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A former field marshal, three generals and six admirals say the loss of Ark Royal and its fleet of Harrier jets has damaged Britain's defence capabilities. They say Britain can no longer mount amphibious operations without putting troops' lives at "considerable risk". Defence Secretary Liam Fox has defended the "difficult decisions". The BBC's defence correspondent, Jonathan Beale, said the letter, which was leaked to the Daily Telegraph, raises questions about what military rescue operation forces could mount in the future. In December, Dr Fox announced that the frigate sent to evacuate British nationals from Libya - HMS Cumberland - is to be decommissioned in April, following the strategic defence and security review (SDSR). Our correspondent says this is not the first time former military top brass have warned that recent cuts in the armed forces have left Britain dangerously exposed. Labour has already called for the defence review to be reopened in light of events in Egypt, Bahrain and Libya. The letter - written before the current evacuation operation in Libya - is signed by, among others, Field Marshal Lord Bramall, a former chief of the defence staff; Maj Gen Julian Thompson and Adm Sir Jeremy Black, who commanded the carrier Invincible during the Falklands conflict. Dr Fox insists Britain still has the "right military assets" in place to respond to crises. But this group of former military commanders is calling on the prime minister to reassess the decisions made in the defence review. They have called for a re-evaluation of the SDSR, which they say is "unduly trusting in an uncertain, fast-moving and dangerous world". However Dr Fox defended the steps taken to tackle the £38bn deficit left by Labour and said the review would not be reopened. "For our future carrier strike capability, it makes strategic sense to move towards greater inter-operability with the US and France and installing catapult and arrestor gear will deliver this. "Sustaining both Tornado and Harrier would be prohibitively expensive in this current economic climate and Tornado continues to provide vital support to the front line in Afghanistan," he said. Referring to Libya, he said Hercules C-130 aircraft had lifted 51 UK citizens to safety on Thursday - and more than 100 were on their way to Malta on HMS Cumberland. "None of our allies have seen fit to position an aircraft carrier off the coast of Libya as this is not the tool required for this task; there is no requirement for ground attack aircraft, but even if there were we would use our extensive regional basing and overflight rights," he said. But shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said: "The government's plans were based on strategic and international geo-political assumptions, many of which have been shaken over the past month. "Recent dramatic events mean that the defence review must be reopened and perhaps even rethought. It would be sensible to stop and reflect again on our nation's strategic defence needs."

Ten retired senior military officers have written to the prime minister to voice their concerns over the loss of the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal.

Paulo Roberto Costa - who is in jail and being investigated for involvement in the alleged scheme - named a minister, governors and congressmen. Among them were members of the governing Workers Party and groups which back President Dilma Rousseff. But the names, published in a magazine, also included rivals of Ms Rousseff. Many of the names were published in Veja, one of Brazil's leading magazines, just weeks before the presidential election in which Ms Rousseff is running for a second term in office. Several politicians mentioned have denied involvement. Mr Costa claimed that politicians received 3% commissions on the values of contracts signed with Petrobras when he was working there from 2004 to 2012. He alleged that the scheme was used to buy support for the government in congressional votes. Mr Costa was arrested in 2013. He is now in jail and struck a plea-bargain deal with prosecutors before giving the names. Ahead of the election, Ms Rousseff's approval ratings have been slipping in opinion polls in favour of her rival, former Environment Minister Marina Silva. The BBC's Wyre Davies in Rio de Janeiro says the latest allegations could hurt the incumbent further, as during her presidency Petrobras has dramatically underperformed and its costs have risen sharply. It has become one of the world's most indebted oil companies and lost half of its market value in three years. The BBC has requested a comment from Petrobras about the latest allegations and is awaiting a response.

An ex-director of Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras is reported to have accused more than 40 politicians of involvement in a kickback scheme.

John "Jack" Zawadski, 82, and his nephew filed the lawsuit after being told that the funeral parlour did not "deal with their kind". Their legal team argue the response of staff at the Picayune mortuary devastated Mr Zawadski and his family. But the co-owner of the funeral home has tearfully denied the allegations. "We just didn't do that," a weeping Henrietta Brewer told Mississippi Today. Mrs Brewer said that her mortuary had handled the funerals of "well over a dozen" gay people since she and her husband opened it in 2006. She said one gay man had even been buried in the funeral home's privately-owned cemetery. "We're the ones that treat everyone good," Mrs Brewer said, arguing that none of her staff was homophobic. 'Bob was my life' Mr Zawadski and his nephew, John Gaspari, are seeking unspecified cash compensation from the Brewer Funeral Home for "breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation and the intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress", Lambda Legal said in a press statement. The lawsuit says that Mr Gaspari had completed all the arrangements for the funeral of his uncle, Robert Huskey, who died in a hospice shortly after celebrating his 86th birthday. They argue that the funeral parlour suddenly declined the use of their facilities - including the storage and transport of Mr Huskey's body - after they found out he was married to a man. Mr Zawadski said that the alleged action of the funeral home left him feeling as "if the air had been knocked" out of him. "Bob was my life, and we had always felt so welcome in this community. And then, at a moment of such personal pain and loss, to have someone do what they did to me, to us, to Bob, I just couldn't believe it. No-one should be put through what we were put through." Lambda Legal Counsel Beth Littrell said that what had happened to them was shocking. "Almost immediately after losing his husband and partner of more than 50 years, Jack Zawadski's grief was compounded by injustice and callous treatment from the very place that should have helped ease his suffering," she said. Mr Zawadski and Mr Huskey moved to Picayune to retire, getting married there when it became legally acceptable for them to do so in 2015.

A mortuary in Mississippi is being sued by the husband of a gay man for allegedly refusing to cremate him because of his sexuality.

Croker starts at hooker for the hosts at Twickenham, with Amy Cokayne dropping to the bench. Ciara Griffin is handed her first Six Nations start at flanker for Ireland, while Paula Fitzpatrick moves to number eight and Heather O'Brien to the bench. Experienced fly-half Nora Stapleton comes in for Nikki Caughey, who will provide back-up from the replacements. Ireland, led by Tom Tierney, defeated Wales 21-3 in their opening fixture, but went on to lose 18-6 against France in Perpignan. England won their opening two fixtures, against Scotland and Italy. "Ireland is going to present a tough challenge this weekend and there will be no margin for error," said England's lead coach Scott Bemand. "Recent history testifies that our games have been fiercely contested and, as a group, we are very excited to play at the home." Tierney added: "While the result in France didn't go our way, I thought there were a lot of positives to take from that game and we will be looking to carry them into this fixture. "We made too many unforced errors in Perpignan, so if we can rectify that I think we have got a very good chance on Saturday. "Twickenham is a special place to play, so it will be a great experience for the girls, but it is important that we go there looking to perform and hopefully come away with a result." England women: Katie Mason (Bristol); Lydia Thompson (Worcester), Lauren Cattell (Saracens), Ceri Large (Worcester), Lotte Clapp (Saracens); Amber Reed (Bristol), La Toya Mason (Darlington Mowden Park); Rochelle Clark (Worcester), Emma Croker (Richmond), Vickii Cornborough (Richmond); Abbie Scott (Darlington Mowden Park), Emily Braund (Lichfield); Harriet Millar-Mills (Lichfield), Izzy Noel-Smith (Bristol), Sarah Hunter (Bristol) Replacements: Amy Cokayne (Lichfield), Heather Kerr (Darlington Mowden Park), Bee Dawson (Wasps), Tamara Taylor (Darlington Mowden Park), Poppy Leitch (Bristol), Bianca Blackburn (Worcester), Ruth Laybourn (Darlington Mowden Park), Leanne Riley (Richmond) Ireland women: Niamh Briggs (Munster); Elise O'Byrne-White (Leinster), Aine Donnelly (Leinster), Sene Naoupu (Connacht), Mairead Coyne (Connacht); Nora Stapleton (Leinster), Larissa Muldoon (Skewen); Ruth O'Reilly (Connacht), Cliodhna Moloney (Leinster), Ailis Egan (Leinster); Sophie Spence (Leinster), Marie Louise Reilly (Leinster), Ciara Griffin (Munster), Claire Molloy (Bristol), Paula Fitzpatrick (Toulouse). Replacements: Zoe Grattage (Munster), Fiona Hayes (Munster), Fiona Reidy (Munster), Ciara Cooney (Leinster), Heather O'Brien (Toulouse), Mary Healy (Connacht), Nikki Caughey (Ulster), Jackie Shiels (Richmond).

England have brought in Emma Croker and have Ireland made two changes for Saturday's Women's Six Nations game.

Justin Welby made the announcement after a meeting of primates from the Anglican Communion in Canterbury. In the UK, an act of Parliament passed in 1928 allowed for Easter Sunday to be fixed on the first Sunday after the second Saturday in April. However, this has never been activated and Easter has remained variable, determined by the moon's cycle. Easter is the most important Christian festival, as it celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ following his death by crucifixion on Good Friday. The archbishop said he was in talks with Pope Francis, Coptic leader Pope Tawadros, and the leader of the Orthodox church Patriarch Bartholomew. Mr Welby said he hoped the change would happen "in between five and 10 years time". "I would love to see it before I retired", he said, although he warned the first attempt to make such a change was in the 10th Century. An Anglican source told the BBC there had been 15 attempts to agree a common date since then. Easter is on the first Sunday after the first ecclesiastical full moon following the spring equinox, meaning it can be celebrated on a Sunday between 22 March and 25 April. But the Orthodox church follows the Julian calendar, hence has later Easter celebrations compared with those of Western Christianity. In 1990, the Vatican approved a proposal for a fixed date, which was subject to agreement with other Christian churches and governments. It has not yet been reached.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is working with other Christian churches to agree on a fixed date for Easter.

The move is part of a major schools modernisation project in the town. Dumfries and Galloway Council has launched an online survey to assess what issues need to be addressed. A public consultation is also taking place at the Oasis Youth Centre on Tuesday which will show some suggested routes around a new educational hub being constructed known as The Bridge.

A bid to encourage walking and cycling around Dumfries is seeking public feedback on current provision.

The petition.parliament.uk site is designed to help people get issues on the political agenda and open up a "new dialogue" with MPs and ministers. E-petitions will initially be considered by a cross-party committee of MPs chaired by Labour's Helen Jones. The first e-petition tabled called for increased taxes on foreigners buying UK property worth more than £3.5m. Under the previous system, petitions were directed to government departments rather than MPs, with 10,000 signatures required for an official response and 100,000 needed for a petition to be considered for a debate in Parliament. More than 40 petitions passed the 100,000 signature threshold during the last Parliament. A number of them were subsequently debated in Parliament although critics say not enough of them were given parliamentary airtime. The thresholds for a petition getting a response or being considered for a debate have not changed in the revamp of the old website which launched in 2011. The new site will be jointly run by the House of Commons and the government. The Petitions Committee, made up of 11 MPs from different parties, said it would enable every British citizen and UK resident to start or a sign a petition electronically. The committee, whose creation was recommended in a report by MPs last December, said its role was to liaise with petitioners, seek information from government about issues raised and, in some cases, refer petitions to specialist parliamentary committees. "First and foremost, it is an easy way for people to let MPs and ministers know they care about," Ms Jones said. "What's more, it gives us a chance to open up a new dialogue between the public and Parliament. I very much hope that the petitions committee will be able to bring forward issues that wouldn't otherwise have been debated or investigated in Parliament. "For the most pressing petitions, we will be able to schedule debates...It is an exciting step for Parliament and a visible demonstration of its commitment to improving public engagement with what goes on here." Deputy Commons leader Therese Coffey said the new website would further improve public engagement with politics.

Members of the public can once again digitally petition MPs on issues with the launch of a new website.

Patrick McGinley, 46, and his son William McGinley, 27, of Lisfarrell, Edgeworthstown, County Longford are accused of murdering Bernard McGinley. He was shot dead outside a wedding in Newtownbutler in February. The two men are to be released on conditions including a £50,000 cash surety and daily reports to police. The court was told the weapon used in the shooting in February 2015 has not been recovered

The Public Prosecution Service has lost an appeal against the granting of bail for two men charged with murdering a relative at a wedding in Fermanagh.

Bournemouth's 3-2 win over Swansea on Saturday leaves them 13 points clear of the Premier League drop zone. And the club's third successive league win has helped wipe away any relegation fears from the supporters. "Everyone around us [thinks we are safe] and the fans I heard are singing 'we are staying up'," said King. "But our mentality will not see us take the foot off the gas and relax now," he told BBC Radio Solent. "We do not stop just because everybody from the outside thinks we are safe." The 24-year-old scored his second goal in as many matches against Swansea to take his tally to five for the season. King, who joined the Cherries after leaving Blackburn in the summer, admits he is beginning to feel at home thanks to Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe. "The last few months have been amazing and I have learnt a lot from the manager," continued King. "It's not been easy moving house, moving friends and everything. "I was used to being in one place - in Manchester for seven years - but I am loving life and football at the moment, things are going well for me and especially for the club."

Bournemouth striker Joshua King insists the Cherries will not lose focus on the rest of the season after their priceless win over Swansea City.

Media playback is not supported on this device Jack Duggan's late winner secured a 1-0 victory on Tuesday and set up a third-round tie at Wycombe in January. Stourbridge had gone out in round two in three of the previous five seasons. "This has got to be the biggest (achievement) beating a League One side at home," Hackett told BBC WM 95.6. "This is what the FA Cup is about." Hackett, who has been in charge of his home-town club since 2004, continued: "I thought we were outstanding. We certainly didn't get lucky, we were the better team. "It's one of those special nights and it's a great occasion for everybody connected with the football club. "Everybody connected with this football club are heroes. I spoke to a gentleman who comes on the coach every week and never misses a game home or away - I told him 'these nights are for you'. "Hugh (Clark, Stourbridge president) has been here 50 years and experienced some tough times at this football club, so he gets rewarded. We all do." Northampton, who are 13th in League One, started the match four divisions and 89 league places above Stourbridge - who began the day eighth in the Northern Premier League - in the English football pyramid. Manager Rob Page told BBC Radio Northampton: "The better team won and that hurts me to say that, but credit's got to go to them. "It's a hard one to take and I'm embarrassed at the minute. We'll take any criticism we get and we deserve every bit we get for this." The former Wales international defender added: "I apologise for that performance, I didn't expect that at all. Stourbridge deserved their victory, we congratulate them and wish them all the best, but we're all hurting."

Manager Gary Hackett said Stourbridge were "outstanding" in their shock FA Cup second-round defeat of League One Northampton as the seventh-tier side reached round three for the first time.

Saturday's flyby swept the probe into an orbit that takes it in between the planet's rings and its atmosphere. This gap-run gives the satellite the chance finally to work out the length of a day on Saturn, and to determine the age of its stunning rings. But the manoeuvre means also that it cannot escape a fiery plunge into Saturn's clouds in September. The US space agency (Nasa) is calling an end to 12 years of exploration and discovery at Saturn because the probe's propellant tanks are all but empty. Controllers cannot risk an unresponsive satellite one day crashing into - and contaminating - the gas giant's potentially life-supporting moons, and so they have opted for a strategy that guarantees safe disposal. "If Cassini runs out of fuel it would be uncontrolled and the possibility that it could crash-land on the moons of Titan and/or Enceladus are unacceptably high," said Dr Earl Maize, Nasa's Cassini programme manager. "We could put it into a very long orbit far from Saturn but the science return from that would be nowhere near as good as what we're about to do," he told BBC News. Cassini has routinely used the strong gravitational field of Titan to adjust its trajectory. In the years that it has been studying the Saturnian system, the probe has flown by the haze-shrouded world on 126 occasions - each time getting a kick that bends it towards a new region of interest. And on Saturday, Cassini pulled on the gravitational "elastic band" one last time, to shift from an orbit that grazes the outer edge of Saturn's main ring system to a flight path that skims the inner edge and puts it less than 3,000km above the planet's cloud tops. The probe will make the first of these gap runs next Wednesday, repeating the dive every six and a half days through to its death plunge, scheduled to occur at about 10:45 GMT on 15 September. Scientists used Saturday's pass of Titan to make some final close-up observations of the moon. This extraordinary world is dominated at northern latitudes by great lakes and seas of liquid methane. Cassini's radar was commanded once again to scan their depths and look for what have become known as "magic islands" - locations where nitrogen gas bubbles up from below to produce a transient bumpiness on the liquid surfaces. This is a bitter-sweet moment for scientists. Titan has yielded so many discoveries, and although the probe will continue to encounter the moon in the coming months, it will never again get so close - less than 1,000km from ground level. On the other hand, researchers have the prospect now of at last answering some thorny questions at Saturn itself. These include the length of a day on the planet. Cassini so far has not been able to determine precisely the gas giant's internal rotation period. From the close-in vantage afforded by the new orbit, this detail should become apparent. "We sort of know; it's about 10.5 hours," said Prof Michele Dougherty, the Cassini magnetometer principal investigator from Imperial College, London, UK. "Depending on whether you're looking in the northern hemisphere or the southern hemisphere - it changes. And depending on whether you're looking in the summer or winter seasons - it changes as well. "So, there's clearly some atmospheric signal which we're measuring that's linked to weather and the seasons that's masking the interior of the planet," she told the BBC. The other major outstanding question is the age of Saturn's rings. By getting inside them, Cassini will be able to weigh the great bands of ice particles. "If the rings are a lot more massive than we expect, perhaps they're old - as old as Saturn itself; and they've been massive enough to survive the micrometeoroid bombardment and erosion and leave us with the rings we see today," conjectured Nasa project scientist Dr Linda Spilker. "On the other hand, if the rings are less massive - they're very young, maybe forming as little as 100 million years ago. "Maybe a comet or a moon got too close, got torn apart by Saturn's gravity and that's how we have the rings we see today." Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos

Cassini has used a gravitational slingshot around Saturn's moon Titan to put it on a path towards destruction.

18 January 2016 Last updated at 20:09 GMT Ben Frost, 27, barricaded himself into his girlfriend's flat in Princetown on Dartmoor on 18 January. He was arrested two hours after breaking through the roof, Plymouth magistrates heard. Unemployed Frost of no fixed address admitted two charges of causing criminal damage and two of threatening behaviour.

A man who sparked a drug-fuelled roof-top siege after breaking up with his partner has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Many Sephardic Jews were killed, forced to convert to Christianity or leave at the end of the 15th Century. Parliament paved the way for a change in citizenship laws two years ago, but the move needed Cabinet approval. From now on, descendants of Sephardic Jews who can prove a strong link to Portugal can apply for a passport. Proof can be brought, the government says, through a combination of surname, language spoken in the family or evidence of direct descent. Thousands of Sephardic Jews were forced off the Iberian peninsula, first from Spain and then from Portugal. Some of those who fled to other parts of Europe or to America continued to speak a form of Portuguese in their new communities. The Portuguese government acknowledges that Jews lived in the region long before the Portuguese kingdom was founded in the 12th Century. "There is no possibility to amend what was done," says Portuguese Justice Minister Paula Teixera da Cruz, adding that the law change was "an attribution of a right". Portugal's Jewish community which once numbered in the tens of thousands has shrunk to just 1,000 - most of them Ashkenazim with roots in Eastern Europe. Neighbouring Spain is still debating a similar law to address its treatment of Jews in the past.

The Portuguese Cabinet has approved rules under which descendants of Jews expelled from Portugal more than 500 years ago can claim citizenship.

Worst affected is the Abruzzo region, still recovering from a 2009 quake, while towns hit in Marche and Lazio last year are also badly affected. More than 300,000 people are without power in Abruzzo and traffic has been disrupted in the Marche quake zone. Three deaths across Italy have been attributed to freezing weather. A man of 67 was found dead in the street in Ceglie Messapica, Puglia, and a homeless man of 53 was found dead in a square in Canicatti, Sicily. A man aged 67 died in Giulianova, Abruzzo, after falling from a boat into icy water. Fabrizio Curcio, head of the country's Civil Defence Department, told Italian radio the harsh weather was expected to last until Thursday night at the earliest. The temperature in Amatrice, Lazio, where 236 people were killed by the earthquake on 24 August, and Arquata del Tronto, Marche, where 46 died, is set to fall as low as -6C on Tuesday night, with more snow forecast. That quake left several thousand people homeless, while a further tremor on 30 October put 30,000 out of their homes. Up to 1.3 metres (4.3ft) of snow is lying on the ground in Marche, where some 20,000 people were without power on Tuesday, the regional authorities said. Camps for people made homeless by the quakes in Marche region are now closed with most people moved to hotels along the Adriatic coast or into secure houses, flats or container homes, the press office told the BBC on Tuesday. Meanwhile, buildings made fragile by the tremors are under renewed pressure from the weight of the snow. Notwithstanding the bad weather, the fire service has been continuing its earthquake recovery work in Norcia, Umbria, another town badly damaged by tremors. The cold snap continues to affect other parts of Southern Europe. Snow fell in Spain's Balearic islands as well as the east coast city of Valencia. Weather forecasters said temperatures in the Pyrenees mountains in northern Spain could fall as low as -30C.

Central Italy is in the grip of heavy snowfall and very low temperatures, adding to the disruption caused by recent huge earthquakes.

The shelter - in a hollow left behind by a fallen tree - at Blick Mead was used over a 90-year period from 4336 BC, it is believed. Archaeologist David Jacques, said: "They... used the stump of the tree, about three metres high, as a wall." The finds are being shown to United Nations heritage experts, who are currently visiting Stonehenge. Archaeologists are concerned a planned 2.9km tunnel being considered for the nearby A303 main road will damage the site. Discoveries have also shown stones were warmed up by the Mesolithic Period inhabitants and used in a hearth to emit heat in the earthy snug. Mr Jacques, a senior research fellow at the University of Buckingham, has worked at Blick Mead for over a decade, making a number of discoveries about the inhabitants. The tree stump created a wall height similar to a "modern bungalow". "They've draped probably animal skins or thatch around the basin and connected it to a post so it's a very comfortable snug little place," he said. The wooden wall of the hollow was lined with flints and the large earthy pit created by the tree root lined with cobbles and decorated with "exotic" stones from outside the area. "There are some clever and sophisticated things going on, the hot stones that they put into this little type of alcove wouldn't have been on fire," explained Mr Jacques. "It looks more like these people have been using these hot stones as a type of storage heater so that you've got a lot of warmth coming off them." Mr Jacques will meet the UN experts later to ask for the route to be moved closer to Salisbury and for hydrological assessments to be made. "It's very likely the water flow would be reduced in and around the site," he said. "It would take out all the organics and destroy all the animal bone we've been finding which is crucial for finding where they have been living and for getting radiocarbon dates from all the organics like pollen and wood. "This is massively important for reconstructing what the landscape would have looked like." Andy Rhind-Tutt, former mayor and chairman of Amesbury Museum and Heritage Trust said: "I sincerely hope the team delivering the long-awaited A303 improvement look seriously at an alternative alignment south of Salisbury and away from this unequalled archaeological landscape. "It would be criminal to destroy such a rich heritage and connection with our ancestors for the sake of blocking the view to the passing public of Stonehenge."

