent. "We will starve to death and could get diseases like cholera and dysentery and there could be an epidemic." Some helicopter crews who have managed to land in isolated communities have been faced with desperate villagers pleading to be airlifted to safety. In the village of Sangachowk, angry villagers blocked the main road with tyres and stopped trucks of rice and other aid headed for other areas, Reuters news agency reported. The villagers also reportedly blocked a convoy of army trucks loaded with relief supplies, leading to a tense standoff with armed soldiers. How long can people survive under rubble? Learning lessons from disaster Satellite reveals quake movement Nepal earthquake: Before and after Nepal quake special report "Although I am heartened and encouraged by the progress of the response to date, efforts need to be maintained and stepped up to ensure vital assistance reaches all the affected, especially those in the remote areas," said the UN's resident co-ordinator for Nepal, Jamie McGoldrick. There were more angry scenes in Dolakha, east of Kathmandu, when residents smashed the windows of a local administrative building, Chief District Officer Prem Lal Lamichhane said. "Over 200,000 people are homeless. We've been told that materials are on their way, but we haven't received them yet," he added. Despite extensive damage, experts say the number of casualties in many villages was lower than feared because people were working outdoors at the time the quake struck. In Kathmandu, riot police clashed on Wednesday with protesters angry at a lack of transport out of the city and delays in distributing aid. Thousands were waiting for buses to take them to rural areas. "We've been left starving in the cold and the best this government can give us is this queue," said one resident, Rajana, as she queued for a bus to her home village. Witnesses said a truck carrying drinking water was forced off the road and protesters climbed on top of it, throwing the bottles into the crowd. Columns of riot police stood behind rolls of razor wire as protesters surged into the street. However, there have been some signs that parts of the capital are returning to normal. Some people have decided to return to their homes, having spent several nights in the open. Cash machines have been refilled and some shops and street vendors have once again started trading.

Frustration is growing in parts of rural Nepal over the pace of relief efforts, with some badly-affected villages yet to receive any assistance.

32522398

The adaptation will be based on the critically-acclaimed first book in the Noughts and Crosses series, set in a dystopian society where black people are the ruling class. It tells the forbidden interracial love story between Sephy, a "Cross" and politician's daughter; and Callum, a "Nought" and member of the underclass. The drama is expected to air next year. Blackman, who was the children's laureate from 2013-15, said she was "beyond thrilled" her book was being dramatised. "Callum and Sephy seem to have meant a lot to readers over the years and I'm excited at the prospect of watching them on my TV," she said. The series is being produced by Mammoth Screen, the company behind hit BBC drama Poldark. The commission was announced at the Edinburgh Television Festival by director of BBC Content Charlotte Moore as part of a new raft of programming designed to "reflect the diversity of modern Britain". Also announced were three new original drama series and two factual programmes: Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Malorie Blackman's young adult novel Noughts and Crosses is to be made into a BBC One drama series.

37180409

The Transocean Winner, which has diesel on board, was under tow west of Lewis when it was hit by severe storms. It became detached from the tug boat overnight, before running aground at the beach of Dalmore in the Carloway area. Stornoway Coastguard said there were no personnel on board the rig and there was no risk to life. However, coastguard personnel have blocked access to the beach for health and safety reasons. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has begun an investigation into the incident. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said it was monitoring for any pollution from the rig. The agency said Transocean Winner has 280 metric tonnes of diesel on board. Scotland's Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said key agencies were doing what was necessary to "ensure the rig is secured and to minimise any immediate safety or environmental risks". A spokesman said: "Following the grounding of the semi-submersible drilling rig Transocean Winner on the Isle of Lewis, the Secretary of State's Representative (SOSREP) for Maritime Salvage and Intervention Hugh Shaw is now in discussions with the owners Transocean and the salvors. "The Maritime and Coastguard Agency's counter pollution branch and the SOSREP have both been monitoring the situation since yesterday evening and the local authority, police and Marine Scotland have all been kept informed." Salvage company Smit has been mobilised to deal with the incident, the MCA added. The Transocean Winner was being towed from Norway to Malta. BBC Alba reporter Angus Macdonald said the structure was "towering over the beach". He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "The rig has more or less come ashore at the beach of Dalmore. "Dalmore is a well-known beauty spot. It is a sandy beach where a lot of surfers turn up because the waves are so good." Foster Evans, who visited the stretch of beach involved last week, sent BBC News Scotland online an image showing how the wide sweep of sand usually looks. Western Isles SNP MSP Alasdair Allan and MP Angus MacNeil said the incident underlined the need for Scotland to have two emergency tugs. An emergency towing vessel has been sent to the scene from the Northern Isles. Scotland used to have two of the boats available to the coastguard to cover the north and west coasts, before the UK government reduced the service to a single ship in 2012. Mr Allan said: "This morning the tow line between a tug and the Transocean Winner oil rig snapped in heavy weather, resulting in the rig going aground at Dalmore on the west side of Lewis. "I am grateful to hear that there have been no injuries reported after this incident but it does leave us with a significant environmental threat to deal with. "I am also deeply concerned to hear that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's nearest emergency towing vessel was in the region of 14 hours away."

A 17,000-tonne drilling rig has run aground after being blown ashore on the Western Isles.

37007656

The Yongbyon site processes spent fuel from power stations and has been the source of plutonium for North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. The reactor was shut down in 2007 but Pyongyang said last year that it was operational again. It has since conducted its fourth test of a nuclear weapon. That and its multiple missile tests broke existing international sanctions and provoked further measures from the UN and individual countries. The IAEA has no access to North Korea after being thrown out in 2009, so relies largely on satellite data. But the agency's head, Yukiya Amano, said recent images indicated "activities related to the five-megawatt reactor, expansion of enrichment facilities and activities related to reprocessing". Vehicles have also been seen moving at the site and there are indications of warm water being discharged, which would suggest cooling operations. Other North Korean observers have also said in recent months that the plant appears to be working again. At North Korea's recent ruling party congress, leader Kim Jong-un reinforced his policy of economic development coupled with a strong nuclear programme.

North Korea appears to have restarted its nuclear facility at Yongbyon, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said.

36466247

The 22-year-old was one of six men arrested as part of an investigation into spot-fixing by the National Crime Agency and bailed until April 2014. Montano, who had been at Boundary Park since the summer of 2012, was suspended without pay by the Latics following the initial allegations. The former West Ham trainee made 48 appearances, scoring four goals. A club statement read: "After a thorough investigation carried out by Oldham Athletic Football Club relating to the conduct of Cristian Montano, a decision has been made by the board to dismiss the player forthwith. "Oldham Athletic take matters such as this extremely seriously and believe it was essential to act as swiftly as possible." Director Barry Owen told BBC Radio Manchester: "It's been a very difficult week for the club. It's not an easy decision that we've had to make, but it's been made. "We've got to move on. We've got a big FA Cup tie tomorrow evening [against Mansfield] and the lads are up for it. We've got to move on. We've made the decision and we believe that's the right decision for our fans and the football club. "I just hope that people realise we've acted positively, and not hastily may I add."

League One club Oldham Athletic have confirmed that they have sacked winger Cristian Montano.