A 6,000-year-old "eco-home" has been discovered close to Stonehenge, archaeologists have revealed.

27 January 2015 Last updated at 14:30 GMT They show that the asteroid has its own small moon orbiting it. The asteroid passed by the Earth at a safe distance of 1.2 million km, giving scientists a rare chance to study it 'up close'. The new data shows that asteroid 2004 BL86 is about 325m across, and its moon is around 70m wide. Now that it has passed Earth the asteroid will continue on its orbit around the Sun, and it won't come this close again for another 200 years! The next 'close shave' of a large asteroid is due in 2027: that object is called 1999 AN10 and is just over 1km wide.

New pictures of asteroid 2004 BL86, which passed close by Earth yesterday, have been released by US space agency Nasa.

Families with one parent with a taxable income of more than £50,000 will lose some of the benefit, and it will be withdrawn entirely if one parent earns above £60,000. The government hopes to save £1.5bn a year to help reduce the deficit. David Cameron described the move as "fundamentally fair" but Labour said it was a "huge assault" on families. Defending the policy, the prime minister said: "I'm not saying those people are rich, but I think it is right that they make a contribution. "If we don't raise that... from that group of people - the better off 15% in the country - we would have to find someone else to take it from." Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said the government should tax the richest, rather than make changes that affect those on middle incomes, and described the changes as a "complete shambles". The change comes the day before a key Commons debate over the welfare system, when MPs discuss plans to break the link between benefit rises and inflation. Chancellor George Osborne has proposed a cap of 1% - which is below the expected rise in the cost of living - on increases in most working-age benefits, such as Jobseeker's Allowance and maternity pay, and tax credits for three years from 2013-14. Child benefit, housing benefit and universal credit will be capped for two years from 2014-15. All these changes will affect millions of people. More than 250,000 high earners have already opted out of receiving child benefit but several hundred thousand others who missed a deadline to declare they will no longer qualify will now have to fill in self-assessment tax forms. Campaigners say this has created complexity in the system. They have also pointed to the fact that a family where two parents work and both earn £49,000 a year will keep their benefits, while a family with a single earner on £51,000 - where the other parent may have chosen to stay at home in a caring role - will lose part of theirs. Child benefit is paid at the rate of £20.30 a week for the first child, and then £13.40 a week for each child after that. It lasts until each child reaches 16, or 18 if they are still in full-time education, and in some cases until they are 20. More than a million people are set to be affected by the cut, with the Institute of Fiscal Studies estimating that they would lose an average of £1,300 a year. Any child benefit paid to high-earners who have failed to opt out will be clawed back through the High Income Child Benefit Charge, administered by HM Revenue and Customs. If somebody earning more than £50,000 or their partner keeps claiming child benefit, then the higher earner will have to admit this in a self-assessment tax form. The IFS estimates that 500,000 extra people might have to fill in these forms as a result of the change. They will need to register for self-assessment, if they have not already, by 5 October or face a fine. A Treasury spokesman said: "Withdrawing child benefit on the basis of the combined family income would require intrusive means-testing of all eight million households getting child benefit. The way we are doing it is simpler for the vast majority of families." But the stance has not been welcomed by many people who would be affected. Paul, from West Sussex, who has a six-year-old son was one of a number of people who reportedly failed to receive a letter from HMRC explaining the options for higher earners on what to do. He told the BBC: "My salary goes up and down, but we will continue to claim it. But my tax affairs are very simple so the one thing I don't really want to do is the self-assessment thing." The deadline has now expired for higher earners to opt out of receiving child benefit. They will still be able to do so, but may still face a tax charge for the time still in the system since 7 January. The latest official figures from HM Revenue and Customs show that 191,873 people have opted out of receiving child benefit - mostly because they know they will consistently earn more than £60,000 a year, or earn over £50,000 and do not want to be pulled into the self-assessment system. That figure was expected to rise above 250,000 over the weekend. These figures will be confirmed later.

More than a million better-off families will lose some or all of their child benefit, under rules now in force.

Exeter Chiefs boss Rob Baxter also says a "sacking culture" comparable to football is creeping into rugby union. Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill became the third boss sacked in eight months on Monday, while five left in five years before 2016. "It appears that coaches are a lot more vulnerable than they had been," said RCA founder and director Richard Moon. Moon, a former Harlequins scrum-half and Rugby Football Union committee member who established the forerunner to the Rugby Players' Association, said one of the main reasons for setting up the RCA in 2012 was to prevent a "football-like" situation from developing. But, when asked whether rugby union was heading towards a hire-and-fire approach, Baxter told BBC Spotlight: "The facts state that it is." The 45-year-old, who has been in charge of the club since 2009 when they were in the second tier, said job security for directors of rugby and coaches will "unfortunately be driven by the professional game, the need to stay in the Premiership or be successful in the Premiership". Cockerill was the second director of rugby sacked this season after Andy Robinson at Bristol, with Mike Ford leaving Bath as head coach last term - just 12 months after being named Premiership coach of the year and having only recently been linked with the England job. Moon said the timing of recent departures was more damning than the increase in sackings themselves. "There have been more - but ever more interestingly it's when they are happening," said Moon. "They are tending, more recently, to happen during a season rather than at the end of a season. "As an association we are keeping an eye on these developments. More and more, if coaches are not given a reasonable and realistic chance to get to where they want to be in a season, short-termism is of real concern." Cockerill was sacked 12 games into the campaign with Leicester fifth in the table, just five points adrift of Bath in fourth spot, and having led Tigers to semi-finals in both the Premiership and European Champions Cup only last season. In his eight years in charge, Leicester never failed to reach the Premiership play-offs - winning three titles and finishing runners-up twice. Robinson, the former England and Scotland head coach, was sacked by Bristol 10 games into the Premiership season, after guiding them back to the top flight following a seven-year absence last May. "There is more short-termism because rugby is big business now," added Moon. "There is more expectation on rugby coaches, certainly in the Premiership, to deliver - and if they are not delivering in a short time frame it would seem that owners are being more proactive than they have been in the past. "Coaches seem to be judged on short-term goals and results. Are they judged a bit like football managers in their first two or three games? Or do you get to Christmas, Easter or the Premiership play-offs? That time period is getting smaller and smaller." Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond admits his job is under scrutiny at the AJ Bell Stadium - with Sharks on an eight-match losing run - but he denies the turnover of coaches can be compared to football. "Are we under pressure? Definitely, we need to get some results," Diamond told BBC Radio Manchester. "But we know what we are doing and there is no-one better to get us out of the hole we are in than me." When asked if he thought recent sackings were reactionary, Diamond said: "No, not really. Each club is run differently and every club has different pressures." Tigers, English rugby's most successful club with 10 domestic titles, last won silverware in 2013, beating Northampton Saints in the last of nine straight Premiership final appearances. Leicester lock Ed Slater said the recent spate of sackings were "what you guys want to write about" when questioned by BBC Radio Leicester on the subject. "Cockers had been here for a long time," he said. "We haven't been to a Premiership final for three years now and at a club like Leicester we are aware of expectations and he ultimately paid the price - we know we want to win silverware and are expected to win silverware. "Four years without something is a long spell." Exeter boss Baxter said the growing popularity of Premiership rugby and increased riches in the game is where the pressure comes from. "The demands of crowds and rugby clubs and the money that is starting to come into the game through TV, a lot of these things are very positive - we work very hard to build our supporter base and a product that people want to buy. "Unfortunately, one of the repercussions of that is that people become more demanding. Sometimes, rightly or wrongly, in pursuit of success - or what is deemed to be success - someone pays the price. "The fact the Premiership is so competitive is something people should cherish and not be too afraid of. That is the balance you would like to think most clubs would come to. "You understand that a season will tilt with one or two injuries or one or two results. Having the strength to see that through is hopefully what we will get back to in rugby and we won't see a cascade of sackings. "Some sackings and some changes of management happen for reasons outside of rugby results and those always happen - but when purely based on results people need a little more understanding." Moon says he spoke to Richard Bevan, chief executive of football's League Managers' Association (LMA), when forming the RCA and believes rugby coaches face some harsher realities than their football counterparts. "Unlike football, there is not enough professional or semi-professional clubs out there to realistically believe that if you lose your job you will walk into another one at the same level immediately. It is very rare," said Moon. "It is important that coaches get the right level of support and backing that their day job deserves. "Richard was incredibly helpful when we identified this idea. They are a juggernaut of an organisation that have been going for a long time and they do invaluable work. "We are some way behind that in the rugby world." Chris Jones, BBC Radio 5 live rugby union reporter "It is not necessarily a case that suddenly rugby union has adopted a different culture compared to before, but perhaps there are changes as a result of the competitiveness of the Premiership - influenced by the greater central revenues from Rugby Football Union and TV money - coupled with the new private investment at some clubs. "There are probably seven or eight clubs who truly feel they should occupy the top four - or be even better off - in the Premiership. "These clubs include Saracens, Wasps, Exeter, Bath, Leicester, Northampton, Harlequins, Gloucester, while Sale are a club that firmly considers themselves to be a top-six side. In saying that, Bristol, Worcester and Newcastle are all highly ambitious as well. "Wasps and Sale have been boosted by fairly recent private investment, while Gloucester are on the verge of a takeover. Bristol have a billionaire owner too. These are people who all want success, while the traditional powerhouses such as Leicester, Northampton and Harlequins also demand results. "No club is content with its status quo - maybe apart from European and Premiership champions Saracens - and with high expectations from fans and in the boardrooms, comes pressure on coaches - and sackings."

The recent spike in Premiership sackings shows a "worrying trend", says the Rugby Coaches Association (RCA).

Gaby Scanlon, of Heysham, Lancashire, was served the Nitro-Jagermeister while celebrating her 18th birthday in 2012. Oscar's Wine Bar in Lancaster previously admitted health and safety failings, at Preston Crown Court. The court heard Ms Scanlon was left close to death after drinking the £3.95 shot. She was taken to Lancaster Royal Infirmary, where a CT scan found a large perforation in her stomach. Ms Scanlon, now 20, spent three weeks in hospital, undergoing surgery to remove her stomach and connect her oesophagus directly to her small bowel. Her solicitors told the court the experience, on 4 October 2012, had "completed changed" her life. She now suffers from "episodes of agonising pain", has to avoid some foods and can no longer enjoy eating, they said. Describing the moment she drank the shot, Ms Scanlon told the court: "I turned to the man and asked if it was okay to drink. He said 'Yes'. "Smoke was coming from my nose and mouth. Straight away I knew something was not right. My stomach expanded." Oscar's Wine Bar Ltd, registered in Swinton, South Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to one count of failing in the duty of an employer to ensure the safety of persons not in its employment, admitting it failed to ensure the shot cocktail was safe for consumption. No risk assessment was carried out regarding the potential dangers of the drinks. The firm's director Andrew Dunn, of Old Earswick, York, pleaded not guilty to his part in the company's failings. The prosecution said it would offer no evidence against him if he made a £20,000 contribution to the court costs prior to sentencing. A spokesman for Lancaster City Council said: "We took the view that in the public interest it was not necessary to prosecute Mr Dunn, taking into account the interests of the family." Passing sentence, Judge Pamela Badley said the bar's actions "fell very far short of standards". Liquid nitrogen was present in the Nitro-Jagermeister shot to create a cloud of smoke in the glass. While such drinks are not illegal, physicists say the liquid must completely evaporate before the drink is safe for consumption. The court heard the bar had sold a range of cocktails using the chemical after Mr Dunn saw similar drinks in the Berkeley Hotel in London. He was said to have found them "alluring and intrigued by the dramatic effect". But senior health and safety officer Peter Lord, who visited the bar in May 2012, said he had concerns about the drinks and sent a letter with guidance on liquid nitrogen usage, which was met with no response. The family-run bar's barrister Kevin McLoughlin said the family had been left "mortified" and apologised to Miss Scanlon and her family for the "errors and misjudgements that were made". He said: "The company and the family are truly sorry. At no time did they see anything warning them of the risks of ingestion. "The essence of this calamity was the ignorance on the part of the company."

A wine bar has been fined £100,000 after a woman drank a cocktail containing liquid nitrogen and had to have her stomach removed.

It was the fourth time in a week a device - believed to be a World War Two munition - had been found in the city. Roads around Matilda Street were sealed off at about 10:30 BST and traffic was diverted as police liaised with a military bomb disposal team. The area was declared safe by South Yorkshire Police about four hours later. Three devices were uncovered in the same area last Wednesday and a temporary cordon was put in place. More on this and other stories from across South Yorkshire

Several streets in Sheffield were closed after an unexploded bomb was found during building work.

The so-called Islamic State group (IS) has said it carried out the attacks. The group has established a presence in Yemen since a civil war broke out there and has carried out numerous attacks. It is opposed to the government and Shia Houthi rebels who have seized much of the country, including the capital Sanaa. The attacks come on the eve of the first anniversary of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition against the rebels. Both civilians and military personnel were killed by the blasts, officials said. Dozens of others were wounded. Two of the bombings hit checkpoints next to a base used by the coalition, they said. Gunmen then tried to attack the place. The third explosion happened when an ambulance laden with explosives was detonated next to a military checkpoint. No end in sight to war in Yemen Practising medicine under fire in Yemen The war the world forgot? Yemen's humanitarian catastrophe Who is fighting whom? Meeting the Houthis and their enemies Aden was recaptured by government troops backed by the Saudi-led coalition last year. The campaign was launched in March 2015 in an attempt to oust the rebels from Sanaa and restore Yemen's government. Riyadh says the Houthis, who are allied with forces linked to the former president, are supported militarily by its regional rival Iran, something it denies. Since the offensive started, more than 6,200 people have been killed, half of them civilians, according to the UN. The war has left Yemen fragmented and facing a humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, IS and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have exploited the conflict to expand the territory under their control.

At least 22 people have been killed by three suicide bombings in checkpoints in the southern Yemeni city of Aden, officials say.

The magnitude-7.3 quake hit at a depth of 10km (six miles) at 01:25 on Saturday (15:25 GMT on Friday) in Kyushu region. At least three people died and hundreds were injured. A village has been evacuated after a dam collapsed, media reports say. A tsunami warning was issued, and lifted some 50 minutes later. Japan is regularly hit by earthquakes but stringent building codes mean that they rarely cause significant damage. This new earthquake in Kyushu was much bigger and hit a wider area than the one that struck Kumamoto on Thursday night, says the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo. In one town near the coast, the city hall has been so badly damaged there are fears it could collapse. A hospital has been evacuated because it is no longer safe. Thousands of people have fled on to the streets and into parks - where they are huddled under blankets looking dazed and afraid, our correspondent says. But there are numerous reports of people trapped inside buildings, including at least 60 inside an old people's home. Public broadcaster NHK says the dam collapsed in the Nishihara village. Television pictures showed thousands of people filling streets and parks, looking dazed across the region. NHK had warned of sea waves of up to 1m (3ft). Japan's nuclear authority said the Sendai nuclear plant was not damaged. The quake was originally assessed as magnitude 7.1 but revised upwards to 7.3 later. Gavin Hayes, a research geophysicist with the US Geological Survey (USGS) in Colorado, told the BBC that the latest earthquake would hamper the earlier rescue operation that was already under way. He said more damage could be expected as the earthquake had been shallower and the fault-line had been much longer. "The ground surface would have moved in the region of 4-5m. So, you are talking very intense shaking over quite a large area. And that's why we'll probably see a significant impact from this event." The Associated Press news agency said guests at the Ark Hotel near the Kumamoto Castle, which was damaged, woke up and gathered in the lobby for safety. Thursday's magnitude-6.2 quake caused shaking at some places as intense as the huge earthquake that hit the country in 2011, Japan's seismology office said. That quake sparked a huge tsunami and nuclear meltdown at a power plant in Fukushima. Most of those who died in Thursday's quake were in the town of Mashiki where an apartment building collapsed and many houses were damaged. More than 1,000 people were injured. Some 40,000 people had initially fled their homes, with many of those closest to the epicentre spending the night outside, as more than 130 aftershocks had hit the area. Japan is one of the most seismically active areas on Earth, accounting for about 20% of global quakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater. Seismometers are recording some kind of event every five minutes, on average. It is through bitter experience that Japan has learnt the strategies to mitigate damage, injury and death. Not only does it implement some the best building construction practices but it has also established an early warning network. This system relies on the lightning analysis of the developing quake, establishing its location and strength. Alerts are then broadcast that can give people more distant from the epicentre vital seconds' notice. Just 10 seconds is more than sufficient to drop and get under a sturdy table or open the doors of a fire station. The prospect of buildings already damaged in Thursday's quake toppling over in this latest tremor will be a concern.

A more powerful earthquake has rocked the southern Japanese city of Kumamoto in the middle of the night, a day after an earlier tremor killed nine people.

The Canadian, 28, was picked as the Devils' forward of the year in 2016-17 after scoring 24 goals and 29 assists in 66 games. Haddad was a dominant force last season, playing the role of a power forward as Devils won the Elite League. "Joey Haddad was outstanding for us last season," said Devils player-coach Andrew Lord. "There were a number of games that he completely took over or broke open a game for us and that is what makes fans love him so much. "He is a big body and dominates in the corners and is tough to play against. "There were a number of teams that wanted him to make a move but he loves it here and I don't really think he entertained any other offers." Haddad will also be a vital part of Devils' Champions Hockey League campaign, with the Welsh side drawn in Group E against HC Davos from Switzerland, Bili Tygri Liberec of the Czech Republic and Sweden's Vaxjo Lakers.

Cardiff Devils attacker Joey Haddad has re-signed for a fourth season with the Elite League champions.

They were made 110 years ago by the Wall family who lived in New Southgate in North London. There are 24 clear recordings on wax cylinders which were made using a phonograph machine between 1902 and 1917. Music curators say the sound quality of the music recorded is outstanding. The recordings were found at the former home of David Brown, Cromwell Wall's grandson, in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire and donated to St Neot's Museum. It was then discovered that the recordings were made in London. Cromwell Wall's great-great grandchildren, Layla and Zac Jordan, from Sandy in Bedfordshire, heard the recordings for the first time when they visited the Museum of London. Cromwell and Minnie Wall had nine children, eight of whom appear on the recordings. All the recordings are bursting with vibrancy and life, according to Julia Hoffbrand who is the curator at the Museum of London who helped restore the recordings. "When I first heard the recordings the hairs on my arms stood on end," she said. "It was fantastic. We had an idea of what was on the recordings because Cromwell had written very full descriptions on the cylinder boxes but it was really like a window opening into the past. It was like being in the same room as the family and their friends". Many of the recordings were made at family gatherings over Christmas and New Year. Cromwell Wall, who made the recordings, wheeled the phonograph along the streets in his children's pram in order to record the sound of Old Southgate Church bells pealing out New Year. Some of the later recordings were made during WWI when three of the sons, who feature in earlier recordings were away at war. One son, Oliver, died of pneumonia in a French hospital three weeks before peace was declared. The recordings were restored this summer and many of the relatives heard them for the first time in October. It brought back some great memories for Oliver Wall, one of Cromwell's grandchildren. "It was a wonderful atmosphere. I remember the occasions always at Christmas and we always had big parties and singing round the piano with grandpa playing and he used to take us marching upstairs and all over the big house they had." His cousin Daphne reminisces how their grandfather used to dress up as Father Christmas. "There was a great deal of excitement," she said. "It was fun!" It is very unusual for recordings on wax phonograph cylinders to survive for so long. Phonographs were introduced for use in offices as dictating machines and so it is extremely rare for them to be used to record domestic sounds and occasions. "We were thrilled," says Julia Hoffbrand. "Phonographs and cylinders were expensive so you had to have a certain level of income to record and a level of skill and care to make recordings and to take care of the cylinders." The cylinders themselves are similar to old fashioned vinyl records in that the phonograph would make indentations into the cylinder which could then be replayed. Bill Lowry, digital collections manager at the Museum was among those who helped restore the cylinders. "We tried to reduce any noise by cleaning the cylinder first with a fine brush that can get in between the groove and once we had the best playback from the cylinder we then digitally cleaned them up." Follow Pallab on Twitter

Curators at the Museum of London have discovered what they believe to be the first ever recordings of a family Christmas.

The 21-year-old joined Tigers on loan in February, making five appearances, and is one of four uncapped players in the England squad for the summer Tests. Genge made his senior debut for Bristol in the 2013-14 British and Irish Cup, and scored six tries in 26 appearances. "Ellis has made a big impression in his time on loan with us," said Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill. "He is a great young prospect and he seems to have found his home at Leicester in his time on loan with us. "We hope he continues to build on that first impression and we look forward to seeing his development here." Genge is in the England squad both for Saturday's Test at home to Wales and the June tour of Australia.

Leicester Tigers have signed new England loose-head prop Ellis Genge from newly-promoted Bristol.

A close-range Joseph Mendes finish put the Royals ahead and Jordan Obita's intended cross doubled the lead. With chances coming at both ends, Michael Kightly and Ben Turner went close for the Brewers but Yann Kermorgant's strike made it 3-0. Turner and Cauley Woodrow replied but Lewis Grabban sealed Reading's win. Turner's tap-in and Woodrow's header from Will Miller's cross looked like teeing up a nervy finale, but substitute Grabban netted following a goalmouth scramble with five minutes left. The Royals will face sixth-placed Fulham in the two-legged play-off semi-finals, with the first leg at Craven Cottage on Saturday, 13 May and the return fixture on Tuesday, 16 May. Burton, who had already secured their Championship status, dropped to 20th in the table, one point above the relegation zone. Burton boss Nigel Clough: "I thought we deserved more than a defeat from the game. We played well throughout the game. The first goal was messy and a bit scrappy early on but the second goal was as good as you will see all season. "With all the other results going the way that they did today it just goes to show how massively important that point was for us at Barnsley a week ago. "They were a bit more clinical than us today. That is why they are third in the league and may be in the Premier League in a few weeks' time." Reading manager Jaap Stam: "It is always nicer when you can go into the play-offs with a win. We are very happy. "It is going to be two very interesting games against Fulham now. They are a very good side but so are we. "Burton made us work hard for it. We knew that with it being their last home game they wanted a result and they made it difficult for us. I thought we scored four very good goals today to win the game." Match ends, Burton Albion 2, Reading 4. Second Half ends, Burton Albion 2, Reading 4. Attempt missed. Cauley Woodrow (Burton Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick. Hand ball by George Evans (Reading). Foul by Luke Varney (Burton Albion). Liam Moore (Reading) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt blocked. Cauley Woodrow (Burton Albion) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Attempt blocked. Marvin Sordell (Burton Albion) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt blocked. Luke Varney (Burton Albion) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is blocked. Attempt saved. Cauley Woodrow (Burton Albion) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jackson Irvine with a through ball. Foul by John Brayford (Burton Albion). Danny Williams (Reading) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt saved. Yann Kermorgant (Reading) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Attempt saved. Danny Williams (Reading) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Chris Gunter with a cross. Attempt blocked. Lewis Grabban (Reading) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Liam Kelly. Foul by Luke Varney (Burton Albion). Tiago Ilori (Reading) wins a free kick on the right wing. Attempt missed. Marvin Sordell (Burton Albion) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Goal! Burton Albion 2, Reading 4. Lewis Grabban (Reading) right footed shot from very close range to the top right corner following a corner. Attempt saved. George Evans (Reading) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Attempt missed. Liam Kelly (Reading) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left following a corner. Yann Kermorgant (Reading) hits the bar with a header from the right side of the six yard box. Assisted by Jordan Obita with a cross following a corner. Corner, Reading. Conceded by Joe Sbarra. John Brayford (Burton Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Yann Kermorgant (Reading). Jackson Irvine (Burton Albion) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by George Evans (Reading). Cauley Woodrow (Burton Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Joey van den Berg (Reading). Attempt blocked. Yann Kermorgant (Reading) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Liam Kelly with a cross. Corner, Reading. Conceded by Ben Turner. Substitution, Burton Albion. Luke Varney replaces Will Miller. Jackson Irvine (Burton Albion) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Jackson Irvine (Burton Albion). Liam Kelly (Reading) wins a free kick on the right wing. Substitution, Reading. Danny Williams replaces Roy Beerens. Goal! Burton Albion 2, Reading 3. Cauley Woodrow (Burton Albion) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Joe Sbarra. Goal! Burton Albion 1, Reading 3. Ben Turner (Burton Albion) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Lloyd Dyer following a corner. Corner, Burton Albion. Conceded by Ali Al Habsi. Substitution, Burton Albion. Joe Sbarra replaces Luke Murphy.

Reading withstood a Burton Albion comeback to secure third place in the Championship with a thrilling final-day victory at the Pirelli Stadium.

Mostly they land upright with a reassuring thud on the crash mats. There are dozens of children taking part. Kirkcaldy gymnastics club is noisy and life-affirming. It's a strange place to find a dying man. Gordon Aikman has motor neurone disease (MND). He was diagnosed at 29. This cruel condition is shutting down his body. There's neither a cure nor an effective treatment. But Gordon refuses to give in without a fight. He's raising money for research and campaigning for better patient care. His old gymnastics club is donating £700. Gordon competed for and coached at Kirkcaldy. It's January 2015 - seven months after doctors gave him the devastating diagnosis. He can still walk with a crutch and he drove himself here from Edinburgh. But his days as a gymnast are behind him. "It's difficult" he says. "I've looked back at pictures of me doing handstands and cartwheels and I love exercise and sport. "And I still dream of being able to run but I can barely walk, so it's a dream I'm not going to realise again." Throughout 2015, Gordon's physical condition deteriorates. He has to give up driving. An electric wheelchair replaces his crutch. Carers help him feed, wash and dress. And there's worse to come. "The thing that I'm most scared of is losing my voice," he says. "I think that would be incredibly difficult. So, not only are you paralysed, unable to move, you're then suddenly not able to communicate and speak." As an insurance policy, Gordon banks speech samples with an Edinburgh university team who are developing a voice synthesizer. He also secures new rights, for all those who lose their speech, to access voice technology. As Gordon's body weakens, his campaign - Gordon's Fightback - is going from strength to strength. It's on course to raise £500,000 for MND research. It has convinced the Scottish government that the NHS, rather than charity, should fund a team of specialist MND nurses and double their number to 12. Gordon's inspiring example has been widely recognised. His awards include the British Empire Medal, an honorary doctorate from Edinburgh University and the Public Campaigner of the Year title at the Scottish Politician of the Year Awards. Yet Gordon is modest about his achievements. "It's what I could do," he says. "It's what I could give back. It's how I could make a difference". Gordon Aikman's story is told in a new BBC television documentary. The Fight of Gordon's Life will be broadcast on BBC1 Scotland at 20:30 on Monday.

They run, jump and hurl themselves through the air.

The curlew, Europe's largest wading bird, is recognisable by its long down-curved bill and evocative call. It has been added to the red list in a survey of the 244 regularly occurring birds in the UK. The RSPBNI said it could now be considered the "UK's most pressing conservation issue". The curlew has suffered a severe population decline and has now been included on the red list of the British Birds of Conservation Concern 4. There has been an 87% decline in its population in Northern Ireland between the mid-1980s and 2013. The Antrim hills and County Fermanagh are two areas where the bird is most likely to be spotted. Fermanagh holds 10% of the entire population on the island of Ireland. Glenwherry in County Antrim is the only other place that holds what is considered a viable breeding population. The number of pairs there has recovered a little in recent years and now stands at 39 pairs, down from 80 pairs in the mid-1980s. Other birds seen in Northern Ireland and included on the red list include the Greenland white-fronted goose and the pochard, a type of duck. It is thought the numbers of pochard are dropping at Lough Neagh because milder winters mean they do not have to migrate so far south. The puffin has also been added to the red list. However, Northern Ireland's important colony on Rathlin is fairly stable.

One of Northern Ireland's best-known birds has been added to a list of those that are giving major concern to conservationists.

The police allege 28-year-old Nazrul, also called Nazu, was the man who raped the 74-year-old nun. The man, allegedly a Bangladeshi citizen, was arrested at a railway station in Kolkata (Calcutta). The incident caused outrage in India and led to street protests in many cities across the country. This marks the sixth arrest in the crime. Police have identified eight suspects in the attack, of which two still remain untraced. "All the five accused arrested earlier have named Nazrul as the person who raped the nun," a police officer told the BBC. Dilip Kumar Adak, deputy inspector general of the state's Criminal Investigation Department, told the AFP news agency that police acted on a tip off that Nazu, who had fled to Bangladesh after being identified from CCTV footage of the attack, was due to return to Kolkata by train. In May, the police said they had arrested Milon Sarkar and described him as the leader of the gang which attacked the convent. They said it was not clear what role the man had played in the case. During the attack in Ranaghat town on 14 March, money was stolen from the convent school and the building ransacked, before the nun was raped in the convent itself.

Police investigating the rape of an elderly nun in the Indian state of West Bengal say they have arrested a key suspect in the crime.

Both men resigned in 2014 after a series of allegations were made by garda whistle-blower Sgt McCabe in 2007 and 2008. Sgt McCabe made a series of complaints about garda conduct of investigations. Mr Callinan denied any wrong-doing when the allegations were made. The report identified serious flaws and failures in criminal investigations, but found no evidence of garda criminality or corruption. The 349 page report by the former High Court judge, Kevin O'Higgins, describes Sgt McCabe as a "dedicated and committed" member of the force who acted out of genuine and legitimate concerns about garda behaviour in his division and Bailieboro Garda station. The judge rejected Mr McCabe's allegations of corruption against the former commissioner, calling them "hurtful". He also said some of Sergeant McCabe's complaints against the force were over-stated and exaggerated. Sgt McCabe made a series of complaints, alleging there were cover-ups of wrong-doing, and said the force, as an institution, had closed ranks against him. Mr Callinan, who has been vindicated, denied all claims when the allegations were made. The report also found that the former Justice minister Alan Shatter had handled the sergeant's complaints in an "appropriate manner." In his report Judge O'Higgins criticises garda handling of several investigations carried out by officers in Bailieboro saying they were very poor as they were carried out by probationary members of the force and were not properly supervised. He says there were unnecessary delays and errors in some of the investigations and flawed disciplinary were followed after the complaints were made. While the report clears the former commissioner and the former justice minister, it serves to highlight problems in the Irish police force at a time when its critics say it requires strong leadership, modernisation, reform and better resourcing. In 2014 the Garda Inspectorate, an oversight body, released a report which described the force as "broken."

An inquiry into alleged garda wrong-doing in Cavan/Monaghan has cleared the former Justice minister Alan Shatter and the former Garda (Irish Police) Commissioner Martin Callinan.

The extra funding will be paid directly to Welsh councils after they said more money was needed for the clean-up. Natural Resources Minister Alun Davies had already promised £3m to pay for emergency repairs. Most of the funding will be spent in Conwy, Denbighshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. Mr Davies said: "We know that the weather over recent months has been extreme and that coastal authorities particularly have been working hard to repair the damage and ensure that flood defences within their communities are sound. "This additional £4.2m is in response to applications from local authorities in which they have set out their estimated flood repair costs. "It is specifically for the swift repair of flood defences and to help ensure the safety of people, homes and businesses in at-risk areas. "The recent review of the storms showed that our flood defences held up well... and that over 99% of at-risk homes were protected, preventing nearly £3bn in damages to property as well as saving lives. "However we know we can never be complacent about the potential impact of flooding on our communities." Much of the Welsh coast felt the full force of the storms during the winter. In Rhyl, Denbighshire, about 150 homes were swamped by waves when sea defences gave way at the beginning of December. Many of those affected are not expecting to return to their properties until the autumn. And people living on the seafront at Aberystwyth were evacuated on more than one occasion due to the threat from high tides and wave swells. Wind and waves battered the promenade leaving sand and debris covering the road. It was a similar picture elsewhere with many smaller resorts also being damaged, including Newgale in Pembrokeshire where a bus was hit by a wave and knocked off the road. About 60,000 tonnes of stones has to be returned to Llandudno's North Shore after the storms, according to Mike Priestley, Conwy cabinet member for environment, highways and sustainability. Another project is due to take place at Kinmel Bay to protect 6,000 properties, importing 25,000 tonnes of material on to the nearby beach. He said the work would not have gone ahead without the £3.8m promised funding, the largest share of the cash coming from the Welsh government. Councils have been left counting the cost with total bills running into millions of pounds. In all, £6.2m will be spent by Wales' 22 local authorities with £1m allocated to Natural Resources Wales. Meanwhile, the flood-hit tourism industry in north Wales has received a £720,000 boost from a Welsh government support fund. And a separate fund has been set aside for the fishermen to repair or replace gear damaged by the weather. The industry employs 1,900 people and is worth £20m a year to the Welsh economy.

Flood defences battered by winter storms around Wales are promised an extra £4.2m for "swift repair" by the Welsh government.

The sub was 20km (12 miles) from the Admiral Kuznetsov at the time of the incident, the military said. Russia sent a flotilla to the eastern Mediterranean ahead of an expected resumption of air strikes in Syria. Nato said it was monitoring the ships in a "measured and responsible way". An official said the Western military alliance would not go into details but said it had been observing the fleet for some weeks. The Russian flotilla's conspicuous voyage from Severomorsk in northern Russia, through the North Sea and the English Channel and into the Mediterranean, has rung alarm bells among Nato allies. There was no confirmation of the Russian military's claim of an incident, and the Dutch military tweeted that it would give no comment on submarine operations. It was also not immediately clear where the incident took place. However, one report placed the Admiral Kuznetsov around 100km (62 miles) north-west of the Syrian port of Latakia. Russian defence spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that two anti-submarine ships, Severomorsk and Vice-Admiral Kulakov, had "easily identified the submarine 20km away using the standard onboard hydro-acoustics systems and data obtained from anti-submarine helicopters". Although the sub had tried to evade surveillance, the ships tracked it for more than an hour and "forced it to leave the area of the aircraft carrier-led group", he said, condemning the Dutch sub's manoeuvres as "clumsy and dangerous". Although there was no official reaction from the Dutch military, Defence Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said she thought it wise "not to go along with the Russian rhetoric". Dutch marine expert Jaime Karreman said that if true the incident was unprecedented. "It's pretty shocking that a submarine on a secret mission is discovered," he told Dutch TV.

Russia's defence ministry says two of its navy destroyers forced away a Dutch submarine to stop it spying on an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean.

The UK and Scottish governments and Dundee City Council have agreed a public service obligation (PSO) contract worth almost £3.7m. Loganair will continue to operate the route from 26 March. The service will see two return flights each weekday and one return flight on a Sunday. The UK Government will contribute 50% of the total funds, with the Scottish government putting in £1.4m and Dundee City Council providing £400,000 of funding. UK Aviation Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said: "I am delighted that Loganair will continue to operate this direct air service between Dundee and London Stansted for another two years. "Passengers and businesses will continue to benefit from the connectivity this route provides. It will further boost trade and tourism opportunities will continue to flourish in Scotland." Scotland's Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said: "The award of this contract to Loganair is welcome news which provides continuity of service on this important route. "This flight not only provides a direct link to London, but also offers passengers a wide number of onward connecting destinations from Stansted. This will continue to benefit business and leisure travellers alike." Dundee City Council leader Ken Guild added: "Securing the route for a further two years through this latest PSO gives the council and its partners an opportunity to build on the service and attract other routes." The UK government funding is through the Regional Air Connectivity Fund, which aims to maintain connectivity between London and smaller regional airports, where routes are at risk of being withdrawn.

A new deal to secure the air link between Dundee City Airport and London Stansted for another two years has been announced.

Massaro will take on Perry in the first all-English women's final since 1991 after beating top seed Nour El Sherbini of Egypt 5-11 7-11 11-5 11-3 11-6. Perry then upset Malaysia's five-time champion and sixth seed Nicol David 11-8 7-11 13-11 11-7. Matthew beat Egypt's top seed Mohamed Elshorbagy 11-8 11-8 8-11 11-5. He will face Frenchman Gregory Gaultier in Sunday's final in Hull after the third seed led 11-9 when Egypt's Ramy Ashour retired. Fifth seed and 2013 winner Massaro looked to be heading out when she trailed reigning champion El Sherbini by two games. However, the 33-year-old from Chorley fought back to win in 63 minutes - reversing last year's World final, when she lost to the same opponent from two games up. "I'm just proud of myself that I lived to see another day," she told PSA World Tour. "I'm really pleased, a chance to play again at home. I love coming here. A British Open final is where you want to be." Perry, seeded seventh, was playing in her first British Open semi-final but led from the front against eight-time world champion David. "I'm really proud of the way I fought, even when it was really tight, and I'll just be trying to do the same again tomorrow," said the 26-year-old from Birmingham. "There's no pressure on me. I'm not just here to make up the numbers, I'm here to try and win these tournaments." Matthew, from Sheffield, is closing in on a fourth world title after a brilliant win over Elshorbagy, who had been hoping to claim his third successive British Open. "I was trying not to let the adrenaline get to me, I could feel my heart beating through my head knowing the crowd were cheering," said the 36-year-old. "I felt him wavering at the end which gave me belief."

Laura Massaro, Sarah-Jane Perry and Nick Matthew produced superb performances to give England three of the four finalists at the British Open.

They warn that such internships without a salary, used as stepping stones into jobs, are a financial block to those who cannot afford to work unpaid. The All Party Parliamentary Group on social mobility says all interns should be paid after their first month. Justin Madders, the group's chair, called for better access to "top jobs for those from less advantaged homes". The "Class Ceiling" study follows concerns that jobs in areas such as law, medicine and the media are disproportionately filled by socially-advantaged, privately-educated youngsters who have attended top universities. The cross-party social mobility report highlights the way that entry into some professions can be skewed in favour of more affluent youngsters. The use of unpaid internships as an entry system means that it is only available to young people who can either support themselves or who have parents who can provide for them while they are working without pay. There is also a geographical barrier when internships are in London, with such unpaid work much more feasible for young people from the capital who can live with their parents. The report cites research showing that almost a third of graduates working as interns were not being paid. But an attempt in Parliament to introduce such a ban on unpaid internships was blocked last November. Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke had labelled them the "acceptable face of unpaid labour in modern Britain". But his bid to outlaw unpaid internships was opposed by the government. As well as calling for a ban on unpaid internships, the All Party Parliamentary Group on social mobility wants work experience to be more widely available and "fair and transparent". Work experience has become an important starting point for many jobs and there are concerns that this could freeze out youngsters without family connections in the professions. The report says that all work experience posts should be "publicly advertised to allow a more diverse range of candidates to apply". The report calls for employers to make better use of "contextual" information about applicants, such as looking at their results in terms of the type of school they attended and any disadvantage they might have overcome. Mr Madders, MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, said: "If the current government is serious about improving access to top jobs for those from less advantaged homes, they need to take a much more strategic approach. "This means linking the work of schools, universities and employers to build a real business case and practical plan for improving social mobility." Alan Milburn, chair of the Social Mobility Commission, said he backed the calls for an end to unpaid internships. He said firms needed to "wake up and realise that it makes sound business sense to recruit people from all backgrounds". Mr Milburn added: "Research has consistently shown that people from more affluent backgrounds, who attend private schools and elite universities, take a disproportionate number of the best jobs while those from poorer backgrounds are being systematically locked out."

Unpaid internships should be banned as a barrier to social mobility, says a report from MPs and peers.

This revolution is the result of someone sending a Facebook invitation to many people. I got it like other people on our network. The buzz around it was then created on different social media websites and with videos. I was here on 25 January when riot police forced us out and by the 28th, we were back following the violence. I've been sleeping here most of the time since. Our social network was established in 2005, when there was a democratic opening around the time of the presidential elections. People from different backgrounds all met through blogging and hoped to use technology for social change. It meant we have all gained good contacts, experience and strong networks. I like to think the social network is the people itself. Things like Facebook, Twitter, SMS and phones are just social tools. When they blocked Facebook and shut down technology, our network still operated because it's about people. Internet activists are also people and a lot of our organising, social work and relationships are developed offline. This is something that people dreamt of but didn't anticipate happening in reality. If anything, it shows that all the effort we put in over the past few years has not been wasted. It has climaxed into this critical mass of people you see in the square. At the moment I'm not getting a lot of internet connection. I'm trying not to drain my phone battery. We're still using it to distribute footage people are bringing to us that we've sorted through. I hope the internet will continue to play a complementary role in activism. At the moment we physically exist in downtown Cairo and I hope that when we have finished this sit-in, we will have won the right to organise ourselves outside the internet. Twitter: Amr Gharbeia I was involved in this revolution from the first day, 25 January, and I've now been spending my nights here for a while. For the past five years, I was very active online, blogging and tweeting. As we live under emergency laws in Egypt it has been very difficult to meet or communicate except on the internet. I'd never been part of a demonstration on the ground. At first we were mocking the event on 25 January. We questioned whether it was really possible to have a "Facebook revolution". I came on the 25th because I felt it was my duty as a citizen and I couldn't believe how it turned into something so different from what we've seen before. I was walking among the people and weeping. Now I sometimes just tweet to update people about what's going on or to call for a million-man demonstration or a day to remember our martyrs. I'm well-known among bloggers for my long articles and constant tweets, but once I was here I stopped communicating this way so much. I felt it was totally different to have real freedom rather than just hypothetical freedom or internet freedom. Blogging and tweeting has been important as we were building our minds. This regime stopped us from doing that. We had have poor education and no national cultural programmes. I am so proud now, especially when I think of our young martyrs. In Egypt we have suffered a lot and it's about time that we start to live like real people. Twitter: Nawara Negm I'm not writing my blog right now. We're just using Twitter as it's easy and flexible to do from your mobile. If we have a lot of action here I might do as many as 20 or 30 tweets a day. We also use Bambuser for live-streaming from our mobiles here in Tahrir Square. The internet gave us our backbone but it is not because of Facebook that this happened. It was the force used by the police that brought everybody together. If they had let us leave peacefully on 25 January, this would never have happened. It got worse with the violence on 28th: The shootings, the tear gas, the killings, the brutality. When they cut the internet and mobile phone lines this only increased people's anger. In the square we have organised our lives well. We have a co-ordinating committee telling us where there have been attacks and a group doing cleaning. We have some people singing and some praying. We have Christians, Muslims, agnostics, leftists and rightists and we all live together well. In our community we're trying to set an example of how we can all live together. It's like a city inside the city here. We are the kernel of the revolution. Blog: MaLek X (in Arabic) The revolution was publicised on the internet. The spark was Facebook. People were really sceptical about it because they didn't think you could have a revolution where you named the date, but now I look around me and I am really proud of the Egyptian people and the initiative. I'm sure that those who named the date didn't think things would go this far. To begin with on 25 January, we had mostly young people of all classes who somehow use the internet. You have internet cafes even in the poorest areas of Egypt so even less well-educated people have access, especially to Facebook. A lot was also achieved through word of mouth - people telling their friends and neighbours. The independent media took a middle-ground to begin with as everyone was watching their backs but now they have got onboard. After our huge turnout on the first Tuesday, demonstrations continued for the next two days and we publicised further action for Friday on the internet. That day they cut our communications and took our cameras so we had an information blackout and the violence was unbelievable. A lot of people died. Still the threshold of fear and pain had been broken and we have kept up momentum since. Now older people especially come up to us when we're collecting trash or whatever in the square and they say: "We're really proud of you... You did what we didn't manage to do for 60 years." People have called this the "Facebook Revolution" because it gave us a form of expression even when people were too scared to talk in big groups about political issues. We had already set up Facebook pages for people who were tortured to death. We found it was a way to talk without being tracked. In the square we have bridged a lot of gaps. I've been living here since 29 January with tens of thousands of other people. I put my head down to sleep and I don't know the people sleeping around me. I have wonderful conversations with people from all over Egypt who normally I would never have talked to. We're finally getting to know each other. It's wonderful.