25399465

"Bonkers Bruno Locked Up", was changed to "Sad Bruno in Mental Home" by the time later editions rolled off the presses. The revised words were still criticised by mental health charities. Eleven years on, after high-profile cases including Stan Collymore,Marcus Trescothick,Neil Lennon and Robert Enke, has the reporting of mental health issues in sport improved? A panel including cricketer Michael Yardy, whose depression became public knowledge after he left England's 2011 World Cup campaign, and the Professional Footballers' Association head of welfare Michael Bennett met at MediaCity UK in Salford to discuss how they would change reporting of mental health in sport. It may be tempting to look for indications of a sportsperson's mental health while they are under the spotlight in competition. But it is often when people are free to reflect, rather than when they are consumed by the action, that problems can arise. "After I left the World Cup, Geoffrey Boycott took my depression to be a reflection of my performances," explained Yardy. "But it is not always about performance. "There are times that I have performed brilliantly, driven home, gone to bed and not been right in myself. "I think I had my worst bouts of depression during the winter months when I have been away from cricket. "Sometimes it is actually nice to have the ball and bat in your hand and it is just you in that moment. "Conversely fielding can actually be quite difficult because if you have bowled a bad last over or something you can 'catastrophe' things." "There is an assumption in the media sometimes that something on the field of play has triggered these issues and it is not always the case," added Daily Telegraph columnist Jim White. A survey by mental health charity Mind earlier this year showed that 60% of people were encouraged to seek help for their own mental illness after learning about a sportsperson with similar problems. Coverage of a sportsperson's problems will have an effect on those consuming it just as it does on the star at the centre. "The way that these are issues are dealt with around big heroes in the sports pages is read, watched and listened to be people who suffer from depression themselves," said White. "If the analysis is that a sportsperson should have nothing to worry about, then you start to question the validity of your own problems. "The way we deal with it is not just to be sensitive to the suffer themselves, but the way it is presented to everyone else." When England batsman Jonathan Trott left the Ashes tour of Australia in November with what the ECB described as, a "long-standing stress-related condition", the end of Marcus Trescothick's international career came to mind. Wracked with depression, Trescothick dissolved into tears at Heathrow's duty-free in 2006, as he prepared to board a flight to Australia with his team-mates. But Trott later revealed that he was "emotionally and mentally spent" rather than depressed when he flew home. Former England captain Michael Vaughan said that he felt conned by the impression that Trescothick and Trott's cases were similar. "A lot of players come to talk to me about things and I'm happy to speak to them but I have my own issues and everyone is very different," said Yardy. "It is very dangerous to say that one case of depression is the same as another." "It is now very clear that Jonathan Trott was not in the same boat as Marcus Trescothick," Sky News Sports editor Nick Powell added. Stories about mental health issues tend to focus on the trauma suffered, rather than the triumph over the odds. "We never talk about positive mental health, it is always seen negatively," said Bennett. "We need to change that around so it is seen as a positive that someone is confident enough to come forward and share their issues." "People who have suffered with mental health are actually very strong in that they have kept it inside so long and continued on in spite of it," added Yardy. It is the white noise to which the serious business of the dressing room is played out to - joking and joshing, mockery and mirth. But does banter have to stop when it comes to mental illness? "In a strange way I embrace it, because the worse thing can be that people feel they can't have a joke with you," said Yardy. "People do take the mickey out of me, but in a closed environment and they know the boundaries. You obviously have to know somebody very well."

The Sun's original headline, above the 2003 story of former heavyweight champion Frank Bruno's admission to a psychiatric hospital, did not last long.

30229102

Homosexual acts are illegal in the East African nation and punishable by up to 30 years in jail. Those who advertised homosexual activities online would also be targeted, the politician warned. Tweeters accused him of homophobia and infringing on the right to freedom of expression online. But Hamisi Kigwangalla argued that homosexuality did not scientifically exist and was a social construct. In a tweet written in Swahili and English he said: "Have you ever come across a gay goat or bird? Homosexuality is not biological, it is unnatural." The 42-year-old, who is a medical doctor by profession, argued that homosexuality could only be associated with an urban lifestyle. He said that in the small town in central Tanzania where he came from, there were no homosexuals. Tweeter: "Consider the fact that your move will only fuel more hatred, violence and increased mob lynchings" Response: "Fulfils my duty as head administrator of the rules and policies of our country! I do not have any trouble with the 'community'" Tweeter : "Freedom of choice, freedom of expression and right to privacy are constitutional justifiable rights. May God change your heart" Response: "Freedoms/rights have boundaries and both are protected by law! The law in Tanzania has boundaries when it comes to sexuality" Tweeter: "It seems politics has made you forget the basics of science. Homosexuality is partly a result of biogenetics" Response: "There is no literature to suggest so. Homosexuality has no any scientific backing! I am a scientist and I read a lot than you think" Earlier this month, Dr Kigwangalla ordered three men he accused of being gay to report to the police for "spreading" homosexual activity through social media, in violation of the law. It is not clear whether they have been charged. Dr Kigwangalla's outspoken comments on Twitter follow the health ministry's move last week to suspend the activities of 40 drop-in HIV/Aids clinics, accusing non-governmental organisations of using them to promote gay sex. The BBC's Sammy Awami in Dar es Salaam says most Tanzanians are strongly opposed to homosexuality - and the gay community keeps to itself. But homosexuality was named as one of the three major challenges facing the country in a parliamentary debate about Aids earlier this month. MP Hussein Bashe said the other issues were drug use and poor education.

The threat to publish the names of suspected homosexuals in Tanzania has been defended by the deputy health minister in a fierce row on Twitter.

39026477

Lord O'Donnell told the Times it would take Parliament "years and years and years" to separate fully from Brussels. "It very much depends what happens to public opinion and whether the EU changes before then," he said. He later told the BBC he did not think the EU would make the radical changes needed for the UK to remain a member. As Gus O'Donnell, he was cabinet secretary from 2005 to 2011 and is now a crossbencher in the House of Lords. Lord O'Donnell told the Times: "Lots of people will say 'we've had the referendum, we've decided to go out, so that's it, it's all over'. "It might be that the broader, more loosely aligned group is something that the UK is happy being a member of." Asked about these comments, he told BBC Radio 4 this was an example of a "low-probability event that might mean we don't leave". He also said his "central assumption" was that the EU would not radically change. "The probability of us not leaving is very, very low and we need to get on and implement the people's decision," he added. Lord O'Donnell said making Brexit happen would be difficult, partly because article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty - the step required to officially begin the process - was designed "in a way that is very strongly in favour of those who are staying, not the leaving party". He said he "wouldn't be in a rush" to trigger article 50, as the government must first work out a "strategic plan to say 'what kind of UK do we want, what's our place in the world, what are we trying to achieve in these negotiations'". Handling Brexit would be an "unprecedented challenge" for the government and the civil service, he added. In his interview in the Times, Lord O'Donnell said Theresa May - who replaced David Cameron as prime minister after the UK public voted by 52% to 48% to leave the EU - now faced a "really difficult job". "She's got to corral all these different individuals, come up with precisely what version of Brexit we want, what works best for the British people, and then go about implementing it," he said. He said he was "not a big fan of referenda", adding that there were "ridiculous claims" on both sides in the UK's debate on EU membership. Mrs May has said formal talks on Britain's "sensible and orderly departure" from the EU will not begin until next year - but she has been clear that "Brexit means Brexit". Gus O'Donnell served as a press secretary under John Major, and then as cabinet secretary - the UK's most senior civil servant - in the cabinets of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

A former head of the civil service has said the UK might remain in a "more loosely aligned" European Union, despite the referendum vote to leave.