Egypt's internet activists have played a key role in the pro-democracy protests from the outset, but they tell the BBC that the online campaigning is evolving to suit their real-life activism in Tahrir Square.

Match ends, Macclesfield Town 0, Dover Athletic 0. Second Half ends, Macclesfield Town 0, Dover Athletic 0. Corner, Dover Athletic. Substitution, Macclesfield Town. Chris Sutherland replaces Chris Holroyd. Substitution, Dover Athletic. Duane Ofori-Acheampong replaces Ricky Miller. Attempt missed. Kristian Dennis (Macclesfield Town) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Corner, Macclesfield Town. Corner, Dover Athletic. Kristian Dennis (Macclesfield Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Dover Athletic. Liam Bellamy replaces Sean Raggett. Corner, Dover Athletic. Foul by John McCombe (Macclesfield Town). Nicky Deverdics (Dover Athletic) wins a free kick. Substitution, Macclesfield Town. Kristian Dennis replaces Reece Styche. Sean Raggett (Dover Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Sean Raggett (Dover Athletic). Danny M. Rowe (Macclesfield Town) wins a free kick. Foul by Nicky Deverdics (Dover Athletic). Danny M. Rowe (Macclesfield Town) wins a free kick. George Pilkington (Macclesfield Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by George Pilkington (Macclesfield Town). Nicky Deverdics (Dover Athletic) wins a free kick. Foul by Jack Parkinson (Dover Athletic). Danny Whitaker (Macclesfield Town) wins a free kick. Corner, Macclesfield Town. Attempt missed. Chris Holroyd (Macclesfield Town) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Second Half begins Macclesfield Town 0, Dover Athletic 0. First Half ends, Macclesfield Town 0, Dover Athletic 0. Corner, Dover Athletic. Foul by Nicky Deverdics (Dover Athletic). David Fitzpatrick (Macclesfield Town) wins a free kick. Reece Styche (Macclesfield Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Richard Orlu (Dover Athletic) is shown the red card. Foul by Richard Orlu (Dover Athletic). Reece Styche (Macclesfield Town) wins a free kick. Attempt saved. Ricky Miller (Dover Athletic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved. Attempt saved. Stefan Payne (Dover Athletic) header from the centre of the box is saved. Attempt saved. Stefan Payne (Dover Athletic) header from the centre of the box is saved. Assisted by Sean Raggett with a cross. Attempt saved. Danny M. Rowe (Macclesfield Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved. Offside, Macclesfield Town. Chris Holroyd tries a through ball, but Chris Holroyd is caught offside. The decision was taken following an early morning inspection when standing water was found on the playing surface. "As a result of standing water on the pitch and the forecasted heavy rain the game has been postponed," said a statement on the Macclesfield website. A new date for the fixture has yet to be agreed.

The National League game between Macclesfield Town and Dover Athletic has been called off because of a waterlogged pitch.

While ministers claim their Psychoactive Substances Bill reflects the findings of the experts, I am told that the hand-picked committee was divided on whether low-harm substances like amyl nitrate (poppers) and nitrous oxide (laughing gas) should be included. The final report was drafted by Home Office officials but some members of the panel, which included three people who also sit on the ACMD, insisted on writing in what became known as the "safety-valve" clause. The recommendation for "general prohibition" was amended to say that there should be exemptions for substances "where the risks of health and social harms can be adequately assessed". The line was included specifically to ensure that some low risk products could be excluded from the ban. The coalition government response last October went along with the safety-valve clause saying it would "explore how to put in place a schedule of exemptions and make provision to add to these where the risks of health and social harms can be adequately assessed". But when the new Conservative government published the Psychoactive Substances Bill last month, any mention of assessing social harms or health risks had gone. The safety-valve clause insisted upon by the expert panel had been removed. The Home Office has made it clear that "there is no provision in the Bill to enable the licensing of so-called low-harm substances" arguing that there are difficulties in defining low risk and that it might "send out confusing messages about the safety of new psychoactive substances". It is likely that this is going to be a major battleground as the controversial bill reaches committee stage in Parliament. The LibDem Home Affairs spokesman Lord Paddick has made it clear his party will oppose the legislation in its current form. "As drafted, the Bill is far too broad and indiscriminate, further undermining credibility and efficacy in reducing harm," he told the House of Lords. The Bill would ban any substance that affects a consumer's "mental functioning or emotional state", unless specifically exempted by the Home Secretary. This definition goes further than the Irish legislation on which the approach is modelled. In Ireland, a psychoactive substance is defined as one that results in "a significant disturbance in, or significant change to, motor function, thinking, behaviour, perception, awareness or mood". The word "significant" is, of course, significant. It provides the safety valve that excludes low-risk and low-harm products. Whether UK ministers will relent on this issue of a "safety-valve clause" is perhaps the biggest question as the Psychoactive Substances Bill makes its progress through Parliament.

After my blog on Wednesday on tensions between drugs advisors and the Home Office, more details have emerged of how the expert panel on legal highs was split down the middle on whether to go for a total ban.

The 28-year-old was arrested following an investigation by the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC). Two other men and a woman were also charged with supplying cocaine for "personal use or to on-supply cocaine to friends and colleagues". Hunt has played elite-level rugby league, Australian rules football (AFL) and rugby union. Hunt - who is due to appear in Southport Magistrate Court on 5 March - was not named by the CCC but local media have named him as the 28-year old man arrested. He was arrested on Thursday night, just days after playing for the Queensland Reds rugby team. "The CCC will allege that during an investigation focused on a cocaine trafficking syndicate operating in South East Queensland, these four individuals were identified contacting the syndicate and arranging for the supply of cocaine," a statement said. It is alleged the offences occurred between June and December 2014 when Hunt was playing AFL for the Gold Coast Suns. Hunt rose to prominence playing fullback for the Brisbane Broncos rugby league team in 2004, and was selected for Queensland State of Origin and Australian representative squads. He made a code-switch to AFL with the Gold Coast Suns in 2009. Hunt played with the team until 2014 when he made a switch to rugby union. Facing charges with Hunt are a 24-year-old man from Burleigh Waters, a 27-year-old man from Mermaid Waters and a 22-year-old woman from Mermaid Waters.

Australian rugby union star Karmichael Hunt has been charged with supplying cocaine, officials say.

Organisers of the Magical Journey, at The Belfry Golf Club, near Sutton Coldfield, said they had "no alternative" after a "key financial backer dropped out". The attraction closed temporarily after receiving hundreds of complaints on its opening day last month. Ticket-holders have been advised to contact their banks for refunds. In a message posted on the attraction's website on Monday night, bosses apologised to those who had bought tickets. "After all we've been through having to shut down in the final week is devastating," they wrote. "However, today a key financial backer has dropped out leaving us in the lurch. We have tried desperately over the last few hours to find a replacement but to no avail." The attraction had been due to operate the event until Christmas Eve. Llewelyn-Bowen, who said he only found out about the closure via Twitter, said he was shocked at the news. "I was really impressed with the way they addressed all the issues the first time around and the energy and resources that went into it so I'm extremely surprised the towel's been thrown in at this stage," he said. His contribution had only been "some design concepts" and he had not backed the project financially, he added. "I feel very much I was the designer and I'm a very public face so people are cross with me," he said. Helen Blakemore, from Aldridge in the West Midlands, visited the Magical Journey on Monday night with daughters Lucy, eight, and Molly, 11. She said it had been "very busy" and there was "no indication" of any problems. "There were lots of helpers, lots of happy elves," she said. "It was wonderful. The kids thoroughly enjoyed meeting Santa." Other customers took to Facebook to express frustration at the short-notice cancellation. Tracy Peach said it was "so unfair for families who have paid for their children to go." "How awful to have to tell them at this point that Santa won't see them," she wrote. Louise Tanner branded the attraction "the tragic journey" and said she had received an email on Monday night advising her of the closure. The Belfry's managing director Lynn Hood said the resort had not charged operator Magical Journeys for using its land. She said because the firm was a start-up company the hotel had not asked for payment. "We genuinely thought they would create a magical journey," she said. "We're shocked and very saddened at what's happened." "We were given no prior warning." The event closed for three days last month, after dissatisfied customers branded the top price of £22.50 for a children's ticket a "rip-off". Some reported seeing elves smoking and criticised the poor quality of gifts handed to children. Event director Paul Dolan admitted bad weather had hampered first-day preparations and it had not been ready to open.

A much-criticised Christmas attraction designed by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has closed down permanently.

Cumberbatch has apologised and said he was "devastated to have caused offence" after using the word on a US TV show to describe black actors. "I think it's ridiculous," Selma star Oyelowo told Newsbeat. "When you look at what he was actually saying it's clear that he's a huge supporter of black performers." David Oyelowo was speaking at the UK premiere of Selma, in which he stars as 1960s civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. Cumberbatch mentioned David Oyelowo and Chiwetel Ejiofor as part of a wider discussion with US talk show host Tavis Smiley about diversity in the film industry. "To attack him for a term, as opposed to what he was actually saying, I think is very disingenuous and is indicative of the age we live in where people are looking for sound bites as opposed to substance." More: Why the word 'coloured' is offensive The actor also said he had spoken to Cumberbatch about the controversy that flared up online over the past few days. "I reached out to him in support and said I think it's ridiculous," he said. When asked if he felt Hollywood and the film industry had an issue with diversity, Oyelowo replied with a resounding "absolutely". "You can see that in the fact every time a film of this size and stature comes up. "We're talking about diversity again and that's because there isn't enough of it." He cited his recent role in Interstellar as one that wasn't specified as a black character and noted "to get to the point whereby myself and Ryan Gosling are going up for the same role is going to be great". "That's not to say that that doesn't happen, it just doesn't happen often." Oyelowo suggested there needed to be more diversity among people with the power to finance and get films made. "Excellence is the best weapon against prejudice. I intend to be part of the solution and not the problem. "You've just got to keep on banging out good performances." Benedict Cumberbatch has been nominated for the best actor Oscar for his role in The Imitation Game, and while David Oyelowo missed out on an acting nomination for Selma, the film is in the running for best picture at next month's ceremony. So does David think the negative publicity Benedict has been getting will harm Cumberbatch's career? "Absolutely not," said Oyelowo. "I think it's just part of the silly news cycle that we all feed off and it will go away like chip paper as it does. "He's a brilliant actor, he gives a brilliant performance in Imitation Game and, like I say, it's just a diversion from what we should be talking about, which is that astounding performance." Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

David Oyelowo has defended fellow British actor and friend, Benedict Cumberbatch, for using the term "coloured" during an interview.

The move mirrors an update by Apple in September that allowed ad-blockers to be installed as extensions for the Safari browser. Blockers on Samsung phones will have to be added in the same way and will not come as standard. The new browser has begun rolling out for Android Lollipop or higher users. Popular ad-blockers, Adblock Fast and Crystal, have already been made available for Samsung phones. As well as making web pages less cluttered, ad-blockers often improve browsers' performance - and reduce the draw on phone batteries and data plans. "Those who use ad-blockers will likely use other browsers than the default one," said advertising industry analyst Daniel Knapp at IHS. "It's nonetheless important for Samsung to jump on the ad-blocking bandwagon." "It wants to show customers that it is a premium brand that protects them as well as Apple." Mr Knapp also told the BBC there had been a "seismic change" in the ad industry, in which marketing budgets were increasingly being moved from traditional forms of advertising to, for example, sponsorship deals. He said it was those most highly prized by advertisers, young and affluent users, who were more likely to use ad-blockers in the first place. "I think it's an expression of massive consumer dissatisfaction with the way the ad industry works," he said. Ad-blockers work by removing scripts in web page code that would otherwise pull content from ad networks' servers. In November, 18% of British adults online were using some form of ad-blocker, up 3% from June, according to a report from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB). Meanwhile, in Facebook's annual financial filing, the social network announced advertising earnings of $5.64bn (£3.9bn) for the fourth quarter of 2015 but warned ad-blockers could "adversely affect" future profits. "If such technologies continue to proliferate, in particular with respect to mobile platforms, our future financial results may be harmed," it said. But Mr Knapp said companies such as Facebook were less likely than other content publishers to be affected by mobile web ad-blockers because ads could still be delivered via their third-party apps. "Think of ad-blockers being admitted to iOS 9," he said. "They were all exclusively focused on the in-browser environment - not for third-party apps like Facebook."

The latest version of the default web browser on Samsung's Android phones will allow users to install ad-blocker extensions.

The Lowland League champions, 3-0 up after the first leg. went further ahead through Dougie Gair's chipped finish. Cove levelled on the day through Jamie Watt, but the Highland League champions could make up the remainder deficit. And Edinburgh will place League Two bottom side Shire over two legs for a place in that division..

Edinburgh City will play East Stirlingshire in the Scottish League Two play-off after completing an aggregate victory over Cove Rangers.

According to Radio-Canada, officials entered a hotel room where members of the travelling equestrian show Cavalia were staying on 14 July. The public broadcaster said officials made a number of arrests and two Canadians remain in prison. A spokesperson for Cavalia said they were trying to arrange for two employees to return to Canada. "This is a private matter. All I can tell you is that recently, Chinese representatives have contacted us to ask if we were willing to buy airplane tickets to quickly repatriate them in Canada, and of course we are," spokesperson Eric Paquette told the BBC. "At this point, our hope is that the repatriation process unfolds rapidly." Global Affairs Canada said it is providing consular services to two citizens who were detained in Beijing. "Consular services are being provided to two Canadians who were detained in Beijing, China, as well as to their families," said a spokesperson for the department. "Consular officials are in contact with local authorities to gather additional information. "Due to privacy considerations, we are unable to provide further information on this matter." Cavalia was created in 2003 by one of the co-founders of Cirque de Soleil, and has been described as "equestrian ballet". It has been performing in Beijing since April and even planned to build a permanent theatre in Hangzhou. China's drug laws are very strict, and trafficking large amounts of drugs can lead to a death sentence. Even minor drug crimes can lead to an arrest or deportation. In 2014, China banned several celebrities caught using drugs from performing on state media.

Chinese authorities have arrested two Canadians in the capital Beijing for allegedly smoking marijuana.

The watchdog's annual report on education standards says about a third of secondary schools in the North and Midlands are not good enough. Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw says more attention must be focused on regions where too many schools are "languishing in mediocrity". Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said more needed to be done to "tackle pockets of underperformance". The chief inspector of schools warns of schools in some cities in the North and Midlands that have "failed miserably year after year after year". Ofsted annual report 2015 Sir Michael named 16 weak local authorities - where less than 60% of children attend good or outstanding schools and have below average "attainment and progress" at GCSE - with 13 in the North and Midlands. They are Barnsley, Blackpool, Bradford, Derbyshire, Doncaster, Hartlepool, Knowsley, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Oldham, Salford, St Helens and Stoke on Trent. The other three are the Isle of Wight, Swindon and South Gloucestershire. In Bradford, Sir Michael said the problems were so serious that he wanted a commission of inquiry and a separate commissioner for education. And he warned that poor education meant that young people could be alienated and the "dangers of being alienated from British society are very great indeed". Increasing attention is being paid to the geography of school underachievement - such as in coastal areas and regional differences. And the report highlights concerns about a north-south gap - with stronger GCSE results in London and the South and weaker results in parts of the North and Midlands. "This gap is a worrying one. We don't want to see a divided country after the age of 11," Sir Michael said. More than 400,000 pupils in the North and Midlands go to a school that is "less than good", and the Ofsted chief said this could not be "explained away" by higher levels of deprivation. Primary schools were much more successful than secondary, Sir Michael said, despite facing similar problems of social disadvantage. He also used the example of London to show how deprivation need not be inevitably linked to lower results. Sir Michael called for greater "political will" and more attention to improve the quality of teaching. "We've seen a significant difference in the quality of teaching between the South and the Midlands and the North, a significant difference in terms of the quality of leadership... and we need to worry about this as a nation," he said. "The mediocrity in secondary performance should be a national concern - and the mediocrity is residing mainly, but not exclusively, in the Midlands and north of England. "If the 'northern powerhouse' is going to mean something, then we've got to improve educational performance in our secondary schools north of the Wash." Sir Michael also warned that problems were being exacerbated by difficulties in recruiting teachers - and that schools in challenging areas could have the toughest time finding enough teachers in some subjects. Recruitment problems were having a "significant impact", said the Ofsted chief. Watchsted, a website that gathers inspections data, ranks local authorities in terms of the proportion of schools rated as "outstanding" or "good". The bottom 10 at secondary school level includes northern authorities such as Knowsley, Bradford, Oldham, Blackpool and Doncaster - but also the Isle of Wight and Cambridgeshire. Eight out of the top 10 authorities at secondary level are in London or the South East. "More and more we are seeing that schools facing the biggest challenges are now in coastal and market towns, rather than large cities. And children from low income families have the greatest barriers," said James Westhead, executive director of Teach First. Most secondary schools in England now have academy status - but the annual report says that in terms of raising standards "structural reform can only do so much". And it highlights that being an academy does not "insulate" schools from decline, with 99 academies that had been good or outstanding being regraded as less than good. Roy Perry, chairman of the children and young people board at the Local Government Association, said ranking councils by school results "disguises the fact that over 60% of secondary schools are now academies, leaving councils powerless to intervene early and build an improvement programme". "It is extremely worrying that over the last three years only 37% of secondary schools have actually improved their Ofsted rating after becoming academies." The Ofsted report also highlights that pupils' progress up to the end of primary is too often not sustained when they move to secondary. This was revealed last month in an analysis of this summer's GCSE results, by education data company, SchoolDash. This mapped the growing north-south divide at GCSE level, but also showed there was much less of a gap in primary school. Head teachers' leader Brian Lightman linked the north-south gap to the "very serious difficulties" that schools faced in recruiting teachers. Mr Lightman, head of the ASCL head teachers' union, said schools in challenging areas were finding it "incredibly hard" to find teachers in some shortage subjects, particularly affecting schools in some parts of the North. Russell Hobby, leader of the National Association of Head Teachers, said the gap between primary and secondary performance had been "driven by the turmoil at secondary compared to primary", such as the upheavals in exams and curriculum. Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said: "More needs to be done to deliver educational excellence everywhere." "That's why we are introducing new measures to transform failing and coasting schools, funding the best academy chains to share excellence in struggling regions in the North and creating a National Teaching Service - sending some of our best teachers to the areas that need them most."

Ofsted is warning of a north-south divide in England's secondary schools.

The most important ground floor rooms in the stately home are to be restored, while the upper floors are to be used for exhibitions and events. The principal rooms are to be recreated as they were in the 18th Century. The 8th Earl of Onslow, whose family rebuilt the house in the 1720s, has said it should remain a ruin. The Palladian mansion near Guildford was bequeathed to the NT in 1956 by the Onslow family. About 95% of the Grade I-listed house, which featured in the 2008 film The Duchess starring Keira Knightley, was damaged. The trust said it was confident a number of principal rooms on the ground floor, including the Marble Hall, Speakers' Parlour and Saloon, could be restored. A spokesman said: "The fact that so many features survived and items from the rooms are being recovered from the ashes made the case for restoration compelling. "The enduring significance of the architect Leoni's original designs means it will go back instead to look at the 18th Century decorative schemes and layout of the house." The trust said the upper floors were "less architecturally significant" and had already been altered since the house was first built. Helen Ghosh, director general of the National Trust, said: "The fire at Clandon was shocking, but gives us the opportunity not only to show our respect for the heritage of the past, but also to create new heritage for the future. "The loss of so many of the contents of the house means that we cannot return it to how it looked the day before the fire. "However, we now know more about the original layout and recognise that the enduring significance of the house is its architecture." The trust said it had looked at a number of options for the house to ensure Clandon Park remained open and accessible to the public. A spokesman said the cost of the work was expected to be met largely through the trust's insurance policy, although it would also be asking supporters for donations. Source: National Trust

Parts of Clandon Park House, which was reduced to a shell by a fire in April, are to be restored to their "original glory", the National Trust (NT) says.

Brad McKay crouched to volley in Greg Tansey's deep free-kick early in the match. And Tansey converted a penalty after Massimo Donati had fouled Ross Draper. Accies were upset Ali Crawford was not awarded a second-half spot-kick for a challenge by goalkeeper Ryan Esson but netted late on through Danny Redmond. The gap between Caley Thistle and Motherwell also stands at four points, with Well behind Hamilton on goal difference after losing to Ross County. The first-half performance was exactly what Inverness manager Richie Foran has been searching for and came with their backs planted firmly against the wall. They were terrific. Adversity sometimes brings out the best in people, although nerves did seem to take effect after half-time. Foran has said for some time his side just needed one win to get going. They have it and look capable of more as the pressure turns, at least temporarily, to sides above. Tansey, who has agreed a pre-contract to join Aberdeen, was at the heart of the Saturday lunchtime victory. It was his delivery that found McKay ghosting in and the defender's finish was perfect. Another Tansey delivery was rewarded when Donati wrestled Draper to the ground. Tansey took the responsibility and delivered under pressure. In truth, Inverness could have been out of sight by the break. Billy Mckay should have done better from close range twice and Alex Fisher somehow screwed a header wide from a few yards after Remi Matthews had parried Tansey's drive. And, in the second period, Scott Boden could have sealed the win when clean through but dinked over. Martin Canning's side improved significantly after the break as Crawford and Redmond were sent on in place of Donati and Rakish Bingham. And Crawford thought he had earned a lifeline. As Gary Warren tried to shepherd the ball out, Esson came flying out and inexplicably took the substitute down. Referee Andrew Dallas did not point to the spot, leaving Hamilton players in disbelief. It was a huge escape for the home side. Having offered little earlier in the match, other than a great chance for Darian MacKinnon which he prodded wide, the second-half response was firm. Dougie Imrie, Crawford and Greg Docherty all came close but ultimately they did not threaten enough and gave themselves too much to do after leaving themselves repeatedly exposed in defence. Redmond's late finish was little consolation, although the goal may yet have an important part to play in the final make-up of goal difference with so few points separating the sides. Match ends, Inverness CT 2, Hamilton Academical 1. Second Half ends, Inverness CT 2, Hamilton Academical 1. Goal! Inverness CT 2, Hamilton Academical 1. Daniel Redmond (Hamilton Academical) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Dougie Imrie. Substitution, Inverness CT. Billy King replaces Jake Mulraney. Corner, Hamilton Academical. Conceded by Kevin McNaughton. Substitution, Inverness CT. Kevin McNaughton replaces Brad McKay. Attempt saved. Scott McMann (Hamilton Academical) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Jake Mulraney (Inverness CT) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Dougie Imrie (Hamilton Academical). Foul by Greg Tansey (Inverness CT). Giannis Skondras (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick on the left wing. Attempt blocked. Henri Anier (Inverness CT) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Substitution, Hamilton Academical. Eamonn Brophy replaces Greg Docherty. Attempt missed. Scott Boden (Inverness CT) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Ross Draper (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Darian MacKinnon (Hamilton Academical). Attempt missed. Greg Docherty (Hamilton Academical) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Hand ball by Billy McKay (Inverness CT). Scott Boden (Inverness CT) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Scott Boden (Inverness CT). Greg Docherty (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. Henri Anier (Inverness CT) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Attempt saved. Ali Crawford (Hamilton Academical) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Foul by Jake Mulraney (Inverness CT). Dougie Imrie (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Inverness CT. Conceded by Alejandro D'Acol. Corner, Inverness CT. Conceded by Scott McMann. Scott Boden (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Georgios Sarris (Hamilton Academical). Substitution, Inverness CT. Scott Boden replaces Alex Fisher. Corner, Hamilton Academical. Conceded by Brad McKay. Ross Draper (Inverness CT) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Dougie Imrie (Hamilton Academical). Greg Tansey (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ali Crawford (Hamilton Academical). Billy McKay (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Darian MacKinnon (Hamilton Academical). Delay in match Billy McKay (Inverness CT) because of an injury. Billy McKay (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Premiership bottom side Inverness Caledonian Thistle moved to within four points of opponents Hamilton Academical with three games to play.

The train was suspended last week after two incidents in which passenger doors opened mid-journey. The refurbished trains are due to run on the Belfast to Dublin route from the end of February. Translink said that the suspension has been lifted after an investigation of the door mechanisms. "We would strongly reassure our passengers and the wider public that there was no imminent danger for our customers travelling on board as a result of these two unrelated door faults," said Ian Campbell, general manager of engineering at Translink. "We have worked closely with the Railway Safety Commission (RSC) and, having satisfied their concerns, the upgraded train will now be returned into service this afternoon (Wednesday 13 January)." Translink has previously described the refurbished trains as a "major milestone" in its £12.2m NI railways upgrade programme.

A newly-refurbished Enterprise train is back in service after having its safety licence in the Republic of Ireland restored.

Swansea University's Dr Neil Loader and Emeritus Prof Alayne Street-Perrott, are among a team who have found ancient earthworks, possibly 2,000 years old. The discoveries were made in Acre state in the western Brazilian Amazon. Researchers from the universities of Exeter and Reading, and Brazil's São Paulo, Belém are also part of the team. Their research investigated ditched enclosures which were concealed for centuries by bamboo-dominated rainforest until modern deforestation allowed the discovery of more than 450 large geometrical "geoglyphs". The team said the function of these mysterious sites is still little understood. They are unlikely to be villages, since archaeologists have recovered very few artefacts during excavation, and their layout does not suggest they were built for defensive reasons. Instead it is thought they were used only sporadically, perhaps as ritual gathering places, similar to the Maya pyramids of Central America, or Britain's own Stonehenge. Although Dr Loader - who has analysed soil samples from the geoglyphs - said the surroundings in which they were built were very different to other ritual sites around the world. He looked at phytoliths - a type of microscopic plant fossil made of silica - to reconstruct ancient vegetation; charcoal quantities, to assess the amount of ancient forest burning; and carbon stable isotopes, to indicate the type of vegetation growing there in the past. "The indications are that the geoglyphs were constructed amongst taller vegetation. So, unlike the towering Maya pyramids of Central America, they were likely not visible above the forest canopy, and this raises questions about their purpose," he explained. It had been assumed prior to the arrival of Europeans in the early 16th Century, the Amazonian forests had been pristine ecosystems, free from human influence. But the new research indicates a wide variety of plant species spread over 6,000 years, which could only have been artificially brought together by humans. It suggested instead of burning large tracts of forest - either for geoglyph construction or agricultural practices - people transformed their environment by concentrating on economically valuable trees such as palms. The team have likened it to a form of "prehistoric supermarket" of useful forest products. They said there is "tantalizing evidence" to suggest the biodiversity of some of Acre's remaining forests may retain a strong legacy of these ancient "agroforestry" practices to this day.

Humans lived in the Amazon rainforest much earlier than previously thought, and even helped shape its biodiversity, researchers have said.

The poster features an officer and a message to parents asking them not to use the threat of the police when disciplining their children. Durham Constabulary wants children to see officers as people who can help rather than simply law enforcers. And the force's poster has been shared more than 47,000 times and liked by almost 35,000 people on Facebook. A force spokesman said: "Children should be taught from an early age that if they feel like are in danger and they need help, they can approach an officer who will reassure them." However, the poster has divided opinion on Facebook. Jeff Rowse said: "Telling them they will go to jail if they are bad is wrong how? Surely that is the major reason for having a police force? And jails?" In response Paul Parry said: "Telling a three-year-old that if he doesn't eat his dinner the policeman will come and take him to jail isn't true and will only serve to instil fear into that child. "The police shouldn't be used to reinforce bad parenting." Others were more taken with the officer, with several people asking for him to be moved to their local force or saying they would happily go to him for help.

A poster urging parents not to use the police to scare their children has been seen more than 3.5 million times.

The association said there had been nine deaths in the jail, on the Isle of Sheppey, in 2014. In November, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) said high-risk inmates were not being properly assessed and managed. A Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the inmate's body was found on Tuesday. "An HMP Elmley prisoner was found unresponsive in his cell, at about 17:20 GMT," a spokeswoman said. The HMIP investigation, which took place in June and was published in November, highlighted staff shortages and overcrowding at the jail. The report said the prison holds 1,252 men, but was designed for only 985 inmates. The MoJ spokeswoman said the latest inmate to die was pronounced dead shortly after paramedics arrived. "As with all deaths in custody, the Independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will conduct an investigation," she continued. "Every death is a tragedy for the individual and their families." The MoJ confirmed nine people died at the prison in 2014. Four were apparent self-inflicted deaths, four were deaths from natural causes and one has not been classified.

A man has been found dead in his cell at a prison in Kent - the third in as many weeks, the Prison Officers' Association has said.

The Richard III Society branded the decision as a "monumental mistake" which would be "humiliating" to the king. However, the Very Revd David Monteith, Dean of Leicester, said the play would be "sensitive" towards him. He was reburied at the cathedral in 2015 in a specially designed tomb. The remains of the last Plantagenet monarch were placed under the cathedral two years ago, after they were discovered under a car park in the city in 2012. Shakespeare's play is critical of the king, calling him a "poisonous bunch-back'd toad." Philippa Langley, from the Richard III Society, is not against the play but is opposed to it being performed in Leicester Cathedral. "To perform this play right beside this man's grave is quite frankly, a deliberate humiliation," she said. "This is not what the great city of Leicester and its people is about." Source: Royal Shakespeare Company The Cathedral has said the show will go ahead as planned in July, despite the criticism. "King Richard III lies in peace," Revd David Monteith told BBC East Midlands Today. "What we now know is that he belongs to the whole nation and not just to one section of people particularly committed to his story. "I've heard most people say how glad they are that Richard III, the Shakespeare play, will be performed here." The play will also be performed at Peterborough, Ely, Gloucester, Bristol and Salisbury cathedrals in July.

Leicester Cathedral has defended its decision to stage Shakespeare's Richard III a few feet from the monarch's final resting place.

Ball made just one replacement appearance after a rib injury picked up in October restricted his chances. "I'm really excited, there's been a lot of hard work gone in and some disappointments along the way" he said. The 19 stone seven Scarlets forward will partner Alun Wyn Jones at lock after Luke Charteris was ruled out. The hand injury suffered by Bath's Charteris and Bradley Davies' long-standing knee problem meant that Ball was the obvious choice to step in for the Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome on Sunday. Meanwhile, Newport Gwent Dragons forward Cory Hill sits on the bench ahead of uncapped Osprey Rory Thornton. The Wales camp are hopeful that Charteris will be available to face England six days later. Ball's only international start since the 2015 World Cup was in the friendly against England in May 2016. "In the Six Nations last year, I came in with an MCL (knee ligament injury), then in the autumn with my ribs as well, it's been a bit of a frustrating time for me and I hadn't hit the form I wanted to over the last year and a half" Ball told BBC Wales Sport. "I'm back playing a lot of rugby and I'm very excited to be playing [in Rome], there's always been a good log of second rows in the Wales set-up and it's up to me to put my stamp on the shirt." Autumn on the sidelines Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac described Ball as a "man on a mission" with some fine displays over the Christmas and New Year period. That came after an awkward experience in November, when he made a brief replacement appearance against Japan but missed out to Charteris, Jones and Hill against South Africa. "Being [in the Wales camp] and watching the boys playing and not being involved is heartbreaking," he said. "You always want to be here and involved in some way, sometimes it even drives you a bit more seeing boys coming in and doing well." New freedom for Italy Ball, who wins his 22nd cap in Rome, says Italy could be free to play more open rugby, conditions permitting, under new coach Conor O'Shea. "Conor O'Shea has brought something a bit different, he's freshened things up and they'll be a revived team," he added. "He was saying they've got the freedom to go out there and play, and teams like that are always dangerous." Ball and Jones will be up against Treviso's Marco Fuser and his Scottish-born partner George Biagi, now with Zebre.

Wales lock Jake Ball says he wants to put his stamp on a second-row shirt after the "heartbreak" of the 2016 autumn series.

Iain Duncan Smith, Leave campaigner and another ex-Conservative leader, said: "You can't claim democracy when you want it and reject it when you don't." He spoke out after Sir John also warned against Brexit being dictated by the "tyranny of the majority". Mr Duncan Smith said: "We had a vote, that vote now has to be acted on." The dispute came after Sir John, Conservative prime minister between 1990 and 1997, called for the 48% of people who voted against Brexit in June's referendum to have their views considered. "The tyranny of the majority has never applied in a democracy - and it should not apply in this particular democracy," he said. He argued that Parliament would have to ratify whatever deal is finally reached by the Brexit negotiators and there could be a case for a second referendum, depending on the deal on offer. Mr Duncan Smith told BBC Radio 5 live's Emma Barnett: "The idea we delay everything just simply because they disagree with the original result does seem to me an absolute dismissal of democracy. "And that's what I thought John Major's comments were today. The tyranny of the majority? What's the tyranny?" Bernard Jenkin, a Conservative MP and leading figure in the Vote Leave campaign, also dismissed Sir John's talk of a second referendum. "The idea this particular genie can be put back in the bottle after the British people have voted in a year-long debate - that we are now going to vote to stay in the EU - is absolute rubbish," he said. Mr Jenkin argued that the UK could have avoided Brexit if Sir John had held a referendum on the Maastricht Treaty, which was responsible for the creation of the European Union almost 25 years ago. "If he had stopped the Maastricht Treaty, there would have been no monetary union, there would have been no eurozone crisis, no bailouts, no centralisation of power in the EU - we might even still be a member of the EU," he told the BBC. "And it's because he gave in on the Maastricht Treaty that we've had to finish up leaving the EU." Liberal Democrat MP Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister, weighed in to add that while the government had a mandate to leave the EU, it did not have a mandate on "how" to leave. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's World at One, he criticised what he called the "almost hysterical fervour of the hard Brexiteers" to turn Britain into "a low regulation, low tax, enlarged offshore Singapore for which they have no mandate". He insisted it was "quite right that people, particularly from the centre ground point of British politics, say: 'Hang on a minute, that's actually not what people necessarily voted for on 23 June'." He added: "Brexit yes, but not this very hard ideological Brexit that they seem determined to pursue."

Ex-Prime Minister Sir John Major has been accused of "an absolute dismissal" of democracy after he suggested there should be a second Brexit vote.

Mr Dewani, 34, is accused of ordering the murder of his new wife, 28-year-old Anni, who was shot in Cape Town in November 2010. He denies murder. The Bristol businessman has been fighting against extradition for three years but lost his latest appeal. Mr Dewani is expected to appear at Western Cape High Court on Tuesday. In a statement Scotland Yard said: "Shrien Dewani, 34, has today, 7 April, at approx 20:00hrs been extradited from the UK to South Africa." He was taken from Fromeside Hospital, a secure mental health unit in Bristol, to the city's airport by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service Extradition Unit. Officers were met at the airport by representatives from the South African authorities who have escorted him on the flight to South Africa. Mr Dewani was originally arrested by officers from the extradition unit on 7 December 2010 at the request of the South African authorities. The family of Mrs Dewani, a Swedish national, welcomed the extradition adding that they "need justice". Mr Dewani and his wife were held at gunpoint while being driven in a taxi through Gugulethu township near Cape Town. He was thrown from the car later that night and the body of Mrs Dewani was found the next day with a single gunshot wound to the neck. Speaking at a news conference earlier, Mrs Dewani's brother, Anish Hindocha said: "It's been very difficult. "There is no life in our family any more, we struggle. With the help of the South African people, with the help of the British people, we are at least trying to cope." Mr Hindocha said the protracted legal battle to have Mr Dewani extradited had been "very heavy" for the family. Mrs Dewani's uncle, Ashok Hindocha, said the family would be attending the court hearing. He said: "From today and onwards this case will be about Anni. Until now it hasn't been about what really happened to her. "The justice system is the way it is. Obviously we were extremely surprised that it took such a long time. There is one nation, one powerful nation called the United Kingdom, that has a treaty with South Africa. "That treaty was challenged, so we are happy that it went through. Unfortunately it took a long time." Mr Dewani's lawyers argued that he should not be forced from the UK to face trial until he had recovered from mental health problems, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. But last month judges at the High Court rejected his appeal and denied him the chance to take the case to the Supreme Court. They agreed with the South African authorities that if Mr Dewani was not fit to stand trial within 18 months he would be returned to the UK. The South African Department of Justice said Mr Dewani will be taken straight to court after he lands and is expected to appear at Western Cape High Court, where he will be formally charged. He will be accompanied by a doctor, nurse and police officers during the journey, because he is "a patient and suspect who is in police custody". Journalists will be allowed to film inside the courtroom but all cameras will have to be switched off as soon as the judge enters the room. It is understood Mr Dewani's legal team could apply for bail. If that is refused, he will be taken to the high-care wing of Valkenberg, a psychiatric facility, the BBC's Karen Schoonbee in Cape Town understands. Three men have been convicted and jailed over Mrs Dewani's death, including taxi driver Zola Tongo, who was given 18 years after admitting his role in the killing. Xolile Mngeni, who prosecutors claim was the hitman, was convicted of premeditated murder over the shooting, and another accomplice, Mziwamadoda Qwabe, pleaded guilty to murder and was handed a 25-year prison sentence.

Honeymoon murder suspect Shrien Dewani has been extradited from the UK to South Africa, Scotland Yard has said.

The comedy sequel earned more in its first weekend than the $65m that the first film pulled in over the course of its entire US run in cinemas. Universal's Nick Carpou described the musical sequel's success as "amazing". Directed by actress Elizabeth Banks, it marks the highest ever opening for a first-time feature film director. "People loved the first movie and it resonated well beyond that $65m that the first film did," said Carpou, Universal's domestic distribution chief. "To be able to build on the first film and expand its popularity is pretty amazing." The film sees Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson reprising their original roles, alongside newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, as the fictional a capella singing group The Barden Bellas. The story sees the Bellas square off against German aca-champions Das Sound Machine in an international singing contest. Tom Hardy's turn as the reinvented Mad Max - filling the shoes of Mel Gibson 30 years on - racked up $44.4m, having received positive reviews when it premiered at Cannes Film Festival last week. "A lot of people coming to the movie went purely on the reviews," said Warner Bros' Dan Fellman, calling the film "an incredible ride this is that it's going to propel us right into the meat of the summer". However the film remains a long way from profit. Pitch Perfect 2 cost a modest $29m to produce, while Mad Max: Fury Road carries a significant $150m price tag.

Pitch Perfect 2 has made an impressive $70.3m (£44.7m) debut at the US box office, surging ahead of George Miller's Mad Max reboot, Fury Road.

The slide, set up in Shore Road, Swanage, for the Swanage Carnival, came loose at about 13:40 BST. Police said nine children were treated at the scene - at least one was taken to hospital. South Western Ambulance Service said its paramedics treated three of the children but there was "nothing to suggest their injuries are serious". There have been conflicting reports about the number of casualties but some children may have been treated by the carnival's own medical staff, an ambulance spokeswoman said. Dorset Police said the children treated at the scene had either "stayed to enjoy the afternoon or gone home". It said one child was taken to Poole Hospital and three had been taken to the minor injuries unit in Swanage. "Officers remain at the scene and are speaking with organisers," a spokeswoman said. A South Western Ambulance Service spokeswoman said two of the children it treated "were reported to be suffering from neck pain" and were taken to Poole Hospital. The third was treated at the scene. Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance said it attended but was stood down before it landed.

A number of children were injured when an inflatable slide broke away from its moorings during a carnival in Dorset.

The firm said that it was working to boost capacity at telephone exchanges in the worst hit areas. The news coincided with the launch of Sky Go Extra - a service allowing users to download movies and TV shows so they can be watched offline. One expert said the product might add to the strain. Sky Go Extra still works at slow internet speeds - however, Sky's other streaming services rely on the user having a 2 megabit per second connection. Some subscribers have complained their download speeds have fallen below this level at peak times. A Sky spokeswoman apologised for the problems. "Following a combination of an underlying increase in network traffic as well as a high rate of new customer additions, we are aware of capacity issues in a small number of exchanges," she said. "We are working on adding new capacity to those exchanges as quickly as we can. We apologise to all customers who have been impacted by this issue." She confirmed a report by The Register that users in Doncaster, North Wales and Bristol were among those affected, but declined to be more specific or name other locations. However, the firm has provided an online postcode checking facility for its subscribers to check if their local exchange has been flagged as having an issue. Sky also indicated that less than 5% of its broadband customer base used the affected exchanges. Andrew Ferguson, editor of the Thinkbroadband news site noted that Sky had recently run a major promotion highlighting the fact it did not place "fair use" caps on the amount of data its customers use. As a result, he said, the firm had probably attracted subscribers who downloaded significantly more than the average 23 gigabytes per month consumed by the average UK broadband user. "Sky had this problem last year in some of its exchanges, and it's definitely not the only service provider to have experienced this problem," he told the BBC. "It's very much related to the firms' promotional activities. Sky has also been pushing its fibre products recently - they offer higher speeds and people who sign up generally use more data afterwards."

Sky has acknowledged that some of its customers are experiencing slow internet speeds as a consequence of it signing up new subscribers.

Gabriel Sakellaridis was speaking after Mr Tsipras won the late-night vote convincingly, but with more than 30 of his own MPs voting against him. The vote means the government lost its majority but is expected to survive. Eurozone finance ministers are due to discuss the vote in a conference call. On Wednesday the European Commission proposed a €7bn (£5bn) "bridging" loan to help Greece pay debt interest due in several days. Live updates Under the terms of the bailout deal agreed in Brussels on Monday, the first tranche of legislation relating to tax and pensions had to be passed by Wednesday. The Greek parliament discussed the bailout deal beyond a midnight deadline into Thursday morning. Mr Tsipras won the vote by 229 votes to 64, with the support of some opposition MPs. See how events unfolded here The BBC's Mark Lowen in Athens says he has been weakened and will now need a reshuffle or a vote of confidence. Passionate opposition came from his own party, with parliamentary Speaker Zoe Constantopoulo calling the measures "social genocide". Former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis was another vocal opponent of the measures. Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis and Deputy Labour Minister Dimitris Stratoulis also voted against the package, prompting speculation they could lose their jobs in a reshuffle. In his address to parliament Mr Tsipras said: "I acknowledge the fiscal measures are harsh, that they won't benefit the Greek economy, but I'm forced to accept them." He added: "The Greek people can understand the difference between those who fight in an unfair battle and those who just hand in their weapons." He also said it was a "positive development" that one of Greece's creditors, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), had suggested that the bailout does not go far enough - and that some debts will need to be written off. Mr Sakellaridis said the vote was the first important step towards a deal and hinted that the government would try to remain in office despite losing its majority. "The basic priority of the prime minister and the government is the immediate and successful completion of the agreement," he said. When Eurozone finance ministers hold their conference call at 08:00 GMT they will discuss the next steps. Later, the European Central Bank's governing council will meet to discuss how to keep Greece's banks from collapsing. Greek banks have been closed for more than two weeks to reopen, with cash withdrawals limited to €60 a day. For Greece to secure its new funds, it must win the approval of the domestic parliaments of several of the other 18 members of the eurozone. Germany is expected to vote on the deal on Friday. Greece must also commit to a major overhaul of the civil justice system by 22 July and agree to more privatisation, to review collective bargaining and industrial action and to make market reforms, including Sunday trading. Thursday morning's vote approved: Opponents of the bailout measures took to the streets of Athens in mainly peaceful protests ahead of the vote. One group threw petrol bombs at police officers who responded with tear gas. Unions and trade associations representing civil servants, municipal workers and pharmacy owners also went on strike on Wednesday.

Greek PM Alexis Tsipras is focused on completing a €86bn bailout deal agreed with the eurozone despite setbacks in a crucial vote to push through tough reforms, his spokesman has said.