37202922

Former Staff Sgt Clinton Romesha, 31, led a battle against hundreds of Taliban fighters four years ago. About 50 US soldiers were at Combat Outpost Keating near Pakistan when it was almost overrun by insurgents. He is the fourth living veteran of Afghanistan or Iraq to receive America's highest military award. The father-of-three lives with his family in Minot, North Dakota, and works in oil-field safety. According to the Army's official narrative, at about 06:00 on 3 October 2009, some 400 Taliban fighters targeted Combat Outpost Keating in Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province, while many key US officers were off base. The outpost was surrounded on four sides by insurgents who had occupied the high ground and began to attack with rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), mortars, heavy machine-gun fire and small-arms fire. Sgt Romesha is said to have frequently exposed himself to withering enemy fire as he led the fightback. He killed a team of machine-gun fighters, and was peppered with shrapnel when an RPG landed close to his position. Ignoring his wounds, Sgt Romesha then killed more enemy fighters, including a nest of machine-gunners and a sniper. He then killed three Taliban fighters as they were breaching the outpost's perimeter. Sgt Romesha also led a team to secure an ammunition supply point and then turned his attention to defending a vulnerable entry point. From there, he was able to pinpoint the origin of enemy fire at a nearby village, Urmul, and at an Afghan National Police checkpoint that had been seized by the insurgents. According to the official narrative, he helped to direct air support and 120mm mortars to target the enemy positions. Finally, Sgt Romesha helped wounded troops to withdraw to a safe location and recovered the bodies of two soldiers who died in the attack. Eight US soldiers were killed and another 22 were wounded, including Sgt Romesha. The official citation says that Sgt Romesha personally killed 10 Taliban fighters and was instrumental in the deaths of another 35. Last month, after learning he would get the award, he told a news conference: "You're not going to back down in the face of adversity like that. We were just going to win, plain and simple."

US President Barack Obama has presented the Medal of Honor to a former soldier for his heroism during a huge firefight in Afghanistan.

21415533

Michael Salmon, 30, used his position as freelance producer of a show, "Cosy", at Cardiff's Millennium Centre, to obtain grants. Some grants came from the Arts Council of Wales and Arts Unlimited, set up to fund projects with disabled performers. Salmon, from Grangetown, Cardiff, admitted five counts of fraud. The court heard that he used £9,000 to fund his own lifestyle, mainly on trips to London. But most of the money he defrauded was lost by his own mismanagement of several theatrical projects. One grant of £30,000 was obtained by falsifying a bank statement. The deception took place between May 2015 and February 2016. Jailing Salmon, Judge Paul Lewis QC said he had lied to theatrical directors who had gone to him for help in raising grants for their productions. He said: "This was public money intended for good causes which never reached them. "There was substantial financial mismanagement with money being transferred from one project to another when it shouldn't have been."

An independent theatre producer who fraudulently claimed £65,000 in grants has been jailed for 18 months at Cardiff Crown Court.

36563390

She was discovered by soldiers investigating suspected members of Islamist militant group Boko Haram. Nigeria's military said the young woman is undergoing medical checks. A total of 276 schoolgirls were kidnapped by Boko Haram from the town of Chibok in April 2014. About 200 of them are still in captivity. More than 20 were released in October in a deal brokered by the International Red Cross. Others have escaped or been rescued. Over Christmas, 21 of the young women freed under the October deal returned home for the first time. However, family members told the BBC that they were kept in a politician's house and barred from going to their family homes. A statement from the office of state governor Kashim Shettima acknowledged that "armed soldiers... escorted the 21 girls to Chibok and remain their strict guards throughout Christmas". Who are Boko Haram? Chibok girls 'denied family Christmas' Torment of a freed Boko Haram 'bride' Prior to this, the girls had reportedly been held in a secret location for debriefing by the Nigerian government. Two weeks ago, Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari said the army had driven Boko Haram's militants from the last camp in their Sambisa forest stronghold in north-eastern Nigeria. "The terrorists are on the run and no longer have a place to hide," Mr Buhari said in a statement. Boko Haram has killed 15,000 people and displaced over two million during its seven-year battle to create an Islamic caliphate in the north-east of the country.

The Nigerian army says that one of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls has been found, along with her six-month-old baby.

38524331

Westley lasted five months and became County's second boss sacked this term. The Exiles have confirmed Mike Flynn as caretaker boss until the summer. "We engaged and consulted a number of folk, including some of the players and given the overwhelming view of fans coupled with the players' feedback, it was obvious the environment needed a change," Foxall told BBC Wales Sport. "We hope Michael is able to put the passion that was not there against Leyton Orient on Saturday back into the club," he continued. "You don't get stability by changing the manager regularly. "But looking at the run of results and more so the Leyton Orient game, the manner of the defeat, we as a board tried to consider all factors. "The players have smiles on their faces and I do think there has been an uplift in their mood." Foxall says he understands criticism of the board for allowing Westley to sign 13 players in January only to sack him six weeks later, but says they felt they had to back him until Newport were 11 points adrift at the bottom of League Two and in danger of relegation. "We had a view as a board that everything Graham had he inherited and we said we would support him in changing the squad," he said. "Hindsight is a great thing, but we felt we've always made the right decision for the club at that time. "We have always had the view we would support the manager 100%. "We still believe it was the right thing to give him the window we did, even though it has not worked out how we all would have wanted." Foxall says the hope is that Flynn, a former player and local man, will be able to galvanise the County supporters. "Michael is a local boy, born and bred and loves the club," he said. "We are hoping as a board that his appointment will rally the fans, they have not had much to shout about this season. "I've noticed Michael has matured greatly over the time I've been involved with the club. "Michael was an obvious choice." Foxall said the club would have to make some "difficult' and 'challenging" decisions if they lose their Football League status, but insisted the club have "the right infrastructure in place to challenge next season."

Newport chairman Gavin Foxall says the board consulted the players before opting to sack manager Graham Westley.

39231077

The one-year-old livestock - a mixture of Cheviot and black face sheep - were taken from the Coltfield area between Wednesday and Thursday. Police Scotland said the theft of such a large number of sheep would have required "careful planning" and the use of vehicles to transport the animals away from the area. Officers appealed for information.

More than 50 young sheep have been stolen from a farm in the Alves area of Moray.