The Team Sky rider, 31, was part of a group that finished two seconds behind Movistar stage winner Jesus Herrada. Spaniard Herrada made a decisive break, accelerating up the final climb for victory at Chalmazel-Jeansagniere. Spain's Alberto Contador is the overall leader, six seconds ahead of Richie Porte, having won Sunday's time trial. Contador, a two-time Tour de France winner, is yet to win the eight-stage, week-long Dauphine, but has twice finished second - in 2010 and 2014. Froome, also a two-time Tour winner, is 13 seconds off Tinkoff rider Contador heading into Wednesday's hilly third stage from Boen-sur-Lignon to Tournon-sur-Rhone. The Kenya-born rider was not named by British Cycling on Tuesday in a list of athletes who will compete for the British Championships later this month, with team-mate Geraint Thomas also absent. Froome will instead focus on the Tour de France, which begins on 2 July, ahead of his bid for Olympic gold in the road race in Rio in August. Criterium du Dauphine stage two result: 1. Jesus Herrada (Spa/Movistar) 4hrs 13mins 43secs 2. Tony Gallopin (Fra/Lotto) +2secs 3. Serge Pauwels (Bel/Dimension Data) same time 4. Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra/ Direct Energie) 5. Daniel Moreno (Spa/Movistar) 6. Bauke Mollema (Ned/Trek) 7. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel/BMC Racing) 8. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) 9. Valerio Conti (Ita/Lampre) 10. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa/Katusha) General classification: 1. Alberto Contador (Spa/ Tinkoff) 8hrs 53mins 14secs 2. Richie Porte (Aus/BMC Racing) +6secs 3. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +13secs 4. Daniel Martin (Ire/Etixx-Quick-Step) +21secs 5. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra/Etixx-Quick-Step) +24secs 6. Jesus Herrada (Spa/Movistar) +27secs 7. Adam Yates (GB/Orica) +31secs 8. Diego Rosa (Ita/Astana) +37secs 9. Daniel Navarro (Spa/Cofidis) +43secs 10. Bauke Mollema (Ned/Trek) +48secs

Britain's Chris Froome finished eighth on stage two of the Criterium du Dauphine on Tuesday to maintain third place in the overall standings.

She left after her GCSEs to work in a factory but the money was poor, as were the conditions. So when she got better exam results than she expected she went back to do her A-levels. In those days she dreamed of being a television newsreader. Moira Stuart was a big role model, she said. Now she is back at Tonypandy Community College - or "Pandy Comp" - this time to speak to sixth formers. And she has a new career aspiration in mind - winning May's assembly election. Year 12's Georgia Harrison wants to know why someone from the traditional Labour stronghold of the Rhondda opted for Plaid Cymru? Ms Wood said being a traditional Labour stronghold has held the area back. Voters are not listened to, she said, and it is time to "shake up the political system". The message to this group of teenagers in the Rhondda - most of whom are too young to vote - is the same message Plaid will take across Wales in the election campaign. But are voters listening? There is not a huge amount of polling data yet, but what polls there are suggest Labour is still out in front, with Plaid battling for second place. "The polls are not where I would like them to be at the moment," Ms Wood told me. "I would obviously like to see some improvement, but I think that will be achieved by making sure that we communicate with people on the ground. "We know that there's a limit to how much of our message we can get across through the media so it is all dependent on the grassroots conversations." Plaid's media profile was boosted last year when Ms Wood took part in the general election leaders' debates alongside David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nicola Sturgeon, Nigel Farage, Nick Clegg and Natalie Bennett. But the added publicity failed to translate into winning more seats in Parliament, in contrast to the near clean sweep of seats achieved by the Scottish Nationalists. The goal for Plaid now is to capitalise on that enhanced profile and to demonstrate that they are talking voters' language on the issues that matter most. Nine key policies - three each on health, education and the economy - will form the core of the party's assembly election campaign. It's "absolutely clear" that those three issues are voters' top priorities, Ms Wood said. "And so they are our top priorities as well, and all of our focus has gone into providing solutions in those areas." But does she encounter people who pigeonhole the party, who think Plaid prioritises the Welsh language and the constitution above everything else? "There are still misconceptions about Plaid Cymru," she says. "I was in a meeting last night in Mountain Ash in the Cynon Valley talking about just exactly these things. "It is up to our party workers to make sure that we scotch those misconceptions." Ms Wood is the first Plaid leader not to come from a Welsh-speaking background. She is also the party's first female leader. Now she hopes to achieve another first - to become Plaid's first First Minister.

When Leanne Wood first walked through the gates of her old school, a career in politics was not part of the plan.

Eight of the nine rate-setters on the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted for no change, with one voting for a rise. The Bank rate has been at the record low of 0.5% since March 2009. A number of economists have been pushing their expectations of the first UK interest rate rise from the end of 2016 into the start of 2017. The Bank said: "All members agreed that, given the likely persistence of the headwinds weighing on the economy, when Bank rate does begin to rise, it is expected to do so only gradually and to a level lower than in recent cycles. "This guidance is an expectation, not a promise." Ian McCafferty, one of four external members of the MPC, has been voting for a rate rise for several months and had the same view at the latest meeting. The committee's minutes reveal a view that falling oil prices will mean any rise in inflation - which charts the cost of living - would be "slightly more gradual" in the near-term than forecast by the committee in November. However, it expected inflation to increase to around the 2% target "once the persistent impact of lower energy and food prices, subdued world export prices and the past appreciation of sterling had dissipated". It added that inflation was likely to be at about 0.5% for several months this year. The MPC also noted the fall in the value of the pound, which was partly attributed to actions by the European Central Bank. "Since the start of 2016, however, some market contacts had additionally cited the forthcoming UK referendum regarding EU membership as a possible explanation for the depreciation of sterling," the minutes stated. The global risks are building. Here is the MPC on the remarkable gyrations of the markets since the start of the New Year: "Recent volatility in financial markets has underlined the downside risks to global growth, primarily emanating from emerging markets." And on confidence in the economy: "Business surveys imply that the near-term outlook for aggregate [economic] activity is slightly weaker." And on the remarkable collapse of the oil price: "The 40% decline in oil prices means that the increase in inflation is now expected to be slightly more gradual in the near term." It all makes for a rather gloomy soup. And some would argue pushes any interest rate rise into the relatively far future Read more from Kamal The decision to hold the Bank rate comes shortly after weak industrial output figures were released and estimates suggested UK economic growth had slowed. Production fell 0.7% in November from October - the sharpest fall since early 2013, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics, released on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) predicted that UK economic growth slowed to 2.2% last year from 2.9% in 2014. Meanwhile, the world economy remains in fragile condition, reflected by tumbling global markets last week after a run of poor economic data and interruptions to trading on Chinese stocks. Last week, the Chancellor George Osborne warned the UK economy was facing "a dangerous cocktail of new threats" as a result of slow global growth and a drop in oil prices, which is a potential threat to the UK economy because of North Sea oil production. The US Federal Reserve increased rates last month for the first time in nearly a decade, as the US economy expanded strongly last year. Bank of England governor Mark Carney has already said the decision to raise rates in the US was "not decisive" for UK policymakers, stressing that any such move in the UK would be made according to UK economic conditions.

UK interest rates have been left unchanged again at 0.5% by the Bank of England's rate-setters.

The 32-year-old had been playing in the Isthmian Premier Division with Leatherhead following his release by Newport at the end of last season. Pidgeley has made 260 appearances in spells with nine clubs, including Chelsea, Watford and Millwall. Forest Green are currently second in the National League table, one point behind leaders Cheltenham Town. Pidgeley could make his Rovers debut when they host Aldershot on Friday.

National League side Forest Green Rovers have signed goalkeeper Lenny Pidgeley until the end of the season.

Chevrolet has developed a mode called Teen Driver, which can keep young drivers safe on the road. The feature, available in the new 2016 Chevy Malibu, does things like mute the radio if the driver's not wearing a seat belt. A key fob can also be used to set a speed limit between 40 and 75mph. If they go over that, visual and audible warnings will be triggered to tell the driver to slow down. The feature also allows parents to see a report of the total distance driven, maximum speed travelled, how many speed warnings were issued or if there were any driver road skids. Parents can also make sure traction controls stay set and lights are not left on during the day. Chevy and other car manufacturers already offer a valet mode on cars, which limits how the car is driven and uses an onboard camera and data recorders to prevent abuse. The new system has been criticised for not doing anything to stop drivers from using devices like mobile phones. The 2016 Chevy Malibu will be unveiled at the New York car show next month. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Parents who worry about handing over their car keys will be able to spy on their teenager's road skills and even set a speed limit soon.

Margaret Slater, who has dementia, was taken to Queen's Medical Centre Nottingham suffering severe hallucinations. Her family said there appeared to be too many patients for the number of staff with queues of people in the hallways and waiting areas. In a statement the trust apologised and said there was a "surge" in patients. Ms Slater was taken to the emergency department on 11 November during a week when the Nottingham University Hospital's Trust missed its admissions target every day. 3,870 emergency patients seen in week beginning 9 November 80.7% admitted to ward within four hours over the week 74.1% admitted within four hours on the Wednesday 95% should be admitted within four hours according to the government She was assessed by a nurse when she first arrived and then, three hours later, a doctor said she needed to be admitted but it was another eight hours before she was moved to a ward. Linda Hughes, her daughter, said the staff were "very caring" but there did not appear to be enough of them. "It was only due to the pressure we were putting on them that she was moved to a ward. In that time she was offered nothing to eat or drink. "At one stage, we counted about a dozen [patients on trolleys] and more queuing outside in a corridor with paramedics." In the week beginning 9 November, the hospital had 3,870 emergency admissions with 80.7% treated within four hours. The government target is 95%. On the Wednesday, when Ms Slater was at QMC, the figure was 74.1%. Alun Harcombe, divisional director of medicine, said the hospital was fully staffed but there had been a "surge in people attending", leading to longer admissions times. "We apologise to Ms Slater and her family for the long wait and that she was not offered any food or drink and have reminded our staff of the importance of doing so at regular intervals," he added.

A hospital has apologised after a 90-year-old woman was left on a trolley for 11 hours without food or water.

Grace Taylor, who was backpacking, had been uncontactable since 16 February, her mother Sam Taylor said on Facebook. The family filed a missing person report to Dorset Police on 21 February. Then on 22 February, Ms Taylor contacted her family, who booked her a flight home, although her mother said she did not board the flight. Sam Taylor said her daughter had called from Ao Nang in Krabi province. Mrs Taylor said Grace Taylor was "very stressed and frightened saying that people were trying to hurt her and were following her and she wanted to come home". She added that "all previous backpacker sightings have reported that she is disorientated and not in a good mental state". She appealed to the backpacker community to help locate her daughter. A member of the family is flying to Thailand to search for Ms Taylor and bring her home, she said.

A 21-year-old woman from Swanage, Dorset is missing in south Thailand, according to her family, who have posted an online appeal for help.

Luke Judge, from Cornwall, learned of Rufa Fahmi's plight after meeting her uncle while volunteering in Greece. Mr Judge, 34, said the 11-year-old, who previously raised money for cancer patients in Yemen, needed surgery urgently. He spent ??25,000 of his own savings to fund treatment in Paris. Mr Judge said her story had "inspired" him. "When Rufa was nine years old she raised $2,000 (??1,400) for cancer patients in Yemen by selling her paintings. "So for [her] not to get treatment after raising that sort of money was just too much to walk away from," he said. Mr Judge, from Hayle, said hospitals in Yemen did not have the resources to manage Rufa's condition. He secured a visa for the youngster to be treated in Paris after pooling his life savings and raising an additional ??10,000 by calling on "everyone in my network - doctors, politicians and businessmen." "She's been discharged from hospital, is learning to walk again, is learning to eat properly and getting some strength back before her next operation," he said. "We have limited conversation because we don't speak a common language. "She's always smiling, waving and you can tell she's full of love and energy. She's so inspiring."

A stranger organised and helped fund a life-saving operation for a girl with a brain tumour who lives more than 3,500 miles (5,630 km) from him.

Most of the deaths resulted from a stampede as hundreds of students rushed to escape the blaze through two exits, the Kano state officials said. Twenty-five others were injured in the fire which broke out as students were sleeping at the government-run girls school in Jogana village, they added. It is not being treated as suspicious. Fire-fighters spent seven hours trying to put out the blaze, an eyewitness told the BBC's Hausa service. The government has closed the boarding school and ordered a full investigation into the fire.

At least seven female students have died after a fire at a boarding school hostel near the northern Nigerian city of Kano on Sunday night, officials say.

Simon Hamilton said if they want the highest standard of health and social care, then the current configuration of services is not going to work. Mr Hamilton pulled no punches in his first keynote address in his new role. He said the real challenge was the absence of political agreement on the future of health and social care. Mr Hamilton acknowledged the worries that reform will lead to the closure of facilities. But he added that its growing and ageing population means Northern Ireland has to do things differently. In a hard-hitting speech with lots of plain talking, the minister said attachments to the bricks and mortar of the National Health Service [NHS] must not act as a barrier that inhibits people from getting the best healthcare. Instead, he called on people to embrace change and allow the NHS to move with the times.

Northern Ireland's new health minister has challenged politicians to accept change as he outlined his vision for the future of local health services.

The animals are easier to spot in spring when vegetation is low and the breeding season is under way. Hares may be declining in parts of the UK, while rabbits have been hit by myxomatosis and other viral diseases, says the Mammal Society. People are being asked to send in photographs of rabbits and hares to help map the UK population. Dr Fiona Mathews, senior lecturer in mammalian biology and chair of the Mammal Society, said: "We have very poor information on rabbits and hares - and it's important to know if numbers are going up or down. "They are part of the ecosystem and lots of other animals depend on them, either through grazing of their habitat or as a food source for foxes or birds of prey." She said some parts of the UK had very low populations of rabbits and hares, particularly where there had been disease outbreaks. However, in other regions they have become so abundant they have become agricultural pests. The Mammal society wants people across the country to send in sightings of wild rabbits or hares across the countryside, including parks, fields and mountains. The data will be used in a national atlas of mammals to support future conservation and research projects. Derek Crawley, who is co-ordinating the atlas, said rabbits and hares can be distinguished by their gait and appearance. "Hares are larger, have long limbs and lollop along whereas the rabbit has a bobbing gait," he said. "The ears are also distinctive: those of hares are longer and have black tips." Sightings of rabbits and hares, or their signs in the countryside, such as droppings and burrows, with any photographs taken, can be reported via the Mammal Tracker app, The Mammal Society website, or by posting information to The Mammal Society.

Biologists are calling on the public to report sightings of rabbits and hares as part of a conservation effort.

Inderjit Singh Dhariwal, 49, was injured at Samsons in Rood End Road, Oldbury, in the early hours of Sunday. Nicolas Salhan, 36, of Haybridge Avenue, Stourbridge, and Jonathan Davies, 42, from Old Bridge Walk, Rowley Regis, have been charged. They are due to appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 30 November. Mr Dhariwal, of Oldbury, was taken to hospital in a critical condition but died on Monday.

Two men have appeared in court and been charged with murder following the death of a man who suffered serious head injuries at a banqueting venue.

Keates made over 150 league appearances for Wrexham and captained the club to an FA Trophy win in 2013. The 38-year-old, along with Joey Jones and Andy Davies, had been in temporary charge of the National League club after Gary Mills was sacked on 13 October. "Dean is a man with an excellent pedigree in football," the club said. "He is someone who knows all about Wrexham AFC and the fans expectations and someone who has a real passion for the club. "We believe has the knowledge, the drive and the determination to bring lasting success to the Club as we build for a successful future." His first game in charge as permanent manager will be the home National League game against Barrow on Tuesday. Keates, who started his career with hometown club Walsall, also played for Hull City, Kidderminster Harriers, Lincoln City, Peterborough United and Wycombe Wanderers. He joined Wrexham in the summer of 2010 and after five seasons at the Racecourse left in 2015 before a spell with Rhyl in the Welsh Premier League and more recently played at Rushall.

Wrexham have appointed former midfielder Dean Keates as their new manager on an 18-month contract.

Holders Hibernian or Hearts will host the winners of another replay, between Clyde and Ayr United. Celtic, already League Cup winners, will entertain Championship side St Mirren and Partick Thistle travel to Aberdeen in the two clear-cut ties. Rangers host the winner of the replay between Hamilton Academical and Championship side Dunfermline Athletic. Media playback is not supported on this device It means the Premiership's top three sides have been handed home ties in the quarter-finals to be played over the weekend of 4/5 March. The other hosts will be either Hearts, sitting fourth, or last year's winners after the Edinburgh rivals drew 0-0 at Tynecastle on Sunday. Championship leaders Hibs also played their neighbours at the same stage last season, winning a replay at Easter Road, and went on to beat Rangers in the final. Last season's runners-up won the last of this weekend's fifth-round ties, edging out Championship outfit Greenock Morton 2-1 in Glasgow. Media playback is not supported on this device The Ibrox side, presently under caretaker manager Graeme Murty after Mark Warburton's departure on Friday, will find out their opponents on Tuesday, when Premiership rivals Hamilton entertain Dunfermline. League Two outfit Clyde host Ayr of the Championship on the same night, while Hibs host Hearts the following Wednesday. Premiership leaders Celtic will be strong favourites to progress having been drawn at home to St Mirren, who are currently bottom of the Championship. Aberdeen, sitting second in the top-flight, host Thistle in an all-Premiership tie. Aberdeen v Partick Thistle Celtic v St Mirren Hearts or Hibernian v Ayr United or Clyde Rangers v Dunfermline Athletic or Hamilton Academical Ties to be played over the weekend of 4/5 March.

Celtic, Rangers and Aberdeen were all handed home ties after the draw for the Scottish Cup quarter-finals.

The huts, and the luxury items inside, belong to Dairo Antonio Usuga David, better known as Otoniel, one of the most wanted men in Colombia. Currently some 1,200 members of the security forces are chasing the elusive gang leader. That is more than double the 500 who hunted Pablo Escobar, the drug lord who controlled the infamous cocaine cartel of the same name. Otoniel runs the Usuga clan, a drug gang that has its powerbase in the Uraba region of Colombia, but whose network extends across the country and beyond. Members of the gang have been arrested as far away as Argentina, Brazil, Honduras, Peru and Spain. The US Department of State describes it as a "heavily armed, extremely violent criminal organisation". It is offering up to $5m (£3.4m) for information leading to Otoniel's arrest. Otoniel has been in charge since his brother, Juan de Dios, was killed on 1 January 2012 when police raided his New Year's Eve party. The gang is first and foremost engaged in drug trafficking, but it has also been accused of extortion, illegal mining, forced disappearances and murder. It is very much a family business. Otoniel's partner, Blanca Senobia Madrid Benjumea, was in charge of the group's finances until her capture last month. His nephew, Harlison Usuga, looked after the drug traffic routes north to Central America and liaised with Mexican drug cartels until he, too, was captured in February. Over the past five years, the security forces have captured a whopping 6,700 members of the group. But its leader has evaded them so far. Last month, they launched a massive and costly operation to catch the elusive gang leader. Sources linked to the operation say $225,000 was spent on tracking down Otoniel in the first 25 days of the hunt. The people tasked with arresting him have been given clear orders from President Juan Manuel Santos and Defence Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon: Do not leave Uraba until you have caught Otoniel and have dismantled the whole clan. So far, the security forces have seized 5.5 tonnes of cocaine, and destroyed a number of coca crops and laboratories that turn leaves into cocaine. But they have yet to find Otoniel. His uncanny ability to dodge the security forces is partly due to his family's close ties to the region. Otoniel was born in Uraba and knows the region like the back of his hand. Most importantly, through threats and intimidation he has gained almost total control over the local community. When he called on locals to down tools to mark his brother's death at the hand of the police, the region came to a standstill for several days. When people in the region hear Otoniel's name mentioned, they react with fear. It is hard for the security forces to gain people's trust here, and it is something they have not yet fully managed. Moreover, Otoniel uses a variety of tricks to evade the police. He has trained dogs to alert him to anyone approaching his hide-outs. Police recently managed to catch one of his guard dogs and have trained him to go after Otoniel's. Oto, as police have called the poacher turned hunter, is well acquainted with his former master's smell and is considered a superb addition to the team tracking him down. The police have come close to Otoniel several times, finding in a number of hide-outs the distinctive orthopaedic mattresses he uses to ease back pain from a herniated disk. They hope their search will soon yield results and that they will be able to send Otoniel to the confines of a high-security jail where he is unlikely to enjoy such comforts.

Widescreen TV sets hooked up to satellite dishes, expensive drinks and perfumes - these are just some of the luxury items Colombian police have found in huts in the otherwise poor rural area of Uraba, in western Colombia.

The Labour leader said his party would invest in infrastructure but expected action on low wages and workers' rights in return, while there would also be an increase in corporation tax. He told the CBI that Labour's planned "national investment bank" would boost lending to small and medium-size firms. The Tories said Labour only offered "spending, borrowing and taxing". Mr Corbyn told delegates at the CBI's conference he would not tell them how to run their organisations but would not "stand back when there is injustice in the workplace or the boardroom". He warned of "real problems" in today's jobs market, citing low wages, insecure temporary contracts and the gender pay gap. "For too many families in Britain increasingly insecure work means they cannot plan for their future, or how to pay the bills, mortgage or rent," he said. "There are far, far too many people struggling to make ends meet". Mr Corbyn joked he and the CBI would both have been "shocked" if they had been told two years ago he would be addressing the conference. But he said Labour had "plenty of common ground" with the organisation. He vowed Labour would be "on the side of the innovators, entrepreneurs and investors", saying its investment bank plans would "unleash the creativity and potential of entrepreneurial Britain". He said both the Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump in the United States represented "an unmistakable rejection of a political establishment and an economic system which hasn't been working for most people. "It's a system that's delivered ballooning inequality along with falling or stagnating living standards for the majority." Labour says it would increase borrowing to invest in infrastructure, and Mr Corbyn urged Chancellor Philip Hammond to "change course and take the bold action necessary to support our economy". He said Labour would increase investment in green technology and boost house building. Labour's "settlement for business", he said, "will mean some increase in corporation tax while maintaining one of the lowest rates in the world". He added: "But see it as a sound investment not only in your own business's long-term future but for the common good of the country." Mr Corbyn also warned of a "chaotic" Brexit and said Labour would campaign for Britain to "retain full access to the single market". Conservative Party chairman Sir Patrick McLoughlin said: "Jeremy Corbyn has shown once again that all Labour offer is a recipe for economic ruin, while they're totally out of touch with the public's concerns on immigration as we leave the EU." Prime Minister Theresa May addressed the CBI earlier, announcing £2bn of annual investment in research and development by 2020 and an industrial strategy aimed at spreading economic growth across the UK.

Jeremy Corbyn has promised Labour will work with business leaders if they "live up to their side of the deal".

A man, aged 28, and a woman, aged 35, have been arrested on suspicion of the possession of firearms over the incident at Chapel Street. The army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit was called to the scene and a cordon was put in place for a time. North Wales Police said it was "not a terrorist related incident".

A Wrexham street has reopened after police carrying out a search warrant found suspected firearms and "unstable" firework.

The German shepherd, which belonged to Cleveland Police, was being exercised near to Ormseby Stables in Eston when it bit a 28-year-old man. The man suffered puncture wounds on his arm and upper body and was taken to hospital. The dog handler also suffered an injury to his arm. The force has apologised and referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. A police spokesman said: "Based on an assessment of the animal it has been put to sleep. "This was not an easy decision for any of the people involved, but has been made in the best interests of all those involved." The incident occurred on 6 June. Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Ciaron Irvine said it would be "wrong to speculate" until the full circumstances were known. "What is clear is that this incident should not have happened and we must absolutely understand what went wrong," he added.

A police dog has been put down after biting a member of the public.

Classed as "external communications", such activity can be covered by a broad warrant and intercepted without extra clearance, spy boss Charles Farr said. The policy was revealed as part of a legal battle with campaign group Privacy International (PI). PI labelled the policy "patronising". It is the first time the UK has commented on how its legal framework allows the mass interception of communications, as outlined by US whistleblower Edward Snowden in his leaks about global government surveillance. The former National Security Agency contractor revealed extensive details of internet and phone snooping and has since fled the US and sought temporary asylum in Russia. Charles Farr, director general of the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism, told PI that Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and web searches on Google - as well as webmail services such as Hotmail and Yahoo - were classified as "external communications", which meant they could be intercepted without the need for additional legal clearance. Internal communications between citizens can only be intercepted when a targeted warrant is issued. Warrants must be signed by a minister and can only be issued when there is suspicion of illegal activity. But when someone searches for something on Google or posts on Facebook they are sending information overseas - constituting an act of external communication that could be collected under a broader warrant which does not need to be signed by a minister, explained Mr Farr in a 48-page written statement. However, he said data collected in this way "cannot be read, looked at or listened to" except in strictly limited circumstances. Mr Farr said there was a "significant distinction" between intercepting material and a person actually reading, looking at or listening it. Although this is the first time Mr Farr has publicly commented on the matter, the issue was previously raised by privacy researcher Caspar Bowden. He briefed the House of Lords in 2000 ahead of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act coming into effect, which granted GCHQ the relevant power. However, he told the BBC that his testimony was only presented to a near-empty House of Lords and was not reported outside of Hansard. British intelligence has always said that its activities are lawful. But one of the problems has been that the law surrounding interception is incredibly hard to understand. Charles Farr's statement provides new details of how the government believes it applies to different forms of communications. It reveals that a Google search by someone in Britain may be considered an external communication because the request and the result go abroad to Google's computers. That means it could be swept up under the broader warrant covering "external "communications. However, Mr Farr says that actually reading or examining a Briton's communications swept up in this way would still require a domestic, more targeted warrant. Much of the debate over whether the state does conduct mass surveillance comes down to a central question - does the act of computers collecting information constitute surveillance or does it take a person reading or accessing that data for someone's privacy to be invaded? Speak to privacy advocates and government officials and you get a radically different answer. Mr Farr did not reveal the extent to which GCHQ used its power to intercept external communications. In a statement, GCHQ said all its work was "carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework which ensures that our activities are authorised, necessary and proportionate". But civil liberty groups were outraged by the revelations. James Welch, legal director of human rights group Liberty, said: "The security services consider that they're entitled to read, listen and analyse all our communications on Facebook, Google and other US-based platforms. "If there was any remaining doubt that our snooping laws need a radical overhaul there can be no longer." Meanwhile, Eric King, deputy director of Privacy International, said the revelation showed that spy agencies operated under their own laws. "Intelligence agencies cannot be considered accountable to Parliament and to the public they serve when their actions are obfuscated through secret interpretations of Byzantine laws." But some others did not find the revelations surprising. Alan Woodward, a security expert who has undertaken consultancy work for GCHQ, said: "I think what is happening is that people are just becoming familiar with legislation that has been in place for many years, probably because of all the civil liberty groups raising concerns. As you can see from the Act, it has never been a secret. "The bit that people tend to forget is that RIPA [Regulation of Investigatory Powers] has protections as well, something you won't find in many other countries. The difference in the UK is that civil liberty organisations have the right to challenge these things, a right which they would not have in, say, Russia." However, Mr Bowden suggested the relevant statute had been obscurely worded. "Interpreting that section requires the unravelling of a triple-nested inversion of meanings across six cross-referenced subsections, linked to a dozen other cross-linked definitions, which are all dependent on a highly ambiguous 'notwithstanding'," he said. The legal challenge, brought by PI, Amnesty, the American Civil Liberties Union and six other national civil liberties organisations, was a direct response to the revelations made by Mr Snowden about the UK's global digital surveillance.

UK intelligence service GCHQ can legally snoop on British use of Google, Facebook and web-based email without specific warrants because the firms are based abroad, the government has said.

The 60-year-old man was scuba diving at Agincourt Reef in Far North Queensland when he was seen to be in trouble, tour operator Quicksilver said. The tourist, a certified diver, was helped to the surface but could not be revived. It comes after two French tourists died while snorkelling on the reef at Michaelmas Cay on Wednesday. They are both believed to have suffered cardiac arrests. Paramedics were alerted to the latest tragedy just after 12.30 local time (01:30 GMT) on Friday. "CPR was performed on a male patient in his sixties by a nurse on board a vessel and subsequently by a doctor," a Queensland Ambulance spokeswoman said. The Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators (AMPTO) said the alarm was raised when the diver was spotted without a regulator in his mouth 15m (49ft) below sea level on the ocean floor. "We're not sure as to what has happened at this stage," a Quicksilver spokeswoman said. The man was travelling with his wife. It was his second dive of the day from a boat called Silver Sonic. AMPTO executive director Col McKenzie said the boat was carrying oxygen and defibrillation equipment and had operated for 11 years without serious incident. "Accidents like this are a tragedy for the surviving family members, the crew and the passengers," he said. Agincourt Reef is about 100km (62 miles) north of the city of Cairns, and about 60km north of Michaelmas Cay.

A British tourist has become the third person this week to die on Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

They are sitting on the dusty steps of a hair salon, feet tapping to the rhythm of music. "Music is a pleasure for us," Mr Toure says. "We can now dance and do whatever we want: We can walk together with women, we can shout, we're the young people of Timbuktu, this is what we like doing." Music was banned under the strict Islamic law that militant Islamists imposed when they took over the ancient desert city last year. All traditional folklore and ceremonies that make Malian culture vibrant were declared blasphemous. Other people soon join Mr Toure's little gathering, and a man offers to make some tea. The militants banned men and women from mixing in public. Now, Karia Cisse, who is passing by with a basket full of smoked fish on her head, grabs a cup. "We can chit-chat with our brothers, our friends, and even our boyfriends," she says. "It's a real pleasure, we're so happy. I want to thank God." Residents of Timbuktu can again enjoy the simple things they were used to, before the city fell under Islamist control 10 months ago. They can also dress the way they want to. Women have swapped the full black niqab, or full-face veil, for colourful local pagnes, a piece cloth wrapped around the body to form a skirt. Most of them wear a thin scarf over their head, just as they had in the past. There is an incredible feeling that the people are slowly coming back to life here. However, many have also been quick to vent the frustration and anger built up over months, which, they say, felt like a lifetime. In pictures: Why Malians now love France Scenes of looting on Tuesday revealed the deep inter-communal grievances and raised concerns about possible reprisal attacks. Dozens of people were out in the streets breaking into shops owned by ethnic Arabs and Tuaregs, whom they accuse of having collaborated with the militant Islamists. Weapons and boxes of ammunition were pulled out of at least one shop. However, most Arabs and Tuaregs have already left Timbuktu in fear of violence. But it is also time to uncover the wounds inflicted by the militants. In the city centre, a local bank had been turned into the headquarters of the Islamic police. The symbol of the jihadis - marked with a Koran, an AK-47 rifle and a cutlass that militants had cemented into the wall - has been taken down. A tiny cash machine attached to the building around the corner was used as a cell. Why do we know Timbuktu? In pictures: Timbuktu manuscripts "They threw me in and whipped me," says Salaka Djikke, 25. Ms Djikke was arrested at around 23:00 on New Year's Eve as she went for a romantic ride on her boyfriend's motorcycle. When they arrived in front of his house, her boyfriend saw four jihadis coming at them. She did not see them and got off the bike. "He drove off and got away, but they rushed at me and whipped me." Ms Djikke was sentenced to 95 lashes. It was carried out in a public place, all for being caught with a man she was not married to. Her boyfriend managed to escape and reached the capital, Bamako. He could have been stoned to death had he been arrested. Despite the scars she bears, Ms Djikke says that she does not regret taking the risk. "If they didn't hurt you, they'd hurt your sister or your brother. They terrorised the population," she says. "Even living under Sharia, it shouldn't be a crime to fall in love with another person," she says.

Yacouba Toure and a couple of his friends have gathered around his crackling radio in Mali's historic city of Timbuktu, soon after French-led troops captured it from militant Islamists.

But the annual Easter School at St Mary's University College Belfast drew more than 250 pupils from across the west of the city this week. Classes are targeted at those who require extra support in preparation for GCSE Maths and English. Four days of tuition are offered to schoolchildren who are at risk of not achieving a pass grade. Geraldine McAteer of the West Belfast Partnership Board, which manages the programme, said demand for places is high and pupils are "incredibly keen" to take part. Ms McAteer puts the popularity of the classes down to the environment and ethos of the school, which is one of "relaxed but focused learning". "They're mixing with children their own age, from other schools, in their own clothes, their civvies," she said. "They're in a university environment, working with different tutors and university students who volunteer to shepherd them around. So it has actually gained a reputation as quite a fun experience. "A grade C is a passport to so much, so this is to help get them over the line," said Ms McAteer. Maths tutor Jim Stott said the additional support often provides the encouragement students require to keep on studying at a time when their predicted grades may discourage them. "They're keen to tell you what exact areas they need more support with. "It may be trigonometry or algebra, so we break them up into small groups and when they're getting the extra attention, they soak it up. They're really committed to it. "It's very relaxed - I'm not standing at a board talking to children, the children are taking part in it. Sometimes they're at the board. "Pupils tend to gel together very well. They're not necessarily from the same schools, and that's part of the attraction - they like to mix with young people from other schools." Ms McAteer explained that the £25 fee is waived for those who cannot afford it. "This is a great social justice model," she said. "We raise money from the Department of Education which enables us to pay for tutors and hire of premises. "There are some people who can afford to pay that amount per hour. But this is 16 to 20 hours tuition for £25. "But if we find out from the school that a family can't afford that cost, it's overlooked. Our main aim is to get the pupils in, to give them assistance, to get them to pass." Ms McAteer said the West Belfast Partnership Board hope to roll the programme out to other parts of the city over time.

It's a strange phenomenon - teenagers opting to return to the classroom over the Easter Holidays.

The apparent breakthrough came amid fresh US air strikes on Islamic State (IS) positions. Fifteen IS fighters are said to have been captured. The UK, France and Australia joined the US in dropping humanitarian aid. Some 15,000 minority Shia Turkmen in Amerli have been surrounded by Islamic State militants for two months. Military sources told the BBC's Jim Muir, who is a few miles from Amerli, that the Iraqi Army and volunteer militia entered the town on Sunday and had broken the siege. However Amerli remains dangerous because of roadside bombs left behind by IS militants, our correspondent says. No-one here seems to be in any doubt that the combination of forces backed up by Iraqi government air power has in fact broken the siege. There is a lot of celebration here, including gunfire. We cannot go into the town yet as the Islamists have left lots of booby traps and bombs. The situation inside is said to be dire because Amerli has been cut off for two months. However, what we're told from recent figures is that the number of civilians there is much fewer than thought. We were told 15-16,000, but now perhaps 2,500 remain. Many of those are now fighters, having taken up arms. So there might not be as many desperately needy people as first thought. The US military confirmed it had carried out two further air strikes on Sunday. One was near the Mosul Dam and had destroyed an IS armed vehicle. The other was near Amerli, where an IS tank was damaged. The strikes brought the overall total by US Central Command across Iraq to 120. Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced that his government would join other Western countries in arming the Kurds - sending rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and assault rifle ammunition. "None of us want to get involved in another Middle Eastern war, but it is important to do what reasonably can be done to avert potential genocide," Mr Abbott said. The operation to reach Amerli began on Saturday when an alliance of Iraq government forces, Shia militias and Kurdish Peshmerga began a two-front attack on IS positions. US and Iraqi planes provided air cover overnight. Reports described it as the biggest military operation since IS began making major gains in Iraq in June. "Security forces and militia fighters are inside Amerli now after breaking the siege and that will definitely relieve the suffering of residents," Adel al-Bayati, mayor of Amerli, told Reuters. One resident of Amerli, Amir Ismael, told Reuters by phone: "I can see the tanks of the Iraqi army patrolling Amerli's street now. I'm very happy we got rid of the Islamic State terrorists who were threatening to slaughter us." The UN had expressed fears there could be a massacre if IS took the town, which lies in Kurdish-controlled Iraq. IS has been accused of atrocities in areas of Iraq and Syria under its control. The jihadists see the Shia Turkmen in Amerli as apostates. Islamic State has seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in recent months, including Iraq's second city, Mosul. Pledging allegiance to their leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the jihadists have imposed a harsh form of Islamic rule in areas under their control. The group has declared a new caliphate, or Islamic state ruled by a religious leader, and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has announced himself as caliph. The IS ideology has attracted would-be jihadists from a number of Western nations, including the UK, and has spread its message aggressively on social media, often posting gruesome pictures of beheadings and mass killings. The group responded to the US beginning air strikes against it by killing the American journalist James Foley.

Iraqi forces have reached the besieged town of Amerli in northern Iraq, where thousands have been trapped by jihadists, military officials say.

They may not think they have any data worth stealing but even the smallest company can be custodian to information that represents hard cash to criminal gangs: credit card details, customers' names and addresses, or the designs vital to an innovative start-up - all have a ready criminal market. When attention grabbing headlines such as "UK suffering 1,000 attacks an hour" are reported there is a tendency to assume this as an issue only for the larger enterprises; household names that we think of as the powerhouse of our economy. However, that is a dangerous mistake to make. There is mounting evidence that small businesses could be our Achilles heel when it comes to cyber-security. And, it is these small businesses which are the foundations upon which our economy rests: destabilise them and everything else comes crashing down. Over the past 12 months a number of surveys have emerged which suggest that in excess of 60% of these small businesses have suffered some form of successful malware attack. When you realise that even basic security precautions will result in the majority of attacks "bouncing off", you begin to understand they must be quite poorly prepared for the hackers to be so successful. It's not entirely surprising that small businesses are quite so poorly defended. Someone running a small business is not necessarily going to have security as their main priority. They are typically entrepreneurs not security experts. Money is always tight and there is a natural dynamic tension between need and cost. You can see which way the tension is tending when you read in the same surveys that nearly 20% of small businesses only concern themselves with cyber-security following an intrusion. More worrying still, one report indicates that 10% of small businesses would have no way of knowing if they had been successfully attacked. Criminals also recognise that smaller businesses can often be a way of reaching onward to the larger firms. It is as true now as it ever was that the weakest part of a chain is where you should attack, and the supply chains in our modern global, hyper-connected economy are highly extended and, for larger international corporations, you can have upwards of 5,000 to 10,000 smaller suppliers inputting to your end products and services. That represents a lot of potential back doors. To date, selling security software has been akin to selling insurance. Sadly the perception is that it will "never happen to me" so smaller businesses put off what they see as a significant expense for what they see as a very remote eventuality. There is even a suggestion in some surveys that smaller businesses are tempted to use unlicensed security software, or, worse, that which they are offered for "free". Unfortunately, such software is far from a protection but is sometimes the very vehicle for carrying malicious software into the companies systems. You should use "free" software only if you are sure it is from a reputable company, and that the company which built it provides it directly. As smaller businesses feed the larger businesses, those larger businesses are becoming acutely aware that potentially valuable assets could be at risk somewhere further down their supply chain. Take for example a car manufacturer which designs a cutting-edge headlight design. They don't fabricate the lights themselves but pass the designs to a smaller manufacturer who in turn may subcontract elements of the manufacture. That cutting-edge design, worth considerable sums in intellectual property, can end up with a relatively small business and is then protected using only their security, not that of the large car manufacturer. Hence, if a small business is to join part of one of these large supply chains, they can differentiate themselves from the competition by demonstrating that they can protect the intellectual property entrusted to them to the same degree as it is protected at the start of its journey. An emerging trend is for those who disseminate valuable intellectual property to large distributed supply chains to track and audit who has access to what data. If the smaller business proves to be a source of a leak then they will not be in that supply chain for very long I would suggest. Small businesses cannot put off considering cyber-security any longer. Just as you hire in expertise for doing the accounts, there are many who can advise on the best way to protect you and your clients' valuable data. Failure to do so will ultimately cause the business to fail either through direct losses from an attack, or from being dropped by customers who feel their data is inadequately protected. Alan Woodward is a visiting professor at the University of Surrey's department of computing. He has worked for the UK government and consults on issues including cyber-security, covert communications and forensic computing.

Small businesses - those employing a few hundred people or less - are increasingly becoming the target of hackers.

The Germans overturned a 3-1 first-leg deficit against Porto, winning 6-1 to advance 7-4 on aggregate. Guardiola's side scored five goals in a thrilling first half at Allianz Arena. "I know how very important it was," the 44-year-old ex-Barcelona boss told ZDF Television. "It is about winning just like at Barcelona." He added: "It's easy to love my players now. I am the coach of extraordinary players. I didn't expect such a first half. "We can still play better. We lost the ball here and there and we can improve on that. We had a few problems in the second half. They had only a few chances in the second half but you should never relax in the Champions League." Speaking before the game, Guardiola admitted the expectation at the Bundesliga club was to win the Champions League, and not just settle for domestic league and cup glory. Striker Robert Lewandowski scored two and Thiago Alcantara, Jerome Boateng, Thomas Muller and Xabi Alonso also netted as Bayern dominated their Portuguese visitors. Porto barely troubled Bayern in the first half, and Guardiola added: "We played a different game. We knew Porto better after the first game. "Now we have to fight otherwise we will not achieve what we set out to do." Bayern scored their first four goals inside 28 minutes and their fifth in the 40th minute, and even prolific goal-scorer Lewandowski was surprised at the half-time scoreline. "Many people thought we couldn't do it, but we are FC Bayern Munich," said Lewandowski. "We knew we had to step on the gas, but to go five goals up at half-time is really crazy." Germany striker Thomas Muller added: "It couldn't have gone better. Sometimes it's fun to play with your backs against the wall. We all had hopes, but no-one expected that." BBC Radio 5 live's Pat Nevin at the Allianz Arena: "Bayern were ruthlessly efficient in the first half. They were brilliant, scored great goals against a poor team. "But they made some tactical changes and looked bordering on anaemic in the second half. They didn't look up for it. They could have been pulled back in the end but there's more to come from this team. "The Champions League got predictable a long time ago. It's a little bit of a shame. We try not to be biased during commentary but Porto were the last of the little teams and they've been absolutely whacked, swatted like flies out of the way. "There's always Spanish and German teams in the semi-finals, the odd time an Italian or English team but that's it. And even then it's the same teams. But it doesn't mean it's not exciting." Porto coach Julen Lopetegui accepted his side were beaten in a disastrous opening spell. "We are very disappointed because we had a lot of expectations," he said. "But it just turned bad very early on and it became difficult for us to play our game against such a good team. We lost the game in those 20 minutes in the first half. "We tried to change things in the second half and I think we improved a bit but it was too late. "We are sad, but we made a great campaign in this Champions League. In 11 matches this was our only defeat. "Bayern is one of the best teams in the world and the favourite to win the title." Bayern boss Guardiola ripped his trousers during the game. Story and pictures here.

Bayern Munich's progress to the semi-finals of the Champions League was "about life or death", according to manager Pep Guardiola.

Sheffield Wednesday are set to pay £10m for on-loan striker Jordan Rhodes. "I don't need anywhere near that sort of money. Half that figure will do me," said Warnock. Warnock has outlined his proposals to owner Vincent Tan and hopes the Malaysian businessman backs them. After losing 1-0 at home to Norwich, Warnock praised his men for their performance against what he described as an expensively assembled Norwich City side. He revealed the Bluebirds' plans for the summer were already well advanced and that a rapid response would be key when the window opens. "We are already working to a figure that is acceptable to me and I think is acceptable to the board and owners," Warnock told BBC Wales Sport. "We've got two or three players we'd like to bring in, which we will try to do. "We need to do business straight away I think, not wait until the season starts. "We've got a good idea who we want. "Things change when someone comes in and buys one of the players you want, but in general we've got a good idea who we need."

Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock has outlined his cut-price transfer plan, saying he does not think it would take big money to launch a promotion bid in 2017-18.

The 24-year-old, capped 32 times by England, has been out of action since November with a knee injury. However, it is understood his recovery has progressed quicker than expected. Vunipola could now be in contention to face Scotland on 11 March, or Ireland a week later. He was one of England's outstanding performers throughout their unbeaten year of 2016, and his ball-carrying and dynamism has been missed by Eddie Jones' side. There were initial fears Vunipola would miss the whole of England's Six Nations title defence, but it is understood he has looked sharp on his return to full training this week, and is targeting a quick return to international rugby. Vunipola's older brother, Mako, recently made his own comeback from a knee problem, and came off the bench in the win over Italy.