39822664

Mahmoud Amir Alagha is working in four dimensions to capture digitally the way partial paralysis affects people's expressions. His research is supported by the university which awarded him a scholarship and supported him when, as a refugee from the conflict in Syria, he applied for permission to stay in the UK. Mahmoud began studying in Glasgow in 2014 but was only able to complete his postgraduate course because he received a fee-waiver scholarship from the university. The 28-year-old graduated with distinction in his Masters degree and hopes to take his research to a higher level. He is currently applying to do his PhD and the UK government has given him leave to remain for five years. Mahmoud has been using technology developed in Scotland to capture 3D images of moving faces. "This is stepping into the fourth dimension," he says. "Capturing 3D images over time." After capturing the images he superimposes a digital mask. "This mask is composed of points, could be thousands," Mahmoud says. "It is a mathematical construction so you can do decimation to make more points or reduce the number of points. "It depends how much is really clinically significant." Those thousands of reference points highlight how our faces move, or fail to move, because of injury, conditions such as Bell's Palsy or the aftermath of surgery, which can cause facial paralysis. Mahmoud say this technique could provide pointers to the correct treatment. He says: "Muscles move the face. There are a very big number of muscles. "Being able to decode the face by region, for example, you can know that this muscle that is being supplied by that branch of the nerve is being affected because it is paralysed or is weak. "Being able to study the region rather than the whole face, or both of them, gives us a new dimension into the management of these cases." Mahmoud, who is from war-torn Aleppo, was half way through his masters degree when he became a refugee. He says: "By the end of the first year, the situation in Syria got mad. I had at some point to apply for asylum in the UK and the asylum process was harsh. "I could not afford the tuition fees for the second year. At that point I was stepping into the unknown. I felt like I was losing my solid ground." Ashraf Ayoub, professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Glasgow University, has been Mahmoud's mentor and supporter during his quest for refugee status. He says: "If it was rejected he would have been deported immediately. That would have been very dangerous for him and undermine what he had achieved in the first year and destroy him as a human being and as a potential scientific researcher." Practical support came from the university in the form of the scholarship, one of four given to refugee students. Prof Ayoub says it has paid off handsomely. He says: "Number one, the enthusiasm. He wanted really to break the mould and innovate the application of this technology. "He also brought to it some of his own ideas of how we take this further. He also conducted a very successful pilot study as part of his Masters degree that he was awarded with distinction." Since the 1970s, the Glasgow Coma scale, developed by two Glasgow university professors at the Southern General has been the global standard for assessing patient consciousness. Mahmoud wants to create a similar framework in his own field - the Glasgow Index of Facial Paralysis. He says: "How can you really diagnose a patient or not without being subjective, to say 'yes, there is improvement' or relying on a ruler to measure movement between two parts of the face? "Having something that will tell you precisely what movement is there, the speed, the direction, the pattern of movement, where you can compare before and after, that is something that will benefit the patients and will advance the management of these patients."

A postgraduate researcher at Glasgow University is developing new technology designed to help people with paralysed faces.

38583519

The company also says its franchisees were helped by a "record low cheese price, favourable wheat price and a fall in fuel costs". Pre-tax profits were £73.16m, up from £62.1m in 2014. E-commerce sales now account for 77.7% of all UK deliveries and 48.6% of online sales are made using its app. Domino's says online orders in the UK rose by nearly 29% last year and app-based orders shot up by more than 41%, with 11.5 million people now having downloaded the app in total. "The thing that customers want more than anything else is convenience and that means food that's delivered to their home," chief executive David Wild told the BBC. The second most important thing, he said, was food that can be ordered online. "We have seen a massive increase in our online orders - a total of 11.5 million app downloads since we launched our app two or three years ago - and what we have learnt is that customers like to find it easy to get hold of a pizza and that's the most important trend," Mr Wild said. The chain opened a record 61 new stores in the UK in 2015, taking its total number of outlets to 869 by the end of the year. Domino's said its franchises had seen increased profitability over the course of the year "primarily as a result of the benign food price environment combined with the group's purchasing power". "In 2015 we passed on savings of £11m from lower food costs primarily from cheese and dough and the outlook remains favourable for 2016." Apart from the UK business, Domino's Pizza Group also owns the franchises in the Republic of Ireland, where it has 47 stores, and Switzerland where it has 15, as well as Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. Last December, it entered into a joint venture to buy Germany's biggest delivery chain, Joey's Pizza. That deal was finalised at the beginning of last month and as a result Domino's Pizza Group is no longer directly operating in Germany. In the UK, Domino's featured in a Channel 4 documentary called "A Slice of Life" which was viewed more than a million times and which it said, resulted in a significant increase in recruitment applications. During the year Domino's launched the Tikka Pizza and reintroduced the hot dog stuffed crust pizza. In the first nine weeks of trading in 2016, UK like-for-like sales grew by 10.5%, in Ireland they were up 13.7% and in Switzerland 4.3%. "Momentum continues with a good start to 2016 despite increasingly tough comparatives through the rest of the year," Domino's said.

Domino's Pizza has revealed what it describes as "excellent" results for last year, driven primarily by the growth in its digital sales.

35714501

Rebecca Minnock and her son Ethan disappeared from Highbridge, Somerset, on 27 May, the day a court ruled he should live with his father. She told newspapers she knew it was wrong but she could not give Ethan up. Det Ch Insp Marie Wright told her: "You don't have to carry on hiding. There's always a solution." In a video posted on Avon and Somerset Police's Facebook page, Det Ch Insp Wright said she had passed on her personal number to staff in 999 and 111 call centres, so Miss Minnock could contact her personally. In a direct message to Ms Minnock, she said: "I want to make sure you and Ethan are safe. "I know that you are going to be under a huge amount of emotional pressure and strain and I want you to come to the right decision about you and Ethan." "I'm more than happy to speak to you on the phone and we can work out what's the best way to get you and Ethan back to some sort of normal life." She went on to tell Ms Minnock to contact the Missing People charity if she felt uncomfortable calling the police. She added: "Please can you get in touch one way or another and let's start talking." The search for Ms Minnock and Ethan has widened to Cheltenham and Birmingham. Media attention has intensified since a judge lifted reporting restrictions on the case. On Thursday Ms Minnock contacted the Daily Mail and accepted her actions were "wrong", adding: "I know I'm going to get caught and he will be taken from me." She said although she had thought about contacting the police, she "could not bear to give her son up". Miss Minnock has been engaged in a two-year legal battle with Ethan's father Roger Williams over contact with their son. In February, a district judge found she had fabricated allegations against Mr Williams in order to "frustrate contact" between him and Ethan A social worker reported that Ethan was not "emotionally safe" with his mother. Ethan had been staying with his father four nights a week since February. Ms Minnock did not attend a court hearing on 27 May where a judge ruled that Ethan should live with his father. She was seen withdrawing cash in Highbridge before getting into a black Ford Focus. Police believe Ms Minnock and her son are being hidden by friends or relatives. Andrew Butt, a family friend who owns a black Ford Focus, has been convicted of contempt of court in connection with the case. He was appearing at Bristol Crown Court on Friday where he could face a jail sentence.

A mother who has gone missing with her three-year-old son has been urged to speak directly to the police chief leading the search for her.

33107363

It addresses his 1952 conviction for gross indecency following which he was chemically castrated. He had been arrested after having an affair with a 19-year-old Manchester man. The conviction meant he lost his security clearance and had to stop the code-cracking work that had proved vital to the Allies in World War Two. The pardon was granted under the Royal Prerogative of Mercy after a request by Justice Minister Chris Grayling. "Dr Alan Turing was an exceptional man with a brilliant mind," said Mr Grayling. He said the research Turing carried out during the war at Bletchley Park undoubtedly shortened the conflict and saved thousands of lives. 2012 saw a series of events that celebrated the life and work of Alan Turing. The events were held to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth Celebrating Turing Turing's work helped accelerate Allied efforts to read German Naval messages enciphered with the Enigma machine. He also contributed some more fundamental work on codebreaking that was only released to public scrutiny in April 2012. "His later life was overshadowed by his conviction for homosexual activity, a sentence we would now consider unjust and discriminatory and which has now been repealed," said Mr Grayling. "Turing deserves to be remembered and recognised for his fantastic contribution to the war effort and his legacy to science. A pardon from the Queen is a fitting tribute to an exceptional man." The pardon comes into effect on 24 December. Turing died in June 1954 from cyanide poisoning and an inquest decided that he had committed suicide. However, biographers, friends and other students of his life dispute the finding and suggest his death was an accident. Many people have campaigned for years to win a pardon for Turing. Dr Sue Black, a computer scientist, was one of the key figures in the campaign. She told the BBC that she hoped all the men convicted under the anti-homosexuality law would now be pardoned. "This is one small step on the way to making some real positive change happen to all the people that were convicted," she said. "It's a disgrace that so many people were treated so disrespectfully." Some have criticised the action for not going far enough and, 59 years after Turing's death, little more than a token gesture. "I just think it's ridiculous, frankly," British home computing pioneer Sir Clive Sinclair told the BBC. "He's been dead these many years so what's the point? It's a silly nonsense. "He was such a fine, great man, and what was done was appalling of course. It makes no sense to me, because what's done is done." Lord Sharkey, a Liberal Democrat peer who wrote a private member's bill calling for a royal pardon in July 2012, said the decision was "wonderful news". "This has demonstrated wisdom and compassion," he said. "It has recognised a very great British hero and made some amends for the cruelty and injustice with which Turing was treated." Vint Cerf, the computer scientist known as one of the founding fathers of the internet, also welcomed the development. "The royal pardon for Alan Turing rights a long-standing wrong and properly honours a man whose imagination and intellect made him legendary in our field," he told the BBC. Technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch added: "Society didn't understand Alan Turing or his ideas on many levels but that was a reflection on us, not on him - and it has taken us 60 years to catch up." Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said: "I pay tribute to the government for ensuring Alan Turing has a royal pardon at last but I do think it's very wrong that other men convicted of exactly the same offence are not even being given an apology, let alone a royal pardon. "We're talking about at least 50,000 other men who were convicted of the same offence, of so-called gross indecency, which is simply a sexual act between men with consent." Mr Tatchell said he would like to see Turing's death fully investigated. "While I have no evidence that he was murdered, I do think we need to explore the possibility that he may have been killed by the security services. He was regarded as a high security risk," he said. Glyn Hughes, the sculptor of the Alan Turing Memorial in Manchester, said it was "very gratifying" that he had finally been pardoned. "When we set out to try and make him famous - get him recognised - it was really difficult to collect money," he said. Turing's life is the subject of upcoming Hollywood movie The Imitation Game, which focuses on the cracking of the Enigma code. Starring Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch as Turing, the film is due for release next year. Channel 4's TV film Codebreaker, about the highs and lows of Turing's life, was aired in 2011. And during the 2012 celebrations of the centenary of Turing's birth, a Welsh digital arts festival - the Abandon Normal Devices (AND) Festival - featured a laser image of Turing projected from Conwy Castle into the sky. Although Turing was born in London, he had strong connections with north Wales. The Italianate village of Portmeirion in Gwynedd was one of Turing's favourite places. But it was in northern England where Turing spent the last six years of his life, working at Manchester University in various specialist fields including mathematical logic and philosophy. "None of the big computer companies would stump up a penny for a memorial. They perhaps would now - we've come a very long way." But he said he was "not entirely comfortable" that Turing had been pardoned while thousands of other gay men had not. "The problem is, of course, if there was a general pardon for men who had been prosecuted for homosexuality, many of them are still alive and they could get compensation." In December 2011, an e-petition was created on the Direct Gov site that asked for Turing to be pardoned. It received more than 34,000 signatures but its request was denied by the then justice secretary, Lord McNally, who said Turing was "properly convicted" for what was at the time a criminal offence. Prior to that in August 2009, a petition was started to request a pardon. It won an official apology from the prime minister at the time, Gordon Brown, who said the way Turing was persecuted over his homosexuality was "appalling".

Computer pioneer and codebreaker Alan Turing has been given a posthumous royal pardon.

25495315

Swindale Beck, near Haweswater, was straightened to clear land for grazing, but the resultant faster flows washed gravel away, making it less easy for salmon and trout to spawn. During summer a stretch was filled in and replaced with a meandering course. In December, 16 salmon were spotted, along with five redds - disturbed gravel where eggs had been laid. The bend restoration project, involving United Utilities, the RSPB, Natural England and the Environment Agency, was also aimed at alleviate flooding by slowing the flow of water through the valley. Lee Schofield, RSPB site manager at Haweswater, said: "Habitat restoration is often a slow process and we normally don't see the benefits of our work for years and sometimes even decades. "It's really uplifting and inspiring to work on a project where we get the chance to experience success so soon after we've finished."

The restoration of natural bends to a river in Cumbria after 200 years has spawned benefits for breeding fish.

38531521

Swansea West MP Geraint Davies said it was vital for a "greener future", and accused ministers of "back-pedalling" on their commitment to the lagoon. The company behind the scheme warned in October that building work was being delayed by a year to 2017. Tidal Lagoon Power said it was still negotiating with ministers over an agreed price for the energy generated. Press reports on Thursday said the company had cut workforce numbers at its base in Gloucestershire. Swansea council said it would exert all the pressure it could to make sure the project stays on track. Council leader, Rob Stewart, said he had written to the prime minister to request a "positive and speedy decision". Labour MP Mr Davies said: "The chancellor specifically mentioned and supported the lagoon in his pre-election budget, and the prime minister came to Swansea during the election campaign on the pretext of supporting the lagoon. "Now we face this back-pedalling from the government as we fast approach the Paris COP (Conference of Parties) climate change conference where all governments must show willing to engineer a sustainable future. "It is important that the government gives its full backing to the Swansea tidal lagoon, as the first step for lagoons around Britain and a major export opportunity to help play our part to deliver lower emissions. "Having said he's for it a year ago, if the chancellor pulls the plug on it, it'll be a disgrace." Tidal Lagoon Power said in a statement: "Our short-term priority is the construction of the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon and the progression of plans at Cardiff and Newport to harness the country's best tidal range resource in the Severn Estuary. "Our team needs to align with these objectives and regretfully that involves some redundancies. "Our vision is to provide 8% of the UK's electricity from six tidal lagoons and we have grown quickly so as to take forward these plans. "However, our first project is now scheduled to start on site one year later than planned and that inevitably impacts the development of the fleet." A spokesman for the Department for Energy and Climate Change said negotiations on the tidal lagoon were ongoing.

An MP has urged the UK government not to "pull the plug" on plans for a £1bn tidal power project in Swansea.