England number eight Billy Vunipola is set for a shock early return to action for his club Saracens against Newcastle on Sunday, boosting his hopes of a 2017 Six Nations call-up.

Gatland says Henry indicated to his players at the outset of the trip of Australia who would be selected for the Test matches. He says that meant his compatriot "lost half the team on day one". "The players knew straight away what was the Test side and who was making up the numbers," said the New Zealander. Gatland, who on Wednesday named his side to face the Provincial Barbarians in the tour opener on Saturday, says each of his 41-man squad is in contention to face the All Blacks. "Keeping harmony in the squad is paramount," he said. "It's about giving everyone an opportunity. "It's important these guys feel like they are putting themselves in the shop window and have a chance to prove themselves, and with a little bit of luck are in contention for the Tests. Media playback is not supported on this device Owen Farrell and Johnny Sexton appear to be in competition for the fly-half spot after Gatland reiterated he sees the Englishman as a "world-class 10", rather than a centre. Irishman Sexton starts on Saturday, with Farrell on the bench. "The players are pretty aware about the competition in that position," Gatland said. "Johnny gets a start on Saturday, and the other two [Farrell and Dan Biggar] will get a start in the next two games." Gatland's son Bryn will start for the Provincial Barbarians at fly-half. "I spoke to Bryn last night and he's enjoying the week," Gatland Sr said. "We'll catch up tomorrow, and he'll expect to have to make a few tackles on the weekend. "We haven't spoken too much about the game but he's excited about the opportunity."

British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland says he will not repeat Graham Henry's 2001 mistake by splitting the squad early in the tour.

He had back surgery for the second time in 18 months in September and talked about retirement earlier this month. Now the former world number one, who is 40 on 30 December, hopes to play competitively again early in 2016. "Where do I see myself in the next five to 10 years? I am still playing golf at the highest level, winning tournaments and majors," he wrote on his website. Woods spent a record total of 683 weeks as world number one but has not won a tournament since the Bridgestone Invitational in August 2013. He is now ranked 414th and won the last of his 14 majors in 2008. Asked about entering his fifth decade, he said: "Mentally, people who know me know I'm like a five-year-old. "Physically, sometimes I feel old and sometimes I feel like a teenager. I don't like the polar opposites of the two. I'd like to be somewhere in the middle where I feel 40. "The thing I'm looking forward to the most about 2016 is getting back out there again. I've missed it, and I would like to do it pain-free. "I've had it in spurts the last few years and have done some pretty good things, but I'd like to have sustained health." Woods was named as an assistant by US captain Davis Love III for next year's Ryder Cup in Minnesota but said he is still aiming for a more prominent role against Europe at the Hazeltine National Golf Club. "Hopefully, I'll be able to play my way on to the team," he said. "Either way, I'm excited about being an assistant captain. It will be new, fun and special. "To have Davis appoint and trust me is pretty special. "If you look back to when we played together in 1999 at Brookline, I don't think either one of us would have foreseen this."

Tiger Woods is back in upbeat mood and expecting to win major championships over the next decade.

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.

The device was stolen during the band's concert at Sunderland's Stadium of Light on 25 May. Northumbria Police found the phones at a house in Whitley Bay hours later after using a GPS locator app to find it. A 25-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of theft. Det Insp Dave Swinburn said the force advised concert goers to be "extra vigilant" and recommended smartphone owners install tracking software on their devices.

An iPhone stolen at a Foo Fighters gig led to the discovery of more than 30 missing mobiles after police used a tracker app to locate it.

The female has taken up residence at the Loch of the Lowes centre near Dunkeld, which was home to Lady, thought to be the world's oldest breeding raptor, for 24 years. A stringent protection programme is put in place once eggs are laid at an osprey nest. The Loch of the Lowes nest is being monitored around the clock. Staff at Loch of the Lowes fear former resident Lady may be dead, after she failed to return to the nest for the first time in a quarter of a century. The venerable osprey, who would be 30 this year, laid almost 70 eggs and reared 50 chicks at the reserve. Her mate of recent years, known as Laddie, has mated with the new female, and the pair united to chase off two other female intruders which had tried to move in to the area. Scottish Wildlife Trust ranger Charlotte Fleming said there was "plenty of excitement" at the centre as the new female laid her first egg. She said: "Now there is an egg on the nest, the osprey protection programme will begin in earnest. The Trust operates a 24-hour watch on the nest site to ensure the safety of the birds and the egg. "Hopefully in the coming days there will be more eggs, as ospreys can lay up to four in a season." The Trust operates a live webcam at the nest, which attracted more than a million viewers from 96 different countries last year.

A new female osprey which has nested at a Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve in Perthshire has laid her first egg.

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.

Raids took place on Sunday and Monday in Brussels and the provinces of Flemish Brabant and Liege. Police seized military clothing and computer equipment in the raids, but no weapons or explosives. Belgium has been on high alert since the attacks of 13 November in Paris. Several of the perpetrators are thought to have been based in Belgium. However, the latest arrests are not linked to the Paris attacks, prosecutors say. One of those arrested is suspected of leading and recruiting for a terrorist cell. The suspects are accused of planning attacks against several "symbolic targets" in Brussels, as well as on the police, according to the Belgian broadcaster RTBF. Is bashing Belgium justified? Propaganda for the so-called Islamic State group was among the materials seized. Another four people were questioned in the raids and released without charge. In November Brussels was placed under a four-day lockdown closing universities, schools and the metro system, amid fears of a Paris-style attack. The presumed ringleader of the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, was a Belgian national who had travelled to fight in Syria. Police in Belgium and beyond have been hunting Salah Abdeslam, a French national who was born in Brussels, in connection with the attacks. His brother Brahim blew himself up during the attacks, investigators say. Belgium has struggled to contain Islamist militancy in recent years - more Belgians have gone to fight for the militant Islamic State (IS) group than any other European country, per capita.

Belgian police have arrested two people suspected of planning attacks in Brussels on New Year's Eve.

"It is not a symbol, but it was a message," Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said of 34-year-old mother-of-two Sherri Papini's injuries. On Wednesday, her husband Keith said she had suffered "repeated beatings". Investigators are searching for two Hispanic adult women, last seen driving a dark-coloured SUV. Mrs Papini was discovered with a bag over her head and chained at the waist and wrists on the side of a highway, about 140 miles (225km) from her home in northern California before dawn last Thursday. She was abducted while jogging near her home in Redding, California, on 2 November. Sheriff Bosenko said of the unspecified message branded on her skin: "I would think that that was some sort of either an exertion of power and control and/or maybe some type of message that the brand contained." He also said her blonde hair had been cut off, speculating the attacker was "a very sick person who may have wanted not only to cut it off to change her physical appearance, but also as to humiliate them, wear her down". Mr Papini told ABC News his wife was "was covered in bruises ranging from yellow to black". "My Sherri suffered tremendously and all the visions swirling in your heads of her appearance, I assure you, are not as graphic and gruesome as the reality." Her nose had been broken and "her now emaciated body of 87lb (39kg) was covered in multicolored bruises, severe burns, red rashes and chain markings," he added. Police have cleared Mr Papini of suspicion after he submitted to a polygraph test. In his written statement, Mrs Papini's husband added: "Rumors, assumptions, lies, and hate have been both exhausting and disgusting. "I understand people want the story, pictures, proof that this was not some sort of hoax, plan to gain money, or some fabricated race war. I do not see a purpose in addressing each preposterous lie." Mrs Papini has spoken to investigators at least three times since her release on 24 November. Police hope to soon release a sketch of the suspects, who are believed to be armed with a handgun.

A missing California jogger found on Thanksgiving day last week after a three-week abduction had been branded with a "message" by her captors.

Brahamdagh Bugti told BBC Urdu his party could drop calls for independence if "the Baloch people agree". Mr Bugti, who lives in Switzerland, is accused of leading an armed struggle. Balochistan has seen a long-running conflict between security forces and separatists who want a greater share of the province's natural resources. Brahamdagh Bugti, 34, is regarded as one of the most hardline of the Baloch separatist leaders and has until now been opposed to any rapprochement with the Pakistani state which he has vowed to "fight to the death". His remarks are being viewed as an olive branch to the military and could signal the first softening of attitudes within the separatist movement. Talking to the BBC from his base in Geneva, Mr Bugti said the Pakistani military had already suffered a moral defeat. "What has been the cumulative effect of the last 10 or 15 years of violence, murder, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and body bags? Have the Baloch people changed their minds or has this strengthened their resolve?" He made his remarks in an exclusive interview with the BBC Urdu service on the ninth anniversary of the death of his grandfather Akbar Bugti, a former governor and later separatist leader who was killed in a Pakistani military operation in 2006. The killing ignited the latest wave of the Baloch insurgency which has claimed thousands of lives since. Asked if he might drop demands for a separate Balochistan, as a condition for peace talks to begin, Mr Bugti said: "If our friends, allies, comrades and the Baloch people want this then of course we will be prepared to talk to Pakistan." He denied any contact with Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudry Nisar Ali Khan who is currently in London where other Baloch leaders are based. "If he wants to meet us we are prepared to meet him. It would be foolish for anyone to refuse a political dialogue if it is offered in the right spirit." Mr Bugti said previous attempts at dialogue had not been serious, and added: "If the fighting continues it will be impossible to hold peace talks and that is why we are calling for an end to the military operation and withdrawal of armed forces from the province. "Only if these demands are met can conditions be ripe for peace talks." Mr Bugti said it was up to the military to make concessions. "We are the persecuted minority in this conflict. It is up to them to tell us what they are prepared to give and what their agenda is. If talks begin we will take to them only what is acceptable to the majority in our ranks. "The army has to stop believing it can solve every problem with force. We don't have a huge army to fight them but nothing will be achieved by this kind of bloodshed." Pakistan blames India for a campaign of sabotage and disruption in Balochistan and has accused it of fuelling the insurgency in the province. Mr Bugti said the military made such allegations to hide its own failures. "If India wants to help us why should we refuse? Everyone has the right to ask for help in self-defence. We can also ask for help from America and the United Nations. India is not responsible for the military operation in Balochistan."

A leading Baloch separatist has said he is ready to consider dialogue with Pakistan, as long as the army ends military operations in the province.

Juventus face Real Madrid in Saturday's sell-out game at Cardiff's renamed National Stadium of Wales. Grange Gardens in Grangetown was chosen for the pitch by UEFA, Cardiff council and the Football Association of Wales. Wales legend Ian Rush praised the facility, saying it would help get more kids into football. The 2017 UEFA Champions League final ambassador said it was important to have facilities in the inner city to give young people the "best chance possible". He added: "Somewhere like this you go in with a positive, but where you've got muddy pitches and all that, you go in with a negative." Rush said the next big football superstar could come from the area, adding: "We all came from places like this but unfortunately we didn't have these facilities."

A new five-a-side pitch has been unveiled in Cardiff to create a "lasting legacy" after the Champions League Final.

Media playback is not supported on this device Top seed Murray made short work of American Sam Querrey, winning 6-4 6-2 6-4 in one hour and 59 minutes. Evans, the world number 51, then upset Australian 27th seed Bernard Tomic with a 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-3) victory. Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski reached round four at Wimbledon 15 years ago. It is the first time Evans has made it so far at a Grand Slam, and he next faces French 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Murray, meanwhile, plays Germany's Mischa Zverev, the world number 50. Media playback is not supported on this device Querrey was the man who upset then world number one Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon last summer, but Murray made sure he did not fall victim to another shock after the Serb's surprise defeat by Denis Istomin on Thursday. With six-time champion Djokovic out, Murray is a clear favourite among many observers to finally land the third leg of the career Grand Slam. "I don't worry about that, really," said Murray, who has lost four Melbourne finals to Djokovic. "Obviously, if you're to get to the final, then it has an effect. A lot of the times when I've been in the final here, I've played against him. Had some tough ones." Querrey gave the Scot plenty to think about in the early stages of their third-round match, attacking the net and hurrying the top seed, but a first-serve percentage of just 57% was not enough to keep Murray at bay. The American missed a fleeting chance with a break point in game eight and Murray immediately took advantage, getting the break himself in the next game with a beautiful lob. He took a firm grip on the match with a run of six out of seven games, easing through the second set with two more breaks. There was a flurry of resistance as Querrey reeled off three straight games to lead 3-2 in the third set, but Murray once again turned up the pressure with his return to break for a fifth time on his way to a comprehensive victory. "Sam, especially in the first set, was hitting a huge ball," added Murray, who had no problem with the ankle he turned during his previous match. "There was a key moment at 3-4 when I saved a break point and then managed to break the next game and had the momentum after that." British number three Evans is set to move inside the world's top 50, with 180 ranking points already secured in Melbourne, plus at least £135,000 in prize money. After failing to convert a match point against Stan Wawrinka in the third round of last year's US Open, the 26-year-old from Solihull grabbed this opportunity with both hands. "It was tough, Bernard is difficult," said Evans. "He is unorthodox and I found it hard at the start. I am happy to come through in three tight sets. It could have gone either way." Evans followed the best win of his career over seventh seed Marin Cilic on Wednesday with another terrific performance, setting the pace and holding firm when under pressure late in the second and third sets. He was broken after holding two set points on serve in the second set but recovered superbly when facing two set points two games later, then raced through the tie-break with some brilliant all-court tennis. When Tomic threatened again late in the third set, Evans fought off another three break points with some magnificent play that even drew applause from his opponent. There were worrying signs of possible cramp, and a brief rain shower came to the Briton's aid when serving at 5-5, 40-40, allowing him to recuperate and dominate a second tie-break to clinch the win. Evans, who is without a clothing sponsor, has been buying his own T-shirts in Melbourne. "I am happy with them at the minute," he said. "One shrunk in the wash so I had to change it, but I reckon they look all right." Murray will start as a strong favourite against Zverev, but there is plenty of danger lurking on the Scot's side of the draw. Former winner Stan Wawrinka, the US Open champion, is through to the last 16 after a 3-6 6-2 6-2 7-6 (9-7) win over Serbia's Viktor Troicki. The Swiss, a potential semi-final opponent for Murray, will play Andreas Seppi next after the Italian beat Belgian Steve Darcis 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-2). Should Murray get past Zverev on Saturday he could face a daunting quarter-final against four-time champion Federer, seventh seed Berdych or fifth seed Kei Nishikori. BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller in Melbourne In two of his previous Grand Slams, Evans had come tantalisingly close to breaking into the fourth round - especially at the US Open last September, when he had match point to knock out eventual champion Stan Wawrinka. Against Tomic, he looked from the first point as if he believed this was a match he was going to win. The third set in particular was very physical, as the Australian dragged Evans around the court, and yet he was still fresh enough to win the tie-break in convincing manner. Evans will be a top-50 player for the first time after the Australian Open - some rise from the position of 772 he found himself in just 20 months ago. Perhaps hitting his mid-20s and developing a taste for the big occasion from Davis Cup ties spurred him to commit to the ceaseless dedication, and long spells away from home, required to be a top player. Evans should be at his peak over the next four years. With help from his coach Mark Hilton, he has built the foundations to allow this not to be as good as it gets.

Dan Evans joined Andy Murray in the last 16 of the Australian Open with a brilliant performance to give Britain two men in the fourth round.

Special Report: The Technology of Business Selling globally is child's play Hi-tech start-ups aim for the stars Powering up firms with hi-tech cash Windows XP end puts firms in a fix Does success lie up in the clouds? There you are thinking all your online customer data is safe, thanks to popular open-source encryption software called OpenSSL, and it turns out to be anything but. This small vulnerability has potentially compromised two-thirds of all websites. "The main worry is for small e-commerce sites that do not know they have been affected," says Keith Cottenden, director at cybersecurity specialists CY4OR. "Any business that takes customer details could be vulnerable because this encryption is designed to protect personal data… Businesses need to apply mitigation now." But finding effective and affordable ways to keep "mission critical" data safe from hackers, fraudsters and natural disasters can be a daunting and difficult task for small firms. Poor data security can literally ruin your business. For example, weak security measures and alleged poor infrastructure brought Japanese Bitcoin exchange MtGox to its knees before it eventually went bust. The exchange, which was handling about 70% of the world's bitcoin trades at its height, said 850,000 of the digital currency coins were stolen by hackers. The company was forced to file for bankruptcy in February. But in March, MtGox then said it had found 200,000 "lost" bitcoins - worth about £70m - in an old digital wallet dating from 2011. When security is your business, such laxity is obviously disastrous. The UK's Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) believes unchecked cybercrime is severely stunting the growth potential of its members. Source: Federation of Small Businesses The risk of fraud and online crime, both real and perceived, is costing each UK small business up to £4,000 per year, the FSB says, while cybercrime as a whole costs the UK economy an estimated £27bn a year. About a third of FSB members have been victims of online crime over the last year, whether from virus infections, hacking attacks or other system security breaches. As well as the financial loss and inconvenience, there is the potentially disastrous loss of customer trust. Despite the critical importance of data security, many businesses appear almost oblivious to the risks. A 2013 survey by security software firm AVG revealed that a large amount of data loss occurs simply due to human error and carelessness. It seems many businesses are more concerned with tidying their desks or ordering new business cards than backing up data. A reported 43% of UK and 53% of US small businesses said they spend more time changing passwords than backing up. And about a quarter of them leave longer than a week between back-ups. "Too many times an act of carelessness or a security breach has led to information going missing, and in some cases businesses have found themselves in a position where the data is non-recoverable," a Microsoft spokesman told the BBC. Natural disasters can pose just as big a risk to small firms as cybercrime. An estimated 25% of businesses do not reopen following a major disaster, according to the Institute for Business and Home Safety, a not-for-profit organisation. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy destroyed thousands of small businesses in the US, while many others still felt the effects at least a year after the event. Rob Cotton, chief executive of Manchester-based NCC Group, a data security firm, told the BBC that adapting good security practices can be difficult for small businesses. "SMEs that are using their own IT services in-house need to consider the physical security of the equipment, as well as whether the IT is vulnerable to external threats," he says. "It's also important to consider the risk from your own staff, since many incidents result from rogue employees - the so-called 'insider threat'." A common piece of advice is to back up data securely and often, but should this be to locally stored servers or to remote cloud services? "Cloud providers will generally be more proactive in terms of ensuring software is up-to-date and maintaining patch levels," says Mr Cotton. "They will also have better security knowledge and awareness, meaning servers and services will generally be well configured. On top of this they are more resilient and most will have robust disaster recovery and continuity plans in place." Another advantage of the cloud is that thieves won't necessarily know which service your business uses or where it keeps its servers. But Mr Cotton admits there are certainly risks around adopting cloud services. One obvious one - often overlooked - is that the provider itself suffers a break in service or a breach of its defences, so it makes sense to interrogate the reputation and reliability of any cloud service provider very closely. "Putting business-critical information in the hands of a third party demands a degree of trust," said a Microsoft spokesman. "Solid providers will explain their security methodologies and commitment to the business." That said, a "belt-and-braces" local back-up plan may be a good idea. Small firms need to protect their data against viruses, malware and natural disasters, as well as disgruntled or careless employees. But how defences against these threats are implemented will depend upon the circumstances and nature of each business, experts say. In finance, keeping all your eggs in one basket is rarely a wise idea, and the same applies to data. So for maximum security, spreading data around both traditional and non-traditional services seems to be the best policy. Perhaps most importantly, the FSB stresses the need for education. If your managers and employees don't appreciate the need to protect data, the whole future of your business could be on the line.

The recent security scare over the Heartbleed bug should send shivers down the spines of most small businesses.

The decision of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to leave rates at their new, historically low, level was no surprise. Last month the Bank halved its bank rate from 0.5% as it tried to ensure the stability of the UK's banking system in the aftermath of the June Brexit referendum vote. That was the first rate cut since 2009. But the Bank said again that it might cut rates further in the coming months, even though the immediate economic after-shock of the Brexit vote now appears to be weaker than first thought. "A number of indicators of near-term economic activity have been somewhat stronger than expected," the Bank said in the minutes of its latest MPC meeting. It added that if its economic forecasts in November were similar to those it had formulated in August, then "a majority of members expected to support a further cut in bank rate to its effective lower bound at one of the MPC's forthcoming meetings during the course of the year." The Bank noted that a variety of economic indicators have suggested that the UK economy has shrugged off the post-referendum surprise in the short-term. As a result, the Bank is not as gloomy about the short-term state of the economy as it was a month ago. But it said that it still expects the pace of economic activity in the July-September period to have halved from the growth rate recorded earlier in the year. The Bank's internal judgement is that growth in Q3 (that's July to September) will now be between 0.2% and 0.3%, a pretty chunky upgrade on its August forecast of 0.1%. It's not an official forecast, but given the Q3 growth figure will be announced before the next meeting of the MPC in November, it is as close as we are going to get. Looking at 2017, the MPC says it is harder to make a judgement, but if the present economic momentum continues, then expect an upgrade in growth forecasts for next year and 2018 after brutal downgrades last month. It still says that is considering cutting interest rates again - to 0.1% - but the chances of that must be lower given the better economic news. Read Kamal's full analysis here Under a new timetable which replaces the long-standing practice of monthly meetings, the next MPC meeting will take place in November. It is at that point that some City economists expect a further cut in bank rate to just 0.1%. The latest vote of MPC members, who include the governor Mark Carney, was unanimous - at 9-0. Suren Thiru, head of economics at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: "The Bank of England's decision to keep interest rates on hold was unsurprising. "Although the post-referendum economic data has been decidedly mixed, we expect growth to slow sharply in 2017. "We anticipate the MPC will move again to cut interest rates before the end of the year," he added. The MPC also voted to stick with the expansion of its quantitative easing (QE) policy, which it announced in August. That means the bank will now buy an extra £60bn of government bonds - taking the total to £435bn - along with a further £10bn of corporate bonds, as part of its continuing attempts to keep the economy from sliding into recession.

The Bank of England has left its main interest rate at 0.25% but says another cut is still a possibility.

The employees, who worked in four takeaways, are alleged to have been living and working in the country illegally. The firms have been asked to produce documents proving their staff had the right to work and live in the UK. If they are unable to do so the Home Office said they would impose a fine of up to £20,000 per illegal employee. The process to deport the workers is already under way.

Eleven people have been arrested in Shetland following illegal immigrant raids by the Home Office.