34932158

Ambulance trusts paid private companies and voluntary organisations £68.7m to attend emergency calls in 2015-6, compared to £22.1m in 2011-2. They respond to all types of calls. NHS England said 999 calls for ambulances rose 4.5% last year. Unions attacked "creeping privatisation" and called for more money for staff recruitment. The ambulance service in England took 861,000 emergency phone calls in March 2016 - which equates to 27,800 a day - compared to 22,400 calls a day in March 2015, a rise of 24%. Contractors include private firms and charities such as St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross. Is the ambulance service at breaking point? Martin Flaherty, of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, said trusts faced "unprecedented levels of demand" and used private or volunteer services "in support when absolutely necessary... at times of peak demand". £46m per year extra spent on private ambulances since 2011/12 4.5% rise in the number of 999 calls for ambulances over past year £13.6m spent by South Central Ambulance Service on private ambulances in 2014/15 9% of South East Coast Ambulance Service 999 calls were responded to with a private ambulance Of the 11 ambulance trusts, South Central spent the most; £13.6m in the year to April 2016. London spent £11.9m, according to Freedom of Information requests gathered by BBC South East. West Midlands and Isle of Wight said they rarely or never use ambulances from independent providers. East of England gave nine months of data for 2015-16. South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAMB) said private ambulances responded to 9% of its emergency calls last year, at a cost of £10.4m. The previous year it spent £12.3m. SECAMB operations manager James Pavey said it faced an "extraordinary rise in demand" and had a growing shortage of paramedics. Some trusts, such as London and SECAMB, are now hiring from abroad, including Australia. The College of Paramedics said there were problems recruiting and retaining sufficient staff, who now have to be trained to degree level. College director Richard Webber said: "In the long term, we should not be using private providers in the way we are, but we do need to provide a safe and effective service to the public." "We should employ more people, training and supporting them effectively and providing that as part of the NHS." A Department of Health spokesman said: "We have employed 2,000 more paramedics since 2010 and training an extra 1,900 over the next five years." Unions said money should not be leaving the NHS and called for higher pay to attract staff. Alan Lofthouse, Unison lead officer for ambulance workers said: "It is creeping privatisation, something we are very concerned about. "In the short term people need an ambulance. But in the long term they can not be part of a fully-funded system because there is a profit being made by private companies." Private providers said they were regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and faced more scrutiny than NHS ambulance services. Alan Howson, of the Independent Ambulance Association, said any perception of private ambulances being unsafe was out-of-date. "This is no longer back-street ambulance services providing independent cover. "Quite often, crews from independent ambulance providers perform better than their NHS counterparts and that is also borne out from patient feedback." James Barnes of the Private Ambulance Company, which has a contract for the East of England, said: "There is a strict set of guidelines we have to meet or could be shut down." Using private ambulances to answer 999 calls is just another example of the health service under pressure. The number of calls to ambulances has more than doubled in the past decade to over 9m a year. They are also facing increasing delays at hospital with A&E departments run ragged dealing with the record numbers of patients coming through their doors. Crews find themselves queuing before they can handover their patients. It means the eight minute target for responding to patients is being missed - by a record margin. Unions say recruitment and retention is a major issue in many services. So bosses are turning to private firms. They are fully regulated and vetted, but the situation is still far from ideal. Read more from Nick Follow Nick on Twitter

NHS spending on private ambulances for 999 calls in England has trebled in four years, BBC research has found.

36381440

Figures from the university admissions service, Ucas, show it was the highest number for five years. Students placed through clearing tend to be those who did not get the grades for their favoured courses. But a dip in university applications has left universities looking to fill more places than usual. There have been reports of some leading universities offering places through clearing. This year's early figure is nearly double the number of students placed through the system at the same point five years ago. Overall, 437,070 students have been accepted on to university courses - the vast majority getting the grades for their chosen places of study. This is down 1.3% on the same point last year, Ucas figures show. About 134,840 students are still registered as looking for places in clearing. Since 2013, universities have been able to recruit unlimited numbers of students who achieved certain grades in their A-levels. It comes after the proportion of candidates awarded top grades rose slightly on last year. Ucas chief executive Clare Marchant said with nearly 45,000 courses looking for students there was a huge amount of choice out there.

Some 11,180 students were placed on undergraduate courses in the UK through clearing in the first 24 hours after yesterday's A-level results.

40974981

The 27-year-old man from Blackburn was riding a grey Triumph Daytona motorcycle along the B6479 near Selside when he crashed at 19:25 BST on Wednesday. The air ambulance was called but the biker died at the scene. The road was closed for five hours to allow collision investigators to examine it.

A motorbiker has died after hitting a sign at the side of the road in North Yorkshire.

33007885

Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, the first member of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) to be tried by the court, was found guilty of nine out of 23 charges. The BNP and his lawyers argue that the trial was politically motivated. Previous verdicts against Islamist leaders have been followed by protests. After the sentencing, Chowdhury's supporters attacked governing party activists and smashed and burned vehicles in Chittagong and in Dhaka, police said. At least one person was injured in Chittagong. The war crimes tribunal was set up by the Awami League-led government in 2010 and opposition parties have accused it of pursuing a political vendetta against its opponents. Tribunal chairman Justice ATM Fazle Kabir said: "We are of the unanimous view that the accused deserves the highest punishment for committing such crimes that tremble the collective conscience of mankind." The judge said that Chowdhury should "hang until death". But human rights groups and the BNP have both said that the tribunal fell short of international standards. Key defendants Article that changed history Scars of war 40 years on Bangladesh confronts war crimes In a statement after the sentencing, Amnesty International called for Bangladesh to overturn all five war crime death sentences imposed this year. Chowdhury's wife, Farhat Quader Chowdhury, said after the verdict that she and her legal team "would do whatever we need to do to show the world that this is a farce". His son accused the court of ignoring a letter written by a judge who said that he and Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury were at university together during the 1971 war of independence. Chowdhury's lawyers say that they will appeal against the conviction at the Supreme Court. The BBC's Mahfuz Sadique - who was in court - says that Chowdhury, 64, repeatedly interrupted the tribunal judges as they delivered their two-and-a-half hour verdict. "This judgement came from the [law] ministry. A copy of the verdict has been available on the internet since yesterday," Chowdhury cried out after the announcement of his conviction and sentencing had been finally completed. Our correspondent says that Chowdury's lawyer also claimed that the verdict was a foregone conclusion - but allegations that it was available online beforehand are impossible to substantiate. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam has dismissed the allegations as "out of the question, incorrect... and merely an assumption". Lawyers sympathetic to the BNP meanwhile are reported to have threatened to "try everyone connected" with the war crimes tribunal once the party returns to power. Senior BNP official Khandker Mahabub Hossain said: "Everyone related with the trial will be tried some day on this soil." Security was tight in Dhaka where the verdict was heard in a packed courtroom. A crowd gathered outside the court to welcome the verdict. But there was anger in Chittagong, the home district of Chowdhury where he has been re-elected six times. Troops were deployed to confront marauding opposition supporters. Chowdhury's party called a day-long general strike in Chittagong on Wednesday. Analysts say the tribunal's verdicts have exposed profound divisions in Bangladeshi society. Last month when the Supreme Court gave the death penalty to a senior leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, Abdul Kader Mullah, there were demonstrations both for and against the decision. The sentences handed down to its leaders over the last few months have unleashed a wave of unrest, pitting supporters of Jamaat against pro-government groups. But this rupture goes back to the very origins of Bangladesh when some groups, including Islamist groups like Jamaat, opposed the struggle for independence from Pakistan. The special court was set up in 2010 by the government to deal with those accused of collaborating with Pakistani forces who attempted to stop East Pakistan (as Bangladesh was then) from becoming an independent country. It has tried nine Jamaat leaders and two members of the BNP - they have always denied any role in war crimes committed by pro-Pakistan militias. Chowdhury is the first of those BNP members - and the first sitting MP - to be sentenced. Prosecutors accused him of genocide, abduction, committing atrocities against Hindus and forcefully converting a number of Hindus to Islam. During the war his father was an influential politician who worked to prevent Bangladesh breaking away. The prosecution also said that his father's residence in Chittagong was turned into a torture cell at that time. Bangladesh government figures estimate more than three million people were killed during the war. Other researchers put the figure at between 300,000 and 500,000.

An MP for Bangladesh's main opposition party has been sentenced to death by a war crimes court for charges including murder and genocide during the 1971 war of independence with Pakistan.

24344868

The United Arab Emirates thrower was training at Newham Leisure Centre for the World Para-athletics Championships in London. Majid Rashed, vice president of the UAE International Paralympic Committee, confirmed "the throwing cage collapsed on the athlete's head". Hayayei, 36, was pronounced dead at the scene at 17:20 BST on Tuesday. The Health and Safety Executive and police are investigating the incident, which was witnessed by some of Hayayei's team-mates and UAE staff. "I can say the throwing cage collapsed on the athlete's head - but how that happened, we can not say," Rashed said on Wednesday. Media playback is not supported on this device The IPC said two of the athlete's personal coaches were present but were not involved. Hayayei, a father of five, was preparing to compete in the F34 class at the Championships. "He was ambitious, he wanted to win medals for his country and for his family. He had a lot of dreams within the para-sports movement, " Rashed said, adding that the UAE team will still compete in London. "The athletes were very close to Abdullah, they trained in the same centre in the UAE. It's really very difficult for all of us but we promised ourselves that we are going to continue and we are going to win something for Abdullah, bringing the best performance from the athletes. "We are working with the athletes to get them in a better situation, obviously today will be better than yesterday, tomorrow we believe will be even better for them." The Metropolitan Police said emergency services "were called shortly after 17:00hrs on Tuesday... to reports of a seriously injured man at Newham Leisure Centre". It added: "At this early stage, it is believed the man was struck by a metal pole which formed part of training facilities at the centre." IPC president Sir Philip Craven said: "We are all truly devastated by this tragic news and the passing of Abdullah." Hayayei made his Paralympic debut at Rio 2016, finishing sixth in the javelin F34 and seventh in shot put F34. London 2017, which starts on Friday, was to be Hayayei's second World Championships. At the 2015 event in Doha, Qatar, he finished fifth in the discus F34 and eighth in shot put F34. He was set to compete in the shot put, discus and javelin F34 events. A moment of silence will be held in honour of Hayayei during Friday's opening ceremony at London Stadium.

Para-athlete Abdullah Hayayei died after a metal throwing cage fell on him during training.

40577419

Mr Spencer, head of Xbox, said the console, then codenamed Project Scorpio, “must deliver true 4K gaming and high-fidelity VR [virtual reality]”. The Xbox One X, as it will now be known, looks set to deliver on that first promise of 4K visuals. But on the second? Virtual reality didn’t get a single mention at the company’s bonanza press event on Sunday. So what’s happening? I think it’s fair, despite the mild protests of his PR team afterwards, to characterise Mr Spencer as something of a virtual reality sceptic - at least for now. “It’s important to listen to your customers and what they are actually looking for,” he told me. “I don’t get many questions about consoles and mixed reality in the living room. "When I do this on my PC, I’m closer to my PC - that seems to be a much more user-friendly scenario today.” What he’s saying is - the technology isn’t quite there yet, in his view. Contrast that with Sony, whose PlayStation VR has sold more than one million headsets since being launched this time last year. You’ll also notice that Mr Spencer talks about “mixed” reality, not “virtual”. The strategy from the very top at Microsoft is not in virtual worlds, but in augmented ones, where digital images are overlaid on to the real world. Microsoft's Hololens augmented reality headset device, though still in its infancy, is perhaps the most exciting piece of consumer technology in development today - and Mr Spencer seems to buy into its potential, more so than VR. “That’s where we see the most interest from customers and developers,” he said. “We are believers in mixed reality. And mixed reality on the PC is something we’re focused on.” Mr Spencer drew comparisons with Kinect, the motion-control device Microsoft released for the Xbox in 2010. Kinect was at first considered a big hit and around 24 million were eventually sold. There are signs that Hololens and mixed reality could follow that same early trajectory, Mr Spencer said. “We went through Kinect. We’ve seen what new ecosystems feel like when they’re catching momentum and really growing. We see that happening on Windows with mixed reality - that’s going to be our focus.” But that Kinect comparison isn’t exactly ideal. Despite its early success - it was recognised by Guinness as the fastest selling consumer electronics device in history - you won’t see gamers excitedly gathering around a Kinect at E3 this year, and Microsoft has now abandoned bundling in the Kinect with the Xbox One console. It was an innovative technology that ultimately lacked a practical application. In other words: it just didn’t really catch on. Will virtual reality? If it does - Microsoft's choice to go down the mixed reality road could leave the Xbox platform bereft of gaming’s next big thing.

When introducing Microsoft’s newest Xbox console in 2016, Phil Spencer didn’t mince his words.

40245539

Jon Rahm's status as one of Europe's most exciting prospects was confirmed by a fine victory on the PGA Tour at Torrey Pines last Sunday. The 22-year-old capped his maiden triumph with a thrilling eagle at the last, where he holed a snaking 60-footer to finish three clear of the field. Rahm, who hails from Barrika in the Basque country of northern Spain, has made an extraordinary start to his professional career. He secured his Tour card within just four events of joining the paid ranks seven months ago. Having completed a stellar college career at Arizona State, where he won the prestigious Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus awards, the youthful Spaniard was third at Congressional last year before finishing runner-up at the Canadian Open last July. His rapid rise accelerated further with this victory over a strong field in California. It is little wonder Europe's Ryder Cup captain, Thomas Bjorn, was among the first to recognise the achievement. "Congratulations on your first PGA Tour win," Bjorn tweeted. "When you win, you might as well do it in style! What a finish." It is a significant result for Bjorn because it has elevated Rahm into the world's top 50. All indicators suggest the Spaniard, currently ranked 46th, is likely to remain in this upper echelon for many years to come. And with a place in the top 50 comes the freedom to pick and choose tournaments on both sides of the Atlantic. With his PGA Tour card secure, the Spaniard is on schedule to be free to accept European Tour membership in time for next year's Ryder Cup. Rahm has already stated his desire to play for Europe in Paris and under new rules would only need to play four events each season to satisfy the Tour's membership criteria. "I've thought about the Ryder Cup a lot," he said during the World Cup at the end of last year. "I so want to play in the matches; who doesn't? But right now I need to establish myself on the PGA Tour." That task has already been accomplished with astonishing speed and it means the 2018 Ryder Cup can be firmly on Rahm's radar. "The next one is in France and that is close to home for me," he said last November. "I will be doing all I can to be there. So to answer your question: yes, I will be joining the European Tour at some stage. "I am very much a European, and I want to play there. But I have taken a different route to professional golf in that I have gone to college in the US. "Once I have the freedom to fly back and forth a bit more it will happen. It is my dream to represent Spain in the Ryder Cup." Phil Mickelson's brother Tim coached him at Arizona State and is now the Spaniard's agent. Phil is convinced his sibling has unearthed a golfing gem. "I think there's an intangible that some guys have where they want to have the pressure, they want to be in that tough position," Mickelson said. "They want to have everything fall on their shoulders. And he has that." Before Rahm's sensational finish, Woods was the last player to win at Torrey Pines by making eagle on the closing par-5 back in 1999. Now the 41-year-old continues his latest comeback amid so many reminders the game is now being dominated by a much younger generation. Aside from Rahm's triumph, there have been PGA Tour successes this year for Justin Thomas (aged 23) and Hudson Swafford (29). Woods is heading for the Dubai Desert Classic on the European Tour where a similar story has been developing. After 26-year-old Tommy Fleetwood's Abu Dhabi victory, the 21-year-old Korean Jeunghun Wang collected his third title by winning in Qatar last Sunday. This week, of course, the largest galleries will gravitate towards Woods even though the 14-times major champion was less than convincing in his PGA Tour comeback last week. Rounds of 76 and 72 led to a missed cut and it was clear that understandable rust remains after such a lengthy lay-off. Woods has won twice in Dubai, but this time making the cut would represent satisfactory progress. He is playing the second of four events in a hectic five-week schedule. How his troublesome back stands up to the rigours of a 17-hour flight to the Middle East, even in the comfort of his private jet, will be Woods' primary concern. But the magnificent Majlis course at the Emirates Club, still the best in the Middle East, will provide an ideal test as he continues to feel his way back into Tour level competition. It will be fascinating to follow his progress but, given the way things are going, do not be surprised if he is overshadowed by someone nearer half his age by the time we get to Sunday's final round.

While Tiger Woods inevitably generates a frenzy of interest during his return to the European Tour, the continent has already got plenty to be excited about thanks to a new Spanish superstar in the making.

38800039

About 2,000 pieces dating back more than 1,000 years were spotted on the seabed by members of a diving club, the Israeli Antiquities Authority said. At first the group thought the coins were toys, but quickly realised the significance of their discovery. The Antiquities Authority said the find was "so valuable that it's priceless". Divers were exploring an ancient harbour in Caesarea when they came across the gold. They collected several coins and quickly returned to the shore to inform the director of the club. Experts from the authority called to the site uncovered "almost 2,000 gold coins in different denominations" circulated by the Fatimid Caliphate, which ruled much of the Middle East and North Africa from 909 to 1171. Kobi Sharvit, director of the marine archaeology unit at the Israel Antiquities Authority, said excavations would be carried out in the hope of shedding more light on the origin of the treasure. He added: "There is probably a shipwreck there of an official treasury boat which was on its way to the central government in Egypt with taxes that had been collected. "Perhaps the treasure of coins was meant to pay the salaries of the Fatimid military garrison which was stationed in Caesarea and protected the city." He said another theory was that the treasure belonged to a large merchant ship that traded with the coastal cities and the port on the Mediterranean Sea. The haul, which weighs 9kg (20lb), is believed to have been exposed as a result of winter storms. It is now the property of the state and there was no finders' fee.

Scuba divers have inadvertently discovered the largest trove of gold coins ever found off Israel's Mediterranean coast.

31517433

Friend, who cut his face, was treated in the tunnel before being taken to hospital, where he stayed overnight. The incident happened as the first half came to an end at the Vitality Stadium. Friend was due to take charge of Southampton and Sunderland on 5 March but concussion protocols mean he will not now do so. The start of the second half was delayed by five minutes as Friend was replaced by Dean Treleaven, a qualified referee who was watching the match. "I was on the bench and he came to us and he fell against the dugout, with his nose, and then fell to the ground," said Saints boss Ronald Koeman. "For maybe five seconds, he was out of everything." Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, whose side won 2-0, added: "I saw him collapse. I saw him very dazed and shaken."

Fourth official Kevin Friend has been released from hospital after collapsing and hitting his head in Tuesday's game between Bournemouth and Southampton.

35712041

Speaking after briefing the Security Council on the peace process, Staffan de Mistura said a partial truce agreed in February was "barely alive". Violence in Syria has intensified in recent days, despite the ceasefire. At least 20 civilians were reportedly killed on Wednesday in government strikes on a hospital and nearby residential building in eastern Aleppo. The dead included children, a dentist and the only paediatrician left in rebel-held areas of the city, civil defence volunteers told AFP news agency. The upsurge in fighting in Syria's largest city comes amid reports that government forces, backed by Russian air power, are gearing up for a major offensive there. Russia's continuing war Has opportunity for peace been lost? What is left of Syria? Assad's growing confidence The escalation has threatened to derail the UN-brokered peace talks, which resumed last month. The Western-backed opposition delegation, the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), last week suspended its role to protest against alleged ceasefire violations by the government and a fall in humanitarian aid deliveries to besieged areas. Speaking on Wednesday after a third round of talks in Geneva, Mr de Mistura said the fragile "cessation of hostilities" "could collapse any time". He said that over the past 48 hours an average of one Syrian had been killed every 25 minutes and one wounded every 13 minutes. For the peace talks to succeed, Mr de Mistura said, hostilities would need to be reduced to the levels seen immediately following the February agreement. Calling on the US and Russia to co-operate, Mr de Mistura said that the legacies of both President Barack Obama and President Vladimir Putin were linked to the success of the peace process in Syria. There will be one or two more rounds of talks before July, Mr de Mistura said. He added: "There are still major differences on the major issues, but there is movement on certain areas where there was not before." Mr de Mistura also said that equal rights and equal representation in major institutions for women was essential to the transition to a new Syria. The peace talks do not involve the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra front and the so-called Islamic State, which have been fighting government forces and other rebels across Syria. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group confirmed on Wednesday that the air strikes on a hospital and nearby buildings in Aleppo were carried out by "regime airplanes". Separately, 11 people were killed in western Aleppo earlier on Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory said. More than 270,000 people have been killed since Syria's bitter civil war conflict erupted in 2011 and millions have been forced to flee.

The UN envoy to Syria has urged the US and Russia to intervene "at the highest level" to save struggling peace talks.

36156865

Meanwhile more than 30,000 people in the eastern city of Halle have been told to leave their homes after rivers reached their highest level in 400 years. Floodwater is also threatening parts of Austria and the Czech Republic. At least 13 people have died and two are missing as a result of the floods. Rising waters have been triggered by heavy rain following a wet spring. Eight deaths were recorded in the Czech Republic and three in Germany, while two people were reported dead and two missing in Austria, according to a European Commission update on Tuesday evening. Parts of Germany have not seen such severe flooding in centuries. However, in the Czech Republic, the water level has stabilised in the capital Prague, where there had been fears of a repeat of disasters in 2002 and 1997. Helicopters started removing residents from their homes in Deggendorf on Wednesday after two levees along the Danube and Isar rivers broke. Firefighter Alois Schraufstetter said the floodwater in the Bavarian town was 3m (9.8ft) high. "This is a life-threatening situation," he was quoted as saying by Germany's DPA news agency. Four farmers were rescued at the very last minute by a helicopter before their tractor was submerged, he added. German newspapers said water levels in the eastern city of Halle were at their highest for four centuries. Officials said the city was in acute danger after floodwaters from the Saale river damaged a section of dykes. The level of the River Elbe in the historic German city of Dresden, where at least 600 people were evacuated, is not expected to peak until Thursday morning. Coaches reportedly ferried people out the town of Muhlberg, about 40km (25 miles) northwest of Dresden, as thousands were told to leave on Wednesday afternoon. Chemical plants next to the swollen rivers have been shut down and their chemicals removed over safety concerns, the Associated Press reports. Meanwhile, the floods were receding in the south German city of Passau. People could be seen sweeping up muck from their streets. In the Austrian city of Krems, emergency workers have been shoring up a dyke under threat from the swollen Danube. Thousands of people left their homes in the Czech Republic in recent days as floodwater threatened to overwhelm flood barriers. In the low-lying industrial city of Usti nad Labem, the River Elbe spilled over the 10m-high (33ft-high) metal flood barriers. The main rail link connecting Prague and Berlin in Germany have been underwater, with trains being diverted. Anti-flood barriers have reportedly gone up to protect the Czech capital's zoo after it was badly hit, causing animals to be evacuated.

Rescuers used helicopters to pluck families from rooftops in the southern German town of Deggendorf on Wednesday as the Danube flood crisis continues.

22779749